Guilt squeezed at Yixing’s chest as he ran through the streets in the direction of the woods where Junmyeon said they had found Zara. The pack was currently following her and he needed to join. He hated having to leave you. It seemed like every time the two of you got closer, he ran away. 

Though, this time, it could be seen as Junmyeon’s fault. 

No. Zara’s. 

Yixing hadn’t thought that Zara would show again so soon. He thought he would have to wait out at your apartment for a week and continue to sneak through your window like Romeo. At least the two of you weren’t that tragic. 

Or, he hoped you weren’t. 

He finally reached the trees. Despite the urgency, he took the time to undress, hiding the clothes under a pile of leaves and marking the trunk with his claws after shifting. He wouldn’t have bothered if it weren’t for the fact that he didn’t want to waste time going back to the farmhouse and getting a new set of clothes if something were to happen. He needed to be able to get back to you as quickly as possible and with no needless distractions. 

The scent of his pack was easy enough to track down in his wolf form. None slowed down as he joined them in the rhythmic running. He stayed on the outskirts of the pack, slowly making his way towards the front to be by Junmyeon’s side. The alpha gave a single glance towards Yixing before returning his focus to the trail they followed. 

A small group - Junmyeon, Sehun, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo - had been searching the woods in their human forms for any sign of a possible trail. Broken twigs, crushed leaves, clawed bark. At first, nothing. Then they found it. It was her scent. No longer hidden by magic. Over the phone, Junmyeon had mentioned the possibility of this being a trap. Everything could be a trap. But they couldn’t risk letting her go, not when there was a chance. 

Over a dozen powerful paws pounded into the dirt in unison like a thunderstorm. Yixing let himself be driven by the singular mentality. Follow the scent. Find the source. End this. 

He only hoped that would be the outcome. 

There!

Junmyeon spotted her first.

The gray wolf was still very much a blur in the far distance. All of them dug their paws deeper, gaining speed together. 

Closer and closer she came. Smaller and smaller the distance shrank. She couldn’t outrun them all. She couldn’t fight them all off. 

Chanyeol leapt first, tackling her to the ground. Leaves and twigs flew up in the air where their bodies landed. A whimper echoed as Chanyeol bit down on her shoulder. Zara shifted, slipping away from Chanyeol. She huffed in an attempt to catch her breath as she pushed herself up on her elbows, stomach laying flat against the dirt. 

The rest of the pack surrounded them. Yixing and Junmyeon shifted while the others remained as wolves. 

“Give it up, Zara!” Junmyeon shouted. “You’re not getting away!”

She had the audacity to laugh. “Who says I’ve been wanting to get away? Leading you all in circles has been too much fun.”

“Could you really not find another pack to join?” Yixing asked, unsure of what made him do it. All of this. All of this because they said no. Because he said no. 

Zara’s face grew cold, her earlier amusement long gone. “None will let me join.”

“Why?” Junmyeon demanded. “You’ve never been affiliated with a pack before. Surely, someone will take you.”

A muscle jumped in Zara’s jaw. “That’s… not entirely the case.”

Baekhyun suddenly shifted. “I knew it! I knew there was something she wasn’t telling us!”

Jongdae whined, stepping back with head hung low. He had been one of Zara’s greatest defenders all those years ago. 

“So, you were ostracized,” Junmyeon said in a quieter tone. 

“It wasn’t my fault!” Zara defended. “But they wouldn’t listen to me! I thought you all would. I thought you were different.”

Junmyeon shook his head. “We have our own to look after. And after what you’ve done here, we can’t just banish you from our territory. There are consequences for your actions.”

Zara smirked. “As to be expected. We knew it would lead to something like this.”

“We?”

“The witches,” Yixing answered for her. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Baekhyun said. “They hate us. Treaty or not, they hate wolves. Why would they bother working with you?

“Mutual benefits,” Yixing whispered.

Zara let out a single laugh. “Exactly. I didn’t come here on my own. They tracked me down. Gave me an enticing offer. So, I agreed to be a distraction.” 

“For what?” 

