The storm went as suddenly as it had arrived. The wolves huddled up for two days, which were barely noticeable since they mainly hibernated for most of the blizzard’s duration. One day, they woke up to a perfectly clear bright sky, almost a little too clear for a winter sky. The sun beamed down, reflecting its rays off the crystal snowflakes like nothing had happened at all. Every sign of the blizzard was gone, vanished as if the storm never happened. There was obviously a lot more snow, but the sunlight made it look too pretty and natural to be the same snow that’d attacked their faces a few days back. Everything simply looked nicer. The temperature rose. Everything felt nicer. It was odd, but a big relief nonetheless. The wolves certainly appreciated it.

They left the den the moment they could. Chaeyoung and Dahyun exchanged a few sad looks before they left. The place was their home for quite a while. But now, they were on their way to a better home. A bigger new home that had promised itself to be permanent. They were finally going to enter the valley under Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s guidance. Though they had all woken up relatively hungry, the auspicious journey encouraged them on. Nayeon was especially excited. The sandy beige beta shot to the front of the line once they departed, lodging herself between Dahyun and Chaeyoung as they led the way. Jihyo only chuckled. It was only right that she get to be the first one to see the valley she’d always prophesied.

They half-jogged along the rocky cliffs for the entire morning, stretching their legs from all that time napping about. A few stomachs did growl occasionally, but the wolves tried to distract themselves with how pretty the weather was. Jihyo tagged idly behind the pack with Jeongyeon, Momo and Sana were in front of them, Tzuyu and Chaeyoung were ahead of those two, and Dahyun seemed to have taken the lead with Nayeon.

It was quite funny, really. Tzuyu talked to Chaeyoung the most among all of them, yet she was the first one who flashed her fangs at her. She liked the older delta quite a lot. It was kind of obvious. The way she leaned in a little whenever Chaeyoung was saying something, the way she wagged her tail gently whenever Chaeyoung laughed, and her meek smiles. Their conversations, in general, were clear evidence of how well they had been getting along. Chaeyoung was the naturally more curious wolf in their pack, and her innate confidence allowed her to never hesitate in asking Tzuyu about her city life. Their youngest, in her own equally bold ways, never hesitated in filling her in on every detail. Some were very gruesome actually, like that one time Tzuyu’s crew chased an enemy pack’s dog out of their turf. Together, they’d tackled the scrawny german shepherd, tore off one of its ears, and chewed off a chunk of its tail. Violent, yes, but Chaeyoung simply nodded without reacting in any form of absolute bewilderment. Tzuyu was impressed with her coolness. Considering that she was the dogs’ leader and the one to signal the attack, she admired that the older did not think of her as some cold-blooded terror. Not to mention their size differences. And this was the wolf Chaeyoung stood up to a few nights ago? All by herself before anyone else noticed? A wolf double her size? Had Tzuyu not been stressed enough about the wild and the high winds, she might have just devoured her. Yet, she didn’t. She probably would never be able to, because Chaeyoung was fierce, much more than she looked and extremely terrifying when she shifted into her defensive stance.

Tzuyu liked this little pack, actually. Aside from their hospitality, she found comfort in the vibrant personalities of the wolves and their dynamics around each other. It was much more relaxed than her hectic old life. She didn’t have to wake up worrying about a raid on another pack or on a butcher’s shop. She didn’t have to care about how to stop the dogs from fighting each other, and she definitely didn’t have to fear about getting caught by a human one day. After all, she had to do a lot to get where she was. To keep that position was even harder than getting there. Assassinations were not uncommon among these gangs. Yet, she alone had mastered over the vicious street dogs and kept them in firm order. Well, at least until recently. But it was all over now. She didn’t need to hold onto her hide all the time, and the fresh air made it all worthwhile. Back on the streets, car smokes and rotting garbage cans seemed to be the only thing you could breathe in.

