It had been a few days since Luhan had so off handedly questioned Minseok’s alpha status. The two had largely avoided each other, that is until Luhan had enough and cornered Minseok outside his room.

“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you about it. Forgive me?”

Big pleading eyes, check. Sincerity…well, Minseok thought maybe Luhan looked sincere. Oh, and that scent, so close and inviting.

“Please, I am really sorry.” Luhan said, hoping it would be enough. He had felt like going crazy over the last few days, getting off to such a bad start with his new houseguest.

“Don’t do it again pretty boy. I forgive you.” Minseok couldn’t believe what had just come out of his mouth. Pretty boy? That scent was doing things to his head.

Luhan smiled widely. Pretty boy?! Minseok could have sworn he jumped up and down slightly too.

“Thanks. I have a present for you.” Luhan announced, pulling something out of his pocket and handing it proudly to Minseok.

It took Minseok only a few seconds to identify the documents. Papers. Identification papers. Luhan must have used whatever resources he had to purchase them.

“I don’t want these.” Minseok handed them back, “And if this is a way to impress me you failed.”

One time Luhan had seen Sehun punch himself in the face. Luhan never understood it until now. As Minseok stormed off, mad again, Luhan had a burning desire to punch himself in the face. Hard.

***

“Hyuuunnnnggg, I am bored!” Tao whined, trying to look cute so his pack leader would give in. All he wanted is to be out of the house for a bit.

“Hyung, I think it would be safe for us to at least take a walk. The other pack has been going to work and school and-“Suho, a voice of reason, spoke up from where he was standing next to Tao.

“We aren’t the other pack” Minseok snapped. He immediately felt sorry for doing it. He was taking his anger at Luhan out on his own pack members, which wasn’t fair. “Fine, take a walk. But be careful.”

“We will! Suho Hyung, let’s go!” Tao jumped up and down in excitement. Finally they would get a chance to be out of the house. As spacious of an abode as it was, it was still inside and far away from the rambling streets that Tao loved.

Suho mouthed the words thank you to Minseok as he was dragged behind the giant maknae. Time to take a walk.

***

Being a lookout was the worst. Suho hated it. Anytime he went along on one the pack’s jobs he was usually stuck the lookout job; largely because he was a piss poor pickpocket, he could not shoplift to save his soul, burglary was impossible for him (too clumsy), and his only real skill was being observant. He hated it.

Of course it was the way the Cloud Mountain pack had survived on the streets and how they had eventually afforded the flat they had to leave (thanks to that bastard Chanyeol). But still, Suho hated that the criminal lifestyle was the only thing they had to fall back on. Living with the Eastern Dawn pack had made that hatred only grow – they were hybrids with jobs. They went to school, had driver’s licenses. All because they had papers that told the world they were in fact human.

Suho heard a noise. He looked down the street, seeing nothing he went back to watching the front of the store. The walk that he had went on with Tao was supposed to be for fresh air only, but old habits were hard to break. Tao had spotted a Gucci knock off bag in a store that he wanted – which meant he would steal it. Suho tried to lecture him the fact they had a place to live, and hence they had no reason to be thieves but there was no reasoning with Tao where fashion was concerned. And that is how he ended up in this situation, eyes scanning the area for the police or any other immediate threats.

It seemed to be taking Tao a lot longer than normal. Suho sighed heavily. He wished he could see inside of the store. And then it happened - so quickly he was not really sure where the person had come from. Well, it wasn’t a person – a hybrid to be exact.

Suho’s back hit the building wall. He tried to recover (summoning the strength that all hybrids possessed) in order to push the unidentified person off of him. It was swift- a bite to the shoulder and Suho was dropping in pain. He stared up and saw a man with ruffled hair that was dyed purple. He was dressed in leather, a dark glint in his eyes.

The man easily picked Suho up by the throat and threw him back into the wall. Suho hurt all over, but he managed to counterattack. He lunged for the man’s midsection, hitting with a thud. The man took the blow well, grabbing Suho again and punching him in the stomach. His fist did the trick and Suho gasped for air, falling to his knees in pain.

At that moment Tao appeared. So did a few more hybrids, who started the attack on Suho anew. Fists flew. Tao managed to subdue the first attacker with strong kicks and a rage that could not be contained. Blood splattered on the pavement as one of the newcomers landed punch after punch to Suho’s face.

Tao turned towards the two hybrids attacking Suho and mustered as much fighting strength as he possessed, throwing one then the other off of his hyung. But these hybrids were different somehow. Not only did the lack any discernable wolf scent until they were practically on top of you, they also seemed to have a stamina that any hybrid Tao met before did not possess. This was not good. They were stronger, better.

Tao threw another punch, and then a high kick. One of the attackers landed hard on the pavement. Suho tried to stand, but gurgled, his mouth bloody.

Sirens sounded- a break in the tense fighting commenced. Tao was surprised when the three hybrids perked their heads up at the noise. They quickly stood and ran, leaving a bloody and battered Suho and bruised Tao watching them flee.

“Hyung, we have to go” Tao whispered, tears in his eyes upon seeing Suho’s condition. He felt like it was all his fault. How could he be so stupid! He slung Suho’s arm over his shoulder and hoisted him up. Time to get home, and fast.

