Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If one were to ask Hyunjin what his life was like as a child, he would easily be able to speak positively of it. He’d grown up in a large pack, one of the biggest in the country, surrounded by many people he cared for. It was hard to imagine how things could so suddenly and painfully flip, forever changing his course in life.

Hyunjin’s story

Hyunjin wasn’t born into his pack, although he might as well have been. At merely a couple of days old he was found wailing, screaming his tiny lungs out in the middle of the forest, surrounded by snow with only a thin grey blanket cocooning him from the harsh and peculiar spring snowstorm. 

It was the pack alpha who had found him, wrapping the boy up in his arms as his loyal alpha and beta soldiers went out looking for his family; anyone who could explain how a poor defenceless baby had been abandoned in the snow. It wasn’t the most traditional entry into a pack, but Hyunjin was welcomed in with immediacy.

After years of waiting to be ‘old enough’ to hear the story, it was, again, the pack leader who finally opened up and told him.

Hyunjin’s birth parents hadn’t been part of a pack when he was born. It was just the three of them, two terrified new parents without a pack’s protection and their newborn baby, brought into a world that would be turned upside down, days after being brought into it. 

That day, Hyunjin’s parents had been found a few kilometres away, blood mixing with melted snow as it pooled around their transformed bodies, staining their fur a gruesome red. It had been hunters, the indication of mortal weaponry used was a clear indication.

The alpha told him that his parents both had lingering scents of a broken pack bond and  that it was likely they hadn’t been without a pack for very long, but no one could ever determine why it was that they left in the first place. An alpha and omega pairing with a strong scented connection, even in death, with a healthy newborn son, was the perfect situation for any pack. Hyunjin had always wondered why they couldn’t have stayed, why they put themselves in the danger that left Hyunjin without his parents, or even the slightest memory of what they looked like. But, he couldn’t bring himself to hold any resentment, trusting that whatever the reason was, it must have been important enough to risk it all. The pack leader assured him of that, and even though the man never knew his parents, he had often told Hyunjin that he felt their connection through them.

Hyunjin liked his pack back then, when he was a happy kid, at a time where the dangers of the adult world hadn’t crossed his radar yet. His pack were his family, and while there were many members, their alpha was strong and held everyone together like glue. They had a defining culture, their own dialect and a strong sense of community within their lush pack territory. Hyunjin’s fondest memories were filled with running around in the long fields of grass and daisies with his friends, dreaming of the day he’d transform and get to explore the forest as a wolf. He could almost taste it; the freedom he perceived his wolf form to be. He wanted so badly to embrace it already, childhood impatience being the bane of his existence.

Hyunjin’s pack valued each subgender in their roles, albeit their values were very much on the traditionalist side, but Hyunjin had grown up never knowing anything else. Because of the traditionalist nature, his role had been ‘planned out’ for years.

Growing up, everyone that knew Hyunjin were completely certain that he would present as an omega. He showed all of the signs the pack deemed fitting for that subgender. Hyunjin was soft natured, gentle and sensitive. His closest friends were also ones predicted to present as omegas, and when he wasn’t with them he was following the older omegas around, helping them with chores to learn how to provide for an alpha when that became his role in the future. He was extremely dedicated to grow up and become the best omega he could be. He wanted nothing more than to fit in with the traditions of his pack.

He could distinctly remember how the older omegas would always remind him not to try to grow up too fast; that being a child was wonderful and filled with the memories he would treasure for the rest of his life. Looking back, their words seemed naïve; but how could they know what was destined to become of their pack?

When Hyunjin was 16 years old, their pack alpha died in a sudden and unfortunate fight against a neighbouring enemy pack. He’d been torn to pieces, a vindictive assault that took away someone who Hyunjin had treasured dearly. The alpha had always fought on the front lines when it came to defending his pack, refusing to hold back from protecting what was his. Hyunjin had always admired him for that, but after his death, he wished the alpha had just stayed safe and away from danger that day.

Merely an hour after the alpha was pronounced dead, the pack broke into chaos. Without an alpha, the strongest alphas in the pack turned on each other, fighting for the right to be the next pack leader. It was a bloodbath, a fight to the death with no one to control them. The betas treated the wounded and got rid of the bodies, and the omegas protected the children, trying to hide them from the horrors of what was unfolding. 

Despite their attempts at hiding him and the others away, Hyunjin could still remember as clear as day how it all unfolded; the alpha being carried back to the village, limbs lying limply and lifelessly, blood and flesh dripping and hanging from his body as his passing was announced, the snarling and snapping that grew stronger until the explosion of an alpha brawl took over their village centre. They were merciless, feral in a way Hyunjin had never seen before. If it made any difference, that was the day he considered himself no longer a kid.

Their new pack leader wasn’t anything like the old one. He was vicious and murderous, and downright cruel. One toe out of line and the punishments could range from public lashings all the way to a death sentence. If the pack was traditional with its values before, it was so much worse now. Alphas were on top, had the freedom to do whatever they wanted as long as it didn’t threaten the pack leader's position. They were allowed, or more so encouraged to act as maliciously as ‘a good alpha should’, and the whole dynamic of the once close-knit pack shifted. 

Betas were deemed almost purposeless. They couldn’t birth children and it was extremely difficult for them to impregnate an omega, making them ‘far less superior’. Their title became the ‘workers’; they were the ones who provided for the village; cooking, cleaning, building, repairing, providing medical help- you name it, anything classified as a ‘job’ was their responsibility. 

Worst of all, was the omegas. Under new leadership, omegas were only deemed fit for one thing; breeding. 

“They were made for it! Why else would they be begging for a knot every three months?” The new alpha would laugh tauntingly, making sure as many omegas in the vicinity could hear him, as possible.

Hyunjin hated it- hate wasn’t even a strong enough word. He despised it so much that the physical ache in his chest never seemed to ease. He hated watching the abuse the omegas faced. Over time it was his friends who started to face it- newly presented and just a couple of years older than Hyunjin. They’d come home bloody and bruised and broken , both physically and emotionally. When they were not ‘used for their purpose’, they were being paraded around as an accessory or on display for alpha entertainment. 

From growing up as a child who couldn’t wait to present, dreaming of the day he’d be paired with an alpha who would take care of him for the rest of his life- he now absolutely dreaded it, the sharpness of the whiplash caused by a single event so sudden and painful that it almost seemed tangible. And to match that, his presentation day turned out to be just as horrible.

Subgender presentations started off in a similar way, head and body aches that were paired with a fever and nausea, uncomfortable but not unbearable. 

For presenting betas, this dissipated after a couple of days and there was a natural shift that could be identified as their presentation. This was because betas didn’t experience heats like omegas or ruts like alphas. Betas had it easy, in Hyunjin’s opinion.

For alphas and omegas, this was where the experience diverged. Omegas became wet with slick, desperate for an alpha knot to make the burning, cramping sensation in their abdomens relax; seeking the euphoria and comfort that came with it. Their body’s were hardwired to submit, to give everything they could over to an alpha. To Hyunjin, this was the only way Omega’s could be, he’d never imagined or witnessed the possibility of an omega not holding these characteristics.

Alphas however, entered their rut. Their fevers ran high, a burning, unbearable heat that could only be sedated by burying their knot inside a tight, wet omega. Alphas could become aggressive, feral even, but even those who weren’t natural aggressors couldn’t escape the possessiveness that would take over them during their ruts. Sheer, undeniable dominance.

The wolf transformation came within days of the presentation, 2 or 3 for the betas, and 4 or 5 for alphas and omegas.

Hyunjin presented 2 months after his 18th birthday, in the usual timeframe of a presenting shifter. He’d had all the usual starting symptoms, spending the first two days restless in the bed of his assigned room, omegas patting his skin with cool wet cloths to help with his rising fever. The presenting clinics were cold and sterile, one of the only places in the village which valued the most modern technology. He felt like he was in one of the cities south of the territory, but those thoughts were easily ripped away by the discomfort that demanded to be felt.

Then the need set in. His skin burned and it felt as though someone was trying to stab him from the inside out, all over his body, prickling under his skin and making his bones throb. Worst of all, his cock ached . This should have been the first signal that his presentation wasn’t about to go the way everyone expected it to. 

His brain went hazy as everything felt too stifling. His cock was too dry . He needed pressure, he needed to be inside of something warm and wet so the stabbing feeling could subside and he could be locked into someone. He craved security and safety; someone to hold him, to be attached to him both physically and emotionally.

He was too out of it to know what was going on, but he vaguely remembered the worrying murmurs of the omegas as they called in a beta doctor to inspect him. Initially they thought that he was having complications with his omega presentation, that that was the only explanation- not that Hyunjin could ever possibly be anything but an omega…

The doctor noted that there was no slick pouring out of him, yet he was still a whimpering mess crying, reaching out to be held. It was pitiful, pathetic even. That’s how he perceived himself when he looked back at the memory.

“Touch yourself,” The doctor instructed with a deep set frown on his face. 

Hyunjin had let out a pathetic whine. He’d have been humiliated if he had the emotional capability to process the situation. His hand shakily extended down between his legs, fingers twitching as they hovered over his hole.

“Not there-” The beta snapped sharply, grabbing his hand away and moving it up to his cock. Hyunjin let out another noise, a whimpered gasp, high and trembling as his hand made contact with his weeping cock.

It was the first time Hyunjin had physically touched himself since his presentation began, his body too confused to know what to do until now. But, as he stroked himself the painful stabbing feeling in his stomach slowly but surely began to dilute into a lighter, more bearable throb. It was a deep ache, but he no longer felt like tearing his own skin to shreds from the pain anymore.

His drooling precome lubed the glide of his hand, elevating his pleasure. Within two minutes he felt something expanding at the base of his dick, sensitive and growing until his hands were squeezing it with a pressure that felt too good to let go. His hips bucked into it before he cried out in sobbing desperation, cum shooting off in thick ropes that landed over his stomach and chest. Gasping out breaths he’d managed to crack his eyes open to see his cock twitching in his old, come still spurting out in amounts too large to be an omegas. Only then did he register the feeling of his knot in his hold, brain defogging as terror made its way in. He wasn’t an omega. He was an alpha.

Eyes moving upwards, he was met with shocked expressions all around. The diagnosis was clear, and he was on display for all the eyes in the room to see.

“I want to test something,” The doctor spoke up, inspecting Hyunjin’s knot after the need for pressure had subsided enough for him to let it go. ‘How could he be an alpha?’, his brain supplied the question between waves of hazy arousal. It didn’t take long for the heat to start to subtly build again now that he knew how to relieve it, he craved the return of the euphoria desperately.

“One of you take his knot for this next wave,” The beta instructed, tilting his head to the group of omegas. 

This snapped Hyunjin out of his daze completely, sobering him up in less than a second. He growled . It was distinctly one of warning, but it wasn’t commanding or dominating the way alpha growls usually were. It was whimpered, laced with fear and unbelievable submissiveness- as though he knew that he could be dominated by any one of them and was begging for there to be an alternative. 

“How strange,” The beta commented, eyes narrowing in on Hyunjin again, walking around the bed like a circling predator. 

“We were so sure he would be an omega,” One of the omega’s supplied, the others nodding in agreement as they stood together, naturally huddling now that a presenting alpha was among them. They’d never have been in the room if everyone hadn’t been 100% certain that Hyunjin would present as an omega.

The doctor hummed, “His notes were very clear on his personality, and even his physical appearance is one akin to an omega, bar his height, but outliers aren’t uncommon in any subgender. However, being an alpha makes him a complete outlier in all his other traits. I’ve never come across this before,” The beta doctor explained, shaking his head as he flipped through Hyunjin’s file as though there could have been something he might have missed. Hyunjin was the way he was, there was no explanation.

When his next wave hit, Hyunjin was begging for help, whimpering as he blinked pleadingly at the omegas. His pupils were blown out, hair fanned around him, longer than he was supposed to have it, under the pack’s guidelines, and tangled with sweat laced through it. His lips were parted, flushed red and slick and if one were to look at him without being able to smell the slow growing alpha scent that was making its mark on his newly presented body- they’d be completely convinced he was an omega. 

Despite how much he pleaded and how much his cock ached for the warm wetness an omega could provide, any time one of the omegas tried to approach him to help, he’d growl out again, snapping out at them to “Go away”, “Leave me alone”, “Don’t touch me”. He was at an internal war with himself, but his humanity took hold of him enough to not let anyone take anything more away from him.

Still, it wasn’t just the thought of one of the omegas, it was the thought of anyone getting near enough to him. He felt horrible, repelled from his own being, his own desires. And, he was terrified with confusion. As much as he wanted his cock buried deep in someone, he also craved to be filled. He wanted the heat of someone, slicked up inside of him, drawing pleasure out of him as they radiated lust and dominance. He craved an alpha as much as he craved an omega.

Alphas weren’t meant to want to submit to other alphas- or so he’d been told by his pack, but if an alpha entered the room right now he knew he’d be begging to be filled with their cum. None of it made sense, how was he supposed to live his life now? As an alpha ?

After days of pain and pleasure, rolled into one horrible transformation- Hyunjin passed the worst stages of his rut, leading into his wolf transformation.

His shifting experience was nothing like he’d always dreamed it to be. He’d envisioned rolling around amongst the daisies with the giddiness of being a new omega. But, as he watched the newly turned omegas doing what he wanted to be doing, he felt a cold, jealous ache radiate through him, distracting him from where his attention was supposed to be focussed on.

While the omega’s yipped, playfully tackling each other in the gardens, the alphas were thrown right into their first hunting lesson. It was the alpha’s obligation to provide fresh meat to the pack, keeping everyone strong and healthy. They always brought back hares or deer, or even sometimes mutton, with a look of pride on their faces as they dragged the game into the village. 

Hyunjin felt sick to his stomach as he followed his group into the woods. He didn’t want this. He didn’t like hurting other animals, and he was extremely squeamish. Unsurprisingly, he was not good at hunting. 

The other new alphas were excited and boisterous; ready to catch anything that rustled through the bushes. Hyunjin hung back, his head lowered. He didn’t even know what his wolf looked like, but from the looks of his paws it seemed he had a white coat, possibly speckled with some hints of warm blonds and greys. Going by any of the looks he got from the others around him, even his appearance stood out. White wolf expected to hunt in a lush green forest? Not exactly ideal. He didn’t definitely feel as toned and sturdy as they looked either, rather more slender and light on his feat. He would later be told he was far too elegant to be a hunting alpha, and it wasn’t said in the way of a compliment. 

He didn’t catch even one animal from the hunt, and that's when the bullying began. 

Over the following days word spread around that Hyunjin was an alpha and even those that had only heard of him were enthralled in the gossip that had taken over the community. 

The omegas that had previously been teaching him how to provide for an alpha distanced themselves from him and became awkward when he was in their presence. His once dearly valued friend group- who all turned out to present as omegas, told him they weren’t comfortable around him anymore. He smelt too much like an alpha and they didn’t like feeling on edge. He smelled strange . So, if smelling like an alpha when he didn’t want to be one wasn’t bad enough, apparently he also didn’t smell like a good one. 

The group of alphas that had taken it upon themselves to make Hyunjin’s life exponentially harder, gave him a bit more of an idea of what he smelt like. “How can an alpha smell so fragile? You smell like those flowers out in the damn field. You might as well just smell like grass,” They’d laugh mockingly. 

Smelling like grass turned into smelling like dirt, which had the group yelling out ‘Hyunjin’s dirty, Hyunjin’s dirty!” every time they’d spot him. None of the older members of the pack did anything, and the younger, not yet presented, kids were even encouraged to pick on him. Hyunjin’s abnormality became everyone's favourite conversational passtime. 

How could people go from finding him sweet and kind and lovable, to downright repulsive ? He’d look at himself in the mirror and no longer admire the features he used to love about himself. He’d sob, watching the tears stream down his soft skin that was ‘too pretty yet too ugly’ to be alpha skin. And one day, after having his ‘once been called beautiful’ hair yanked back painfully to the point where his eyes stung and his scalp burned, he finally snapped. He took a pair of kitchen scissors to his long locks and chopped them off. It was one less thing they could hate about him and one more thing he could hate about himself.

Under the new ruling, newly presented shifters couldn't mate for two years after their presentation. The pack leader had proclaimed that alphas needed to try out all the flavours they wanted before they decided on the best mate. 

This ruling actually gave Hyunjin the only relief he’d ever had since he presented. He wasn’t forced into a mating bind, meaning that he could choose to not sleep with anyone at all. He was allowed to spend his ruts alone, despite the judgement he received- but no one could force an omega on him. Noy for 2 years. Just 2 years.

Despite being told he was ‘far too disgusting for an omega to want him’ by his alpha tormentors, Hyunjin wasn’t actually without courting request. Over the next 2 years, from time to time omegas and betas would shyly request to be courted by him, all sharing a similar liking to his more gentle personality, compared to the alphas who were regularly encouraged to take what they wanted even if the other party didn’t.

To all of them, Hyunjin declined the request. He wasn’t unattracted to them, per se, biologically they were a good fit and even without his sungender many of them were very attractive- but they all looked at him with the expectation of an alpha; that he would be what an alpha should be. It wasn’t their fault, everyone in the pack was raised that way. Even the more understanding pack members weren’t open-minded enough to see the world wasn’t just black and white. What if he wanted to be courted too?

Over time, the words others threw at him seeped into his skin and became his reality. He’d slowly settled into a state of acceptance; that who he was and how he was treated would be his future and there was nothing he could do about it. He’d never be the alpha his pack wanted him to be, but if he didn’t get in the way then maybe he could live in mostly peace and solitude. To him, at the time, that seemed like it was as good as it was going to get.

After Hyunjin’s 20th birthday, everything came to a crashing, burning, exploding halt when the alpha announced to everyone in the village square that mating would become mandatory after the two year experimental stage- meaning, Hyunjin would be forced to mate and breed an omega whether he wanted to or not- and he did not. His head spun as he listened to the announcement, spoken with such excitement that it made him want to throw up. He was trapped.

An event was scheduled a week from the announcement. Those who hadn’t already found someone they planned to mate with, would be made to take part in a mating run. All participants would come back mated, whether it was by choice or by force. 

Hyunjin couldn’t shake the feeling that the announcement wasn’t coincidental with the timing of his 20th birthday. He was certainly known about in the community, even with how expansive the pack had become. If it wasn’t for being distinctly recognisable as the alpha who didn’t look or act like an alpha, it was for his reputation alone. He was the only alpha of his age group who had never experimented with anyone, in or out of his rut. 

Hyunjin’s suspicion was confirmed on the day of the event. As Hyunjin was preparing with the other omegas, the pack leader’s attention followed his every move with a glint of anticipation in his eyes. A shiver ran down Hyunjin’s spine. It seemed that everyone was eager to see who Hyunjin would mate with, like it was some hilarity and he was the circus clown.

He’d become accustomed to the sick feeling in his stomach by now, but his nerves couldn’t be tamed. He’d bitten his nails down until they hurt, and had made the inside of his lip bleed countless times over the last few days. This was it, this was when even the slimmest chance of freedom would be ripped out from under him forever, snatched from his feeble grasp. Spineless, he thought himself to be. Was he really that spineless to believe that this, this life was all he could ever have?- That he was so scared of everything around him that he didn’t dare try to free himself from the prison his life had become?

He was terrified.

Chapter Text

The run had begun. Omegas took off after the first siren, followed by betas 2 minutes after. Blood was pounding in Hyunjin’s ears, a pulsating feeling that had his balance offset from fear. The piercing shrill of the siren signalled that it was his turn to go.

‘Run,’ his brain screamed at him, and with shaking limbs he took off, tunnel vision taking over and leading him far away from the spectators and deep into the forest.

The aim of the event was for alphas to catch an omega or beta- if there weren’t enough omegas to go around, and claim them through the chase. It was practically a dance, running around in the forest, omega’s flaunting themselves and tempting the alphas while the alphas sought out the omega with the most mating potential. However, Hyunjin wasn’t running for that reason, and quite frankly, he found the whole concept disgusting. He was purposely running in the direction where the scent of others was less prominent. 

He was running to hide , pushing past branch after branch to get as deep into the forest as he could. The area was large, large enough for one to get lost if they didn’t know the grounds well enough- but Hyunjin knew. He knew every invisible territory line like the back of his hand.

Now, with the games in full motion, Alphas guarded the territory lines, standing tall in their wolf forms at various points of the invisible arena, snarling at anyone who got too close to the boundary. Perhaps others had thoughts of escaping as well.

Hyunjin could already hear the sounds of omegas being claimed, could smell slick and sex in the air. Hiding behind a large oak tree, he tried to catch his breath, hands on his bare knees. Mating runs didn’t allow clothes, a further humiliation forced upon him.

Hyunjin wasn’t affected by an omega’s slick the same way other alphas were. He had too much disdain for his community to find these omegas appealing, but even then he didn’t feel that intense aggressiveness to claim them just because their bodies were ‘wet and ready’. He’d scoff at their lack of willpower, but when it came down to it, he was the one out of place.

He puffed out heavy breaths, sweat dripping from his forehead. He wasn’t exactly in a prime physical state for such exercise. After he’d presented, he spent almost all his alone time in his room, finding peace in painting with the supplies he bought in the city, or reading poetry from books he borrowed from the village library. Long gone were the days of making daisy chains with his childhood friends and running around in the fields pretending to be princes and princesses.

Something Hunjin didn’t anticipate in the run, was that some omegas and betas were just as desperate to mate as the alphas were, even if they hadn't been intending on it prior to the announcement. It was the need to fit in, the desperation to make the pack proud. He understood that, once upon a time that had been him, but now he just felt a bitter hatred for something he had once loved so much.

It started with one omega finding him, but it didn’t take long for more to come along. His alpha scent, while not appealing, or so he’d been told, still distinctly told anyone around him that he was one.

“Hyunjin don’t you want to mate with me?”

“I can bear your children! Please mate with me alpha.”

“No, I'll carry your babies, I'll be such a good omega for you!”

“Alpha please…”

Hyunjin backed up against the tree as much as his body would let him, bark digging into his back, rubbing dirt down his spine. His scent was sour, he could smell it on himself and even though the group could likely smell it too, they were not deterred whatsoever. If they came out of the event quickly, an alpha holding them like a prize, they’d instantly become more respected. Even if it was Hyunjin they were linked with. The thought made him sick; walking back to his prison of a pack, stuck with one of these people for the rest of his unhappy life. He’d be further pushed to live up to the standards of being who they wanted him to be- who he couldn't be. Breed an omega, be forced to never see them as an equal, work for the pack in a mindless cycle of torture. Let himself face the abuse they loved to throw upon him. He’d sooner rather die.

Something in Hyunjin snapped at that, and he pushed past the group. He had to get out, he had to be free. He didn’t want this . He couldn’t live like this anymore. His brain was spiralling, thoughts interlinking, fighting between fear of the unknown, and fear of the life he was trapped in now. But, he couldn’t let himself live like this anymore, he wouldn't. He had to escape. 

Forcing himself into a transformation, he leaped into the air, letting his bones stretch out and morph into his wolf form. He shook his fur out, panting out the growls that rippled through his chest before bounding off in urgency. He weaved through the tall trees. Still, he could hear the yipping and howling of those who had chosen to transform and follow him, but the one thing Hyunjin had over nearly everyone else in the pack was that he was fast . He moved with such fluidity it was as though he was gliding through the woods without his paws even touching the ground. 

His eyes were trained forward as he set his sight on the boundary lines and the woods that lay beyond them. All he had to do was get past the alpha guards, then he’d be free and he’d never have to return to this horrid place ever again. As long as they didn’t catch him and bring him back, that was.

The alphas leaped into action the second they noticed him, snarling harshly as he came barreling closer. Hyunjin snapped back, pulling in a big breath before he tackled them to the ground as they met the point of collision. He let out a deep growl of hatred, one of so much force that it vibrated through his entire body. He'd never heard himself sound like that and it almost shocked him enough to freeze up- but he didn’t. He could contemplate his unknown instinctual abilities later- when he was free . 

The guards, while shocked at Hyunjin’s sudden aggressive ability, were still easily able to get him lowered into submission with their chests puffed out, radiating pure dominance. 

Hyunjin had never been able to do that, never wanted to get another alpha to submit to him before. If he was being honest, while he held disgust for the power play, there was something wantonly pleasant about being forced into submission. It was the only time he was ever allowed to submit.

Mastering a strength, purely born from adrenaline alone, Hyunjin managed to lift himself up, chest puffing out as he snapped his sharp teeth at the alphas. He walked forward in slow confident steps as snarls turned into bites that were centimetres from the alphas fur coated skin. 

The alphas faltered this time, heads lowering instinctively as they bowed into submission, giving Hyunjin the only opportunity he had to force past them. He’d done it. He’d fought out of his hey-wired nature, and how he had a chance of freedom.

He took it, heart squeezed so tight in his throat that he wasn’t sure if he was actually breathing or just holding his breath. He bounded past them, the air shooting through his fur again like lightning bolts, speed picking up as he crossed the boundary lines. 

He physically felt his bond to the pack snap, like a ribbon that had been tying him to them had been ripped in half from the force of his hatred. The final straw had been his escape, and the feeling was intense. It was never a comfortable feeling for anyone to break a pack bond, but Hyunjin felt none of the sadness that usually came with it. Instead he felt empowerment. Hope, he felt hopeful.

Fueled with that exhilarated adrenaline, he continued to run. The pack would send a search party for him, he was sure of it. He was too interesting of a member to let slip from their pack, just from his entertainment to them alone. But, Hyunjin wasn’t a circus performer, he wasn’t there for their ridicule or entertainment even if his alpha had been battered and abused enough to convince him that he deserved it. Maybe he did, maybe it was all he was good for, to them. But one thing he knew for certain was that he wouldn’t let them find him. No matter what it took.

He didn’t stop running, not for hours. Every time he contemplated being far enough to stop, a shock of fear ran through him again. The sheer thought of them finding him had him running until the sun started to set in the sky and if his calculations were right, according to the time when the run started, he must have been running for at least 3, maybe 4 hours. If he hadn’t been so boosted with adrenaline, he’d have collapsed two and a half hours ago.

It wasn’t until the sky had faded into twilight that Hyunjin finally felt his legs starting to shake, hit with the need to give out. His balance was failing him again, and this time it demanded to be felt. Maybe if he hadn’t been so focussed on that, he’d have realised that his scent wasn’t the only one around him anymore. He wasn’t alone.

Out of nowhere, A wolf jumped out at him, startling Hyunjin to a stop. He froze up, the wolf was definitely a shifter, too large to be a pure mountain wolf. Despite its larger size, it wasn’t as big as Hyunjin- but it was an alpha, and an angry one at that. It bit out snarls at him, teeth sharp as it stalked closer, fur lit under the moonlight. It looked to be a soft brown with hints of dark grey toned accents. It was pretty, but that’s not what Hyunjin would say about its expression, or the strong vibe of hostility souring its scent.

The alpha wasn’t alone. Another, larger alpha let out a thundering growl as it appeared at the other wolf's side. This one was the pack’s alpha, he could both sense and smell it.

This was a pack’s territory he’d ended up in, which wasn’t something he’d considered the possibility of while he was running for his life.

The large alpha stalked ahead of his pack member, fur a mix of black and grey, teeth lashing threateningly. Hyunjin started to get the impression that the alpha expected a fight, which certainly wasn’t on the table right now. Or ever.

A couple of seconds later, another, and seemingly the last alpha arrived, one with thick black fur. This one was physically stronger than the first one but didn’t hold as much of a threatening aura. It was shorter than both the other two, but Hyunjin was certain that it could hold its own. If Hyunjin had to guess, he’d say this one was the youngest of the three of them.

The pack leader stood tall in front of him as the other two began to circle him. Initially having been frozen in fear, Hyunjin finally snapped out of it and fell into submission with a whimper. It was pitiful, a sound an alpha would usually never dare to make, but the shifters didn’t seem phased by that in the slightest. The lower position had his legs giving out and he collapsed onto the ground, a deep ache setting into his bones as he transformed back, curling in on himself shakily. His teeth started to chatter immediately, all the hairs over his skin prickling like stabbing thorns.

He couldn’t see the alphas with his eyes now level with the forest floor but he could smell the change in their scents. They smelled confused at the sudden change in events. The pack leader still had a mix of rage and hostility in his scent, while the other two emanated deep caution. Despite the expectation of a fight having dissipated, the situation was no less terrifying.

Hyunjin knew the chattering of his teeth and uncontrollable shaking, despite not feeling a single chill, could only mean one thing. He’d gone into shock. He had to manually force himself to breathe. He felt like he might throw up, or pass out, or die, or do all of them in that order.

The pack leader transformed back first but Hyunjin still hadn’t looked up at him, submissively keeping his eyes lowered. He hoped with all his might that the alpha wouldn’t kick him while he was down. He didn’t even mean to enter their territory, and with any luck they’d hear him out, once word’s could escape his airway again, and just send him back on his way.

From the angle that he could see at, it was notable that the leader’s legs were strong, toned from physical and agile ability. The other two then moved into frame as well, both having transformed into their human forms. One of them was clearly more slender than the other, presumably the first one to have arrived, and the other was toned and even more muscular than the leader.

“He’s gone into shock,” The slender one commented in observation. 

None of their scents held the same levels of aggressiveness as before. Hyunjin was clearly no longer a threat to them.

“Hey,” The toned one said, moving his foot out to tap Hyunjin’s leg with it. 

Hyunjin recoiled, letting out a whimper. He was so sore and tired and he wanted to cry .

“Changbin don’t poke him with your foot, we don’t know what he’s been up to or where he came from,” The leader scolded the muscular man, but there wasn’t a threat of reprimand in his tone. If Hyunjin could master the ability to frown in perplexment in his current state, he would have. Shouldn’t an alpha’s order contain more rage than that? And shouldn't the lower level pack member be shrinking away in fear?

“Wherever he came from, he has a newly broken pack bond,” the slender one announced, crouching down. 

Hyuinjin could see more of him now. He was, without a doubt, an alpha, smelling of refreshing rain on a summer's day. However, he wasn’t as physically ‘alpha’ as the other two. It seemed as though he didn’t work his body to the limits in order to prove his worth like the alphas back home did. Well, it wasn’t home anymore. He was also pretty; hair matching his shifter coat, with eyes that sparkled under the twilight sky, and although they were squinted at him in distrust, he could still tell that they were really pretty.

Changbin crouched down beside him, sniffing. “He’s definitely an alpha,” he confirmed, but there was an underlying uncertainty in his tone. His eyebrows were drawn in, thick, coal black hair falling over them as plush lips twisted in contemplation. “What should we do with him?”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened, glassy and completely petrified. “Please don’t hurt me! Please…Please don’t kill me,” He begged between sharp breaths that made his chest ache. “Please, I can’t go back there, don’t make me go back there,” His voice was shaking, bordering on sobbing in a choked up manner. The two worst scenarios were death and returning to the pack. He couldn’t die when he’d just gotten the slightest taste of freedom- plus after hours of running he was way too stubborn to die this way. But, being forced back to his pack was possibly worse, just the thought had him trembling harder.

The slender man frowned deeply, eyes flicking to the leader. Changbin’s scent abruptly changed to one of prominent concern- the first to show a less negative emotion out of the three.

“He can’t stay on our land,” The slender man told them, eyes shifting away from Hyunjin with hesitance. He didn’t seem to fully support his own hostility anymore, Hyunjin’s petrified nature likely being the cause of that.

“We can’t just let him stay out in the woods like this. He’ll probably die before the morning, look at him, Minho hyung,” Changbin protested, gesturing to Hyunjin who wasn’t sure whether to be relieved at the possible compassion or more worried about what that could allude to.

“I agree,” The leader voiced in agreement, finally crouching down beside his pack mates. His hair was dark like Changbin’s, eyes naturally holding a softness, despite the current predicament. “We can’t be sure he won’t try to come back if we let him out of our territory. It’s better if we keep an eye on him…but I think he has some healing to do before we can get any answers out of him,” The leader concluded. They were talking about him as though he couldn’t hear them, and despite the fact that he could, the leader was right, there was no way he had the emotional ability to answer any questions right now.

Minho nodded slowly in agreement while Changbin started to move into a position with the intention of helping Hyunjin up.

Hyunjin yelped and tensed, pulling his arms tight to his chest. Sure, helping him up seemed innocent enough, but Hyunjin’s body hadn’t got the memo of not needing to be in survival mode anymore. Being in such a vulnerable state, who was to say this potential pity towards him wasn’t just a mask to torture answers out of him later on. It wouldn’t be the first time such a tactic had been used. 

Another thing he noted about the situation that made absolutely no sense to him was how the leader seemed to take the other alphas' ideas into consideration, even going as far as letting them make the decisions. How could he tolerate that?

“We have to help you up in order to move you. I don’t think you can get up on your own, right?” Changbin’s voice was softer as he spoke to Hyunjin, and there was a strange part of him that actually wanted to be helped by the unknown alpha. “Chan hyung can you help me lift him?”

Chan, the leader, moved to Hunjin’s other side. “Can we help you?” He asked, eyes connecting with Hyunjin’s who fought the automatic urge to look down in submission. He was asking for permission?

Hyunjin gulped, nodding and slowly finding it in himself to uncurl from the ball he’d been curled into.  Everyone was naked, which wasn’t strange among shifters, and when in a pack one wouldn’t even bat an eyelid at the lack of attire. But, these three were new and not pack to Hyunjin. Both seeing them naked and being naked in front of him was now a discomfort that dawned on him. He could have done without that realisation right now.

Trying not to freeze up again, now that his teeth had finally stopped chattering, Hyunjin allowed the two to touch and then lift him into a standing position. His legs were wobbly, similar to a baby giraffe’s that he’d seen on the communal TV, but he was held tight with Chan on his left and Changbin on his right.

Minho stood in front of him, eyes boring into him like he could see through to Hyunjin’s soul. 

He tried to avoid looking at them all, but this time not out of submissiveness but of shy embarrassment. It was unavoidable, however. When one was surrounded by 3 naked men, it was rather hard to not notice their bodies. And, Hyunjin had noticed enough to note that their…assets were standard for the size of an alpha’s. He could even go as far as to note some more specific differences such as Chan’s very much decent thickness amongst black curls, and Minho’s longer length surrounded by smooth skin, and adorned with what were likely prominent veins in a more…aroused state. It was also impossible to ignore Changbin’s thickness, which was impressive to say the least. He, himself, was shorter in length with a similar width to Minho’s. He was a lower than average size for an alpha, but would still be considered above average for a beta and omega.

Hyunjin’s face felt like it was on fire, a heat running up to his ears, flushing them red. This situation certainly brought out feelings within him that he’d never felt back with his old pack. He truly didn’t know what to make of it. But, now really wasn’t the time to focus on the intimate features on these men’s bodies.

Being so close to Chan and Changbin, their scents were stronger. Chan’s reminded him of a smoking campfire or exploding fireworks. It was as distinctly ‘alpha’ as Chanbgin’s wood-like scent which smelled of pine and freshly chopped wood. 

A silence took over them as they led Hyunjin further into the forest, the walk taking a good five minutes, which under normal circumstances would have been fine, but pairing 4 hours of running with an extremely tense atmosphere had Hyunjin’s entire being aching to collapse from exhaustion.

Eventually, he was led through into a clearing and his eyes widened as a cabin came into view, chimney smoking with a spacious front garden that looked to have all types of vegetables growing on one side and bright flowers on the other. There was a large decking leading to the front door which was currently open, porch light on.

As they got closer, he could see various sets of eyes looking out at them, murmurs discussing their arrival at a noise level that Hyunjin couldn’t hear well enough to determine anything further. One of them took a step forward through the door frame, an omega by the smell of them, but Chan let out a warning growl which had the omega stepping back inside.

Hyunjin could feel their hesitance as they got closer, bringing Hyunjin through the front gate and up the steps. There was a comforting mix of smells that flooded his senses. They mixed together, the alphas’ identifiable, while all of the new ones less so. All together they complimented each other well, and for some reason that made Hyunjin’s chest ache more.

The porch light illuminated their features and Hyunjin got to note the shades of brown that highlighted Minho’s hair as he moved to walk in front of them.

“Felix, stand back,” Minho instructed, entering first, before glancing back at Hyunjin one last time out of cautiousness. Did he really believe that Hyunjin, even just in the state he was in now, was capable of launching himself at an omega?

The inquisitive omega, Felix, moved out of the way but Hyunjin was still able to pick up his scent; daffodils and lemonade, he noted as he was moved through the front door. 

He got a look at Felix, their eyes catching for a moment. The omega’s hair was blonde, similar to his own, but styled into a fashionable mullet. It was longer than Hyunjin’s. After cutting his hair short mid-breakdown, he’d never had the courage to grow it back again- although he still had dreams from time to time of having hair that flowed over his shoulders. Images would flash in his mind of braiding daisies into it as the summer breeze wrapped him in a warm hug. Dreams could be a blissful escape.

He was taken into a dimly lit room, the cabin larger on the inside than it had seemed from the outside. The lights were warm-toned, walls a thick oak wood that was aged and beautiful.

Someone flicked on another light, giving the room an additional yellow glow to it as Chan and Changbin deposited him on the bed. The mattress was plush and soft under his sensitive skin. It was heavenly. 

Hesitantly, he looked around the room. There was no distinct scent, hinting that it was a guest room, but smells of the pack members' scents still wafted their way in, lulling him into a state where his guard was almost completely let down. Maybe it was the exhaustion that had taken over, but he was suddenly more than happy to be here, just for the bed.

He was brought out of his daze as Minho, Changbin and Chan stood in front of him again, Felix standing at the door frame, watching in on them.

“You’re not permitted to leave this room under any circumstances,” Chan instructed, his tone hard and serious. “All our omegas are mated so don’t even think about trying anything,” He warned, narrowing his eyes at Hyunjin. The natural possessive instincts of an alpha.

Hyunjin blinked at him, his eyes undoubtedly still glassy. He’d never been very good at holding in the sensitivity of his emotions. The thought of going after any omega, as an alpha, had never even crossed his mind, nor would it have if Chan hadn’t brought it up.  However, he nodded in understanding because they clearly expected an answer.

“What’s your name?” Changbin asked, the curiosity in his scent almost as strong as Felix’s.

Hyunjin swallowed, his throat was so dry that he didn’t even know if he could get his name out. However, they waited for him patiently and after a couple of seconds he managed to get out a croaky “Hyunjin.”

Chan nodded once, “I’m Chan, this is Minho and Changbin, and that’s Felix,” He tipped his head to the doorway.

Felix lifted his hand in a slight wave but lowered it when Minho’s eyes hardened at him.

“We’d like to ask you more questions but it’s clear you’re not capable of answering right now so we’ll come back in the morning,” Chan said, taking a step back.

“We’re serious about not leaving. Don’t even think about taking a step out of this room, I’ll be able to sense it and I promise you I won’t be as tolerant as I am now,” Minho said, voice barely containing a snarl that matched the chillingly hard look in his eyes. It was clear that Minho, along with the other alphas, was extremely protective over the other members of the pack.

Hyunjin nodded, more frantic this time to get his understanding across. He had no intention of disobeying the alphas’ command. 

There must have been something identifiably submissive in his eyes as a flash of confusion graced the trio’s expression’s. Then again, his scent always grew stronger at the command of an alpha. He’d been ashamed of it for so long that he’d forgotten no one outside of his pack knew about his ‘disgrace to the alpha population’. 

The matter was left undiscussed and after pointing out the small ensuite that was connected to the room, the three alphas made their way out, pulling Felix with them as Minho shut the door with a sturdy click.

It took a moment for Hyunjin to let himself sag from the taught position he’d been sitting in. His body felt like jelly and all he wanted to do was give into the desire to melt into the sheets but he couldn’t stand the smell of sweat and forest dirt that he’d built up from hours of running. So, he forced himself into taking a long hot shower in the adjoining bathroom, which was admittedly very relaxing on his aching muscles. 

With his body no longer screaming at him, his stomach took it’s turn to rumble with hunger, yet he wouldn’t have even been able to stomach any food right now, even if it had been offered to him. 

He slid into bed, pulling the sheets tight around him, only his neck and head remaining visible, and he looked around the room again. It had a bay window with pillows placed on it and a rug neatly laid out in decoration, directly across from his bed. On the left side of the room there was a wooden wardrobe, the same cherry wood as the bed frame and the desk that sat on the right side of the room. The deep blue floor rug matched well with the pale blue sheets he was currently tucked under. Overall the room had a cosiness to it that even he felt, despite the fear and uncertainty of his presence in the cabin- and the fact that he was technically a prisoner for the time being. 

Slowly, his eyelids began to droop and the pull of sleep was strong as he flicked off the light beside his bed, letting the darkness engulf him and pull him into a deep and dreamless sleep. His first night of freedom. Kind of.

Chapter Text

Hyunjin was pulled out of his deep slumber by the rapping knock on his hard wood door, followed by creaking hinges that had him blinking bleary eyes open to get a look in the direction of the noise.

Changbin stepped inside the room, followed by a taller man with warm brown hair. A beta, Hyunjin noted. He smelled of the fresh morning air of a spring day. It was a neutral yet calming scent.

He sat up slowly, reluctant to leave the warmth that the bed had created for him. Maybe it was incredibly stupid to have let his guard down as much as he did, but they already had him where they wanted him. Besides, If they were going to rip his head off, they probably would have done so by now.

He rubbed his eyes, blinking them to rid himself of the heavy feeling of sleep, before he looked up at the pair again- who were strangely just staring back at him.  They both had an expression on their faces, akin to wonder, that Hyunjin couldn’t exactly understand; eyes focused and lips slightly parted as they eyed him.

Changbin let out an almost silent ‘wow’ as Hyunjin brushed his hands through his hair to try and smooth it down, having fallen asleep while it was still wet made it stick up stubbornly at a weird angle. 

“We’d like to talk to you now, if that’s okay,” The beta spoke up first, stepping forward. “I'm Seungmin, by the way.”

Seungmin’s scent maintained a perfect calm, not hindered by any negative, nor positive, emotions. Hyunjin wouldn’t go to the extent to say he felt safe around them, but compared to Chan and Minho’s demeanour the night before, Seungmin was a breath of fresh air. 

Hyunjin nodded slowly, taking another moment to eye the pair before he spoke up. “Hyunjin,” He replied quietly, shuffling in preparation to step out of bed before realising that he was in fact still very naked. “Could I…have some clothes?” He asked, cheeks warming uncomfortably. “Please?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Changbin laughed sheepishly, giving Seungmin a nod before he turned and disappeared back into the hallway. 

“I hope they didn’t scare you too much last night,” Seungmin’s voice filled the silence again. He looked around Hyunjin’s room, observing it in a way that told Hyunjin he didn’t frequent the room often. If it was a guest room, it didn’t seem as though it held guests all too often.

Hyunjin didn’t reply. He didn’t exactly know how to. They did scare him, but it was a valid reaction to an unknown alpha in their territory, so Hyunjin couldn’t exactly blame them. He felt a twinge of sadness as he contemplated the fact that if he had been an omega, they would have rushed to him, not out of hostility but of concern. Most alphas naturally wanted to protect omegas, a trait that was not lost on him, either. Watching the omegas suffering at the hands of his old pack always left a chilling ache in his bones, unable to understand how some people could be so cruel. Trying to look past that, last night, even If he had been a beta, there would have been wariness, but nothing in comparison to what he faced as an alpha. Beta’s, being ‘technically inferior’ to alphas, never posed as much of a threat as an alpha did, and Hyunjin had always believed that everyone had their place in their subgender society, no matter how forced into the box they were- but sitting here, only having the faintest understanding of Chan’s pack, he could already see how things were very much not the ‘normal’ he was used to.

“I know they seem intimidating, but they’re just protective. I’m sure you understand.”

Before Hyunjin could even think of a reply, Changbin reappeared in the room with a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose fitting white t-shirt. He extended an arm, handing them over to him. From the scent he could tell they were Seungmin’s. A part of him, really deep down inside, wanted to rub his face over the scented shirt, letting Seungmin’s smell take its place on his own skin. It was a humiliating thought, Hyunjin reprimanded himself. He’d met that beta not even 5 minutes ago. However, He hadn’t been scented in so long, years before he presented, even. Despite how natural the reaction was, given the circumstances, Hyunjin was still mortified by his own desires.

“Minho hyung growled at me when I went towards his room, and you’re close to him in height…” Changbin explained to Seungmin who watched as Hyunjin carefully grasped the clothes, eyes trained down to them. Hyunjin hadn’t realised his instinctual reaction, shoulder coming up to rub at his own scent gland, but Seungmin definitely had. 

A subgender of any kind only ever self-scented out of loneliness, usually caused by being touch-starved. It was easily triggered by being around a bonded pack, while having no affiliation with said pack- which was very much likely the case here.

“It’s fine,” Seungmin reassured as Hyunjin lifted his eyes again. 

He noticed the pair’s hesitant gaze upon him, before they gave each other a look, their scents souring very minutely. Seungmin then tipped his head for Changbin to follow him out of the room, giving Hyunjin the privacy to get dressed in peace. They left wordlessly.

Hyunjin tilted his head for a moment, analysing the interaction. Despite Changbin being the alpha between the pair, his sheepish response as a result of taking Seungmin’s clothes without asking, and the desire for reassurance that came from that, hinted to Hyunjin that he had a submissive side towards the beta. Could alphas be submissive to betas? Hyunjin hadn’t seen anything like it before.

Once he was dressed, the door opened again. Changbin immediately motioned him out into the hallway to follow him to wherever it was they were going. The unknown had a jolt of anxiousness shooting through him, and no doubt making itself clear in his scent. He was certain that wherever they were going, the other members of the pack would be there- and he was kind of terrified to be faced with Chan and Minho again.

While he silently followed behind Changbin, Hyunjin tried to take in everything around him. The hall was long, rooms breaking off of it with doors firmly closed. Each had their own distinct scent that Hyunjin could now decipher to an individual member of the pack. 

They passed a kitchen and dining room before stepping into a wide open plan living room that had two separate seating areas; one surrounding a fireplace, and the other in front of a flatscreen TV that was mounted to the wall of the log cabin. The furniture was mismatched, with various patterns and colours, but it wasn’t unappealing, in fact it made the room cosy. Hyunjin lightly wrapped his arms around himself, looking around in avoidance to make eye contact with the many sets of eyes around the room.

The pack was seated around the fireplace, two on a loveseat, three on a couch with the fourth draped over them, and then two armchairs, one that Changbin sat down in and one that Hyunjin reluctantly slid into after Changbin had tilted his head at him to take a seat. It was better to follow orders right now, especially with a certain pair of sharp eyes on him.

Minho sat in the loveseat, a shorter man, an omega, at his side, leaning against the alpha’s body. Felix, Seungmin and Chan were on the couch with Chan closest to Hyunjin’s armchair, and then another man, an omega, who he hadn’t met yet was draped over top of them.

“How are you feeling today?” Chan asked him, eyes connecting with Hyunjin’s again. The question was polite, a simple formality.

Hyunjin swallowed the lump in his throat. There was no way of getting out of talking to them anymore. He rubbed his shoulder against his neck again, this time catching himself and pulling back as he cleared his throat.

“Better. Thank you,” Hyunjin replied quietly. His voice was noticeably less croaky than the night before, thankfully. 

Chan nodded in response, and Hyunjin also didn’t fail to notice the quick glance Chan and Minho shared between each other; merely a flick of their eyes to each other and the away again, as though it had never happened.

Hyunjin couldn’t decipher all of their individual emotions, their scents too overpowering, being new, but also varying in intensities that made it, overall, a little overwhelming for him. Yet, it was still a pleasant mix in the way they all complemented each other.

“We want to know why you were in our territory last night.” Chan initiated the start of the interrogation, all eyes firmly on Hyunjin again.

Hyunjin’s shoulders pulled in a little and he slumped back in the chair slightly; an attempt to put some distance between his chair and Chan’s seat. This conversation could really only go one of two ways; good enough that they’d let him go, or terribly bad to the point that they might try to send him back. He didn’t see how it could possibly go any other way. He swallowed, pulling in his lip and then letting it go. “I had to escape.”

A smell of curiosity filled the air, the scent earthy and deep. 

“Escape from what?” Minho asked, eyebrows drawing in. His hand was on the knee of the omega male beside him, in a protective grip.

Hyunjin’s fingers fiddled in his lap. “My pack.” He knew he wasn’t giving them much to work with, but how could he trust a pack of strangers that were, for lack of a better term, holding him hostage?

“What did they do that forced you to escape?” It was Seungmin that asked this time, a look of concern gracing his features. He had nice eyes, Hyunjin noted. He liked those eyes. Maybe he could trust those eyes.

He let out a breath through his nose, summoning all the confidence he could master to give them an extended answer that would provide some explanation as to how he got there in the first place. He owed them that. “They made me participate in a mating run, to- to try and get me to mate with someone,” He took another breath, his chest tightened at just the remembrance of the day before. “There are many other reasons I should have tried to escape earlier…I- I wasn’t treated well there…But, I didn’t want to mate and get stuck there for life, so I ran.” He kept his eyes firmly down at his lap, thumb nail lightly scraping the other as he focused on keeping his tone even. “I’ve never been out in the woods on my own before… I’ve only ever been out of the pack’s territory to go into the city. I didn’t consider that other packs lived in the area. I’m really sorry for causing you trouble.” He squeezed his eyes shut, bowing his head to them in apology. Was he saying the right things? They hadn’t replied yet. Why weren’t they replying? He lifted his head, eyes snapping back up.

The pack were all staring at him in various levels of surprise and perplexment. He blinked at them with his own bewilderment, before it finally clicked. Hyunjin’s accent was likely the cause of some confusion. His pack had been very secluded from the outside world for over 100 years, and while at the base of the language, they spoke the same as anyone else, a distinctive accent and dialect had formed over time. Hyunjin could understand both dialects, but having limited interactions with anyone outside his old pack, he’d never learnt how to distinguish the differences between the dialects- likely resulting in him using both in his explanation.

However, after a moment of adjustment, the atmosphere in the room settled. His language must have been understandable enough, as Chan spoke up in a manner of understanding.

“I can’t imagine that it was easy for you there,” He commented, voice softer than Hyunjin had heard before. He could smell a brewing scent of pity in the air, making him recoil a little.

Hyunjin looked down, “They have very traditional values,” he mumbled, taking his language use more into consideration as he mentally acknowledged two different words for ‘traditional’ that came to mind.

“That must have been awful,“ A deeper voice spoke up sympathetically. It was Felix, surprisingly. Hyunjin hadn’t heard his voice until this point, the deep, almost melodic sound of his words suited his soft appearance.

“You don’t have anyone to go to now that you’re free?” Seungmin asked, hand resting over the body of the man laying over them. He was clearly comfortable taking residence over the laps of his pack members. Certainly an omega, his scent resembled sandalwood with a hint of lime. While it was sweet enough to be identifiable as an omega scent, it was also uncommonly more neutral than ones Hyunjin was used to smelling. His hair was a blue-toned black, straight as it fell just in his line of sight. 

Hyunjin shook his head to the question, before quickly adding, “But I’ll leave as soon as you let me, or tell me- I don’t want to cause you any more trouble.” It was presumptuous to expect they might invite him to stay, he was embarrassed that the thought even crossed his mind. Of course they’d want him gone as soon as possible.

Chan and Minho shared another look, a silent conversation that everyone seemed clued in on except for Hyunjin. It was clear that they all had a very strong connection with each other, which Hyunjin guessed was probably common in a pack this size. However, he couldn’t attribute that to only being because of their pack size, there was something holding further strength in their bond to each other. If he had to guess, just by the smell of them all, they were likely all mated to each other. Hyunjin didn’t even know how to begin processing that.

“We don’t think it’s necessarily wise to force you out on your own, considering the circumstances. Emotionally, you don’t seem in a place where it would be very responsible of us, either,” Chan explained, arms crossing over his chest, black shirt tightening over his torso. A light sigh left his nose.

Hyunjin gulped. They were actually offering for him a temporary stay? An alpha, outside of the pack? It was completely unheard of and Hyunjin couldn’t believe the pack alpha was okay with it, let alone being the one to extend the offer. He should be thankful, right?

“Of course you will earn your stay here. Everyone has chores and we share them equally,” Minho explained, brushing his thumb over the knee of the man beside him. The omega had chestnut hair with warm highlights through it, and his cheeks were soft looking. Hyunjin noticed hints of his scent; freshly picked oranges, a sweet citrus tang. He was also noticeably restless, like he wasn’t usually a silent participant in conversation, but the protective hold Minho had on him made it clear to Hyunjin that the omega was holding himself back right now.

Three omegas, three alphas and one beta, Hyunjin concluded. 

“I…” He started, contemplating the offer. Though, he really had nothing to contemplate- they were his only hope right now. Where would he go if he left? At least being allowed to stay here, he’d have time to learn more about the world outside of his old pack- prepare himself for what life on his own would be like. “Thank you,” He finally managed, lowering his head gratefully. 

“Things are definitely different here than with your previous pack, so as long as you’re willing to learn our way of life, we’ll be patient with you,” Seungmin replied, making Hyunjin lift his head and nod in eager affirmation. He’d learn everything he possibly could. After only being here for such a short time, he could already tell there was a sense of equality among the pack- one that both confused Hyunjin, as well as brought him immense respect for them.

“I like him,” Felix spoke up decisively as a wide grin spread over his face, earning him a hard look of disapproval from Minho, and a shake of the head from Seungmin. The tension in the room had already dissipated, enough for Hyunjin to feel like he could properly breathe again.

“What?” Felix asked defensively, “He’s cute and polite and I like the way he talks- even if he's kind of confusing to understand.”

Hyunjin’s face tingled right up to the tips of his ears, and a warmth of pride simmered inside of him that he hadn’t felt since before he presented, which was also the last time someone called him cute. His own visible reaction to Felix’s announcement surprised him, and he tried to mask it quickly. It was likely he’d seemed shocked, embarrassed even, which in all fairness, was an understandable reaction. However, he scolded himself. He should not feel a desire to be liked by them.

“Well, I guess you’re being made welcome here,” Chan spoke up again, clasping his hands together. “But, if you ever try to hurt any of us, you’ll be gone. No second chances,” He warned, tone holding a finality that left no room for negotiation.

Hyunjin nodded, eyes widening. But, despite the tone being on of threat, it wasn’t filled with a venom of cruelty that Hyunjin was used to. He was starting to gain an understanding of the type of alpha Chan was, or rather the type of alpha he wasn’t .

The conversation ended soon after, the members of the pack separating gradually to start on their assigned morning chores. Before that, Hyunjin had gotten the chance to meet the sandalwood and lime scented man, Jeongin, and The fresh orange smelling man, Jisung. Both of their scents were wonderful, and paired with Felix, their lemon, lime and orange mix of citrus scents made them a wonderful omega trio.

Minho assigned Hyunjin with him for the morning, despite Felix wanting them to be paired with Hyunjin for gardening- but there was no way the alphas would let him alone with an omega so early on, and Hyunjin understood that. However, Minho was the most intimidating out of the seven, he couldn’t deny that, so being paired with him out of any of them was the most nerve-wrecking. He wouldn’t use the word scary, because there wasn’t anything sadistic about him in a way that was prominent in some of the alphas in his old pack. It was more that Minho was incredibly protective and maintained the control of his emotions well, projecting the ones he wanted Hyunjin to feel rather than ones coming through on impulse.

“I do most of the cooking around here,” Minho explained as he chopped the potatoes that Hyunjin was peeling. “Do you have much experience with cooking?”

Hyunjin nodded, “It’s been quite a few years but the omegas used to teach me. I enjoyed it back then, so I think I’ll enjoy it now.”

Minho sniffed, “Good, I’ll finally have a competent sous chef around here.”

Hyunjin couldn’t stop the small giggle that bubbled up and escaped his lips. The light diss at his fellow pack members, creating a humorous image in Hyunjin’s mind at the lack of cooking ability within the group. However, upon meeting eyes again with the alpha, Hyunjin’s giggles stopped, teeth pulling his lip in as he focussed back on the task he’d been set. The strange look of perplexment on Minho’s face stuck in his mind.

Not long after Hyunjin finished washing the dishes they’d created so far, Felix and Jeongin appeared with baskets in their hold, filled with vegetables from the gardens Hyunjin had been able to get a glimpse of the night before.

Minho got straight to washing them clean from dirt and Felix moved to stand beside Hyunjin. The omega was quite a bit shorter than him, fingers delicate as he ran his hands over the bench, swiping away a smudge of dirt.

It certainly hadn’t taken him very long to realise that among the 8 of them, Hyunjin was the tallest. He wasn’t exactly surprised at the revelation, considering he was the standard height of an alpha. If anything this pack’s alphas were the outliers of the subgender.

Felix caught his attention again when he leaned up and sniffed the air around him, making Hyunjin tense and shoulders curl in on himself as a reflex. His scent, the most prominent thing he’d been tormented for. He hadn’t even given it a second thought after he’d gotten here, but of course they’d pick up the natural undertones of his alpha smell. Dirty; he was always called dirty for his scent. Because of this, he immediately expected Felix to react with a similar negativity, yet, he was again shocked by the unpredictability of this pack.

“I like the way you smell.”

Hyunjin’s breath hitched, throat tightening as he blinked at Felix disbelievingly, his lips parted slightly. No one had ever, ever said that. Had he heard him right? There was no way he had. 

Minho sighed and shook his head at Felix, yet that didn’t deter the omega who just grinned at Minho in response. Ignoring his alpha’s opinions seemed to make him proud, in a cheeky way. It was… endearing? Yes. And very bewildering.

“What…What do I smell like?” Hyunjin asked, swallowing the thickness that had formed in his throat. He was on the edge of his metaphorical seat, waiting to hear for the first time what he actually smelled like to someone that wasn’t using his scent to torment him.

“Like…Daisies,” Felix said, tilting his head before nodding in confirmation of his words. “And grass, in the morning, you know…when it has those dew drops on it?” He moved his hands expressively as he talked. 

Daisies. 

Images of running through the fields as a child popped into his mind; rolling around amongst the daisies and long lush grass with his cheeks warmed from the sun and a feeling of blissful contentment washing over him. He didn’t realise his eyes had welled up with tears until Jeongin spoke, bringing him back to reality.

“Very fresh in fragrance, with earthy hints,” he announced thoughtfully.

“You have a herbaceous scent,” Minho added to the discussion, demeanour calm again, with his eyes trained to the task at hand.

Hyunjin sniffled then, the tears hazing his vision. He tried to will them away, but his eyes were soon full to the brim and a slow trail of salty water ran down his cheeks. All this time he didn’t smell dirty at all? He smelled nice ? Fresh, earthy, herbaceous daisies.

“Why are you crying?” Felix asked, sounding alarmed as he reached out and touched a hand to Hyunjin’s arm. Both omega’s shared a look of shock and concern between them.

Hearing the question, Minho stopped what he was doing and moved to look at Hyunjin head on. He had a frown on his face again, but it wasn’t one of annoyance. He was concerned.

Hyunjin sniffled again, pulling his forearm up to wipe his eyes before he shook his head. He didn’t know how to explain how significant those words were to him, how much it meant to hear that. Part of him didn’t know how to believe them, but he knew they had no reason to lie. It made no difference to them how Hyunjin smelt, but hearing the truth for the first time gave him an overwhelming feeling of relief and gratitude.

Upon realising that they wouldn’t get an answer, Felix wrapped his arms around Hyunjin, suddenly pulling him into a secure hug. When was the last time Hyunjin had been hugged? He couldn’t remember. Maybe when he was still a young child. Jeongin’s arms soon wrapped around him as well and then he felt Minho’s hand rest over his shoulder, lightly patting in a slow rhythm. 

Hyunjin let his face fall into Felix’s neck and for a little while he let himself cry, small sniffles and contained whimpers, pressed into the material of Felix’s yellow hoodie. When he pulled away, eyes red rimmed but heart significantly lighter, he looked at them all gratefully. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

Lunch with the pack was a loud event, Hyunjin came to learn. 

Everyone had been called to the dining table as Minho and Hyunjin finished preparing the meal. It was an array of dishes, some Hyunjin had tried, other’s he hadn’t. His culture had their own traditional meals which he doubted he’d ever have to eat again- another thing he found himself thankful for. If he could distance himself from it as much as possible, maybe it would be easier to forget about the trauma of his past, right? That’s how it worked, right? Even he didn’t believe his own thought process, there.

Minho had pulled Chan away momentarily, while Hyunjin was setting out the cutlery. He could only assume the talk was in discussion of earlier events; Hyunjin crying infront of them. A part of him felt humiliated, but they’d been so comforting to him that he couldn’t bring himself to be held up on it.

When lunch commenced, the room exploded in noise and movement. Evertone started chatting, talking over each other as they set in on separate conversations with those across the table. Some fought over cutlery or stole food from each others’ plates, and all Hyunjin could do was watch them all in complete awe. This chaos totally won against the meals of silence he’d grown up with.

He sat between Seungmin and Jeongin, across from Minho, Jisung and Felix, with Chan at one head of the table and Changbin at the other. With him there, all the seats were occupied.

“Minho tells me you like cooking,” Chan spoke up while they ate. Somehow the noise levels had eased enough for there to be a coherent conversation.

Hyunjin swallowed his mouthful and nodded, “I’m a bit out of practice, but I’d like to learn.”

An unconcealed smile twitched at the corner of Chan’s lips and Hyunjin felt all warm and tingly inside as a result. He probably shouldn’t gain as much satisfaction from the leader’s pleased response as he did, but he truly couldn’t help the pride that swelled inside of him.

Lunch continued, and Hyunjin’s previous suspicions had been correct, Jisung was not a quiet participant in conversation. In fact, he was quite the opposite, in a slightly overwhelming way. He was playful and loud, engaging with everyone whether it was verbally or just including them in conversation with his eyes. But, what Hyunjin found most interesting was how Minho reacted to Jisung in this situation. 

Minho, who gave off very serious and aloof vibes, was softer with Jisung. The looks he directed towards the omega were downright adoring. He fed Jisung a piece of butter and chive coated potato and Jisung thanked him with a buttery peck on the lips. Perhaps Minho had done it to quiet Jisung down a little, but Hyunjin could still see that the ‘kiss of a reward’ made Minho’s eyes light up.

Hyunjin blinked and then looked away, bashfully. He felt as though he’d witnessed a private moment, and it only further made him question the dynamic of the pack. Luckily, Chan seemed to have observed the event, voicing up to enlighten Hyunjin’s questioning.

“We should probably tell you, we’re all mates.”

Hyunjin paused. All mates. Together. He’d suspected it, but hearing those suspicions confirmed made his head spin a little.  “All together?” He asked, to once more solidify his understanding. “I’ve never actually seen that dynamic before.”

Felix giggled and Seungmin smiled at Hyunjin endearingly. They weren’t laughing at him, he knew that, but he did feel a little stupid for the lack of awareness he had about the possibility of the dynamic.

“Yes, together,” Chan confirmed lightly and a few of them moved their shirts enough for Hyunjin to see a littering of six mating bite marks over their necks. He’d failed to notice them on the alpha’s the night before, but with the state he’d been in, that wasn’t exactly a surprise to him. But now, Hyunjin was astounded. Their marks were placed in various places, all similar in a natural way but holding a distinctive difference in their placement. It was intentional.

There was something about the dynamic of being romantically involved with everyone in the pack that sounded absolutely wonderful. The fact that each of them had 6 others loving them was beautiful. Something told him that the look on his face was as readable as an open book, but he couldn’t bring it in him to conceal the appreciation he felt for learning of their dynamic. He cleared his throat, “I’m learning a lot of new things,” he admitted instead of letting out any of the adoring comments that came to mind. 

After lunch Chan and Changbin approached him in the hallway. 

“We’re going hunting this afternoon and since that’s generally an alpha preferred task, we thought we’d invite you along,” Changbin proposed. The pair of them were shirtless, black shorts the only things on their bodies, ready for the transformation of the hunt. Both had a glint of excitement in their eyes in anticipation.

Hyunjin’s form tightened, breath catching in his throat. He despised hunting. When it was his assigned task with the old pack, he dreaded it with every fibre of his being. The other alphas always got annoyed with him, shoving him around as they insisted that he just got in their way. When he did try and catch something it only ever really resulted in him scaring away any wildlife in the area. He could probably count on one hand how many hares he’d successfully been able to catch, and that was over the course of 2 years.

“Not your thing?” Chan asked, and there was no judgement in his tone. As the pack leader, Hyunjin half expected him to be angry, but the other half had already picked up the understanding that this pack was nowhere near as traditional as his old one.

Hyunjin nibbled at the corner of his lip, “I’d just get in your way,” he admitted.

“It’s okay, Minho doesn’t really like hunting either. You don’t have to enjoy it just because you’re an alpha. Our omegas, especially Jisung, really like it from time to time, so there’s no set rule on doing the tasks that give you discomfort,” Chan explained. His words were spoken in a tone that reminded Hyunjin of an adult teaching something new to a child, filled with patience and understanding.

“We wouldn’t force you to do something you don’t want to do,” Changbin added, and there was a weight to his words. Hyunjin knew the sentence was not only directed to that activity, but also to his opinion on Hyunjin’s old pack. In reality, they barely knew anything about his life, but it was the fact that they listened and understood that stuck with Hyunjin. 

“Thank you,” Hyunjin replied gratefully. A noticeable weight  lifted off of his shoulders. He never had to live the way his old pack wanted him to live, ever again. He didn’t have to be a certain way, or act a certain way. After more than 4 years of hell from the pack’s successor as leader, Hyunjin finally felt exhausted from it all- no longer in a numb state of survival.

“Why don’t you go have a rest for a bit, then you can help Minho with dinner later?” Chan suggested lightly, expression soft as it matched the one on Changnin’s face. Perhaps there was pity in their eyes, and while being pitied was never really anyone's cup of tea, Hyunjin understood. If it was someone else in his place, he’d pity them as well. It was human nature to feel sympathy towards those who suffered through traumatic situations.

Hyunjin wanted to protest and assure that he could help out with something else now. He certainly didn’t want to be caught slacking off, but he was so tired . So, he took them up on the offer and agreed to retire to his room for a couple of hours.

When Hyunjin woke up, a couple of hours after dozing off, the sun was lower in the sky, and he took the opportunity to sit by the bay window and let the yellow glow warm his skin. Jisung and Jeongin were kicking around a football in the front yard below, while Seungmin and Felix watched them, leaning against each other. Every so often they kissed and Felix would then nuzzle against him, scenting him. 

Hyunjin smiled lightly as he watched, leaning back against the pillows. If he had his art supplies with him he’d paint them, laying out under the spring sun as it neared summer. He felt content, a warmth spreading through his chest. 

Yet, it was dimmed at the realisation that while he was here, witnessing such a soft sight, eventually he would have to leave. He wasn’t part of their pack, and surprisingly, it was almost easy to forget that. He lifted his shoulder, rubbing his scent gland slowly. There had to be a place for him in this world. There had to be. But, for the first time in years he actually felt happy, even if the stay would be short lived. 

Easily, he lost track of time, until a knock on the door gently pulled him back to earth. The door opened to reveal Minho with his beige apron on, white paw prints painted over it in a somewhat cohesive design. It looked as though one or more of the other pack members made it for him. A very sentimental item, Hyunjin felt as he gazed at it. 

Minho just stared at him for a moment, the warm rays of the setting sun illuminating behind Hyunjin and making his blond hair glow. Uncertain of the cause of the alpha’s silence, Hyunjin blinked his eyes a couple of times to wake himself up; sitting up and stretching his muscles before running a hand through his hair. 

Minho cleared his throat, a warmth spreading up his ears. “Sorry to wake you, but we should start on dinner,” He said, a forced composure in his tone, as though he’d had to regain some sensibility within himself. If Hyunjin hadn't been in too much of a daze to notice it, he would have found Minho's reaction rather peculiar.

“Okay,” Hyunjin glanced at the clock on the wall before swinging his legs around to stand up. Despite cooking technically being a ‘chore’, Hyunjin felt a sense of joy simmer within him. He was really starting to enjoy cooking with Minho.

Similar to lunch time, Minho had Hyunjin completing preparation tasks while he worked over the stove. Still, Hyunjin tried to be attentive, wanting to learn quickly, and Minho was more verbal than he had been earlier in the day. He explained to Hyunjin what he was doing and why he was doing it- how it added to the taste or complemented the dish. Minho actually wanted him to learn, which had Hyunjin filling with a sense of pride.

When the other pack members filed into the dining room, Hyunjin and Minho had just finished plating up the meal. Dishes covered the area of the strong wooden table, steam rising and delicious smells mixing and overtaking the air.

“God, that smells good,” Chan groaned, face glistening with a layer of sweat. Hyunjin could tell they’d just arrived back from hunting, which was confirmed when Changbin carried in skinned meat that he’d wrapped to put into the fridge-freezer. 

While Chan was clothed again, black shirt clinging to his form, Changbin had only thrown on a pair of shorts, giving the room a display of his wide torso and strong upper body. Hyunjin couldn’t help but to stare at him for a moment, eyes training over the damp, toned skin, bronzed and smooth looking. He had to tear his eyes away as an embarrassment ran through him. He should not be looking at him like that, especially not with all of Changbin’s mates being in the room with him .

The meal was considerably less formal than last time, which Hyunjin hadn’t even considered it to have been formal at all- yet he could see how this was time it was even less so. Jisung ignored his seat entirely, opting to sit in Minho’s lap, demanding to be fed. Jeongin and Seungmin opted to use only one of their sets of cutlery, taking turns feeding each other and collecting more food to add to their plate, which Felix kept sneaking to eat from as well. Everyone was chatting vibrantly, laughter taking over the space and mixing in with everyone’s scents of content.

“It’s always like this,” Changbin leaned to say to him with a grin. 

Hyunjin’s lips tiled up, looking around at the group before meeting Changbin’s eyes again. “It’s nice.”

“You didn’t do this with your old pack?” Jeongin asked, the conversation dying down to focus on theirs.

Hyunjin shook his head, “It was a large pack, most people ate at different times, but whoever we did sit with had to be members of the same subgender,” Hyunjin explained. “And, we weren’t allowed to speak in the dining hall, so everyone ate in silence,” he added, thinking back to the meals he had with them. It was nothing like this.

Prison was what he would compare it to- not that he’d ever been to prison or knew much about it. But he felt a strong feeling of disdain that ran deep through his blood when he thought back to it. Being out of there, he could see how horrible he’d been treated, how much it had impacted him. And it made him mad, furious that he was still terrified to be found and dragged back. He wondered if he’d ever be able to get over that.

“That’s…traditional,” Jisung mumbled. There wasn’t any positive connotation in his words.

“They were extremely traditional. Everything came from traditions at least 100 years old, passed down through generations, but it wasn’t as harsh until the new leader took over.” He told them, tilting his head as he contemplated the differences between the packs’ traditions, trying to keep his scent neutral. His strong emotions were his own to deal with. “This is the first time I've experienced a pack life any different to the one I grew up with. It’s an adjustment,” He concluded with a small huff of amusement, but he wasn’t really amused when it came down to it. An ‘adjustment’ was an understatement, he found their pack life mind-blowing. Alphas didn’t have to always be tough, omegas could challenge them without physical repercussions, and betas could be just as dominant as alphas, or as submissive as Omegas. Despite Chan being the leader, it was becoming clear that they all viewed each other as equals, both in their sub-genders and personalities. Their views and opinions mattered, despite what their biology had assigned them. 

“I can imagine this would definitely be an adjustment,” Jeongin replied in validation of his feelings, expression soft, but his eyes held a sadness in them from Hyunjin’s story. Pity, again.

“It must have been hard growing up there,” Changbin spoke up as well.

Hyunjin gave them a small smile, “But, I’m glad I was able to escape to see what freedom is like. To think I almost let my own fear dictate the entire course of my life…It makes me feel so…regretful now. I should have had the courage to leave years ago,” he admitted, unsure as to why he was opening up so much, he barely knew these people. However, there seemed to be no judgement in anyone’s scents, and maybe he trusted them more than he intended to allow himself to.

“Not that I know what it was like for you, but if you grew up under so much criticism and belittlement it must have been easy to hide away and accept your situation- maybe even convinced that it was enough,” Chan replied gently. Beside him, he slipped his hand into Jeongin's, giving it a squeeze. It dawned on Hyunjin then that he knew nothing of their pasts either. Had they all known each other from a young age? How long had they been a pack? He had a lot of questions, but he wasn’t in a place where he had the right to ask.

Hyunjin nodded in regards to the assumption, pulling at the corner of his lip in thought. Chan was right. There, he’d been made to feel as though he deserved the suffering he was going through. A part of him still thought he did, that he’d been let off too easily for someone known to be an ‘abomination of their subgender’. But another part of him screamed that those thoughts weren’t true, that he deserved so much more than the life he’d had.

“Either way, I’m glad you escaped as well,” Felix added in with a warm smile. 

After dinner Felix and Seungmin did the dishes, and the group then moved to the seating area around the TV. They had it turned on to a drama that was playing out on the screen. Hyunjin didn’t know it, of course, but it looked interesting, and very modern. His old pack hadn’t not had technology, but it wasn’t exactly modern, is how he’d describe it. The TV’s were chunky and only in communal areas. They didn’t have access to streaming services and so they were mostly only used by those who wanted to watch sports game replays. If Hyunjin wanted to access the internet, he’d had to go to the village library, which at the time, had been enough. He only really used it for finding art inspiration or references. He hadn’t exactly seen a lot of the stuff he liked to draw in real life before. He’d never even owned a cell phone.

Some of the pack members were following along with the show intently, while others more half heartedly; mixing in conversation as well. Hyunjin probably would have found their conversation annoying if he’d been one of the ones following intently, but since he wasn’t he tuned in to a mix of both. He was seated in between Jeongin and Chan. Seungmin was on a love seat with his arm around Felix and Jisung sat in front while Felix played with his hair. Minho sat in an armchair, the foot-rest out as he watched the show with avid interest. Hyunjin had to admit, it was quite cute to see Minho so focused on something. The only time he looked away from the screen was to motion for the bowl of popcorn that Jisung was holding, having Changbin pass it over to him every time, the other alpha getting grumpier at the request each time. That led to the pair throwing a couple of pieces at each other, one that Changbin managed to catch in his mouth with a victorious cheer.

Jeongin turned to him, his shoulder lightly brushing Hyunjin’s. Hyunjin had a wide smile on his face from watching the alphas, and it was now directed at Jeongin.

“I wanted to thank you for sharing some of your past with us tonight,” Jeongin spoke quietly, the sentence directed for Hyunjin’s ears only, and it sent a warmth through Hyunjin’s chest.

Despite that, Hyunjin was a little surprised at his appreciation. “Oh, um, thank you for listening.”

“I was born into another pack as well, one with very traditional values. I wasn’t happy there either,” He shared with Hyunjin.

“How long ago did you leave?”

Jeongin tilted his head in contemplation, “Just over a year ago now. I went from being in my old pack to this one almost straight away.”

Hyunjin looked at him curiously, “What was it that gave you the courage to leave?” he asked before flinching slightly at the insensitivity of the question.

Jeongin gave him a reassuring pat on the knee, “My pack had been looking to develop a new breeding law, wanting to partner up and merge with Chan’s pack after he had helped them fight off an enemy pack. Chan had been against it, of course,” he explained, glancing over at Chan fondly before continuing. “I witnessed their presentation of the law, explaining how unmated omegas could still be bred to help expand the pack. I hadn’t known much about their intentions before the presentation and once I heard it, I pretty much exploded on them,” he recalled with a laugh. Of course it wasn’t a laughing matter, but the fact that not only had Jeongin had the courage to leave, he’d stood up to them before doing so.

Hyunjin’s eyes widened as he followed along with Jeongin’s story. The law itself was terrifying, forcing an omega to breed without being mated to the other participant was a horrible thing to do. They’d be left with emotional damage for life. The thought alone made Hyunjin’s heart ache sympathetically.

“Right in front of Chan and Minho, I screamed at my pack leader for thinking they could all treat us as breeding mules just because we were omegas. Of course the pack tried to reprimand me immediately, to reassure their control to their guest pack- but Chan and Minho, being who they are, refused to let the law go ahead, even if it hadn’t technically been their call to make. Chan wanted to offer every Omega the chance to leave, but my then leader said he would start a war with them if they tried to follow through on that. The only thing Chan could bribe from them was me. They already viewed me as a disgrace, so cutting my bond had been their final attempt to hurt me. It didn’t hurt. It was a relief to be free of them, and I joined Chan’s pack straight after I left that hell. It was the best decision I’d ever made, standing up for myself that day.”

Hyunjin’s lips were parted in awe. “I can’t believe you had the courage to speak against them, that's incredible.” He had so much respect for Jeongin, and so much appreciation in being trusted to hear his story. In a way, their pasts had some similarities, but seeing Jeongin’s perspective, and his courage ; it was breath-taking. They’d both been brought up in places of intolerance and expectation, and they’d both escaped it. Jeongin made him see the pride in that, and how it extended past his own survival. It was his right .

Jeonjin beamed, nudging his shoulder again lightly, “I wasn't going to just sit there and let them put me in a box. And, you know how traditional packs are, they want you to only be one way. I was never going to be the omega they wanted me to be.” He squeezed Hyunjin’s knee again, and Hyunjin felt the depth of his words. They weren’t just about him, and the fact that Jeongin had been perceptive of him enough to notice Hyunjin’s separation with his sub-gender’s stereotypes meant more than he could comprehend.

“Everyone here has a story,” Jeongin continued, looking around at the other pack members. The look in his eyes was so adoring, but held a saddened glint. They weren’t the only ones with tragic pasts, it seemed. “I hope that over time you’ll get to hear them all.”

Hyunjin didn’t know what to say to that. Over time? His stay here was only temporary; he was being given leeway at the moment, but it wouldn't be long until they expected him to start figuring out his plans to leave. He doubted he’d have the chance to get close enough with them all to hear about their lives, but Jeongin’s words made him feel grateful nonetheless.

They all parted ways a couple of hours later, the TV turned off as groans and stretches of sleepy people sounded out around the room. Some of them went off into bedrooms together, others heading alone to their own. Hyunjin made the assumption he was still being reasonably sheltered from the relationship dynamic they probably usually displayed, but it was still nice to see how much they all cared for each other. 

Before he could shut his door, Seungmin appeared at his doorway with a brown cardboard box. It was decently sized and looked to be an old postal package. 

Hyunjin blinked at him and then tilted his chin to see past one of the flaps. It was filled to the brim with clothing and an array of other items; hygiene products and other essentials. 

“Here, just some things you’ll need. Most of the clothes are mine, so don’t rip them.” He grinned, teasing his last statement as he passed the box to Hyunjin who took it with a grateful “Thank you.”

Seungmin left and Hyunjin stared down at the box for a moment before he brought it fully into his room. He sifted through it, pulling out t-shirts, sweatpants and knee length shorts. The boxers he’d been provided were in a pack, new, and all the hygiene products looked just as new. Everything had a distinct smell of Seungmin over it, and Hyunjin would be lying if he said he hadn’t brought one of the shirts up to press his face against. It was dangerous how easily he was slipping into a sense of comfort around them. It would only hurt more when he eventually had to leave- but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. It all just felt so right , and that was terrifying.

Chapter Text

The blows to his stomach had bile rising into his throat as he gagged, trying not to give into the nauseating pain that would only make the situation worse. He’d messed up again. He’d scared away three different potential prey that would replenish the pack's food supply back up to full capacity. He shouldn’t have tried so hard. He should have just stayed out of their way, but he was on rotation with his main abusers and he wanted to prove his worth. 

They’d all transformed back after the third incident, Hyunjin forced into compliance and submission under their hateful growls. Their insults echoed in his brain, was he hearing them right now? Or were they ghosts of the past? He couldn’t distinguish it, but he could feel the pain that shot through him as they started beating him.

Pathetic. Useless alpha. Ruins everything. Die. Die. Die. He wanted to die.

Hyunjin didn’t always dream, but when he did, it was always the same dream. He’d wake up with a start, gasping for breath as phantom pain rippled through him. He’d be disorientated, convinced he had woken up from being passed out on the forest floor, covered in bruises and already healed wounds. But, no matter where he woke up, he could never escape the emotional pain that the dreams brought. 

It was easy to fall into the pack’s routine. They trusted him around everyone now, including the omegas, so he was allowed to do gardening with Felix and lawn maintenance with Jisung. He spent quite a lot of time with Jeongin outside of their chores, finding him the most comfortable to be around. It was likely from their similar experiences and the closeness Hyunjin felt with him from hearing his story, but he didn’t look at it that way. Jeongin was an enjoyable person to be around, it was as simple as that. Overall, any time he spent with any of them felt extremely valued. 

He had a good conversation with Changbin about why he didn’t enjoy hunting. He knew that he didn’t owe the other alpha an explanation, but he wanted to share with him that he’d felt a lot of pressure to succeed when it came to hunting, but he never lived up to those expectations. It always resulted in reprimand and torment- but he left out specifics of the abuse he’d faced. They were his burdens to bear.

But, Changbin listened with full attention, voicing out in displeasure over how Hyunjin had been treated. Then, he promised that if Hyunjin ever wanted to try hunting again, he’d help him with great encouragement. 

Hyunjin found that both astounding and wonderful. But, yet again, it was promises for a future he didn’t think he’d have the privilege to see. 

The days were growing warmer as summer neared. Hyunjin had been with the pack for a week now, and the days seemed to move so quickly that it was almost hard to believe a week had passed. However, no one had made any comments about his stay or gave off the feeling that Hyunjin should be making departure preparations yet- and if Hyunjin was completely honest, he really didn’t want to think about having to leave yet. 

