“No.” Sehun said. “No, this is wrong.”

“Why did you think I turned Jongin?”

“Because he said you did!” Sehun said, a bit too loudly. He checked his volume, so the people in the other car wouldn’t hear. He saw something moving out of the corner of his eye and, looking down, realized it was his own hands, shaking.

“You turned him.” Sehun repeated. “He said you turned him. You turned him.”

Luhan caught Sehun’s hands between his own, gripping them tight. They stopped shaking. Sehun looked up, meeting Luhan’s eyes.

“I didn’t turn him, Sehun.” Luhan said. “I swear I didn’t.”

Sehun’s stared at Luhan, so honest and open. “But he said-”

“He was wrong. He wouldn’t have remembered me turning him if I had, anyway. On the platform just then was the first time I’ve seen him since...” Luhan looked away. He sighed. “I think I know why Jongin thought I turned him. I was with him the night he was bitten.”

Sehun stiffened. That was the night he’d first turned, when Luhan promised he’d come back to help him through it. So he’d been with Jongin, as Sehun had both suspected and dreaded.

Sehun tried to pull his hands back, but Luhan held on tighter. “I wasn’t the one to bite him, Sehun. I went to try to stop it. See, Yifan had it planned. Jongin was going to be my first turn, and it was going to happen on the full moon, so he’d be a strong addition to the pack. But when I turned you instead, Yifan decided to still go ahead and have Jongin turned. I went to try and stop it, but I was too late. I tried to stay with Jongin while he was in wolf form, and I managed to get him close enough to the other pack for them to take him to safety. I was going to go back for you then, but Yixing and Jongdae caught me. They brought me back to Yifan. He’s kept me in the den ever since, except for that one night I managed to sneak away and meet you. He caught me when I returned, though, and the watch on me doubled.” Luhan stopped to catch his breath. He continued to watch Sehun, searching his expression. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be with you while you turned. But I couldn’t leave Jongin like that. You were safe in your apartment. He was on his own.”

“I was on my own too.” Sehun said, surprised by the hollowness in his voice. “And I wasn’t safe. Jongdae found me. He almost caught me.”

Luhan looked away, focussing on their hands. “I’m sorry about that too. I found out after, and I was so glad you’d gotten away and made your way to the other pack. Jongdae must have followed me when I visited you that night. I didn’t think I was being followed but... I’m sorry. I wasn’t being as careful as I should have been. I just needed to see you.”

Luhan’s hands over his own, Sehun realized, were very warm. “Is what you’re saying really true?”

“Of course it is. I wouldn’t lie to you, Sehun.”

“But I’m supposed to be practice.” Sehun said quietly. “Biting me was practice, so you would get everything right with Jongin, because he’s the one you want to be with.”

“Sehun,” Luhan said in a pained voice. “Is that what you’ve thought, all this time?”

Sehun swallowed, unable to find a voice to reply.

“I was never going to bite Jongin. Yifan was going to try to force me, but he’s tried before. I’ve always been able to hold back. But then Jongin introduced you to me that night and I tried – I swear, I tried – but I just couldn’t stop myself, Sehun. I’ve always been able to stop myself before, but with you it was different.”

“Me?” Sehun choked out. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I was the one you wanted?”

Luhan met his eyes. “You’re the one I want.”

Sehun’s heart skipped a beat, then sped up. He couldn’t do anything but stare at Luhan, soaking in his intense look and his words. Sehun was the one Luhan wanted. Not Jongin.

Jongin.

Sehun pulled his hands away so fast Luhan couldn’t stop him. “We left Jongin. We have to go back for him.”

“We can’t, Sehun. We have to stick to the plan and leave. If we go back-”

“We have to go back!” Sehun snapped. “What if they kill him?!”

“Yifan won’t kill him.” Luhan said. “He made Jongin to be a special part of his pack. He won’t hurt him.”

