Minho may or may not have lost a hefty stack of very important documents. Documents that are needed in an hour so he can sign over his property to its new owner. Documents that Minho hasn't seen since he cleaned up the pigsty of a room he now resides in.

"You can place your things here." Chan swings open a door near the end of one of the many hallways and all three boys walk into an- in Minho’s honest opinion- actual disaster site. The third year wouldn't say he is a severe clean freak, but he’s definitely close to it!

Apparently there is only one room that’s home to a bunk bed. That room just so happens to be Jisung's and although Minho is grateful nonetheless for having a place to sleep, he is curious as to why the young man owns a bunk bed.

Even though the appearance of the space seemed unappealing, the younger’s eyebrows lift in surprise once the aroma of the room finally hits him. "It smells oddly nice in here, like oranges.” He actually wanted to say it smells like home, but he would rather not unpack all that emotional baggage on both Chan and Minjun. “But the room itself is so… messy."

Minjun, who’s carefully placing his load of boxes down just like Chan and Minho, takes a look around the spacious room and cringes at the state it’s in. The older actually feels kinda bad for Minho and wishes he had the time to clear out one of the two spare rooms that are strategically filled with, to put it nicely, a bunch of their that should actually be in the attic. "Sorry for the clutter, Jisungie is kind of a hoarder." He notices Minho already organizing a few articles of Jisung’s clothing and placing them back into, what he assumes are, their proper homes. If the head omega wasn’t already having second hand embarrassment from Jisung’s blatant lack of cleanliness, he definitely is now. "Oh, you don't have to clean up for him."

"It's fine! If I'm going to be living in the same space as him,-"

"Just until we get the other room cleared out and ready!" The older stresses once again.

"-might as well pick up a bit." He gives Minjun a reassuring smile and successfully gets the older to not worry about the situation. If Minho has to put away a little laundry, clean up a few dirty dishes before heavily vacuuming and dusting a room to get an actual good night's sleep, then so be it.

While Minho busies himself with opening some of his boxes he notices a medium sized ball, with little silhouettes of squirrels decorating the sphere. The ball looks worn and aged, but Minho can't help the small coo that slips as he picks up the toy. "Aww! this is adorable-"

" Don't touch that! " The two head wolves shout in unison.

Minho lets out a short scream, from surprise, and drops the aged ball on the floor, freezing on the spot once he notices both Chan and Minjun’s distressed facial features. "Why?! Oh, god! What's wrong with it?!"

The pack leader carefully kicks the yellow sphere into a corner of the room with as little contact as possible. "That's Jisung's special ball. He's had that since he was a pup. It just means a lot to him and if he so much as smells a different scent on it he goes berserk."

"It's the only present his parents ever gave him." Minjun adds in softly and Minho lets out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

He’s honestly just thankful the ball didn’t relate to something disgusting, instead it’s just a precious object to the young omega.

Minho sinks back down to his knees and searches through the box in front of him. He listens to Minjun and Chan bicker about teaching Jisung proper etiquette of actually keeping his room clean, even if he normally has zero visitors in said space. Minho watches the both of them and gently places down a figurine he was previously holding, then lets out a quiet sigh. The gesture alone causes the two older males to look his way.

"Thank you. Both of you. It means the world to me for what you two have done for not only myself, but for my friends as well. Putting the mansion and most of what was in it up for sale wasn't an easy thing to do, but I know that it was definitely the right thing. I could never repay you-"

"No repay is necessary.” The leader of the pack cuts off his sentence. “You are a part of our family now and we are happy to help in any way possible.” Chan looks over towards his mate in silent agreement to what he had just stated and the older nods along.

“You don't have to think of us as your parents, but we'll always be there for you in any way we can, Minho." Minjun casts a warm smile in his direction and continues to move around random objects and clear away some space for the younger’s belongings.

Chan grips Minho’s shoulder and pats the youth a couple of times before moving over to a box labeled ‘Sheets’. "Come on, we'll help you set your things up."

That was three days ago. So in retrospect, Minho hasn't seen the documents in 72 hours; To say the third year is a little on edge would be a major understatement.

It's a Wednesday afternoon, five days after meeting the Stray pack, and Minho only just came back to the pack house minutes ago with Felix and Changbin in tow. The three left Hyunjin behind due to the latter's odd behavior about wanting to ‘ stay away from Seungmin for the time being ’. The statement itself caused confusion amongst them but the tall second year reassured them that it's nothing they can help him with, so ultimately they dropped the topic.

"Can I ask you something about Hyunjin?"

Minho takes a short glance towards Seungmin who's standing awkwardly in the doorway. "I guess." He announces slightly annoyed and then whispers a quick ‘ where are those damn papers? ’ under his breath.

He doesn’t really have time to play twenty questions with Seungmin, of all people, right now. Minho still doesn't fancy Seungmin only because the omega seems to bring out an unwanted attitude from Hyunjin and if there's one person in this world Minho's most protective of, it's him. Although, Felix and himself have also grown close in the few weeks he's known the Australian boy, so in retrospect he counts as well. Okay, maybe that’s not completely the reason why he’s acting so irritated with the younger; It also has to do with the fact that Minho has not taken any suppressants in two days. He’s slowly trying to get off of them, but just like Minjun warned him ‘ To just suddenly stop taking them completely would be harmful, so you’ll have to do so in increments. Think of it as someone who’s quitting smoking; It’s hard to quit cold turkey. ’ So now not only is Minho overwhelmed by the fact that he’s lost something of importance, annoyed about Hyunjin and Seungmin’s situation, he’s also having pretty rapid mood swings with the loss of his suppressants to add on top of all of that.

"Does he live alone?"

Minho pauses his movements and schools his panicked expression, the question throwing him for a loop.

"What gives you that idea?" The third year asks cooly. He knows about Hyunjin's situation all too well and it's a topic he never likes to bring up, only because it causes the half breed's blood pressure to rise to an unhealthy level.

Seungmin can't read Minho at all due to the younger's half breed status, so ultimately the omega needs to be discreet as possible while attempting to get this information. However, Seungmin's nerves still run just as rapid. Hyunjins's home life appears to be a touchy subject and the older knows he shouldn't put his nose where it doesn't belong, but what can he say? He cares about the taller male.

He cares about Hyunjin .

Oh.

That's definitely not something Seungmin thought he would admit to himself so quickly. He has a passing thought about if the other feels the same, but he immediately dismisses it just as fast.

The omega runs his teeth along his bottom lip while looking around the room that surprisingly looks nothing like it had just three days prior. Nope, it looks too clean for being the trash pit Jisung normally holes himself in- and does the redhead even own any candles? Where the hell did those come from?! "Nothing. Just curious."

Minho continues to frantically look around the room, acting as if Seungmin isn't trying to have a civil conversation with him for once. But, to the omega's annoyance, Minho seems too immersed in whatever he's trying to find to give Seungmin the time of day.

Rolling his eyes, the spectacled man impatiently clears his throat, attempting to get the younger's attention, which it definitely does.

"I think you should ask him yourself." Minho practically snaps at the agitated omega, only resulting in the other male to become even more annoyed. He lifts up a discarded sweater from the closet and let's a small 'thank god' slip past his lips the second he picks up the important stack of documents, completely dismissing the oddness in it's placement. The third year then pushes past Seungmin and makes his way downstairs, ignoring the frustrated huff from the older and the footsteps that quickly follow.

"Do you really think I would be asking you if I haven't already tried talking to him? He won't really tell me about his home life-”

Minho spins around so fast it not only cuts the omega off, but also stops him in his tracks. "And there's a reason for that. Have you ever thought that maybe he's not telling you because he's not comfortable talking about it? Hm? Now if you'll excuse me, I need to meet with some realtors."

"God you are such a prick, you know that?"

"Takes one to know one, Seungmin. Takes one to know one." Minho smirks back once more at the, now very heated, omega and begins to put on his coat. Seungmin lets a low growl rumble in his throat while staring down the unbothered boy in front of him.

"Alright! You two, drop it." Chan walks into the living room, already annoyed by the two younger boys.

This had been going on for the past couple of days, Seungmin and Minho arguing that is, and the leader has had enough .

"You've both been at each other's throats ever since that night in the woods. How about we try to be kind to one another for a change. We're all going to be living as a family from now on and I expect you both to treat each other as such. No more hostile and backhanded comments, please."

Sometimes Chan believes that he’s housing actual 5 year olds instead of a 18 and a 26 year old.

Minho has actually been getting along wonderfully with Jeongin, both of them finding a mutual love for the greenhouse outback and through Jeongin’s collection of manga. Changbin and Minho have also adjusted to each other perfectly fine, with the older of the two going to the same school and being a teacher of sorts, he helps Minho with any school related questions and after dinner the two enjoy exercising at the in-house gym located in the basement.

So for the life of him, Chan can’t quite understand why Seungmin and Minho are so standoffish with each other, but he’s gonna take a swing in the dark and assume it has to do with Minho’s best friend and Seungmin’s (hopefully) future mate being the same guy. Chan also thinks this in itself would actually bring the two of them closer, but he guesses one can only hope it would be that way.