Sundays had a tradition of being ‘pack activity night’, with each week holding a different activity, chosen by the member who’s week it was. This week it was Felix’s choice, and he’d selected a group game of football.

Everyone was competitive, Hyunjin came to learn very quickly.

It didn’t take long before shirts were off, sweat glistening on everyone’s bodies and gleaming smiles on their determined faces. Hyunjin didn’t even bat an eyelid at joining in, giving Jisung a high five as he scored another goal. They were up by two, Jisung, Hyunjin, Seungmin and Changbin against Chan, Minho, Felix and Jeongin. 

His team ended up winning, earning them a victory speech and a ‘losers speech’ from the losing team. It was comical and the atmosphere was vibrant as everyone fell onto the grass with tired happiness. 

The sun had set and Hyunjin could see fireflies dancing around in the sky as he looked up at the stars. Living in the forest had its beauties, and this was one of them. He could always see the stars at night, watching them twinkle and shine; it was wonderful. The world felt so much bigger now than it used to. He couldn’t help but have hope for a more prosperous future. 

Felix rolled to his side and placed his head on Hyunjin’s chest, looking up at the stars with him.

Hyunjin tensed for a moment, lips parting in surprise and he was sure that Felix would have noticed the increase in his heart rate. But, Felix was warm, skin against skin in a way that made Hyunjin feel close to someone for the first time in forever. He let himself relax, not making any move to slip from the omega’s touch. He did however, silently nudge at his own scent gland for a moment. The feeling of someone so close to him, yet so distant from such companionship was confusing to his alpha brain. It reminded him how no matter what, he would always crave that feeling, that companionship with someone. Was it bourdoning? Or did it remind him that he was capable of such things? 

Felix’s hair tickled his chest lightly, and the omega let out a soft breath through his nose. His scent radiated contentment. Letting out a breath, Felix spoke up into the silence that had fallen over them. “I want you to stay here forever,” he mumbled absentmindedly, his tone breathy as he stared up into the sky.

Hyunjin’s eyes stilled from where they’d been shifting over the stars, now focused on one spot in the sky, without really looking at anything as he tried to process Felix’s words. He could sense that the others had heard Felix, their scents a confusing mix of emotions that was strong and too hard to decipher. There was a sense of surprise, maybe frustration towards Felix making such a careless comment under these specific circumstances. But, any other emotions were lost to the concoction of scents. 

Hyunjin decided it was better to not respond. He wasn’t sure he could come up with the right words- or if there were any right words to say. It was an unconcerned comment without thought, not a request or invitation. He didn’t want to ruin the moment. But, Felix’s words stuck with him, like a determined itch at the back of his mind, demanding to be felt.

During the week, Hyunjin picked up a new hobby in his freetime. After helping Chan cut firewood to dry out before the winter season, he’d found a knife to whittle the leftover pieces of kindling with. This sparked an interest inside him for woodcarving. 

In the beginning he was carving the wood mostly aimlessly, searching for ideas. He thought about the pack members and how they looked in their wolf forms. He’d seen them all now, Chan’s black and grey coat, Changbin’s coal black, Minho’s soft brown, Jeongin’s ash-like grey, Seungmin’s chocolate brown with pale streaks, Jisung’s chestnut coat, and Felix’s bright cream, almost as white as Hyunjin’s but with warmer tones. They were all so beautiful and somehow he wanted to capture that. 

Although he didn’t have the art supplies to paint on his creations, he’d been able to craft small versions of each member's wolf, some in standing positions and others in running or sitting positions. They weren’t extremely detailed, but Hyunjin felt as though they still captured the essence of each member. He particularly liked that Jisung’s wolf looked like it was jumping in the air with excitement.

It took him until Saturday to complete them all, and by then the pack members had all noticed Hyunjins secrecy in whatever it was he’d run off to do when he wasn’t with them. But, finally, the wolves were complete and Hyunjin was buzzing with excitement to present them. 

That evening he helped Minho with dinner. The food was cooked, Minho was doing the dishes and while Hyunjin set the table, he took the opportunity to place each wolf down beside the cutlery of the member who usually sat there. He eyed Minho as he did so, checking that he hadn’t noticed yet. Then, he looked at his work with pride, almost too jittery to stand still when everyone began to file into the room.

Minho spotted them first, sitting down in his seat as his eyes focussed in on the small wooden creation. His eyebrows creased as he lifted his crafted wolf up to inspect, which drew the others’ attention to the crafted wolves before them.

A chorus of surprised ‘oh’s rang out as they all started to inspect them with smiles spreading over their faces. 

Minho, who looked over at him again, first, tilted his head for an explanation. A softness was twitching in his expression, warming Hyunjin’s cheeks as a result.

“I made them,” Hyunjin admitted shyly, hands findling in his lap. He was bashful as he came to realise how badly he wanted the gift to be received well, how much he wanted them to like them.

“They’re beautiful,” Seungmin commented, fingers running over the spine of his wolf’s back. The wolf was in a sitting position, looking upwards towards what Hyunjin imagined to be the sky.

“Are you trying to court us?” Jisung teased in a joking tone. His wolf was placed on his palm, barely maintaining an upright position, which was mostly from Hyunjin’s wonky craftsman-ship but also Jisung’s continued hand movement. 

Hyunjin’s eyes widened and his face was set aflame with a warmth that had his ears flushing a deep pink. That had not crossed his mind at all . Had he been doing it subconsciously? Was this how it felt to want to court someone? He’d certainly never felt like this before. When the few people back at his old pack wanted him to court them he’d felt extremely uncomfortable at the idea. But, if he thought about it now, in this context, the idea of courting the 7 members of Chan’s pack did not bring him repulsion at all. It made his heart skip a beat. Each member had their individual personalities that just clicked into place with the rest of the pack. They complemented each other so well and it was clear that they had a strong love for each other, both romantically as mates, as well as the respect that they had for each other as members of the same pack. A loving devotion.

So, was he courting them?

“N-no,” He spluttered, taking a drink of water from his glass in the hopes to cool the heat licking at his skin.

“This is very kind of you Hyunjin, they’re wonderful,” Chan cut in with praise, putting Hyunjin out of the misery of embarrassment he’d been thrown into. Of course, Jisung’s comment had been a joke, but the concept of courting was not a light one. He placed his wolf back down on the table gently and gave Hyunjin a thankful smile, which Hyunjin returned weakly.

There was a chorus of ‘thank you’s’, before everyone started digging into dinner. The atmosphere fell into light happiness as some of them were still talking about their gifts, looking at each others’ and inspecting them between mouthfuls of food.

“Do you like crafting things?” Seungmin asked curiously. He was a very attentive man, Hyunjin had picked up. He wasn’t always one to jump out with his emotions, instead maintaining a calm perceptiveness that made Hyunjin feel seen. He liked it.

“Yes,” He nodded. The new hobby was definitely one he wanted to try again in the future. “But I love painting the most. I used to paint a lot,” He admitted, looking down as he moved a piece of meat around on his plate. The paintings he’d created in the past were still back in his old room. They’d probably been binned, or burned. Or, maybe they still remained there, collecting dust. The pack was not one to let things go, and while that included tangible items, it also meant that when one disobeyed the pack, it would not be forgiven or forgotten. 

Hyunjin had committed treason by running away, and as much as he wished for them to just forget about him, he didn’t think he’d get off that easily. Betraying members had been brought back before, displayed in the city centre, receiving lashings for their crimes. He mentally shivered at the thought. That wouldn’t be him. He wouldn’t let it be. His escape was a finality.

“We can get you some new supplies if you want? Minho and Jisung often go into the city, so you could join them on their next trip?” Seungmin suggested, bringing him out of his thoughts. They looked to Jisung and Minho for confirmation and Hyunjin felt a prickle of hope spike under his skin. He was itching to paint again, to express himself in ways that he could not with words.

Jisung grinned and Minho gave a shrug of agreement, “That’s fine, we’re planning to go next week to stock up on some things, so you can come with us.”

Hyunjin tipped his head gratefully, before stopping in a sudden realisation, “I didn’t come here with anything…” He’d arrived with literally nothing, not even with clothes on his back. The money he did have was back at the old pack, tucked away in a drawer, closed in a drawstring bag. There’s no way he'd be going back to get it, and he couldn’t expect the others to spend their own money on him, especially on something that was not considered a necessity. 

Chan reached a hand out and patted Hyunjin’s over the table, “No need to worry about money, we’re all good on that front.” 

Hyunjin felt sparks tingle at his skin when Chan pulled away, and he almost didn’t register his words. By the sounds of it, they were well off, affluent to the point where money wasn’t a concern. He wanted to ask, curiousness rising inside of him, but he knew he shouldn’t pry, so he responded with a simple “Thank you”.

After dinner they re-grouped in the living room, this time around the unlit fireplace. 

“We wondered if you might like to hear the story of our pack?” Jeongin asked him. They were seated almost exactly the same as the first time Hyunjin had sat with them, the only difference being that Felix was seated on Changbin’s lap and Jeongin was on the couch instead of laying over the others. 

Hyunjin hadn’t expected the offer. It was a very personal thing to be told the history of a pack, one that not many outside of said pack members knew about. But, it meant they trusted Hyunjin, or at least trusted him enough, which had him instantly itching to know more. He probably had Jeongin to thank for this opportunity, considering he’d opened up to Hyunjin first. “Yes, I’d like to hear.”

There was a tension that clouded the air, a pull of emotions that preceded the stories to come. It was heavy, and Hyunjin couldn't help but to sink into his chair to listen.

Chan started speaking first and everyone settled in to listen, close to each other, a reminder of their presence. “The pack I was born into was very close-knit. We weren’t a big one, and we were at peace with most other packs in the area, until a new pack moved into town. I was 18 and considered next in line to take over as pack alpha when our leader retired. His retirement had been planned out, but a week before the intended ceremony, we were attacked. The new pack set out to claim our land. They arrived in their wolf form, leaving no chance of negotiation, but my pack leader wouldn't back down and refused to merge the packs under the other alpha’s ruling- so the enemy pack killed everyone… Every last one of them.” Chan whispered his last sentence before stopping for a moment, and Jeongin gave his hand a squeeze. 

Hyunjin watched him blink and look away briefly. A tightness formed in his chest. Chan had lost everyone he grew up with- everyone he loved.

“I had been away from the village, visiting one of our friend packs, and when I came back…I was the only one alive. The land no longer belonged to us…but It hadn’t even been cleared yet. They’d left the bodies of…of my pack rotting under the sun…for 3 days. I…I had no choice but to leave, otherwise I’d be forced to submit and join them.” Chan stopped speaking again. His shoulders were shaking and he looked down at his lap, taking a few heavy breaths. Seungmin gave Chan’s shoulder a squeeze, thumb brushing gently over the fabric of his shirt. 

Hyunjin felt his own lip trembling, and he wasn’t alone. Hearing the story was painful, he couldn’t imagine how excruciating it must have been living through it. There was nothing worse than a broken pack bond through death. And, not following the respected procedure after a pack’s death was despicable. Even those at the hands of the murder knew and respected the protocol- but that pack, they’d acted and ignored those traditions in the most disgusting way.

It took Chan another minute before he started talking again. “While my pack had been small, they weren’t short on money, and with their modern investment, I also inherited the family business. So, even though I had to start my life over again, I didn’t start with nothing, and I think that’s what saved me back then. I had an outlet, something to focus on and dedicate myself to,” Chan explained. He was sitting up straighter now, the despair over his features had eased up, helping to re engage Hyunjin’s focus back on the story and not just the emotions it brought him.

“I own a digitally run pack identification and management company, based around the shifting community. The business originated from a travellers book my great grandfather had used to keep track of other packs during his travels. He used it to log connections with their neighbouring packs and the relationships he built with them. Over time the structure was modernised, right up to the point it’s at today.”

The group gave Chan smiles of pride, the room was thick with it, and Hyunjin could feel the love and dedication they felt for their leader.

“The network allows packs to officially register and keep track of which areas are claimed, as well as gain an insight of the dynamics of the packs around them. It’s used all around the country, and I’ve now begun to grow it internationally. Because of this, we’ve been able to live the life we live now,” He finished off, motioning his hands at the scene surrounding them. What they had was beautiful. In some ways the cabin was humble for what it could be, but it was also perfect for the pack. But, the most beautiful thing they had in all of this wasn’t placed on monetary value, it was what they had with each other. Love. Adoration. Mates.

“After Chan hyung established this place, Minho hyung joined,” Felix spoke up, smiling between the alphas. 

Minho nodded in confirmation, clearing his throat. “I didn’t grow up in a pack, my omega mother wasn’t a shifter, she’d grown up in the city and met my shifter alpha mother, during a camping trip with her friends. I don’t know a lot about my alpha mother, she didn’t stick around for my birth, so I grew up in the city. My mother ended up getting married to a beta, my stepmother, also a non-shifter…” He paused for a moment, expression unreadable. “After I presented, and it was revealed that I was a shifter, our landlord wasn’t comfortable having a shifter in his building, so I left. I found Chan through his company and we clicked, so we became a pack of two.” Minho finished, his explanation very straight to the point and he spoke in a logical sense, as though all personal emotion to the story had been removed, only the facts remaining. 

“You just…left?” Hyunjin asked. That couldn’t have been an easy thing to do. 

“We didn’t have the best relationship.” 

Hyunjin nodded slowly, picturing in his own mind how Minho’s life might have played out. He doubted Minho was the kind of person to talk about his past much, so being given the chance to learn his story was something Hyunjin held with great significance. 

“Seungmin and I joined next,” Jisung declared proudly, taking his turn to tell their pack joining story. “Our pack was trying to cut down numbers- I know, not a common occurrence, but it had been a difficult time and both money and resources were low. They were asking people to leave of their own will, that their priority was for the strongest alphas and enough omegas to remain so that they could be useful for expanding the pack again when conditions improved. Naturally, it was quite a hostile situation between those who were chosen to stay and those advised to leave. Seungmin and I hadn’t known each other well until we set off with a couple of others who were also asked to leave. We ended up talking a lot on our journey,” Jisung stopped to smile fondly at Seungmin. There was a clear connection between the two, one blossomed from a similar upbringing, a mutual understanding of one's past. “Somewhere along the way we got separated from the group. I think we had gotten distracted, lagging behind, but we ended up stumbling across Chan hyung and Minho hyung, and well, here we are.”

“Wow…” Was all Hyunjin managed to say. Their stories were very different from each other so far, but they’d all been brought together despite everything they’d faced. Hyunjin imagined that Seungmin and Jisung’s arrival, at that time, really elevated the strength of the pack. It had doubled in numbers, solidifying their growing pack bond. 

“I think I broke him,” Jisung chuckled, looking at Hyunjin with twinkling eyes.

Minho huffed a breath of amusement and leaned more against Jisung, the omega pressing his cheek against Minho’s shoulder in response.

“No, no, I’m just…taking it all in,” Hyunjin laughed softly, reengaging himself. It was a lot to process, but he was invested in every moment. 

“I was the next to join,” Changbin spoke up, cracking his knuckles as though he was about to take part in a strenuous task. “My previous pack was almost completely made up of alphas. They were a very structured pack and focused on maintaining territory above all else,” He explained, eyebrows pulling in as he leaned back in his chair. “We had a controlling leader who declared his family ‘the royal family’…It didn’t exactly create the best dynamic, but that wasn’t the worst thing,” He scratched behind his neck awkwardly before continuing. “When an alpha presented, an omega was chosen for them and they would participate in a breeding ceremony. No one ever mated, the omegas were a small group, only ever used for their breeding purposes. It…was horrible, and all presenting shifters dreaded their presentation day. If one presented as an omega, their fate was clear. If they presented as a beta, they were removed from the pack, lacking any ‘purpose’, as deemed by the leader. And, if they became an alpha, well, they were destined to be a mindless soldier for the rest of their life.” Changbin swallowed, looking down at his lap as he picked at a bit of skin on the side of his nail.

Hyunjin pulled his lip in, letting out a slow breath. A shudder ran down his spine. Breeding ceremonies. Just the thought made him nauseous. It certainly seemed that the world wasn’t short on toxic packs. And, he felt a sense of sorrow that Changbin had to grow up the way he did.

“I hoped I’d present as a beta. But,” He stopped to gesture to himself, “I presented as an alpha, and I’d already made up my mind that I’d leave- no matter what I presented as. The thought of having to participate in a breeding ceremony horrified me- so after I shifted for the first time, I left. They never came looking for me, and I’ve never been back since. Like the others, I stumbled into Chan hyung’s pack, and as you know from experience, entering a foreign pack’s territory as an alpha isn’t always the ideal situation…”

Hyunjin gave a short nod at that. The day of his escape in its entirety wasn’t something he’d ever be able to forget any time soon.

Chan directed a sheepish smile towards Changbin, but Minho’s eyes moved to Hyunjin. All of the alpha’s reactions to him had been understandable that night, but it still made him feel uneasy to think back to. His brain was caught on the fact that it was because he was an alpha . While he’d craved help and mercy, something an omega and beta would have received, he’d been viewed as a threat to the pack because of his sub-gender. He wasn’t foreign to his insecurity around being an alpha, not by any means, but the fact that it happened with this pack made it harder to move past.

He looked away from Minho, unconsciously rubbing his shoulder against his scent gland. What’s done was done. They didn’t see him as a threat anymore, and that’s what mattered.

The conversation moved on as Chan spoke up again. “Felix joined around a month before Jeongin, who you know about.” He tilted his head to Hyunjin for confirmation.

Hyunjin hummed in confirmation. He settled back in his seat, realising he’d tensed up somewhere along the way. His focus turned to Felix as the omega started speaking. 

“I wasn’t exactly part of a ‘pack’ before coming here,” he started, air quotes making Hyunjin’s brows pull in curiously. “Technically the alphas and betas were a pack but after one presented as an omega, their bond was soon cut.” He stopped again, pulling his lip between his teeth.

Hyunjin could tell by the way he curled into Seungmin that this was a hard story for him to share.

He took a moment and then continued. “However, this didn’t mean that we could just leave. Omega’s were sold in an underground omega trafficking business. We were always in high demand and the pack made a lot of money by breeding and selling us. I was lucky to have escaped the breeding selection, but they still put me up for purchase.” His lip was trembling now, tears threatening to overflow his eyes. “I remember, being on display. We were lined up, naked for wealthy alphas to look over us and purchase us for their own use. I watched my friends get bought, and then defiled by the alphas who had no shame in claiming them then and there. The auction…That’s the night Chan hyung, Minho hyung and Seungmin found me.” He let out a shaky breath as he finished, and Seungmin wrapped an arm around him, pulling Felix into him. 

Felix pressed into Seungmin’s neck, nuzzling against his scent gland, and Hyunjin could see him visibly calm, the shakes that trembled though his body dying down as he breathed in the comfort of one of his mates’ scents.

Hyunjin struggled to stop his own eyes from watering. It was hard to imagine the cruelty Felix must have faced, pictures of his perception of underground auctions making a cold, sharp fear shoot down his spine. 

Minho took over Felix’s story from there, “We’d heard about an auction happening near our territory and decided to blow it up. The whole notion of omega auctions is disgusting , and hearing that it was happening near our home? We would have gone to any length to stop it,” Minho’s seethed, eyes alight with fury in remembrance, and in that moment Hyunjin could tell that he really did mean anything . “We ratted out the location to the Omega Ethics Department, who shut the operation down not long after we arrived. We helped free the omegas and worked with the department to find them a new place to reside. We offered up our pack, not really expecting any takers, considering the omegas lack of trust in packs now- but then Felix came,” His tone evened out again as he brought Felix back into the story. A small smile overtook the frown he’d been sporting. “Felix showed up with a container of brownies, having wanted to thank us for saving him, and we ended up taking him in.”

Felix gave Minho a watery smile from his place in Seungmin’s lap, which he’d moved into during Minho’s recollection. Seungmin’s arms surrounded him, a gentle thumb stroking at his hip.

Felix’s story was heavy, as felt by the silence that took over the room afterwards. Hyunjin still shared a portion of Minho’s anger- How could a person put a price on another? Selling them, letting them be treated as though they were nothing but a hole to breed. Felix would have had no glimpse of freedom, and if the others hadn't found him that day….Hyunjin fought back a wave of the sickness that had only previously subsided.

He gave Felix a nod as they made eye-contact, acknowledging his story and what it held. His eyes still stung with the urge to cry after everything he’d heard, all the emotions that filled the room were intense, but they linked together in a way that wasn’t as suffocating as Hyunjin imagined it to be. 

“Once Jeongin joined, we came to be as we are now. Over time we'd already formed romantic relations with each other, but we didn’t become mates until after Jeongin joined,” Chan finished off.

There was still a heaviness in the room, filled with nostalgia and remembrance. It was deep-rooted but there was no fear laced in their scents. Everyone had reached a place where they felt safe and loved, it was truly a beautiful thing, in Hyunjin’s eyes. There was an intangibility in the way they all held each other’s pasts, helping them through their trauma, together.

Chapter Text

At the end of the group’s story, Hyunjin had to take a moment to collect his thoughts. There were parts of their lives he would never fully understand. He couldn’t fathom the bravery they’d all had at one point or another- but then he looked to his own life. He too had needed to have courage to escape. He wasn’t foreign to living in a situation of horror, and like them, he’d gotten out. So maybe, to an extent he did understand, and maybe that meant that they could understand him too.

“Thank you for sharing your stories with me, it means a lot to hear about your lives and the history of your pack,” He admitted to them, hoping that while his words weren’t expansive, they still held the emotion he carried through them. “You have a very special thing,” He added, eyes travelling over each of them. The connection they had, the way they fitted together, one didn’t need words to see how connected they were to each other, but knowing their backstory reinforced the deep-rooted dedication they had to each other. It was a rare thing to witness, and not just because of Hyunjin’s limited life experience. 

They glanced around at each other, a fond expression on their faces.

Taking a breath, Hyunjin made up his mind.  “I’d like to share my story with you, if you’d like to hear.”

Their attention returned to him, various sets of eyes widening in surprise, other’s lips parting with intended words they had yet to figure out how to form. He knew it was unexpected, while he’d shared aspects of his past with them, there was no expectation that he’d reveal everything he’d gone through- especially to a group of people he had not known for very long. But, he was comfortable with the decision he’d made to tell them. He wanted them to know.

The silence broke. “If you’re comfortable telling us, we’d love to hear,” Jeongin replied, extending him a soft, yet encouraging smile that truly made Hyunjin feel that he could do this.

Hyunjin took another deep breath, feeling as though he could never get enough air in the world to prepare him for this, while also hoping that whatever came out was intelligible and in the right dialect. But, when the words started coming out, he found that it was easy to just let them flow; hearing them from his own tongue for the first time. He started from the beginning, how his parents had died days after his birth and his pack had taken him in, how he’d grown up with close friends, cooking and helping the omegas. How everyone was certain he’d present as an omega. After recounting the good memories, his tone lowered, eyes finding their place away from the looks around him. He couldn’t deny the feeling of shame that he felt. It was an all encompassing humiliation that he imagined he’d live with for the rest of his life, but it felt possible to talk about, which he decided was progress.

He told them how shocking it had been at his presentation and then what he’d faced afterwards, the loss of friendship with the people closest to him, the ridicule and name calling and abuse from his harassers, the pressure he’d faced to find a mate and the expectations they’d put on him. The isolation, pain from their physical and mental torment, loneliness and depression- he couldn’t stop any of it from spilling out. He finished with the moment he’d run away, his hands shaking, gripped tightly in his lap with his knuckles a stark white. He felt as though glass was piercing his chest, stabbing all those wounds, forcing them deeper. He’d forgotten how exhausting it was to live through all of that. It hurt , but he forced himself to continue.

“I know I’m not what one would consider a ‘typical alpha’, and I know you must have noticed that. I…I’m coming to understand that stereotypes are just…well, stereotypes. They don’t dictate how I should act or who I should be…but, I’ve always felt like I was broken. It always seemed that everyones’ sub-gender brain is wired a certain way, while mine is all messed up. I could never be what they wanted me to be- I c-can't-”

Chan suddenly appeared in front of him, his knees pressed to the carpet with his hands coming to rest on Hyunjin’s legs as he looked up at him. Only then did he realise the tears streaming down his face, the hiccup in his voice that was barely containing the sobs that threatened to rip from his throat. But, just seeing Chan, the pack leader, being on his knees in this position, reaffirmed to Hyunjin’s mind how little he knew beyond the stereotypes ingrained into him. This comfort would never have happened at his old pack.

Hyunjin looked down at him, noting the glassiness in Chan’s eyes as he took one of Hyunjin’s hands and brushed his thumb over the upper side of his palm. The tingles returned with it, gently calming the pain in his chest.

“You never have to be someone you’re not Hyunjin. There’s nothing wrong or messed up about you and I know it’s hard to see that because of what you’ve gone through, but you’re not broken. You’re not,” Chan assured, gripping his hand tighter. The words were said with such conviction that Hyunjin couldn’t help but to cry harder, lifting a hand to attempt to both wipe his face and muffle the sounds that fell from his lips. Despite that, he couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed, not when Chan’s words meant so much to hear. He’d been subconsciously craving that reassurance for years, wanting, needing someone to tell him it was okay, that who he was was okay . Actually hearing it, it felt like he’d waited a thousand years for it, and the weight was lifting, it was bearable, he wasn’t under the water now, instead floating on the surface.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes as Hyunjin collected himself, Chan’s hand comforting him and the scents of the others reassuring his easily spiralled thoughts. He could tell they were purposefully sending their scents out stronger for him, and he was grateful for that. A couple deep breaths later and another wipe of his hands over his eyes, he was lifting his head back up to meet the eyes in the room. The looks on their faces were as comforting as their scents. There was no judgement.

“Many of us were faced with the pressure to be a certain way because of our sub-gender, and we also had to learn that there's nothing wrong with not fitting into that box, just as much as there’s nothing wrong with comfortably fitting in it. From my own experience, I know that it can be a really hard thing to separate from those internal expectations- it’s still something I work on to this day. But, it gets easier. Time helps, having people around you that encourage you to be who you are helps, and slowly learning to love yourself helps as well. ” Jeongin spoke up. His cheeks were red, drying tears on them, matching Jisung, Felix, and Changbin’s. 

He hadn’t expected his story to have affected those around him. He felt seen. He felt heard- it was perplexing in a way, to have others feel for him without seeing him as a broken man. Jeongin’s words had him biting his lip, nodding with watery eyes as he managed a “Thank you.” 

Chan stood up from the ground, taking a seat back in his spot on the couch, which was when Felix decided to get up and practically fling himself at Hyunjin, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. 

Hyunjin gasped slightly, before his own arms extended, wrapping around Felix’s form. He closed his eyes, forehead lightly resting on Felix’s clothed chest as he breathed in the scent of daffodils and lemonade.

After that night, Hyunjin’s dynamic with the group shifted. His name was added to the chore chart that resided on one of the dining room walls, beside a calendar that had a different baby animal for each month of the year. He found himself fitting into conversations seamlessly, no longer a silent participant as he voiced his opinions more and didn’t hold back from asking a ton of questions. He had so many, there was so much to learn about the world.

And, he had been correct in the assumption that the group were still holding back their regular levels of affection, until now. They hugged and kissed openly, physically closer when they sat together with more tangled limbs than coherent seating arrangements. Hyunjin enjoyed seeing this side of them, witnessing what pure love looked like. Admittedly he found himself practically melting in embarrassment when he witnessed something more intimate than he expected to, but that was a result of his own innocence, rather than an indecent display. 

He’d encountered Felix sitting comfortably in Jeongin’s lap one fine afternoon, the pair lazily making out while Jeongin stroked his hands up and down Felix’s sides. There was nothing heated in the moment, no rush to delve into something fueled by fire. They were just in love, and that was magnificent, Hyunjin thought. Still, he’d disappeared quickly back into the hallway with a flush of red making his ears look like they were seconds away from bursting into flames.

He wasn’t put off by their open displays of affection by any means. A part of him was extremely curious, in fact. It was more that he wasn’t sure where or if he overstepped with his presence. Was he supposed to leave the room when Minho and Jisung started kissing while they all watched a movie together? Or when Seungmin and Felix started scenting each other, whispering quiet words of love in each other's ears? It was all just something he had to feel out as time continued, and he was sure they’d communicate with him if he unknowingly made a mistake.

During the week he went into the city with Minho and Jisung. He’d never visited this city before, and by the sounds of it, it was much bigger than the one he used to frequent. It was a decent walk through the forest and then two bus rides, but Hyunjin enjoyed every moment. The bus was wobbly on the road, Jisung pulling his cap from falling off countless times while Minho staggered and almost tripped over his own feet at one point. Hyunjin had openly giggled at that, earning himself a glare that held no heat in it. 

Minho had a list of things to get while they were out and Jisung was more of an excitable distraction, than a help to the alpha, but it was endearing. Hyunjin found it easy to chat away with Jisung, following Minho down various isles and through different stores as he put item after item in their bag. Hyunjin didn’t even know what most of the items were. But, they ended up getting a lot more than what was on the list, as according to Jisung ‘they really needed water guns because summer was coming’. 

Hyunjin was also able to pick up some things of his own; clothing that wasn’t borrowed, art supplies for the painting he’d been itching to do, and a proper sketchbook that he was excited to use. He was already bursting with ideas. And, while he was thankful to have clothes of his own again, his style a bit different to Seungmin’s, he knew he would miss the hint of Seungmin’s scent that remained on the clothes. Maybe he could get away with keeping an item or two for sleepwear. It was nice to be cocooned into another person’s scent. 

They stopped at the chemist before heading home, Minho was at the counter as Jisung peeked over his shoulder. The beta woman behind the counter was listing things off as Minho nodded in confirmation.

“There should be one for Seo Changbin,” Minho frowned, sliding his hands over the medicine packets.

“Oh yes, I meant to call you about that. We weren’t able to get that in this month,” She smiled sympathetically, but she didn’t really seem worried about it the way Minho was, Hyunjin noticed. 

“ Again? ” There was an edge of frustration to Minho’s voice, but he managed to keep his tone even.

“I’m sorry, but as you know, this medicine is not easy to source, it's also pricey and not high in demand,” she defended with a shrug of nonchalance. She was starting to rub Hyunjin the wrong way, and he wasn’t even clued in on what the medicine was.

“It shouldn’t matter if it’s not in high demand, if someone needs it, the chemist should be able to supply it,” Minho snapped.

Jisung slipped his hand into Minho’s and Hyunjin noticed the omega giving his hand a squeeze. He was suggesting for Minho to drop it, that there was nothing they could do to change the situation. 

“I’m sorry sir, there’s nothing I can do about it. We’ll let you know when we’re able to get it in, but it most likely won't be for a few months.”

Minho’s jaw tightened and he gave a grimace of a smile. “I understand.”

“What was that about?” Hyunjin mumbled to Jisung as they headed out the automatic doors, a whoosh of warm air hitting them. It was very much a contrast to the chilled air in the chemist.

“Oh, nothing really. Don’t worry,” Jisung smiled at him, plastic and ingenuine. His scent gave away a tinge of anxiousness, and it was clear that whatever it was about, it wasn’t Hyunjin’s place to know. 

Jisung then went on to distract him with an animated description of his medicine. “Jeongin, Felix and I all take different birth control, that’s what we picked up today.”

Hyunjin’s fingers twitched at his sides, Jisungs words again reminding him of intimacies in the pack that were completely foreign to him. He tried to hide his embarrassment with a nod of understanding, eyes flicking to look at Minho who was too caught up in his own frustrated thoughts to listen in on the conversation. 

“We all started on the same one, but only Felix stayed on it.”

“Why’s that? Hyunjin asked, repositioning the bag he was holding. It was filled with items they’d picked up throughout the day, and Hyunjin was worried it might snap from the heaviness pulling at the well-worn straps. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he quickly followed up with.

“It works for Felix which is great, but Jeongin and I didn’t react well to it. It made Jeongin’s emotions go haywire, and I felt nauseous and dizzy all the time. We tried something else, which Jeongin stayed on, but that one made me hate life, so now I’m on this one which works with no problems,” Jisung grinned, talking about it as though he was discussing the weather.

Hyunjin blinked, he didn’t realise there were so many things omegas had to consider on that front. He’d only ever taken over the counter medicines for various needs, so the complications Jisung discussed with such nonchalance was rather a new concept. It seemed far more stressful than Jisung described it to be.

“I’m glad you found something that works.”

The two bus rides back to the outskirts of the forest were quiet. Jisung had a heavy backpack on his back, while Minho and Hyunjin carried their large shopping bags over their shoulders. On the walk back to the cabin, Jisung linked an arm through Minho’s and then slipped his other hand into Hyunjin’s, the softness of their palms pressing together and creating a warmth that spread up Hyunjin’s arm and through his body.

Hyunjin didn’t know how to articulate how he felt in that moment, but it was intense and wonderful and a bit terrifying. 

That night at dinner, solemnity filled the air as Minho eased, or rather, threw them into a conversation that had clearly been prepared in advance. 

“Jisung’s heat is nearing, as well as Changbin’s rut,” Minho started, looking around the table, eyes locking with Hyunjin’s momentarily. 

Hyunjin felt himself drawing in a breath. Of course this was something that was bound to happen at some point. They were a pack of 7 with presumably regular cycles, afterall. However, Hyunjin wasn’t sure how exactly he should react to the statement. This was a pack matter and he couldn’t help feeling out of place. Was this now the time that they expected him to be on his way? He’d surely get in the way otherwise; a foreign alpha around a mated pack during a heat and rut? That…wasn’t exactly ideal. But, they’d just added him to the chore chart, and bought him art supplies; obviously knowing two cycles were coming up. They wouldn’t have done that if they expected to leave in a few weeks.

“We picked up everyone's medications today, so Jisung is good to go but…” Minho stopped, eyes guiltily flicking to Changbin.

“They didn’t have it?” The alpha asked quietly. He was trying to keep the defeated tone out of his voice, but it wasn’t working very well. 

“I’m sorry,” Minho replied, looking down. The twinge of frustration returned to his features, as the conversation at the chemist still weighed on him. 

Changbin shook his head, “There was nothing you could do. It happens so often I should just expect to go without it at this point. It…It’ll be okay, I’ll manage.” Changbin tried to smile reassuringly, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Hyunjin started to understand the situation with a little more clarity now. The medicine, its specifics still unknown, was used to help Changbin through his rut. Every sub-gender individual had a different way of dealing with their body’s cycle, and some people's heats or ruts could be unbearable. Hyunjin felt sympathy for Changbin at that, his own rut wasn’t pleasant, but it wasn’t to the extreme he’d seen others face.

Jeongin patted Changbin’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “We’ll be here for you. We know how to get through this, all you have to do is let us take care of you hyung. Okay?”

Changbin smiled, more genuine this time and filled with appreciation. He lifted a hand to rest on top of Jeongin’s, giving it a squeeze. “Thank you.”

“We were thinking that maybe Seungmin could take Hyunjin on a camping trip that week,” Chan suggested, looking between Seungmin and Hyunjin. It was phrased as a suggestion, but Hyunjin knew it was not something he could negotiate on, and that came as a relief. Firstly, they weren’t kicking him out of their lives, and secondly, he didn’t know how to be around the pack when they were just kissing, let alone when they were in the throes of a heat or rut- so the separation during a time of deep intimacy was probably for the best. 

“That sounds good,” Seungmin replied, looking to Hyunjin for his opinion. “We have a cabin by the lake not far from here, so don’t worry, you don’t have to sleep in a tent or anything.”

“Yes…Yes that sounds good,” he cleared his throat, voicing in agreement. He’d slept in much worse places than in a tent, so even that would have come as a luxury. A part of him also contemplated the idea that they might not trust him around the two during their cycles- which had a twinge of isolation crawling inside of him. But, it wasn’t like they’d seen him around an omega in heat or an alpha in their rut, before. If he could explain to them, without it sounding too out of place, that he was able to maintain a lot of control around omegas in heat compared to most alphas, then he would have. But, who's to say they would have believed him anyway? They had every right to be cautious.

“Oh,” Chan spoke up again in realisation, pressing his hands together. “Do you know when your next rut is scheduled to be, by the way?” he asked and Hyunjin tried to do the calculations in his head. It had been over a month since his last one, certainly before the games, but not much longer than that. The memory had mostly faded in his mind. 

He’d spent it alone, writhing around in his room as he tried to make as little noise as possible- door locked to the outside world. The last thing he needed was an enticed omega trying to offer themselves up to him. It had lasted four days, three days of pain and torturous pleasure, and then another day of exhaustion and the hollow feeling of loneliness that came with it. Maybe he did remember it more than he desired to.

“A couple of months… 6 or 7 weeks probably,” He said, chewing on the corner of his lip. He might not even be here by then, a lot could happen in two months.

Surprisingly, Chan still added it to their calendar. How they would go about Hyunjin’s rut wasn’t clear to anyone, but at least they had 2 months to figure it out. Hyunjin decided he’d just try not to think about it for the time being.

After dinner, Minho had asked if he would mind taking on the dishes alone. Hyunjin sensed a pack meeting was about to take place, and despite the feeling of separation that prominently swirled in his stomach, he flashed a smile and got straight to it. He had no right to expect to be included in pack meetings. He needed to not let his favour for the pack let him get ahead of himself.

The dishes didn’t take long, and he was on the last plate when he heard their voices all return into earshot, and a couple of seconds later Felix was in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Hyunjin’s back. 

Hyunjin froze for a second, before relaxing much quicker than the last time Felix had hugged him. The omega was very touchy and cuddly, which Hyunjin enjoyed exponentially. Felix gave good hugs, how could he not enjoy them?

“Hi Hyunjinnie,” he mumbled into Hyunjin’s shoulder.

Hyunjin’s cheeks warmed and he folded the dish towel, reaching to put it back in his place without disturbing Felix’s hold on him. “Hi Felix.”

“Do you want to watch a movie? We’re going to have a movie night," he asked eagerly.

Hyunjin turned and looked down at him with a smile, finding the omega’s excitement rather adorable. “What are we watching?” 

Felix’s arms stayed looped around him. There was a fondness in his eyes that had Hyunjin feeling a bit fuzzy.

“You can pick!”

Hyunjin let Felix tug him to the living room. However, the room didn’t look as it usually did- the couches that usually surrounded the TV, were pushed back, making way for an array of blankets, pillows and clothes. A nest. Hyunjin stared at it for a moment, taking the sight in; everyone was packed inside of it, situated in comfortable positions, some cuddled together, others laid out with pillows propped behind them. Hyunjin hadn’t seen a nest in years, and had certainly never been invited inside of one.

Everyone’s faces were directed towards the TV as Chan scrolled through the apps to open up their streaming service. The screen was the only light in the room, besides the dim orange sky where the sun had set, giving way to a twilight glow. It was cosy, wide windows that looked out to the forest, and Hyunjin just stared for a moment; Staring at the pack members, and then staring at the view that encompassed them all. 

“C’mon,” Felix nudged him, tugging him towards the nest and Hyunjin followed him until they got just outside of it, where he stopped to a halt. 

A pack’s nest was another very personal thing. For an outsider to be invited in- they had to be very close with the pack to do so. It was all very much built around trust.

“You don’t want to?” Felix asked. His eyebrows drew in and up as hurt flashed over his face, which had Hyunjin rushing to explain himself.

“No, I mean yes, I…I mean..” He was flustered, fumbling over his words. “Yes, I want to…but am I allowed in ?” he asked, eyes flicking to the others whose attention had been drawn over to him.

“You’re allowed Hyunjin,” Chan reassured, patting at the nest as he extended Hyunjin a kind smile.

“Jisung dumped a bunch of your clothes in here anyway,” Minho snorted.

“ Mine? ” Hyunjin asked, mouth dropping open. They wanted his scent in there too? 

Felix and Jisung giggled and Felix reached for his hand again. This time Hyunjin let himself be pulled in. 

“I like how you smell, I hope that’s okay,” Jisung defended lightly, his grin holding a hint of nervousness behind it that Hyunjin wouldn’t approve of his actions. 

He nodded, still rather gobsmacked. “That's…yes, that's definitely fine.” It was more than fine, and who was Hyunjin to deny him when the act had been so heartwarming? 

Instantly, the scents in the nest hit his nose, a smack in the face- everyone's individual scents heightened by the additions of their clothing and mixing together to make a strong aroma. But, after sitting down, they quickly softened, Hyunjin’s nose adjusting and finding the scents transforming into that of comfort and relaxation.

“We do this a lot,” Seungmin explained, tipping his head in reference to the nest. He was sitting with his legs out straight, his palms holding him up as a lazy look of contentment rested over his face. “It makes us feel extra close to one another.”

Hyunjin looked around at the well constructed nest that Jisung had put together, and then gave a humm in response. He could imagine that watching movies and nesting together was a frequent occurrence for them; perfect for pack bonding.

“Can we watch Spiderman?” Jisung asked, transfixed on the TV again.

“We’re letting Hyunjin pick tonight, remember, baby?” Minho reminded the omega, arm around his waist as Jisung leaned back against his chest.

Baby. The term of endearment had a fluttering feeling spark inside of Hyunjin. It wasn’t even directed at him, but just hearing it had him melting a little.

“Oh- uh, that’s okay. I haven’t watched many movies and I don’t know what everyone likes…So Spiderman is good,” Hyunjin supplied, slightly relieved that he didn’t have to choose.

With that, the group settled in to watch Spiderman, and maybe it was Hyunjin’s lack of perspective on the world, but he found himself absolutely enthralled . It was captivating and exciting and for a while, he’d tuned out everything around him as he followed along with the storyline.

Somewhere along the way Seungmin had gone to make popcorn and ‘easy nachos’, and soon the room was filled with the smell of the delicious food. By that point, Hyunjin’s focus split in half. half watching the movie, and half immersing himself in those around him. Jisung sat between Minho’s legs, Felix alternating between feeding them both nachos and feeding himself. Seungmin had his arm around Changbin who had his head resting on Chan’s shoulder, and Jeongin sat with his shoulder pressed to Hyunjin’s. It was intimately comfortable.

At one point Changbin alternated between making out with Chan and Seungmin, heated kisses mixing with playful nips of love and growling rumbles. There were undertones of a fight for dominance, but in an adoring way. Neither Chan or Seungmin were trying to fight each other for Changbin, but they still like to playfully tease each other. And, Changbin definitely loved the attention he was receiving, the alpha letting out small chuckles into his kisses every time one of them got too grumbly.

Hyunjin couldn’t help watching them. He shouldn’t be looking right? It was wrong, it felt wrong. But, he’d never seen an alpha not demanding dominance over a beta, or two alphas kissing in the first place. Even the fact that they were kissing out of love and not feral lust was a whole new concept to him.

He wasn’t the only one watching, and soon Jisung and Felix were slipping into sweet, slippery, clicking kisses as Minho nudged his face into Jisungs scent gland. 

Hyunjin’s face burned at the sound of the soft moans that came from the omegas and the purring that rumbled from Minho’s chest, low and soft. When he looked back, Changbin was scenting Seungmin.

“They’re cute, right?” Jeongin asked with a soft giggle from beside him. Hyunjin had almost forgotten that he was there, an embarrassment spiking in his scent. Without a doubt, he’d been caught watching, but Jeongin didn’t look displeased in the slightest. 

He nodded a tad dumbly. Their scents had him in somewhat of a trance. A passionate atmosphere filled the space of the nest, engulfing the air with hints of adoration and arousal.

“Have you ever been scented before?” Jeongin asked him, the question taking Hyunjin by surprise as he blinked down at him, throat tightening.

As a child, naturally, he had been scented by the older omegas as a form of comfort and security. But, that was different from the connection of a presented person scenting another presented person. And that’s the real question Jeongin was asking. As an alpha, he’d never scented anyone or been scented by anyone. “No,” He answered, voice barely above a whisper.

Jeongin’s eyes travelled over him for a moment. There was a pull in his eyebrows and his back straightened. “It makes sense now why you scent yourself so much.”

Hyunjin’s chest tightened. “I do?” he asked. He knew he did it from time to time. For someone who had never been scented, it was expected, in fact it would have been strange if he didn’t do it. Shifters, especially, needed that connection the most, and it could hurt to not have that bond with anyone for so long. Hyunjin had gotten used to that feeling, but he hadn’t realised how often he must self-scent as a result. Shame washed over him again. He felt rather pathetic. 

“Could I scent you?” Jeongin asked, eyes softening again. He could probably smell Hyunjin’s shame and didn’t want him to dwell on it. But, the look in his eyes was genuine and Hyunjin found himself letting out a small gasp at the question. An eagerness simmered inside of him as he nodded, moving into a lower position for Jeongin to have access to his scent gland. Nervous. Excited. Dizzy. He felt all of those things, but all he could focus on was Jeongin. Jeongin’s scent. Jeongin’s warm shoulder pressed against his own. Jeongin’s kind eyes.

The omega shuffled closer, their bodies turning towards each other as loose fitted sleep clothing barely acting as a barrier from their almost touching chests.

Hyunjin bared his neck, swallowing lightly in nervous anticipation. He’d never had any problems submitting, even when it came to omegas. Before, he’d always felt insecure about that, but now it felt like a blessing to be able to hand himself over to Jeongin in this way, without an ounce of ‘hurt alpha ego’.

Unbeknownst to him, the pack's attention had partially strayed from their own intimacies, captivated by the new scene in front of them. It would come as a surprise to see Hyunjin this way- the extent to which Hyunjin’s submissive nature flowed into aspects of his life. It was one thing for them to know he didn’t feel strongly associated with the stereotypical alpha instincts, it was another thing for them to see that.

When Jeongin pressed his face into Hyunjin’s neck, Hyunjin could feel him smiling against his skin. He nuzzled at the warm skin under his scent gland for a moment, familiarising himself with Hyunjin, before his cheek moved to rub over the gland.

Sandalwood and lime exploded through Hyunjin’s scenes and he audibly gasped louder this time. His body relaxed. He hadn’t even been aware that he’d been sitting as stiff as a statue. His eyelids fluttered closed, soft pink lips parting as the sensations completely wrapped him up in everything that was distinctly ‘ Jeongin ’.

Jeongin let his nose brush against the gland, sending shockwaves through Hyunjin, fire licking at the pit of his stomach. He felt so sensitive . A whine escaped his lips, fingers coming up to clutch Jeongin’s shirt, wrinkling the white material. He was practically buzzing, relishing in Jeongin’s continued movement’s over his sensitive gland. Before pulling away, Jeongin pressed a soft kiss over his scent gland, resulting in a hiccuped whimper from Hyunjin’s parted lips. He would have found it in himself to be embarrassed if it weren't for the heated, sparking feeling coursing through his veins and demanding his focus. He’d never felt like this before.

“Do you want to scent me too?” Jeongin asked, moving back slowly and taking a bit of the haziness that Hyunjin felt with him. His pupils were blown out and cheek red from the nuzzling. He looked incredible. 

No one cut in to stop them; to claim a possessiveness over Jeongin. Despite Jeongin’s preferred distancing from his sub-gender’s stereotypes, it was still an alpha’s general instinct to not let other alphas, unmated, outsider alphas, scent one of their omegas. The offer alone could have resulted in immense hostility. But, there was nothing in the air that hinted at even a bit of that. They trusted him. And, they didn’t treat Jeongin as though he was someone that couldn’t make his own decisions. 

Hyunjin swallowed thickly. “Yes,” he replied, voice coming out raspy. It was an offer he couldn’t turn down even if he tried. Tentatively he moved to nudge against Jeongin’s shoulder, getting used to the close proximity. He didn’t know what it felt like to be high on the herbs he’d seen the shifters back at the pack involve themselves in, but this had to feel a million times better. He followed what Jeongin had done, first rubbing lightly over his neck with his cheek, exploring and familiarising himself before he moved up and nudged against Jeongin’s scent gland.

Jeongin let out a breath, hand moving to stroke through Hyunjin’s hair, making him shiver against the omega’s neck.

He could sense their scents mixing, interlinking with each other in a deliciousness of fresh daisies and lime coated sandalwood; An uncommon fragrance but an addicting one. He had this desire to make Jeongin smell like him, for people to know that Jeongin was special to him, and that Jeongin thought Hyunjin was special enough to hold his scent. Hyunjin would wear it with so much pride.

He was almost trembling against Jeongin’s skin now, his movements just shaky enough to have his nose bumping against Jeongin’s gland rougher than he meant to, but the result was wonderful. 

Jeongin let out a stuttered breath, a whimper just barely escaping his throat, high and breathy. He leaned impossibly closer, just as affected as Hyunjin felt. 

The tightness in Hyunjin’s sweatpants, something he became acutely aware of, made his ears tingle with embarrassment. He wasn’t even doing anything to hide it. He should have been mortified, but everything just felt so good; so warm and buzzing and dizzyingly good.

“They’re so hot,” Changbin ogled, his voice sounding far off, but Hyunjin still caught it.

“So hot,” Felix agreed, transfixed.

“Very,” Minho mumbled.

Hyunjin finished up with a final kiss on the gland, like Jeongin had. Then, truly by accident, his tongue swiped out with the intention to wet his own lips, and accidentally grazed Jeongin’s scent gland for a moment, and Jeongin let out a short gasped moan. He pulled back, swallowing thickly as their eyes met again. Everything felt intense, heightened, so, so sensitive .

They were both breathing heavily, eyes blown out. Hyunjin swallowed thickly. There was this moment of connection that he couldn’t comprehend, so strong that even the dissipation of the trance he’d been in couldn’t completely remove it.

As he processed everything around him again, he was quick to pull his legs in, knees closer to his chest as warmth burned his ears, but Jeongin remained laid out, unashamed of his body's natural reaction. If Jeongin’s appearance was anything to go by, Hyunjin probably also looked just as much of a wreck. 

No one said anything, and attention turned back to the movie as though what had just happened wasn’t a vast contrast from normality as Hyunjin knew it. As much as he tried to get his own mind to ease, his thoughts were buzzing incomprehensibly around his brain. Emotions, so many emotions. So many confusing, unfamiliar emotions.

Chapter Text

Jisung’s heat was due in 2 weeks and Changbin’s rut in 2 and a half. Everyone had already begun to prepare, with the likelihood of Jisung’s heat triggering Changbin’s rut quite a strong possibility.  

That week, everyone went down to the lake to wash all the linen and blankets. They had a tradition that those going through their cycle could choose who used what blankets, scenting them so that when the person’s heat or rut came they’d be able to choose the scents around them, and nest comfortably. Seungmin explained that even though everyone usually wanted everyones scents, it was nice to be able to link certain items to certain members rather than everything smelling like all of them at once. 

Hyunjin hummed as he washed a blanket, squeezing it out after. Previously it had smelled like Chan, so he guessed that’s who its original owner was. 

These types of tasks continued over the course of the week, more hunting and tending to the garden so that no one would have to leave during the pair’s cycle. Well, except for Hyunjin and by default, Seungmin. Hyunjin enjoyed helping out, feeling as though he was taking part in supporting the omega and alpha before their cycles came in. All of this desire to be of service was so foreign to him, but he couldn’t help embracing it. He wanted to embrace it, even if he probably had no right to feel the feelings that were building inside of him when he thought of all the members of the pack.

On Sunday evening, after a tiring game of cricket that Chan had selected as their activity, they all laid out on the grass again, breathing in the refreshing forest air. Hyunjin was looking up at the dim sky, stars beginning to twinkle as night faded in. It was relaxing, the grass tickling his sweat damp skin, while his mind felt free from worry.

Felix laid on his chest again, but unlike last time, he didn’t tense up. It still wasn’t a feeling he was used to, but it was certainly one he was growing to like a lot. Plus, they were both growing more bold. Felix nuzzled against him and in return, he ran his fingers through Felix’s hair. It was so soft. He was so pretty. It made Hyunjin’s heart drum faster in his chest.

“Hyunjin?” 

“Mhm?” Hyunjin hummed, in a daze from the bliss that surrounded him. The air smelled of fresh pine and the swirling scents of those around him, most prominently led by Felix’s.

“Can I scent you?”

Hyunjin’s eyes blinked open at that. Any haze around him quickly cleared as his throat bobbed in a swallow. Despite Felix not being able to see him, he nodded in agreement. “Can I scent you after?”

“Of course!” Felix grinned, lifting his head now to look at Hyunjin laid below him.

Hyunjin smiled back, his hair off of his face, damp as it feathered around him. He slowly slowly turned his neck and tilted his chin, offering himself to Felix who zeroed in on his scent gland with excited intent. 

Felix was half resting on his side, half hovering over Hyunjin as he pressed his face in. Unlike Jeongin, he didn’t waste time exploring, going straight for Hyunjin’s scent gland to nuzzle against it.

Having not expected the sudden rub of Felix’s nose against his gland, he let out a small yelp of surprise, arm lifting to hold Felix’s side. The omega’s citrusy floral scent flourished through his senses, making him feel all fuzzy inside. It was thick in the air, and everything else faded out around him, just like it had done when he’d scented with Jeongin. 

Felix hummed against his skin, rubbing and nuzzling- which quickly turned into bold kissing. It was different than with Jeongin, less gentle but still just as strong in passion. The difference wasn’t better or worse, it was just different . His lips were warm and slick, soft over Hyunjin’s sensitive gland. A spark ran through his body, arousal undeniable. 

“Felix,” he whimpered breathlessly, hand on Felix’s bare waist tightening in its grip. He didn’t know whether he was signalling for him to stop or keep going, but he really, really didn’t want him to stop.

The whimper seemed to spur Felix on more than anything, pressing closer and then letting his tongue glide over the gland. He certainly wasn’t patient in the way Jeongin was, and his motives clearly weren’t as innocent. Apparently, Hyunjin’s hyper-sensitivity to scenting had become common knowledge. Yet, despite having had such intentional avoidance for these forms of intimate interactions in the past, he wanted to welcome them now. He wanted to feel good, and he wanted to make the others feel good. It was a strange thing to feel such a way for the first time, especially for more than one person, but it wasn’t something he found himself put off by. 

Hyunjin jolted, a gasp ripping from his throat as his head tipped back further. Felix’s tongue was hot and wet, breath panting lightly against Hyunjin’s neck and earlobe. His lips ghosted the lobe, sending further shivers through Hyunjin’s body. His cock throbbed in the confines of his shorts, precome wetting his tip against the tented fabric. He could smell it , Felix’s slick. It was sweet , not as strong as it would be if he was in heat, but it was so undeniably appealing. 

The way Felix’s tongue languidly ran over his gland had him trembling, whimpering with every wet kiss and light suckle. And, after another moment, he had to guide Felix back, in fear that he might humiliate himself in front of the others who were no doubt watching this unfold. He’d only been brought back to reality upon the realisation that within the knots of his stomach, an orgasm was building. He’d never come untouched before, but he didn’t trust his body enough to test that further.

Their eyes connected, entangled in the moment they’d created together. There was this tension, and an undeniable fire that came with it. It was the same feeling of an indescribable loss of the grasp that he had on his own consciousness- the same way that he’d felt with Jeongin. It made his chest tighten and his heartbeat pound in his ears as though he was about to bungee jump off of a high bridge.

Felix turned, rolling back and pulling Hyunjin with him until the alpha nearly fell right on top of him. He managed to stop at the last minute and hold himself on his side, the same way Felix had been moments earlier. He half rested against Felix, body maintaining its position amongst the grass below them.

The prominently stronger scents in the air took his attention for a moment, and he identified the effect his and Felix’s actions were having on everyone. Being on display like this, it should have felt mortifying, but Hyunjin felt… proud . He was proud that he was making Felix feel good, and proud that the attention of the others didn’t hold any hostility to his relations with their omega. 

Daffodils and lemonade clouded his brain again as he pressed into Felix’s neck. His skin was soft and warm, a slight sweat to it from the previous activities. Hyunjin smiled slightly, nuzzling up his neck until he reached the gland. He nosed at it, feeling Felix humm in contentment. For a few moments he just nuzzled and rubbed gently, but spurred on by Felix’s earlier treatment with him, Hyunjin was soon kissing Felix’s gland. His kisses were a bit sloppier, unpracticed, with tongue dipping out every so often irresistibly. 

Felix was gripping his arm, squeezing gently, and his other hand travelled along his torso, soft breaths and light moans leaving his lips. He sounded beautiful, a harmonious sound in the otherwise silence that surrounded them. Hyunjin was making him feel like that. With every soft kiss and dip of his tongue, Felix graced him with those beautiful noises which fueled both his pride and his arousal. 

Felix was hard against his thigh, the small dent in the omega’s sweats making his thigh tense and it was hard to resist the urge to grind down on him. His own cock was pulsating, aching for contact, and Felix tried to pull him fully on top as he suckled at the omega’s glad. At that, Hyunjin did manage to pull himself back. He was far too inexperienced to even know what to do beyond their current situation. Besides, he got the feeling it wasn’t the right situation to rub his cock against the omega’s until they came in their pants.

He rolled off, panting as he laid on his back, eyes hazed over as the, now twinkling stars blurred in his vision. He pulled his legs up, feet against the grass to try and somewhat hide how hard he was, but it was still painfully obvious how affected both he and Felix were- just by their scents alone.

“Wow,” Someone breathed.

‘Yeah,’ Hyunjin thought.

If he thought that would be the last time he’d be asked to be scented, he’d have been very wrong. He found himself irrevocably, whole-heartedly, loving every single experience. It was passionate and intimate and bonding in such a strong and unfamiliar way. He felt tied to these people. Connected.

Still, his relationship with the pack was complicated. He didn’t know where he truly stood with them. This wasn’t the usual form of progression in an intimate relationship- traditionally. There was supposed to be courting and dates and communication, and then sexual intimacy. He’d kind of skipped a couple of steps. 

However, were his wolf carvings a form of courting? Was his trip to town with Minho and Jisung a date? It wasn’t exactly romantic… The communication, well, everyone had opened up to him, just not in the way that clarified these feelings and emotions that swirled between them. Was Hyunjin misinterpreting things? He couldn’t have been, he’d had his tongue on two peoples necks in a matter of days. 

Two . 

Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. Contemplating it too hard made his brain hurt, so maybe it was best not to ponder and create situations of vague possibility in his mind as he laid in bed at night.

Over the following days, Jisung, Changbin and Seungmin all approached him with the same intention. 

Hyunjin and Jisung had been tending to the flowers in the garden when the omega had asked to scent him. He’d been so taken aback he almost squashed the flower he was tending to. It was a tulip, maybe. It could have been a weed for all he cared, when the proposition Jisung had given him was far more interesting.  

This quickly led to Jisung taking a seat on Hyunjin’s lap, the pair of them sat amongst the flowers. He’d nuzzled into his neck to find the glad, eagerly scenting him with a vivaciousness that threw Hyunjin into a dizzying bliss. He’d clasped his gloved hands to Jisung’s shirt, forgetfully dirtying it as he tried to ground himself. 

Jisung was eager in the same way Felix was, and his fresh orange scent was mouth-wateringly enticing. The omega wasn’t quite pre-heat, but he was nearing it, and that heightened his scent. 

When he’d scented Jisung in return, they both had to pull away within minutes. The familiar throb in Hyunjin’s pants made him suppress a whine. He was so pent up these days, and the relief that he gave himself in the shower just wasn’t enough anymore. He craved more, craved hands over him, exploring him. He craved to explore. 

In the same deliciously devastating way, Changbin had left him in the same state. The alpha’s pine scent tingled his skin with a simmering excitement. He’d had Hyunjin pushed up against a tree, nosing at him and rubbing his face over the gland. 

Changbin had a stronger primal nature than the others, Hyunjin had deduced. He’d licked and kissed, lightly nipping at the skin until Hyunjin was whining and pawing at him to ease up on the intensity so he could have a turn. Then, he’d scented him right back, reducing Changbin to a similar state of wanton growls and fingers scraping against the bark of the tree behind Hyunjin’s back. 

It was getting harder to limit himself to just scenting with each passing experience. His body was craving things it never had before. But, he never let himself pass the point of scenting, uncertainty and inexperience enough to clear his mind every time. The others were holding back too, an unspoken rule established after Felix’s moment with him, had everyone holding back from leading to a similar state of desperation.

Seungmin was less intensely eager than Felix and Jisung, and less primal than Changbin. Hyunjin would compare the scenting experience more to Jeongin. It was slower, the pair of them basking in and appreciating each moment. Seungmin was extremely attentive, he focused on Hyunjin’s reaction to everything, knowing what to do more of and when to slow down. He could work Hyunjin up to a whimpering mess and then ease him back down gently in seconds. It was unfathomable. He was nowhere near as capable in return, but he still felt pride in the soft, stuttered breaths and trailing fingers along his back that scenting Seungmin brought him. 

Scenting wasn’t a strictly sexual act. In fact, arousal wasn’t the primary goal. Aside from using it to assert one's connection to another, it was also used for comfort; Telling someone that they were cared for, reassuring them if they were worried or scared about something, showing feelings of adoration that couldn’t be put into words. But, Hyunjin was somewhat an anomaly. So far, each scenting experience had him turned on beyond belief, which spurred on that same arousal in his scenting partner. He chopped it down to being situational, as if it were anyone outside of the pack members he didn’t feel that comfort level at all.

The result was that his sex drive climbed through the roof. It had gone from being practically non-existent outside of his ruts, to demanding to be felt almost every night. He found himself feverishly stroking his cock under the warm spray of the shower head, bottom lip pulled behind his front teeth as he held pack the whimpers that threatened to slip out. When it got too intense, he couldn’t control the sounds he let slip, hoping the force of the shower spray drowned them out. As he reached his peak, his release would spurt out over his hand and against the shower wall, and he’d milk every last drop as his legs trembled. It was satisfying, but it never fully diminished the arousal in his gut. And, there was always a lingering guilt, as the visions behind his eyes while he pleasured himself were always ones of the pack members. The expressions on their faces after he’d scented them, the smell of their arousal in their scents, and the way they felt pressed up against his body. He’d reached the point of no return, and all he could do was ride the wave and hope that the outcome wouldn't have him crashing below the surface.

Minho surprised him one afternoon with an invite to go swimming down at the lake together. The weather was warm, not yet uncomfortably so, but enough that a swim sounded refreshing. 

Nervousness prickled at his skin because, sure, he’d spent time with Minho before, but that was usually accompanied by at least one other pack member. The only time he’d been alone with the alpha was while they cooked, and Hyunjin didn’t think that counted as they were focused, usually moving around the kitchen in comfortable silence.

“Do you like being here?” Minho asked as they stripped down, facing towards the deep lake. The water was a crystal clear blue and sparkling under the sun.

Hyunjin kept his eyes away from Minho, thinking over the question. It felt a lot deeper than the simplicity it held. “Very much,” he finally admitted in honesty. 

Minho walked towards the water. His form was relaxed and he radiated composure. Smooth, warmly tanned skin mapped the shape of his body. He was toned, but not in the buff way that Changbin was. Elegant and poised were the terms that Hyunjin would use. His strength held a juxtaposing delicacy, but every move he made was always intentional. It was captivating. If he had to describe him, he’d say that Minho was unlike anyone else he’d ever met.

“Are you coming?” He called behind to Hyunjin who jolted out of his thoughts and into movement as he started walking into the water as well.

They waded through the shallower parts until they were waist deep, water lapping over Hyunjin’s hip bones. He looked to Minho, whose gaze was directed at the forest across from the lake, eyes following a sparrow that flitted across a branch. Minho didn’t like hunting, but Hyunjin didn’t doubt that when he did partake in it, he was fast to move and quick to kill.

Minho was very pretty, Hyunjin thought as he took him in from up close. His features were relaxed, soft breaths leaving his nose as his hair lay over his forehead, moving just slightly from the breeze. He could have been a sculpture. Yet, the thing that drew Hyunjin in the most wasn’t the relaxed expression itself, but what it meant. 

His first interaction with Minho had been dreadful. The intensity in his eyes, ready to attack, waiting for a reason to. Even after, the frown of distrust that lindered remained longer than any of the others. Things changed after they shared their stories, but this was the first time he’d seen Minho’s mask down, completely at ease.

They relaxed in the water for a bit, Hyunjin sinking down to let the water submerge and lap at his skin. Summer was licking at the air, and Hyunjin anticipated its arrival. 

He kept his face out of the water, hair clean from shampooing it this morning. It was growing longer, the blond strands tickling his eyelashes and neckline. He wasn’t going to cut it this time. 

“I’d like to scent you,” Minho spoke up. They were standing side by side again, looking out into the forest, listening to the sounds around them. “If you’ll let me.”

Hyunjin turned his head to look at him again, and this time Minho looked back. “I’d…like that.”

They moved closer, Minho’s actions tentative. He knew Minho wouldn’t be like any of the others, but then again, they all had their uniqueness to the way they showed that form of affection, all distinctly themselves.

Hyunjin bared his neck, letting his eyes slip shut as Minho’s sunshower scent filled his nose, relaxing his muscles pliantly. He could compare Minho to a summer thunderstorm, holding a deep rolling thunder within, enhancing his scent with the sense of unlimited possibility and unpredictability.

Minho nosed at his gland, gently, barely there touches that were still enough for Hyunjin’s legs to tremble beneath the water. When he did press closer, rubbing against his gland, he reached for Hyunjin’s hips, holding him secure, as though he’d anticipated that more than a light touch would have Hyunjin’s stability faltering. 

Hyunjin leaned into the hold, Minho’s strong hands on his hips making him shiver despite the warmth that encompassed them. Minho’s movements were purposeful and every brush of his nose and glide of his cheek was done so with complete certainty.

Hyunjin whimpered, the sensations he felt just as strong as with the other pack members. 

When Minho started lapping over his gland, he was more than relieved that Minho was practically holding him up right now, otherwise he was sure he would have melted into the water. The press of his tongue was hot against Hyunjin’s skin and he let out another breathy whimper, followed by a loud gasp as Minho pulled him so that their bodies flush against each other. 

With their naked fronts pressed together, he couldn’t hide how hard he’d become, but that meant, Minho couldn’t either. It made him lose any coherent thought in his brain. 

Minho’s length pressed up against his own, both straining between their stomachs. He was slightly longer than Hyunjin, veins prominent up his shaft, but girth wise they were similar, on the slimmer side. Minho was clean shaven, an idea that Hyunjin had also adopted since a recent increase of attention to that area of his body during his shower sessions. He liked the feeling of his cock pressing to smooth skin, so very sensitive.

Minho stopped the movements of his tongue against Hyunjin’s gland for a moment, halting as he held himself back, fingers twitching at Hyunjin’s sides. 

Hyunjin wanted to beg him for more, for anything the alpha could give him, to take the lead and make fireworks spark and explode behind Hyunjin’s eyelids. 

However, he leaned back in to lick some more, giving a light suck to the skin. He nipped at it, not nearly hard enough for it to border on a mating mark, but suckling enough that Hyunjin was certain he’d be left with a love bite over the gland.

This had Hyunjin letting out a throaty moan, his body aching and his eyes squeezed shut tighter. His lips were parted and glossy from licking over them so much. He was trembling and his hips bucked unintentionally in an electrifying burst of arousal- rubbing against Minho’s shaft in the process. He was filled with so much need . It was a deep craving from the pit of his stomach, and while it was extremely exciting, it was also a very terrifyingly new feeling.

Minho forced himself back then, panting heavily, his lips swollen from the attention he’d been giving Hyunjin’s skin. His eyes were red with an alpha glow, and Hyunjin could bet his were too. The red in the older alpha’s eyes looked good on him. It glowed with intensity under the natural sharpness of his gaze. Hyunjin felt as though he was prey under the addictive gaze of a predator.

Somehow, he got his bearings back before Minho did, and swiftly decided that it was his turn. He took initiative, pressing closer to Minho again as he nosed along his shoulder. 

Minho welcomed him back, arms circling around Hyunjin’s waist. 

His breath fanned up against Minho’s neck, lips featherlight against the riverdamp skin, breathing in Minho’s scent with each inhale and mourning its loss with every exhale. Then, he reached his gland and he was a goner . He needed Minho to smell like him, needed people outside of the pack to know they couldn’t have him, that he wasn’t for the taking. 

He alternated between kissing and licking Minho’s scent gland, the velvety skin on his tongue felt addicting, and the strangled breaths that Minho let out every so often felt like the best kind of reward.

He suckled at the skin, and this time Minho reacted with a growl, heavy with claiming desire. As it sounded out, Hyunjin automatically whimpered against his skin as their hips moved together again. Their cocks slid against each other under the water. Precome dissolved as soon as it pearled at their tips, and Hyunjin couldn’t stop thinking about how it would be oh so wonderful to reach down and stroke them together to ease the intensified ache that the arousal had created. But, it was then that Minho chose to pull away. 

“We have to stop,” He rasped, taking a small step back, and Hyunjin wanted to cry . 

He let out a noise of protest, more pitiful sounding than he’d intended. He needed him close again, needed him to release the coil that had wound itself so tight within him. 

“I know, baby, but Chan hyung hasn’t scented you yet and he’s pack leader,” Minho’s hand lifted to his face, wet from the water as he cupped Hyunjin’s cheek and ran his thumb over his cheekbone.

Hyunjin’s face warmed under his touch and he let his eyelids flutter closed. His body started to relax, the coiled tightness giving way to the comfort that Minho was giving him instead.

“You like being called that, don’t you?” Minho purred, and Hyunjin could tell there was a twitching smirk over his expression without even needing to look.  

Hyunjin nuzzled against his hand in confirmation, smiling bashfully when he opened his eyes once again. Their gazes locked on each other, Hyunjin’s expression bordering on adoring as he leaned his cheek against Minho’s palm, and something flashed in Minho’s eyes. For a moment he looked caught in a state of surprise by feelings that Hyunjin wasn’t able to decipher, but he could only hope it was attraction- the same level of attraction that Hyunjin was hopelessly feeling. 

Quickly though, Minho snapped out of it- always one to present himself with complete confidence, as he ignored the slip of his most personal emotions.

“There was another reason I wanted us to spend time together, just the two of us,” Minho cleared his throat, hand slowly slipping away from Hyunjin’s cheek. 

Hyunjin straightened himself, tilting his head at the vague topic introduction. 

Minho gestured his head back towards the stones that lined the side of the lake, and wordlessly, Hyunjin followed him back to shore. They remained in silence as they slipped back into their shorts, and it wasn’t until they were sat down on the stones by the rest of their discarded clothes, that Minho spoke up again.

“I want to talk about the night we found you.”

Hyunjin’s intake of breath caught in his chest and his gaze froze on a spot in the river where the current was diverged by a pointed rock.

“We didn’t- I didn’t handle our first interaction well, and I owe you an apology for that,” Minho elaborated, his tone stern and without looking Hyunjin knew there was a frown on his face. 

“Your reaction was understandable, given that there was an unknown alpha in your territory,” Hyunjin replied quietly, voice even as he defended the alpha’s actions that night. 

A sigh left Minho’s nose, still unhappy. “That’s not an excuse. You submitted immediately, yet we still treated you as though you were a threat.”

Hyunjin looked away from the rock, down to his lap where his fingers fiddled absentmindedly. “You weren’t to know.”

“But we made assumptions , and we shouldn’t have. We’re not a traditional pack, we don’t hold the stereotypes and ‘expectations’ of certain sub-genders with any regard, yet…we treated you as though you were feral.” Minho sounded angry now, but he was angry at himself, filled with regret over that night, and everything he wished he could have done differently. 

Hyunjin wondered if he had been stewing over this for some time. He pulled at the corner of his lip and then moved one of his hands, brushing it over Minho’s leg and then slipping it into his hand. He laced their fingers together and then squeezed gently. Minho’s anger visibly deflated at that.

“I’m really sorry for the way we treated you that night.”

Hyunjin moved his eyes up then, letting them meet Minho’s. The alpha was brushing his thumb over the upper side of Hyunjin’s palm and Hyunjin gave his hand another squeeze. He gave Minho a half smile in appreciation. “Thank you…I don’t want you to be angry with yourself, hyung. Sure, things could have gone better, but your motives were ones of protection. I could never fault you for wanting to keep your pack out of harm's way.”

The frown between Minho’s eyebrows eased and he moved to rest his cheek against Hyunjin’s shoulder after pressing a kiss to his sun-kissed skin.

Hyunjin let out a breath through his nose, closing his eyes as he tipped his head upwards. He breathed in the sun-storming scent of Minho, felt the sun stroking his skin, and listened to the sound of the lapping of the water in the lake. In this moment, everything felt as though it would be okay.

Chapter Text

After spending an extensive amount of time thinking about it, Hyunjin had come to the conclusion that the group’s recent actions of scenting him were not as coincidental as they seemed. They were testing their compatibility with him. It all started clicking into place after his afternoon lake trip with Minho. Hyunjin felt a connection to them all, it was strong, and as confusing as it all was, he knew the others had felt it too. So, the conclusion he’d reached was that they were testing to see if he was a good fit for their pack. 

Things had gone extremely well with everyone so far, and the only person he had yet to scent and be scented by was Chan. As the pack leader, he was the decider when it came down to it. 

Becoming part of the pack .

The thought of that possibility…well, it was something Hyunjin wasn’t sure how to start processing. ‘Pack’ had many different meanings to him growing up. It was a home, stability- for a while, it was upholding traditions and doing right by his community, then it was fear and a constant feeling of entrapment. It was isolation and loneliness and a tie to something that felt so wrong for so many years. Pain- that would be the first thought that came to mind when he contemplated pack membership as a whole. But, this wasn’t the pack he grew up in. 

Chan’s pack was filled with warmth and safety, security and love . It was self expression, equality and patience. It was home. Emotionally, physically and instinctively he had a link to them. This was deeper than just a pack bond, it wasn’t just about being part of a pack, it was being part of a mated one. 

Jisung’s preheat started the day Hyunjin was called into Chan’s office to talk privately. He and Seungmin had been preparing for the camping trip, packing their things in preparation to leave the following morning.

“Chan wants to talk to you in his office,” Jisung said casually as he stepped into Hyunjin’s room where the alpha had been flicking through his sketchbook. 

It was nowhere near full, but the pages he had used were filled with stretches he was very proud of. His favourite thing was capturing the smiles of the pack members, drawing them doing the things that clearly brought them the most joy. Hyunjin often flicked the pages back to look at those drawings, just to make himself smile.

He put the book down, slipping his hand into Jisung’s outstretched one and letting the younger man lead him out of the room. The near constant touch he seemed to receive these days always had a blooming sense of pride and comfort spreading over him. He hadn’t quite gotten used to it yet, but it was something he was coming to love very much. He also hadn’t self scented since the night Jeongin had scented him. The hollow feeling of loneliness that had always lingered was fading each day, and these days Hyunjin never really noticed it anymore. Not all wounds could be healed, but they could be nurtured and would fade over time. Hyunjin had faith in that.

Minho and Jeongin’s eyes followed them as Jisung and Hyunjin passed by the kitchen. Because Jisung was in preheat, everyone was more cautious of their actions, and despite their trust in Hyunjin, they still had never seen him around an omega in heat before. Hyunjin didn’t blame their caution, and he also trusted that they wouldn’t assume the worst in him anymore.

Hyunjin could obviously sense the change in Jisung’s cycle. He wasn’t out of touch with the reactions others had during heats and ruts, but there was nothing inside him that made him want to launch himself at Jisung and claim him. He just wasn’t wired that way. He did, however, feel that instinctive pull to protect. If the omega was faced with a threat right now, Hyunjin would be in front of him in a flash, defending and protecting him at all costs. 

That should be one’s pride in being an alpha, he thought. And, identifying that thought had him feeling a sense of gratification in himself for recognising the separation from the stereotypes that had been so ingrained in his head over the years. As an alpha, he was proud to have the instincts to protect omegas, and by that logic, he was proud to be an alpha .

Jisung’s cheeks were flushed, a result of his preheat. He was likely feverish and a bit achy but he looked to be in high spirits- excited even. Hyunjin supposed that if you, usually, had 6 mates to spend your heat with, it was probably an amazing few days to go through.

“Are you feeling okay?” He asked the omega as they made their way down the hall. Chan’s office was at the very end, secluded in its own small section of the rounded off hallway. It was a separate space from the leader’s bedroom, and before now, Hyunjin had never been in there.

Jisung turned his head to grin at him. “I’m okay. I enjoy my heats and everyone takes amazing care of me. The cramping isn’t fun, but when the heat sets in it makes it all worth it,” he explained with a giggle. His hand was warm in Hyunjin’s and he swung their arms lightly, making Hyunjin smile unconsciously. 

Hyunjin hummed in response, “That’s nice.”

“Do you like your ruts?” Jisung asked before tensing up at the perceived insensitivity of the very personal question. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have asked that,” he corrected. 

Hyunjin gave his hand a squeeze to reassure him. “It’s okay, I don’t mind you asking,” he replied. They’d stopped in front of Chan’s office, but Hyunjin didn’t make a move to leave the conversation until he’d answered the question. 

“I don’t like them, but I also don’t suffer the way some people do.” He paused for a moment and both of their minds flicked to Changbin. Jisung was far more knowledgeable on the situation than he was, but it hadn’t been hard to pick up that Changbin certainly didn’t have it easy with his ruts. “I’ve never…uhm…spent my rut with anyone,” he explained, cheeks warming in embarrassment, “So spending them alone isn’t comfortable…but uh, yeah, they’re manageable,” he finished, words mumbled in self-consciousness. 

Realistically, there was nothing to be ashamed of, and he knew that. But, everyone had spent many-a-cycle together, and were adept in exploring each other's intimacies. He just couldn't help feeling the shame of his inexperience and how it might reflect in his developing relationships with the group.

Jisung brought their hands up, pressing a kiss to the outside of Hyunjin’s palm. The soft smile Jisung pressed to his skin made the spot tingle. “Thank you for sharing that with me,” he responded. He moved away slowly, taking his time to let Hyunjin’s hand go. “I really like you, Hyunjin,” he admitted as he stepped back towards the curve where the halfway diverged back to the main section of the house.

Hyunjin’s breath caught in his throat and he still felt the ghost of Jisung’s hand in his own. “I like you too.”

Stepping into Chan’s office had Hyunjin filled with two prominent emotions. First, there were the nerves that crept under his skin. He found himself considering this to be the ‘final test’. Maybe Chan was the ‘ final boss ’, like in those old video games the alphas used to play growing up. Hyunjin would find himself humoured by his comparison if he wasn’t so anxious. What if Hyunjin’s feelings weren’t reciprocated? He, personally, found himself very attracted to the leader, both fond of him from a romantic standpoint, as well as filled with admiration for Chan’s leading style. But, that didn’t mean that Chan would feel that connection towards him in return- Hyunjin could only really hope that he did.

The second emotion that washed over him was wonder. Chan’s office was lovely. The room itself wasn’t very large, but the wide windows that let a warm glowing light in made it feel bigger. There was a thick, pinewood desk in the middle of the room with a tall black swivel chair behind it, which was where Chan stood up from.

To one side of the room was a long bookshelf which held an array of books and nicknacks placed in scattered form. On the other side was a long white couch with a fuzzy grey throw-blanket thrown over it. Everything in the room was noticeably minimal in colour, woods and grey tones being the most prominent, but it was effortlessly comfortable and smelled like Chan. It felt like Chan.

Adjusting to the room, he also noted that there were scents of the other members mixed in in various spots. Seungmin’s scent lingered in one of the chairs in front of Chan’s desk, Felix’s in the other. The couchhad hints of Changbin, and the desk smelled of Jeongin- a sweet tang of slick still fizzling around the scent that had Hyunjin quickly ripping thoughts from his mind. 

“Hey,” Chan greeted as he walked around to the side of the desk that Hyunjin was on, noticing his admiration towards the room. “You like it? It’s my home office, well actually It’s my only office,” he chuckled.

Hyunjin smiled nervously, nodding in response. It was very nice. The sunlight that shone through the windows hit the couch and Hyunjin could imagine settling down for a nap there. He could easily let his mind wander again, but Chan pulled him from his thoughts.

“Let’s sit.” He gestured to the couch and Hyunjin followed him to sit down. “I know it’s already been a little while, but I wanted to ask how you’re settling in?” 

Semi-formal. Okay.

Hyunjin rolled his lips in and then let out a breath. Settling in; a phrase with the intention to stay. “Good. I…I really enjoy being here, and getting to know you all. I like everyone a lot.” He looked down at his lap with a shy smile, recounting the recent memories he’d had with everyone. There were so many. If his mind was a scrapbook it would already be full with the memories he never wanted to forget.

“Everyone likes you too,” Chan said in affirmation. His body was positioned more towards Hyunjin, and his arm rested behind the couch top. It felt as though Hyunjin had a shield in front of him, protecting him.

Hyunjin’s smile only grew at that. He really did enjoy hearing that they liked him- he’d now been spoiled with it twice today. It probably seemed sad, to so deeply crave to be liked, but he could recognise how his childhood had shaped those feelings and insecurities. 

“You’re very compatible with everyone.” Chan continued. His eyes were soft as he spoke and Hyunjin found it impossible to look away. “I think you’ve noticed that that’s what we’ve been exploring.”

Hyunjin nodded, ears warming. Those explorations were surely a cause for such bashfulness.

“How do you feel about that? I know it might have been something that was better communicated, but I was also conscious of not complicating things for you. I wanted you to make decisions based on what you were feeling, not what you might have thought that you ‘should’ feel,” Chan explained. His hand moved against his pant covered leg as he talked, and Hyunjin’s eyes flicked to it from time to time. Chan was an expressive communicator, and that was an attractive trait, in Hyunjin’s opinion.

Hyunjin hummed, “I understand that, and I’m glad I was able to feel these things out for myself,” he agreed, falling silent for a moment in thought, before he continued. 