“But he’ll hold him prisoner! We have to go-”

“No, Sehun. We have to do just what we’re doing. Yifan might not hurt Jongin, but he’ll kill you.” Luhan swallowed, and Sehun was surprised to see fear in his eyes. “You were never supposed to be a part of this. To him, you’re more than expendable. You’re a mistake that has to be removed. If we go back, he’ll do that.”

“But... what about Jongin?”

“He’ll be fine.”

“No he won’t! Not if your pack leader’s as crazy as everyone says he is!”

“He won’t be killed.” Luhan stressed. “You’ll be killed. And I’m sorry Sehun, but as much as I feel responsible for getting Jongin involved, I’m not risking your life to free his. You’re more important to me.”

That was what Sehun had wanted to hear. Ever since he met Luhan, he realized, he’d wanted to hear that. Not just to be important, but to be more important than everyone else. More important than Jongin, for once.

Despite this, Sehun didn’t feel happy. He felt hollow.

“I can’t leave my friend.” Sehun said, then amended. “Friends. I don’t know what happened to Zitao, but there has to be a way to help him too.”

“There isn’t.” Luhan said. “He was Yifan’s first attempt to create a powerful wolf on the full moon. Yifan himself turned him, but it didn’t work out. It was too much power for a human to handle. Zitao turned out powerful, but there’s something wrong with him now. He doesn’t remember any of his life before being turned, and he acts more like an actual wolf than a human. I don’t know if the old Zitao – the one you knew – is even left at all.”

“He has to be.” Sehun said. He couldn’t believe one of his closest friends, one of hisonly friends, could be gone just like that. “But even if he isn’t, I can’t leave him under Yifan’s control. And I can’t leave Jongin. I’m going back.”

“Sehun.” Luhan said, reaching for his hands again. Sehun pulled back.

“No, I’m going. Command me to stay if you want, but I’ll never forgive you.”

“Then I’ll just have to live with that. What I can’t live with is losing you.”

Sehun was about to argue more, then he stopped. If Luhan ordered him to stay, he’d have no choice. “Fine. We’ll stick to the plan. But as soon as we’re outside the city I’m sending word to the others about Jongin.”

Luhan looked relieved. “Thank you, Sehun. I’m so sorry. I know you want to help him, but this is best.”

Sehun looked away, out the windows showing the dark tunnel. “Yeah.”

Luhan didn’t seem to know what else to say. Luckily, he decided to leave Sehun alone, and leaned back in his seat. Sehun didn’t look at Luhan again, gaze fixed out the window, waiting.

An announcement came on as they reached their next stop. They pulled into the platform and the nearby doors slid open, but Sehun didn’t move a muscle. Luhan watched him, as if he expected him to run. When Sehun didn’t, Luhan relaxed.

Another announcement came on a couple of minutes later, warning everyone to step away from the platform because the train was leaving.

Sehun heard a whoosh as the doors started to slide shut.

As an ordinary human, Sehun would never have been able to make it through the doors at the last second. But he wasn’t an ordinary human anymore. He moved so quickly, not even Luhan had a chance to stop him.

The doors shut behind Sehun just as he touched down on the platform. Turning back to the train, he found Luhan standing, hands pressed against the doors as he stared at him in shock. Just as the train started to pull away, Luhan said something. Probably a command. But Sehun couldn’t hear him through the doors and over the sound of the train. He could only see his lips move, far too fast to possibly read.

Sehun spoke too, moving his lips slowly as he mouthed: I’m sorry.

The train disappeared down the tunnel, carrying Luhan with it.



Sehun wanted to go after Jongin and Zitao right away, but he knew that would be a mistake. For one, he’d probably waste time; they wouldn’t hang around the subway station. Secondly, if what Luhan said was true, Sehun would never stand a chance fighting Zitao again. He wasn’t even sure if he could bring himself to fight. Even if Zitao didn’t remember their friendship, Sehun did.

So instead of going back to the other station, or to the club, which at this point would probably be suicide, Sehun headed back to the apartment. There was nothing he could do now, nowhere he could turn, but to his pack.

