Kris gritted his teeth as the stray branches whipped his muzzle as he ran, bounding across the forest floor in the faintly orange light of the dawn. The ground flew by underneath his paws as he raced ahead, a blur of brown and green.

Right, what's going on?! he yelled through his pack bond. What now? A guilty silence met his mind, before someone shrieked, It's not my fault, it was him! and a wave of protests and loudly voiced opinions were suddenly screaming inside his head, and it was painful, this many voices vying for his attention. It was like someone was trying to split open his head, and after a few moments of the endless protests, Kris eventually shunted them away and brought his mind back to earth, blocking out the other pack members.

It's the ing millionth time.

Kris slowed to a trot, his sides heaving with exhaustion. He knew he shouldn't have bothered trying to come. Another mindless, pointless, childish argument. For how long?

He could still sense the prescence of the pack behind the wall he had erected in his mind, trying to break through and give their made up side to the story. He didn't even bother roaring at them to Just goddamn shut up and go away like he did the last hundred times. He couldn't be bothered to - he was tired.

, let them sort it out themselves, or not do it at all.

Part of him nagged, telling him that it was his duty to take care of his pack, to solve their problems, to sort things out and make sure they were alright. And maybe a few years ago, he would have listened.

But things weren't the same anymore.

Ever since his father - the head alpha - had died, nothing was ever the same again.

After that, it had all spiralled out of control.

After that, he couldn't make things go his way anymore, which, for an alpha like he, was ... unfamiliar to say the very least.

Kris didn't like it.

Now the seemingly unbreakable bond they had had was vanished. Arguments broke out every day, every hour. He couldn't even trust them enough to bring them along to hunting, and as he thought of it, why was he still hanging on?

His footsteps slowed as he reached a clearing. Ears swivling around, Kris' dark eyes narrowed as he stared around at the pack of wolves, milling aimlessly about the area, lying down, pacing back and forth. Were they not doing anything? He was certain they weren't just ... not busy.

Kris pushed the bushes out of the way and padded into the clearing, keeping a relatively casual outward look - but he kept his body closer to the ground than usual, and the wolves around him knew that this was a message. Do not anger me.

"Alpha!" Minhyuk, a tall, steel grey beta, came bounding up to me. "You're back, now can you -"

And at those words, Kris decided that he had had enough.

"Stop." The beta froze in his tracks, and pressed his body to the ground, his eyes wide with sudden fright. Kris didn't yell. He didn't shout. He said it with a calmness and coldness like a delicate knife blade, and it made it all the more threatening.

The rest of the pack, who had quickly run over as soon as Minhyuk had started talking, cowered as Kris finally pulled himself up to his full height, glaring down at them.

"I'm not going to do anything else for you," he growled. "I have had enough. Every day, you ask me to do this, tell me to do that, make me solve your pitiful troubles, mend your pathetic arguments, and I helped you because I am your alpha, but now ..."he trailed off, his eyes blazing. "Perhaps I was wrong."

The circle of wolves were silent.

"Was I wrong?" questioned he, as he started to slink around the group, who were frozen in place with fright, knowing very well that this alpha had the ability and power to end them all if he wanted to. And that alpha was angry.

"Was I wrong?" repeated Kris into the silence. His tail flicked, almost in irritation. "Was I wrong, thinking that you would stay faithful? Was I wrong, thinking that my efforts to help you would pay off in the end? Was I wrong, thinking that I had you for my pack?" by now, the voice had dropped to a menacing whisper.

Silence washed over them.

Kris locked them with a gaze laced with disappointment, sadness, anger. Cold, seething anger.

And finally, together, the huddle of wolves muttered, "Yes, alpha."

"I thought so."

Kris thought there were no more words needed. He looked at them - his pack?

They were still his pack, but ...

Jaehwan raised his head, his dappled black tail thumping the ground. "What will you do, alpha?"

There was no scorn in his voice.

"You are still my pack," he said truthfully. "Although I should ..." he narrowed his eyes, "I will not end you. Let you fend for yourselves without me - I have done enough. I have guided you, and if you did not heed my advice, that is not my fault. You have only yourselves to blame." The wolves were once again frozen-eyed with shock as Kris continued. "Perhaps, one day, I will find you again. Perhaps you will have learned. But then, perhaps is a big word." He didn't need to drag it out any longer. "Goodbye. If this is for the last time, I know not." Kris then turned and bounded out into the darkness of the forest.

