It was normal in the forest at the dead of night to hear crickets chirping and chipmunks scurrying around on the ground. Once the sun went down, the owls were out and awake and hoo'ing in the treetops, eyes scanning the ground for any small rodents foolishly running around.

It was however not normal to hear a baby crying.

In a section of the outer part of the forest a small baby wrapped in a dirty white sheet squirmed and cried on the cold forest floor. Its face was marked with tear tracks and it's voice was sore from the constant crying. In that part of the forest, all the animals had gone silent. There were no crickets chirping, no rodents running around, no owls hoo'ing. Most animals kept their distance because it smelled like a human and humans were dangerous.

Except the crying had caught the attention of an animal that lived far away in the inner part of the forest. It's furry ears pointed in the direction of the faint sound and it intrigued the animal. He had been walking through the forest with his mate and had just come up to a small stream when the noise hit their ears. The wolf had stopped to listen.

He became interested and continued to move on towards the noise.

His mate followed him. They hadn't heard that creature before. What kind of baby was that?

The two trotted through the forest on the pads of their feet. They lifted their noses in the air to try to catch the smell of the animal but there was no wind and the creature was so far away. It was hard to figure out what it was.

The crying became louder and clearer as the two got closer. It didn't take them long and soon they were slowing down to cautiously circle around and look at the tiny squirming creature.

One wolf was more daring than the other and he had stepped out from the trees into the small clearing where the moonlight illuminated the crying creature.

The older wolf stayed back in the shadows of the trees watching everything with his glowing yellow eyes.

"Jonghyun, that's a human. Stay away from it."

Jonghyun didn't listen to his mate. Instead he curiously crept closer until he was only a foot away from the tiny thing.

It smelled and a part of the blanket that it was wrapped in was stained with feces. Jonghyun's heart swelled at the sight of the poor thing. He was probably starving and thirsty and cold. He leaned in to at it's tear stained cheeks to try and calm him down.

"Jonghyun." The other wolf warned.

Jonghyun looked back at his mate hiding in the bushes. "Jinki, it's just a baby. He's not hurting any body."

The two wolves didn't smell another human around close by and the faint scent of two humans showed that they had long disappeared. Had this little one been abandoned? Left for the wolves to eat?

Jonghyun laid down next to the baby and pulled it close with his paw to try and warm him. He at the baby's head and face.

Soon the other wolf came out from the shadows and slowly crept closer, glowing eyes trained on the still crying infant. It reeked of that dangerous human scent.

"Where are his parents? They might come back for him."

"I don't think so, Jinki. They left him here for good."

Jinki walked closer until he was right above the baby. It's cries had calmed to hiccups now that something warm had curled up next to it. The baby's eyes were big and wide and wet while looking at the two furry beasts above it. They didn't look anything like his parents, but he wasn't crying. He looked curious. Babies could easily get attached to anything if they were loved and cared for, but that was nothing Jinki wanted to get himself or his mate into.

Jinki backed up and shook his head.

"We have to go. That thing is nothing but danger ready to happen. It's parents might come back for it and then shoot us. He's of no good to us. Come on, Jonghyun."

The wolf lying down looked up. He had no intention of leaving this helpless creature, whether he was a human or not.

"You know as well as I do that he has been abandoned. He will die if we don't help him."

The babies fingers grabbed onto the coarse fur of the wolf to feel and touch this strange animal next to him.

"He's not our problem. We never asked for this."

"Jinki! How can you even say that?"

The two glared at each other before Jonghyun rested his head down next to the baby.

"You can go back home if you want, but I'm not leaving this baby."

Jinki huffed and walked away. He knew Jonghyun knew he could never leave him. He would be close by, growling in anger.

Jonghyun's heart grew with warmth the more he looked at the baby. There was no way he could just leave it here to inevitably die or be eaten by something. He would be heartless if he did that.

He knew Jink wasn't heartless either. He wouldn't be with him if he was. He was just scared. He knew how dangerous humans were and he didn't want either of them to be killed, but what Jinki didn't understand was that humans weren't naturally born killers. Maybe he did know, but just didn't want to take any chances.

Jonghun stood up and grabbed the cloth around the baby with his teeth and picked it up. He walked to were he knew a creek was with the baby swinging gently in his little hammock. He knew Jinki was following him because his mate never went to far away form him.

He set the baby next to the stream and transformed so he was a human to make things easier. He picked the baby up after moving the cloth off of him and gently set him in the creek to bath him. He wiped him clean of dirt, tears, and all bodily waste. Jonghyun's heart hurt when he felt how skinny the baby was and all the bones that protruded from his body. If he was left out in the forest by himself any longer he surely would have died.

