Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You’re not in danger,” Changbin said softly to you. “They’re my family. They were just checking on me because I didn’t call in.”

“Because I found you passed out in bear form and decided to use you as a space heater?”

A flash of amusement crossed Han’s face. “Wait, that actually happened?”

Changbin growled. “Han.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t expect me not to comment on that. That’s like the most wholesome bear-meets-damsel scenario I’ve ever heard. I bet you even purred.”

“I don’t purr.”

“Your bear purrs,” Han grinned, rocking back on his heels. “I’ve heard it. You make that weird little ‘I found a mate’ rumble like you just got belly scratches from the universe.”

Chan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Han, you are actively making this worse.”

But Han was already mid-eye-roll. “Please. She’s clearly not panicking anymore. I think my charm’s helping.”

Changbin stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re this close to being punted into the next clearing.”

“Oooh, intimidation from the big bear.” Han gasped. “What are you gonna do, growl at me again?”

Without waiting for an answer, he gave Changbin a wink, then suddenly—

Poof.

In a blur of movement and sparks, Han dropped low and shifted—body shrinking, bones reshaping in midair until he became a small, energetic squirrel with sleek reddish-brown fur and comically bright eyes.

Before Changbin could react, the squirrel launched from the ground—

BOINK!

Right off Changbin’s forehead.

“Ow—! Han, you little shit!”

You gasped as the squirrel rocketed through the air and landed squarely in your hair, claws delicate but firm as he scrambled for balance. You shrieked in surprise and froze completely, both hands hovering mid-air like you weren't sure whether to scream or pass out.

Chapter Text

You didn’t mean to get this drunk.

But after the way the day unraveled—like some cruel god tugging threads loose just to watch you fall apart—there wasn’t really any other option, was there?

You slammed your last paycheck on the bar top hours ago, traded it for cheap tequila and worse decisions. And now the streetlights blur like smudged halos overhead, your heels scraping uneven against the sidewalk, mind still echoing with the words: You're fired.
For something you didn’t even do.
Someone else's mistake. Someone else's mess. But you’re the one they scapegoated, the one they tossed aside like you were always expendable.

“Assholes,” you mutter to no one, breath fogging in the chill night air.

Your phone’s dead. Of course it is. The last bus already came and went. Of course it did. You were supposed to head left on Pine Avenue, but you missed the turn. Or maybe you made it. You can’t remember.

Everything is spinning now, the alcohol pulling you into softness like quicksand. Still, you keep walking. Somehow. The concrete becomes gravel, gravel gives way to grass. You don't notice. You don’t care. You're too tired to question why the city seems to have vanished behind you, swallowed by night and mist and trees that shouldn’t be this close to your apartment.

You blink.

And suddenly, you’re standing in a clearing.

The moon is full above, bleeding silver across a sea of wildflowers. Everything glows like something out of a fairytale, too soft and quiet to be real. Your breath catches in your throat—not from fear, but awe.

And in the center of the clearing, curled beneath a tree like he belongs there, is a bear.

A real bear. Massive. Sleeping.

You should be afraid.

You should run.

But instead, a laugh bubbles up in your throat, sharp and wine-soaked. “Of course,” you whisper. “Of course there’s a damn bear.”

The world spins again. And you stumble forward—not toward safety, but toward warmth. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Maybe it’s the exhaustion, the grief, the way your body feels like it’s already half gone.

You sink down beside him like the ground invited you.

His fur is warm. Strangely clean. Comforting.

Your fingers brush through it. “Guess I might as well choose the bear,” you murmur, giggling against the heavy silence of the woods. And then, more honestly, “You’re warm. I’m cold.”

You nestle in closer. He doesn’t stir. You swear you feel his breath, slow and steady, matching yours like a lullaby.

The world dims.

And you let yourself sleep.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Changbin dreamed of her. He didn’t know who her was. Just that she smelled like lavender and heartbreak and tequila. That she felt like sunlight after months of rain. That her fingers—soft, hesitant—had brushed his fur like she knew him, like she wasn’t afraid.

In his dream, she was curled against him, her cheek against his shoulder, her hand clutched in the dense fur of his chest. She shivered once, and he’d pulled her in closer on instinct, tucking her beneath him like something precious.

Mine, his bear whispered. Ours.

He didn’t wake— not yet —but something in him stirred, deep in his bones, older than language. Somewhere between the dream and the shift of dawn light over wildflowers, Changbin held his mate for the first time.

And she had no idea.

Chapter Text

Changbin’s dreams were warm. For once, they weren’t filled with claws or blood or pack patrols.

Just softness. Laughter. A heartbeat that wasn’t his, curled against his side like it belonged there.

Then— static. A crackle across the back of his mind, slicing the dream open like a wire pulled taut.

" Changbin ?"  Chan’s voice, low and sharp through the pack link, threaded with concern. " You didn’t check in last night. Where the hell are you?"

The weight of sleep peeled back slowly. He groaned, muscles twitching, his bear reluctant to move. The earth beneath him was cool but the pressure against his chest was warm — human —

His eyes flew open, and he stilled. There, curled under his massive paw like she was meant to be there, was a woman. Her body pressed close, cheek nestled into his fur, one arm looped tightly around his ribs. Bare legs tangled in wildflowers. Dried tears on her cheeks. Breath coming soft and even in sleep.

Mate. His bear rumbled low in his chest. No. Not a dream. Not anymore. She was real.

" Changbin !" Chan again. Frustrated now. " You’re too deep in the woods to track. What’s going on ?"

Changbin exhaled slowly through his snout. He didn’t shift yet. Couldn’t. If he did, he’d wake her. He wasn’t ready for her to panic. She was drunk, exhausted, and fragile. And… warm. Gods, she was so warm.

What are you doing here, jagiya? he thought, brushing his nose lightly against her hair. His bear purred. She smelled like city smoke, spilled tequila, and something aching . Sadness soaked into her like perfume. The scent of injustice clung to her skin—like someone had wronged her deeply.

He would find out who.

He would make sure they never touched her again.

His paw flexed, cradling her more securely.

"Changbin, talk to me or I’m sending Jisung." Chan’s alpha tone cracked like thunder through the bond.

That got his attention. He carefully, carefully loosened his grip on the woman and pulled his consciousness forward, forcing the shift.

It hurt—shifting always did, especially when it was rushed—but he gritted his teeth and pushed through. Fur sank beneath the skin. Claws shrank to hands. He collapsed onto his side in the dirt, naked and panting, curling instinctively around the girl to shield her from the cold.

"’M fine," he muttered aloud and through the link, voice ragged. "I’m in the northern clearing. Alone."

A pause. Then, quieter: "You're not alone. I can feel that."

Changbin’s eyes dropped to her again. The way she clung to him in her sleep—like he was safety itself.

"I… found someone," he whispered.

Another pause. Longer this time. "Someone?"

"My mate."

The silence that followed was so thick he could hear the breeze in the trees again, birds rustling in the distant canopy.

Then Chan’s voice returned, low and stunned. "Shit."

Changbin huffed a soft laugh, pressing his forehead gently to hers. “Yeah. That about sums it up.”

"Do you need backup?"

He shook his head. “No. She doesn’t know. Not yet. She came here drunk. I don’t even think she realized she laid down beside a bear. She just… needed warmth.”

"And you gave it."

Changbin nodded like Chan could see him instead of just using the pack link, voice quiet with something new—something sacred. “I couldn’t do anything else.”

Chan’s sigh was audible, both through the bond and in Changbin’s mind. "We’ll hold the patrols back until you call. You get one morning. After that, we’re coming to meet her."

“I understand.”

"And Changbin?"

“Yeah?”

"Be careful. She’s already yours, but she doesn’t know that yet. Don’t scare her off."

Changbin’s gaze lingered on her peaceful face, her lashes fluttering against flushed skin. He didn’t need to be told. “I’d rather die than hurt her.”

Chapter Text

The first thing you feel is warmth. Not the lukewarm kind from blankets or space heaters—but real warmth, the kind that pulses. That breathes. That wraps around your body like it was always meant to be there.

You blink slowly. The sun is barely rising, casting golden slants across a meadow full of dew-covered wildflowers. The clearing you stumbled into last night still feels surreal—too soft for reality, too quiet for the world you’re used to.

And then—Your cheek shifts slightly against bare skin.

Bare.

You freeze. You're not at a bar. You’re not in your bed. You’re on the ground.

Snuggled up against… someone .

Your eyes fly open. Chest. Skin. Warmth. A body—human. Not the soft fur of a bear like last night. Not the warm bulk of something wild and snoring.

Now This is a man. And not just any man. He’s huge. Not tall—maybe only a few inches above your height—but built like a boulder. His muscles ripple under golden skin as he breathes, arms curled protectively around you like you’re something he’s already claimed. His black hair is tousled, a few strands stuck to his temple, and his eyelashes rest heavy against sharp cheekbones.

Terrifyingly gorgeous. And completely, completely naked.

“WHAT THE—!” You jolt upright, panic flooding your system like an ice bath.

He stirs instantly, head snapping up, dark eyes locking on yours with a sharpness that sends you scrambling backward across the dirt.

“W-Who—why are you—where’s the bear ?!”

He sits up slowly, arms raised, voice low and calm. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

“No no no no— where is the bear? ” you demand, your head pounding. “There was a bear! I fell asleep on a bear !”

He winces, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. That… was me.”

You blink. “What?”

“I was the bear.”

Silence.

Not even birdsong dares to interrupt the weight of your stare.

“You’re insane,” you whisper.

“I know how it sounds, but I swear I’m telling the truth.”

“Oh my god, I got drunk and accidentally spooned a furry and now I’m in the woods with a naked man who thinks he’s a bear—”

“I am a bear. Well. Sort of. I’m a bear shifter .”

You shake your head, staggering to your feet. “This is a bad dream. This is tequila-brain. I got fired, I got wasted, and now my unconscious is punishing me with cryptid fantasies.”

He rises too, and—damn it—you immediately look away. He doesn’t move to cover himself, but somehow the lack of shame only makes it worse.

“I’m not trying to scare you,” he says gently. “My name’s Changbin.”

“Changbin,” you repeat, deadpan.

“I’m part of a shifter pack that lives nearby. I was out here for patrol when I fell asleep. You found me. Curled up against me like I was a big heated teddy bear. I didn’t shift because… I didn’t want to scare you.”

You finally glance back at him. His expression is calm. Soft, even. And despite the very, very naked situation, he doesn’t feel threatening.

Just grounded. Solid. His gaze lowers a little. “You… looked like you’d been crying.”

Your throat tightens. He saw that?

He steps forward, just one slow step. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I stayed shifted because it made you feel safe. That’s all.”

You cross your arms over your chest, defenses spiking again. “And what now? You just casually shift back into a bear and carry me home?”

“I can take you home if you want,” he says. “But not as a bear. You probably don’t want fur in your mouth.”

You blink. Did he just… joke? Despite yourself, a tiny laugh escapes—more of a hiccup, really. Half exhausted, half disbelieving.

He smiles. It’s crooked. Boyish. “You really don’t remember stumbling into the woods?”

“I thought I was going to my apartment,” you admit.

“You took the scenic route.”

Silence stretches between you again.

And then, softly— “You said you were a shifter,” you murmur. “Is that… like a werewolf thing?”

“Close,” he says. “Same idea. But I’m not cursed or full moon-bound. I’m born this way.”

You nod slowly, every instinct still screaming run, but your feet refuse to move.

Because for some reason… you’re not afraid of him.

And that scares you more than anything.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Changbin’s POV

He could smell them before he heard them.

Pack. Two of them. Close.

Changbin didn’t shift again—didn’t need to. Even in human form, his hearing and instincts stayed sharp. Years of training under Chan made sure of that. But it wasn’t Chan who moved first.

It was Han.

The little menace had always been faster than he looked, especially when sneaking up on someone who didn’t want to be found.

“Tell him to wait, hyung,” Han hissed behind him, words just quiet enough to avoid carrying. “You promised you wouldn’t interfere unless it was an emergency.”

“He didn’t check in all night, ” Chan’s voice snapped back, low and commanding.

“I know. I was worried too. But look.”

Silence. A pause. And then a long exhale from their alpha.

Changbin’s muscles tensed, gaze flicking toward the tree line. He could feel them there—Chan’s heavy presence like a pressure in his chest, steady and rooted. And Han’s quicksilver pulse, curious and crackling with energy.

They were watching. Of course they were.

He gently shifted his stance, making sure he stood between them and her .

She still looked shell-shocked—arms crossed, hair messy from sleep, eyes puffy and confused and aching . Like the world she thought she knew had cracked in two.

He couldn’t blame her. He’d been raised in the shifter world. She hadn’t. And finding yourself face-down in the dirt beside a guy who turned out to be a literal bear? That would rattle anyone . He turned his head slightly, speaking toward the tree line. “I know you’re both there.”

A rustle. Then—Han popped out of the underbrush like a gremlin, hands raised. “Surprise~”

The girl flinched. Changbin immediately shifted closer to her, arm reaching behind her protectively even though Han had already raised both hands in peace.

“Woah, easy. I’m not here to pounce. Just… curious,” Han said, his grin wide but his posture unthreatening. “Hi.”

The girl blinked at him. “There’s… more of you?”

“Technically, there’s eight of us in the core pack. We’re kind of a big deal,” Han said proudly, then flinched as Chan finally stepped out behind him, tall and solid and clearly annoyed.

“Han.”

“I waited, didn’t I?”

Chan gave him a long look, then turned his attention toward Changbin and the girl. His tone dropped into the Alpha register—firm, calm, soothing. “You’re safe. I’m Chan. I’m the pack alpha. We didn’t mean to interrupt.”

The girl looked from Changbin to Chan, then to Han, eyes wide. “This is a cult.”

Han snorted. “If it is, it’s a very handsome one.”

Chan shot him a look, and Han mimed zipping his lips.

Changbin took a slow breath. “You’re not in danger,” he said softly to her. “They’re my family. They were just checking on me because I didn’t call in.”

“Because I found you passed out in bear form and decided to use you as a space heater?”

A flash of amusement crossed Han’s face. “Wait, that actually happened ?”

Changbin growled. “Han.”

“Oh, come on. You can’t expect me not to comment on that. That’s like the most wholesome bear-meets-damsel scenario I’ve ever heard. I bet you even purred .”

“I don’t purr. ”

“Your bear purrs,” Han grinned, rocking back on his heels. “I’ve heard it. I bet you made that weird little ‘I found a mate’ rumble like you just got belly scratches from the universe.”

Chan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Han, you are actively making this worse.”

But Han was already mid-eye-roll. “Please. She’s clearly not panicking anymore. I think my charm’s helping.”

Changbin stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest. “You're this close to being punted into the next clearing.”

“Oooh, intimidation from the big bear.” Han gasped. “What are you gonna do, growl at me again?”

Without waiting for an answer, he gave Changbin a wink, then suddenly—

Poof.

In a blur of movement and sparks, Han dropped low and shifted—body shrinking, bones reshaping in midair until he became a small, energetic squirrel with sleek reddish-brown fur and comically bright eyes.

Before Changbin could react, the squirrel launched from the ground—

BOINK!

Right off Changbin’s forehead.

“ Ow—! Han, you little shit!”

The reader gasped as the squirrel rocketed through the air and landed squarely in her hair, claws delicate but firm as he scrambled for balance. She shrieked in surprise and froze completely, both hands hovering mid-air like she wasn’t sure whether to scream or pass out.

The squirrel peeked out from behind her ear, tail flicking. Then, with the most smug expression a squirrel could possibly manage, he squeaked and ducked back into her curls. “She’s warm!” Han chirped from inside her hair. “And soft! I live here now!”

“Oh my god,” she breathed, wide-eyed.

“I swear to everything holy, I will turn into a bear and eat you, ” Changbin growled.

“You wouldn’t. She’d be mad.”

“She’d forgive me.”

“Would she?” Han squeaked, poking his tiny head out again. “ Would she really? ” 

Chan stepped forward, exasperation radiating off him in waves. “Han, get out of the poor girl’s hair before you give her a heart attack. ”

“I’ll come out if Binnie admits he purred.”

“I did not purr! ”

“He did! ” Han chirped, nestling deeper. “He purred like a cat who just discovered snuggles and soulmates.”

The reader, trembling, let out a shocked, breathy laugh. A real one.

And to Changbin’s surprise, it wasn’t panicked.

She was laughing. “You guys are insane, ” she said, voice wobbling between amusement and disbelief.

Changbin sighed, rubbing the spot on his forehead where Han had bounced off him. “You have no idea. ”

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe this is happening.” You said that maybe four times already.

It doesn’t stop being true. You’re walking through a sun-dappled forest path with bare feet, wildflowers stuck to your clothes, still slightly hungover… and a literal squirrel perched on your shoulder.

Not just any squirrel, either.

Han.

Smug, bright-eyed, and apparently thrilled that you let him stay there.

“This is the best morning of my life,” he squeaked, his tiny paws curled contentedly into the loose fabric of your sweatshirt.

“I should be screaming,” you mutter, eyes on the forest floor to avoid stepping on rocks. “There’s a talking squirrel riding my shoulder. That’s not normal.”

“I’m not normal,” Han chirped proudly.

“No kidding.”

Ahead of you, Changbin let out a gruff sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl. He hadn’t said much since Han made himself at home on your shoulder. Mostly just glanced over every few minutes to check if you were okay.

He’d offered to carry you when you winced at stepping on a sharp twig, but you refused—partially because pride still existed, and partially because you didn’t trust your heart to survive being picked up by someone like him .

Muscular. Warm. Gentle in a way that makes your chest ache. And naked.

Well, not anymore. Chan had tossed him a hoodie and boxers from his pack before disappearing back into the woods with a smirk and a “Good luck.” It was dark and oversized, but it did nothing to hide how thick his thighs were or how broad his chest was. Still barefoot, still bare-legged, and still…Yeah. Too much.

“You okay?” Changbin asked softly, not looking at you as he walked beside you, close enough to steady you if you stumbled again.

“Not really,” you said honestly. “But I think I might be losing my mind too fast to care.”

Han flicked his tail across your cheek. “If it helps, I think you’re doing great. Most humans faint.”

“You’re not helping,” Changbin muttered at him.

“I’m giving her encouragement! Positive squirrel energy!”

You snorted. “That’s… a thing?”

“Absolutely.”

“Do you do this with all women who pass out in meadows?”

“Excuse you! ” Han squeaked indignantly. “You’re not just ‘all women.’ You’re the woman. The fated mate. The one Binnie curled around like a heated body pillow in the moonlight.”

You froze mid-step.

Changbin visibly winced.

Han went utterly still, like a squirrel who realized he’d scurried too far out on a branch.

“Mate? ” you asked slowly.

“I was gonna explain that later,” Changbin said under his breath.

“Well,” Han chirped, hopping lightly from your shoulder to Changbin’s arm, “the cat’s out of the bag. Or should I say bear.”

