Stolen Kiss

            I never should have slept with him.  Of course, I didn’t realize this until much later—until it was far too late to change my mind—and sometimes I wonder if I would have, had I known the consequences.  Kyuhyun only came to our pack for a brief visit.  His older omega brother—from a different litter—was mating with our pack leader, Leeteuk.  Kyuhyun and a few others from his pack were just coming to Heechul to our pack and stay until he was properly mated.  Then they’d leave again.  I never expected to see the alpha again after that or I never would have followed him back to his quarters the night of the banquet.

            He’d been helping out with preparations all week and I was helping with the catering, since I’m considered a decent enough cook.  But on my downtime, Heechul recruited me to help decorate the banquet hall as well.  I’d only met Heechul a few days before, but he already seemed to take a liking to me for reasons I didn’t find out until many years later. 

            “What do you think of the collection of candles near the front?  I want your honest opinion,” he said, dragging me over to it.  I looked it over.  There were candles of various sizes on the table, most of them in autumn colors to match the season.  I thought it looked fitting, but a little too disorganized.

            “I like them, but I think the taller ones should be towards the back and center and they should maybe decrease in height as they spread away from it,” I said, rearranging them.  “Don’t you?”

            Heechul nodded and wrapped his arm around me.  “This is what I like about you, Wook.”

            Kyuhyun walked over, looking at the unlit candles.  “I think you’re being too picky, Heechul.”

            “What do you know?  That’s why I don’t ask you!”  Heechul smacked his alpha brother in the chest and walked away.  I stared at the alpha.  I’d never seen an omega treat an alpha like that before, even if he was older by several years, and I was waiting for him to reprimand his brother.  But it never happened. 

“You’re not upset with him?”

            Kyuhyun shook his head.  “Heechul’s always like that.  You’ll get used to him.”

            I stared after the omega, watching him chatting with the other members of the pack.  “Does Alpha Leeteuk know what he’s like?”

            Kyuhyun nodded.  “He’s been to our territory many times over the years, even before he took over leadership of your pack.  I think he was interested in Heechul since they were kids.  But he knows my brother is a handful.  Honestly, I think that’s what he likes best about him.”

            My brows rose, wondering how this new addition to our pack might change the dynamics within it.

            “My brother tells me you know these woods as well as the alphas do.”

            I nodded.  “I teach survival training at the school, so I go out into the woods with them a good deal and teach them how to navigate, identify plants and trees, live on the land, and survive off it.”

            “That’s usually an alpha’s job,” Kyuhyun pointed out.

            “In case you didn’t notice, we have few alphas in our pack.”

            “I’ve heard bits and pieces about your pack’s history.  I know why you’ve been taught survival.  I was just wondering, since the alphas are all busy patrolling the territory in preparation for the mating ceremony, if I could have your assistance.  My brother is hoping to have certain flowers picked for the banquet and I don’t know where they grow in your territory.”

            “Oh.  Certainly, Alpha Kyuhyun.”

            Kyuhyun smirked.  “You don’t need to call me alpha, Ryeowook.  We’re the same age.”

            “We are?”

            Kyuhyun nodded.  “I think you’re a few months older than me.”

            “We’re the same age?” I asked again, hardly believing his answer. 

            “Yeah.”

            “Oh,” I merely said, but I found myself blinking away tears.  I had never been in the presence of someone my own age before.  Not since I was a toddler, at least, and I didn’t have any memory of it. 

            “Leeteuk’s father told me stories of your tribe, years ago, when he used to visit.  I thought they sounded so fantastical he was merely telling us fibs, but I realize now that they must have been the truth, especially as I look around your pack and realize there are large s missing in the pack.”

            I nodded.  “Most of what you heard is probably true.  When did you want to get the flowers?”

            “I think if we go the day of the dinner, that will interfere with your cooking for the banquet.  But if we go the day before, I think the flowers will still be fresh.  Would that work?”

            I agreed and we met up a couple days later, early in the morning, and headed west to where I’d last seen lush fields of flowers growing.  Fall had started, but I felt certain we could gather up enough for the banquet to make my new lead omega pleased.  He seemed relieved to find I was taking his brother out with me, at least. 

            “It’s such a relief to get away from the camp!” Kyuhyun said once we were away from all the houses and buildings surrounding the den.

            “Do you prefer to roam?” I asked.

            “I’m accustomed to being on hunting parties and out in the field more, but I was actually referring to your young omegas, which have been hanging on me since I arrived.  I’m a little weirded out by it.  None of them are older than twelve or thirteen, if I had to guess.  I’m twenty!  In my pack, we don’t normally mate omegas at such a young age, which is why Heechul is twenty-four.”

            I nodded.  “Yeah, that sounds about right.  Our omegas don’t have many alphas to choose from though, so you’ll have to forgive them if they pounce on any chance they get.”