Tao watched as the sun slowly dragged its body back over the horizon, beckoning the black night. His ears twitched at the sound of incoming foot steps and instinctively let one ear lazily turn towards the slight vibrations on the ground.

“Welcome back” Tao said happily.

“What, it’s only been a few hours and you think you own the place?” Kris said jokingly, nipping at Tao’s ear, flopping down next to him, tired from his evening rounds.

“As a matter of fact I do” Tao announced, puffing out his chest.

“That means you're my mate now” Kris said with all seriousness in his voice.

The statement lay down thickly in the air.

“Stop joking around” Tao replied, breaking the awkward silence, startled at the sudden comment yet his heart fluttered a little at the idea.

Kris stared into Tao’s eyes for a minute before letting his laughter break the deafening silence.

“I was joking. Stop looking so scared”

“I’ve told you already. I’m. Not. Scared” Tao defiantly stated, staring right back into his eyes.

“Oh really?” the sly tone in Kris’ voice alerted Tao but was too late to react before Kris body checked Tao and knocked him off his feet.

The air in Tao’s lungs was pushed out but he managed to keep on his feet and charged towards Kris. Kris easily evaded Tao, jumping sideways and nipped at his tail. Agitated at his failed attempt, Tao honed in on Kris and tackled him onto his back. The proud look of triumph on Tao’s face radiated like light, pinning Kris down with his large body. Kris lazily lied on his back for a few seconds before surprising Tao and flipped him over.

Kris laughed at the look of disbelief on Tao’s face but seeing Kris laugh, Tao couldn’t help but smile as well.

“Ok I give up. You win” Tao decided, letting his body go limp underneath the Alpha.

“What? We just started” Kris teased.

He gave Tao a on the nose before hoping off.

“It’s getting darker. I’m going to call the others.” Kris turned his back and started jogging towards the other side of the clearing. “You can go in first!” Kris yelled back.

Tao yelped back in response, retracing his steps carefully back towards the cave. He gingerly stepped inside and stopped to have a good look around, realising that he missed most of the cave features last time he was inside.

The cave was dimly lit from the moonlight that seeped in through the natural small cracks in the walls. The further he walked to the end of the cave the darker and warmer it got.  The cave path forked into to roads, he sniffed down both. From where he was standing he could feel the cool breeze waft up from one carrying the scent of fresh and old meat. The other radiated a warmer atmosphere and the familiar scent of Kris’ pack.

For some reason the scent of the pack drew Tao in. Continuing further down the path he found the little air pocket inside the pack’s intricate home containing makeshifts beds. The Large ovals were scattered across the ground, some single and others had the bridge between the two singles knocked down and made for two. Some bed had the bottom laden with dried grass and others with animal pelts that had been taken from prey. 

The light footsteps echoed into Tao’s ears, signalling the return of everyone. Out from the dark came Sehun jogging towards Tao, joining him by his side. It was only then did Tao remember that they had to leave and was unsure about how to get them out or what plans that Kris had for the both of them.

As Kris emerged from behind Sehun he answered Tao’s unspoken question.

“Tonight you can sleep with us. We will talk about everything that comes later in the morning”

Tao turned to Sehun to make sure he was ok but realised he had already rushed to Kai, who was tailing Kris. As the rest of the pack filed in, Chanyeol took the spot closet to the door and eyed Tao and Sehun suspiciously but immediately curled up anyway. Tao knew that Chanyeol was probably not sleeping tonight and was set on keeping an eye on them both. Chen and Suho took the biggest hole with their nose touching in the middle. Lay took his own near the next to the wall, snuggling down in his own hand picked herbs that released a soft fragrance.

Tao beckoned for Sehun to join him at the end of the cave, but Kris stopped him.

“You can sleep in my one” Kris told Tao.

“It’s ok I can sleep with Sehun” feeling a little uncomfortable that an alpha was offering his sleeping spot.

“Sehun can sleep with me” Kai interrupted “My bed’s usually to big for me anyway, we can both fit” he said happily.

Sehun looked over at me pleadingly. Although Tao glared back at him, he relented to the puppy eyes that Sehun was stabbing him with.

“Thank you” Sehun said happily, bounding over and giving Tao a on his muzzle before joining Kai in his little pod.

Tao looked worryingly over at the two but let it go for the night.

Kris stopped over his place in the middle of the pack and waited for Tao to come over. Tao slowly made his way carefully around the tangle of scattered bodies. He stopped at the edge of the pit and eyed Kris questioningly.

“I would love to share with you. But as you can see we are both a little too big for that” Kris chuckled.

“Then you sleep in your bed and I can sleep over there” Tao said whilst pointing near Lay, feeling the safest near Lay, someone who reminded him of his own alpha.

“No.” Kris objected, “You sleep here.”

The commanding tone in Kris tone got Tao sulking crawling in the hole. Kris curved his body into a U shape around the bend of the hole in a protective semi circle around Tao. The cold drift that was circulating the room stopped, blocked out by the lump of fur.

“Goodnight” Kris whispered before allowing sleep to lull him over. Tao curled up, although he let his body relax, his mind was awake and alert. The day was finally over and the recount of events in Tao’s mind was getting fuzzy over the exhaustion washing over his body. His vision blurred staring at Sehun already fast asleep, staring at the exit, the pitch-black tunnel stared straight back at him. Refusing to think anymore, Tao let sleep sink it’s teeth into him. 

IT BEEN SOOOO LONG

I apologise for the long wait T^T

And sorry for the chessy play fight at the start XD

Thank you sooo much to everyone that subscribed, commented and upovoted!

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