Minjun finally appears downstairs, dressed smartly, and ready to meet with Minho's realtors. The head omega notices the stern look stamped upon his mate's face and the, not so surprising, stare off between Minho and Seungmin. Minjun immediately understands what’s going on since this has happened more times than he would like to admit.

"Seungmin. Minho. You know Channie doesn’t like to use his alpha voice for a reason, obey the first time he asks." Minjun warns sternly.

The room is eerily silent until Seungmin looks between his two parent figures and lets out a low growl along with a quiet ' whatever' before sharply turning back around to head to his room. The three remaining men startle once the sound of a door slamming wrecks throughout the house, breaking the suffocating atmosphere along with it.

“He’ll come around. It just takes Seungmin some time to warm up to others, but you two really need to stop with the petty arguments. I don't know, find some type of common ground or similar interests. The pack can’t take the stress of the two of you arguing every time you’re both in the same room. Plus, we need to initiate you into the pack and having both of you on bad terms makes it difficult to do the process. Yes, we’re still going to wait and do it when Jisung gets back, but perhaps in the mean time you two can become, at the very least, friends.” Chan opens the front door and pats Minho reassuringly on the shoulder as the three of them walk out.

Once a notable amount of distance has been made and the trio reaches the treeline, Minjun releases a squeal of excitement. “I’m really interested in seeing what your house looks like! From what you told us, it should be quite something.”

“Hyung, it’s really not all that great.” The young half breed scratches behind his head in doubt that his, now previous, home could meet any of the wonderment that the older omega seems to have in mind. Minho had let both Chan and Minjun know everything about the Lee Mansion; Where the place was built, how much it was on the market for, the age of the house, how many workers had been employed there and what their pay was.

Bringing up the gist of the mansion had also brought back unwanted memories. Minho has never felt as if the Mansion was a place of comfort, well not since his mother’s passing, but those memories are far and few; Barely remembering what it was like with just him and his mom. But that feeling is something he never has to worry about again. Especially since Minho now has a new family and a permanent home, filled with welcoming arms.

He's not alone.

"Ah, nonsense!" Minjun’s upbeat voice carries the younger boy out of his thoughts. “I’ve always wanted to live in a huge mansion with lots of children running around! Right, Channie?” The ashy blonde male widens his eyes in a puppyish stare- one could even consider the look lovingly- so unabashedly fond . The look only brings a ping of jealousy promptly followed by slight annoyance to the third year. 

Chan hums in agreement to what Minjun had said. “You did say that when we were still just imprinted with each other. We'll get there one day, love." Chan links his slim fingers with the older and lifts his unoccupied arm up to flag down a taxi once they reach city limits.

“Now I know what Innie means when he mentions how much of a third wheel someone can feel like when they're around you two.” Minho mumbles out while he waits for the older males to climb into the taxi once one pulls over. He honestly didn’t think that either of them had heard him, but Minho constantly forgets that he’s around his own kind that also possesses the ability to have greater hearing than that of a human; Whom of which Minho previously spent most of his time around.

Minjun had spun around so fast to bonck the young male across his head that Minho didn’t even have time to reflect on the action before he was being dragged inside the taxi. Too stunned to move from the quick action. “Oh, hush! We are a delight to be around.”

~*~

With each intake of breath Felix’s heart beats just that much faster as he runs to keep pace with Changbin. The blonde’s feet come down onto the forest floor and back up just as quickly, causing a trail of dried leaves and dirt to kick up behind him. As they run, although with a purpose, Felix is more than sure the older man knows where they’re heading and Felix is always willing to follow the young man in front of him.

When the two had made it back to the house after school, along with Minho of course, Felix and Changbin left shortly after. Both of them had wanted to take a little stroll and to possibly get away from Minho’s frantic search for some documents.

It started out as a peaceful walk, it really did, but not even 5 meters from the front porch and Changbin had transformed into his wolf form. The ebony wolf had moved his large muzzle to nudge Felix against his stomach signaling the boy to follow him. Both of them had only made it a few steps before Felix looked into the wolf’s eyes with a mischievous glint, the stare alone setting the two of them off into a playful run.

Felix has always enjoyed running, even back in his hometown the blonde woke up early most mornings for a jog. So running alongside Changbin in a gorgeous setting like this one has the boy feeling as if he’s currently on cloud nine. 

Changbin pounces down onto the forest ground, cutting left and right without really moving anywhere, while he waits for Felix to catch up, only to bolt off again once the blonde draws closer.

Felix runs for awhile longer and steadily comes to a tiring walk, attempting to catch his breath, and thriving in the miniscule stinging going on in the back of his throat with each inhale. This is what it’s like to feel utterly alive.

The blonde smiles lightly and calls out to a disant Changbin. “Alright, now you’re just showing off!” Felix huffs out after coming to a complete stop. He then walks over to a nearby oak tree that sits close to a ledge and where the ground surrounding the timber looks to be oddly plush for the time of year; Fall is supposed to be where the surrounding nature begins to die off so it can be reborn again in spring, but Felix doesn't question the oddness of it and sits down with a light breath.

Changbin transforms back and sits a few inches away from Felix, bumping their clothed knees together and simply leaving them there just for the sake of having a part of them touch. The two talk about mundane subjects, like their favorite films and types of music, just getting to know the little things about one another. The conversation dies down after sometime, when the sun already begins to move closer to dusk, but the boys do not mind, having already found mutual comfort by just enjoying each other's presence.

“Why do you close yourself off so much in school?” Felix questions quietly as if to not disturb the peaceful atmosphere the two have built between them.

The blonde watches as Changbin fiddles with a few pieces of grass between his crossed legs, refusing to look back at him.

“I don’t like getting too attached to people that I’ll eventually watch grow older than me. Or hurt them by simply disappearing from their lives without a trace once I have to go into hiding to avoid any suspicion. Also, humans don’t really need to know about our existence, unless fate wants them to.” He finally looks up towards Felix, the latter showing nothing but understanding across his face. He continues “And because of what happened with Seungmin, I do not trust most humans any longer.” The blonde lifts his brows in concern, silently questioning 'why' , but Changbin quickly runs a thumb across the scrunched up skin; wanting to ease the younger into getting rid of such a facial feature. "You and Hyunjin are exceptions, of course.”

Wanting to desperately change the subject, Changbin asks a question he's been wondering for the past couple of days. "So it doesn’t bother you that I’m technically way older than you? You know being alive for 46 years and all.”

Changbin looks away from the blonde’s gaze and purses his lips in a childish pout. The adorable act brings a soft smile to Felix’s face and after a few seconds of relishing in the antics of Seo Changbin, Felix pats the older male’s knee a few times to get the alpha to look back at him.

“But your aging slowed down at 21, so technically you're not 46. I don’t find it weird at all, why do you ask?”

Changbin shyly looks back at the boy sitting beside him and realizes just how mature and understanding Felix actually is. “Just curious, that’s all.” A few silent beats pass between the two and Felix even goes back to messing around with a few rocks he found, before Changbin breaks the silence and lets out a quiet whine. “... Are you sure?”

“Yes I’m sure, you clown. What’s gotten into you? Is something bothering you, hyung?”

“No, it’s just… I don't know, others might find it weird."

"Well good thing 'others' aren't the ones imprinted with you- I am and I said I don't mind." Felix gives the boy beside a full staredown from top to bottom. "Plus, you really dont even look a day over 18, if I'm being honest. Hey let’s not talk about it anymore, okay?” Changbin sighs for the umpteenth time and nods his head reluctantly while Felix continues. “You like to read? I always see you reading in school."

"Ah. Yeah I guess? Seungmin's way more into books than I am, but I really just wanted to finish this series he let me borrow. Plus, it's a good distraction for when I'm at school, helps me tune out the students emotions that I can sense." A shiver runs down the alpha’s spine at just the thought of all the whacked feelings from all the younger humans.

"Yeah that's gotta having to be around so many angsty teens all of the time."

"It could be worse."

Felix lets out an unattractive snort. "Do please tell me how it can get worse than that."

"Well, all wolves can sense others emotions pretty well to begin with, correct? So add that with super hearing and constantly being able to listen to every conversation, even if you don't want to. That's what Seungmin used to deal with when he went to our last high school. He heard a lot of ed up … a lot of it was about himself." Felix nods his head in understanding and frowns in pity of the omega’s past situation. "Anyways, that's a sad story and I can feel you getting emotional just from me talking about it."

Even though Changbin was right and Felix definitely is feeling quite strong emotions for Seungmin’s past, he’s still interested in the topic of their powers. “How does Seungmin's power work exactly?”

“He can hear up to around eight to eleven kilometers depending on how well he's concentrating. It's not only distance that he can hear, but also little things you wouldn't even think of, like, the blood circulating through us, or a single pebble rolling along a roof. The most minuscule of things; Seungmin can hear all of it.”

"What about everyone else? What's their power?"

“Minjun hyung has subjective precognition. I can’t even count the amount of times he has saved all of our asses, thanks to his gift alone. Although I will admit, he always has this look in his eyes that scream 'I know exactly what's about to happen' and that can be a little scary at times.”