After a few hundred metres, he heard a howl of "Wait - alpha!", carrying over the trees. But no, he did not feel regret. He gave them their chance to learn. He gave them his help.

Learn, and survive.

Ignore, and fall.

It was quite simple, really.

And Kris ran, without stopping, into the woods and away, and then he had taken the path of a lone alpha.

A lone wolf.

***

Crossing his paws over his muzzle, Kris let his eyelids droop as he lay in the sheltered area of the rock, dry ground away from the snow. The painfully bare trees and ground was a reminder that he needed to keep moving if he wanted to find food to keep going. The last time he hunted successfully ... Maybe a month ago? Two?

His coarse, thin fur showed it all.

Of course, that would mean he would most likely be venturing into enemy terrirory.

If he still had a pack to care for, maybe he would not have risked it. But no - Kris was alone now. No pack. Just himself. Everything was now about him, everything now for him.

Kris pushed himself up wearily onto his fours, and began to pad slowly down the valley, the light dusting of snow as light as a feather as it clung to his ragged winter coat.

It was different having a pack.

But now?

Lone wolf. Lone wolf.

He could do what he liked.

***

The glaring sun broke over the treetops, the sharp rays of light falling onto the leaf-scattered ground. Morning. Time to get going ... Kris let out a half-hearted whimper, his tounge hanging out as he scuffed the bone-dry leaves on the forest floor with his foot. The dry season had arrived.

Nosing his way through the dead grass, Kris grumbled in his throat when there was no water to be found. Not a spot of damp.

Feeling the dry air burning in his throat, Kris continued on through the forest.

The birds had lone gone, except a few who were perched in the highest branches, out of reach by far. The deer and foxes had moved south. He should, too, but he wasn't certain if he could make it there ...

For now, he would stay in this forest. Find water, hunt, and move on.

Kris didn't know when he realized that something was wrong.

Perhaps it was when he first noticed that the sky had darkened, and that little coil of worry had clung to his gut. He had brushed it off - a big mistake.

Always trust a wolf's instincts.

He had stopped, cocking his head to the side, ears pricked. He couldn't hear anything - anything but a quiet, yet sharp, crackling noise.

And then, a while later, he was wondering why the air actually felt like it was burning in his lungs, making him struggle for air as he padded along.

And when the vixen had streaked past him in a flurry of rusty-red and gold, disappearing with only a trail of the scent of panic left behind, Kris realized.

He was stupid.

The heat, the sudden dark of the sky, the smell, the crackling -

Forest fire.

Kris bolted.

You should have gone faster, he growled at himself as he raced along, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. How could he not have noticed? He had heard the stories, of the giant wall of orange and red and yellow, spitting, roaring, up anything that got in its way, making it shrivel up into a black mass which crumbled and blew away in the wind. He had even seen the scorch marks on the few barren tree stumps of the plains that had once been forest, shown to him by the head alpha before. He had been told how to run, and yet he didn't notice.

He stepped on a sharp rock, and yelped, the flash of pain in his paw making him stumble. As he scrambled to get back up again, to keep running, something hissed, spat. And it wasn't a snake.

A howl tore its way out of his throat as a red hot spark landed on the scruff on his neck, flaring up immeadiately. Dropping to the ground in a blind panic, he thrashed around, knowing only himself and the pain, yowling as he kicked out blindly, until finally, the blaze was out.

But there was no time to stop - he glimpsed the wall of blazing colours, blood red, firey orange, glaring yellow.

Kris let his instincts take over as he scrambled to his feet unsteadily, and fled.

But he was tiring rapidly, he knew - his breath was coming in spurts, ragged panting, and the burn in his legs were almost as intense as the burn on his neck. Several times he had stumbled, and now the blaze was closer than ever, towering above him, roaring - the roar of a beast, but a beast of unquenchable power.

Kris wasn't going to last much longer. And he knew it.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself on, his muscles and lungs screaming at him to stop.

Then he heard the howl.

Of a wolf.

His nose picked up the scent easily, and despite his mind trying to reason with him, telling him to Ignore it amd Keep running! but no, he didn't know what stopped him - but he skidded to a halt, his hind legs digging into the leaves, crunching under his paws as he loped towards the scent of the wolf. A young one.

Perhaps it was his instincts as an alpha, to take care of his pack

Or perhaps, even, it was that scent, that he hadn't smelt in such a long time, the scent of his own kind.