Changbin shot him a deadly glare.

You took a step back, arms folding tight around yourself. “What does that mean —mate?”

“Can I?” Han asked innocently.

“No.”

“Yes,” you said at the same time.

Changbin exhaled hard through his nose, eyes closing for a moment.

Han, triumphant, scampered back to your shoulder. “Okay, so! Shifters like us have mates—soul-level matches. They’re rare, sacred, sometimes messy. When Changbin curled around you last night, it wasn’t just instinct. His bear recognized you.”

“Recognized me how?”

“As his.”

You blinked. “Like… dating?”

“Like fated. Like his soul saw yours and said yes, this one.”

“I don’t remember consenting to that,” you said, a little shakily.

“And you don’t have to,” Changbin said, stepping in now, voice calm and grounded. “This isn’t a contract. It’s… something ancient. My bear recognized you. I felt it. But that doesn’t mean you have to do anything.”

You looked at him. Really looked at him. The quiet way he kept space between you. The cautious protectiveness in his eyes. The way he hadn’t even touched you without asking—not since the clearing. And the way your skin still remembered what it felt like to curl against his fur, warm and safe and—You blinked again, heart stuttering. “So what happens now?”

“We walk you home,” Changbin said softly. “You take a shower. You drink some water. And if you want… I will come back tomorrow. Just to check on you.”

Han squeaked. “Smooth.”

Changbin rolled his eyes.

You hesitated. Then slowly, you nodded. “Okay. Tomorrow.”

Changbin’s eyes lit up—subtle, but unmistakable.

And Han bounced in place on your shoulder, whispering, “Yesssssss,” like a squirrel-sized cheerleader.

Chapter Text

By the time you make it back to your apartment building, the sun is high, the city buzzing again—cars honking, dogs barking, someone shouting at a delivery guy down the block. The hum of normal life feels surreal after the quiet woods, like waking up in a life that doesn’t quite fit anymore.

Your legs ache. Your brain’s still half-fried from tequila and adrenaline.

But you're home. Somehow. You pause at your door, fingers wrapped around the keys.

Changbin stands just behind you, sweat clinging to the edge of his borrowed hoodie, dark hair sticking slightly to his forehead. He feels big. Solid. Like he could block the whole world if you asked.

Han is still in squirrel form, riding your shoulder like a little woodland monarch, his tail flicking every time something new catches his attention.

"You two want to come in?" you ask before you can second-guess it. "It's hot. I’ve got… Gatorade, I think."

Changbin blinks. “Are you sure?”

“No,” you admit. “But I don’t feel like being alone right now.”

He nods once, quietly grateful.

You unlock the door.

Han’s off your shoulder before you even take two steps inside. “Whoa!” he squeaks, bouncing to the floor and immediately racing under your coffee table. “This place is awesome ! Look at all the corners! And the soft things! He dives into your blanket pile on the couch.

“Han, don’t touch anything,” Changbin says automatically as he shuts the door behind him.

You gesture toward the couch. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll grab drinks.”

Changbin hesitates, then sits slowly—knees wide, hands resting on his thighs, posture too straight for someone trying to relax. You watch the way the hoodie clings to his chest when he moves, the way his legs plant like he’s bracing for danger in the form of throw pillows and decorative mugs. It’s… kind of endearing.

You pull open the fridge and grab two cold Gatorades—one blue, one orange—then walk them back out.

He takes the blue one with a quiet thanks, eyes following Han, who’s now somehow climbing your bookshelf in squirrel form like he’s mapping out potential hideouts.

“Does he do this a lot?” you ask, cracking your own bottle.

“Yes.”

“No!” Han shouts from the second shelf. “This is special ! She’s got scented candles and a lava lamp!”

Changbin takes a long drink, then sighs, leaning back into the cushions. “Sorry about him.”

“I think he’s my favorite already,” you say before thinking.

Changbin arches a brow at you. “Already?”

You shrug, sipping your Gatorade. “I mean… I didn’t not snuggle you as a bear. It’d be weird to pretend that didn’t happen. So you're already considered a favorite.”

His ears go pink. You pretend not to notice.

“Your place smells good,” Han chirps, now lying dramatically across your desk like a tiny fainting Victorian widow. “You have jasmine shampoo. And laundry sheets. And sadness.”

You choke. “Excuse me?”

Changbin groans. “Han.”

“I’m just saying! It’s not bad sadness. It’s like… lonely sadness. The kind that hangs out in mugs and blankets. You’ve got the kind of apartment people try to make cozy because the silence gets too loud.”

You stare at him.

He shrugs. Or, well, it looks like a squirrel shrugging. “I notice things.”

You glance at Changbin.

“I can kick him out.”

“I’d like to see you try, ” Han says.

You laugh—an actual, startled laugh. And the sound of it makes something in Changbin relax . His shoulders loosen just a bit, his jaw unclenching. He leans back farther on the couch, watching you with warm, curious eyes.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

You nod. “Yeah. I think I am. Still confused. Still processing. But… okay.”

He nods, like he understands exactly what kind of “okay” that is.

You sip your drink. “So… about the mate thing.”

His eyes flick up to yours, careful. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, I want to,” you say, voice softer now. “I mean… It's a lot. But you’ve been patient. I can tell you didn’t expect this either.”

His gaze drops, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Not even a little.”

“Did you want one?”

His head tilts.

“A mate, I mean.”

He’s quiet for a long moment. “I didn’t think I’d get one.”

You nod slowly, heart beating faster for reasons you don’t fully understand.

Han—thankfully—doesn’t interrupt.

You glance down at your lap, unsure of what to say next.

But Changbin beats you to it. “Can I see you again?” he asks gently. “Even if it’s just… this. Gatorade and Han wrecking your shelves.”

You glance at the squirrel—who is, indeed, tugging one of your fake vines off a high shelf—and snort. “Yeah,” you say quietly. “You can see me again.”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

You’re still perched on the arm of the couch when it happens. There’s a rustling sound from the hallway—soft, deliberate—and then a familiar shape emerges from the shadows like a tiny queen surveying her kingdom.

Luna. Your cat.

Medium gray fur, soft as clouds. Wide yellow eyes narrowed in judgment. Tail swishing in that exact way that says, this is my domain and you are guests in it.

“Oh no,” you whisper.

Too late. Han goes completely feral. Still in squirrel form, he freezes mid-paw on your bookshelf, pupils dilating like he’s just seen the face of a celebrity.

“Is that a cat ?” he squeaks, voice shrill with excitement. “ You have a CAT?! ”

Luna pauses, giving the squirrel a slow, unimpressed blink.

“Han,” Changbin warns.

Han drops like a missile from the shelf, lands on the floor, skitters across the rug, and plants himself five inches from Luna’s face, tail flicking like a metronome. “Oh my god you’re fluffy ! You have toe beans! Look at your whiskers—LOOK AT HER WHISKERS, Binnie—”

Luna hisses.

Han chirps. “ She speaks! ”

Changbin groans from the couch. “Please tell me your cat doesn’t maul woodland creatures.”

“She’s indoor-only,” you say, too stunned to intervene. “She’s… usually fine.”

Luna narrows her eyes and lets out a low, rumbling growl.

Han doesn’t move. He bows .

Luna, stunned, sniffs him once. Then—apparently deciding this ridiculous tiny animal isn’t worth her time—she struts toward her food bowl with the disdain of royalty.

“She acknowledged me, ” Han sighs, following her like a lost duckling.

“She’s going to eat him,” Changbin mutters.

“She won’t,” you say. “Probably.”

The two of you exchange a look, equal parts horror and amusement.

And honestly? You’re kind of glad for the distraction. It’s… nice. Having someone here. Someone who’s not pretending you’re fine, not pretending the world hasn’t tilted under your feet. Just sitting with you. Drinking Gatorade. Watching a squirrel follow your cat.

“Sorry about him,” Changbin says for the fifth time since entering your apartment.

“I kind of like him,” you admit.

He raises an eyebrow. 

“He’s a chaos gremlin. But in a good way.”

“You sure you’re not secretly his mate?”

You snort. “I don’t think I could handle two.”

His teasing fades into something softer. “You’re handling me just fine.”

And just like that—your heart flutters again. 

Before you can answer, there’s a thump from the kitchen. You both freeze.

“Luna?” you call.

A beat of silence.

Then Han’s tiny voice: “We’re fine! Just a minor cabinet exploration situation!”

You sigh, already getting up. “I’m gonna need more Gatorade for this.”

“I’ll help,” Changbin says, rising to join you.

And for a second, it almost feels like something normal. Even if there’s a squirrel raiding your pantry and a bear shifter watching your every move like you’re the most precious thing he’s ever seen.

Chapter Text

You rummage through your closet while chaos continues to unfold in the kitchen.

Clanking noises. A thump. A sharp “ Han, get out of the cereal box! ” from Changbin.

Followed by, “But the bag was open!”

You roll your eyes, grabbing the softest pair of joggers you own—stretchy waistband, gray, slightly oversized—and one of your black oversized t-shirts. It smells like your laundry detergent, lavender and something comforting.

You hesitate for a second. Then pull out another shirt—smaller, older. An old tank top you sometimes sleep in and another pair of joggers. Probably big on a squirrel, but Han would figure it out.

You walk back out into the living room just as Luna makes a daring escape under the couch with her tail flicking, Han hot on her trail in squirrel form.

“SHE HAS A SECRET TUNNEL?! ” he cries, outraged. “WHERE DOES IT GO?!”

“She’s hiding from you,” you say dryly. “Like all living things with self-preservation.” You hum the secret tunnel song from Avatar The Last Air Bender as you go into the living room. You toss the tank top near the coffee table. “Han. Clothes. Now. You can’t stay a squirrel forever.”

He skids to a stop near the shirt and pants, sniffing them dramatically. “You bring me offerings?”

“It’s that or I find a shoebox.”

“Accepted!” he says, and in a poof of sparks and fur, he shifts back—sitting cross-legged on your carpet in nothing but a wicked grin.

“Clothes, Han.” You tell him while semi shielding your eyes.

“Right, right.” He yanks on the tank top and the joggers—it fits like a loose tunic—and gives it an experimental sniff. “Smells like her. Lavender. Tragic past. Snacks. I approve.”

You turn toward Changbin, holding the other set of joggers and t-shirt out. “For you. If you want.”

He blinks, caught off-guard. “You didn’t have to—”

“Would rather not have you walking around in just a borrowed hoodie and thighs. Makes it hard to concentrate, ya know.”

His ears go pink. He takes the clothes gently, his fingers brushing yours. “Thank you.”

You nod.

He changes behind your bathroom door for privacy. Han immediately flops onto your couch, sighing like he owns the place.

“I like her, Binnie,” he calls. “She’s got good snacks and better vibes. Can we keep her?”

Your voice is flat. “I’m not a pet, Han.”

He winks. “No, you’re a mate. Which is basically, like, the Alpha Wife .”

You laugh despite yourself. Changbin emerges a moment later, fully clothed now—shirt clinging to him in all the wrong-right ways, joggers low on his hips. He looks less wild, more human. But still very much him.

Your eyes linger a beat too long. “You really don’t have to stay,” you say, softer now. “I’m sure your pack wants you back.”

“I’ll stay as long as you want me here.” He says simply.

That makes your chest twist unexpectedly. “Just a little while then,” you say softly.

“Then we'll stay.” He moves to sit on the floor beside the couch, like he doesn’t want to take up too much space, and leans back against the side. His arm rests lightly near your leg but doesn’t touch.

Han is already curled up beside a pillow, yawning. “If you had a guest blanket, that’d be great. But I will also accept an old hoodie or the laundry pile.”

“I’ll get you one,” you say, already walking down the hall.

Something about this—about them in your home—should feel invasive. But it doesn’t.

It feels like the kind of strange that wants to stay. The kind that slowly rearranges your quiet life into something bigger, louder, and maybe—just maybe—better.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺
Changbin’s POV

The mind link brushed against the edge of his awareness—soft at first, then stronger, commanding. "Bin. Bring Han. Time to come home." Chan’s voice was steady, but it left no room for argument.

Changbin glanced at the couch, where you were tucked beneath a blanket, curled on your side, deep in sleep. Han was sprawled beside you on the floor, tangled in the edge of the throw, one arm thrown dramatically across his chest like he’d been felled in battle.

“Han,” Changbin said, low and firm. “Wake up. We’ve gotta go.”

Han groaned and rolled over. “Nooooo. I live here now. Luna accepts me. The blanket smells like cookies and healing. Let me rot.”

“You can’t rot on her floor. Chan’s calling us back.”

Han sat up, groggy, hair a mess, your borrowed tank top riding up his ribs. “Ugh. Alpha timing is the worst.”

“You’re still in her shirt.”

“And?”

Changbin sighed, grabbed the hoodie you’d folded for him, and helped Han to his feet. He left a note with his number in your hand. You didn’t stir when they slipped out. But just before closing the door, Changbin looked back one more time. You were still sleeping peacefully. Trusting. Safe. His heart ached as he pulled the door shut behind them.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

The pack house buzzed with low energy when they returned—quiet voices from the kitchen, footsteps overhead. Chan wasn’t in sight, but Hyunjin and Jeongin were on the couch, watching some half-muted nature doc.

As soon as the door opened, the scent hit the room like a wave.

Lavender. City dust. Warmth. Comfort. Laughter. Tequila. Cat fur. And underneath it all—something unmistakably yours.

“Whoa,” Jeongin said, sitting up. “What the hell, you guys smell like you swam in her.”

Han kicked his shoes off and grinned. “Maybe we did. Emotionally.”

Changbin dropped his bag by the door and grunted. “We were in her apartment most of the day.”

Hyunjin had turned toward them too, expression unreadable. But Changbin caught it—the sudden, subtle stillness in his frame. The way his fingers tightened on the arm of the couch. The slight flare of his nostrils.

The scent was hitting him. Hard. Hyunjin blinked once, his body going strangely alert beneath the surface calm. His wolf stirred, pressing against his chest like something buried under ice, suddenly cracking free.

He could smell her all over them. Especially Han—who was wearing her shirt. His pulse jumped. Mine. He stiffened immediately. No. No no no. That’s not— He turned his face away, feigning boredom.

“You two didn’t do anything stupid, right?” he asked lightly. “Like, you didn’t get her pregnant or join a cult or steal her cat?”

“Nope,” Han chirped. “But Luna might be my new best friend.”

Hyunjin gave a sharp laugh, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Changbin noticed. Of course he did.

Hyunjin didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, he shoved off the couch. “You guys better shower. You both reek.” He walked out without waiting for a reply.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Hyunjin’s POV

He shut his door behind him, heart still thudding against his ribs.

Her scent. Her scent was all over them.

He hadn’t even met her. Hadn’t touched her. And still his wolf had risen like it recognized her through scent alone. Not just familiarity— claiming . Like his instincts had already decided before his conscious mind could catch up.

Changbin had met her first. That was clear. His scent had mingled with hers—softened by the hours together, the closeness, the warmth.

Han’s was less bonded, more playful. But even that struck something sharp and strange.

And yet— his own wolf had reacted too. Something ancient. Something dangerous.

Something that whispered: She’s ours too.

“No,” he muttered aloud, yanking his shirt over his head and tossing it onto the floor. “Not possible. Not now.”

He couldn't take her from Bin.

Wouldn't.

But still—beneath the defiance, something in him ached.

And that was the problem.

He didn’t need to touch her to know she belonged to him too.

Chapter Text

The house always felt different when one of them was carrying something they couldn’t say out loud. And tonight, that person was Changbin.

The rest of the pack could sense it before he even spoke—some sixth sense built from years of living shoulder-to-shoulder, fighting beside each other, bleeding and healing together. Changbin walked like his bones were heavier. Like the ground wasn’t quite solid under his feet.

He didn’t talk much after coming back. Just sat at the end of the kitchen table in a fresh shirt, hands around a half-empty glass of water, jaw tight, gaze distant. 

Han flopped dramatically across the opposite end of the table, still in your old tank top, completely unbothered by the awkwardness. “So I’m just saying—her cat liked me . That’s rare. I could live there.”

“No, you couldn’t,” Seungmin muttered without looking up from his book.

“I was helpful!”

“You climbed in her cabinet.”

“I was exploring ! I’m a squirrel, not a vase.”

From the other side of the room, Hyunjin said nothing. Just sipped his tea, eyes flicking toward Changbin now and then when he thought no one noticed.

But someone did notice. Chan. Always.

He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching Changbin’s profile as if he could see the storm moving behind his ribs. Eventually, when the noise died down, Chan spoke. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?”

Changbin didn’t answer at first. “She’s human.”

The words landed like a weight dropped in the middle of the room. Everyone fell quiet.

It wasn’t a surprise—Changbin had said as much during the initial mind link. But this wasn’t about the fact. It was about what it meant.

Because having a human mate wasn’t just unusual. It was dangerous. They were fragile. Unbonded. Unshifted. Untrained. And they died easily, at least easier than shifters did.

“She doesn’t know anything about us,” Changbin added, voice low. “She didn’t even believe I was real at first. Thought I was… a drunk dream or something.”

“Did you tell her the truth?” Han asked from where he sat cross-legged on the floor.

“Some of it. That I’m a shifter. That I wasn’t gonna hurt her. That I want to see her again.”

Chan nodded slowly. “And how’d she take it?”

“She didn’t scream.”

“Low bar” Minho muttered.

Changbin huffed something that might’ve been a laugh. But it didn’t reach his eyes. “I keep thinking she’s gonna wake up one day and realize how insane it all is. That I’m part animal. That I live in the woods with a bunch of scent-happy weirdos. That I’m not safe. Not stable. Not human.”

“She snuggled you in bear form,” Han said, pointing at him with a piece of cereal. “I’m just saying, she might be more unhinged than you are.”

“Han.”

“What? It’s cute.”

“It’s complicated.” Changbin said, louder this time.

Everyone fell still.

He ran a hand through his hair. “She’s soft. And tired. And trying so hard to keep her life together. And then I show up and ruin everything.”

“No you didn’t,” Chan said quietly.

“I marked her without meaning to.”

A pause.

Hyunjin’s fingers curled slightly around his tea cup.

Changbin shook his head. “Not with a bite. Not physically. But she smells like me now. I held her all night. I know the bond hasn’t snapped into place yet but it’s there. I feel it. She doesn’t even know what it means.”

“Do you think she’ll reject it?” Chan asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe.” He looked down at the table. “But I don’t want her to say yes just because I’m strong or patient or offering her something better than what she had. I don’t want pity.”

“Binnie,” Han said, suddenly serious for once. “You’re not pity.”

No one contradicted that. Hyunjin stood quietly, too quietly, and set his mug down with a soft clink. “I’m gonna go check the perimeter,” he said, already moving toward the door.

“Hyunjin,” Chan started.

“Just for a little while.”

