It would be an understatement to say that time froze. Well, not an understatement but an outright lie. Time went backwards, at least for Minseok. Images of a childhood before the purge flashed in his mind. Images of his parents played across his vision, painting a far off memory of life before pain became a daily occurrence. But how…how was his Father alive?

Minseok felt Luhan grip onto his arm, alarmed at his reaction. It was for naught, he could care less at the moment what his mate was doing. He cou-ld care less what anyone was doing...

“We need to talk.” The lone wolf stared at his son, his gaze unwavering and his expression masked in stony resolve.

“How…” Minseok felt like his cheeks were burning. It was cold outside, the snow could attest to that, but his body felt like it was on fire, “Are you…a….li…ve?”

The older man stood, not reacting to the words. He answered simply. “I was given a chance.”

“Is Mom alive?” Minseok dreaded asking the question.

The lone wolf hung his head, the first sign of weakness he had given his son. “No” It was barely above a whisper.

“Then why are you?” Minseok asked. And it was an honest question.

“That is why we need to talk.” Minseok’s father had lifted his head, his momentary lapse of resolve fading as his unreadable stance returned.

“Min-“Luhan was pleading with him at this point, but it was a muffled sound in Minseok’s mind.

“Say it.” Minseok stiffened his posture unconsciously, now was not the time to show any weakness “Whatever you have to say just say it.”

He watched his Father quirk an eyebrow, tilt his head. Yes, this was the Father he remembered. Caring but clever. Tricky and brutally honest at the same time.

“You know you are a fugitive. That should come as no surprise”

Minseok didn’t bother to nod in agreement. It was a fact- he had escaped from a government lab, of course he was wanted.

“But you don’t know why, after everything, you are still at the top of their list, do you?”

As Minseok’s father stepped forward Luhan stepped back, pushing Minseok behind him.

“Ah – your mate is quite the fighter” Minseok’s father smiled, “Good. You will need it”

The old man paused for a moment, seemingly admiring the way Minseok looked over Luhan’s shoulder, all while trying to appear stronger and taller than he was.

“Son, they are after you because you are special. They say you are more human than wolf…”

Minseok did not feel like humoring a man that had been a looming figure for him, a man that he had thought long gone. But most importantly a man that seemed threatening in his actions at the moment.

“What does that have to do with you?” Minseok asked, trying to understand his father’s intent.

“I want to protect you. I want you to be my son again. I want to keep it all away from us…because I couldn’t before” The old man had tears in his eyes.

Minseok was surprisingly unmoved by the words. He was suspicious.

“How did you escape?” He asked.

“I fought my way out.” The old man paused, turning his attention towards the blonde man that was shielding his son “Ask Luhan…I have been here for years.”

Minseok braced for the response he was afraid of. He was afraid of the fact that his Father had been alive and well. Alive and well as he had done his best to lead the stragglers of their former pack – through poverty and hardship.

“It is true, but I don’t understand it. How is he your father?” Luhan whispered.

“I don’t know why he is here...” Minseok grasped onto Luhan’s shoulders tightly, afraid of the way reality had taken a turn towards the absurd.

***

It was a long and sordid tale. An escape from a lab. Running to Seoul with the belief everyone in his pack was dead. A life built up from the gutters, a life spent among seedy characters and blackmail and connections. Minseok’s Father was always charismatic (if not exactly strong, if not exactly a leader of the pack), his skills served him well when he entered the human world and forged networks that opened everything up to him.

Then there was the information, slowly trickling in, of what the government intended for hybrids. How Minseok was of interest to them due to his more human tendencies. Oh, and then there was the request from the leaders of one of the few great packs still left in Korea – find this man and tell me about him; that is how Minseok’s father located his long lost son.

Or at least that is the story he told.

Minseok was skeptical to say the least. The trio of wolves had left the estate and retreated to the Angel Café. Their relocation was driven by a mixture of Luhan and Minseok’s uneasiness of having the lone wolf about (no matter his identity) and the desire to have a place away from the pack to discuss what the hell was happening.

Luhan took a sip of his cappuccino, swallowing harder than necessary (the whole situation had his blood boiling, his mind thrown into unease) he asked point blank “Why would you hurt our pack members to get to your son?”

The lone wolf showed no emotion, “Because I needed him away from the pack.”

Minseok hated the answer. Why? Why would his Father of all people need to see him after so long – but only when he was separated from the pack, albeit much smaller, that he had once belonged to?

“Because I wanted him to know I am here, and ready to protect him without dragging in all of the other pups” The lone wolf said, confidently justifying his actions.

“Which ended up in a fight!” Luhan couldn’t help it, the words came out.

“That you started!” Minseok muttered, noticing that his Father nodded in agreement.

Luhan shot Minseok an annoyed look. Despite the fact they had made up, he was not ready to admit fault for the fight that had occurred at the warehouse.

Minseok’s father chuckled, “I knew you two would be perfect for each other.”

“Says who?!” Minseok blurted out, side eyeing his mate.

“I would guess the pups you are carrying around would agree” His Father answered.

Minseok’s face turned bright red. Luhan looked confused.

“Pups?” Luhan raised an eyebrow “I don’t know why you attacked us, or why you thought waltzing into our home was a good idea. I get you want to see your son, I do.” Luhan took a deep breath “But we need to let this all sink in – especially before you start hurling comments about pups”

“Sorry. But I can’t help it. You cannot ignore the fact you are going to be a Father in a few months”

Minseok, facing his long lost father, wanted nothing more than to shut up said long lost Father. Because he had just ruined everything.

