In case you missed it, be sure to check the end of the last chapter. It published before I was quite finished, and so a couple of days ago I added the missing section. (You don't want to miss out on even more JiDae cuteness, after all!) I should also warn you that there is mentions of non-consent in this chapter and confrontation with a former abuser, so some of you might want to dodge the second half of this. It's not too intense, but I want you all to stay happy and safe. I also feel it merits mention that after this chapter the JiDae will hit hard in the best of ways. Just...so you know. Also, I have not proofed this, because I thought it better to post it and go through it later when I have time. So please forgive any errors you see. 

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Being goddess touched was a burden. Amber made no pretenses of hiding that simple fact from her pack; if anything, she made it abundantly clear the moment she had refused to take over as pack leader when her alpha father had passed away the previous spring. Rather than try to lead the pack, Amber had taken up the mantle of the shaman – a position that had not been filled in three generations. The call of the goddess had been strong, and Amber knew it was her rightful place in the pack. As shaman she could commune with the goddess and seek wisdom to help the new alpha guide the Excelsior wolves in the right direction. It had not surprised Amber that Daesung was chosen to be the new alpha: He was steady and calm, smart and thoughtful, kind and considerate – everything a true follower of the goddess was. But perhaps best of all, he was willing to listen.

When mating season had begun to draw near, Daesung had approached Amber for guidance. He did not feel as though his mate were among those in the northern packs, but he did not know where else to look. Unlike the basin wolves, the northern packs held tight to the ancient belief that each wolf had a true love somewhere out in the wide world waiting for them, and Daesung was determined to do his best to find his other half. But, it was not a simple task. Amber had sought the counsel of the goddess for three weeks straight – barely sleeping or eating the entire time – until at last the answer came: South. Daesung’s eyes had gone wide when Amber had told him the goddess’ command to travel towards the desert; the northern wolves had not crossed the mountains in generations, ever since the Blood Moon Wars. To go south was to tread into potentially dangerous waters, even though they had once been invited to attend the courtship festivals by one of the basin alphas. The risk, though, seemed to be worth it.

A tiny smile played across Amber’s lips as she watched Daesung speak to the slender omega at his side. Daesung was laughing easily and had even begun to speak with his hands – a sure sign he was deeply engaged in the conversation. It seemed that the goddess had known precisely what sort of mate would capture the alpha’s interest, and it was an omega no less! Her friend was a lucky creature. The one puzzle Aber could not figure out was just what the goddess had in store for her. Taecyeon, Chansung, and Taekwoon had all originally come to protect their leader (a fair concern in such uncertain climes), but Amber had been specifically commanded to go for an altogether different purpose.  

It was this mystery – this unknown purpose – that had brought Amber along with the other four. She had wanted to chase down the answer to the riddle the goddess had given her: A promise that Amber would find her beginning and her end, the warmth of the sun and the chill of the spring streams, in the slopping wastes of the desert. Amber had been blessed with an unhealthy curiosity, so she had come, even when there had been an outcry among the pack. To have both the alpha and the shaman go on an adventure to enemy territory was admittedly not the wisest decision, but Daesung had agreed without even asking Amber why she wanted to come. He had simply trusted that Amber would not put the pack in peril without just cause. She loved him for the quiet strength of his faith; it was a pity they would be awful mates, otherwise she would have tried to woo him herself.

Amber was of course so distracted in her thoughts of home that she nearly missed the answer to her riddle. He was not a particularly impressive figure: There was something about his quiet presence that made the eye slip over him and on to the next wolf. Everything from his small, cresented eyes to the breadth of his nose made him seem rather ordinary, especially compared to the more distinct features of the rest of the Golden Moon wolves. Oh, it wasn’t that he was ugly or anything like that – far from it – but he was just …. not extraordinary. At least, not in the eyes of most wolves. But not every wolf could sense the aura and gaze right into the heart of someone else. Amber could. Being goddess touched meant she could see those things and more, goddess willing. And in her eyes, he was breathtaking in a way few wolves in the basin were.