It was all going well, but something unfortunate had to happen before they made it to their dreamlike valley. It was kind of her fault, though. Dahyun warned her about the deep snow, but she was quite too busy talking about what might be in store for them to notice. That was how their beloved eldest tripped and fell straight into a snow ditch. She panicked but managed to crawl halfway out of it. Her back legs, however, were very much stuck. The snow had collapsed down around it, and the blizzard had turned the once soft flakes into hard ice. Nayeon tried kicking, but the snow was too rigid. She yelped as the pack gathered around. Jeongyeon, who was at the end of the line, darted to the front in a matter of seconds. After seeing that the other beta couldn’t move, she made an effort to dig out the snow. Where the snow was too hard that her claws slipped right off, she used her fangs to break through. She was very concentrated and eager, which made Nayeon ever the more mesmerized by watching her. The sandy beige beta pulled herself out the moment her legs could move. She shook herself fully, disposing some flakes off her fur and back onto the ground.

“Are you ok?” Jeongyeon came forward to look her over.

“Yes, thank you.” The older nodded.

Nayeon slid past her, nudging the younger’s chest with her shoulder. She smiled, and Jeongyeon was left stunned as the rest of the pack moved on. She joined in at the back of the line again, eyes glued to her paws as she walked.

“Psst!” Jihyo leaned closer to her.

Jeongyeon looked up, confused. “Why are you whispering?”

“Because you like her.” The leader continued in her quiet voice. It was actually not that quiet since Sana could hear her and giggled.

“I do not.” The older denied plainly.

“You went stiff for a second when you saw her fall, Jeong, I saw you.”

The beta growled. “She could have gotten hurt. I would have done the same if any of you fell.”

“But would you just stand there dumbfounded if any of us nudged you?”

“Agh! Stop it, I looked dumb, I know.”

Jihyo smiled. “Just admit it already.”

“I don’t like her. Why would I like her?”

“Why would you not like her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is she not likable?”

“No...” Jeongyeon said rather quickly.

Jihyo laughed again. “Then, I don’t know, Jeong.”

“Stop teasing me.” The older snarled and bit Jihyo’s neck playfully.

When the leader wiggled her way out of the death grip, Jeongyeon turned away. The orange in her eyes darkened a shade as she tucked back her ears. “She wouldn’t like me back anyway.”

“Do you know that?”

“...No…”

“You should have seen the way she looked at you.”

“Mhm.” Jeongyeon only nodded at that.