He continues. “Chan hyung is an empath. He can feel the exact emotions and intentions of anyone or anything he touches, but he's gotten pretty good at just looking at someone and knowing what they're feeling or wanting. He’s able to differentiate between someone's feelings by seeing colors and feeling different sorts of tingles- at least that’s how he explains it, I myself still don’t understand. But he never uses it unless a situation calls for it or he's just worried about someone. Hyung would never interfere with others' feelings."

The younger alpha remembers a time when Chan brought all of them into the livingroom one evening, Minjun sitting quietly by his side, and they had a pack (more like family) meeting. The topic, you may be wondering? It was about who had switched out all the photos in the house- quite a lot by the way- with pictures of a not so pretty, sleeping Chan. And also who spent an outrageous amount of money on the family credit card that is supposed to be used for emergencies only, but had instead been used for what looked to be a shopping spree. It was then that the head alpha gave all four boys a fair chance to fess up to their wrong doings, but low and behold not a soul confessed which led to Chan using his powers. That was one scary night he’ll never forget.

Changbin perks up a bit, remembering something. "Since our power can evolve, they say that being mated can also enhance your abilities or change them slightly. That's most likely the reason Channie hyung can simply look at someone instead of touching them."

“And Jeongin and Minho will know once they're 19, right?” Felix muses out loud while staring off and thinking about just how cool all of this actually is. He’s a nerd, what can he say.

“Yep, that's correct, although it’s quite common to have, like, an inkling or lets say a little quirk about yourself that will ultimately become your full power. Take Seungmin for instance, he always had problems with hearing; Sounds would be slightly distorted or they would be overbearingly loud, even for him."

“How about you, Binnie?”

Changbin’s eyes widened in surprise, caught off guard by Felix’s question and of course the nickname. "My power?" The blonde looks back at him with a laidback smile and nods his head. “I-I can...well, it's easier to show you. Stay right here.” The young alpha gets up and walks a few meters until he finds what he's looking for. He carefully plucks the object from the earth and returns back to his previous spot with his hands clutched around something.

Felix cranes his head to look at what the other has brought back with him. “A dead flower?” He tilts his head in confusion. 

Most of the smaller petals have already fallen off and the stem droops so far over that the remaining petals almost touch it. Felix can see just how rough the wild flower has become, noticing the once yellow and pink colors now show faintly.

“Hold it.” Changbin gelty places the wilted flower into Felix’s open palms and glances back up at the blonde, a little nervous. “Don't move, okay?”

Felix nods his head and watches Changbin reach his index finger out and touch the stem, barely applying any pressure at all. The alpha closes his eyes and lifts his head slightly.

Right before his eyes, Felix gawks at the scene in front of him.

The flower suddenly blooms back to life, starting at the bottom of the stem and crawling up to the top of each petal. The transformation couldn't have lasted any longer than a couple of seconds, but seeing such a thing for the first time, Felix felt like it was much longer.

“That's amazing.” The blonde exclaims in wonderment.

Changbin giggles at the sight of Felix examining the flower with curiosity. “I can only do it with little things right now, like plants, bugs, and small animals.” He explains as if the act in itself isn’t that special. “But if I'm not concentrating enough, it does the opposite effect…”

The blonde rips his gaze away from the flower, a little stunned from the others comment. “Like- like killing it?”

“Yeah.” Both of them stare at each other with two different expressions, one of nervousness with a hint of shame and the other of shock. “Does that scare you?” Changbin’s voice couldn't have been any louder than a tiny whisper, completely scared of the younger's reaction to the newfound information.

Changbin has always been hesitant to show this side of himself in front of people who don’t know about his powers. Because, well, these are the same powers that got him removed from his original pack. The same powers that left him wandering alone in the woods for two years because the packs back then weren’t as kind and forgiving of lone wolves as they are now. The same powers that can hurt and destroy innocent creatures if he isn’t careful. And he knows once he and Felix do eventually complete their bonding ceremony, his powers will only become stronger and thus allowing him to move onto bigger things, like people.

Lost in his thoughts, Changbin doesn’t even notice the hand that’s rested upon his cheek, until a thumb begins to rub ever so gently under his right eye. He stares at Felix while the blonde thinks of what to say.

“No.” The younger firmly states. “No, I’m not scared. This is just a part of you and you do not scare me, hyung.”

“Lix… You know, I've killed people.” Sure when Changbin says ‘people’ what he really wants to say is ‘Out of defence!’ or ‘Hunters that have killed and wanted to kill me too’ and ‘I would never kill if I didn’t have to!’, but that would only make it seem as if he was giving excuses as to why he ended a human’s life. “A lot of bad people.” He emphasizes once more, but Felix still doesn't remove his hand or back away in the slightest.

“I'm sure you've had your reasons.” The blonde inches a bit closer, the space between them closing just a little more, allowing their breaths to intermingle.

Changbin takes notice of the, now setting, sunlight bouncing off the top of Felix’s head and how absolutely stunning the younger looks at the moment; Hooded eyelids, pink dusted freckles, and a halo of gold circling the lighter blonde hair. The alpha takes a stuttering breath. “How can you be so sure?”

Without hesitation, “I just know.” Felix answers unmoving.

He doesn’t know what comes over him, maybe it's the understanding the two now have of each other, or that the boy in front of him looks like an actual deity, or maybe it’s because he truly just wants this, but Changbin can’t help but ask. “Can I kiss you?”

The blonde’s breath and heart quicken all at once as he whispers out a quiet ‘yes’ , and the two completely let go. They mold into each other like they were made specifically to do so, lips starting out soft and then finding a rhythm of their own. Neither of them have any experience in the field of intimacy to this degree, so the kiss is by no means perfect, but both Changbin and Felix could not ask for anything more at this moment. 

And it’s there, under a tall oak tree, with the sun barely hanging at the edge of the sky, that the two share their first kiss.

~*~

“Whoa. Now this…this is way bigger than I was expecting.” The pack leader lets out a low whistle while eyeing the massive house.

The property alone goes on for quite a bit of distance, caged up in iron fences that are decorated with intricate designs, and every meter of lawn seems to have some type of greenery that's been beautifully kept up with. However, the grand home is what takes the cake for design. It's traditional yet modern at the same time and anyone who even glances at the building's direction can sense just how wealthy one has to be to even think about owning it.

But something feels off about the mansion in Chan's opinion; It feels too fake, as if it was purposefully built with a certain intention and presenting itself in a specific way. Very odd.

"Real inviting, right?" Minho sarcastically mutters under his breath while unlocking the front double doors.

All three of them shuffle inside, escaping the citing temperature, and while Minho makes haste of turning on some lights, Chan and Minjun begin to inspect the grand space.

Chandeliers hang in almost every room accompanied by mahogany pillars with simple designs, mostly engraved with leaves and swirls. Everything is immaculately spotless, as if the staff that had been hired here for all these years only tidied up throughout their whole shifts; Not a single speck of dust or dirt in sight.

And even though there is currently no furniture or even so much as drapery, Chan can already assume that the space would be even more gorgeous with the expensive luxuries decorating it.

“I can’t believe you already have a buyer.” Minjun looks around in awe as he slowly makes his way through the foyer.

Minho smiles at the head wolves' reactions to his previous home. It’s nothing new, seeing everyone gawk, but with the knowledge of how old the two males are and simply seeing the look of wonderment and amazement on them really strikes a chord. “People have been wanting this place for years.” The third year makes his way to the kitchen, turning on more lights along the way, when his phone buzzes to life in his pocket.

Minho doesn't recognize the number, but answers out of curiosity anyways. "Hello?"

"Master Minho?" A frail voice questions lightly.

The half breed raises his eyebrows in surprise, while also feeling a pang of nostalgia. "Mrs. Cha?"

He hasn't heard or seen his nanny, Mrs. Cha, in a little over three years. Minho remembers when she resigned like it was just yesterday; The situation was a sudden one, no one saw it coming. The woman had always been quite fond of Minho and was the only person still alive that knew about his situation in general. She was also the person who taught Minho the importance of never stepping foot into the forest he now lives in, stating that it was one of his parents last wishes that he never did so.

" It's been awhile, my dear. I saw that you've placed the mansion on the market." The older woman continues the conversation as if it was a casual chit chat between two old friends.

The normalcy of it all catches the half breed completely off guard, almost rendering him speechless. Almost. "Uhm, yeah- yes, I'm actually signing papers today for the new owner.” Minho leans against the granite island stationed in the middle of the kitchen and cranes his head to make sure Chan and Minjun aren't nearby. “I… I finally found a place where I belong, Miss. Cha. A pack has offered me a spot and it’s such a long story about how it all happened, but they’re an amazing group."

"I'm so happy for you, dear. You deserve to have a family, just like everyone else." She praises softly before letting out weak coughs, which makes red flags pop up in Minho’s vision. Could Mrs. Cha have been sick this entire time? Is that why she left? "I actually called to tell you that I have something to give you. It's a letter from your mother and father. I was told to give it to you on your 21st birthday, but I think you're ready now. You are almost 19, after all. Plus I'm not sure I'll be around this city for much longer, so I wanted to catch you before I left."

"Oh… wow. Okay, uhm, I'll be done here in an hour or so, I can meet up with you then?"