His copper hair, so ordinary among his people, glittered with the golden light of a bright spirit; it was as though his inner light manifested in the refracted gilding of his body. And at the edge of his mouth seemed to tease a perpetual smile – the shadow of joy constantly dogging his steps. He reminded her, in a way, of some of her favorite pups from home, Jackson and Jimin. Both of the little pups could be loud and had a tendency to clamor for attention, but it was often because they were so desperate to be loved. Amber’s father had joked that Jimin and Jackson had been born with hearts too big for their chests, and that their actions were simply an attempt to share their tremendous love with those they cared for. They also had the precious ability to make even the most dour wolf smile, because it was as though they embodied the warmth of the sun in their bodies. This stranger, with his shy smile and beautiful soul, seemed to be much the same. It made her skin practically crawl with the electric desire to speak to him, to see if his heart was the treasure it seemed to be at first glance. 

And Amber was not the sort to hold back. Holding her head high, the golden-haired alpha walked directly up to the handsome delta and flashed him her most winsome smile. “Hey gorgeous,” she said, her low voice reverberating with a warmth that bespoke of familiarity.

Confused to hear himself so addressed, the delta looked at her with wide, dark eyes. He glanced around to see if one of the betas or alphas from his pack were nearby, but they had already vanished into the dining hall. A brief frown flittered across his face – he was torn between the dictates of propriety and the charming Goddess Touched wolf in front of him – before he gave a mental shrug. It was not his fault his pack had abandoned him, right? And it would be rude to ignore someone of such a high status. So, he returned her smile with one of his own. “Hello.” And to at least make it a little more formal, he bowed a little to her.

“I’m Amber,” she said, somehow managing to wiggle a little closer to him. “From the Excelsior pack – the one from over the mountains.”

He nodded a little. “I know. I mean, I heard about you – your pack – from our alpha. And I knew I didn’t recognize you, so you had to be from the north.” Running a hand through his hair, he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Normally when he was nervous he clammed up, but there was something about the beautiful alpha in front of him that made his mouth run and run. “Um, I’m Henry.”

“Henry?” Another wide, toothy grin split her lips. “I like it. Say, Henry, can I ask you an important question?” Unable to look away from her bright brown eyes, the delta managed a tiny nod. “Is anyone courting you?”

He gaped at her. “Excuse me?”

“You know, trying to woo you. Court you. Convince you to share the rest of your life with them?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh.” Henry felt a blush rising over the arches of his cheekbones. “No. I’m just a delta.”

Amber’s eyes practically sparkled. “Excellent. I hope, then, that you will consider me as a potential mate.”

“W-what?”

The alpha reached out to place a light hand on the back of his elbow. “Henry,” she said, a laugh hiding in her voice, “I want to be your mate. If you’ll let me.”

Pure shock made his brain stop. An alpha – a Goddess Touched alpha – had just proposed matehood to him within the first minute of meeting. Had he fallen and hit his head? “B-but we just met.”

She nodded. “I know.” His arm was given a little squeeze. “That’s why I asked you to consider me. Maybe we could get to know each other better while you think about it?” But, for Amber, she did not need to know him better. His aura had told her what kind of mate he would be – kind, playful, thoughtful, and occasionally romantic – and she could feel the deep-seated tug of rightness between them. The goddess was being very clear that this delta, with his soft features and befuddled smile, was the answer to Amber’s prayers. All that remained was to convince dear Henry that she was a good mate, and then they could be as close as the moon and sky.

“…Oh.” Henry shook his head a little, but the cheerful little alpha did not disappear from his view. She was still standing there with an expectant expression on her features. “Alright, I guess.” He blinked. “If that’s what you really want?”