The baby cried until Jonghyun held him close again to his chest and the baby went quiet. Jonghyun walked a little bit away and set the infant down on a soft patch of grass. Jonghyun brought him here so he could pick the berries off the bushes around them to feed the baby with. After he grabbed a hand full, he mashed them together and pressed the mush through the baby's lips. The baby resisted at first but soon he was practically gnawing on Jonghyun's finger with his gums because of how hungry he was. Jonghyun fed him until there were no more berries on the bushes around them.

He rocked the baby in his arms and held him close to keep him warm. Eventually the small creature fell asleep.

Jonghyun head his mate approaching from behind them.

Jinki sat next to him and he had turned into a human too. He didn't say anything. He only watched Jonghyun cooing to the baby and rocking him side to side.

"I can't just leave him, Jinki. He's not a killer. He's not going to hurt anyone. He's just a baby.... and you know I always wanted a baby."

Jinki sighed and looked away. After a while he finally said, "I know." He looked over to the baby sleeping soundly against his mate's chest.

"I know you're scared of him, of what he could become, but you have to trust me that he won't grow up to be like that. We can teach him right from wrong."

Jinki didn't look at him. He simply stared at the ground for awhile as the night breeze blew gently around them.

He then got up and began walking in the direction of home.

"You can bring him home, but he will be your responsibility. He will be your child. I don't want anything to do with him."

The words were harsh, but it was the best Jonghyun was going to get. At least he didn't have to leave the child to die. He smiled when he got up and kissed the baby all the way on the quiet walk home.

Jinki would warm up to this cute blessing. Jonghyun knew he would.

---

The wolves catered to the baby day in and day out. Well, Jonghyun did most of the work. He gathered food and kept the baby warm and clean. Jinki only watched for out for predators around their home. He stayed clear of the baby and was only a body guard for him.

The older felt happy for his mate. He knew Jonghyun had always wanted a baby of his own and being a male too, he couldn't exactly make one for him. Jonghyun seemed more than happy with this child. Jinki could see the love he had for the baby. He was so connected to the child that he treated as his own son. Jinki felt he put the baby's needs before even his own. Jonghyun fed the baby before he even ate. He made sure at every possible moment that his baby was happy and taken care of.

Jinki had never had pups before and he never actually thought of having any. The thought didn't even cross his mind because he was with Jonghyun, and they couldn't even have pups if they wanted to.

---

The three slept in a cave. Wolves didn't. Wolves slept on clearings, but Weres liked the protection a cave brought. Any predators that dared come close could only come from one end but that had never happened so far. Other animals were very scared of Weres. Caves also protected them from harsh weather and kept them warm. Him and Jinki had lived in this cave since they had gotten together. They found no reason to leave. Prey was around them year round and there were so many memories connected with their home, they would be heartbroken if they had to leave.

In the mornings, the two wolves were found circled around the child. Their fur always kept him warm and comfy at night. Sometimes the toddler would wake up and nudge his parents until they would wake up. Other times Jonghyun would the child's faced until his big eyes opened.

Jonghyun stayed home while Jinki would go out and hunt for food. He had brought in pine cones and rocks for the child to play with. There wasn't a lot of "toys" found in the forest for toddlers to play with, but Jonghyun tried his best to keep him entertained. When the toys were tossed aside and the child looked bored, Jonghyun would swish his tail side to side and that never failed to intrigue him.

When Jinki came back with a kill, Jonghyun usually had a fire going, they knew how to cook meat over the fire and Jonghyun would check every piece he fed his child to make sure it was thoroughly cooked and small enough so  that he wouldn't choke. The kid was also a fan of the berries Jonghhyun mashed up. The tasted sweet to him and Jonghyun tried his best to find different ones that he knew weren't poisonous to humans.

After breakfast, they would normally go for a little walk through the woods. When he was a baby, Jonghyun would carry him, but now that he was a toddler either he could walk along side the wolves and Jonghyun would only take them on a path where he would step on nothing but soft grass, or a few times the toddler would sit on the wolf's back and speak gibberish while looking at the forest around them.

After their walk, they would come back home for a small nap and then for the afternoon they would go just outside their cave to sit out on the grass in the bright warm sun. The child would find bugs or chase butterflies happily or lay next to his parents. He liked the golden tanish wolf more than the other dark brown and black one. The golden wolf was fun and always at his face and hands. The golden wolf was always bye his side protecting him. The brown and balck wolf was always distant with him. He didn't like to play at all like Jonghyun did. When the child touched Jinki's coat or grabbed his tail, Jinki would groan and walk away. He'd never hurt the kid. He just didn't feel interested in interacting with the child.  When the boy looked discouraged at the other wolf's distance with him, Jonghyun would always step back in and his face while jumping around with his tail wagging playfully until the toddler was giggling and completely forgot about the other wolf.

