[CONTENTID1]CHAPTER 8 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]OMEGA [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]Danger was around them. He could scent it everywhere he turned. Even though the old lady had released the mountain from the dark magic, Jirisan still hummed with an evil aura. And he just couldn't pinpoint the source. Surveying the area seemed useless.

'Hey, I'm heading back,' he projected. 'We are safe... For now.'

He had spoken to soon. After he sent his mental call, he heard the mental screams of Lay and Chanyeol. 

"What was he thinking?!" he growled and turned back to the cave. 'Tao, hurry!'

Blood froze in his veins at the sight of his Alpha in pretty bad shape. He was the strongest werewolf he had ever known. There was no way he was beaten up. A few feet from him, Lay, Chanyeol and a Busan Pack werewolf were slumped on the ground and they didn't look any better. 

In the center, stood a massive black wolf. It's fangs were bared as it growled threateningly at Kris. He looked around the cave in order to devise a plan. It was then that he noticed her. Fear rolled off her in waves and the acrid scent burned his nostrils. But there was definitely something about her that got his wolf's attention.

He got no time for this. He shook himself and forcefully tore his gaze away from her. 'Focus.'

Far to his left, Tao stalked the black wolf from behind, his lean form poised to attack. The larger wolf felt their presence and it was too late for him to react. The black wolf swatted the smaller russet wolf with its left paw. Tao leaped to the opposite direction but the other wolf anticipated it and hit him hard. He whimpered and tried to stand but the blow he received was just too much. 

Left without a choice, he focused his mental energy on breaking the mental barriers of the black wolf. A full frontal attack would be futile. The black wolf was obviously stronger and despite its huge size, faster. He reached into its mind but pulled out just as fast. Fear, like he had never known before, gripped him. It was nothing like he had seen. Its mind was like a black hole, a vortex of darkness. If he hadn't retreated, he would have been into it and ended up in an eternal coma.

The black wolf had already lost interest in him and he wondered what his alpha had done to warrant such attention from it.

He was running out of options. Their situation was dire. Full grown werewolves couldn't subdue the black wolf and by the time the rest of the pack arrives, they could already be dead.

Just then, a movement from his left startled him. 

Soo Jin.

He forgot about her. She limped and staggered towards the wolf, who was still very occupied with Kris. Her ankle seemed to be broken and her back was just too painful to look at. He wanted to call out to her but he didn't want to alert the black wolf of her presence.

What was she doing? 

And where was that arrogant silver werewolf?

She inched closer to the unsuspecting wolf. The beast raised its right paw and he crouched low on the ground. Maybe Soo Jin could distract it and give him an opening. He might not be able to inflict serious damage on the wolf but at least, he could buy time for them to escape. 

The black wolf brought down its paw in one swing and the unimaginable happened. Soo Jin placed herself between Kris and the wolf. "Stop!" She was trembling but she didn't move. His Alpha would have been dead if it weren't for her. And what surprised him even more was that the black wolf somehow listened to her command. It's paw was frozen in mid-air.

Realization dawned on him. Studying the interaction between the girl and the wolf, he quickly put two and two together.

The black wolf is the silver werewolf. Jong In. Her mate. Not that she knew about that. At least, she appeared not to know.

But, what happened to him?

His mind was a scary place to be. And he still shivered at what he saw.

Nonetheless, she could be their only chance. They might not have mated yet but they already have a bond -a bond that would allow her to reach him. Jong In is clearly lost inside that vortex of darkness. And she might be the only one capable of taking him out of it. She had to. Or they were in deep trouble.

True enough, the wolf was fixated on her. So when she gave out the order, he didn't hesitate. She bought them some time and he wouldn't waste it. 

He and Chanyeol grabbed their Alpha while Lay and the omega assisted Tao. The doctor followed, taking one last look at her and the wolf.

She was so brave. Although she looked fragile as glass, she was able to do what they couldn't. For that, she earned his respect. Something he doesn't freely bestow on humans. He felt bad abandoning Soo Jin. But there was nothing they could have done.

He breathed in relief the moment they got out the cave . Kris, however, didn't share the same sentiment. For someone who was bloodied, crushed and beaten, their Alpha still had the energy to give them grief. He wanted to go back there when they barely made it out alive. 

"Lu Han, take us back inside," he ordered, using a tone that offered no rebuke.

"To do what?" 

"To take Soo Jin out of there! What else?" Kris shot him a look of disbelief.

"What for?"

"Are you blind?! Didn't you see the massive beast? She will get hurt!" Never had he seen his Alpha so agitated and outraged. And they needed him to be calm. His mood was affecting their wolves. But they just couldn't go back in there without a solid plan. Especially not with their physical state.

"No she won't. She is his mate. He won't touch a strand of her hair," he replied calmly, purposely reminding him of who she is. Off limits.