“I’m still learning so much and realising how little I knew back then…but I really do love being here. I feel this…this connection to everyone. I want to be around you all, share things with you that I’ve always just kept to myself, get closer to everyone,” he admitted, leaning his shoulder against the side of the couch. At this angle, Chan’s fingers could easily brush through his hair, with his arm still casually resting over the back of the couch. 

Chan did just that, the pads of his fingers lightly brushed Hyunjin’s scalp and if it weren’t for the topic of conversion he would be very tempted to close his eyes and melt into the touch.

“We feel that connection with you too. I feel that connection,” Chan expressed as his hand slid into Hyunjin’s, their fingers linking. “I know the world probably still feels very new and unexplored to you, and truthfully, I wonder if we’re holding you back. But, everything feels complete with you here, and even if it’s selfish to say, I’d love for you to stay. So, what I’m trying to articulate, albeit not the most elegantly, is that there’s a place for you in this pack if you want to stay.”

Hyunjin lips parted, throat bobbing as he stared unblinkingly at Chan. Had he heard all of that right? He hadn’t just dreamed those to be the words to come out of the alpha’s mouth? 

A place for him.

A place where he’s wanted.

A place where it wouldn’t feel ‘complete’ without him.

A place where they’d love for him to stay.

Despite the intrusion of a lump of emotion forming in his throat, he needed clarification for if he truly processed Chan’s words correctly.

“Wouldn’t you want to scent me first? To know if we’re compatible?” 

Chan’s eyes searched his, softening even more so to match the warmth that his touch brought. “Baby,” he smiled endearingly. “I don’t need to scent you to know what I feel for you. Is that something you need confirmation of?” 

Baby.

Hyunjin could have exploded from the heat that spread over his face. “No,” he managed to squeak.

Chan let out an adoring chuckle, the hand holding his coming up to cup Hyunjin’s cheek. He pinched it playfully and then eased off his teasing when Hyunjin gave him an embarrassed glare. 

“I would like to scent you though. Not because I need to, but because I want to.”

The embarrassment dissipated and his glare vanished in a second at that. “I’d like that.” He nodded, possibly a bit too eagerly, but of course that wasn’t a deterrence.

There was a moment where they just looked into each other's eyes, captured in the moment. Then, Chan leaned closer, eyes fluttering as he nudged his cheek against Hyunjin’s, dipping in the direction of his neck.

Hyunjin could feel the tickle of his breath against his ear and at that, his eyes fell shut as well

Chan placed a kiss on his earlobe, delicate and intimate, before his nose nudged along his jawline, pressing feather-light kisses across it. 

Hyunjin had to stop himself from shuddering, convinced he might have forgotten how to breathe.

Chan’s lips hovered over his scent gland, puffs of breath tickling Hyunjin’s neck. His nose ran along it first, slow to draw out the anticipation that prickled under Hyunjin’s skin. Then, he made way for his lips, bottom lip catching on the skin and skimming over it before he pressed a smooth kiss to the skin.

Hyunjin found his hands grasping ahold of Chan’s black button-up, probably creasing it in his tight fist, but neither of them cared as Hyunjin tilted his head further, giving Chan as much of his neck over to him as he could.

It was as though he could feel the rumbled vibration from Chan’s chest as a growl sounded out against his skin, tingling his gland and making him let out a strangled breath as he pulled the alpha closer. 

Chan responded by pressing deeper kisses to his gland, skin growing wetter as his tongue became more prominent with each kiss.

It was an overwhelming feeling to have a tongue dragging over his gland, again and again, each time leaving him more sensitive than the last. He’d become a whimpering mess in a matter of seconds. 

Chan shifted his position, barely pulling away as he guided Hyunjin back until he was laying out on the couch, back flat as Chan took place above him. He buried himself in Hyunjin’s neck again, making the younger alpha wrap his arms around him to hold him closer. He thought he might just die if Chan suddenly disappeared on him.

Now back with his lips on him, he was alternating between kissing, licking, nipping and sucking at the skin, which led to Hyunjin gasping a shuddered whine, hips bucking up as arousal pulsated through his body. He was so hard, his cock straining as precome dripped over the skin of his lower abdomen. Chan would be able to smell it, even he could smell how strong his scent was right now. 

Chan lifted his head for their eyes to meet again, blown out alpha red ones, meeting Hyunjin’s hazy eyes that were tinted with a red glow to match. Chan’s lips were slick with saliva and blooming red from the friction he’d had with Hyunjin’s neck. He was more composed than Hyunjin, but Hyunjin could see the want in his eyes. He could feel the stiffness that pressed to his thigh, and another whine caught in his throat.

“My turn, please?” Hyunjin breathed out, fingers cascading the span of Chan’s back, fighting off the craving to pull them flush against each other. He was greedy, he wanted to feel everything .

Chan’s tongue flicked out over his lips. “You’re extremely sensitive, you know that?” He asked, his tone lilted with amusement.

“Is that strange?” He couldn't help asking. He’d certainly noticed that when the others scented each other it didn’t usually result in this feral desire that seemed to wash over Hyunjin and any of his scenting partners.

“Of course not, baby, you’re just more sensitive to things than others. And in this case, that is definitely not a bad thing,” He grinned, lowering himself again  for Hyunjin to have access to his neck. 

With the permission he’d been given, he moved his head to fit into the crevice of Chan’s shoulder and then nosed along his neck, breathing in his scent. He couldn’t decide if it reminded him more of a smoking campfire or the explosion of fireworks in the night sky, so he settled for the perfect mix of both. 

Rubbing the skin of his cheek over Chan’s neck, he wasn’t sure if his subconscious was trying to scent chan or to just rub more of chan’s scent on him. But, as much as he would love to douse himself in Chan’s pheromones, he was desperate to leave his mark on the pack leader’s skin. 

Hyunjin let his lips glide over the gland, tongue dipping out to taste the intoxicating scent of his skin. His breathing shuddered again, and he pressed his lips harder, sucking lightly between wet kisses that increased in wanton by the second. His hips grinded up stutteringly, searching for friction and finding it against the tent in Chan’s slacks.

Chan let out low breathy moans of pleasure, hand holding Hyunjin’s hip to still him and then taking control of the movement to smoothly grind his hips down to rub their clothed erections over each other. 

The friction against Hyunjin’s cock was almost enough to send him over the edge then and there. His cock was absolutely weeping against his skin, sticky to the touch and pulsating. His every nerve tingled with the grind of Chan’s cock against his own.

Chan was thoroughly scented, and at this point, Hyunjin was just painting against his skin, dampening it even more. He didn’t want this to end, he’d even be satisfied to live with the mortification of coming in his pants, if he got to come in his pants right now .

Yet, Devastatingly, Chan moved back enough for their eyes to meet again. The separation felt a lot more than it was, and the bright glow of Chan’s eyes was captivating. His aura was dominating and in control. Emotionally driven, yet safe.

Hyunjin let out a pitiful whine, pleading for more .

“I know baby,” Chan spoke breathlessly, looking down as the fire in his eyes simmered to something more gentle.

“No,” Hyunjin whined as Chan pulled back from Hyunjin entirely, placing himself back into a sitting position. “Why does everyone keep doing this ?” It was like they wanted to rile him up to the edge and then leave him there.

Chan chuckled softly, gently guiding the winging alpha into a sitting position on his lap, wrapped in his strong arms. “Because you deserve so much more than just a moment like this.”

“But this is special ,” Hyunjin defended, a hand pressing to Chan’s chest to fiddle with one of the buttons of his shirt.

“Well, I promise that when the time comes it will be even more special ,” Chan replied, glancing down at his chest and then placing a kiss on Hyunjin’s forehead.

Admittedly, Hyunjin did like the sound of that.

“To be fair, I’ve never even kissed anyone before,” He mumbled, lip barely jutted out as Chan stroked a hand through Hyunjin’s hair again.

Chan didn’t seem surprised at that, but Hyunjin didn’t have the mental capacity to feel any embarrassment right now. Almost begging to come from Chan grinding on him was probably a more prominent situation to be embarrassed by, but even that couldn’t compete with the haziness that filled his brain right now.

“See, You’ve been rubbing dicks with all of us without even having had your first kiss. That just isn’t right, is it?” he teased with a faux scolding tone.

Hyunjin covered his face with his hands and muffled a laugh behind them. Why did Chan have to word it like that? 

“Look at me, pretty boy,” Chan drawled, gently tugging on his wrist until Hyunjin relented and let his hands drop to his lap, where his hard-on had thankfully eased to a still reasonably resilient half-chub. “Who would you like to share your first kiss with?”

Hyunjin thought about it for a moment. He wanted to kiss all of them, but it felt right to have his first kiss with Chan. This moment felt right. And, there was a special connection between them that went beyond Chan being the pack leader. He wanted it with Chan because of that special connection. “I want it to be with you.”

“Really?”

Hyunjin nodded, wrapping his arms around Chan's neck. He felt as though he was bundled up in a warm fuzzy blanket that was in every way Chan . Floaty, safe, happy.

 “You’re very important to me, I want it to be with you.”

“That makes me feel very grateful, then,” he whispered with an adoring smile on his lips as he leaned in to brush his nose against Hyunjin’s. It was a light playful rub of their noses that made a giggle bloom in Hyunjin’s chest.

Any words he could have said in response got caught in Hyunjin’s throat as Chan’s breath lightly fanned his cheeks and Hyunjin could feel his heart beating fast in his chest with anticipation. He waited, tongue flicking over his lips one last time before he felt the press of Chan’s warm lips against his. 

Their lips slotted together with an almost soundless click. It was slow and soft, a melody that froze the world around him. But then the crescendo hit and Chan was kissing him. Their lips moved together, falling into a rhythm that Hyunjin did his best to follow. It was warm and slick, and Hyunjin melted into every bit of it.

Chan nipped hyunjin’s bottom lip, their mouths parting enough for tongues to touch, sliding together in a way that brought back the tingling fizzing desire. He let out a light humm into the kiss.

Chan smiled against his lips, lightly nipping his bottom lip again, this time playfully as he puffed a breath out his nose. Before pulling away, he placed a lingering peck onto Hyunjin’s kiss slicked lips. 

Hyunjin breathed heavily, eyes blinking open as Chan moved back. His hand stroked down Hyunjin’s spine, helping to clear the haziness that had clouded Hyunjin’s mind.

Chan was watching him, his own lips parted. “You’re ethereal,” he breathed.

Hyunjin’s ears burned red at the complement and with a shy smile, he pressed his face into Chan’s shoulder to hide himself. 

Chan let out a laugh, wrapping his arms around Hyunjin as he pressed a kiss to his head. If Hyunjin always reacted this way to praise, they both knew that this wouldn’t be the last time Chan would have him reacting like this.

“I really liked kissing you,” he mumbled into Chan’s shirt as his eyes fluttered closed.

“So did I, baby.”

They stayed like that for a bit, Hyunjin mindlessly running his ringers over the buttons of Chan’s shirt, while Chan held him close, the pair of them breathing in the mix of their scents. It was peaceful. Until it wasn’t. 

A clunk at the door had Hyunjin’s head lifting, eyebrows pulling in at the mystery sound. He felt more in touch with his surroundings now, but the lovely feeling still remained. Hyunjin hoped that it might remain forever.

“Idiots,” Chan huffed under his breath in amusement and it became very apparent to Hyunjin that there were 6 people listening in from behind the office door. How long had they been listening in? Hyunjin hid his face back behind Chan’s bicep.

“You can come in,” Chan called out in a drawled manner.

The door opened immediately, the 6 pack members piling into the room haphazardly. Their scents were strong, giddy with happiness and a mix of other overlapping positive emotions. It was possibly a bit much for Hyunjin right now, but the bubbliness of it all made him happier.

Someone stepped closer, their hand coming to brush through Hyunjin’s hair. Minho. 

Hyunjin lifted his head from hiding, face hot. 

“You’re so cute,” Minho cooed softly in his ear.

“So…?” Jisung prompted, looking between both Hyunjin and Chan expectantly.

“You know that’s for Hyunjin to decide, Sungie. Give him time,” Seungmin reminded the eager omega, ruffling his hair and pulling him into a side hug.

Hyunjin could now identify that the anticipation in the air was linked to if he’d responded to the invitation of joining the pack. He sat up straighter, it was a big moment, and as much as he appreciated their patience to give him time to think about it, he didn’t need more time to think. He could feel it. He could feel with every fibre of his being that joining this pack was the right decision- the best decision he’d ever make. “I want to join,” He proclaimed with certainty.

“You don’t have to feel pressured into saying yes, you can think on-” Minho started to speak but Hyunjin cut him off.

“I don’t need to think about it,” he replied adamantly and then turned to look at Chan again, “You said that you wondered if you were holding me back from the world,” He repeated the alpha’s words, to which Chan nodded, eyebrows creasing as he attempted to follow. “I do want to explore everything that I can, but I could never imagine doing any of it alone. What I want is to spend every new experience with all of you. I want to be with you, be a part of your pack. That’s what’s most important to me." he asserted, glancing around at all of them again. These were the people he was meant to meet, the pack he was meant to find. “You all make me feel complete.”

Chan’s hands never stopped stroking up and down his sides calmingly, even when his eyes glistened at Hyunjin’s words. 

Hyunjin’s eyes panned the room, emotions choking him up as well.

Felix, no longer holding himself back, rushed to Hyunjin and wrapped his arms around him- and by default Chan, in a crashing hug. Minho slid the hand that wasn’t stroking Hyunjin’s hair into Felix’s, and leaned against them both before letting out an “oof” as someone crashed into him. Soon, it was one giant tangle of limbs and smiling faces.

“Welcome to the pack,” Chan mumbled into his ear, pressing a kiss to his temple.

That’s when Hyunjin felt it, the tie of a pack bond, pulling him in until he was interlinked within it. The intangible ribbon that drew them together, holding them close to each other. It felt as though everything had clicked into place. He was part of the pack.

Chapter Text

The following morning, the day in which Hyunjin and Seungmin were due to leave for their camping trip, Chan brought the two of them into his office. Hyunjin had been all ready to go, having mixed feelings towards the departure. Part of him was looking forward to spending some alone time with Seungmin, knowing a private cabin would give them more of a chance to get to know each other in a relaxing atmosphere. The other part of him didn’t want to leave them. It would be hard to be away from the majority of the pack when he’d just joined. Jisung and Changbin were going to be going through a difficult time, and although Hyunjin wouldn’t be part of that intimately , he still felt the desire to be there for them, and to take care of them. 

“I talked with Jisung and Changbin earlier this morning and they both wouldn’t mind if you decided to stay.”

It was the sentence that Hyunjin had been secretly wanting to hear, in some variation or another, but actually hearing the words come out of Chan’s mouth still had surprise taking over his features. They trusted him. Of course they did, otherwise he wouldn’t be in the pack- yet the understanding of those words; being trusted , was still such an foreign yet welcome concept to Hyunjin.

He looked between Seungmin and Chan. Seungmin remained neutral, and Hyunjin couldn’t quite tell if he’d already been made aware of this already. 

“You don’t want me to, you know…?” He trailed off as he pulled his lips in, ears warming. The invitation to stay didn’t immediately clarify if they expected more of him than just that. 

“Oh no- of course not. We know that’s not something you’re comfortable with yet. And, this is a delicate time for the other two as well, especially Changbin, so all around it’s best for you to sit these cycles out,” Chan explained and Hyunjin’s shoulder slumped in relief. It’s not that he didn’t want to be intimate with the pair, he very much did, but jumping into that kind of thing during the intensity of a heat or rut was way too much for everyone's current levels of comfort.

“I’d like to stay.” Hyunjin decided with a nod of his head, leaning back against his chair. He and Seungmin were sitting in the plush chairs in front of Chan’s desk. Chan was situated in his roller chair behind his desk and in a way, it felt as though he was in an important meeting, with the seating dynamic, but he supposed in a way it was that. “I’d like to help out in other ways, cooking, picking up more chores, cleaning up- anything that could be helpful. And, I run really nice baths,” he added with enthusiasm in his tone. 

There were times the betas back in his old pack had let him assist with chores during the omegas’ cycles. Unfortunately it was only ever when they were short on available betas, and Hyunjin was the closest thing to a beta with no aggressively primal instincts towards an omega. The tasks gave him more than just ‘something to do’. He felt needed and the ability to provide had temporarily filled that void in his chest for a while. 

Chan smiled, a warm adoring stretch of his lips that had Hyunjin’s eyes brightening. “That’s very thoughtful of you, baby, and it would be wonderful.”

Seungmin moved his hand to Hyunjin’s, linking their fingers together. “Such a kind boy,” he praised, only filling Hyunjin with more pride. If they weren’t careful they’d fill him with too much of it and he might just become a menace for praise as a result. Somehow, he knew they’d probably quite enjoy that though.

“Both for your safety and for the others, how do you feel around omegas and alphas during their heats and ruts?” Chan asked, linking his fingers together over the desk, and Hyunjin tilted his head, thinking about it.

After a moment, he responded. “When I think about how I’ve seen alphas react to heats in my old pack, I’d say I’m nothing like them. Their need to breed would take over, some letting it control them until they went feral and just took . But even those who just felt that incessant, demanding urge- I can’t say I’ve ever felt that. It’s not that I don’t react at all, of course I find their scents physically enticing, but I don’t react with a primal need. I want to take care of them, and sure, that desire can include sexually, but I think that’s kind of a new feeling for me. Mostly, I just want to make them comfortable, help them through it and make sure that they’re okay,” he explained, processing the words as he said them, helping himself understand how he felt as well. It felt more honest when he put it into words instead of it just being a jumbled mix of feelings in his head. He then moved to contemplate how he felt around alphas. “I guess with alphas and their ruts, it's a bit different,” he admitted, rolling his lips in. 

Chan and Seungmin were watching him, listening intently to his explanation. “I used to always feel intimidated back with the old alphas. They were angry and demanding and would hurt an omega to get what they wanted. They would hurt anyone, really. I was always seen as competition to them, and it made me scared. They’d hurt me, if I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He looked down, watching Seungmin’s thumb rubbing over his upper palm. “It didn’t really help that I was naturally submissive- I think it messed with their instincts. I never felt safe around them, and sometimes they made threats…” he gulped, shaking his head. “But they never actually acted on them,” he quickly added. “I guess I’m not sure how I’d react now. I’m not saying I don’t trust Changbin hyung- of course I do, I’m just weary from past experience.”

When he looked up, Chan had a frown on his face, and his eyes moved Seungmin, who nodded at him as though they were making a silent decision. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you, love. You didn’t deserve a single second of that pain,” Seungmin said gently as his eyes moved back to Hyunjin. His hand squeezed Hyunjin’s again and the alpha gave him a small appreciative smile in return.

“Thank you for telling us. I think…” he paused, tapping his finger against his knuckle as though he was reluctant to continue. “I think we should talk about Changbin for a bit. Is that okay?” Chan asked with a diplomatic tone to his voice, while his eyes still held the caring nature that had Hyunjin forever swooning for him.

Hyunjin had been waiting for this, for some further insight into Changbin’s situation. “Okay,” he nodded, focused on the crease that formed between Chan’s brows.

“This is something very sensitive for Changbin and I’m sure he would have told you in his own time, but considering the circumstances… I think it’s best we talk about it now,” The alpha began to elaborate. His eyes flicked to Seungmin again, an unspoken request for help delivered to the younger.

Seungmin spoke up at that, “Changbin hyung has a difficult time with his ruts. He always has unfortunately, and sometimes we’ve been able to get access to medicine that helps, other times we haven’t. This is unfortunately one of those times.”

Hyunjin nodded, drawing his lips in. He remembered the day of his trip to town with Minho and Jisung and the conversation that followed, very well. He hadn’t fully understood the seriousness of the lack of medication for Changbin, but even then he could tell it wasn’t a light matter.

“Changbin’s ruts cause his emotions to heighten unnaturally, specifically in aggressiveness. Controlling his anger levels becomes difficult and restraining himself is even harder. He’d never want to hurt our omegas. He hasn’t, and it would ruin him if he did. It’s not something he has a lot of control over, and it's terrifying for him because he'd hate himself if he ever let anything happen. But, he’s also not one to talk about these feelings. He doesn’t like to feel like an aggressor, and outside of his ruts he’s nothing like it,” Chan explained slowly, letting the words sink into Hyunjin bit by bit. 

His heart ached . He couldn’t imagine how terrifying that was for Changbin. He’d never considered these emotions from any other perspective, and Changbin was such a wonderful and loving person. It was heart-breaking. But, he was glad that Chan and Seungmin were filling him in on this. He would never want to be afraid of Changbin, but he couldn’t ignore his own trauma either. He felt his lip trembling, eyes focused back down on his and Seungmin’s hands. “I hate that he has to go through that,” He sniffed, watching a tear splash against Seungmin’s palm after it had trailed down Hyunjin’s cheek.

“We all do,” Seungmin replied in gentle affirmation, “And that’s why we’re always there for him, helping him through it. And, because we love him, of course. Everything is situation dependent. Sometimes it's one of the omegas that steps in to help, usually Jeongin because Changbin hyung responds best to him. Sometimes it’s me, and other times it’s Chan hyung or Minho hyung. There are times he has a better hold on his control, other times, not so much. So, we work with what we’re dealing with.”

Hyunjin let out a shaky breath, giving a nod to show that he was listening. His throat felt too tight to voice words.

“This is another reason why we proposed the camping trip. We completely understand if you want to change your mind and go back to that plan,” Seungmin expressed with concern. Hearing Hyunjin’s backstory was enough of a reason to assume he wouldn’t want to be around Changbin at a time like this, but Hyunjin didn’t think of it like that. 

Relationships weren’t realistically simple, there were always factors and bumps in the road, that was unavoidable- but it was the communication and compassion that dictated the navigation of those factors. A desire to understand, to learn and improve where mistakes were made. If there was love , the effort was forever worth it.

“I still want to stay. As you said, you work with what you’re dealing with, and I’ll work with that too. I trust you guys, and if I want to be able to help in the future, I need to understand Changbin hyung through my own experience,” he explained, his reasoning making the hard expressions of concern on the other two’s faces soften.

“If at any point you want out, come straight to me, yeah? One word and we’ll leave, okay?” Seungmin reaffirmed with a definitive request for Hyunjin to respond with words. 

“I will, I promise,” Hyunjin nodded quickly, in full understanding. They’d get through this, one way or another.

Jisung went into heat the next morning. Hyunjin smelt it as soon as he woke up, the sweet enticing scent of freshly squeezed orange juice. His mouth watered and as he laid on his back. He contemplated how he felt about Jisung being in heat, how he was reacting to it. He was attracted to Jisung, so he did feel a stirring arousal that would probably hang around until his heat broke, but he didn’t feel an incessant need to jump the omega, as predicted. Overall, he simply wanted to be there for him in a way that made Jisung’s heat easier. Satisfied with his answer, Hyunjin swung himself out of bed and headed to shower. He could hear the movements of others around the house, so he knew all was under control for the time being. 

Before he left the room, dressed in a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose fitting baby-blue t-shirt, he sniffed the air again. Doors had been opened and closed more over the time he was in the shower, making everyone's scents stronger, but Jisung’s overpowered them all by a landslide.

Despite all the preparations that had been made weeks in advance, the house was still filled with chaos as Hyunjin left his room. He could hear Jisung’s moans and cries of pleasure from his room, and by the sounds of it Minho and Jeongin were with him. Hyunjin took a breath, not one with the intent of taking in scents, but one to reassure himself that he had no need to feel embarrassed. These were people he cared deeply about, and this was something they were all going through together. 

Easily distracted, he noticed Felix running towards Jisung’s door with items in his arms. He gave Hyunjin a short greeting and a bright smile before disappearing further down the hallway. Hyunjin tilted his head for a moment, for the briefest second that he’d seen the items, he’d not managed a single clue as to what they were. Not a minute later, a loud vibration started up. Hyunjin choked out a cough as his eyes widened in realisation. Oh .

Quickly directing his hearing elsewhere, he turned his head towards the front door, where loud rhythmic chopping sounds could be heard. Frowning, he headed in that direction to investigate.

He closed the front door behind him and froze at the sight in front of him. Changbin was standing in the middle of the yard, axe in his hand over the stump of wood he was using to chop logs of firewood. He was shirtless, beads of sweat running down his toned tan torso, flexing as he lifted another piece to chop, before swinging the axe down to cut through it.

Why on earth was he chopping wood at 8am in the morning?

“Hi hyung,” He greeted, snapping out of his frozen state where his lips had been parted and an embarrassing amount of saliva pooled in his mouth. He leaned against the side of the porch beam.

“Hey, Hyunjin,” Changbin replied with a puff of exertion, slamming the axe down again. His eyebrows were pulled in and he didn’t spare a glance in Hyunjin’s direction. 

“Should I ask why you’re out here chopping wood?”

“I think Jisung’s heat is triggering my rut, so I’m keeping myself distracted out here for now, until they’ve got Jisung under control,” Changbin explained as he set up another piece. The explanation was thrown out flippantly, as though it didn’t hold the potentially terrible implications that Hyunjin had been warned of the day before.

“Um…Is it possible to hold off?” Hyunjin asked carefully, posture tightening as his mouth went from very moist to very dry in a matter of seconds. This wasn’t good. He really needed to let the others know. He certainly had never been able to hold his ruts off before, and he doubted Changbin could either.

“No, not really,” Changbin grunted, axe swinging down. 

“Are you going into rut right now?” Hyunjin asked in clarification, just as cautiously as he’d asked the first question. Jisung’s scent was so overpowering, even outside the house, that he couldn’t be completely sure without that confirmation. Changbin had definitely started smelling like he was nearing his rut that previous night, but it wasn’t enough that anyone thought it would arrive the next day. 

“Mhm,” Changbin managed, still avoiding eye contact. 

Hyunjin’s heartbeat pulsated in his ears and he had to force himself to take his next breath without choking on it. It would be okay. He’d let the others know and then they’d know how to handle it. Hyunjin would be inside doing something helpful for the omegas in no time.

“We need to let them know,” He said with as much assertion as he could manage. He was doing well, handling this well, all things considered.

“Let them get things under control in there first,” Changbin shot back, eyes finally lifting to meet Hyunjins. They weren’t Changbin’s eyes, they just weren't . It was chilling.

Hyunjin wasn’t satisfied with that answer, not when things looked like they could escalate fast. Not only was Changbin hurting himself by going through this, and putting himself in danger, he was also putting everyone else in danger by not telling them. He really had needed to hear that explanation from Chan and Seungmin the day before, because he would have not understood any of this, had they not told him. 

He took a breath. “I have to tell them, I’m sorry, hyung,” he repeated in a tone he really had tried to keep even. He made a move to turn, eyes on the front door. When he said he was insistent on protecting the pack members, he meant it.

But then Changbin growled . It was deep and sharp and alpha .

Hyunjin immediately froze up, eyes flicking back to Changbin who dropped the axe, glowing red eyes set on him. The axe landed on the ground with a thud, and Hyunjin’s body jolted, his breath getting caught in his throat as if his airway had been glued shut. He was scared.

“No! I. said. wait,” he seethed, enunciating each word as his fists clenched at his sides. His voice was akin to a clap of thunder, quite fitting with the dark clouds that had taken residence in the sky this morning. 

Hyunjin felt tears pricking his eyes and he could feel the goosebumps that rose on his skin and made him start to tremble. But, Changbin’s words were an alpha order, so he couldn’t get himself to move. “Hyung,” he whimpered. 

Changbin’s hard glare didn’t ease up, but it wasn’t him . Hyunjin refused to believe that that was the Changbin who was sweet, playful and funny. This man was a stranger, a dangerous and terrifying stranger. “You’re not listening to me Hyunjin.”

“I just want to help you,” Hyunjin’s voice quivered in response. His breathing was faster, and he worried that he might start to hyperventilate if things continued like this.

“I don’t want your help!” Changbin roared and Hyunjin could see blood forming at the crevices of his fingers, dripping slowly onto the ground below. Changbin’s extended claws dug painfully into his skin and Hyunjin gasped as flashing images of blood and bruises took over his vision, phantom pain of the past radiating through him. It was like he could feel claws at his skin and kicks directed at his stomach. The blood had dripped from the wounds as the alphas’ snarled and snapped threateningly at him. Then, the images retreated, Changbin coming back into his line of sight.

He dropped from his frozen position, falling onto his knees in submission. He hit the decking with a horrible cracking noise that made him wince in pain. He’d heal quickly, but there was nothing he could do to get out of this position, not when Changbin had him pinned like this under his alpha glare.

“P-please, hyung, it hurts.” He squeezed his eyes shut, tears pricking at the corners and running down his cheeks when he opened them again. 

“Stop- just stop talking,” Changbin growled, breath puffing angrily.

Hyunjin could tell he was trying so hard to hold himself back, that the nails digging into his palms were the only thing grounding him. It hurt to see Changbin like this, more than the probable cracks in his kneecaps.

“Why do you have so smell so- fuck- why do you have to smell so good Hyunjin? Why did you come out here? I was…I was doing fine before you came,” he hissed, chest rising and falling quickly. “You did this. You…this is your fault,” he said through gritted teeth, stalking closer. His grip on his palm had loosened. He was losing himself. Rapidly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll go inside- let me go inside. You’ll feel better then,” Hyunjin pleaded, tears rolling down his face through hiccups of the breaths he was struggling to take in.

Changbin shook his head, swallowing thickly. “I can’t- I can’t.” He stopped moving, fists clenching once again. If only he’d just ease his glare a little and then Hyunjin might be able to move. There was nothing one could do once they were in the trance of an alpha’s command. Only a stronger shifter ever had the chance of resisting, and Hyunjin was no match to Changbin right now. 

“Hyung,” he whimpered again. “I’m scared.”

Changbin growled again and Hyunjin sobbed as he couldn’t stop his neck from baring in submission. It was at that point he was convinced no one could hear them- that what was going on inside completely overpowered everyone's senses and took away any chance of saving Hyunjin from this situation.

Then, by some miracle, he heard the door slam open from behind him. A rush of smells came out with it, but he could distinctly tell that it was Chan. This time when Hyunjin sobbed out, it was in relief.

“Changbin,” Chan roared, his voice deeper and harsher than Hyunjin had ever heard it. If he hadn’t already had his neck bared, that would have sent him into it.

Changbin’s eyes snapped to Chan and he bared his teeth, canines sharp as he let out his own threatening growl. 

Chan thundered past Hyunjin, a rush of wind brushing against his shaking form as the alpha stomped down the steps. “Calm down,” he ordered strictly, a short distance away from the raging alpha. 

Thankfully, Chan was now in between Changbin and Hyunjin which brought him the smallest relief. 

Hyunjin noticed the state Chan was in, only dressed in a pair of boxers that had seemingly been thrown on, with stark red scratch marks that ran down his back. He smelled strongly of Jisung, and Changbin noticed that too, letting out another noise deep from within his chest. His eyes flicked to the door, and anyone could tell he was preparing to make a move for it- anything to get closer to the omega in heat. 

Both of their eyes were glowing red, and blood now flowed freely from Changbin’s palms. The pain that radiated through Hyunjin was unmatched. Changbin was doing absolutely everything he could to stop himself from going in there. 

Despite this, the feral alpha still started moving closer, and Chan responded by moving in as well, shoulders squared up and chest puffed out. It was a fight for overpowering dominance, and Hyunjin knew it was only a matter of time before they both transformed. 

He heard running footsteps behind him and seconds later a panting Seungmin appeared in the doorway. “Hyunjin,” he yelped, jumping to the frozen alpha, still stuck to his place on the deck. It wasn’t until Seungmin’s arms wrapped around him that he finally felt the alpha’s hold break, and he fell into Seungmin with a helpless sob. 

Seungmin helped him into a sitting position on the ground as Hyunjin was trembling too much to regain the ability to hold himself up any time soon. The beta’s hand stroked through his hair, gently shushing him as he shielded his view of the alphas. Although, he didn't need to see to know the alphas had transformed now.

“S-shouldn’t we do something?” Hyunjin hiccuped, forehead pressed into Seungmin’s neck. He could feel a wetness on his knees, and he guessed the skin was broken, blood dripping down his legs.

“There’s nothing we can do, hun. They need to work this out themselves. Everything will be okay- you’re safe, you’re going to be okay Hyunjin,” Seungmin soothed, eyes on the wolves in front of them. “This has happened before, we know what to do,” he whispered into Hyunjin’s ear.  

Hyunjin nodded against his shoulder, sniffling. His sobs had eased up enough that when he heard a yelp, his face darted up to see who it had come from. Changbin. Chan had tackled him to the ground with a thud, teeth snapping down at him. 

Changbin was still fighting him, and Chan’s attempts to get the alpha to submit hadn’t succeeded as Changbin was able to throw him off, rolling Chan under him, fur becoming dirty from the dirt below him. It had been raining the day before, so the ground still held a wellness to it that made it muddy. 

Hyunjin couldn’t take his eyes off of them. He was watching, but it felt as though he couldn’t actually believe that what was happening in front of him was real. 

Chan got Changbin down again, roaring sounds that were distinctly orders from a pack leader, and Changbin’s attempt to resist grew weaker, his struggling easing until he became pliant under him. 

There was a moment of quiet and then Changbin transformed back. He had scratches over his body, some of them bleeding lightly, others healing quicker and staining his skin  that was littered with dark purple bruises. 

Chan moved off of him and transformed back, sitting beside Changbin’s laid out form. They were both breathing heavily but Chan talked to him in hushed tones, one hand running through Changbin's dark wavy hair, the other stroking down his arms to calm him. The younger alpha had curled in on himself, and shielded behind Chan, Hyunjin couldn’t see him very well anymore.

“Come on,” Sungmin mumbled to him, carefully lifting Hyunjin into a standing position. He made a hissing noise as he looked down at Hyunjin’s knees, which were indeed scraped and bleeding. His fast healing had mended any real damage but the wounds had yet to close up.

“I need to know that he’s okay,” Hyunjin spoke through stuttered breaths. His crying may have eased, but nothing inside him had relaxed yet- not until he knew Changbin would be okay.

Seungmin allowed him to wait patiently for Chan to get Changbin up. The beta was only slightly more clothed than Chan had been when he’d come out, a loose t-shirt over his torso, pale green with grey boxers under it. Presumably, he’d also been with Jisung prior to the unfolding disaster.

The younger alpha looked worse for wear, and as they came closer, Hyujin could barely see him with how haunched he was, face hidden by his lowered head and the hair that fell in front of his vision. 

Hyunjin’s lip wobbled again. Changbin had done his best. He really had. He’d done everything he could to hold back. Hyunjin couldn’t go as far as to say he wasn’t scared of him, but there was an overwhelming feeling that stirred inside of him that made him want to reach out and provide comfort to the alpha.

“Hyunjin, move to the side a little bit,” Chan requested quietly as they reached the steps of the decking. “Your scent,” he added in clarification. Changbin seemed to have tensed in his guided hold, but didn't react any further than that. He looked exhausted.

Despite the pain that moving caused him, Hyunjin moved back quickly, giving a wide berth between him and Changbin. He watched as Chan led him up, silently moving him through the doorway and into the house. 

Changbin moved without hesitation, without emotion, and they disappeared down the hall to Changbin’s room, leaving Hyunjin and Seungmin alone on the porch.

Seungmin turned to him and pulled Hyunjin back in close.

“It’s all my fault,” Hyunjin whispered, face pressed to Seungmin’s shoulder again.

“It’s not Hyunjin, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Seungmin tried to reassure him but Hyunjin shook his head against the beta’s body. Realistically, he knew there were many other factors involved, but Changbin’s spiteful words were still ringing through his ears.

“It is! He said if I hadn’t gone out there he would have been able to handle himself. I made him lose control.”

Seungmin’s arms around him tightened and he rocked them a little. “Hyung wasn’t in his right mind when he said that. He should have told us he was struggling, and we should have been keeping an eye on him in the first place. That’s not on you.”

Hyunjin breathed shakily against him. He could still see the look in Changbin’s eyes, the glare he’d used to get Hyunjin to submit, but he nodded in return.

“Let’s go inside and get those knees cleaned up,” Seungmin urged, gently unwrapping his arms from Hyunjin and taking his hand to lead him back inside. 

Hyunjin followed behind him with unfocused eyes and the front door shut behind them with a click, putting an end to the ordeal.

Chapter Text

Seungmin made Hyunjin take a rest after he cleaned his knees up. The wounds closed up fast, leaving small red scratches remaining that would be gone within a day. And, after taking a nap Hyunjin could admit that he felt a lot better. The ordeal had been overwhelming, and for a moment he’d been sure no one would hear them, but Changbin had been so loud that it was almost certain that they would- and Hyunjin found himself wondering if a part of Changbin was loud on purpose because he knew it was the only way that it would read them. As controlled as Changbin was by his wolf, there was still a part of him in there, a part that was clawing its way to take back control over its body. Hyunjin doubted that he would ever truly understand what that feeling was like for the alpha. He could also never blame Changbin for what had happened.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the cabin?” Seungmin asked him for the third time as they prepared food for everyone.

Hyunjin shook his head. He wouldn’t give into the fear to run away, not that easily anyway. “I’m okay now.”

Seungmin gave him a side glance, eyebrows raised in the question of, ‘do you really believe that?’

“I know. But I still don’t want to leave,” he reiterated, stirring the pot on the stove containing a thick soup; the go to heat and rut cycle food. There were cubes of beef in it, potato, carrot, onion, herbs from their garden and a thick sauce for the added taste. The group would need to keep their stamina up, for it would be a long few days.

They moved on from the topic after Seungmin gave a humm, satisfied enough with Hyunjin’s answer. For a while they worked in silence, doing the dishes, preparing bowls and utensils, wiping down surfaces. But, a question came into his mind, and once it had made its way in there he couldn’t seem to let it go. 

“Can I ask you something?” Hyunjin asked, eyes moving away from the pot to look at Seungmin. “It might be a bit of a personal question.”

“I can’t promise I’ll give you an answer, but you can ask,” Seungmin replied, giving him a nod to go ahead.

“You’re a beta,” he started and Seungmin let out a light snort as the obviousness of the statement.

“Yes, I am.”

“You don’t experience heats or ruts.”

Seungmin continued to look at him with vague amusement. “I don’t,” he confirmed.

Hyunjin pulled his lip in, nibbling at the corner of it for a moment. “Do you ever wish that you did?”

Seungmin’s amusement dropped as he processed Hyunjin’s question. He released a breath from his nose and he tilted his head back a little, thinking over his answer.

Hyunjin couldn’t help wondering how Seungmin felt in his position. Despite the horrible things that could occur in certain circumstances, such as Changbin’s, there was still something very special about the cycles. They could bring people closer, create this intimacy from the most primal instincts one could have, and while Seungmin had participated in many, he’d never had one of his own.

Seungmin spoke up again, just after Hyunjin had started to believe that he would actually turn down the question after all. “At times, not so much these days. We all love each other so the sexual desire is prominent in everyone. A beta’s presence can be uniquely reassuring, and I like being that for them. But, yes, there have definitely been times where I’ve wanted to experience it,” he admitted, eyes falling down to his hands where he was drying a cup with the dishcloth. The cup was completely dry by now, but Seungmin continued to circle the rim with the towel. “Maybe it’s selfish of me to say that. The loss of control I see everyone go through is not something that is enviable. But, I guess there’s a part of me that wishes I needed it in that way too, to have the people I love put all the pieces of my raw form back together again.”

Hyunjin’s eyebrows were pulled inwards in a frown of concern and he reached a hand out, gently placing it on Seungmin’s arm. “You’re not selfish for wanting to experience that.” His own stance on his cycle wasn’t a part of how Seungmin felt about the matter. And, he could understand that desire for intimacy in a way that was so real and bare, and while he hadn’t experienced it, he could feel from the way he’d interacted with Jisung before the omega’s heat had set in, that a lot of joy could come from such a thing.

Seungmin’s eyes lifted to him and he extended a small, grateful smile. “I appreciate that, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin returned the small smile with a gentle one of his own. “You deserve to always feel special, no matter your sub-gender.”

Seungmin put down the cup and cloth, motioning Hyunjin into a hug and wrapping his arms around the alpha. “And I very much do, especially now that I have 7 people making me feel so special.” 

Hyunjin smiled against his neck, holding Seungmin tight and lightly brushing over his scent gland. Despite the sensitivity that came with the small action, his intent wasn’t on such matters, rather scenting Seungmin as a sign of compassion and appreciation for the better. And, maybe a bit of love.

Bringing the soup to everyone went by without a hitch, laying the trays outside of Jisung and Changbin’s doors with a knock to alert those inside of the food that awaited them. This task easily set Hyunjin into a rhythm of chores that needed doing, which he was more than happy to do. 

He filled water bottles, went down to the river to do washing, and dusted the house. Seungmin had left to help out in Changbin’s room for a couple of hours, the Alpha now in a state where he could handle the physical comfort of others, and while Hyunjin saw the other members from time to time, it was mostly in passing; in various stages of undress, cheeks red from exertion and hair a mess. 

When dinner time arrived, a minor hiccup occurred. Hyunjin had brought one of the dinner trays to Jisung’s door, as he’d done earlier, knocking and preparing to put the tray down. However, Felix opened the door too quickly, not giving him enough time to depart. A simple mistake, but immediately, Jisung sat up in bed, covered in sweat and slick and come, panting desperately. Chan’s hand had been on his cock while Jeongin was playing with his nipples. This halted when Jisung tried to spring forward, quickly stopped by the leader’s firm hand on his chest to keep him from jumping straight toward the stunned alpha.

“Hyunjinnie!” He whined, his omega pleaded, reaching out for Hyunjin. “Want Hyunjinnie!”

Hyunjin almost dropped the tray entirely. It wasn’t the scent in the room, and he wasn’t overtaken by a primal urge, he was shocked . He’d never witnessed this kind of scene before. The intercourse he’d seen in the past was usually fast, demanding, and often not consensual. But this, this was passionate . He could feel the love radiating from everyone's scents. 

It looked like they’d not long started up again, cool-down periods usually welcoming sleep to all the participants, and Felix’s eyes still looked heavy with sleepiness. These cycles could be very draining. Some people had very strong sex drives and felt that burning urge with less cool-down periods, and others were more spaced out. Hyunjin would guess that Jisung one was of the former. 

Yet, the sight still had his lips parted in wordless shock. It was the first time he’d witnessed Jeongin, Felix and Jisung in this state. They all smelled strongly of slick, and Jeongin’s was even glistening on his thighs. 

Without trying to critically analyse it in his own mind, he’d regarded that the three omega’s were on the shorter end of the ‘dick size chart’, typical for their sub-gender. Jeongin was closer to average, with Jisung and Felix smaller, Jisung’s only minutely thicker. They had very pretty dicks. Dicks could be pretty; in this case they could be undeniably sculpture-esc in Hyunjin’s opinion.

Snapping out of it, Hyunjin’s face burned red and he shoved the tray in his hands to Felix’s awaiting hold. “Feel better Sungie,” He called, dashing off back down the hallway in a fast paced walk of embarrassment. He’d never get that image out of his mind- but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Would that be him one day? Would he be blissed out as the people he cared about fucked him through his rut? And, one day maybe he’d be in there, helping others through their heats or ruts. He really liked the idea of that. It was such a foreign feeling but so welcomed as it spread warmth over his chest. He would really like that.

Jisung’s heat broke the next day, and Changbin’s rut the day after. They’d both needed another day to rest and gain their energies back, and while Hyunjin ran baths for all of the members, Changbin stayed out of his sight for the time being. He knew it was out of guilt, that Changbin was too ashamed to face him, but he couldn’t help how lost it made him feel without the alpha’s naturally calming presence.

The next day, after the recuperation, it was Sunday; the first day in which things began to return to their normality. And, the day he was finally able to be in Changbin’s presence again. 

“I’m so sorry Hyunjin. You have no idea how sorry I am for what happened that day,” Changbin apologised and the look in his eyes was devastating. They were sitting outside, at the back of the house where picnic tables were situated around a large barbeque. The view looked out into the forest. Hyunjin would never grow tired of the greenery or the earthy scent that their woodland home provided. 

Hyunjin reached to take his hand over the table. The alpha looked tired, exhaustingly deep bags under his eyes like he hadn’t slept well, and it was likely that he hadn’t. “You didn’t do any of it on purpose,” he acknowledged, having wanted to say those words for days.

“But they told me how you felt about Alphas in rut. I should never have handled that the way I did- I should have told them straight away when I felt it coming on,” Changbin protested. His dark eyebrows were pulled in deeply, lips downturned.

Hyunjin’s thumb brushed over the skin of his upper palm gently. “Maybe so, but I can differentiate where your control ended and where your alpha took over. It doesn’t change the way I look at you- how much I care for you. We’ll just handle it differently next time,” he assured, his words sincere. Yes, he’d been scared- maybe that was putting it lightly, but this wasn’t the same as being back at his old pack, this was different. This was Changbin, and Changbin never hurt people for his own satisfaction or greed. 

Changbin looked down at their interlocked hands, letting out a small sniffle. “I blamed you for it…I got you to submit. If the others hadn’t…” he broke off in a choked breath and Hyunjin stood up, coming round to his side of the table immediately.

“But they did come, and nothing happened. You’re okay, I’m okay, we’re okay,” he reassured, cupping Changbin’s cheek and guiding the alpha to meet his eyes. He needed him to see that Hyunjin’s words were nothing but the truth. He needed Changbin to smell it in his scent and trust that this wasn’t something that the younger alpha would ever hold against him.

“I could have hurt you,” he whispered.

It was true. Things could have gone very badly and that wasn’t a fact to disregard, but focusing on the ‘what ifs’ wouldn’t do anyone any good. They’d all learn from the situation and work on how to manage things in the future. Candour allowed those who were willing to be open with their weaknesses, to find solidarity in those around them. Hyunjin, personally, could never abandon Changbin for something he had no control over.

“You did everything you could to hold yourself back, I could see how hard you were trying. You did well, hyung.” He pulled Changbin in then, wrapping both arms around him as he felt a wetness dampening his loose white button up. They sat there in silence for a bit, Changbin sniffling every so often and Hyunjin rubbing his hand soothingly down the other alpha’s back. They’d be okay.

Hyunjin was surprised to find out that his rut was next up on their schedule, around a month away, possibly a little more if he was lucky. Apparently, the others had mostly had theirs not long before Hyunjin’s arrival, and Changbin and Jisung were just late to the party. 

Despite the uncertainty of how that would exactly go, Hyunjin was fitting even more seamlessly into the pack now. He spent time in other members' rooms, a new aspect of their developing relationships. Each had their own style, their own interests that Hyunjin enjoyed finding out about. 

He spent a lot of time in Changbin and Minho’s rooms, watching movies with them or taking naps. One of his favourite things had become falling asleep halfway through a movie, wrapped up in Minho’s arms and lulled into a dream world by his scent. He really couldn’t care less about the movie. 

His time with many of the others tended to be more chaotic. Gaming with Jisung, Jeongin and Seungmin was loud, the four of them crowded around the TV with mario-kart on the big screen. Seungmin was intense when he was competitive, a bit intimidating, but the fire in his eyes was exciting to see. Jeongin tended to laugh a lot, mischievously always seeking out one member to pick on and sabotage with each game, and Jisung was just chaotic all around. He’d yell out every time something didn’t go his way, or if it did. He threw popcorn and people to distract them and demanded a short peck of a kiss any time he won.

Sometimes they spent time in Hyunjin’s room as well. Felix liked to read books, laid out on the window nook, the warm sun shining in on him in an angelic glow. They often sat in silence, Hyunjin painting while Felix read.  On one of those occasions, Hyunjin painted the omega. Felix had been looking especially stunning, hair tousled from an earlier nap on Hyunjin’s bed, and eyes half hooded in relaxation as they slowly moved over the lines of his book. He was clad in nothing but a loose white t-shirt and a pair of grey knee length shorts, small beads of sweat on his hairline. Summer had arrived and even with all the windows open, it was hot.

He worked hard on the painting, trying to capture every one of Felix’s features with utmost respect to the real beauty that adorned his face. And, when he’d presented Felix with the paining, Felix kissed him and showered him with words of praise.

Hyunjin had been surprised by the sudden action, until now he’d only kissed Chan, and with everything that had gone on lately, his intimacies with the group had only progressed as far as getting to know them better, and sharing each other's spaces more. 

Felix’s kiss turned from a simple peck to slow sipping kisses.His lips were soft and as they moved in synchrony with Hyunjins and Hyunjin felt that warm fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest again. He liked kissing, he was coming to learn. It was a lovely realisation, because he had so many wonderful kissing experiences awaiting him. He was already anticipating exploring each and every one of their kissing styles. Chan’s kisses had been feverish, due to the nature of the situation, but Felix was softer. They kissed slowly, arms holding each other close as they melted into each other's adoring touch. The kiss gradually deepened, but still remained sweet, as Hyunjin moved his hands to cup Felix’s cheek, while Felix held his shoulder. When they pulled back there was a string of saliva that still connected them for a moment. Their eyes met, a smile spreading over Felix’s face that Hyunjin couldn’t help but match. 

A couple of days later, he’d found himself in Chan’s office, this time without reason- purely because he wanted to lay out on the couch that had been a desired reading spot for him over the last few weeks. Chan didn't mind, more than happy for Hyunjin to laze around with his poetry book in hand as Chan worked on his computer. A kiss every so often was encouraged though, and Hyunjin was more than happy to pay up.

Sitting on Chan’s lap, kissing him while the leader took a break was a very nice position to be in. Chan’s arms wrapped around his hips, Hyunjin’s around his neck as they sunk into each other. Chan’s breaks never lasted long, but he still appreciated every moment he could spend with the other alpha.

A few hours later, Hyunjin was awoken by Chan’s voice.

The alpha had his cellphone to his ear and a frown on his face. Hyunjin watched him, sitting himself up slowly and closing the book that had been on his chest. He placed it on the class table quietly.

Chan rubbed a hand over his lips, and there was a sense of worry in the tone of his voice. “Maybe it’s just that they haven’t registered yet…it’s not like we have every pack in our system,” he spoke into the phone, listening to the person on the other end for a moment. “Do you think we should be worried about this?” There was another pause, “I’ll look into it as well, something about it feels off.” He ran a hand through his hair, nodding to whatever the other person was saying, “Okay, I’ll call you back tomorrow. We can figure out our next move then, okay- yep, bye.” He placed his phone back down on the desk, a distant look in his eyes that fell away as Hyunjin spoke up.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, standing up to walk closer. His hands fiddled at his sides as the uncertainty in Chan’s scent reached his nose. 

Chan motioned him to sit on his lap again, a weary smile extended to him. Concern, Hyunjin determined Chan’s emotions to be as he followed the invitation, placing himself down on the leader’s lap. “It seems another pack has moved into our neck of the woods,” Chan explained as he wrapped his arms around Hyunjin’s waist.

“Are they in our territory?” he asked, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat.

“Not yet, they seem to have set up base a couple of hours north, but according to one of our neighbouring packs, they’re not exactly friendly,” Chan continued, letting out a soft sign though his nose as he leaned his head back.

Hyunjin pulled at the corner of his lip, hands absently moving to play with the strings of Chan’s hoodie as thoughts worried his mind and plagued his ability to decide whether he should speak them.

“You don’t need to worry, baby. This isn't our first time dealing with a hostile pack. We’re more than capable of holding our own.” Chan tried to assure him, but it wasn’t enough to ease his worry.

“There’s something I should tell you,” Hyunjin mumbled, finally deciding it was better to speak openly on the matter. His eyes still remained downcast, and it was too hot to wear such thick clothing, but, at least the black strings gave his eyes something to focus on.

“Mhm?” Chan hummed in request for Hyunjin to elaborate.

“My old pack. They…uh, they really don’t really do well with traitors. I’ve seen what they can do, and I wouldn’t put it past them to come after me for revenge. It’s a sign of power for them, and they don’t like to be perceived as being ‘weak’.” He admitted, lowering his head. “They’ve done terrible things, hyung…they won’t let anyone underestimate the control they possess or the pain they can inflict.”

Chan remained silent for a moment before speaking up, “I know,” he replied simply and Hyunjin’s head snapped up to look at him. “Well, I know vaguely about your old pack's tendencies based on word of mouth. I also know that they’re a rather reclusive group, leading me to believe they have no connection to this pack. But, don’t worry, we’re keeping track of all possibilities.”

Chan then lifted a hand to stroke a strand of hair out of Hyunjin’s eyes. “After you told us about your pack, I took some time to look into them more. They certainly have a reputation,” he explained, scrunching his features at his last sentence.

Hyunjin couldn’t disagree with them on that.

“I’ve been trying to keep track of them, just in case. After the run they fell into some troubles. The leader’s control was questioned by those who weren’t pleased in finding a mate. Unmated alpha’s were not satisfied being paired with betas because of their lack of breeding qualities and leader’s excuse that providing sexual gratification was better than remaining unmated, was not enough to please the group. Plus, as it turned out, you weren’t the only one to escape that day,” Chan elaborated further, thumb stroking at Hyunjin’s hip.

Hyunjin was lost for words. A pack’s structure could be delicate, but he’d never seen his old pack waver after the new leader’s succession. He’d always asserted clear dominance and cruelty to those who disobeyed, but it made sense, he’d managed to let more than one of his shifters escape at a time. No wonder they were questioning his leading ability. “So you think they haven’t come after me because they’ve been preoccupied.”

“That could be the case,” Chan voiced in agreement. “It seems they've been sending parties out to other areas, tracking down one of the omegas that managed to escape. But, they haven't found the other four yet, including yourself.”

Hyunjin swallowed thickly, fear making prickles stab at the base of his neck, a cold fire running down his back. He could picture the public lashings he’d witnessed in the past, the stripping away of one's humanity until they were reduced to nothing but a hated ‘animal’ to the community. Some disappeared. Hyunjin didn’t know where they wen’t, but he knew that wherever it was, it wasn’t a good place.

“Hey.” Chan spoke softly, guiding him to connect their eyes again. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? I promise.”

Hyunjin could only nod, fingers gripping at Chan’s hoodie as though he was scared he’d lose him if he let go. As much as Chan promised, the future could not be predicted, and promises didn't provide a certain assurance of safety. Hyunjin knew the leader would do everything in his power to prevent harm to him, to them, as a pack, and right now, that had to be good enough to ease the fear that had a tight grip on his insides. 

Chan pulled him into a hug, arms wrapping around him securely as Hyunjin pressed his face into the leader’s neck and breathed in his scent. “You’re going to be okay,” he whispered.

The following day, Chan was on the phone again, both he and the neighbouring pack leader had learned of more information regarding the hostile pack. By the sounds of it, their migration was derived from a desire to expand and build communities in other parts of the woods. There were 4, maybe 5 packs in range and at risk. Chan’s pack; known as the Bang Pack to outsiders, the neighbouring pack that they were on good terms with, two to the east and then Hyunjin’s old pack to the south, if one considered them as being ‘in the area’ despite the larger distance. 

Currently, Chan’s pack’s land was rather expansive, despite there only being the 8 of them, who all lived in the same, one and only house…But the territory that they held ownership over stretched large enough to develop a small community. However to Chan, it wasn’t about the size of the land. While he did like the idea of adding more infrastructure to their territory in time, he wasn’t intending on developing a community and increasing numbers in the pack.

However, the hostile pack that had just moved in nearby, had an estimated number of 17 members, just over double the size of theirs- which was where an agreement came in. The plan was that both their pack, and the neighbouring pack would join forces to protect both of their lands together. They both had small numbers, the neighbouring pack with only 7 members, but they were a strong group and with the two pack’s combined power, Chan was sure they’d be able to withstand any aggression from the new pack.

They were all told as such over dinner that night, a strong scent of concern, uncertainty and underlying fear filling the room. However, the clear structure of the plan helped to not escalate anyone’s worries any further. Right now, they’d continue as normal, keeping track of the situation and communicating with their neighbouring pack where needed. Currently, they weren’t the first expected target and it would likely be some time before the pack approached them. It wasn’t surprising to find out that Chan’s pack was a very highly regarded one, not just in the neighbouring communities, but around the country; highlighted by his wildly successful business. So, Hyunjin felt comfortable enough to put his concerns to the back of his mind, for now. 

Chapter Text

The Run   -   Minho

Minho sensed him before any of the others. It had been a while since they’d faced an outside threat on their land, but it happened from time to time. Meat-brained, power hungry alphas trying to prove something to their feeble packs by going after Chan’s pack. Idiotic , Minho thought. Chan had a reputation, and most knew him to be a very kind and modern-viewed leader that was respected for the successful business he’d expanded. But, from time to time, people liked to cause trouble.

He’d smelt the earthy fresh scent of forest flowers from his seat at the picnic table. Chan and Changbin were occupying the barbecue, Jisung stealing from it when they turned their backs, an unsurprising move by the omega, while the others chatted around the temporary campfire they’d made. Minho had opted to sit closer to the edge of their yard, his picnic table allowing him the ability to survey the area. 

He’d felt off that night- that something just wasn’t quite right in their neck of the woods. Dinner was being served up when he smelt it- smelt him . On impulse, he’d jumped up from the table, the hair on the back of his neck rising. All he could see was red. An alpha. 

He raced off into the woods before any of the others had even a chance to question him, and transformed as his clothes shredded from his body. There goes another pair of jeans he’d only bought a month ago. Yet, that was the last thing he was concerned over. As he got closer, the smell got more intense, linked with sweat and exhaustion.

He could hear Chan and Changbin’s thundering paws on the forest floor not far behind. Of course they’d follow, even blindly they’d trust Minho’s instincts. That was one of the things he appreciated most about his loved ones, they valued trust, and growing up in a home where communication was practically non-existent, this pack had taught him how to open up- how to trust the people he loved and know that they wouldn’t pose judgement on his feelings. 

That’s why he’d protect them at all costs.

He skirted to a halt as stark white fur came into view, standing tall despite the tiredness the wolf held in its form. The clearing they’d stopped at was small, the roots of the trees around them curled up and pushed at the dirt as they tried to break free. If one didn’t know the territory as well as his own pack did, it was easy to fall prey to tripping over those roots. Minho couldn’t lie that he’d had a face full of dirt more than once in the beginning of his time out here. 

All of the hair on his body prickled as his presence caused the offending wolf to jolt to a stop in surprise. It was frozen under Minho’s glaring eyes, and all Minho could find himself seeing was a threat . At first glance, it was hard to identify the shifter as an alpha, as its eyes did not glow red the way one would in this situation. Peculiar, considering Minho was challenging it to a standoff, a fight for dominance. Instead it stayed glued to its spot, and if Minho had looked hard enough he would have been able to see the minute tremble in the wolf’s legs. 

He heard Chan leap through into the clearing as he stalked closer to the intruder. He snapped his teeth, saliva dripping from his canines as his eyes shot red hot daggers at the wolf. Chan, like himself, was working his intimidation tactics. Their snowy intruder would either back down and retreat into the forest, or it would accept the fight for dominance, where ultimately, Chan would win and all order would be restored.

However, after Changbin’s appearance not long after Chan’s arrival, the offending wolf did neither of the things he’d predicted. The wolf collapsed, bones cracking while dropping as though they’d also turned to jelly in a squeamish mix of sounds as the wolf transformed back into a man. 

Minho was in his own state of shock as he watched the events unfold. The wolf- now a choppy blond haired man, curled in on himself, shaking like a leaf. Standing, he would be taller than them, perhaps taller than the whole pack, but despite his identifying alpha scent, he was very contradictory to his nature. Either the man was so exhausted that he didn’t have the energy to fight them, or he was able to submit by nature- either way, Minho wasn’t about to let himself trust the man’s submission yet.

Their pack members had pasts filled with great hurt and pain, and Minho vowed to himself to protect them all from the atrocities of the world to no matter what extent. A dysfunctional family life was all Minho had known before he’d left the city, and finding each one of the pack members, one by one as they came into his life, was the most special thing he could have ever hoped for. Their pack was mismatched in a way, like a blanket made with love rather than the desire for perfection. And with that love, this pack and its members were and would always be the most important thing in his life.

Minho watched Chan, who stood between him and the man, transform back into his human form. Usually, he’d take a moment to appreciate Chan’s glorious back muscles when presented with them, but right now pressing matters had him itching to interrogate the unknown man and why he was on their land. 

Simply, What did he want? 

Was he a part of one of their member’s old packs? 

Was he there to hurt them? 

To capture them?

It made Minho’s blood boil that he couldn’t demand answers when their unwanted guest was chattering his teeth out of his skull on the forest floor.

“He’s gone into shock,” he commented warily, the first one of them to speak up. The man’s state was rather clear without Minho’s obvious insight, but Minho more presented the fact as a means to beware. Why would this alpha be submitting to them so easily? Was it a ploy?

He scrunched his nose up as Changbin nudged his foot at the man, displeased by the lack of maturity over the matter. They were a well respected pack, meaning; they didn’t go round poking people with their toes. Still, the action of Changbin’s touch made the man’s scent explode further into his scenes. 

“Wherever he came from, he has a newly broken pack bond.”

His pack members' emotions of both cautiousness and hostility started to mix with a concern over the unfolding events. It was a silent communication between the three of them, that they had to figure out what exactly had led to the shifter’s arrival.

Please…Please don’t kill me,” The blond man suddenly voiced out in alarm, begging words between sharp breaths. “Please, I can’t go back there, don’t make me go back there,” His voice was shaking, bordering on sobbing, and he had a noticeable accent, one that Minho hadn’t heard before. 

It was known that older packs with lengthy histories had their own dialects and accents, sparking the question in Minho as to how exactly this wolf ended up where he was, at the foot of 3 alphas in a mated pack.

“He can’t stay on our land,” Minho said sternly to Chan and Changbin, disregarding the intruding alpha’s pleas. They had no intentions of killing him, not that he knew that, but he was also at no liberty to make any pleas to them. If he hadn’t wanted trouble, he should have stayed off of their land.

“We can’t just let him stay out in the woods like this. He’ll probably die before the morning, look at him, Minho hyung,” Changbin protested, and Minho forced himself not to huff. Changbin, always the softy- but he wasn’t wrong, by the looks of the man, he wasn’t exactly in the best state of health to be left out on his own. Plus, at least if they knew where he was, they’d be able to protect their pack. 

It was settled once Chan voiced his agreement and soon Changbin and Chan were helping the man to his feet. Changbin’s more comforting words must have been enough for the man to place an ounce of trust in them, which Minho found either extremely foolish, or it had him bewildered over just how emotionally fragile the man must be for him to trust a group of strangers to lead him into the unknown.

He took a second to observe the man at almost full height, considering he was practically a deadweight in the other alpha’s holds. If he looked past his disdain that came from the events leading to this,  he could note some of the man’s more appealing features. His eyes, while heavy with bags, were pretty, and it was likely that when he smiled it was one of those gleaming grins that no one could possibly look away from.

As predicted, he was taller than them, his limbs slim, and his toned form hinted at a life grown up in the forest. Still, he had an elegance about him, a fluidity even in his limp movements that painted him like a piece of art. Everything about his being was appealing, in the theoretical sense, he could be a sculpture; Right down to his slim, yet alpha-like cock, he was pretty.

Aggravated over the events of the evening, Minho took swift yet firm steps ahead of the others as he led them back to the house. God, what were they getting themselves into?

Herbaceous Daisies   -   Felix

Meeting Hyunjin was a moment that Felix knew he’d never forget. From the moment he first witnessed Hyunjin’s arrival, to talking with him for the first time- Felix was certain that this alpha would become a significant presence in his life. 

Felix had always been in tune with his gut instincts more than the average person, he liked to believe. In reality, it was probably a trauma response, but these days he found it had use in less negative situations. Something within him could see that Hyunjin wasn’t a threat, and that’s what drew him closer. 

Jeongin scolded him as they picked vegetables from the garden to bring inside to Minho and Hyunjin. Felix was ripping at the roots haphazardly with no consideration for the plants they were leaving in the ground. To be fair to Jeongin, he and Seungmin had spent a lot of time tending to the garden recently, so the scolding was warranted.

When they got back inside, which felt like years of being out in the garden tugging carrots from the dirt, Felix practically threw his basket in Minho’s direction, ignoring the side eye he was given, to stand beside Hyunjin. 

He really did try not to make it obvious that he was placing himself directly in the alpha’s presence on purpose, but looking up at the Hyunjin with an expression that bordered on wonder, probably didn’t help his case. Hyunjin was so much to take in. He carried this aura about him, someone who had a story filled with great depth that Felix wanted to deepdive into and explore. Undeniably, those emotions were also rather confusing.

He found himself sniffing the air, trying to memorise the alpha’s scent. Minho had a more domineering one, despite its neutrality compared to Changbin and Chan’s, but Hyunjin’s was even more perplexing. Yes, it was an alpha scent but it was also un-characteristically more floral and sweet, akin to an Omega, and filled with a freshness that was often linked to betas. The earthy tones were what gave away his sub-gender. Overall, the mix reminded him of morning dew that dripped from fresh grass on a cool morning; and of the daisies that bloomed in the forest fields. 

“I like the way you smell,” he told the alpha, looking up at him with a bright smile. 

He hadn’t expected Hyunjin’s features to morph into a look of shock, eyes widening and plush lips parting. There was a glassiness that immediately glistened over his eyes and as he shakily asked Felix to tell him what he smelt like, he didn’t expect the tears that followed either. 

“Why are you crying?” He asked, alarmed that he, or the other two may have said something of offence. He didn’t think they did? 

Minho’s attention snapped to them, having feigned indifference until now, apart from when he’d shot Felix an unsavoury look earlier- but Felix knew him too well. Minho was just as curious as the rest of them about Hyunjin, he just didn’t want to show it. Minho was a tough cookie, Felix always thought. He kept a strong front, and was a naturally composed person in general, but there was a softer side to him- one of love and compassion and a need to protect, that Felix loved beyond words. Minho was probably the first person Felix went to when he needed comfort. When he needed someone to listen, knowing they’d still love him, no matter what. Despite this hard shell that Minho wore at times like these, he knew the alpha’s true nature was always under there. Minho’s concern over Hyunjin’s upset response could attest to that. 

Hyunjin sniffled, pulling his forearm up to wipe his eyes before he shook his head. 

It took Felix a few moments before he realised he wasn’t getting a verbal answer out of the alpha. He could feel it in his scent though, the pain, loneliness and depression that Hyunjin carried with him. He couldn’t understand how his words had triggered such an emotional response, but he did know what it was like to feel those emotions. And, he also knew that words weren’t always what was needed to provide comfort. 

Slowly he leaned in, wrapping his arms around Hyunjin. He held him securely, tight and comforting in the way that Chan often held him. At this, Hyunjin’s face fell into his neck, breathy sobs now leaving his lips, whimpers muffled into his yellow hoodie. Felix’s eyes flicked to Jeongin, who nodded at him, wordlessly telling him that he was doing the right thing.

Jeongin was his stability in that way. While the other omega was younger than him, Felix always found himself looking to Jeongin for guidance. Their personalities were different in many ways, but Jeongin always had an innate ability of putting himself in other’s shoes, and when Felix felt lost, Jeongin was always there to guide him. 

Jeongin moved in and enveloped them both, and to his surprise, Minho placed a hand on Hyunjin’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. 

When Minho’s eyes met Felix’s, the look in them was intense. It was a swimming pool of emotions that Minho often kept very much to himself. But, it was the same look he displayed when one of the pack members was hurt, or in danger; when he didn’t know how to fix everything. 

Felix almost flinched as Hyunjin let out a ‘thank you,’ the kitchen having fallen into a state of silence. He rubbed his hand down Hyunjin’s back soothingly, and when he looked up at Minho again, the previous look in the alpha’s eyes had been long concealed. 

Pack Dynamics   -   Minho

When Minho didn’t know what to do about something, he went to Chan. 

So, when Hyunjin had broken down into tears in the kitchen and Minho hadn’t understood why, he found himself in Chan’s office before lunch was even served. 

Minho didn’t like not being able to fix things. If he could take away the problem, there was no problem- was how he used to view life. Now, having grown up a bit, having seen the differences in the lives his other pack members had been born into, he couldn’t view it with such simplicity anymore. 

“He’s traumatised, Minho,” Chan had responded to his rushed description of the situation and how he’d left Hyunjin to set the table in his absence. 

“Well…I…kind of gathered that. But, I’m not sure what to do,” Minho expressed, hands extending beside himself helplessly. He stood between the chairs that faced Chan’s desk, while the leader sat behind it, presumably busy with something before Minho had intruded.

“He doesn’t trust us- with good reason, really. He might never trust us, and we can’t make him. We can’t force him to let us in, he has to want to come to us in his own time,” Chan replied, putting down his pen where he had been jotting notes down on a small pad of lined paper. 

The look on his face was one of sympathy for Minho’s internal dilemma and Minho felt himself deflating as he came to the realisation, under Chan’s words, that there was no ‘fixing’ this. It wasn’t simple. Hyunjin was fragile and delicate right now, and after everything they’d put him through at his arrival, he had no reason to put his trust in them. Yet, the new alpha did seem to trust them. Minho had seen it in the way he interacted with them, in the poorly concealed longing look in his eyes, how he’d easily melted into a hug and let them witness him crying. That was trust.

“I think…” he started, letting out a breath, and Chan stood up, coming around the side of the desk to sit against it and take Minho’s hand in his own. Minho linked their fingers, looking down at their hands before continuing. “I think I want him to…want to trust us. I don’t understand why…I mean, he’s just…he’s…” he let out a huff in frustration, the words not naturally forming the way he wanted them to. His confusion lay in why he felt the desire to protect Hyunjin and keep him safe. There shouldn’t have been anything special about Hyunjin, in the sense that he was, on the surface level, a lost alpha they found in the woods, but he was more than that. Why did it feel like he was more than that?

“Then, we won’t give him any more reasons to not trust us. No matter how much or how little he might open up to us in time, our priority is for whatever happened to him before, to never happen again.”

Stories of Pain and Beauty   -   Jisung

Jisung had only noticed the small carved wolf when Minho lifted his carving up to inspect, drawing the omega’s attention down to the wooden object that had been placed beside his dinner plate. It was him, distinctly. It captured the way Jisung held himself as a wolf. How had Hyunjin been able to capture that so accurately? It was astounding. 

“Are you trying to court us?"

When the words spilled out of his mouth, he realised the insinuation immediately. He was good at letting his mouth run before his brain got to catch up, and this was one of those times- he scolded himself for throwing the question off so flippantly, as though it was a joke. The weight the question resided in his chest, the way his heart twinged- there was no way it was a joke.

It had been a while since the beginning embers of a romance flickered into his life, joining the burning fire that his 6 mates fueled inside his heart. Jeongin had been the last to join their pack, and their courting had gone swiftly, the younger omega upfront about his feelings. Jeongin easily held an air of confidence about him, while Hyunjin was more reserved and shy in his interactions with everyone. It made the alpha a difficult person to read, but that wasn’t off putting in any way. Really, It just made Jisung want to understand him all the more.

Courting, itself, was also a very traditional concept, one that Hyunjin probably had a narrow mindset of. The act of courting now had a wide definition; in that if one was actively wanting to pursue another, it didn’t matter the subgender. Jeongin had openly courted Jisung with clear words of endearment and physical gestures of chivalry. And, he’d reciprocated with his own gifts, one of which was a present of flower crowns that he’d made as the spring flowers bloomed. Jeongin had let him thread the fragrant petals through his hair and their first kiss had been amongst the flower fields, shadowed from the bright sun by the fluttering leaves of the forest’s trees.

If he was comparing Hyunjin to his time courting with Jeongin, what did that say about him? What did that say about feelings of attraction that felt as though they were bubbling under the surface?

The Intimacies of Scenting   -   Chan

Everyone had felt the shift in the atmosphere surrounding their growing connection with Hyunjin after the storytelling of their pasts. It was a big thing to open up about their pack story, and Chan was proud of each one of his pack members for speaking up, even though they were under no obligation to, and it was impossible to not be proud of how far they’d all come. He’d met many of them in traumatising situations, especially with Felix’s omega trafficking past, and to watch all of them open up to Hyunjin made him feel pride in being their pack leader.

The emotions he could feel through the mating bond, pulsating like a healthy blood vessel to the heart they metaphorically shared, were strong enough to be mildly suffocating. But, it gave a clear indication that progressing into new territory with Hyunjin was something they were all seeking to explore.

He’d called a pack meeting, feeling rather guilty at the exclusion of Hyunjin, as the younger alpha could only assume it was about him. But, this wasn’t a conversation they could have with him yet.

If there was reciprocation, which Chan felt there was, then Hyunjin was new to these feelings. They had to proceed delicately, lest he think they were trying to overstep his boundaries; force feelings upon him that were not yet explored or understood.

They all filed into his office, finding placement somewhere in the box shaped room. A few were standing, others on chairs or the couch- but they managed to form a cohesive arrangement.

“This is a delicate matter, so I ask that you all keep what we discuss from Hyunjin for now,” Chan introduced the topic, sitting on his roller chair as his elbows rested on the desk. “Although I can already feel it through our mating bond, I want to ask if everyone is feeling an attraction towards Hyunjin?” He asked directly, seeking confirmation.

A chorus of ‘yes’s’ sounded out in variation around the room. Some looked more shy in their admission, Changbin and Minho. While others, Jisung and Jeongin seemed pleased to be finally talking about the matter.

“It’s like…how I felt with everyone when I joined. I like Hyunjin, and I want to explore that attraction because I think he likes us in that way as well, but he’s so…” Jeongin started to admit, tilting his head as his eyes shifted, searching for the words.

“Innocent?” Felix supplied.

“Confused?”  Seungmin suggested.

“Overwhelmed?” Changbin added.

“...yeah, all of those,” Jeongin confirmed, chewing at the corner of his lip. “The last thing I want to do is scare him away, or hurt him…Hyunjin’s never felt real love before,” he finished off with a sad frown, a heavy breath leaving his lips. 

The air around them held a sombre heaviness, and Chan felt the need to diverge from any guilt his members might be feeling for having these emotions. There was nothing wrong with developing feelings for Hyunjin, he was a lovely, kind-hearted, beautiful person. It was the delicate nature of the situation that dictated how they needed to go about it. Minho spoke up before he had the chance to.

“This will be very new to him, so we can’t thrust anything upon him. And, while we all feel a connection, I think we need to explore it as pack compatibility before we really commit to more romantic feelings,” Minho said, always good at being the voice of logic and reason. 

There were nods of agreement and Chan carried on from Minho’s statement.

“I think scenting would be a good place to start. It’s…well, it’s noticeable that Hyunjin is dealing with the effects of being touch-starved. I don’t think he even notices he’s self-scenting, most of the time,” Chan explained, deflating a little in his seat. For shifters, a short term lack of touch would be uncomfortable, but in the long term It could be painful. “Hyunjin seems to be so used to it. I don’t like that.” 

Minho nodded firmly, “Yes, scenting helps us identify his compatibility as a pack member, any romantic feelings that unfold from that need to be directed by Hyunjin.”

“I second that. He needs to understand his feelings in his own time, decided by what he wants to experience,” Changbin added into the conversation, fingers brushing through Seungmin’s hair, who was sitting in the chair in front of where he stood. 

“So when do we, you know, ask about the scenting?” Felix asked shyly, cheeks displaying a warmed bashfulness, but there was a hopeful excitement that flickered behind his eyes.

Chan thought about it for a moment, “Follow your gut. If the time feels right, propose it to him. If he turns you down, don’t push him. Let him decide what he wants, but if you feel uncomfortable, don’t force yourself either- you have every right to leave a situation that brings you discomfort. I hope that you do listen to your own instincts on that.”

“So we’re officially courting him?” Jisung asked, and a few of the members sent him looks of light warning to not jump the gun on this like he did the last time he mentioned courting.

Chan smiled in endearment, “Yes, I’d say we are."

The Intimacies of Scenting   -   Jeongin

Jeongin truly hadn’t expected that he would be the one to scent Hyunjin first. With Jisung’s enthusiasm, he presumed that it might be him. But, as everyone spontaneously decided they wanted to get a bit too hot and heavy around Hyunjin during movie night, everything just sort of fell into place. 

He really only started the conversation out of wanting to distract Hyunjin from the others, the flush over the alpha’s ears making it clear that he wasn’t used to such displays of affection.

“They’re cute right?” He’d asked with a giggle and when Hyunjin nodded, a bit absently, he braved the question on his mind, noticing the others scenting lovingly. “Have you ever been scented before?” His words held the insinuation of that between presented shifters and not in the way a parent would scent their youngin to protect them and make them feel loved. Though, based on Hyunjin’s past, he would never have received that from a parent, either.

“No,” Hyunjin replied in almost a whisper, and Jeongin wasn’t surprised. It made his heart ache and his insides hollow, but it hadn’t been an answer he wasn’t expecting.

“It makes sense now why you scent yourself so much,” he said lightly, instead of expressing pity for Hyunjin. It was likely that Hyunjin didn’t want pity, and Jeongin couldn’t blame him. It made him feel small and guilty for troubling the minds of others.

When Hyunjin seemed surprised about being told he scented himself so often, Jeongin really couldn’t hold back from asking,

“Could I scent you?”

The brightness that spread up Hyunjin’s features and the nod he received was filled with eagerness, and Jeongin wanted to coo at him as a result.

Hyunjin bared his neck easily. Jeongin had to get a hold of himself for a moment as he processed that. It wasn’t unexpected from the way Hyunjin had talked about himself and how he felt disconnected to his alpha, but an easily submitting alpha wasn’t something Jeongin had a lot of experience with. Well, other than with Changbin; who wasn’t necessarily as easily submitting as Hyunjin was. The older alpha was more in touch with his natural alpha instincts, but Jeongin had a very strong connection with him that contradicted that. Changbin was the first alpha he’d allowed himself to be so vulnerable with, and that would be something he’d hold dearly for the rest of his life. 

Jeongin could feel the room’s eyes moving to them as he leaned into Hyunjin’s neck, getting a rush of Hyunjin’s wonderful daisy-like scent though his nose. He was a tad bit proud of himself, in a self-satisfying kind of way, as he could feel through the mating bond that certain members, Jisung and Minho, were very jealous right now. Jeongin hadn’t even considered that Minho might have been the most eager of them all. If that was anything to go by, Hyunjin was in for one hell of a ride. 

Hyunjin’s response was immediate as Jeongin nosed at his skin, Jeongin’s omega jumping for joy at that. And, what he came to learn was that Hyunjin was very expressive while scenting. It seemed that every touch and every brush against his scent gland was a shot of electricity through his body. Jeongin knew that scenting could be sexually gratifying, he was no stranger to it, but Hyunjin’s reaction was intense. Not that he was complaining, if it wasn’t for the fact that Hyunjin was so clearly physically affected he might have been embarrassed by the hardon he’d developed- but with the comfort he felt around not only Hyunjin but his mates as well, there was no shame in his feelings whatsoever.

Hyunjin scented him in return, and his reaction then was still just as intense. The whole experience was like he was ascending into heaven for a short moment in time, and the only thing grounding him were the lewd comments made by his mates.

“They’re so hot,” Changbin gushed, always the voyeur.

“So hot,” Felix agreed, transfixed, scent showing an eagerness for his turn in the future.

“Very,” Minho mumbled. Jeongin could tell, just by that word alone, that Minho was impatiently waiting his turn just as much as the next member.

The look in Hyunjin’s eyes as they pulled away from each other had Jeongin even more breathless than the scenting had made him. It was a spark of electricity. Powerful. Captivating. It was the same feeling that Jeongin had felt when he’d scented the other members for the first time. It was clicking into place, everything felt right.

Heats and Ruts, Part 1 and 2 - Changbin

Changbin shouldn’t have convinced himself that he had it under control. He didn’t, and he knew he needed to go inside and tell them- but everything had happened so quickly this morning. Jisung’s heat had come on hard and fast. All of the members were assisting him in some way, and within the chaos, it was easy for Changbin to slip into the background. 

He’d convinced himself that as long as no one came out there, he’d be fine until the noises in the house died down enough for him to deem the situation under control. He knew that handling him wasn’t an easy task for the others. It wasn’t the usual heat and rut driven sex that most experienced. Yes, it was fast and desperate, craving pleasure to sedate a deep need- but for him it was also primal and hard. He always left temporary bruises over his cycle partners, which even though it was enjoyed and often reciprocated, he always felt guilty about the lack of control he possessed in those moments- which was also why he was kept away from an omega in heat while he was in his rut.

It was isolating when he had no one that understood him in this way. They tried to, they knew how much it hurt him, scared him, that at any moment during his rut he could hurt the ones he loved. No one should ever feel that way, and that’s why he didn’t want them to understand. All he needed was for them to respect him the way he was, with all his strengths and weaknesses, and love him nonetheless. He was very lucky to have so much of that love in his life.

But, he’d fucked up that day. He hadn’t predicted that Hyunjin would come outside and question his wood chopping antics. He should have used the little control he had to tell Hyunjin to go inside and get Minho or Chan or Jeongin.

As his alpha took over, intimidating Hyunjin until he was submitting before him, Changbin could only watch from inside his mind in horror. He wanted to scream that this wasn’t him, that he wanted with every bit of his being to hold back the instincts that his alpha possessed. 

It was a complicated relationship that he had with his inner alpha, during his ruts he hated it beyond belief. It was part of Changbin so it wasn’t as if they were separate beings, but sometimes Changbin felt that they were. Outside of his ruts he still had a deep connection, as most did with their wolves. It was most prominent during moonlit runs, every part of his being, physically, mentally and spiritually connected to his shifting sub-gender. 

