Minseok felt like his heart stopped. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the blonde man put the cash he was holding back in the register and made a movement to step out from the counter. Without a thought Minseok turned quickly, resolute to leave the café. Before he could retreat out the door his arm was caught and he was whirled around.

Luhan paused, soaking in the man he had just halted. Luhan thought he had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. Like a cat, which was weird for a hybrid. They were like dogs after all.

“What is your name?” He asked, his voice low and husky, unintentionally.

Minseok jerked his arm free, turning around and stalking out of the place. Luhan could only stare after him, the scent of the hybrid surrounding him.

“Lu Ge…”

It was Yixing. Luhan turned around, “It was him.” He looked back at the door, considering his next course of action. Should he run after him or let him go?

“Leave it Ge.”

Yixing’s words made him stop. He should let it go for now.

***

“Hyung!” Chanyeol could not understand what had his pack leader retreating from the café so quickly.

“Let’s go Chanyeol. This isn’t the place” Minseok stalked past Chanyeol, his stride steady and purposeful.

“What happened? Did you meet him?”

“What does he look like?” Minseok spun around, ready to hear it out.

“Um…tall, dark hair-“

“No, I didn’t meet him, but I met someone we need to avoid. Let’s go.”

“Why?” Chanyeol was not ready to give up the golden opportunity of a very rich, very easy target that had fallen in his lap.

“They are wolves.” Minseok said, Chanyeol trailing after him. He was smart enough to back off with those words. It was vicious world they existed in and a rich date was not worth a fight with another pack. Still, Chanyeol could not help but notice how quiet Minseok was on the walk back to their flat.

***

Sehun was still in high school. After school he often dropped by the university his fellow pack members attended, always ready and eager to attend dance practice with them. It was an unofficial bit of after school activities, but something he enjoyed thoroughly. Jongin and Luhan had been enrolled in dance at university for some time and Sehun had often thought of doing the same – if he could shake of his lazy tendencies that is. Still, he had some time to consider it, albeit a short time as he was in his last year of high school.

The track ended.

“You need to work on the third movement.” Luhan remarked, handing a towel to Sehun.

It was difficult. The dance and Luhan. Sehun had been merely a pup when he had come to Seoul with Luhan and the remainder of the Eastern Dawn pack. From his youth Luhan had been the leader, the person to look up to. The hyung that encouraged him, the hyung that indulged him with bubble tea. The hyung who, fortunately or unfortunately had made Sehun think about love. 

When Sehun had his first heat seven months ago he had wanted Luhan to be the one, but it hadn’t happened like that. In fact it had not happened at all for Sehun. Instead he had been sequestered in the pack’s mansion, with the matriarch (and only elder of the pack that was left) keeping guard over him. It was disappointing that he was not the mate of the leader, especially when his feelings for the leader only seemed to grow. Still he held a sliver of hope his leader would see him that way, at least once.

“I will hyung.” Sehun smiled, hoping he was not being obvious.

“Good.” Luhan sat down on the hardwood floor, Jongin and Sehun following. Luhan grabbed the nearest water bottle and drank down half of it.

“Hyung…what is this about a new wolf pack?” Jongin asked, between his own gulps of water.

“Not pack. A wolf. I don’t know yet” Luhan wiped a towel across his forehead, “There is a wolf I ran into. He came into the café yesterday.”

“Yixing says you can’t shut up about him.” Jongin smiled that toothy grin, that grin that made more than one female student at the university swoon.

“Ha. No- I just want to know who he is. We haven’t met a new wolf in months.”

“Is he…an alpha or…?” Sehun asked cautiously, hoping that his queries meaning was not obvious.

“Neither. At least I couldn’t tell. Seems he is young.” Luhan answered.

Sehun sighed in relief internally…until Jongin opened his mouth.

“Yixing said you like his smell.”

“It is strong, I can’t help it.”

It was subtle, but Sehun caught it. A slight tint of pink was evident on his pack leader’s cheeks.

“I need to go. “Sehun stood up “Homework.”

Luhan and Jongin, oblivious, nodded and watched the maknae of the pack leave. Kids.

***

A few days passed without further sightings of the mysterious wolf. Luhan focused on school, trying not to think of the hybrid. Of course he was not exactly upset to be given a reason to seek the man out. The reason came in the form of Jongin.

It was a slightly busy day at the café, and Luhan was thankful for the work to take his mind away from upcoming midterms. He worked at his café during breaks and after school, helping out Yixing and Baekhyun. Both did not attend college, happy with their jobs at Angel Café.

“Hyung! I saw another one!” Jongin’s words spilled out. He had burst into the café, taken note of all of the customers and dragged Luhan into the back office so they could talk.

“Saw another…?” Luhan had always respected Jongin for being a steadfast, if sometimes quiet member of the pack. He was loyal and was honest.

“Hybrid! He was outside of the university! He looked like a little owl- big eyes and small lips and he was standing there watching people. I tried to follow him but he was too quick! Do you think…?”

Luhan was all ears at this point. Another hybrid in the area?

“Jongin, thank you.”

“For what?”

“Giving me more reason find them. We need to figure out who they are.” Luhan stated, his eyes flashing with his resolution.

“You’re welcome hyung. I think…”Jongin answered, not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

***

Beeping. Dripping. Heavy metal blocking all methods of escape. The pain of needles becoming a regular feeling only to be replaced by other pains. A surgery. Cutting. Scars. His lower body numb. Sores. Pain all over.