The doubt was still circling in her mind and the leader knew it. It was obvious by her still tucked back ears and lowered head. Jihyo, however, decided to drop the subject. That was something Jeongyeon needed to find out for herself. It was something they both needed to find out either alone or together.

~~~***~~~

The Noura Valley’s entrance was in the center of a rockfall. Large piles of snowy boulders guarded it from either side, leaving a clear pathway in the middle. It looked as if a random wall of the mountain range had been pulled down. Beyond the opening, there were sights of evergreen trees and more white tundra plains. They all knew they’d reached their destination when Nayeon let out the loudest happiest howl known to canines. She stood in front of the entrance for a bit, head tilted upwards where the empty space between the cliffs met the blue sky. Her eyes glistened as golden as the sun, and she smiled. The wolves waited patiently behind her, a form of respect because they knew how much she wanted this. They were waiting for her to take the first step inside. But Nayeon didn’t, instead, she turned around towards their tawny leader. The smile never left her face.

“Well? Are you going to fulfill the prophecy for me?” The sandy beige beta cocked her head. The tease was evident in her voice.

Jihyo rolled her eyes. She chuckled but stepped forward, nonetheless. She passed every member of her pack, passed the smirk on Nayeon’s face, and passed the rockfall that led them into their new home. The wolves followed her, basking in both the fresh cool air and the lingering pride around them.

The valley was too perfect that it was almost fantastical. It was big, but not too vast to be a cozy and secure home protected by the mountain’s walls. A forested area outlined nearly all around its perimeter, tall green pines contrasting against the gray rocks. The valley was divided into two sections—the high valley and the lower valley. The lower valley was bigger, consisting of the entire eastern side of the whole valley and a little bit to the west of the rockfall. It was all snowy flat plains, a perfect natural hunting ground. A frozen lake laid at its southern end and connecting to the lake, a narrow creek zigzagged out to cut the lower valley in half. A steep incline on its western side led up to the high valley—almost like a very long hill—thus providing the barrier that separated the two sections. The higher valley had three empty caves, all of which laid on its southern front. The three dens varied in size, one being obnoxiously bigger than the other two. A small pond rested in its central north, and a waterfall cascaded down on its western end.

The wolves took their time exploring the entire territory until the late evening. If things weren’t already looking good enough, it appeared that the lower valley was home to a herd of caribou. The wolves managed to take down an old member of the herd as they passed. All that wandering around made them even more hungry than they’d come, and they took chase the moment they could. Not everyone participated in the hunt, however. Jeongyeon, Momo, and Tzuyu beat them into tackling the unfortunate prey before they all had a chance. The meal was a refreshing bonus to conclude a day of nonstop venturing. The wolves ate and in the meantime, Jihyo thought this was the perfect time to get organized. If they were going to settle down as an official pack, they were going to need some type of structure. That would come with individual roles, and Jihyo was more than eager to get them started on deciding who would do what.

They skipped over the leader herself because her role was obvious enough. There was to be a hunting team under Momo as the lead hunter. She was an alpha after all, and they felt like she should be the leader of something at least. Although unlike most alphas, Momo hated being the center of things and more responsibilities just irritated her. She accepted this position, mainly because she excelled at hunting in general. A scouting team was to be formed also because they were no longer nomads. If they were to claim this territory, they needed to enforce it properly. The mountains had already provided a natural shield around them but for extra security, the scouts’ duties was to do daily patrols, scent markings, and report back any suspicious sightings. Dahyun was to be the leader of that team, because her eyesight was just too insanely good. Chaeyoung and her excellent hearing qualified her for the role as well but due to previous medical training, she would also act as their medic. Tzuyu, incredible for both her strength, size, and experience, would be both a scout and a hunter. Sana opted to stay back as the keeper of the dens. She had a mysterious issue with hunting and while none of them knew why—except maybe for Momo—they didn’t think too much about it. Omegas usually didn’t participate in hunting anyway. As for Jeongyeon and Nayeon, they were to be Jihyo’s two advising betas due to their seniority within the group. Together, the three of them—the “management team”, Dahyun had proudly nicknamed—were the glue of the pack and were obliged to participate in hunting or any useful activities whenever they could.

“We should have an ambassador.” Nayeon suggested in the middle of their talk.

“Eh?” Sana cocked her head.

“A what?” Jihyo turned to their eldest.

“An ambassador. All great big packs have them.”

“I don’t think we really need one, Nayeon…” The leader glanced around. “Not with this mountain range surrounding us.”