The wolves would eat the rest of the kill for dinner and by that time the sun was setting and Jonghyun was curling up next to his kid in the den ready to go to sleep. That was the only time Jinki ever got that close to the child. He would only sleep next to him to keep him warm and to lay near his partner.
Jonghyun knew Jinki wanted to get closer with the child. He could tell form the close eye Jinki always had on him. That gaze wasn't just to watch for predators. He wanted to care for and love the child the way Jonghyun did, but he was just afraid.

At a very young age, the toddler acquired a fear of bugs. While playing outside in a patch of flowers, a bee had landed on his arm and stung him, sending the toddler into a sobbing mess. Jinki held him still while Jonghyun fished the stinger out and kissed his boo boo many many times. After that incident, the toddler ran away screaming at any bug that had wings and flew any where near him.

During summer and spring, Jonghyun made sure to keep the child cool and would frequently take him down to the running creek to splash around in the water. He would throw water up into the air and even splash it at the playful wolf that jumped around with him

During the chilly fall and winter months, Jonghyun would wrap him with animal hides, and keeping close to the child to warm him with his own body heat was a must. The boy liked playing in the snow. He'd pick up packed balls of it (after Jonghyun showed him how to make a snowball) and one time accidentally nailed Jinki in the back of the head with one. He ran behind the golden wolf scared that Jinki would be angry, but the older wolf simply shook the snow off and walked off to go find a rodent to eat. He was never any fun. Jongyun would play in the snow with him and dodged all the snowballs that were thrown his way until the child screamed his battle cry and ran and clobbered the wolf over into the snow. That's how he decided the game was won.

---

The wolves were out lying in the sun on a nice breezy summer day. The wind blew against their thin summer coat and made the flowers swirl in circles around them. Both wolves may have looked as if they were sleeping, but each had a half lidded eye on the toddler jumping around in his favorite patch of flowers. Nothing ever dared to attack the child. Not when two strong Weres were around.

Even when the flowers were of much interest, the boy never forgot to come back to hold the golden wolf's head in his hands and kiss his snout and pet his face. He also enjoyed setting the wolf's head down on his lap  so he could pet the soft fur behind his big ears and run his hands down his fluffy neck and shoulders. Jonghyun would thank him with soft to the knee when the boy would scratch behind his ears or under his chin just right.

It was a rather unique scene to see really. The werewolf, so falsely accused of being some deranged beast, acting so docile and puppy-like around a human child.

Jonghyun lifted his head when Taemin started walking back to them with a bundle of flowers in his hands. He smiled. His child always brought him back big bundles of flowers during the summer time and Jonghyun felt so loved whenever he did.

But Jonghyun was confused when Taemin walked right passed him and went straight to his mate. The boy slowed his steps and nervously walked the last couple feet until he was standing right in front of the scary wolf. He tried to not think of the wolf swallowing him whole. He looked scared and shyly held the flowers out to the wolf with both shaky hands ready to drop them and run if the wolf so much as growled at him.

Jinki lifted up his head in surprise too. The boy never offered him flowers before.

But it's not like he wanted them.

Jinki stood up and turned to  walk around to the other side of his partner. Jonghyun watched the toddlers eyes grow big and he whined out in annoyance.

"Jinki."

The older wolf rolled his eyes and plopped down next to his mate sending a few petals up into the air with a whoosh.

"What? What am I going to do with them?"

"Just take them."

The little toddler walked around Jonghyun to get to the dark wolf and squatted down to offer the flowers to him again right next to his nose, frightened but determined.

Jinki just moved his head.

"I don't want them."

"I swear if you don't take those flowers Jinki I will-"

"WHAAA!"

Both wolves were startled and looked over to see the toddler sitting on the ground and wipping his eyes from all the tears pouring out.

"Jinki!"

The older wolf didn't know what to do. He never meant to make the child cry. But he had caused it so he had to fix it or else Jonghyun might bite his tail off.

The darker wolf got to his feet and comforted the kid the only way he knew how. He at the boy's salty tears on his face and wrapped his paw around him to pull him close.

The child's sobs began to die down and he looked up to the wolf that never gave him any attention and that always growled whenever he came too close. This wolf was actually being nice to him.

His face brightened suddenly when he realized Jinki was his face and holding him close. He smiled and hugged the animals chest.

