It was finally the weekend, and Chenle was overjoyed at the lack of school. 

Renjun was not. 

Chenle's usually infectious, happy energy could not reach his soul today. A cloud stood over him that even the normally oblivious Jisung and Chenle noticed. 

It was time to go to the doctor. 

Renjun had begged and pleaded before bed every single night to present before his appointment with Kun that his parents set up. Still, it was to no avail. 

He honestly didn't want to go in the first place. As long as Renjun didn't show he could pretend that he was just a late bloomer, that he'd catch up eventually, that soon enough he'd walk into school and people would be able to breath in his scent. 

Renjun's parents and Chenle swore he did have a scent, they just couldn't really identify what it was. Renjun was starting to believe they were lying. 

But now that he was going to the doctor, Renjun couldn't avoid it anymore. He couldn't pin himself as a late bloomer; he would have to come to terms with the fact that something is wrong. 

He had procrastinated on going to this appointment as long as he could, as long as he could convince his parents to. But he couldn't anymore; Yuta and Sicheng were making him go now, today. 

Normally Chenle and Jisung would be very happy to have some alone time in the house but even they were both concerned, even asking Renjun if he wanted them to come with him. 

"No thanks," Renjun had quietly, softly answered. Yuta and Sicheng had insisted on coming with, if only out of deep concern for their child (and maybe to make sure he actually went), but Renjun knew he needed to deal with whatever this was alone, as alone as possible. 

So he said goodbye to his sibling and followed his parents out of the cabin, Yuta standing protectively over him while Sicheng rubbed his back. 

"Whatever's going on, we can get through it, as a family, I promise." 

"Yup." Renjun knew they only loved him and wanted to take care of him, but it was so hard not to be curt in a situation like this. 

They finally reached the purple door to Kun's healing hut and Yuta firmly knocked twice. There was no answer for a moment, only loud noises coming from inside the room when Kun threw open the window. 

The haggard looking omega healer managed a smile, despite the chaos going on behind him. Renjun hadn't been too many times, only checkups as he was a pup, but he'd never seen this many people inside. The famine had hurt more things than Renjun could possibly fathom. 

"Hi Yuta, hi Sicheng. Renjun! You've gotten so big. I remember when you were first born. I don't think I've ever seen an alpha or omega more in love with their pups. And you and Chenle were just the cutest!" He cleared his throat. "Anyways, you're here for your appointment? Come on in." 

The three entered the hut and Renjun's fingers began to tremble, spotting a door to the backroom that had been added recently. The door was open and Renjun could see that the one bed inside was empty; clearly set aside just for him. A shiver went down his spine. 

"So the issue is that you haven't presented yet, correct?" Kun asked. 

"Yes," Yuta said and Renjun winced a little at how loud he was. Kun clearly noticed his expression and looked up at Yuta and Sicheng. 

"How about you two wait outside, alright?" 

"Why?" Yuta almost growled before Sicheng patted his arm. 

"You don't need to alpha right now," Sicheng mumbled before he physically calmed down. 

"A-alright," Yuta finally answered before exhaling. "I'm sorry, I-" 

"It's alright," Kun answered, and Sicheng led Yuta out of the cabin as Kun led Renjun into the backroom. 

"You can sit on the bed," the healer spoke and Renjun hesitantly sat down on its edge. Kun sighed. "You know, Yuta's always been...the protective type." 

"I know, I know. He loves and cares about me and Chenle and my other dad so much. He can just be so...alpha." 

"So you don't think you're an alpha?" Kun asked. 

Renjun's face fell. "I don't think I'm anything." 

Kun sighed and shook his head. "You're not nothing. You're a boy, you're a friend, you're a son and a brother, you're kind and you're smart. Those are all things, right?" 

"How would you know whether I'm smart or not?" 

"When Yuta made this appointment he went on and on about how well you do in school. Alright...how old are you again?" 

"Seventeen, turning eighteen in a month or so." 

Kun nodded slowly. "And you haven't shown any signs of status outside of a scent? Like a heat, or a knot?" Renjun slowly shook his head. "And you're totally healthy otherwise?" 

"Yeah, totally healthy." 

Renjun shook his head and Kun stood up, stepping closer to Renjun and inhaling his scent. Kun made a strange expression that Renjun could not explain, fear striking down his spine. It was a while before the healer spoke again. 

"Alright, I'm going to need you to take off your clothes and lay down on the bed." 

Renjun knew this was coming but he still swallowed thickly, shakily following the doctor's orders. After the face Kun made just a second ago, he was even more nervous than before. 

"Renjun, I want you to know that I'm ninety percent sure there's nothing wrong with you." 

Renjun placed his folded clothes and laid down on the bed for examination. "Then..." 

"I just want to make absolutely sure before I tell you what's going on." Kun spent a few minutes doing...something (Renjun didn't want to look; he was too embarrassed so he closed his eyes) before sitting up. 

