Hunter's Moons always made Seungcheol restless. It was a natural reaction in wolves, the longer night during a full moon giving them more time to hunt and play in their true forms, although they've had to be more careful over the past several years, staying closer to their camp since human hunters were starting to make their way further into the forest with each passing year.

As the pack alpha, Seungcheol had been the one to make that rule, strictly enforcing it on his younger packmates, but tonight he found himself straying further and further away from his pack territory; it felt like he was a magnet being drawn by something into the forest. He didn't know what was pulling him forward, but the desire to find it was growing almost painful as he pushed through the dense underbrush, dry leafs and twigs catching in his black fur.

He had crossed out of his pack's land some time back and was no longer able to hear the sounds of the rest of the pack romping through their territory, despite the advancement of the senses of his wolf form. He knew he was in the fairy's territory, but it didn't matter- fairies were the most non-confrontational beings that inhabited the woods, preferring to live at peace with nature and their neighbors, rather than aggressively protecting their borders like Seungcheol and his pack did.

Seungcheol's wolf was growing almost frantic as he pressed deeper into the fairy's territory towards whatever it was that was pulling him forward. He could tell he was near when a new scent suddenly wrapped itself around him like a blanked, smelling like a mix of honey and lilacs, so intoxicatingly sweet that he felt almost drunk on it.

He started to break into a run, his wolf grumbling at him to hurry up and find the source, but stumbled when the sound of a pained scream reached his ears. There was a rush panic that shot through him and his feet were moving before his mind caught up with his body. He didn't recognize the voice but somehow he knew it like it was his own soul crying out to him.

He and his wolf were in perfect synchronization, combining their strength to push faster as another scream broke through the air, this time much closer. Anger deeper than anything he had ever felt gave Seungchol the final push before he broke through the line of trees and into a small, grassy clearing.

In the center of the clearing stood three human hunters, all of them turning in surprise as the huge, black wolf crashed forward without warning, towering over them. But it was the boy lying at their feet that Seungcheol's eyes were fixed on, his senses recognizing it as the source of the scent that he had been tracking.

The boy on the ground had delicate features, light brown hair falling softly just past his shoulders, and a piercing gaze as he looked past the humans at Seungcheol. Seungcheol felt like the air had been knocked out of him as his gaze locked with the boy's, something clicking into place inside him that he hadn't even realized was missing. The boy was a fairy, his inhuman, ethereal beauty would have been enough to tell Seungcheol that, even without the delicate, translucent wings that were shimmering behind him.

Wings, Seungcheol realized, that were tied cruelly being him, tight enough that they were folder painfully and torn in several places.

The realization brought Seungcheol crashing back to reality. He had only been standing there for a few seconds, but it had felt like an eternity, the world narrowed down to just the two of them, everything else falling away. But now everything was back in focus and he could clearly see the fairy's wrists were tied behind his back, lashed with a cord to his bound ankles, making his back arch painfully.

A snarl ripped from Seungcheol's throat as he stalked forward towards the humans, each of them taking an involuntary step back.

Mine, his wolf was snarling in his head. Mine, mine, mine. Rip, tear, kill, provide for him, protect him. MINE.

The fairy kept his eyes on the wolf as Seungcheol kept stalking forward, his lips parted slightly in shock. "Mate?" he heard the fairy whisper in wonder.

That was when one of the hunters sprang forward, a knife in his hand, taking a poorly aimed swipe at Seungcheol. He easily ducked the blade before darting forward and clamping his jaws down on the man's shoulder. The taste of sour blood filled his mouth and the man's scream was cut off as he struck a tree with a sickening crunch when Seungcheol flung him away as easily as he could have thrown a doll. He lay crumbled at the foot of the tree, unmoving, as Seungcheol turned back to the remaining hunters.

Even though he couldn't speak to them, the implication in his snarl was clear: 'Well? Who's next?'

The hunters had come to the forest expecting to catch a fairy, not fight a werewolf, and their weapons showed that as the second man rushed forward holding an axe. He was much more skilled that his friend had been, alternating between swinging his weapon and ducking Seungcheol's attacks. Seungcheol felt the blade knick his collarbone making him yelp more in surprise than in pain. A sharp gasp from the fairy- his boy- made him more angry than the small wound itself and he swiped his claws forward, managing to slice three deep gashes through the hunter's right leg. The man stumbled back, giving Seungcheol the opening he needed to spring forward and rip into the man's throat. The hunter didn't even have time to scream.

Seungcheol stepped back, ready for the last hunter, when a pained cry made him freeze.

