Morning crawled in on claws dipped in exhaustion and a bitter chill. The weary wolves barely managed to creak their eyes open as Yongguk, who had spent the night holding watch against the darkness, went about waking them. Daesung was the first to shake himself fully awake, rising to his feet in jilting, stuttered motion; oh how he ached. Stretching up on his toes, the alpha reached towards the sky, causing his back to crackle its protest as abused joints popped. He then shook his arms out and swung them about, loosening his shoulders in preparation for the journey ahead.

"How long do you think they'll hold out?" Taecyeon asked suddenly, looming at Daesung's side.

The alpha tipped his head back to look up at the taller wolf. "What do you mean?"

Taecyeon nodded to the basin wolves. "We're already carrying the NeverNoon wolves. I can't imagine the rest of them lasting too long, once we get up the mountain. Do you think they'll last long enough?"

Reaching over, Daesung gave his arm a squeeze. "We'll make it, Taecyeon. Don't worry. Just... just two days. We can make it."

A doubtful look scrawled across Taecyeon's sharp, handsome features. He was not certain he believed his alpha's claims. It was one thing to run leisurely with only your mate on your back, and another thing all together to flee deadly pursuit with two to three times the weight on your back. Taecyeon was uncertain of their success, which worried Daesung. Normally the brunette beta was boundlessly optimistic - the first one to believe that the impossible was possible with a bit of hard work. But, it was too late to regret his decision to help the NeverNoon wolves. When he had taken upon himself the mantel of pack leader, Daesung had made vows before the Goddess that He would never turn away one of Her children, if they came to him in need. This was him fulfilling that promise. He would not be a worthy mate to his Jiyong if he abjured those sacred obligations that came with his station.

"Just keep praying," Daesung advised. "The Goddess will give us strength." He gave the beta's shoulder one last pat before moving to help Jiyong to his feet. "Morning, Jiyong." The omega flushed when his mate leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Eat quickly. We need to be moving as soon as possible."

"Yes, alpha." Jiyong wrinkled his nose affectionately at Daesung.

The pack leader gave his mate a curious look. He did not understand why his mate was calling him by his rank, but he would ask him about it later. Right then he had to worry about seeing that breakfast was distributed quickly and that assignments were made for when the rest of the basin wolves fell victim to the thin air. When at last they were ready to leave, he hesitated at the sight of Yongguk pulling Nichkhun to his side. "You two need to get settled," he called over.

Yongguk lifted his chin a little, meeting Daesung's gaze. "If I carry him as long as possible, it'll spare your wolves a little. They'll need their strength later." A shadow fell on Daesung's features. The NeverNoon alpha was hard-working and proud, but the dramatic jut of his collarbones and drastic hollow of his cheek spelled out how vulnerable his body must be. As though sensing Daesung's objections, Yongguk drew his lips into a thin line. "I'll keep up. When I can't, then we'll ride."

"As you wish." Daesung was not in the mood to argue; there were more pressing matters at hand. Shifting, he trotted over to Woohyun and Minhyuk, allowing the emaciated wolves to climb onto his shoulders. He then turned to make certain that Jiyong was shifted and ready to go, bag strapped to his back. Satisfied, the alpha barked softly to his ragtag pack before starting off at a quick trot. Moving up the mountain face was at first a simple matter of following the deer trails that wound lazily up the canyon. Daesung focused on leading for the time being, knowing that soon enough he would have to return to his role of ruthless task master. The further up the mountain they went, the cooler the air became - the burning heat of the desert melting into crisp, pine-scented air. Jiyong tipped his head from side to side as they moved along the trail; he had never seen so much green in all of his life. Even though the grass was a brittle yellow, the steadily larger trees were weighted down with bouquets of green leaves, thick and glossy in the morning light. There were even flowers poking up in clusters of purple and white here and there, swaying lightly in the breeze created by the passage of the wolves. He could not help wondering what Daesung's home was like, if this was only the barest hint of what the mountains held. Would it be full of trees or rocky? Perhaps there would be a river or maybe even a grassy plain. The omega made a mental note to ask his mate about his home when next they stopped. Surely there would be time for cuddles and stories as they drifted off to sleep that night.