"You can get dressed again; my guess was correct." 

"So nothing's wrong with me?" 

Kun shook his head and smiled as Renjun finished getting dressed again. As soon as the teen was fully clothed, Kun stood in front of him and put his hand on his shoulder, a relieved smile on his face. "You're a beta." 

Renjun's jaw dropped and he felt like his world came crashing down. 

"Wh-what?" 

"You're a beta!" Kun repeated, his smile growing wider. But that didn't make Renjun feel any better, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. 

Renjun had heard the way the kids at school talked about betas. He had heard the way the teachers explained them to the kids, when they were first taught about status. He had heard the way some of the adults talked about Doyoung; how he was only respected because of his hunting prowess. Doyoung was the only other beta in the pack, the only one Renjun had even met. 

Doyoung had to work ten times harder than the rest of the pack to get any respect. All he had to show for a family was one dying pup. 

It was over; Renjun's life was over. 

"Renjun, Renjun," Kun called, trying to talk over the cacophany of voices blaring in his mind. "Would you like to stay here for a while? Or should I get your parents?" 

"I wanna go home," Renjun sobbed, not caring if he sounded like a baby having a tantrum. 

"I'll go grab your parents," Kun mumbled. Renjun barely even registered him leaving and then returning with his parents in tow. 

Yuta gasped when he saw Renjun's tears and rushed over to hold his child tightly, Sicheng gasping and getting teary as well. "What the hell is going on," Yuta growled at the healer. 

"Guys, guys! Nothing is wrong with Renjun. He is one hundred percent healthy and alright. I...I would've thought you'd known what was going on, seeing as how you're both close with Doyoung..." 

Renjun fell silent as the wave of understanding hit his parents. 

"He's a beta?" Yuta asked, so quietly, and Renjun's heart cracked into a million pieces. Was that disappointment in his voice? 

"Yes, Renjun's a beta," Kun answered. 

"Oh thank god," Yuta breathed out, holding his son tightly. "Thank god you're okay." Renjun felt a tear fall onto his shoulder, a tear of relief.

Renjun was momentarily relieved that his alpha father wasn't disappointed, but what was Sicheng going to say? That brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes. 

"Renjun, Renjun," Yuta cooed. "You're okay! You're healthy! Why are you crying? This is the best news we've had in years!" 

"It's not," Renjun sobbed. "It's so not. My life is over!" 

"Renjunnie, that is absolutely not true," Sicheng finally spoke, coming closer to rub his son's hand. 

"Look at Doyoung; he's made a wonderful life for himself." 

"In fact, your life is expanded! You can mate with anyone, you can do anything, you can be whoever and whatever you want to be," Sicheng added. 

Renjun wrested himself out of his parent's grips; they were idiots if they couldn't see that all of a beta's supposed 'options' were really not there. 

"Leave me alone," he mumbled, running out of the healing hut and back to his cabin. He heard the vague voices of his parents calling back after him but Renjun ignored them, slamming open the front door, then the door to his and Chenle's room. 

For once Chenle and Jisung weren't making out and they both looked beyond worried seeing Renjun so upset, Chenle immediately standing and rushing over to his twin. 

"Is everything okay-" 

"Get out, now." 

"Renjun-" 

"Now." 