Amber laughed brightly and grabbed his hand. “Of course it’s what I want!” She started to tug him in the direction of the dining hall. “Mind if we sit with my pack? You should know them if you’re going to get to know me. If you do become my mate – like I hope you will – you’d have to come with us. They can’t spare me, since I’m the pack shaman. But our home is really beautiful. Really different from here, but not in a bad way. Lots of trees and water, which is really excellent.” Stupefied by the entire thing, Henry just allowed the cheerful alpha to drag him along behind her, as though he were the tail to her comet. Just what had he agreed to?

The Excelsior wolves certainly made an impression on the basin wolves: The northern pack seemed to have a complete disregard for the social norm (alphas were not supposed to openly flirt with unchaperoned omegas and deltas); they spouted nonsense about love; and, their part of the camp was alive with singing and loud conversation until the stars were bright in the evening sky. Some of the more traditional alphas thought their behavior was disgusting, but the majority of the wolves simply found the northerners fascinating. And, well, some of the wolves found them perhaps more than a little fascinating.

After spending the evening with the basin wolves, Henry found himself seriously considering demonstrating some skill or another the next day. If Amber did want to court him, then it did seem like his duty to show her that he was worthy of her attention. And the Golden Moon pack did at least value their deltas enough to actually let them pursue their interests – that was something. He sought advice from Zhoumi, who had simply shrugged and told him to do what he thought was best. Sighing, the copper-haired wolf had then sought advice from some of his other packmates. Luhan had been surprised but encouraging – telling Henry to chase that tail. Leehom had not believed that an alpha would pursue the delta as a mate, and so he had warned Henry to be careful. And Tao… Well, Tao had been extremely excited and squealed for all he was worth. He had grabbed Henry in a tight hug and started rambling about how they would have such beautiful babies together. While perhaps not a source of great wisdom, Tao’s enthusiasm did at least serve to make Henry feel better about the situation. After all, the idea of mating with the charismatic blond alpha was very appealing; they would have very cute babies.

While Henry was searching the depths of his soul, other deltas were trying to figure out what skills could possibly win them mates. It was early in the morning when Taekwoon stole over to the NeverNoon pack’s portion of the camp – his black eyes sharp in the darkness. He paused as the pack leader, Yongguk, gave him a wary look, but then the other wolf went back to coaxing the banked flames of their campfire back to life. Taking that as a signal he could enter, Taekwoon made his way through their camp towards where Hakyeon sat on a log, curled up in a blanket with Kyungsoo. As the delta approached, pair of wolves looked up: Hakyeon in muddled morning surprise and Kyungsoo in wary interest. Taekwoon hesitated. None of his packmates were there to speak for him, and so he had to muster all of his courage to find the words on his own. his bottom lip, he finally managed to murmur, “Kyungsoo, can I speak to you?”

There was a long pause – only the distant sound of Yongguk muttering to the sputtering flames filling the immediate vicinity – before Kyungsoo gave a little nod. Hakyeon carefully folded the blanket back so the other wolf could slip free, and Kyungsoo rose to his feet. In that moment, Hakyeon’s gaze met Taekwoon’s, and in it was a simple warning: Take care of him. Taekwoon nodded slightly before walking over to the edge of their camp, the redheaded delta following some distance behind him. When the pair at last came to a stop, Taekwoon turned and murmured something Hakyeon could not hear from where he sat. Kyungsoo nodded before replying, his voice equally soft. The taller delta then turned, pointing off towards his own camp, before saying something else to the other wolf. A tiny smile turned Taekwoon’s lips when Kyungsoo nodded again, and the two then parted ways. Hakyeon blinked. It was a bit anticlimactic, all told. When Kyungsoo returned, the alpha held open the blanket once more, allowing the redhead to snuggle back up to him. “What did he want?”

Kyungsoo blinked up at Hakyeon. “We’re going to help each other.” He shrugged a little. “You’ll see.”