The two decide on a spot to meet at and Minho ends the call feeling all types of things; Nostalgia, nervousness, curiosity, and a bit of sadness.

He lifts his backside off the island and goes back out of the kitchen to look for the two head wolves. Minho finds them in a parlor, looking around like they have been doing since they got here. "If it’s not too much trouble, I actually need to meet up with someone after this, do you mind going with me, Minjun and Chan hyung?"

The two look between each other, in silent agreement, and answer in unison. "Not at all."

Minjun is about to ask who called, but he hears a car door shutting outside and two sets footsteps approaching the front door. "Minho, the realtors are here." The omega states out loud mere seconds before a doorbell chimes off.

The half breed nods his head and brushes off the nonexistent dust from his pants before straightening back up. "Right. This won't take too long."

Both Chan and Minjun nod their heads and wave off Minho as the boy moves to the entrance, lets the two men inside, and walks with the realtors to somewhere more private to talk about the paperwork.

The two head wolves then quickly get down to business in finding out some clues regarding Minho’s parents or at least about his father. They both carefully examine all and any woodwork around the house, but it's only when the two meet back up at the grand fireplace do they begin to communicate through their bond.

" So this must be the woodwork he mentioned the other day." Chan runs a hand along the aged wood and steps back to look at the scene fully.

Minjun moves to stand beside his mate and also takes a better look at the mural. "I saw the same thing along the stairs, just like he said."

Both of them stare at the scene before them.

There are about a hundred figures that can be described as people, with a few variations of them altering in appearance. Some have guns in their hands, some with knives, and others with what appears to be spears. Then there are wolves and they too also range in size and design. It clearly depicts a battle, but for the life of the two head wolves they can not figure out when this took place or even who anyone is on this mural.

"Geez, this is actually kind of violent just to have around the house…" Chan winces once his eyes land on another headless man and another wolf being stabbed.

"You got that right, Channie."

"It still doesn't tell us much…" The leader lets out another sigh and runs a tired hand through his silver locks.

"Should we take pictures, just in case?"

The alpha gives an affirmative hum and walks to another part of the fireplace while Minjun begins to photograph with his phone.

"Wait, Chan! Look at this. What does that pattern look like to you?"

He looks to where Minjun has his finger placed and studies the pattern. "A pack symbol, but I've never seen one quite like that before. Take a picture of it, we'll have to talk with Jinyoung or Mark about this."

Mere seconds after discovering the symbol, both Chan and Minjun's ears perk up at the sound of approaching footsteps. They turn to notice a relieved looking Minho.

"You all done?"

Minho smiles at Minjun and waves around a single piece of paper, most likely another document of sorts. At least he didn't have to keep the ungodly stack of papers he arrived with.

"Yep, just need to check all the rooms before I go and I'm officially not the owner." He lets out another sigh and waves for both Chan and Minjun to follow him.

The three are strolling along the second floor, when Minjun looks towards a solemn looking Minho. "Are you going to miss this place? Even just a little?"

The third year stops in front of a door and hesitantly opens it. "I guess the only thing I would truly miss is my mother's room…" He looks inside the cramped space and closes the door, moving on to the next, explaining his answer along the way. "It's dumb, but the whole room just smells like her . I used to go and just sit there by myself when I was younger. Her scent always made me think of home and comfort, like I could finally relax and just breathe."

"It's not dumb, Minho. She was your mother after all."

Minho turns around and turns his lips up in a shy smile before moving forward.

They come up to the last room and surprisingly this one has a set of double doors. Both Chan and Minjun exchange a look when Minho takes a breath before entering and gestures for the both of them to follow inside.

Chan's eyes widen, unable to control his surprised facial features like his mate beside him is doing so well. The smell surrounds the entire room, coating every single centimeter. "Sage and oranges." Yes, the scent is, without a doubt, shockingly similar to Jisung's. It all makes sense as to why Minho found the omega’s room so welcoming, despite the initial clutter and disorganization of said space.

Chan and Minjun look between each other, trying to understand the why of it all. Of course it's not an exact copy and paste, but if someone of their kind simply passed by, then one would think it's Jisung; His signature earthy orange scent unmistakably noticeable whenever he’s near.

Everyone and everything has their own unique scent, one never being the same. But maybe this one case just so happens to be an exception, a ratification to the rules.

Minho looks around the grand room with a serene smile, "Yeah… her scent smelt like sage and oranges." taking in the smell of his mother one last time.

The two head wolves decide to keep the initial reactions and opinions to themselves, letting Minho have this fleeting moment.

After leaving the keys to the mansion with the two realtors, Minho walks out to where Chan and Minjun are waiting for him outside. He looks back once more over his shoulder at the home that was once his and thinks of one more passing thought. Just one.

“ Maybe I’ll never really have to say goodbye to what feels like tranquility in the form of my mother’s scent.”

When the sun has long since set and the night breeze begins to drip into warm coats, the trio finds themselves at a semi popular cafe; Bustling with enough business to have customers in and out every couple of minutes and three or more sitting inside to take advantage of the calm setting. 

Miss. Cha shows up when Minho has already finished a warm cup of tea, attempting to ease his nervousness, but there’s only so much a simple brew can cure. The two share a long embrace, leaving the two head wolves at the table feeling like they’re invading a private moment, but both Minho and Miss. Cha reassure them that it is fine. They introduce themselves and announce that they’d rather wait elsewhere while the two have their conversation, which only causes the older woman to wave a dismissive hand.

“That won’t be necessary, I’m simply here to deliver the letter. I don’t believe in catching up, it makes me feel older than I already do. Plus, I can tell that any questions I had were already answered just by looking at the three of you.” The elder pats Minho between his shoulder blades and he can’t help, but think that she really has never changed; Always as straightforward as ever, never wanting to waste a single second.

Staying true to her words the whole meeting is done in minutes and it’s not until late into the night does Minho come to the splitting decision of whether or not he should read the letter.

He stares blankly at the aged envelope, thinking just how unprepared for what his parents thought he didn’t need to read until the age of 21. What if it contains some life changing information? Minho just went through quite a few changes and he’s not too sure he can go through anymore so soon. The third year turns over to lay on his side with a huff and brings the letter towards his chest, deep in thought, continuously going back and forth with wether to open it or not.

His eyes hurt from forcing himself to stay awake and the lamp on top the bedside table is starting to give him a headache from the constant warm glow its emitting. The only thing keeping him remotely sane at such an hour is the familiar scent wrapping around the borrowed space.

Minho reluctantly decides to place the letter carefully onto Jisung's dresser, without reading it, and attempts to go to sleep. But it's hard to even do that, his mind racing to know what's in the sealed letter. Sometime between 3am and 4am Minho does eventually find sleep.

~*~

The following day is when Hyunjin finally cracks.

He's been at home for about twenty minutes when the silence practically eats him whole.

Hyunjin has been avoiding the pack house like the plague and anytime an offer to visit said house arises, the second year immediately shuts it down. It's also starting to bother him that if he does want to hang out with Minho or Felix the two are most likely at the very place Hyunjin is trying to avoid. Not only that, but since Minho actually moved into the pack house it really was only a matter of time until the boy had caved, since only seeing his best friend at school would never suffice.

Today just so happens to be the day.

He's thought about it once or twice, apologizing to Seungmin that is, for the way he acted towards him. The guilt had eaten Hyunjin alive long enough for him to understand that he was the one who blew the situation out of proportion and it was him who has been putting off the apology because of his own stupid pride.

Hyunjin felt that he really needed to stop doing that and actually deal with his problems for once in his life instead of running away from them.

So that's why the second year is currently pacing around his quaint living room, cell phone in hand, attempting to build up enough courage to press dial on a certain head alpha's number.

All of them had exchanged numbers after their ‘little talk’ almost a week ago, just in case they needed anything and to give the pack a heads up before coming.

Once some courage had finally manifested, Hyunjin looks out his balcony window and prays that he doesn't mess this up. He brings his cell up against his ear, a dangling earring clacks off the side of the phone, and Hyunjin nervously bites his thumb nail, waiting for the line to connect.

The line rings a couple times before the second year hears Chan fumble around with something and clears his throat before answering.  " Hey, Hyunjin, what's up? "

"I, uhm…” Hyunjin clears his throat and tries to figure out why the hell this is so difficult for him to do. He’s never really been one to make phone calls, always preferring to text someone instead. “Can I come over, hyung? I know it's a little bothersome since you have to come get me at the forest entrance and bring me to the pack house like some , but I really want to talk with Seungmin." The words spew out so fast that Hyunjin has to take a rather embarrassing deep breath at the end, but the younger’s worries practically melt away when a soft and understanding giggle can be heard on the other line.

" It's fine Hyunjinnie! You can come over whenever you want, just as long as you call us ahead of time. " He reminds the younger and Hyunjin honestly can't understand why he was so nervous to call Chan in the first place.

"Thanks, hyung."

" Not a problem. See you in a bit. "

After ending the call, Hyunjin rakes a hand through his hair and flops on the couch with a groan.

Just as promised, Chan meets Hyunjin on the outskirts of the forest. When he arrives, the younger is kicking around pieces of loose gravel, dressed in a casual cream sweater and a coat, patiently waiting. They exchange smiles and of course Chan goes in for a hug that Hyunjin gladly accepts.