Chan let him go. Changbin didn’t see the look in his eyes. But Chan did. And so did Han.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Hyunjin's POV

The woods were too quiet. He didn’t take the usual patrol route. Instead, he moved through the edge of the boundary—half-expecting something to leap out of the dark and give him an excuse to fight. Claw. Bleed. Anything to distract from the way her scent still curled in his lungs like smoke.

She’s yours too.

No.

She smells like home.

NO.

He walked faster, boots crunching dried pine needles beneath his feet, the trees a blur as he pressed forward, deeper than he needed to go. He didn’t want to be near the house. Near them. Near Changbin. Because that’s where the guilt lived.

And it was loud.

He’d never even seen her. Hadn’t heard her laugh, or felt her touch. But the scent was enough. Like something ancient in him had already chosen, and now every instinct was pacing in his chest like a caged wolf.

She wasn’t just Changbin’s mate. She was his, too. Or would be. If he let it happen. If he admitted the truth. But how the hell was he supposed to do that? What would he say? Hey, sorry you found your soulmate, turns out I did too—and it’s the same girl ?

He pressed his hand to the nearest tree, breathing hard, forehead tipped against the bark. The wind shifted, and for a moment, he swore he could still smell her—on his clothes, in his skin, burned into memory. Soft. Gentle. A hint of sadness under the lavender.

And gods, the way his wolf pulled toward that. It wasn’t just want. It was need.

But he couldn’t betray Bin. Not like that. He’d keep it hidden. For now. Maybe forever. He could survive with longing, if it meant keeping the pack whole. Couldn’t he?

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n POV

You woke up alone. The apartment was quiet—too quiet. No little squirrel paws thumping around, no warm breath beside your shoulder, no faintly amused bear-boy trying not to take up too much space.

Just stillness.

And the scent of them, lingering in the air like an echo. You weren’t even sure when you’d gotten used to it—just that now that it was gone, you noticed.

Your hoodie still smelled faintly like him. Changbin.

You looked at the number on the paper in your hand. His number with a small heart. You put his number in your phone and picked the hoodie back up. You clutched it to your chest for a minute, letting yourself sink into the warmth. It had been less than a day, and still, it felt like something had been… carved open in you. Not in a bad way. Just—changed.

He’d said he’d come back. You believed him. But still, a part of you wondered if the weight of what he’d told you—what he was —would come crashing down now that he wasn’t here to soften it. He was a bear shifter. He had a pack. A life in the woods you couldn’t even begin to understand.

And yet he’d held you like you mattered. Like you were his. You sat up slowly, brushing hair from your face, letting Luna crawl into your lap with a little meow of protest.

“I know,” you whispered, scratching behind her ears. “I miss them too.”

She didn’t purr. But she didn’t move, either. Your phone buzzed beside you.

[Changbin🐻]: It’s Binnie. I just got back. Everyone’s okay. I’ll come see you tomorrow if that’s alright. Let me know if you need anything.

You stared at the screen for a long moment.

[You]: Tomorrow’s okay. Just bring Han. He owes Luna an apology.

[Changbin🐻]: He says she started it.

You laughed. You felt a warm feeling in your chest just thinking of him. Ugh you had it bad for this bear.

Chapter Text

“Let’s just say it,” Seungmin said, perched on the armrest of the couch with his usual deadpan delivery. “The human could be a weirdo.”

“We’re all weirdos,” Han muttered through a mouthful of dry cereal. “But she adopted me, so I think that says a lot about her taste. Excellent, obviously.”

“You adopted her cat,” Seungmin corrected. “She didn’t know what she was signing up for.”

“I bonded with her feline familiar, yes,” Han said dramatically, flipping a piece of cereal into his mouth. “But also—she lets me sleep on the floor in peace and has an excellent snack variety. That’s called a healthy living arrangement.”

Felix shifts where he’s seated, drawing his knees up to his chest. His voice is soft but certain when he says,“I dunno… maybe the fact that she’s human isn’t a problem. Maybe it’s part of the reason she’s perfect for him. The moon doesn’t always pick what’s easy—just what’s right.”

“She’s not a roommate,” Changbin snapped, more sharply than intended.

The room stilled for a beat.

In the kitchen, Chan leaned against the counter with his arms crossed, gaze fixed on the group but particularly on Changbin. There was a tension in him that hadn’t eased since last night.

“She’s more than a random girl,” Chan said, quiet but firm. “She’s Binnie’s mate. And she’s human. Which makes this a lot more complicated than sleeping bags and Gatorade.”

Changbin’s jaw tightened, his gaze fixed on a crack in the wood floor.

No one interrupted.

“It’s not about her being bad,” Chan continued. “It’s about not knowing anything about her. Where she came from. What she can handle. What she’s already carrying.” He looked around the room. “Human mates are rare for a reason.”

“She’s not dangerous,” Changbin said, voice low.

“No one said she is,” Han added, surprisingly gentle. “She’s sweet. Kinda sad. Kinda soft. Smells like laundry detergent and trust issues. I like her.”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious,” Chan said. “Her presence affects the pack. The bond forming between her and Bin could ripple through the rest of us. It already is.”

Hyunjin, silent until now, sat on the edge of the table, elbows on his knees, head bowed like he was half-listening. But Chan could feel it—his tension. The weight coiled tight in his chest like a spring.

“You think she’s not gonna accept him?” Han asked. “Because she let him stay the whole day. And me. She even gave me her softest blanket and didn’t once call animal control.”

“She’s overwhelmed,” Chan said. “Rightfully so. And whether she means to or not, she’s already part of this now.”

A heavy silence followed. “I’ll go,” Hyunjin said.

Every head turned. Hyunjin didn’t flinch. Just leaned back on his hands, face calm, voice even. “If Bin and Han are going to see her again, someone should go who isn’t already attached to her cat or halfway mated.”

Han gasped dramatically. “Excuse me, but Luna and I have something real.”

“You have crumbs in your fur,” Minho muttered.

“I was snacking!”

Changbin shook his head. “You don’t have to come, Hyunjin.”

“I want to,” Hyunjin replied easily. “Just to keep things neutral. And make sure she’s not, you know… a weirdo.”

“Uh-huh,” Han said suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. “Since when do you volunteer to supervise mate visits?”

Hyunjin shrugged. “Since one of you idiots let your bear instincts write checks your pack has to cash.”

Chan’s eyes flicked toward him, unreadable. But he said, “Fine. All three of you go. Be respectful. Be careful. Don’t push her.”

“I’ll be a delight, ” Han said, standing and stretching. “I even left her a note before we left. Said I’d be back to finish my documentary marathon.”

“Did you tell her you were coming with a bodyguard?” Seungmin asked.

“Nope. Surprise!” Han shouts as he puts his shoes on.

Changbin rubbed his temples.

Hyunjin stood slowly, stretching like a cat, his expression unreadable. But inside, his wolf stirred—nervous, tense, aching. You’re just going to observe, he told himself. To make sure she’s stable. Safe. Human. But deep down, he already knew. He wasn’t going to protect Bin from her. He was going to protect himself from what she might mean to him.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Reader’s POV

You woke up the same way you had yesterday. Alone. Only this time, it hurt more. There was something about silence after laughter that felt heavier. Luna curled beside your legs, content, but her ears kept flicking toward the door like she, too, was listening for tiny squirrel paws or the soft thud of someone too big for your couch moving carefully around your apartment.

No Changbin. No Han. Just you. And the too-quiet apartment.

You got up slowly, half-tangled in your blanket, and made your way to the kitchen, still in the oversized t-shirt you’d slept in. The Gatorade bottles got put in the trash. The blanket Han had used was still on the floor in a heap, as if he’d fully intended to come right back.

You laughed when you spotted a crumpled note by your microwave—Han’s scrawled handwriting in all caps:

“DON’T TOUCH MY SERIAL KILLER DOCUMENTARY. I’LL FINISH IT NEXT TIME.”

Underneath it, in slightly smaller print

“Also your cat loves me now. Don’t fight it.”

-Love Your new best friend Han

You smiled. And then your phone buzzed. You snatched it off the counter faster than you’d like to admit.

[Changbin 🐻]: We’re heading over. I hope that’s okay. It’s me, Han, and one of our packmates—Hyunjin.

You stared at the message for a full ten seconds, your heart skipping an uneven beat. You hadn’t heard that name before.

Hyunjin.

Something about the way Changbin added it separately— clarified it—made your stomach flutter. Was it a warning? A heads-up? Were you being evaluated?

[ You]: That’s fine. I’m home all day. Luna’s been asking about Han.

[Changbin 🐻]: He’s been bragging nonstop. She might regret that.

[You]: Doubtful. She likes chaos.

No reply right away. You tucked your phone into your pocket, glancing around your apartment like you were seeing it with new eyes. You’d let them in once—without thinking, without preparing. This time…Well, this time you had time to overthink everything.

You started tidying. Fluffing throw pillows. Folding blankets. Spraying the couch with fabric mist that smelled like vanilla. You shoved two empty takeout boxes into the trash like they might judge your eating habits.

Your heart was hammering, and you didn’t know why. Or maybe you did. It’s not just him this time. You were nervous. Nervous in a way you hadn’t been around Changbin, not really. He made you feel safe. Grounded. Even in all the weirdness.

But meeting more of his pack? That was a different story. You were the human. The outsider. The one who didn’t know the rules.

You paused at the mirror near your door, frowning at your reflection. Hair a little messy. Eyes tired. Sweater too big. You looked like a woman trying to hold it together—and hoping she wouldn’t be rejected for the cracks in her seams.

You didn’t have time to fix any of it. Because a gentle knock echoed at your door a moment later. Your heart stopped. Then started again, faster. You opened the door slowly.

Changbin stood on the other side—soft hoodie, warm smile, arms full of snacks and drinks like he wasn’t sure if this was a visit or an apology.

Han immediately pushed past him, arms out like he was returning home from war. “MY FAVORITE HUMAN! Did you miss me? Of course you did. Look, I brought offerings!” He held up a small bag. “I brought tuna treats for Luna.”

You snorted. But your eyes caught—lingered—on the third figure who stepped quietly into view behind them. Taller than both. Slender, graceful, wrapped in long sleeves and a stormy expression that didn’t quite hide the sharp, curious gleam in his eyes.

He looked at you like he already knew something you didn’t.

And when your eyes met his? Something shifted. Just for a second. His gaze locked. And your chest felt… strange. Not bad. Just too full. Like you were being seen. Really seen.

Changbin stepped forward and smiled, breaking the tension. “This is Hyunjin. He’s here to make sure you’re not secretly a weirdo.”

“I volunteered,” Hyunjin said coolly. But he didn’t look away from you.

And neither did you, you couldn't. 

Chapter Text

 Hyunjin’s POV

He didn’t expect much. He’d told himself that a dozen times on the way into the city. “She’s just a girl. A human girl. Sweet, maybe. Sad, probably. Smells good—sure. But that’s all. That’s all it has to be.” But when the door opened and he saw her—standing in an oversized sweater, soft eyes blinking up at him like the wind had just knocked of her—Hyunjin felt it.

Everything shifted.

His breath caught, and he almost missed it—because it was quiet, the way she looked at him. Not dramatic. Not a thunderclap. Just… a stillness. A pause. A tilt in the world that said this matters.

His wolf surged so fast he nearly staggered. Her scent, already familiar from the others, hit him directly for the first time. No buffers. No borrowed fabric or packmate interference.

Just her.

Warm. Home. A little shy. A little guarded and something beneath all that—like sunlight. The kind that breaks through after the rain. It punched straight through him. His ears rang. He kept his face neutral. He had practice in that.

Han made a loud, happy noise as he bounded past the girl, talking about cats and snacks and how he’d missed the couch more than anything. Changbin stepped forward, smiling, voice warm and reassuring.

Hyunjin didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Couldn’t, for a moment. Because she was looking at him too. And not just looking— seeing . And he didn’t know what the hell to do with that.

“...This is Hyunjin,” Changbin was saying. “He’s here to make sure you’re not secretly a weirdo.”

“I volunteered ,” Hyunjin said, finally.

His voice didn’t even sound like his.

But she didn’t flinch.

Didn’t force a laugh.

She just held his gaze like she felt it, too.

Not all of it—not the bond, not yet—but something. An awareness. A flicker of connection.

She stepped back and let them in, quiet, a little awkward, but gracious. Human. Kind.

Hyunjin followed, keeping his distance, letting Changbin take the space she offered him. He watched how she smiled at Han’s nonsense. How she hovered a little closer to Bin. How she spoke softly, like she didn’t want to disturb the moment.

He took it all in. Catalogued it. And hated how much he wanted it. Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.

This wasn’t his mate.

She was already claimed.

Half-marked. Emotionally tied. Sleeping in Bin’s hoodie.

Hyunjin’s wolf didn’t care. It clawed against his ribs like a caged thing, whispering “ Ours too. Mine. Touch her. Take her. Stay.”

He curled his hands into fists inside the sleeves of his hoodie, dug his nails into his palm, and shoved the voice down. He could survive this. He’d done it before—with lesser things. He’d survive again.

Even if it meant watching Changbin find the happiness they were both built for.

Even if it meant pretending he didn’t feel the pull every time she so much as breathed.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

 Changbin’s POV

He noticed it the second they stepped inside. It wasn’t anything obvious—no dramatic scent spike or instinctual growl. It was smaller than that. Subtle.

A hitch in Hyunjin’s breath.

A pause in the Y/n’s posture.

Like two puzzle pieces suddenly aware they might fit.

And that was a problem.

Changbin set the drinks down on your counter, watching from the corner of his eye as you moved to greet Han, who was already flopped dramatically across your couch like he’d lived here for years.

But Hyunjin didn’t sit. He didn’t explore. He stood just inside the doorway, hands tucked into his sleeves, shoulders tense—not with hostility, but… control .

Too much control.

Changbin had known Hyunjin for a long time. He knew what it looked like when the wolf inside him stirred. When instincts pressed too close to the surface. And right now? Hyunjin looked like a man fighting himself.

Shit.

He didn’t say anything. Not yet. But his heart dropped—just a little—as you offered Hyunjin a quiet smile and gestured for him to sit beside you.

And Hyunjin— fucking Hyunjin —nodded.

Not too eager. Not too cold.

Just enough.

Just enough to scare him.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

He made you nervous. Not in a bad way. Not in a dangerous way. In the way that made your skin hyperaware of itself. In the way you noticed the way your sleeves covered your hands, the way your voice sounded too soft in your own ears, the way your living room suddenly felt too small.

Hyunjin was quiet. Reserved. But not unfriendly. And he watched. Not like he was studying you for weakness, but… like he was memorizing you. Every time you laughed at Han’s ridiculous commentary, you felt Hyunjin’s gaze flick toward you—brief, intense, then gone again.

You didn’t know what to do with that. You weren’t used to being seen. So when you finally handed him a glass of water and sat down on the opposite end of the couch—close, but not too close—you weren’t sure why your heart felt like it was sitting in your throat.

“Thanks,” he said, accepting the drink with fingers that brushed yours.

Just a touch but it sparked something. Your eyes lifted, just for a second. And he was already looking at you.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Hyunjin’s POV

Shit.

Her scent was stronger this close. Clean linen in the sun. Faint nerves. Some citrus note in her shampoo that he wanted to chase down with his tongue and never explain. He took the glass carefully, letting his fingers brush hers for exactly one second.

One second too long.

She looked at him.

And he felt the earth tilt.

She wasn’t even doing anything.

Just breathing. Blinking. Being her .

But it felt like a thread snapped loose in him. Something deep and primal that said, Protect her. Learn her. Be close.

“I’m glad you let us come over,” he said, voice low, safe.

She smiled, nervous. “Honestly, I’m surprised I said yes. This whole thing feels a little…”

“Weird?”

“I was gonna say like the Twilight Zone, but yeah. That too.”

He huffed a soft laugh. “You’re doing better than most would,” he said.

“Am I?”

“You haven’t screamed yet.”

She raised an eyebrow. “The night is young.”

Another smile. Another ache in his chest.

He could feel Changbin watching them. Could feel the tension brewing across the room.

And he hated it. Because no matter how still he kept his face, how much he resisted the pull to her. He still couldn't stop the bond from growing.

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

You’d been nervous about having all three of them here—Changbin, Han, and the one who made your heart stutter every time he looked your way.

Hyunjin.

But the atmosphere had been... okay. Awkward, yes. But manageable. You’d smiled, you’d hosted, and—more importantly—you’d planned ahead. Which was why, halfway through Han’s cartoonish retelling of the time he got stuck in a trash can during a perimeter check, you slipped into the kitchen and pulled out the surprise from your fridge.

You walked back holding a container. “Hey,” you called softly.

Changbin turned toward you, and immediately, the tension in his shoulders softened.

“I remembered something you said,” you added, walking closer. “About trying to up your protein for weight training. I made those peanut butter oat bars you mentioned. You held out the container to him with both hands.

His brows lifted in genuine surprise. “You actually remembered that?”

“I pay attention,” you said quietly.

His hands brushed yours as he took it. Warm. Big. Gentle. Something flickered across his face—something soft, unguarded. “Thank you,” he said. “Seriously.” His cheeks pinked up as the feeling of being wanted crept in.

You shrugged, trying to hide how much his voice affected you. “Figured you shouldn’t have to live off Gatorade and granola bars.”

Han leaned in between the two of you, sniffing dramatically. “Do I get protein bars? Or am I just entertainment?”

“You are the entertainment,” you muttered, shoving him away playfully as he stuffed a bar into his mouth triumphantly.

Luna, as if on cue, darted across the living room with one of Han’s shoelaces in her mouth. “Oh no you don’t—!” Han shouted, lunging after her.

You turned too fast to avoid him—and tripped over his outstretched leg. Your foot caught the edge of your rug and you stumbled with a yelp, falling—but you didn’t hit the floor.

Hyunjin caught you. Strong hands around your arms, his chest bracing your fall, the scent of him warm and heady—spiced pine and something deep .

You looked up, heart hammering against your ribs.

He was already watching you, too close, too much. “Careful,” he said softly, voice so low it scraped across your skin.

You felt frozen and that moment—brief, quiet—somehow felt sharper than anything else that had happened all day.

Then you heard a sound.

Not loud.

Not violent.

But unmistakable. Changbin’s breathing—deeper now almost a growl rumbling. Unsteady.

You looked over. He was standing rigid, jaw clenched, eyes locked on the two of you. One hand still clutching the snack container you’d made, the other fisted at his side like he didn’t trust himself to not break something.

“Binnie—?”

He turned away before you could finish. “Excuse me,” he muttered, and stalked toward and through the door, the air practically vibrating with restrained anger.

“Shit,” Han whispered as he got his shoelace free from Luna.

You stared at the closed door, heart in your throat. Hyunjin hadn’t let go of you yet. And suddenly, you weren’t sure what had just happened —only that everything inside you was pulling in two directions at once. The door hadn’t even clicked shut before you were moving away from Hyunjin and grabbing your shoes. “Stay with them,” you said over your shoulder to Luna—who was now lounging smugly atop the TV stand like she hadn’t just sparked a domestic crisis.