If there was one thing Hakyeon was bad at, it was waiting. He was the sort that liked answers right away – otherwise his imagination came in with all too colorful alternatives that ended up making the real answer seem a bit pitiful. But, Kyungsoo was adamant that Hakyeon would wait. And so he waited And waited. And waited. As lunch drew closer, the alpha slunk over to pester the redheaded delta when a sudden raucous at the edge of camp drew his attention. Never one to turn down a distraction, Hakyeon loped over in time to see the two Excelsior betas – Chansung and … Taecyeon? – returning from what appeared to be a successful hunt. The larger male, Taecyeon, appeared to have a wild boar draped across his back while Chansung carried an antelope. Suddenly every wolf in the area was interested in what the two were up to; the famine brought out the wildness in all the packs.

The betas both approached their alpha, who chuckled and brushed his hands lightly over both of their heads. Hakyeon nodded a little to himself; it was right and proper that subordinates should offer their kill to their alpha first. But then the pair turned away from Daesung. Were he in his wolf form, his ears would be lifted in attention as he watched them break apart. Taecyeon frolicked – yes, frolicked – over to an alpha from the Sunburst pack and bowed his head a little. Hakyeon linked. He was surprised: The beta was making a very early courting gesture by making a kill in honor of the seemingly unimpressed alpha. There was a pause before the brunette nodded, a sign that he would at least consider the offer, and Taecyeon then turned, bounding back to where his pack stood. He dropped the boar in front of the sweet voiced Taekwoon, who nodded slightly. In a display of strength, Taekwoon hefted the boar over a shoulder and started for the communal kitchen. Chansung, meanwhile, was wending his way through the salivating wolves towards the NeverNoon pack. At Hakyeon’s side, he felt Kyungsoo stiffen as the beta came to a halt before them. The delta locked gazes with the large wolf for a split second before Chansung bowed his head in a sign of submission.

Hakyeon’s jaw dropped.

Typically, wolves only bowed their heads to a wolf of superior rank – like how Taecyeon had showed submission to the alphas. For a beta to show submission to a delta was utterly bewildering. The alpha looked around and, yep, everyone was gaping at the strange display. But, Kyungsoo squared his shoulders and took a sliding step forward. He lifted one of his pale hands and placed it lightly on the rounded bridge of Chansung’s muzzle. The delta’s hand looked stark against the beta’s dark coat, but this close Hakyeon could see that beneath the black was a silver undercoat. It was as though Chansung’s coat was frosted in darkness rather than being strictly black, and it offset the happiness shining in his bright brown eyes so nicely. Shifting, he stepped back a little and inclined his head towards the kitchen area. Kyungsoo nodded and placed a hand on Chansung’s shoulder. The pair began the journey towards where Taekwoon had begun to butcher the boar; Chansung’s large body shielding Kyungsoo from sight.

When Chansung and Kyungsoo arrived at the kitchen area, the beta dropped the antelope onto the table for the delta. A small nod was exchanged before the redhead rounded the preparation table – grabbing a couple of knives as he went. It was then that Kyungsoo and Taekwoon began to demonstrate their talents. Hakyeon could only describe the process in one way: Their knives flew through the process of butchering the two carcasses, and soon bone was cleanly parted from flesh. Taekwoon paused as he was working, glancing up at the wolves who had gathered to watch the pair’s demonstration, and let a tiny flicker smile twitch its way onto his lips when he noticed that Hakyeon had drifted closer to his part of the station. He selected a bit of meat that was too fatty for the preparation he had in mind and held it out to the handsome alpha. Hakyeon hesitated – he was not exactly high enough ranking to really merit first taste of a kill – but the small nod from Taekwoon had him stepping forward. The ghost of a smile returned to Taekwoon’s lips even as his eyes glimmered – his happiness lived in his eyes rather than in his smiles – and he carefully placed the offering in Hakyeon’s mouth. At the nearly forgotten taste of fresh meat, Hakyeon all but melted against the table with a happy sigh.