But, this was a part of who he was, and right now he was digging his nails so hard into his palms to cause himself enough pain that he had the tiniest bit of control to not charge towards Hyunjin. The crack of the younger alpha’s knees when he’d hit the ground was painful even to his own ears. He’d hurt him, his voice seethed in his mind.

He knew he was losing the little control that he had, that the blood dripping down his fingers was no match for the feral need coursing through his body. His alpha mind was filled with disgusting thoughts, ones he’d never dare to voice. It made him want to scream until chest ached and he could scream no more. 

His last hope had been his ability to raise his voice, using the anger his alpha craved to stretch the distance his voice travelled. He didn’t think it would work, the sounds from inside were still so overpowering, but the relief that washed over him when Chan rushed out the front door was immense. 

Admittedly, he hadn’t had a lot of time to focus on it, since his alpha sensed another dominant alpha; a threat. And, with that threat, brought the need to assert his dominance, which always led to him and Chan fighting until the leader got him into a state of submission. Sometimes it was Minho, but Chan was the only one that always managed to get his alpha to give the power over.

The fighting only ever occurred when they couldn’t get his medication. Chan knew how to handle him, and once he had submitted, Chan’s words of comfort and calming strokes over his skin eased him back into control over his own body. It was a process, he’d be exhausted for the following few hours and then be needing to mindlessly fuck into someone for the remainder of his heat. 

He couldn’t even look at Hyunjin or Seungmin as Chan helped him inside. He felt completely and utterly ashamed. The guilt was gut-wrenching, but he didn’t think he deserved to pity his own feelings.

Chan used the next few hours to comfort and explain to him that all of his feelings were valid, even the ones that were of him being too hard on himself. He had every right to be angry at himself, to feel guilt and regret and fear . He was allowed to dislike this part of himself, because no matter what, everyone around him would still love him just the same. No matter what, they’d always be there.

Chan also reminded him of the thoughts that weren’t true; he wasn’t completely to blame for this. He didn’t do it on purpose and he would never ever consciously hurt Hyunjin or want to put him in harm's way. He wasn’t the villain his brain liked to make him out to be. But, the mind was a tricky thing, and it wasn’t so easy to convince himself of that. 

When he talked to Hyunjin for the first time after his rut, unable to deny that he had been avoiding the alpha for longer than he needed to, it was a weight off of his chest. He had convinced himself that Hyunjin hated him, that he was scared of him and that the younger alpha’s relationship with the pack would be tarnished because of Changbin. But, Hyunjin understood in the same way the others did. The words he spoke were almost the same as the ones Chan said only days before. 

While he didn’t think Hyunjin would ever truly understand how, in that moment, things were so close to going horribly wrong, he could feel with every part of him that Hyunjin’s words were the truth.

“You did everything you could to hold yourself back, I could see how hard you were trying. You did well, hyung.”

Heats and Ruts, Part 2    -    Jisung

Jisung hadn’t heard about the events of Changbin’s rut until after his own heat had finished. It had been a wild ride for him, but more in the traditional sense of what a heat held. 

His heat had come on hard and before he knew it, he had his pack members’ hands all over him. The stimulation was incredible, intense, dizzying as it overpowered his brain in every way that his body needed in order to please his omega. Felix had his favourite toys at the ready, and Minho’s cock was a gift from the heavens. The pair took turns fucking him for most of his heat, other members filtering in and out at different times. 

The only time they hit a bit of a speed bump was when, while still in the throes of his heat, he was met with Hyunjin’s presence, standing at the doorway across from his bed holding a tray in his grasp. The alpha’s scent filled his nostrils, and Chan, who had been planning on fucking him seconds before Hyunjin’s appearance, now had to hold Jisung back, knowing that if he didn’t, Jisung would pounce and be reduced to a mess of begging for Hyunjin’s alpha cock.

Jisung, in his rational mind, acknowledged that that was something that was way too much for Hyunjin to handle right now. He doubted Hyunjin had ever seen a passionate and consensual sight like the one he was witnessing in front of him. It didn’t take much to guess that from his upbringing.

But, even if Jisung could have been embarrassed at how much of a mess he was, he also didn’t mind that it was Hyunjin seeing him this way- he did feel bad that it was a sight Hyunjin hadn’t asked to see, however. Thankfully, Hyunjin didn’t seem to hold issue with it, and soon enough there were new situations that took everyone’s focus.

Chapter Text

A couple of weeks before Hyunjin’s rut was due to start, the pack all went out on a moonlight run. The breeze cooled his fur, brushing away the thick air that had surrounded him during the heat of the summer's day. He liked summer, the bright and flourishing nature that was so good for painting, and the fireflies that danced in the night. But, it could also be suffocating at times, so the run was exactly what they all needed.

There had always been a strong connection between shifters and the moon, as though there was a silent form of communication that bonded them as allies. Hyunjin felt that pull whenever he was in his wolf form at night, but the moonlight run elevated it as they all howled, bounding around and tackling one another playfully. They’d ended up at the lake, tumbling into the water and shaking out water droplets at each other as their paws slapped against the stones below them. They nosed and nuzzled at each other, communicating through whines and snuffles of endearment and Hyunjin felt totally free that night, surrounded by his pack of beautiful wolves. 

He was down at the lake again when his rut was next brought up. He and Jeongin were doing the washing, a pile that amounted to a decent lot over the course of just a week, which was to be expected when one lived with 7 other men who tended to sweat a lot in the summer.

“How are you feeling about your rut?” Jeongin asked, shaking out a dish towel he'd just washed. He gave a side glance to Hyunjin, testing the fragility of the topic. It seemed as though everyone had been avoiding bringing it up over the last few days, Hyunjin included. He had honestly expected Chan to be the one to bring it up, probably in his office, handling the subject in the form of a logical meeting. But somehow, he felt more at ease now that Jeongin was asking him.

Hyunjin shrugged slightly, “I’m not sure.” Because he really wasn’t. There were a lot of thoughts swirling around in his mind and questions as to how they would handle it. He didn’t want to be alone, but he also didn’t want his first time to be during his rut- in the throws of a level of arousal that he couldn't control with the inability to remember every detail of it afterwards. So, that meant he’d either be spending it alone, or he’d lose his virginity beforehand, which was nerve-wracking in itself. He wanted to, really wanted to these days. But it was a big thing, one he didn’t consider lightly.

“You know we’ll do whatever is most comfortable for you, whether that is being with you or not. We’ll still take care of you the way you did for us during Jisung and Changbin’s cycles,” Jeongin replied softly, wringing out a shirt as Hyunjin’s hands slowly swished in the water. His brain flashed with images of the pack being with him and his cheeks warmed as a result. 

“I don’t want my first time to be during my rut,” He admitted, watching his hands and fingers floating almost elegantly under the clear water. “And, I don't want everyone's first experience with me to be during that time either- I don’t feel like myself then.”

“I can understand that,” Jeongin responded gently, and Hyunjin believed him. They were opposites, but their situations weren’t all that different.

“Can you tell me,” he started, looking up from the water to meet Jeongin’s eyes. “Can you tell me about your first time with the pack?”

Jeongin extended a reassuring smile that told Hyunjin the question was an okay one to ask, considering how personal it was. “Like you, I don’t feel in touch with my sub-gender as many others do. And, I didn’t want my first time with them to be in my heat either,” he started, glance moving away as he leaned to sit back on the rocks. “I don’t enjoy the neediness and or the lack of control. And, it’s frustrating for me to not be able to control the submissiveness that comes over me when I’m desperate for a knot. It doesn't make me feel like myself.” He let out a sign, looking out at the river and the forest beyond, birds chirping a lively song in the distance. His scent radiated frustration at the recollection. 

Hyunjin moved from his squatting position to sit beside Jeongin, placing a hand over the omega’s in a small comforting gesture. He liked physical touch as a form of comfort, probably because he’d received so little of it growing up. But, it seemed that the rest of the pack also valued it highly as well. 

“I envied Jisung hyung and Felix hyung for a while, for how easy it was for them to enjoy it,” he admitted.

“It’s okay to not enjoy it,” Hyunjin supplied, lightly linking his fingers over top of Jeongin’s. “It’s just a part of who you are and there’s nothing wrong with that,” 

“I do know that, and I don’t feel as burdened by it anymore,” he reassured before continuing. “My first time was with Changbin hyung. He was the one I first confessed my uncertainty to, and he’d validated my feelings; told me that it was okay for me to not want to submit, and that if I wanted to take on a more dominant role, he’d love to spend my first time with me, regardless.” Jeongin smiled in recollection, warm on his face as the sun shone down on him and made his skin glow.

Hyunjin smiled beside him, a fuzziness starting to spread through him at the solace he felt from Jeongin’s story. It was easy to admit how reassured it made him feel, and how it started to ease the worries in his mind that felt stuck in place with no solution. 

“I did end up spending my first time with him. He let me experience it the way that felt right for me, and I’ll always treasure that. From then it became easier to open up to everyone in that way, and when it came to my heat, I felt ready for it. And, I have to say, It was a good experience.” He finished off with a giggle, head falling to the side to flick Hyunjin a grin. 

Hyunjin let out his own giggle and gave Jeongin’s hand a squeeze. Yes, he definitely felt less jumbled up inside about it now. He didn’t have to jump into it all at once, he could ease himself in. 

“So, I want you to know that you don’t need to feel that you should be a certain way. When it came to my heat, we were all prepared because we’d communicated about what I felt comfortable with and what I didn’t. That way, I knew coming out of it that I wouldn’t regret anything that had happened during it,” Jeongin finished, turning his hand around in Hyunjin’s hold to link their fingers and give a squeeze of reassurance.

Hyunjin gave him a firm nod of understanding, a more confident attitude replacing his prior nervousness. “Thank you for sharing your experiences with me.”

They washed the rest of the washing, filling the air around them with splashing noises and light-hearted chattering. When they were done, Hyunjin pulled Jeongin into the river and they waded in deeper, floating around in the clear, barely there waves that their body movement created. With the lapping water against their skin, they pulled each other close. 

Hyunjin brushed his fingers through Jeongin’s hair, pushing it back off of his forehead, and Jeongin brushed Hyunjin’s behind his ears, the longer strands now starting to cascade over his shoulders. For a moment they just floated, breathing with air fanning each other’s cheeks, until Jeongin leaned forward, connecting their lips in a simple click of a kiss. It was sweet, and tasted of the cherries they’d had during lunch.

Jeongin pulled back, looking into Hyunjin’s eyes with a relaxed smile that held complete ease and a look in his eyes that held nothing less than adoration. Then they were kissing again, slow, delicate kisses that had Hyunjin melting into him. Everything else around him became insignificant when he was in Jeongin’s arms.

He found himself in Jisung’s room a couple of days later.

“Wanna scent you, Jisungie. Can I?” Hyunjin asked, holding his pillow to his chest as he stood in the doorway of Jisung’s room. He had started sleeping in the other member’s beds recently. Some nights he preferred to be on his own, with his own space. But, like the other members who often slept with one or more people, he had also started to indulge in that.

“C’mere,” Jisung voiced cheerily in agreement, closing out of the game he was playing on his phone. He was lying on his stomach, body sprawled out on his bed, facing the doorway. His scent was mixed with soap and aftershave, hair pushed back and still drying from an earlier snower.

Hyunjin slipped into the room and easily made himself comfortable on the bed, throwing his pillow onto the pile of Jisung’s copious amount of pillows and plus toys before laying down beside him. He rested on his side so he could look at Jisung’s face and then opened his arms up to pull the omega into a hug. 

Jisung quickly tossed his phone aside, forgetting it in favour of snuggling into Hyunjin’s hold and wrapping an arm around his middle. 

“I like how you smell, Jinnie,” Jisung sighed softly, breathing against the shirt over Hyunjin’s upper chest. 

Hyunjin didn’t know if he’d ever get used to the compliments the pack members gave him on his scent. In his mind, there was a part of him that was always transported back to what he’d heard growing up. Old habits die hard, he supposed. But, if Jisung, or any of them, thought that his scent was nice, as they regularly voiced to him, then as part of their pack he should believe their words.

“I like how you smell too Sungie,” Hyunjin mumbled into Jisung’s hair, not minding its dampness. His natural scent was coming back in, that sweet orange citrus smell almost enough to have Hyunjin’s mouth watering. He moved his cheek to brush against Jisung’s hair and then lowered his neck to be closer to his scent gland. He loved being able to replace the scent of body wash with his own, knowing the receiver would carry it around with them, smelling like him. And, Jisung was so wonderful to scent with. They were both so pliant under each other’s touch. It felt safe and warm and buzzing with an arousal that always built between them.

Jisung sighed happily, moving his neck to the side to give Hyunjin more space, where he nosed at the gland, rubbing against it smoothly. His cheek, his nose, his lips hovering over the gland. 

He’d never get used to scenting, and he didn’t want to, frankly. Being able to experience the pure intensity that scenting gave him like it was the first time, every time, was the best thing ever. 

Jisung let out a humm as Hyunjin kissed his gland, first brushing his lips against it in feather light movements and then giving in to place slow meaningful kisses over his skin. Jisun’s arm held him tighter, pulling them closer together as he let out a whimper. Hyunjin let his tongue slip out to swipe over his skin. 

“Feels good,” Jisung breathed, fingers stroking down Hyunjin’s back.

Hyunjin made a noise of contentment, drawing a breathy moan from Jisung’s lips. When he pulled back, he did so slowly, lips glossy and eyes hazed over. The warmth in his body had started to crackle and buzz, but he wasn’t sure if this was territory Jisung wanted to explore with him yet. Though, as he thought back to his conversation with Jeongin a couple of days prior, he remembered that communication was what had made Jeongin’s experience so comfortable.

Jisung had a fire in his eyes, akin to the one on Hyunjin’s face. His pink tongue flicked out over his lips, “Can I scent you now?”

Hyunjin’s throat bobbed, “I’ll still…react strongly,” he stated, but they both already knew that. Scenting Hyunjin was simply never an in-passing experience, it always turned heated, fast. However, the statement was less of a reminder and more of a question of proposition. Did they both want to continue in the direction that this was heading?

Jisung let out a breath, but it had the shakiness of being a whine, “That wouldn’t be a bad thing…right?” he asked. His voice was thick and his scent had doubled in its intensity, almost making Hyunjin’s scenting futile. But, Hyunjin’s body reacted pleasantly.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Hyunjin voiced in agreement, their eyes still locked on each other. It was a dance, one of elegance and timing. But, there was also something primal about it, a craving that sparked between them and demanded their attention.

Jisung broke eye contact first, nosing along Hyunjin’s jawline, making the alpha tip his head back in response. He let his nose brush over Hyunjin’s scent gland, and then almost immediately, his nose was replaced with his tongue, slick and smooth as it moved freely over the gland. There was nothing shy in Jisung’s actions, a clear intent to draw all the pleasant sounds Hyunjin could make from him.

Hyunjin let out a gasped breath, a whimper caught in his throat, only to slip out when Jisung licked down his neck, leaving tingles where his tongue passed. It was so warm and wet and when Jisung started to suck at his skin, Hyunjin felt like he was in heaven. His head became foggy with the pleasure that was swirling around his body as breathy whines escaped his lips. His fingers clenched and unclenched against the back of the omega’s loose sleeping shirt.

Jisung was pressed flush against him now and he could feel the way their bodies moved together, twitching with bucking hips that couldn’t resist movement. Hyunjin was hard, painfully so, and by the feeling against his thigh, Jisung was too. 

His fingers were twitching to move and explore Jisung’s body, uncertain but curious. 

When Jisung rolled his hips forward with an intentional grind to rub their cocks together, it gave him the initiative he needed to let his hands move down Jisung’s chest and pull at his shirt. 

“Want this off,” he breathed, feeling Jisung’s lips detach from his neck, the man sitting up to pull his shirt over his head with immediate eagerness. 

Hyunjin watched him, trying to pull at his own shirt while maintaining his view of Jisung. He was captivating, his eyes expressive with passion, and movements haste. 

Once their shirts were off, both of them only left in sweatpants, Jisung swung himself to sit on Hyunjin’s thighs, leaning down so that they were face to face again. 

With their abdomens touching, Hyunjin could feel Jisung’s body warmth against his bare skin and the movement of his elevated breathing. They met eyes again for a moment before Hyunjin strained his neck up, hand coming to thread his fingers through Jisung’s thick locks and pull him down to meet him in a kiss.

Kissing Jisung was what Hyunjin had expected it to be like, but so much better. Jisung was enthusiastic and kissed deeply; indulgent and passionate. He was vocal, moaning into Hyunjin’s mouth as their tongues lapped and slid together. There was an intensity to the way Jisung interacted like this, and it felt as though Hyunjin was the most important thing in the world to him right now. 

When Jisung started grinding down against him again, Hyunjin was just as much of a goner. His fingers tightened in Jisung’s hand and his other hand gripped the omega’s hip. He moaned out, the kiss breaking as Jisung took the opportunity to kiss down his neck, sucking at the spot below his Adam's apple. 

The pressure on his cock felt amazing, even through the layers of their sweatpants, and the pleasure was elevated further when Jisung moved forward a little, enough for his ass to make contact with the tented fabric of Hyunjin’s cock. Slick stained the material and the sweet smell of it filled the air. It made his cock twitch and he felt a pulsating throb of need- one he’d never felt so strongly before.

“Please, want to touch you, please…need it so bad,” he found himself begging, both his hands now finding placement over Jisung’s hip bones as he helped him grind. The fabric between their bare lower halves was becoming far too uncomfortable. 

Jisung didn’t even laugh at how desperate he was, thankfully just as needy, as he got up in an instant and pulled his sweats off, shamelessly nudging Hyunjin enough until he could pull his off too. 

Hyunjin panted, eyes caught on Jisung’s body as he took every bit of him in as he could. The omega had a slim waist that narrowed from broader shoulders. He was toned but not excessively so, rather holding the fit psyche of a shifter who was physically active. There was still a softness over his muscles, and every patch of skin had Hyunjin wanting to touch him. Every freckle, mole, mark, he wanted to run his fingertips over his body and place kisses that would hopefully leave a lingering and pleasant tingle.

His cock was hard, heavy as he regained his kneeling position over Hyunjin’s thighs. He was pretty, which was something Hyunjin could and would say about all of the member’s dicks, but he had a particular liking for omega's cocks.  Jisung’s was more tanned than his body skin, small and dripping with precome. He was slightly longer and wider than Felix, but not as long as Jeongin. 

Hyunjin was practically salivating, and he found it redundant to feel ashamed at this point. It felt so good to be able to give into the desire he felt, the arousal that pooled in his gut and the desperation for pleasure that was quickly building.

They maintained eye contact as Jisung reached behind himself, hand disappearing for a moment before it returned, glistening with slick. 

Hyunjin almost choked on his own saliva, cock twitching against his stomach. His hands had moved to Jisung’s thighs, gripping them securely. 

Jisung’s slicked up hand moved to Hyunjin’s cock, brushing over his balls and travelling up his shaft, leaving the skin with a lubricated wetness that smelled impossibly good.

“Oh-” Hyunjin sucked air in, hips twitching when Jisung’s hand wrapped around his cock, the wentess enveloping him in. He started to move his hand, stroking from the base to the tip of Hyunjin’s cock.

His thumb swiped over Hyunjin’s tip, the pink flushed skin so sensitive as Jisung ran his thumb over his tip that pearled wet with precome. 

Hyunjin’s thighs were shaking and he unsuccessfully fought the urge to buck into Jisung’s hand. It was so much better than his own hand. So, so much better.

As if he’d been wounded, he let out a mewl of protest when Jisung suddenly moved his hand away. About to ask Jisung why, his breath was caught in his throat as Jisung lifted himself, shuffling down the bed.

“What-” He managed to puff out before he was cut off when Jisung’s hand was replaced by his tongue.

A long slick swipe glided up his shaft, hot and twitching over his skin. He gasped, one hand gripping the sheets as the other moved to Jisung’s hair, fingers threading through it.

He couldn’t imagine what he looked like, head tipped back, body splayed out on the bed with his hair fanning behind him. His lips were parted, heavy breaths and light strangled moans leaving them as his eyes shut tight through the waves of pleasure. 

He’d never imagined oral sex to be so min-exploding. And, Jisung had only just started. There was no way Hyunjin would last long, and Jisung must have been aware of that, as he seemed even more eager to please.

When Jisung took him properly into his mouth and started to bob his head, that’s when Hyunjin let out his first sob of pleasure. He couldn’t stop his hips from bucking up, and Jisung didn’t discourage him by holding his hips down, so he let himself chase the pleasure, the slick sounds of his cock entering and partially exiting Jisung’s mouth sounding out around the room. Jisung would be able to taste his own slick like this, and that thought was dizzying. 

He was embarrassingly close to coming. Jisung had a hand cupping and massaging his balls, and while his whole cock couldn't fit completely inside the omega’s mouth, the drool that slipped from his lips and pooled at the base of his cock, making everything even wetter was what tipped him over the edge.

“I can’t- ’m gonna- ‘Sungie-!” he cried out, the words slurring together and losing cohesiveness. 

Jisung hummed around him, the vibration making Hyunjin let out a long, shaking sob, hips rolling up as he felt his cock throbbing in release straight into Jisung’s mouth. 

Around choked breaths, he managed to open his eyes enough to watch Jisung swallow his come down, eyes blinking up at him. His body twitched and trembled as a result, the high burning through him until it lulled away into a relaxing bliss that had his cries softening to mewls of overstimulation.

Jisung ended it by cleaning around Hyunjin’s cock with his tongue, cheekily taking longer so that he could enjoy Hyunjin’s twitches and whimpers of overstimulation. His lips were red and puffy as he pulled off, pupils blown out as desire still nipped at him. 

Despite Hyunjin’s dizzyingly satisfied brain, he somehow instinctively knew what to do, guiding Jisung back up to sit on him, this time closer so that Jisung’s cock was curved heavily above Hyunjin’s chest. 

Jisung was pliant and needy, “Please Jinnie, need you to do something.”

Hyunjin reached around him to dip into the wet slick between his cheeks, partially because he needed to know what it felt like for himself, but also because of how good he knew it felt around his cock. It was him that was making Jisung feel this way. He was making the omega slick from arousal, and he was proud.

He brought his hand back, momentarily bringing it to his lips, one finger tracing his bottom lip before his tongue dipped out to lick it up. He took in a sharp breath, the taste like honey on his tongue. He wanted to bathe in it, have Jisung’s slick clouding his senses. He wanted to lap his tongue over the omega’s hole and listen to his whimpers from below. Hopefully Jisung would be happy to sit on his face sometime.

“Oh god,” Jisung groaned lightly. “That’s so hot.”

He moved his hand to Jisung’s length, adjusting to the feeling of someone else’s cock in his hand for the first time. His own shaft was longer than the grip of his palm, while Jisung’s was almost completely smothered by it, only his tip poking out.

“You’re so beautiful, Sungie.”

Jisung let out a high toned moan, head tipping back as Hyunjin started to stroke him, and from below, Hyunjin couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He wasn’t lying, he was so incredibly beautiful. His thighs twitched at Hyunjin’s sides and he could feel the omega’s slick leaking out onto his stomach.

Hyunjin craned his neck up, palm massaging Jisung’s cock wetly before his grip loosened and he moved his tongue out to press over the head, sinking to suck him between his lips. 

“Ah- Jinnie, oh-” Jisung howled a moan, letting out a string of ‘ah’s’ and gibberish that was completely indecipherable. His eyes opened slowly, mouth parted in an ‘o’ as he looked down at Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin let his tongue swirl, matching with his light massaging movements, every so often running the tip of his tongue back over Jisun’d slit to catch the drools of precome.

“Close…n-not going to last,” Jisung gasped out, watching every movement Hyunjin made, feeling every single second of it.

Hyunjin laid his head back on the bed again and returned a stronger grip to Jisung’s cock as he stroked him in fast, wet, massaging movements. The sound that mixed with Jisung’s moans was pornographic. He opened his mouth, tongue extending with the intention of catching Jisung’s come. 

Jisung’s moans came to a sharp stop with an ‘oh my god-’ and a silent cry left his lips. He then jolted to a shallow grind as his release shot out, strings of come leaving his cock. Gasping breaths filling the room, Jisung’s thighs twitching at his sides as he rolled through his release.

Hyunjin was able to catch some of it on his tongue, the taste initially salty with an underlying sweetness, but it also landed on his chin, up his cheek and to the side of his eye, thankfully missing it. He couldn’t imagine that having come in his eye would be a very comfortable sensation.

Jisung’s erratic breathing slowed and Hyunjin let go of his cock, wiping his hand on his own chest without a care in the world for the stickiness, in fact having Jisung’s slick and come on him had a possessiveness bubbling in him. If he smelled of Jisung, outsiders would know Jisung was taken, they’d know not to harm him. 

Jisung looked at him with a hooded, blissed out gaze. “That was…incredible…you, you look incredible.”

Hyunjin smiled shyly, he couldn’t imagine he looked incredible with his face covered with Jisung’s come and slick, as well as his own sweat, but he could agree that it was incredible. “Was so good.”

“Everyone needs to see you like this…my god…” Jisung was clearly still caught up on his come covered appearance, and somehow his words were a trigger for a thud to hit the door, which then jolted open as though it was an invite. 

Hyunjin’s face grew red hot. 

“I’m sorry, we have to see it- oh wow-” Changbin cut himself off, his scent turning heavy in arousal. He wasn’t the only one to stumble inside, 5 others following in after. The whole pack had been out there, likely having heard the pair of them getting hot and heavy somewhere along the way.

“Guys-” Chan started, directed those who had entered without a welcome as his tone aimed for scolding, but he got one look at Hyunjin and lost all ability to speak. 

The bed was soon piled with a tangle of limbs, all of the members somehow fitting on. Changbin had wrestled Jisung into a hug and Minho had his arm wrapped around Hyunjin’s stomach. It was a lot, but Hyunjin loved it.

“Can I clean you up, Hyunjinnie?” Felix asked coyly, and not knowing what exactly he meant, Hyunjin agreed with a nod.

He quickly found out that Felix cleaning him up consisted of him licking the come from Hyunjin’s face in small kitten licks like it was the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted. If Hyunjin wasn’t so exhausted from the best orgasm he’d ever had, he would have hardened up again right away, and it didn’t help that around him he could still smell the scents of the other members affected by his and Jisung’s escapades.

The puppy pile that now took over the bed had Hyunjin practically purring into Minho’s chest with Seungmin pressed up behind him, the pair cocooning him in a hug that entangled with the others. 

Needless to say, snuggled up with everyone and completely blissed out, Hyunjin slept really well that night.

Chapter Text

Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin went into the city the next day. Hyunjin wanted, or more needed a cellphone so that if something happened while he was away from the rest of the pack, he’d be able to get in contact, and Seungmin and Jeongin had their own lists of tasks to accomplish. 

In between stores, they stopped at a café, sitting down on bar stools on the second floor, overlooking the vibrant streets below. They sipped iced drinks to cool them from all the walking they’d been doing all morning. It was probably too hot to even be out today, but the sweet icy drinks made it bearable.

Hyunjin took photos of the cafe with his new phone after setting it up and figuring out how to actually use it. Jeongin gave him all of the pack’s numbers, the only contacts he’d probably ever have in his phone, and if he was honest, he couldn’t see himself using it all that much. He’d survived all his life until now without one, but it would be nice to be able to play multiplayer games with Jisung and Chan. They were rather invested in one involving catching characters, recently. Hyunjin didn’t really understand it, and Minho told him it wasn’t very interesting, but he did find following the two gamers around the forest while they threw mobile balls at characters on their screens, fun, nonetheless.

He took photos of Seungmin who wanted some ‘aesthetic candid shots’, followed by Jeongin, before finally allowing them to take photos of him as well. He never grew up with any photos of himself. There were a few group ones taken from time to time to record the ongoing pack history, but nothing like the selfies he ended up taking with the other two; making him do everything from cute poses to strange facial expressions. 

After finishing the rest of their city tasks, they headed back to the cabin, arms bearing large reusable bags that had been stuffed inside of Jeongin’s backpack earlier that day. 

As much as the pack liked to rely on the veggies they grew for themselves and the meat they hunted, being a small pack, sometimes things were easier when one had access to a supermarket as well. Additionally, medical supplies were always good to keep stocked up.

Hyunjin smiled to himself as he thought about the pack. He was experiencing so many firsts with them, all of which he appreciated beyond belief. One thought, which had only recently started to cross his mind, was the progression towards a mating mark. The other pack members all adorned 6 bite marks, beautifully placed on their necks in various patterns. Mating marks were a very clear symbol of one’s devotion for another, between bonded and romantically involved couples. 

The history, which Hyunjin had been very traditionally filled in on in his younger years, told him that mating marks were a promise to stay with someone forever. The only way a mark could fade and disappear from the skin was through immense heartbreak. He’d seen it happen before, the pain so bad it was a near death experience, but it wasn’t a common occurrence and most held the mark for life. 

Before the change in leadership, he’d dreamed about the day he’d get his mating mark and the pride he’d have holding an alpha’s bite. That was of course when he assumed he would present as an omega. Once the pack dynamics changed and he presented, Hyunjin had seldom thought of it again. Until now.

No one had brought it up yet, but in all fairness, Hyunjin was an extremely recent addition to the pack, and being bonded to them, even romantically, was a far smaller step than taking and giving the lifelong devotion of a mating bite. However, now that the thought had entered his head, one filled with strong want and anticipation, it was hard to ignore. Still, rushing into it when the relationship was so new, was not something he wanted to do. He would savour every single first with the pack before then.

Over the next couple of days, he was almost always in someone's arms. He hadn’t slept in his own bed for almost a week.

On Wednesday, Changbin pulled him away to his room and gave him the magnificent experience of being rimmed, which had him exploding all over his bed sheets before Changbin fucked his throat so good that it hurt. He’d learnt that he wasn’t exactly the quietest person when it came to sexual pleasure, probably competing with Felix for the position of loudest in the pack.

Changbin was an eager lover, putting his all into everything he did- his focus on it unrelenting. The feeling of a tongue swirling and plunging into his hole was dizzyingly good and the force in which he came was a clear show of it. And, in return, he learnt and somewhat mastered the art of holding back his gag reflex as Changbin worked him up to a brutal pace of fucking his dick in Hyunjin’s warm wet mouth. Changbin’s small ‘ah ah’ sounds that mixed with his grunts were the best reward Hyunjin could have asked for. 

Thursday morning, after sleeping cuddled up to Felix in his omega scented bed, they gave each other sleepy morning handjobs, kissing lazily as they mewled into each other’s mouths. It was so cosy and being on the verge of sleep while blissful pleasure clouded his mind was lovely. They came over their hands, licking each other's come up before falling straight back to sleep.

Hyunjin could certainly get used to this kind of affection. He loved every aspect of the romantic relationship he was building with the pack, and there was something incredibly beautiful about being able to bond in this intimate way. 

Friday afternoon had Hyunjin between Seungmin’s legs, laying back against his chest as Seungmin tweaked and played with his nipples. Unsurprisingly he was very sensitive there, which Seungmin cruelly played to his advantage until Hyunjin begged for the beta to touch his cock so he could come. Seungmin didn’t let up until tears were spilling from his eyes, to which he then let Jeongin step in and suck him dry. Hyunjin learnt that day that Seungmin had a deliciously cruel streak to his sexual endeavours.

On Saturday, he spent the morning lazing on Chan’s office couch, dozing off and then waking up to try and read one of the books he’d picked up while they were in the city, in a continued cycle. However, somewhere along the way he got himself distracted. Once the idea popped into his head, he simply could not let it go.

Chan was typing at his computer, eyes focussed on one screen where he was typing out an email, while the other had open the company's website. Him being distracted gave Hyunjin the opportunity to sneak under Chan’s desk, going completely unnoticed until he was sliding between his legs and rubbing his face along Chan’s thigh.

Chan’s thigh twitched in surprise, “What are you doing baby?” He asked curiously, extending a hand down to brush his thumb over Hyunjin’s cheekbone.

Hyunjin answered by moving to rub his cheek over Chan’s crotch, looking up at him as he started mouthing his clothed cock. 

Chan let out a stuttered breath, fabric straining as his dick began to fill out. It was captivating. He was captivating. His cock hardened quickly, pressing against his jeans in a way that just couldn't be comfortable. 

“Wanna help you,” Hyunjin mumbled, tongue running over his straining length.

“Do you want to help me or distract me?” Chan huffed playfully, the hand on Hyunjin’s cheek moving to thread through his hair and stroke over the pale blond waves. His hair had grown a lot since he’d arrived, and every time he noticed its increased length, he felt a little less tethered to the self-hatred that used to plague him so intensely.

“Make you feel good,” Hyunjin replied just above a whisper, tongue flicking out to wet his lips as he popped the button of Chan’s pants and moved the material away. To his pleasure, Chan hissed a breath and they both watched as Chan’s cock bobbed as it popped free. He licked his lips again, swallowing an embarrassing amount of saliva.

Chan’s throat bobbed and he spread his legs more, welcoming Hyunjin impossibly closer. He smiled down at the eager young alpha, appreciative of his ‘help’, and then returned his attention to the screen.

Hyunjin took Chan’s cock into his hands, slowly stroking the almost silky skin in a mesmerised trance. He brought his face closer, running Chan’s cock head over his bottom lip, tongue dipping out to steal the precome pearling at his slit. 

The only hint of Chan’s struggle to maintain composure was the recurring twitch in his thighs.

His up close and personal experience with the pack members’ dicks was still reasonably limited. But, there was something about wanting to please another with his mouth that had Hyunjin entirely captivated. He loved the progressing ability to note the differences between each pack member, their scents that carried through all the way to their come, the distinct feel and taste of skin in his mouth, against his lips, brushing over the back of his throat. And with all of that, there was the absolute satisfaction of witnessing the pleasure his actions brought.

After one long lick up Chan’s shaft, Hyunjin took him fully into his mouth. Well, as fully as he could go with Chan’s size, but it was still something he took pride in.  At that, Chan let out a low groan from above, pulling his lip between his teeth as his typing halted. Hyunjin wouldn’t be surprised if the email Chan sent off was complete gibberish. But, Hyunjin truly wasn’t there to distract him. He was there to help .

When he didn’t move, cock remaining securely in his mouth with his cheek pressed to Chan’s thigh as he got himself comfortable, Chan looked down at him again. “Are you warming my cock, baby?”

Hyunjin hummed against his length in confirmation. If that’s what it was called, then yes, that’s what he was doing. He’d seen Felix doing it with Jeongin one time when they were watching a movie, and while in that case Felix had been sitting on the other omega’s cock, Hyunjin supposed a mouth worked just as well. Plus, he was starting to feel good like this, calm; like he was in his own world. A most beautiful trance, he would compare it to.

“I don’t know whether to thank you for being so kind or tell you off for teasing me,” He huffed, amusement twitching at his lips.

Hyunjin looked up at him, flicking him a light glare at the accusation of teasing. ‘Not teasing, helping ,’ the look expressed.

Chan glanced down at him and let out a short laugh, moving to brush over Hyunjin’s cheek again, this time with the added bulge that protruded. “I know, I know. Helping .”

They stayed like that for a while. Hyunjin would suckle every so often to keep Chan hard, and Chan got his work done with an admirable amount of focus. It was comfortable being like this, maybe apart from the hard wood on his knees, but that wasn't a deterrent by any means. He felt so floaty. 

But then he got bored. 

He didn’t know how much time had passed, his jaw had a pleasant ache and he felt as though he’d been having the most lovely nap one could imagine, but he was awake now and he was horny. Opening his eyes again, he looked up at Chan. He had finished typing, and was now clicking away at things with his mouse. Experimentally, Hyunjin gave him a suck, one with his tongue latching itself to the underside of Chan’s shaft.

Chan took in a sharp intake of breath but didn’t spare him a glance yet, probably thinking the move hadn’t been intentional.  But, Hyunjin did it again, and this time Chan did look.

“Getting bored, hun?” Chan quirked an eyebrow.

Hyunjin blinked up at him, moving his tongue again, lapping as best as he could while having Chan stuffed inside his mouth.

Chan’s eyes darkened. “Are you not satisfied with warming my cock anymore?”

Again, Hyunjin blinked up at him, faux innocence laced over his features but the glint in his eyes was mischievous. He was begging to be the menace that Chan was learning him to be.

“Oh, I am so going to wreck you,” Chan laughed through a groan as Hyunjin gave his cock a particularly long and wet suck.

Work abandoned, Chan began slowly moving his hips, shallow thrusts making Hyunjin whine for more.

“Still not enough?” Chan asked, a pout on his face but everything about his demeanour was condescending, and it had Hyunjin absolutely leaking precome into his boxers.

Chan stood up, cock falling from Hyunjin’s lips devastatingly as he kicked his chair out behind him, “Kneel here, now,” he demanded, leaving no room for argument. “You tap my leg twice if you want me to stop, understand?” He yanked Hyunjin closer by his hand, placing it on the outside of his upper thigh that was now exposed from his jeans and boxers falling to the floor to pool around his ankles 

Hyunjin nodded. He’d agree to anything as long as it got Chan’s cock back in his mouth.

“Words sweetheart, I need you to use your words,” Chan instructed, this time his tone was softer, breaking away from the persona of dominance he’d fallen into. And this time, Hyunjin listened properly.

“I understand,” Hyunjin tapped his thigh twice in example to show his understanding and now satisfied with his answer, Chan threaded his hands through Hyunjin’s hair again and pulled him in hard. The condescending sharp look in his eyes was back, and it made Hyunjin buzz with excitement. 

“Good boy, open your mouth for me,” Chan demanded, not giving Hyunjin the chance to do it on his own, as he used his thumb on Hyunjin’s chin to pull it open, plush lips parting to the slick wetness of his tongue. And, as Hyunjin extended his tongue out hopefully, he became aware of the effect he had on Chan. Chan looked at him as though he was so unbearably beautiful like this; and maybe he was. 

When Chan’s cock entered his mouth again, this time there was no gentle pause, no light suckling. The alpha, eyes glowing red, thrust his hips in, pulled Hyunjin back by his hair and then yanked him forward. 

The pace was brutal from the start and Hyunjin gripped Chan’s legs for support, keeping in mind the non-verbal safe word he’d been given. He didn’t need it, not today anyway, not when Chan fucking his throat felt so good. The smoothness of Chan’s cock head hitting the pack of his throat had him groaning around his length, vibrating waves of pleasure around Chan that had the alpha tightening his hold on Hyunjin’s hair, eyes squeezed shut. 

The experience was similar to that of his time with Changbin. While both alphas held an air of dominance, Chan’s was unwavering. Changbin loved to praise him, shower him with compliments and check that he was okay more times than probably necessary. Changbin wanted to be good for him. Chan wanted to ruin him. 

Hyunjin gagged a couple of times, regaining composure quickly after each time. He was learning to breathe through his nose effectively, thanks to his experience with Changbin and then a ‘dom/sub for beginners 101’ lesson from Jisung. Like him, Jisung had a masochistic side that was much more explored than Hyunjin’s. But, Hyunjin felt comforted in that; that he was safe to explore those feelings and know that he always had someone to turn to when he wasn’t sure about something.

Hyunjin brought a hand up to Chan’s balls, holding them and moving them in his palm. They were heavy and tight and Chan growled again as Hyunjin toyed with them. He was getting close, Hyunjin could tell by the increased dribbles of precome that were forced down his throat, thick with the leader’s scent. It was addicting. He was addicting. 

“That’s it baby, so good- your mouth is so- fuck, you’re made for this,” Chan rambled, his words slurring and unintelligible at times. He brought his gaze back down to Hyunjin and let out a growl at the sight. “Look at you, you are made for it aren’t you?”

Chan liked to give praise and Hyunjin bathed in that, But, he also liked to humiliate and degrade, and while they hadn’t explored much of that side yet, it excited Hyunjin just as much.

Chan expected an answer somehow but Hyunjin could only whine. He felt the words to be true, while so deep in the floaty feeling. He was made for this. He was made for Chan. He moaned around his shaft at that, his own hips bucking into nothing but air, cock trapped in its confines. He needed friction, needed to chase his own pleasure, selfishly. But, he put it on the back burner for now. Chan was close, riding a wave of ecstasy that would soon reach its peak and explode- and Hyunjin craved that.

“Fuck…yeah, just like that,” Chan growled, head tipping back as his hips snapped in a swiftly becoming sloppy rhythm. He panted, voice throaty and raw, and with a final groan, deep from within his chest, he reached his orgasm. His hips slowed to harsh snaps as come painted Hyunjin’s tongue and the back of his throat. He could choke on it, but he managed not to, breathing and looking up at Chan as he let out a final hiss that radiated through his orgasm, slowing to a stop in Hyunjin’s mouth. Hyunjin could feel him twitching, threatening overstimulation as he tried to swallow his come greedily. 

A fanged grin gracing Chan’s features, eyes hooded with pleasure. “You love my come that much, huh?” He asked in a drawled tone as he pulled out of Hyunjin’s mouth, letting him swallow his load and then open his mouth to show Chan he’d taken it all. “Good boy,” He cooed, looking genuinely proud of Hyunjin as he tucked himself back into his boxers and righted his clothing. 

Hyunjin thought they were finished at that, that maybe Chan wanted to return to work, letting Hyunjin take care of himself- but Chan was never one to disappoint. 

He guided Hyunjin up, and despite Hyunjin being taller, Chan was stronger built, and was easily able to pick him up as the younger alpha let out a yelp of surprise. He held Hyunjin’s ass tight as he carried him to the couch and dropped him down with a thump. 

“Strip,” He instructed, folding his arms over his chest. He was demanding, watching Hyunjin’s every movement, and Hyunjin loved to be watched. He was pulling his clothes off in seconds.

“Yes, alpha.”

Chan’s eyes pulsed a glowing red, a realisation that Chan definitely liked to be reminded of his alpha leadership in these situations. 

“Want to feel good, alpha, Will you make me feel good?” He asked, blinking up at him with pleadingly innocent eyes.

The growl that rippled from Chan’s chest had pleasure jolting down Hyunjin’s spine and he laid open, naked on Chan’s couch for him to do whatever he wanted with him. His legs were spread, cock heavy against his stomach, absolutely drooling precome. That was another thing Hyunjin had learnt about himself; he produced a lot of precome and when he came, he usually came a lot . It probably indicated that he was very fertile- but it was also insanely hot for everyone to witness how wet he made himself.

Chan kissed his thighs, taking his time to lick and nip and suck at the skin. Hyunjin would be left with multiple lovebites over his thighs that he’d gladly wear with pride. “Are you going to be a good boy for me?” He asked from between his legs, fully clothed in comparison to Hyunjin’s bare state.

Hyunjin gasped, spine arching off the couch as Chan’s hands travelled up his sides and then pinched his nipples.

“I’ll be good- I’ll be so good. Please!” 

Chan gave his thigh a light smack, earning him a pleasured whimper, with the younger alpha’s thighs parting even further.

“Look at me baby, I want to ask you something.” Chan’s voice was raspy, tone both instructing and soft at the same time. The question was important.

Hyunjin refocused his eyes, breathing heavily as he looked at the alpha. His alpha.

“Can I finger you?”

Hyunjin blinked at him, processing the question. He’d fingered himself before, during his ruts he spent most of the time with one hand tightly gripping his knot and the other deep in his ass, but he could imagine this would be very different from his own fingers, and very different from that situation as a whole. “Yes,” he breathed. 

Chan pressed a final kiss to his thigh and then moved to reach for the table on the side of the couch, pulling the drawer open to reveal more than just what Hyunjin assumed to be lube. There were toys in there, ones he had very little knowledge of or even encountered before. He didn’t have any experience in that department.

“We have lots of fun things to try in the future, don’t we, hun?” Chan purred with an amused smile as he watched Hyunjin’s fascination with the contents of the drawer.

“Mhm,” Hyunjin replied absently, eyes following Chan who closed the drawer and then popped the lid off of the lube.

“I promise I’ll go slow, okay?” 

Hyunjin swallowed, a nervousness making itself known in the pit of his stomach. But, he trusted Chan to take care of him.

The first lubed up finger was easy for Chan to slip in, Hyunjin’s hole welcoming him as he let out a breath at the sensation. He’d circled his rim first, making sure he was nice and wet. Chan’s fingers certainly felt different to his own. While his were longer, Chan’s were thicker, so when it came to adding the second finger, there was more of an adjustment needed.

But, Chan was patient. He was attentive to Hyunjin's reactions, small gasps where he hit places that felt good, little hisses when the stretch was a bit too much. Being fingered by someone else was also different in the way that Hyunjin wasn’t in control of the movements being given to him. It meant that he was giving a lot of trust to Chan, but also that he could just bask in the pleasure, not tiring his hands out at trying to reach the right angles himself. 

At the third finger, Hyunjin’s erection had flagged a bit, his focus until that point having been on adjusting to the new feelings and sensations rather than the potential pleasure. However, there was no longer resistance to Chan’s thrusts.

“Play with your nipples for me, baby,” Chan spoke softly, rubbing the underside of Hyunjin’s thigh soothingly.

Doing as he was told, Hyunjin moved his fingers to his nipples, remembering how Seungmin had teased him, pinching, flicking and rolling the buds between his thumb and middle finger. He copied the action to himself, and that mixed with the thrust of Chan’s fingers had his body buzzing again and twitching in pleasure. 

His hole clenched around Chan’s fingers, it felt so good, he felt so full. The sensation was so new and not only was he not ashamed of the state he was in, he was basking in his right to feel this way. He loved the feeling of being taken care of. It fueled his excitement for what it would be like to have someone’s cock inside of him, or to be inside of somebody. He wasn’t scared anymore, and that was a wonderful realisation; to feel comfortable in who he was and to feel comfortable in letting others in, in such an intimate way.

When Chan’s fingers jabbed right against his prostate, He let out a cry, arching off the couch, only to be swiftly pushed back down by Chan’s free hand. 

He was gasping out, cries of pleasure making him twitch and jolt, and sob. His brain wasn’t even working anymore, reduced to a pile of goo that could only produce static and take in the exuberant amounts of pleasure. 

Chan pistoned his fingers in and out of Hyunjin’s hole, hitting and rubbing his prostate over and over.

Hyunjin was wailing, his fingers abandoning his nipples to grasp at anything he could for stability. If Chan wasn’t holding him in place so well, he would have been finger fucked up the couch.

He was done for when Chan took his cock into his mouth, tongue swirling as he sucked on Hyunjin until the intense stimulation of it all had him shooting down the alpha’s throat with aftershocks that felt like explosions of fireworks behind his eyes. He choked out breaths and pleas for nothing in particular as he whimpered through it all, hips finally stuttering to a stop as Chan slowly removed his hands and mouth from him. Almost immediately, he was tucked into the leader’s arms, being cooed at and praised for being such a good boy. 

He was a good boy.

“Who would you like to experience your first time with?” Chan propositioned. 

They were gathered around the unlit fireplace, snuggled and draped over each other. There was soft music playing in the background; one of Seungmin’s playlists. It was loud enough to be soothing but not enough to be distracting.

Hyunjin had been thinking about it. With his rut coming soon, and the general desire to progress sexually anyway, he was ready for it. In this context, the ‘first time’ was really two times, if he chose to look at it like that. Although, some might argue that what he’d already done with the members was considered that. But, Hyunjin wanted to keep it simple; Who he wanted to fuck him first and who he wanted to fuck first. Those were the two questions that had been on his mind, and he’d been ready for the question when it was brought up.

He’d deliberated wanting to be fucked by Chan, first. Chan was someone he was clearly comfortable with, and he’d fingered him already so they both knew what he could handle. Instinctively, Chan was also the pack leader and a part of him believed he ‘owed’ that to the pack leader. But, that was an outdated mindset and he was well aware of that. This pack didn’t work that way, and if he wanted to spend it with someone else, he had every right to.

“I want to bottom for my first time,” He started off, pulling his lip in as he looked around the room. No one was surprised, he didn’t expect them to be, and they waited patiently for him to continue. “I’ve thought about who I want to bottom for, and then who I want to top with.”

“We’ll be happy with whatever you’ve decided, sweetheart. This is about you,” Seungmin reminded him, somehow knowing that those were the words he needed to hear right now. 

He’d also contemplated his first time bottoming to be with Changbin or Seungmin. Jeongin had spoken very comfortably with having Changbin as his first, and Hyunjin knew he could trust the omega’s comfort in the alpha. And, Seungmin was someone who he considered to be calm, level headed. He’d be the most present in a situation like that, mentally, Hyunjin believed. And he’d need someone like that, because he wasn’t sure how ‘with it’ he’d be with a dick in his ass. 

“I’d like it to be with Minho hyung,” he announced.

He’d come to the decision of Minho because Minho felt like what he needed. He was level headed, immensely protective and Hyunjin knew without a doubt, he’d take care of him. He’d learnt Minho to be someone who wasn’t as hard or intimidating as Hyunjin had believed him to be. But, to be fair, they hadn’t met in the greatest of ways. Despite that, he’d learnt of Minho’s kindness. He acted where words couldn’t be said, comforted with physical hold, a comforting hug or even just the clasp of hands. He didn’t often rush to talk or make decisions, he was patient, he listened. And, even completely disregarding all of this, Hyunjin wanted it to be him, just because. He cared about Minho deeply, it was as simple as that.

Minho’s face morphed into a look of surprise, pink lips parted, as though he hadn’t expected it, but Chan had a small knowing smile on his face. A leader, always one step ahead. 

“You want it to be me?” Minho asked in a voice that was nearly breathless. He sounded honoured, an emotion he wasn’t sure he’d seen from the alpha until now.

“Would that be okay?” He asked, fingers fiddling in his lap. He was sitting on the love seat, Jeongin at his side, their shoulders and thighs pressed together. But, Jeongin didn’t crowd his space or try to hold him, he just sat there, listening and supporting. 

“Of course- yes, of course,” Minho replied, throat bobbing. He was flustered, cheeks warming as his scent radiated a mix of surprise and pride. 

“Thank you,” Hyunjin smiled bashfully. Now that it had been announced, he couldn’t help looking at Minho with the thought of ‘he’s going to be inside of me’. Wow, he was really excited about this.

“Who would you like to top for, honey?” Seungmin asked, helping both alphas out of the shyness that had fallen between them.

Hyunjin had thought about this a lot, too. In both situations he'd considered the comfort level of others. Everyone had preferences, some preferred to top, others to bottom. Some tended to be more dominant, others submissive, and sometimes they were just neutral. When Hyunjin thought about who he wanted to top with, he considered his mindset going into it.

Topping felt more sensitive to him, to his mental state. Those feelings and pressures to be ‘the alpha he wasn’t’ resurfaced at the thought, and would be more prominent in the situation itself. So, he wanted someone to take control, to take those worries away and just let him feel . He wanted it to be Jeongin. Jeongin knew what it felt like to be alienated by his own body. He knew how sensitive Hyunjin would feel and would be able to accommodate that. And that’s what Hyunjin needed. Plus, like Minho, and the others, he wanted him because he cared about him, because it felt right and he had a unique connection to Jeongin that he wanted to progress in their relationship in that way. Jeongin liked to top and bottom, comfortable with both as long as he wasn’t being pushed into submission. That was completely fine with Hyunjin who felt the exact opposite. It was a perfect match.

“I want to top Jeonginnie,” he answered, eyes moving to Jeongin beside him who gave him an adoring smile. “If you’re okay with that?” he asked, moving to link their hands gently.

“I’d love that,” The omega replied warmly, locking their hands together with a squeeze and leaning to press a kiss to Hyunjin’s cheek. This felt good. Everything felt good.

Chapter Text

The new pack was moving in closer, according to Chan. They certainly weren't friendly, and even hostile was too kind of a word. They were dangerous. After trying to take down the two packs in the east, they were moving closer to Chan’s and their neighbouring pack. With the first pack they’d tried to infiltrate, they lost easily, almost too easily , in Hyunjin’s opinion. With the second pack, they hadn’t managed to take them over either, but they had negotiated recruits to assist them with their next targets; Chan’s pack. Needless to say, Chan wasn’t pleased.

The hostile pack had around 20 members now, a decent 10 or more shifters than Chan and the neighbouring pack’s numbers combined. The Bang Pack had 8 and The Kim Pack had 7. Things really weren’t looking good, but Chan kept assuring them that it would be fine and that with their experience, they’d be able to handle it. 

Everyone was aware that Chan knew just as little as the rest of them, and no amount of empty reassurance could fix that. Hyunjin just hoped that whatever was coming, passed with no downfall on their part.

“If he wants it so bad, why don’t we give it to him?” A voice taunted, gripping Hyunjin by the hair and yanking his neck back to force him to bare himself from where he was kneeled.

“Might as well get our dicks wet,” Another leered, a sharp, wide grin spreading over his features like a possessed clown. “You want that, whore? You want us to make you feel like an omega? I bet you do,” he shot, giggling.

“What’s the point?” One of the alpha girls in the group signed dismissively. “It’s no fun if all he’s gonna do is cry and take it.”

Hyunjin could barely hear them over his choked breaths, begging for them to let him go, cries he tried to hold back in his throat falling out and littering the air with how pathetic he felt- how pathetic he was to them. People made jokes from time to time, about using him like they would an omega if he wanted to be one so badly, but those were all made without intention, just to scare him and make him feel worse about himself. This was the first time that anyone had actually shown any motivation to act on those sickening comments.

“Oh, but he wants it so badly, look at him~ He’s crying for it,” The first alpha said in mock sympathy, turning Hyunjin’s head forcefully so that he could witness the group’s eyes on him. There were 5 of them, all alphas, all with the same revoltingly sick expression on their faces. They loved this. They loved hurting him. 

The group had him trapped in the forest behind the pack’s museum building. In the distance he could hear the soft music that played from inside. Photos covered the wall of historical moments of the past and awards the pack had gifted to various members over the last century for whatever they deemed commendable. But, right here, forced to kneel before his attackers, Hyunjin found this to be the biggest symbol of the pack’s pride.

The young woman rolled her eyes, “He’s not worth it. Find one of your omega bitches, at least those sluts know how to get wet.”

Hyunjin whimpered and the group broke into laughter. His hair was released from the scalp burning hold and he curled in on himself. The group started to move away but he had no intentions of uncurling until they were long gone.

The alpha at his side was the last to move, leaning down as he pressed his mouth to Hyunjin’s ear. “Hear that? You’re not worth it Hyunjin….and you never will be.”

“Hyunjin- Hyunjin,” A voice in the distance had Hyunjin gasping like he’d been held under a body of water for a moment too long. Was someone shaking him or was he trembling on his own? 

As reality seeped back into his consciousness, he realised he was both shuddering and at the hands of tight fingers clasped around his arms, shaking him awake.

It was a dream. A different one. He only ever dreamed of the same situation, being kicked to unconsciousness in the woods, but this one was from an older moment, less fresh in his mind these days. He hadn’t dreamt of it since the months following its occurrence. He felt disoriented, trapped in a world that was not the past but not quite the present. Was he real? His limbs were numb, his memories were hazy, still caught on the burn in his scalp and the internal pain those words had brought him.

“Hyunjin, wake up, please .” It was a different voice, one deeper and more panicked, and Hyunjin fought the heaviness behind his eyes to blink them open. Felix and Minho. 

Minho had been the first voice, and the one with the tight, fearful grip on his arms. Felix’s panicked tone mirrored the fear on his features. Both were only cast by the rays of the moonlight, dim but noticeable from the crescent moon shining in through the opened curtains. 

Hyunjin didn’t know what time it was. His mouth was dry and his throat felt like he’d swallowed sandpaper.

“Jinnie,” Felix sniffled, pressing his face into Hyunjin’s shoulder and the alpha could feel his tears wetting his sleepshirt. He’d scared them.

The grip on his arms and the weight on his shoulder felt suffocating. The bed covers were kicked off somewhere, a cold sweat shivering through his body. He’d gone to sleep in Minho’s bed, tucked between him and Felix after they’d watched an animated movie together. 

“Please,” he managed to wheeze, lip trembling. “Don’t touch me.”

Minho’s hold from him disappeared in a second, and Felix was up and looking at him straight away. It had been a considerable while since Hyunjin had felt ashamed, and maybe it was naive of him to believe that that was a feeling of the past, but here he was, humiliated, walking a tether that felt like if he was to even take the smallest misstep, he’d crumble and break. 

Felix had a look of loss for words and confusion on his face, not knowing what to do. Minho was frowning, deep, and if Hyunjin didn’t know him as well as he did, he’d have interpreted the look to be angry. Maybe Minho was angry, but it wasn’t at Hyunjin. 

“Are you okay?” Felix asked, voice small, fingers twitching in his lap as he held himself back from reaching out.

Hyunjin let out a shaky breath, trying to swallow. He wasn’t okay, but he didn’t feel like he was transported back in time as much as when he’d first jolted awake. “I haven’t dreamt of that in…years,” he whispered.

Minho looked down at him, “Do you dream often?”

Hyunjin gave a twitching shrug against the sheets, “Not often these days…But, it was always the same dream. I…I always dream of getting beaten up in the forest. This…was an older memory.” 

Felix chewed on his lip, eyes downcast. “You were crying…begging for something to stop. Why were you so scared?”

“Lix,” Minho shook his head.

“They uh…Some people I used to know,” he started, throat bobbing as he looked to Felix to answer his question. He knew that he wasn’t obligated to tell them, but he’d been reminded many times that he no longer had to bear these feelings alone. It was okay to let people in, to accept help. “They were…going to do something bad to me,” he admitted, eyes flicking up to the ceiling. 

“Did they touch you?” Minho asked, his voice had turned sharp and Hyunjin wouldn’t be surprised if his canines were extended.

“They just pulled my hair.”

“ Hyunjin, did they-”

“No,” Hyunjin cut him off quickly. “The didn’t sexually assault me,” he whispered. “They were going to, they threatened it a lot, but this was the only time they…seemed to want to actually act on it. They didn’t do anything though,” he swallowed, “They told me I wasn’t worth it.”

Felix made a short high noise in his throat and Hyunjin’s gaze moved in time to see the omega covering his lips. There was a trail of tears running down his pinkened cheeks. 

“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin said, biting down on his lip. He knew about the auction that Felix had been in, how they’d treated him there. Hearing all of this would have been triggering for him. 

“Why are you sorry?” Felix shook his head, he moved closer, and this time Hyunjin craved the comfort of physical touch. His body was his own again, his mind was present and he wanted the feeling of his pack member’s scents to remind him of where he was now and all he had in his life that was good.

“I don’t want to upset you,” Hyunjin replied, arms extending for Felix to lay back and curl into him again. Minho, who was still sitting, let a hand fall to Hyunjin’s wrist, gently stroking his less sensitive wrist gland, thankfully nowhere near as responsive as the gland on his neck.

“You never have to apologise for something like this, Hyunjin,” Minho reminded him in a stern but caring tone and Hyunjin nodded, sniffling his clogged nose. He reached out and Minho moved to lay down again too, wrapping an arm over him. 

Hyunjin breathed in their scents, his heartbeat evening out. 

“The others are coming,” Minho commented against the side of Hyunjin’s head, placing a kiss on his temple. 

Hyunjin could hear them too, footsteps coming down the hallway. 

“Puppy pile,” Felix anticipated, smiling gently. 

Going back off to sleep with the entire pack around him was a wall of protection from the bad moments in his memories. No matter what thoughts of the past bubbled up, none of that could defeat the love and support he had in his life now. He wasn’t tackling this alone anymore.

“What do we do if they attack while Hyunjin’s in his rut?” Felix asked, chewing at his fingernails until Changbin eased his fingers away from his mouth to get him to stop. Everyone was situated in Chan’s office, the small room somehow accommodating the 8 of them. Chan was behind his desk, Seungmin in one of the chairs in front of it, Jeongin in the other. Changbin was on the couch with Felix in his lap, and Hyunjin and Jisung were on either side of them, while Minho stood at the side of the couch, hand resting at the back of it. 

“We’ll just have to make it work, there’s no way to stop either situation,” Chan responded, sounding sure of himself, confident in an alpha leader type of way. But, none of this was ideal, and if Hyunjin was in his rut when the attack came, there was no textbook guide on how to get through that. If they left him on his own he faced an attack from someone lurking in the area, but that wasn’t even an option in the first place. If some stayed behind, they’d be even more outnumbered, and if they didn’t fight at all, they’d lose their territory.

They were sitting ducks right now.

Attempting to cut the tension in the air, Chan spoke up again, “Right now, we have a plan. The Kim pack and I are monitoring the situation. We know these ‘visitors’ are still days away and have seemingly stopped to recuperate and hunt in further woods. We’ll stick to being cautious, no one will venture out for anything other than hunting, and if we can avoid going to the city then that’s for the best. It’s going to take as much of us and the Kims’ as possible to win this. We’ve done this before, and we can do it again.”

Hyunjin hadn’t done this before , but all he could do was trust that Chan knew what they were all capable of.

Later that day, when tensions had eased, Hyunjin sat with Felix and Chan in the living room, watching TV. Felix was cuddled into Chan’s side and Hyunjin was sitting on the floor between Felix’s legs while he braided his hair. 

Normal, wasn’t what Hyunjin would consider the atmosphere around everyone to be. There was an on edge sting to everyone’s scents that would remain until further notice. But, things were okay . Theoretically.

“Your hair looks beautiful, Hyunjin,” Chan complimented as he watched Felix finish off the single, thick braid that ran down the back of Hyunjin’s head. His hair was long now, as long as he used to wear it. It reached his shoulders, bright and soft from his conditioner. He could tie it up in the hot weather, or keep it down and let it fan around him when he lay flat. He loved it.

“Would you like to keep it this long?” 

Once Felix had tied the red bow, Hyunjin turned to Chan and nodded. He had no intention of cutting it. “I don’t want to cut it.”

Chan and Felix both smiled endearingly. 

“That’s absolutely fine, lovely.”

“You look beautiful!”

The group had their movie night that night, and Hyunjin was attached to Minho like glue. They’d talked while making dinner, deciding that if it felt right tonight, they’d have sex. Neither of them wanted it to be forced, and Minho was adamant that Hyunjin shouldn’t force himself into it if he wasn’t ready- that even if they hadn’t done it by the time his rut came, it would still be okay, they’d take care of him in other ways. But, Hyunjin was ready, and he didn’t want Minho to walk on eggshells around him because Hyunjin had confessed his dream. He’d carry his past, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ready to accept love. The time felt right, and quite frankly, he couldn’t keep himself away from the alpha.

Hyunjin scented Minho throughout the night, Minho scenting him right back with his arms securely wrapped around the younger alpha’s body that protected Hyunjin from what felt like the world. The others were scenting similarly. However, when it was Hyunjin involved, simply scenting usually wasn’t simply scenting .

Hyunjin easily became a whimpering mess in Minho’s arms as the alpha lapped at his scent gland as he held Hyunjin’s hips against him. They were in the big living room nest that the omegas had set up before the movie. Everyone's clothes, pillows and blankets had been piled in and the mix of scents was intoxicating. Hyunjin’s body felt warm at just the smell.

Hyunjin didn’t even know what movie they were watching, he’d been so focussed on being close to Minho that frankly, they could have been watching the most exciting thing in the world and he wouldn’t have cared. 

“Hyung,” He whispered, pleading, and Minho lifted his head from Hyunjin’s neck to look at him. The older alpha’s eyes flashed red in understanding and he brushed the strands that had fallen out of Hyunjin’s braid, back behind his ears. 

“Do you want to go to my room, sweetheart?” He asked as his thumb came down to run across Hyunjin’s cheekbone. 

Hyunjin glanced away from him, looking around at the others. Of course they could depart to Minho’s room and have this moment to themselves, but…”Can we stay here?”

Minho tipped his head a little, eyes searching Hyunjin’s. “Do you want to stop, or do you want the others here…” he leaned to rub his nose affectionately over Hyiunjins, “To watch us?” he finished in a whisper.

Hyunjin bit his lip with a shy smile and Minho chuckled at the response.

“Words, princess.”

“I want the others to be part of this too…if that’s something everyone is comfortable with,” he admitted, looking down at Minho’s shirt as he ran his fingers along the printed letters. 

“Of course, I’ll ask them,” Minho affirmed, and Hyunjin smiled gratefully, dipping his head to lay on Minho’s shoulder while the older got the attention of the room.

“Is anyone really interested in watching that?”

6 pairs of eyes turned to them and Hyunjin’s cheeks warmed, fighting the urge to hide in Minho’s shoulder.

“Why?” Jisung asked around a mouthful of popcorn.

“Because you could watch that , or you could watch Hyunjinnie and I fuck .” Minho was so abrupt, too straightforward as he had everyone's mouths gaping.

“ Hyung ,” Hyunjin whined, slapping the alpha’s chest as he pressed his face into his shoulder in embarrassment. This was Minho, he really shouldn’t have expected anything less.

“Movie? What movie?” Changbin rushed for the remote to stop the movie but Seungmin got to it first.

“Fuck the movie.” 

Hyunjin giggled and rubbed his face into Minho’s neck. His body was warm, everything was warm. 

Minho had Hyunjin in the middle of the nest, laid out while the others surrounded them off to the side. Some were in each other's arms, others scenting the air or each other. There was an atmosphere of intimacy amongst everyone. Minho undressed them both, giving Hyunjin deep passionate kisses between the removal of each item of clothing. 

Hyunjin couldn’t take his eyes off of him. His movements were articulated but held a soft patience, hands smoothing down Hyunjin’s thighs to just feel him, to acquaint himself with his body. Hyunjin was pliant under him, hands smoothing over the skin he could reach of Minho as well.

The others around them were also in various stages of undress, all watching but engaging with each other at the same time. There were moans and whimpers, huffs of breaths and slick noises starting to resonate around the room under the dim light of the movie screen that was paused permanently. 

Minho kissed him again, a slow pop from the slickness of their saliva and then a gentle peck. “You doing okay?”

“Yes,” Hyunjin breathed, pulling him in again and locking their lips in a deeper kiss. He felt their naked bodies press together, bare cocks rubbing against each other. Hyunjin whimpered at the sensation and Minho pulled back with a knowing smile of mischievousness.

He leaned off to the side where Felix was bent with his lips around Changbin’s cock, and swiped his fingers through the omega’s slick.

Hyunjin’s breath hitched as he focused on the glistening slick that coated Minho’s fingers, letting out an audible gasp when he used his hand to take both of their cocks. It was a stretch for the brunette's fingers but he managed, and when the slick made contact with their shafts, Hyunjin choked out a moan, bucking his hips up. 

The expression on Minho’s face was focussed, eyebrows drawn in with pleasure. He let out a hiss as he stroked them, swiping his thumb over both of their cock heads as a growl rippled through him. Yet, his low growls were almost entirely masked by Hyunjin’s high whimpers and whines. 

“Hyung,” Hyunjin gasped, eyes threatening to squeeze shut, “More, please.”

Minho only had so much patience himself, and within a second he had Hyunjin bent in half, knees to his chest as he gathered more slick from Felix? It could have been Jisung this time. Hyunjin wasn’t sure, mind deliriously clouded.

With slick fingers, Minho circled his rim, slow, teasing as he looked down at Hyunjin. The look in his eyes was intense, heavy with arousal and an intent to provide pleasure. With words of affection whispered into his ear, Minho progressed to fingering him, taking his time to open him up and tease him with touches that barely missed his prostate or touched it but for only a second, leaving him begging and reaching to grab something, anything that would provide stability. 

“You look so beautiful like this.”

“Doing so good, you’re taking my fingers so well.”

“Feel good? You make the prettiest sounds baby boy.”

Someone’s hand slipped into his, letting Hyunjin squeeze their fingers as Minho opened him up, adding his own marks to Hyunjin’s thighs to replace the faded ones that Chan had left. Hyunjin groaned, already looking forward to seeing himself in the mirror afterwards. He’d touch every single mark and hiss with the burst of feeling that each one provided. It would leave a light tingle of pain but the remembrance of pleasure would be wonderful.

“Please, Hyung, Need you-” Hyunjin gasped out. His cock was weeping precome against his stomach, and his head was spinning. All he could think about was the ache deep inside him, the ache for Minho to be inside of him.

Minho hushed him, pulling his fingers out and leaning up to place a delicate kiss on his lips, too light to really give Hyunjin anything, causing him to whine impatiently. 

“Have some patience, baby. I’m not going anywhere,” Minho chuckled in amusement. Though, the older alpha looked just as wrecked as Hyunjin felt, a fire lit in his eyes with glowing red embers licking over his pupils. 

This time, Minho collected slick from Jeongin, the omega in the process of rimming Jisung. The noises around the room were a musical of sexual desire; gasping, moaning and growling.

Minho brought the slick to his cock, stroking himself slowly, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he bathed in the pleasure.

Hyunjin thought he might pass out, then and there, just from the sight alone. Minho very much knew the effect he was having on him, as when he deemed himself slick enough he lifted his fingers to his lips and swiped his tongue over them, eyes locked to Hyunjin’s with a mischievousness at the forefront. Minho may be caring and gentle with him, but he was still Minho, and Hyunjin wouldn’t change a thing.

He keened, legs spreading and hips jerking in a begging action. He needed Minho in him, and he needed him now. His whole body felt as though it had been set ablaze, every nerve sensitive and every hair prickled at his skin. 

Minho’s cocky domineer slipped away as he moved closer, wrapping Hyunjin’s legs around him and adjusting the pillow that was situated under the younger alpha’s hips. “Are you ready? You know you need to tell me at any point if something isn't right. I don’t want to hurt you.” 

Hyunjin nodded, tongue licking over his chapped lips. “I’m ready, I want you,” he breathed.

Someone brushed back his hair from his eyes, Chan, and the person holding his hand, Seungmin, stroked over his upper palm with his thumb, both a comforting action to help him relax as Minho pushed in.

It felt like he was winded for a moment, the air knocked out of him with the forgetfulness on how to breathe for a moment. But, once the initial uncertainty subsided, he shivered at the feeling of Minho’s hard, slick, warm cock sliding fully into him, his walls clenching and unclenching around him.

Minho cursed under his breath as he looked down at his cock, deep in Hyunjin’s hole. He held his thumb against the base until he was bottomed out. Hyunjin could only imagine the sight. Minho was a stronger man than him, as Hyunjin might have just come at the sight alone.

Hyunjin breathed, feeling safe within the nest, everyone around them. He felt protected, cared about. Happy . It meant a lot that he was sharing this moment with everyone and as Minho let him adjust, he let himself focus in on that, grounding himself. Floating away felt amazing, but he wanted to feel the presence of those around him. His body tingled at the sounds of those enjoying themselves.

Changbin was stroking himself leisurely, one hand extended to tweak at Jisung’s nipples as Jeongin ate the other omega out. Felix was now in Seungmin’s lap, stroking their cocks together with both of his hands. The beta’s hand was still linked with Hyunjin’s, and while Chan was nearby, his attention had swayed to Jeongin’s ass that was on display to the world. He was soon fingering the omega who’s moans got swallowed up by his tongue thrusting into Jisung’s hole. It was truly a sight to see, and a marriage of sounds Hyunjin wanted to record to memory.

When Minho started moving, Hyunjin lost all logical thought again, submitting to the feeling of Minho’s cock sliding in and out of him deliciously. He’d tightened Hyunjin’s legs around his body, holding his hips to increase the fluidity of his thrusts and allow him to go faster.

It was a patient few seconds, focused on feeling, as Minho gauged what felt good for them both. Perhaps it was more analysed that one might enjoy sex to be, but Minho didn’t want Hyunjin to hurt, rather for him to feel every bit of this as a positive and loving experience, and Hyunjin could feel his intention with every thrust.

When he did move to thrusting both faster and harder, Hyunjin’s moans turned into cries and long whines of pleasure, his back arching like a bow. Minho’s cock was dragging over his prostate at that angle, and it made his thighs twitch and tremble. 

Touching his own prostate felt good, Chan’s fingers touching and massaging his prostate felt intense, but Minho’s cock dragging against it felt otherworldly.

Seungmin’s hand moved from their handhold to toy with one of Hyunjin’s nipples, flicking it with his thumb quickly, pinching it rhythmically and adding twists to the mix that felt like jolts of lightning behind Hyunjin’s eyelids, which kept fluttering closed at all the sensations.

“So good, ‘s good, so- ah! good,” He chanted out, breaking into a sob.

He wasn’t going to last long, everyone knew that, and that was okay. Minho’s thrusts were a snapping of hips where hipbones met the skin of Hyunjin’s asscheeks, surely to leave temporary bruises. 

The older alpha’s moans were low, mixing with growls and Hyunjin could see the shine of his extended canines. He lifted Hyunjin’s legs to press to his chest and Hyunjin wrapped an arms around his knees to hold himself in the position. The new angle had Minho hitting Hyunjin’s prostate even harder.

It was over for him when Felix appeared and took Hyunjin’s cock into his mouth, slurpring up the precome he’d dripped onto his stomach and using it to slicken Hyunjin’s cock up even more. The hot wet heat around his cock mixed with the stimulation on his nipples on top of the hard, deep thrusts of Minho’s cock inside of him, tipped him over into a convulsing orgasm. 

He sobbed, shaking through the waves as tears streamed down his face. His come pumped into Felix’s mouth, long ropes that eased into heavy dribbles over the omega’s pink tongue. Felix diligently licked him clean as Hyunjin trembled like a leaf, and Minho continued his thrusts until he was chasing his own orgasm hard and fast, lowering over top of Hyunjin as the younger’s legs fell open again. 

The angle was deeper and Hyunjin was whining with the slightly painful yet addicting feeling of overstimulation. He attached his lips to Minho’s, the kiss downright pornographic. Minho growled into his mouth, thrusting jolting movements a few more times before he released into Hyunjin. He let out a breathless groan and the kiss turned into the pair of them just breathing into each other’s mouths.

As his intense high simmered down, Hyunjin’s limbs turned into jelly and he could no longer hold his legs open or keep his back arched. He was still breathing shakily, eyes shut as reality slowly returned to him. He knew penetrative sex could feel good, but he hadn’t expected to feel so absolutely wrecked, both physically and mentally. And, this was only his first time, he couldn't wait to experience all the opportunities this new form of intimacy brought him.

Minho managed to catch his breath, placing soft kisses over Hyunjin’s scent gland, making him mewl in oversensitivity. He chuckled, slowly pulling away to slip his cock out of Hyunjin’s hole. He was sweating, forehead glistening with his damp hair pushed back off of his face. The red in his eyes faded to a more calming deep brown again.

Hyunjin heard Jisung asking if he could lick up the come that was dripping out of Hyunjin, but both Minho and Chan shut him down, protective over how oversensitive Hyunjin would be right now. And, as much as he liked the idea, they were right. His limbs were still twitching, his sobs having subsided to sniffles. The whole experience was mind blowing, everything he could have ever asked for, and Minho let him experience it just how he needed it to be. 

He was proud of himself, going from someone who found the concept of sex rather terrifying, to developing a trust with the people around him and desiring the experiences that brought him closer to them. It felt like he’d taken back something that had been forced to be connected to fear, that he took over the right to feel how he wanted about it again. Healing. It was a significantly healing experience.

“Hi baby,” Seungmin said sweetly as he opened his eyes again. 

Hyunjin smiled sleepily, “Hi.”

“He’s so cute like this,” Felix cooed happily. 

Hyunjin felt all light and fluttery. Surprisingly there was still a buzzing warmth inside of him, but at that moment he felt in complete contentment. 

“Minho hyung,” He called softly, turning his head so that Minho came back into his line of sight. 

“Yeah?” Minho asked, giving him a caring smile as he wiped his hands off on one of the shirts in the nest.

Hyunjin reached his arms out and Minho moved in to pull him into a hug. “Thank you,” Hyunjin mumbled against his chest. 

Minho pressed a kiss to his hairline, smoothing his sweat damp hair back. “I love you Hyunjin. We love you.”

Love. 

Love was many things. It was a caregiver loving a child, a strong bond between friends, a companionship, and a deep feeling towards those romantically involved. Hyunjin had never heard the words ‘I love you’ spoken towards himself before. He’d never felt that it was a necessity to hear, being his own dependance for so long. But, hearing the words come out of Minho’s mouth made him lose all sense of reality for a moment. He was loved.

“We all love you so much, Jinnie hyung,” Jeongin smiled, placing his hand on Hyunjin’s leg and giving it an affirming squeeze. 

Hyunjin sniffled, he’d only just stopped crying, but here they were setting off the water-works again. He probably looked like a complete mess right now, but no one cared. It didn’t matter what one looked like when they were around the people that loved them and would continue to love them, no matter what. “I love you all too,” He replied, voice trembling. So much, he loved them so much.

Everyone moved in then, wrapping their arms around each other, legs tangling with some bodies laying over others. It was messy and the nest smelled of sex, but Hyunjin wouldn’t change it for a thing. 

Before anyone could fall off to sleep, Hyunjin spoke up in the silence, eyes closed in the now dark room, “If you’ll have me, I’d like to spend my rut like this, with you all.”

“We would love to.”

Chapter Text

That night, everyone slept in the living room nest. It was warm, so warm, too warm . Hyunjin kept waking up, throat dry and skin hot with sweat, but he was still in too much of a sleepy state to properly register it. He tossed and turned, vaguely hearing those around him grumbling in complaint, no more awake than Hyunjin was. 

When morning arrived, Hyunjin was the first to rise.

After the night of bliss he’d had, he expected the loveliness to continue into the morning. Cuddles, maybe some pancakes, a bath with shampoo scalp massages. He and Felix loved giving each other those. But, he didn’t expect to wake up feeling like this.  

The first thing he became aware of was the shooting pain through his abdomen, sharp as though someone had shoved a knife through his skin. Every nerve in his body felt electrified, muscles tight and body feverish. He didn’t think his skin had ever felt so overheated in his life. 

It hurt, a deep ache causing a contradicting surge of arousal inside of him. Despite feeling in absolute misery, his body was desperate. Desperate for something tight and wet around his cock to make it go away. Instinctually, he knew that would fix it. That it would stop the hurt.

He shivered, letting out a whimper. There were so many scents around him, every one just as strong as the next. 

Last night, Felix and Jisung had covered him with loving kisses as they fell asleep, but now skin on skin contact was overwhelming to the point that it was painful. Yet, he couldn’t stand the oversensitivity of nothing happening . 

His brain couldn’t focus on logic, driven by feeling; a deep need that controlled his every move. Blindly, eyes still closed, he rolled over onto his stomach. Nothing but air on his flushed, pulsating cock was far too overwhelming to cope with. He needed pressure, suffocating pressure.

“Ah-” He gasped, a tremble washing over him. The clothes, pillows and blankets felt too dry under him, even if they were sweat-damp, due to his fever. The rub of harsh material over his erection was uncomfortable, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t find logic inside his brain to do anything. He just needed the hurt to stop.

His hips bucked, cock dragging over the shirt directly under him. It was Seungmin’s, he was sure. Seungmin’s scent. He loved Seungmin’s scent. 

Another whine sounded from his throat, cock dripping precome below him as the blanket under his chest, from Chan’s bed, rubbed over his pebbled and sensitive nipples.

It was at that point, Hyunjin’s pained whimpers and sharp movements, had someone else stirring awake.

“Hyunjin?” It was Changbin’s voice. He sounded groggy, raspy from sleepiness. Clearing his throat, he turned to face Hyunjin, lips parting at the sight in front of him and Hyunjin hid his face back into the nest with shame. 

 “It hurts- hyung, it hurts,” he broke off into a cry. The dry material hurt so bad, his cock ached, his body was on fire. “Please make it stop,” he begged.

“Hey, hey-” Changbin started hitting the others around them, light bats of frantic need for help that triggered a series of groans. “It’s okay Hyunjin, you’re going to be okay.”

“Wh- What?” Chan’s voice was gravelly as Changbin gave him a harder hit. Everyone had been exhausted from the night before, but as soon as hyunjin’s scent hit his nose, Chan was awake in an instant. 

“His rut must have been triggered from last night,” Changbin explained as Chan quickly moved through limbs to get to Hyunjin. 

“Baby stop, that can’t be comfortable.” He guided Hyunjin up and off of the blankets, laying him back in his own arms. 

Hyunjin let out a sob at the loss of friction, “Hyung-”

The others were starting to wake, blinking into the situation in front of them; Hyunjin mildly thrashing in Chan’s arms to buck his hips up into nothing. If Hyunjin had the ability to be more intune with the conversation about him, he’d be horrified at himself.

“Jinnie hyung?” Jeongin spoke up gently, and the other omegas, as well as Seungmin and Minho moved back so Jeongin could sit himself closer to Hyunjin. He gently rested on his knees beside where Hyunjin was sitting between Chan’s knees, the alpha still holding him still to prevent him from unintentionally hurting himself.

“Innie- n-need help, please.” Hyunjin’s arms extended, grabbing lightly at the air and then letting out a cry as another wave of pain crashed over him.

In his barely logical mind he could attribute the feelings to the arrival of his rut. But, his rut had never been so intense before, so painful . Back at the old pack he’d just lock himself in his room for a few days, curled up in bed to ride it out. His hand had sufficed and he’d never reached the levels of delirium that he was in now. It was the scents, and the bond he had with the pack. His body knew that he was surrounded by the people he loved. It was written in his DNA as an alpha to breed, and this was the first time that that situation had been on the table for him. Logically, he knew he wasn’t going to get any of the omegas pregnant, they were all on birth control, but his alpha brain didn’t know that, and that’s who was in control right now.

“Okay hyung, it’s okay- I’m going to help you,” Jeongin told him and his eyes met with Chan’s, the pair having a silent conversation over the progression of this wave of Hyunjin’s rut. Jeongin then swung himself to hover over Hyunjin’s lap, legs resting over Chan’s as well, who was practically the support beam in this. “Can you hear me, love?” he asked, catching Hyunjin’s swaying attention.

