Jiyong sighed. Once the last bonfire had been lit and the last ritualistic syllable uttered, the various wolves broke into their packs in order to bed down for the night. The five packs - Sunburst, Red Rock, Golden Moon, NeverNoon, and Silver Star - were very reluctant to share space with one another; ancient grudges and concerns over safety existed any time the packs met. Trudging over to where his packmates Wooyoung, Taeyang, Jinwoo, and Minki waited, Jiyong avoided making eye contact with anyone and tried to appear invisible. Once he was close enough, Wooyoung slid an arm around his waist and gave a squeeze. "You excited for tomorrow?" the alpha said, a wide grin turning his lips.

 

Raising an eyebrow, Jiyong looked over at Wooyoung. "Excited to watch everyone swoon over you? Sure." He rolled his eyes a little. "You know I am little more than a bit of sagebrush in the background compared to you."

 

"Only because those other packs don't realize how amazing you are, Ji." Wooyoung squeezed his side again. "Rank shouldn't be everything."

 

Jiyong gave a tired laugh. "Shouldn't," he agreed. "But it is. Some of the packs have even forbidden their omegas from coming - they're that determined to try to breed them out of existence."

 

Wooyoung frowned. "Which is absolutely ridiculous. The goddess made the four ranks for a purpose. She must have had a reason for creating each one with their unique traits."

 

The brunette wanted to believe his cousin - wanted to believe that the goddess would make omegas so useless for some grand design - but it was difficult to see the point in it. Wolves were made to find mates and reproduce, but omegas were the least fertile rank. Taking an omega as a partner was all but rejecting a wolf's primary purpose. His lot in life was completely hopeless. He would never find a mate or have pups or be happy; it was as clear as the mark on his palm that he was destined to be alone. Seeing Jiyong's dour expression, Taeyang rolled his eyes a little. "Ji, help Jinwoo get the bedding down. The sooner we lay down, the sooner the dawn comes."

 

Heaving a heavy sigh, the omega peeled himself away from Wooyoung and trudged over to help the younger delta begin to lay out their bedrolls. While they worked, Taeyang turned his attention towards Minki - the young beta who had already gained a number of admirers because of his pretty features. "Min, tomorrow you're going to need to be careful," the older wolf warned. "Don't make any rash decisions. We have at least a week until the rains come, and I want you to wait as long as possible to pick a mate." Ji envied Minki. He wondered what it would be like to be so openly desired, to have nearly every eligible wolf in the basin panting after you. It seemed like a dream come true to have both the rank and the features necessary to be sought after; Ji had neither. Being lanky and having small eyes and such a weak chin doomed Jiyong to obscurity, even without his lackluster brown fur adding to his absolutely mundane appearance. Minki, on the other hand, had bright golden fur and large eyes set in a soft, round face that made him look like a precious little doll. Of course, he had a fiery personality to match, so it was like a devil and an angel wrapped into a single, strong beta body. He was, quite literally, the ideal mate. And it made Ji sick. 

 

"And what if I don't want any of the ones who offer?" Minki bit out.

 

Everyone stilled, stopping in their work to stare at the brazen blond. Taeyang arched an eyebrow. "Then you had better be prepared to offer for a wolf yourself, Min. If you come home unmated this year, it's likely next year will not be so kind. Wolves have long memories, and your rejection of all possible mates would make them unlikely to offer for you again in future seasons."

 

"I'm sure one of them will interest you," Wooyoung added. "Not all of the wolves are as inhumane as Hong Man or as full of themselves as Siwon. You just have to keep an open mind and use the time to really get to know people from the other packs." The brunette flashed the younger wolf a wide smile. "Trust me, Min, you'll be fine." But Minki did not look impressed. 

 

Before an argument could blossom into life, Jinwoo clapped his hands together. "All finished!" He smiled brightly at the two alphas and the beta, his large eyes crinkling prettily with the motion. "Are you ready to get some sleep? I bet we'll all need our strength for tomorrow!" 

 

Jinwoo's words served to remind Taeyang of his earlier decree, which in turn made their leader nod sharply. "Get to sleep, everyone." It was like magic. Somehow, Jinwoo always managed to get Taeyang to do as he wished, even though the delta was always very careful to never order the alpha around. Jiyong wondered how he did it: How he managed to be both submissive and in control at the same time. Mind burning with the myriad of possible explanations for Jinwoo's ability to influence their leader, Ji curled up on his bedroll and pulled the blankets over his head. He would ask Jinwoo in the morning; maybe the delta could give him some advice on how to have a little more influence. 