When the sun finally hung high enough in the sky that it burned down through the branches of the trees, Daesung drew to a halt and lowered himself to the ground, signaling for the deltas to get off. Once the NeverNoon wolves were on their feet, he shifted and rolled his shoulders. "We should have a quick meal. Rest as best you can. Drink." His stern orders were quickly followed, as the wolves collapsed in the shade and passed around food from the stores Amber had pulled from the festival stores. While his pack replenished themselves, Daesung moved to stand on top of a tall rock - surveying the trail behind them. A frown twisted his lips. Moving to stand beside him, Amber sighed. "We're not going to get an easy day, are we?" she asked, her warm alto voice lilting in the hush.

Daesung snorted. "The Goddess wants us to work for our mates," he said simply. "If we can just make it to our pack lands, we'll be fine..."

Arching an eyebrow, Amber looked over at him. "Is there any doubt that we will make it that far?"

The pack leader looked over at the other alpha. "Just see that everyone finishes eating quickly."

"You better make sure you eat too, Daesung," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You won't be any use if you collapse from a lack of food. Worrying can wait for when you're running; you're always better at thinking on your paws, anyway."

A tight laugh slid past Daesung's lips. "Yes, Amber." He poked his tongue out at her before moving to sit beside Jiyong, allowing the omega to snuggle close to him and offer him a sandwich. Amber sighed as the worried crease remained between Daesung's brows; he was far too good at worrying - it wasn't healthy.

Once they had finished eating and emptying two of the canteens of their water, the wolves yet again formed ranks - this time with Amber leading them up the mountainside. Daesung yet again melted to the back of the ranks, his ears twisting restlessly on the top of his head as they moved. More than once, Jiyong almost tripped over his paws as he looked back to check on his mate, making Wooyoung yip with soft laughter. When he noticed his mate's behavior, Daesung snorted and ducked his head. He had never been looked at with so much adoration before, not even by his siblings or the other wolves of his pack. It was confusing, to think that someone he had only just met thought so highly of him. Were he more of a romantic, the alpha might have supposed it was the magic of destined mates sinking into Jiyong's veins and filling him with emotions that had not been given time to blossom. But, that was not how mateship worked. It was toil and uncertainty until, with time, familiarity took root as the deepest, most piercing form of love. Heechul, his Bao, had once described it as having a rosebush twisting its way through his ribs, producing both great beauty and great pain as it flourished. Love, he had explained, was giving someone else permission to know you so well they could either bring everlasting happiness or soul-crushing devastation. Daesung had always been wary of falling in love, because of those sentiments. He had thought it would be easier to be in a comfortable relationship without the demands of love. But, something deep in the hollow of his bones would not be satisfied with such a weak shadow of feeling. His wolf, with its wild spirit, demanded they find a true mate, one who would be the perfect companion. It had been several years of burning, wanting dissatisfaction that had eventually lead to Daesung seeking the Goddess' will, asking where he could find the mate She had promised was somewhere in the wide world waiting for him. And She had sent him Jiyong, an omega as beautiful as he was fragile. Daesung was uncertain what to make of such a gift: He had never thought to have an omega for a mate. But, he could sense there would be a cost for such a blessing. His mate was an imperfect being, one constantly on the edge of a knife edged with self-doubt and loathing. Daesung did not understand what the basin wolves had done to make his mate hate himself so, but it was clear in the pure wonder written in Jiyong's face every time their gazes met: His mate did not believe he was worthy of Daesung.

The alpha snorted to himself.

It was actually somewhat fitting, wasn't it? Daesung did not believe himself worthy of such a beautiful omega, and Jiyong did not believe himself worthy of Daesung. Perhaps they truly were a matched pair, though perhaps not in the most traditional sense.

Thoughts of love and the future carried Daesung further up the mountain than he had realized. In fact, looking around, he was surprised to find that the grass was the deep green that could only come with proper rain and cooler temperatures. Flowers were thicker on the ground, and there were even clumps of bushes thick with berries littering the landscape around them. As though to punctuate the picturesque nature of the scene, a large yellow butterfly fluttered past, pausing to land on a large white blossom. This was the type of land he knew and loved: Wild, certainly, but full to the brim with life. He had been unnerved by the desert, because it was so open, so exposed and so empty. Logically, he knew that there were living creatures in the desert – there had to be for the plants and wolves to flourish – but there had been few traces of them during the day. Only at night could he hear the haunted cries of the birds or the sand as it shifted beneath tiny paws. Were it not for Chansung and Taecyeon’s hunt, the alpha would have doubted any prey lived in the basin at all. But, life was more tenacious than he had ever supposed: It thrived in an environment Daesung could never imagine surviving in. Thankfully, though, the Excelsior wolves did not have to remain there and were instead able to return to the mountains – home.

