“Omegas need to be needed. It’s weird, Chanyeol.”

Jongdae voices this complaint into the comforting scent of Chanyeol’s neck, temporarily forgetting his troubles to smile cheekily and nip lightly at the patch of skin just below Chanyeol’s left ear. The alpha shifts under him, body vibrating with quietly contented growls as he stretches his long arms above his head and kicks his legs further out from the couch.

“You know I need you, Dae,” Chanyeol reassures him, opening his eyes to shoot a playful wink at Jongdae who rolls his eyes in response and returns to nosing at the dip in Chanyeol’s throat.

“Well right now I’d agree with you,” Jongdae teases. “Such a good little puppy, purring undernea–”

The slam of a door cuts the omega’s words short, and he swallows his smile immediately when Kris stalks into the living room. Chanyeol’s arms come up around Jongdae instantly, his shoulders raising at the tension that’s suddenly thickening the air between the three of them. He doesn’t growl at Kris but his body language is clear enough; the older alpha glares at the two of them before continuing his angry stomp through the kitchen and up the stairs to his room.

Chanyeol remains tense. “I don’t know why your dad let him stay,” the alpha grumbles. “After your sister left and Kris refused his Claim Day, everyone was sure your dad would kick him out.”

Jongdae’s quick to defend his sister’s former boyfriend, though he’s not sure why.

“It’s not his fault noona offered herself as a life mate to an omega from a different pack. And you know that alphas can claim other alphas, even though it’s rare.” He pauses to give Chanyeol a moment to digest, then offers thoughtfully, “I’m sure Kris thought he and Suhee would be together for life. Can you blame the guy for not wanting to choose a life mate immediately after that future was taken away from him?”

With a huff Chanyeol concedes that Jongdae has a point. “You’d make a great pack leader; you’re a lot like your dad,” he compliments begrudgingly. “Still, it’s been almost three years. You’d think Kris would have found someone new already.”

Something in Jongdae doesn’t like that idea. He supposes that’s probably because Kris, as his sister’s boyfriend, has been around for as long as he can remember; that Kris might leave their pack after finding a life mate isn’t something Jongdae’s ever thought to consider

It bothers him all evening, this thought, and Jongdae finds himself hovering just outside Kris’ door. There’s a part of him that wants to barge inside and demand for Kris to tell him whether he plans to participate in this year’s Claim Day. He wants to know if Kris, someone he’s grown up with and can’t imagine their pack without, is going to leave just like Jongdae’s sister did. He wants to know who this omega is that Kris has chosen to offer himself to—if that person is an omega at all, and when Kris stopped being angry enough to start courting someone new. By the time Kyungsoo emerges from the bathroom and yells at Jongdae to stop wearing a hole in the carpet, the idea that Kris has found a potential life mate and is leaving them—leaving Jongdae—has rooted itself deep in Jongdae’s psyche and refuses to leave.

Kyungsoo’s chiding is loud enough to attract the attention of the others who live on the alpha floor of the pack house, and when Kris finally opens the door to his room, curious faces are peering out of bedrooms all along the hall.

“What do you want, Jongdae?” Kris’s voice is low and husky, nearly a growl. Jongdae wonders why the sound of it makes his knees weak and his heart pound; are his omega instincts kicking in or is there some other force at work here?

He wants to ask Kris all the things that have been plaguing him for the last thirty minutes, but in the face of Kris’ tired expression and mussed bed head, all Jongdae can blurt out is “Talk?”

The alpha, thankfully, seems to have at least a vague understanding of what Jongdae is asking for, and nods. When Jongdae tries to step into his room, though, Kris really does growl, refocusing the attention of the alphas who’d been slowly losing interest in Jongdae’s presence. Kyungsoo takes a step forward to stand between them and asks Jongdae if he’d like Kyungsoo to fetch Chanyeol, clearly assuming that the other alpha’s presence would not only keep Kris levelheaded, but would also keep Jongdae feeling safe.

