At first, Nayeon was afraid that Jihyo might not actually recognize her. The way the alpha stepped back immediately upon her arrival told her so, and she wasn’t exactly sure what to do after that. For as far as she knew, they were standing face-to-face simply blinking at each other. Actually, they’d been blinking at each other for probably more than three minutes now, and Nayeon felt Jungyeon shifting awkwardly into a sitting position behind her. This was awful. Recognized her or not, Nayeon pleaded mentally for Jihyo to say something—anything—to save them from this foreboding silence that was slowly decaying her.

“Why are you here?” Jihyo finally spoke, narrowing her large eyes.

It was hard to tell whether she was actually irritated or just confused, but Nayeon prayed for the latter due to her critical situation right now. She needed Jihyo’s fullest cooperation for just a few minutes and promised herself to explain everything afterwards. Although she was truly scared of Jihyo’s reaction to her little act, she really didn’t have much of a choice.

Nayeon turned full-bodied to Jihyo and exclaimed with a wide smile. “Weren’t you looking for me? Well, here I am!”

God, she was trying hard—real hard. Her eyes begged Jihyo’s sharp emerald ones, and she made an effort to wag her tail. The alpha’s complexion was unreadable, but Nayeon continued to pray.

‘Jihyo, I swear I will love you forever i-’

“I could barely even recognize you.” The alpha’s face lightened as she laughed. “How long has it been?”

‘Jihyo, you are officially the best wolf on this very Earth.’ Nayeon declared as she laughed along, turning to Jungyeon who seemed equally relieved. It broke her a little to see how much the other beta really cared about her, but it was a little too late to feel bad now. She was about to thank her when Jungyeon readied herself to leave, facing the forest in which she came from several moments ago. Nayeon’s mouth went dry immediately.

This was it.

‘Wasn’t this your idea?’ She asked herself. ‘Isn’t this what you wanted, Nayeon?’

Maybe. She didn’t really know. The wind sped up and slightly ruffled all of their furs, making Jungyeon’s back even more apparent to Nayeon’s eyes. The younger beta was walking away—she was leaving.

This was really it.

Nayeon barely knew her, barely been with her for two full days, and yet there was something bitter about witnessing Jungyeon slowly getting farther away from her. It was so wrong because this was supposed to be happening, but Nayeon was regretting it dearly. She really had no reason to be. Not if she’d already planned for this to happen and intended it to go this way. Plus, she—of all wolves—had seen most of her closest friends leave her side before. This should not be any different. The feeling was strange, but this wasn’t the best time to be contemplating her decisions. Jihyo nudged her urgently the moment Jungyeon went out of earshot.

Nayeon turned. “Look, I’m injured.”

“I can see that.” Jihyo remarked rather sharply.

“Yeah, so I can’t really move too much nor hunt.” Nayeon begged her friend through their eye contact. “Which means…”

“Which means you want me to take care of you.”

“Excellent deduction.” Nayeon wagged her tail more furiously. “You wouldn’t mind would you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t tell me you would let me die out here like this.”

“Maybe.”

“Jihyo!” Nayeon whined and nuzzled her under the chin, causing the alpha to cringe.

“Alright, alright!” Jihyo sighed and Nayeon’s face lit up. “But who was that then?”

“A friend.” The older replied plainly.

“You told her to bring you here?”

“Yeah.”

“How did you find her if your leg is like this?”

“I didn't. She found me.” Jihyo looked at her perplexedly, and Nayeon continued. “See, I was losing blood and fainted, but then she took me in and all.”

“Why didn’t you stay with her then?”

The question hit Nayeon hard, mainly because she had been thinking about it herself ever since she got here. What was the reason behind her effort? That she might have fallen for Jungyeon from the moment she saw her? But did she even want it to get to this point? Clearly, there wasn’t a lot of thinking beforehand.

“I don’t know, Jihyo.” Nayeon laughed pathetically.

“Why did she bring you here then?”

“I told her to. I said that you were an old friend who was looking for me.”

“And why?”

“I don’t know, Jihyo!” Nayeon pulled back her ears and glanced out contritely at Jungyeon’s small figure in the distance. “I don’t know what I was thinking which is why I’m regretting it all.”

“What do you want to do now?”

“What is there left to do?”

“Answer me first.”

