Two is better than seven.

“I thought they all said they were coming back last night?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”

Sitting in D.O’s room in a serie of concern and confusion, Ae Sook and D.O worked together to contemplate a possible reasoning behind the pack’s absence. Last night, it was made clear that they were all going to be home before the night fell. However, not a single one had made their presence at the house, and it made D.O nervous.

Of course, though unknown to Ae Sook, she harbored some of his feelings too due to their still hidden connection. Because she couldn’t exactly explain it herself, she just stayed with D.O, but her concerns varied by a bit.

While D.O was trying to call all the members as it was past 1 in the afternoon, Ae Sook sat in the chair of his desk and proceeded to spin herself around in lazy circles.

On what it seemed liked D.O’s tenth attempt to get ahold of anyone, Ae Sook had opted to try to see how fast she could make herself spin. She was just slowing down and getting ready to start up again with her knees tucked in this time when D.O caught her eye. With a finger to his lips and a stern expression on his face, D.O tried to silence Ae Sook from his spot on the bed.

Ae Sook stopped herself from spinning as fast, but in response, she made a face at D.O and shrugged her shoulders. Continuing to spin though slower, Ae Sook leaned her head back on the headrest as she muttered to herself: “What does it even matter? It’s not like anyone is picking up, anyways.”

With his hearing, D.O picked up the comment and shot Ae Sook an irritated look. Ae Sook just sent one back.

Muttering again, she said whispered, “It’s true though.”

She was sure that D.O would send some needles her way again, but she just ignored him and continued in her activities. As for D.O, he was met with another unresponsive call.

He was honestly confused as to why everyone was missing.

He was just about to try their parents’ numbers when his phone suddenly blew up with messages.

Group Chat made by Sehun

Added members: Kai, Baekhyun, Suho, Chanyeol, D.O

Sehun: Everyone needs to stay strong! Keep ignoring the calls!

Baekhyun: Is this really necessary? I wanna go home now. I can’t handle my aunt anymore.

Chanyeol: @Baekhyun don’t be a bad friend. Let D.O do his thing.

Suho: ...maybe Baekhyun’s right. They’ve had all night.

Sehun: BAEKHYUN AND SUHO, DON’T GIVE UP NOW! We need to carry this out. No one dare go home before tomorrow morning or I’ll find you before you even hit the front step.

Baekhyun: Maknae, are you threatening us?

Sehun: *toothy smile emoji* but i’m serious. Don’t screw it up now.

Kai: Okay, I get the not going home part, but why can’t I answer the calls? My phone keeps vibrating and it’s annoying.

Chanyeol: @Kai Where even are you? Your parents are at my house.

Kai: With Da Bin.

Chanyeol: Oh, is that so? *suggestive eyebrows*

Kai: Yah, we’re getting coffee.

Baekhyun: I can’t ing believe we had two mate cases revealed within a day.

Kai: Well, I’ve been out of the house pretty much every day since I met her. I didn’t think it would be that surprising.

Baekhyun: WAIT! Is that why you trashed my closet? To dress up for her?

Kai: Okay, hyung, don’t get mad. I’ll clean up your closet when I get back.

Baekhyun: When?! You’re never at home!

Sehun: GUYS FOCUS. This conversation is about D.O. No one go home. If you wanna answer, fine but the point is to make sure that he just focuses on Ae Sook, not us, so make it short and do not invite him anywhere, are we understood?

Chanyeol: ^^^

Suho: Okay

Baekhyun: I still don’t understand why we’re doing this. They’re already mates.

Sehun: But she’s human! She needs to feel cared for before anything and this is a chance for D.O hyung to spend some quality time with her. It’s gotta be a natural progression in the relationship.

Baekhyun: Whatever you say, maknae

Kai: Okay, this sounds beautiful and all, but, who the hell added D.O in the chat?

Sehun: O_O ….D.O’s in the chat?

Baekhyun: omg headass

Sehun: ABORT ABORT ABORT

Group Chat made by Sehun

Added members: Kai, Baekhyun, Suho, Chanyeol, D.O

Sehun: Do you think he noticed?

Kai: He’s still in the chat, pabo

Baekhyun: I question your life skills

Sehun: Oh shut up

As soon as the chat, or chats, were deleted, it took D.O a few seconds to digest what happened. At first, he was serious from shock, but then, a couple of chuckles bubbled up his throat.

He didn’t know how the maknae could be so ignorant, but at the same time, devise a plan like this.

But on the other hand, D.O’s stomach fluttered with nerves. He was supposed to ‘spend quality time with Ae Sook’? What was that supposed to mean? He was pretty sure that they were already close, but why did everyone need to be out of the house?