“I am not going to be a Fathe-“Before Luhan could fully unfurl the insults, the remarks about how silly it was, he shut up. Minseok was grasping his arm.

“Lu, we need to go.”

“Tell me we are going to be safe. Promise you will call off your attacks” Luhan stared Minseok’s Father in the eyes. He needed that promise to walk out of the café. He needed that promise to allow his pack to go back to everyday life.

“I promise – as long as you two promise to see me again. Soon.”

Luhan stiffened. “Fine. But we meet alone.”

“Later then. I will leave first.” The old wolf stood, with barely another glance he stalked out of the café.

Luhan watched him go, his confidence born of how long he had known the lone wolf. Until the fight he had never betrayed Luhan or the Eastern Dawn Pack. Luhan seriously hoped he could still trust the man, at least half as much as he had in the past. After the bell on the door rang, signaling the man’s exit, Luhan turned to his mate.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Luhan, we need to talk.”

Luhan hated those words, but he had little choice. He nodded, ready for whatever was to come next.

***

“I am pregnant” Simple. The Truth. Minseok was sitting on the edge of the desk in the office of the Angel Café. His posture was far more relaxed than his mind could ever claim to be- at least at the moment.

Luhan blinked once. Twice. The office of the Angel Café seemed to close in one him.

“With my pups?”

“You idiot! Of course they are your pups!” Minseok gave his mate a deathly serious stare. After the shock of seeing his father he was ready to retreat back into the world that Luhan and him and built around them…he would deal with his Dad later. He had promised to call off all attacks and Minseok desperately wanted to believe him that was true. So he took the leap and let the blonde pretty boy know that he had a family of his own. He had expected Luhan to throw a fit, to be angry he was not informed immediately – instead he was faced with Luhan staring at him, a hungry look on his face. Life was full of surprises.

“I ing love you.” Luhan whispered, standing up quickly. Without warning Luhan was leaning in to give his mate a long and less than chaste kiss. It was time to celebrate.

***

Magic Eye puzzles were confusing. No matter how much he stared at them he could not see the picture. Why could everyone and their wolf brother make out the image except for him?!

Sehun threw the poster towards the corner of this room in frustration.

“Hun-ah, what is wrong?”

Sehun crossed his arms and pouted. Did that hulking martial artist seriously want to know what is wrong? Seriously?!

“I don’t know Tao. Maybe I am on my period” Sehun answered sarcastically.

“Really?” Tao asked, all wide eyes.

“No!” Sehun scrunched his face up in further annoyance. Tao had entered the room a moment before, coming back from practicing his wushu in the cold and brutal landscape of the gardens. Tao claimed the winter workout made him feel more alive – had his blood pumping in a way the summer heat could not deliver. The idea of working out in the cold made Sehun feel like burrowing under three down comforters while making out with a space heater.

“Is it that poster?” Tao asked, walking to the corner of the room to fetch the source of Sehun’s annoyance.

“So observant” Sehun muttered.

Tao picked up the magic eye poster, carefully spreading it out he walked over to Sehun.

“Just cross your eyes and stare.” Tao smiled, holding up the poster for Sehun to see.

Sehun was done, so done with that blasted thing. But maybe not. He crossed his eyes for a moment, ready to tell Tao to leave.

“A butterfly!” Sehun leapt up, pumping his fists in the air.

“That’s right, Hunn-ah” Tao grinned at his roommate’s happy dance.

To Tao’s surprise his smile was met with a bear hug - with a very crumpled magic eye poster breaking the space between him and Sehun.

***

“Well- I would assume they like the color blue!”

“Because you like it?” Minseok was done. Completely done.

Since he had told his mate of his pregnancy a few hours before he had been bombarded by all sorts of subjective reasoning. The pups must like soccer, because Luhan did. They would enjoy dance and history due to their parents. Maybe they should be named after the last elders of both packs? Oh, wait! It may be a good idea to get them accustomed to dental bones – after all that was how the Eastern Dawn Pack handled teething.

Then there was the nursery scheme, blue and yellow of course. But what if they had girls? Then what? Well maybe So Ra could teach them what they needed to know. Oh, and if they had all boys then they maybe would have a tiny sports team. On the weekends they could go camping and jump in the lake and look at the moon kno-

“Yep” Luhan grinned at his mate, pulling him by the wrist into the baby section of the department store. He was obsessed Minseok thought.

“Luhan, let’s do this later.” Minseok pleaded. Today had been too much, he did not need to shop for his pup’s entire life at the moment.

“Are you okay?!” Luhan asked, concern lighting up his face, “Are you sick?! Do you need to see a doctor?”

And so it started.

“You weren’t asking me that when we you had me pushed up against the wall of your office” Minseok had his own ammunition that he hoped lasted long enough to get through the day.

Luhan blushed, “Well, that was different.” He slung an arm over Minseok’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Let’s go tell the pack the good news, Minseokkie.”

Minseok wanted to punch him in the gut, tell him to shut up. But at the same time he was happier than he had been in a while. Even if his Father had walked back into his life with questionable motives. Even if his life had been chaos for the last few months. Somehow a smiling, goofy, unreasonable blonde man made it better.

“You like me, hmmm” Luhan smirked, noticing his mate’s pensive descent.

“Hmmm. Maybe” Minseok answered, hiding his own smile as he looked at the overly waxed floor of the shop.

Life was funny sometimes.

a/n- And the cat is out of the bag. Or is that the wolf?! Life is going to get a bit more complex for Luhan and Minseok, so stay tuned.

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