Taekwoon continued to slip Hakyeon bits of meat as he worked on creating a rich chili with the remnant of the antelope. At his side, Kyungsoo was taking the opportunity to make tortillas while his boar simmered – pausing only when he had to skim the foam off the top of the braising liquid. The pair of deltas worked easily together in order to create an impressive spread of food from a surprisingly small number of ingredients; their ingenuity in the kitchen had not gone unnoticed. A group of betas had clustered nearby, just watching their pair work, and it was clear that the higher ranked wolves were seriously considering Taekwoon and Kyungsoo. Hakyeon, noticing the way the betas were panting after the pair, shot the useless gaggle of simpering fools a poisonous look. He even shifted down the table, settling between the betas and the deltas with a scowl firmly affixed to his lips. How dare those betas pant after his precious deltas when they had so rudely ignored them before? Honestly.

It seemed Taekwoon and Kyungsoo were equally unimpressed with the betas’ ogling: neither wolf so much as looked over at the gathered gaggle. Instead, they quietly continued to work until at last the meal was ready. Taekwoon then silently prepared two plates. The first he carried over to Daesung, who took it with a murmured thanks. Returning to the table, Taekwoon picked up the second and moved to stand in front of Hakyeon. Clearing his throat, he held the plate out and bowed his head. “I hope you will consider me,” he breathed, his voice airy and light even as his face turned a vivid shade of crimson. 

Eyes wide, Hakyeon slowly stretched out his hand in order to take the plate from Taekwoon’s grip. He swayed his hips from side to side, nervously shifting his weight with the motion, before giggling softly. “Thank you, Taekwoon,” he murmured, “for working so hard. I will be certain to consider your proposal carefully.” For a brief moment, their gazes met, and Hakyeon could not resist the opportunity to wink. Taekwoon covered his face with his hands, groaning softly. Hakyeon chuckled at the sight and, balancing the plate in one hand, reached forward with his free hand to brush a stray piece of the delta’s hair back behind one of his ears. “You’re too cute.”

Taekwoon fled back around the table – working feverishly to prepare plates for the rest of his pack. Kyungsoo glanced up at Hakyeon, a ghost of a smile on his lips, before returning to the task of preparing a plate for his own pack leader. Just as he went to step around the table and approach Yongguk, a shadow fell over him. Kyungsoo felt the blood turn sluggish in his veins at the familiar scent that teased at his senses. His stomach rocked dangerous, threatening to spill empty bile on the floor, even as his skin blossomed with sickly sweat. “For me?” The sound of that familiar timbre ricocheting through his body just about caused Kyungsoo to drop his plate; his mind was awash in memories – memories where that voice haunted him like a specter from a nightmare. Slowly he pulled his gaze up from the other wolf’s feet and up, up, up until at last he could see the familiar jut of chin and heavy brow of Hong Man’s face. Kyungsoo’s hands began to tremble dangerously as the alpha began to reach out to take the plate. 

Just as Hong Man was about to close his fingers – which were nearly the length of Kyung Soo’s forearm – around the plate, a broad shouldered brunette appeared between the alpha and his prize. Kyungsoo stumbled back half a step, the table digging into his hip, as Chasung growled at Hong Man and curled his lip upwards, baring his teeth in a snarl. The alpha stopped short at the motion, a flash of anger lighting up his dark eyes, before a smirk eased its way onto his lips. “What is this?” Hong Man boomed, even pausing to laugh. “Ah, Kyungsoo, did you scream for him too? Is that why he is trying to protect you?” The incredibly tall alpha leaned down in order to peer into Chansung’s eyes. “He was mine first. I am going to claim him, breed him, and use him as I see fit. And I would love to see you try to stop me, beta.”

“Kyungsoo, are you alright?” a mild, husky voice interrupted whatever Chansung was about to snap back with. The beta stilled at the familiar power and warmth of his pack leader’s voice; Daesung’s mere presence eased his rage back to a milder simmer. Calmly, Daesung checked Kyungsoo for injuries – even taking the plate from him and setting it on the table. “You should be more careful. It looks like you jumped back and hit the table, which probably means it’ll bruise.” Daesung pat the delta’s head before turning his gaze onto Hong Man. “You are not particularly considerate, are you?”