It’s not like they would-

Suddenly, the spot next to D.O dips on the bed and a voice tickles his ear. “Was that from them? Let me see.”

Startled at the hand reaching for his phone, D.O reflexively snatches the phone out of the proximity from Ae Sook’s reaching fingers and chucks it across the bed in under 5 seconds. Left with her right hand still outstretched, Ae Sook regards D.O with wide eyes and the werewolf looks back at her with an equally flustered expression.

The two stare at each other for a few seconds before D.O coughs. With a half laugh, D.O grabs his wrist and starts to roll it. “Aha, sorry, it looks like my hand just had a cramp.”

Ae Sook raises her eyebrows. “A cramp? That looked like a spasm to me.”

The werewolf’s mind flashes with an SOS of what next to respond with. Then, with a quick glance to the ceiling, he’s got it. “Well, you know, werewolves have more strength than humans, so our cramp could look like a spasm to you.” D.O flashes a wide, nervous smile at the end of his explanation.

He really hopes she buys it.

Ae Sook continues to look at D.O for a little longer as she considers his response, but then, she just nods her head with a somewhat doubtful face. Still unsure of what to do in this situation, she hesitantly takes D.O’s hand in hers and proceeds to massage his wrist.

Once she’s gotten her bearings together, Ae Sook asks, “Did anyone respond?”

“Oh, yeah, they did. Uhhh, apparently they're all staying at their parents a day longer because they're gonna be heading out of town soon.”

Ae Sook nods in understanding, but then realization hits her.

Another day alone with D.O?

At the thought, her fingers freeze around D.O’s wrist and slowly, her eyes travel up to meet his gaze. D.O blinks at the sudden eye contact, but soon, his expression morphs into one of worry at Ae Sook’s seemingly horrified face. “Everything okay?”

Ae Sook opens and closes before she can come up with a viable answer. “Yeah, just wondering why you didn't go to China to visit your parents. Don't you miss them?”

“Of course I do, but they're going to be here in a month or two, so what's the point?”

Ae Sook starts to disagree with him. “Well maybe a surprise visit would be nice.”

D.O seems to consider something in his head before he blurts something out. “My problem is not wanting to go alone, so I guess I would consider if you came with me.”

Ae Sook blanches.

Surely she heard him wrong.

Go with him to meet his parents in China?

But before Ae Sook has time to give a response, D.O extracts his wrist from her grip and stands up to move across the room towards the door.

When he reaches the door, he turns around and flashes a smug smile. “See, predictable. Anyhow, I'm gonna go cook lunch downstairs since no one else is coming.”

Ae Sook throws him a wicked look but he just laughs and proceeds through the door. “I'll call you when it's done.”

Ae Sook swore she was going to catch him off guard one day.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

After D.O left the room, Ae Sook just laid down on the bed and reveled in the comfort of D.O’s bed; and though she didn't wanna admit it, his scent was pretty nice, too.

Out of habit, she stared up at the great white ceiling.

And then her heart started fluttering.

I guess I would consider if you came with me.

.

Like .

Why did he say things like that?

Ae Sook knew this was the last thing she should be thinking about, but like .

How could she not when he was constantly making comments like this?

It was the same when he said those things that clearly intended something else, but were just a joke to him.

It was irritating before, but now Ae Sook just got discouraged by them ever since she realized what he meant to her last night.

Just thinking about it, Ae Sook put her head in her hands.

She had to be decent, keep it a secret.

It was nothing but a crush, and she just had to get over it soon. And she wouldn't hope for anything more because she was leaving in a few months time anyways.

Plus, D.O already had a mate destined for him somewhere else.

So, for now, Ae Sook would keep quiet and admire him from a distance before she got over him.

Having that settled, Ae Sook stood up with the intention to go downstairs. First, she stretched a bit, but then she noticed that she didn't have her phone in her hand.

Turning back to look at her previous spot, Ae Sook spotted it on the corner of the bed nearest the head board. She went to swipe across the covers for it in what she thought would be a quick move of retrieval but actually ended up projecting her phone off the side of the bed.

Ae Sook’s eyes went wide as she quickly scampered onto the bed and tried to retrieve her phone by shoving her hand down the rabbit hole it fell into.

She really hoped that D.O’s promise of that case being impact-proof held to be true.

Due to her short arm spam, Ae Sook couldn't quite manage to hit the bottom of the floor where she suspected her phone to be laying. She kept trying and trying to stretch her arm further down when finally, her fingers brushed against something.

But it wasn't quite what she was expecting.

It was soft, but still had a particular firmness to it at the same time and in addition, it felt like it had some width to it.

The peculiar feel of the object caused Ae Sook to scrunch her eyebrows in wonder as she pulled it up, her face practically glued to the headboard in her struggle to retrieve it.