You didn’t think. You just moved . Down the stairs. Past the elevator. Through the lobby. The night air hit like cold water on flushed skin. Your heart was still racing from the fall—but not because you were hurt. Because of how he looked at you.

Changbin. He didn’t raise his voice. Didn’t accuse, but he didn’t have to. That storm in his eyes when he saw Hyunjin holding you—his packmate, your near-stranger—was louder than anything he could’ve said. And it felt like something inside you had broken. You spotted him just past the corner of your building, hoodie half-zipped, hands shoved into his pockets, pacing the edge of the sidewalk like a storm cloud trying to hold back lightning.

“Binnie!”

He flinched—so subtle you might’ve missed it if you didn’t already know him. The way his shoulders tightened, the way he didn’t turn right away. But you kept walking until you were close enough to hear him breathing. Unsteady. Fast.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” you said softly.

“I know.”

You hesitated. “Then why did you leave?”

His jaw flexed, eyes locked on a crack in the pavement. “Because if I stayed another second, I was going to shift. And not in a good way.”

Your stomach twisted. “I wasn’t thinking,” you said. “Han was chasing Luna and I tripped. That’s it. That’s all it was.”

“I know. ” He looked at you then. Really looked and the storm you saw in his expression made your heart ache. “This isn’t about blame,” he said. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. But it still felt like something. And that’s the problem.”

You swallowed hard. “All I did was bring you those protein bars and tripped.” You repeat quietly unsure how to fix this.

“I know, Y/n,” he said, louder this time, voice cracking. “I know you did, and it meant everything. That’s what makes this worse.” He took a step back like he needed air between you. “I’ve spent years trying to keep myself in check,” he said. “Trying to balance what the bear wants with what’s right. And now I’m trying to be patient. Trying to give you space. And it’s still not enough.”

Your eyes burned. “It is enough.”

“No, it’s not,” he said, voice softer now. “Because I saw the way Hyunjin looked at you. And you looked back.”

Your breath caught you couldn't correct him. You couldn't have looked away from Hyunjin if you tried in that moment back there.

“I don’t blame you,” he added quickly. “He’s magnetic. He’s beautiful. He walks into a room and people look. I get it. I do.”

You reached for him, but he stepped out of reach.

“But you’re mine, Y/n. You are. I don’t care if the bond hasn’t snapped into place yet or if it takes weeks. I know it. My bear knows it. And watching him touch you—watching you let him—it felt like claws in my chest.”

Tears blurred your eyes. “Then tell me what you need.”

He looked at you—raw, breathing hard. “I need you to choose me,” he said. “Not just by accident. Not just because I got there first. But because when you look at me, you feel it too. I’m scared, Y/n. Because I’ve never wanted something like this before. I’ve never met someone and thought— this is it. This is mine. And now that I have?” He swallowed hard. “I’m terrified it’ll be taken away.”

Your heart clenched.

“I can’t compete with him,” he said, softer now. “Not really. Hyunjin doesn’t even have to try. People just… drift toward him. Even when he doesn’t want it. And I saw you fall, and he caught you, and for a second—just one second—you looked at him like you forgot I was there.”

You opened your mouth—but nothing came out.

Because part of you knew… he wasn’t wrong. Not really.

“But that’s not the worst part,” he continued, gaze dropping to the sidewalk. “The worst part is, I’d still fight for you. Even if he wanted you. Even if both of you realized he was the better match. I’d still be here. Because I already made up my mind.”

The silence that followed was deafening. You took one shaky step forward. “I do feel it,” you whispered.

His eyes flicked to yours—hope and pain and fear all tangled together.

“Come back inside,” you said. “Don’t leave me standing here in the dark. Don’t give up just because he caught me when I tripped. You don’t have to fight for me, Binnie,” you whispered. “I’m not a prize. And this isn’t a competition.”

“I know.” He mumbles still not looking you in the eyes.

“But I am scared too. And I do look at you. Every time you’re near me, it feels like everything else blurs out. It’s not nothing.”

He finally looked up, and his eyes were glassy.

“But I didn’t choose to fall,” you added, “and I didn’t choose who caught me. But I am choosing who I walk back with.”

He stared at you then nodded.

Just once.

And this time, he reached for your hand first, as you headed back to your apartment together.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

The mind link from Chan came just as Y/n and Changbin stepped back into the apartment.

"Pack house. Now." Chan’s voice rolled through Hyunjin's and Changbin's minds like thunder—controlled but unmistakable. It didn’t ask. It summoned.

Changbin stiffened mid-step.

Y/n looked up at him. “What is it?”

“Chan,” he said shortly. “He wants us back.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Me.”

Changbin and Hyunjin arrived at the pack house thirty minutes later. Y/n stayed behind, at Changbin’s gentle insistence. She didn’t need to be dragged into a pack meeting that might turn into a full-blown confrontation. She kissed his cheek at the door. He almost didn’t leave, but he did.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

At the pack house the others were already waiting. The main room was dim, just one lamp lit in the corner. The pack had gathered quietly, no posturing, no noise. Just energy. Coiled. Waiting.

Chan stood near the fireplace, arms crossed, gaze heavy.

Hyunjin leaned against the far wall, trying not to look like he was avoiding eye contact. Han sat on the back of the couch, legs swinging like he was the only one unaware of the tension (he wasn’t). Seungmin and Minho watched everything. Felix and Jeongin sat together by the low table.

When Changbin stepped inside, the silence folded tighter around the room.

Chan didn’t say anything for a long time. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze on the two of them. “Changbin. Hyunjin.” He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. “I’m going to ask once,” he said. “And I’m giving you both a chance to say it before I do.”

Neither of them moved.

“What,” Chan said evenly, “is going on between you two and Y/n?”

Hyunjin’s jaw tensed. His arms crossed. But he said nothing. 

Changbin swallowed, heart thudding against his ribs. “I claimed her,” he said. “Or... I felt the bond. From the beginning. It’s mine. I know it. I’ve been careful. I haven’t pressured her.”

“I know,” Chan said. “You’ve been respectful then Hyunjin caught her when she tripped, and your bear lost it.”

Changbin hesitated then nodded.

“Because,” Chan prompted, “this isn’t just about jealousy, is it?”

Hyunjin finally spoke. “It’s because I feel it too.”

The room snapped silent.  No one breathed.

Hyunjin stared straight ahead, not at Changbin, not at Chan.

“I didn’t want to,” he said. “I didn’t try to. But when I met her, it was already there. Like something buried woke up. My wolf—he just... responded.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Changbin said quietly.

“What was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, I think the girl you’re falling for might be my mate, too?’”

“You could’ve said anything.” Changbin looked over at him.

Hyunjin sighed and glanced over “I was trying to give you space. I thought I could control it and bury the pull inside.”

“I didn’t want space. I wanted honesty. ” Changbin stated looking at Hyunjin daring him to say anything else.

Their voices rose with the edge of heat—not rage, but pain. Years of brotherhood straining under something neither of them asked for.

Chan stepped between them. “Stop,” he said, calm but absolute. “Before this gets worse.”

They both went quiet.

Chan looked between them, eyes steady. “Neither of you is wrong. Neither of you did this on purpose. The bond chose her. Maybe more than once.”

Han’s voice came, uncharacteristically quiet. “So what happens now?”

“That depends,” Chan said, “on all three of them.”

He looked at Changbin then at Hyunjin. “You both have instincts pulling you in. You both care about her. But if this pack splits over one bond, we all lose.”

The words settled hard in the room.

“So here’s what’s going to happen,” Chan said, voice firm now. “You’re both going to take a breath. And you’re both going to talk to her . Not your wolves. Not your pride. Y/n.”

“And if she chooses him?” Changbin asked.

“Then you respect it,” Chan said. “And you trust your bond to survive what it has to.”

“And if she can’t choose?” Hyunjin asked, voice quiet, pained.

“Then maybe it’s because she isn’t meant to,” Chan said, his voice like iron. “There are rare cases where the bond splits. It’s not common. But it’s not impossible.”

The room was silent again except for the sound of two hearts beating like war drums.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

You’d been pacing your apartment for the better part of an hour. Luna sat atop your fridge like a judgmental gargoyle, tail swishing slowly, eyes following your every step like she already knew what was going to happen.

And maybe she did.

You didn’t.

Not really.

Not until your phone buzzed.

[Han]🐿️: So listen. Don’t be mad.

You frowned looking at your phone.

[You] : What did you do?

He didn’t text back.

Instead, your screen lit up with an incoming call— Han 🐿️

You answered. “What—” You didn’t hear his voice.

You heard Changbin’s. Clear. Raw.

“I claimed her. Or... I felt the bond. From the beginning. It’s mine. I know it. I’ve been careful. I haven’t pressured her.”

You froze. Breath stilled in your throat. He was talking about you. You pressed the phone tighter to your ear.

“And then Hyunjin caught her when she tripped,” came Chan’s voice. “And your bear lost it.”

Oh god. You shouldn’t be hearing this, but your fingers wouldn’t move.

Then, a second voice. Hyunjin.

“It’s because I feel it too.”

Silence. A deep, cold silence in your chest. And then a heat that burned behind your eyes.

“I didn’t want to,” Hyunjin continued. “I didn’t try to. But when I met her, it was already there. Like something buried woke up. My wolf—he just... responded.”

You sank onto the couch without meaning to, heart pounding so loud you could barely hear the rest. The pack was talking about you . About choosing. About whether you could, or if you were meant to choose at all. Your head was spinning.

Two of them.

Changbin—the one who had been steady from the start. Gentle. Loyal. Earnest.

Hyunjin—the one who’d said so little, but looked at you like he already knew your soul.

And now? Both of them felt the bond. Both of them wanted you.

Your stomach twisted. Your fingers trembled around the phone, which was still clutched against your ear.

But then Chan's voice came, sharp and final “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re both going to take a breath. And you’re both going to talk to her. Not your wolves. Not your pride. Y/n.”

And Han— sneaky bastard that he was —chose that moment to hang up the call.

You sat in stunned silence. Luna meowed from her perch. Your voice cracked as you whispered to yourself half stunned half unsettled, “They’re both my mates?”

Chapter Text

 Y/n’s POV

You knew the second their footsteps hit the hall outside your door. Even before they knocked. There was something unmistakable about the energy that filled a space when they were near—like the air itself straightened its spine. Like your body remembered how to brace for impact.

But you weren’t bracing this time. Not in fear. You were bracing for the truth. Because now you know. And you had raw, hot, tangled feelings burning a hole in your chest.

Luna was already curled on the couch, tail flicking like she’d claimed it as her viewing spot for the coming emotional carnage. She knew. She always knew.

You opened the door before they even knocked.

Changbin looked startled. “Oh—hey.”

Hyunjin’s eyes darted to yours. Subtle. Sharp. Quiet. 

“Hey,” you said, stepping aside. “Come in.”

They did. Hesitant. Too aware of each other.

Changbin carried a small container empty with a small note of promise from their pack mate Felix saying you needed to try his brownies.

Your chest ached. You let them stand there awkwardly in your living room while you closed the door and leaned back against it, arms crossed.

“So,” you said.

They both looked at you.

“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” you asked, head tilted. “Or should I just recite it back to you word for word?”

Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Changbin blinked. “Wait—what?”

You held up your phone and gave Han’s name a little flash on your recent calls.

Their faces shifted instantly . Hyunjin’s shoulders snapped straight, his mouth a tight line.

Changbin’s entire body tensed. “He called you during—”

“He let me listen , ” you said calmly.

They both stared at you.

“So yeah,” you continued, forcing your voice to stay even. “I know. I know more about the bond. I know you both feel it. I know you didn’t tell me. And I know I wasn’t supposed to find out that way, but guess what?” You dropped your arms, stepping forward. “I’m glad I did.”

Changbin opened his mouth. “Y/n—”

“Because now it’s all on the table,” you said. “No secrets. No avoiding it. Just… this.” You looked between them, heart pounding. “I need to hear it from you,” you said. “Both of you. Not filtered through your pack alpha, not overheard in a conversation. I want your words.”

Silence. Until Changbin stepped forward. His voice was quiet. Steady. Just like him. “I’ve felt the bond since the first night,” he said. “When you fell asleep beside me. My bear recognized it before I did. But I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to scare you. I wanted you to choose me, not just fall into something.”

You looked at Hyunjin. His throat bobbed once. “I didn’t expect it,” he admitted. “Didn’t even want it. But the second I saw you, it hit me like a fucking train. And I’ve been pretending it’s not as strong as it is, because I didn’t want to hurt Bin. But I’m tired of pretending.”

Another silence. Then you—quietly, painfully—said the one thing you hadn’t dared until now. “What if I feel it for both of you?”

Neither of them moved. Not for a long moment. Then Changbin stepped closer. Just enough for his voice to soften. “Then we figure it out. Together.”

Hyunjin finally looked at you— really looked—and said, “If you’re ours… you’re ours. Not a prize. Not a split choice. Just... you.”

You signed in relief. That was exactly what you needed to hear.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

You sat between them on the couch. Not touching either one—but close. Close enough to feel the heat of their bodies, the gravity of what the three of you were holding in your hands now. It was too big to name, too new to define, but it was yours. And theirs.

All of yours.

“So,” you said, curling your hands around your mug. “How does this work?”

Changbin looked at you with soft, honest eyes. “We don’t have a map. There isn’t one. This kind of bond? Two shifters, one human—it’s rare. But not unheard of.”

“Rare things tend to break if you press too hard,” you murmured.

“That’s why we won’t press,” Hyunjin said from your other side, voice low. “You set the pace.”

You looked between them—one solid and steady, the other magnetic and quiet fire—and for the first time, let yourself feel it. They both wanted you, but neither wanted to own you. They just wanted you in their lives.

“So what does that make me?” you asked. “If we do this… what will I become to the pack?”

“Family,” Changbin said simply.

Hyunjin nodded. “Ours.”

Your chest ached. “I want to meet them,” you said after a pause.

Both of them still.

You bit your lip, then added, “If we’re really doing this… I want to meet the rest of your world. The people who matter to you.”

Hyunjin sat forward slowly, his long fingers curled around the edge of his knee. “They’ll be curious.”

Changbin gave a quiet chuckle. “That’s an understatement. Han might combust from jealousy from having to share his new human friend.”

“Let him try,” you joke

The laughter that bubbled out of both of them was quiet, but real. When you looked between them again, you didn’t feel pressure. You take one of each of their hands in yours and enjoy the quiet moment. The bond hums between the three of you, small threads intertwining becoming more solid. Their inner wolf and bear settle, basking in the warm of the threads of a bond forming.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

You’d been nervous before. When you first met Changbin. When Han Jisung declared himself your squirrel best friend. When Hyunjin looked at you like you were something he’d dreamed into existence.

But this?

This was something else entirely. You stood on the edge of the forest, just outside the tall, wood-framed house they called the pack home. It was bigger than you expected—not massive, not showy. There were boots by the porch steps, a wind chime hanging from a crooked nail, and the faintest scent of pine and smoke on the breeze.

Changbin stood to your left, hand gently at the small of your back. Hyunjin stood to your right, one step behind, silent but present.

You looked between them. “You sure they won’t hate me?”

“They’re going to love you,” Changbin said immediately.

“They’re going to stare at you,” Hyunjin corrected. “And ask too many questions. And probably sniff you. But that’s just them loving aggressively.”

“Comforting,” you muttered.

But you stepped forward anyway.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

The door opened before you knocked. Han flung it wide like a kid on Christmas morning. “She’s here ! Everyone be normal. By which I mean they are absolutely not normal at all . ”

“Han,” came a sharp voice from somewhere inside. “Stop shouting.”

You stepped in slowly, eyes adjusting to the warm light. Wooden floors, wide windows, tall ceilings. Cozy chaos. Then they came into view.

Chan. Alpha presence like gravity, eyes sharp but kind. He didn’t smile, but he didn’t glare either. He looked careful. At least you had seen him before.

Seungmin. Calm, unreadable. Sitting at the counter with a mug in hand, watching you like you were a riddle he wanted to solve.

Jeongin. Younger than the rest, leaned against the wall, curious but quiet.

Felix. Literal sunshine in his smile waved from the kitchen. You felt yourself feeling safe already in his presence.

They didn’t rush you.

They just… watched and observed.

Changbin cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Everyone, this is Y/n.”

You gave a small wave. “Hi.”

“Hello again, Y/n,” Chan said, and even though it was only three words, it settled something in your chest.

Hyunjin stood a little closer behind you. “She knows,” he said quietly. “Everything.”

“Even about you two?” Chan asked, gaze flicking between them.

“I heard it all,” you admitted. “Han may have... accidentally conference-called me during the confrontation.”

“Oops,” Han said from behind the couch, absolutely not sorry.

Chan sighed but didn’t seem surprised. “Alright,” he said. “So. Y/n. You’re in it now.”

You nodded. “Seems that way.”

“We’ll respect your space,” Chan said, voice steady. “Your bond is yours. Whether it’s to one or both or neither. But while you’re here, you’re protected. No one will challenge you.”

Jeongin tilted his head. “But we are allowed to ask questions, right?”

Minho didn’t even blink from his perch on the couch. “I’ve prepared a list.”

“Oh my god,” you muttered.

“You’ll survive,” Hyunjin said, lips twitching.

The first ten minutes were awkward. The next thirty were better.

Han gave you a chaotic tour of the house, Seungmin grilled you like a suspicious aunt, and Jeongin casually mentioned how hot it was that you weren’t scared of bears.

You sat beside Changbin while he told a story from patrol. You caught Chan watching. Not in a judging way. In a measuring one. Like he was recalculating the weight of his whole pack with you in it. You weren’t sure if that made you proud or terrified. Maybe both.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

By the time the sun dipped low and the scent of dinner filled the house, you found yourself laughing. Warm. Included. You still didn’t know how this would work. How to balance the pull between two mates. How to be in their world. But tonight? You knew one thing, you were no longer standing on the outside.

It was late by the time the laughter faded, by the time even Han ran out of stories to embellish and Jeongin stopped teasing you about the way Changbin looked at you when he thought you weren’t watching.

The house had shifted into a soft, settling silence. You were standing near the front door, shoes in hand, when Chan spoke from behind you.

“You don’t have to go.”

You turned. He stood near the stairs, calm as ever, arms folded loosely, voice low but sure. “It’s late,” he said. “No one would question it. And you’re not just a guest anymore.”

You hesitated. “It’s not weird?” you asked.

Chan shook his head. “No one in this house will see it that way. You’re part of this now.”

You nodded slowly, heart thudding. And then, quietly, you said, “Okay.”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

It was Changbin who led the way. You didn’t ask why they didn’t split up. Why didn't Hyunjin go to his own room or why didn't you take the guest one Han loudly claimed smelled like his favorite gouda . You just followed because it felt right. Plus smelling like cheese the next morning wouldn’t be too great.