The wolves were rag dolls to the little child. He could pull their ears and tug their tails and jump on them and they'd still fall over onto their backs for him.
That's why when the child pushed at Jinki's chest, the wolf fell over onto his side. The boy climbed on top of the animal and wrapped his arms around his neck. He made little happy coos and giggles. Jinki just laid there unsure of what to do.

Jonghyun smiled and set his head back down on his paws. Maybe this was the start of something beautiful.

--

The child didn't leave Jinki alone after that. No matter how scary Jinki growled or ran away, the kid would always follow with a big smile on his face.
Jinki was getting desperate for time alone. When he woke up the kid was kissing his face and tugging his ears. When he came back with a kill the toddler ran up to him and greeted him with a hug and even begged for Jinki to hand feed him by tugging his arm non stop. When going on their walks through the woods, the toddler jumped on Jinki's back and wouldn't let go of his neck until they were back home. When resting out on the grass on a hot day the toddler picked all the flowers for Jinki and even cuddled him when he was tired too. When the child knew it was time to go to sleep, he'd run and hold around Jinki's neck as the wolf walked inside the den to lay down.

This night Jinki tugged his head away trying to get the kid off but he only giggled and rubbed his face into Jinki's cheek. Jinki's growls only fell on deaf ears.

He looked over when he heard his partner softly laugh.

"This isn't funny, Jonghyun. I'm tired and I just want to sleep and he's going to choke me some day."

Jonghyun was curled up next to his mate and rolled over on his side, facing the two.

"You try so hard to push him away but that only makes him try harder for your attention."

Jinki continued to growl and groan. But nothing stopped the child from holding on tight.

"You've showed him that you're actually a big softy. Now he knows you really don't mean it when you growl at him." He softly laughed again. "He knows you're not that big scary wolf you try to look like around him. He knows it's all a bluff."

Jinki stopped growling and set his head down on his paws with a huff. The child let go of his neck but pet his head a little harsher than Jinki would have liked. Jonghyun saw the plead in his mates eyes. Jinki didn't know what to do.

Jonghyun stood up and at the child's face. The boy looked up at the golden wolf. Jonghyun tapped the ground with his paw and the child climbed over Jinki to get between them and lay down. Jonghyun laid down too and smiled at his partner's bewildered gaze.

"It's that easy Jinki. Show them  a little love and they'll comply."

Jinki looked down at the child between them. The small amount of moonlight that came in through the opening of the cave brightened up the child's eyes. He stared at the wolf and reached up his tiny arms at him. Jinki leaned his head close and let the child grab his snout. When he pulled too harshly at Jinki's cheek,  the wolf leaned down and his face. The boy let go and giggled.

Jonghyun saw everything from his half lidded eyes and shut them with a smile on his face.

---

Jinki didn't growl much after that. He put up with the kid following him around and kissing his face and riding on his back. Jinki only ever growled when the kid pulled his ears or tail too harshly. But to set him right, Jinki would his face and gently rub his head into the boy's to teach him to be kind.
Jonghyun didn't mind that his child was spending more time with Jinki. In fact he loved it. He had wanted them to be close from the beginning, and besides, the little boy did spend time with Jonghyun. He pet his head or snuggled him when Jinki was away getting food, and he'd even find the boy curled up to him in the middle of the night. Those little moments were all he needed. He already knew he was loved.

---

Jinki tried teaching the boy how to hunt. They began by prowling the butterflies in the flower patch (after Jinki assured him over and over that the flying creature was completely harmless). Jinki demonstrated how it was done by waiting for the butterfly to land, prowling up on it, and then jumping and snatching it up with his mouth. The toddler did the same and stalked forward on all fours. As soon as the butterfly touched his mouth, he spit it back out and furiously rubbed his mouth. There was no way he was eating that.

Jinki was proud of him succeeding on his first try none the less.

Jinki couldn't take him on real hunts of course. Humans could get seriously ill if they ate raw meat and Jonghyun had worked too hard feeding him only cooked meat for that to be ruined.

That was one red flag.

Another one was that the wolves couldn't teach him how to be a human. They didn't have the tools and books, because they weren't humans. They were Weres. And those two species lived completely different lives.

If the boy wasn't a Were, he couldn't hunt like they did and  he'd never be able to find a partner. It was wrong to keep him from a life that he could be living, that he was supposed to be living.

---

Jinki woke up to his partner sniffling in the middle of the night. He had no idea what was wrong.

"Jjong?"

The golden wolf hid his face, embarrassed that Jinki had caught him crying.

"Sorry to wake you." He stood up and walked out to the entrance of the cave.

Jinki was worried and stood up without disturbing the toddler sleeping next to him. He rushed out to meet his mate and ask him what was wrong.