Zara’s only response was a laugh. Chanyeol growled, pushing back on his front paws, readying to pounce. He was always impatient. A fact that Zara knew as well. 

She shifted back into a wolf. And Chanyeol pounced. 

Zara anticipated this and jumped out of the way. Then she turned, digging her sharp teeth into his flesh. Chanyeol whined as he flung his head back. He tried over and over to get at her, to bite back and make her let go. But he couldn’t reach her. So everyone else attacked. 

Yixing, Junmyeon, and Baekhyun shifted. The remaining eight of them lunged. But Zara was small and quick. She let go of Chanyeol and took off through the trees. She zigzagged among the leaves, making it hard to follow her. At times she was nothing more than a gray blur amongst the brown and green. But they kept at it, fighting to keep her in their sights. 

Spread out! Junmyeon ordered. And they obeyed as they went from an organized clump of fur and teeth to a rounded line in perfect sync. No matter what direction she went, they would be able to follow. 

Then all ten of them skidded to a stop. 

Though most of the forest was flat, there were a few parts that had been eroded away by the river that ran through here. And they had chased Zara directly to one of the cliffs that overlooked the roaring rapids down below. 

Just give in, Yixing thought to himself. Just give in, Zara. There is nowhere to run. That was what he believed. There was only one way this would end. She was coming with them and then they would vote on her fate. That was what it always came down to. A vote. 

But Yixing was wrong. That was not the only possible outcome from this. 

Zara surveyed the pack that was closing in around her. Then, she looked behind her, down at the fast-paced water below. Her eyes moved back up, staring directly at Yixing. 

Then she jumped. 

NO!

Yixing lunged forward. He would have gone over the edge himself if Minseok hadn’t shifted and landed on his back. Whimpers escaped Yixing. 

No. she actually- It wasn’t supposed to-

Yixing collapsed to the ground, all fight and strength drained out of him. Junmyeon slowly approached the edge, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched the water for any possible sign of Zara. There was no way she could have survived that fall.

It was done. 

**

You had done exactly as Yixing had asked. You hadn’t moved from this couch, save to lock the door behind him. Ran had left earlier and hadn’t been back, so you were left alone with only your thoughts to keep you company. 

And what a jumbled mess they were. 

You didn’t like it. The empty space that Yixing left behind when he went away. It nagged at you like a piece of homework you’d forgotten to complete. 

No. That was a rather pathetic and understated way of putting it. The sorrowfulness you felt from his absence ran deeper than that. It drew sigh after sigh from you. You worried about his safety and listened for any sound that slightly resembled a howl. There was no way you would be able to hear his cry from your apartment, but it didn’t stop you from jumping each time your brain conjured up a wolf’s call. 

Hours had gone by. No word from Yixing, not a sign that he was alright. The sun was… not quite setting, but it was lowering in the sky, approaching evening. You couldn’t stay like this forever. However, you had promised Yixing you wouldn’t leave the apartment. That could only be a temporary promise, you knew. Keeping yourself inside could only last so long. Perhaps, only until tomorrow. 

Knock, knock, knock.

You jumped at the noise, flinging yourself from the couch But before you could swing the door open, you paused. 

“(Y/n),” a voice whispered from the other side. “It’s me. Open the door. Please?”

Relief almost caused you to cry. But he sounded… weak. Or maybe tired. 

With trembling hands, you flipped the locks and carefully pulled open the door. 

Yixing was leaning against the doorframe, arm above his head to keep him propped up and eyes half closed.

“Yixing?”

His eye lids snapped open the rest of the way at the sound of your voice. The whites were bloodshot with the thinnest rim of red around the outside. He pushed past the door and pulled you into his arms. The door creaked to a close behind him. As soon as it clicked, he reached behind him, blindingly turning the locks once again. 

“It’s okay,” you whispered, though you were still in the dark as to what had happened. “It’ll be okay.”

“She jumped.”

You jerked back so you could see his face. “What?”

He sniffed. “We chased her through the woods until we came to one of the cliffs. We had her cornered. I thought she would just give up, but… she jumped into the river below. We couldn’t find her body.”