“Mhm,” Hyunjin hummed, but it tailed off into a whimper as his hips bucked, cock brushing against Jeongin’s slicked thigh. The realisation that the omega was dripping slick was dizzying. And, it was because of him . Hyunjin was making Jeongin slick up, his omega. His omega . He’d breed him so well, make him feel so good, take care of him. A whine of a growl left his lips.

“I know, baby, I know. Innie’s going to make it better okay?” Chan supplied reassurance from behind him. 

“I’m going to ride you, okay? If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you need to tell me to stop, okay?” Jeongin said, carefully holding Hyunjin’s chin so that he was looking at him and Hyunjin nodded in understanding.

“Yes- Yes, will do it- please Innie, hurts so much.”

Jeongin didn’t put him through any further discomfort of waiting, and brought a slicked up hand down to Hyunjin’s flushed erection to line it up with his hole. 

Jeongin’s scent exploded through his senses as the omega sank down on him, the tight wet compression around his cock already helping to ease the deep ache in his stomach. 

Chan’s fingers moved to Hyunjin’s nipples as Jeongin lifted and lowered himself to get used to Hyunjin’s size. Even with how wet the younger one was, Hyunin was still an adjustment for anyone to take. 

He mewled at the feeling of Chan rolling his nipples between his fingers, rubbing the buds and tweaking them. He twitched, hips jolting to meet Jeongin’s downward movements as jolts of electricity sparked through his body.

Jeongin began to pick up pace, slick slapping noises taking over the room. Hyunjin could sense that the other members were around them, some leaving the room, before returning with things Hyunjin could only assume were to help with his rut. 

His first orgasm hit him out of the blue with the force of a truck and he threw his head back against Chan’s shoulder with a cry. “Ah-” 

His cum pulsed spursts inside of Jeongin, but his knot hadn’t grown enough to slip inside yet. He remained erect, and Jeongin didn’t stop moving on him, but his legs began to twitch. With a little more clarity, Hyunjin noticed Chan moving his arms around to lift Jeongin and bounce him on Hyunjin’s cock. Chan’s alpha strength deserved the entire universe. 

“How do you feel?” Chan whispered in his ear, breath tickling Hyunjin’s neck and making him shudder.

“So good- s-so good,” he chanted, balled fists uncurling from his sides to reach out to Jeongin and stroke down his stomach. His internal alpha wanted to please the omega, to make him feel good. He stroked Jeongin’s weeping cock, managing to brush his hand over his slicked up thigh to make the strokes nice and wet. 

Jeongin rewarded him with the most beautifulest moans and praises. “You’re doing so good for me baby, feel so good. Your omegas going to take such good care of you,” he cooed around his moans, leaning in to lock his lips with Hyunjin’s. 

Hyunjin kissed back desperately, both of them moaning into the kiss. 

Chan was moving Jeongin on him at a steady yet hard pace that had their skin slapping and Hyunjin’s cock thrusting deep inside of the omega. The angle was also helping to land his thrusts at Jeongin’s prostate more often than not. The pack leader was hard behind him, his erection pressed up against Hyunjin’s lower back, and the second he recovered from this round he wanted that cock deep inside of him.

It didn’t take long for Jeongin to start shuddering, gasping into Hyunjin’s mouth as his orgasm approached and then trembled through him. He cried out against Hyunjin’s lips, and jolted, come shooting from his cock and coating Hyunjin’s hand and lower stomach in white ropes. 

Hyunjin let out a soft, desperate growl, his knot expanding and catching on Jeongin’s rim. Fill the omega. Breed the omega.

Jeongin caught his breath, stroking a hand through Hyunjin’s sweat damp hair and brushing it back off of his forehead. Hyunjin naturally tended to sweat a lot, but that wasn’t such a bad thing when it helped to make all of their movements so fluid. 

“You gonna come for me?”

Hyunjin nodded jerkily, tongue flicking out over his dry lips.

“Good boy,” Chan praised, earning a pleasured gasp from Hyunjin.

His knot locked in, and Chan’s movement of them both stopped, Hyunjin’s cock now buried deep inside of the omega.

Jeongin’s breath hitched and then came out in a shaky exhale, the feeling of Hyunjin’s knot arousing on its own, as the omega’s now limp cock twitched again with interest. Omegas were responsive to alphas in ruts, as were alphas to omega’s heats. Their refractory period was practically obsolete with their body adjusting to assist their mate. 

Hyunjin wanted to be given the mate mark. He wanted to be completely mated to them so badly, and as he came with his knot pulsing and squeezed tight in Jeongin’s hole, he tilted his neck for Chan, letting out a needy whine. He was a good boy, they’d told him so. 

Chan leaned to his exposed neck and placed a kiss there, right on his gland and Hyunjin whimpered. It felt good, but that’s not what he wanted. 

“P-please,” he begged breathlessly. Chan’s arms weren’t holding Jeongin up anymore and had moved to circle around Hyunjin from behind, rubbing over his upper stomach soothingly. The bliss that coursed inside him was wonderful, his cock pumping come into Jeongin. It would take longer for his release to pass, less intense and more rhythmic with him filling the omega every few minutes until his knot subsided. It was a bigger amount to clean up than outside of a rut, but his alpha wolf was satisfied. Jeongin was bred in his alpha’s mind, and Hyunjin would be good for him. 

Those distinct alpha feelings were very new to him, ones he’d have to take the time to process, when he was in a more capable state. Years of thinking he’d be the one to carry an alpha’s children turned into the certainty he’d never feel the opposite way as an alpha, after he presented. This was new territory, and a new part of himself that he had yet to understand. 

“Not today, love,” Chan spoke gently, pressing another kiss to Hyunjin’s neck. 

Why? Was he not good enough? Did he not deserve to be Chan’s mate? To be any of their mates? 

Jeongin leaned in, pressing a tired but sweet kiss to his lips as he stroked Hyunjin’s cheek gently. “We love you baby, but we’re not going to bite you while you’re in rut. You deserve for it to be special.”

Hyunjin’s stress subsided. They wanted him to be mentally present and for it to be special, that made sense. Of course they wouldn’t do it in the heat of the moment, and Hyunjin could see that logic now. 

“Sometime soon?” He asked, voice raspy yet hopeful. 

“Soon, baby.”

Felix and Jisung wiped the three of them down with wet cloths to remove the sweat, come and slick, and Minho cut fresh fruit up for Seungmin and Changbin to feed to each of them. 

When Hyunjin’s knot went down, Jeongin was able to slip off of him, and they laid Hyunjin down in the nest to sleep for a bit. At times like this, it was important to get sleep where he could, as they were all in for an intense few days. 

It was only an hour later when that need prickled inside of Hyunjin again and became more demanding as it pulled him out of his nap. As per his earlier desire, Chan took the lead on this one, getting Hyunjin on his knees. He lubed and prepped him, speaking quietly to Jisung who left for a couple of minutes and then returned with a clear fleshlight. 

Hyunjin was more ‘with it’ this time round, and as Chan eased into him, he could enjoy the pleasure with less built up desperation. He let out a shuddering moan as he rocked into the lubed up fleshlight that Jisung held under him.  

Chan’s low moans with hints of growling undertones from above him had him leaking deliciously, and when jisung slipped his cock into Hyunjin’s mouth, and his moans were added to this mix, Hyunjin was a complete blissful mess. 

Chan’s thrusts automatically moved Hyunjin’s mouth on Jisung’s cock without either of them having to control it, and Hyunjin sucked, sloppily moving his tongue as the omega let out pleasure filled whimpers above him. 

Chan was the first to come, letting out a groan as his hips snapped into Hyunjin and his cock pulsed come inside. He grinded in slow movements through his orgasm before easing out of him. 

The younger alpha let out a noise of disapproval at the sudden loss of pleasure. But, he was quickly satisfied again when Chan moved him into a position that Jisung could sink down on him to take his knot. Admittedly, knotting the regular fleshlight would have just broken it and then he’d have had to squeeze his knot until it went down, so he was glad someone had the logic to prevent that. 

Jisung rocked on him while Chan stroked the omega’s cock and flicked one of Hyunjin’s nipples, both of their moans mixing together. The mix of their scents clouded the air, sparking campfire, fresh orange and floral herbaceousness. 

“N-need to knot,” Hyunjin whimpered, hips snapping upwards to increase the speed of Jisung’s more lethargic rocking. Knot Jisung. Breed Jisung.

“C-come in me Jinnie, ah- please, give me your k-knot,” Jisung begged, head throwing back as the stimulation of Hyunjin’s knot catching on his rim and the slick strokes on his cock tipped him over the edge.

As Jisung came, Hyunjin felt himself locking inside of the omega and a wave of euphoria washed over him. He shuddered through the orgasm, crying out Jisung’s name in gasped breaths. He felt good, so incredibly good.

That was how the next few days passed.

They fed him soups and mild foods, Felix and Minho gave him baths and made cold cloths for when he was feverish. They all slept in the big nest which, after Hyunjin’s rut, would need a good clean. His alpha wolf was more satisfied after each knot, giving him longer periods without that sexual need. In that time they all cuddled up together, watched movies, played games and took naps. It was wonderful and thankfully, they weren’t disrupted by any sudden disaster.

The day after his rut broke, he needed a day of recuperation. There were chores to do, and Chan was back in his office for almost the entire day, catching up on everything. Hyunjin felt bad for keeping him away from his work, but Chan had assured him that nothing was as important to him than one of his mates in need. 

Mate. He wasn’t that yet, officially. But he would be. He just had to be patient. 

The day after his rest day, he felt more like himself. He helped Jeongin gather up the contents of the nest, dumping all of the clothes and blankets into the large washing bins that they’d carry down to the river. As intoxicating as it all smelled, Hyunjin’s rut scent overpowered it all in a dried sticky concoction that needed to be washed clean again. 

It took over an hour to wash everything, scrubbing it clean and then wringing it out to place back into the baskets. 

“I’m glad I got to spend your rut with you,” Jeongin spoke up as they walked back to the cabin with the baskets. Their arms were tired from the weight of the wet cloth filled bins, but that would soon be replaced with the task of hanging all of it up on the clothes lines in the backyard. 

Hyunjin smiled warmly at him, “Me too. Thank you. For everything.” And he meant it, Jeongin had been his rock over the past couple of days, always there, always understanding Hyunjin’s emotions clearer than Hyunjin himself could at times. Because of him, and because of the others, Hyunjin had had the best experience he could have imagined with his rut.

Jeongin beamed and knocked his elbow with Hyunjin’s, “Always. C’mon let's hang this up and I’ll show you my favourite summertime activity.”

Hyunjin watched Jeongin walk ahead and tilted his head inquisitively as he moved to catch up, “What’s that?”

“Chasing Sungie hyung around the yard with a garden hose.”

Chapter Text

Everything was quiet for a few days following the end of Hyunjin’s rut, and it should have been nice. Actually, it should have been peaceful, but with tension building in everyone’s scents, the only thing Hyunjin could feel was a sense of on edge. 

Chan had received warning of the new pack’s location, continuing to move in their direction, and both Chan’s pack and their neighbouring pack were left to wait for something to happen. The waiting, and the not knowing- it was driving Hyunjin mad.

“They’re trying to psyche us out,” Minho stated, arms crossed over his chest as they talked around the dining table. 

“Maybe they’re not going to attack us at all?” Jisung supplied with a shrug. 

Theoretically, it wasn’t completely impossible for that to be the case. Chan’s pack had a significant public image, so it wouldn't be considered a ‘small thing’ to try and take them on. With allies far and wide, stemming from the connections made by Chan’s original pack, there were people backing them up from afar. One might even consider it to be a death wish to go up against someone who had hundreds on their side. It would at the very least ostracise and isolate them from the wider community. 

But, that didn’t make it any less scary, in Hyunjin’s opinion. They were currently walking on eggshells in their own home, trying not to distance themselves too much from each other so that if something were to happen, they’d all be together for it.

Chan shook his head, “I agree with Minho, the longer they make us wait, the longer we’ll be nervous, and that makes us vulnerable- which is what they want.”

Everyone looked around at each other, the feeling of a loss for words settling over the room.

“So what do we do?” Changbin finally asked, fingers tapping against the table. He was antsy, they all were, it was thick in the air, strong enough that Hyunjin could almost choke on it.

“We do as we’re doing now. We live, we prepare for the attack, and we go about our lives as normal as we can,” Chan replied, projecting a tone of confidence into his words. Even in situations as bleak as Hyunjin felt this one to be, Chan still maintained a positive assurance that they’d get through this. The leadership role was well suited to him.

“And we need to be at our best,” Minho added, eyes narrowing, “No reckless decisions that could hurt yourself or any of the others. Everyone needs to be strong enough to fight.”

Hyunjin swallowed the lump forming in his throat. Every alpha had been trained to fight at his old pack, including himself. Sure, he knew the techniques in engaging in battle while in wolf form, but that didn’t mean he excelled in them. He was timid back then, hiding away behind big oak trees in hopes that the others wouldn’t find him and single him out just for their own entertainment.

Sometimes he’d managed to distance himself enough that they forgot he was part of the session, while other times they found him and dragged him back to the centre. Wolves had surrounded him, usually led by Joonseob. Even thinking the man’s name had shivers running down Hyunjin’s spine. He had become good at dehumanising his memory of his most brutal attackers, but Joonseob seemed to find a way to slip back into his mind at times to remind him that he was out there, waiting, ready to cause destruction back into Hyunjin’s life if they found him.

Still, the prospect of being at war with another pack still brought back memories of being kicked to the forest floor, bared teeth making him submit. The ghost of rib-crushing weight over his body could still stir up faux breathlessness. Back then, no one had ever expected Hyunjin to fight back, they knew they’d win every time. It wasn’t about winning, rather favouring the opportunity to break Hyunjin down further- to tear away at him piece by piece in order to convince him to see himself how they saw him. Useless. Breakable. Nothing.

But, things were different here. Hyunjin was valued here. He was loved here . And that, however difficult to do, overpowered that weakness he still thought himself to be. This time, he had something to fight for, and the echoing insults of the past couldn’t get past the wall of love and devotion his pack members had helped build for him. He never considered himself to ever be capable of violence, as running from the danger was so ingrained inside of him, but when he thought of someone going after his pack, his mates- a burst of determination and anger simmered inside of him. He’d do whatever it took to protect them.

Changbin led the training sessions. 

They convened in the backyard, the open space large enough for them to transform, practising their fighting techniques on each other. Changbin would give them critiques and pointers while they battled each other into retreating.

Fighting wasn’t the ultimate goal, but it was the most likely outcome. If they, most importantly Chan, could get the other pack to submit and retreat, that was the ideal outcome.

Don’t let yourself be pinned to the ground. Don’t leave your neck exposed.

Each day, everyone’s fur would end up covered in a thick layer of dirt and pine nettles that they’d wash off at the river. Hyunjin would crinkle his nose in displeasure, his usually snow white fur caked with the stuff. But it was worth it. They were stronger now than they had been at the start of the week. Hyunjin, especially, had made leaps and bounds. He actually felt equipped for an incoming attack. And, as it seemed, the torturous wait was up.

Hyunjin had been curled into Chan’s side when the phone call came in at barely 3am in the morning. The pack leader’s bed always felt so warm and safe, and he loved rolling around in the blankets that held Chan’s smokey scent. That’s how he’d fallen asleep last night, and it was how he thought he’d wake up peacefully in the morning. With expected kisses and wrist scenting involved, of course.

The 3am phone call was a ‘bucket of ice water thrown over him’ type of feeling. Immediately he knew it was happening, deep in his gut, the feeling of impending danger and fear made itself known. This wasn’t going to go well. He could just feel it.

Chan sat up abruptly, the hazed sleepiness in his eyes clearing in seconds as he saw the caller ID. While Hyunjin couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, the context was clear; the enemies had moved in.

They had split into two groups, one approaching the neighbouring pack and the other heading towards them, meaning that 10- possibly 15 shifters were headed their way. Right now .

Within 10 minutes everyone was awake and assembled on the front decking, stretching and popping their bones in preparation to transform. In any other circumstance, standing naked as a group, in front of one’s house, was an odd situation. But, getting dressed would have been redundant.

“We’re splitting off into three groups, one at the north territory line, one to the east, and one to the west. Seungmin, Jeongin and I will take the north- that’s where they’re likely to come in on. Minho, Hyunjin and Felix, you head east, and Changbin and Jisung go west. With any luck, we can stop them from entering our territory completely,” Chan instructed, rolling his shoulders back. 

“And if they don’t back down?” Jisung asked, stretching his legs. He was jittery, and Hyunjin could see the goosebumps rising on his skin. No matter how prepared they all felt, the unknown was still significant enough to instil fear. 

“Self defence only. We're not there to hurt them, we’re there to protect our land,” Chan reaffirmed, sentence finishing but the silence that held indicated words unsaid. He looked off into the forest. “But if it comes down to it, be prepared to do whatever it takes to survive.”

The words were sobering- this wasn’t just about protection, this was about survival . 

“Hyunjin,” Chan spoke, attention turning to Hyunjin, who’s eyes widened. “You call out to me right away if you know these wolves, okay? As unlikely as it seems, if they are from your old pack, I need to know as soon as you see them. Promise me.”

Hyunjin nodded adamantly. “I will, I promise.”

If this was an attack from his old pack, the goal was no longer about protecting territory, but protecting Hyunjin. They'd want him back, and with Chan’s pack separated, it would be their opportunity to take advantage.

“Good.” Chan nodded, taking his hand and giving it a firm squeeze which Hyunjin returned with a tight smile. Soon enough this would all be over. “Time to shift and move out.”

Limbs stretched out, body’s morphing into wolf form as they all shook out their fur. There was something naturally freeing about being in his wolf form with his pack members, and if the reason for their nightly shifting hadn’t been for certain danger, he would have wanted to bask in it. 

He took off with Minho and Felix, the three of them running and winding around trees, sniffing the air for any signs of foreign smells in close range. Minho’s dusky cedar brown fur blended in with the trees around them, his glowing alpha eyes the only indicator of his visible presence. Felix and Hyunjin, on the other hand, stood out. Their white coats could only ever blend in with the snow, but as they ran through dirt and mud, the forest’s colours started to conceal their paws and underbellies.

All Hyunjin could smell was the pine from the trees and the earthy wetness of the dirt. His ears moved around, listening out for any sounds around them. He could hear Changbin snuffling in the distance, and Jisung yipping as he almost tripped over a branch. Minho and Felix would be able to hear them a lot better, being mated to them. The connection was always stronger than with just a pack bond. Hyunjin wondered what that was like, being so completely in tune with everyone.

When they reached their section of the border, Hyunjin watched Minho sniff out the area. He patrolled the invisible line, looking between Hyunjin and Felix from time to time to see if either of them had picked anything up yet. Hyuinjin was just getting a whole lot of nothing, so he took a seat on the ground to wait. He was already partially caked in mud, might as well give up on staying clean. Plus, it was 3:30 in the morning and while he was extremely alert, his limbs carried the reminder of a peaceful sleep from earlier.

Minho snuffled at him, disapproving of Hyunjin’s leniency.

It took 20 minutes before the explosion of foreign scents hit his nose, bounding towards their territory line. Everything felt too much all at once and the spike in Minho and Felix’s scents was an added intensity. He’d never smelt Minho in a state of fear before, his usually refreshing rainshower scent now a heavy hurricane of fear.

Hyunjin and Felix bolted up from their sitting positions, Felix’s legs were tight, moving into a fighting stance that was ready to pounce. Hyunjin stood tall at his side as Minho stepped in beside them.

It was deathly silent for a moment. Hyunjin’s ears were trying to tune into more than just his own breathing as his eyes flicked around, strong wolf senses analysing everything he could.

His head snapped towards the rustle of branches and Minho let out a growl. Then the vibrations of thundering paws filled the air. Hostile scents, strong, unyielding. They weren’t familiar. Even without seeing them, Hyunjin had never been around these wolves before.

Suddenly, it all happened at once. Four wolves leaped out in front of them, one launching itself right at Felix, knocking him to the ground in a heavy tackle. 

Never leave your neck exposed.

A second thick black wolf charged at Minho, an alpha in comparison to Felix’s muddy fur coloured beta. It slowed as Minho puffed up, and they circled each other, fangs snapping as their snouts wrinkled in abhorrent growls.

While he had enough time to witness Felix gaining back the upper hand, his attention was quickly drawn away when a beta came at him, quickly followed and then surpassed by the last alpha. 

Hyunjin started to back up, an instinct to pull himself away from the danger taking over. No matter how much Changbin taught them, flight was still ingrained into his natural instincts- but with shaky legs he halted, refusing to retreat no further. It took all his might to fight the fear, to realise that if he backed down, that left Felix and Minho even more vulnerable. 

There was no peaceful assertion of dominance to submission anymore, these wolves wanted a fight.

When the pair stopped being able to walk him back, they moved in to jump at him from either side, sharp teeth shining under the moonlight in a menacing snap.

With quick thinking, Hyunjin jolted back at the last second, causing the wolves to bash into each other, snouts clashing in a painful crack. The pair let out a whimper, heads lowering as blood began pouring from their noses. He used the opportunity to take the upper hand, stalking forward in a move that had the pair retreating. Forced submission by weakness. He got them back past the territory line where they whined disdainfully at being overpowered, but that gave Hyunjin the opportunity to check on Minho and Felix while they were healing. 

Minho had his alpha opponent lowering to the ground, bowing in forced submission as it let out detesting growls. Saliva drooled from its sharp teeth, shaking limbs giving into the loss. At Minho’s bark, it pulled back, slinking and snapping at the beta to follow. With the mental hold being an overpowering success of submission, they had won this one.

The trio collected themselves for a moment, checking each other over for injuries. Felix had a splattering of blood over his back, small and already dried up. It was hard to tell if it was his or his opponents, as any possible wound had closed up. Both Hyunjin and Minho had come out unscathed, muddy but unscathed. 

Minho nudged his head in the direction that Chan’s group were situated, and Hyunjin understood that the leading alpha had called for everyone to gather in. Their enemies had already retreated back into the forest, likely convening with their own pack and Hyunjin puffed out a breath. The fight wasn’t won yet.

Upon arriving north, complete chaos was underway. Everyone was reunited, both sides going at each other viciously with their enemies having a clear advantage. There were nearly double the amount of wolves than Chan’s pack, all alphas and betas, a mix of sizes and coat shades. But, they were all strong, well built and going at chan’s pack as though they would die before the war was won.

There were no omegas, Hyunjin noted. And, none of them were recognisable by scent or by visuals. However, deliberating on that was short lived, as within seconds, they were thrown into the madness.

Hyunjin launched himself at a tawny wolf who had Jeongin pinned down, fangs snapping close to his face threateningly. Its teeth were mere millimetres from Jeongin’s ashy grey muzzle, breath panting down on him- thick, clawed paws against Jeongin’s blood stained body. 

He tackled the wolf down, rolling with it in a heavy thud that made the world feel as though it was spinning off of its axis. Luckily, he ended up on top, pulling his face in a snarl as he stared the wolf down with glowing red eyes. 

At first, the wolf snapped forward, a growl rumbling deep in its chest, but as if it had caught the scent of something, it suddenly stopped fighting, froze for a moment and then pulled back. 

With perplexment, Hyunjin stood aside for the wolf to stand and lower itself, retreating. 

That was…strange.

As soon as it was far enough from Hyunjin as it deemed fit, it let out a piercing howl, snout tilting up to the sky. 

All ears pricked up, the fight halting as heads snapped towards the noise. The wolf’s pack alpha responded to the howl, pulling itself away from where Changbin and Chan had been trying to fight it into submission. 

It puffed its chest up, standing taller than all other wolves, thick brown coat with a healed gash sliced down its snout standing out in the barely dawn light. The howl it let out was ear piercing, loud enough that Hyunjin was convinced he’d popped an eardrum as everything around him was filled with a ringing sensation. 

Was the fight over? Were they retreating?

The pack wolves leapt up, following unknown orders from their leader to stand in what looked to be a practised formation.

Hyunjin looked around in confusion, catching Jisung’s eye. This wasn’t normal, he concluded as he smelt the uncertainty in the air. 

With a final bone chilling howl, the leader signalled the wolves to move again, and the attack ensued. Bodies lunged forward, met in the middle with just as much fight. Instantly it was a scrap, blurring fur colours tumbling round, canines biting into their enemies with a new sense of violence. 

The ground was slippery, wet dirt mixing with blood that splattered from minor wounds. Every time someone was thrown against the trunk of a tree, pine nettles fell down, prickling and attaching themselves to the wolves fur. It was a mess.

Still, being outnumbered did not come at a loss. Chan’s pack had what these wolves didn’t; the communication of a mated pack. Everyone moved in almost synchrony. When Felix was pulled down, Seungmin was automatically there to pull him right back up, a cycle from pack member to pack member- and it was working. Until it wasn’t.

They were tiring, weakening far quicker than their enemies who were relentless. And something dawned on Hyunjin.

He was standing in the middle of it all, fighting off enemies that went for the ones he loved, but through all of it- no one was attacking him. It was subtle amidst the chaos, but every one of their enemies avoided Hyunjin as though he wasn’t there, as though he wasn’t the target.

He wasn’t the target .

This wasn’t a fight for land, there was no desire to claim territory- and there never was. These wolves knew him, and they were purposefully avoiding harming him. But why? For what- They were going to kill his pack .

A violent crack sounded out, a crunching noise of bones with a heavy thud on the forest floor that felt like an earthquake. A pained whine sounded out, long, trailing off at the end in agony. 

Minho.

Their enemies didn’t give anyone time to register the injury of one of their members, as they doubled down, going for blood as if their entire DNA had been rewritten to kill. 

Hyunjin, the only one who could, darted for Minho, putting himself between him and the cruel black beta who had planned to finish the job. He bared his teeth, lifting his head to show his physical height advantage, and while it probably wasn’t his stance that got it to pull back, the wolf did so anyway. 

Immediately, Hyunjin turned to Minho. The older alpha was letting out small whimpering cries, chest rising and falling in quick yet shallow breaths. His eyes were hazed, unfocussed and he panted into the blood that was pooling around him. It rippled from his breathing, and he couldn't tell where exactly the alpha was bleeding from.

Blood stained his fur, the thick choking scent of it filling Hyunjin’s nostrils. Everything around him smelt as such, blood, pain, anger. It was a concoction of feral violence that seemed to reach no end.

He whimpered, nosing down at Minho who puffed with pain. He was losing too much blood, too quickly- he should be healing, probably not enough to fight again, but at least enough that he could move on his own. 

Minho wasn’t healing. 

He needed help .

Hyunjin let out a howl, long and demanding. Surely enough blood had been shed- how unfair it was to know that was wishful thinking. Predictably, no one could respond to the call, fighting for their own lives, second by second.

Hyunjin’s eyes moved around frantically. Some of their enemies were incapacitated, so Chan’s pack were no longer grossly outnumbered. However, those demanding violence that were in, were still fighting with intent. Jisung had blood dripping from his usually chestnut coloured chin, his current opponent limping, a large weeping gash in its leg. 

Chan was circling with the leader again. They’d been at it, the blood and ruffling of fur an indicator, but it was like a dance, one for dominance, for power. They were what held the structure of their packs’ together. If one fell, their members went down with them. 

Changbin and Seungmin were back to back, tussling with the wolves in front of them while trying to keep each other protected.

Jeongin and Felix were doing the same, but with less composure. Jeongin got Felix's opponent to the ground, loud noises erupting from both of them as they snapped closer to each other’s necks. Felix took that opportunity to lunge at the wolf who had been previously aiming for Jeongin, latching his teeth into the wolf’s carob coloured fur and biting down.

Hyunjin couldn’t hear the sound of teeth ripping through skin but the sight of Felix yanking away with a mouthful of flesh between his teeth was enough to have Hyunjin’s stomach lurching as he looked away.

Hyunjin turned to check on Minho again. His eyelids were flickering, breathing significantly slower. He twitched in discomfort, and the blood surrounding him had now spread enough to reach Hyunjin’s paws. 

Hyunjin nosed at the side of his face. 

You can’t sleep. Don’t close your eyes.

It was fruitless. He could smell it. 

Minho was dying. 

From behind, a choked yelp sounded out, ending with a deafening snap. Immediately the scent of death poisoned the air. He whipped around, heart hammering in his chest.

It wasn’t one of his own. It couldn’t be. He would have felt it- He definitely would have.

A tight breath caught in his throat as all eyes stopped on Seungmin, standing over his opponents now dead body.

His chocolate brown fur was so dirtied that now his pale highlights were non-existent. Some of the caked redness was his own, long gashes of claw marks running down his neck. The wolf must have had him by the neck, claws at his throat, meaning Seungmin’s only option was to snap the wolf’s neck with his teeth. It was either the wolf’s life or his own. 

Seungmin had made the right choice- the only choice.

The death of their enemy marked the first death of the fight, but Hyunjin knew if they didn’t finish this soon, Minho wouldn’t be far behind. As a reminder of that, he howled, signalling to his members of Minho’s injury. I wasn’t as if they couldn’t feel Minho’s pain, but the emergency was clear. It was now or never.

The leader of the enemy pack roared, its subordinates howling in despair at the death of one of their own. It seemed that they hadn’t expected to face any losses and for a fleeting moment, Hyunjin thought it was all over. Their enemies had pulled back, putting themselves behind the leader. But, just before the taste of hope was in reach, the enemy’s pack leader lunged for Chan in a final fight. 

It was between the pack alphas now, and only one would survive this. Hyunjin had seen it before, when packs challenged each other- his old pack. It stopped once the new leader took over, but he could remember that some fights had no other option than ending in such a way. Where one died, the other prevailed. 

Not taking his eyes away from the sight, he felt Jeongin and Changbin’s presence nearing. They had crouched beside Minho, assessing his injuries. But Hyunjin couldn’t look away.

Teeth sunk into skin, pulling, ripping, snapping. Claws lashed and cut. It was violent, blood spraying and Hyunjin couldn’t tell where it was coming from. They were almost a blur in their movements, and every time Chan would throw the leader away, it came right back at him. It could have backed down. Anyone could tell that Chan didn’t want this fight, but the enemy wolf was dead set on killing their leader or dying while trying. 

It got Chan to the ground, teeth snapping mere centimetres from his neck. Time could have slowed, it could have stopped- because Hyunjin’s mind created the image of the wolf tearing Chan’s jugular out. Loss, it was a heart tearing pain that matched with the rip in a pack bond, the death of a leader. It was as though he could feel Chan’s death, taste his last breath, smell it as it consumed his entire being. 

Everything then moved in fast motion, his mind catching up, doubling the speed in an anxiety attack inducing moment. Chan swung the opposing alpha off, using his weight to take him down and he wasted not even a second to thrust his teeth into the wolf's neck and rip .

It was with all his strength that Chan tore the wolf’s throat out, the ghost of a dying bark left behind. Skin shredded, separating and dropping from Chan’s muzzle as the alpha’s eyes dimmed. Its body fell limp, lifeless in death. 

Howls took over the air, but Hyunjin was still frozen in place, eyes on the now dead leader. It could have been Chan. Chan could have been lying dead on the muddy forest floor with his throat ripped out, eyes lifelessly open. 

But it was over. Chan was alive. The fight was over.

The enemy pack drew to their leader, whimpers and howls of mourning dominating the atmosphere. Their heads lowered in submission, pained, angry- but with no leader, they could no longer fight. 

This wasn’t a war Chan started, and it was never one any of them wanted to end in lives lost. 

As if Hyunjin’s internal alpha was leading him, he moved back, feeling the weight of a human body being placed on his back. It was Minho, his now pale limbs hanging over Hyunjin’s back unconsciously. 

Changbin and Jeongin, also in their human forms again, had lifted him up, brushing a hand over Hyunjin’s fur to signal him to get moving. They had to get Minho home.

It was tradition to leave a mourning pack to deal with one of their own in peace. Two had died tonight. One at Seungmin’s hand, and the other at Chan’s, and those deaths would be properly handled by the living members.

Chan had faced what it was like to not be given an option of respectful mourning, and Hyunjin could see that he was not going to take that away from anyone else. He signalled everyone back, motioning for them to follow him in return to their home. The pack wouldn’t follow them, not without a leader, and Hyunjin doubted they’d try again when they re-elected one. Even out-numbered Chan’s pack had won. But it wasn’t a satisfying win.

He turned, looking at the defeated pack once more. Everyone in his own pack had started to move ahead, but for the briefest moment Hyunjin was caught in the intense gaze of another.

One of the surviving alphas had its eyes locked on him, unwavering- staring him down with a look that Hyunjin didn’t know how to completely decipher. It was a warning.

“Hyunjin,” Changbin yelled, and Hyunjin snapped out of it, tuning back into the uneven heartbeat that was pressed to his back. 

Everyone transformed back into their human forms once they got to the cabin. Dawn had made way to morning sunlight that shone through the windows. Too bright, too welcoming for the heaviness of the day.

They laid Minho down on his bed, and Hyunjin finally got a look at the extent of Minho’s injuries. He had large gashes over his chest and stomach, deep and bleeding, but lighter than they had been earlier. The bones in one of his legs appeared to be shattered, and he was still caked in so much dirt that fighting off infection was likely the cause of his delayed healing. He’d be okay, Hyunjin convinced himself. He was no longer at risk of death, that was what was most important.

“He needs more medical help than we can give him,” Changbin spoke urgently. 

“I’ll call someone, I know a doctor that works with shifters. Chan hyung gave me his number a while back- work on disinfecting his wounds,” Jeongin replied sternly, stroking Minho’s dirty, sweat damp hair out of his face.

When Hyunjin left Minho’s room, leaving Jeongin and Changbin to do what they could while they waited for the doctor’s swift arrival, he noticed that Chan was nowhere to be seen. 

“He needs space,” Seungmin spoke up, suddenly beside him and looking at Hyunjin as though he could read his mind.

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin breathed, jumping at his sudden appearance. His eyes glossed over and images replayed in his mind of Seungmin standing over the dead wolf below him. Seungmin had been forced to kill someone tonight. He was hurting , Hyunjin could feel it. Something like that…it wasn’t easy to process, yet Seungmin stood in front of him with composure.

The beta shook his head firmly, and Hyunjin shut his mouth. He’d been about to ask if he was okay, but clearly Seungmin didn’t want that- couldn’t have that right now. “Come help me treat injuries.”

Hyunjin followed wordlessly behind him, eyes trained to the back of Seungmin’s head. He thought that if he stared hard enough he might be able to read Seungmin’s thoughts, but most realistically the beta was acting on instinct, on what was a necessity in that moment, leaving all else unprocessed. 

Could that have been said for Chan as well? Distantly, Hyunjin could smell him, locked away in his office.

In the bathroom, Jisung was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the bathtub, while Felix leaned over the sink, disinfecting a cut that had blood dripping down his face. 

“Oh-” Hyunjin blinked at the sight. He hadn’t had the time to process anyone else’s injuries, attention having solely been on Minho’s extensive ones. 

Seungmin crouched down to Jisung. The omega had a severely slipped rib which Seungmin had to painfully pop back into place, and while he did so Hyunjin moved to protect both Felix and himself from the sight by standing in front of the omega.

“Let me,” he said softly, taking the cotton swab from Felix’s hold to clean the wound himself. 

Felix looked up at him with exhausted watery eyes, lip trembling, and it made Hyunjin’s breath stutter. “Thank you,” the omega replied quietly.

The cut wasn’t too deep, it would heal over within a few hours. Hyunjin disinfected the wound, placed a long piece of gauze down it and secured it in place with a wrapping bandage. 

“Are you bleeding anywhere?” Felix asked him. They both winced as Jisung let out a pained cry from behind. 

Hyunjin looked down at himself. He wasn’t. The wolves hadn’t gone for him . Why? He shook his head, bar a few already scabbed over scrapes, he was uninjured. “Just need a good shower,” he replied, trying to smile to ease the tension in the room. It didn’t work.

Felix and Hyunjin disinfected and wrapped the claw marks that cut down Seungmin’s neck, and Hyunjin tried not to react when Seungmin hissed in discomfort, getting the task over with as quickly as possible. The wolf hadn't been able to claw too deep, but it was possible that Seungmin would be left with scars.

Minho’s body would surely be left with the remembrance of a near death experience. But life was the victor, and if that was the only positive outlook then Hyunjin would grasp onto that with all his might.

After everyone took a bath, being as gentle as they could with Jisung, they got the omega into his bed where Felix agreed to stay with him to sleep. Seungmin pulled the curtain, blocking out some of the sunlight that was warming the bed with its luminating glow. 

Despite the sun's wake for the day, time felt nonexistent. Everything was slow, yet he could not explain it in any sense. 

Why hadn’t they gone for him?

Hyunjin and Seungmin checked on Minho again, Jeongin and Changbin having barely moved an inch. Neither had cleaned up yet, but Hyunjin could see their wounds had closed without issue.

The doctor had come and gone, their scent still vaguely present in the room, under all the sterile tools that had cleaned Minho up.

He was breathing better now, stronger than he had been when Hyunjin carried him on his back. His injuries treated and wrapped, the tingling embers of healing kicking in. 

Hyunjin let out a breath of tension that he wasn’t sure how long he’d been holding. Minho would be okay. He was alive. They were alive.  

“You can sleep, Innie, I’ll stay with him,” Changbin offered, tensely seated on Minho’s mattress, looking as though if he breathed the wrong way it might hurt the injured alpha more.

“No way, I’m not leaving his side,” Jeongin shot back. He looked exhausted- they both did, but neither of them were going anywhere. It was what they needed to be okay. 

Everyone processed differently, Hyunjin concluded. But, he wasn’t exactly sure how to process this- not with the information he knew, the information that Chan should know about. Yet, the pack leader was in no space to hear Hyunjin’s suspicions or confusions. So, processing felt impossible.

“Go and try to get some sleep, Hyunjin,” Seungmin ordered gently, voice hushed as they shut Minho’s door behind them with a click. 

Hyunjin shook his head, “I can’t, I can’t leave you alone right now,” he replied adamantly. Seungmin was too calm behind the layer of composed exhaustion his body held. There was no way he was handling this as well as he appeared to be.

“I’m going to check on Chan hyung.” Seungmin nodded in the direction of the leader's office. He took a step away from Hyunjin, but the alpha grabbed at his hand desperately.

He wanted to yell at him, cry for him to stop putting everyone else before himself. Seungmin had no choice but to kill someone in self defence tonight. He needed support- in Hyunjin’s mind that’s what he was supposed to need. 

“Minnie,” He pleaded, a pained frown drawing his eyebrows in as he held back all that he couldn’t say. Words that expressed his own concern were not what Seungmin wanted to hear, they’d only hurt him more. But It was horrible not being able to do anything . 

“Not right now, Hyunjin. Sleep. We’ll talk in the morning,” Seungmin replied lowly, barely above a whisper. It was morning, but that contortion of time didn’t make it feel as such. He gave Hyunjin’s hand a single squeeze before turning and heading off down the hallway to Chan’s office. 

Hyunjin watched him go, standing as though his feet had been nailed to the floor. He heard Chan’s office door open, and for a moment Hyunjin could feel Chan’s weighted emotions- sorrow, anger, pain. Then the door clicked shut and he was left in the hallway alone.

Chapter Text

Hyunjin only slept a couple of hours, the earlier events played over and over in his mind and every time he shut his eyes, his brain just wouldn’t shut off, refusing to let him think about anything other than the wolf that had stared at him before he walked away. The sound of Minho’s bones breaking kept replying in his ears, the wails that fell from his lips, the yelps of the other members. 

Minho could have died. Chan and Seungmin could have died. Any one of them could have, and Hyunjin counted it as a miracle that they came out the other side, as beaten and bruised as they were, they had still survived. He forced himself to see it this way, because if he didn’t, the heavy blanket of depression seeked to crawl its way in.

As he laid in bed, he listened out for the movement of others. It was quiet, completely silent for the first time in a long while. His mind wandered back to barely a few hours earlier; Seungmin entering Chan's office. Were they still in there? Had Seungmin let himself process with Chan? Were they taking care of each other? Hyunjin was sure they were, they were mates after all. 

The questions in his mind were never ending.

Had Seungmin helped Chan clean up his wounds and had Seugnmin’s scars disappeared? Had Jeongin and Changbin showered? Had the pain in Jisung’s ribs eased and the cut on Felix’s head closed? Was Minho doing okay? Had he healed? 

When he could bear the unanswered questions no longer, he forced himself up and out of bed.

The restless amount of sleep that he had gotten didn’t prepare him enough for having to face the others. But, he doubted any amount of sleep would have been enough. 

Strangely though, Hyunjin felt detached from the events of the early morning- as though what had happened in the early hours of the morning had taken place in a dream he’d watched unfold, not fully tethered to reality. It was the sleep, moulding his brain like clay and confusing his mind. 

When he walked into the kitchen, Jeongin was sitting at the table, a mug containing a steaming beverage in his hand as he stared off into space. His expression was tight, distant and lost in the mountain of thoughts in his head.

“Innie,” Hyunjin spoke up, gaining his attention.

Jeongin’s eyes flicked away from the mug, tiredly moving up to Hyunjin as he gave him a weak smile in greeting. It was forced and Hyunjin wished he hadn’t smiled at all, rather seeking the raw emotions Jeongin was trying to battle with alone.

“Morning hyung, how are you feeling?”

Hyunjin pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. “I’m fine. How are you- How’s Minho?” he asked, suddenly remembering that Jeongin had spent the night with Minho.

Jeongin nodded wearily, “He's okay, getting better. When the doctor came, they gave him some pretty strong pain meds. He's been in and out of sleep, but he seems to be sleeping properly now.”

Hyunjin let out a breath, nodding as he took the words in. Minho was going to be okay. Relieved, he let his posture relax, leaning back in the chair. “Are you okay?” He asked again.

“I’m okay.” 

Hyunjin didn’t believe that.

“Chan? Seungmin? Have you talked to them this morning?”

“Not yet. They’ve been in his office since… well, since I spoke to you and Seungmin earlier this morning.”

Hyunjin’s eyes widened, “We should go see them, check on them,” he stated, but Jeongin took Hyunjin’s hand over the table before he could move. His hand was warm, heated from the mug he’d been holding. His scent didn’t particularly smell of anything right now, dulled from exhaustion. It wasn’t an uncommon reaction but Hyunjin’s concern didn’t lessen.

“They need each other right now, hyung, just each other. We can’t understand what they’re going through the way they can- they need each other to get through this,” Jeongin told him as he stroked his thumb over Hyunjin’s hand. 

It was hard to accept that, but Jeongin’s words made sense. 

How could Hyunjin possibly understand? Especially after the way he’d been singled out and left unharmed by the enemy. Seungmin and Chan had faced that horrible situation of doing what was morally heartbreaking in order to stay alive, and Hyunjin, nor the others could know what it was like for them.

He nodded slowly, looking down at the lines on the stained wood table. It was just so hard not being able to do anything. He wasn’t oblivious, he knew there was no simple fix- that he couldn’t make everything okay again with his words or take back what had happened. So, he took a breath, trying to let the situation be and unfold as it was. “You should go rest, have you slept yet?” He asked, lifting his head to express his concern for the omega.

Jeongin sipped the last mouthful of his drink and placed it down. “Not yet, I’m heading there now. Changbin fell asleep beside Minho, and as far as I know Jisung and Felix are still asleep.” 

Hyunjin hummed in understanding, eyes scanning over him. Jeongin had showered, looking clean and healed, and Hyunjin gave a tiny smile as the omega stretched wide and yawned. Jeongin was cute, but the numbing sadness that he carried with him just made Hyunjin’s chest feel tight. “Get some rest, and let me know if you need anything, okay?” 

“I will, hyung. Thank you,” Jeongin returned the small smile, giving Hyunjin one last appreciative look before he exited the kitchen. 

Hyunjin deflated once he was left alone, curling to lay his cheek against the table, eyes closing. It was so quiet. He couldn’t hear any talking or moving around or laughing, like there usually was. The atmosphere was always so buzzing and full of life, but now Hyunjin felt hollow with emptiness. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, letting out a breath through his nose. 

The look that wolf had given him flashed in his mind again. It recognised Hyunjin. They all did. Somehow, they knew him. Hyunjin was sure of it. It was his smell, but he had never seen them before in his life. How did they know him? How did they know his scent? All answers came up blank. If it had been someone in his old pack he would have been able to smell the pack bond.

Bright red eyes. Sharp gaze. Warning, knowing. Unfamiliar.

“Jinnie.”

Hyunjin’s eyes blinked open, head lifting from the table to see Seungmin standing across the room. 

“Seungmin!” He bolted up, chair scraping back behind him. He didn’t flinch at the sound, barely even taking it in, as all he could process was that Seungmin was standing there in front of him. Real.

The beta looked worse for wear, hair a mess, skin pale and eye bags prominent. He looked small. Hyunjin doubted that he’d gotten any sleep, but really, he hadn’t expected him to. It was hard enough for Hyunjin to get any shut eye, let alone what Seungmin had to deal with when he closed his eyes.

Hyunjin wasn’t sure what to say, nothing that he conjured up in his mind felt right. He couldn’t tell Seungmin that it was okay, because right now he knew that it wouldn’t feel that way. He couldn’t tell him that it wasn’t his fault, because even though it wasn’t, Seungmin would still blame himself. Instead, he walked around the table and wrapped his arms around him, not quite pulling him in, but letting the beta decide if he wanted the contact right now.

Seungmin sagged against him, leaning into his body as he pressed his face into Hyunjin’s shoulder. He let out a shaky breath, and Hyunjin held him securely, trying to stop his own lip from wobbling. Seungmin breathed in his scent, nuzzling closer, and they stood in silence, letting the physical touch help to thaw some of that ice on their insides.

Hyunjin stroked up and down Seungmin’s back soothingly, feeling the way his body trembled. Sniffles muffled into his shoulder, progressing to silent cries which had Seungmin holding him tighter as though Hyunjin would disappear from his hold, and Hyunjin wondered if this was the first time Seungmin had cried since it had all happened. 

He didn’t know how things had gone with Chan, what they could have been up to all night. Maybe they’d talked about it, or maybe they’d just sat in silence. Still, all Hyunjin could do for Seungmin right now was this.

“We’re here for you, Minnie. Always,” Hyunjin whispered against the beta’s hair, the ruffled strands tickling his cheek. Seungmin smelt so devastated, so hurt- his fresh morning scent clouded by a thick, dry, desolation of suffocating desert air. 

Seungmin’s body trembled harder and with a shaky breath he spoke, “I killed someone.” With the words came choked up sobs, thick tears rolling down his face and onto Hyunjin’s shirt.

Hyunjin kept holding him close, secure in his arms as he rocked their bodies gently.

“Breathe,” he whispered, resting his chin on the crown of Seungmin’s head as the younger curled into him more. “You’re not alone, we’ll never let you go through this alone.”

“I killed them…I killed them- I can never take that back- I can’t…I c-can’t.” Seungmin shook his head, coughing as he sobbed harder. 

“I know Minnie, I know, It’s okay- you’ll be okay,” Hyunjin assured, trying not to let distress seep into his tone. He’d never seen Seungmin like this, he’d ever seen anyone like this. He moved his arm from Seungmin’s back, blindly searching for the beta’s hand, which was gripping hard at Hyunjin’s shirt. After managing to get the beta to loosen his grip, he lifted Seungmin’s hand, bringing it up to his own neck. 

He was acting on instinct. It was easy to slip away from reality, and feeling something real and living was grounding. It reminded a person that they were alive and that the world wasn’t crumbling to the ground around them. He pressed Seungmin’s pointer and middle finger to the well known spot on his neck, letting out a slow exhale as he did so.

“Focus on my heartbeat, Min. Can you feel it? Breathe with me.”

Hyunjin ran Seungmin a bath a short while later. The beta had calmed down enough to sit down and drink a mug of hot water, and with gentle guidance from Hyunjin, agreed to a bath. Right now it was minute by minute, step by step. It was whatever it took to get Seungmin through this, because with time things would get more manageable- time did that and Hyunjin knew that from experience.

Seungmin was distant and silent as he let Hyunjin clean over his skin with a warm cloth, and he barely closed his eyes when Hyunjin massaged shampoo through his hair. For the most part, he just stared at the wall ahead of him, eyes unwavering, unblinking.

“Have you slept yet?” Hyunjin asked, his voice a soft murmur as he dried Seungmin off with a fluffy blue towel. The claw arms down his neck were still prominent and flushed pink as they healed.

Seungmin’s head twitched in a ‘no’, and Hyunjin nodded in understanding. He hadn’t needed to hear an answer to know that that was true. “I’m scared to dream,” the beta whispered. 

Hyunjin guided him to sit down, towel still wrapped around him as the younger sat stiffly on the closed toilet seat. “I know it’s scary, and I can’t promise that you won’t dream,” Hyunjin admitted. He brushed a hand through Seungmin’s damp hair, massaging lightly, and the beta’s eyelids drooped a little. “But I can promise you that you won’t be alone. Someone will always be there to hold you, and if you dream, you won’t wake up alone. We’ll never let you bear the burden of this on your own.”

Seungmin’s eyes glistened again, and his eyebrows pulled in. In a pained expression of emotional overwhelm, he nodded, giving Hyunjin’s hand a grateful and meaningful squeeze.

Hyunjin got Seungmin into bed beside Jeongin, as the omega was likely to stay asleep the longest after only going to bed about an hour beforehand. He sat with them for a little bit, waiting until he could hear Seungmin’s breathing even out. The heavy smell of devastation dissipated. 

He was tired, felt as though he was a walking body with his brain being pulled along behind, but sleep wouldn’t come back to him so soon, so keeping himself busy was what he needed today.

He walked down the hallway, noting where everyone was. Seungmin and Jeongin were in Jeongin’s room, Changbin and Minho in Minho’s room, and Jisung and Felix were in their own rooms now. By his lingering scent, Chan was still in his office, so that’s where Hyunjin headed next. 

He wasn’t sure what kind of state he’d find Chan in. This extent of fragility within the pack was not something he’d dealt with until now. But, whatever state Chan may be in, he’d help him take the step he needed next, and then the one after that. Each step until he could walk them on his own again. And when everyone else rose from sleep, Hyunjin wouldn’t be bearing that task alone either.

He knocked on the door and then waited, glancing beside him at the end of the small rounded hallway. There was a large window, one that as Hyunjin looked out of, he could see it had been raining over the past few hours. The leaves on the trees were dripping droplets onto the grass, and the sky was a drizzling grey. Still, birds were chirping, refreshed under the summer rain.

He pictured the battle ground from the dawn hours of the morning. What remained of their presence there? Had the blood washed away, had the mud watered down enough that the paw prints disappeared?

“Come in,” came a croaky voice from inside, followed by the shuffling of papers.

Hyunjin didn’t hesitate as he opened the door, trying to be as gentle and quiet as possible as he stepped inside. 

Chan was sitting at his desk. Like Seungmin had been, his hair was ruffled, sticking out in different directions as if he’d messed with it too much. The look in his eyes was hollow. Seungmin had gotten him to put on clothes and checked over his injuries, by the looks of it, but it was clear he hadn’t showered yet. 

“Hi, baby,” Chan smiled, but it was more of a pained grimace. 

Hyunjin closed the door behind him with a soft click, making his way closer. His eyes fell to Chan’s desk, and then to the coffee table. Papers were scattered over it, printouts of what looked to be emails, and research articles. Notes made in scribbled and writing as well as scrunched up pieces had fallen onto the rug below it. He frowned, so this was what Seungmin and Chan had been doing since the early hours of the morning.

“Oh, these? Don’t worry about all this. What did you need?” Chan waved his hand at the piles around him, but it was hard to disregard it all. Out of respect for Chan’s request, he forced himself not to get a closer look.

He returned his attention to the pack leader, not liking the feeling that was settling in his gut. He tried to disregard the unease, putting it aside for when it was a better time, and instead made his way over to Chan. His eyes softened, saddening at the fragility that Chan displayed. He held heavy bags under his eyes, body slouched and looking smaller, far from the confidence he usually projected. 

Hyunjin needed to help his alpha.

“Have you slept?” It was a ridiculous question, of course he hadn’t, but like with Seungmin, he found himself asking it anyway.

“I’ll sleep in a bit,” Chan tried to assure him but Hyunjin knew him well enough to know that that was a lie. Chan was the type of person to force himself to keep going, to maintain resoluteness until he dropped from exhaustion. It was probably why he disappeared immediately after they’d arrived home. 

“Do you want some tea? Anything to eat? I can run you a bath?” Hyunjin suggested. Anything to get Chan away from all of this .

“That’s very thoughtful, but I’m okay. I won’t be too much longer.” Again, the response wasn’t a surprise, but Hyunjin wasn’t about to give up that quickly. 

He was starting to better understand that processing what they’d gone through wasn’t the same for everyone. Seungmin had tried to help everyone else until there was no one left and all he could do was fall apart in Hyunjin’s arms- and Chan was trying to live in a state of avoidance. Hyunjin wasn’t an expert. He was far from it, but if Chan was planning to avoid eating, drinking, sleeping and processing while he worked away on a project that kept him focussed on the trauma- that couldn’t be healthy. 

“Hyung,” Hyunjin let out a breath. “It’s not your fault.”

Chan blinked at him, that forced smile fading from his face, and honestly, it was a relief to see it go “Hyunjin-”

“It’s not your fault that they died.” Somehow the bluntness of Hyunjin’s words seemed to be what Chan needed to hear.

Chan opened his mouth and then closed it again. He swallowed, his throat bobbing as he looked away. “I don’t-”

“You were forced into a situation where you had no other option. You were brave and you did everything you could to avoid things escalating. When it came down to it, you protected your pack, you protected us .” Hyunjin was standing infront of him now, Chan’s chair swivelled to face in his direction, the man stiff against the leather as he avoided looking up at Hyunjin.

His eyes shifted around, hands fiddling in his lap and then he sagged further, gaze stopping at Hyunjin’s torso then and remaining there. “They died because of me- because I couldn’t handle the situation in any other way. I should have found a way to ease them into talking about it- into backing down. But I killed them- I k-killed them and now their pack doesn’t have a leader anymore.”

Hyunjin bit down on his lip to will his own tears away. He gripped the side of the desk subtly, as though he was leaning against it, in order to stabilise himself. When he felt like he could breathe again, he asked, “Would you have let them kill Minho hyung?”

Chan’s eyes widened, looking up to Hyunjin in desperate disagreement. “No- Of course not. Never, I could never let that happen.”

“Hyung lived because of you, because of Seungmin. I saw him, I…he, he was dying…right in front of me. He wouldn’t have made it if the fight had kept going. You may have had to make a decision that you didn’t want to make- but in doing so you saved Minho’s hyung’s life.

Chan’s hand shakily moved up to cup his trembling lips and he let out a sob into it. The dam broke and tears spilled from his eyes, breaths turning shaky and heaving. 

Hyunjin moved to stand between the alpha’s legs, pulling him into a hug where Chan pressed his face into Hyunjin’s sternum. He rubbed his back, the same way he’d done with Seungmin. Behind all of their masks, no matter who it was, under the avoidance, potential anger, and stress, there was hurt . It was deep; a wound that spiralled down like the roots of an old tree. Fear, sadness, guilt, hurt . The wound was fresh, it needed care, support, love. Time.

That night they all slept cuddled up together in Minho’s room, turning the space around Minho’s bed into a big nest. The injured alpha slept for the entire day, waking for small sips of water and soup that Felix spoon fed him, before regaining enough consciousness in the evening for Hyunjin to run him a bath and help him through a proper wash up. 

He’d filled Minho in on the events which had been blanked from his mind in moments of agony, elaborating into his interactions with Seungmin and Chan, while leaving out Chan’s suspicious researching, and his own concerns over the enemy pack’s recognition of him.

He knew that he needed to bring it up at some point, but everything was far too fragile at the moment, and the last thing he wanted to do was give Chan another thing to obsess over. 

Minho was healing well, slower than he would with regular injuries, but for someone who was on the brink of death not even 24 hours beforehand, he was doing spectacularly. 

Everyone slept a little bit better that night.

They didn’t talk about the fight until the next day, when minds were clearer and Seungmin and Chan were more present with their emotions and ready to talk. Minho wasn’t as dazed, far more recovered after a good night's sleep. He wouldn’t need the pain medication after today, but his external wounds were likely to never fully disappear. Instead, they’d fade to long white lines, slightly raised from his skin but healed nonetheless. It seemed that the marks on Seungmin’s neck would do the same. 

“Hyunjin, there’s something you’ve never told us,” Jisung started, and Hyunjin tensed up immediately. This was the first time anyone had eluded back to the previous day’s events, and Hyunjin wasn’t sure what to expect from the question. Did they know he had held back rather- very important information from them?

“We’ve also never asked,” Jeongin supplied in a way to correct Jisung’s ambiguous tone.

So this wasn’t about the fight?

Jisung nodded in acknowledgement and then continued, “You’ve never told us the name of your old pack…it’s not that we didn’t know they must have a name…but you’ve never used it,” the omega explained.

Hyunjin swallowed thickly. They were right, he never used it. 

The moment he’d left the Jang pack, they became his old pack. He wasn’t trapped there anymore, he wasn’t one of them . Maybe he subconsciously thought that it gave him back some of the control that he’d never had; the control to dehumanise them. Or, maybe he was just scared.

His eyes flicked to Chan. Before Hyunjin’s arrival, the pack leader had heard of his pack, and therefore knew the name. Hyunjin had been here for longer than an entire heat cycle now- and Chan hadn't told them.

“You didn’t tell them,” He stated, partially a question, partially in surprise that Chan hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else, seemingly.

“It was never my place to say,” Chan replied gently.

He took a breath, turning his attention back to the room.

“Jang. They’re the Jang pack.” 

Saying it out loud made his tongue feel weird, like it was too big for his mouth. The name resembled poison, but it was high time he let them in on a part of history. Even if he so rightfully thought it should stay locked away, never to be brought attention to again. These were his mates, they had the right to know.

“The leading alpha is not a Jang, nor have the past leaders been for almost a century,” Hyunjin started to elaborate. “Our structure was different from what many larger packs rule by; It wasn’t passed down through a family line. It didn’t matter if a pack alpha produced what one might consider an heir. We didn’t work that way,” He explained, pulling at a loose string attached to the pillow in front of him.

Their nest was safe, and warm, and all the people he loved were around him- that’s what he reminded himself of as he let the story unfold.

“How did the structure work?” Jeongin asked, leaning back against the side of Minho’s bed.

“Under peaceful terms, which was most of the time, when a pack alpha felt it was time to retire, the next strongest alpha stepped in. They’d hold an election or a ‘pack specific event’, I suppose the term would be. I don’t think there's an exact word for it outside of my dialect.”

There was a pause of contemplation around the room, everyone attentively listening, and Hyunjin felt their support. They were imagining it though his eyes, and that feeling of being seen helped him to continue.

“The last change-over wasn't through a reelection. Before I presented, we were ruled under Alpha Sun Jibin, and for the most part, he was a good leader. He wasn’t perfect, a complete traditionalist, but he took me in after I was born, so I guess that makes me owe my life to him.”

Chan made a sceptical face towards that outlook, but didn’t say anything.

“Then one day, Alpha Sun was brought back to our pack territory under the arms of an alpha hunting group. He had died. I don’t really know the technicalities, there were a lot of stories thrown around at the time, but then chaos broke out and no one really cared anymore.”

“They killed him,” Changbin mumbled and Seungmin elbowed him, quietly scolding him.

“You don’t know that.”

They were probably right.

“The council wasn’t able to maintain the peace. A couple of hours later, and a few dead alphas later, Kim Taesoon took over as the current leader. He and his vigilante alpha army made sure everyone stayed in line after that day. We had no individuality anymore, it was his way or no way- and anyone outside of that faced the consequences.” Hyunjin shivered, flashes of images where traitors had been caught and publicly tortured came back into his mind. That could just as easily be him.

Minho hummed, “He’s ruling under dictatorship.”

Hyunjin nodded, although he didn’t exactly understand the term. Perhaps they had a different word for it, but the understanding still stood. Political repression was what Hyunjin had lived under for years, and that was just a part of his history.

After lunch, everyone made themselves comfortable in the nest again. The sun was shining a warm light into Minho’s room. Lately it had been raining more often, less uncomfortably warm as autumn neared. The soon to be changing of seasons was present in the air.

And now, as they sat, protected in each other’s presence, the weight of a much needed conversation rested over the room.

Minho led the conversation, stepping into the leader role. Instinctually, everyone knew Chan wasn’t in the space for that right now, and as a pack, there was always the ability to accommodate where it was needed. 

“We handled it as best we could, and we’re all here now. That’s the most important thing,” Minho said definitively, resting back against the headboard of his bed with a pillow propped up behind him. Light sheets rested over him and he held Changbin’s hand in his own. The alpha sat shoulder to shoulder with him, everyone else sitting on pillows and blankets within the nest that extended down around the floor.

There was a beat of silence, an acknowledgement of the fact. Any one of them could have died in battle, and Minho’s experience was a haunting reminder of that.

“I don’t want anything like that to happen again,” Jisung spoke up, voice shaking just slightly. He was leaning back in Jeongin’s hold, the younger omega’s arms wrapped around his middle from where they sat in the nest. 

Minho let out a soft sigh as he nodded in agreement, “We’ve handled disputes of land before, but we weren’t equipped for something like this- for a pack that was willing to risk it all.”

“I just don’t understand…” Jeongin started, pausing as he tilted his head with a frown.

“Don’t understand what?” Felix asked.

“Why did they take it so far? Over land- it just doesn’t make sense,” Jeongin shook his head, frowning in a way that told Hyunjin he’d been contemplating it for longer than this conversation. 

Hyunjin’s lips drew into a thin line. 

“That’s what I’ve been looking into,” Chan explained, brushing a hand through his hair. He was better rested than the day before. Hyunjin wouldn’t go as far as to say he or Seungmin looked back to their normal selves, by any means, but they looked as though they finally understood that they weren't going through this on their own- and that’s all Hyunjin could hope for right now.

“What is there to look into?” Changbin asked, resting his chin on Minho’s shoulder. The older alpha had carefully moved himself to lean against Changbin’s chest instead of against the bed board, and Hyunjin couldn’t blame him- Changbin was much more comfortable looking.

“Records of their pack, mentions of them, where they came from, where they were planning on going- anything really. They’re not in our system, and there wasn’t a lot of information on them to be found. Our allies around the country either hadn’t heard of them or had only heard about them in passing. All I’ve been able to gather is that they’re a reasonably small pack, keep to themselves, until now, and potentially reside in the mountains. They don’t have a lot of connections outside of their own pack, but apparently they do have one somewhere within our area.”

Like a lightbulb flicking on in his head, it clicked. Hyunjin hadn’t met this pack, but he knew of them.

“I know them,” He spoke up before anyone else could get a word in- before his brain could catch up to his words, and all eyes turned to him. 

“Hyunjin, you told me you’d let me know immediately if they were part of your old pack,” Chan frowned, and Hyunjin shook his head quickly.

“No, I didn’t realise at the time- well I started to. It’s complicated, let me explain,” he huffed, trying to get his head around it all. 

He began telling them of how the wolves wouldn’t fight him, that as soon as they caught his scent, they backed away. After the first howling signal, they acted as though he wasn’t there at all. They had just looked at him a certain way, and Hyunjin expressed his irritation in not understanding that until now. 

“I couldn’t figure out why, I mean, I didn’t know them. They weren’t part of the Jang pack, I would have been able to sense it if they were,” he explained, shaking his head. He was annoyed at himself for having not considered it.

He let out a huff, “My old pack, they kept to themselves for the most part. I’d never even met anyone outside of my pack members until I escaped. But I remember something- an ally in the mountains. We weren’t a large pack, but both our pack and theirs needed supplies that the other could provide. So, groups transported goods to and from territories every few months.”

Chan leaned back on the palms of his hands, processing. 

“I could have seen them in passing back when I was a kid, but I don’t think they ever showed up again after our changeover of leaders. I honestly can’t remember,” He said as thoughtfulness gave way to something more heavy in his realisation. “They must have come as a favour to the Jang pack. Because of me- they tried to kill you in order to get to me.” Tears prickled his eyes and he had to fight the lump forming in his throat as he looked down at his lap. 

“That adds up…” Chan nodded and in his own train of thought, Hyunjin’s inner turmoil went unnoticed. 

“I spoke to the Kim pack after the attack. The enemies barely put up a fight. At their first attempt to dominate, the Kim pack had them retreating…It didn’t make sense to me at the time, but now,”

“They wanted to deceive us into thinking we weren’t the only target. It steered attention away from what their real reason for attacking us was,” Seungmin interrupted, the metaphorical lightbulb in the room turning on as everyone fell into understanding. 

Hyunjin felt stiff, body tight. He bit hard on the inside of his cheek. 

During the fight he should have tried to alert Chan better, to show him how the enemies were avoiding him.

He could have put himself in front of Seungmin and Chan to stop the wolves from going for them.

He should have protected everyone better.

No one would have died and no one would have blamed themselves as a result. 

He could have prevented this, but he didn’t.  

He must have let out a whimper, unintentional, his scent souring in dismay, and all the eyes in the room turned to him. He didn’t want to break down, didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

“Jinnie,” Felix said softly, moving closer in the nest. 

He shook his head, trying to stop the heavy drops of tears running down his face, but there was no use. His shoulders shook with it. “I could have done something- anything. I could have prevented all of this.”

“Hyunjin, no, no you couldn’t have.” Chan quickly got up to move to his side. “It all happened so quickly, so intensely. It was impossible to think with a clear mind.” He wrapped his arms around Hyunjin’s shaking form, pulling him in. “You can’t blame yourself for this- what did you tell me yesterday? It’s not my fault, right? It’s not yours either.”

“There are an unlimited amount of ‘what if’s’, but dwelling on them doesn’t change the situation,” Minho added and Hyunjin nodded a wet snuffle into Chan’s neck.

“It’s their fault, not yours, not ours,” Jisung added firmly in agreement. “You’re our mate, you accepted our pasts the same way we accept yours. And that includes all that comes with it.”

“We knew there was a risk of them coming for you. We chose to accept that threat,” Changbin told him and Hyunjin slowly lifted himself away from Chan’s shoulder to look at them again. 

Felix’s hand slipped into his own. “The Jang pack went to horrific lengths because they believed they had the right to reprimand actions that they didn’t approve of,” Felix said, giving his hand a squeeze.

Hyunjin could feel the disgust towards the pack radiating from the omega, emanating from everyone. It seeped angrily through all of their scents. He took a few breaths through his nose, letting his brain catch up. He hadn’t wanted to bring the people he loved into all this, but they were right, they knew the risks and they chose to stand by him. He couldn’t change what had happened, and it was okay that he felt some resentfulness towards himself as long as he acknowledged that those thoughts were only from his own view. He had every right to be free from those who caused destruction in his life for so long, and the fault lay in those that gave the orders to kill his mates.

“Thank you,” he whispered, because amidst all the muddle of thoughts it was all he could manage to say. 

“It’s going to be okay, Jinnie. You’re not alone, you’re never going to be alone in this,” Seungmin spoke softly, reaching out to take Hyunjin’s free hand. He gave him a nod, firm and intentionally linking to Hyunjin’s comfort from the day before.

“We do whatever it takes to protect our pack,” Jeongin added affirmatively.

“Whether you like it or not,” Minho mumbled, the light chuckle following his words that had them all smiling in amusement.

Hyunjin laughed wetly, pulling his hands gently from Felix and Seungmin’s holds, Chan giving him space as he wiped the tears from his cheeks and gained back his composure. He smiled. Genuine. Grateful.

“Thank you,” he repeated, this time meeting the eyes of everyone in the room. “Thank you for being patient with me, and loving me, and helping me learn what it's like to be cared about. I love you all so much and I truly don’t know how to express how much you mean to me,” He said cringing with a giggle at the sentimentality, 

“I’ve thought about how lucky I was to have run into your territory that night- How different my life would be if I’d gone in the opposite direction…and I’m just so glad that I escaped and ended up here,” he admitted. He could easily have taken a different path; ended up hours away, in a different pack's territory, in a city somewhere, lost and terrified.

“We were meant to find each other, I don’t doubt that for a second.” Chan squeezed his shoulder, running a hand compassionately down his back.

“Personally, I’ve always believed that things happen for a reason. I don’t think it mattered which direction you ran, because in the end we could have met,” Felix said confidently and everything in his eyes told Hyunjin that he believed that wholeheartedly. 

“So,” Chan pressed his hands together. “Let's use all of these emotions…everything we’re going through; all the anger and hurt and suffering to do something significant.”

“Something positive,” Seungmin added, obviously in on whatever it was Chan was alluding to. “Because no one can take that away from us and that pack deserves to know that they didn’t break us,” he finished valiantly.

Hyunjin blinked, perplexed. This seemed to explain all the research Chan had been doing, and the litter of white paper that had become his office. Jisung beat him to the question on the tip of his tongue.

“What do you mean, something significant ?”

“Well, we know what we’re working with now, so that’s a start,” Minho said, clasping his hands together. Changbin’s arms had moved to wrap around his stomach as he idly played with the hem of Minho’s shirt. Minho was in on it too, then?

“You think they’ll try again?” Felix asked with uncertainty, shuffling on the blankets under him. He leaned closer to Seungmin who had rested a hand soothingly on Felix’s lower thigh.

“I know they will,” Hyunjin responded seriously. “They’re not going to let this go.” 

Hyunjin knew the ideation of the Jang pack as he knew the back of his own hand. He’d seen what they’d done to people like him, the lengths they would go to in order to assert control back over the pack. If they got to him, he’d face that wrath, that torture. 

“So we’re getting revenge?” Jeongin asked hopefully.

“Not exactly,” Chan shook his head. “That’s not who we are, we don’t fight without reason.”

There was a pause, and Hyunjin felt himself holding his breath between Chan’s last sentence and his next. 

“Seungmin and I have a plan.” 

Chapter Text

“We’re going on holiday.”

Silence consumed the room as nobody said anything for what felt like an eternity. A holiday ? The juxtaposition of their conversation and Chan’s plan had left Hyunjin speechless. How was a holiday supposed to help them?

“We’re what ?” Jeongin gawked, sharing the same look of disbelief Hyunjin felt himself displaying.

“After everything that’s happened, are you sure-” Changbin winced as he started to ask. The prospect really did seem rather inappropriate, or at least very much disconnected from everything they’d just faced. 

A holiday appeared as though it was a fancy way of saying ‘avoidance’, in Hyunjin’s opinion.

“ Will you let me explain?” Chan cut back in, eyebrows lifting expectantly at them to hear him out before they posed judgement, and when no one tried to speak up again, he continued. “Technically it’s for work. But, I was thinking we could all use a bit of space from our territory for a bit- from the forest in general, actually.” 

Hyunjin shuffled, pulling a pillow from the nest into his lap. A working holiday didn’t really elaborate any further into the hours of planning and thousands of papers that seemed to litter Chan’s office.

“So we’re leaving our home unattended…? For how long?” Jisung asked, unconvinced.

Minho spoke up in response, “Not completely. The Kim’s have agreed to watch over it for us, as they’ll be joining the conference electronically. And for how long; we’re thinking about a week. In the city.” he explained, letting Changbin play with his fingers idly.

“Oh-kay… Can one of you just explain everything, please ? A holiday? A conference? What does any of this have to do with the fact that a pack of wolves were, and probably still are, out to murder us?” Felix snapped and Hyunjin extended a hand to rub his thumb over the omega’s knee calmingly. Tension was mixing with confusion and Hyunjin wanted to avoid this turning into an argument.  

“You’re right. Sorry, the planning for this hasn’t exactly been…cohesive. Chan hyung and I worked through the night when we got back, and then we brought Minho hyung into it when we could. He knows the city best. We’re going to explain it all. From the beginning,” Seungmin apologised with reassurance, giving the two alphas a nod to proceed.

Felix relaxed under the hand Hyunjin had placed on his knee, and the alpha let out a slow breath. 

“We’re going to host a conference in the city for all of the packs registered in our database. In times like these, we should be strengthening our alliances. We’re not the only ones who have faced aggression from packs wanting more power. We have the voice and the influence to bring other packs together. By now, Every forest shifter in the country knows about what happened to us, and while they don’t know the logistics, we have the power to spread awareness of that,” Chan explained, shuffling to pull his cell phone out of his pocket. He opened it up to the website, scrolling through the community forum where he let everyone pass his phone around, reading aloud some of the comments. 

‘Who’s to say this won’t happen to us as well?’

‘In the last year, my pack has had 3 territory disputes, all from packs who refused to take part in maintaining the peace…’

‘We’re all alone out here. What if we’re next? Living in the forest is worse than being isolated in the city.’

‘Something has to be done. No one stands up for us. No one protects us.’

“There will always be strength in numbers.” Seungmin leaned back on his palms, the scar on his neck stretching down past the space between his collarbones, and Hyunjin’s eyes followed it before snapping away as Minho spoke up again.

“Our country has no ruling over shifter owned land. Sure, we’re citizens of the nation, but no one protects us. No shifter faces the consequence of mindlessly killing another on our land, and consequences are only faced if the individual pack rules it so.”

Hyunjin didn’t know that. He didn’t know a lot about life in the city or its politics. Not in the way Minho did. He hadn’t really met that many non-shifters with the isolated life he’d grown up in- but Minho was born and raised in the city. And, city life was far, far different.

While everyone grew to present as their sub-genders, most people did not hold the DNA of a shifter unless it was in their family line. Only after presenting did that ability become known, and it had been many years since the majority of shifters had migrated out of the cities. Full shift wolves didn’t have a place there, unable to roam and retrieve their moonlight energy the way they not only desired but needed. 

A system had been built around that; that everyone, shifter and non-shifter alike, had the right to all means of citizenship, but the government wouldn’t interfere with pack politics and forest territory management. This allowed the growing anarchy that had been taking place for centuries.

Briefly, Hyunjin tried to picture Minho’s life growing up in the city. Tall, skyscraper buildings surrounded him as the scents of millions smothered him. The one indication of a person being a shifter before they actually presented as one, was the increased sensitivity to smells. His own trips to the city were overwhelming enough in short bursts, although, while he did quite enjoy the freedom and explorative aspects of those outings, he certainly couldn’t imagine living there. 

“Clearly, we aren’t the only ones vulnerable. Even what happened to us the other night didn’t just affect us. Everyone is scared right now, and there’s only so much a website showing ‘who lives where’ can do.” Chan pressed his hands together, sitting up straighter.

“There’s a common goal in mind; a desire to provide safety and security for our packs. A joint alliance- or at least a shared communication and agreement to support and warn each other in times of danger, which can help us provide more safety to our packs.” 

“So we get everyone together to forge an agreement of protection? Like a wall to block our enemies out?” Hyunjin asked, still trying to wrap his head around it. 

He’d never even considered being the type of person to reach out to outsiders for help. How was he supposed to trust strangers to see the danger the way he did? To take any of this seriously? But, he also hadn’t seen what other packs had faced first hand either. He’d heard all the bad pack structures his mates had grown up in, and he’d had first hand experience with his own past, but he’d never actually seen a healthy and loving pack outside of the one he had now. There had to be more out there, and maybe they would want to be a part of something like this.

Minho nodded to Hyunjin’s question, leaning himself forward as he spoke while using his hands as descriptors. “When people stand for something together, they’re stronger. Therefore, even though we’ll never be invincible, those attempting to hurt or try to kill us, have to get through the safety net we create for ourselves and the people willing to protect us too. Unity.”

“Do you think people will come? To the conference?” Changbin asked, looking less hesitant than he did in the beginning. The scent of hope was starting to swirl around the room, and it made Hyunjin’s stomach flip flop in a quickly building sense of anticipation. 

He tried to imagine it. What did a conference look like? What did it entail? Would people really seek out the protection of others, even if that compromised their pride? 

“I think they’d come if we asked them to,” Chan responded, his tone holding unwavering certainty. He was confident in this, and while Hyunjin felt he’d need to see it to really believe it, he trusted Chan with his life- and if Chan believed in this, he would too.

“Whether it be virtual attendance, physical attendance as a full pack, or partial pack, people will come. They’ve had enough of fighting on their own, fighting where peace should be an option,” Seungmin added with assurance.

“Will it work?” Jeongin asked, rubbing the sleeves of his hoodie together. He looked small, uncertain and if Hyunjin was closer he would have reached out to him. It wasn’t so much like Jeongin to retreat in on himself, but Hyunjin’s eyes moved back to Chan again as the radiation of his leadership made everything about him captivating to the room. He was in his element. He was ready for this.

“We hope so. But we won’t know unless we try.”

There was a lot that could go wrong. Alphas could be territorial and extremely protective even when it was outside of their own territories, and putting packs from all around the country in one place…had the chance to stir up a lot of trouble. Plus, every pack had its own values, what they deemed right and wrong. Undoubtedly, it was a gamble. But, if they succeeded…it might change everything.

One week later, plans were progressing. Solidifying. 

“So, Felix, you and I are going to work on the site,” Minho allocated, directing his words to the omega who was sitting across from him in one of the living room arm chairs. The nest never got dismantled these days- unless the linen had to be washed, so all remaining chairs and couches were added to the semicircle surrounding the fireplace. This left a far greater amount of space for the pack members to spread out, yet everyone still latched onto another anyway.

“Resident coder,” Changbin whispered to Hyunjin who blinked, giving a nod despite the fact that he didn’t know what a ‘coder’ was. It did have to do with their website though, he could understand that much.

 “Jisung and Changbin, I want you guys to help me draft invites. And, we need to make an official announcement that we’ll display on the website,” Chan delegated next, and Jisung sat up straighter giving him a devoted nod.

“When will the conference be?” Jeongin asked, pulling at the corner of his lip. Hyunjin observed him, it had been a week since they’d all heard of the plan, and despite the transition back into a more ‘normal’ sense of their daily life, Hyunjin couldn't shake off the feeling that something was up with the omega.

“I’m thinking about a month from now. We need to give people time to prepare. And, we need time to spread and word and prepare for this ourselves.  Minho, Seungmin and I are taking the lead in planning and executing the conference itself, but there's still lots to be done around that.” Chan replied, and Seungmin continued on from him, lifting his head from Felix’s shoulder to talk.

“Like we discussed last week, this isn’t just about a conference, we’re also there to have a break. The conference will run for 3 days, but we’re going to be in the city for the whole week.”

“Where are we staying?” Jisung asked, and he shuffled in his seat with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Jisung loved the city, Hyunjin remembered. There was something about the fast paced atmosphere that Jiung seemed to flow with, and it made Hyunjin wonder what it was like for non-shifters to grow up in such an environment. All the technology Hyunjin didn’t understand that well, the clothing trends he loved to try to follow, the worklife he’d never explored- it was a whole other world, and he couldn’t imagine himself being born into it.

“Well I thought that maybe Jeongin and Hyunjin could look into that for us? We have a couple of ideas, hotels that have conference halls in them- which would be ideal. You two can narrow things down, make some decisions and get in contact with them. Seungmin and I will attend in person meetings for all other arrangements.”

Hyunjin looked at Jeongin who’s lips lifted in a small, yet still rather uncomfortable smile of confirmation.

“What do you think Hyunjin? I think you might enjoy looking at hotels, as Jeongin can be humble with his selection, so I need you to balance him out by finding something more luxurious,” Chan joked with a gleaming grin, and Hyunjin expected Jeongin to fire something back about ‘just because we have the money, doesn’t mean we need to go for the most expensive thing.’ But he didn’t say anything. 

“Yes, yeah, I can do that,” Hyunjin replied with a laugh, sounding slightly awkward as it left his lips. He supposed he would balance Jeongin out, considering everything in the city awed him. Plus, he’d heard that some hotels had spa pools, and there was no way he was allowing Jeongin to select a hotel that didn’t have one of those.

“Great.” Chan clapped his hands together. “This will be an important step in enhancing our safety and preparing us for any further attacks. So, let’s work hard in preparation,” He declared in finality, earning a series of claps from Changbin who still looked rather captivated by the pack leader. If Hyunjin knew Changbin as well as he did, he’d say Chan wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight. 

After the pack meeting ended, everyone went their separate ways. Somehow, Jeongin had slipped out of Hyunjin’s line of sight, prompting the alpha to try and scent the air to find his whereabouts. He hadn’t been too concerned at the beginning of the week, considering what they’d gone through, it was natural that he might have appeared ‘a bit off’. But now, Hyunjin couldn’t shake the feeling that Jeongin really was struggling with something. And with that, his senses led him to the kitchen. 

The omega stood facing the back wall, arms crossed over his chest with his bottom lip pulled between his teeth.

“Innie?” Hyunjin asked from the doorway.

Jeongin jolted at his unexpected presence and turned to look at him. He gave another weak smile, one that, just like in the living room, didn’t meet his eyes. “Hey, Jinnie hyung.”

“Are you okay?” He asked, stepping further into the room. He passed the dining table to get a look at the calendar that had held Jeongin’s attention prior to his arrival. 

“Oh yeah…no, I’m fine,” Jeongin replied, waving him off lightly but Hyunjin’s eyebrows pulled in as he leaned in to look closer at the calendar. If Jeongin wasn’t going to tell him, he’d have to figure it out for himself- which wasn’t hard considering the words stared back at him in Chan’s handwriting. 

‘Jeongin - heat’

“Your heat?”

Jeongin’s throat bobbed and he sighed, letting the calendar fall back to the page it was on. The photo of the month was a baby deer. “It’s due the week before Chan hyung planned the conference to be,” he said, and there was a tinge of defeat in his tone. 