 

Dawn. The cold hints of blue light melted slowly into the golden tones of the coming day as the werewolves began to stir. Jiyong was the first from his pack awake. Actually, that was not quite true. The brunette had never actually managed to fall asleep; his mind had been too caught up in what his perfect mate would be like to fully settle into sleep. He was perfectly able to imagine strong arms that would curl around him whenever life became too much and a husky voice that would tickle his ear every morning with a warm 'I love you' and bright eyes that would sparkle with hidden laughter. That, and he had considered just how he would manage to catch such a creature, which had lead to a three hour rumination on his talents (such as they were). By the time the morning had flickered into life, Jiyong was absolutely certain that if such an alpha or beta were to exist, he would find them and throw himself on their mercy. It would probably lead to him getting laughed at, sure, but it was always worth a shot. Anything would be better than letting such a dreamy mate slip through his slim fingers. Little did Jiyong realize, though, how soon such an opportunity would arise.

 

Just as the sun was peaking up behind the distant mountains, a warning cry sounded through the camp. Every alpha and beta worth their salt was immediately awake and at the ready, while the omegas and deltas instinctively looked for places to hide. Well, except Ji. He had something of a death wish, according to Taeyang, because whenever trouble arose he got so curious he couldn't help but linger to see what was going on. That day was no different. While the other lower ranked wolves crawled behind rocks or cowered behind a beta, Jiyong stood right near his bedroll and craned his neck in the direction the sentries had motioned towards. He squinted, trying to see what their keener eyes had caught sight of. There! In the distance and approaching fast was a band of five wolves - all unfamiliar and each with a pelt that shone with health. Jiyong gaped openly as they stopped just shy of the sentries and shifted into their two-legged forms. There was nothing gaunt or weak about these wolves: three of them looked like they could easily take Hong Man, and even the smallest of the group looked capable of taking down the likes of Siwon. In a word, they were breathtaking. If Jiyong got a second word, he would probably add terrifying to the list, since such strong wolves appearing out of nowhere at the start of the courtship season seemed like a bad omen.

 

Moving to Jiyong's side, Wooyoung let out a low whistle. "Would you look at them? I don't think I've ever seen wolves like that in all my life." Jiyong looked over at him with an upraised eyebrow. "Their fur, did you notice? It is so thick and long. I don't think there's a wolf in the basin with fur like that."

 

"Must mean they're from somewhere colder," Ji mused. "Fur like that gets a wolf killed in the desert." Wooyoung silently nodded his agreement. Both males were silently straining their ears - hoping to catch some shred of the conversation between the five basin alphas and the apparent leader of the unfamiliar wolves. But, at their distance, they were unable to hear so much as a murmur (much to both their disappointment). Their curiosity was not long left wanting, however, as soon Taeyang came walking back towards them, a frown etched heavily on his features. Wooyoung tipped his head to a curious angle and stepped forward, hand lifting to rest on Taeyang's shoulder. "What is it? Who are they?"

 

Jinwoo and Minki slowly crept over to stand beside Jiyong; they too were curious about the strangers. Taeyang his bottom lip before lifting his gaze to meet Wooyoung's. "They're from the north - a pack up beyond the mountains. They came because, well, apparently one of the old alphas once sent them an invitation to join the festivities. But they never decided to join us until they got a new leader, who thought some fresh blood in their pack might do them some good." There was something in Taeyang's voice that made Ji feel as though the world had flipped upside down: fear. Never in all his life had heard Taeyang speak with a distinct shiver of hesitation in his throat, as though he were unsettled by the events; Taeyang practically oozed confidence in everything he did. 

 

"Do you think they mean to hurt us?" Jinwoo asked, his eyes somehow even larger than normal.

 

Taeyang looked over at the petite wolf and gave him a strained smile. "They claim they come only to seek mates among our people, but I'm not certain. By the looks of them, they would be capable of taking out at least one of the packs, if they decided to get violent."

 

Brows knit with worry, Wooyoung looked over at the strange wolves - who had remained at the edge of camp waiting to be invited in. "They all look like alphas. Are they?"

 

Their leader shook his head. "Only two alphas. The biggest two are actually betas, which makes no sense. And their delta is bigger than some of the alphas here. I've never seen anything like it."

 

The wolves fell silent. Jiyong felt the first fingers of fear twist about in his stomach at the thought of his alphas being unable to protect him. Taeyang and Wooyoung were strong, certainly, but they would be no match for the strange wolves if they did decide to attack. And if Taeyang or Wooyoung died, their pack would fall prey to the likes of Hong Man. It was a terrifying realization: The relative security he had trusted in so completely was little more than a beautifully woven lie. Their safety could vanish at any moment, and all it would take was a swift crack of a neck or the tearing out of a throat. Just as Jiyong was about to get worked up into a full fit, Jinwoo braced his hands on his hips and stepped forward. "We should go introduce ourselves," the delta said, an unusually firm note in his voice. His packmates gaped at him. "If we introduce ourselves and seem friendly, then we'll be better off than if we are standoffish and antagonistic. Don't you think?" He raised a pointed eyebrow at Taeyang.