Jongdae knows Kyungsoo means well, despite his usually brusque demeanor, but declines the offer as politely as he can. He doesn’t need an alpha to fight his battles just because he’s an omega; he also doesn’t need Kris too angry to talk and Jongdae knows, without a doubt, that there’s something about Chanyeol that rubs Kris the wrong way.

“Not here,” Kris bites out through gritted teeth, once Kyungsoo’s stepped away in acquiescence and Jongdae’s returned his gaze to Kris expectantly. Jongdae doesn’t know what Kris’ problem is, and he doesn’t understand why they can’t just have this conversation in the quiet privacy of Kris’ room, but since he’s the one who wanted to talk in the first place, he’s happy enough to follow the taller man downstairs to the living room. Out of habit Jongdae makes to settle down in the same spot on the sofa where he and Chanyeol had been cuddling earlier, and, to his surprise, this prompts Kris to growl again. Jongdae wisely moves to one of the arm chairs on the other side of the room, curls his legs up underneath him, clasps his hands together on his lap, and waits.

At first, once they’re both seated, it’s completely silent; Kris just stares blindly at the fireplace while Jongdae just stares at Kris’ profile and tries to remember what it was that he’d wanted to say.

“You’re leaving us, aren’t you?” He accuses, finally, when Kris huffs and turns his gaze to Jongdae with an unreadable expression on his face. Kris looks away again but doesn’t answer. Jongdae takes this as agreement and forges onward in his interrogation. “This Claim Day you’re finally going to offer yourself as a life mate and move away, right?”

At that, Kris snaps. “This is my pack. I’m not leaving anyone.” Then, quietly, “I’m not like her.”

Jongdae knows Kris is talking about Suhee; the pain on his face is clear enough. Feeling suddenly small and terribly selfish, Jongdae ends his questions there and the silence returns to take up permanent residency between them until Jongdae makes a show of checking the time on his phone before excusing himself to bed.

“Big day tomorrow,” he offers, unprompted, when he stands to leave the room. “Omegas don’t usually participate so actively in Claim Days, you know.”

Kris does know this, of course, because everyone knows this—knows that Suhee’s abrupt and unforeseen departure for a different pack means that Jongdae is going to have to chose a life mate instead of the other way around. It’s unprecedented, and what he’d been whining about to Chanyeol earlier, but it’s also a necessary evil for the continued survival of his pack.

It’s the burden of this responsibility that gets Jongdae out of bed on time for once that next morning, and the heavy weight of his pack’s future that gives him the strength to stand upright alongside all the alphas who’d come of age the previous year. They all seem ready, eager even, to offer themselves as life mates; Jongdae observes their enthusiasm and attempts to absorb it as his own, but it’s difficult to be excited when he knows how important his choice of life mate will be. For one thing, an omega cannot lead the pack and that fact alone greatly decreases the options in Jongdae’s selection pool; he also must be careful to choose an alpha who won’t later begrudge the fact that Jongdae is essentially taking that alpha’s own Claim Day away from him; finally Jongdae’s chosen life mate must be someone who will be a worthy successor to their current pack leader, Jongdae’s father, and who will continue Jongdae’s father’s legacy of peace and prosperity for their pack.

Jongdae returns from his daydreaming in time to hear Kyungsoo call out “Byun Baekhyun,” and he watches in fascinated awe as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun come together to perform the traditional Claim Day vows.

Taking the omega’s hands in his own, Kyungsoo recites his offer: “You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give.”

Baekhyun smiles, his eyes crinkling beautifully and his expression for once missing it’s mischievous tinge. He turns his and Kyungsoo’s entwined hands upward so their palms face the sun and, following Kyungsoo’s lead, he then recites the words all omegas have known by heart since they were children: his acceptance of his life mate.

“You cannot command me, for I am a free person,” Baekhyun responds softly. “But I shall serve you in those ways you require and accept what you give as I give of myself in return.”

There’s no shimmer of magic in the air, nor does time stop as the newly united alpha-omega life mates stare lovingly into each other’s eyes, but Jongdae believes in romance. In other words, he believes that, with the exchange of those bonding phrases, something between Kyungsoo and Baekhyun has changed forever, and for the better.