“That’s better than being during the conference though, right?” Hyunjin asked, arm brushing Jeongin’s. He hoped his presence, and the calm energy he was releasing with his scent would help.

Jeongin shrugged, “I suppose so…but everyone will be so busy that week. I just think…my heat will get in the way,” he admitted and Hyunjin felt a sad sinking feeling in his chest. Heats were already a sensitive time for Jeongin, adding in all of this…no wonder he had been struggling so much this past week. 

“Innie, you’d never get in the way. Ever.” 

“I just..I know this is really important so I-” Jeongin said, voice sounding as though he was trying to fight off tears, and Hyunjin took his hand, linking their fingers together.

“Hey, no,” He cut in, looking down at Jeongin, who’s eyes met his, albeit reluctantly. “ You’re important, Jeongin. Your safety and wellbeing are far more important to me than the conference. I’m not saying that’s not important. But, I’m sure I can speak for everyone in that you are most important to us.”

Jeongin’s eyes immediately softened and Hyunjin could feel the stress dissipating in his body. His arms lifted to wrap around Hyunjin’s shoulders and tug him closer, and like a rewarded puppy, Hyunjin leant in. “Thank you,” Jeongin sighed, letting out a soft breath, pressing his forehead to Hyunjin’s. “Will you spend my heat with me?”

Hyunjin didn’t exactly have time to enjoy the closeness as he pulled back enough to see Jeongin face to face, lips parting in surprise. “You want to spend it with me?”

The omega let out a short giggle, “I spent your rut with you, of course I want you to spend my heat with me.”

“I know but…I’m not…you know, very…experienced,” Hyunjin admitted, cheeks burning up. He fiddled with the tag on the back of Jeongin’s pale blue t-shirt, being careful not to scruff him. What if he was terrible with omega heats? He wouldn’t put it past himself. 

Jeongin looked at him endearingly, “That doesn’t matter to me- as long as you’re comfortable with it. I don’t know exactly how I want my heat to go this time around, and how it will fit in with preparations. Sometimes I prefer not to have everyone involved intimately, as it can be overwhelming. In that case, Changbin usually solely spends it with me. Other times, I love having everyone involved, so I don’t really know which way it will go until I go into pre-heat. But, I know I want you there. I’m comfortable around you, and you understand me- you know what it’s like to feel the way I do. So I know I want you there.”

Hyunjin’s fingers stroked Jeongin’s nape, the hair lightly tickling his fingertips. He felt pride bloom in his chest, melting through his body like warm tea on a cold day.

“Plus,” Jeongin added, a grin spreading up his face, “Being your first experience with an omega in heat would not only be very hot, but a big honour.”

Hyunjin let out a giggle, shaking his head lightly in amusement. “I’m comfortable with it, and it would be an honour to spend it with you, too.”

Jeongin pulled him closer, their lips locking in a sweet sipping kiss. They smiled against each other, pecking, nipping, all playful and light, and Hyunjin felt warm and fuzzy once again.

While preparations were underway, attention wasn’t solely on the conference or even the holiday in general. Hyunjin went into the city with Felix and Jisung on one of the last exceedingly warm days of summer, in which they’d gotten milkshakes and spent money in a way that Hyunjin supposed was ‘reckless’. 

Felix and Jisung took him to various clothing stores with loud music and bright colours, and he looked around in fascination at everything, including the models on display in the floor to ceiling posters. 

He then became a ‘doll’ for the omegas to take turns dressing him up in outfits that looked like nothing he’d ever worn before. Some items were silky and smooth, almost like water lapping at his skin. Others were of harder and thicker fabrics. Stylish leather jackets and warm fluffy winter coats. They had him trying on sneakers and boots, and then hats and accessories while they argued if gold or silver looked better with which outfits. 

Hyunjin felt like what he imagined being a prince was like. He took favour in certain items, twirling to show off the outfits to the omega’s who showered him with endless praise. By the end of it, he was carrying big shopping bags out of the store with a grin so wide it almost hurt.

After spending another hour roaming the streets and filtering in and out of shops that took their interest, they ended up in a hair salon. 

The strong chemicals invaded Hyunjin’s senses the second they entered, and he tried not to wrinkle his noise as he looked around the room. It was a modern styled room, walls white with black tile flooring. Some of the stations were occupied with other clients, their hairdressers snipping their hair or chatting with them, while what looked like tinfoil was in their hair. Hyunjin tilted his head in perplexment for a moment before his attention returned to his mates.

Felix was speaking to the person at the counter, while another worker ushered them to take a seat on the plush couches of the waiting area. 

“Did Felix make an appointment before we came?” Hyunjin asked Jisung, eyes following the younger omega who was led to one of the stations, happily chatting away with his hairdresser. Felix loved the length of his styled mullet, why would he want to cut it?

“Mhm,” Jisung hummed in response, taking a magazine from the side table with vague interest to flick through it. While Jisung likely found waiting around, for however long they would be here, rather boring, Hyunjin felt as though he was from a whole other planet, discovering earth for the first time.

In absolute horror, he gasped as the hair stylist, who was supposed to be cutting Felix’s hair, smothered a glob of something gross looking onto his hair. 

“Are they hurting him?!”

Jisung’s eyes flicked up from the magazine protectively before he relaxed, letting out a laugh. “Of course not.”

“What are they doing to him?” Hyunjin frowned, watching as Felix seemed completely calm while the random goo was being applied to his head.

Jisung glanced at him, “Oh,” he let out the realisation that Hyunjin clearly didn’t understand the situation. “They’re colouring his hair,” He explained, gesturing to the photos on the walls which had models posing in ways that showed off the styles and colours of their hair. 

Hyunjin looked around, taking in the pinks, greens, reds, and so many other colours that he had never consciously seen on a human being before. He then glanced back at Jisung, shocked.

The omega broke into a giggle again, and Hyunjin had half a mind to steal the backwards cap off of Jisung’s head just to mess up his hair. The magazine was tossed aside, long forgotten.

“Why is he colouring his hair? His blonde hair looks so pretty….” he trailed off, glancing over at Felix again. “What about in wolf form? Will he have a random patch on his head that’s a colour of the rainbow? He’ll look like he’s wearing a helmet!”

This time, the bark of laughter that Jisung couldn’t hold back from letting out earned them a couple of glares from the workers closest to them, and Hyunjin dipped his head in apology while Jisung attempted to keep his laughing at bay. “I don’t think it works like that.”

Hyunjin felt a smile twitching at his own lips. He supposed it didn’t, either.

A warm hand came to rest over his exposed knee cap- courtesy of the new pair of black jeans that they’d purchased that day. He didn’t exactly understand why someone would buy shredded clothing at full price, but apparently, according to his mates, he looked very attractive in them. Plus, it matched the silk white button up with a long hanging ribbon that he’d also found himself buying. 

Jisung gave his knee a squeeze, the warmth making Hyunjin shiver a little. “It’s the fashion. Felix likes fashion,” he explained.

Hyunjin tipped his head, thinking back to the models in the posters of the clothing stores. Some of them had interesting coloured hair. “So he wants to look more fashionable, because we’re coming to the city for the conference soon?”

Jisung soothed his thumb over Hyunjin’s knee cap. “He wants to feel more confident. You know…Chan hyung asked him to speak at the conference,” he spoke in a lowered voice, the conversation ebbing away from prayful to something more serious. 

“He did?”

“Hyungs not forcing him of course, and Felix is still deciding whether he wants to do it or not. It would mean telling a room full of strangers about his past, and honestly I’m surprised he’s considering it. But, I’m guessing he’s made his decision, if today is anything to go by…Colouring his hair makes him feel more confident, and I don’t think he would have come today if he hadn’t made up his mind.”

Hyunjin took a moment to process the information, glancing back at Felix. He was chatting animatedly about something. He looked really happy. “He’s very brave,” he finally replied, voice soft as he adoringly watched the omega. 

“He is,” Jisung agreed, and Hyunjin could hear the smile of pride in his voice. “I can’t imagine going through what he went through, and now talking about it to a giant room of people. But I understand why Chan asked him. Omega trafficking reports are growing exponentially these days, and many packs have an omega who’s experienced it first hand or knows someone that has.”

Hyunjin bit down on his lip, looking down at the hand on his knee to stabilise himself from the foggy sadness that wanted to cloud his mind. He placed his hand over Jisung’s, calming at the warmth. “We'll be there to support him.”

“We will,” Jisung replied in a soft voice, leaning to press a kiss to Hyunjin’s shoulder, before resting his head there. “We’ll always be there to support each other.”

That evening, they arrived home a little later than intended, and as soon as Hyunjin walked through the door, he could smell the mouth watering scent of dinner.

“We’re home!” Jisung called, the three of them kicking off their shoes, stumbling into each other with soft laughs.  

“Dinners rea-” Minho started to announce, rounding the corner to the entrance way before stopping with his mouth hung open in shock. Then he screeched.

“Why are you blue!?”

Chapter Text

If Hyunjin thought that Jeongin’s heat would be the only intense sexual need he’d be dealing with over the month of planning before the conference, he’d have been wrong. Very, surprisingly, wrong. 

The consensus on Felix’s new blue hair was all positive, once Minho had gotten over his initial shock. Felix had explained to them about how he’d been wanting to dye it for a while, and since they’d be spending some time in the city, he wanted to try out a new look. He reiterated that it made him feel confident, and at that Jisung gave Hyunjin a knowing look. 

Hyunjin was starting to better understand it now. He, himself, identified very strongly with his long hair. He’d felt substantially more confident now that it had grown past his shoulders. This was that for Felix.

They were two weeks in, one week from Jeongin’s heat, and half way from the conference's start date. 

Of course, upon learning of Jeongin’s impending heat schedule, the pack was more than understanding and prioritising their accommodation to their omega mate. This seemed to ease a lot of the worry Jeongin’s scent had been carrying, and allowed the two of them to get to the hotel looking part of their preparation task. 

Planning in general was going exceedingly well. Chan, Seungmin, Minho and Felix were  occupied with the ins and outs of the execution of the conference, while the rest of them worked on other parts of the event planning. This led Hyunjin and Jeongin to find the most absolutely perfect hotel that doubled as a conference hall. It couldn’t have worked out any better.

The hotel was a skyscraper of a building with windows all around it that looked out far and wide at the city from the luxurious rooms. Hyunjin had convinced Jeongin to book the penthouse suite for their pack- mainly because there was a hot tub in the living room. In the living room . And, in regards to the conference, the hall was large- providing more than enough space for them. It held all types of events, most commonly weddings from what the pictures displayed, but the circular tables that would fit the attending packs made a comfortable seating arrangement to be able to look up at the stage.

Chan organised for the entire hotel to be booked out, all rooms scheduled for their attending guests. Already, over half of the packs they’d invited replied to their invitation confirming their attendance. Word had clearly spread around the country, and as Chan and Seungmin predicted, people were buzzing for this. It was all over the website’s forum.

Felix and Minho had been the ones to upgrade the site, making the community forum more accessible, as well as creating the possibility for direct messages between packs. They’d outsourced moderators as well as a small call centre with employees to answer calls of assistance for questions the site users might have. Already, this was making a big difference. Far down south, one of their site user packs was able to warn the other packs in their surrounding areas of incoming hunters that had been scouring the forest. 

Word of the conference and the changes taking place in the shifter community were not only sparking interest from within the forest. People in the cities were becoming aware of the upturn in shifter politics. News channels were covering it and it was all over social media. People were voicing their support or putting their two cents into the matter. Hyunjin found it hard to process that people who knew nothing about them could care so much about what they were going through. But, because of the publicity, Chan was receiving an amazing amount of praise. Labelled; ‘The shifter CEO on a mission’.

Limelight wasn’t exactly what they were looking for, and the public attention did make going into the city more difficult now that their pack, in particular, was more recognisable. Hyunjin thankfully hadn’t been the one to experience that yet, but he did enjoy hearing about Minho yelling at a strange man with a camera who was trying to take his photo. Apparently, they were called ‘paparazzi’, but Hyunjin didn’t really know what that meant.

Still, all of this was accepted on the basis that it brought attention to the issue. Things were changing, and the brewing of it created an underlying feeling of restless anticipation, growing stronger as the conference date grew near. Hyunjin was excited.

However, at this moment, excitement was apparently now in the form of picking wild flowers from the open fields not too far from their territory. Sure, dandelions, bluebells, yellow buttercups and ‘forget me nots’ were pretty, but Hyunjin had started to fall into the mindset of wanting to be in the thick of it. 

It was a strange feeling, considering he’d always wanted to be on the outskirts. He didn't enjoy the pressure of heavy decision making. But this was different. This was important in a way he’d never experienced before, and he could imagine those who had grown up like him out there, seeing a light, no matter far at the end of a tunnel. 

If 18 year old Hyunjin had heard words like pack equality, protection and justice he might have lived the following two years of his life at his old pack differently. And, while he couldn’t dwell on the ‘what ifs’ he could feel that sparking motivation to spread those words far and wide for whoever needed to hear them. 

“I don’t understand why we can’t just pay to get these made,” Hyunjin complained, tone bordering on a whine. He swung his wicker basket in one hand as he trudged behind Seungmin down the path towards the creek where flowers naturally bloomed.

“You’re starting to sound like Felix. Just because we have the money to do something, doesn’t mean we have to pay someone to do what we’re very much capable of doing- plus you enjoy crafting, why are you complaining?” Seungmin asked, throwing him a glance of playful impatience as he dragged Hyunjin deeper into the forest.

Hyunjin didn’t really know why he was complaining, he did enjoy his DIY projects. But still, it would be less work for them if they hired someone to make the name cards of all the attendees instead of making them themselves. It would take forever to stamp the flower wax beside each name and attach dried and preserved flowers for decoration. “We’d be supporting a local business,” he defended uselessly.

Seungmin looked at him dryly, “We’re a local business.”

Hyunjin humphed.

“The flowers that bloom here are special, and most of all, they have these,” Seungmin explained, pushing back a branch that gave Hyunjin a full view of the field in front of them. 

 “ Oh. ”

The field beyond the creek was blooming with a large variety of flowers but the one that stood out the most predominantly was the thick patch of daisies.

Hyunjin’s lips fell into a small part and he felt the air leaving his lungs. 

“Maybe it’s a little cheesily symbolic,” Seungmin said with a small chuckle, glancing at Hyunjin and then out to the daisies.

“Daisies,” Hyunjin spoke in a small voice. 

Seungmin came closer and linked his arm with Hyunjin’s, their shoulders pressing together. “This conference is about protection, and that wouldn't have been possible without you. You’re part of the reason people in our community are safer, and you deserve recognition for that.”

Hyunjin’s head turned to look at Seungmin, emotion swimming in his eyes. “So the name cards will smell like daisies. Like me ?”

A gentle smile graced Seungmin’s features and he nodded in confirmation. “It’s a beautiful smell, don’t you think?”

They spent a good hour collecting enough flowers in their baskets to create enough wax seals for all of the name cards. The seal would be placed beside the name of the pack, a daisy stamped into it. The other flowers would be mixed in for the individual name cards, all made up on recyclable paper. So, by the end of the flower picking, Hyunjin’s basket was reaching the point of overflow

Seungmin had ventured off further than him, and Hyunjin had to squint to properly see him now. With his patch thoroughly depleted, he headed towards the beta who was humming a soft tune, melodious to Hyunjin’s ears as he grew nearer. 

“Huh,” Seungmin made a noise of curiosity, his humming halting as he crouched down to look at something.

Hyunjin neared him, his own mix of curiosity adding to their scents. But, as the item of interest came into view, Hyunjin’s eyes widened and he leapt forward, “Don’t touch that!”

Seungmin’s hand had already extended, fingers brushing over the petals of the unique looking purple flower. Its pollen was sparkling against his fingertips. 

“ Fuck ,” Hyunjin cursed, yanking Seungmin’s hand back to examine. The dusty substance melted into a glistening slickness that stuck to the younger’s fingers.

“What?” Seungmin asked in confusion, looking up at him from his crouched position. He slowly pulled his arm back to examine his own fingers. A frown formed on his face, fingers held up towards the sunlight as he moved them apart, watching the slickness glisten. “What is this…”

“Seungmin. The pollen on that flower…it’s not…” Hyunjin licked his dry lips, cautious as he felt a pang of worry shooting down his spine. He was unsure how to explain it to a beta who was about to have the most insanely foreign experience they’d ever had in his life.

“It’s not what…?” Seungmin asked with a tinge of impatience as he picked up on Hyunjin’s scent. He moved into a standing position. 

He looked okay, Hyunjin thought as he assessed him. How long was it supposed to take to kick in? He shuffled, weight transferring from one foot to the other. 

“It’s sex pollen.”

Seungmin stared at him, letting out a laugh that came out more as a cough. “What?” he repeated, this time waiting for the punchline. 

Hyunjin wished it was a joke, he truly did. Seungmin, a beta who had never experienced anything like a heat or rut before, had come in contact with sex pollen, an extreme aphrodisiac. He’d never seen the effects of it, but he remembered being told of its dangers before he presented. In most cases, it resulted in a heat or rut-like experience that lasted, at most, an entire day. In worse scenarios, without ejaculation to calm the fever, it could result in death. Needless to say, the renewed cold sharp spike of anxiety that ran down Hyunjin’s spine was justified.

“I need you to listen to me, Seungmin, okay?” He swallowed down his fear to place his hands on Seungmin’s shoulders, making sure they were seeing eye to eye.

“Hyunjin, you’re worrying me.”

“The lubricant on your fingers is from the pollen on that flower you touched, it’s an aphrodisiac,” He explained, the seriousness in his tone sounding foreign to his ears. He’d never had to take control in a situation such as this. He could handle this. Seubgmin was his mate, and this was about his safety.

“I don’t know what that word means,” Seungmin stressed, his scent turning sour with fear, and Hyunjin imagined his own scent wasn’t exactly projecting calmness right now.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, realising the word was from his own dialect. He didn’t know it in the common tongue. “It’s going to make you really horny, like really horny.”

“Oh,” Seungmin breathed and Hyunjin watched as the beta swayed a little. By now the tingling dizziness was probably amping up.

“You’ve seen what our heats and ruts are like, this is- this is like that.”

“I’m going into heat ?” Seungmin gawked, and he sounded horrified. Sweat was beading on his forehead, and in real time Hyunjin could see the blooming pink spreading over his cheeks and down his neck. 

“Minnie, look at me,” Hyunjin ordered. Now aware, he projected his scent to maintain a composure that he desperately wished he could match. “You’re going to feel really weird in a minute, but I want you to trust me. Will you let me help you through this?”

Seungmin shuddered, his throat bobbing and Hyunjin could see the way his eyes began to glaze over. He nodded, slow, slightly jerkily. “I…,” he swallowed again, taking a breath, “I want you to help me.”

Hyunjin nodded in relief. Okay, that was a good start. He watched as Seungmin’s tongue flicked out over his lips, his shoulders beginning to tremble under Hyunjin’s grasp. Eyes flicking down, Hyunjin’s focus moved to the offending flower. Its petals were shimmering with the oozing lubricant from its centre. It was already activated, meaning that touching it wouldn’t affect him. This was a relief considering that that flower would be their lube for the foreseeable future. However, as soon as it was no longer necessary, he’d stamp the damn flower out and make sure the entire pack knew what one of those looked like. 

Seungmin let out a whimper, the sound drawing Hyunjin’s attention back to him. He looked even more worse for wear, his light shirt stuck to his body, and the outline of his cock straining in his pants.

 The arousal that came from him hit Hyunjin like a truck as waves of his own desire radiated through him. 

“I f-feel so weird,” Seungmin stuttered, teeth starting to chatter. The fever was coming on faster than Hyunjin expected. He needed to do something, and there was no way they’d make it back to the cabin right now.

“I know, I know. You’re going to be fine. Sit down for me, okay?” Hyunjin guided him to rest back on the grass, Seungmin’s legs giving out easily. Under the sunlight, the sweat made his warm skin glisten, hair pushed back to display his forehead. He was beautiful, surrounded by the field of daisies, and Hyunjin took that moment to appreciate him, as well as assure himself that he knew what he was doing. 

He had planned to spend his first assisting heat/rut-type experience with Jeongin, fitting with the timeliness of his heat, and while this situation wasn’t exactly that, the uncontrollable neediness Seungmin was likely feeling right now, was not something Hyunjin had dealt with before. 

A whimper slipped from Seungmin’s lips. He had goosebumps running down his arms. “I…I,” he whimpered, a gasp falling from his lips as Hyunjin kneeled either side of his legs, hovering over him. The beta’s hips bucked up to chase some friction, and Hyunjin lowered to run his own erection over Seungmin’s. The moan he released was pornographic.

“What do you need?” Hyunjin asked, fingers smoothing down Seungmin’s damp shirt, the heat radiating off of him like a sizzling fire. 

Seungmin shivered, hips jolting to meet every grind.  “I…I don’t know. My body feels hot, too hot, I need- I need my clothes off. Fuck- This is so embarrassing.” 

Hyunjin began helping him strip, moving to get each item off until Seungmin was laid back, skin glowing against the grass. His chest was rising and falling quickly, and Hyunjin watched him as he tugged his own clothes off. 

They were too far away for the rest of the pack to be able to hear them. But, Seungmin’s mating bites likely sent signals through his connection to the others, so, at least they might be slightly aware of something going on.

“You’ve seen me like this, you have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Hyunjin assured softly, brushing away a strand of hair that was tickling the beta’s eyelashes. He liked being tender and soft, but he got the feeling that that wasn’t what Seungmin needed right now. “How do you want me? Whatever you need right now, Minnie. I’m going to help you through it.”

“Everything…god, Hyunjin I just need everything,” he cried out. His cock was heavy and flushed against his stomach, nestled in the thick hair around it. 

“Okay,” he replied, more to himself than to Seungmin. He reached to the flower, swiping his fingers over the glistening liquid it produced. “I’m going to fuck you and then you’re going to fuck me, and that should sedate the need enough for us to get you back to the cabin,” he explained. Logical, in theory.

Seungmin let out a noise that was a somewhat decipherable agreement. The effects of the pollen had amped up, and Seungmin was becoming almost too hot to touch.

Physically, the pollen had the effect of relaxing Seungmin’s body in order for him to take penetration, so fingering him open wasn’t a difficult task, even for someone who was still a beginner, like Hyunjin. Seungmin let out mewling noises, arching into the feeling as he held his legs up to his chest, and quite honestly, it was captivating.

He wasn’t stressed in the way he perceived taking the lead to be. He felt good, somewhat stereotypically alpha with the desire to take care of his mate. And seeing Seungmin like this was unforgettable.

“Hyunjin if you don’t put your cock in me right now I swear I will lose my mind,” Seungmin snapped, groaning as Hyunjin removed his fingers quickly at the command. Seungmin was one of the most composed people he knew, and seeing him so desperate and writhing was truly a sight to see.

Not wanting to put Seungmin through any more torture, he slicked his cock up with the lubricant, shivering as it created an almost tingling sensation over his skin. “Hold your legs up a bit more for me, good, that's it,” he praised, smoothing a hand up Seungmin’s thigh as he lined himself up.

Pushing in, Seungmin choked out moans that seemed as though they were punched out of him. His eyes closed and he breathed shakily, calming himself as Hyunjin slid in until he was fully inside, and Hyunjin took it that being filled up gave him a moment of clarity.

However, knowing that moment would be fleeting, Hyunjin pulled back out till the head of his cock only remained and then pressed back in. He hissed, Seungmin was so slick and tight around him, and the lube did in fact tingle in a dizzyingly good way. He moved into a steady rhythm, admittedly a bit sloppy but by the sounds of it, Seungmin wasn’t complaining.

He moved his hands from holding Seungmin’s thighs to brush up his torso. Seungmin had always taken a very noticeable liking to playing with Hyunjin’s nipples, so testing if he liked being on the other end of it was only fair. His fingers flicked over the buds, rolling them in small circles between his thumb and forefinger.

At that, Seungmin jolted, letting out a guttural moan, his neck tilting back more and Hyunjin continued to flick and play with them. “Hyunjin- Jinnie, please” he choked out, desperately pulling at the grass again when one hand fell from his thigh, and Hyunjin had to move to keep it up for him, putting it over his shoulder instead, which only made his cock slip deeper inside of Seungmin.

Hyunjin took Seungmin’s cock into his still slick hand and tried to stroke him in time with his thrusts. The air around them was filled with moans and the slick slapping noises of their movement. He leaned down into Seungmin’s neck, pressing kisses over it, lapping at the mating marks and trailing his tongue up his scar.

“Mark me please- bite me, fuck-” Seungmin begged, extending his neck further, and Hyunjin wanted to so badly. But, in his sane mind, Seungmin wouldn’t have wanted it like this, and he knew they all wanted to make Hyunjin’s mating ceremony special. So, he ignored the request with sucking beautiful purple marks over the sweaty skin, lapping at his scent gland. 

Through all of the pleasure; Hyunjin thrusting into him and the tight wet hand around his cock, Seungmin was a goner. Unable to even warn Hyunjin, a long, broken whine fell from his lips as he shook and spasmed under the alpha. The scent of come and Seungmin’s spring-like scent exploded into the air and Hyunjin’s thrusts turned slow and dragging to help him ride through it. 

“Fuck- fuck, oh god,” Seungmin gasped, hands moving to grasp at Hyunjin’s back, with his nails scraping up the skin. “Don't stop, please, Jin. Don’t stop.”

Hyunjin continued back with his fast pace thrusting. His own pleasure had been building, elevated exponentially at the sight of Seungmin coming. The warm wetness around his cock was allconsuming, and feeling it outside of his rut was almost more intense. There was so much clarity and awareness of his mate’s emotions.

He had to focus in order to not pop a knot; a possible bodily reaction as Seungmin’s current state replicated a heat or rut. Seungmin wouldn’t be slowing down any time soon, and knotting wouldn’t help that in the way it did for an omega. 

“Feel good?” Hyunjin huffed through heavy breaths, small whimpers breaking through his words. 

“So good…oh- ah, so good,” Seungmin babbled, hand moving to his chest to flick his own nipple, and crying out at the added pressure it brought him. The action had Hyunjin momentarily choking on his own breath, but he doubled down, thrusts smacking, hard and deep. 

“I’m close- I’m coming! Hyunjin, I’m coming,” Seungmin chanted and Hyunjin thumbed at Seungmin’s tip, stroking him in fluid, fast strokes.

“I've got you min, come for me,” Hyunjin moaned out, blinking his eyes from rolling back as his impending orgasm raced closer.

Seungmin let out a sharp cry as he came again, more come spurting out onto his torso. 

Hyunjin stopped stroking him once he twitched away, and instead grasped at Seungmin’s lifted hips to fuck into him with sharp, precise thrusts. He was confident he’d been hitting Seungmin’s prostate at least some of the time, but Seungmin was so completely overwhelmed through the whole thing that he couldn’t be sure. 

He felt himself tip over the edge, shuddering with a gasping breath as he shot ropes of cum inside him. It felt like it lasted forever, hips rolling as the orgasm made every part of his body feel as though it had turned to liquid.

There was a moment of silence, and Hyunjin couldn’t hold his shaky form up. His cock slipped out and he rolled to lay beside Seungmin in the grass. The only sounds around them were their heavy breaths and the far away chirps in the forest. 

“How do you feel?” Hyunjin asked, breaking the silence. He turned his head to the side, watching as Seungmin’s chest rose and fell. His eyes were closed, eyelashes fluttering and his rosy lips remained parted, slick from licking and biting.

“Like my brain wants to sleep for an eternity but my body wants to jump your bones,” Seungmin replied with a breathless laugh, and Hyunjin let out a giggle in response. “Thank you for helping me through this. I probably won't be able to voice that so coherently in a minute, so I’ll say it now.”

Hyunjin grinned, “You’re welcome, anyway…” his smile turned mischievous, “It’s pretty great having you whining and begging under me.”

Seungmin’s eyes turned darker at that, and his lips twitched in a sly smile, “Really? Are you our big bad alpha now?”

Hyunjin made a proud noise of confirmation, chest puffing up a little. “Maybe I am.”

Seungmin’s eyebrows raised and he turned on his side. His cock was still hard, incredibly so, and Hyunjin reached down to stroke him. Seungmin was thicker than him, a bit more tan but not as long. He felt heavy in his hand, the skin painfully tight.

“Be careful little alpha,” Seungmin warned, tone huskier than it had been a moment ago. 

Hyunjin’s eyes snapped up to meet him, and it became abundantly clear that ‘whimpering Seungmin’ was gone. 

“I didn’t say you could touch, did I?”

Hyunjin gulped, head twitching in a ‘no’. Slowly he moved his hand away, feeling Seungmin keep an eye on his every move. He felt like prey now, under the watchful eye of a predator.

As if he had blinked and missed it, Seungmin was now on him, chest to chest with the heat pulsating between them. Seungmin’s lips attached to his own and they fell into a messy kiss, deep and desperate. The rod-like hardness of Seungmin’s cock pressed against his thigh and Hyunjin whimpered. “Need you. Need you inside me.” 

Seungmin hummed, contemplating. He tilted Hyunjin’s head to the side with his pointer finger, tongue running over his scent gland. His teeth dragged over it. God, he wanted the mark so bad. He could almost give into it, craving the burst of intensity it would bring. Yet, he held back, and it seemed Seugmin was in his right mind enough to do the same. 

The beta’s breath tickled his ear as he whispered, “When I give you that mating bite, It’ll be unforgettable.”

Hyunjin gasped, the words spoken as slicked up fingers prodded at his hole. When Seungmin had gone for the flower's lubricant, he did not know, but he was so thankful for the two digits that prodded inside. His body was accommodating, but not as much as Seungmin’s had been. He twitched, letting out a small hiss, and through Seungmin’s rough exterior he looked down at Hyunjin with concern.

“Slower?”

Hyunjin shook his head, hair fanned out on the green grass around him, flowers tickled his skin. There was the lightest of winds that brought a much needed coolness to the air. “I kind of like that it hurts a little,” he admitted.

Suengmin smirked, thrusting the fingers leisurely in and out of him. “So beautiful like this, makes me want to wreck you.”

Hyunjin arched, tongue wetting his lips as the taste of Seungmin remained. “Please…wreck me.”

Seungmin’s fingers, as incredible as they were, were no match for the beta’s cock that pushed into him with no hesitation. He felt so full, so aware of every sensation; the way Seungmin felt so hot, how he pulsed inside of him, how his own twitching muscles made Seungmin’s cock feel even thicker.

“God- you feel so good,” Seungmin huffed, and then he pulled out. Pulled out .

Hyunjin cried out at that, devastated for a moment. But, Seungmin was quick to unlatch Hyunjin’s legs from around his waist to flip him onto his stomach. 

“Wha-”

“Get to fuck you harder like this,” Seungmin said, lifting Hyunjin’s hips to line them back up. “You wan’t that Jinnie? Want me to fuck you so hard you’ll be limping back home?”

Hyunjin choked out a cry of agreement, forearms pressed so hard into the ground they’d probably leave a mark. “Need it, Need it so bad, Minnie,” he begged, a drop of saliva falling from his lips. He’d never felt so ‘fucked dumb’ before.

Seungmin chuckled, almost condescendingly. But, it was short lived as he pushed back inside Hyunjin, unable to resist his own need any longer. Seungmin may have been the one under the sex pollen’s control, but Hyunjin felt just as affected.

Seungmin did give him a moment to adjust to the fullness, before he was pulling back out to slam back in. The pace was immediately brutal, Seungmin gripping Hyunjin’s hips tightly as he nailed into him. Without much struggle at all, he found Hyunjin’s prostate, slamming into it with a force that had Hyunjin sobbing.

“Don’t stop- please, please don’t stop,” Hyunjin begged, arching his back more, cock leaking onto the grass. 

Seungmin’s palms massaged his ass cheeks, fingers pressing into the skin. “Can I spank you?” It came out almost as breathy as a whisper.

“Yes,” Hyunjin responded, waiting with a zinging anticipation for the slap. It came suddenly, a loud smack of Seungmin’s palm over his ass cheek, no doubt reddening the skin. 

“Ah-” He cried out, jolting with each slap that followed. “‘M not gonna last long,” he whined.

“Seungmin didn’t ease up, chasing his own nearing high. “Good- fuck, good boy,” he grunted in response, landing another hit to Hyunjin’s ass before sliding his hand up his back to link his fingers into Hyunjin’s hair. He didn’t even have to ask.

“Pull. Make me come- please make me come!” He was right on the edge, his body stinging and trembling and all he could do was sob in pleasure as it came towering over him. 

With a harsh yank, his neck arching back, and the hardest thrust Seungmin had done so far, Hyunjin was practically sent into another dimension. His sobs broke off into a silent trembling scream as it rolled through him.

“So…so good for me, Jinnie. Such a good boy,” Seungmin praised breathlessly between grunts. His pace didn’t slow, and as overstimulating it was starting to become, there was something about that feeling of overwhelm mixed with lack of control that felt incredible.

“Close,” Seungmin warned, hand coming back down to hold Hyunjin’s hips. Although, it wasn’t long before it moved around to take Hyunjin’s cock in his hold. He was messy with come, his length slick as drips of come fell below him. 

He cried out, Seungmin’s palm rubbing over his sensitive head. 

“Mhm, g-gonna come with you crying on my cock,” Seungmin moaned out, a little shakily from his impending high but full of satisfaction.

The overstimulation had Hyunjin clenching around Seungmin’s cock, a dry orgasm forcing itself through him. He felt like he could pass out. Was he breathing? Was he hyperventilating? All time slipped away and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Behind him, Seungmin’s thrusts quickened, and he moaned out short and sharp ‘ah’s. Finally, he let out a low groan, slamming to the hilt and stilling inside of Hyunjin as he came. He hunched over him, body covering Hyunjin’s and he could feel the quick rise and falls of their breaths.

He felt Seungmin lowering them to the ground, brushing a hand down Hyunjin’s back as he gently pulled out. He chittered to gently calm him, mumbling ‘it’s okay,’ into the alpha’s ear as his sobs eased to hiccups. 

And slowly, the intensity subsided and everything calmed. The world came back into focus. With Seungmin’s help, he carefully rolled onto his back, feeling Seungmin’s thumbs brushing over his wet cheeks and giving him a gentle smile.

“Too much?” Seungmin asked, softly brushing Hyunjin’s hair back from his face.

Hyunjin shook his head, smiling sleepily. “Perfect,” he hummed, before realising the reason for this detour in their flower collecting journey was not for his own benefit. “Are you okay? How do you feel?” He asked, sitting up too quickly as he let out a hiss.

Seungmin was quick to stop him from getting up further, pulling him to gently lean back in his arms. “I feel a lot better. Like you said earlier, coming helped to calm me.”

Hyunjin smiled, “I said that? You could ask me what I had for lunch today and I wouldn’t remember. I think you’ve fucked me stupid.”

Seungmin barked out a laugh, hugging him adoringly. “As long as you enjoyed it.”

Hyunjin tilted his head to look up at him, “Enjoyed it? I loved it.”

Another chuckle left Seungmin’s mouth and he dipped his head to place a kiss on Hyunjin’s lips. “We need to get you back to the house before my body goes mad again. You can’t take another round.”

Hyunjin would have to agree with that. Everything ached and he felt like jelly. “Don’t think I can walk,” he admitted.

“You won’t have to.”

Before Hyunjin could question it, barks sounded out from nearby and then wolves rushed through the clearing and into the field. Minho, Chan and Jeongin. Behind them, in human form, ran Felix, Changbin and Jisung. 

“Are you okay? Is everything okay?” Changbin yelled out.

The wolves got there quicker, transforming back as they did so, and soon enough 6 people surrounded their tired sweaty bodies. 

“What happened to you two?” Jeongin asked in shock, surveying the area. They had potentially destroyed the nature around them a little bit…

“Did you go into rut ?” Minho asked, directed at Hyunjin who shook his heavy head. 

“Seungmin did.”

Seungmin what ?” Jisung asked incredulously, sniffing the air.

“I touched sex pollen,” Seungmin explained, nodding to the trampled flower that had gotten destroyed at some point during their sexual escapade. 

“Huh?” Minho asked, looking around the group, and Hyunjin watched as everyone either came into understanding or fell into more bewilderment.

“It’s essentially a flower that makes someone go into a heat or rut-like state,” Chan explained briefly, crouching down to feel Seungmin’s forehead. “You both did the right thing, these flowers can be dangerous.”

Hyunjin hummed in agreement. 

“Why does Hyunjin look like the one who touched it, then?” Felix asked, amusement slinking into his voice.

“Beacuse, and I quote ‘I fucked him stupid’,” Seungmin replied proudly.

Changbin gasped, “And I missed it?”

Jeongin snorted and ruffled the shorter alpha’s hair. “You’ll get ‘em next time.”

“Right, let's get these two back home, cool Seungmin down and then let Hyunjin sleep for a million years,” Chan declared.

Hyunjin could definitely get on board with that. “So, Minnie will be fine now, right?” He asked as Chan lifted him up into his arms, cradling Hyunjin’s almost dead-weight body. 

Chan pressed a kiss to his cheek, smiling softly. “He’ll be just fine. You did good, little alpha.”

Chapter Text

Jeongin’s preheat was very different to Jisung’s, if Hyunjin were to compare the two. Jisung enjoyed the lead up to his heat, even if the beginning stages were more cold-like than heat-like, because it was the anticipation of the ‘main event’ that carried that enjoyment. The love and attention outweighed the discomfort. 

For Jeongin however, the instincts of his omega felt like a cruel punishment, and Hyunjin could see the way it affected him through nest building and a lack of communication with the rest of the pack. 

Hyunjin wished there was something he could do. He’d gone to Chan about it, and Minho, but both had said that this was just Jeongin’s process and bringing attention to it would only make him feel more insecure and out of place in his own body. Hyunjin still hated to see him suffer, though.

Preparation for the conference didn’t cease, but there was always someone keeping an eye on Jeongin to make sure that the omega wasn’t ignoring his basic needs. Jisung and Felix tended to take up that task, cooking and running baths for the younger one. In reality, Hyunjin had only really gotten glimpses of Jeongin over the past few days. He wanted to be there, with him, in his nest if Jeongin allowed it, but he also wanted to respect the omega’s need for space.

As part of the conference’s preparation, He and Seungmin made up the name cards for the event. The beta showed him how to press the flowers into the wax, and by the end of it the room smelt overwhelmingly floral. The plan for the seminar went as follows; 

Chan would give welcomes and introductions to the attending packs. The first day would be a discussion focussed meeting, in which Chan would lead conversation on pack safety and politics within the community. He’d highlight the website and the improvements they’d been making to it- as well as how packs can further help their neighbours around them. Solidifying good, strong connections within the community was an important part of maintaining peace. 

The second day would cover personal experiences that shifters had faced growing up in various pack environments. From their pack, Chan, Minho and Felix would be telling their stories. Hyunjin had so much respect for them; going up to share something so personal wasn’t a small thing. And, he was grateful to be able to witness the importance of those moments.

Chan had also invited members from other packs to give speeches. Not only would attendees see that they were not alone in their experiences, it would also be a wake up call to some who may have been unaware to begin with. There was a serious and harmful disconnect and these very real and hard to hear experiences were what some people would need to get on board.

The final day was planned to discuss specific incoming threats. It was a ‘calm before the storm’ atmosphere recently, and while different packs around the country were facing attacks, nothing had rocked the community like what Chan’s pack had just dealt with. Chan planned to give a presentation on the experience; what to expect if someone was put in such a situation- as Chan had expressed to them that even though it wasn’t possible, he would have wanted someone to lay out the potential outcomes for him, as brutal as they were. 

Chan was young, and as weird as it was to admit, Hyunjin often forgot that. To him, Chan was someone who knew everything; knew how to save them, how to protect them, and how to show love in a way Hyunjin was still very new to. But Chan wasn’t all knowing, he was continually learning how to be a pack leader as time progressed. He faced uncertainty and pressure as much as the rest of them, and Hyunjin didn’t think he’d really considered that until now.

With the schedule set, and the hotel and conference hall booked, Hyunjin didn’t have much more left to do. Chan, Minho, Seungmin and Felix had further details to work out, as well as speech preparation. So that left Hyunjin, Changbin and Jisung to keep things running around the house. 

One evening, Jeongin braved the conversation of his heat in order to lay out how he wanted it to go. They were seated around the dining table, the atmosphere tense with Jeongin’s nervousness permeating from his scent. The omega appeared tired, his shoulders hunched with a loose white shirt hanging from his shoulders. His hair was fluffy, ruffled by the blankets he’d made into a nest in his room. Hyunjin had seen the nest, at least half of his shirts were in there.

“I’ve been thinking about what I want this week.” Jeongin led into the topic, fingers linked together on top of the table. His foot lightly tapped on the floor below him, anxious.

Chan reached across the table, taking Jeongin’s hand in his own. The omega’s knuckles had started to turn white with how tight he was gripping his own hands. “You know we’ll support you. However you want this heat to go, we’ll support your decision.”

Jeongin pulled his lip between his teeth, glancing down at their hands, and from further down the table, Hyunjin was certain he saw Jeongin’s lip wobble. It sent a deep ache through his chest, stretching down his limbs; He wanted to reach out to him, hold him, protect him.

“I know the timing isn’t goo-”

“The timing doesn't matter,” Minho interrupted, tone brisk but not unkind. It didn't matter how many times Jeongin brought up how regretful the timing was, Minho always shut it down. “If your heat was scheduled the week of, we’d move the conference. You’re far more important to us.”

Seungmin patted Jeongin’s shoulder from beside him. “We don’t want you to forget that, and I’m sorry we haven’t checked in on you more.”

Jeongin shook his head, “I don’t like to be coddled. I didn’t need you to check on me…sometimes I need to deal with these things on my own.”

Hyunjin understood, for the most part. There were some things that no one could truly understand or help with. Sometimes it was just about trusting a person to reach out when or if they needed to. For him, he’d learnt that having his mates with him during his rut was what he needed; what made him feel safe and special and loved.

That was a recent development, something he could never have imagined before he’d escaped from his old pack. Back then, he’d hidden away from the world, locked his door and prayed that no one would smell him out or find him. It had been debilitatingly terrifying to think that anyone could have come in and acted on the threats they’d made, just because they could. Just because Hyunjin was vulnerable. He’d never been able to let his guard down there. Trust was really only something he’d learnt of after he’d escaped; Trust in himself and the ability to put his trust in others.

But, trust didn’t mean that he was a separate person from the life he’d grown up in or the trauma he’d gone through, but it was guiding him, helping him grow. The world was big, so much bigger than he’d ever thought it to be. Different people, different perspectives. And within that, there were his mates. He was brave to put his trust in them, and through doing so he was continuing to grow and learn more about himself.

Jeongin, in his eyes, was one of the bravest people that Hyunjin had ever met. He’d stood up to his old pack leaders, even when the potential consequences could have been devastating. He fought with a confident, unwavering voice when faced with injustice. He battled stereotypes and expectations that tormented him, even from within his own mind. He was incredibly brave.

“We’re always here for you,” Seungmin assured, squeezing his shoulder once more, and Jeongin lifted his head to give him a small, thankful smile. 

His scent was sweeter with his impending heat, his skin brighter and body temperature warmer. He was well into preheat now and Chan had guessed that his cycle would start in the next couple of days, so the timing of this conversation was good; important to have before his heat actually kicked in.

“I want to spend my heat with Changbin hyung and Hyunjin hyung,” Jeongin stated, a decisive breath leaving his lips. “Of course I want everyone’s help in other ways, but, intimacy wise, I think I only want them with me- if they’re okay with that?” he asked, and his eyes flickered between Changbin and Hyunjin nervously.

“I’m always okay with it,” Changbin replied, extending a warm smile to the omega. His pine scent was comforting, soothing to the room. Changbin was Jeongin’s comfort person when it came to his heats, so it was natural that he’d be asked.

And, even though Hyunjin had known prior that Jeongin wanted him there as well, it still felt like a great privilege to be someone who Jeongin felt that level of comfort with.

“I’m okay with it too- However you need, Innie.”

Jeongin’s shoulders lowered in relief and for the first time in days, the smile he gave them was held without tension. “Thank you.”

“The rest of us are always just a shout away, okay? Anything changes, we’ll work with it,” Chan reassured, brushing the top of Jeongin’s hand with his thumb, and the omega acknowledged him with a nod and a squeeze of their hands. 

“Thank you.” His scent softened; fresh and woodsy. 

The sounds of pained howling, skin tearing and blood dripping felt so real as it pulsated through his ears, as if it was happening right in front of him.

Hyunjin gasped awake, eyes snapping open and alert. He coughed, breaths coming out heaving and rough. Sweat had built up at the base of his neck and along his hairline. He tried to get his heart rate to slow, to ease up so that he could understand what he’d been dreaming about. It was so hazy he could barely remember. 

He brought a hand up, swiping it down his face. His hair was a mess, hair tie lost to the sheets as his hair fanned loosely around him, knotted and sweat damp.

The attack. Minho, Seungmin, Chan; his mind replayed it. The visual memory was more distant than in the past few nightmares he’d had following the event, a nightmare that had mostly replaced his older ones. This time it was only the sounds and feelings that lingered; the emotions he’d felt, the way his mate’s scents had turned so stomach-churning, so terrified. 

He let out a slow, shaky breath, grounding himself. The ceiling was dim, low moonlight barely shining in through the window. He didn’t bother checking the time, it wasn’t anywhere near dawn. But, sleep didn’t feel as though it would return to him easily. The quietness of the room felt loud, isolating as the nightmare lingered and polluted the space around him.

He kicked his feet off the side of the bed, standing up. His sweat pants rested low on his hips and he rubbed his eyes, looking for a t-shirt. Nights were getting cooler, the sweltering summer days gave way to brisker mornings. 

He slung on the first shirt he came across, one of Minho’s well-worn oversized ones, and then quietly, he opened the door. It was highly unlikely that anyone was awake, and sure, he could easily go and climb into one of the other’s beds for the rest of the night, but he was too restless. Too caught up in his own mind. He didn’t think anyone wanted to be awake at this time either.

The steps he took to the kitchen were soft, careful of the creaky floorboards, and when he flicked on the light it buzzed, setting a bright glow over the room. The noise wasn’t noticeable during the daytime, only in the quiet darkness of the night; when the world felt like an entirely different place.

He didn’t look at the flavour of the tea bag as he pulled it from the jar, nor did he really register that he was using Felix’s favourite cup to pour the hot water into. His brain felt full, busy with a cacophony of thoughts that were difficult to individually decipher.

The drink smelt citrusy, the flavour specifically reminding him of Jeongin as he sat down at the empty dining room table to drink it. Chan had predicted that Jeongin’s heat would arrive today, and Hyunjin was ready, probably- He had no reason not to be. He’d been there for Seungmin, in a situation where he’d had to partially take control- and he’d been comfortable while doing so. But, Jeongin had the added emotional factors when it came to his heat. What if Hyunjin did the wrong thing? Said the wrong thing? What if Jeongin kicked him out- which he would have every right to do, but it would still feel horrible. 

He looked down at his mug. The tea bag had ripped, tealeaves now swimming around aimlessly. He’d heard that some people liked to use tea leaves to predict the future. What would those leaves predict about him? Maybe he didn’t want to know. Minho would probably tell him that dwelling on a future dictated by tea leaves was pointless. Felix would probably dispute that. 

“Hyunjin?” A croaky voice reached his ears, breaking his train of thought. He lifted his head to where Changbin stood under the dining room archway, shirtless with his wavy hair ruffled from sleep.

“Hyung.”

“What are you doing awake?” Changbin asked, clearing his throat as shuffled to the fridge. He pulled out the carton of milk, and Hyunjin watched in displeasure as he drank directly from it. 

Their eyes met again and Changbin scrunched his nose, shrugging, “We’re mates, drinking from a shared milk carton is normal.”

Hyunjin was aware that his perception of ‘normal’ might not yet align up with what he’d come to learn as such, but directly drinking from a shared milk carton was certainly not it. “No, you’re gross and if Minho found out he’d make you sleep outside.”

Changbin huffed a breath of amusement, putting the milk back on the shelf and then closing the door. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he grumbled lightly, brushing his hands off before he came to sit beside Hyunjin at the table. “ So , why are you awake at…” He glanced up at the clock on the wall, “4:15am?”

Hyunjin leaned closer to him, the older alpha’s body temperature radiated warmth like a cosy blanket. He contemplated the question. At first it was the nightmare, but now he couldn’t seem to shake Jeongin’s impending heat from his mind. 

“I had a nightmare,” He answered, taking a sip of his tea before his eyes flicked to Changbin, “You?”

“Same,” Changbin responded with a sympathetic smile. He leaned back in his chair, gaze shifting to rest on the wall across the room. “Every week, always the same.”

Hyunjin frowned, “You never told us?”

“Used to be every night. Chan hyung knows, they’re fading slowly, less intense.” Changbin’s words had a tiredness latched onto them, lingering. He sighed.

“The attack?”

“Mhm. Every time, Minho dies- and I wake up convinced that he didn’t make it.”

“That’s horrible,” Hyunjin breathed, turning to more directly face him. He reached out, taking the alpha’s hand in his own and linking their fingers together. 

“Every day, I see all of Minho’s scars and I think about it all over again,” Changbin admitted, eyes flicking to the hallway, and then back to Hyunjin again. There was a swimming sadness behind them. “It’s a reminder that he almost died.”

Hyunjin tightened his warm hold, squeezing gently. “It is, but it’s also a reminder that he’s alive. Every day you see him, he reminds you that he made it.”

Changbin swallowed, a weighted sigh leaving his lips. He took a moment, expression vacant in thought before his gaze returned. A small appreciative smile stretched along his lips. “You’re right. And I do know that. It’s training my brain to know it, I guess.”

“Time. Give yourself time.” It was how Hyunjin coped with it himself, trusting in the fact that time allowed things to be processed, to adjust into a new form of normality. Hope, acceptance, optimistic where he could be.

Changbin lifted their hands, pressing a kiss to the skin on the upper side of his palm in an acknowledgment of the reassurance. He then cleared his throat “How are you feeling about Jeongin’s heat?”

Hyunjin glanced down at his tea again. Steam was no longer rising and he lifted the cup to his lips to take another drink before it started to go cold. 

“I’m worried I’ll do something wrong,” he answered honestly as he placed the cup back down. “I know…Jeongin doesn’t expect me to be an expert, and I know that he trusts me. But…it’s been really hard not knowing how to be there for him these past few days- and I’m terrified I’ll do something to make it worse.”

Changbin’s eyebrows were lightly pinched in concern, and then his eyes softened. “You won’t, and even if you do, Jeongin would correct you, he wouldn’t hate you for it.”

Hyunjin watched the tea leaves float. Jeongin wasn’t the type to hate someone for making a mistake, but they already had a system for this; one that worked to the highest level of comfort that Jeongin could be in under the circumstances. Hyunjin’s presence, a new addition to the situation, was bound to bring in a sense of the unknown. But, he did trust Jeongin to communicate with him. Changbin, as well. 

“What are his heats usually like?”

“It can depend,” Changbin hummed, sitting up straighter. “There are times when he wants all of us there…But there are also times where that can feel too overwhelming. More often recently, he’s only really wanted me there for the intimate aspects.”

Hyunjin took the information in. He pulled at the corner of his lip nervously. “I’m sorry, I feel like I’m intruding.”

“No no,” Changbin reassured quickly, his other hand coming to rest on Hyunjin’s knee. “You’re not; I don’t feel that way and I know that Jeongin doesn’t either. It’s a really big step for him, but that doesn’t make it a negative one at all. I know he’s expressed it, but I don’t think that words can sum up how validated he feels having someone understand him the way you do.” Changbin’s eyes searched his own, emphasising his assurance, and Hyunjin’s throat felt tight with emotion.

It was reciprocated, the way Jeongin understood him. The way Changbin also knew the fear of a rut, in his own way. Each of the pack members understood him from a different perspective, and after having no one listen to him or try to be there for him for the majority of his life, it still felt unbelievable that he now had 7 mates who were attentive to his needs, his preferences and his opinions. He wanted to always be that same comfort for them in return.

“Do you think…” He started to ask, and Changbin squeezed his hand encouragingly. “Do you think his heat might be different this time? Because of me?”

Changbin tipped his head, contemplative. “I think it could be. Most of the time he just bears with it, knowing that there’s an end in sight. All I can do is follow through with his wishes, because that’s what he’s told me to do. It’s the only way I know how to handle it. With you there, things might be different.”

They fell into silence, Hyunjin taking in the words, fully processing the weight of it all. His tea was lukewarm, the cup holding no heat to warm his hands, and Changbin cleared it away for him.

“It’s going to be okay, Jinnie. I promise.” He squeezed Hyunjin’s shoulder, and Hyunjin let himself be guided out of the chair. Changbin gently brushed his fingers through the younger alpha’s hair, combing out some of the knots that had formed during his restless sleep, and Hyunjin felt himself melting into him. 

Instead of parting ways to return to their own beds for the rest of the night, they headed back to Changbin’s room together. Safe and surrounded by the smell of fresh pine with blankets that held Changbin’s warmth, Hyunjin wrapped himself around the alpha’s body, breathing in his calming scent, and when they both fell asleep, it was dreamless. 

“Do you need anything?” Changbin asked, words spoken gently against the shell of Jeongin’s ear. He was spooning him, arm wrapped around the omega’s stomach.

Jeongin’s heat was barely a few hours away now. His fever had heat radiating off of him, hot enough to warm an entire family in a snowstorm. He looked miserable, curled up in his bedroom nest, only his underwear on which were progressively dampening with slick.

It was late morning, the sun was shining through the half drawn green curtains, and Hyunjin could hear the other pack members moving around the house. Felix and Seungmin were out in the front garden, probably pulling at weeds and collecting the harvestable vegetables. 

Hyunjin lay on the other side of Jeongin, facing him. His chin was close to resting on the omega’s head, but instead he stroked through his hair. Comforting. Jeongin hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep the night prior due to the cramping.

In response to Changbin’s question, Jeongin gave a single shake of his head. His demeanour was that of a saddened puppy, and he curled closer, a small breath leaving his nose. 

“We’re going to take good care of you Innie, don’t worry.”

The vibrations of a whimper against his chest had Hyunjin blinking out of the nap he’d fallen into. He was groggy, Changbin shuffling in a similar waking movement. 

“Starting?” Changbin asked in a sleep heavy rasp, but neither alpha really needed verbal confirmation to know that. Jeongin’s citrusy scent had exploded in its intensity; freshly squeezed limes and thick woodsy tones dominated the room. 

Hyunjin’s mouth watered a little from it, the slick between Jeongin’s legs waking his alpha brain up to the knowledge of an omega in heat. He brushed his hand through Jeongin’s partly sweat damp hair, and Jeongin made a breathy noise of confirmation, pressing his face further into Hyunjin’s bare chest.

“What do you need right now?” Changbin asked, a hand brushing down Jeongin’s side. Questioning, responding to his needs; Hyunjin was reminded of their conversation in the early hours of the morning. This was a practised routine for the pair. 

Jeongin’s head tipped up, his eyes lifting to meet with Hyunjin’s, pleadingly. His cheeks were flushed, and Hyunjin lifted his hand to brush the side of his cheekbone gently. “Just…just want to make it stop.” Jeongin’s voice came out shakily.

“Okay, we can do that, can’t we Jinnie?” Changbin asked, his tone promising. He met Hyunjin’s eyes, the pair of them sharing a look that Hyunjin interpreted to be Changbin telling him to keep Jeongin reassured that it would be okay. They’d take care of him, help him through this. 

Hyunjin glanced away from him and back down to Jeongin. There was something foreign feeling that was building inside him. It was instinctual, like he had an answer that wasn’t conscious to his own mind. That of intuition; the decision between doing what they knew would work, or following what that feeling was directing him to do. 

Carefully, he lifted Jeongin’s wrist, thumb brushing over the omega's scent gland, who took in a hissing breath in response. He moved his wrist up to his neck, feeling the touch of Jeongin’s warm skin against his own. His eyes fluttered closed, the scenting welcoming that familiar tingle to wash over him, and when he opened his eyes, Jeongin was lifting his head from his chest, blinking up at him. 

Changbin made a noise from behind Jeongin’s back, curious sounding as he observed them.

Jeongin’s wrist took over, rubbing along Hyunjin’s neck in shaky movements until Hyunjin whined- the sound mewling. Jeongin’s wrist pressed with more intent, the contact of their glands so stimulating that Hyunjin could practically taste it on his tongue.

He shifted himself back, only a little, and Jeongin’s sharpening eyes followed his every move. There was a shift in his gaze, one that thickened the air in Hyunjin’s throat. No longer in a fuzzy daze, Jeongin’s eyes flickered with something new.

He lowered himself, looking up at Jeongin as he placed the omega at a taller and bigger stance than his own. He let his eyes glaze over with something softer, wider with innocence as he fell into a state of natural submission. Cognitively, he didn’t know why he instinctively knew that submitting to an omega in heat was the right thing to do. Under different circumstances, this wouldn’t be the way to go. But, Jeongin wasn’t the typical circumstances.

“Innie,” His voice trembled, and there was a twitch in Jeongin’s dark eyes. 

Changbin, despite his probable confusion, had picked up on the tactic, moving to adjust himself at a similarly lower stance. His arm was still wrapped around Jeongin’s waist, fingers trailing his stomach.

“Wanna make Innie feel good,” Hyunjin sucked on his bottom lip. He placed his palm on Jeongin’s chest, and unintentionally he could feel the way the omega’s heart raced. “C-can you show me?” He looked up at him pleadingly. “Want to be good for my omega.”

Jeongin certainly didn’t look defeated any more. There was a wildness in his eyes, something uncontained. It was vaguely reminiscent of the look Changbin got when in rut, but it wasn’t dangerous. It was something akin to ferality, a confidence and certainty in every move he made, with every instinct he wanted to follow.

Jeongin’s wrist rubbed over his gland again, before firmly cupping the back of his neck. He didn’t scruff him, just stroked over the skin, and Hyunjin whimpered, leaning into the touch. He was passing over control to Jeongin- he could feel it, taste it, almost touch it with the way Jeongin’s arousal pulsated around them. 

Changbin’s breath hitched from behind them, and the clicking wetness of kissing sounded out from the alpha’s lips against Jeongin’s shoulder blades.

“You want to be good for me, Jinnie hyung?” Jeongin asked, a growing assertiveness in his tone. One of his hands came down to grip Changbin’s hand, linking his fingers over the Alpha’s hold on his stomach.

Hyunjin nodded eagerly. “Can be good for you- We can be good for you,” He pleaded. He could be so good . Under that desperation there was also the insinuation that it was a privilege Jeongin was even considering them. With the way Jeongin’s pupils dilated, Hyunjin knew it had been the right thing to say.

Changbin let out a breath, hitched with a high tone to it. It was likely that the alpha was only accustomed to Jeongin’s dominant side outside of the omega’s heats- and with the way Jeongin’s body pressed closer to Hyunjin, he could only assume that Changbin was rubbing himself against Jeongin’s ass.

In a snapping movement of sudden desire, Jeongin launched forward, lips locking with Hyunjin’s. It was deep and wet, and Hyunjin gasped into it as Jeongin’s tongue slipped inside and twirled with his own. He tingled with a dizzying arousal. More, more, more . 

“Greedy,” Jeongin rasped against his lips, fingers taking a firm hold on his jaw. He bit harshly on his plush bottom lip, tongue swiping over it to ease the pain. The slightest drop of blood must have hit his tongue, as the omega let out a rumbling growl that shivered through Hyunjin.

Just as sudden as it had come, Jeongin was pulling away again. His movements were not calm or delicate; when he moved it was intentional, quick yet smooth, and within seconds he had rolled himself to pin Changbin under him.  

Changbin looked up at him with widened eyes and parted lips. His cock pressed achingly to his boxer briefs, a spot of the material stained with precome. It made Hyunjin’s own erection throb, and the sight unfolding only had the urge to touch himself more prominent. He ran a hand up his chest, breath hitching as he avoided his nipples. 

Jeongin’s fingers trailed down Changbin’s body and the alpha’s stomach twitched, Adam's apple bobbing. His hand moved down to the line of his underwear, where Hyunjin expected him to slip it inside, but in one swift, smooth movement there was a harsh sound of material ripping as Jeongin tore his underwear open, turning it to shreds as it fell away. 

Changbin gasped, the breeze hitting his cock. His lips were parted, cheeks flushed and eyes still wide with an innocence that had him appearing far less intimidating than he could  be when he wanted to.

Jeongin barely reacted, a pleased smile twitching at his lips as his own briefs were ripped away next. Slick coated the now rag turned material, and Jeongin’s ass glistened with it. The things Hyunjin would do to stick his face down in there…

A whimper sounded out from the back of his throat, and Jeongin’s eyes snapped to him in response. He looked down to Hyunjin’s covered cock, and as if he’d been given a demand, Hyunjin shuffled himself out of his underwear before Jeongin could shred them too.

Then, the omega returned his gaze to his position on top of Changbin, his hand moving down to take their cocks into his hold. Precome dripped from his own and onto Changbin’s shaft, making his strokes slick. 

Changbin moaned, rolling his hips up to meet Jeongin’s hand. His eyes were squeezed shut, hands up by his shoulders as he clenched and unclenched them. There was a complete look of bliss on his face.

Seemingly pleased with his reaction, Jeongin tipped Changbin’s head to the side with his own, pressing his tongue to his scent gland. He licked, rubbed over it and then ran his tongue down the column of his neck before he got to one of Changbin’s mating marks. The mark was healed, white against his skin in its near permanence. New, freshly bitten marks were red until they healed, but they could always be rebitten, the mates’ connection reaffirmed.

Hyunjin stroked a hand up his own neck, over his Adam's apple and around the side to compare with where Changbin’s first mark was placed. How would those marks feel against his skin? Would they tingle when kissed? Did they hurt? Did they feel different depending on the pack member who placed them there? There was no part of his mind that could actually imagine the sensations that came with a mating bite.

Jeongin bit down on Changbin’s neck, his teeth sinking in just enough to draw blood. It renewed the bite and in response, Changbin choked out a moan, hips snapping up again with more desperation. He was arched like a bow, posture tight with aching desire and Hyunjin could see the knot beginning to form at the base of his cock. 

“J-Jeongin, please,” Changbin gasped out, hands moving to grip the omega’s sides. 

Jeongin lifted from his neck with a tinge of red to his lips. He swiped over it with his tongue and Changbin whined high in his throat, looking up at him pleadingly. 

“Jinnie hyung,” Jeongin spoke up, voice cool and commanding as he turned his head to the side, sharp eyes landing on Hyunjin again. It was shiver inducing, the eyes of a predator locking onto its prey. 

Hyunjin had been so patient. So good. He was sitting on his knees; hadn’t touched himself, only stroked up his own chest and neck- but who could blame him for that? He wanted to preen at the attention his omega was giving him. More. Please. More.

Hyunjin blinked at him, wriggling in anticipation.

“Come here.” Jeongin sat himself up, flicking his fingers as he rested on Changbin’s thighs. He let go of their cocks and the alpha practically wailed at that. Jeongin sucked in a breath as a wave of need rolled over him, and with that, another growl sounded out, one that had Hyunjin’s breathing quickening- he automatically moved his neck to the side, showing it off, presenting himself. 

But it wasn’t fear that brought the response. Everything about this; the feral nature of Jeongin’s desire felt right, felt safe as he and Changbin submitted to it. It wasn’t hostility, it was raw desire- the freedom for Jeongin to follow his most natural instincts. 

“Come,” Jeongin repeated impatiently. He inched himself up to rub his slick ass over Changbin’s cock. “Legs either side of Bin hyung, ass facing me,” he instructed.

Changbin groaned, and Hyunjin crawled through the nest and moved his trembling legs into place. The older alpha’s arms moved up to hold his outer thighs. He was too far forward to look directly down at him, but he could easily smell the strong crisp forest-ey arousal in his scent. 

Hyunjin let out a gasp as fingers came to circle his hole, the unexpected slicked up wet touch making him twitch. He keened, pushing back on it wantonly. 

Jeongin pressed his thumb against his rim and began stroking from his perineum to his hole. Then, he lifted himself, a hand reaching for Changbin’s cock. He rubbed it between his own cheeks, slickening him up before he pushed the head in, and then pulled out, repeating the motion until Changbin was choking out a cry. Only then did he fully push himself down, sinking onto Changbin’s cock with a blissed out moan. 

“Ah-” Changbin trembled. His fingers tightened on Hyunjin’s thighs as his fingernails pressed indents into the skin. 

Jeongin finally pressed a finger into Hyunjin, moving it in time with the lifting and dropping movements he made on Changbin’s swiftly swelling knot. He moaned, sliding a second finger in and finding Hyunjin’s prostate with practised ease as he rubbed his fingers against it.

“J-Jeong- ahh,” Hyunjin gasped, hands giving out to fall on his elbows with his ass in the air. His cock rubbed against Changbin’s chest, and a hand snaked through to rub it between his pecs and over his nipples.

Changbin groaned, his own hand responsible as he spread Hyunjin’s precome over his chest, stroking him as he did so. “F-fuck- ‘M not gonna last…need to knot- please,” he begged. 

“You’re so- so worked up already,” Jeongin gritted though a moan, head tipped back through panting breaths. He grinded on Changbin’s cock, the swell of his knot difficult to sink down on, and his fingers slammed inside Hyunjin in fast wet thrusts. He’d added a third and Hyunjin had started to desperately grind to meet both sources of arousal.

“Mhm- please,” Changbin cried.

Jeongin’s fingers pulled out of Hyunjin’s hole, a devastated cry falling from the younger alpha’s lips as his hole gaped. No- he needed to be filled. The omega’s hands moved to his hips instead, and he roughly pulled Hyunjin down and back towards him.

Hyunjin’s knees gave out on him and he fell to lay chest to chest on Changbin, face pressed into the panting man’s neck. Changbin’s hand slipped out from between them, with Hyunjin’s cock rubbing against their naked torsos.

“Ah- ah,” Hyunjin moaned, fingers clenching at the clothes in the nest.

Jeongin wetly slapped his cock against Hyunjin’s hole with a rasped groan, his grinding movements on Changbin’s cock meeting the press of where his cockhead started to push into Hyunjin.

Hyunjin whined into Changbin’s neck, the stretch of Jeongin’s cock making his head feel fuzzy, desperate. “Please, please,” he chanted, rolling his hips down.

“G-gonna come,” Changbin warned in a sob, and Hyunjin lifted from his neck to slot their lips together, wet and panting, without any finesse. 

Jeongin pushed down on the alpha’s cock one last time, knot sinking in and locking them in place. “Fuck, Oh- yes,” gasped, rocking movements pushing him through the shuddering orgasm that overtook him. He leaned forward as he emptied inside of Hyunjin, pulsating ropes coating his walls as Changbin groaned brokenly through his orgasm under them, emptying into Jeongin. 

The omega’s movements only slowed to halt for a moment as the intensity of his first orgasm simmered down. Then, he was back to grinding inside of Hyunjin, cock still flushed and hard, coated with a mix of slick and come. While Changbin was still recovering from his first orgasm, Jeongin would likely need another to satisfy his heat. 

Adrenaline punched through Hyunjin. His cock still dragged against Changbin’s torso, slickly grinding as he rutted to both satisfy the ache and meet Jeongin’s thrusts. 

Jeongin gripped his ass, spreading his cheeks to watch his cock slip in and out of Hyunjin. 

“I-innie,” Hyunjin gasped. His own cock felt hot, knot trying to form through the confusion of being in the presence of an in heat omega that he wasn’t deep inside of. 

“G-good boy,” Jeongin growled, hand coming to grip around Hyunjin’s shoulders to lift him up. The position had him sinking further down Jeongin’s cock, his back against the omega’s chest. His cock was flushed red, with his increasingly bulging knot desperate for stimulation. 

“Bin Hyung,” Jeongin spoke, breathless and expectant, “Hold his knot- that’s it, tightly,” he instructed as Changbin obediently reached a hand out to stroke and then squeeze over Hyunjin’s knot. He held his hand securely in place as he looked up at them with a submissive haze in his eyes.

Hyunjin cried out, throwing his head back on Jeongin’s shoulder. He was dizzyingly on the edge, body shaking with it as he jolted his hips. “G-gonna- please. Please c-can I?” He gasped out, hair damp against his skin, puffy lips parted with quick harsh breaths leaving them.

Jeongin tightened his hold on him, rumbling against Hyunjin’s earlobe. “Come.”

It was a demand and Hyunjin’s body submitted to the overpowering orgasm that ripped through him. He sobbed, thrusting into the firm grip that Changbin had over his knot. Come shot in wet ropes up the alpha’s chest, the slightest bit landing at the corner of his lip, and Changbin’s tongue dipped out to lick it up.

“A-ah.” Hyunjin’s eyes squeezed shut again as the high fizzled into a bursting colour of bliss beneath his eyelids. From behind him, Jeongin bucked his hips in time with huffed breaths of praise, before he was emptying himself in Hyunjin’s hole for the second time.

So good. So full. Everything was buzzing and when Jeongin’s hands loosened their hold, he fell forward, landing in the pool of his own come on Changbin’s chest. Jeongin’s cock slipped out of him, but the hold that Changbin had on his knot remained tight.

Jeongin was still locked onto Changbin’s knot, kneeling above them. He lifted his hand, stroking his dark hair back from his face as his chest rose and fell with his decreasingly heavy breaths. The previously intense air that had surrounded them seemed to dissipate, the ferality driving Jeongin’s actions fading. Clarity was returning, and for a moment they stayed silent, reconnecting to their own bodies again. 

Hyunjin could feel Jeongin’s come slipping out of him, dampening their skin further. There was something very satisfying about being in this state, the raw experience of sex that mixed with love and security. 

He was the first to move, slowly rolling himself off of Changbin’s chest to lay back beside him in the nest. His limbs felt like jelly, and from beside him, Jeongin lowered himself to lay over Changbin, giving his thighs a rest. 

The omega let out a long breath, glancing between them. “I’ve never felt like that before,” he spoke up, voice husky. He lifted a hand, stroking it through Changbin’s hair soothingly. 

“I’ve never seen you like that before,” Changbin admitted in agreement. He held Jeongin with one arm, the other coming to pull Hyunjin close to his side, their bodies all pressed together again. 

“How did it feel?” Hyunjin asked, and a tingle of nervousness ran through him. Having been so absorbed in it, he’d forgotten how worried he’d been prior to the start of Jeongin’s hear. Following his instincts; it had felt like the right thing to do. 

Jeongin shook his head in disbelief, a smile forming on his face. “It felt…I never imagined that my heat could feel like that- it felt like…even though the need was overwhelming, I had control over it. I don’t know how to explain it,” he chuckled tiredly. 

“You went kind of feral,” Changbin supplied, and Jeongin’s eyes flashed with recognition.

“Yeah. That’s what it felt like. I was so in tune to everything around me, but I felt unrestrained.” He reached out to Hyunjin, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “How did you know to do that; to submit to me like that?”

Changbin nodded in agreement against the pillow under him- Jisung’s pillow. “I’d never thought of that before.”

Hyunjin twisted his lips in thought, “I just…it was like my body told me to do it. The only way I can comprehend it is that; Jeongin is my omega and I wanted to be good for my omega.”

Jeongin’s smile brightened and Changbin’s eyes warmed with fondness. “You’re really one of a kind, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin felt his cheeks tingling, “I’m not the only one,” he replied bashfully before running the tip of his finger along the side of Jeongin’s arm. “I guess we’re all outliers to our cycles.”

Jeongin hummed in agreement, lowering his face to press his cheek to Changbin’s warm skin. “I really like this,” he admitted, softer.

Hyunjin leaned in, pressing a kiss to his other cheek, and then lifted to press one to Changbin’s too.

“I think…I’d like to talk to the others, fill them in and maybe have them here for the rest of my heat. If that would be okay?” Jeongin asked, glancing between them again. There was no hesitancy to his words. Just satisfaction and hope.

“Innie, this is your heat, you can have anything you want,” Changbin responded caringly, squeezing him close. His knot was starting to go down, giving them both more room to move. 

Something devilish sparkled in Jeongin’s eyes, his smile twitching to a smirk. “Anything?” he drew out, teasingly. It certainly wouldn’t be difficult to rile Jeongin back up again.

Before their antics could progress further, a knock sounded out through the door, breaking them out of the playful mindset that had Changbin about to mercilessly tickle Jeongin, while Hyunjin giggled gleefully.

“Guys? It’s Chan and Minho, we’ve got some water and snacks for you,” Chan called out from behind the door. His voice was light and happy sounding, likely having heard the laughter coming from inside.

Jeongin’s stomach rumbled and Hyunjin couldn’t stop himself from letting out another giggle at the timing. “Come in!” He called. 

He didn’t need to be able to read tea leaves in order to see into the future. He already knew that the next few days of Jeongin’s heat would be everything that the omega ever wished for. He smiled, pressing a kiss to Jeongin’s shoulder. Snacks also sounded really good right now.

Chapter Text

Hyunjin was buzzing with anticipation. In less than 24 hours they would be leaving for the city, for a full week . It was by far the longest he’d been away from the pack house for which was only adding to his restlessness. The conference itself would last three days, not including their day of arrival, and then they would have two full days of ‘rest and relaxation’, as Chan referred to it as, before coming home. 

Nerves crawled under his skin, entwining with excitement. There were so many firsts that awaited him. His first time staying overnight in the city. His first time in a hotel. Attending a conference. Going on holiday.

Packing was a challenge of its own. He couldn’t exactly bring everything he owned in the backpack and small duffle bag that Chan had handed him, but the decision proved to be more difficult than expected.

“Han Jisung!” Minho’s demanding voice yelled out from somewhere down the hall. “You need to pack more than 3 pairs of underwear!”

Hyunjin choked on a cough that lodged itself in his throat. He hadn’t even gotten round to packing underwear yet- his bed was currently fully occupied with the majority of clothing that he owned as he tried to narrow down his options. 

“Why are you looking through my bags!?” Jisung yelled back from somewhere else down the hall. 

They’d all split up after dinner to finish packing, and it seemed that Minho had taken it upon himself to do bag checks. With how far down the hall he sounded, Hyunjin could only hope it would take a good while to get to his room. 

“Because you only packed 3 pairs of underwear!” 

“They’ll have washing machines at the hotel!” Jisung whined, and Hyunjin could hear snickering from the rooms around him.

He shuffled some clothes out of the way to take a seat on his bed, cross legged as he started to sift through items. He’d need to look nice for the conference, which meant he’d need his nice blue button up- which meant he’d need his black dress pants- which meant he’d need his black shirt. It felt a bit never ending, really.

“Everyone knows the rule is that you pack double the amount of underwear for the days you're going!” Felix chimed into the conversation just as Hyunjin thought it was done with. 

“Double?!” Jeongin laughed. 

“Why would you need double?” Seungmin called out in bewildered amusement.

“Just in case!” Felix yelled back. There was a loud stuttered zipping noise, followed by a huff from the blue haired man as he attempted to either zip up or unzip his bag.

“Oh my god, stop. Jisung, please , just pack more. Felix, pack less- your bags are overflowing,” Minho snapped, tone firmly shutting down any further comments entirely. 

Hyunjin looked down, way out of his depth- Who would have guessed that there was a protocol for underwear? He counted out a week's worth, packed it, contemplated double and then shook his head. No, he’d pack only three more. Ten. That seemed like the right amount. Okay, he’d earned himself a break.

Chan had been less present over dinner that evening, and Hyunjin hadn’t actually seen or heard him since they’d split up for packing. The pack leader had been mostly occupied with his phone throughout the day, and when he wasn’t replying to emails, he was sifting through pages in one clearfile or another; Distant and understandably preoccupied with last minute decisions. When it came down to it, Chan was the face of this conference.

“Hyung?” Hyunjin knocked on the side of Chan’s open office door where the alpha was sitting at his desk, scrolling through something on his computer. His shoulders were straight, eyes flicking across the screen in a reading motion, until Hyunjin’s voice drew him away from it.

“Hi baby.” Chan’s expression burst into a warm smile, and he leaned back in his chair as he beckoned Hyunjin over.

The welcoming smile had Hyunjin fizzling with happiness and he returned it as he shuffled over to the older alpha with a spring in his step. He slipped past the desk, where Chan took his hand, guiding him to sit on his lap. There was always something so comforting about being tucked into Chan like this. Even though Hyunjin was taller, Chan was sturdier, hands strong in their hold on him. And he always smelled so safe.

The screen of his computer showed the homepage of the website, and even with Hyunjin’s limited knowledge on computers, he could see how much brighter the site looked. Everything was more colourful, with larger fonts, nicely taken photos and precise maps. It appeared far more user friendly- even Hyunjin could maybe figure it out.

“I wanted to come see you,” Hyunjin spoke softly, arms linking around the back of Chan’s neck so that he could pull him closer and rub their noses together for a moment. “I was wondering how you’re feeling?”

Chan’s warm hands moved to stroke up and down his sides, and he pressed a kiss to the tip of Hyunjin’s nose, pulling back to look at him fondly. “I’m feeling good,” he responded assuringly, “I’m proud of everyone and how much we’ve prepared for this. I know we’re ready.”

Hyunjin stroked his fingers through the hair at the back of Chan’s head. “We’re proud of you too. You’re the reason that this is all possible, that people are listening.” He looked into his eyes with a depth that he hoped portrayed how much this really meant to him. Chan’s influence was a game changer, but it wasn’t just that. The alpha’s personality, selflessness and bravery spoke for his actions. “You’re amazing.”

Chan’s hands stopped to rest on his hips, squeezing gently as his thumbs brushed over Hyunjin’s covered hip bones. “It’s not just me, baby.”

Hyunjin shook his head. Of course, everyone had put their all into this, but Chan was the type of person to discredit himself, and Hyunjin didn’t want him doing that, not when he’d done so much. “Everything you’ve done,” he started, thumb stroking just behind Chan’s ear. “Has made a difference. People listen to you, you’re kind and honest and you care about the people around you- even if you don’t know them personally. You lead with pride, you’re humble…and I would follow you to the ends of the earth.”

Chan swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing. “I would never ask you to do that,” he breathed, and his scent crackled. He searched Hyunjin’s eyes, and Hyunjin leaned forward again, pressing their foreheads together.

“I know you wouldn’t ask,” he whispered. “But I would still go with you, with the pack. Always.”

A shaky breath exhaled from Chan’s nose, then he was pressing his lips to Hyunjin’s in a deep, tender kiss that had Hyunjin holding onto him tighter for stability.  “You’re ours forever, baby. And we’re yours.” He spoke in quiet adoration as he pulled away. His lips were flushed from the kiss and Hyunjin’s heart squeezed with pride. Forever . 

“I was thinking,” Chan began again, arms linking behind Hyunjin’s lower back. “How would you like to have your mating ceremony when we get back from our holiday?”

Hyunjin blinked, “Really?” Excitement flooded through his scent and he wriggled joyously at the thought of it. “When we get back?”

Chan chuckled softly, “We can plan the ceremony just how you want it. And- maybe it’s selfish of me, but I want my mark on your skin and yours on mine as soon as we can. I’m surprised everyone’s patience has lasted this long, in all honesty.”

Hyunjin let out a shy giggle, hands falling away to toy with the fabric of Chan’s shirt. “I did practically beg for the bite a few times…” He had to admit the others’ will powers had been strong in comparison to his own.

Chan shook his head, leaning to press a kiss to Hyunjin’s cheek. “Naughty.”

“I couldn’t help it,” Hyunjin whined in defence. “I just want them so bad.”

Chan’s smile turned soft again, “I know, baby. And you’ll get them, however you want, in whatever placement. ”

Hyunjin nodded, biting his bottom lip. Different packs had different ways of celebrating the official act of mating, Hyunjin knew that. But, back at the Jang pack, if an alpha wanted to mate with someone, they just took them- simple as that. There was no communication or consent, and there certainly wasn’t anything ceremonious about it. The alpha would bite, the omega would be forced to reciprocate. That was that.

“How did your ceremony go?”

Chan just looked at him for a moment, and then his eyes flickered with a gentle sadness “You’ve never seen a mating mark ceremony before, have you?”

Hyunjin shook his head, shifting his position in Chan’s lap. He’d contemplated it; how it would go, how it should go- and that left him with a lot of questions. “It’s nice right? Do the bites hurt? Will we have sex? Are there customs and rules that I should know about?”

“Woah.” Chan patted his sides. “That’s a lot of questions.” He pulled Hyunjin in a little closer, “You’ve been thinking about this a lot,” he noted, and Hyunjin gave him a look of confirmation, obviously he had.

“Jeongin renewed Changbin hyung’s mark last week…and It gave me a lot to think about,” he admitted.

“Okay,” Chan nodded in understanding, tipping his head as an easy smile returned to his face. “Let’s start from the beginning.” He shuffled to get them comfy, tucking a strand of Hyunjin’s hair behind his ear. “First, It will be a nice experience, we’ll all make sure of that. You will be made to feel so special and so loved,” he answered with promise, pressing a brief clicking kiss to Hyunjin’s lips.

Hyunjin smiled pleasantly, shoulders relaxing. Even just hearing that, as simple and expected as the confirmation of a good experience was, brought Hyunjin a comfort he hadn’t realised he’d needed. He didn’t want it to be anything like what he’d witnessed back then. And it wouldn't be.

“It can hurt,” Chan admitted. “That’s normal, and it’s not necessarily unpleasant. Everyone experiences it differently.”

Hyunjin brushed his hands up Chan’s chest. “Did it hurt for you?”