Changbin’s room was bigger than you expected—cleaner too, save for the hoodie half-folded at the foot of the bed and the weights stacked near the dresser. The bed itself was wide, low to the floor, and clearly built for someone who needed room to breathe when he slept.

Hyunjin leaned against the doorframe for a moment, silent, like he was still giving you time to say no. You didn’t. You stepped in.

Changbin grabbed you a clean shirt to sleep in—soft and worn, smelling like him. You change in the bathroom, cheeks warm the whole time. When you came out, they were already settled—Changbin sitting against the headboard in a plain t-shirt and sweats, Hyunjin on the far side of the bed, back propped against the wall, scrolling on his phone like he wasn’t completely aware of every breath you took.

You climbed in between them. No one said a word. You felt held —not by arms, but by presence. By them.

You tucked the blanket up to your shoulders. “Is this okay?” you asked.

Hyunjin reached out first, brushing his fingers over your wrist. “It’s perfect.”

Changbin exhaled, voice thick with something softer. “You’re safe here.”

“I know.” And for a while, that was all you needed. The emotional toll of the day and the warmth of the bond pulsing between this newly formed bond lulls you into a deep sleep.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

  Y/n’s POV

You woke up warm, that was the first thing you noticed. The bed smelled like clean linen and forest air. Someone’s arm was tucked around your waist—broad, solid, unmoving. The sound of soft breathing filled the room like waves brushing the shore.

You haven't opened your eyes yet. Didn’t need to. You could feel them. Changbin, still curled behind you, heavy and grounding. Hyunjin, long and lean, a few inches away but close enough that the heat from his body still reached your skin. Your hand lightly intertwined with his. You didn’t remember falling asleep exactly—but you remembered the safety. The weight of something new settling over your chest like a comforter stitched from instinct and trust.

Except—

Wait.

There was weight on your chest.

Something small.

Something moving.

You blinked open one eye, groggy and confused, and then—
“Oh my god— Han.”

There, nestled in your shirt collar like it was his bed, was a small reddish-brown squirrel . Curled up. Completely passed out. His tiny tail flicked once in his sleep, right across your chin.

Changbin stirred behind you. “Wha—?”

Hyunjin sat up, hair messy and eyes narrowed. “What the hell.”

The squirrel yawned. Loudly. Then blinked up at you with the tiniest squeak of satisfaction. “I live here now , ” Han Jisung declared, shifting mid-sentence back into his human form—

—which meant one very real-sized hybrid collapsed right onto you.

“ HAN ! ” you gasped, shoving him off your chest with both hands.

“Good morning to bestie , ” he grinned, stretching like a cat across the bed while Changbin groaned into the pillow.

“You were a squirrel in my shirt . ”

“Don’t act like you didn’t love it.”

“I didn’t.”

“You whispered cozy in your sleep.”

Hyunjin just sighed and slid back under the covers. “I’m going to smother him with a pillow.”

“Let me go first,” Changbin muttered. But they didn’t move. And neither did you. Because somehow, even with a shapeshifting squirrel hybrid crushing your ribs and the entire room threatening chaos by 9 a.m., you felt like this could be your new normal.

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

You hadn’t expected to wake up with a full-grown hybrid squirrel curled up across your legs—but then again, nothing about your life was particularly expected anymore. By the time you made it downstairs—with Han draped over your shoulders like a smug woodland scarf—you could already smell breakfast. Warm spices, sizzling butter, something rich and earthy that made your stomach growl. “Someone’s cooking,” you mumbled.

“That’d be Chan,” Han chirped, wriggling his toes where they hung near your ribs. “He makes pancakes like an Alpha raised on Pinterest and guilt.”

Sure enough, the pack’s Alpha was at the stove when you stepped into the kitchen—calm, focused, flipping golden pancakes like it was a quiet Sunday morning in any normal home.

Only nothing about this place was normal. It was better. More real than anything you’d known in years.

Chan didn’t even turn around when he spoke. “Sit. Eat.”

You slid onto one of the stools at the counter, Han finally dismounting from your shoulders and shifting back to claim the spot beside you with theatrical flair.

Not even a minute later, Changbin lumbered into the kitchen with his usual quiet presence—massive frame filling the doorway, hair still tousled, hoodie sleeves pushed up to the elbows. His dark eyes met yours, and even in his sleepy haze, they softened. He bumped your shoulder gently on his way past—solid, steady, anchoring. Pure bear energy.

Then came Hyunjin, barefoot and graceful, moving like shadows belonged to him. He didn’t say a word as he sat beside you, but the look he gave you—crooked smile, one raised brow—was all heat and knowing. Where Changbin was grounded like stone, Hyunjin was all movement. A wolf in the body of a man. Watching. Listening. Coiled energy behind sleek stillness.

The rest of the pack trickled in after them. Minho appeared fully dressed and half-scowling, stealing a strip of bacon straight from the pan without apology. Jeongin shuffled in behind him with sleep-creased cheeks, muttering something about someone using his shampoo.

Han slid a syrup bottle across the counter and declared, “So last night I slept on a woman’s chest and she threw me off like roadkill.”

You sighed. “You were in squirrel form.”

“Does that make it less romantic?”

“Yes,” Seungmin said flatly.

“Considerably,” added Hyunjin without even glancing up.

“I would’ve eaten you,” Changbin grumbled, halfway through pouring honey into his tea.

“You’re just jealous,” Han shot back. “Bear boy doesn’t fit in shirt collars.”

“He fits in beds,” you muttered under your breath before you could stop yourself.

Silence.

Then Hyunjin let out a soft, huffing laugh.

Changbin turned slightly pink and gave you a look that could melt iron.

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The breakfast was chaotic, loud, too many people in one space—and somehow perfect.

You passed plates. You stole bites. You got syrup on your sleeve and Changbin gently wiped it away without saying a word. Hyunjin nudged your knee under the table when Han got too rowdy, his smile small and private. Chan watched everything from the stove, eyes steady, measuring the way you moved through his pack like you’d always belonged. By the time the food was gone and your stomach was full, laughter was still echoing off the walls.

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Pack POV

The house was quiet. Too quiet, considering how much syrup Han had consumed at breakfast. Y/n had gone home with hugs and soft goodbyes, cheeks flushed from too much laughter and not enough sleep. Chan had offered to drive her, but she insisted on walking—it wasn’t far, and she needed the air. Now the pack lingered in the living room, scattered on cushions and armrests like leftover warmth. Chan was watching his boys carefully.

Changbin leaned against the arm of the couch, arms crossed, jaw tight. He hadn’t said much since Y/n left. Hyunjin sat across from him, ankles crossed, jaw equally tense, but for entirely different reasons. Seungmin was perched beside Jeongin, chewing on a protein bar and pretending not to listen (he absolutely was). Han was laying upside-down on the floor, legs over the back of a beanbag, scrolling through his phone with no dignity whatsoever.

“So,” Chan began, voice even. “What are we doing?”

Changbin exhaled through his nose. “Trying not to fight each other over her?”

“She’s not a prize,” Hyunjin said calmly, but his voice was tight. “She’s a person. She felt the bond.”

“She also doesn’t know what it means to live with us long-term,” Seungmin added. “Not really.”

“She survived me sleeping on her stomach,” Han piped up, still scrolling. “I say she’s pack-ready.”

“No one’s questioning her heart,” Chan said. “I’m questioning whether you two are going to handle this without tearing each other apart.”

Silence.

Then Changbin muttered, “We’re trying.”

And Hyunjin nodded. “We are.”

Chan studied them both, then relaxed a little. “She’s going to need stability. If she chooses both of you which it looks like she is then that’s going to take work. Understanding. Compromise.”

Changbin looked down. “I know.”

“I’ll protect her either way,” Hyunjin said.

“We all will,” Jeongin added softly.

Han suddenly went very still. “Guys,” he said, flipping his phone upright.

“What now?” Changbin sighed.

Han turned his screen to face them. Their shared group chat, one created weeks ago by accident when Changbin meant to message Hyunjin privately but Han inserted himself, was now lit up with a new message.

Y/n💜: Hey… weird news. My apartment building got sold to a developer. Everyone’s being kicked out by the end of the month. So… I guess I’m about to be homeless? 

*image of a vacate notice on the apartment door*

The room fell completely silent. Hyunjin sat bolt upright. Changbin’s entire body tensed.

“Absolutely not,” Chan muttered under his breath.

“She doesn’t have anyone else local, does she?” Jeongin asked.

“She has us,” Changbin growled, already mentally calculating if he should track down the apartment building's new owner.

Hyunjin didn’t even speak, he was already on his feet.

Chan stood slowly. “Nobody says anything yet. Let me reach out first.”

But Changbin was already unlocking his phone, and Hyunjin had that look in his eye. The one that said someone is threatening what’s ours.

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Y/n’s POV

You didn’t even have time to sweep the scattered laundry off the floor before the knock came. It was soft three precise taps. Not frantic like Han. Not heavy like Changbin. Not silent like Hyunjin.

You opened the door slowly. Chan stood there, dressed in black, hands in the pockets of his hoodie, calm and watchful like always.

Your stomach did a strange flip. “Did I miss a group text?”

“No,” he said simply. “But I saw your message.”

Your throat tightened. You stepped back, wordless, letting him in. The apartment already felt different today. Not worse. Just… temporary. Knowing the building had been sold had stripped it of something. It wasn’t home anymore.

Chan looked around the space. Eyes sharp, quiet. Not judging. Just observing.

“I’m sorry you found out like that,” you said softly.

“You shouldn’t have found out at all,” he replied. “You should’ve been told in person. Given options. Not dropped like a tenant notice and a fake smile.”

You folded your arms. “Yeah, well. The world’s not great at options lately.”

Chan turned toward you fully then, the weight of his presence filling the room in a way no one else could. “Maybe it’s time to change that,” he said.

You blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean come live with us.”

Your heart skipped. “Chan—”

He held up a hand. “I’m not saying move in with Changbin and Hyunjin and start nesting in their bed like a fairytale. I’m saying we have space. Rooms. A home. A pack. And you’re already tangled in all of it.”

You opened your mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.

He continued, voice level. “You’re not a stranger anymore, Y/n. You’re already bonded. Maybe not fully, maybe not officially, but it’s started. We all feel it.”

“Even you?”

He didn’t flinch. “I’m the Alpha,” he said. “It’s my job to know what threatens our balance. And what strengthens it.” His eyes met yours, steady and sure. “You are not a threat. You’re something this pack has needed for a long time.”

Tears burned suddenly at the backs of your eyes.

“You don’t have to say yes,” he added gently. “But you’re not going to be homeless. We’re offering a home for you.”

You sat down heavily on the edge of your couch. “I haven’t even figured out how to navigate two bonded shifters,” you whispered. “And now you want me to move in with all of you?”

“I don’t want you to do anything you’re not ready for,” Chan said. “But I do want you to know the offer is real. And it’s not out of pity.”

You looked up.

He smiled faintly. “It’s out of instinct. You’re one of us, Y/n. Even if your scent hasn’t fully changed yet. Even if you still leave your shoes by the door and not in the shoe cubby.”

You laughed wetly. and somehow, that made the decision settle just a little easier in your chest. You didn’t answer Chan right away. You sat with it. You let the quiet stretch between you while Luna curled around your ankles and Chan waited—patient and silent, like a true Alpha does when someone’s at a crossroads. Eventually, you looked up at him and whispered, “Okay.”

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You spent the next week packing. One box at a time. It wasn’t like you had that much stuff just enough to remind you of how long you’d been stuck here. Enough to feel like the walls knew you, but not enough to ever make this place yours.

Changbin came by on Tuesday with takeout and three rolls of packing tape. He didn’t talk much, just helped wrap your kitchenware in old towels and let Luna settle in his hoodie’s front pocket. She was addicted to the heat his bear side gave off.

On Thursday, Hyunjin dropped in, he didn't pack. He sat on the floor beside you while you cried over a box of old books you didn’t even want anymore. He didn’t try to fix it. He just reached over, laced your pinky with his, and stayed.

By Saturday, your living room was full of neatly labeled boxes, Luna had claimed a spot in your emptied-out closet, and you had begun to believe that this move wasn’t a mistake. That you weren’t running. You were choosing and it felt like the right choice.

The night before your official move, you stood in the middle of your stripped apartment and let out a long, shaky breath. Luna padded over, tail high. “Ready, troublemaker?” you whispered, scooping her into your arms. She purred once loud and smug, nudging her head into your chin. Her way of giving her approval. 

Chapter Text

Pack POV

It started with a deep clean. Not because the house was dirty, Chan kept the place in better shape than anyone expected from a house full of animal shifters, but because they all felt it. Something was changing. Y/n wasn’t just visiting anymore. She wasn’t crashing for the night. She wasn’t a guest. She was moving in, and that meant the energy shifted. Everyone felt it differently.

Changbin was the first to act. He cleared out the unused guest room next to his. The one Han used to sneak snacks into and Hyunjin occasionally napped in. He folded fresh sheets onto the bed and set the windows to vent out the stale air. But he didn’t make it too perfect, didn’t want it to feel staged. He just wanted her to feel like it could be hers.

Hyunjin brought a few small touches without saying anything. A lamp from the hallway. A woven throw blanket from his own closet handmade, soft, good for humans who didn’t regulate heat the way wolves did. He didn’t explain why. He just set it on the end of her bed and moved on.

Han attempted to mount a shelf in the corner for Y/n’s books or plants or cat paraphernalia. He got distracted halfway through and instead left a poorly drawn label on the shelf that read

For Y/n, From Squirrel Supreme.

Chan would fix it later. Probably.

Jeongin and Seungmin brought in storage baskets, replaced the weird flickering light bulb, and argued for twenty minutes about whether Luna needed a shelf of her own.

“She’s a cat, not royalty,” Seungmin said.

“She’s both,” Jeongin replied solemnly. They installed a window perch for her anyway.

Chan did his part in quieter ways. He checked the locks on the doors again. Reassigned patrol routes to make sure she wouldn’t ever have to walk the property alone after dark. And then, the night before she was set to arrive, he stood outside her empty room and took a long breath. It felt right. Not perfect. Not planned. But right. This would be the right choice for his pack including you.

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The next morning, the house buzzed like something wild beneath the floorboards. Every sound made them lift their heads. Every car passing on the road had Han darting to the front window.

And then

Finally

A soft knock at the door. Changbin reached it first, but Hyunjin was right behind him.

Y/n stood on the porch, arms wrapped around a cardboard box. Luna peeked out of the top like a tiny empress surveying her new kingdom. “Hey,” she said, breathless. “Hope I’m not early.”

Han threw the door open fully. “YOU’RE HOME. Come in before I cry!” And just like that, Y/n stepped over the threshold.

Y/n’s POV

Moving into the pack house felt a little like dropping into the middle of someone else's sitcom, with fewer laugh tracks and way more supernatural tension humming beneath the surface. The guest room wasn’t fancy. The walls were plain, the furniture mismatched, and someone (Han) had left a sticky note on the closet mirror that said, “Welcome to the jungle, Queen.”

But it smelled like cedar and warmth. It smelled like them. It smelled like home.

Unpacking took longer than it should have, not because there was too much stuff, but because you kept getting interrupted.

Han popped in five times: twice to check on you, once to steal a snack from your moving box, once to hold Luna like she was a baby, and once just to say, “Still can’t believe you live here. You live here.” 

You threw a sock at him. Luna, traitor that she was, stayed curled in his lap taking the offered bits of snack he gave her.

You’d barely unpacked your books when Minho appeared in the doorway, quiet, observant, catlike in every sense of the word. You hadn’t spent much time with him before now, but he offered you a folded storage bin and a rare half-smile.

“I heard you’re officially staying.”

“I am,” you said.

He glanced down. Luna had leapt from the bed and was now weaving around his ankles, purring like a motor.

His brow arched. “She likes me?”

“She loves you,” you deadpanned. “Apparently I’ve been replaced.”

Minho crouched and gave Luna one gentle scratch under the chin. “Good taste,” he murmured.

You didn’t even disagree.

Felix was next, sunlight in human form. All freckles, blonde hair, and unfiltered affection. He knocked twice, then immediately stepped in with an armful of mismatched mugs and an open smile. He sat them on the desk by the bedroom door.  “Chan said you might need extras. We’re chronic tea and coffee drinkers around here.”

Luna launched herself off your desk and into his arms. He caught her midair. “Oh,” he blinked. “Hello?”

She curled against his chest and purred so loudly it startled him.

“Okay,” you sighed. “This is getting out of hand.”

Felix just grinned. “She’s got a good read on people. Smart girl.”

You weren’t sure if he meant you or the cat. Maybe both.

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By the end of the day, your room had taken shape. Books stacked on the shelves. Candles on the windowsill. Your favorite hoodie slung over the bedframe. A soft throw blanket folded by Hyunjin that you still hadn’t moved. And Luna? Fast asleep in a sunbeam on your rug, curled up on Han’s hoodie she had claimed during his visit to “help”.

It wasn’t perfect. There were still things to learn, boundaries to find, rhythms to settle into. But as you sat on your bed, barefoot and tired, with muffled laughter echoing down the hall and the comforting scent of shifters in the air you realized something. You weren’t adjusting to the pack. You were becoming part of it.

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You didn’t expect to bond with anyone new so quickly. After all, you were already trying to navigate a bear shifter and a wolf who both wanted to claim you and a cat who had claimed you years ago as her snack slave. But somehow, Felix and Minho found their way into your space like they'd always belonged there.

It started with Felix. He showed up in your doorway midmorning with two mugs and a sheepish smile. “I made chamomile,” he said. “I figured if you were still buried in boxes, you could use something calming.”

You reached for the mug without a word and took a grateful sip. “You’re dangerously sweet.”

“Dangerous?” he asked, blinking innocently. “Me?”

You gave him a look. He sat cross-legged on the floor without asking, his soft blonde hair tied loosely back, freckles catching the sun. Luna immediately climbed into his lap like he’d summoned her.

“How do you do that?” you asked.

He blinked. “Do what?”

“She never even liked my last boyfriend.”

Felix looked down at Luna, stroking her gently behind the ears. “Maybe she just knows what home feels like.”

The words settled in your chest like a warm weight. So did the smile he gave you after.

That afternoon, you found Minho in the kitchen. Alone. He was slicing vegetables with the kind of precision that screamed control. His movements were silent, clean, and efficient. You hesitated in the doorway.

“Need something?” he asked without looking up.

“I was going to make tea.”

He nodded toward the kettle already warming on the stove. “Go ahead.”

You moved slowly, unsure if he wanted company. But he didn’t leave. Didn’t tell you to go. And when you reached for the wrong drawer, he wordlessly nudged the right one open for you.

You smiled.

He didn’t smile back—but his shoulders relaxed.

“You’re… quieter than the others,” you said after a moment.

