Tao was trained for situations like this. He had taken up martial arts once he moved to Seoul and had enough money (through pickpocketing) to afford lessons. Not only did he have the honed skills of a hybrid, he had the learned abilities of a martial artist. When Suho woke him up to tell him there was a wolf outside, confronting their pack leader, he took the challenge readily. Perhaps too readily.

As Tao shuffled down the stone steps which led from the pack’s flat to the street he was followed by the rest of the Cloud Mountain gang- Suho (who was ready to reason everything out, of course), Kyungsoo (who had an evil glint in his eyes that spoke volumes regarding his feelings surrounding the situation), and Chanyeol (whose usual smiling face had taken a serious turn). Tao, meanwhile, was bent on kicking some . Whatever wolf dared show up at their doorstep was asking for it-

“Stop!”

And so they did. It was Minseok who spoke the words. Well shouted them actually. It was an order, and they followed – because when their leader shouted he meant it. Tao, shifted his weight staring down at the blonde wolf who was facing his leader. He wasn’t a big thing, in fact he was kind of dainty. Easy to take down if need be.

“Why are you here?” Minseok demanded, facing Luhan unafraid, resolute to ignore the heated words spoken by the blonde man.

“Who are you?” Luhan asked, standing his ground. Luhan wanted him, but a fight would ensue if he pressed it too hard.

“I asked you first” Minseok growled.

“Join my pack”

Luhan had not come alone. He would be stupid to have done so. His backup – Jongdae and Sehun, became wide eyed at their leader’s comments. No one said anything about these wolves joining their pack?! Was it not enough their leader had said something about “wanting” the other wolf?! Now this!

“You cannot be serious” Minseok spat out with a smirk on his face.

Luhan noticed his chubby cheeks puffed out more with a smile. Why was he noticing thi-

“You have ten seconds to get the hell out of here.” Minseok growled.

Luhan turned, eyeing the four hybrids gathered on the steps. He had noticed them emerging form the flat but this was the first time he had a good look at them. They were a ragtag bunch that was for sure.

“Tao…back off” Minseok ordered. “And we are not joining you.”

“Minseok hyung...”Tao started, only to be cut off by the leader.

“Tao- shut it.”

So his name was Minseok. Luhan liked it. But why should it matter if he liked it? Luhan tried to focus, asking the question, “Why not?”

“Why should we?” Minseok challenged.

“Judging by your pack I would say you could benefit by merging with the East-“

“Because you are a bunch of well off, more human than wolf s? Because you go to university? Because you found money to make you human?” Minseok’s outburst shut Luhan up in an instant, “Did you even see the purge?! Do you know what it feels like to be in a lab for years? Do you?”

 Suho took a step forward, if to protect his leader with a simple step towards him. He knew the pain, the pain they had both gone through. He remained silent and stayed put as Minseok continued.

“Take your papers and get the hell out of my neighborhood human. I don’t have time for you.” Minseok stared at Luhan, his eyes burning with anger.

As Minseok raged Jongdae and Sehun emerged from hiding to stand behind their leader. It was getting tense, and they would not back down if this turned into a fight. The four members of the Cloud Mountain Pack stayed on the steps, staring down with fire in their eyes. The tension could be cut with a knife. Finally Luhan spoke.

“My name is Luhan. I am the leader of the Eastern Dawn Pack. If you won’t join us, don’t with us. If you do with us I will rip you to shreds. All of you.” He glanced from Minseok to his comrades staring down at the situation.

“Understood. I hope to never see you again, LuHAN” Minseok emphasized the last syllable of his name, which annoyed Luhan more than all of the other words the other wolf had previously spoken.

“Ge..”Sehun whispered, urging Luhan to leave.

“The offer stands Minseok, but beware if it is not accepted.” Luhan spoke firmly, staring Minseok down.

It was a tense moment as Luhan spun around and left, letting his words hang in the air. Minseok watched them go, cursing their names with every step they took.

***

It had been a strange morning. After the wolves left their territory Minseok had been more on edge than normal (and he was normally a very cautious leader). Tao had basically begged to go out for a walk. He hated being cooped up for too long, the fresh air did him good.

It was logical to him – the streets were his home even if he had a flat to go back to. He assumed it came from his childhood. He had little memories of his time as a young pup. Minseok and the Cloud Mountain gang had found him on the streets (well, the slums to be honest) of Seoul. He could not remember his parents. He could not remember a family before the Cloud Mountain pack. He had lived on the streets as a beggar child, but a disciplined beggar. The rambling city streets were his home.