Hong Man huffed a laugh. “What business of yours is it how I treat what’s mine?” He leered down at Kyungsoo, who was doing his best to disappear behind the Excelsior wolves.

“I was not aware Kyungsoo had agreed to be your mate,” Daesung mused. “Since he is being courted by Chansung as well, I believe the dictates of your packs place the decision in Kyungsoo’s hands – a choice between both suitors – rather than in yours.” The blond’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Kyungsoo is not an object for you to play with.”

“Isn’t he?” Hong Man sneered. “I don’t know about that. We had a lot of fun playing together in the past, didn’t we Kyungsoo?”

Noticing the way the delta had begun to tremble, Daesung turned to fully face the redhead once more. He placed his hands lightly on Kyungsoo’s shoulders and murmured, just loud enough for him to hear, “Kyungsoo, do you intend to accept Chansung’s suit and go north with us?”

For just a brief moment, Kyungsoo’s gaze lifted to meet Daesung’s before skating over to rest on the broad shape of Chansung’s back. The beta was still holding his ground against Hong Man – ready at any moment to leap into action to protect the small delta whose soulful eyes and broken smile had so captured his interested. Hesitantly, Kyungsoo nodded. “I do.” He took a steadying breath and declared louder, “I accept Chansung’s suit.”

“Excellent,” Daesung said, smiling. The alpha then launched into action: In a near blur, Daesung grabbed Hong Man by the arm and proceeded to throw him to the floor. Wrenching the other alpha’s arm behind his back, the blond then pinned the much larger wolf to the floor – reaching back to grab a leg to twist as well. Hong Man attempted to struggle against the smaller alpha’s grip, but Daesung would not budge; while Daesung was not Hong Man’s match in size, he was his better in pure strength. “Now that that’s settled, I will give you one warning and one warning only. If you so much as look at Kyungsoo the wrong way, I will fulfill my duties as his pack leader and rip your throat out. And believe me, I will not hesitate a moment to do it. He is under my protection and a part of my pack now, do you understand me?” Hong Man stubbornly remained silence, not deigning to acknowledge Daesung’s words. So, the alpha put more pressure on Hong Man’s arm, causing him to yelp his acquiesce. “Thank you for your compliance. I would suggest you now remove yourself from my sight before I change my mind.”

Daesung rose to his feet in a smooth motion – dusting off the traces of Hong Man as he did so. The other wolf clambered to his feet, growling curses under his breath, but stopped short when he realized all of the Excelsior wolves had appeared around him, ready and all too willing to help their alpha tear him to pieces. Slowly, Hong Man took a step back before simply turning and shoving his way out of the dining hall. Once the other wolf was gone, Chansung at last relaxed and turned towards Kyungsoo with a frown. “Are you alright?” he murmured, careful to not touch the delta lest it upset him further.

Kyungsoo managed a little nod. “Yes, thank you.”

Chansung cleared his throat, pushing a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to accept me, you know,” he mumbled. “We’d protect you from him even if you weren’t my mate.”

The delta considered that for a moment, truly letting the words sink in, before managing to give the beta a small, strangled hint of a smile. “I know, Chansung. It’s what I like about you.” His fingers trembled as he carefully reached out to place a hand on the brunette’s abdomen. “But I do want to accept your offer. As long as…. As long as you really want an imperfect mate like me.”

Carefully, Chansung placed his hand over Kyungsoo’s and took a small, shuffling step closer. “Having scars doesn’t make you imperfect, Kyungsoo. And a bad past doesn’t mean you’re worthless.” Kyungsoo’s breath caught at those gentle words. “I like you for exactly who you are, shadows and all.”