 

Clearing his throat, the alpha actually ducked his head a little. "We'll go introduce ourselves," he agreed. Yet again, Jiyong found himself watching Jinwoo with open admiration. He had no idea how the little wolf did it, but it was clear their leader was completely whipped by the doey delta. 

 

As they approached the northerners, Taeyang stood tall in an attempt to at least match the height of the other wolves. Covering his smile with one hand, Jiyong tried to not laugh at the ridiculous picture his leader made, strutting up to wolves who were easily three inches taller than him. The sound of their footsteps drew the unfamiliar wolves out of the conversation they had quietly been having, and the two large brunettes flashed them wide smiles. Taeyang stopped and eyed the strangers before inclining his head in greeting. "I am Taeyang, leader of the Sunburst pack. These are my eligible wolves." He gestured to the four behind him. "Wooyoung, my second in command. Minki, our young beta. Jinwoo, our delta. Jiyong, our omega." Each wolf inclined their head in turn.

 

Jiyong had expected the largest of the brunettes - a rather well-muscled creature with large ears and bright eyes - to speak for the pack. But, instead, he stepped aside in order to let a shorter wolf step forward. He had small eyes, the sort that made it seem as if he were perpetually squinting, and fluffy honey colored hair that seemed to curl lightly at the ends. At first glance, he seemed perhaps a bit small to be a leader (three of his wolves were taller than him) but there was a solidness to him, a groundedness, that bespoke of a greater power. He moved with the quiet confidence that Taeyang sometimes had to feign, the confidence of a born leader. The little brunette omega felt his mouth go dry as he took note of the rather well-muscled arms and powerful thighs he could just make out through the alpha's clothing. If his voice were perfect, Jiyong thought, he would think he was still lying on his bedroll dreaming of the ideal mate. And then the alpha spoke: "I am Daesung, leader of the Excelsior pack." Ji felt his knees go weak. The alpha's voice had a husky undertone that made his soft words practically melt into the ear, though there was a slight nasal quality that added a musicality that kept his tone from being flat. "These are two of my betas, Taecyeon and Chansung, and that is one of our deltas, Taekwoon." He then gestured with a broad palm towards the smallest member of the pack: A blond who was perhaps two inches shorter than Jinwoo. "And Amber, who is Goddess Touched." The little blond alpha gave them a cheeky grin and a wink.

 

"Really?" Jiyong could not help but blurt out, drawing the gaze of all nine other wolves. "You're Goddess Touched?"

 

The blond - Amber - nodded easily. "As sure as there's a sun in the sky," she laughed, her tone musical and warm. Stepping up to stand beside Daesung, she took a long moment to inspect Jiyong before meeting his wide gaze; her eyes twinkled with open impishness as she declared, "I think I'm going to like you." With that decided, she gave Daesung a playful little shove before moving forward to scent Taeyang and introduce herself better. Ji was flabbergasted. A real Goddess Touched wolf - here! Among their kind, there were very few who were unable to impregnate another wolf - most could both sire or carry a litter of pups. But some, the stories went, were so scared to the goddess that she blessed them with the path of pain, meaning that if they wished to have young they had to carry them. In return, the goddess gave them the ability to read omens and sometimes even see the future - looking directly into her mind coming easily to them because they understood her suffering on a personal level. The Sunburst pack had not had a Goddess Touched among them in nearly three generations, and only two were present at the courtship festival that year. To have a third was nearly enough to have Jiyong simultaneously running in circles and swooning off by himself. As a child, he had desperately wanted to be Goddess Touched, and he had told his parents every morning that one day the goddess would answer his prayer to undergo the change. But, it had never happened. For whatever reason, the goddess wanted Jiyong to remain as he was, but that did not diminish his respect for the Goddess Touched. If anything, it only increased his admiration of them and the desire to personally know one of them. 

 

While Amber introduced herself to the rest of the pack, Jiyong turned his attention back to the rest of the Excelsior wolves. Taecyeon was the biggest of them: He seemed to scrape the sky and was built like a rock - solid and broad. He looked as though he could easily break a wolf's spine in his large, powerful hands. His goofy smile and big ears, though, gentled his appearance, making him look more like an eager pup than a vicious killer. The other beta, Chansung, was nearly as tall, but he was more lithe. If Taecyeon was a built like a bear, then Chansung was a mountain cat in build. Chansung had a nice smile, though, one that curled at the ends and showed off his white teeth. Taekwoon was as tall as Chansung, even though he was a delta, but had a distinctly slim build, which made him look smaller than the two betas. His eyes were sharp and almost feline, as though he were constantly unimpressed by everything around him. But there, at the very edge of his lips, was a faint curl that suggested he had a very bright smile - when he was in the mood. And then there was Daesung. Beautiful, strong Daesung. He was not quite as tall as Chansung and Taekwoon, but he was easily the strongest looking among them. His muscles had such definition that Jiyong felt like he could count the wolf's abs through his shirt; whoever had put him in such a gloriously fitted top deserved the first pick from a kill. Better yet, though, Daesung wore the sort of easy smile that suggested he wore it often, and it seemed so genuine that it lit up his dark eyes. How could the omega have ever been frightened of such a wonderful being?