Minho finally looked at you. Sharp gaze, but not unkind. “I watch before I trust.”

You nodded. “That’s fair.”

He returned to his slicing. “I like people who don’t talk to fill silence,” he added after a beat. “You don’t do that.”

“No,” you said softly. “I used to, but I got tired of hiding in the noise.”

That made him pause. And for the first time, Minho gave you a real look. Like he was seeing you instead of just observing. He slid a small plate of chopped cucumber and seaweed over to you. “Try this. You might like it.”

You took a bite. It was crisp. Clean. Surprisingly comforting.

“Thank you,” you murmured.

Minho didn’t say anything, but he sliced another piece and left it on the cutting board for you.

By the end of the day, Luna had spent more time in Felix’s arms than in your lap, and Minho had quietly left a cup of hot barley tea outside your door with a note that read: Rest

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t flashy. But it felt real. Like bricks being laid beneath your feet. One soft step at a time.

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

The house was quiet that night. Most of the pack had already retreated, Felix curled up in his blanket cocoon, Hyunjin somewhere on the roof, and Luna firmly claiming your pillow like the smug queen she was. But you couldn’t sleep. Not with your head full of thoughts and heart full of emotions.

So when Changbin’s knuckles tapped softly against your door and he murmured, “Wanna take a walk?” 

You didn’t hesitate. You just nodded and followed.

The forest wrapped around you like a whisper. Branches arching overhead, moonlight silvering the leaves. You walked beside him in easy silence, your hands brushing once, then again, until he finally just reached down and laced his fingers through yours.

It felt natural like you’d done it a thousand times before. No words were needed. Not here. Because when the trees opened up and the clearing came into view, your chest pulled tight. That familiar ache bloomed deep in your ribs. The moon was full again. The wildflowers were still there, swaying gently in the cool night breeze.

And you remembered everything. How drunk and heartbroken you’d been. How he had just been there. How you’d curled up next to a bear without knowing and felt safe for the first time in months. You looked up at him. He was watching you with that same soft, unreadable look. “I think I knew,” you whispered. “Even then. I didn’t understand it. But my body... it felt it.”

Changbin didn’t speak, instead, he took a few quiet steps away from you and shifted. It was seamless. Beautiful. One moment, a man. The next, a massive bear with thick dark fur and those same kind, quiet eyes. He lowered himself slowly into the grass and waited.

You stepped forward and this time, it wasn’t chaos or heartbreak driving you. It was choice. You curled up beside him and leaned your back against his side, resting your hand in the dense warmth of his fur. He rumbled once, a soft sound deep in his chest, and settled more fully beside you. Above you, the stars scattered across the sky like secrets. And below them, you and the bear who had changed everything just breathed. Together.

You weren’t sure how long you lay there, curled into Changbin’s bear form under the stars. Time slipped differently in the clearing. Slower. Softer. You felt every rise and fall of his breath against your back, every quiet vibration of his contented rumble. And somehow, without a single word, you knew what he was saying.

You’re mine. You’re safe. I’ll hold this space for you.

You almost didn’t hear the soft crunch of leaves behind you, but Changbin did. His massive head lifted slowly, not in alarm, but in acknowledgment. You turned just as something sleek and silent emerged from between the trees.

A wolf. Not snarling. Not hunting. Just... watching. Moonlight caught in pale fur and long limbs. He moved like smoke, quiet, graceful, and sharp. His amber eyes locked onto yours, glowing faintly beneath the stars.

You knew him instantly. “Hyunjin,” you whispered, heart stuttering.

He stepped forward slowly, careful not to startle you. Changbin rumbled low, not a warning, but something more primal. Recognition. Hyunjin padded into the clearing and stopped just beside you. Then, slowly, he lowered himself to the ground. Not touching. Not intruding. Just present.

You sat up, turning to face them both. One giant bear on your right. One long, elegant wolf on your left. And you somehow in the middle of it all. You reached out with one hand, brushing gently over Changbin’s thick fur. With the other, you extended your fingers toward Hyunjin’s snout. He hesitated for only a moment. Then nudged your palm with his nose and pressed his head gently into your lap.

You exhaled shakily. Not because it felt wrong. Because it felt right. Like you were the missing piece in a puzzle that had always existed—waiting for you to claim it. There were no words spoken in that clearing. The wolf, the bear, and the girl between them all sat beneath the stars, wrapped in something too big for language.

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The night in the clearing had been peaceful, grounding, and everything you hadn’t realized you needed. You were nestled between two very different forms of warmth Changbin’s thick, steady bear body pressed against your side, and Hyunjin’s sleek white wolf curled along your legs like a living snowdrift. It was so still you almost didn’t notice the softest rustle of leaves.

Then something tiny landed squarely on your chest with a muted thump. You cracked one eye open. There, puffed up and smug as ever, was a squirrel. A real, small, brown, twitchy-tailed squirrel. “Han,” you groaned.

He squeaked triumphantly and immediately began circling your collarbone like he owned it, his claws scratching gently as he bounced around in a loop before flopping belly down across your sternum like it was his throne.

You blinked up at the sky. “Seriously?” Behind you, Changbin gave a low bear-like groan that vibrated through your spine. Hyunjin's wolf lifted his head, ears flicking toward the intrusion.

And before you could even think about protesting again a second form padded into the clearing. Felix, in his wolf form this time, tail wagging softly, tongue hanging out in what you could only describe as grinning mischief. He trotted over and nudged your cheek with his snout, then settled his head next to yours with a pleased huff.

Changbin shifted behind you, arms slowly materializing around your waist as he returned to human form. His voice was low and raspy with sleep. “Why is there a squirrel on you?”

“Your pack needs hobbies,” you muttered.

Han, still in squirrel form, spun in a slow, pleased circle, tail flicking right under your nose causing you to sneeze and glare sleepily at him.

Hyunjin huffed a soft laugh as he shifted back too, long limbs stretching in the morning sun. “I told him not to come. You know how much that means.”

“Nothing,” Felix said aloud as he returned to his human form, flopping to the grass beside you with messy blond hair and sleepy eyes.

“Correct,” Hyunjin agreed.

You sat up slowly, brushing bits of squirrel fur off your shirt as Han scurried up to your shoulder like a proud accessory.

“I liked it better when you slept,” you grumbled.

Han squeaked and curled up smugly against your neck.

Felix offered you a hand up with a sunny grin. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s go home.”

You stood slowly, blinking in the morning light, with two wolves and a bear-turned-boy waiting patiently for you to move. And one smug squirrel claiming your shoulder like a throne. The forest behind you. The pack around you. Felix shifted and ran back to the pack house wanting to get started on breakfast.

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By the time you stepped back into the pack house, your legs were sore from walking, your sweater was full of squirrel fuzz, and your heart was more settled than it had been in months. Luna greeted you at the door with a low, suspicious meow, clearly offended that you had been gone all night without her.

Han, still in squirrel form, leapt from your shoulder and zipped across the entryway to greet her with his usual flair. She batted at him once, then turned dramatically and walked away like she hadn’t just spent half the night worried. “You two need couples therapy,” you muttered, stepping out of your shoes.

The house smelled like food, real home cooked food, not just reheated leftovers. Something savory, buttery, and slightly sweet drifted in from the kitchen. You followed it with bare feet and a sleepy grin.

Felix was already in full domestic chaos mode. Hair tied back, oversized hoodie hanging halfway off one shoulder, he danced barefoot across the kitchen tile with a spatula in one hand and a pan of golden pancakes in the other.

“I made your favorite—” He stopped. Paused. Tilted his head. “…Wait, what is your favorite breakfast?” Before you could answer he grinned sheepishly. “Doesn’t matter. You’ll like this anyway.”

A plate was already set out on the island. Next to it, a mug with your initials, a folded napkin, and a tiny glass dish of fruit you definitely hadn’t prepped yourself. “Did you—?”

“Minho,” Felix said with a dramatic whisper. “He’s been doing sneaky unpacking.”

Sure enough, when you wandered to your room after breakfast, a few of your books were already stacked neatly on the nightstand. Your favorite cardigan, the one you knew you hadn’t unpacked, was hanging on a hook by the door. And your old photo frame? The one with the slightly warped corners and the picture of you and Luna when she was a kitten? It was sitting on your dresser. Centered. Dusted. Tended to.

Back in the kitchen, Changbin appeared shirtless and grumpy, muttering something about coffee and squirrel-induced insomnia. Hyunjin followed behind him like a ghost in sweatpants, yawning into his sleeve and ignoring the way Felix tried to braid part of his hair. 

You stood in the doorway with your full plate, overwhelmed but oddly calm, watching the casual warmth unfolding around you. You hadn’t been here long. You weren’t even sure what your role in all this was yet. But as you sat down with your tea, Luna hopped onto the counter and nuzzled into Han’s squirrel form, Felix hummed a soft tune under his breath, and Changbin reached over to squeeze your knee gently without looking up.

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After breakfast, the house quieted in that cozy way it always did on lazy mornings, laughter giving way to low conversation, someone turning on music two rooms away, the gentle sound of paws or bare feet echoing down the hall.

You took your tea outside. Not far. Just to the back porch, where the trees swayed and the grass smelled like summer, and the rising warmth of the day hadn’t yet chased away the lingering cool of morning. You didn’t expect Chan to already be there.

He sat on the steps with his elbows resting on his knees, gaze fixed out across the woods. Not guarded. Not distant. Just still. Minho was a few feet away, sprawled on the porch swing, half-curled around a cushion with a book open on his chest and one leg dangling lazily over the edge. He didn’t look up, but you could feel his awareness the moment you stepped outside, like a cat tracking movement even in sleep.

“Too loud in there?” Chan asked, not turning his head.

You sat beside him and took a sip from your mug. “Loud in here, too,” you murmured, tapping your chest.

That made him glance over. Not pity, never that. Just understanding. “You’re doing better than most would,” he said.

You smiled faintly. “You keep saying that. I think your standards are low.”

Minho hummed from the swing. “They’re not. We’ve just seen what happens when someone doesn’t try.”

You looked over at him.

His eyes were closed, but his voice was quiet and steady. “Some people come in wanting to bend the pack to fit themselves,” Minho continued. “You… you’re bending without even knowing it. That’s rare.”

Your throat tightened unexpectedly.

Chan nudged your shoulder gently with his. “You’re not just adapting. You’re syncing.”

“And syncing is the first step,” Minho added, finally cracking one eye open. “To bonding. To belonging.”

Silence settled between the three of you. Not uncomfortable. Not awkward. Just full. Grounded.

You let out a long, slow breath, setting your mug down on the step beside you. “I keep waiting for it to feel fake,” you said. “For the cracks to show. For someone to decide I’m too much trouble.”

Chan’s voice was low. “Then you haven’t been listening.”

You looked over, and he met your eyes, serious, warm, Alpha.

“You’re already pack, Y/n,” he said. “Whether you know it or not.”

“And once you’re pack,” Minho added, “you’re never too much.”

You didn’t say anything after that. You didn’t need to. You just leaned back into the porch rail, stretched your legs toward the sun, and let the weight of it all begin to shift. From unfamiliar... to yours.

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

You hadn’t meant to find him. You were just following Luna,who had bolted after a butterfly and led you past the edge of the pack house, down a short slope, and toward the old shed at the back of the property. The door had been left open just a crack, the late morning sun spilling through it like honey.

Luna slipped inside. You hesitated, called loudly, “Luna? Get your furry butt back here! You'll make Han cry again if you stay out for too long.”

No answer.

So you stepped through and stopped.

The shed wasn’t a shed at all. It was a studio. The walls were lined with canvases, some finished, some still drying, and some half-sketched in charcoal. There were paint-splattered tarps on the floor, jars of brushes lined up like soldiers, and two windows cracked just enough to let in a warm breeze. And in the middle of it all, standing barefoot in paint-streaked joggers and an old black tank top, was Hyunjin.

Brush in one hand, his other smudged with blue and gray. His long hair was tied into a low bun, a few strands escaping to frame his cheekbones. He didn’t turn when you entered, but he knew it was you. “You’re not Luna,” he murmured, without looking.

You smiled. “She invited me.”

“Typical.”

You stepped further in. The canvas in front of him was still in progress, just the suggestion of trees, a burst of color that reminded you of dawn, or maybe dusk.

“You’re really good,” you said.

He finally looked over his shoulder, one brow lifted. “You’re surprised?”

“No,” you said honestly. “Just impressed.”

That made something twitch at the corner of his mouth. A shadow of a smile.

“Can I stay?”

He grinned "I've been wanting to share this with you.” Once you found a spot to settle he turned back to his canvas.

You sat on the floor nearby, legs crossed, watching the way he moved. It was nothing like the precise control of Minho, or the coiled power of Chan. Hyunjin painted like he was dancing, fluid, intuitive, raw. Each stroke seemed to echo the rhythm of a song you couldn’t hear. For a while, you didn’t speak. Luna curled up beside you. Hyunjin switched brushes, and the background of the lo-fi music was giving you a feeling of being full in that peaceful way you were starting to love.

Eventually, he stepped back and set the brush down. Wiped his hands on an old cloth. Then sat beside you on the floor, not touching, but close. “I come here when I can’t think,” he said softly. “Or when I’m thinking too much.”

“Which one is it today?”

He paused. “Both.”

You nodded slowly.

He glanced sideways at you. “You’re not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

He gave a crooked smile. “Someone scared. Or small. Someone who’d run from this.”

“This?”

“The bond. The chaos. Me.”

Your heart jumped once behind your ribs. “Have I run yet?”

His voice dropped. “Not even a step.”

For a second, the air shifted. You could feel it. The tether between you pulling just a little tighter. And Hyunjin, normally all control and cool detachment, looked at you like he wasn’t sure what would happen if he leaned just an inch closer.

But then he reached out not for your hand, but for your wrist. With paint-stained fingers, he gently pressed your palm flat to his chest right over his heart. It beat steady beneath your touch. “You ground me,” he whispered. “Even when I’m trying not to let you.”

You swallowed hard. “I don’t think I could stop if I tried.”

Hyunjin let out a soft breath, as if he’d been waiting for that, he leaned his head on your shoulder, bare arm brushing yours.

No words after that.

Just your hand over his heart, Luna’s quiet purring from her perch of drop cloths, and the soft lo-fi music playing from his phone. 

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

A couple days later you woke earlier than usual. The house was still mostly asleep, no music, no scampering squirrel paws, no Felix humming in the kitchen. But you heard the soft, rhythmic thud of weight against the ground. And you grinned to yourself knowing exactly who it was.

You padded quietly down the hall, threw on one of the oversized hoodies that had somehow migrated from someone’s room to yours, and followed the sound out back—around the porch and past the trees. That’s where you found Changbin.

He was shirtless, sweat already beading along his back as he pressed through another set of deadlifts. Muscles flexing, brow furrowed in focus, movements precise and powerful. There was something almost meditative about it. You didn’t speak. Just sat on a nearby yoga mat and waited for him to finish the set.

He noticed you on the second rep. On the third, he exhaled through gritted teeth and lowered the bar to the ground with a soft grunt. Only then did he turn to face you. “You’re up early,” he said, grabbing a towel from the bench and wiping his face.

“You’re up earlier.”

He offered a tiny smirk. “Routine helps.”

You nodded. “Can I stay?”

Changbin gave a slow shrug. “Only if you don’t mind sweat.”

You laughed softly. “I think I’ve seen you shift. You’re past worrying about dignity.”

He huffed something that might have been a laugh, just a short breath through his nose, but the corner of his mouth lifted a little more.

You watched for a while. The way he moved. The way his body responded to the effort. There was a quiet ferocity to it, contained, but powerful.

Eventually, he walked over and offered you a bottle of water.

“You're used to doing this alone, aren't you?” you asked, taking a sip.

He didn’t answer at first….. “Yeah.”

“You don’t have to now.”

He looked at you then. Really looked. His hair was damp, eyes dark and steady. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite find the words. So instead, he reached for a resistance band and nodded toward you. “Come here.”

You blinked. “Me?”

He smirked. “You said you wanted to stay. If you stay you have to join.”

He kept it simple. Low resistance. Short sets. Just enough to get your muscles warm and your heart moving. You weren’t a gym rat. But he didn’t treat you like you were fragile. He just watched your form carefully. Corrected your grip when you slipped. Murmured encouragement under his breath when your shoulders started to shake. And when you finished your last set, sweating and breathless, he handed you a towel and said quietly, “You did good.”

You smiled and he looked… stunned. Just for a second. Then he turned away and reached for the next set of weights. But not before brushing his knuckles gently against yours.

“I like this,” you said softly. “Being with you like this.”

He didn’t look at you, but you saw the way his jaw shifted, how tightly he swallowed before he muttered, “Me too.”

It wasn’t a grand declaration. It wasn’t the claim you knew his instincts wanted. But it was something honest. Something Changbin. And for now, that was more than enough.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

After showering and changing, Y/n and Binnie were enjoying an after workout smoothie. Hyunjin was half awake in front of his Americano, slightly annoyed he wasn’t invited to the mate hangout. Even though Binnie wasn’t invited to the art studio as he pointed out when Hyunjin was sulking.

Chan comes into the kitchen coffee cup in hand, he leans against the doorframe looking tired yet decided on something.  “We need to talk.” He turns and heads into the living room where some of the other pack members are lounging trying and failing to fully wake up. 

They followed him to the living room, all scattered around open cushions. Y/n sits on the floor in front of Felix so he can play with her hair. His light touch was perfect to settle her nerves about what Chan could bring up. 

Changbin and Hyunjin sat on the couch behind her.  Hyunjin sat, one knee bouncing.

Chan’s voice was low but sure. “I went to the local pack alpha dinner last night. Your bond has become news for the surrounding packs. The dinner made one thing very clear.”

Everyone could guess what he was going to say. Still, hearing it was different. “Your bond with them is real,” Chan continued. “But it’s not official.”

Hyunjin lifted his eyes. “Yet.”

Chan nodded. “Yet. And that ‘yet’ is the problem.”

Felix frowned. “You think someone’s going to test it?”

“They already are,” Chan said. “Namjoon didn’t invite me just for dinner. He wanted to see how I’d react to them questioning our pack. If anyone wants to challenge your place here, Y/n, the easiest excuse will be that your bond isn’t sealed.”

“Sealed how?” Y/n asked, voice quiet.

Chan looked at her gently. “A formal claiming. In front of the pack. A ceremony. You don’t have to do it now. But we need to start preparing.”

She glanced between Changbin and Hyunjin. Both of them stiffened. Not at the idea, at how much they wanted it.

“It won’t hurt you,” Changbin said, voice gruff and soft at once. “Not like you're thinking.”

Hyunjin added, “It’s instinctual. But it doesn’t mean you lose yourself. It just... makes the bond visible. Unbreakable.”

“Recognized by the other packs,” Chan said. “And respected.”