Once her arm dislodged from the tight space between the headboard and the mattress, the force of releasing suction flung Ae Sook back onto the bed.

Grunting at the impact, she spent a second to regain her bearings and move her hair out of her face. Then, she looked at the object that was finally in her hands.

To her surprise, it was a book.

She stared at it for a minute, trying to figure out what to make of it, but frankly, she was confused. She didn't exactly understand why this nice, leather bound book was behind the headboard.

The only possible explanation she could give herself was that D.O dropped it, couldn't find it, and forgot about it.

But then again, he was a werewolf with impeccable senses so who was she kidding.

Ae Sook chose to ignore the second thought and instead, she popped the book open in its natural seem to skim its contents.
The few words that she saw caused her to raise her eyebrows .

"Werewolves were created by a genetic mutation.... 5 divisions.... runners are the most powerful.... scavengers work for government personnel."
All of the information that the pages beheld interested Ae Sook. With all the time she had spent with the pack, she didn't know much about the history of their kind.
It always left her wondering if they thought they were created by a virus, or if they were affected by silver like in the stories, or if someone was bitten, would they turn into a wolf, too?
She never wanted to ask, because it might come off as rude or stupid, so she just relied on her observations to learn about things.
So far all she knew was that their mating connection was weaker because of human blood but the werewolf gene was still dominant, they had elders that they had to respect, but at the same time there were rogues who killed people, and-
Ae Sook's thoughts suddenly stopped.
Rogues who killed people....
Scavengers who work for government personnel....
Ae Sook's mind started to whirl as she quickly backtracked to find that exact place in the book.

Scavengers are lone wolves. Left either at a young age or discarded from a pack, they suffer from not having a connection that a wolf depends on. In order to lessen the damage that a wolf harbors as time passes in solitude, the designated Elders of the clan may attempt to take in a lone wolf. Due to the mentality of a wolf and their need for a pack, this second chance causes them to be more loyal to an Elder than they ever would be to an ordinary pack. This loyal bond allows scavengers to establish a connection as well Create the opportunity to return the favor that was given to them as their tasks from that point on are considered as what humans would call, civil service. They work to regulate the connections between packs and their Elders, and they facilitate communication amongst the clan. However, though are Elders are thought to make decisions that are only the best for the future of the clan, previous leaders in different cases across werewolf history have been known to abuse this loyalty in their favor. Several cases include massacring of a certain pack, certain division, or members that threaten the stability of the established system (reference the destruction of the Roman clan, the Venezuelan executions, and the Runner extinction amongst many others).

Ae Sook’s stomach dropped to the floor and the world tilted before her.

She didn't want to believe that this connection was true. She honestly just wanted to put the book back where she found it, find her phone, and go downstairs to join D.O for lunch.

But how could she ignore something when the connection was so clear before her eyes?

If by chance, what she was thinking was right, then that means that the people who killed her parents must have been scavengers. She didn't know what they could have done to provoke the stability of the government or their leaders, but she didn't think that this murder didn't have a motive.

After all, the rogue ones had said they were looking for her. They questioned her parents about her whereabouts, and even after that, they had been tracking her.

If it was truly a rogue murder, and was completely random, they wouldn't have done any of that.

But they did, and now, Ae Sook had a strong hunch that they were the ones who killed her parents.

As the idea began to root into her head, the book fell from Ae Sook’s fingers and onto the bed as she stared at the wall across from her with a dead gaze.

She was getting closer to figuring out the puzzle, and she didn't quite know how she felt about that.

It was like everyone said, the truth was ugly. An now, Ae Sook didn't know if she wanted to learn about that quite yet.

With a sigh, she looked back down at the book. A part of her wanted her to keep reading, but then the other, always more rational part, told her to shut it and talk to D.O about it.

Ae Sook had to stop herself, though. She knew a part of her decision had feelings factored into it, because for the past week, D.O acted like a security blanket for her.

And Ae Sook didn't want to rely on him like that anymore, especially because of her newfound attachment. Although the information would be helpful, she didn't want to risk it.

She needed to think clearly.

Plus, telling the pack would be a liability. Practically mentioning her idea would be considered as treason. The pack would never think that the government somehow was involved in her case based on the way that this book in front of her discussed loyalty in the supernatural world.

So of course, that was another discouragement to tell.

However, it did make her freeze up to think that on the day of the ball, she would have two enemies to suspect: the scarred rogue and the panel of Elders she would be talking to.

Ae Sook’s stomach just flipped at the thought.

And with the growing reality, Ae Sook realized she needed two things now: weapons and knowledge.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

D.O was adding some noodles to his stirfry when footsteps sounded from the living room. Knowing who was coming, a slight smile lit his face as he waited for her to enter the kitchen. He tried to keep his eyes on the task at hand, but he couldn't help but watch Ae Sook bound over to the island in his peripheral vision.