“For me it did,” he confirmed, “Necks are sensitive places, and being bitten there can hurt, even as a shifter. For me, it felt like a pinch, and I remember Seungmin saying the same thing. But, that doesn’t mean it will be the same for you. Felix and Minho felt no pain at all. Whether you feel a little pain or not, none of that changes the validity of your experience- and most importantly, it should never be an extreme pain, that only occurs when a bite is unwanted. Taken by force.”

Hyunjin shivered slightly. Forced mating could be agonising, from what he’d seen. But nothing would be forced on him here, and he wanted more than anything to be mated to the ones he loved the most. Separating the experiences he’d witnessed by factor of his current circumstances was a conscious effort, but more than anything, he trusted his mates and that in itself was enough.  

“Can it feel…pleasurable? Like when Innie renewed Binnie hyung’s mark?”

Chan grinned. “It can, and it usually does.” He squeezed Hyunjin’s sides again, light and adoring. “It’s all about intimacy, physical and emotional. But, that doesn’t mean it has to progress to anything specifically. It all comes down to what everyones comfortable with, and what you want. That’s what makes it so special; it’s all about the love we all share for each other.”

Hyunjin’s insides warmed, cosy and anticipative. It sounded so nice , so special, and knowing there was no expectation for anything eased the concerns he’d had over somehow finding a way to ruin it. “I’m really looking forward to it,” he admitted. Officially mating. carrying those bites with him, always. Having that bond- the one like nothing else in the world. He already considered them all his mates, but making it official, it felt completely and whole-heartedly right . 

“So am I, baby.” Chan swayed the chair, and Hyunjin’s hair fluttered against his arms with the movement. “Onto your last question,” he continued. “Every pack has a different way of celebrating. For us, we all sat down together beforehand and decided what we wanted. Everyone had their own ideas, things they were comfortable with and things they weren’t, so by communicating that, the ceremony went exactly how we wanted it.”

Hyunjin liked that immensely; The value of consent and communication. The pack never wavered in their belief of its importance. 

“Felix wanted everyone to scent beforehand, so we carried each other's scents into the ceremony. Minho cooked a grand meal with the meat that Changbin, Jisung and I had caught that day.” He paused, and Hyunjin watched as he thought back to the memory of it. “At that time, Felix and Jeongin hadn’t been with us very long, and for Felix especially, it was a very vulnerable progression.”

Their eyes connected again and Hyunjin’s breath hitched.

“It’s a beautiful thing.” Chan lifted a hand to cup Hyunjin’s cheek, thumb brushing up his cheek bone. “And now, we get to share that beauty with you.”

Hyunjin’s heart fluttered, fingers dancing up his front to lightly draw circles on Chan’s clothed shoulders. Beautiful. 

“However you want it to go, don’t hold back in telling us. You deserve to have everything you could ever wish for.” Chan pulled him in, pressing another sweet kiss to his lips, and Hyunjin smiled against him. He’d think about it thoroughly; anticipate the day he’d officially be mated to the pack.

The following morning, with their bags all packed, they trekked through the forest towards the main road. Around him, the pack were chattering amongst themselves, backpacks slung on their backs with bright smiles spread over their faces. 

The morning sun shone down on them as they walked, and Hyunjin could still feel that fizzling anticipation fluttering inside of him as they neared the area that led them to where they usually caught the bus. Upon arrival however, parked slightly down from the bus stop was a modern black van. It sparkled under the sun, clean and polished. Waiting for them.

“Is this for us?” Jisung gasped, absolutely beaming as he rushed over to it. 

Chan pulled a pair of keys out of his pocket and threw them to Changbin, who caught them with ease. “No bus this time,” he confirmed.

“Oh my god,” Jisung squealed, brushing his hands over the door of the vehicle. Cute, Hyunjin thought. The innocent excitement that the omega displayed was enough to have him making his way over to get a good look at the van too.

“Come on, why aren’t you guys more excited about this?” Jisung pulled at the door handle, sliding it open as soon as Changbin had unlocked it for him.

Minho snorted a laugh, “Because, we have in fact been in a vehicle before.”

Jisung rolled his eyes at him. He kissed his own hand in a smacking motion and then blew the kiss to Minho. “Killjoy.”

Seungmin huffed in bemusement as they started to file in, one by one. There was an artificial citrus smell that permeated around them, the windows crisp and clear with the seats spotless of any stains. This was certainly nothing like the local buses, that was for sure.

“Why don’t we have a car?” Hyunjin asked Jeongin curiously. He was well versed in riding the bus, but his time in a car was limited to the taxis they took around the city. Cars were one of the main forms of transport for non-shifters, as far as Hyunjin was aware. 

“Something about carbon emissions,” Jeongin shrugged, following after Jisung to sit at the back of the bus.

Hyunjin ended up on the aisle seat in the row behind Changbin and Chan, who were sitting driver and passenger. He watched Seungmin and Felix file into the row behind him, and then Minho slipped in, pulling the door shut so that no cool outside air could get in. He slid into the seat next to Hyunjin and then turned around to peer at the 4 behind them.

“Seat belts.”

The crinkling of packets sounded out, shuffling of fabric against seats and then the click of seat belts locking in place. Hyunjin pulled his belt over his chest after propping his backpack at his feet with the duffle stopping it from tipping over and potentially spilling the contents of his water bottle during the drive. 

“Felix, don’t get any chocolate on the seats, this is only a rental,” Minho called out again, his body twisted in his seat before he returned front facing. A sigh left his lips, hands slipping into his lap to fiddle his thumbs.

“Mhm,” Felix responded from behind them, mouth stuffed full with what sounded like a chocolate bar.

“Hyung,” Hyunjin spoke up, drawing Minho’s attention to him. “Are you nervous?”

Minho didn’t get ruffled by things easily. His personality tended to balance out those with more outward emotions; as he looked at situations with both a sensitive and pragmatic approach. But, when he was in a state of emotional conflict, he had tells. Searching for a way to maintain control was one of them- so Hyunjin didn’t blame him for his overbearing tendencies right now.

Minho blinked at him. “Nervous?”

“You seem…on edge,” Hyunjin replied, moving to slip his hand into Minho’s to stop him from scratching at his thumb nail. The alpha’s hands were smaller than his own, drier from washing them so frequently during food preparation. 

Minho let out another soft breath as he linked their fingers. An apologetic look formed on his face. “I am being a bit much, aren’t I?”

Hyunjin shook his head, “Someone needs to keep us in line,” he joked lightly, “But it’s okay if you’re nervous about your speech.”

“I need to keep them in line, you’re my perfect little angel,” Minho corrected, making Hyunjin’s cheeks buzz, and he elbowed him, dipping his head.

“You called me a menace yesterday. That’s a little contradictory.”

Minho lifted their hands, kissing Hyunjin’s outer palm. “You’re right, hyung’s sorry,” he chuckled, and then rested them in his lap. “I am a bit tense. I didn’t think I’d be this nervous.”

Hyunjin turned his body, legs facing Minho’s side so that he could look at him more directly. “I don’t think that’s an unreasonable emotion. What you’re doing is very brave.”

Minho searched his eyes, and the look in them softened, melting his tightly held exterior. “At first I didn’t understand why Chan hyung asked if I would be willing to speak at the conference. I didn’t grow up in a pack and I’d never lived as a shifter until I came here. But, there are others like me out there; shifters from the city. And I guess that brings a sense of solidarity to some, and a new perspective to others. I want to do this, even if I’m nervous.”

Hyunjin squeezed their hands, his smile fond. “Your story is worth sharing,” he assured, and Minho rested back on the headrest, head tilted to look at Hyunjin appreciatively. “And, If you get stage fright, just focus on me. Find me in the crowd and it will be like I’m the only person you're talking to.”

“That’s a lovely idea,” Minho responded softly. He leaned forward to press a kiss to Hyunjin’s temple and then pulled back, both a look of contemplation and amusement taking over his expression. “Some people suggest picturing the audience in their underwear, but I think I like your idea better.”

In their underwear? Hyunjin scrunched his nose in displeasure. That would only make him feel worse, personally speaking. “You’re weird, hyung,” he giggled, and Minho tapped their hands on his leg, chest rumbling.

The ride into the city took far less time than it did when on the two buses they usually took. Felix and Seungmin were watching an animal documentary on snow leopards on Felix’s phone, and Jisung and Jeongin were laughing in vibrant conversation at the back. Hyunjin rested his head on Minho’s shoulder, cheek pressed to the man’s beige hoodie.

“I feel like I’m on a fieldtrip,” Minho commented with a humorous huff, his shoulder twitching. 

“What’s a field trip?” Hyunjin asked, lifting his head. He stretched his neck to both sides, loosening the tight muscles. 

Minho hummed, “It’s when teachers take their students out of class to go somewhere. An out of class learning experience.”

“Oh,” Hyunjin fiddled with the hem of his blue jumper. Growing up, children in the pack were taught what they needed to survive in the forest, and the responsibilities they would have when they presented. Before the leader changeover there was also a class on how to survive outside of pack environments, which touched on the city and their traditional teaching methods. But, that was promptly taken out after the changeover in leadership. He knew the basics of city life’s necessities, he supposed.

“My field trips were going boar hunting,” Changbin chimed in from the front, one hand on the wheel while his other was linked with Chan’s. Their hands rested on the older alpha’s knee.

“We went to the city a few times, it wasn’t really educational, but I do remember eating lobster,” Chan chimed in. 

Hyunjin looked to Minho again, “What did you do on fieldtrips?” 

“We mostly went to museums. Looked at paintings, wrote essays on them and such,” Minho replied, tone drawing into one of reminiscent boredom, “I always snuck off to the cafe and then just researched one of the paintings when I got home.”

Hyunjin straightened up, brightening. “Art museums? I want to go to an art museum” He looked pleadingly between Minho and the two in the front seat. “Can someone take me to one this week, please?” He asked, squeezing Minho’s hand.

Chan turned in his seat. Hyunjin asking for something just because he wanted it would likely never stop being a renewed comfort to the rest of the pack. Hyunjin, himself, still wasn’t fully accustomed to knowing he could have things without needing them. 

“I’ll take you!” Jisung offered up enthusiastically. 

Seungmin chuckled, and from beside him Felix let out a giggle. “I have never seen you appreciate fine art,” the beta said dryly.

Jisung let out a huff, “I can appreciate it- I want to go on a date with Jinnie.”

Hyunjin felt a tingle of happiness bloom through him. “I’d like that,” he said, turning in his seat to look at Jisung appreciatively. “It won’t be too boring for you?”

Jisung shook his head, “Promise. I might even learn something!”

“Look at you,” Minho smirked at him, their elbows nudging together. “Got yourself a city date.”

“Hyung,” Hyunjin whined, stuffing his face into Minho’s shoulder. The alpha’s scent was refreshing against his warmed cheeks. A renewed sense of anticipation fluttered through his veins, his smile providing a pleasant ache to his cheeks.

As they arrived at the hotel, warm rays of sunshine reflected off of the skyscraper of windows. It glimmered like a beacon, and even from outside, Hyunjin could feel the charge of energy through the building. Guests had already started to arrive, packs holding hands with bright smiles on their faces as they basked in city exploration. 

Chan was pulled away by a small group of reporters who wanted interviews for their stories on the conference. Non-shifters taking an interest in shifter politics was still a little mind-boggling to Hyunjin.

Changbin stood to Chan’s side, acting as somewhat of a bodyguard for the pack leader, while Minho gathered everyone else, ensuring they all had their bags and hadn’t left anything in the van.

“Minho-sshi, Are those a result of the attack?” A reporter suddenly appeared near them as they shut the door to the van, and Minho’s expression contorted into a look of surprise and discomfort. 

Hyunjin adjusted his grip on his duffle, eyeing the reporter. The man wasn’t necessarily in their faces, but the intrusiveness of the question felt rude. 

Minho cleared his throat, chin lifting slightly. “Yes. They are,” he confirmed. “Please excuse us, we’re going to check in now,” he closed the conversation briskly, ushering the pack away towards the entrance. 

Hyunjin glanced back to Chan and Changbin momentarily. The pack leader was talking, phones held near him as his words were recorded. He met Changbin’s eyes for a second, the alpha giving Hyunjin a confirmation smile that everything was fine. 

“You okay, hyung?” He heard Jeongin ask Minho. The omega pushed open the glass doors and the six of them made their way into the lightly air-conditioned lobby. 

“Yeah, Just wasn’t expecting that,” Minho smiled back at Jeongin, lifting a hand to ruffle the younger’s hair. Jeongin responded with a light elbow to his ribs, a soft laugh leaving his lips.

By the time Minho had checked them in, Chan and Changbin had joined back up with the group. There was an immediate sense of comfort with having the eight of them back together again, and Hyunjin found himself relaxing to take in the atmosphere of the lobby.

There were accents of gold around the room; lining the check in desk and sprinkled amongst the lobby furniture. Tall plants in big gold vases stood at each corner, greenery intentionally added to the aesthetic.  

“Hyung did really well,” Changbin spoke proudly, and Chan’s smile shied.

“I think it went okay,” he confirmed with a nod, “I’d suspected we might run into some interviewers.” He readjusted his backpack and then nodded towards the elevator. “Let’s head up.”

The elevator looked out at the view of the city, floor to ceiling windows taking up one of the walls, and Hyunjin craned his neck to peer out in fascination. Everything on the ground shrunk smaller, while the clouds above them appeared closer. 

Minho let out a wince, and Jisung shuffled away from the view. “Out of all the hotels in the city,” the omega grumbled.

“Sorry,” Jeongin responded, apologetic. “Just wait until you see the suite, it’ll all be worth it, promise.”

The hotel was entirely booked out for the conference. Attending packs had reserved rooms, and Chan had made sure to book an entire floor for any unexpected heat and rut occurrences. Of course, anyone who had an impending cycle was predictably unattending, but there was still always a chance, and they wanted to ensure the safety of their attending packs. 

The penthouse suite was on the very top floor where the views were most spectacular. 

Minho pressed the keycard in and the door unlocked with a beep, letting them inside. 

“Oh…Wow,” Felix gasped, venturing inside. 

The living room connected up to the kitchen and dining area to make one spacious room. There were sleek ‘L’ shaped couches that surrounded the TV, and a foosball table that neared the single step up to the platform of the glass dining table. 

“Okay, this is so worth it,” Jisung voiced in agreement, his grin lifting his ears as he made his way to the bar by the windows. 

They dumped their bags on the couches, spreading out to explore. There were 4 bedrooms, all with their own en suite bathrooms. 

“Jacuzzi!” Hyunjin gasped, eyes moving to the corner of the room where the floor was raised to display a marble tub. There was a fancy divider which could provide privacy to the rest of the room, while the tub itself looked out over the city. “This is so exciting- I’m so excited!”

There was a laugh from behind him, and Seungmin came up to hug his back, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck before he moved to inspect the jacuzzi as well.

They decided who would room together through a game of rock paper scissors, the outcome being; Felix and Chan, Minho and Changbin, Jeongin and Seungmin, and Hyunjin and Jisung.  And with that sorted, the afternoon was free to unpack and relax in the suite.

Chan helped Hyunjin connect up to the wifi, and then showed him how to take panoramic photos of their living room. Hyunjin didn’t want to forget a single thing about the hotel, so he made it his mission to capture a photo of everything he could. He got shots of Changbin beating Minho at foosball, Jisung and Seungmin making drinks at the bar, Jeongin and Chan watching TV and Felix trying to insert himself into every photo with his eyes crossed or his tongue out. 

Then, as dinner neared, Hyunjin learnt of the most magical thing in the world; room service. There were so many options- the menu was an actual book, and he couldn’t even pronounce the names of most of the options listed. 

“This one’s a smoky eggplant soup,” Minho explained, going over the menu with him, and Hyunjin scrunched his nose, shaking his head.

“Don’t like eggplant.”

“What do you like?” Minho asked, flipping through the book.

“I like your cooking, what’s the most similar to your cooking?” He blinked at him, and Minho let out a laugh of endearment.

“Come on baby, try something new. They have everything on here,” Chan chimed in.

Hyunjin contemplated it, turning a few pages of the menu again. “Maybe the crab curry you mentioned before?”

“I’m gonna get that too,” Jisung grinned, flipping through the drinks menu, and Hyunjin smiled to himself. If Jisung was ordering it too, it was probably a good selection.

With various dishes of steak, burgers, crabs and lobsters decided on, they perused the desert section of the menu which had cheesecakes, iced donuts, passion fruit drizzled ice cream and melted hot chocolate brownies added to the order. 

And when it all arrived, Hyunjin’s mouth watered. The kitchen tabletop was filled with plates of food, each pack member collecting theirs to take a spot on the wide wrap around couches. 

Felix put on a movie, and conversation faded out as they were absorbed in the atmosphere of the delicious food and the bright wide screen of the TV.

Hyunjin’s crab curry had a thick spiced sauce that was like nothing he’d ever tasted before. It melted in his mouth, and it didn’t take much to convince Changbin, who was beside him, to try some too. 

They finished dinner and dessert, their plates clean from any leftovers and Hyunjin was so full that it took the second half of the movie to finish before he felt like he could move again. 

That night, he utilised the jacuzzi. The surface rippled with bubbles, water warm and enticing. It looked out at the night view of the city, and despite the windows being dark tinted on the outside, he still felt exposed as he undressed to step into the tub. 

It fizzed around him, the jets softly rumbling. His hair was tied up in a bun so as to not get wet and a breath escaped his lips, skyscraper buildings with lights illuminating around the city filled his vision. It was like being on another planet. All these people, coexisting around him, living their lives.

He swished his hands around in the water, letting out a hum of contentment. 

“How is it?” Felix asked, popping his head through the partition curtain.

Hyunjin turned to him, a smile forming on his face. “It’s really nice. You should come in,” he tipped his head, and Felix didn’t hesitate to step through. 

“Is that okay? I don’t want to interrupt the utmost relaxation you’ve got going on here.”

“Of course.”

With a giggle, Felix slipped his clothes off, soft skin coming into view as he let the garments fall to the floor.  “Oh wow,” he breathed, lowering himself into the water. 

“Do you think Channie hyung would let us get one at home?”

“I bet if you batted those pretty eyelashes of yours he’d do it.”

Hyunjin snorted, lightly splashing water in Felix’s direction. “And I bet if you gave him those sweet pleading eyes he’d do it.”

Felix shuffled closer, “ I bet if you got on your knees for him and showed him how much you want it, he’d do it in a heartbeat.” 

Hyunjin groaned, “Stop,” he whined, hand lightly slapping Felix’s shoulder in embarrassment. “Come and lay against me because it’s romantic and we’re mates- no don’t touch my hair- stop, oh it's wet now!”

“Are you two okay in there?” Chan yelled out from the kitchen.

“We’re fine!”

Felix rested back against him, blue hair tickling Hyunjin’s collarbone every so often. It was peaceful. 

“How are you feeling…about your speech?”

Felix let out a soft humm, shuffling for a more comfortable position. “Not as anxious as I thought I'd be,” he admitted. “It’s…I know it’s probably the most vulnerable thing I could ever share with…an entire room of strangers. But, I feel like in doing so, I’m preventing what happened to me, from happening to others. And…” he swallowed, there was the slightest tremble in his voice. “I never want any omega to be forced through what I was, and then traded off. Ever again.” 

Hyunjin squeezed his arm, stroking down the skin. It made his heart ache, he’d barely scratched the surface in knowing what Felix had gone through before joining the pack. He let out a soft breath through his nose, wrapping his arms around the omega’s torso. “You’re so incredibly brave”, he mumbled into his shoulder as he kissed along it. “And you’re going to do amazing, I know it.”

Felix leaned back closer to him. His fingers moved down to toy with Hyunjin’s, their hands idly playing under the water. “I hope so.”

The first day of the conference went by practically at the speed of light. The morning was hectic, getting everyone out of bed was a mission and Seungmin was nervously pacing around the main room until the second they left to head down to the conference hall. 

Felix held the beta’s hand, linking their fingers and it seemed to calm Seungmin down, as by the time they were out of the elevator he wasn't jittering anymore. Felix had that effect on people, this indescribable way to be able to calm them with just his presence. Hyunjin considered it a magical ability. 

The hall was bustling with people, lively conversations underway as packs conversed with one another. Hyunjin had never been in a room with so many people that he didn’t know before. They were all packs of varying ages, types and sub-genders. Some spoke in different dialects to their own pack members, and then in the common tongue with others. There were groups that knew each other already, and others forming new friendships. It was a buzzing atmosphere, and Hyunjin felt as if he could feel the energy of it all pulsing through him, energising him.

Chan was greeted by shifter after shifter, pack leaders expressing gratitude, chatting comfortably or discussing their own ongoing situations. Many of the conversations Hyunjin tuned out of, not because they were boring, but because it was hard to follow along with the noise coming from all directions. But, once the conference got underway, all noise died down and attention turned to Chan and Seungmin on stage, with Minho in charge of managing the powerpoint that the three of them had constructed for the topic of the first day.  

Welcomes and introductions moved into discussions of pack politics and ensuring safety within the community. Chan wanted people to bring forward rules they would want to see implemented, and by the mid-day interval, everyone had agreed to a set of rules that they would live by. It wasn’t the law, as the shifter community didn’t have permission from the government to form a legal system, but it was an agreement and a means to handle conflict with others in a way that would prevent situations escalating dangerously.

The rules went as follows;

1. Territory claimed by a pack is theirs to rule over, attempting to overthrow a pack to claim their territory is strictly forbidden. Any discussions of pack integration and the sharing of land must be done through verbal communication, and if possible, with a third party pack witness.
2. All omega trafficking operations are strictly forbidden. Additionally, any non-consensual street-fighting rings and the gambling within them, whether it’s between members of the same pack or different packs, are prohibited. Recreational fighting is allowed when both parties are consenting. 
3. Forced mating is rated by all here today as the highest offence one can make, and therefore, the victim of a forced mating bite has permission to react in whatever means necessary to ensure their own safety. 
4. Actions of violence resulting in death are only permitted when one’s own life is at risk, or the life of one of their pack members. 
5. Individual packs may have additional rules created by their pack with all in agreement. These rulings, aligning with the rules above, may be implemented if there is a threat in their territory. 

When they stopped for lunch, Hyunjin filled his plate high with an array of different foods to try, chatting away with Felix and Jisung about what they were looking forward to on their holiday after the conference. The rest of the afternoon seemed to speed by just as fast. Hyunjin ended up dozing in his chair for a good portion of it, unable to keep himself awake with the warmth of the room and the complex conversations going on around him. It was only when they were finishing up that Jeongin nudged him awake with an understanding smile. They headed back up to the suite for a nap, leaving the pack members who opted to stay, time to mingle and converse. 

The following morning, their biggest task ended up being keeping Felix calm. He kept bordering into a state of panic, where Chan would remind him that he didn’t need to do this, they would never be angry at him for stepping away from something that was triggering- but Felix wasn’t having that. Through tears he refused to pull out of the conference, and so, Hyunjin, Jisung and Changbin helped him wipe his tears and get presentable for the day. 

It wasn’t until Chan was standing up on the podium again that Hyunjin felt the weight of what was to come. He held his breath, watching Chan’s eyes move over the room, and while he appeared confident, Hyunjin could see the nervousness that hid in his gaze. The alpha let out a slow breath, took one in, and then began speaking.

Chapter Text

Chan

Chan’s parents had always referred to him with pride, as their precious dandelion; a forest flower of glowing beauty. Where there was darkness, he was the one to display hope for the good that was to come, a light that continued to grow and prosper. He would never dim, never falter.

Growing up, Chan was commended for his resilience. Even as a fumbling pup, young and headstrong as he learned his way through pack life, he wasn’t one to give up. He’d puffed his chest up with pride when his mother told her friends all about how brave and strong her Channie was.

“What do we say?” His father smiled warmly, patting him on the back. “If at first you don’t succeed, son, try and try again.”

It was the result of a failed first hunting trip, his hands coming back empty and a look of disappointment all over his face. He’d been too loud, steps too heavy and an overeagerness roaring inside of him that made him far too clumsy. 

Still, he was not berated or scolded. His family encouraged him. His pack encouraged him, and it took time, but little by little, he improved.

Each catch got bigger. A rabbit turned into two which turned into a deer and then more; and the sparkle of pride in his eyes grew and grew. With a youthful toothy grin, he was determined that one day he would be the one to lead his pack. He wasn’t invincible, the scratches and wounds that had come and gone over time, the whimsical result of being a pup proved that. No, he was not invincible, but he was resilient.

After he presented, he took on more responsibilities; Leading the young pups who were soon to present, teaching them to hunt just as his father and cousins had done for him, leading moonlight runs and joining discussions of pack relations with the elders. Maturity looked good on him, he was told. 

His family held pack relations and politics to a high regard, something Chan had known for as long as he’d been alive. As he grew up, nightmares no longer consisted of imaginary monsters, instead they were the horrors of what was happening within the shifter community. Omega trafficking, alpha fighting rings, packs that tortured their members. 

When he was old enough, they sent him out on trips to visit their ally packs, to maintain peace and friendship. He’d stay for a few days, welcomed in to learn of their culture while eating delicious food from generations of recipes passed down. It was there he was told fantastical stories around campfires, made friends with young wolves like himself- even received a few courting proposals that he turned down politely. 

He loved those trips. 

“Be safe, little lion!” His mother would yell from their kitchen window as he headed off on whatever adventure he was being sent on next, and with a cherry smile on his face, he’d wave back.

The putrid stench of decaying flesh was the first thing to hit Chan’s senses. It made his eyes sting and his stomach lurch as it wafted in the direction he was walking in; in the direction he always followed when returning from the Min’s pack to the Bang’s. 

He was only 5 minutes away, but each step closer only had the smell assaulting his nostrils more. A loss of life, but not peaceful in the way elder pack members died. This was cruel and vile and the smell carried everything of an unfair fight lost. 

Even closer he started to feel the emotions of those who had passed. Fear, desperation, grief. Like a punch to the gut, no air filling his lungs he ran, the realisation hitting him all at once. This loss was not of an enemy, but of his own pack. His family. 

His heart was in his throat, pounding, making his entire body throb. 

The moment he stopped was not a slow one, but a startled drawback of dirt that scuffed up from the force. Then, everything was blurring, dizzy and spinning around him as he tried with all his might to focus on the sight in front of him.

He grasped for balance, nails digging into the nearest tree as he hunched over, bile rising up his tight throat and then being heaved onto the forest floor below him. 

He wouldn’t remember a lot from that day, but rotting flesh, crawling maggots and circling flies would haunt his dreams.

Gasping for breath, he tried not to breathe too deep as he fought off wave after wave of nausea. He had to prepare the wolf-form bodies of his family to rest. He had to give them the respect they deserved, the respect they hadn’t been given by those who had taken their lives. He’d send them off in peace, and then he’d turn away and never come back.

The days that followed were another blur. He was running on autopilot, finding his way into the city. Tall skyscrapers surrounded him, engulfed him. The city was suffocating, nothing like the sparseness of the forest and its clean air. But, it was what he needed, it was all he could do to escape the pain that had tied itself to the corrupted memories of his past.

He needed a purpose, and his family's legacy stood before him, providing him with that. Thankfully, the longstanding business his pack owned had begun using electronic banking in the last decade. An account that he was now entitled to, one that was changed over to his name because he was due to take over leadership from their current elder. That changeover ceremony was supposed to be today.

Preparations had been underway for months. Yet, his step into pack leadership did not come from a ceremonious change over, but at the cost of everything. His territory, his home, his family. What was there to lead now?

He spent a month in various hotels and hostels, asking himself why he didn’t seek membership in one of the many packs that treated him with love. He could have gone back to the Mins. They would have welcomed him in with sympathy, hugs and kind words of sorrow. But Chan couldn’t face that. He just couldn't. And his path did not lie with being a member of another pack.

He was a leader. He was born for it, made for it. It was everything he wanted, and even within these times of hopelessness and devastation, that dream was still a spark inside of him.

Looking back, his determination to become the pack leader of a pack that would carry on his family line was what kept him from falling apart each time something didn’t go to plan. He was still a Bang, and the legacy his family had created would not end with him.

He found himself a part time job at a tech retail store in his local mall; trying to adjust to the fast pace city life, the exuberance of non-shifters. It was a whole other world. And still, he had to learn to fight the constant itch every full moon where his instincts told him to transform and let his wolf heal in its own way.

He bought himself a laptop, determined to modernise the database of his family’s website that hadn’t been altered in what seemed to like 10 years. Learning along the way, he began the revolutionization of what it meant to be a pack of many. A true community.

Long ago, his great grandfather had travelled far and wide to log which packs resided where and how large their territory was. It was all in a travellers journal, shared in order to help packs understand and communicate with each other. In time, as technology progressed, word of mouth and hand written letters turned into phone calls and radio announcements. Then, as the internet made its prominent entry, the journal was no longer just a means of telling packs who lived around them, but a way for them to communicate with each other by digital means. 

The generation prior to Chan’s had set up the website, encouraging the packs of their country to create profiles, post updates if they changed whereabouts and pinpoint their territory line for all others to see. At first, this means of communication was slow growing, and the forum had bugs which complicated getting messages published to the page. Still, it steadily grew.

Chan supposed the site hadn’t been updated since then, and with a hoard of books and more google searches than he’d ever be able to count, he worked on revamping it in its entirety.  

This time, the popularity of the website within the shifter community grew exponentially. Regionally, all the friendliest packs Chan had known growing up began to use the site again, encouraging their own allies to join as well. Nationally it was growing by the day, and one day, Chan knew they’d go international. He could be patient. He’d made it this far. 

Within 7 and a half months, Chan was able to quit his city job, claiming territory many hours away from where his original home had been. Money was not an issue, generations of pack members before him had seen to that, and Chan, even years after, felt he didn’t truly understand how lucky he was.

He hired builders from the area to create the home he’d spent months designing, with the assistance of people in the industry willing to work with him. Nothing could be completely perfect, and Chan knew that, but bit by bit the cabin he imagined in his dreams was coming to life. He oversaw the process in its entirety, going from a building in its skeleton form to the day he was able to move in.  It wasn’t unnecessarily large, even if it could have been. By the time they’d begun building, to the day he was moving in, his business had grown to what felt like beyond comprehension. But Chan never wanted a spectacle of a house. He wanted a home. 

Still, all those rooms, furnished but not lived it- it reminded him of the loneliness that still crawled through his bones each time he thought too deeply of the past. He was alone.

Until one day, he met Minho.

[ 1 unread email ]

Hello Mr. Bang, 

My name is Lee Minho, and I am emailing to ask for your assistance. I know you probably do not have the time to help me, or to understand my situation, but even if you could refer me to someone who might be able to help, I would greatly appreciate that.

So here it is; I’m 19 years old and I recently presented (as an alpha). My dilemma lies in that I am a shifter. I have no idea what it means to be a shifter, Mr Bang. I was born and raised in the city and now under conditions out of my control, I no longer have a place to live.

I do not have any connection to the shifter side of my family, and while I have no understanding of what living in a pack is like, I am following the instincts my wolf is demanding of me. I want to be a part of a pack.

Therefore, although I am ashamed to be so clueless, I ask for your help. I would like to find a place to call home.

Kind regards,

Lee Minho.

This was it. The spark was flickering brighter, growing into a fiery flame. Hope. He could feel it. 

Hello, Minho,

First, I want to thank you for reaching out, I can understand that it was not an easy thing to do. 

I’m sorry you have been facing such a difficult situation. If you are willing, I would like to meet you in person. I want to hear your story, if you are comfortable sharing it with me, and I would like to help you.

Assuming you are still in the city, would you like to grab coffee? I know a nice place, and can share the address with you.

Also, I am only 20, myself. So, let’s talk comfortably. 

I look forward to your response and hopefully meeting you in person.

Bang Chan.

Chan shuffled in the wooden chair he’d sat himself down in after entering the cafe. The place smelled of roasted coffee beans and the scents of various kinds of flowers. Hanging plants cascaded down walls and flowers bloomed on the tables as soft music played in the background. It was a cosy café, one that Chan sometimes escaped to when being in the cabin all alone felt too lonely. 

The windchimes at the door jingled every few minutes, customers filtering in and out, and Chan’s heartbeat sped up every time he looked towards the door; wondering if it was Minho who entered.

The pair had sent emails back and forth for a couple of weeks. Minho shared with him that he was staying in a temporary home in the city while he tried to figure out a more permanent living situation. He was working as a call centre operator after doing one year of higher education in software development, before he’d had to drop out due to this presentation. 

Presenting as an alpha wasn’t bad in regular society, but when it was made clear that he’d taken after his shifter mother, a woman that had left shortly after his birth, his place in society became strained. His non-shifter mother and her partner had begun to feel uncomfortable around him, worried that he’d lash out at them and ‘tear them apart with his wolfish teeth’. The last straw was when their landlord found out and threatened eviction unless Minho moved. 

From the way Minho wrote, it was as though he didn’t care all that much, but even with how little Chan knew of the man, it couldn’t have been an easy thing to feel nothing after being ostracised for something he had no control over.

Chan glanced out of the window again, letting out a breath as he ran his hands down his jean-clothed legs.

With how much Minho had opened up to him in their emails, Chan had found himself sharing things in return. It was a strange feeling to let someone in after all this time, but Minho was someone he’d quickly come to trust, even if they hadn’t met in person yet. He looked forward to every email, planned his replies so they came across exactly how he wanted them to. 

He had started to feel less lonely.

While he didn’t share his reasoning for ‘starting a new pack of his own’, he still opened up about the feelings and worries he’d had along the way. Deep down, his biggest fear was that he’d be alone forever- and realising that was perhaps a tipping point in how he viewed his life; as if he was racing to make sure that never came to fruition. And Minho listened, really listened . He was attentive in a way that felt as if he truly took in every word Chan sent him. And that meant something. 

So maybe that’s why Chan was so nervous. Minho was starting to really mean something to him. And that made meeting in person a big step.

At the next chime of the bells at the door, Chan stood up from his chair. Somehow, instinctively, he knew it was Minho who was entering. 

The young, dark haired man glanced around the cafe with uncertainty, his sneakers squeaking as he stepped further inside. His hoodie engulfed him, and the grey jeans he wore under it were old and tattered. But Chan could feel that this was the Minho he’d been emailing with.

When his eyes fell on Chan, a look of recognition took over his expression. They could put names and letters to faces now, and Minho’s face was rather captivating. He still held a sense of teenagehood, highlighted from being someone reasonably new in their presentation. A boyish roundness to his cheeks, while his eyes were sharp and observant. 

“Hi, Chan..hyung?”

Hearing Minho’s words out loud had a blooming warmth spreading from his chest all the way to his fingertips and the tips of his toes. The alpha had a soft, melodic type of voice and finally hearing Minho address him as ‘hyung’ and not ‘Mr. Bang’ anymore, felt like an achievement.

“Minho. Hi,” Chan replied with a warm yet nervous smile, gesturing for him to take a seat across from him. 

It was a two person table, pale wood with a pot of flowers in the middle of it.

“Did you order yet?” Minho asked, eyes flicking to meet his gaze before looking away with a bashful tinge to his cheeks.

Chan, feeling his own cheeks buzzing with warmth, shook his head. “Not yet.”

They ordered drinks, Minho an americano and Chan a green tea. Falling into conversation suddenly became effortless, easy. They talked light-heartedly about some of the brighter topics they’d discussed in their emails; hobbies and interests. And Chan knew this wasn’t a date, but it really felt like one.

Minho’s scent of rain on a summer's day felt like a refreshing downpour after desolate dryness. He talked in a calm demeanour, every phrase intentional as though it was hand picked. He wasn’t one to talk without reason, Chan was coming to learn. But in the same way, he was unapologetically himself. 

Near the end of their meeting, Minho quietened, feet scuffing under the table as he idly played with one of the petals of the flower bouquet. 

“Did you…look into any..um..packs that would consider taking me in…?” He asked, eyes avoiding Chan’s again. 

Of course, Minho knew that Chan wanted to start a pack of his own, and the likelihood of being invited into it was high. But, Chan had yet to explicitly ask him. Firstly, he’d wanted to meet in person because compatibility was, in his opinion, crucial to forming a pack. If they clashed, if their opinions or moralities just differed too much, he wasn’t sure it would be the right fit- however, even just from emailing it was clear to see that Minho was a good fit. Really, the reason why he was yet to ask was that he was scared. Minho wanted a pack, and Chan was only one person. If he said yes, it would only be the two of them for…however long it took for someone else to want to join them- and if he said no…Well, then Chan would help him find the perfect pack to take him in.

Chan swallowed, the weight of the words heavy on his tongue, and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Minho, even if he feared the inevitable change in the man’s expression. The swooshing thumps of his heart beat pulsed in his ears and he opened his mouth, tongue flicking out over his lips before he responded. 

“I…I want you to join my pack.” He felt out of breath, posture tight, heart clenched-

Minho stared at him, face unchanging in what Chan hoped was consideration. It was better than outright refusal, he supposed. Yet, now that he’d admitted his intentions, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“I know my pack consists of just me…at the moment. And I know that might not be what you want, and that’s okay if it's not. But I- I like you Minho, I like talking to you and there’s so much more I want to learn about you,” he let out an exerted breath. “There’s so much more I want you to learn about me too.”

Minho blinked, his throat bobbing. His eyes searched Chan’s as if trying to read with certainty that his offer was serious. “I…” His fingers fiddled over top of the table nervously. “I like you too,” his voice was small, soft. “I’m glad you asked me- I was hoping you’d ask me.”

Chan’s chest flourished with warmth, relief flowing through his veins and entangling with the pure joy that coursed through him. Maybe Minho didn’t like him in the same way that Chan was quickly coming to feel about the younger alpha. But he liked him, he saw potential in Chan and what he was doing- he saw him as a leader.

 “I want to join your pack.”

Minho moved into the cabin the very next day. 

Chan had met him in the heart of the city where Minho had been staying at a backpackers hostel. He took the alpha’s duffle from his shoulder, ignoring Minho’s protests that he could have very easily carried it himself. 

“I want to,” Chan had responded meaningfully. It wasn’t even heavy, Minho couldn’t have had many possessions.

Arriving at the cabin, he realised that he’d never shown the interior to anyone before. In the couple of months he’d lived there, he’d acquainted himself with his neighbours well enough. The Kim’s were friendly, kind in a way that reminded Chan of the neighbouring packs he’d grown up with. While they were perhaps more formal, they shared Chan’s views in having a pack that respected and cared for each other, over a pack that was built on hierarchy and impersonality. 

He hadn’t done too much interior decorating in the cabin, in fact he barely knew what was cohesive enough to look good together. There was a clear mismatched style to the choices of furniture he’d bought, but Chan still thought it all went well together. Arm chairs didn’t have to match couches, curtains didn’t have to perfectly complement dining tables- and whatever rules there were around matching wood tones, he disregarded them. And if Minho thought any differently, he didn’t say anything. 

“This is your room,” Chan gestured, pushing open the warm toned wooden door into a square shaped bedroom. It was close to the front door, looking out at the yard that Chan had started turning into a vegetable garden. 

He’d selected the room for Minho because of the bright sunlight that it got during the afternoons, warming the room. The bedding was of various shades of reds and yellows, matching the red curtains on the wall. And, while the bed took up a large portion of the room, there was still space for a desk, bedside drawers and a long wooden wardrobe.

Minho looked around, taking it all in.

“I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the house as well, when you’re ready,” Chan offered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He hoped Minho liked the room.

The younger alpha turned to him, “It’s nice. I like my room, and I’d like to see the rest of the house,” he replied, taking pity on Chan’s nervousness as he stretched his lips in an appreciative smile.

Home.

Minho adjusted well to living in the cabin. He enjoyed cooking, which was the perfect match for Chan who greatly preferred hunting. And so, it was easy to fall into a comfortable routine. They spent time together but also respected each other's need for personal space at times. Minho grew more confident in himself; he’d tease Chan often, making the older alpha look at him with even more adoration. He was strongly opinionated, passionate about their pack and determined in every goal he set for himself. 

Chan gladly watched him flourish into the man he was coming to be.

Minho began helping him with his business’s website, not hesitating to let Chan know that it wasn’t as user friendly as it could be- but not to worry, he’d fix that. 

Chan could only grin at him, watching Minho talk through everything he was doing. He answered Minho’s questions about the business, took in his ideas and listened to Minho’s in return. Minho was intelligent, but Chan already knew that.

And Chan liked him. He liked him so much that it hurt not being able to tell him.

A pack bond formed between them as their alphas recognised their connection as a pack. Chan could feel Minho’s emotions stronger as they came through with his scent. Yet, if he told Minho and his feelings weren’t reciprocated, that rejection could take away everything . Minho might not be comfortable being his pack member anymore. He might leave- and then Chan, who had promised to help him and protect him as his pack leader, would be left on his own again. So no, Chan couldn't be the one to say anything.

And as it turned out, he didn’t need to. 

“I made you this,” Minho stated, placing a medium sized framed canvas in front of Chan at the dining table. 

Chan blinked, looking at the frame, and then at Minho, who nodded at him to hurry up and have a proper look at it. The tips of his ears were bright red. 

He turned his attention back to the picture, pulling it closer to him. The cool black frame held a protected beige canvas paper, and stuck to that paper was a row of flowers, pressed into a neat pattern. There was a dandelion, a bluebell, a yellow buttercup and a forget-me-not, each carefully dried to preserve their beauty.

Minho cleared his throat, “They're from the cafe we went to. The one where we first met,” He waved his hand at the picture. “I was going to go in and just steal them from the table…but that felt wrong. So I asked them and even though I know it's not the same bouquet that was on our table…it’s the same kind of flowers.”

Chan was lost for words. Each flower was placed with such delicate intent, and somewhere in his mind he could imagine Minho taking the time to put it all together. His heart swooned. It was beautiful, and thoughtful, and Chan couldn’t help wondering why Minho would make such an elaborate gift for him. 

“It’s beautiful, Minho, I love it. Thank you,” He responded, voice tight with emotion. It meant more to him that he would ever be able to explain, it made him feel whole again. “Is today a special city holiday? I’m sorry, I’m not too well versed on those,” he added awkwardly. 

“No,” Minho looked directly at him. “I’m courting you.”

Chan hadn’t courted or been courted by anyone before. He’d been at the mercy of his mother’s matchmaking antics for a couple of years in his late teens, but that had never led to actual courting.

With Minho, he wanted to do it right. 

Instinctively, his wolf knew what to do, and it seemed Minho’s did as well. Chan always tried to bring back the best meat from his regular hunting trips, and Minho created and presented new delicious meals. Sometimes it was just small things, taking on tasks the other didn’t enjoy or found difficult to do. And other times it was more bold actions. Physical contact. 

They’d scented each other before, back when their wolves were recently bonded, but it was nothing like how they scented now. Chan wanted Minho to be engulfed in his smoky scent, warning anyone who crossed paths with them that Minho was his- and in return, Minho made sure that Chan was doused in his fresh sunshower scent. 

Nosing and kissing the glands on their necks and wrists shifted to passionate kisses on the lips. Chan could melt into him, lose track of the outside world as all that mattered was Minho. Minho. Minho. Kissing Minho felt as natural as breathing, their tongues moving languid in an elegant dance that gradually became less eloquent as the tempo rose to something more intense. 

“Don’t stop kissing me,” Minho begged breathlessly.

“Never,” Chan breathed in return, hoisting Minho up as the younger alpha’s legs wrapped around his waist.

They clumsily made their way towards Chan’s room, the older alpha laying Minho down on his thick black sheets and climbing his way up to resume their heated kiss. 

Minho’s hair fanned around him, shades of sun warmed brown fell back from his face, and Chan couldn't help but to lift from the kiss again to look down at him in awe. His cheeks were pinkened, lips slick and redended. His pupils dilated over the fiery alpha glow that shone around them. He pulled at the hem of Chan’s shirt, tongue flicking out over his lips in a way that Chan could only describe as a look of hunger.

“Are you sure?” Chan breathed, pulling back and lifting himself into a sitting position on Minho’s thighs as he gave them some space for clarity. They hadn’t gone past this point. Chan knew he was ready, but it was both of their first times and they’d taken it slow until now. He didn’t want Minho to rush into something he might not feel ready for, even if they both craved it.

Minho’s eyes were lidded. “I’m sure,” he replied, lifting his arm up to place his hand on Chan’s cheek, stroking his thumb over the warm skin. “Are you?”

Chan leaned into the touch. “I am.” And Minho smiled, warm yet coy as he whispered,

“I want you.”

Chan’s breath hitched, and then he surged back down to lock his lips with Minho’s again. Graceful wouldn’t be the word he’d use as they undressed each other. But that was the last thing on his mind as Minho’s naked body pressed to his own again. His skin tingled, little jolts of a simmering pleasure running through him.

“How do you want to do this?” He asked, body resting over Minho’s, arms either side of the younger alpha’s form. 

Minho looked up at him, and Chan swore he could see a sparkle in his eyes. “Both ways, any way, every way.”

Chan let out a soft chuckle, dipping to kiss the tip of Minho’s nose. 

“That’s a lot of ways,” he jested.

“We have a lot of time,” Minho countered, raising his eyebrows teasingly.

They did, didn’t they? Minho was part of his pack. They lived together. Minho was his, and he was Minho’s. And Minho wanted him. 

“I want to fuck you,” he stated honestly. “Is that okay?”

Minho nodded feverishly, “God yes.” He pulled Chan back down into a kiss, both of them moaning into it. His body gave a tremble as Chan’s hand slid down his torso, impatient with inexperience. 

Chan’s hand found his cock, fingers brushing over it. He didn’t know Minho’s body in the way he knew his own, he acknowledged. But he would learn. 

Minho arched into a feathery tough and then grumbled as Chan’s hand retracted.

The older alpha spat into his hand, his cheeks reddened at the crudeness of the action before it slid back down, giving Minho’s cock a tentative stroke, and Minho’s lips parted as his breath stuttered. With more confidence, he wrapped his hand around both of their cocks, pressing them together.

“Chan,” the younger alpha gasped, not in calling but to simply moan his name, and it made Chan feel as if he was on fire.

He really didn’t want to let go of the feeling of their cocks being stroked together, but his determination to get the lube prevailed, and the need to get inside Minho prevailed. He shifted to search inside his bedside drawer, coming back with the bottle in his hold- and then squeaked as the world suddenly spun with Minho turning them.

Minho leaned over him with a cheeky grin on his face, “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do this,” he whispered, taking a moment to take in Chan’s features before he slunk down his body and in between his legs.

Breath stuttering, Chan felt his cock twitch in anticipative realisation. Even the mental image of Minho’s lips wrapped around his cock, fluttering eyes looking up at him as his hair hung loosely had Chan’s brain buzzing with dizzying arousal. 

“I might come in like two seconds,” He joked, although he wasn’t certain that it was a joke.

Minho’s expression pulled into a sly grin. “Try not to.” Then, his lips closed around the tip of his cock, pressing a slow, wet kiss to his head, 

Chan let out a strangled breath, arousal coursing through his body as Minho’s lips pressed wetter, slopper kisses over the head and then down the sides of his cock. His tongue circled the tip and then he lowered, a tight heat engulfing Chan’s cock, making the alpha’s head tip back as he let out a hiss of pleasure. His hand reached down, stroking through Minho’s hair as he attempted to not buck up into the wet heat that surrounded him. 

Minho stroked where his mouth could not reach, saliva drooling down onto his fingers in a hot wet slide, and it didn’t take long for Chan to feel his orgasm start to build, his balls tight and muscles throbbing; intense as he teetered on the the edge.

“Minho- Min,” he gasped, not so gracefully yanking Minho off of his cock. He panted, the high of the orgasm he’d almost reached ebbing away with an ache. “Sorry,” he apologised as Minho winced from the force of the tug.

Minho gave him a playful glare, “It’s okay,” he patted Chan’s thigh, pulled himself back up to place a kiss on the alpha’s lips that had him tasting himself on his tongue.

Prepping Minho was something he did very carefully and probably unnecessarily slowly, much to both Minho’s appreciation and dismay. Chan didn’t want to hurt him. He wanted this experience to be as pleasurable for Minho as it was for him

But Minho only had so much patience to give.

“Hyung- I’m ready, please ,” Minho begged with exasperation, legs quivering as he held himself up.

“Okay, okay- I just don’t want to hurt you,” Chan replied sheepishly as he helped Minho turn to lay on his back again.

“You’re hurting me by not sticking your dick inside me,” Minho huffed and Chan slapped his thigh lightly. 

However, the teasing nature slipped back into something more gentle as Chan slicked himself up, coaxing Minho by the ankle to widen his legs. He positioned himself between, dipping down to press a kiss to his lips as he lined himself up.

“Are you okay?” He whispered.

Minho nodded, leaning to press a delicate kiss to Chan’s scent gland. He let out a breath against the older alpha’s skin as Chan pressed the head of his cock in. His lips latched to the gland sucking gently to distract himself and encourage Chan to continue.

Chan slid in, the tightness on his cock making his hips twitch, but he controlled himself as he pressed in until he was completely inside. “Does it hurt?” He asked, eyebrows twitching as he looked down at Minho, whose lips were still flushed red from all the kissing, and licking, and sucking. It was truly a sight to see.

Minho hummed breathily, “A little, just a bit of discomfort but it feels good- full.”

Leaning in, Chan pressed a kiss to Minho’s cheek bone, “Tell me to stop at any time.”

“I will,” Minho breathed, his arms wrapping around Chan to pull him closer, deeper, an airy moan left his lips. “Please move.”

Chan complied, adjusting his weight before he rocked his hips in a testing motion. The pleasure was instantaneous, addicting in a way that he got a little lost in it as he rolled his hips in and out. “Minho,” he moaned, voice wavering as he leaned down to kiss him again.

“You feel s-so- good,” Minho gasped against his lips, legs locking around Chan’s hips to pull them closer. 

The slow rhythm increased, losing its flow as Chan chased both of their pleasures. Wet, slapping noises mixed in with whimpers and moans of pleasure, and clumsily Chan reached his hand down to stroke Minho’s cock. 

“I’m not going to last- I’m not going to last,” Minho cried out, nails digging into the skin of Chan’s back. It probably would have hurt if he wasn’t a shifter, instead it left a buzzing burn that only heightened the sensations coursing inside of him.

“I’m close,” Chan admitted in response, thrusting messily as he lifted Minho’s legs to his chest, pounding in deeper.

Minho’s moans reached a higher pitch, “t-there,” He whimpered, fingers gripping onto the sheets hard enough that his knuckles turned white. “Don’t stop, I’m gonna come,” he choked out.

“Fuck, Min,” Chan groaned, a growl rumbling through his chest as Minho’s entire body shuddered..

Minho arched, come pulsing from his cock and over Chan’s hand and his stomach. He panted heavy breaths laced with soft ‘ah’s’ as his high rolled through him, and barely hanging on, Chan pounded in a desperate rhythm. “Come inside me” Minho’s voice came out rough from overuse, a growl laced in his tone. 

Chan looked down at him, trying not to break eye contact as he chased his own high, feeling himself unravel more with each thrust. It was all encompassing, his body tightening, insides coiling and then with a snap, his high exploded through him- he spilled into Minho, his entire body shaking, sweat covering his skin in a sheen that matched Minho’s. His hips slowed to harsh rolls that had Minho letting out small noises of overstimulation, and as his high subsided his arms trembled like jelly before he fell to almost completely collapse on top of the younger alpha. 

Heavy breathing filled the air as they laid skin to skin, relishing in the afterglow of their orgasms. Chang’s cock slipped out and through the haze of it all, he slowly realised how sticky they were. Smiling, he pressed a kiss to Minho’s shoulder and then lifted to look at him. 

“Was it…good for you?” Minho asked, a shyness having returned to his voice. The glow in his eyes had dimmed, his skin soft and rosy and gorgeous. 

Chan felt a smile of adoration slip onto his face as he moved onto his side, embracing Minho warmly. Looking down at him he pressed a kiss to the alpha’s forehead. “It was incredible,” he replied, because it truly was. It was one of the most incredible moments of his life. “Was it good for you?”

“Perfect,” Minho whispered, hand pressed to Chan’s chest, lightly and aimlessly stroking over the skin. 

Perfect.

Minho

Minho didn’t think he could ever love someone as much as he loved Chan. 

Chan, who understood him in every way. Chan who respected him and listened to him, and Chan who didn’t make him feel like he needed to be a certain way. They worked well together, as a pack and as potential mates. Minho appreciated that he could be direct with him and that Chan didn’t find that too abrasive. So, they had a compatible dynamic, even if a pack of only 2 alphas appeared to be a little on the strange side.

Despite Chan being his pack leader, their wolves basically treated each other as equals. Minho’s wolf respected Chan’s alpha as his pack leader, but Chan never demanded respect. Never demanded anything from him. And, after having to suppress his wolf, his alpha, for too long Minho was finally able to learn what it meant to be a shifter, with Chan teaching him every step of the way.

He let himself scent when his wolf wanted to and gave into the urge to nest even though there wasn’t an omega around. Perhaps Minho was a bit strange according to alpha stereotypes, but under that logic, in many ways, Chan was too. Realistically, there were likely a lot of other shifters out there who also didn’t fit into the roles assigned to them after their presentation.

Minho’s first moonlight run was one he’d never forget. For the first time ever, his wolf was allowed to run free. He basked in the energy the moon gave him, connecting with his wolf in a way that could only be done in times like this. It was invigorating, and Chan was there right beside him, nuzzling him, leading the way and then pulling back to allow Minho to dictate where to go. They splashed in the river as summer nights warmed their fur, making them pant and shake out the water droplets after a refreshing splash. 

The forest, the cabin, Chan; they were his home. The city was long in the past. 

The memories of his mother and step mother held less fury than they used to. He was no longer an afterthought, a child who was never planned and never really wanted. He wasn’t out of place and didn’t have to pretend that he was fine with it. He didn’t have to care about the parents who abandoned him or the friends that left his side after his presentation. He wasn’t alone.

He had Chan. He had love and a place where he belonged. That was something he would protect at all cost- always.

So no, he didn’t think it was possible for him to love anyone as much as he loved Chan. But then Seungmin and Jisung came along, and then Changbin- and suddenly his heart had so much more love to give. To fall in love once, it was a beautiful thing. To fall in love again and again, watching the ones you love falling in love with each other simultaneously; it was the most wonderful, limitless, incredible feeling in the world.

“If we go in there using our own names we’ll be caught immediately,” Seungmin shook his head. “Hyung, you’re too known around here. Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to go?” He directed his attention to Chan as the five of them stood around the table in the pack leader’s office, pages of information, maps and devices covering the surface. 

Minho’s eyes shifted between them, narrowing as Chan let out a huff.

“I’m going,” he said defiantly, shutting the suggestion down completely. “We’ll use fake names, dress like we’re trying to show off our wealth and hopefully they won’t notice a thing.”

“‘Hopefully’ is a lot to bet our entire lives on,” Changbin shifted some papers around on the table. “We could sneak in from the back?”

Minho shook his head, “They’ll have security everywhere. The safest option is to try and blend in,” He sighed, grimacing at the thought of what was going on inside that territory. It had been just over a month since they’d found out that an omega trafficking operation had taken residence in some nearby territory for their auction hall- and the longer they sat here trying to plan and plot what to do about it, the longer the omegas inside would be suffering. But a mission like this wasn’t easy to do on their own. Minho knew that.

The omega ethics department were the only ones technically capable of shutting it down. Some organisations held power that even the worst of the worst had no choice but to listen to, and the omega ethics department was one of those. There may be no law, but there was a cruel system of self-elected hierarchy. 

However, Minho knew they couldn't rely on the department. They were constantly overrun with requests, and while Chan had tried to get in contact with them many times, he’d had little to no success. Their last correspondence was Chan confirming the day, time and location in another unanswered email- just in case. 

“You’d look more legit with me there,” Jisung frowned at them, crossing his arms over his chest. It wasn’t the first time he’d brought this up. “You know you would.”

“No,” Changbin and Chan snapped back at the same time, their voices already strained with irritation from the currently not so successful planning.

“I will not put you on a leash and parade you around like some prized dog , Jisung. No, it’s not happening.” Chan growling words were paired with a sharp and definitive look of refusal.

Jisung offering to act as their ‘omega slave’ was with good intention, but under no circumstances was that going to come into fruition. It was already decided, Chan, Minho and Seungmin would go. Changbin and Jisung would stay home, on standby for if further action was needed.

“Fake names and fancy clothing it is then,” Seungmin sighed, shuffling a stack of papers together to slip back into a folder. “We’re going to need weapons.”

Chan’s frown deepened, this time of concern, “The ideal scenario would be to cause a scene big enough so that we can get the omegas out without hurting them,” He shifted his weight, discomfort evident on his face. “I’d like to avoid unnecessary violence.”

“Hyung,” Seungmin brought a hand out to gently hold Chan’s arm, a look of sympathy in his eyes. They were all aware how hard this was on their pack leader; broke past a morality that the man had strictly put in place for himself. Minho knew this went against everything he stood for, but what if it had been Jisung stuck in there, bred and sold off? Sometimes one had to allow their morality to bend in order to do the right thing. “Without the ethics department it won’t be a peaceful fight- you know that, right?”

“All of them against us? Our only head-start is the element of surprise,” Changbin let out a short humourless laugh. “What then?”

Minho chewed at the corner of his lip. They were disgracefully ill-prepared for this, and yet no one was backtracking on their desire to take part. “I think I have an idea.” It wasn’t in the direction they had planned to go in, and he’d really only considered it as a last resort idea, but it seemed they’d reached that point. He shuffled through some pages to find what he was looking for and then turned the page to them. “Explosives.” 

“Explosives?!” Chan spluttered. “Minho that- that’s a terrible idea.”

“No, listen,” Minho huffed, pointing at a diagram, “Fireworks. We light them up outside the auction hall, close enough to scare the shit out of people, far enough so that no damage will reach the omegas. These alphas and betas are selfish- they’ll want to protect themselves and only themselves.”

Seungmin reached for the sheet, eyes skimming over the various types of fireworks that Minho had found and listed, and where to obtain them. “This could work,” he nodded.

“The number of people who stay in the hall after the explosions will be substantially smaller, so we'll have a chance to get the omegas out. ” he looked to Chan whose hesitance was still present with an expression of conflicting emotion, but after a moment he let out a breath, nodding as if to confirm his own feelings.

“Okay. Let’s go buy some explosives.”

Minho had helped Chan defend their territory before, he’d been on missions to help defend other packs’ territories as well. He’d fought, he’d bled, he’d been scared and angry and brave . But he’d never been terrified, not in the way he imagined fighting for his life to be. Chan had a knack for de-escalating situations. If it wasn’t through communication then it was getting the opposing alpha to submit and retreat. Chan was not a fighter- Chan opposed violence with every fibre of being, and Minho understood how deep that belief ran.

Planting the fireworks had to be done the night before the auction, quietly and with a stealthiness none of them possessed to a great level. The foliage provided a decent amount of coverage to keep the fireworks hidden, but lighting them the next day would be its own issue. There would be guards at every entrance, probably patrolling the area but…they’d take it as it came.

“Everyone ready?” Chan asked, letting out a weighted breath as they all stood out on the front porch of the cabin. 

Minho’s suit felt tight, almost choking around his neck. His pants hugged his thighs, a dark suit set that he’d picked up from the city. He hadn’t worn such a thing since his highschool graduation. He didn’t miss the formality of city clothing, that was for sure.

Despite the plan being that they wouldn’t have to go inside prior to the explosions or have to blend in at all, it was safer to look the part in case anything went haywire.

“Ready,” Seubgmin nodded solemnly, adjusting his silk black patterned waistcoat and looking just as uncomfortable as Minho felt. 

“Ready,” Minho nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat that had his entire being tingling lightly with nerves. He could do this. They could do this. Every single omega in there deserved their freedom, and wouldn’t have to live another day in captivity as long as everything went to plan. This would work.

After Changbin and Jisung gave them all squeezing hugs with ‘goodbyes’ and ‘stay safe’, the trio headed off into the woods. It was a long trip on foot, and Minho’s feet still held a dull ache from going all the way there and back the previous night to plant the explosives. Yet, no one conversed for the majority of the trip; thoughts occupied with the plan. Minho went over it and over it until his own brain began to annoy him. It was only when they were around 15 minutes away that Chan spoke up, going over the whole thing with them one last time. 

The pack leader’s hair was parted, forehead on display in the same style that Seungin’s was. They both looked extremely handsome as they stood in their formalwear, and under any other circumstance Minho would have taken the time to tell them that, show them that- maybe reward them for looking so good. But he couldn't let such thoughts distract him right now, and that became extremely evident as each step brought them closer to what felt like the most dangerous situation Minho had ever been in.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as the unsuspecting building came into view. To anyone passing by it appeared as an elaborate cabin for a wealthy pack, but looking at it, Minho felt sick- angry, more than angry. He felt enraged that something so plain, so innocent, so residential, was not at all what it seemed. It was vile.

True to expectation, the place was surrounded by guards- but they’d underestimated the number. Of course such an operation would have extreme security measures in place and instantly Minho felt a cold spike of fear jolting down his spine. There was no way they could surreptitiously set off the fireworks.

“You got an entry number?” One of the expensively dressed guards called to them as they entered the territory line. He was broad shouldered, buff with an almost unruly beard.

Chan cleared his throat and if he hadn’t been wearing scent blockers Minho was sure he would have reeked of panic. “Only heard about this place yesterday. We have some friends who are frequent attendees. They couldn’t make it today so we’re shopping for the both of us,” Chan lied, tipping his nose up in fake condensation. Seeing Chan like this, it brought an unpleasant tightness to Minho’s chest. 

The guard standing by the entrance door narrowed his eyes at them, his slicked back hair wet looking with how greasy it was. “Who’ ya friends?”

“The Lee’s,” Seungmin responded, his quick thinking saving them from a suspiciously long pause. Lee was a common name, Minho had had five others, excluding himself in his highschool class. 

“Got more than a couple ‘a those,” The guard responded gruffly. “Lee’s up north aint coming. They the ones you’re shopping for?”

“Yes. Of course,” Chan responded in a tone boarding on snobbish, “They gifted an omega to us recently, and you see, we want to pay back the gift,” He gave the man a smile so sleazy Minho could have shivered. This wasn’t their Channie, and Minho hoped he’d never have to see this version of him again.

The man tapped his finger against the walky-talky in his hand in thought, considering them. “Alright. We’ll make an exception. You cause any trouble and you’re out,” He warned, pointing the device at them. 

Minho swallowed, and like scolded school children they nodded in compliance. He had no idea what they were going to do now. From the noise inside the hall that made its way outside, there were a considerable amount of people in attendance. There was no way the three of them could take on tearing this place apart all on their own. 

The guard tipped his head, stepping to let them past, and Minho felt himself holding his breath as he passed by him. He reeked of multiple rounds of sex that were laced with waves of fear from various omega scents.

But nothing could have prepared Minho for what was inside of the auction hall. If it wasn’t for Seungmin’s hand placing itself on the small of his back, Minho was sure he would have curled over, lurching as he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the expensive red carpet that lined the floor. The smell, it was beyond sickening.

Rows of black chairs took up a majority of the room with walkways for them to make their way down and find a seat. Against two of the walls there were stages, spotlights lit on a row of wooden pillories. Omegas were paced in them, heads and wrists locked to keep them standing as their nakedness was put on display. Some were blindfolded, others were covered in fluids. Some were actively being defiled, and some were clearly pregnant. Many remained in cages, bruised and beaten, watching as alphas walked past and taunted them, contemplating their worth.

Something changed in Minho that day. He felt it, the way everything in him hardened at the sight displayed in front of him. This brutality, this cruelty. This was not humanity. 

Felix

The auction halls were always cold, icy against Felix’s bare skin as goosebumps prickled all over his body. He wouldn’t say that he was used to it, but he’d stopped shivering as much as he used to. perhaps it was the result of defeated acceptance; that this would always be his life. A prisoner, an object of sexual desire that got thrown around as if he was not just as human as the next person. A toy.

They’d moved to a different location recently, maybe in the last month. The concept of time had escaped him long ago; just a lowly omega in the hierarchical structure his pack had maintained for centuries. The alphas on top, reaping all the benefits, the betas, able to live with enough satisfaction to survive comfortably, and the omegas, a ‘gift’ to the greedy alphas that would give them the next generation of prized shifters, or the opportunity to expand their exuberant amounts of wealth by selling them off to equally as greedy buyers. 

He’d had no doubt before his presentation that he’d meet the same fate as his older omega pack members. The high valued omegas that stayed permanently with the pack always gave him secret looks of pity when they weren’t being used by their alphas, when they had a chance to mourn with those presenting into the worst subgender. And when he finally did present, later than expected, he was subjected to the same evaluation those before him had received.

Every omega lost their virginity to the pack leader, as though it was his destined right- as was the way it had always been for his pack. Still, even Felix, who’d grown up living under these expectations all his life, knew that this couldn’t be the way every pack lived. It just couldn’t be, otherwise all the, admittedly small amount of stories he’d heard about the outside world where shifters lived happily and free, wouldn't be true. He wanted to believe that there was happiness in the world. It was the only hope he found himself clinging onto, as small and as unlikely as he believed it to be.  

He’d first been displayed in the cages. They described him as something of ‘the runt of the litter’- whatever that meant. He was ‘too scrawny’, even if that was a trait some buyers looked for. Bruises, gnashes and poorly healed wounds put people off from taking him into consideration and for a while he escaped the horror that was the pillories. 

Then, they started ‘taking care of him’. They fed him properly, washed the dirt from his body, detangled and shampooed his hair, and treated his wounds. 

Not long after that and just as he’d predicted, he was stripped and on display in a pillory. They’d blindfolded him, as they did for all the first-timers so the omegas wouldn't have a breakdown and cause a scene. Hands, tongues, cocks, all of faceless beings who believed they had the right to use him; to ‘try him out’ before they bought. It made him feel as though his skin was tainted. A dirt that he could never seem to wash off, no matter how much he scrubbed when they let him wash.

Still, he hadn’t been bought. There were other omegas, ones of primed beauty who acted like they adored their potential alpha masters. They fawned over them, flirted and tempted them to buy. To this day Felix wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was to escape the pack, but what was the difference between one hell and another?

This auction commenced the same way as any other. There were introductions that he tuned out. A few ‘low grade’ omegas were brought out to offer up as a quick cheap buy, and then the attendees were allowed to make their way around the hall to see what was on offer. With permission from the head alphas, they could touch, they could fuck, they could do almost whatever they wanted as long as it didn’t leave a visible mark for the buyer who would take them home after they’d been cleaned up.

Around him, noises of pain, cries and whimpers of begged pleas to stop filled his ears like poison. The disgusting grunts and revolting words of alphas made his skin crawl- and all he could do was keep his head down, trying to somehow remain unnoticed to the room he was on display to. 

It wasn’t entirely unexpected that he hadn’t been touched yet. He’d received a pretty brutal punishment that week that left his private areas raw and ‘currently undesirable’. He was thankful, in a way, but what difference did it make? If not this auction, then the next? Or perhaps the next day when one of the alphas decided they were bored. 

There was no escape- and yet today, Felix felt as if something was different, like an object moved slightly out of place that his eyes couldn’t see, but his subconsciousness could. He’d always felt as if he’d had a sixth sense; as if the earth and the air breathed on the same wavelength as him. 

Today, there was a buzz in the air, not one that was fueled by arousal but one of anticipation, like the beginning of a thunderstorm. It sharpened his senses, had him tensing up as he lifted his head just slightly to survey the room. He couldn’t see it, not in the faces of those who roamed, but he could feel it. 

“This is disgusting,” Someone muttered under their breath, so quiet that Felix almost didn’t catch it. An alpha speaking to a beta, and it must have been about Felix as what else would disgust these types of people in an omega auction hall?

“What are we going to do?” the beta whispered back, panic evident in his words. 

Felix’s brows twitched inwards in just the slightest movement. Do about what?

“I don’t know,” the alpha responded tightly, “Chan hyung went back outside.”

“We should go too.” the beta grabbed hold of the alpha’s arm, exasperated even in his hushed tone.

“No. Not yet- We- I’ll think of something.”

Felix watched in perplexment as they made their way past and away from him. These shifters were the offset in what would have been a predictable auction. They stood out, now that Felix had gotten a closer look. They weren’t rotten, the air around them wasn’t rancid the way everyone else appeared.

Something was going to happen, yet these shifters didn’t seem to know what. Bewildering, because if they were of good intention, who came to an omega auction hall without a plan? Perhaps Felix was reading into the situation wrong, searching for a good that just wasn’t there. His head hung low again, eyes shutting as he felt wetness trying to pool in them. Desolation.

The tremor that rocked through the building had Felix gasping for air in his lungs. An earthquake was his initial thought- the whole place shook with it. But loud booms of vibration sounded out all around him, dirt exploding from the ground outside and then crackling in the sky.

Screaming and shouting filled the hall, and disorientated, Felix tried to piece together what was going on. The alphas and betas attempted to rush out, pushing each other and fighting their way through the large crowd while he watched on, still trapped in the pillory. 

Yelling from outside overpowered the cacophony of inside noise and suddenly all of the alphas and betas were trying to scramble in the opposite direction. It was like watching a hundred mice scramble away from a large cat. 

There was a pregnant pause, and then the metal doors situated around the room blew open, shifter after shifter running inside. They were uniformed, wearing badges that Felix did not recognise, doing a job Felix hadn’t even known to exist. 

It was chaos, the uniformed shifters outnumbered the auction attendees, banding together to put them in metal cuffs. Felix found it ironic, usually he was the one in such things. Other uniformed shifters moved around the hall, letting omegas out of their cages, coming to unlock the pillories. It was all happening so fast, too fast, too confusing.

It took a moment to comprehend it, but someone stood before him, a man, not in uniform, unlocking his pillory as he spoke words Felix hadn’t been able to take in over the noise. 

“What are you doing- What are you doing?!” Felix yelped in a panicked realisation that one of the attendees was trying to get him out in order to sneak away with him. He thrashed around, trying to shake the man away.

“It’s okay, hey, look at me, it’s okay. I’m not one of them, I’m here to help, to get you to safety.” The man crouched a little, meeting his eye, and Felix felt an overwhelming rush of emotions crash over him. His breaths came out hard and fast and it was difficult to actually focus his eyes on the man, but when he did, any belief that he was out to hurt him immediately fell away. The fizzling of fate danced through him, melting into the air. He could practically see its glow.

The alpha's eyes were kind and warm. He was a pack leader, Felix sensed, and when the man smiled, Felix felt any urge to start thrashing around again dissipate. Maybe he shouldn’t be so easily trusting, not when the odds were always stacked against him, but this pack leader wasn’t someone that instilled fear in his bones like the others. He wanted to trust him.

After a moment, the alpha gently continued to unlock the pillory, and Felix watched him twist his lips as he struggled with the lock. His nose scrunched and then un-scrunched as he finally got it to pop open. 

“Minho? Seungmin!” The man turned to yell, neck twisting to try and see through the crowd of people and it only took a moment before the alpha and beta from earlier popped out of the mass of people. The leader must be ‘Chan hyung’, and these two were his pack. It made Felix’s chest throb, They had planned this? Why? Omega auctions had been going on for centuries and surely those who didn’t partake just turned a blind eye. But here this pack was, trying to take down a whole pack of traffickers…his head was starting to spin, and it took a moment before he registered that Chan was lifting him down from the pillory to sit at the edge of the stage.

“What’s your name?” The alpha asked, voice gentle. He smelled of the smoke of a campfire, warm and approachable, and the gentle look that remained in his eyes was one Felix had never had directed towards him before. Care. 

“Felix,” He managed to respond, throat dry from lack of water. “What’s…” he trailed off, eyes moving around the chaos of the room as he attempted to get his bearings. “What’s going on?” 

“We’re getting you out of here; you and all the other omegas. See the men in uniform?” The other alpha, either Minho or Seungmin, spoke up, gesturing generally around the room, and Felix nodded in response. “They’re an organisation that helps save omegas being trafficked. They’re going to help you.”

Felix swallowed, eyes following one uniformed man and then switching to another, who had one of the alphas of his old pack pushed up against a wall as he tried to get him to stop fighting back. There were organisations for that?

His hands gripped the sides of the stage. He didn’t have a pack anymore, relief, euphoria and fear jolted through him all at one. He wasn’t tied to them, the bond shredded away, leaving him somehow more bare, but it wasn’t chilling the way he thought it might- it was freedom. But where did that leave him?

He was ushered away from the leader and his pack before he’d even had a chance to thank them. A blanket was thrown over his shoulders, and an officer kept trying to engage him in conversation but Felix couldn't hear a thing. He tried to look back, but they weren’t there anymore, and soon enough he was being ushered into a vehicle with other omegas, omegas he considered friends, all on the way to… he wasn’t sure where. On the way to a life of freedom. He hoped.

The days were long and the nights even longer as he tried to get a grasp on what his new life would be like. With the ground ripped out from under him, he was falling, but somehow, he was also flying, and the one thing that kept returning to his mind was that pack. Chan’s pack.

He had to go through numerous interviews, doctors checkups and appointments with people who were there to help him in some way or another. He ratted out every single thing his alpha leader had done to him and his pack. It felt devastating saying it out loud, humiliating at some points, but in a way, powerful. He was starting to understand the power the omega trafficking department had, how quickly they could make someone disappear. So, even if it felt as though he’d been shredded to his bones as he told all of his truths, knowing that no one would ever face what he did at the hands of his alpha again, was all worth it. 

The temporary accommodation was nice, but had a clinically sterile feel to it. It wasn’t like a pack house, and day by day he watched as his old pack members left with new packs, sometimes together, sometimes starting that journey with a new pack all on their own. Packs had travelled from all over the country to meet and bring home their new members, but Felix had yet to hear about what was to happen to him. Until that afternoon. 

A polite beta woman brought him into her office, gesturing to him to have a seat in front of her desk, and as he did, he looked around the room. It was plain, for the most part, but on the desk was a small picture frame. A pack family photo. 

“Lee Felix,” She read from his file, and Felix’s eyes shifted to her as he nervously pulled at his lip. “Do you have anyone close to you here that you want to join a pack with?”

Felix shook his head. He had friends, but they weren’t friendships based around shared interests or complementing personalities- they were friendships of solidarity. Protection. “No, ma’am.” 

“Okay,” she nodded, making a noise with her lips as her eyes trailed down a sheet of paper.

“I have a question,” Felix spoke up, lowering his voice as he realised the statement came out as forcefully as it had been in his mind. His fingers fiddled in his lap and the woman lifted an eyebrow at him expectantly. “I…um… There was a pack that helped me…that night. I want to thank them,” his eyes shifted nervously. “I was hoping I could thank them in person.”

“Oh,” the woman brightened, nodding as she flipped another page. “The Bang pack. You talked to Bang Chan?”

Felix nodded, wriggling in his seat. The Bang Pack .

“This might work out very well then. Chan-sshi extended a pack invitation to all of the omegas we rescued that night. However, because of how close their territory was to that operation, no one has been too keen. How would you feel about joining their pack?”

Felix’s heart squeezed. “Yes,” he said without a second thought. He didn’t know them well, but if the department trusted them, and his gut feeling was correct, then that was the pack he was meant to be with. “I want to join their pack.”

Chapter Text

As soon as Felix was in his arms, Hyunjin felt as if he was a breath away from sobbing. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, squeezing him tight, and Felix squeezed him back just as hard, his breath stuttery against Hyunjin’s neck.

The room was full of people that Hyunjin considered to be strangers to Felix, yet they had spread their calming and kind scents to him as he’d spoken. It was pure solidarity. He’d had to take moments to breathe, fingers trembling as he read from his cue cards, and Hyunjin had heard the waver in his voice several times. Still, he got through it and the impact it left on the crowd was immense.

After Felix, he hugged both Chan and Minho too, telling them how proud he was of them today. Chan’s life, progressing from a place of love to devastation to creating something new and beautiful from it; It was a story Hyunjin was honoured and overwhelmed to hear in a setting that gave the pack leader such empowerment. 

There was a strength in how drastically Minho’s life had changed from meeting Chan, how he’d learnt what it was like to be wanted, appreciated and cared about. How he’d matured, been changed by the things he’d encountered and felt all the more connected to his pack because of it. Hyunjin was so immensely proud.

Following the event, there was a different feeling in the air when they were all up in the hotel room that night. Something deep yet gentle. 

Hyunjin ran Felix a bath, massaging his scalp and shampooing his hair. He’d half expected the strands of blue to melt back to blond in the water, but they didn’t. Hair dye; what a wonderfully interesting creation.

“Thank you for sharing your story with us today,” he spoke up, breaking the pleasant silence as he washed the soapy water from Felix’s hair. “I didn’t know…how bad it was,” he bit his lip.

Felix let out a breath. “It was all I had ever known…but you know what I can’t let go of? Why I never thought to run away. Why didn’t I try to escape? Surely there would have been an opportunity at some point, but I just allowed myself to live like that.” He sounded frustrated, hands swishing in the water and Hyunjin contemplated the question himself.

“Like you said, it was all you’d ever known. I think…in those situations, it’s easy to accept that feeling of ‘what you have is all you’ll ever get’. I know that was how I felt in my situation. You get used to the hollowness, tell yourself that it’s easier to stay that way than try and leave. That it might be worse if you try to leave, which makes escaping feel all the more impossible.” It was hard to articulate such a decision, and he’d never be able to put himself in Felix’s shoes, but he wanted the omega to know that not trying to escape was never his fault.

Felix hummed, “You’re…I know you’re right, and I know this isn't the first time I’ve been told that, but it's so easy to look back and wonder, what if I’d just done this one thing differently? There will always be a part of me that regrets that, but I’m here today,” He let out a breath, soft as he relaxed back into Hyunjin’s touch, “with all the love in the world, and it’s getting easier to disregard those ‘what if’s’.”

Hyunjin stroked his fingers through Felix’s hair, curling the strands around his fingertips. “What was that like, adjusting to suddenly being loved for the first time?”

Felix put his hands on each side of the bathtub, remaining quiet as he thought about it for a moment. “It was a lot. Coming into a pack that had the intention of mating soon put me in a place where I didn’t quite know how to fit in. Once Jeongin arrived it got easier. Romance developed naturally. I felt like I was learning how to walk on my feet again for the first time. Every step I took felt right, like I was finally heading in the perfect direction,” he said, and Hyunjin could hear the smile seeping into his words. “I mated with them. It was early on in mine and Jeongin’s time there but, like making the decision to join the pack, I knew it was what I wanted.”

Hyunjin leaned closer, his sleeves damp. He rested his chin on Felix’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you’re here and that I get to love you,” he replied quietly, lovingly. He lifted his head just slightly to press a kiss to Felix’s freckled shoulder, “because I really love you.”

The pack turned the living room into a nest that night despite the fact that they were in a hotel suite with bedding that wasn’t their own. The thought of not sleeping together was just too unpleasant and it was so much nicer being cuddled up at Chan’s side, looking up at him fondly. In a way, it felt as if he was looking at him in a different light; the depth of admiration

“What are you looking at, baby?” Chan asked, a soft huff of amusement leaving his nose as he glanced down at Hyunjin, whose head was lightly pressed half on his chest and half on his arm.

“You,” Hyunjin replied, soft and simple. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done…Thank you for making a beautiful pack; for loving us, for loving me without judgement. And thank you for letting us love you right back.” He brought a hand up, fingers dancing at the side of Chan’s neck before coming up to brush his cheek. It was an absent movement, but one filled with care.

Chan’s arm lifted, placing his hand over Hyunjin’s to hold his hand to his cheek. He nuzzled into it, pressing a kiss to the side of Hyunjin’s palm. “Thank you for being part of my beautiful pack, and making it even more beautiful.”

The following and last day of the conference was less emotional than the previous one, but it affected him in a different way. Chan discussed the current threats and with Hyunjin’s permission, he briefly touched on the core reason that motivated the decision of holding the conference. 

“One of our pack members escaped from an abusive pack last year. We knew they would  try to get him back, but we hadn’t expected such elaborate planning in doing so. This pack arranged for their allies to target us with the intention of killing everyone except the pack member who'd escaped. They wouldn’t accept peaceful submission…” Chan’s voice wavered for a second, “So we did what we had to do in order to protect each other. We almost lost one of our own that day, and we could have just as easily lost more.” 

Jisung squeezed Hyunjin’s hand under the table and Hyunjin gave him an appreciative smile in response.

“ That is what inspired us to plan this conference. Because what happened to us is just one situation of many that have occurred in the shifter community. I’m sure many of you have had to make decisions you didn’t want to make. Maybe you’ve lost pack members, loved ones, and have come from pasts of pain and sadness. The only way we can protect our packs is if we are willing to protect each other.”

Hyunjin could admit that he was relieved when the last day of the conference concluded. A feeling of emotional exhaustion weighed down on him, and it wasn’t as easy to forget that danger was still out there while listening to others’ stories. Despite that, he was beyond proud of Chan, Seungmin and Minho for making the conference happen. There was hope, a new solidarity within the community that made Hyunjin feel as though they had really come together to make a difference for each other. It would make a difference. He was sure of it. 

By the next morning, the weight of the last few days had dissipated, leaving him feeling lighter. The day held exciting opportunities that he’d been anticipating, and with that mindset, he was looking forward to making some new memories. 

After sleeping the morning away, they all went out to lunch at a restaurant that served massive sandwiches. It was a diner style restaurant, loud with tables filled with chattering people and kitchen noises that seeped out into the dining area, but Hyunjin didn’t mind it so much when a sandwich almost the size of his head was put in front of him. It had bacon, scrambled eggs, cheese, roasted tomatoes, lettuce, pickles– and those were only the ingredients he could see.