You don’t speak for a moment. You looked at each of them at the boys who had started as strangers in the forest and had slowly wrapped themselves around her world like roots into soil. Finally, you ask, “If I say yes… what changes?”

Chan smiled faintly. “Nothing,” he said. “And everything.”

“Can you tell me what the ceremony actually is?”

“The bonding ceremony isn’t religious or legal,” he said carefully. “It’s instinctual. Spiritual. An acknowledgment of the bond between mates, made visible in front of the pack.”

Hyunjin sat beside you on the floor, his leg warm against yours. “It’s part instinct, part ritual. Something old. We don’t have to do it to feel the bond. But to make it public, recognized, you have to speak it. Live it. Accept it.”

“And if I do that?” you asked. “What changes?”

Changbin’s voice was low. “Your scent will shift.”

Your breath caught. “What?”

“You’ll still be human,” Chan assured you. “But bonded humans carry the scent of their mates. It’s how other packs know you’re protected. Off-limits.”

Hyunjin added, “It doesn’t make you lesser. If anything, it’s a badge.”

“Badge,” you echoed.

Changbin nodded. “Of being ours. Of surviving this world with us.”

You took that in quietly. “What else?” you asked.

Chan folded his hands. “There’s a ceremony. The pack gathers. You stand with the ones you’re bonded to. Vows are spoken. A bite does occur. Instinct takes care of the rest.”

“It doesn’t hurt?” you asked softly.

“No,” Hyunjin said. “It grounds you.”

“Once it’s done,” Chan added, “your bond will be recognized by every shifter who catches your scent. You’ll be considered an equal partner. Not prey. Not an outsider.”

“But there’s a cost,” Minho said from across the room. “No more hiding. Once you’re claimed… you’re seen.”

You looked down at your hands. So much had changed already, but this would be a step you couldn’t take back.

Hyunjin’s hand brushed against yours. “You don’t have to choose now.”

Changbin was watching you closely. “But if you do… we’ll walk through it with you. Every step.”

You exhaled slowly. “You both want this? It’s forever you know?”

Hyunjin nodded, eyes steady. “I already feel you in my bones. The ceremony just puts it into the world.”

Changbin didn’t look away. “I want everyone to know you’re mine. That I’m yours.”

You take both their hands and gently squeeze, looking toward Chan, “I’ll think about it some more. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

 Hyunjin’s POV

That night the room was dark. Not silent, Changbin’s breathing was never that subtle, but still. Still enough that you could finally say what you’d been holding back.

You lay on your back, one arm resting over your eyes, body stretched out on the bed you shared too often now to pretend it was temporary. Changbin still turned toward the wall like he didn’t trust himself to face this conversation head-on. Y/n asleep on her stomach between them.

“Bin,” you said softly.

“Mm.”

“You’re thinking about it too, right?”

The blankets rustled, but he didn’t answer right away. So you continued, “About what happens when she says yes.”

A pause..“Of course I am.”

You turned onto your side to look at him. “Not just the ceremony.”

He still didn’t face you. But you could tell his eyes were open now. “You mean the claiming,” he said finally.

“Yes,” you said gently. “I mean the marking. The instincts. The intimacy.”

His body tensed beneath the covers. “You think she’s ready for that?”

“I think she’s getting there.” You hesitated. “But we need to be.”

That made him finally roll toward you, meeting your gaze in the faint moonlight through the window. His voice was low, rough. “I’ve never… bonded like this before. I’ve never had the urge this strong.”

You swallowed. “Me neither.”

“It’s like—” He stopped, shook his head, then started again. “Sometimes I can smell her on my clothes and it’s enough to drive me crazy. Like I’m supposed to do something about it, but I can’t yet.”

You understood. By the goddess herself, you understood.

“Your wolf doesn’t back down from it either,” he added, gaze flicking to you.

“No,” you said truthfully. “He’s obsessed.”

A flicker of a smile. “Do you think we’ll be able to handle it?”

The real question is not about if she’d say yes but what came after. The way her scent would change. The way her body would feel pressed between them. The way instincts would sharpen until their restraint frayed.

You nodded slowly. “I think we’ll have to.”

Changbin ran a hand through his hair, then dropped his arm across his chest. “I just… I don't want her to be scared.”

“She won’t be,” you said, more certain than you expected. “Not if we’re honest and careful.”

“She’s soft,” he murmured.

“She’s strong,” you corrected.

He smiled faintly at that.

You shifted closer, lowering your voice. “Then let’s take it slow. One touch at a time.”

Changbin exhaled. “One kiss at a time.”

“One night at a time.”

Y/n in her sleep rolls over subconsciously reaching for them both anchoring herself to them. The bond thrums underneath their skin reminding them again how close they are to claiming.

Chapter Text

 Y/n’s POV

You didn’t know what woke you, probably Luna batting at the end of the blanket again, but once you were up, there was no point in trying to sleep. So you padded quietly down the hall, hair mussed and hoodie hanging off one shoulder, expecting silence. Instead, you found Felix in the kitchen, humming to himself in an apron and fuzzy socks, hair twisted into a tiny bun, and a tray of cinnamon rolls halfway in the oven.

He didn’t even look surprised to see you. “Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, cheerful and soft.

You shrugged. “Luna. And… thinking.”

He gave a little hmm of understanding. “Thinking about the bond?”

You blinked at him wondering how he can read minds this early in the morning.

He just smiled knowingly. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s all over your scent.”

You dropped into one of the chairs at the island with a groan. “Is everything about scent with you guys?”

“Basically,” he said, cheerfully unbothered. “But also body language. Energy. The way someone holds their breath when a certain name is mentioned.”

You buried your face in your hands. “This is so weird.”

Felix pulled out mugs and poured coffee without a word. Then, gently he placed one in front of you and sat beside you, his voice lower now. “Want me to explain it?”

You peeked out from behind your fingers. “The bond?”

He nodded. You nodded back.

“It’s like a thread,” Felix said softly. “A thread from your chest to theirs. You don’t see it, but it pulls. Always.”

“Sounds… intense,” you murmured.

“It is. But it doesn’t start that way. At first, it’s just warmth. A draw. A sense of ‘I need to be near this person or I might combust.’ Then… the longer you’re around them, the stronger it gets.” He nudged your elbow. “You’ve felt it.”

You bit your lip. “With both of them.”

He smiled. “Of course you have. That’s rare. But not wrong.”

“So what happens when you're… claimed?”

Felix took a breath, eyes dropping to his mug. “It gets deeper. Physical, yeah but also instinctual. You’ll feel them. Their moods. Their needs. And they’ll feel yours. They’ll be drawn to soothe you. Protect you. Touch you.”

You went still.

Felix glanced up. “Scary?”

You hesitated. “Maybe a little. Just because… it’s so much.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s fair. But also? It can be the most freeing thing in the world. To be seen without explanation. To be wanted down to your scent.”

You stared at the steam rising from your cup. “And if I change my mind?” you asked. “If I say no?”

Felix’s answer was immediate and without hesitation. “They’d break themselves before they broke you.”

That sent a lump straight to your throat.

He reached over and gently squeezed your hand. “They’re scared, too, you know. They want you, but they’re terrified of pushing you too hard. Of turning what should be safe into something that traps you.”

Your voice cracked. “It doesn’t feel like a trap.”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “Good. Because it’s not. It’s a choice. Every day. And if you do choose them…” He leaned in, grin turning wicked. “The physical part? Kinda hot.”

You choked on your coffee. “Felix!”

“What?!” he laughed. “I’m just saying. Bears and wolves? Big, strong, devoted types? You are going to be ruined.”

You hid your face again, but this time, you were laughing. Through the red cheeks, through the overwhelmed heart, through it all. Because somehow… this helped. Not just the information. But the reminder that you weren’t doing this alone. That the whole pack wasn’t watching you like an outsider. They were already loving you like one of their own.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

After Felix had made your face including your ears turn red from his stories of friends that had multiple mates, you decide to go outside to cool down. The sun wasn’t fully up yet when you stepped outside. The morning was cool, the sky tinged gold and gray, dew still clinging to the grass. But you felt warm already. Maybe from nerves. Maybe from anticipation. Because you knew who you were going to find behind the pack house, near the weights and worn-out training mats.

And sure enough, there he was. Changbin. Tank top clinging to his back, joggers low on his hips, breath fogging faintly in the morning air. He was wrapping his wrists, gaze locked on the barbell like it had offended him.

You stopped a few feet away. “You always look like you’re about to fight your equipment,” you teased.

Without looking up, he said, “Sometimes I am.”

You smirked. “Should I come back later?”

That made him glance over. And for a beat, something flickered behind his eyes, warmth, hunger, and something darker that made your pulse jump. He didn’t smile. But he did ask, “You staying?”

You nodded.

“Then stretch.”

You moved through the warm-up together. Light bands. Core work. A bit of cardio. It wasn’t the movement that made your skin prickle. It was the way he watched you. Not like a trainer. Like a bear. Tracking. Scenting. Claiming with nothing more than the flick of his eyes and the slow, deliberate roll of his shoulders every time you got too close. You weren’t sure who was teasing whom anymore.

By the time you picked up the kettlebells, your body was buzzing, not just from the effort, but from the way Changbin adjusted your stance, the way his breath ghosted over your shoulder as he murmured, “Like that. Perfect.”

You felt it when his hand brushed your waist. Not accidental. Not inappropriate. Just… raw. And when you dropped the weights on the last set, panting and flushed, you realized he hadn’t moved away. He was still close. Too close.

“Water,” you muttered, turning, but his hand caught your wrist. You froze.

“Y/n.”

You looked up at him, heart in your throat.

His eyes were dark now. Not angry. Not wild. Just honest.

“I’m trying,” he said roughly. “So hard. To take it slow.”

You swallowed. “But?”

He exhaled, stepping back like it physically pained him. “But my bear doesn’t understand slow when you’re like this. When you smell like heat and sunshine and—fuck—me.”

You weren’t sure if you moved first, or if he did. But somehow, you ended up backed against the side of the training shed, his hands braced on either side of your head, breath trembling like he’d run ten miles, not lifted weights. “I won’t mark you yet,” he said. “Not until you say it. Out loud. In front of everyone.”

“I know,” you whispered.

“But if you keep looking at me like that, I might lose my goddamn mind.”

Your heart pounded. “Then lose it.” You teased trying to lighten up the tense moment.

His lips curved, finally. “You’re not afraid of me,” he said, like he was still surprised.

“I think you’d die before hurting me.”

That pulled something low from his chest, a rumble that vibrated through your ribs. He leaned in, mouth near your temple leaving a kiss that felt like a brand. He slowly moves leaving small kisses down your jaw. Ending at your lips. You were prepared for an consuming rough kiss, but he presses his lips to yours so softly it sends your mind reeling with the change in pace.

He pulls back resting his forehead against yours. “I want to worship you,” he whispered. “Not claim. Not devour. Just… love.” And with that, he stepped back again, leaving you breathless. Shaking. And more certain than ever that this bond was no accident.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Hyunjin’s POV

He smelled it the second he walked into the kitchen. Not fresh. Lingering.

Changbin.

Y/n.

Their scents, tangled, raw, clouding the air.

Hyunjin froze in the doorway, one hand braced against the counter. His chest rose once, twice,his wolf snarling just beneath his skin. It wasn’t jealousy.Not quite. It was need. Because she smelled like fire. Like muscle and want and unspoken yes, and none of it was theirs yet.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

You hadn’t even poured your coffee before he appeared.

Hyunjin.

Hair tousled from sleep, eyes impossibly dark, chest rising like he’d just run a sprint. He didn’t say a word. He just grabbed your wrist. Gently, but with purpose. Pulled you across the kitchen. Past the island. Past the fridge. Right into the pantry and shut the door behind you.

The scent of flour and herbs closed in around you, but all you could smell was him.

“Hyunjin—?”

“Did he touch you?” His voice was low. Rough. Unsteady.

You stared at him. “We were working out. It got… intense. A few kisses, nothing crazy.”

His jaw clenched. His hand lifted, hesitated, then cupped the side of your face like he was terrified you might flinch. You didn’t, and that’s when he broke. His mouth crashed into yours.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t sweet.

It was desperate and messy and mine mine mine. All tongue and heat and the raw edge of something that had waited too long.

You gasped against him. He kissed down your jaw, across the line of your neck, nose dragging along your skin like he was memorizing your very soul. Mapping his scent down the opposite side of your neck from the side that Changbin had just scent marked moments ago.

“I’m losing it,” he whispered. “I can’t keep pretending I don’t want to take you to the woods and mark you so the whole world knows.”

You whimpered, actually whimpered, his fingers gripping your hip, your back against the shelving.

“Then don’t pretend,” you breathed.

His mouth found yours again—until something squeaked.

You froze.

Hyunjin froze.

“Please tell me that was your soul leaving your body,” you whispered.

“No,” Hyunjin said flatly.

Another squeak then a rustle.

You both looked slowly to the left—And saw Han, in squirrel form, buried in a bag of granola. Half-asleep. Crumbs on his paws and in his fur. Staring at you both like you’d personally shattered his peaceful existence.

There was a beat of pure, perfect silence.

Then the squirrel screamed like the final girl in a horror movie.

Hyunjin’s head thunked against the pantry door in defeat.

You nearly fell over laughing.

Han launched himself off the shelf like a tiny, chaotic cannonball and skittered across Hyunjin’s shoulder, up your arm, and into your hair like a startled leaf.

“Of all the places,” Hyunjin groaned.

You were laughing so hard tears slipped down your cheeks.

Han chirped angrily from your head and you yelled, “Okay okay, we’re done, Han out of my hair! You’re covered in granola!”

Hyunjin cracked a grin despite himself and just like that… the heat turned to laughter. The bond turned to something warmer. But you both knew the fuse was lit. It wouldn’t take much more for you three to burn together.

Chapter Text

Y/n POV

There was a pop of shifting energy and then a very loud, Han shrieking and yelling “MY EYES! MY INNOCENT, VIRGIN EYES!” The pantry door burst open, smacking against the wall. Han, now back in his human form (and very much naked), stumbled out with a bag of granola in one hand and the most dramatic expression known to mankind on his face.

You froze.

Hyunjin groaned.

And across the kitchen, the entire pack turned.

Felix choked on his cereal. Minho blinked once, then took a sip of his coffee like this was entirely normal. Seungmin raised one unimpressed eyebrow. Jeongin coughed violently. And Chan, standing half-dressed in joggers near the fridge, looked directly at the open pantry, took in the scene—

You. Flushed. Breathless.

Hyunjin. Shirt wrinkled. Lips swollen. Hair a mess.

Han. Completely nude and melodramatic.

—and exhaled slowly. “Do I even want to know?”

Han threw an arm over his eyes and pointed with the other. “They were—in there—doing things! While I was SLEEPING in my SNACK NEST!”

“It’s a pantry, Ji,” Hyunjin muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

“It’s also my safe space!”

“Maybe next time don’t sleep in a bag of granola.”

You tried desperately to disappear behind the shelves.

Unfortunately, that was not an option especially when Changbin stormed into the room, sniffed once, and narrowed his eyes. “You made out with her?”

Hyunjin straightened. “Yeah. I did.”

Felix dropped his spoon. Chan set down his coffee with a thud.

“I was going to wait,” Hyunjin said calmly, voice low but clear, “but she smelled like you, and I needed to. I needed to show her she’s not just yours.”

“She’s not mine,” Changbin growled. “She’s ours. You think I don’t feel this too?”

Your voice cut through the room. “Okay—ENOUGH!”

Everyone stopped.

You stepped forward, cheeks burning, heart racing, and said with as much calm as you could manage “I kissed him back and I liked it! I kissed you and I liked it too! And if one more of you acts like I belong to anyone before I say so, I swear to the goddess herself—”

“Say so,” Hyunjin said softly.

You blinked.

He looked at you, open, breathless.

“Say you want us. Say you’re ours. Or don’t.”

The room was still, Han was hiding behind a kitchen towel.

Chan was looking at you like something important had just clicked into place.

Minho finally sighed. “Can someone at least get him pants?”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

You were done. Done with the passive-aggressive growling. Done with the sharp-eyed stares across the room. Done with the fact that somehow, you were the one walking around on eggshells while they acted like you were a prize to be claimed. “Hyunjin. Changbin. Now. Outside.”

Both of them stiffened.

Minho raised an eyebrow without looking up from his tea. “Oh, she’s in alpha mode now.”

“Shut up, Minho.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You led them into the backyard and didn’t stop walking until you hit the tree line, the clearing where this had all started. The air was cooler here, quieter. You turned on them so fast they nearly bumped into each other. “This,” you snapped, pointing between the two of them, “is getting ridiculous.”

Changbin folded his arms. “He kissed you in a pantry.”

Hyunjin shot back, “You made her smell like your horny workout towel.”

You shoved your hands through your hair. “Oh my god, are you two serious right now?”

Neither answered.

You stepped closer to Changbin, before he could speak again, you grabbed the front of his shirt, yanked him down, and kissed him.

Hard.

Firm.

Devastating.

The kind of kiss that curled your toes and sent a full-body shiver down your spine.

He made a sound against your lips, low, reverent, and wrapped his arms around your waist like he’d been waiting for this his whole life.

When you pulled back, his eyes were wide. “Y/nnn—”

You turned to Hyunjin, who was already breathing like he knew what was coming.

“Fair’s fair,” you whispered, and then you pulled him down to kiss him.

Softer at first, but no less deep. No less real. His hands came up to cup your face, trembling slightly, and his lips moved against yours.

When you stepped back, both of them looked completely wrecked, exactly as planned.

You pointed between them again. “No more this or that,” you said. “I’m choosing both. Not because I have to. Because I want to.”

Changbin blinked. “You… do?”

“Yes, you dumbass. Have you met you? You’re a sexy, growly, protein-bar-carrying furnace of affection. And Hyunjin is a poetic, overthinking, artistic little menace who makes my heart hurt in the best way.”

Hyunjin flushed to his ears. “You’re not wrong.”

“So either get on the same page or keep kissing me until you do. But I’m done being in the middle of a pissing contest.”

They stood there in stunned silence.

Then, finally Changbin let out a laugh. A real one. Hyunjin grinned. You crossed your arms and muttered, “And next time someone gets handsy in the pantry, check it for squirrels first.”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Luna curled in your lap like she knew. Not just that you needed comfort, but that something inside you had shifted. You sat on the couch in the sunroom, the afternoon light soft against the glass, your fingers absentmindedly stroking Luna’s fur as she purred with slow, steady warmth. Everything else—the pack, the stares, the scent-thick tension—was quiet now. Distant. Here, it was just you and her. “You’d tell me if I was being stupid, right?” you whispered.

Luna blinked up at you with her slow, wise cat stare.

You laughed under your breath, watery. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Your fingers stilled. “I think I’m really going to do this.”