Daesung’s flickering ears suddenly caught on a strange sound: silence. In the mountains, there was rarely such a thing as perfect silence. Distant birds were often wont to sing and rodents delighted in scurrying through the underbrush; sometimes he could even hear the distant prey stepping delicately through the bushes, their steps hesitant in the face of potential danger. But, there was none of that, even though it had been present mere minutes before. His body stiffened with awareness; he had let his mind wander too long. Thought them too safe.

The alpha twisted his body just in time to intercept an attacking beta – a scout sent ahead by Hong Man’s dogs – dumping Woohyun and Minhyuk with the motion. With a snarl, Daesung grabbed the wolf by the throat and through him bodily into a nearby tree. He turned to growl at his pack, sending them darting forward – following Amber as she hurtled through the underbrush. Jiyong kept glancing over his shoulder, watching as Daesung fought the beta with surprising ruthlessness. The distinct sound of a gurgled whimper pressed Jiyong ahead faster, his gaze locked forward. Daesung, Woohyun, and Minhyuk were soon where they belonged at the end of the line. The scent of blood clung heavily to the air around the pack leader as he snapped at the stragglers, pressing them to continue recklessly forward.

Everything blurred together as the wolves – yet again – found themselves hopelessly running towards the illusion of safety. Daesung had no idea where they were going, but he trusted Amber to guide them to a place where they could either fight or escape. Surely, he thought, the Goddess would not have sent them to the basin to find their mates only to see them perish on the return trip. He had to believe that, even when the situation seemed so hopeless, there was a chance they would escape.

Amber lead the nearly frantic wolves down a path only she could see: one ringed in the lavender essence that she had long ago learned to associate with their Goddess. It was not until they had nearly run over the edge that the Goddess Touched wolf realized the roaring in her ears was not the unruly coursing of blood but instead of tumult of a waterfall. Skidding to a stop, she barked a warning that could barely be heard over the cacophony of the water. She stared uncomprehendingly at the wide stretch of the falls and the plummet down, down, down to where the river continued its course. On the distant bank, so close and yet so far, she could see the lavender trail winding out of sight. Shifting, Daesung ran to the edge of cliff and considered the distance. “It’s too far to jump,” he yelled. “I think it’d even be too far for Chansung to safely throw us.” Besides the fact that the beta would then be trapped on the other side of the river, left at the mercy of Hong Man’s hounds. 

Switching forms, Amber moved to stand at Daesung’s side. “I don’t understand,” she shouted. “The trail clearly leads here. I don’t – this makes no sense!” Behind them, the pack shifted restlessly at the uncertainty and fear coloring both of the alphas’ voices.

After everyone had shifted, they all gathered at the edge of the cliff and looked across the distance. It was Chansung, standing at the back of the group, that noticed the large trees clinging to the edge of the shore. “We could make a bridge,” he called, even as the sounds of howls filled the path behind them. Daesung frowned in confusion, and the beta pointed to the trees. “If I use my strength, I might be able to push it over. That one’s sure to be big enough to span the distance.”

“Using your magic will sap your strength,” Amber called, frowning. “You’d be useless on the other side.”

Chansung shrugged. “Unless you’ve got another brilliant idea, it might be all we’ve got.”

There was a tense moment. Amber wanted to spare Chansung the use of his powers; as a beta, he lacked the deep magical reservoirs a delta or omega innately had. And, worse than that, Chansung did not need to use his magic often, so he was not the most in practice.  Just as she was about to open to agree, the alpha felt a tug on her sleeve. Looking down, Amber was surprised to find Kyungsoo at her side. “We need to knock the tree over? I… If you help me. I could do it.”

Her eyebrows disappeared into the thick golden fringe of her hair. “What?” Her voice was too soft to be heard over the rushing water, but Kyungsoo caught her meaning all the same.

Flushing, he began to pick at the ragged hem of his shirt. “I can do it. If you help me,” he repeated. Looking over his shoulder, he offered Chansung a feeble smile. “If it’ll spare Chansung.”

“Have you ever used your abilities?” Amber asked, frown deepening.

