Luhan stared at the small child in front of him. According to his parents the kid was the same age as himself, or what they assumed to be his age, but he looked like he was probably Yixing’s age. Sure the boy was the same height as Luhan, but where Luhan had sharp features emerging, this boy was round. His face was almost a full circle with big, circular eyes and supple, chubby cheeks. Luhan knew that his cheeks used to look similar when he was younger, but recently the chubbiness from his cheeks – that his baba commented was baby fat – had melted away to reveal two sculpted cheeks.

“Luhan, say hello to your new brother.” Kris placed a soft hand on Luhan’s back to inch him closer to the other boy. “His name is Minseok.”

“Another one?” The three year old looked up at his dad in confusion. He just got a baby brother about a month ago and now they were getting another one?

Kris chuckled awkwardly. “Yes, another one. So be nice okay? I’m gonna go talk to Appa about something real quick.”

“Ok.” Luhan just stayed where he was, staring at the boy in front of him who just stood there silently staring back.

Kris carefully went into the other room where Joonmyun was talking to a small woman with a rounded face. The woman’s eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying for a long time, but that wasn’t as alarming as the bruises that covered her body.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us?” Joonmyun asked in concern, reaching one arm around the sleeping toddler in his arms to lightly pat the hand of the woman in front of him. “You can’t stay where you are Sohee, it’s not safe.”

“I’m not that little girl you remember Joonmyun,” Sohee chuckled despite her injuries. “And I’m not going to run and hide. I’m going to stay and defend my pack.”

Joonmyun sighed. Sohee was one of the few people he talked to from his old pack – one that had been destroyed from years of war with other packs. The two hadn’t been the best of friends, but they were close enough for Joonmyun to consider the younger girl to be a part of his family. But while Joonmyun managed to find Kris and a life of serenity, Sohee mated into a war-torn pack. When Joonmyun had first heard he wanted to kidnap her so she didn’t have to live such a life, but then when he met up with her, he knew she was in love. Sadly, her mate was the head alpha of his pack so there was no way he could leave. And if he couldn’t leave, there was no way Sohee would leave. The two were soulmates.

However, even if she was too in love to leave her mate behind, she wasn’t too blind to see that the way they lived was no place for a pup. As much as she loved her pup, she knew that he was in danger if he stayed, but she felt she had to stay in order to protect her pack.

“Joonmyun, you’re never gonna talk her out of it.” Kris came up behind the couch that his mate was sitting on to rest a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You know she can’t leave her pack behind.”

“I know.” Joonmyun sighed, leaning back against the couch and adjusting little Yixing to a more comfortable position. “Just, what about Minseok?”

The little fiery spark in Sohee’s eyes dimmed at the mention of her son. “He can’t stay Joonmyun. I love him too much to put him in harm’s way. I can’t abandon my pack, they’re my family.  They don’t want to leave their homes, and I get it. We’re getting attacked constantly by new packs who don’t seem to understand the way of the civil world. But I can’t go into a fight with a clear head if I’m worried about Minseok. I love him, I really do. That’s why I know I’ve got to let him go.”

“Are you sure you can’t come with us?” Joonmyun felt lost. When Sohee first asked him to take in her pup, he couldn’t help but be confused. Even if Luhan or Yixing weren’t his by blood, and despite the fact Yixing only came into his life a month ago, he knew he could never part with his children. He was going to love them and coddle them until they wanted to run away and even then he wouldn’t let them.

“You know I was raised to be a soldier.” Sohee smiled sadly. It was partially true, which was probably the saddest part. Joonmyun and Sohee had been raised in a military-like pack where the kids were constantly encouraged to rough house. But from a young age, Joonmyun had always been a sweet boy and the most nurturing out of all the kids.

“So was I, but I’d only fight for my boys.” Joonmyun looked down at Yixing adoringly. “I can’t imagine all the fighting you do.”

“Believe me, if I could I’d strap Minseok to my back and never let his tiny little feet touch the ground.” Sohee’s eyes filled with tears, “But that’s no way for a pup to live. Sure we were raised in a rough pack, but we weren’t constantly at war the same way my pack is now. We didn’t have to take turns going to sleep so that someone could always keep watch. He’s gonna have a better life if he just stays away. But I can’t, I need to protect my family. And this is the best way for me to protect him.”

“Does he know what’s going on?” Kris couldn’t help but ask. He had just introduced Minseok to Luhan as his brother, he didn’t want that to be the first time Minseok had a slight inkling about what was going on.

Luckily for him, Sohee nodded. “I know he’s only three, but he’s always been mature for his age. So once I started talking to you guys, I let him know what was going on.”

“Hopefully he’ll hit it off with Luhan.” Kris muttered more to himself as he tried to look through the doorway to check on the three year old kids. But from his place behind the couch, it looked like two were in the same exact place that he left them. “It would make it easier if he did.”

“I honestly don’t know how he’s gonna react to having kids around. The only other pup we have in the pack can’t really be called a pup anymore since he’s sixteen.” Sohee informed the two alphas before she stood up suddenly. “Don’t judge me for this, but I feel like if I wait any longer I won’t be able to do this. I’m gonna go say bye to him now before I change my mind.”

