Double Update! Woot.

In this verse, 'hyung' and 'hyung-nim' will be restricted to the Alpha leader and his mate respectively.

Okay?

:D

They are all dirty, stinking and sweaty. Especially, Taeil and Taeyong’s whose fur are matted with mud; the younger ones having to wait till their Coming-Off-Age to be able to transform to their wolf form. Though at the moment, they are happy to just run on two spindly legs, knocking each other in the process. Often, twisting and tripping on their legs and falling. They should be more careful than that but, Taeyong let’s them off for this one time. With celebrations round the corner, everyone can cut some slack.

And, anyway, Taeyong is not supposed to transform into a wolf till the next day but, he already has and so many times that he and his friends have lost track of the number. He knows they’ll not tell the Elders and they all doubt every wolf waits till the ceremony to see their true adult wolf form. Who wants to see themselves for the first time in a room full of other people?

They all jump into the same water body where Taeyong had seen Winwin first and the only time. He wonders if they’ll meet again. He doesn’t know why but, he wants to meet the Omega once before his ceremony. Once before his engagement to his mate is officiated.

As soon as he hits the water surface, he transforms into his human form and swims to the deeper levels before he comes back for the surface again. Water is one of his favourite places. He hopes to show all of them to his mate. He comes back to the surface to find Jaehyun and Donghyuck sitting on the rocky surface, only their heels dipped in water.

“Donghyuck, you are dirty. Clean yourself in here!”

“Nah. I’ll pass. I’ll go back to the tent and clean up.”

Taeil and Doyoung are swimming to the other side where it is not shallow just like he had a few minutes back. Mark snickers.

“He is just afraid, hyung.”

Taeyong is taken by surprise every time Mark calls him ‘hyung’. Being an alpha leader himself, Mark so easily follows Taeyong even if he might be a few years younger to Taeyong. An alpha leader is always an alpha leader and they have even biologically, a hard time relinquishing their rights to anybody else and let anybody else dominate them. His heart swells with pride at Mark’s trust and faith in him. In Mark’s ability to accept his situation (even if Taeyong doesn’t want him to.) He watches while scrubbing his hair as Mark continues to tease the youngest wolf about his ‘childish fears’ of transforming and water. Donghyuck jumps into the water taking Mark’s words as a challenge and they watch in horror as the wolf loses his footing on the floor, having incorrectly judged the water level and disappears from the surface. The water body is not as shallow as Taeil and Taeyong claim it to be. Their alpha stature are build in such a way that the area feels small to them but, Donghyuck is small and has water phobia. He doesn’t know how to swim and he is still mentally a pup; always a pup. Taeyong knows he’ll be scared and will flail as he will slip further into the darker, deeper region.

“Donghyuck!”

They all shout together and Jaehyun tries to reach out for the wolf; he isn’t able to. Mark is rooted to his spot, confused. Taeyong is swimming over but, he sees the ripples first and then, Doyoung’s head. Then, Taeil breaks out of from under the centre of the ripples, with a wet and shivering Donghyuck in his hands. Taeil swims towards the dry surface and with Jaehyun’s help, gets Donghyuck on the land. Donghyuck, immediately, throws up water he must have swallowed while drowning and curls into Jaehyun’s arms. Doyoung smacks Mark on the head and Taeyong growls, turning towards their youngest alpha..

“Do you not know better than to challenge him?! You are supposed to be the responsible one here!” Taeyong shouts in anger. Donghyuck looks so small, curled like a fetus in Jaehyun’s embrace who is wiping his forehead, trying to soothe the younger one. Taeyong feels the need to protect their youngest wolf and anger rakes through him. Mark mumbles an apology, his face ashen. “He could get hurt! It could have been worse. Do you hear what I am saying? This is not even the first time, Mark. You know he has phobia. You know he can’t transform now! You know his reflexes aren’t still like us what the heck makes you goad him like that?!” His fists curl in anger. He inhales deeply, trying to get a check on his anger. “Mark..”

“I’m sorry, hyung.”

The shrubs on the opposite side rustle and Taeyong’s vision blurs for a few seconds. Mark is already swimming over to where the others are. Taeil picks up Donghyuck and Mark only stands beside them, clueless but apologetic.

“Aren’t you coming, hyung?” Doyoung asks as they begin to leave.

“I- I am coming. You guys go.”

Taeyong catches the fleeting scent and quickly heaves himself onto the land. He pats his hair after he puts on his wet clothes in a subconscious reaction before the scent thickens and someone steps out from behind the bushes.

“Hello.”

The voice is sweet and soft and shy and quiet and the scent is faint now but, it hits his lungs hard. The scent fills his lungs and his heart soars and the butterflies in his stomach fly till the bile rises in his mouth and all those feelings are squashed.

Because standing in front of him in a faded yellow cotton shirt and brown shorts is Winwin, an Easternder omega whose scent and presence feels so right to him that he just could be Taeyong’s mate.

He feels perfect to be Taeyong’s mate and the alpha wants to cry.

Because come tomorrow, somebody else will be his mate and he just found his mate.

Can you guess whom the Elders chose for him? \O/