He turned slowly to see the last hunter kneeling by the fairy, a knife pressed against the side of his throat. As Seungcheol watched, a line of blood trickled down the blade, pooling against the boy's collarbone.

"Shift," the hunter snarled, pressing the blade just a little harder against the fairy's throat. "Or I’ll slice him open."

Shifting during a full moon was almost impossible, but when his eyes locked with the fairy's he could feel his wolf step back, letting him take back control- it was what he needed to do to protect his boy.

He stood in the middle of the clearing, blood from his already healing wound running down his chest as he straightened his back and clenched his hands at his sides. He could still taste the blood of the other hunters and knew that it was still smeared across his mouth, but he was careful not to move as he kept his eyes trained on the blade.

"Let him go," he growled, the alpha command in his voice ringing with each word.

"Not until you're miles away from here," the hunter glared back.

If it were any other situation Seungcheol might have been slightly impressed by the man's bravery- or stupidity- at confronting an alpha, but now it just made his rage run even hotter.

But before he had a chance to reply- probably with something stupid that would make the human even angrier- the fairy snorted.

Seungcheol and the hunter looked down at him in shock as he looked up at the hunter, the pain still etched into his face almost completely obscured with open distain.

"You're a fool," he spat, the unexpected venom in his voice making the hunter flinch involuntarily; Seungcheol had never heard anything more beautiful. "An alpha wolf finding his mate on a full moon isn't something that should be interrupted, especially when you're threatening to kill his mate."

Seungcheol could feel his wolf preening.

Clever mate, knowing that Seungcheol would take care of him.

"Wolves don't mate with fairies," the hunter spat, pressing the knife even harder into his neck, a whimper of pain making it past the fairy's lips, despite him clamping his teeth down on his bottom lip to muffle the sound.

"It’s are," was all he could gasp out between his teeth.

"Let. Him. Go." Seungcheol ground out, straining to hold his wolf back from springing at the man. But he couldn't, not when his boy wasn't safe.

"Not until I have some way of knowing I'll get out of here alive," the hunter replied. Seungcheol could hear the man’s heart rate increasing and knew that the gravity of the situation was finally sinking in through the hunter's adrenaline. There was no way you lived after hurting an alpha's mate.

The smile that spread over Seungcheol's face didn't reach his eyes and seemed to frighten the human even more. "Even if I let you go now, I'll still kill you eventually. I don't care if I have to track you down to the other side of the world, I will tear you apart."

"Not if-"

The hunter's words were cut off as the fairy whipped his head back sharply, crushing it against the hunter's face. The man staggered back with a pained cry, his obviously broken nose gushing blood down his front.

Seungcheol didn't hesitate as he sprung forward and tackled the human to the ground, wrenching the knife out of his hand and plunging it into its owners throat. The hunter started up at him with wide eyes, trying to gasp for breath as blood pooled in his throat.

Seungcheol didn't wait to watch him choke to death on his own blood. He was already kneeling by the fairy, trying to untie his bonds as gently as possible.

"Just do it quick," his mate said, wincing when Seungcheol tried to gently ease off the ropes crushing his wings. "They'll heal eventually."

"Good mate," Seungcheol said, nuzzling the fairy's neck in an attempt to distract him from the pain. His wolf was getting closer to the surface now that the danger was gone, his human side slipping away as his wolf cooed comfortingly to his mate. "Brave mate."

"Jeonghan," the fairy said, followed by a cry of pain as Seungcheol yanked the ropes off. His wings fluttered weakly, slowly starting to spread back out.

"I'm Jeonghan," he repeated, unconsciously brushing one hand through Seungcheol's hair to knock off some of the leaves that were still stuck in it. His other hand was pressed over the wound on his own neck.

"Seungcheol," he replied, leaning into his mate's touch.

Jeonghan snorted in amusement. "You're literally an oversized puppy, aren't you?"

Seungcheol just smiled, nuzzling close to Jeonghan. "Can I hold you?" he asked almost shyly. Jeonghan laughed and Seungcheol felt a smile tugging at his own lips at the infectious sound.

"Yes, you can hold me," Jeonghan smiled.

After some careful maneuvering, Seungcheol fussing over Jeonghan's healing wounds, they lay together in the soft grass. Seungcheol shifted back- his wolf practically purring at finally being released after losing so much of its time under the full moon- and wrapped himself around Jeonghan. The fairy curled up against Seungcheol's warm fur, tangling his finger in it.

They fell asleep like that, two halves of a soul, bound back together under the light of the Hunter's Moon.