Kris scowled. 

"Give it up, Kris. Why are you so hung up on her? It is obvious that she is his. And he will kill us if we take her away."

"It's not that! It's... She... You wouldn't understand," he said lamely.

"Try me."

But Kris chose silence. 

Although tired and battered, their wounds started healing and they regained some of their lost energy. Still, they were in no shape to face the black wolf. That much was clear to all of them except for their stubborn Alpha.

The rest of the EXO pack arrived, restless and unsure of what to do with their Alpha's mental state. He was persistent in taking all of them back inside and the others seemed to be alright with it. There is strength in numbers, after all.

"It is not as easy as you think," he reasoned and Kris huffed in annoyance. "It doesn't matter how many we are. Nothing can come between a werewolf and his mate especially with Jong In having no control of his wolf. Soo Jin is the only one who can help him. We'll just make it worse."

"Lu Han is right, Kris. We might do more harm than good if we barge inside. The wolf will see us as a threat. Please calm down or we'll never come up with a plan to help them," Suho implored.

"Thank you." The doctor, Junsu, turned to them in relief. Kris was giving him a hard time but the man didn't budge and never left his station in front of the cave entrance.  The guy sure knows how to follow orders. "Listen to your brothers if you can't respect my lady's wishes. She sacrifi-" 

"And I'm not allowing it. How could you stand there knowing that she is hurt and would end up getting hurt if we left her inside? The black wolf is no longer the Jong In you knew."

Kris tilted his head upward and he knew he was losing patience with them. The others shifted uncomfortably. No one wanted to deal with their angry Alpha. When he lowered his head, he tried again. Calmly.

There was no reasoning with him and he was the most reasonable guy he knew. What in the world is happening?  

Junsu and Kris were in the middle of their argument when Jong In's older brother interrupted them. Thank goodness.  Maybe this time, their Alpha would listen. His word doesn't have much power in the presence of the newcomer. This isn't his territory. And he definitely isn't family.

As Junsu started towards his superior, the omega who had been so quiet earlier burst past them. Jasmine and vanilla. It was the most amazing scent.

He stood stunned, his gaze not leaving the girl with black shoulder length hair, while his wolf perked up and barked excitedly in his mind.

'MINE! Mine! Mine!'

His heart beat like a hundred charging bulls, charging towards her. Everything around him failed to exist, except her - his mate. His beautiful mate who was so distraught and crying in the arms of another.

His wolf roared in jealousy. 

'Calm down, he is already mated. Both of them are. They only see her as their little sister,' he explained to his wolf. Thankfully, it seemed to listen but it was still prodding him to go get her.

'What are you waiting for? She is ours.'

'I am waiting for both of us to calm down. We must not scare her away.'

His wolf scoffed. 'She only looks delicate but she-'

"Send me instead!"

He stiffened for a minute while her voice ceased all conversation, commanding all attention to her. 

'See?' 

Lu Han groaned. And his wolf seemed so pleased with himself.

'Fine. But she can't go back in there.'

'Exactly.'

Finally, he and his wolf agreed. Now, how in the world would he make his mate hear reason? Hyun Joong, despite having a mate, was clearly at a loss on how to deal with her. He couldn't blame him. Her tears and the pleading in her voice were enough to unman a full grown man. His right hand beta seemed to be more capable but his wolf had enough.

Without thinking, he caught her wrist. "You are not going anywhere but here."  

Xiumin gripped his right shoulder but he shrugged him off with a little burst of his power. His brother backed away with arms raised. He didn't mean to be so aggressive but having unmated males around her was driving him mad. As if her proximity, her scent and her eyes on him weren't already testing his control. She didn't look too pleased with him.

"Unhand me." 

She was pissed and she looked wonderful. So beautiful. So fierce. So captivating. If not for the mask covering his face, she may have had hit him for the amused grin plastered on his face. 

"How dare you-"

Then it happened. She froze and mesmerizing swirling amber eyes stared back at him in shock. Her wolf surged forward and his wolf met her. 'Mine.'

"Yun Hee," he called softly, tenderly. Yun Hee, my mate.

As if entranced by the sound of his voice, she moved towards him and he held her in his embrace. He could feel the surprised looks thrown their way. He was the first among his brothers to have found his mate and he wanted to celebrate his newfound joy with them. But he must first be with his mate.

"Mine," he whispered in her ear, taking in her scent and she responded with a nod. She acknowledged him and he almost jumped if not for her holding his heart, mind, body and soul in place. 

“Stay here and-"

“No.” Yun Hee pulled away and stared up at him in defiance, her gaze unflinching. “No. You can’t tell me what to do.”

He suddenly felt cold, like her voice. He reached for her but she moved away and it pained him. “I didn’t-”

“I may not be as strong as betas like you…”

"Y