*the day of Siwon’s attack*

Kim Ryeowook, the main doctor of the Pack, is a small feminine looking shifter who immediately drags Zhou Mi into another room far from where the other shifters are gathering to plan for freeing Yesung.

No one will admit it, but the fiery doctor has always had a soft spot for the shifters who came from the Joseon era, and tends to treat them with much more care than members of his own generation. For some of the pack who know the truth surrounding the group who’d shown up in Ha Rae’s back yard, they don’t mind the treatment Ryeowook gives to the group since, by all technical accounts, they are the true elders of the pack as it stands, and not the ones who were chosen by Ha Rae’s father when he’d been a young wolf.

After closing and locking the door, Ryeowook whirls around and pierces Zhou Mi with a stare that has the feline sitting down and waiting to answer any questions the Pack doctor has for him. It still amazes Zhou Mi that Ryeowook is younger than he is technically, and yet, he looks so much more professional than Zhou Mi’s ever felt in his entire life.

“So, the moment you entered the old Pack territory, you said your head started feeling clearer?” Ryeowook asks, his voice firm.

Zhou Mi nods. “My feline stopped being restless and chatty the moment we realized where we were.” He admits.

“And you told the others that your urges to mate with Siwon are gone?” Ryeowook’s got a funny suspicion that Siwon’s being used, but he’s not sure why or what method would be used to entice the shifter into thinking a regular human is his mate.

Zhou Mi nods again. “Right. No urges to run to Siwon and mate with him, no desire to have at all.”

“Have you mated with him?” Ryeowook asks, folding his arms across his chest.

“No. The most we’ve ever done is kissed.” Zhou Mi’s confused now. It’s like he’s being kept out of a secret that should be common knowledge.

Ryeowook sighs. “I think there may be some lingering magical forces at play between you and Siwon.” He says. “Without some research, and some testing, I’m afraid that my initial diagnosis is that Siwon may not be your true mate.”

The news isn’t new to Zhou Mi. He’s had that feeling since he’s been back at Ha Rae’s house. “Look, I know there isn’t much out there on feline shifter mating patterns but…” Zhou Mi’s cut off by Ryeowook clearing his throat.

“Ha Rae managed to find some other Packs with feline shifters in it.” The small shifter states. “Jungsuk negotiated some information out of them and found out what you’ve been feeling is echoes of a mate.”

The news is like a bomb’s been dropped on Zhou Mi. “Echoes of a mate?”

Ryeowook nods. “In about a week or so, we are getting a couple of new additions to the Pack, of the feline sort. They are coming to help educate Yujin, Seungri and you in more important aspects of being a feline shifter.”

The doctor smiles softly at Zhou Mi. “I’m sorry that this news comes while we’re dealing with a crisis, but it’s better for you to know now, instead of it lingering.” He advises. “If you have any feelings at all for Siwon right now, then I suggest you deal with them. Now, come on. We’ve got a clumsy chubby black haired wolf to save.”

Ryeowook’s usual nature soothes Zhou Mi. The doctor can be harsh when he needs to be, and yet take the sting out of the bite in the same breath. People underestimate the shifter, sometimes mistaking his youthful looks to mean he’s just an intern at the hospital or a nurse, and then getting a severe shock when he opens his mouth and blasts them away with his years of knowledge. Zhou Mi smiles back at Ryeowook, glad the man has a good grasp of the situation.

The plan to rescue Yesung is risky. Probably the most risky thing they’ve ever done since they’d been transported here. Zhou Mi elects to stay back at the house to provide alibis for everyone since their vehicles are all at the house, and the surrounding neighborhood has grown in recent months, so the house is not as isolated as it used to be.

Henry and Amber agree they won’t breath a word of what is going down to anyone, and Amber promises lots of good food for when they return. Choruses of requests suddenly ring out, and Amber has to laugh at everyone while telling them to slow down and “can you all talk one at a time please!” so she can jot down the requests.

Feeding 10 shifters after a rescue means a lot of food.

“Does the Alpha know about this?” The question was from Kim Jonghyun. He’d been recruited by Kangin because he had good tracking skills and was a dark grey wolf that was small enough to be confused as a large dog.

“Jungsuk knows about our plan, yes. He’s given his permission for us to do this, however, the Elders do not know so if we get caught, he won’t acknowledge that he gave permission because it’s not approved.” Kangin says, failing at controlling his disapproval over the whole thing. He still doesn’t like how major decisions are handled by the Elders instead of the Alpha and wishes it could go back to the Alpha having the final say in things that affect the Pack.

The answer apparently satisfies Jonghyun. The group gets ready to leave. They are going to be shifting, placing clothing into a large pack that Kangin will carry, and going through the back way of the house to one of their isolated cabins in the forest not far from the house to shift back and take the van that’s already been driven there earlier in the day by Ha Rae. They’re going to save their strength and stamina for when they get to wherever it is that Yesung is being held.

It’s about an hour drive normally from Seoul to Chungcheon, so by the time they get to the site where Ha Rae thinks Yesung is, it’ll be in the middle of the night, which is better for the group to conduct such a dangerous mission.

Amber recruits Zhou Mi and Donghae to go grocery shopping with her while a couple of the other wolves go early to the cabin to prepare some minor supplies that they will be taking like water and some snack food.

It’s while Amber is driving to the grocery store, Ha Rae’s Pack credit card in her hand that Donghae tells Zhou Mi that Siwon has been taken off the Packs radar as a suspect in Yesung’s kidnapping.

“While I was at the station with everyone I got a chance to get a good sniff of Siwon when I told him I was gay.” Donghae admits.

Zhou Mi knows that he should care that Siwon had been a suspect in the kidnappings. Raising an eyebrow at Donghae, he nods. “Go on.” He says softly, showing Donghae that he’s curious.

“Siwon’s scent is nothing like what Sulli’s scent is.” Donghae says simply, reminding Zhou Mi that the younger shifter was once married to Yesung’s kidnapper. “It means that Siwon’s not her descendant, but probably one of her brother’s offspring, and as far as I know, her brothers were both 100% human.”

The news makes Zhou Mi feel a little better about the situation. “Hae, you don’t have to justify the Packs suspicion.” He says, patting the other shifter on the shoulder. “There’s a chance that Siwon’s not my mate. My feline hasn’t said it outright and now that I’m back at the old house, I feel like myself again.”

The relief is evident in Donghae’s eyes as he takes in the information from the feline. “I forget that you felines look at mating differently than we do.” Donghae admits.

Zhou Mi laughs, breaking the slight tension in the car. “Well there is more to life than screwing your mate into the bed every day.” He teases.

Donghae realizes that he’s missed Zhou Mi’s teasing as Amber announces they’ve arrived at the grocery store.