He closes his eyes against the sudden bitterness as it surges through him and reminds himself that he can still have what Kyungsoo and Baekhyun now have, what hundreds before them have also had as bonded life mates. True, he’ll never get to speak the words of awed acceptance that he’s dreamt of since he was small, but that’s a small enough obstacle to overcome in pursuit of bonded happiness. And just because he’s the one who’s going to have to offer himself first, the one who’s going to say he cannot be possessed despite the reality that, like he’d told Chanyeol, omegas need to be needed, doesn’t mean Jongdae’s future alpha can’t still protect, lead, and provide for him like Jongdae’s always wanted.

Genetics don’t change just because the circumstances are a little unique, Jongdae reminds himself as he watches yet another alpha-omega couple happily come together. The pack leaders who are officiating the Claim Day ceremony have been quite efficient, Jongdae thinks, once he realizes that the alpha of the newly formed couple was born in June, a mere few months before Jongdae’s birthday, and is only two down from Jongdae himself. In other words, there’s now only one alpha standing between Jongdae and the choice that will decide his future, and that alpha’s already proclaimed his chosen’s name and stepped forward to take that omega’s hands.

It strikes Jongdae with sudden, terrifying clarity that he doesn’t know who he’s going to choose. He’s been so distraught at having to choose at all that he’s not given any thought to who that choice might be. Add that to his anxiety over Kris’ potential departure from the pack, and Jongdae’s surprised the stress of the last few days hasn’t completely done him in. As it is, the tension he felt then is nothing compared to his panic right now, especially when he see his father, the ceremony’s officiator, gesture that Jongdae’s turn has come.

He knows he must step forward, because his father’s answering smile is proud rather than the disappointed one that Jongdae fears, but he doesn’t feel himself move. Jongdae doesn’t register that he’s speaking, either, until he’s already finished, having proclaimed a name before the entire pack that not even he expects to hear.

“Kris Wu.”

Perhaps Jongdae says Kris’ name because he was thinking of Kris only moments before; or perhaps he says it because Kris, after Chanyeol, is the most familiar alpha to Jongdae due to the number of years that Kris spent dating Jongdae’s sister. At the very least, these are the reasons Jongdae conjures in the face of the widespread surprise that shows in Jongdae’s pack members’ expressions, just in case one of them demands to know why.

To himself, though, Jongdae can admit that he likes that Kris is tall; likes how big Kris’ hands are; likes how safe he feels around him, even when Kris is angry, like he was last night. To himself, Jongdae can admit that maybe he’s always liked these things—has always liked Kris—even back when Kris was dating Suhee and Jongdae knew that he shouldn’t.

And now, as Kris steps forward despite his own obvious shock and holds his hands out for Jongdae to take, Jongdae can even admit to being at least a little bit in love with him.

This becomes especially true when Kris, throwing all caution to the wind and surprising everyone like Jongdae had just done, speaks first.

“You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself,” he says, careful to keep his eyes trained on Jongdae’s face, avoiding the shocked outrage of those around them. “But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give.”

Jongdae swallows hard, overcome with emotion, but stands strong, performing the customary omega ritual and turning his and Kris’ hands up toward the sun.

“You–” he starts, but falters and then flounders in embarrassment for the words he’s supposed to know by heart. Kris squeezes his hand in encouragingly, and somehow Jongdae finds it in himself to go on. “You cannot command me,” he repeats himself a little, starting over like that, but the liquid warmth of Kris’ gaze suggests that Jongdae’s soon-to-be life mate doesn’t care. “For I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require and accept what you give as I give of myself in return.”

It’s unconventional, and, all things considered, the magic that’s supposed to bind them together shouldn’t work given how much Jongdae and Kris have twisted the ceremony’s traditional roles, but it does.

“I can feel him,” Jongdae swears later, when he’s pulled aside by his father and the other pack leaders to confirm that everything’s the way it’s supposed to be. “Here,” he reiterates, rubbing at a spot on the right side of his chest that pulses with soft warm in time to Kris’ heartbeat.