“But you don’t really know me,” Kyungsoo protested. “I could be horrible or selfish or – or I could’ve deserved everything he did to me.”

Chansung shook his head. “Nobody, not even someone selfish or horrible, would deserve that monster – let alone someone as good as you.” By now, Chansung was actually blushing, much to his pack’s amusement. “And I just, I know you’re good, Kyungsoo. It feels as if your name was written onto my soul, like there’s no one else who could be a perfect match for me. I knew it the moment I saw you – that I couldn’t face a day without you in my life. And I know it’s a lot to take in, but I want to do everything I can to be a good mate. Whatever you need, I’ll be that.”

Stunned by the romanticism of Chansung’s words, Kyungsoo struggled to form a reply. So, the redhead simply nodded, his gaze affixed on the woven fabric of the beta’s shirt. “Okay,” he said at last. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Chansung repeated.

“I’ll … I’ll be your mate,” Kyungsoo affirmed. 

Daesung calmly moved to stand beside them. “Chansung, why don’t you and Kyungsoo get something to eat and go sit with the pack? I want to speak to Kyungsoo’s old alpha for a few minutes; please extend my apologies to Jiyong. Tell him… tell him I will try to speak to him tomorrow.”

The beta inclined his head before carefully preparing a plate for Kyungsoo himself. While the pair shyly shuffled off to join the other Excelsior wolves, who had retreated as soon as Hong Man had left, Daesung cut through the crowd. Catching sight of Yongguk, he smiled and bowed to the other pack leader. “You are the NeverNoon alpha, aren’t you?”

Yongguk, a young and haggard seeming brunette, managed a nod. “I am.” He bowed deeply, folding his body to ninety degrees. “Thank you for protecting Kyungsoo. I am eternally grateful.”

“I am happy to help,” Daesung murmured. His gaze flickered over to rest on the other wolves huddled behind Yongguk, and a faint frown flickered over the alpha’s features. Hakyeon and Kyungsoo had both appeared a bit gaunt, but by the looks of Yongguk and his pack the problem was more serious than Daesung had realized. All four of the wolves in front of Daesung were worryingly skinny – bones poking out in a painful display. In an instant, the Excelsior alpha made his decision. “Yongguk, would you be willing to speak with me for a little while? Your pack would be more than welcome to sit with mine in the meantime.”

Brow furrowing in a frown, Yongguk nodded. “Of course. Jinyoung, why don’t you make sure everyone gets something to eat? I’ll find you as soon as we’re done.” The omega, Jinyoung, nodded and began to shepherd the others away.

“We should get you a plate too,” Daesung murmured. “This might take a bit.” Moving easily, Daesung prepared a plate for Yongguk before leading him off towards the distant shape of the Excelsior camp. Jiyong watched them leave with a frown on his lips; he couldn’t help but worry that perhaps the handsome alpha had changed his mind. After all, what was a mere omega when compared with an alpha, even one as starved and beaten down as Yongguk? Sighing, the brunette hung his head and began to pick at his boar taco with restless, birdlike fingers. He should have known better than to get his hopes up. 

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Look! It's a chapter! A complete one! Shocking, I know. Anyway, that was a bit rocky, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Soon (within a day or two) I'll be updating the foreward to include links to picture guides for who is who in the various packs. I'll also see if I can't include a picture of the different rank marks, so you can see those too. The joy of having a cross-fandom fic is that I have a lot of freedom to cast all the people. The problem with it is I worry you guys might not be able to keep everyone straight. So! There will be guides. Each image will have two pairs on it, and these pairs will have the most connected storylines once we get further along. Woo~ 

If you enjoy the latest installment in this mess fic please, please comment and let me know! Also, if you have anyone you'd like to see pop up, let me know! Also, I could use a good ship rec for Ren/Minki. It would be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down the line, but I feel like I need to start thinking about it now, otherwise he'll end up in one of my magical crack pairings. (But, you've got to admit, SungSoo for all it's crack is actually pretty darn awesome.)