The two however do not walk back to the house, instead Chan arrives in an old pickup truck that barely looks like it runs properly. The older explains that there’s a handful of trails smooth and wide enough for them to use vehicles on and it just so happens that one of them runs along their territory. Hyunjin passive-aggressively ponders why the hell they didn’t use the vehicle the first time they had to make the trek back out, but climbs into the truck just grateful he doesn't have to walk the 8 kilometers.

They drive along at a steady pace, with the alpha doing most of the talking and trying his very best to make things as comfortable as possible, which Hyunjin is thankful for. The younger really doesn't have it in him to keep a conversation going with the amount of clutter clogging his brain. Clearly the second year is too concerned about how his little talk with Seungmin will turn out.

Once inside the cozy home, Chan stops him by patting his shoulder a couple of times. "He's in his room, I'll let him know you're here so he can get prepared."

Right… Seungmin has to be blindfolded if he's willing to be around him, because the older doesn't want to imprint.

Chan comes back halfway down the stairs and waves for Hyunjin to follow, leaving him by the correct door, and wandering off to do some 'at home business work' according to the older.

"Alright I got this, it's only Seungmin. Oh god that just made it worse…" Hyunjin raps his knuckles against the door and hesitantly walks in after a tiny ' come in' sounds from inside.

Sitting cross legged upon his perfectly made bed is a calm looking Seungmin. He's wearing a comfortable pair of grey joggers and a maroon hoodie with a college logo Hyunjin has never seen before and judging by the book across his lap the younger assumes Seungmin was reading moments before he showed up. Of course the next thing he notices is the blindfold placed snugly around Seungmin’s eyes and Hyunjin becomes hyper aware of, well, everything.

"Hey." Hyunjin closes the door behind him and casually sits down on a large bean bag adjacent to Seungmin. The filling makes sound as it gives way to Hyunjin's weight and just as the younger attempts to get comfortable Seungmin places the book on his bedside table and slides down onto the floor himself. The older man lets out a small ‘Hi’ while he mindlessly fidgets with his hoodie strings.

Hyunjin waits for him to say anything more, but nothing ever comes. So, with a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart, Hyunjin begins. "Seungmin, I'm sorry I got mad at you the other day and just left like I did. You don't even know why I was mad and I came over today because I want to let you know why I reacted the way I did."

"Hyunjin, you don't have to explain yourself, I shouldn't have overstepped my boundaries-"

"No, this wasn't your fault, you did nothing wrong, you were just concerned and I know that now. I'm just a little touchy with the subject of my parents. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay? You're fine, Seungmin." Hyunjin unconsciously reaches over and grasps the older’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze and once Seungmin lets out an affirmative hum in understanding, Hyunjin carefully pulls away. He's always loved skinship, constantly having a hand on someone's arm or laying his head on anyone's shoulder; It's just how Hyunjin is, but he also knows when it's okay for him to do so and when it's not . Right now Hyunjin has no clue if it's okay to touch the other, but he assumes that since fate had originally wanted the two of them together, it might as well be fine.

Of course the second year will always want more with him. More as in wanting their fingers to be warmly intertwined, a hand resting lightly upon a thigh, or to drape an arm around the other. It'll never be enough to just share fleeting touches. Never.

That thought alone definitely scares Hyunjin more than he would like to admit.

However, to his surprise, Seungmin reaches back out and searches for the hand that was just seconds ago in his. With blush beginning to spread across his warm cheeks, Hyunjin scoots closer allowing the omega to clasp their hands together; both boys feeling absolutely content with their decision.

"They- uhm, my parents, they aren't around much. They work in architecture and both actually got transferred to America a few years ago. I don’t see them often… or really at all since they left.” Seungmin tilts his head and Hyunjin notices the older’s brows bunch up underneath the blindfold. “They’re not bad parents!” The second year clarifies rather quickly. “They send me money, pay for my apartment and schooling. Although, even before they left for America I would only see them twice, maybe three times a week? Their jobs call for them to be at work or in meetings, running around on the clock twenty four seven.”

As Hyunjin is talking he unconsciously stares off towards a plethora of framed photos placed upon the other boy’s T.V. stand. More specifically the photo of Seungmin and Jeongin squished between Chan and Minjun somewhere on what looks to be a beach. A pang of longing and curiosity rips through the younger like a nasty scratch.

“I always found it amusing though…”

“What?” Seungmin whispers.

“That they had a kid, yet both of them never wanted to see him or just take him places.” He answers the older while continuing to look at the photo across the room.

Hyunjin notices the lack of reply and he looks back towards Seungmin. The omega has his unoccupied hand now formed into a tight fist and his head facing towards the ground.

"You haven't said anything, but I can practically feel you fuming. It's fine, Seungmin-"

"It's not fine… they are your parents, they’re supposed to love you and be there for you. I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at your mom and dad." Seungmin huffs out a frustrated sigh at just how unaware Hyunjin portrays himself to be. Does he not realize how messed up the situation is or that his parents are actual s? Seungmin doesn’t want to get back on the younger’s bad side, knowing how short his temper can be, so he decides to keep his thoughts to himself.

"They do love me, they're just not always here to show it."

"I still think they kinda ." Seungmin mumbles out while running his once curled up fist through his hair.

"Well I have good manners, okay grades, an amazing personality, and I'm still alive . So I guess they're not doing too bad of a job."

Seungmin thinks that the situation is completely the other way around; Hyunjin is the one who made himself the young man he is today and definitely not his parents doing. But he'd rather not argue with the hardheaded teen right now.

"Hey, I want the both of us to make a promise to each other."

"Oh? And what promise is that?” Even though Seungmin sounds quite serious, Hyunjin can’t help the tug on his lips as he forms a smile. He also takes notice in Seungmin’s habit of biting his bottom lip and assumes the omega must feel nervous.

"If we're upset o-or mad at one another, we will never walk away or say goodbye without talking it out and solving the issue first. I don't want us to have a repeat of last Saturday."

The younger male widens his eyes at the other’s words. It’s a simple request, really, but he would have never expected Seungmin- the one who wants to wear a blindfold every time they meet- to want to make such a promise with him. But nevertheless, Hyunjin tightens the hold he has on Seungmin’s hand and nods his head slowly.

"I promise."

A smile pulls across Seungmin's features and the two bask in the quietness for a couple of seconds until it's broken once more. "I actually want to tell you something personal as well.”

Hyunjin squeezes the other's hand reassuringly and silently waits for Seungmin to continue.

“I'm, like, cautious of people" He starts carefully. "and it's because I was, well to put it simply, I was bullied for two whole years at this god awful school. It wasn't like I could just defend myself either. I was scared that I would hurt these humans- these fragile humans-, and that I wouldn't control myself enough to hold back my true strength. So I just let them and… well they basically made my life actual hell. They never harmed me too badly physically, since I'm naturally stronger than them, but words hurt just as bad, you know?"

Hyunjin stays silent waiting for the other to continue, but he makes sure and keeps a strong grip on Seungmin’s hand, mentally letting him know that ‘ I’m here ’.

"Every time I stepped into that school they were there, waiting, and Changbin hyung would always tell me to ignore them, but…" Seungmin takes a breath and lets it out through his nose, tilting his head away from where it was previously directed near Hyunjin. "I would ing hear them in other rooms, just talking about me to other people, making plans on what they would do and say to me next." His voice cracks while mentioning the last part and Hyunjin wants nothing more then to drag the other into a tight and secure hug, but he knows they’re not at that stage. "I never wanted to be deaf so badly than I did back in that city."

Hyunjin’s mouth opens then closes, trying to search for something to say as his heart breaks for the boy beside him. "Seungmin, I'm so sorry."

The other responds by rubbing his thumb in thanks on the back of the second year’s hand. "I'm getting better though. Everyday I try to get better, at least. They really did some damage to someone who was already kicked down."

"Why did they do and say those things to you?"

Seungmin shakes his head softly. “I never did lay low like Changbin hyung does so well, keeping aspects of himself such a mystery.” He lets out a scoff and Hyunjin waits patiently for him to continue. "Maybe it was because my grades were so high or how made any team I tried out for- to this day I really don't know. Maybe they were just bored. Simple as that."

"That was them at the supermarket, all those years ago, wasn't it?" It wasn't so much a question but more so a statement.

Seungmin nods his head, but stills after a second thought. “Hyunjin, I also wanted to talk to you about that day." It was kinda off topic, what the omega has to say, but he'd rather steer the conversation away from such negative thoughts.

"The other night I had asked Chan hyung about why I didn’t imprint with you and he said that it was most likely because I was so focused on trying to calm my wolf down, that I couldn't differentiate the presence of my future mate between the anxiousness I myself was feeling from those bullies." Hyunjin’s eyes widen in surprise before schooling his expression into an understanding one.

"And the fact they we never made eye contact, of course. I was just so caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and restrictions, it was practically impossible for me to concentrate. I really only ever remember seeing your side profile back then, nothing more. So, when you three showed up that night, my inner wolf found something familiar and ran with it. It knew and remembered who you were before I really even knew myself. But whether it was bad or good I didn’t know until you were already lying unconscious in my living room.”