And when he came across the young alpha wolf, its white fur muddy, passed out on the ground, he let himself nudge it, and when it didn't respond, pick it up by the scruff of its neck like a pup, and run.

Not even when he first spotted the strange flashes of white at the corners of his vision, or when he felt like legs occasionally buckling, did he stop. Only when he felt the lukewarm water of the lake wash over his bruised paws, and when he saw several different wolves scampering out from behind trees towards them, did he let go of the wolf, convinced that it would be safe now, and only then did he attempt to back off, retreating back onto his own land, but suddenly he was on the ground, inch deep in water, and the world was fading away, the sharp, acrid smell of smoke in his nose, the taste of ash in his mouth.

***

The first thing Kris was the sounds. And since the last voice he had heard was his own maybe a year ago, it sounded strange, the sound of others talking.

"- just in time too -"

Wait ... the pack. Kris blinked. He was with another pack? He shouldn't be here.

He forced himself to his feet, and immeadiately the chatter around him ceased, and he internally cringed. Wait, why was he cringing? He was an alpha. He liked attention. It was probably those years roaming as a lone wolf.

"Oh, you're awake!" a smaller, silky brown beta grinned at him, which Kris found slightly strange, that overly friendly smile. Besides him, a tall, lean, grey alpha grinned at him too, but with an overly cheerful demour that Kris was also slightly creeped out. He struggled to his feet unsteadily, pretending not to see a smaller wolf try to help him up, and glanced around. Yep, this was definitely their grounds.

He briskly (attempted an) incline of his head towards the other wolves out of respect, and quickly said, even though his voice was hoarse and cracking and barely recognizable as his own. "Thank you for your kindness, I'll not bother you any longer. I'll, uh, go now." He started to back away into the trees, but the same small, bluish-grey wolf - his scent said alpha - trotted forwards, saying quickly ,"Oh no, it's fine, and your injuries -"

"My injuries will be fine," Kris stated. Although he doubted it.

A steel grey beta wolf sighed. "You're a stubborn one."

"Stay," insisted the blue-grey alpha. "Think of it as a thank-you, even."

Kris blinked. "A ... thank-you?"

"You saved Sehunnie, the wolf you brought back. Our maknae," explained the beta, and as he said that a muffled protest reached his ears, coming from a small shelter he hadn't noticed before. "Hyunggg! Jongin's the maknae too ..."

"He's still older than you, Sehun-ah," chuckled the beta. The tall alpha - he really should start learning their names IF he were going to stay - leaned back and yelled, "Don't worry baby Sehunnie, hy-"

"CHANYEOL!"

"Where's the hyung?" grumbled the wolf - Chanyeol - as he laid back dowm again, his tail thumping on the ground as he looked at Kris again expectantly. "Well?"

"I've been alone for the past two years, I think I can make it from here -" started Kris, but another wolf nosed its way out of the shelter, saying "But where's your pack? You must have a pack, right? Your scent is of a head alpha. Where's your pack?"

"Jongin," hissed the blue-grey alpha, as Kris stopped, a dark shadow passing over his face. "I don't have a pack." Pause. "Well, not any more."

"... Oh." the wolf - was he Jongin, then? - blinked, confusion and sympathy passing over his face, which made Kris' temper flare up a bit. He didn't need sympathy.

"I think I'll just g-"

"At least stay until your burns have healed," Chanyeol quipped. "You might be a lone, scary, big head alpha but you're not going to get very far on that." He pointed towards his still-bruised paws and the burns on his neck, back and legs. Kris held back from snapping at the wolf's disrespect (kind of) and sighed. He had a point.

"Fine." He glanced at the blue-grey alpha, and his face lit up. "Right! That's settled. I'm Junmyeon, or you can call me Suho if you prefer. That's Baekhyun, the brown beta, Chanyeol is that tall lanky alpha, Minseok is the grey beta, Jongin is that fawn-ish alpha ... You can meet the others later." Kris blinked, trying to absorb the information. "Oh, and you are ...?"

"Kris."

"Kris? That's a cool name ... Wait, though, is it your real name?"

No. It's Yifan. But that was before. "... No. But I go only by this name," he replied carefully.