“I don’t judge you at all.” Joonmyun felt tears fill his eyes. Even imagining saying goodbye to Luhan for a week had him in tears. “You’re stronger than I could ever be for doing this.”

Sohee quickly stood up and walked into the room where the kids were standing exactly where Luhan had left them. They weren’t talking, just staring at each other in curiosity. “Minnie?”

Minseok stayed quiet, but ran over to his mom. Without a word, he lifted his arms up towards her and she gracefully swooped him into her arms.

“Minseok, you remember me telling you about my friend, right?” Sohee had tears running from her eyes like rivers. “My really sweet friend Joonmyun?”

The three year old just nodded, his hands coming up to brush at his mom’s cheeks.

“Well we’ve talked and you’re going to stay here with him and his mate, Kris.” Sohee pulled Minseok even closer so that she was practically squishing the small boy. “Don’t think that this means that I don’t love you. I love you more than you will ever know. I love you so much that I need to keep you somewhere safe, and I know you’ll be safe with Joonmyun and Kris. So be a good boy for them, okay? I will come see you any time I can. I promise you that one day we can be together again. I love you Minseok. I’m sorry that I have to leave you.”

After realizing his mom’s tears weren’t going to stop any time soon, Minseok brought his arms up to hug his mother. He seemed to hold her as tightly as she was holding onto him so to Joonmyun and Kris who were silently watching, Minseok understood what was happening.

“I’m so sorry Minnie.” Sohee’s words were barely understandable with the amount of sobbing she was doing. “I love you. I will always love you Minseok, please don’t forget that.”

Then, after placing a fierce kiss on the boy’s forehead, Sohee handed him to Kris before running from the room. A few seconds after she disappeared, they could hear the front door open and then nothing. She was gone.

“Umma.” Minseok began to sob, breaking his new fathers’ hearts. The first time they finally heard his voice and it was crying out for his mom. “Umma come back!”

Kris tried bouncing the kid and pulling him close, but Minseok wasn’t having any of it. He kept kicking at the man who was keeping him from his mother. But Kris didn’t put him down. He just let Minseok keep kicking and screaming until he could tire himself out.

Or at least that was the plan until Luhan walked over and pulled on Minseok’s leg. “Hey! Stop kicking Baba!”

Joonmyun was about to pull Luhan away, but Minseok had stopped kicking Kris to look at the boy who seemed really far below him. “I want my Umma!”

Luhan looked confused, “What’s a Umma?”

Minseok seemed to stop crying. His sobbing had died down, but tears still poured down his face. “Umma is the best. Umma gives me food and sings and loves me. I love Umma.”

“I no have a Umma.” Luhan shrugged, not quite understanding the concept of a mother. Neither Kris nor Joonmyun felt like interrupting their conversation to tell him though. He and Minseok seemed to forget that the adults were even in the room despite the fact that Minseok was still in Kris’ arms.

“I want my Umma.” Minseok said again, but this time he was stating it as opposed to crying out. “But she leave me.”

Luhan gasped and pulled on Kris’ pant leg until the man put Minseok on the ground. “Why she leave you?”

“She scared.” Minseok began to cry again, “Everyone at home scream a lot and fight. It not safe.”

“You be safe here.” Luhan wrapped his arms around his new brother. “I keep you safe.”

Kris and Joonmyun carefully backed out of the room as the two three year olds hugged tightly. They left the door open just in case either boy needed anything before making themselves comfortable on the couch with Yixing asleep between them. It was amazing what a one year old could sleep through.

“I have to say, that was heartbreaking and adorable all at the same time.” Joonmyun wiped away at the tears that had silently worked their way down his cheeks. “But Luhan’s taking this a lot better than he did when Yixing arrived.”

Kris couldn’t help but chuckle. Luhan hadn’t been too excited about the prospect of having someone to share his parents’ attention with. But now it seemed like Luhan made a friend. “Maybe because they’re the same age.”

“Maybe.” Joonmyun shrugged. “Though, is it bad that I’m a bit relieved I’m not the one who’s cheering him up right now? I don’t know what I’d say to him.”

“There’s no right thing to say.” Kris ran a comforting arm up and down Joonmyun’s arm. He was also glad that Luhan and Minseok hit it off because what do you say to a three year old whose mother left him with people who seemed like strangers because she was worried for his life? “But I don’t think there’s a wrong thing to say as long as you’re trying to comfort him. He seems like a smart kid.”

“He does seem way too mature for a three year old.” Joonmyun smiled. “Maybe a bit too mature though.”

“I think he’ll be okay.” Kris concluded happily. “I’m sure finally having another kid around will bring out his playful side.”

“Appa? Baba?” Luhan called out as he pulled his new brother into the living room. “Minseok is sad. Can we have cookies?”

Joonmyun passed the sleeping pup to his mate before standing up to go to the kitchen. “Of course. Do you guys want to help me bake?”

sorry this took so long to get out! i've been a horrible author lately, but I'm hoping to change that. It also doesn't help that any time I tried to write this AU, I've not been satisfied. I seriously have 7 incomplete drafts of Kyungsoo's chapter and hate all of them. So I switched to the first part of Minseok's story and it was much easier to write^^ Hope you enjoyed it!