It all makes sense now- Why things happen the way they did- and if Hyunjin was being honest with himself, he's glad they didn't imprint that day and he's glad that they officially met when they did. Almost as if the universe knew exactly what it was doing with everything, things seemed as if it wasn't some big coincidence.

Both of them continue on with their conversation, switching to talking about mundane subjects; Like about all of Seungmin's books that are organized on a hefty sized bookcase and the plethora of postcards the omega had said are a gag the whole pack runs with; apparently they all seem to collect obscure postcards whenever they move or travel.

They talk until the sun has set and the temperature drops even further.

When Chan takes him back in that worn out truck, dropping him off at the treeline, Hyunjin realizes something had changed in his heart after having that conversation. And he doesn’t completely realize what that something means until he’s already showered and in bed that night attempting to go to sleep.

“Maybe Seungmin’s world wouldn’t be too bad to spend my days in… Maybe I’m not as scared as I thought I was.”

~*~

“Man, I ing hate this place.” Hyunjin seethes while dramatically flinging his upper body across the wooden table and ultimately onto his homework that he was previously trying to finish.

Across the table, Minho lifts his brows and glances at his sorry excuse of a best friend, then towards a giggling Felix, and back to Hyunjin's sad form. The guy really needs to stop putting off his school work until the last minute. “Glad to have you as company too, Hyunjinnie.” Minho retorts, dripping with sarcasm and proceeds to go back to scrolling through his phone, ignoring the way Hyunjin makes a face towards him.

“Hyung, you know what I mean! I just want to spend some time with Seungmin. Of course I want to hang out with you. It's just that- ugh, I hate school.” The teen sighs, lays back against his chair instead of laying across his homework, and fixes his bunched up blazer.

Minho looks back up from his phone. “Hey, I don't want to be here either, but I only have six months until I graduate so I'm kicking it into overdrive.”

Hyunjin thinks that’s kinda hard to believe since the older is clearly on his phone and not studying for any of his upcoming exams, but to each their own. Minho has always been pretty smart even with how little the guy actually takes notes or pays attention in class. Hyunjin has always been a little jealous of that aspect. Oh, how he wishes to have just a sliver of brain power the boy across from him possesses.

“Says you, hyung! Hyunjin and I still have a whole other year of schooling before we leave.” Felix pouts only for the third year across from him to flick his arm and promise to buy both of them snacks to help cheer them up and for ‘much needed brain power’.

The subject is quickly lost once the Australian boy points a finger accusingly towards Hyunjin. “What's up with Seungmin and you, by the way? I've been, like, super curious since the whole ‘ blindfold’ thing and how you never wanted to hang out with us. I kept wanting to ask Seungmin, but it was almost as if he never wanted to talk about it, always changing the subject. But now you suddenly want to spend time with him? It makes no sense.”

“It's a long story, Lix.” Both Minho and Felix stare unblinkingly at Hyunjin and wait for him to spill the beans. The older second year looks between the two and wonders if it’s okay to tell them, but he thinks about it for a second longer and concludes that they’ll find out eventually anyways. “Him and I are mates…”

“ What the hell?!” Hyunjin quickly leans over and attempts to shush the blonde boy who's making quite the scene in the tranquil library. There’s surprise and hurt written all over the younger’s face and Hyunjin can not help but to feel bad for keeping a secret like that from his friends. “Hyunjin, why didn't you tell us like, I don't know, sooner?” Felix folds his arms over his chest in a pissed off manner and glares at his friend. “Is this why you never hang out with us anymore and don’t like to be around Seungmin- or used to? Look, I get that he’s a little standoffish, but I’m sure he is a very sweet guy! Binnie hyung said that Seungmin just needs to warm up to someone first before he-”

Minho lets out a sigh and reaches over to pat Felix on the shoulder, attempting to calm him down a little. “Hey, it’s not his fault that he didn’t want to tell us, I’m sure Seungmin didn’t feel comfortable which led Hyunjin to keep it a secret.” Felix reluctantly unfolds his arms only to lean onto the table with a huff. The half-breed silently keeps the information that he already knew about the two being mates, not wanting to cause anymore stress onto Hyunjin.

“Minho hyung is right, it's super complicated with us, but I’ve only just recently talked with him and got to know him better. We’re doing super good right now, slowly making some progress. Is it weird that I feel like I’ve known him forever though? Even after talking for a bit it’s like Seungmin trusts me and actually… cares about me.”

Felix makes a cooing sound- a complete 180 from him being upset about the secret keeping- and begins to explain how it feels the same with Changbin and him.

Across the table Minho takes in his best friend’s facial expression and decides that Seungmin may not be as bad as he appears. If Hyunjin is happy, Minho is happy. But that doesn’t change the fact that the omega and Minho just naturally do not get along like they should. Maybe that can change one day.

"So you don't have a pull towards him?" Felix questions innocently.

"Sorry. A what?"

The blonde looks around and leans in closer towards Hyunjin, talking quietly; The other students already find their little group kinda weird to begin with, he doesn’t need another reason to add on top of the growing list. "When I first saw Binnie, I was instantly pulled towards him, like, some type of force always directed me to him."

Minho sorta wondered about that as well, because according to Chan and Minjun, Felix was only supposed to feel a little zoned out or make weird decisions- whatever that meant. But from what Minho remembers, Felix literally always knew when Changbin was around and followed him to places without even seeing where the guy went in the first place. It definitely was odd.

Now, the behavior that Hyunjin has been displaying since meeting Seungmin, well, that seemed about right. The taller second year has been more moody and zoning out when attempting to study with their group, but that last one has always kinda been his thing.

"I mean, I want to be near Seungmin, but nothing is really, uhm, forcing me to do so?"

Felix lays his head on his propped up hand and scrunches his eyebrows up in confusion. "That's strange."

“Anyways, I'm sure Changbin hyung has told you about wolves imprinting with humans.”

“Oh.”

“I know about it as well. Minjun and Chan hyung told me a bunch of things, the night we all found them.”

Both second years lift their brows in surprise at Minho's confession, but decide not to dwell on it for too long.

“So with that in mind, Seungmin is scared that I'll change my mind or I guess chicken out with the whole transformation aspect of this.” Hyunjin brings a hand towards the back of his neck in embarrassment. He knows there’s so much more to it than just becoming one of them, in fact Hyunjin himself still can’t grasp the full implications of it all and he believes that’s exactly what's holding him back.

“ Are you scared?” Felix questions after some time has passed.

It’s hard for Hyunjin to explain, even to his close friends, about how he's both scared and not at the same time. So without knowing how to put his feelings into words, he begins to think a little too hard into the simple question. “I told him I wasn't sure, but…I’ve had time to think about it and maybe? Or,  I mean, I don’t think I am .” Hyunjin doesn’t even understand why he becomes so worked up all of the sudden- like someone had flipped a switch, but the suffering quietness from the library and the concerned stares coming from both Minho and Felix all start to become too much for him. “Listen, I just don't want him to get hurt, but I also want to be near him and- god! This is just all so messed up!”

The distressed boy rakes his shaking hands through brown locks and abruptly stands from his seat, causing the chair behind him to almost fall over, only missing the ground thanks to Felix’s quick reflexes.

Minho immediately gets up from his seat and walks over to where Hyunjin stands from his own. “Hey, it's going to be okay, Hyunjin. Just calm down.” He places a gentle hand onto his best friend's arm, but it's roughly shaken off the second Minho makes contact.

“And how would you know that everything's going to be alright ?!” The unspoken words of Minho not being able to possibly feel how Hyunjin is feeling, simply because he's a half breed and Hyunjin is a human, filter around them like a toxic gas. No one wants to say it, but they all know it.

Hyunjin whips his head around the nearby tables, noticing all the stares from curious too annoyed students. Without a single glance towards his two friends, he grabs his phone and turns to leave. “I need some air, I'll be back.”

Both Felix and Minho watch Hyunjin’s figure disappear among the tall rows of books and ultimately hear the sound of the library's doors being breached. After a few seconds of silence, Minho let's out a tired sigh while pushing in Hyunjin’s chair and moving back to his own. “He's just confused and frustrated right now.” He reasons, running a hand down the side of his face.

Minho understands that it’s most likely the effects of being around Seungmin and not imprinting that's getting to Hyunjin, but that doesn't mean the words just- more or less- yelled at him didn’t hurt coming from his best friend.

"What's wrong with him?" Changbin throws a thumb over his shoulder vaguely in the direction of the front of the library, having just passed by a sulking Hyunjin by the threshold seconds prior.

Instead of answering his question, Felix decides to welcome his boyfriend- boyfriend? Are they boyfriends? Well they act like it, but they've never said they were as such… oh well. Felix will have to talk with him about it later. “Binnie!” He offers the older boy a bright smile, attempting to get his thoughts away from what just happened.

“Hey, Lixie.” The older coos quietly and sits down beside the blonde, taking his hand in his instantly.