He was halfway there when his phone vibrated. Taking it out, Sehun saw that he had an incoming call. It wasn’t Minseok’s number, but he thought it still might be him, using another phone. He answered it.

“Sehun.” Said a distraught voice. Luhan.

Sehun tensed. His first instinct was to hang up, before Luhan commanded him to do anything. But he fought that instinct and spoke quickly, because there were things he needed to saw. “I’m sorry, Luhan. I have to do this.”

“You can’t-”

“No, let me finish. Jongin is my friend, no matter what’s happened, and I can’t abandon him like this. Once I’ve saved him, I’ll come meet up with you. But you have to run away. I know I can’t really order you to, but I am. No matter what, you have to escape.”

“But what about you?”

“If Yifan catches me, that’s one thing, but if he catches you again you’ll never escape. Then we’ll all be done for. You have to stay away.”

“I can’t leave you.”

“You have to!” Sehun snapped, “Goodbye.”

“Wait –”

“Why, so you can command me?”

“Yes –” Luhan said, and Sehun started to pull his phone away. Then he heard Luhan add. “Please just listen! It’s not what you think!”

Hesitating, Sehun put his phone back to his ear. “What?”

“Just, no matter what... don’t die, ok?” Luhan sounded like he was crying. “That’s an order. Don’t die.”

Sehun’s heart hammered in his chest. “I won’t.”

He hung up.



As soon as Sehun entered the apartment, all eyes were on him.

“Sehun!” Junmyeon exclaimed. “Where have you been?”

Now that the whole pack was watching him, in a mixture of confusion and relief, Sehun wasn’t sure where to start.

“Why did you guys ditch us in the park?” Baekhyun demanded. “You didn’t go back to the club again, did you?”

“No.”

“Where’s Jongin?” Kyungsoo asked, peering past Sehun into the hall.

Junmyeon frowned. “He’s not with you, Sehun?”

“No, he... the other pack has him.”

Everyone stared at him, shocked.

“You idiots did go back to their den!” Baekhyun said, voice rising.

“No, we didn’t. But we did do something else you guys aren’t going to like.” Sehun took a breath, then started explaining. He told them the same version he’d told Jongin, that he’d overhead something about the mating ceremony at the club. He described their plan and how it had gone wrong. For the time being, he left out Minseok, and his conversation with Luhan on the train.

“You guys never learn!” Baekhyun snapped, after the initial pause following Sehun’s explanation. “Are you telling us Jongin actually went along with that after hearing what Luhan did to you?”

Numbly, Sehun nodded.

Baekhyun threw up his hands and turned from Sehun, as if he couldn’t deal with it anymore.

“Luhan came up with this plan?” Junmyeon asked.

“We both did.” Sehun replied carefully. “It seemed like the right thing to do, at the time.”

“You could have been killed.” Kyungsoo said.

“I know, but what else could we do? You guys never told us that Yifan was going to turn into the all powerful wolf if he kept Luhan.”

“He won’t!” Baekhyun said, then to Junmyeon. “Will he?”

Junmyeon didn’t answer right away, which seemed to surprise Baekhyun. When Junmyeon did speak, he seemed to do so more to himself. “I didn’t think he’d go through with it.”

“He hasn’t, yet.” Sehun pointed out. “And he won’t be able to, now that Luhan’s gone.”

“You knew about this?” Baekhyun asked, still watching Junmyeon. “You knew that Yifan was planning something?!”

“I suspected, but I honestly didn’t think he was this serious.” Junmyeon said, a sort of distant note in his voice, which matched his expression. He seemed to be off in another world even as he replied. “At least, I didn’t think he would act this quickly.”

“Since when do you know him so well?!” Baekhyun demanded.

Junmyeon tensed, but didn’t reply.

“We have to help Jongin.” Kyungsoo said. “We can’t leave him with Yifan for even a night. Who knows what could happen.”

“Are you insane?!” Baekyhun said. “You want to go now?!”