With one last worried look Chenle grabbed Jisung's hand and the two sped out, throwing Renjun worried glances. Renjun slammed and locked the door. He needed to be alone. 

~~~~~~~~~~

After the past few days it was so weird for Mark to act like nothing had changed, because truthfully, everything had. 

But with his father Jaehyun home, he couldn't express any of his new feelings, of his new person. So he had to pretend that everything was exactly the same. 

With Jaehyun home, it kind of was. Apparently, Taeyong as well as his parents had gotten worried leaving Mark home alone all day, not to mention none of them wanted to be lonely. Taeyong needed as many hands for the hunt as he could get though, so they had made an agreement that Jaehyun would stay home in the mornings and take care of Mark, then at noon come and join the hunt. Mark was a little bit grateful for the company, but mostly grateful that Donghyuck knew not to come until the late afternoon, even on weekends. 

So really he was just waiting. Waiting for Jaehyun to leave and for Donghyuck to come, take care of him in his different way, in the way he was beginning to rely on. 

It was weird, though, that Jaehyun was the one staying home to take care of him. It had started being that way since the famine; before when Mark was sick it was Doyoung who always stayed home and made sure he was okay. Jaehyun was the alpha after all and even though Doyoung was a beta and not an omega, Mark always thought it would have been his job. 

He didn't know how his father would react, though, if he asked him point blank why this was happening. But Mark was beyond curious, had been for years. And he was a new person now, a person who had feelings and talked to people his own age instead of just being this sick shell. So now he was going to find out; seeing how things were going with the famine his parents might always be busy and he may not have the chance again. 

"How's being home?" Mark finally spoke up. 

"Good, good," Jaehyun answered, looking over his son as he brought him a glass of water. J"aehyun held out the glass and Mark took it, downing the whole cup, as he was required by Kun. As he drank, he thought about how his father's voice only sounded partially false. "I've missed you a lot." Mark set down his glass and Jaehyun brushed his hair out of his eyes. 

"Me too," Mark answered. "It was a little bit lonely, sometimes." 

Jaehyun sighed. "Of course, someone has to be here to take care of you sometimes; it's terrifying to leave you all alone, with your condition. Me and Doyoung and Taeyong were all so nervous. It would be so great if we could send you to Kun's sometimes, just so we could help a little bit more with the whole famine but it's so full, ugh, so many people are sick Mark, not like you but still sick...what if you caught something? And poor Kun is so overwhelmed as it is..." Mark let his father ramble as he cleaned up around him, adjusting his sheets. "And...someone has to be home. We can't spare the omegas, we can't spare Kun, it's got to be one of us..." Jaehyun sighed. "Doyoung's an amazing hunter. Do you know that, Mark? Your other daddy is just...one of the best in the pack, really. Maybe the best hunter. Probably the best, to be honest. So... with what's going on..." Jaehyun swallowed and when he finally finished. "It has to be me." 

Oh. So his beta father was the better hunter, better than his alpha dad... 

"It's what's best though, for the pack. Me and Doyoung and Taeyong discussed it and it's what's best. You know..." Jaehyun let out a pathetic little chuckle and Mark winced but his father didn't notice, too distracted. "Doyoung's the hunter, but I'm the fighter. If this was war, I'd be out there fighting out there with the best of them." 

Mark could feel that Jaehyun was barely even talking to him any more, more having a discussion with himself, like he was trying to soothe his own poor, bruised ego. 

But Jaehyun suddenly shook his head and cleared his throat and looked so upset, so guilty, almost heartbreakingly so. 

"I don't care though. At the end of the day, I don't care about that stupid stuff like status and roles. I mated a beta, right?" Jaehyun said, again more to himself than to Mark. "All I want in this world is for you to be safe and healthy. I'd do absolutely anything for that. And if that means me being in the cabin with you then I am happy to. In fact, it's a pleasure being here with you, Mark. Do you know how many alphas get to spend so much time with their pups, especially these days? Not many. In certain ways I'm just plain lucky that I can be here with you." 

Jaehyun gave his son a smile and Mark smiled back, searching his father's face. He wasn't totally lying at least. Jaehyun loves him so much, well, both of his parents love him so much. They were close too, despite everything. Everything he and Doyoung did was to try and keep Mark happy and safe, to protect him. A bad alpha father would have never even allowed this situation to happen, would have insisted on going out there even if Doyoung, despite his status, was so obviously the better hunter.

But Mark could see it. Mark could see behind the love he displayed, behind the happy sacrifice, there was humiliation. Humiliation that he wasn't out with rest, trying to keep his pack and his son safe, in the way a typical alpha should. Humiliation that it was his beta mate out there doing those tasks instead, rather than keeping the home and tending to his pup. And Mark knew Jaehyun didn't like this humiliation, that he wasn't proud to feel this way, that he was in fact guilty for these feelings. But it didn't stop Jaehyun from having them, and it didn't stop Mark from being able to read those feelings like a book. 

Mark could sort of understand his father's feelings. But he didn't like them. 

And resentment bubbled up like a seed in his chest. 

Mark could feel the sun filtering in through the window. The only time their territory got any sort of sun was noon; it was time for Jaehyun to go. 

"Alright, Mark, I have to go help with the hunt. Wish me luck." 

"Good luck dad," Mark said, and he meant it. Food was food after all and if Jaehyun caught some, that would be good for everybody. 

Jaehyun rubbed his son's shoulder and Mark looked into his dad's eyes. He could see the deep seated worry at leaving his sickly son all by himself, the sadness at not being able to spend more hours with him, not knowing which would be his last. 

But Mark could also see the yearning for the woods, the hunts, the chase, the adrenaline, the outdoors. The desire to be out there with the rest of them, to prove his worth, to show his alpha. 

It made Mark uncomfortable. 

"Goodbye. Stay safe, please. You know what to do if you need help." 

"Of course. Have fun." 

"Will do," Jaehyun answered, leaving Mark's room with a smile on his lips. 

The omega teen breathed out once his dad finally left the house, looking around. He grabbed his textbook to study for a few hours before Donghyuck came, but he knew his mind wouldn't be able to concentrate. 

Were all alphas this way? Was it just a part of their nature or how they were raised; something they couldn't control? Was Donghyuck the same too, just like all the rest of them? 

No, he couldn't be. If he cared about his strength, why would he not promise himself to an omega, a popular and powerful one? Why spend almost all of his time between two omegas, neither of which could or would give him anything? Why would he want to keep everything with Mark a secret? 

Donghyuck was different. He was so, so different. 

Goodness, Mark had gotten lucky.