***

“Oh my god! Suho!” Jongdae came running, a feeling of dread taking over his entire body at the sight of the battered man. Suho was leaning against Tao, who was also bleeding from cuts on his face and arms. But Suho, god he was bloody and broken beyond recognition.

“Luhan! Minseok!” Tao called out, setting Suho down on the sofa. He had made it back to the house in record time, fearing for his hyung’s life the entire time.

Minseok came running at Tao’s shout. He had a feeling something was wrong. Terribly wrong. And unfortunately he was right. His heart sunk at the sight of his pack member- injured and weak.

“What happened?!” Minseok rushed to Suho’s side, taking stock of the damage.

“Hyung…they attacked us. Three of them. I went into a store-“

“ Tao, were you shoplifting!” Minseok felt like ripping out the pup’s throat, his anger boiling.

“I….it is all my fault” Tao started crying harder, hanging his head in shame.

“Damnit. Get him upstairs Jongdae” Minseok felt like throwing up. Why was everything so wrong anymore?

***

Both packs met that night to discuss what had happened. Suho was in bed, recovering. Jongdae had refused to leave his side. In a way it was comforting knowing someone else cared so much for the second in command of the Cloud Mountain Pack, Minseok thought.

Tao had been crying and apologizing since he had arrived home, leaving Minseok to eventually tell the pup it was alright, he did not blame him despite his previous harsher sentiments. He didn’t blame him in all actuality, he blamed himself. If he had not told them it was okay to go for a walk, if-

“Don’t blame yourself.”

After the meeting Minseok had gone out to the back gardens for some fresh air. The packs had decided it was best to keep their guard up, listen for any information on the new pack, and leave it at that. Going out to search for them, especially when the new pack was rambling around so far from the house, would be reckless and possibly lead the hybrid strangers to their home.

Minseok sighed. “It is my fault.”

Luhan stood beside Minseok, staring at the small pond that was holding the burdened gaze of the leader of the Cloud Mountain pack. “No, it isn’t. You didn’t know.”

“But if I had done more – if I had told them no, if-“

“You can’t change the past, Minseok.” Luhan’s voice was low, comforting. Minseok felt the tears coming. He didn’t want to cry in front of Luhan but his emotions said otherwise.

“I….do you have identification papers for everyone?” Minseok whispered.

Luhan was honestly surprised Minseok was bringing that up now. But in a way it made sense. If Minseok was blaming himself for their lifestyle, a way to be more human would give his pack a way out of a life of petty crime. They could get jobs, go to school.

“Yeah, I do. Just say the word.”

“Please.” Minseok whispered, the tears starting to flow.

Luhan nodded. Without another word he pulled Minseok to him, holding him in a tight embrace. Minseok did not move, did not struggle to get away as he normally would. Instead he buried his face in Luhan’s shoulder, weeping silently for all of the things he blamed himself for. For once it felt good to have a shoulder to cry on.

***

Sehun had spent the last few hours trying to get Tao to unfurl himself from the weepy ball that he had thrown himself on his bed. It was a hopeless task.

“Tao, everyone knows it is not your fault. Seriously. And plus, you need to treat those cuts on your face.”

“Hunn-ah, It IS my fault”

“Jesus Christ Tao!” Sehun finally launched himself on Tao, prying his head up and his hands away from his face. It did the trick- Tao looked up at Sehun in surprise.

“Let me see those cuts. Are you hurt anywhere else?” Sehun started examining Tao’s face tenderly, moving to his neck and finally his arms. Tao had strong arms, nice arms. Sehun could not help but admire them even at that moment.

“Take your shirt off.” Sehun ordered.  Tao just stared at him in shock. “I said take your shirt off. I need to see if you are injured anywhere else.”

“My…shirt.”

“Yeah. And if you don’t do it right now I will do it myself.” Sehun looked at Tao, crossing his arms to show he meant business.

Tao’s tears dried, a blush crept over his face. He looked down at his t-shirt, bloody from the fight.

“Do you want me to undress you?” Sehun asked, a newfound confidence boosting his words.

“Undress me?” Tao gulped. What was he feeling all of a sudden? What was this warmth that was spreading through his body? Damnit, he was supposed to be immersed in a fit of self-pity, not feeling bashful.  

“I kind of want to.” Sehun blurted out. Now was not the time to be saying things he usually thought about in the dead of night, when Tao was sleeping in the bed across the room from him. It was a painful string of thoughts that had intruded his devotion to Luhan; a painful string of thoughts that he had a hard time reconciling. But after seeing Tao crying, Tao with cuts on his face, Sehun’s mind was made up. He needed to see what this was and if undressing Tao was the key then he would…enjoy it. He was done being bashful, at least until Tao was acting like his normal self.

“You…want to… undress me?” Tao said slowly.

“Yeah.”

“But I am just a horrible, no good wolf.” Tao pushed Sehun from him and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind him with a click. Tao’s loud weeping resuming when the door was shut. He had to continue this pity party! Oh, and he was not exactly comfortable with what Sehun’s words had done to his …

“Aish… Men” Sehun laid back on the bed, guessing it would be a long night of waiting for Tao to get the hell out of the bathroom.