 

Jiyong let out a tiny, happy sigh as he continued to openly ogle the handsome alpha. The sudden sharp feeling of an elbow in his side drew Jiyong's attention back to Wooyoung, who was smirking at him. "Keep that up," he teased, "and he'll believe you think he's ugly, Ji."

 

The omega narrowed his eyes at his cousin. "Why do I even like you?"

 

Wooyoung laughed. "Because I am amazing? Obviously."

 

Reaching over, Jiyong gave him a light shove. "Shut your face. If you're too cocky, not even the weakest omega would take you for a mate. Mind your mouth."

 

"I love you too, Ji," the alpha laughed. 

 

At that moment, Jiyong caught an amazing scent - the likes of which he had never caught before. It carried an undertone of pine and sun and a musk that belonged to one distinct person: Daesung. Or so Jiyong found out when he turned to look at the handsome alpha, who had just stepped up to speak to them. Instinctively, the omega slipped just behind Wooyoung, allowing him to stand between him and the other alpha. In the basin, it was considered rude for an omega to be too near to an unknown alpha - as though they could somehow contaminate another wolf with their inherent weakness. Daesung tipped his head slightly to the side at the gesture, which made him look like a curious puppy. It was only too imagine twin ears perking up from his hair - turning towards Jiyong and Wooyoung. "Hello," the alpha murmured, his voice even more enthralling at such a close distance. The moment felt warm and intimate, even though it was just a friendly greeting. 

 

Jiyong nudged Wooyoung gently in the ribs. Taking the hint, his cousin nodded to the alpha. "Hello," he said brightly. "You're Daesung, right?"

 

The other alpha nodded, an easy grin turning his lips. "I am. And you're Wooyoung." His gaze turned to rest on Jiyong, making the slim wolf hide his mouth shyly behind one hand. "And you're Jiyong."

 

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow at the way Daesung's eyes lingered on Jiyong's form. "Yep," he said, allowing the 'p' to pop between his lips. "I'm Wooyoung. And he's Jiyong. My cousin. An omega." It was only too easy to see that neither wolf was paying attention to him; they were too busy watching each other. 

 

Rolling his eyes, Wooyoung considered starting to tell embarrassing stories about Jiyong, just to see if the omega noticed. The brunette was saved, however, by the larger beta - Taecyeon - moving over to sling his arm around Daesung's shoulders. "Hey, beautiful," he said - eyes on Wooyoung and voice a little too loud. 

 

If it was possible, Wooyoung's eyebrow rose even further. The beta had a cheeky sort of grin on his lips, as though he expected Wooyoung to swoon at the attention being paid to him. Ha! As if that were going to happen. Folding his arms across his chest, Wooyoung let his lips draw into a thin line as he let his gaze roam openly over Taecyeon's figure. The wolf preened at the attention, running his free hand through his thick, black hair. But Wooyoung made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded bored, making the taller wolf deflate with a pout. "Jiyong, we should go clean up camp," Wooyoung drawled, his tone far dryer than it had been when greeting Daesung. 

 

Blinking as though he were coming out of a trance, Jiyong turned to look over at his cousin with wide, doey eyes. "Hm?" His brain then seemed to process what Wooyoung had said, and the omega ducked his head in a show of submissiveness. "Oh, right. Camp." One sluggish step after another drew him away from Daesung, though he waited until the last possible moment turn finally tear his eyes away from the handsome alpha. And then, like a good wolf, he scurried off to help clean. Wooyoung shot Taecyeon one last glare before turning to follow after him.

 

"He doesn't seem to like you much, does he?" Daesung murmured, a laugh hiding in his voice. 

 

Taecyeon sighed - the sound torn between a moan of despair and a breathless chuckle. "Yeah. Seems so." He gave Daesung's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

 

Daesung shrugged a little. "He's not bad," he agreed easily. "Not quite my type, though."

 

The beta scoffed. "How could he not be your type? There is literally nothing wrong with him." He hesitated. "Though he looks better when he's smiling. Why'd he smile at you but not at me?"

 

A bit of a smirk turned Daesung's lips as he looked up at Taecyeon. "I would think the answer is obvious, Taec." He gave him a playful shove. "I'm better looking than you!"

---