“Enough to know I can do it,” Kyungsoo said. His brows drew low over his large eyes and his lips pulled into a firm line; his expression dared her to refuse him. Amber exchanged a hopeless look with Daesung.

“Whatever you’re going to do,” the pack leader said, “make it fast. We’ve not got time to mess around.”

The howls were growing louder, more insistent. They were coming.

Muttering under her breath, Amber grabbed Kyungsoo by the sleeve and pulled him over to the tree. “Alright, Kyungsoo, you’re going to have to focus. I’ll be here to guide you, but most of it is going to have to come from you. If you get distracted, it’ll never work.”

All she received in reply was a firm nod from the small delta. She mentally shrugged before placing her hands on Kyungsoo’s back, just as she had for Sehun the day before. Chansung, drawn to his mate, drifted close enough to stand between the pair and the approaching enemies. If nothing else, he could go down protecting his mate, hoping to give him a chance to escape to safety. The other wolves formed ranks, with the weakest members closer to the shore while the others formed a protective ring. Kyungsoo took a slow breath, trying to steady the erratic beating of his heart, before he placed his hands on the tree trunk.

He drew in another breath. The too-skinny wolf focused on the feel of the bark beneath his hands – rough and biting – and the faint give of the mud beneath his toes. Pressing the ball of his foot into the earth, he leaned into the tree even as Amber’s hands came to rest on his back. She called something to him, perhaps some instructions, but the delta could not hear her. But there was no need. Kyungsoo could hear the murmur of the rocks and the sluggish coursing of sap in the tree’s ancient veins; he could hear the swaying of the little strands of grass and the squelching song of the mud; he could hear the earth. I am sorry, he thought, caressing the bark lightly before reaching into the golden pool of power that rested in the back of his mind. He imagined it flowing out from his fingertips and into the tree, down the trunk, and into the earth. At first, nothing happened. In the distance, he could just make out the sound of Daesung’s voice calling out. Then, slowly, the tree groaned its acquiescence and the earth began to pull away from the firm tangle of roots that had kept the ancient giant in place for centuries.

All of the wolves stopped and turned towards the tree.

For a moment, it quivered – proud and tall against the bright blue of the sky – before shuddering. It swayed for a breath, threatening to topple on the wolves, before slowly arching towards the distant shore. Kyungsoo stumbled back, dragging Amber with him, as the massive clump of roots was loosed from the earth. The tree crashed across the waterfall, bouncing once, twice, three times before it stilled. Shivering, Kyungsoo took a step towards Chansung before his legs gave out on him entirely. In a heartbeat, the beta had swept his mate into his arms. “Let’s go,” the brunette cried before, balancing his mate as best he could in his arms, climbing onto the tree. Taking a deep breath, and trusting in the delta’s abilities with all his heart, Chansung started out across the trunk and over the void.

Daesung waited just long enough to make certain the trunk would hold before he began to order other wolves across. “Hurry,” he cried. “Everybody needs to move.” Taekwoon moved to yet again stand between his pack and danger, but Daesung caught him by the arm. “Not this time, Taekwoon. I need you to cross over. If… If it gets to that point, you need to be ready to set the trunk on fire. Protect the pack.” The quiet delta’s eyes widened. He was not the type to voice his protests, but the thought of leaving his pack leader alone to face the hoard was written in the whites of his eyes. He could no more imagine abandoning Daesung than he would his own family. Actually, abandoning Daesung was worse than leaving his family behind; the pack needed the honey-blond to guide them, to lead them. If he were to die, they would yet again be thrown into chaos, just as they had when the last pack leader had unexpectedly passed. Breath catching, Taekwoon gave his head a stubborn shake. He could protect his alpha better at his side. But, Daesung growled. “I said go.” And there, woven into the words, was a command Taekwoon could not violate. Ducking his head, the delta drug himself over to the trunk and, glancing over his shoulder, climbed onto it. He hesitated only a moment before starting across, pace sluggish at best. Just because he would follow the command did not mean he had to do it quickly or happily. 

Daesung turned, ready to face the oncoming wolves.

---

Dun dun dun! D: Whatever will happen?

Anyway, here is an update in honor of the fact that today is my AFF birthday. I've been part of this site for an entire year. Gasp! Sorry if there are any mistakes; I didn't have the chance to read back through this. I might do that tomorrow, if I have time. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this installment. Hopefully there won't be a huge gap between this and the next chapter. Let me know what you thought in the comments; I thrive on your feedback. <3