She stretched her paws out over your knee, chin pressing against your thigh. “I was so scared when I met them. You remember. I didn’t even trust them to bring me a glass of water without thinking there’d be some catch.” You paused. “Now I’m thinking about standing in front of them and saying yes. Not just to them, but to this whole life.” Your voice caught. “I didn’t think I’d get to want something like this. You shook your head. “I didn’t think I’d ever feel safe again.”

Luna made a soft, questioning chirp.

Your throat tightened. “But I do. Goddess, I do. With Binnie’s strength wrapped around me like armor. With Hyunjin looking at me like I’m already his home. With the others just… making space. Letting me breathe.” You looked down at your lap. “I want it, Luna. The bond. The family. The risk. I want to choose them, and I want them to choose me back.” A tear slid down your cheek. You didn’t wipe it away. “I’m scared, but I’m also ready. I think.”

Luna pushed her face against your hand in quiet approval.

What you didn’t know,what you couldn’t know—was that just on the other side of the doorway, hidden by the curve of the wall, Chan was standing still. He’d only come to ask if you wanted tea. But hearing your voice, hearing your heart, froze him in place. And in that moment, he knew. You weren’t just a human girl pulled into something too big. You were pack. Not because of what you gave, but because of who you were when you thought no one was listening.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

That evening, in your nest of three, Changbin on your right, warm and solid like a wall of calm strength, and Hyunjin on your left, lithe and drapped across the bedding like a model. No one talked for a while, and maybe that’s why you found the words. Because it was the silence that held them. The comfort. The way both men didn’t fill space just to fill it. You put your phone down on the nightstand. “Can I tell you something?” you said softly.

Both men stilled instantly.

“Anything,” Changbin said.

Hyunjin turned to face you, expression unreadable, but present.

You leaned back just enough to see them both. Your heart beats hard in your chest, not with fear this time, but with certainty. “I want to do it,” you said. “I want to make it official.”

Silence.

Changbin blinked, his lips parting. “You mean… the bond?”

You nodded. “I want to stand with you. I want to be claimed. Marked. All of it.”

Hyunjin’s jaw flexed like he was holding back something, emotion or instinct, you weren’t sure. “Why now?”

You looked between them, voice clear. “Because I’m not scared anymore. Because I’m ready. And because… I don’t want to keep waiting for permission to belong to what’s already mine.”

Changbin exhaled shakily and stepped forward. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure.”

Hyunjin moved in slowly, brushing your knuckles with his fingers. “You’re everything I hoped for in a mate, Y/n. But more than that… you chose us. That means everything.”

You smiled through the tightness in your chest. “So what do we do?”

Changbin pulled you into his arms like the earth itself had opened just to let him hold you.

“We talk to Chan,” he murmured. “We prepare. We make it perfect.”

Hyunjin leaned in from the other side, brushing his forehead against yours. “We make you ours.”

You laughed softly, breath hitching. “I already am.” You all three settled together relaxing drifting off into sleep. 

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

The next morning, you found Chan outside. He was on the porch, hunched over a notebook, steam curling from the mug beside him. The sun had barely risen, just a hazy pink bleeding into the treetops, and most of the house was still asleep. You hesitated to go out, but he looked up and smiled before you even opened the screen door.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

You stepped out onto the porch, arms crossed lightly over your chest. “I made my decision last night.”

He nodded once, gesturing to the seat beside him. “Hyunjin already told me.”

You sat slowly. For a few seconds, the only sounds were birdsong and the occasional scratch of Chan’s pen as he closed his notebook.

“Is it always like this?” you asked. “Before a bond?”

“Like what?”

“This… sense that everything’s changing, even if nothing looks different yet.”

Chan exhaled softly. “Yeah. That’s the bond making itself known. It starts as a whisper. Then it becomes a pull. Then the truth.”

You looked down at your hands. “I want it. But I’m scared.”

He didn’t try to soothe you with clichés. Instead, he leaned back, watching the sunrise. “Good,” he said. “You should be.”

You blinked. “Thanks?”

Chan smiled faintly. “It’s not a bad kind of fear, Y/n. It means you understand the weight of it. You’re not going into this because it’s romantic or convenient. You’re choosing to tether your soul to someone else’s two someone's in this case. That’s not light.”

You swallowed. “What changes after?”

Chan looked at you for a long moment. “The obvious? Your scent will shift. Your body will recognize them more easily. When they hurt, you’ll know. When you need them, they’ll come. No hesitation.”

You nodded slowly. “And the not-so-obvious?”

He set his mug down. “You’ll find yourself leaning into them more than you ever expected. Physically, emotionally, instinctively. There’s a comfort to the bond that makes it harder to lie to yourself. Even harder to run. I know Felix may have told you the fun parts, but you need to remember the heavy parts too."

You looked out toward the trees, the same woods that brought you to them. “Does it ever go away?”

“No,” he said simply. “But it can break.”

You turned to him.

He didn’t flinch. “Not often. And not easily. But if one of you rejects it, if trust is broken, bonds fray. The damage isn’t clean.”

Your heart twisted. “Would they… survive that?”

“They would, but it's not something I want them to go through. For shifters it can scar the soul basically.” Chan’s voice softened.

You were quiet for a long time. “I want to do this right.”

Chan reached across the patio table, squeezing your hand. “You already are.”

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

The clearing was lit with soft lanterns. No electricity. No spotlight. Just golden warmth strung between trees and the hush of a forest that felt like it was holding its breath.

The pack was already gathered. Felix held Luna in his lap, both watching with wide eyes. Han perched on a rock, legs swinging, unusually quiet. Minho and Seungmin stood together near the edge of the circle, expressions unreadable but eyes warm. Jeongin handed out woven flower crowns like it was some ancient tradition, even if he’d made them just that morning. The center of it all stood Chan. Pack alpha. Steady. Calm.

You stood between Hyunjin and Changbin, your hands in theirs, heartbeat thrumming like a living drum under your skin.

Chan’s voice was quiet, but it carried. “We stand tonight not as wolves, bear, and a human. But as pack. Chosen. Made.” The forest hushed further. “Y/n,” he said gently. “You’ve chosen to step into this bond willingly, with open eyes. Knowing what it brings and what it takes. Do you accept the instinct that ties you to them?”

You looked up at both of them, Changbin’s dark eyes full of reverence, Hyunjin’s hand trembling ever so slightly in yours.  “I do.”

Chan nodded. “Changbin. Hyunjin. Do you accept her bond as your equal?”

Changbin’s voice was rough. “Yes.”

Hyunjin’s was barely a whisper. “Always.”

“Then let it be sealed.”

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Changbin’s POV

He didn’t need prompting. He stepped forward, pulled you into his arms, and let instinct guide him. His mouth found the curve of your neck, just beneath your jaw, where the bond would hold best. And when you tilted your head for him, trusting, open, his, he pressed his lips there first. Then sank his teeth in.

Not hard. Just deep enough to leave the mark.

You gasped, body arcing into his.

The bond lit like wildfire under his skin. He pulled back only when it felt complete, his lips were stained with your blood.

Changbin held you till you were steady again. He held out his hand reaching out for Hyunjin to have his turn. 

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Hyunjin’s POV

Hyunjin stepped forward. He’d dreamed of this. Fantasized. Feared. Longed.

But none of it came close to the feel of your breath catching under his hands as he cupped your face and murmured, “Mine?”

You nodded. “Yours.”

His kiss was slow. Reverent. A prayer. Then, like Binnie, he bent low, mirroring the mark, and let his teeth join the place just over your pulse.

You shuddered in his arms as his teeth sank in deeply. That’s when the bond sang between the three of them. Warm. Unbreakable. Mates.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

Y/n’s POV

Your legs trembled as they stepped back, hands still braced on your hips and shoulders. And then you felt it. That thread Felix described. Pulling through your chest. Not one but two. Both anchored in love. In them.

Chan stepped forward again, laying a hand over your head, then over each of theirs. “Let it be known: the bond is made. The pack is whole.”

The others howled out of joy and acceptance. They swarmed you, hugging, crying, laughing, you felt it, 

That you weren’t just theirs.

You were everyone’s.

And for the first time in your life…you weren’t just in love, you were home.

The celebration blurred around the edges.

Laughter. Hugs. Warm hands and soft howls echoing into the night. But when Chan rested a hand on Changbin’s shoulder, nodded once, and stepped back with the others… everything quieted. Because suddenly it was just the three of you again and the pull between you was undeniable.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

You didn’t walk back to the house—you were led. Changbin on one side, his broad hand cradling the small of your back like a promise. Hyunjin on the other, his fingers laced through yours, thumb brushing lightly over your knuckles like he couldn’t stop touching you, not even for a second. By the time the bedroom door shut behind you…it was like the world went still.

Your breath was already caught in your throat. It wasn’t just anticipation.  It was instinct. It was the weight of the bond thrumming between all three of you like a live current.

Changbin reached you first. You didn’t move when his arms wrapped around your waist from behind—you melted. His chest pressed to your back, his breath slow and controlled, but you could feel the tremor in it. Barely restrained. Just like his hands, which skimmed up beneath your shirt, rough palms trailing over soft skin.

“You’re shaking,” you whispered.

“I’ve been holding back since the moment I met you,” he murmured, his mouth at your neck. “Now you’re mine. Ours. And I don’t know how to go slow.” He peeled your shirt up, kissing the skin he revealed inch by inch, all the way to your shoulder.

Hyunjin was in front of you, quiet, flushed, and wrecked just from watching. He stepped in close, eyes never leaving yours. “I thought about this every night since you arrived,” he said, voice low and reverent. “But now I don’t have to imagine it.” His fingers ghosted along your jaw. Then your cheek. Then down the column of your throat. When he kissed you, it was with so much care it hurt. Not from lack of passion, but because it was real.

They undressed you with care, with reverence. Each button, each tug of fabric, each glance of skin was another tether pulling tighter between you. You felt exposed, not just naked—seen. They didn’t just stare. They worshipped. Hyunjin kissed every mark, every curve. Whispered praise like it was his native language. Changbin’s hands were firmer. Guiding. Grounding. His touch said, You’re safe. You’re mine. You are not leaving this bed unclaimed.

You lay between them, Hyunjin brushing your hair back from your face, Changbin tracing the inside of your thigh, and when their mouths met on your skin, opposite sides of the same pulse point, you let yourself fall.

They took their time. No rush. No frantic edge. Just layers of sensation, one building over the next until your breath caught and your body arched and you were gripping sheets and shoulders and gasping their names with each crest of pleasure. When the claiming truly began, when your bodies pressed together and there was nothing left but sweat and skin and instinct. You realized there was no line anymore between love and desire. You could feel it in Changbin’s mouth at your neck, teeth grazing that new bond mark with trembling restraint. You could feel it in Hyunjin’s hand sliding between your fingers, holding tight as if to anchor you while he whispered your name over and over like prayer.

You were held, filled, and fully claimed. Not as property, but as their mate, part of their pack.

When it was over, your body had gone limp from pleasure and the bond pulsed with slow, satisfied warmth. They curled around you like they'd done it a thousand times. Changbin’s head buried in your shoulder. Hyunjin’s breath ghosting across your temple. You were sore. You were dizzy. Just before sleep took you, you whispered, “I didn’t know I could feel this way.”

Changbin kissed your cheek. “This is just the beginning jagi.”

Hyunjin tucked the blanket higher around your shoulders. “We have plans for you, love.” He smirks as he kisses your shoulder. You fall asleep before you can find out further. The bond lulling you to sleep surrounded by your mates.

Chapter Text

Y/n’s POV

You woke up to heat, not the unbearable kind, this was softer. Almost like lying in the sun. One arm, thick and muscled, was curled around your waist from behind. You didn’t need to turn your head to know it was Changbin. You could feel the weight of him, feel his steady breath against your shoulder, warm and slow.

Hyunjin lay in front of you, so close your noses nearly brushed. His hair was messy, a tangle of gold and brown around his face, his cheek resting on the pillow you both shared. He looked peaceful in a way you hadn’t seen before.

No teasing grin. No overthinking in his eyes. Just sleep. Stillness. Trust.

You exhaled softly, trying not to wake them, but the bond didn’t care for silence. The moment your fingers moved along the inside of Changbin’s forearm, he stirred.

A low, sleepy growl vibrated in his chest, rumbling against your back. “Morning,” he rasped, voice half-gone with sleep.

You turned slightly, letting your hips shift back into him, and felt all of him pressed against you, hard and heavy through thin sheets.

“Mm,” you murmured. “Good morning, Binnie.”

He didn’t say anything right away. Just pressed a kiss to your shoulder, your neck, and then lower.

The bond surges warm and hot, waking Hyunjin. His eyes blinked open slowly, still soft with sleep, until he caught the sound of your breath hitching, saw the flush rising in your cheeks as Changbin’s hand slipped under the sheet. He smirks watching, “Starting without me?”

“I was still asleep,” Changbin murmured, breath warm against your neck. “She’s the one who moved.”

You laughed, then gasped when Changbin’s palm settled low on your stomach, his fingers dancing dangerously close to where you were already beginning to ache.

“You okay?” Hyunjin asked softly, leaning in, his thumb brushing your cheek.

You nodded, already breathless. “More than okay.”

Changbin’s hands were slow, coaxing. Hyunjin kissed you like time didn’t exist, like you were the first and last breath he ever wanted to take.

They made space for each other. Took turns. One worshipping, the other grounding. One inside, slow, and deep. The other kissing your spine or whispering filthy praise against your shoulder. They murmured your name like it meant something. When you fell apart in their arms, again, they caught you with hands and lips and bone-deep affection that left you trembling and safe and whole.

As you lay tangled between them, sheets kicked away and skin damp with warmth, Hyunjin traced lazy patterns on your thigh. “Still ours?”

You smiled sleepily. “Always.”

Changbin tucked his chin on your shoulder and muttered, “We should probably shower before someone comes knocking.”

You snorted. “Do you really think the others don’t already know?”

From somewhere across the house, a very distant voice shouted “WE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING!”

You groaned into the pillow. Changbin laughed. Hyunjin just kissed your forehead and whispered, “Worth it.” 

Eventually the three of you make it to the shower. You couldn’t remember the last time a shower felt like this. Not rushed. Not lonely. Not something you had to do to feel okay again. It was… warm. Steamy. Safe. You stood with your back pressed gently to Changbin’s chest, water cascading down your skin as he worked soft lather into your shoulders with those strong, capable hands. His touch was firm, methodical, like he needed to take care of you now that the bond was sealed.

Hyunjin leaned lazily against the opposite wall, hair wet and curling at the ends, grinning like he had no intention of moving. His fingertips played with the edge of your washcloth, clearly not helpful, but endearingly smug.

“I could get used to this,” you said, letting your head fall back against Binnie’s shoulder.

“You will,” Changbin rumbled, pressing a kiss to your wet temple. “Every day. Forever.”

Hyunjin made a fake gagging noise, then promptly slipped behind you taking Binnie’s place and kissed your spine. While Binnie let his hands do the talking, effectively canceling the sarcasm with one breathless moan from you.

“You two are insatiable," you murmured.

“You love it,” Hyunjin grinned.

And you did. So damn much.

🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺🐻🐺

The kitchen was already full when you walked in, hair damp, dressed in one of Binnie’s giant hoodies and your own shorts. Your freshly bonded bites were not subtle, and neither was the way Hyunjin’s hand lingered at the small of your back as he helped you to your seat.

“Good morning, mated trio,” Felix sing-songed from the stove, flipping pancakes.

Minho didn’t look up from his coffee. “Took you long enough.”

“I had money you guys wouldn’t make it past the pantry,” Seungmin added dryly. “Lost twenty bucks.”

Han leaned dramatically across the table toward you, eyes wide. “Do you feel different? Like, do you hear their thoughts now? Can you smell fear?”

“I’ve always been able to smell your fear,” Minho muttered.

“Actually,” Chan said as he passed you a mug of tea, “there will be some changes. Her scent’s already shifted.”

“She smells like both of them now,” Jeongin added helpfully. “Kind of like musk and warm sugar.”

Changbin grinned proudly.

Hyunjin rested his chin on your shoulder. “She smells like home.”

Everyone groaned in unison.

Felix threw a dish towel in your direction. “Go kiss in your bedroom, you feral lovebirds.”

Luna strutted into the kitchen like she owned it, leapt up onto the bench next to Han, and curled around Minho’s foot with perfect poise.

“Traitor,” Han muttered, poking her tail.

“She knows who the emotionally stable ones are,” Minho replied.

You looked around the table—really looked.

Han eating cereal with his mouth open. Minho pretending not to care but quietly pushing a second glass of juice in your direction. Seungmin pretending not to laugh at Han choking on a blueberry. Felix humming to himself, flipping more pancakes than anyone could eat. Jeongin talking excitedly with his hands.

Chan just watched it all like it was his favorite show. Binnie and Hyunjin sat on either side like bonded bookends. You felt the bond pulsing faintly in your chest, steady and warm. You finally felt like you were where you belonged.

Chapter Text

The den was quiet. Which, in this house, was a miracle. You stood in the living room, a bottle of formula tucked in your elbow, your other arm gently rocking Nari, tiny, warm, already shifting into the first wisps of soft fur in her sleep. She had Hyunjin’s eyes. She also had Changbin’s attitude when sleepy. Even in sleep, she scowled like she was ready to throw hands with the crib mobile.

Eunwoo and Sora were curled together in a puppy pile on the play mat, Eunwoo’s little wolf ears twitching every time Nari cooed while being held. His alpha side already showing while keeping tabs on his siblings even asleep. 

You didn’t expect it to happen that day. There was no full moon, no emotional outburst, no wild moment of panic or instinct. Just a lazy Sunday afternoon, banana muffins cooling on the counter, Felix singing in the kitchen, and Nari toddling across the floor with a stuffed bear in one hand and a Cheerio stuck to her cheek.

“Don’t eat that,” you said gently.

She grinned at you and shifted. Right there. No warning. One blink, one giggle and suddenly there was a tiny black bear cub in a pink onesie, pawing at the Cheerio like it was the greatest treasure in the world.

The pack froze. 

The second triplet, Eunwoo, yipped while waking up from his nap. He shifted mid-roll into a tiny, twitchy-eared wolf pup, pale brown fur and a crooked little tail.

“Oh my god,” Hyunjin whispered, lifting him gently. “He’s so small.”

“He peed on my hoodie,” Han muttered as helped the pup get his balance on four legs.

The third triplet, Sora, sat wide-eyed and unimpressed in her toddler seat.

“Not ready yet?” you asked, brushing a curl from her forehead.

She glared at her siblings. Then, with the most dramatic sigh you’d ever heard, she slowly, deliberately, shifted into a fluffy gray bear cub. Changbin smiled big. “That’s my girl.”

That night, after the cubs and pup were cleaned up and cuddled, you curled up between your mates, the weight of the day still warm in your chest. Three babies. Three shifters. Three tiny pieces of your heart, now running literally wild through the house. Being a mate to two shifters was never dull.