Sunset would be here soon, and Nayeon stared achingly at Jungyeon’s increasingly smaller frame on the horizon. Her heart constricted and screamed at that point for her to do something—anything. She couldn’t allow Jungyeon to leave without a proper goodbye.

“I want to go after her.” Nayeon said—declared almost—with the sternest expression Jihyo had ever seen on her.

“Then go.” The alpha encouraged.

“Really? Now? Like this?”

“Well, either that or you’ll be regretful forever.”

Nayeon’s golden orbs glinted. “How?”

“However you want to do it.”

“What if I want her to stay?”

“Stay with us?” Nayeon nodded to which Jihyo shrugged. “Then, she’ll stay with us.”

“Are you serious?” The older looked at her as if she was joking.

“Yes.” The alpha’s voice was calm and decisive.

There was really no reason for Jihyo to refuse. She was going to deal with Nayeon anyways, so why not let another wolf tag along? Also, the gummy smile that the beta gave her afterwards was enough to not doubt her decision.

Nayeon wasted no time getting on her feet. Her steps were still unsteady and messy as she limped in the direction of Jungyeon. The younger was far away enough to appear as only a small dot in the distance. Her determination kept her going, and her effort was very evident in the way she scrambled helplessly across the snow. At some point, she began to call Jungyeon’s name, knowing that she would never be able to catch up in this rate. When Jungyeon didn’t hear her the first time, she screamed again louder. The plains were wide and vast with little obstacles to obstruct the younger beta from hearing her. Nayeon just hoped that some fragments of her voice could get to her—it didn’t matter how much just something to give Jungyeon a reason to turn around. At her fifth yelp, the younger beta looked back, and Nayeon nearly jumped with joy. Unfortunately, her happiness overwhelmed her concentration, thus she missed a footstep and ended up tumbling down a small slope in despair. At that point, Jungyeon seemed to have gotten the hint.

The younger wolf broke into a sprint when Nayeon fell, covering the long distance between them with ease due to her long legs. Meanwhile, Jihyo watched them both anxiously from her position, hoping Jungyeon would hurry before Nayeon tried too hard and hurt her other leg.

“Are you ok??” Jungyeon drew closer, supporting one of Nayeon’s side with her muzzle.

The older smiled but at the same time, the amount of care that was displayed through Jungyeon’s actions made her feel even more guilty. Red-orange orbs studied her carefully as she regained her posture. Nayeon thought the younger looked stunning in this lighting, especially when the colors of the lowering sun was almost equivalent to those of her eyes. It was almost too much all at once, because the concerned look on Jungyeon’s face gave Nayeon all the courage she needed.

“I’m fine.” The older nodded to assure that she was fine.

“What happened?”

“I just wanted to say thank you.” Nayeon laughed to calm herself, otherwise she would start shaking.

“Oh.” Jungyeon’s complexion softened. “You came all this way for that?”

“Yeah. I might never see you again.”

It was true, and it was probably one of the many realizations that caused Nayeon to go after her.

“Mhm.” Jungyeon agreed and nodded.

“Well, thanks.”

“You’re very welcome.”

The time was now. Something swept over Nayeon like a tidal wave, urging her to quickly bring Jungyeon closer before she decided to leave again. It was nerve-wracking because she honestly didn’t know what to say, just knew that she had to say something now. Her eyes must have shown her nervousness because Jungyeon crocked her head as if waiting for the delayed words to leave Nayeon’s mouth.

“What are you planning to do now?” The older beta asked plainly.

“Go back to the grove.” Jungyeon replied matter-of-factly.

“But it’s getting dark soon.”

“Well,” The younger glanced up at the sky. “I’ll camp somewhere until sunrise.”

Nayeon gulped. “W-why don’t you stay with us?”

Jungyeon looked at her, not in a bad way just surprised. “I can do that?”

“Well, I’m inviting you, aren’t I?”

The wolf had an unreadable expression that did nothing but increase Nayeon’s anxiety. If Jungyeon refused, every bit of effort the older’d put in to chase after her would go to waste. She wasn’t even sure if she would ever be the same after this.

“I guess it won’t hurt.” Jungyeon shrugged. “If that’s ok with your friend, that is.”

Nayeon felt like she had made it all through this dreadful winter already.