Junmyeon - Suho - why did he give him two names?? - nodded, looking thoughtful. "Okay Kris. You probably know I'm the head alpha and you in my territory but I'll give you all the respect you need, and so will the others - right, guys?" he fixed them with a patronizing look, and they murmered, "Yes alpha." Suho - Junmyeon - smiled again. "Okay. Our territory is from the mountains to the lake. Don't go past the lake - I don't think anyone owns the territory there but I'm not taking any chances. There's a shelter in there, hunt anywhere here, or you're free to share our hunts, don't be weirded out by my pack, they're a bunch of oddities but they're really nice once you get to know them ... Uh, Sehun is still healing, there are twelve members so a couple you will meet later on." Suho stopped at Kris' glazed over eyes (his face hadn't moved at all) and giggled sheepishly. "Uh ... I'll stop now. You'll learn pretty quick, I'm sure."

"... Right." Kris nodded slightly, and blinked a few times. "I'll just ... go and sleep somewhere." This time, Suho - Junmyeon - GAH just Suho - didn't move to stop him, smiling at him cheerily until he turned and began padding out into the forest.

Well, they were a cheerful lot, he thought, sighing. After a while, wandering around the pack's territory, he had found a large willow tree, upon which he finally let out a deep breath, crawled under the long, flowing branches, curled up against the thick trunk, and slept.

~~~

It was probably evening by the time he had woken up. Kris blinked, staring around him, then jumped as he glimpsed another light grey omega staring at him with his head cocked to the side. "Hello."

Feeling slightly weirded out (again) Kris cautiously inclinded his head as a greeting.

"I take that you are Kris?" the omega said, still staring at him with those deer-like eyes.

Kris nodded.

"Are you okay? You had some nasty burns."

Nod again.

"Have you met everyone else yet? Jongdae, Tao ..."

Kris shook his head.

"Geez, you don't talk much, do you?" he sighed. "I'm Luhan by the way." Kris nodded, his face still stiff and unchanging. Luhan held it together for a while, then whined suddenly, "Why doesn't your face move? You have like, no expressions at all! Do you even hear me? Are you a wolf? Can wolves even get Botox?"

What the hell. He blinked in surprise at the last statement. "They can't ...?"

Luhan stuck his tounge out at the tree (Kris frowned in confusion) and turned back to him. "Well, it would be nice to see you have more than one expression by the next moon. Nice meeting you, Kris." Luhan grimned at him, then pushed the swaying leaves aside and trotted out. A second later, he darted back in. "Oh, and Tao actually managed to catch something today, but he won't share, so I guess you'll share the bunch of waterfowl Jondae and Minseok caught with us. Come whenever, we'll save some." Luhan winked at him (once again, Kris internally squirmed uncomfortably) and bounded towards the direction of the lake.

Kris blinked again.

*A few minutes later or maybe half an hour later or something*

Kris padded out of the willow tree's cover, his nose following the scent of meat as he carefully emerged from behind the shelter. There was a few feathers and a couple of chunks of meat on the bank of the lake, and besides them, chewing thoughtfully on a bone, was ...

"Oh, hello!" greeted the smoky black wolf cheerfully, jumped up onto his feet suddenly. "I'm Jongdae, or Chen, your choice -" Great, another two names to muddle ... "- yea, these are yours, Kris. If it's not enough, you can hunt whatever." Kris nodded, and carefully one of the birds, his teeth sinking into the flesh. Inside, he cheered - it had been so long since he had eaten a relatively decent meal, this was like a feast. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Chen watching him, the bone still half dangling out of his mouth. "Luhan's right, your face doesn't do much." He sniggered, before twitching slightly and a sudden panicked look swept across his face. "Oh, oops - alpha - sorry -"

Shaking his head to say that is was okay, Kris bent his head over, concentrating on his meal.

"You met the others?" Kris shrugged his shoulders. Not all of them.

"You probably won't have seen Tao yet." Tao? He shook his head.

Chen grumbled slightly, "Why doesn't he talk ..." before saying "Well ... You'll know him. Big grey wolf, big dark eyes, scary-looking, kickass fighting skills ..."

Kickass fighting skills?

Chen saw the confusion in his eyes, amd hurried on, saying, "Just don't steal his food, or stop him sleeping, or take his stuff, and you'll keep your limbs." Silence. "Oh come on, I was joking ..." mumbled the grey beta, pouting. Kris swallowed the last scrap of meat, starting to chew through the bones, the rather loud crunching being the only noise in the area.