Ever since they imprinted, Changbin and Felix had gained some of the schools general population's attention, and not the wanted attention either. When Felix first moved here he had nice encounters and friendly introductions, but the second people saw him successfully interact with the school's biggest mystery, people started to act not so welcoming to the blonde boy. Of course being friends with Minho and Hyunjin didn't help in the slightest considering the two had been known, since before Felix even moved here, to be an odd pair.

Minho watches the two across from him, apparently they have no problem with subtle PDA. “You two make me feel like I'm a piece of trash on the side of a freeway.”

“I just got off the phone with Minjun hyung and he said Jisung will be coming home tonight.” Minho mentally brightens up at the redhead’s name. “I think they wanted to wait and surprise him about the three new pack members, so we're throwing a welcome home party. We also didn’t get to celebrate his birthday since he was away.” Changbin mumbles out the last part as if it was a passing thought. "Anyways, hyung wanted me to let you all know."

Minho stares skeptically towards the alpha before him. “So he doesn't know about me staying in his room? Or, like, about any of us?”

“Nope. It's fine though, the little guy really likes surprises.”

“Little guy? How old is he? We have never really talked about Jisung before…”

Even though Felix was the one who asked the question, Minho was all too curious as well. He instantly perks up at the hopes of getting to know the small omega a little better.

“He's the same age as Seungmin, so 26. Jisung's kind of like a spokesman and record keeper for our pack. He goes out once a year, sometimes two, to as many packs as possible and scouts them out, gathering and sharing information, and for any that quality he also makes sure all of our treaties are signed for, those kinds of things. If he is welcomed, Jisung also goes into a pack to see new members and talk. His power is photographic memory, once he sees or hears something, he'll never forget it.”

"Never?" Minho lifts his brows, thoroughly impressed with such a unique power, but also wonders if knowing so much and never forgetting, could ultimately take a toll on just one guy.

"About 99 percent of the time he'll remember. But as he gets older or imprints his powers will develop, so could get better could get worse. Who knows."

Felix let's out a low hum in thought. “I thought Chan hyung said something about lone wolves being huge targets?”

“Jisung is the fastest runner out of all of us. The kid can reach up to 65 km/h. Most packs- if they were to attack him- can only run up to about 43 km/h, they wouldn't even be able to touch his tail.” Changbin proudly explains. "It's because he's so small."

“Well, he sounds really interesting, hyung!”

Changbin smiles towards the blonde and pulls out a few notes that were specifically taken so that the older can help Minho study for an upcoming exam- not that he really needs the help with studying, but Minho thinks it helps their bond grow a little. “He's definitely a ball of sunshine, you'll love him."

Minho looks out the window, placed beside their table, in thought. He pictures the smiling redhead, just like the Christmas photo placed in the kitchen, and imagines the scent of earthy oranges, like how all of the omega's objects smell in his room. "Sunshine, huh?"

~*~

Later on that night the pack along with Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix gather at the Stray’s home in celebration of Jisung homecoming.

Wafts of whatever Minjun and Chan are cooking up in the kitchen linger around the grand house mixing with the sounds of a crackling fire from the living room. The rest of the boys are placed around said living room playing video games and messing around on their phones, simply enjoying each others presence and patiently waiting until they can eat.

“Oh. I’ve never noticed that before.” Felix cranes his head and stares at the jagged pale scar, no bigger than the size of an average nail, that runs along the back Hyunjin’s neck. The slightly older boy is wearing a loose sweater, giving ample view to the newly discovered mark.

Hyunjin, who has drastically calmed down since his scene at the school's library, tears his gaze away from Seungmin. The omega is skillfully playing some driving game, even though he is blindfolded, and still managing to stay ahead of Jeongin. If Hyunjin wasn’t kinda, actually, really into the other, he would find such a thing rather creepy. He knew Seungmin could defeat the odds even with a blindfold, but to stay in the lead in Mario Kart ? Yeah, it’s just really weird.

”What?”

“The scar on the back of your neck.” Felix brings a finger up and pokes the mark, looking at it curiously. “What happened?”

Changbin moves from his spot between Felix’s legs and takes a look for himself. “Geez, dude! Looks like someone took a butter knife to your neck.” The young alpha lets out a small whine the second Felix pinches his side for being so blunt towards their friend.

“Don’t be rude.”

Hyunjin cups the back of his neck and absentmindedly rubs the spot. He gives the two boys beside him a shy smile and tells the younger of them that it’s fine, Changbin is right about the mark looking a little rough. “I’ve actually always had it. I’m not too sure where it came from, though.”

A high pitched whine gathers the attention of the three boys, only to see Jeongin look in disbelief at a smiling Seungmin. With the two brothers mere seconds away from breaking out into argument, Changbin gets prepared to extinguish the situation.

"You cheated, hyung!" Jeongin tosses the controller onto the couch and points an accusing finger towards the older.

Seungmin scoffs once, seemingly way more calm than his younger brother. "How can I ing cheat? I'm blindfolded !" He points towards the cloth covering his eyes to emphasize the point, but Jeongin continues to ramble on and trying to justify how he should have won.

Chan pops his head out of the swinging door leading into the kitchen to correct Seungmin on his choice of language and turns back inside, noticing Minho’s still form. The third year has been nestled on top of the window seat, watching the backyard for quite some time while Minjun and Chan have been bustling around the kitchen.

“Minho, will you go and grab some more wood from out by the shed?” The leader grabs his attention, wanting to give Minho something to do, other than stare quietly out a window until they have dinner.

The younger tears his gaze away and makes eye contact with a smiling Chan.

“Sure” And with that Minho watches Chan walk back to his spot beside his mate before he makes his way outside.

The third year shivers from the drop in temperature and immediately regrets not throwing on a jacket before coming out. He quickly finds the neatly stacked wood leaning against a shed that looks like it could use a touch up or two, in his opinion.

"How many did hyung want?" Minho ponders aloud, but he freezes mid step once his ears pick up on a quiet rustle behind him. Sure it could just be the wind or a small animal roaming around, but with the hairs on Minho’s arms prickling up and his inner wolf becoming suspicious, the half-breed begins to second guess the sudden noise.

Before he knows it, the half-breed’s back is slammed against an unknown chest along with an arm placed tightly across his own heaving chest. Minho also takes a terrifying note of a cold piece of metal pressed along his throat.

“Make one more move and I slice your damn throat open.” The stranger pushes the blade further to emphasize his threat, resulting in a miniscule cut to run along Minho’s pale throat. The action doesn’t hurt, but Minho quickly understands the danger he’s in. “Who are you and what are you doing on my pack’s territory?”

It’s hard to concentrate, Minho’s thoughts are running completely rampant, like a wild river. So it comes as no surprise that the third year misses the last part of the stranger’s sentence. “I-I'm...what?” Can’t Seungmin hear what’s going on? Doesn’t the whole pack hear what’s happening? Can Chan not feel the irregular emotions coming from outside?

The stranger lets a frustrated, yet quiet, growl slip past his lips and the second Minho feels the warm puffs of air fanning across his neck, shivers rake his entire body. “ Answer or I cut .” The blade digs a little deeper, reopening the cut that has already begun to heal itself, thanks to Minho’s immune system.

Calm down. I need to calm down. Think rationally.

“My name is Lee Minho and Chan hyung offered me a-a place here! I was just getting some firewood-”

“Hyung has never mentioned a Minho . You smell completely off; drop the act! I can sense your emotions and you show no signs of being frightened!” The stranger sounds beyond tired in Minho’s opinion, but that’s not the only thing the half-breed realizes in that very moment.

That voice. That smell. Oranges and sage? No. Just oranges.

Minho has no idea why, but once the familiar smell of the stranger finally registers, his inner wolf immediately tells him to calm down and that everything will be fine. So he takes a careful breath- mindful of the blade across his throat- and tries to explain his situation. “I'm not acting. I take suppressants, well I'm trying to get off of them-”

Another frustrated growl interrupts the rambling third year, but this time the stranger seems to have had enough and finally spins Minho completely around. “God, can you just-” The stranger, as well as all of Minho's thoughts, come to a stand still.

Both of them immediately make eye contact, which ultimately leads to Minho’s entire world pausing right then and there.

A bust of warmth erupts within him, like a soothing bonfire on a frigid night. The comfortable feeling runs through him and envelops his entire being, and having never felt such a thing before raises so many questions for the young half-breed, but ultimately he comes to a very calm conclusion of what’s happening.

He’s imprinting.

Everything fades away and visions begin to roll along right before him.

It starts off with a room that Minho knows all too well; Jisung’s room, a place Minho has been staying in for the past few nights. The redhead is laying on top of Minho’s bare chest, the latter playing with the smaller man’s hair. The two of them look like they are way past formalities, and also unquestionably in love.

Minho has no time to question the intimate scene, because just as quickly as the first one had arrived then next one filters in.

Jisung is laughing and cutting up with a very grumpy looking Changbin, but mid laugh the redhead turns and looks over towards a fond looking Minho. Jisung proceeds to say something with nothing but excitement and a hint of doubt laced throughout his facial features. Minho can’t hear anything from these visions, which frustrates him, because whatever Jisung was just saying seemed like it was important.