Confident that their bond is true, the pack leaders turn next to their alpha, Jongdae’s father.

“But do you think he’s fit to lead?” One of them, an older man that’s been part of the council since Jongdae was small, asks with barely concealed mistrust. “If your own daughter did not select him on her Claim Day, how can he be considered suitable now?”

Jongdae surprises himself, and the rest of the room’s occupants, by growling low and baring his teeth. His instincts roar that none can beat his alpha in perfection, but Jongdae recognizes that perhaps now is not the time to announce this, nor quite the right audience for it, either.

He bows in respectful apology then takes his leave immediately after, so he doesn’t hear whether or not his father defends his choice. In that moment, as the steady thrum of Kris’ heart begins to burn a little too hot the longer they’re apart, Jongdae doesn’t really care. He knows his father trusts him, even if Jongdae’s choice did come as a bit of a shock. And he knows that Kris will be a good leader for their pack in the future; he wouldn’t have offered himself as Kris’ life mate otherwise.

Kris is there to meet him at the door to his father’s office, the tall alpha freezing mid-step, though Jongdae can tell he’s been pacing anxiously. There’s still a heavy blanket of awkwardness between them, but they’re life mates now, bound together forever, and it’s going to take more than a little discomfort to push Jongdae away.

“You were waiting for me?” He asks, gently, when Kris remains frozen in place before the office door. Jongdae doesn’t want to scare the alpha into running away or shutting him out. He smiles and adds “Thank you.”

Kris relaxes a little, and nods. “You’re welcome,” he acknowledges gruffly. He moves as if to step forward, closer to Jongdae; just then the office door opens and the pack leaders file out, one by one bowing slightly in deference to their future leader. Jongdae lets out a breath of relief that he hadn’t even known he’d been holding in, and he finds the sudden strength to take Kris by the hand and pull him downstairs.

They find seats in the living room again, though Kris surprises Jongdae by settling himself into the couch first and pulling Jongdae down on top of him.

“I thought you didn’t like the sofa,” Jongdae mumbles into Kris’ shirt.

Kris huffs, his breath hot against Jongdae’s hair, and shakes his head. “He was all over you. It made me angry.”

He doesn’t specify who it is that he’s referring to, but he doesn’t have to; Jongdae knows that Kris is talking about Chanyeol who, incidentally, had also participated in the Claim Day and was now happily bonded with a pretty, though shy, omega named Jongin.

Jongdae, though, is still curious as to what changed about the couch itself, since Kris had been so averse to it yesterday. He pushes, intrigued. “And it doesn’t make you angry now?”

Kris shifts, lifting Jongdae higher in his lap so he can nose at Jongdae’s nape. “Yesterday I wanted you but you were his,” he admits, almost shy. “Now you’re not.”

“No,” Jongdae agrees, sighing happily as he turns more toward Kris’ chest to feel against his face the heartbeat that’s also steadily beating in his own chest. “I’m not.”

“You realize,” he murmurs some moments later, having moved slightly in order to skim his lips along the skin just below Kris’ ear, “You’re the only one I’ve ever belonged to. The only one I’ve ever wanted to belong to.”

Evidently Kris hadn’t realized this, if the dusting of pink across his cheekbones was anything to go by.

“I’m sorry I can’t say the same,” he apologizes, first in words and then with a chaste kiss pressed to the corner of Jongdae’s mouth. “Now though…”

He trails off, his breath hot against Jongdae’s lips, and Jongdae picks up where Kris left off, just like during the ceremony. “Now though you do want me, don’t you?” Kris nods, fervently. “Then that’s what matters to me,” Jongdae decides. “I said I’d accept what you have to give, didn’t I? I meant that, then, and I still mean it now.”

Kris’ answer is to pull Jongdae closer and kiss him again, more deeply this time, like he needs Jongdae, his omega, more than he needs anything else, ever. It’s exactly what Jongdae’s always wanted; he kisses back.