An hour later, after Kris had drank from the small stream that he had discovered at the bottom of the mountain, he decided to try and explore the area, seeing if there was anything that he could do. After half an hour of absent-mindedly kicking fallen leaves about, playing with rocks from the mountain, and digging up wild mushrooms, Kris realized there wasn't really much for him to do alone. So he instead walked back to the direction of tue shelter, and a few minutes later, the concealed leafy structure came into sight. Outside the entrance, he saw Suho, chatting with ... Minseok? The steel grey one.

His colour is almost exactly the same as Minhyuk, a voice in his head whispered. Minhyuk ...

Shut up, he growled back, shaking his head as he headed for the lake. The voice fell silent, but Kris couldn't help the image of the beta flashing across his mind, his brown eyes alight with the joy of life, a grin pernament on his face.

But that was before.

And as the memories of his old pack started to flicker back into his mind, Kris couldn't take it anymore, trembling slightly in front of the lake before turning and bolting into the woods, ignoring the surprised calls of Suho and Minseok behind him.

He finally came to a halt, and looked around him in confusion. Where was he? He glanced down at the eldge he was standing on, above a pile of whitish grey rocks. Mountains, he concluded, before settling down where he was, peering out over the ledge.

He could see everything.

The lake, shimmering under the sunlight, and the two wolves who were splashing around in the shallows (Baekhyun and ... Chen?), the leafy entrance to the shelter, Suho and Minseok who were pacing around outside, the larger grey wolf - it must be Tao - who was play fighting with the slim, lighter grey omega, who must be Luhan.

He backed into the shadows provided by the overhanging ledge that was jutting out above him.

It was the perfect hiding place for him.

So Kris decided he was not going to leave. Not yet. He his stinging paws. Because my injuries aren't all healed yet, he reasoned, even though he knew in his heart that wasn't the real answer in his mind.

That night, instead of running down to join the pack with their meal, Kris carefully picked his way down the rocky slope, and bounded silently into the forest, following his nose as soon as he scented his prey. It was nothing big - a rather plump rabbit - but as he dragged it up to his little shelter, and started attacking his meal, he realized that, in a way, he was free - in safe terriritory (even if it wasn't his), had access to good food, water, his own shelter ...

There was just tthat matter of where he was going to go after he was fully healed.

As he started to crack his way through the bones, he settled with watching the pack below him. Suho was drinking at the lake, with his slightly tilted head indicating that he was keeping an eye on the other pack members. In the lake, a snowy-white wolf was nipping at the large grey wolf whom he recognized as Tao, the latter a lot more playful than he actually had realized, their barks almost reaching his ears from here. Another unfamilar wolf was sitting under the shade of a large beech tree, chattimg with Luhan, and Minseok who was absent-mindedly digging a hole in the ground, and filling it up again. A bundle of five wolves were rolling around on the floor, a swirl of black and grey and brown. It was so ... Disorganized, but controlled, in a way.

Just like my old pack.

Shut UP, Kris snapped again, trying to block out his mind. But it was true. Their playfulness, their almost strangeness, their friendship, everything ... It was like his old pack - before the last head alpha's death.

Looking back, Kris still couldn't really see how it had caused them to change, why it had caused them to change. Perhaps it was the sudden difference. The change in the leader. Perhaps they hadn't trusted him - he always thought they had been spoilt, anyway ...

Kris pushed aside the leftovers into a corner and padded down towards the stream, where he started to drink from the cool, clear water that was bubbling from under the wet black rocks.

Well, it wasn't like he was going to see them again anytime soon, he told himself firmly. Even at all.

No use worrying.

Kris let out a deep sigh as he sank down in tue furthest corner of the rocky shelter, away from the night's wind.

*A week later*

Opening his eyes, Kris scowled slightly at the bright - too bright - sun, before twisting his head around to try and check his burns. They felt alright, really - but the skin around his neck felt uncomfortably tight when he stretched it. His legs and paws seemed to be fine. Padding carefully over to the edge, he looked down, and then sat, watching the packs antics.

He distanced himself from them in the past week, so muh that he only ever made eye contact with Suho once or twice at the stream, and briefly with Baekhyun or Chen or Chanyeol when out hunting. Other than that, he kept himself away, hidden in his little shelrer of rocks.