Kyungsoo nodded, determined. “If he really is Luhan’s perfect mate, won’t Yifan kill him? He can’t mate with Luhan while his perfect mate exists. The ceremony won’t work. Right, Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon nodded, saying in a quiet voice. “That’s how the legend goes. When a wolf finds their perfect mate, they can’t mate with another.”

“Not unless the perfect mate is dead.” Kyungsoo added, then to Baekhyun. “So yes. I think we should go tonight. Right now, actually.”

“We can’t just raid the den!” Baekhyun yelled, then to Chanyeol who had remained quiet the whole time. “Are you going to back me up on this?!”

Chanyeol glanced between Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. “I think we should wait. You know, so we can make a plan.”

Baekhyun, like everyone else, seemed surprised that Chanyeol agreed with him. Then he looked pleased. Kyungsoo did not.

“Yifan could kill him!”

“He won’t.” Sehun said. Despite being in such a rush to save Jongin, he was starting to calm down and see the situation more sensibly. He still wanted to save Jongin, but going now in an angry, disorganised rush wouldn’t help anyone. “Luhan told me he won’t kill him.”

“Since when do you trust Luhan?!” Kyungsoo demanded.

“I... it’s not that I trust him, it just makes sense now. Yifan doesn’t have a reason to kill Jongin, because he’s not Luhan’s perfect mate. Luhan didn’t even turn him.”

“He didn’t?” Kyungsoo asked, confused. The others looked confused as well. “How do you know?”

“When Zitao found us, Luhan ordered me to get on the train but he couldn’t order Jongin, since he didn’t turn him. That’s why he got left behind. Apparently Yifan planned to have Luhan turn Jongin, but when he didn’t he had someone else turn him, to add to the pack.”

“How could he.” Junmyeon hissed, and Sehun was surprised by the sudden anger in his eyes. Their leader calmed himself almost immediately. “If that’s true, then Yifan definitely won’t hurt Jongin. At least, not tonight. We can’t act rashly. We’ll wait and come up with a plan tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Kyungsoo demanded. “That’s leaving him there for one whole night!”

“It’s better than walking into a trap.” Baekhyun said. “For all we know, Luhan set this whole thing up, to catch us.”

“He didn’t.” Sehun said, before he could stop himself.

Baekhyun raised a brow at Sehun. “You sure about that? Yesterday you still sounded like you despised him, now suddenly you’re Team Luhan?”

“It’s not like that!” Sehun snapped. “I just... you weren’t there. Luhan isn’t setting us up.”

“If you say so.” Baekhyun said, in a tone that let Sehun know he didn’t believe him. That made Sehun mad, not just because Baekhyun doubted Luhan but because it made him doubt too. Sehun had been so ready to believe Luhan, after the initial shock, that he was the only one bitten. That Jongin was turned by someone else, and Luhan had chosen Sehun. That could have all been a lie, and Baekhyun could be right. This could be some sort of plan to catch their pack, that Luhan and Minseok had come up with together.

Sehun pushed away the doubt and all other thoughts of Luhan. He’d deal with that after saving Jongin. Because even if it was a trap, he couldn’t leave his friend in the enemies hands.



Sehun had trouble sleeping that night. He tossed and turned, consumed with worries about Jongin and Zitao and thoughts of Luhan. He kept trying to make sense of everything, and decide what to believe and what to do, but he couldn’t. Thinking about it just stressed him out and made it harder to sleep.

Finally, Sehun decided to go get some fresh air, thinking that would help calm him down. He felt cooped up in his stuffy bedroom. Slipping through the apartment quietly so as not to wake the others, he took the stairs up to the roof.

Sehun edged the door open and slipped out into the cool, early morning. The sun was still rising, casting an orange glow over the city. It was beautiful, and despite everything, Sehun started to relax.

Then he realized there was someone else on the roof. Someone who hadn’t noticed him, and was talking.

“...might be the only way to stop Yifan.”

Sehun jerked to attention. Stepping lightly away from the shade of the door, he peeked down the roof. At the very end, standing at the railing was Chanyeol.

Crouched on the railing in front of him was Minseok.