Blurry days. Dizziness. Howls. Shifting back and forth- biting against the cage. Words that were meant to make him smaller, make him less of a being, make him realize what he was. His insides felt like they were being ripped out, his eyes were burning. Days in small cages, days in places where he could barely breathe.

He hated bright lights. He hated white lab coats. He hated the sound of typing, the sound of a pencil on paper.

It was coming at him quickly.

“Shhhhhhh, puppy, don’t whine. Your Papa didn’t whine”

And laughter, more laughter.

His leg was numb. Why could he not feel his legs?

“Special little puppy” A pain on his ear. A pain on his cheek. A pain spreading throughout his body. He collapsed, whimpering.

He tried to move, the doctors face hanging over him as a blurry mess. If only he could fight back, if only he could find the strength….

“Hyung! Hyung!”

The pain, the numbness faded away into darkness. A sudden reality hit him as he sat up, eyes wide. It was a dream, a horrible dream.

“Hyung…” It was softly spoken. It was one of the only other hybrids that could understand what he tortured him in his dreams.

Minseok rubbed his eyes, or at least tried to. He realized at that point he had shifted. He shifted back to his human form, pulling his blankets over him to hide his ness.

“You were dreaming.” Suho’s kind eyes stared at him. He was sitting at the edge of Minseok’s bed, concern written all over his face.

It took a minute for Minseok to gather his thoughts enough to respond. “Thanks. I….the lab…”

“I know” Suho hugged his pack leader, taking a liberty he knew he was allowed. They had both faced the sort of pain and suffering neither would forget in this lifetime – it was important they had each other.

“Thanks.” Minseok whispered, relaxing into Suho’s embrace, thankful he had someone who understood.

***

She was an old wolf by any standards. An old human as well. She was the only pack elder to escape the purge on the Eastern Dawn pack and she was the foundation that kept the pack as one. She had pups once, but they had long since gone to other packs. She had discovered most of them died during the purge, the others were unaccounted for. So Ra is her name, or Auntie as most of the Eastern Dawn pack called her.

Luhan considered her his best advisor – she had experience and she was the calming figure that kept the pack going. While he led, she advised. So when Luhan was at a loss when it came to his desire to track down the newly discovered wolves he paid Auntie a visit.

A visit to So Ra was easy. She lived with the rest of the pack in a white stucco mansion in Seoul. The money the group had made over the years (with a generous foundation from Luhan’s Father’s friends) had given them more than enough resources to live well and under the radar at the same time.

Luhan found So Ra in her usual spot, sitting on the back balcony with a book on fashion. She was, despite her age, a very trendy person.

“Ahh My Leader.” So Ra remarked upon seeing Luhan. She was always one to boost him up, but never shy to tell him when he was being stupid either.

“Aunt” Luhan bent down and pecked her cheek, showing his affection for the woman.

“What brings you here?” She asked, putting her book aside.

“I met a wolf. Jongin met another.” Luhan paused. He had sat down in a white wicker chair to the left of So Ra. It gave the older woman a view of his side profile. She immediately noticed how tense his shoulders looked. She reached out a hand and rubbed his shoulder, without speaking she urged him to keep talking.

“I think we need to track them down. I….I….” Luhan would always tell his Aunt what he could not tell the other pack members – for several reasons. He was their leader, which gave his words more weight. He had to be careful when he spoke. But also he had to, in his mind, completely justify his actions to the pack. With his aunt he could talk things out, without solid reason behind his words. In other words, she listened and he could speak freely. “His smell…”

So Ra nodded, continuing to rub the younger’s shoulder. “Is he an omega?”

“No….he is nothing right now…” Luhan answered.

“Go find him.”

Luhan’s face visibly brightened. So Ra felt like giggling at the sight but kept a straight face. Sometimes the pack leader, for all of his youth, was so transparent with his feelings.

“Seriously Luhan, go. Or you will never stop asking what if.”

Luhan had his answer. In the morning, he would find him. In the morning come hell or high water.

***

Minseok had not been able to fall back asleep after his nightmare. Suho had stayed with him for a time before Minseok sent him back to bed, reassuring his second in charge that he was in fact okay. It was not exactly true- the nightmares were so strong when they came he never really could fall back asleep. He tried reading, but it bored him. He went into the living room and tried to watch t.v. but the few channels they received presented him with infomercials and reruns of shows he would rather forget than watch again.

Finally, boredom and the desire to stay awake drove him towards a walk. The sun was beginning to rise. Minseok liked this time of day – when everything was new and full of promise. Nothing was set in stone at dawn break. Anything could happen.

He walked to the corner store and bought an Americano, savoring it as he walked back to the flat. As he approached the flat he hummed a song, feeling like today may be a better day despite the nightmares he faced last night. Then it came full force. The smell.

He rounded the corner with trepidation. He knew what he was facing, but he could not back down. Not with his pack asleep.

The blonde man stood, his hands at his side. He looked calm, determined. He was standing at the bottom of the steps that led to the Cloud Mountain pack’s flat, staring towards Minseok.

Minseok tensed. It was never good if another wolf found your den.

“What do you want?” He practically growled. He threw his coffee to the side of the street and stalked towards the blonde man. If he wanted a fight he was happy to oblige, especially if it insured the safety of his own pack.

“You” It was a whisper from the blonde man’s lips, a fire burning in his eyes. "I want you."

A/N- Oh! I just love the thought of Xiumin and Luhan leading individual packs- of course we are going to maybe, just maybe see them together at some point (of course they are going to be together, just give me a few chaps)! So Ra had to happen- I needed a fab aunt and who better?! Let me know your thoughts on the story- good or bad. I would appreciate it. Thanks!