“Oh, come on! The Ice Whiskers had one.”

“And how do you know this?” Dahyun laughed.

“I got a chance to meet them once in my lifetime.” Nayeon beamed with pride.

“Ah, right...” Jihyo nodded slowly and hesitantly.

“You met the most legendary pack of the entire Ivic region?” Dahyun eyed her skeptically.

“Yes.” Nayeon stated confidently. “I had to meet Yoona first before Taeyeon.”

“So, we should have an ambassador just in case some random venturers like Nayeon come, and we need to greet them.” Jihyo concluded after rolling her eyes. Chaeyoung couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“And to negotiate with other packs.”

“I don’t think we live in a very open area to get many diplomacy visits.”

“The Starset Fangs are much smaller than us, but they still have one!”

Dahyun raised a paw. “Let me guess, you met Wheein as well.”

“Of course, I did! Moonbyul took me hunting once.” Nayeon raised her head up rather narcissistically.

“Since you’re basically an entire wolf encyclopedia, why don’t you be the ambassador?” Jihyo offered.

“Fair enough.” Nayeon nodded. Judging by her smirk, it was what she had been going for all along.

Their leader stood up. “Alright, why don’t w—”

“Wait.” Chaeyoung interrupted. “You all know what I’ve been noticing?”

The pack exchanged looks and shook their heads.

“We need a name.”

“She’s right.” Nayeon’s eyes lit up at the thought of further officializing their pack. How could she have forgotten about that?

“Eight Nice Wolves.” Tzuyu stated rather confidently. Jeongyeon blinked at her.

“Something…a bit cooler.” Dahyun suggested and their eldest nodded in quick agreement.

“Eight Cool Wolves.” Tzuyu tried again. It rolled off her tongue just as calmly and seriously as the last name. Momo actually chuckled, but not in a mocking way or anything. She liked Tzuyu’s mind.

“I saw a red canary today.” Sana blurted out rather randomly.

“You saw a bird in the middle of winter?” Momo gawked at her.

“Yes.” Sana nodded furiously. “It could be a sign.”

“She has a point.” Nayeon studied the omega’s very convinced face.

“We are not going to be called the Canaries.” Dahyun intercepted.

“The Rosy Canaries!” Sana jumped up, tail wagging fast.

“No…” Dahyun objected.

“Maybe something about flight?” Jeongyeon contributed.

“What about flight?” Jihyo turned to her.

“I don’t know.” The black and white beta shrugged. “Something.”

“The Rose Feathers.” Chaeyoung suddenly declared. Nayeon looked at her like she was the most creative wolf in the world.

“I like that.” Tzuyu smiled.

“Elegant.” Jeongyeon nodded.

“Cool enough.” Dahyun added.

The rest of the wolves dipped their heads in accord.

“Then, the Rose Feathers it is.” Jihyo approved.

They’d finished going through everything just as the night sky fell down upon them with its sparkling stars. The moon embraced the entire valley under its silvery glow, and the wolves began heading onto the higher valley. Whatever was left of their carcass—which wasn’t much—was left for the ravens to finish. They had not quite decided what to do with the other two caverns, but the largest one was definitely going to be their main den. It was massive and had a few layers of rocky ledges to sleep on. They entered the vast cavern, glancing around as they went in. This time, the ceiling was much taller than Tzuyu. The wolves quickly spread out and settled down across the cave—Jihyo flopped down in one corner, Jeongyeon sat down next to her, Nayeon stayed near the mouth of the cave, Chaeyoung leaped up on a ledge, Tzuyu laid down at the other corner, and Dahyun, Sana, and Momo were just starting to walk inside. The bluescale alpha suddenly let out her signature dying squirrel sneeze midway in. She shook against Sana, then sniffed. Her sky blue eyes narrowed.

"I think I smell something." She glanced around.

"What?" Sana leaned closer to her. Her tail curled up at the tip.

"I don't know, like a wolf. It's very faint."

"Maybe, you're smelling the old wolf pack that used to live here."

"Wouldn't that be too long ago?"

"You have a pretty sharp sense of smell, Momo."

The bluescale alpha hummed, but Sana could tell she was still suspicious. Within the next ten minutes, most of the wolves were already fast asleep. The journey had taken its toll on them. Jeongyeon actually felt a bit restless. It was strange, because she never had a problem with sleep before. She tapped her tail soundlessly on the rocky floor, blinking into the darkness as she laid there. She caught glimpses of the silver lining along Nayeon’s back and watched the way the older beta’s chest rose and fell. Funny, how the older was the first thing her eyes wanted to find. Jeongyeon wondered why she was so far away tonight. Usually, Nayeon slept right beside her. She wouldn’t want to complain, of course, but it certainly felt colder without Nayeon. It was alright, though. She could manage. She would be ok. Hey, at least she was safe from hearing Nayeon’s babbling whenever she spoke in her sleep. Jeongyeon smiled, but she wasn’t satisfied. In fact, it made everything much worse.