Beside him, Jisung spoke excitedly about their museum date after lunch. Apparently, he’d researched a heap of information on the museum and its contents in order to be Hyunjin’s knowledgeable tour guide for the afternoon. Hyunjin’s insides buzzed with anticipation and appreciation for the omega.

Felix, Chan and Seungmin planned on going shopping around the city while Jeongin and Changbin were going to explore the botanical gardens. Minho had found a French desserts day-class that he wanted to attend. So, after the bill was paid, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. 

Jisung slid his hand into Hyunjin’s, swinging their arms joyfully. His hand was soft, warm in his own and it spread a feeling of tingling happiness through his veins.

“I can’t believe how many opportunities there are in the city,” Hyunjin commented as they made their way to the museum. “Museums, shopping, gardens and cooking classes all on the same day.” It sounded exhausting to live in the constant buzz of city life, but there was something exciting about it in a short term capacity. “I bet there’s more too.”

Jisung let out a chuckle, “There’s definitely more. I like it, I like the atmosphere,” he hummed, taking his phone out of his pocket to check the directions again. “It’s just around the corner.”

The museum was huge, way bigger than the quaint building that Hyunjin had pictured in his head. They had a museum back at his old pack. It was just one large room in dim lighting with pack photos on the walls that had been taken over the years. A couple of artefacts were on display, things Hyunjin didn’t know the sentimentality of, nor had he ever cared to find out. But this museum was probably five levels tall, and ten times bigger.

They headed inside, and Hyunjin glanced around the room as Jisung got their tickets. Screens displayed the various exhibitions that were going on while people walked around the room, some on their way in, some on their way out. 

“Let’s go,” Jisung grinned, holding the tickets up to let Hyunjin take one and slip it into his pocket. He wanted to save it to display above his desk with the other little things he’d collected over his time with the pack.

Some of the exhibitions were free, others were paid for. He enjoyed the traditional paintings section, admiring the incredible art decorating the walls as he let Jisung read out the explanations to them. The abstract section was interesting, a style he hadn’t looked into very much in the past, as well as the sculptures, which ended up being his favourite. There was a wood carving section with ancient wood-work. He wondered how many years of practice it would take him to make anything remotely as nicely crafted as this. 

They were in the museum for a couple of hours, taking their time to really get the most out of it. Jisung’s favourite section was the dinosaur bone exhibition, which Hyunjin didn’t even know how to begin comprehending how something so huge had walked the earth all those years ago. Where taking photos were allowed, he took them of Jisung in front of the bones to show the others that night, and Jisung checked them over to pick his favourite ones. 

Before they left, they walked through the gift shop and cafe where Jisung bought a dinosaur keyring, and Hyunjin chose a book on the most famous artists in history. He waited beside Jisung at the counter while the omega paid. 

He didn’t quite understand city money yet, despite Seungmin trying to teach him. His eyes skimmed over the coffee menu before flicking back as someone stepped close enough for him to register their presence. 

“An omega paying for an alpha?” The stranger laughed; a man taller than and far too close to Hyunjin. His stance felt threatening. “What kind of alpha are you? Either you don’t know how to look after your mate or you’re spineless enough to not care.” 

Hyunjin stepped back, away from the man’s jeering presence. To his surprise, the man was an omega, his scent sour. Jealous, almost, and full of spite.

“Hey,” Jisung whipped around, a deep frown on his face as he linked his arm with Hyunjin’s. 

Hyunjin was lost for words, lips parting and then shutting as his mind came up blank.

“He speaks for you too?” The man’s eyebrows raised as if he found that all the more entertaining? Infuriating? It reminded Hyunjin of the torment he’d faced before, and he found himself curling back closer to Jisung. It didn’t matter what this man thought, it didn’t, he reminded himself, because there was nothing wrong with Hyunjin and his mates loved him the way he was. 

“Mind your own business.” Jisung scowled at the man, puffing his chest slightly.

“What? I don’t mean any offence,” The man raised his hands with a laugh, “I’m more sympathetic for you, stuck with an alpha like him. What, is that how you like it? Is he your little bitch or something?”

Jisung growled, launching forward to grab the man, but Hyunjin quickly pulled him back by his arm, heart thumping in his ears. Jisung jostled in his grip but Hyunjin wasn’t prepared to have them thrown out of the museum because a random stranger decided to be an asshole. 

“Let me go,” Jisung snapped as the man took a step back, a look of shock in his eyes. 

“Woah...I shouldn’t have stuck my nose into it. I was just having fun, No need to overreact.”

Jisung finally managed to shove Hyunjin’s arms off him, letting out a huff as he straightened himself. “Fuck off before I show you what kind of omega I really am,” he growled in final warning, and even Hyunjin was taken aback by the force of his words.

The man looked at them, amusement having dissolved into disgust. “Whatever,” he huffed. “Can’t take a fucking joke,” his eyes flicked around the room and with red ears, and Hyunjin could only imagine that every set of eyes in the room were on them– he could’t bare to look. “Stupid mutts,” he muttered before turning and stalking off.

Hyunjin let out a breath, holding Jisung’s arm tighter as he took his book from the counter. “Let’s go,” he mumbled. His cheeks burned red and the air around them was suffocating with scents of discomfort and annoyance. 

Angrily, Jisung grabbed his keychain and the two of them made a quick exit. “I’m sorry,” he said when they were back out on the street. “I shouldn’t have caused a scene like that but he was horrible– how can someone be so outright with their prejudiced opinions? How could he say that stuff to you?” The growl was back in his voice and Hyunjin slipped their hands together again, fingers linked, to try and ease the anger away. 

“He’s gone now,” he comforted, thumb stroking Jisung’s palm.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

Hyunjin scuffed his shoe against the pavement, shrugging. “I’ve heard it before.” He’d heard worse, but of course it stung to be publicly degraded like that.

Jisung sighed, giving Hyunjin’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he apologised again, gentler. “He shouldn’t have said those things to you, and he’s wrong. There’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing wrong with me,” He assured, sympathy laced into his tone.

Hyunjin gave him a small smile of appreciation. “Thank you for standing up for me.”

Jisung shook his head. “Always,” he smiled lightly.

They headed back to the hotel after that, and as much as Hyunjin still felt a bit upset with the earlier interaction, he didn’t want to let it ruin the museum experience as a whole. Getting to see all the art styles and exhibitions were a wonder he hadn’t known to exist in such an exuberant way, and the fact that he got to have a date with Jisung was wonderful on its own. 

They expected to be the first ones back to the hotel room, but upon arriving, Minho was sitting on the couch, laid out as he watched TV. His eyes flicked to them as the door opened and he sat up. “How was it?”

Hyunjin smiled, shuffling over to show him the book. “I bought this at the gift shop, and Jisung got a keychain.”

Minho accepted the book as he passed it over, opening it to flip through. He hummed with an impressed look towards the contents. “Very nice,” he said, lifting his head again to smile at Jisung as well, “What’s your keychain of?”

“A dinosaur,” the omega said proudly as he showed it off and Minho chuckled. 

“Cute.” He made room for them on the couch, and Hyunjin took a seat beside him. “I’m glad you got to experience an art museum for the first time, baby. Did you enjoy it?”

Hyunjin felt a smile stretching over his cheeks, “I did. A lot. I think I want to try some new painting styles,” he admitted, already thinking over the supplies he might need. He was pretty stocked up on everything right now, but it couldn’t hurt to consider getting more.

“Until the end,” Jisung let out in a huff, and Hyunjin patted his knee. It was natural that he’d want to share what they’d experienced, but Hyunjin really just wanted to move past it.

Minho’s eyebrows twitched in. “What happened at the end?”

Jisung dove into recounting the situation while Minho’s scent seeped with increasing anger, teeth clenching to try and hold back the comments he clearly wanted to make but didn’t want to let out in front of Hyunjin. 

“Are you okay?” He asked as soon as the omega had finished explaining and Jisung and Hyunjin both nodded.

“We’re okay, hyung. It was a bit upsetting but I shouldn’t care what some stranger says,” Hyunjin replied.

Minho brought a hand to his arm, stroking it with his thumb. “It’s okay to be upset. No one should ever have to hear something like that. You’re the perfect alpha just the way you are, and Jisung, you’re the perfect omega.” 

Hyunjin leaned in, pressing his cheek to Minho’s shoulder as he nuzzled against it. “Thank you,” he mumbled, closing his eyes to take in Minho’s scent.

“I’m proud of you Sungie,” Minho added as he reached a hand out to slip into Jisung’s. “For standing up to that asshole.”

Jisung must have nodded, as he didn’t hear a response, but his scent flourished pleasantly.

Hyunjin sighed, “It’s nice to be back at the hotel,” he admitted. “The city is so overwhelming,”

Minho let out a soft chuckle. “It is, and it’s nice to have you both back.”

“Oh,” He sat up straight, remembering that Minho had his baking lecture earlier. There was a tinge of sweetness to his scent, but the smell of body wash overpowered it as if he’d showered after getting home. “How was your lecture?”

“It was fun,” Minho smiled, “I think I want to start experimenting with more baking, and I think Felix would enjoy giving it a go too.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Jisung grinned as he gave his stomach a rub. “I could definitely get on board with that. Sweet treats from our sweetest treats,” he giggled and both Hyunjin and Minho scrunched their noses in response.

Minho shook his head “I also want to ask everyone if they’d consider letting me get some chickens. The eggs would be really useful to have instead of having to go into the city for them so frequently.”

Hyunjin gasped, “Chickens are so cute! We can add their care to the chore chart, and we should name them too.” The prospect of it had him blooming with excitement.

Minho laughed, “If you want to name them you can, and yes, as long as everyone doesn’t mind, I’ll add it to the chart.”

Even as they settled down again to watch the drama Minho was following on TV, Hyunjin still found himself far less tired than he had been when they’d arrived home. He tried to snuggle against Jisung and Minho, but restlessness had him shuffling around too much. Boredom wasn’t quite the word to describe it, his body tingled a little.

“Hyung?” he leant closer to whisper to Minho.

“Mhm?”

“I’m horny.”

The TV was switched off in an instant– by Jisung, and Hyunjin was hauled up from the couch. A giggle left his lips, joyful anticipation simmering over him as the heated scents of his mates had his body buzzing. To love and be loved was truly the greatest pleasure. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: Pleasure - Chan

When Chan asked Hyunjin who he’d like to have his first time with, he already had some assumptions on what his answer might be, and as expected, he was correct.

Watching Hyunjin interact and open up more with the pack members while forming bonds with them was something that was very rewarding for both him and his alpha to see.

Hyunjin had different relationships with each pack member; some he related to because of his past, others he naturally found more comfort in, and others he looked up to, seeking guidance from them. And, While Hyunjin was still new here, Chan could see how seamlessly he was fitting into the pack.

“I want to bottom for my first time,” Hyunjin had started off, his posture tense with nerves. It made Chan want to reach out and comfort him, to pull him into his arms and tell him they supported whatever decision he made. However, he respected the younger alpha’s space, watching encouragingly as Hyunjin looked to everyone for acceptance.

“We’ll be happy with whatever you’ve decided, sweetheart. This is about you,” Seungmin said in response, and Hyunjin’s shoulders relaxed, his scent calming significantly.

“I’d like it to be with Minho hyung,” He announced, his hopeful gaze turning to Minho.

While Chan could tell that Hyunjin had clearly thought hard over the decision and was confident that Minho was who he wanted for his first time, Minho seemed surprised– which Chan didn’t expect as it was quite obvious that Hyunjin saw him in both a supportive and sensual way. It made him the perfect choice for the kind of experience Hyunjin needed for his first time.

Chan found that Hyunjin was becoming easier to read as his comfort at the pack house strengthened; His expressions were open and his scent was telling of his emotions. It made Chan’s alpha happy as he knew Hyunjin being with them was exactly where he was meant to be.

“You want it to be me?” Minho asked in a voice that was nearly breathless. He sounded honoured, and it reminded Chan of his first few months with Minho in their two member pack, where they were still figuring out their dynamic and exploring the feelings they felt for each other. 

“Would that be okay?” Hyunjin asked shyly. He was sitting on the love seat with Jeongin at his side, their shoulders and thighs pressed together. Jeongin’s scent was a soothing addition to the air around them.

“Of course- yes, of course,” Minho replied, throat bobbing. He was flustered, cheeks warming as his scent radiated a mix of surprise and pride. They were both so adoringly cute, Chan thought lovingly.

“Thank you,” Hyunjin smiled bashfully and a matching pinkness dusted over his ears, his scent flashing with something more sensual, like he was picturing how his first time might go. Chan shuffled in his seat, trying not to let it affect him.

“Who would you like to top for, honey?” Seungmin asked, helping drive Chan’s brain back to sensibility. 

“I want to top Jeonginnie,” Hyunjin predictably answered, his gaze shifting to Jeongin beside him who gave him a doting smile. “If you’re okay with that?” he added, linking their hands together.

Chan couldn’t hide his smile, one that was both knowing and pleased, because Hyunjin was truly in good hands. Anyone would have treated him with absolute care, but the bond Hyunjin and Jeongin had was something special.

“I’d love that,” Jeongin replied warmly, locking their hands together with a squeeze as he leaned to press a kiss to Hyunjin’s cheek. 

Hyunjin absolutely completed this pack, Chan thought, a burst of joy buzzing through him. Everyone was full of so much love and he couldn't wait to see what the future held for them.

Chapter 12: Love - Felix

Felix jolted awake as Hyunjin cried out from beside him. They were cuddled up in bed with Minho, Hyunjin sandwiched between them, trembling as he choked out a sob.

It took another cry for Minho to stir, and he met Felix’s eyes with fearful shock. Hyunjin was having a nightmare, causing sweat to build on his forehead and his chest to rise and fall rapidly. Sensing how painful it was, they both shifted in panic as they tried to wake him. 

Felix felt tears gathering in his eyes as “No– please don’t,” hiccuped from Hyunjin’s lips. From his own experiences, he could predict what those nightmares might entail and the horrors they brought. His heart stung, Hyunjin deserved peace in his sleep, not torture. 

A second later, Hyunjin startled awake, his breaths coming out in short hiccuped cries. 

“Jinnie,” Felix pressed his cheek to the alpha’s shoulder, hoping the warmth would soothe him. He wished he could take the horrible memories away.

“Please,” Hyunjin wheezed, “don’t touch me.”

Minho’s hand was off him in a second and Felix moved away immediately. He felt helpless, knowing the visions that probably still plagued Hyunjin’s mind were unbearable. Seungmin and Chan always knew the right things to do and say, and here as Hyunjin looked as if he felt so humiliated, all Felix could think to ask was,

“Are you okay?”

“I haven’t dreamt of that in…years,” Hyunjin whispered.

Minho’s eyes softened sadly, “Do you dream often?” The alpha asked.

Hyunjin gave them a twitching shrug against the sheets, “Not often these days…But, it was always the same dream. I…I always dream of getting beaten up in the forest. This…was an older memory.” 

Felix chewed on his lip, eyes downcast. “You were crying…begging for something to stop. Why were you so scared?” He shouldn’t have asked, he thought as the words came out of his mouth. It wasn’t his place, especially not when Hyunjin felt so vulnerable.

“Lix,” Minho shook his head and Felix gave him an apologetic look. 

“They uh…Some people I used to know,” Hyunjin started, and surprise washed over Felix as the alpha started answering his question. 

Hyunjin trusted them enough to open up like this, and Felix would never take his trust in them for granted. “They were…going to do something bad to me,” Hyunjin admitted, eyes flicking up to the ceiling. 

“Did they touch you?” Minho asked, his voice turning sharp and his canines extending. Felix gave him a look of warning, misplaced anger was the last thing Hyunjin needed right now. Still, he understood Minho’s anger.

“They just pulled my hair.”

“ Hyunjin, did they-”

“No,” Hyunjin cut him off quickly, his breathing speeding up again. “They didn’t sexually assault me,” he whispered. “They were going to, they threatened it a lot, but this was the only time they…seemed to want to actually act on it. They didn’t do anything though,” he swallowed, “They told me I wasn’t worth it.”

A sob immediately choked up in Felix’s throat and he pressed his hand over his mouth to try and hide it. The devastation in Hyunjin’s scent was like a throbbing pain under Felix’s skin. It was so unfair– Hyunjin should have grown up protected and loved. 

“I’m sorry,” Hyunjin said, biting down on his lip. 

Felix shook his head immediately. He had processed a lot of what he’d gone through, there were moments it still overwhelmed him, but time had passed and he had the people he loved at his side.

“Why are you sorry?” Felix couldn’t help but move closer, and this time Hyunjin seemed to crave the comfort of physical touch, as he opened his arms for him to lay down. Felix easily curled into him again, releasing waves of his calming scent and nuzzling in to tell him that it was okay, that they’d protect him. Words were hard, but he hoped his actions spoke for him.

“I don’t want to upset you,” Hyunjin replied as Minho gently scented his less sensitive wrists. The younger alpha’s heart beat slowed back to normal and he let out a breath as the nightmare’s hold on him seemed to ebb away. 

“You never have to apologise for something like this, Hyunjin,” Minho reminded him in a stern but caring tone and Hyunjin nodded, sniffling his clogged nose. Minho laid down with him again, stroking his chest in gentle circles. 

Felix was certain he could almost hear Hyunjin purring.

From down the hall, He could sense the other members making their way to the room. A puppy pile was what they needed right now, and Felix could feel the love and care that radiated through all his mate’s hearts.

Soon enough, Hyunjin would mate with everyone, and they’d become a truly mated pack. Maybe not yet, but Felix could feel that it would happen someday. Maybe it would be a rocky road to get there, but he trusted his instincts. It would happen. Hyunjin would be their mate.

Chapter 13: Burning up - Jeongin

Jeongin felt confident when he was in a dominant state of mind. His omega held conflicting feelings about it sometimes, but he knew that being a dominant omega was who he was, and he now loved himself for it– and the pleasure it brought his mates.

As Hyunjin fucked him, the alpha completely absorbed in his rut, Jeongin felt absolute bliss.

“You gonna come for me?” He asked as a pleasure-filled grin broke out on his face. He ran his hands all over Hyunjin’s sweat-dampened skin, taking pride in the alpha’s pleasure. 

Hyunjin’s cock pumped in and out of him, messy and uncoordinated. He chased his orgasm desperately and Jeongin burned with arousal. His omega purred within, and it felt as if he and his omega were completely connected with each other when he was around Hyunjin. 

Undeniably, It was because of his bond with Hyunjin, there was something strong that connected his omega with Hyunjin’s alpha. He didn’t understand it fully, but he knew Hyunjin was whole-heartedly cemented in his heart forever. 

Hyunjin’s knot locked into him and he gasped out, his breath trembling as waves of pleasure rolled through him. Stars twinkled behind his eyes and his canines threatened to extend with the strong desire to bite into the side of Hyunjin’s neck, claiming him. His mate. Hyunjin would be his mate. 

Chapter 14: What we do to survive - Minho

When Minho was shaken awake at 3am with the words that the enemy pack was on their way, he felt deep in his gut that something would go wrong. It ached through him, creating a nauseating swirl of fear that he had no choice but to push down. They had to be at the top of their game, and Minho knew the others looked to him for stability. He needed to be able to provide them with that. 

The terrible feeling persisted as they waited out the wolves, but it wasn’t until the fight began that true terror washed over him. Going from only hearing the silence of the forest around them to suddenly fighting against claws and lashing teeth sent a wave of shock through Minho’s system.

Changbin had trained them for this, so why did he feel so out of his own depth? He’d built up his strength, he’d sparred with the others, and he’d even done extra one-on-one training sessions with Changbin so he’d be ready– but somehow, it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t a natural fighter.

One of the enemies pounced on him, teeth and claws slicing through his fur, slashing deep into his skin. He could feel his own blood pool around him and a metallic taste built behind his lips. The pain was excruciating, he could hear his bones breaking. 

He felt like he was going to die. On the forest floor. Unable to protect anyone and leaving them with the heartbreak that would be a broken mating bond. He whined high in his throat, his vision swimming and it took him a moment to register that the wolf attacking him had stopped.

He blinked dizzily and Hyunjin’s white fur came into view. His eyes held a look of horror and Minho couldn’t reach out and comfort him. He let out another whine, his head starting to buzz with fading consciousness. Fighting against it, he tried to keep his eyes open, holding his focus on Hyunjin with a desperation to stay awake– but quickly, the blood loss got to him and his vision faded out.

Waking up was a painful and groggy experience. He was in and out of consciousness for a couple of hours, and when he did wake, his mouth felt sticky and his skin was tender and tight. Then, his room came into view and he let out a shaky breath. 

He was alive. He’d survived. 

His eyes stung and he looked down at his body to see the wounds that scarred his skin. They were fresh and in the early stages of healing. While his alpha would help him heal quicker, the severity of the wounds meant the scarring would be permanent. It sent a ripple of fragile and sorrowful feelings through his body. He’d never look the same again– He’d need time to adjust and accept that, but the one thing he did know was that his mates would love him just the same. 

He was so incredibly grateful to be alive. 

Chapter 14: What we do to survive - Seungmin.

Seungmin had killed someone. He’d taken a life– he’d had no other choice, but killing someone was irreversible. It should be unforgivable, and yet the entire way back to the cabin, no one had shown any of the venomous hatred he’d expected to receive. The hatred he believed that he deserved.

When they got back, Chan immediately disappeared into his office, his scent buzzing with a concerning manic-like energy. It was a complete contrast to the numbness that washed over Seungmin. He didn’t want to think about himself, didn’t want to think about the fight— he didn’t want to think.

For a while, he stood out in the hall, dazed and confused as to why he was there and what he should do next. Then, Hyunjin appeared, coming out of Minho’s room with his eyes trained to the hallway that led to Chan’s office. 

He felt a lump forming in his throat because he knew he couldn’t let Hyunjin see Chan right now. Whatever Chan was feeling or processing at the moment, Hyunjin wouldn’t be able to help him. He didn’t understand it, not in the way that Chan needed right now, and it dawned on Seungmin that he was the only one that could understand what Chan was going through. 

“He needs space,” Seungmin forced his voice out of his throat as Hyunjin stopped in his tracks to look at him. 

“Seungmin,” Hyunjin breathed, the pain in his eyes so raw and sympathetic. It made Seungmin feel like he’d forget how to breathe, or throw up, or pass out and he couldn’t face that right now. He couldn’t let anyone care for him yet. Did he even deserve care? He’d killed someone, what right did he have to expect comfort? 

He cleared his throat, “Come help me treat injuries.”

Wordlessly, Hyunjin followed him, but Seungmin could feel the alpha’s eyes boring into the back of his head. 

In the bathroom, Jisung was sitting on the floor, resting back against the bathtub while Felix leaned over the sink, disinfecting a cut that had blood dripping down his face. 

“Oh-” Hyunjin blinked at the sight, seemingly shocked at the severity of their injuries. 

Seungmin cleared his throat and then crouched down to Jisung. The omega had a severely slipped rib which he had to painfully pop back into place, and while he did so Hyunjin moved to protect Felix from the sight by standing in front of the omega.

“Let me,” he heard Hyunjin say softly, taking the cotton swab from Felix’s hand to clean the wound for him. 

“Are you bleeding anywhere?” Felix asked him. 

Seungmin stroked Jisung’s shoulder gently to ease him through the pain of his now popped back into place, rib. “You did well, Sungie,” he whispered.

Jisung whimpered, curling against him, and Seungmin moved to gently hug him as the omega scented his neck for comfort. 

“Just need a good shower,” Hyunjin replied to Felix’s question, and the room tensed as waves of nervousness wafted through the alpha’s scent. Hyunjin had no visible injuries, Seungmin noted as they all processed the same thought. He could dwell on it, but something told him Hyunjin didn’t know the reason either. That was a conversation for another time.

Begrudgingly, Seungmin let Felix and Hyunjin tend to the wound on his neck. It didn’t feel as severe as it looked, but the healing was going to be slow and uncomfortable, and he knew it was going to scar. It would probably remain on his skin forever, and he added that to the list of things he didn’t know how to process yet.

Before he and Hyunjin parted ways, they visited Minho, Jeongin and Changbin one last time. Hyunjin was reluctant to leave, and Seungmin’s guard must have slipped, allowing his scared scent to rise from the surface. His hand trembled as he shut Minho’s door but he forced himself to remain calm.

“Go and try to get some sleep, Hyunjin,” He ordered gently.

Hyunjin shook his head, “I can’t, I can’t leave you alone right now,” he replied, voice adamant. Part of Seungmin wanted to give in, but he needed to go to Chan, and exhaustion was clear on Hyunjin’s face. He needed sleep and Seungmin had a pack leader to see. 

“I’m going to check on Chan hyung.” He nodded in the direction of the leader's office, taking a step back, but Hyunjin reached out for his hand, his expression upset. Seungmin’s throat tightened and the warmth of Hyunjin’s hand made him want to curl into him. 

“Minnie,” Hyunjin pleaded, and Seungmin felt as if he was seconds away from having a panic attack. 

“Not right now, Hyunjin. Sleep. We’ll talk in the morning,” He replied, voice barely above a whisper. He allowed himself to feel Hyunjin’s touch for a moment longer and then he unwillingly pulled away. Unable to meet the alpha’s gaze, he turned and walked to Chan’s office with his eyes stinging with unshed tears.

Chan’s office was a mess. In the short amount of time since they’d arrived home, the pack alpha’s printer was running with countless pages printing out onto the floor, being laid over the coffee table, and spread out on Chan’s desk.

Seungmin hadn’t knocked, but Chan’s eyes flicked to him immediately as he walked in. His hair was a mess and his eyes held bags despite the wide intensity of his gaze. 

“Seungmin,” he said, stopping in his tracks as Seungmin shut the door behind him. 

For a moment, Seungmin didn’t know what to say. “I…” He mumbled, hands beginning to tremble. “I’m…” He looked down, a stuttering breath leaving his lips. Every emotion was bubbling up inside of him and he didn’t know how to contain it anymore.

Before he could process it, Chan engulfed him in a hug. He felt himself go slack and then the tears fell, loud and wet and pained. He pressed his face into Chan’s neck and over his own cries he could hear the sound of Chan’s hiccuped tears. 

“Hyung,” He trembled, “How do I…What did we—? I can’t…” He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs.

“I know,” Chan said, voice sounding wet as he nuzzled his cheek against the side of Seungmin’s head. “I know.”

“I can’t do this, I c-can’t.” Seungmin clutched him tighter, pulling him closer. He wished he could crawl under Chan’s skin and hide there forever. 

“It’s okay, Minnie. I promise it’ll be okay.” The alpha’s tone had a tinge of desperation to it within the devastation of what they’d gone through. They clung to each other, craving the comfort only the other could provide.

“How?” Seungmin hiccupped, lifting his face from Chan’s neck to look at him. 

“I don’t…I don’t know right now,” Chan admitted, taking a stuttering breath, and Seungmin could tell he was trying to be brave for his sake. “But we will. We have the pack. Minho is alive, we’re all alive, that’s the most important thing,” he said as he took hold of Seungmin’s shoulders. They held each other’s gaze, exposed emotions pained and fragile. Fragmented, Seungmin felt like he was a pile of broken pieces that needed to be put back together again.

“What we did, Seungmin,” Chan breathed, eyes red rimmed but unwavering, “We didn’t do that by choice. They wouldn’t back down and if we hadn’t done what we did, we’d be dead.”

Seungmin nodded in small jerky movements, “I didn’t want to do it…but I didn’t want to die. I-isn’t that selfish?” 

Chan’s eyes softened, water collecting in them again, “Of course not. It was self defence, baby, and nothing about that is selfish. I need to find a way to accept what I did too, but no matter what, we didn’t start this fight. We didn’t choose this outcome.”

Seungmin sniffed, nibbling at his dry lips, “I don’t know if I can forgive myself,” he admitted, taking in a breath to try and compose himself again. “I…I know what you're saying is true…but I don’t...I’m not ready to process it,” he shook his head, lifting his hands to wipe over his face.

Chan’s expression turned conflicted and then he nodded. “It’ll take time, we just…need to give ourselves time,” he said quietly and Seungmin lifted his hands to wipe the tears from Chan’s face as well. Then, he leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together.

“Thank you,” He whispered, body relaxing as Chan moved his hands to rest on his hips. They stayed like that for a moment, relaxing into each other’s arms and scents until they felt brave enough to face everything again. “What have you been up to?” He asked, looking around the room again at all the paper.

Chan ran a hand through his hair. “I needed to do something. I had to take my mind off of it and all I could think of is that there has to be some way to fix everything.”

Seungmin gave him an uncertain look– they couldn’t ‘fix’ the past, so he wasn’t sure ‘fixing things’ was something that could be done going forward, but maybe they could move past it. If Chan believed they could, then Seungmin would stand by him. 

“So I came up with an idea,” Chan continued as he made his way over to his desk. “Do you want to help me with it?”

Tentatively, Seungmin moved closer. Like Chan, he felt like he needed to stay busy right now. He’d need time and space to figure out the feelings in his own mind, but right now he was running on the need to keep himself from being dragged down into another round of spiralling panic. He knew it would come again later, the panic was inevitable, but right now he could do something, and that something was helping Chan. “Okay.” He agreed, eyes scanning over the computer screen that was titled towards him;

Conference. 

Chapter 15: The Aftermath - Chan

Chan continued planning the conference long after Seungmin had left to get some sleep. He should be trying to get some too, but his mind was still buzzing and stepping away from the planning would allow his brain to think– to replay the situation in his head over and over as he tried to analyse what he could have done differently. He had tried to stay strong for Seungmin, but undeniably, he was just as fractured by this.

Physically exhausted, he sat in his office chair, finger running over his lip as he stared off into space. Strength in numbers… He thought to himself. If there had been more people on their side, maybe no one would have been killed.

A knock on the door broke his train of thought and he gave Hyunjin a weak attempt at a smile as the younger alpha stepped inside. “Hi, baby.”

Hyunjin looked at him with gentle eyes that held no judgement, his gaze shifting up and down, and Chan couldn’t help feeling exposed as he tried to answer Hyunjin’s questions with enough reassurance. He’d sleep soon, he didn’t feel like eating, he didn’t want a bath.

Then, Hyunjin said, “Hyung, It’s not your fault,” and Chan felt as if he’d had the air knocked out of his lungs. 

He blinked, his forced smile fading, “Hyunjin-”

“It’s not your fault that they died.”

Chan opened his mouth and then closed it again, swallowing. His throat bobbed as he looked away. “I don’t-”

“You were forced into a situation where you had no other option. You were brave and you did everything you could to avoid things escalating. When it came down to it, you protected your pack, you protected us .” Hyunjin was standing infront of him now, his expression adamant yet gentle. Chan had said the same things to Seungmin, so it should have been easy to agree with Hyunjin, but he felt so guilty. So completely responsible for everything that had happened. 

He rolled his lips in, throat feeling tight as he looked down at his lap. “They died because of me– because I couldn’t handle the situation in any other way. I should have found a way to ease them into talking about it, into backing down. But I killed them–“ He spoke as his breathing stuttered, and all the anxiety bubbled up over the surface again, “I k-killed them and now their pack doesn’t have a leader anymore.”

Hyunjin gripped the side of the desk, watching him. His eyes were so soft and Chan wasn’t sure he deserved that kindness. Unexpectedly, he asked, “Would you have let them kill Minho hyung?”

Chan’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Hyunjin in desperate disagreement. He would never, ever have let that happen. And yet, that had almost been the reality.  “No– Of course not. Never, I could never let that happen.”

“Hyung lived because of you, because of Seungmin. I saw him, I…he, he was dying…right in front of me. He wouldn’t have made it if the fight kept going. You may have had to make a decision that you didn’t want to make– but in doing so you saved Minho’s hyung’s life.”

The words punched into him, raw and overwhelming, but Hyunjin’s directness was what he needed to hear. He shakily moved his hand up to cup his trembling lips before letting out a sob into it. He couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down his cheeks, and Hyunjin immediately came to comfort him.

He’d protected his pack. He’d protected them and they protected him. It wasn’t his fault. He did what he did because he’d do anything to keep them safe. 

Even now, he’d do anything to protect them.

Chapter 16: Strength in numbers - Changbin.

In preparation for the conference, Changbin and Jisung had been tasked with designing, writing out and sending off invitations– and Chan’s list of invitees was long.

“How do you feel about the conference?” Jisung asked him as they sat in his room, signing names on the invites.

Changbin rolled his shoulders back, “I wasn’t sure at first,” he admitted and Jisung nodded in agreement. In the immediacy, when Chan announced it as a holiday, the event had sounded like a way to avoid talking about what they’d been through, but now he was starting to understand it more; Solidarity, community. “But I trust Chan hyung. He’s right, It could happen again and we’re not the only ones in danger.”

Jisung ran his finger along the card paper in his hands, “Do you really think someone will come for us again?” 

The thought was sitting at the back of Changbin’s mind like a persistent itch. Now that they knew with certainty that Hyunjin’s old pack was tied to this, the danger had become all the more apparent. 

He swallowed, feeling as though admitting his next words out loud made them all too real, “I don’t think they’ll ever give up on getting Hyunjin back.” 

Facing another fight where their enemies wouldn’t back down again would only cause more destruction and devastation. It felt like there was nothing they could do at first, but then Chan’s conference had started to make sense and now they had purpose. Changbin was relying on that purpose because if they had a way to keep going, then there was hope for peace in the future. 

Jisung remained silent for a moment, folding his card up and putting it in its envelope. “Probably,” he finally said, voice strangled as if he too didn’t want to admit it out loud. 

“They’re…” Jisung’s lip wobbled but he shook his head to stop himself from crying, “They’re so cruel. They’ve put Hyunjin through so much and they still won’t let him go? It’s…It’s horrible.”

Changbin looked away and took in a steady breath. It would have been easy to shut down, and Changbin honestly believed that if he didn’t have the pack to hold everyone together, he might have closed in on himself without a way to go forward. But, they’ve been brave together and now they’re doing something that will help not only them, but others in their position as well. A Purpose, he reminded himself.

“We won’t let them get him,” he said, clearing his throat. “We won’t let them take him away from us.” His tone was full of conviction. They’d protect Hyunjin, they’d protect each other, no matter what came at them– they’d face this together .

Chapter 19: The beginning of something new - Seungmin

A holiday was needed, Seungmin very adamantly thought as he listened to Felix and Jisung argue how many pairs of underwear were necessary to pack when going on holiday. 

Things were settling, distractions were good, there was hope in the air and Seungmin felt…okay. Okay in the sense that he was coping. With Chan, they were working together to process what they’d been through, and Seungmin felt all the more bonded with the pack leader as a result. They were coping, and a holiday was the enjoyable refresh they needed. 

Hyunjin found everything in the city exciting, which Seungmin thought was very endearing. He’d packed his bags neatly and used Chan’s computer to look into facts about the city, telling them to Seungmin as they’d laid in bed together the night before the trip. The real excitement came when, on the way to the city, Minho told him about his field trip to the art museum, prompting Hyunjin to beg for someone to go with him during their trip.

“I’ll take you!” Jisung offered up enthusiastically, and Seungmin couldn’t stop himself from letting out a laugh. It wouldn’t have mattered if Hyunjin asked to go to the moon, Jisung still would have jumped in to offer.

“I have never seen you appreciate fine art.” Seungmin couldn’t help but comment because teasing Jisung made him pout which was always a cute sight to see.

Jisung let out a huff, “I can appreciate it– I want to go on a date with Jinnie.”

If Seungmin was close enough to the back seat, he would have ruffled the omega’s hair, put him in a playful headlock and told him he was adorable. He’d known Jisung longer than they’d been in the pack, and their bond had always felt special. Jisung’s place in his heart was one he treasured very dearly.

“I’d like that,” Hyunjin responded and Seungmin could hear the shyness in his tone. “It won’t be too boring for you?”

“Promise. I might even learn something!” Jisung beamed.

Seungmin felt a smile stretching up his cheeks. He closed his eyes contentedly as he listened to them talk. 

“Look at you,” Minho’s words to Hyunjin vaguely registered in his ears. “Got yourself a city date.”

“Hyung,” Hyunjin whined. He sounded happy.

Chapter 21: City Adventures - Jisung

Jisung had always considered himself to be quiet by nature but passionate around the people he trusted and loved. 

Not being able to read other people the way he could read his mates’ scents made him uncertain. But, joining the pack had boosted his confidence around new people, and with everything that had happened recently, and the new shifters he’d met at the conference, he felt as if he’d grown and matured. He was determined, reliable and responsible, and he was proud of the steps he’d taken to truly believe in himself. 

Being brave wasn’t always easy, but when it came to standing up for his pack members, he was as brave as one could possibly get.

“An omega paying for an alpha?” The stranger in line at the museum laughed from behind Jisung, catching him off guard. He turned, seeing the tall omega standing too close to Hyunjin with a jeering smirk on his face. “What kind of alpha are you? Either you don’t know how to look after your mate or you’re spineless enough to not care.” 

“Hey,” Jisung snapped, pulling Hyunjin away from the man and linking their arms together. Hyunjin was silent beside him, surprised by the man’s comment but Jisung was seeing red.

“He speaks for you too?” The man’s eyebrows raised as if he found that all the more entertaining, but there was an underlying bitterness in his tone.

Hyunjin curled closer and Jisung scowled, puffing up his stance because while he didn’t have the omega’s height, he was just as capable of standing up to him. “Mind your own business.”

“What? I don’t mean any offence,” The man raised his hands with a laugh, “I’m more sympathetic for you, stuck with an alpha like him. What, is that how you like it? Is he your little bitch or something?”

Jisung growled, launching for the man like he’d gone feral, but Hyunjin was quick to pull him back by the arm. People around them murmured at the scene they were causing, He jostled in the alpha’s grip, trying to break free so he could attack the vile omega, but Hyunjin refused to let him go.

“Let me go,” Jisung snapped as the man took a step back, a look of shock in his eyes. 

“Woah...I shouldn’t have stuck my nose into it. I was just having fun, no need to overreact.”

Jisung finally managed to push Hyunjin’s arms off him, letting out a huff as he straightened himself. The satisfaction of frightening the man was enough for him to resist further violence. “Fuck off before I show you what kind of omega I really am,” he growled in final warning.

The man looked between them with an expression that morphed into disgust. “Whatever,” he huffed. “Can’t take a fucking joke. Stupid mutts,” he muttered before turning and stalking off.

Jisung bared his teeth as he watched the omega walk away. The resentful look he’d had in his eyes was enough for Jisung to tell that he was jealous of them. Seeing Jisung, an omega, providing for and protecting Hyunjin, an alpha, had obviously stirred up some bitter feelings in the stranger’s life, but there was no excuse for the way he’d talked to Hyunjin.

“Let’s go,” Hyunjin spoke softly from beside him and Jisung jolted out of his angry headspace, back into reality with guilt washing through him. He’d made a scene and it was obvious Hyunjin was uncomfortable now.

“I’m sorry,” He said when they were back out on the street. “I shouldn’t have caused a scene like that but he was horrible– how can someone be so outright with their prejudiced opinions? How could he say that stuff to you?” He felt offence seeping back into his veins again but Hyunjin slipped their hands together, fingers linking and he took a breath, calming himself as the alpha stroked his upper palm with his thumb.

“He’s gone now.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?” He asked, playing with Hyunjin’s fingers. He relaxed his scent to send out waves of comfort for the alpha because he could sense that Hyunjin was still on edge.

Hyunjin scuffed his shoe against the pavement, shrugging. “I’ve heard it before.” 

Jisung’s heart sank and he gave Hyunjin’s hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry,” he apologised again, gentler. “He shouldn’t have said those things to you, and he’s wrong. There’s nothing wrong with you and there’s nothing wrong with me,” He assured, sympathy laced into his tone. 

Hyunjin was someone who was so full of love and so deserving of love in return. With all his heart, Jisung admired and adored him. He’d do anything for Hyunjin and he knew the alpha would do the same in return. That was love.

Hyunjin gave him a small smile of appreciation. “Thank you for sticking up for me.”

“Always.”

Chapter Text

Hyunjin woke up early. There was a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. Waves of anxiousness coursed through his veins, all without logical reason. He took in a steady breath.

They were going home today and he couldn’t deny that he was ready to get back to their peaceful section of the forest. The conference and holiday had been a lot, overwhelming in many ways but valuable beyond words. It felt as if the conference had made a real difference in the community, and their holiday had been the rejuvenating experience they’d all needed.

He was all packed with his bags ready to put into the van by the time everyone else was stirring and moving around sluggishly to collect their own things. He felt antsy and off kilter.

“Why are you awake so early?” Felix huffed as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. He had an apple in his hand, one bite taken out of it as he walked past the couch Hyunjin was patiently sitting on.

Hyunjin didn’t know why his brain had decided to wake him up so early with an itching feeling under his skin with the desire to go home. It wasn’t homesickness because anywhere was home with his mates by his side. Maybe it was an unconscious anticipation for planning his mating ceremony, although that didn’t feel right either. It wasn’t a pleasant type of anticipation. He shrugged, watching Felix head back to his room to pack.

Over the next half hour, he spent his time scrolling through his camera roll, smiling at the photos he’d taken during their holiday and then ones he’d taken before that. Having grown up without this kind of technology, he still found smart phones rather amazing. Such a small device could do so many cool things, how neat, he thought.

Within the next five minutes, Seungmin and Changbin had made their way out of their rooms, dressed and headed for the coffee machine. Hyunjin hummed idly, fingers tapping on his knees. A charged feeling filled the air and then–

“I just don’t get why we can’t stay one more day, Hyung! It would be safer!” 

Jisung’s voice came out loud and angry from one of the rooms and Hyunjin, Seungmin and Changbin all paused in surprise. His tone was exceedingly upset, distraught in a way that Hyunjin hadn’t heard since the fight.

“I thought he was looking forward to going home,” Changbin mumbled, and Seungmin shrugged. 

“It would be the exact opposite of safe, Sung. You know that. We’re not staying another day,” Chan’s response followed. He was clearly irritated but Hyunjin could tell he was trying to handle the situation maturely. “We should be at home for this– not in a hotel room in the city.”

“But you’re all here, nothing will happen! I don’t want to travel while feeling like this,” Jisung shot back and there was an unintentional whine in his tone, “Tell him, Jeongin, you agree with me, right?”

There was a pause. Hyunjin sat up straight, watching the hallway anxiously. Everyone argued from time to time. Sometimes disagreements turned emotional but that was just a part of life. Hyunjin would forever appreciate the way their pack handled arguments with communication and understanding. He wasn’t a confrontational person, being in his old pack had made sure of that; The fear of being caught in the aggressive crossfire of a pack fight was what he’d grown up with. It still lingered with him but it no longer felt so paralysing.

“I think he’s in pre-heat,” Seungmin said quietly. 

Oh, Hyunjin thought. It was certainly less than ideal timing. Going into a cycle while away from home was dangerous if you weren’t in a safe place, and travelling home today definitely wouldn’t feel great for Jisung but Hyunjin was inclined to take Chan’s side on this. Jisung deserved to be looked after in the comfort of their home where he was safe and protected. 

Had Jisung been in a state of rational thought, he wouldn't want to stay either so Chan had to make the logical decision for him.

“I…think it would be more sensible to go home. If we leave now we’ll be there in no time,” Jeongin’s voice sounded out, tentative but encouraging. Then, wordlessly, there were thumping footsteps coming down the hallway and Jisung appeared at the entrance of the room.

His face was flushed and there were tears welling in his eyes. Hyunjin wanted to get up and wrap him in a hug but his instincts told him to hold back and let Chan continue to handle this. 

Jisung hiccuped, “C-can you tell Chan hyung to let us s-stay one more day?” he sniffled, tears beginning to overflow as he looked at Hyunjin pleadingly, and Hyunjin’s heart ached. He gave the omega an apologetic look but before he could say anything, Chan’s voice came from down the hall again.

“We’re not staying, Jisung. I’m sorry. I’m packing your things and then we’re going home.” Chan’s tone was firm but not unkind and Jisung let out a weak cry in protest. Rational thinking was clearly well out of his grasp now.

“Please, Jinnie. I don’t want to leave– there’s too many smells out there and I’ll be too h-hot in the car–” he stopped to let out a sob, “and I’ll get car s-sick and I–”

“Come here, Sungie,” Changbin said gently as he went over and held his arms out to Jisung who melted into him and pressed his face into the alpha’s neck. “We just want to keep you safe and being in a hotel with so many other people around isn’t the best idea.”

Jisung didn’t respond, his sobs probably too loud in his ears to comprehend Changbin’s words. His cycle made all of his emotions very intense, Hyunjin noted sympathetically. 

He pulled at the corner of his lip, unsure of what to do. He wanted to ease Jisung’s distress but the best way to accomplish that wasn’t to stay here. It was better to get home as quickly as they could and take care of him in the nest. Once his heat set in, he’d much rather be at home than here.

Minho and Felix came into the living room, their expressions sad as they watched Jisung cry in Changbin’s arms. Following behind, Chan and Jeongin joined them, the whole pack now enveloped in the distressed atmosphere. 

“Jisung,” Chan stepped forward, “You can sit in the passenger seat, I’ll keep the air conditioning blasting and we’ll be home and back in the nest before you know it. You love our nest right? Think about how nice it will be to cuddle up with all the soft pillows,” He said with a soft tone and gentle persuasion. He dropped Jisung’s bag beside Hyunjin’s and Hyunjin watched the dinosaur keychain from their museum trip sway against the zipper tape.

With the realisation that he could now do something helpful, Hyunjin stood up from the couch. “I’ll go put these in the van,” He said quietly to Chan who gave him an appreciative smile and passed him the keys. 

“Thank you,” The alpha mouthed before turning back to Jisung who was being moved by Changbin to sit in one of the chairs so he could rest his wobbling legs. 

With one last apologetic glance to the omega, Hyunjin headed down to the lobby with his and Jisung’s bags in his hold. The elevator smelt strongly of other shifters, their scents indistinguishable and mixing together in a way that Hyunjin could only describe as dizzying. He felt sorry for Jisung who would eventually have to brave the trip down. 

The lobby was, to Hyunjin’s surprise, completely empty. While it was still reasonably early, he hadn’t expected to be the only one there besides the staff worker behind the counter and the valet just outside, ready to lead him to their van. 

The unsettled feeling returned to his stomach and he hovered in the lobby as he tried to figure out why his feet were so hesitant to move. The worker outside locked eyes with him and gave him a polite smile. 

Tentatively, he smiled back, took a breath and then made his way to the door. The sooner he got their bags in the van, the sooner he could head back up to bring the others’ bags down as well.

“Good morning,” The valet at the door greeted him, and Hyunjin dipped his head in return. The man checked that he had the right number plate and then Hyunjin followed him round the side of the hotel to where all the vehicles were parked. “Nice morning isn’t it?” The man commented lightly as they walked and Hyunjin hummed in agreement. 

“Here we are,” He said, a smile on his face as he stopped in front of a green six seater. It was old and scuffed and definitely not the one Chan had rented for their trip. A tightness built in his throat.

“This isn’t the right car,” He swallowed, looking around the lott, “It’s that–”

“No.” The man interrupted, “This is the right one, Hyunjin. Why don’t you put the bags down?” The look in his eyes turned from polite to severe and he looked at Hyunjin as though he could see right through him. It was unnerving.

“W-what?” Hyunjin stammered, a cold sweat building at his spine, but before he could even consider making a run for it, two men exited the van, their statures tall and confident.

Hyunjin’s entire body seized up. 

Joonseob.

Images of being cornered in the forest filled his mind. The sharp feeling of being punched and kicked shot through his stomach. The phantom ache in his ribs took the air from his lungs. No one had treated him worse than Joonseob. 

“Long time no see, Hyunjinnie,” Joonseob grinned wickedly. He had been waiting for this moment since the day Hyunjin had escaped. It was written all over his face.

Hyunjin’s name sounded rotten on the man’s tongue. He wanted to scream but his throat felt like sandpaper and his limbs had turned to ice. Everything inside of him yelled at him to move, to run, to get back to his pack– but he couldn’t.

“We’ve missed you,” Joonseob continued, walking closer before circling Hyunjin like a vulture. “Are you ready to come home?”

The muscular man standing beside the van was someone Hyunjin recognised from his old pack but the valet was a new face, someone who had seemed trustworthy enough that he hadn’t even considered the potential danger. He should have trusted his gut and stayed in the hotel. He’d been so easily tricked. 

Home.

No. The Jang pack wasn’t home. His home was here, with Chan’s pack. With his s oon to be mates.

“Get in the van, Hyunjin,” Joonseob said, his large hands finally reaching out to grab him, and Hyunjin found his voice again to let out a screech.

“No!”

“Get in the van. You’re going to cause a scene,” Joonseob gritted through his teeth. His dry palms burned Hyunjin’s skin and Hyunjin fought against him until the other man had to grab his arms to further restrain him. He felt sick, their hands on his skin felt like acid, burning through the layers of flesh until all that remained was bone. 

“Chan– Chan!! Changbin! Help– Someone, please!” He cried, yelling as loud as he could. He was shoved through the side door of the van, his body hitting the thin carpet with a thump. Frantically, he looked out the window, searching for a sign that someone had heard him but the car park remained empty and quiet. 

“Please,” He broke out into sobs. Joonseob and the other Jang pack member got into the front seats as the valet started to shut the side door of the van. Briefly, he met Hyunjin’s eyes in an unwavering gaze. 

“See you soon.” The door slammed shut, the lock clicking immediately and Hyunjin’s head spun. See you soon? He’d never seen the man before in his life. 

Cries fell from his lips as the van pulled out of the car park. He fought against the door, frantically trying to unlock it. Despite his desperation it stayed firmly shut. The windows refused to smash under his fists and the partition didn’t break for him to reach his captors.

It was coming together just as Joonseob had planned out. They had him and now there was no way to escape. 

He was going back to the Jang pack.

The car ride was long. Every bump had Hyunjin’s stomach rolling and every car they passed he begged to be saved by. They were out of the city. The forest line loomed ahead but Hyunjin knew the journey would be a lot longer heading back to the Jang pack territory than it was to his real home.

By now, his mates had surely noticed he was missing. His bags had been abandoned in the parking lot, left to be found by whoever came down looking for him. He cursed the fact that he’d slipped his phone with the van keys into the side pocket of his bag before he’d gotten into the elevator. If he had his phone they might have been able to track him.

The van stopped as the midday sun barely peeked through the grey clouds, hiding behind them like it knew the danger Hyunjin was walking back into. It was a long walk from the van to their pack territory but Hyunjin remembered each step as memory after memory came flooding back. 

Having rocks that left dark bruises, thrown at him by the lake. Joonseob’s group torturing him with threats that kept him awake at night. The way the kind village omegas’ expressions turned cold and unwelcoming one he’d presented as an alpha. He was an outcast. A failure. A target. An outlet for abuse. 

“It’s been so boring without you,” Joonseob sighed, his large hand holding a tight grip on Hyunjin’s arm as he dragged him through the forest. 

“Please let me go,” Hyunjin whimpered, trying not to trip over tree branches as he was forced to match Joonseob’s pace. 

“Don’t be stupid. Taesoon is going to be so proud that I was the one to bring you back.” The alpha grinned. 

Taesoon. The Jang pack’s leader. A shiver ran through Hyunjin and the hair on his body prickled. There was no one more unforgiving than Taesoon. If he wanted someone dead, it was done, whether that be by his own hand or his minions that looked up to him like he actually cared about them. He had no regard for life, it was a game that he played with all of the control in his possession. Joonseob was one of his most devoted underlings and if Hyunjin wasn’t so scared of him, he’d find him pathetic.

“We,” The other alpha huffed, following behind them to make sure that Hyunjin couldn’t get away. As if he’d be able to rip himself from Joonseob’s bruising grip.

“Your hair is so long,” Joonseob commented, ignoring the other alpha entirely. He lifted the hand that wasn’t holding a death grip on Hyunjin’s bare arm to take hold of a lock of his long blond hair. 

Hyunjin flinched. “Don’t touch me.” The old tears on his cheeks had dried but fresh ones sprung to his eyes as Joonseob yanked on his hair sharply.

“Be careful,” Joonseob warned, clicking his tongue as his lip curled into a snarl, “You’re mine again, do you understand?” 

Mine. 

Bile rose up from Hyunjin’s stomach.

He shook his head defiantly before crying out as Jeoonseob’s palm spread to grasp his hair with another painful tug. Sharp nails scratched at his scalp and the burn made him tremble. Joonseub moved his head up and down, the motion floppy as Hyunjin tried not to fight the fiery pain. 

“You’re mine,” He reiterated coldly, tilting Hyunjin’s head in a way that he had no choice but to look directly into his eyes. “Say it.”

Hyunjin’s lips quivered and he squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn’t– He wasn’t Joonseob’s. He had escaped from this pack. He was his own person. He was soon to have seven mates– He needed his mates. His heart ached desperately for them, his alpha distraught. He couldn’t feel them, not in the way he would have had they already mated. It hurt so bad, more than the nails digging into his scalp as Joonseob gave another tug. “Say it or I’ll make you walk back naked,” he hissed, roughly moving to claw at Hyunjin’s shirt.

“No–” Hyunjin cried, “I’m yours, I’m yours. Please,” his sobs must have vibrated through the forest with how loud he pleaded. The humiliation of walking back naked was too much but the words tasted awful on his tongue. He felt disgusting. 

Joonseob laughed, cruel and familiar. He pushed Hyunjin’s head forward and then let his hair go before grabbing him by the arm to start walking again. The other alpha chuckled behind them and Hyunjin kept his head hung, fresh tears dripping down onto the forest floor.

Hyunjin viscerally felt it the second they entered the Jang territory. His insides lurched and his alpha was clawing at him to get away, to run just like he’d done to escape this horrible pack.

The forest was so quiet, not a single birdsong in the air. It was eerie and his skin felt cold from the lack of sun streaming in through the trees. A frigid autumn day. Summer was gone. He wished he’d put on a hoodie before leaving the hotel. A light tee-shirt and comfortable sweatpants were ideal for the car ride home, not for being dragged through the rough, untamed parts of the forest. 

As they neared the communal area of the pack territory where log built buildings surrounded a main square that housed bonfires and public gatherings, Hyunjin heard voices. He lifted his head, eyes meeting the sight of a large group of shifters awaiting his arrival. They were parted so Joonseob could bring him through. Hy could feel their anticipation in the air.

“He’s Ba—ack!” Joonseob howled, setting off a chorus of leering cheers.

Hyunjin was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t realised how anticipated his return was. Those who hadn’t bullied him had still disliked him and deemed him an outcast. It was only for the honour of the leader and his closest group that Hyunjin’s return was proof Taesoon was the powerful leader he forced everyone to see him as. Maybe Hyunjin’s escape had caused an uproar, sparking the question of if Taesoon was strong enough to lead the pack. Either way, as Hyunjin was dragged past the pack members he still recognised so painfully, it didn’t matter what had gone on while he was away. He was back.

“Finally,” A deeper voice sounded out, and walking down the path of people, Taesoon made his way over to them. He had a smirk plastered on his face and there was a harsh glimmer in his dark eyes. Hyunjin’s return meant more to him than it did to anyone else.

Hyunjin had always done everything he could to stay out of Taesoon’s way ever since he took over as pack leader, and while Hyunjin was definitely known by everyone in the pack, including Taesoon, the leader had left it to his loyal yet unintelligent devotees, like Joonseob, to handle him. 

“After we tried and almost succeeded – in killing your pack members,” He started bitterly, “I’d hoped you would’ve come back home on your own.” The use of Hyunjin’s native dialect sounded so much different now. He’d gotten used to using the standard language, it was strange and unpleasantly reminiscent to hear the dialect.

Taesoon loomed over him. Like Joonseob, who wanted to be a carbon copy of their leader, he had short spiky hair and a tall, well built form. He towered over them both but it was only Hyunjin who trembled with fear. However, at the mention of his pack, Hyunjin felt a wave of rage roll through him. How dare Taesoon speak of them with a mouth as vile as his.

“You didn’t try to kill us. You sent another pack to do it for you,” He hissed out, fists clenching. They were cowards, but petrified under the leader's gaze, he fought the urge to cower.

Taesoon let out a laugh and his hand came up to grab Hyunjin’s jaw. The touch was harsh, as if he was trying to squeeze his jaw until his bones shattered. “We did…didn’t we?” A renewed blazing fire lit in his eyes, excited yet angry. “You recognised them,” He narrowed his gaze as Hyunjin’s expression didn’t give him the reaction he wanted. “But you don’t know how…”

Hyunjin hadn’t recognised the mountain pack, but he could still feel the way they’d stared at him at the end of the fight. Knowing. It felt as if he should have recognised them, like they knew him far better than someone just hired by a deranged pack to kill his mates. They had been familiar, but not in a way Hyunjin could have ever understood. 

Taesoon searched his eyes with a humm, “You really don’t know, do you?” He asked acrimoniously as he roughly let go of Hyunjin’s jaw. There were murmurs within the crowd and Hyunjin swallowed, eyes darting around.

Joonseob’s friends were near the front with fire alight in their eyes. Anticipation for some kind of long awaited justice. They shared the same passion as Taesoon and Joonseob, and they were just as Hyunjin remembered them. The girls’ hair had grown longer and one of the guys had shaved his head, but at their core, they were the same. 

Hyunjin’s eyes met Taesoon’s again before the leader’s grin widened and he looked past Hyunjin to Joonseob.

“Good job, Joon.” He praised, reaching out to pat the younger alpha’s shoulder and Joonseob puffed his chest proudly. Hyunjin feared that one day Joonseob would become the leader of the Jang pack. “Now, chain him up,” Taesoon instructed, his voice hardening again.

Hyunjin let out a screech of protest.

Joonseob yanked him away and the crowd split, moving so that he could chain Hyunjin up on the raised stage used for public beatings and executions.

“Please don’t do this,” Hyunjin begged, shaking his head as he rattled the chains. They were tied to tall beams, forcing his arms to stretch up to the sky. His fingers numbed, eyes wide with fear as he took in the sight of everyone watching eagerly.   

It felt like a nightmare, one he internally begged for Minho and Felix to gently coax him out of. He wanted to be in their arms, breathing in their scents and feeling safe and loved.

“You did this to yourself, Hyunjin,” Joonseob replied before turning his attention to the crowd. “Justice is finally being served!” He yelled and an uproar of howls sounded out in response, elated in support. “You betrayed this pack, you betrayed every single one of us!” His claws extended and Hyunjin gasped, frantically fighting the restraints. What justice could make this justifiable?

The howls intensified and Hyunjin froze as Joonseob moved behind him and out of his eye line. The ripping of fabric and the cold air on his back had him choking out a breath. The back of his shirt turned to tatters, skin bare before the swipe of claws slashed down, digging into his skin and dragging a mess of blood and flesh in its path.

Hyunjin cried out in shock and horror. The stinging burnt like fire, hot and sharp, and as Joonseob struck him again from another angle, he felt as if he might pass out from the pain. Each slash of his claws deepend raw bloody wounds and shredded his skin like paper. All he could do was hang by his arms in humiliated agony. 

Were his mates looking for him? He cried for them, his alpha ached inside him, desperately searching for their scents. They’d know who took him but seven shifters were no match for the Jang pack and the mountain pack combined. He couldn’t see them, the attackers Taesoon had sent from the mountains to kill his mates, but they were close by. He could feel their presence. The valet from the hotel could have been one of them, he realised as another bolt of pain lashed down on him.

Jisung was going into heat. He must be so distraught. The stress would most likely shorten his pre-heat and launch him straight into his heat. He couldn't be alone right now and in addition to being grossly outnumbered, his pack didn’t know the Jang pack territory the way Hyunjin did. Taesoon would expect them to come, whether that be in a matter of hours or a matter of days. There was no element of surprise and anyone who might even consider coming to save him would have to face the fact that they’d be risking their lives, because the fight wouldn’t end peacefully.

They’d be risking their lives for Hyunjin .

Taesoon knew that and he was executing his plan perfectly.

“Are you going to run away again?” Hyunjin’s attention was drawn back to the reality of the situation as Joonseob yelled loud enough to hype up the crowd again. He was putting on a show, and Hyunjin was the spectacle. 

He was weak, battered and bloody. Defying them would only bring him more pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, his face wet with tears as he shook his head, “I won’t,” he cried out with a shriek as Joonseob pressed a claw into one of the deeper wounds. He could feel the way the alpha’s claw toyed with his bloody flesh. “I won’t run away again,” He sobbed. 

Joonseob retracted his hand and stepped away from him, satisfied. His hands were covered in Hyunjin’s blood which dripped down his arm as he retracted his claws. Hyunjin let out a shuddering breath. His back sizzled with sparks of pain and each brush of air against his skin felt like fire, hot, sharp, burning fire.

After Hyunjin was unchained, Joonseob and two of his friends; Gyongmin, the man with the shaved head and Seoha, one of the two girls in the five member group, moved him into the dining hall building and down the stairs to a basement that Hyunjin hadn’t known existed. 

He heaved each breath, pain coursing through his body as they paid no mind to the injuries Joonseob had inflicted on him. Once down in the basement, they chained him up again, hands rough and unforgiving. The chains were bolted to the floor so he could move around enough to stand and walk a few steps but they were still tight on his wrists regardless. 

The basement was a single room and its purpose was clear. It was designed to be a prison cell. Behind the metal bars of the cell was a thin yoga-mat like mattress and a practically see-through blanket in one corner, and a metal toilet in the other. He shuddered at the thought of what those who had been locked down here before him might have faced.

“Nice and tight,” Seoha flashed her teeth as she double checked the locks on his wrists and from where he sat on the ground, Hyunjin looked at her with watery eyes. “Your scent still smells like dirt,” she added, her nose wrinkling.

Hyunjin felt his heart crack, “Why are you doing this?” 

With a scoff, “Poor, innocent Hyunjin,” She pouted and clicked her teeth. The exhilaration in her eyes shifted to something more vengeful and enraged. “So oblivious to all the lives you’ve ruined.” The way she said it felt as if Hyunjin had done something to personally wrong her.

“Wha–”

“Give me the scissors,” Joonseob cut them off, reaching out his hand expectantly to Gyeongmin and Seoha stepped back begrudgingly.

Gyeongmin huffed, “Why do you get to be the one to do it?”

A crashing wave of dread ran through him and he glanced between them, his body shaking like a leaf. Scissors? No– He grasped at his long hair, holding it protectively to his chest.

“Don’t cut it! Please don’t,” He begged as Joonseob took a step towards him. He cowered, he’d worked so hard to grow his hair so beautifully. He’d treasured it, he’d let his mates brush and braid it. Flower crowns and nice smelling hair oils that Minho bought him as a gift. He had felt beautiful.

Without looking behind him, Joonseob replied to Gyeongmin, “Because when he closes his eyes at night, the only thing I want him to be able to see is me, ” He crowded Hyunjin’s space, his hand shooting out to grab him by the back of his hair. With a sharp tug, Hyunjin let out a wail. “Destroying everything he’s ever loved.”

“No! Please don’t,” Hyunjin cried, trying to shake himself out of Joonseob’s grip. He thrashed around hard enough for the alpha to get annoyed and call Seoha forward again to hold him still. All Hyunjin could do was sob, the tears rolling down his face, fat and hot. If he was a stronger alpha he could have thrown them off– He felt so pathetic.

Joonseob took a chunk of hair into his grasp, yanking it into place and then the metal scissors sliced down, cutting through the strands with a loud –Sshick. One cut turned into two and then he was hashing his way through Hyunjin’s hair with no care for precision. When he finally moved back, Hyunjin could see the manic look in his eyes, the elation that came from stripping Hyunjin down bit by bit; The permanent scars on his back, his blood stained sweatpants, his shirt in tatters and now his hair, ruined. Evident in his expression, whatever happiness Hyunjin had, Joonseob would always strive to take it from him.

By the time Seoha let him go, the hair that had been cut was now fanned around them on the ground. Beautiful blond hair, golden from warm days in the sun. Gone. The longest strands that were still on his head went only just past his shoulders, but Joonseob had cut higher to create layers that were uneven.

“Looking good,” Gyongmin snorted from where he leaned against the side of the cell door and Seoha let out a giggle as she kicked some of the stray hair from her boots. 

“How do you feel, Hyunjin?” She asked, dusting her hands off as though touching him had dirtied her. She cocked her head, waiting for a response but Hyunjin just sniffled, head lowered as he looked at the hair on the ground.

“Let’s go,” Joonseob ordered as he moved back and stepped out of the cell. 

“You’re so cruel,” Hyunjin whispered, hands coming up to touch the hair on his shoulders. Images flashed in his mind, a younger version of himself standing in front of a mirror as he cut his hair short in order to fit in, in the hope that it would stop people from bullying him.

Gyeongmin shut and locked the door of the cell, his gaze apathetic on him now that Hyunjin wasn’t being publicly humiliated. The trio walked back up the stairs and out of Hyunjin’s eyesight, but Joonseob lingered for a moment. 

“I’ll be back,” He sing-songed.

Once Hyunjin was alone, he shakily sat down on the cold floor, pulled his knees to his chest and pressed his forehead against the knee-caps of his dirty, loose-hair covered sweatpants. The position stretched the nasty gashes on his back but curling in on himself gave him the smallest sense of comfort. 

Sobs broke from his lips again and hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He missed his mates. He missed their gentle touches and soft kisses. He missed being treated so kindly. They loved him unconditionally and taught him how to love himself. But here, with the Jang pack, he wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t alpha enough, he wasn’t strong enough, he couldn't hunt well, he was passive. Here, he hadn’t wanted to take a mate, not that too many people had been interested in him. Weakly, he pressed his cheek to his shoulder, scenting himself in the hope that he’d be able to detect his mates scents. All he could smell was Joonseob and Seoha, blood, and himself.

Hours passed. He wasn’t sure how much time had gone by since they’d locked him up. It had been reasonably early in the morning when they’d captured him and it must have been around mid-day, maybe later, when they’d arrived in the Jang pack territory. Being in the basement, he couldn’t see if the sun was still in the sky, but if he had to guess, it would have set. Dark and unforgiving. 

There was a single lightbulb hanging above him. Its light was dim and it flickered every so often, a quiet buzz emanating from it. It seemed loud in the otherwise silent room. He uncurled his very stiff legs, hands coming up to wipe his face as he slowly moved to stand up. A small whimper escaped his lips from the way the movement pulled at his wounds. 

The blood was still fresh but they’d soon crust over before fading into scars. That was if they didn’t get infected. He tried not to fixate on the ‘what if’s’ and instead moved around the cell, fingers trailing the bars before jingling at the lock. 

He spent at least half an hour trying to find a way out of the cell. He tried to break the bars, unscrew the hinges on the door and break the lock by bashing his chains against it, but to no avail. He was truly stuck down here, alone until Joonseob came down to torture him again. He gripped the bars and leaned his head against the cold metal.

“Please,” he whispered, although he wasn’t sure who the plea was directed to. No one in the Jang pack would ever consider helping him and his mates certainly couldn’t hear him. It was a hopeless plea. 

Another couple of hours must have passed before Hyunjin heard the door to the basement click open again. He scrambled up from his thin mattress to hold himself in a position that was weak from his injuries. His heart thumped in his ears and he watched the steps as heavy footsteps made their way down to him. 

“Hyunjinnie,” Joonseob’s voice sounded out and soon his dark boots could be seen walking down the wooden planks. 

Hyunjin sucked in a breath and fought the urge to shrink back into the corner. His eyes followed Joonseob’s every step until they were face to face with nothing but the cell door between them. 

“We have a lot to talk about,” The alpha bared his teeth and Hyunjin felt his blood run cold as Joonseob pulled the cell keys out from his pocket. In a skittish movement, Hyunjin stumbled backwards, watching in fear as Joonseob unlocked and then slid open the wide door. 

With the barrier between them gone, Hyunjin felt small. He held his wrists to his chest. The metal of the chains were cold against his shredded shirt, making him shiver. He backed himself as far away as he could until the cold cement wall hit his skin and he let out a small yowl at the sudden contact with his open wounds. 

“You’re so funny, Hyunjin,” Joonseob laughed cruelly, watching with amusement as he twirled the cell keys in his hand. He moved to take a seat on one of the wooden crates that was haphazardly placed outside the cell. “You always have been.”

“Why do you hate me so much?” Hyunjin asked, the words forced out of his dry throat. He’d never deserved the way Joonseob treated him. He was always polite, he kept to himself, he did his best . Why hadn’t that been enough for people to leave him alone, to let him escape without dragging him back here to torture him again?

Joonseob leaned back against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. He was settled in a way that told Hyunjin he planned on staying for a while. The alpha cocked his head and the smile fell from his face. “You’re the most insufferable person I’ve ever met.”

The words stung but he knew they weren’t true. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Sun Jibin treated you so well growing up,” Joonseob continued and there was a biting bitterness in his tone. 

Hyunjin’s eyebrows pulled into a frown of confusion. Sun Jibin, their old pack leader?

“He could have left little baby Hyunjin to die in the forest, but no, he had to be the hero. And where did that get him?” Joonseob snorted resentfully. 

Hyunjin swallowed, pulling his arms closer to his chest. “M-my parents were killed by hunters. I…I was a baby, I wouldn’t have survived if Jibin hadn’t found me. He was a kind person.” He responded carefully. 

“They weren’t killed by hunters,” Joonseob snarled, shooting up onto his feet. He stood in the threshold of the cell, “Jibin saving you…” He ran a hand through his hair, the spikes loosening from his frustration, “was the worst thing he ever did for this pack. He deserved to die for letting you live.” His tone was venomous, too venomous and resentful for someone who simply bullied him because they could.

“I don’t understand,” Hyunjin shook his head, bewilderment mixing with hurt. “I’ve always kept to myself. I never took for granted that this pack saved me and I didn’t ask to become an alpha.” He scrunched his hands as a cold sweat built at his spine, “What do you mean they weren’t killed by hunters?”

Joonseob tipped his head back with an irritated growl, “Did it not click when that pack came to kill your fake mates? Are you that oblivious to it all?” He bared his teeth again, “We sacrificed everything that day because you were important enough to save– but unlike killing your parents, they couldn’t get the fucking job done.”

Hyunjin’s breath stuttered, “The mountain pack killed my parents?”

“Hyunjin,” Joonseob passed the threshold of the cell, his height towering over Hyunjin. “You’re a Hwang. They wanted back what was theirs. ”

The walls could have crumbled around them and Hyunjin wouldn’t have heard it over the ringing in his ears. The mountain pack was the Hwang pack– The pack his parents had run from only to be caught and killed. He was supposed to die with them that day for the disloyalty his parents had committed. Why would they want him back after leaving him for dead? Bile rose up his throat and he had to swallow hard to keep it down.

“This was all because of you. It was always about you– When the Hwangs found out you’d been saved, they wanted you back,” Joonseob said with a scoff, “And Jibin made an agreement with them that once you presented he’d return you to them. We provided them with the resources they desperately needed and they let Jibin raise you in return. But they got greedy. They took and took from us and then they threatened to take over our pack– they were bigger than we thought, so Taesoon did what had to be done to protect us.”

“Taesoon killed Jibin,” Hyunjin whispered. He’d always been certain that Jibin hadn’t died by accident, but he couldn’t have known it was all about him.

“Instead of kicking you back to the pack that wanted you dead, Taesoon kept you. Like a trophy. If he had you, he had power over the Hwang pack. You being an alpha made it worse. It didn’t matter that you’re a useless, incompetent, disgrace of an alpha, they wanted you back even more, and who had to suffer for it? Us.”

“I didn’t know,” Hyunjin trembled, his legs weak. He felt like he might collapse but he was frozen to the spot, shock paralysing him. Taesoon chose his own pride over the safety of his pack, but Hyunjin was the villain?

“Of course you didn’t. Most of the pack doesn’t know because if word had gotten out, what would you have done? You would’ve run off to the Hwangs and Taesoon would’ve been put to shame. Our pack would fall apart and the Hwangs would take over.”

“I wouldn’t have run off to them, they killed my parents,” Hyunjin replied vehemently. “They tried to m-murder my pack–”

“We’re your pack. Not the Bangs,” Joonseob cut him off, anger flaring over his expression again.

“But…” Hyunjin was frantically trying to wrap his head around it all. “You worked with the Hwangs to get me back. They could have forced me to go back with them, but you worked together. Why would Taesoon allow that?”

“Because we lost – The Hwangs made us a ‘peaceful compromise’ that only benefits them. They’ve humiliated us.” He brought a hand out, his finger demeaningly poking at Hyunjin’s head. “Taesoon failed at getting you mated to one of our omegas before you ran off. He had no leverage so we had no choice but to work with them. They want our numbers, our resources, and most importantly they want Taesoon’s trophy; You. So you’ll mate one of the Hwangs…and on agreed terms, our packs,” Joonseob’s lips twitched in disgust, “our packs will merge.”

Hyunjin’s heart pounded in his chest, so hard it felt like it would come up his throat and bounce onto the concrete floor. He couldn't mate with anyone that wasn’t the pack he loved so dearly. He wouldn’t. He felt another wave of nausea wash over him. 

“They’re missing a pack leader thanks to your dear Bang Chan, so Taesoon will at least keep his status. Although he’s not too happy about having a council of not only a few of the Hwangs but some of the Jangs, that can now overrule him. He doesn’t like not being able to do what he wants,” Taesoon tutted. “But I won’t bore you with the politics of the future. All you have to do now is keep your head down, take a mate and make some pups that hopefully won't turn out as pathetic as you.”

Hyunjin swallowed, static pulsating in his ears. “The Hwang pack leader…” Images of Chan killing the pack leader flashed in his mind, followed up with Seungmin who’d been forced to kill one of the members. He swallowed the tacky lump in his throat. They knew him. Most packs weren’t all linked by blood, they wouldn’t exactly produce a good bloodline if that were the case, but the Hwang’s who fought them that day had known Hyunjin in a manner too personal to not be by blood.

“Your uncle,” A satisfied smirk twitched at Joonseob’s lips, “Pretty fucked up, isn’t it? Bang Chan killed your uncle and, what was his name– the beta, Seungmin? He killed your cousin. How sick is that?”

Hyunjin felt his breathing cut off and his hand found the wall behind him to steady himself. “They would have killed my pack. Chan and Seungmin had no choice. It doesn’t matter that the Hwangs are my blood…they mean nothing to me.”

Joonseob jabbed his finger into Hyunjin’s forehead again. “I really hate you so much, Hyunjin. You’re selfish,” He hissed, “Selfish, Selfish, Selfish. You’ve only ever cared about yourself. We’ve had to put everything on the line for you for years , to protect Taesoon’s ungrateful little trophy.”

“I didn’t ask for this–”

“We raised you but you gave us no loyalty,” Joonseob growled, “and then you ran off, slapped us in the face by giving yourself to that Bang pack and forcing us to give up our pride to get you back. You disgust me. Everything about you repulses me. If you had been a good, strong alpha you would have mated in our pack once you presented and the Hwangs would have had to give up or submit to us.”

“I didn’t know about any of this! Don’t you think I would’ve been more loyal to the pack if I had known the truth?” Hyunjin argued back.

“We couldn’t risk it.”

“And you knew all this about me the whole time we were growing up?” Hyunjin asked, equal parts angry as he was scared. 

“I heard bits and pieces from my brother. That you were important and needed to be protected.” Joonseob replied, voice hard. His glare was a warning for Hyunjin to simmer down. “I was honoured when Taesoon took me under his wing after you presented. He needed a bigger army to train up because he’d broken the agreement to give you back when you presented. Then, I hated you even more because there was nothing about you that was worth protecting in my eyes.”

Hyunjin clenched his hands into fists, “It’s not my fault that Taesoon only cares about his pride. His egotistical reputation is absurd and holds no value to me, but you chose to follow him blindly and that’s on you.” Hyunjin met his eyes as he tried to make himself stand taller and gain some of the confidence he’d always wished he had to defend himself against Joonseob growing up.

He wasn’t a trophy for packs who only craved power. He was born to be loved and cared about, to be valued, and that had been stolen from him barely after he was born. 

Enraged, Joonseob’s fist shot out, punching the wall behind him. It had to have hurt but Joonseob’s gaze didn’t waver, adrenaline coursing through his veins. He finally had Hyunjin where he wanted him with almost unlimited permission from Taesoon to punish him however he pleased because now Hyunjin was no longer a trophy but a link binding two packs together against one’s will.

“It doesn’t matter what this pack means to you anymore,” Joonseob seethed, “You're ours again. Forever. There’s no escape this time. Seven shifters against over a hundred? Surely the Bang pack knows that’s a battle not worth fighting.” He pushed his weight off of the wall, a smirk making its way into his hard expression again and if Hyunjin wasn’t so scared of the repercussions he would have spit in his face. “Get some sleep, Hyunjin. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Chapter Text

The night was cold and long, and the blanket Hyunjin hugged to his body was too thin to provide any warmth. His stomach rumbled and his mouth was dry and tacky. Sleep was fitful, filled with dreams of dark looming shadows and ghostly twinges of pain that ached down his limbs and deep in his chest. He needed his mates, his alpha yearned for them so much it was painful. Their scents no longer clinged to him and scenting himself provided no comfort. 

The future that the Jang and Hwang pack had planned for him plagued his mind. He already had his mates that he loved eternally, it was impossible to imagine having to mate with anyone else. If he was forced to, would the omega be given a choice in the matter or would they be just as forced into the mating as he was? Then, there was the daunting expectation of pups. When he envisioned his future with his mates, the idea of pups running around their yard, playing amongst the daisies and splashing in the river warmed his heart. Here, it made his stomach twist. No child deserved to be raised in this pack.

Sometime in the early morning when Hyunjin’s body clock told him the sun must be up, Gyeogmin came down to the basement with a metal tray of food; Rice, a watery broth and a handful of nuts. Followed, thankfully, by a large glass of water and despite the fear that continued to roll around inside of him, he ate all the food and finished the glass of water hurriedly– They might try to take it away from him before he could finish otherwise.

He let out a breath, hand swiping across his lips as he let his eyes fall shut again. Hoping that sleep would finally find him was a despairing wish as not even ten minutes later, two pairs of loud footsteps made their way down the stairs and Hyunjin was met with Joonseob’s presence once again. Beside him stood the valet from the hotel.

It all clicked into place.

His eyes widened at the sight of the smug looking man. “You’re a Hwang?” He asked, voice croaky. The water had done little to clear the rasp in his throat from all the screams of pain he’d let out the day before.

The man crossed his arms over his chest, tongue poking at the inside of his cheek. “I am,” he looked Hyunjin up and down. “I’m one of your cousins. An alive one,” He said with a bite to his tone and Hyunjin swallowed nervously. It was frightening to think that if his parents had never escaped the Hwang pack, Hyunjin would’ve grown up with this man. 

“How did you sleep, Hyunjinnie?” Joonseob asked as he stepped closer to the cell door. He pulled a set of his keys from his pocket and unlocked it. The rough sound of metal scraping against the ground had Hyunjin shrinking back with his knees pulled to his chest. His mouth snapped shut.

The torture of the day before had the hairs on his arms prickling. What would they do to him today? He feared his obedience wouldn’t be enough for them to let him out of the cell any time soon. Forcibly, he was totally at their mercy.

“Yoonsoo and I have some questions for you,” Joonseob said as he took a seat on one of the barrels, dusty crates surrounding him. Yoonsoo leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, his hands moving into his pockets. 

Hyunjin’s eyes flicked between them and reluctantly, he nodded. It wasn’t as if he had any other choice.

“When was Bang Chan’s pack going to mate with you?” Joonseob asked, tapping his fingers against the wood of the barrel. There was impatience in his tone. He was frustrated and Hyunjin blinked, bewildered. He’d expected to be taunted for not being mated yet, that Joonseob would come up with all the insults under the sun as to why they ‘didn't want to mate with him.’

Wasn’t it a good thing for them that he wasn’t mated? He shifted his posture, hissing as his wounded back pressed up against the cold wall. 

“Come on, Hyunjin. It’s obvious that you planned to mate with them, now let me ask again, when were you going to do it?” His claws scratched against the barrel, chipping and splintering the wood, and Hyunjin felt a tremble run through him at the alpha’s increasing anger. Still, he didn’t trust the question.

“Why do you need to know?” He asked, eyes narrowing cautiously. Even at the expense of his own safety, he’d do whatever he could to keep his pack safe. 

Joonseob launched up from the barrel, his lips curling in a growl.

“You’re only making this harder for yourself,” Yoonsoo spoke to Hyunjin idly as Joonseob passed the threshold of the cell. He raised his eyebrows at the pair of them, his expression a mix of humour and annoyance at Joonseob’s lack of emotional control. 

“Get up,” Joonseob hissed through gritted teeth and in an automatic response, Hyunjin scrambled to his feet. Had he been mentally stronger, would he’ve been able to resist the command? Joonseob’s clawed hand moved around him, his fingers hovering over the barely healing scars on Hyunjin’s back. “I’ve been patient with you,” He seethed.

Hyunjin let out a squeak, chest pushing forward towards Joonseob as he avoided his claws.  “Okay, okay,” he whimpered, his lip trembling. His alpha wailed at the thought of his back being shredded again. He was already soaked in dry blood and if they prolonged his healing process he could develop an infection. “T-this week sometime,” he sniffled, “We planned it for after our holiday.”

Joonseob searched his eyes for if he was telling the truth and upon realising he was, he let out another growl as he pushed himself back and away from Hyunjin. His claws retracted and he ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck.” He kicked the wall of the cell.