“Jihyo’s quite easy-going, you don’t need to worry.”

“That’s good.”

The two began to walk which meant that the older beta’s every move was being observed by Jungyeon’s attentive eyes. Nayeon tried to hold out for as much as she could, but eventually her footsteps started to become unsteady. The younger beta immediately rushed in to support her, and Nayeon wondered what good she did to have met this wolf. Her head found itself subconsciously leaning into Jungyeon’s neck as the younger escorted her back up to Jihyo.

~~~***~~~

The moon soon came to signal nighttime and wind speed subsided for a peaceful night. On a small plateau not too far away from the river, three wolves were settling down for the night. It was much colder away from the woods and exposed in the barren field without the trees shielding them. It was good that there was little wind tonight. Once on the plateau, the three of them laid down and aligned themselves in an awkward semicircle. Jungyeon—Jihyo concluded—had a personality that heavily contradicts her physical features. She was polite and friendly despite towering over both Nayeon and Jihyo. Even when Jihyo offered her the kill she’d caught, Jungyeon refused after insisting that she would catch something for herself in the morning. Nayeon didn’t let that happen, of course, and beseeched Jungyeon to eat until the younger gave in.

There were some interesting dynamics between the two of them, Jihyo noticed. She had known Nayeon as a good speaker and more than anything a sociable wolf, but this wasn’t the case now. She had morphed into an attentive listener in the presence of Jungyeon, only asking questions and nodding to what the other beta had to say. There was this spark in her eyes whenever Jungyeon made a small joke to which she would laugh longer than expected. It wasn’t hard to detect the fondness in Nayeon’s eyes and the way they glowed with a warmer shade of gold the moment Jungyeon looked at her.

“I think Jihyo here is an equally compelling hunter.” Jihyo looked up when Jungyeon glanced in her direction.

“It was just a of luck.” The alpha smiled. “The caribou also happened to be injured and I took my chances.”

“Well, not a lot of wolves are lucky enough to have such an opportunity.”

“I guess I so.”

“So, Jihyo.” Nayeon flashed the alpha a teasing grin. “You did heed my advice to go north after all.”

Jihyo groaned and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Really? You’re not the least curious at all, then?”

It would be easy to say no if it wasn’t for Nayeon’s cheeky wink that gave Jihyo no choice but to admit it. With a reluctant nod, the alpha curled herself up in an effort to avoid talking about it further. She expected Nayeon to integrate her on it but was surprised when the older simply laughed it off.

“I don’t blame you. It is a very beautiful place. Have you ever heard of the Noura Valley?” Nayeon turned to Jungyeon.

“I might if I didn’t spend all my life cooped up in the grove.” The younger beta shook her head.

“Right.” Nayeon chuckled. “Ever since the last pack that occupied it disappeared, the place has been abandoned because nobody really knows the entrance to get inside the valley.”

“Can’t you technically climb over?” Jihyo couldn’t help but chime in.

“Trust me, winter is a hundred times worse when you’re on an entire mountain range.”

“I’m surprised a wolf like you hasn't found the way in yet.”

“Not that I didn’t but because I haven’t even tried. The purpose of that valley appeals to a pack, not to a loner like me.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“Yeah, but don’t tell me you have never thought of leading a pack before, Jihyo.”

The alpha snorted. “Like I have anyone left to lead.”

“Well, there’s always somebody.” Nayeon yawned and rolled on her back to face the stars.

“You sound too sure of yourself.”

“Maybe I am. I do think you make a great leader, Jihyo. You would know what to do with the place.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

~~~***~~~

Jungyeon was awoken by a series of sharp jabs to her side and thigh. At first, she decided to just ignore it, confident that her thick coat would prevent it from penetrating her skin. Her drowsiness agreed, so she fell back to sleep until the jabbing became a nuisance. With a groan, Jungyeon’s eyes fluttered open. It wasn’t a very pleasant start to the day. The morning air was dry and frigid as a heavy blanket of mist layered itself across the snowy field around her. There was no precipitation or wind. Just the cold and its foggy companion.