An unexpected rush of adrenaline dominated her bloodstream before she knew it, and she found herself standing up. There was a concealed boldness in the way she padded out from her original position towards the cave’s entrance. She stopped upon reaching the sleeping older beta, mouth dry and ears perked in total alertness. Nayeon looked prettier up close. Jeongyeon didn’t know what she was doing, or what she was trying to do, really. Her focus was just completely on Nayeon—the way she breathed, the soft patch of fur around her neck, and the warmth that was vibrating off her. Jeongyeon felt it. She was drawn to it like a moth under a blinding light. And she gave into it, out of what she’d reasoned to be sheer exhaustion and drowsiness. Yeah, it totally wasn’t like she thought about what Jihyo said earlier or anything.

Jeongyeon lowered herself gently next to Nayeon, her legs shaking just a little bit more than her heart. She felt her belly hit the cold stone floor just as she felt Nayeon stiffen. The older’s ears rose. Jeongyeon’s heart dropped. Nayeon swung back around and blinked at the younger beta.

“Aren’t you afraid of being kicked?” Nayeon suddenly grinned.

“I can manage.”

“It’s cold here.” The older whispered.

“Not when you’re here.”

Nayeon stared at her long and hard. It wasn’t a bad or necessarily good look. In fact, Jeongyeon had no idea how to determine it. The darkness just made Nayeon’s expression ever more confusing.

“I don’t mind, but if you mind then I’ll—” The younger beta readied herself to leave when Nayeon let out a soft laugh.

“No, silly. Lay back down, of course, I don’t mind.”

And Jeongyeon did just that. They curled up against each other as they always had. This time, however, it was different. They both felt it, because neither of them could sleep. Nayeon laid there, blinking and wondering how Jeongyeon could still smell like pine trees after all this time. Perhaps, she was born with it. The sharp woody scent put her at ease nonetheless, and Nayeon stopped questioning it. Meanwhile, Jeongyeon silently cursed herself for approaching the older like that. What was she thinking? She should have left Nayeon alone. The older did decide to sleep all the way out here for a reason. It must be her. Maybe, she had been too obvious, and Nayeon figured out her feelings. Maybe, she was trying to put a distance between them. Maybe, she didn’t want to upset Jeongyeon because she didn’t feel the same. Maybe, Jeongyeon should know her place.

“I can’t sleep.” Nayeon lifted her head up to look at the younger. Her golden eyes glowed in an angelic gleam.

“Yeah, it’s ok. I’ll just leave.” Jeongyeon began sliding out of their little cuddle.

“What? No.” The golden light shattered as Nayeon narrowed her eyes.

Jeongyeon froze. Their eyes found separate paths towards each other. Nayeon was waiting on her for something, but Jeongyeon was also waiting back. The silence created a crushing pressure that daunted on them both. Jeongyeon hated it the most. She was confused and tired. She didn’t want to make another mistake but at the same time, the warmth in Nayeon’s eyes returned and it tempted her. It pricked at her hide, and she hated it. Yet, she didn’t hate Nayeon. No, she would never.

Jeongyeon slowly closed the distance between them. The moment she was within reach, Nayeon suddenly leaned in and tucked her face underneath Jeongyeon’s chin. The older nuzzled her tenderly. Jeongyeon’s breath hitched, and her mind emptied itself of everything but Nayeon’s overwhelming warmth. They were both burning up, weren’t they? It wasn’t just comforting—it was secure. Jeongyeon somehow lost herself in it after they held the position for a few minutes, basking in everything it was supposed to mean and could mean. It made Jeongyeon stop thinking. And her semi-conscience led her to stare at Nayeon’s ear, which seemed to twitch slightly whenever she breathed. They were so close. She didn’t know when, but she stuck her tongue out and ran it along the rim of the older’s ear. Nayeon shivered underneath her. That seemed to have sparked some sort of reminder within Jeongyeon, because the younger withdrew her head immediately.

“S-sorry.” She choked out.

“Good God, stop it.” Nayeon commanded sweetly. “Why are you sorry?”

“I don’t know. I did that and—and…” Jeongyeon’s ears lowered behind her head. Well, this was embarrassing. “I don’t know. You might not like it?”

Nayeon repressed a smile. “When did I ever say that?”

“I don't know. I’m just scared.”

“Of?”

“...Nevermind, you wouldn’t like me anyway.”

“Jeongyeon.” Nayeon growled softly. It sounded more reassuring than annoyed. “Look at me.”

Jeongyeon locked eyes with her. Then, she realized she couldn’t escape. Nayeon’s eyes had her frozen solid on the spot.

“I have no reason not to.” Nayeon began endearingly, and already Jeongyeon felt helpless under her softening gaze. “Who am I without the Jeongyeon that saved me, protected me, cared for me, and now the Jeongyeon who loves me?”

Jeongyeon would have melted at every word if she wasn’t already burning under the golden glimmer in Nayeon’s eyes. What had started out as a dim flame of a candle was now consuming her in its boiling blaze. It was kind of like their love, she thought. An endless growing combustion that heated them both up until they fully succumbed to it. The fire stripped off a layer within Jeongyeon that wouldn’t have been removed otherwise, and she was glad to let it run through. She stayed silent until Nayeon nudged her cheek with her muzzle.

“Now go to sleep already.” The sandy beige beta smiled.

And Jeongyeon wouldn’t have it any other way.

AN: DOUBLE UPDATE BC YALL DESERVED IT

As a 2na stan it's hard for me too ok

Btw I discarded some of the old roles in the intro bc I felt like they were unnecessary, also Momo is a BLUEscale alpha i keep saying grayscale bc Tzuyu’s gray askjdk