About two hours later, Sunggyu was back at his hut with the little ones. It was already time to feed them again and the cubs were very vocal about that. They blindly flailed around on the carpet while Sunggyu prepared the milk for them. He had created a fence of pillows around them to make sure they didn’t roll into the fireplace. Feeding all five of them by himself was quite the struggle but it seemed all worth it whenever a satiated cub curled into a ball on his lap. Sunggyu didn’t have the heart to take them away from his lap. They seemed to like his warmth and it made the content pups fall asleep.

After the feeding was finished, Sunggyu was quite exhausted as well. He decided to take a nap too. He gently lowered the pups into their ‘nest’ and shifted before joining them. It was warm nearby the fireplace but the cubs still blindly inched closer to Sunggyu. He normally didn’t sleep in his wolf form but it felt good like this. Sunggyu affectionately over their small bodies and the cubs settled down in peace. It wasn’t bad like that, Sunggyu decided. Having company felt good after all those years.

The next two weeks were busy for him. Sunggyu was either feeding the cubs, sleeping with them nearby the fireplace or out to hunt for his own meals. Whenever he left, he made sure the cubs were sleeping in their little nest. They had recovered quite well from their rough start, at least as far as Sunggyu could tell. Their eyes were almost completely open now and they were just starting to navigate their way around on four legs. Sunggyu had to be extra careful because of that. The older the cubs got, the more they’d be able to run around and escape their little ‘prison’. But of course the alpha was also excited to see them stand up and walk on their own. Their steps were still wobbly and without any coordination but they were learning from him very quickly. Sunggyu spent more time than ever in his wolf form to help them with their development. Five pairs of eyes were always watching him at every waking minute and it would be easier for them to learn from him when he was a wolf like them. They would not shift until they were a year old.

The first time one of the cubs stood up and walked after him, Sunggyu first felt the pride of a parent. They weren’t his but Sunggyu could understand parents better now. It was a great feeling to see the little ones grow up. The alpha helped the cub up whenever it fell to the side and soon its siblings were following their brother’s example. Whenever they moved around, their favorite destination seemed to be Sunggyu. They followed him around wherever he went, at least whenever he didn’t place them into the nest that they couldn’t get out from – yet. Such actions usually resulted in whines of protest and loud yowling until he returned to their side.

Sunggyu knew it was probably not too late yet to give the cubs to someone else. He’d just need to find a pack that was willing to raise pups that weren’t theirs. He knew if he wanted to give the pups away, it would have to be soon. The sooner they went separate ways, the quicker the little ones were going to forget about him. But Sunggyu didn’t want to give them to someone else. He had started to think of them as his. As much as the cubs had bonded with him, it was true the other way around as well. Sunggyu didn’t understand how anyone would have the heart to abandon these innocent, cute creatures.

As the little pups snuggled closer to him with quiet whines, Sunggyu watched them lovingly. He had only watched over them for a few weeks but he understood omegas now; especially why even male omegas loved being the mother. There was something special and sacred about this – small creatures depending on you to protect their fragile lives. Without him, they’d starve or freeze. He wasn’t sure when or why their birth mother had left, but Sunggyu felt like they never had the time to imprint on her. When he had found them, they hadn’t smelled like her at all. As far as he knew, mothers usually washed their cubs right after birth to clean them up but also to make them smell like them. They claimed them as theirs right after birth.

Sunggyu wondered about the father of the pups too. Where had he been when she left the little ones alone? Both of them were irresponsible in his eyes and it made him think that both of them never wanted this litter. It happened rarely with wolves but it wasn’t unheard of. Normally the pack shunned those wolves. He heard a weak whine and turned his head. The little one with the black pelt and the white nose was moving restlessly while his siblings had already fallen asleep. Sunggyu hadn’t given them names yet, had been afraid of doing so. He had wanted to keep his distance, just in case they didn’t make it or someone came to take them away. The alpha reached out to the pup affectionately. It quieted down and curled deeper into him. Sunggyu felt a strange sense of peace and he dropped his head on his paws again.

Once again he wondered if it was a good idea to raise them himself. He didn’t know much about raising cubs. Wouldn’t they be happier with a big pack? Sunggyu’s hut was a safe place but he wouldn’t always be around to protect them. Whenever he drove to the city to buy formula or other things, they were all alone here. In a pack, there would always be someone watching after them. The alpha glanced at the little bodies huddled up against him. Was it fair to keep them away from pack life because of his own selfishness?

-Mother-

Sunggyu froze. That thought hadn’t come from him. He eyed the cubs in shock but they seemed to be sleeping still. It had been more than a simple word – more like a picture, a very clear feeling – and it had come from one of the cubs. Sunggyu didn’t know how to react. It was more than just a title. ‘Mother’ had a deep meaning to it. He felt a bit burdened by it but not bothered. Alphas weren’t mothers usually but it wasn’t like the cubs cared about alpha, beta or omega. Sunggyu realized that he had been wrong. It was to late to give them away. For the cubs, he was their mother now; an irreplaceable pillar in their lives. That one most important person their tiny lives revolved around. Sunggyu knew by the way that the word had resounded in his mind that they loved him unconditionally like every child loved their mother.

And Sunggyu loved them too.

“Areum!” The white wolf cub wagged its tail happily and gave him an innocent look.

He folded his arms and looked down at her with a serious expression. “Young girl, I’ve been telling you to do your business outside the house.”

She padded closer to him and playfully nudged his foot. -Not me -

“Yes, it was you. Don’t give me those puppy eyes. I caught you pooping right on my carpet.” Sunggyu scolded her firmly. The cubs were now about five weeks old and able to walk around with more ease. They had started ‘talking’ to him more through the bond between them. Real words wouldn’t be spoken until they shifted first. They weren’t technically talking to him but rather sending pictures or feelings to his mind to tell him things. Sunggyu’s mind was just nice enough to translate the pictures into words.

Sunggyu grabbed gloves and a cloth to clean up her poop. He felt a wave of sadness touching his mind and glanced at the white cub. “It’s good you’re regretting your actions but you should learn from it this time.”

He heard barks and snarling, so Sunggyu turned his gaze to the source of the noise. Two of the cubs – Howon and Hyuna – were going at it again. They were almost constantly fighting to assert dominance over the other. As the pups grew more conscious, they started to notice there was a ranking in their pack. Sunggyu was the head of their tiny pack, but the other ranks weren’t clear yet, so the cubs kept fighting about it. Some of them, like Areum, didn’t really care, but others like Howon and Hyuna fought to be the number two in the house. He had stopped trying to tell them tha