And his past served him well. He was the last one of the pack to shift if trouble faced them- which explained how long he was able to survive alone. His true nature was only evident when his anger was absolute- which became far less frequent due to his martial arts training.

He sauntered down the street, far from the packs neighborhood. He loved long walks alone, long walks where he could enjoy the sunshine (and oftentimes some admiring glances from girls and boys alike). He rounded a corner, smiling to himself as he remembered how a woman of about twenty had dropped her coffee when he had helped her with her shopping bag ten minutes ago. It was nice to be attractive, even if everything else in life . Then he heard it.

Loud. There were curse words, and the sound of fists hitting flesh. Tao knew better than to get involved in human conflict. It was dangerous for his kind to make themselves known by interfering in petty human arguments. But this was different. He smelled a hybrid. And so he found himself at the entrance to a school yard, his sense tingling as he watched a crowd of high school students closing in on something. What that something was…

“You f-ing-” Smack. The crowd stepped back.

Tao pushed closer, his nose urging him to find the fellow hybrid. He knew the scent. It had been there that morning. If he had sense he would turn and run, but something else took over. Was another hybrid being abused? He would never stand for it.

***

Sehun had made a mistake. Well, he had made a lot of mistakes in his lifetime but this one seemed to have the most immediate consequences. The fist met his face with fury. He was pretty sure he felt a bone break, which meant the world was on fire. Who in the hell could break his beautiful face? And then…well...the fire took over. He always prided himself in resisting the urge to shift, but this was too much.

“Stop!”

And then hands were on his shoulder. Was it…his vision was blurry from the punch and from his current state. He was ready to shift, he would shift- then he could smell the other wolf. He could feel himself being pulled into a standing position. He was being dragged away.

“Who the hell are you?!”

Sehun and whoever was dragging him along was stopped. But it was only momentary. Even with blurry vision Sehun could make out his fellow hybrid pushing a path out of the schoolyard. He followed, finding the entire scenario enticing and dangerous. Damnit, why are you like this Sehun! He thought to himself, while cursing the soon to be bruise on his face.

***

“Shot!”

Minseok was happy to oblige. Of course he would stop himself before intoxication took over, but it was a special day. It was Kyungsoo’s birthday. The sole omega of the Cloud Mountain pack was turning twenty years old today, a reason to celebrate.

“Hyung…I…”Kyungsoo was already wobbly. His small frame wavering as he sat in the cheap red plastic chair at the street diner.

“Take it easy Soo” Minseok smiled, reaching a hand over to ruffle Kyungsoo’s hair. He had a lot of affection for Kyungsoo. He had been with them since the day they had escaped the lab. Running away, through the forest, they found him. Suho, Chanyeol, and Minseok were so focused on escape they barely noticed the little one doubled over, sobbing.

Kyungsoo was the runt of his pack. From all accounts (and the glimpses of scars the rest of the Cloud Mountain pack had gotten over the years) his childhood was less than ideal. He had been kicked out of a pack, which presumably had died in the purge, due to his small size. It may have saved him in the end, but his existence from that point onward was full of hardship. Somehow he survived on his own in the wilderness, a pup, and malnourished but hanging on. When Minseok and the others found him it was an easy decision to take him with them. After all, they were all escaping something-why not do it together.

“You have grown up well, Kyungsoo-ah” Minseok smiled, taking another shot of Soju. He had a high tolerance, so he was okay with a few more drinks.

“Yaaaassssss, you ddiiididdiid” Suho, on the other hand, was not the best of drinkers. Minseok knew it was about time to take his two pack members home. Tao it seemed was still out and about, which was of little surprise given his love of rambling around town. Chanyeol, upset his con of Mr. Rich guy had failed had found a new target that he was currently wining and dining. Hence only the three of them were celebrating Kyungsoo’s birthday.

“Come on kids- let’s go. Hyung picks up the tab.”

“I love you hyung” Kyungsoo muttered, trying to stand up only to sway into Minseok. It was going to be fun getting these two home, Minseok thought. Maybe it was time to call Tao.

***

It was a quiet night. The streetlights were the only company. Well, of course the other person swinging languidly alongside him was company as well.

“Where are you from?” Sehun asked after what seemed like hours of silence. Maybe it was just a couple hours?