The scene cuts away once more, but this time the both of them are a tad bit older. Minho stands in a familiar kitchen, fooling around with a recipe, meanwhile Jisung is crouched beside him, wiping away traces of dirt from a child's face. The kid couldn't be any older than four, but that doesn’t stop the young boy from pouting angrily at the two adults before him. The action causes both Jisung and Minho to laugh at the child's antics, the whole atmosphere practically screaming domestic and happy.

And just like that the entire scene fades away like dust in the wind, dissolving back into present day, back to where Jisung is gripping onto Minho’s biceps and the two are facing each other with wide and befuddled eyes.

Minho’s entire space is filled with nothing but the smell of earthy oranges and the third year can’t help, but think of one thing.

Home.

The man in front of him seems to be equally as shocked, which is completely understandable for what just happened.

Minho opens his mouth to speak, but he barely gets past a couple of words. “I- you-”

“We're mates.” Jisung’s eyes fall just a tad bit lower and Minho didn't even realize the few tears that have escaped until Jisung is already silently wiping them any with his thumbs. The entire gesture is so careful and delicate, almost as if the redhead believes Minho is made of porcelain. The third year just barely holds himself back from leaning into the touch.

It’s funny to Minho that not even a few moments ago the other had a knife to his throat and is now carefully wiping away tears.

So he does just that, Minho laughs quietly while looking down into Jisung’s amused eyes. The two of them quiet down and simply bask in the presence of one another before the sound of a door opening disturbs the peace and a voice calls out.

“Hey, Minho, you doing alright out here- Jisung ?! When did you get back?” Chan walks closer to the scene before him; Jisung cupping Minho’s agitated face and the latter moving protectively in front of the smaller. Once the head alpha is just a few steps away, Minho unconsciously lets on a low growl, surprising not only Chan, but himself as well. Jisung would actually do the same, but Chan is his leader and he’s an omega; Even though Chan would never force him into such a role, Jisung still respects the man.

“Hey, what's-” Newly imprinted mates are possessive, right. Chan quickly reminds himself. He throws his hands up in front of his chest and stops right where he is, only to back a couple of meters away from the two and giving them the much needed space. “Okay!” Chan looks between the two in disbelief one last time. “Sungie. Minho. I'll uh… leave you guys to it. Just come inside when you’re ready- I’m sure everyone is excited to have you back home, Jisung. Can’t believe it! Minho and Jisung?!”

Minho’s eyes linger on the closed door- where Chan had disappeared- a moment longer before he shifts his gaze back to the boy in front of him. He‘s only momentarily startled to see that Jisung is already staring back at him with an unreadable look.

“Han Jisung.” The shorter greets with a smile as bright as the sun and Minho remembers the fleeting words Changbin had spoken earlier at school; A ball of sunshine . His heart stutters just from the sight alone.

“Lee Minho.”

Jisung huffs out a laugh from the dazed look Minho is currently sporting because he gets it, he’s seen wolves imprint with each other before; He knows it can be overwhelming, damn he himself is feeling like he’s on cloud nine right now.

“Geeze, my heart is beating so fast right now.” Minho cuts Jisung’s thoughts off by expressing his own.

The redhead takes in the appearance of the boy in front of him, takes it in completely; Starting with Minho’s catlike eyes, followed by his sharp nose, and then his curved mouth- his whole face screaming beautiful . Jisung kinda wonders if he did something incredible in his past life to deserve even a fraction of the man before him.

“Mine too.” Jisung looks down towards the ground, suddenly too shy to look into the eyes of a very adorable Minho. He’s in the process of coming up with a few questions to ask the other, but a sudden chill runs down his spine, a chill he knows all too well, and then he hears it.

“ A pack just breached our territory line. ” Jisung listens to Seungmin announce through the pack bond, sounding just as confused as Jisung feels.

His face must look quite conflicted because Minho instantly reaches his unoccupied hand up in attempt to comfort Jisung. “What's wrong? Did I-”

The smaller quickly takes the approaching hand in his own, stopping Minho’s movements completely. “Shh!” He looks around the property with frantic eyes and worriedly brings his lip between his teeth. There's only a handful of packs in that direction specifically and none of which are on the friendly side of the spectrum.

“I’m sorry, but we need to get inside quickly!” Minho follows wordlessly, a bit floored by the complete 180 the boy in front of him is showing; Just seconds ago he was a cute mess of shy smiles and now he’s acting if they’re about to be under attack.

Jisung drags Minho inside and closes the door with a slam , throwing off his backpack in the process and letting the luggage fall onto the kitchen floor without a second thought. “Seungmin! I heard you through the pack bond.” The rest of the pack has gathered in the spacious kitchen all looking between worried, surprised, concerned, or scared.

“What’s going on?” Minho questions helplessly and looks between Hyunjin and Felix, who both look frantic where they’re standing. The second years shake their heads, just as clueless as Minho is on the subject at hand.

Seungmin shifts his head towards the nearest window, listening carefully. “There’s movement coming near us. Sounds like it's the pack west of ours; Seocha pack. There's maybe twelve or more members heading this way.”

Changbin rolls his eyes and walks over to comfort a worried Felix. “What would those mutts want from us?”

“That's no way to be talking about your parents, hyung.” Jeongin practically whines out.

“Innie, I was never a part of them… I was only born in that pack. Nothing more.” The air turns even more sour with the grim behavior Changbin suddenly portrays.

And although it was Felix who originally needed to be comforted, the blonde immediately looks to the boy beside him, a million questions at the tip of his tongue. “Changbin…”

The boy in question gives Felix a tight smile and hopes it’s enough for now. “I'm fine, Lix.”

Chan makes sure his family is completely quiet, asking everyone to stay silent, and gives Seungmin a few seconds to concentrate before questioning, “How are we sounding, Seungmin?”

“About 4 kilometers out- They...they stopped?” His eyebrows scrunch up beneath the blindfold and everyone holds their breaths, waiting for Seungmin to continue.

He hears the sound of the entire pack halting, a couple of them transform, that much he is sure of, then a few steps of walking, and a wicked voice begins to speak. “ I want the blonde human and I want him alive.”

Seungmin turns away from the window, his breath quickening. “Chan hyung, we need to get the humans and Minho out of here, now!” His voice is shaky and a bit frantic, causing Hyunjin’s heart to sink at the mere thought of something scaring Seungmin so much to act like this.

The leader’s facial expression hardens at once and he gathers the confused three along with Jisung towards the back door where the latter just came through moments ago. He introduces them to the redhead quickly while also simultaneously coming up with a plan.

“Take them out the back way and hide through the trails, don't let them out of your sight, same goes for you.” He makes hard eye contact with Minho and the younger instantly understands. “I want Felix and Hyunjin on both of your backs and that's an order. I'll call one of you when everything is settled, but do not come back or even so much as step foot into this forest until I give you a call. Do you understand?”

Jisung nods his head and Chan quickly brings him in for a tight hug, attempting to relieve the younger of any stress by transferring a bit of calming energy. He lets him go and gives the other three a reassuring smile while patting each of their heads, hoping this will be enough to show that he hopes that they’ll stay safe.

"Sorry that your welcome home/impromptu congratulatory imprinting party is being cut super short, we'll have to celebrate when everything gets a little more quiet." Minjun adds in briefly and with an apologetic face.

"It's fine, hyung- as long as I'm staying with Minho, I'll be okay!"

After putting two and two together, Jeongin whirls around so quickly at the sentence Jisung just happily stated that if he were human, it’s quite possible that his neck would be broken by now. " You imprinted with Minho?! " Chan hushes his son and brings him away from the redhead, afraid Jeongin will get too sidetracked if he begins to have a conversation with the omega and because they’re kinda in a time sensitive situation right now.

Changbin quietly pulls Felix aside, while the latter is putting on his coat, and takes his hand gently. “Be safe, Felix.”

The blonde lets out a short and airy laugh, rubbing his thumb against the back of Changbin’s hand. “You know I will-” However, their sweet and private conversation comes to a short end once Hyunjin’s loud voice sounds throughout the house.

“What? No, I'm not leaving you!” The taller male places a heavy hand onto Seungmin’s shoulder and stops the male from moving towards his brother by the front door.

Seungmin lets out a tired sigh and begins to reason with him. “This isn't a fight you can win, Hyunjin. This pack is dangerous, plus I can take care of myself. Just do as you're told for once in your life!”

“No! I need to stay with you-”

Hyunjin’s words are completely cut short once Seungmin yanks off his blindfold and the two make eye contact for the first time.

Ayyy sorry not sorry for the cliffhanger, you'll find out what happens next week!

Let me know what you think in the comments! Likes and words of motivation are ALWAYS welcomed~

Next Time:
-Changbin's parents?
-Hyunjin is always passed out in this story
-Seungmin's just straight up not having a good time
-Jisung being all tough
-Minho is in love y'all
-Minchan being mom and dad
-Jeongin is just a baby

I have a new TWITTER ACCOUNT @CadeIsTrash My other account is no longer available since it was deleted. I made the account a few months before I turned 13 WAY back when (since I'm 22 now) and twitter just decided to suspend and delete it now. So if you were following me OR you want to follow now PLEASE follow that account! I'm still trying to find all my followers and mutuals <3