Just a tad bit, D.O’s heart leapt at Ae Sook’s presence.

Not wanting to be mushy or anything, though his inner wolf quite satisfied with her finally here, he had to admit he felt a bit out of place while Ae Sook was upstairs.

He didn't want to say it bothered him that much, but it was noticeable because even from downstairs, her scent was alluring.

Shaking his head at her enthusiasm as well as to clear his head, D.O picked up the chopsticks laying on the counter to begin stirring the ingredients in the pan together. “I guess I didn't even have to call you down.”

D.O could feel Ae Sook’s smirk even with his back turned. “I have built in sensors when it comes to things like this.”

“I had no clue,” He teased as he separated the noodles into two plates with flawless precision. Wiping his hands on a cloth, D.O took the two plates into his hands and walked over to the island where Ae Sook stood on the other side. Upon his arrival, he slid a plate over the counter to Ae Sook and set one down for himself.

He could see Ae Sook’s eyes light at the meal in front of her so he opened the drawer right under the counter top. After D.O extracted a clean pair of chopsticks, he swirled a few noodles around the utensils before ing them in front of Ae Sook.

“But to be honest, I'm not surprised because my food is delicious and the smell is amazing. You're about to try the best stir fry ever.”

Ae Sook hummed like she didn't believe him, and then looked at him with raised eyebrows to complete the look.

D.O feigned hurt. “Oh, come on, I’m serious. My family did found the cooking portion of our empire after all so give me some credit.”

“That's your family, not you,” Ae Sook argued back with a smart expression on her face. “How do I know it won't give me food poisoning?”

“Well that wasn’t a question you asked yourself last night when you ate the food I cooked,” D.O threw back, and he knew he won this battle when Ae Sook’s mouth shut in surprise. With a smug expression, D.O said, “Exactly. Now eat it before some other poor soul comes in here searching for the best dish ever made in this household.”

Ae Sook reluctantly twirls her own chopsticks in the dish (completely ignoring D.O’s outstretched hand) and stuffs in an angry mouthful before muttering, “You act so quiet, but you’re so full of yourself.”

D.O can’t help but choke on his food.

Quickly grabbing a glass of water, D.O takes a gulp to hold his food down as he shoots Ae Sook a glance. Not unexpectedly, he finds the girl to be eyeing the dish with a type of annoyance which is obviously meant for him.

Someone else might find the situation to be a serious one, but to D.O, it made him laugh. He knew he bugged Ae Sook to a certain extent, but it was funny to him how something so little always bugged her.

And he secretly enjoyed it.

Trying to conceal his smile, D.O questioned Ae Sook. “So is that what you really think?”

Ae Sook lifted her gaze from the plate to stare at D.O in a duh expression, which caused the werewolf to snort in disbelief.

He never quite considered himself as the self-centered one, and he was curious as to why Ae Sook thought so. But almost like she heard his thoughts, Ae Sook began with her explanation, and she held out a fork for emphasis.

“You know, I’m pretty sure a lot of people take you as the innocent, studious type in that “oh my god I just bumped into a hottie in the back of the library” type of way.”

D.O raised his eyebrows at this and had to press a fork to his lips to stop himself from smiling.

“And I know a lot of girls who fall for that type of guy because they automatically think, ‘Oh, there can be nothing wrong with a guy who’s studying in a library for his exams’, am I right? These guys are dubbed as dependable, sweet but mysterious, and smart. Always smart. But I see right through it. You act all quiet and observing, but then BAM, as soon as something goes wrong, you’re the first to tell me off. And what does that equate to? Self-assurance. You like rubbing people’s wrongs in their faces. I mean, there’s nothing wrong about that, because everyone needs a dose of truth sometimes, but if one does it constantly, it’s undermeaning. And that’s my conclusion,” Ae Sook finishes with a nod of her head like she just proved a great scientific discovery.

D.O just stares at her, trying to figure out whether it’s appropriate to laugh or if he should cover his true feelings up. He decides to counter her instead.

“If that’s true, then I believe we’re more alike than you think.”

Ae Sook tilts her head in challenge.

“You love to prove people wrong, and thing is, whereas I might correct people, you like to think your own way. You may or may not listen to what one person has to say, but if it doesn’t flow with your agenda, then you go your own way. At least I know how to communicate.”

D.O’s words seemed to have struck Ae Sook in some manner, because instead of fighting back like expected, she diverts her gaze in embarrassment down to her food.

Ae Sook fumbles with herself for a minute, from tapping her finger in what looked like debate to swirling her noodles even more, before finally looking up to D.O. The werewolf had been observing her in her flustered state, and he wasn’t q