“Seoul. At least that is where I remember being from. Where are you from?” Tao answered. He was used to quiet, and honestly it did not bother him. He was more focused on getting the other man away from his fellow students and more importantly away from shifting without thinking.

They had walked for an hour, then they sat at a deserted playground, both of them staring at the setting sun. Then they moved to the swings and started an hour of moving slowly back and forth- Sehun digging the toe of his shoe in the sand in a figure eight pattern, Tao starring off in the distance. A comfortable silence.

“The east, or so they tell me” Sehun answered. His voice was shaky “Thanks for…back there.”

“Yeah. No problem. What were you fighting about?” Tao answered. It was blaring all over his thoughts that Sehun was, in fact, a part of the pack who had stared them down only that morning. Yet he could not think of leaving a hybrid in the situation he found Sehun in. Solidarity meant something to him.

“Uh, I don’t remember.” Or he could tell the truth, but the truth was kind of embarrassing because it would give away everything Sehun didn’t want given away, “Uhm, My name is Sehun”

“Tao”

“I…um…don’t hate your pack or anything.” Sehun didn’t, really. He would always follow what his pack leader told him (well mostly) but he did not hold anything personal against the pack itself. He did have some feelings of dislike towards their leader, but his feelings had a lot to do with Luhan’s recent fascination with the man.

“I know.”

“You haven’t…” It was another question after minutes of silence.

“No” Tao knew where this was going. They were both juveniles, which meant they were in the stage of their lives when their status as Alphas or Omegas were determined. Sehun had went through his first heat, but Tao…Sehun had a feeling Tao was yet to experience any sort of change marking his fate. Despite living as humans their designation in the pack was still important given their true nature.

“I have. So, I don’t know if this is weird or anything, but can we be fri-“

The ringtone was loud. It was some R&B song Sehun had never before heard. Tao picked up the phone quickly, retrieving it from his pocket with ease.

“Hyung?”

Sehun looked away, trying not to be obvious as he listened. He wondered if it was Tao’s pack leader, Minseek or whatever his name was. Sehun didn’t think much of the guy, if that morning had been any indication. I mean, who wore an outfit like that when going out for coffee? It was too casual, jeans and a ratting t-shirt, certainly not like something Luhan would have worn.

“Yeah, I will be right there.”

Tao hung up and stood. “Sorry Sehun, I have to go. Will you be alright getting home? Or do you want to walk with me?”

Sehun felt something he normally only felt in the presence of his pack leader, his cheeks were hot, “Um, I’ll be okay Tao.” He spoke his name. God, did he speak his name?! What was wrong with him? He was usually so cool and collected and..

“Okay. Bye” Tao walked off.

Sehun let out a heavy breath he had not realized he was holding in.

“Sehun?!”

“Yeah!” Sehun wanted to smack his own face- it was far too eager of a response.

“We can be friends.” Tao said, smiling and turning back around, walking off into the darkness quickly after his words.

Sehun smiled, tracing a figure eight in the sand more vigorously and far more happily than before. Not because of his new friend of anything. Nope.

***

With Tao’s help Minseok had been able to get Suho and Kyungsoo back to the flat with minimal problems. Of course there had been plenty of drunken ramblings, which was to be expected given their inebriation.

Minseok had considered the confrontation which occurred earlier in the morning before giving in to the outing. But he felt confident, for some reason that Luhan would stay away. At least if the Cloud Mountain pack did the same. What the feeling was…well, instinct Minseok guessed. So he was extremely relieved his instinct proved correct as they had no other sighting of the other wolves during their outing. But of course Tao had a smell on him which Minseok could not help noticing. But it was not strong enough to cause immediate alarm. Plus Tao was trustworthy- Minseok would ask him about it in the morning.

As dawn broke Minseok went outside for a breath of fresh air. He was sick and tired of nightmares, hence a second night with little sleep. He decided to go the convenience store on the corner for his coffee, but halted suddenly when he heard it.

A knock on a hollow door. Not worrisome in and of itself. But then…

“Hello. Sorry to bother you so early in the day, we are from the Seoul Metropolitan Police. There have been reports of Wolf Human hybrids in this area. Do you have any information, any suspicious incidents you would like to report?”

Minseok froze. Never before had they been in this neighborhood, never before had-

It was so sudden he could not react. A hand was placed over his mouth. He was pulled into the alley, a hand grasping his waist as he was pushed face first into the brick wall.

“Shhhhhhhh! Be quiet unless you want to die.”