Honestly?

They reminded him too much of his old pack to be with. As much as he himself scorned that notion, and how much he tried to forget them, he knew that that was the real reason.

And he feared that, one day, this pack would turn on him, turn on each other, like his old pack did. He knew from experience that even the closest of bonds could break so easily. He didn't want that to happen again, he didn't want that shock of the first agmrgument, that slow despair creeping over him as he watched his once loved pack crumble before his eyes, and that hopelessness because he just couldn't do anything about it, how hard he tried ...

It was best if he didn't really know them at all.

And he was going to leave anyway, what was the point?

Yes, better to just keep distance.

And he hunted alone for the last two years. And survived just fine.

Only physically, the voice in his head whispered. You know you hate being alone, and -

"Oh - there you are."

Kris jerked up, his legs already sprung to their feet beneath him. In front of him, Chen leapt back with shock "Geez, you have reflexes ..."

Kris didn't say anything. The smoke black wolf leaned down, and before he could stop him, yelled, "JUNMYEON FOUND HIM~"

Seriously, can't an alpha be left in peace?

Kris growled at Chen, who blinked at him owlishly. "What?"

"Just - ugh, never mind." Kris grumbled and jumped down off the ledge onto the rocks, startling a waiting Suho who yelped and jumped aside. Chen popped his head out from over the ledge, scrunched up his face, and said to him, "Your neck's fur has gone kinda red."

What?

"Huh?" Suho glanced at Kris, who shrunk away slightly, holding back from growling. "Oh yeah ... it doesn't look too bad though. Looks like a sunburn, the redness -"

"Can wolves even get sunburn?" Baekhyun sniggered, a grin on his face. "Why are you hiding anyway?"

Shaking his head, Kris stepped away. "It's nothing."

A caramel-brown wolf loped over, whom Kris had recalled the other members calling him Yixing. "I haven't seen you ... at all, really." Not knowing what to do, Kris just bowed his head awkwardly. "Uh ..."

"So ... You were avoiding us?" Suho prompted.

But before Kris could protest, Chen spoke up, any trace of his previous jokes vanished from his face.

"It's about your pack," he stated. It wasn't even a question. The grey wolf stared at him, his eyes suddenly boring so deep into him that he shifted uncomfortably. The rest of the pack had already disappeared, apart from Suho and Yixing. The silence after the question stretched on, until finally Kris broke and answered, "Yes."

"And you don't want the whole ... Fallout to happen again."

"Yes ..."

"You feel like you don't want us to turn out like that."

"Y-es ..."

"You think that if you distance yourself you won't know us enough for it to hurt."

"... Yes."

"And you still think you can go on as a lone alpha."

"Hang on Chen, how do you know all this?"

Suho and Lay stood close together to the side, watching with wide eyes as the grey beta sighed and looked at him. "I was in your place, once. Of course I would know."

"Jongdae?" gasped Yixing. "But ..."

"You are a ... beta," said Kris carefully, afraid of offending the younger. "How is it that -"

Chen blinked sadly a few times, before saying, "The head alpha's family were murdered by the neighbouring pack who were warring with us. They needed a leader, and fast. They quickly landed me, the strongest, even if I wasn't an alpha."

Suho frowned. "But that's not ... Right. It's forbidden."

Chen shook his head. "Our pack was always a playful one, one to go against the rules - but it was always casually. Never on this scale ... But they were desperate, I suppose."

"You weren't an alpha, not born with the mindset of one, the natural ability to lead so many ... Yet you were leading." Chen nodded, a sad look passing over his face. "You could see. It wasn't long before they were out of control - all but one. I felt guilty leaving them, and him, but Dongwoon is a capable alpha ..."

Suho nodded. "Chen ran into me whilst hunting in my territory. Technically, I should have tried to punish him and send him out, but ..." Yixing blinked. "Junmyeon is too soft hearted for that."

"Hey!" Junmyeon let out a weak laugh. "I took him in, but he was like you. Didn't trust us. But we got to him in the end - you would never have guessed this wolf was the one who never spoke, never laughed, hid all day ..."

Kris certainly wouldn't have guessed.

"See, you can trust us," said Chen, staring at him. "I know that these guys won't leave me like I left my old pack. It's not like that - I trust them.'

"It's not that easy." Kris sighed. "But ... I want to try."

Yixing stepped forwards, nudging his shoulder. "And you don't need to forget your old pack either."