With a yawn, Jungyeon turned to her right side to investigate the mysterious jabbing that assaulted her all morning. Her vision adjusted as she made out a patch of silvery fur, then her eyes shut completely when out of nowhere something smacked her across the muzzle. She growled, only to realize that the projectile was a paw—a rather big paw to be exact. A string of mumbled whimpering informed Jungyeon of the culprit, and she didn’t even need to turn around to know that Nayeon’s hind legs were sloppily kicking her. To much of Jungyeon’s delight, the jabbing eventually did cease.

Nayeon was spanned out on her back, paws pointing upwards, and head tilting in Jungyeon’s direction. She was snoring soundly with the tip of her tongue stuck out, a sight that drew out a quiet chuckle from the younger beta. Up close, Jungyeon thought she was very pretty. She began to observe minor details like the bits of silver fur on the older’s neck. Although her coat was mostly a sandy beige, Nayeon also had these silver highlights that outlined certain parts of her body. The most obvious being the lining that ran from the top of her forehead down to the tip of her tail. It was these same silvery touches that caught Jungyeon’s attention when she first saw Nayeon half-dead on the forest floor. Ever since she lost her family, Jungyeon lived a secluded and introverted lifestyle under the shadows of the trees. She still hadn’t figure out why she decided to save Nayeon of all wolves that day. Maybe it was her overall demeanor, because there was always something so unique about the older beta. Jungyeon swore it wasn’t just her outer appearance or fetching personality that made her incredibly captivating.

Jungyeon froze when Nayeon twitched, almost fearing that she woke the other beta up by simply staring. It turned out that wasn’t the case, because Nayeon was still heavily asleep when she stretched and shifted on her belly. She also pressed herself closer to Jungyeon so that her snout was now resting on the younger’s paw. The suddenness of her actions made Jungyeon flinch.

After a few minutes of watching Nayeon’s body rise and fall steadily, Jungyeon knew there was no way she could go back to sleep now. She glanced across to see Jihyo stirring, and a part of her wished that the alpha would wake up too. It was mean, but it was better than being the only one awake. Three minutes later, Jihyo opened her eyes.

“Good morning.” Jungyeon greeted, hoping not to sound too awkward.

“Ah, hey.” Jihyo blinked at her sleepily, but then quickly narrowed her eyes. Jungyeon’s ears slightly pulled back when she caught the emerald orbs glaring at her.

“Jungyeon.”

“...Yes?”

“You’re still here.”

“Um, yes.”

“Huh.” Jihyo’s eyes returned to its normal state. “I thought you would have left already.”

Jungyeon finally realized what she meant. Up until now, she didn’t even know she was supposed to either. Their little sleepover last night wasn’t permanent and as a common expectation between loners, Jungyeon should have been gone by now. Gone and back to her home among the trees.

But the grove was honestly the last thing she wanted to see right now.

It was hard to believe, but she felt the need to stay. Nayeon had only invited her to stay but didn’t really specify for how long. There was just something about the three of them—about these strangers she literally had just met. Something strong, powerful, and promising.

“Well, I guess you’re not really able to leave.” Jihyo glanced at Nayeon and chuckled.

“I’m lucky she hasn’t clawed my face off.” Jungyeon smiled at the sandy beige beta sleeping on her paw.

Nayeon didn’t take long to wake up after that. She first started to stir with a whine and a stretch, then she rolled another round onto her side where her ears twitched slightly. Her eyes only fully opened when she’d finish adjusting them to the light.

“Good morning to my fortune-teller.” Jihyo teased, earning a grumpy stare from the sandy beige beta. “Did you see the entrance to the valley in your dreams?”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t.”

“That’s too bad. Maybe next time you’ll have more exciting prophecies for me, mhm?”

Nayeon growled lowly. “If it’s not too early in the morning and I still have my leg, you would want to watch what you say, Jihyo.”

“Ah, sorry.” Jihyo dipped her head.

They all kind of smiled at each other after that. No words needed to be exchange, and Nayeon didn’t even bother to question why Jungyeon was still here. Even if she planned on leaving later, the older was happy that she didn’t leave yet.

AN:

my peoples

sorry for the delay heres some 3mix bonding before we get to badass Momorin

its the end of the yr n im tryna balance finals n freetime so pls forgive moi

this isnt Frost related but lemme know which pairing u want to see—jeonghyo or Samo

;))) i have plans

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE KIND COMMENTS, PLEASE CONTINUE TO READ AND BEAR WITH ME FOR A FEW MORE WEEKS!