Hongbin found it hard to get to sleep.

After tossing and turning in his bed for what seemed like hours, he gave up and decided to get some fresh air. 

He noticed that the fire was still running in the living room, and so was the heater. Taking a deep breath, the young wolf pushed open the main door and stepped outside.

The air was cold, and there was a slight breeze too. 

If Wonsik or Sanghyuk were here, they'd probably be freezing. He, however, being a wolf, was much less sensitive to the climate conditions. In fact, the freezing night air actually felt pleasant, a cool touch on his burning skin.

Finding a ledge overlooking the river not far from the cottage, he posted himself there for a while.

Lost in thought, he didn't hear someone come up behind him. 

"A little late to be out here, isn't it?"

He turned around to see a dark grey wolf standing there, with glowing silver eyes. 

"I just needed to think," Hongbin said.

Hakyeon shifted as he walked forward, coming up beside him. "I understand. We all need some time to think."

Hongbin took a deep breath. 

He was here. He could finally ask him about it. 

He opened his mouth but Hakyeon spoke up first. "If there's something you wanted to ask me, you can ask me now, while we're alone."

"How do you know my mother?" Hongbin asked without a moment's hesitation. "What kind of relationship did you have with her?"

Hakyeon smiled a sad smile. "It's not the kind of relationship you might think," he clarified first. "She saved my life."

"Huh?"

Hakyeon leaned back on his hands, looking up at the starry sky. "Picture this, Hongbin," he said. "You've just turned eighteen, you're just a few months away from being legal in Korean age, you're old enough to finally leave your pack." His gaze turned dreamy. "You're also an Alpha, which means you have big dreams of building your own pack. You know how you're going to lead it, also, you've got every detail figured out."

"What happened?" Hongbin softly asked.

Hakyeon took a deep breath. "I was overconfident. Forgot rule number one; never lose sense of your surroundings. Not only did I stumble into a territory that wasn't mine, I also came upon a lot of trouble."

"Wendigos?" Hongbin wondered.

"Vampires, actually," Hakyeon corrected. "A whole nest of vampires."

Hongbin and Hakyeon shared a little chuckle. "So what happened?"

"Well, I'd just gone and gotten myself into a load of trouble," Hakyeon narrated. "Just as I was thinking I was done for...she arrived."

"My mother?"

Hakyeon nodded. "I was looking up and I saw this grey wolf just standing there, such poise, such majesty. And the way the vampires nearly dissipated once they saw her? Amazing!"

Hongbin raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

Hakyeon gave a small smile. "The wolf I saw back then...was everything I had ever wanted to be."

Hongbin's eyes widened as Hakyeon continued to tell his story. "It then struck me that I'd wandered into another pack's territory, and the wolf standing in front of me was the Alpha. Surely she wouldn't let me live. I thought I was done for."

"What did she do?"

"She spared me." Hongbin looked up at that, surprised at his mother's decision. "Why?"

"I'm not sure myself," Hakyeon admitted. "When I asked her this, however, you know what she said to me?"

Hongbin shook his head.

"She said her own son was an Alpha, and she saw him in me." Hakyeon sighed softly. "She said that perhaps it was the curse of a mother, but how could she be expected to kill a young boy whose only crime was making a mistake...when her own son might be in that position soon?"

Hongbin looked at him. "So...my mother...spared you...because...of...me?" he asked slowly.

Hakyeon nodded. "She let me live, hiding me away from the rest of her pack until I'd gotten my bearings together. She also visited me a couple of times, bringing food."

"Then what happened?" Hongbin urged.

"Once I'd finally gotten back on my feet, she asked me whether I ha place to go, a plan. I said I didn't have one."

"What did she do?"

"She gave me a direction. Told me to go straight north until I reached a town. Said I could get an opportunity there as it was unclaimed land. I just needed to find the right person" Hakyeon chuckled slightly, smiling widely. "I still remember her exact words. 'If she asks, say that Seo Jaehee sent you. If she does not help you after that, just say that Rhea sent you.'"

Hongbin stayed silent.

"I owe your mother my life, not just living. Because I followed her advice, I was able to get to a prime spot of land before any other Alphas could get to it. I was able to start my life and meet the rest of my pack there. I only have your mother to thank, Hongbin-ah."

Hakyeon sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "When my pack was killed...I...I was lost. I had no idea what to do, it felt like my soul had been ripped out of me. And yet, I knew I had to do something, I just didn't know what." He raised his eyes.

"That was when I remembered your mother, the way she had helped me three years ago. I knew she'd help me again if I asked. Or at the very least, I could warn her about the threat. However, when I began my search, I quickly found out that my pack wasn't the first to be hit, and that they'd gotten to her pack first."

He turned to Hongbin. "I felt lost, like hope had really left me, until I remembered she said she had a son, who was also an Alpha. I thought, perhaps I could seek him out, turns out, he was also looking for me."

Hongbin looked down. "I-I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say," Hakyeon told him. "You asked me how I knew your mother, well, that's the answer."

"Why didn't she ever tell me about you?"

Hakyeon smiled slightly. "Well, I guess your father and you wouldn't have taken too kindly to me," he suggested.

Hongbin shrugged in agreement, pursing his lips. "Yeah...probably..."

"Well, now you know," Hakyeon said, getting up.

Hongbin nodded. "Wait...this entire story...you just don't seem so..." He struggled to find the right words.

"All-powerful, knowing, mysterious, just like another lost wolf, just like you?" Hakyeon supplied.

Hongbin nodded. Hakyeon gave him a smile before ruffling his hair. 

"Despite what the rumors might have made you think, I've literally only been on my own for three years. I'm as clueless as you are, right now."

He made his way inside. "Coming?" 

Hongbin nodded. "I'll be there in a moment. I just need to be alone for a while." 

Hakyeon hummed. "Well, don't stay out too long. You'll need your rest for what might happen."

He shifted into his wolf form and trotted off, leaving Hongbin alone by the river.