Kris whined slightly. "I can't stop thinking that you guys are just like them, that you say that you'll never leave but then you won't be the same anymore and then I'll be the one who has to leave -"

"Kris?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

After a pause, and a look from Suho, Chen added "Please."

"Jongdae, that's not helping," laughed Suho. Kris blinked a couple of times, and wondered vaguely what that odd feeling in his heart was.

The three pack members looked at him. "You can stay with us, if you like," Suho said softly.

"I know you've been survived all alone for two years but even a lone, lone wolf needs a pack, some company." Chen blinked a few times, then half grinned, apparently satisfied with his preach.

Kris glanced over at the lake, where the other eight pack members were splashing around playfully. The territory which had unknowingly become like home to him, even in such a short space of time.

Chen was right. Kris was tired of lonliness.

"Kris?"

The latter turned back to them. He realized what that feeling had been.

Comfort. Safety. Familiarity.

He turned to face the three before him, who were watching with expectant faces.

"... Kris?" Chen asked, slightly uncertain - the elder hadn't talked for a while.

In answer, Kris took a deep breath, and said,

"Call me Yifan."

And smiled.

*Three years later*

"Junmyeon-ah?" Kris ducked out from under the shelter, his eyes seeking the small blue-grey alpha. He blinked, then turned to Tao who was lazily chewing at a spare bone. "Tao, where's Junmyeon?"

"Junmyeon hyung? Erm ..." Tao gulped down the small meal and looked around. "He said something about going with Jongin and Yixing hyung to meet this new pack who've moved into the area next to us, accross the lake ... Oh."

"Just him and Jongin?" Kris shifted uneasily. Tao picked up his discomfort, and frowned. "Jongin is a powerful alpha, but he's young, and the pack was big ..."

"How big?"

Luhan walked towards them quickly, a slightly troubled look in his eyes. "They have around twice as many as us. Many more." Kris glanced at them, then jumped to his feet. "I'm going."

By the time the trio had reached the trees by the lake, the rest of the pack members were all there. Junmyeon and Jongin hardly looked surprised, and Kris padded forwards to stand besides Junmyeon, and they waited in silence for a few minutes until a rustle sounded. His head snapped towards the sound, and behind him, he felt Jongin and Tao tense up, and the low, barely audible sound of Xiumin's deep growling reached his ears.

They edged closer to the lake's edge, and then was another rustle, and the first wolf appeared, swiftly followed by another, until there was what seemed to be the whole pack gathered at the shore.

Then their expressions turned to confusion, recognition, then shock.

Junmyeon blinked in confusion, and turned to glance at his own pack. Just as he opened his mouth to talk, he caught sight of the looks on Jongdae and Kris' faces, and swiftly put two and two together.

Yixing looked confused for a second, then Suho shot him a look. For a second, Yixing dazed, tgen realized, along with the rest of the pack.

Oh.

Well this is awkward.

"Minhyuk?" Kris was staring at a steel grey beta, before turning in a slow circle. "Jaehwan?" Chen was staring at the tall, bronze-coloured alpha who was standing at the head of the pack.

"You ... merged packs?" asked Kris.

Dongwoon nodded. "I am the alpha, along with Sunggyu -" he nodded at a tall, orange-brown alpha "- we both - ah - lost our leaders ... Sunggyu's pack helped us defeat the neighbouring pack we were warring with, after they fled from a flood in their territory. We merged packs, and well ..." he gestured around him. "Here we are."

Chen ran around the ledge of the lake, splashing through the shallows towards Dongwoon, flashing him an apolegetic grin. "Sorry for leaving you ..."

"It's okay," Dongwoon smiled. "You look a lot better here, anyway. Still not as good-looking as me, though."

"Sorry, I think you mean me," a golden-brown beta nudged him playfully. Chen laughed, and at the other side of the lake, Suho pushed Kris gently. "Go on, say hello to your pack. It's been what, five years?" Kris blinked, uncertain, then bounded over the water towards his pack, where Jaehwan was watching him cross.

"Hello, alpha." He bowed his head respectfully, and the rest of the pack followed. Kris was almost surprised at the show of respect. They've really changed.

"Long time?" Kris offered, smiling. Sunggyu grinned awkwardly. "We're sorry, alpha -"

"It's okay. And I see you've learned your lesson for real this time - yes?" he narrowed his eyes playfully at them. And just like that, the awkwardness melted away.

Back at their territory, the rest of the pack smiled as they watched. Luhan grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Such a coincidence. Who would have thought?" Suho chuckled, and a satisfied smile remained on his face throughout the day.

So did Kris.