Whether mating season made everyone more accepting of one another, or whether they had actually realised that their new housemates were okay, no one knew for sure. But one thing was certain: the two clans were growing closer and closer by the day. By the second week, couples were beginning to form in the mansion.

Jaejoong, on the other hand, wasn't as smitten by Yunho as Donghae seemed to be by Hyukjae, or Jongin by Kyungsoo. There was still something about the other Alpha that pissed him off to no end. Or rather, everything about the other Alpha made his skin itch.

Jaejoong hated how small Yunho's face was, and how tall he was. He hated the other's golden skin and diamond cutter jaw. He hated how Yunho had a confident smirk one second and an angelic smile the next. Jaejoong couldn't stand how Yunho smelt of coffee and strawberries and chocolate. Above all, he hated himself around Yunho. Yunho just had to enter the room for Jaejoong's knees to turn to jelly, for his words to stutter. If he'd been a needy Omega, he would have spread his legs for Yunho upon first sight. But he wasn't an Omega.

He was an Alpha. He was the Alpha. Equal to the King Alphas in everything but formalities. Star Clan's Alpha Kim Jaejoong didn't open up for just anyone. The only non-carrier allowed to mate with Kim Jaejoong was his destined one. Jaejoong had decided that long ago.

Although he had to admit, towards the fifth week of the three months long heat, Kim Jaejoong was getting needy. He blamed hormones, and the biological need to produce an offspring to stay healthy. This made the heat more difficult to bear, now that the mansion was full of un-mated non-carriers just waiting for a carrier to bed them, bite them and mark them as theirs.

"What's your problem?!" Yunho finally exploded after holding his tongue for three weeks of Jaejoong's irritable mood. They were standing in the courtyard, where they had bumped into each other.

"Nothing I'm telling you!"

"Since I'm the one you're constantly picking on, you'd think I deserve to know!"

"Well, you don't!" Jaejoong felt a little childish saying that, but he didn't want to tell the other Alpha that he made him so ually frustrated he could barely think straight. They were supposed to focus on the Rogue Pack for heaven's sake! He didn't have time for this. Couldn't those s have waited until after mating season to challenge King Clan?

"You're impossible."

"So's your face!" Nice, Jaejoong. Real mature.

"Bite me."

"Buy me dinner first!" . NO. You did NOT just say that out loud! 's sake!

"What?"

"N-nothing. I didn't say anything. I don't want to mate with you." Shut. The . UP.

"I never said you did." Yunho's smirk was back and it was unbearably smug. "So, do you bite anyone who buys you dinner?" Yunho had not meant to say it like that, he knew how it sounded. But it was too late to retract it now.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Jaejoong's eyes flashed a dangerous yellow. Hero wanted out and he was angry.

"You heard what I said." Yunho tried to remain confident, but he'd heard of angry Hero, and he didn't want to face him. Implying that Jaejoong was a had been a bad move, but the words had been out of his mouth before he could stop them. The best thing to do now would be to get on his knees and apologise. But his Alpha pride wouldn't allow him to do that. Not before Jaejoong. Not yet.

"Are you calling me a loose-jawed biter, Jung Yunho?"

— A/N: When a carrier is mating with a non-carrier, they tend to want to bite their mate, marking them down, claiming ownership over them. This is considered extremely intimate, and it creates a special bond that is more or less unbreakable. Since non-carriers can't do the same in return, it is considered good manners for carriers to save such behaviour for committed relationships. To imply that someone is a 'loose-jawed biter' is equal to calling him or her a . —

"I'm not calling you anything, but if the shoe fits…"

Hero sprung out of his cage in less than one second. It took all the members of Star Clan in their wolf forms to hold him back.

"Get inside the house, now!" Yoochun called out to the Moon Clan members who had come out to see what the commotion was about.

When all of Moon Clan were safely inside the mansion, they gathered by the living room window, looking worriedly at the scene outside. Xia had his jaws around Hero's neck in an attempt to calm the strong wolf down, and Micky was head butting him in the side, trying to get Jaejoong's attention. Few things got Hero in a blind rage, and even fewer outside the pack had seen it before. Even among the clan members, only Yoochun, Junsu, Donghae and Jongwoon had been with him long enough to see it more than once before.

It took almost an hour of fighting and growling until Hero calmed down properly. Junsu and Yoochun stayed to take care of the still panting wolf lying on the ground, sending the others inside.

Watching the two Betas caress and hug their Alpha, who was still in wolf form, sent a pang of guilt through Yunho. Something he said must have really struck a painful nerve in Jaejoong, for him to react like that. He hadn't meant to hurt him to the point of blind rage, he'd just wanted to tease a little as revenge for the past weeks. He too was affected by Jaejoong's heavy scents and obvious un-mated heat.

"Aish, I thought those memories were buried and gone for good", Jongwoon muttered as they entered the living room where Moon Clan were plastered to the window.

"What memories?" Yunho asked.

Jongwoon took a deep breath before looking at Yunho, stern and expressionless.

"Do you remember why our clans are feuding?"

"No. No one does. It's been like that for five centuries."

"Jaejoong remembers. Too well, as you just saw."

"Please explain."

Is it okay, Jae? Can I tell them? Jongwoon asked through the mental bond, receiving a tired, pained agreement from his Alpha, who was back to his human form, inadvertently sending crippling sadness through the bond. The Omega plight became too strong for Yixing, who went back outside to cuddle into Jaejoong's lap, seeking comfort for them both. The other members couldn't help but sigh in relief when that comfort was received, slightly reducing the sadness.

"One of the Rogues, Minjoon, was once a member of Moon Clan, do you remember? You can't have been more than kids back then."

"Minjoon… His wolf name was Jun.K, right?" Changmin said, recalling the sharp-featured man.

"Back when we were still in Sun Clan, Minjoon and Jaejoong met during Jaejoong's first heat. Hero was still little more than a puppy back then, and no match for Jun.K, who was fully grown. Long story short, Minjoon forced himself onto Jaejoong, and tried to make Jae bite him. That's why he was excommunicated by your parents. Since then, as you can understand, Jaejoong's not very fond of your clan."

"And you went and reminded him of all this, and on top of everything you called him a . Smooth, hyung", Changmin said, emphasising his remark with a 'tsk'. If Changmin hadn't been Yunho's brother and Beta, that sass could have got him killed.

"What should I do?" Yunho asked, truly remorseful.

"There's only one thing you can do", Jongwoon said. "Apologise."

"Sure, but how?"

"When he comes back inside, you'd better be on your knees. Better yet, U-Know had better be flat on his belly, ears back and chin to the ground. You've got some serious grovelling to do."

"Can't he just be mad at me?"

"Sure, but then we'll never become strong enough to beat Rogue Pack. Your call, Alpha." Jongwoon emphasised that last word in a way that Yunho did not like at all.

A/N

This chap started out as and other goodness, but apparently the muse wanted otherwise…

Note: When I use their real names, I'm referring to their human form. When I use their stage names (if they have any), I'm referring to their wolf form. For example, Jaejoong is human and Hero is wolf. I've changed it in the past chaps as well.

New faces:

Minjoon / Jun.K