Jonghyun had been crying for a while. His eyes were pink and he looked like he hadn't slept for more than a few minutes.

"Jinki... we can't keep him anymore."

The brown wolf looked concerned. "What?"

Jonghyun shook his snout to get the tears off.

"We can't take care of him the way his kind would. We're robbing him of the life he could be living."

Jinki didn't like the thought of giving the boy up. They had been together for so long and he knew they were both great parents. The boy didn't need to be raised by humans. Look where that had gotten him. Left in a forest waiting to die. The wolves had saved him. If he was to belong anywhere, it was with his saviors.

"But... he's perfectly fine living with us. We can teach him to be a human while we are wolves. We can even change him."

"No." Jonghyun shook his head. "We are not changing him. It would be wrong of us to force him to be one of us and he's too young to decide for himself. We aren't humans, Jinki. We can't raise him as one."

Jinki stood up and paced in front of his mate.

"No. I'm not giving him up. I don't know how you can even think to do so. He's our baby. I love him."

"And you think I don't?"

Jinki didn't know what to say. Maybe deep down, he knew Jonghyun was right, but he loved their kid so much. They made the perfect family. Odd but perfect.  He knew Jonghyun always wanted a baby of his own. He had to be hurting too while thinking about all this.

"We can scan over the families on the other side of the woods. We can give him to someone who is worthy of him."

Jinki sat down and growled in the back of his throat. He didn't like this at all.

"When?"

Jonghyun sniffled. "It doesn't have to be tomorrow, but sooner is better than later."

Jinki grumbled and moved back into the cave to curl up next to his child. The boy's eyes opened slightly and he yawned, but Jinki his head and held him close with his paw.

---

The next few days were heartbreaking because they knew everything they did would be the last few times of doing it.

Such as walking through the woods, and receiving hugs and kisses from their child, and simply laying down together to go to sleep. At some point in the future, this wouldn't happen again. Jonghyun now teared up when Taemin brought him flowers. Jinki couldn't help but feel a pinch in his heart when Taemin sat on his back as they were walking through the woods. They could only enjoy it while it lasted.

Jinki stayed home with the kid a few times while Jonghyun went out to find the perfect family for their son. He had to walk several miles to get to the other side of the woods, but it had to be done.

It was hard to pick someone to take care of their precious son. Out of everyone he felt he and Jinki were the perfect choice, but sadly there would be problems raising a human. He had to pick second best.

He stayed along the tree line, making sure he was covered in the shadows. He knew living right next to the woods that these people would be prepared to shoot any wild animal that came out of it.

He saw many different people in the big village. Everyone with different personalities and looks, young and old, mean and kind.

He had an idea of the perfect family that he wanted to give his pup up to, and he eventually found them.

---

The next night two wolves were stalking through the woods together. A sleepy toddler was passed out on Jinki's back.

When they arrived at the tree line, Jinki followed his mate along the edge of the forest to the house Jonghyun had picked. It was a tiny wooden cabin with a pretty flower garden just out front. Jonghyun had told him that a young couple lived here and Jonghyun had overheard them talking about how they were excited to start their new life together and how they wanted a family really soon.

If Jonghyun had chosen them, then Jinki trusted his choice. Jonghyun wouldn't give his pup away to just anyone.

They had come here in the dead of night to make sure no one would see them. After looking around and smelling the air, Jinki followed his mate to the front door and gently slipped the child off his back and to the ground. The little toddlers eyes opened only halfway and he looked around to try and figure out where he was. It was heartbreaking to do this and they would have to be quick about it. They each wrapped a paw around the child and nuzzled their heads into his before his face one last time.

"I'll miss you so much. You'll always be my little pup." The golden wolf cooed into the boy's ear.

Jinki felt the tears forming in the corner of his eyes and his throat burned but he tried to keep a steady voice. "We're so grateful to have had you in our life. Take care little one. Make something great with this life."

Their hearts were breaking into pieces but Jonghyun was able to bump the door with his side a few times before the two wolves ran off into the shadows of the tree line.

The boy cried when he noticed the wolves weren't around and he was alone out here where he had no idea where he was. The wolves watched the lights in the cabin come on and the door slowly open. A young man poked his head out and then the door opened wider for a young woman that came running out and kneeling next to the baby. Jinki growled when he saw her pick up his child. It took everything in him to not run out there and grab his boy back.
The two humans went back into their house with the crying toddler and the wolves were left out in the dark.

Eventually it was time to go back home and they had to accept the fact that he was no longer theirs. They did a good deed and what was expected but their hearts ached so much.

"Come on. Let's go back home, Jinki."