It was only then that you realized his hair was slightly damp. That was what must have kept him away for so long. He had been searching the waters. 

You pushed back the few strands that had fallen onto his forehead. “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re safe now.”

“Yes, it does,” you said as you pulled him back into your embrace. “Because it matters to you.”

A sound that could have been considered a laugh rumbled in his throat. “What did I do to deserve you?”

You smiled, having wondered the exact same thing about him. “Come on.” With the slightest of tugs, you led him over to the couch. He sat down beside you, spilling your legs across his lap while his arms pulled you in close.

Yixing pressed his lips into your neck. “I think… I think I need a distraction.”

You had an answer to that. “Tell me… more about wolves.”

Yixing laughed as he straightened. “Like what?” Obviously not what he had in mind. But there needed to be more talking between you two - especially with a decision you still needed to make. 

“You were going to say something, yesterday. Before Ran came in ….”

The faintest of pink dusts powdered Yixing’s cheeks. He cleared his throat. “Yes. About that…. I don’t want to… scare you off.”

You stared at him blankly. “I don’t think you could scare me off at this point.”

That made him sigh. A hand reached up and cupped your cheek, his thumb slowly caressing your cheek. “It’s another part of being a wolf’s mate. Though any wolf would be able smell the bond, it needs to be fully accepted. Solidified. Proven to the world that it’s unbreakable.”

“And how do you do that?”

“Through marking.”

Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline. “Marking?”

“Yes.” A small, knowing smile was pulling at Yixing’s lips. “And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like.”

Oh. Um, okay. Little pieces were starting to fall into place. Especially with the way Yixing spoke about the mark - with such awe and aspiration. A similar air had been in Minseok’s gaze.

“That’s the scar on Ji Yeon’s neck?” 

“Yes. The… bite cements the bond, a show that it’s been accepted and the mate belongs to no one else.”

A bite. “Does it… hurt?” 

“As much as I can, I’ll make it so it doesn’t hurt.” 

Now it was your turn to clear your throat. “I don’t… really think that’s possible.”

Yixing’s eyes flashed amber. He said nothing. Instead, he leaned forward again, bypassing your face for your exposed neck. At first, it was only his lips that brushed against your skin. His hands tightened on your waist. Then his lips parted. Sharp teeth scraped against your neck, pulling a gasp from your mouth. One hand left your hip to hold steady to the other side of your face. Your own fingers reached up and twisted themselves in his shirt. 

The jerk pulled away without warning. 

And smirked at you. “It’s more than possible.” He stole a kiss. “But not until you’re ready. Not until you want me to.”

There was a hopefulness in his voice. It didn’t take a genius to know he looked forward to it. That all wolves did. But you would need time. And there was something else that needed to be addressed first.

“Where are you going to go? Once you graduate?”

Yixing cokcced his head with a frown, confused at the sudden turn in the conversation. “I, um, I’m going to stay here. With my pack. Our university has a good medical program. This is my home.” He narrowed his eyes, but not in an accusatory way. “Why?”

You uncurled your fingers from his shirt. Wrinkles stayed behind where you had been clenching him so tightly. Bits of dirt and dried leaves stuck to the threads. You tried to smooth the fabric back to its better state, but the wrinkles and dirt stayed. It was simply an excuse to avoid his gaze. This was an inevitable conversation, you knew that. It didn’t make it any easier. 

“(y/n)? What is it?”

When you still didn’t say anything, he lifted your chin with his fingers. Worry that surpassed any emotion the Zara situation had created glistened in his eyes. 

 “I’ve been planning to go to med school somewhere else. Far away. For a while.”

“Oh.”

Oh. 

A somewhat expected response. You still readied yourself for him to say that you couldn’t go. That you had to stay here. You waited for any and every argument.

“If that’s what you want to do, then I support you.”

“W-what?” 

Yixing’s eyes dropped down to your hands when you raised your own gaze. “I’ll come visit you often, but-” His face pinched. “It wouldn’t be right. For me to tell you not to go. You had a life before me.”

“Really?” He… he wasn’t even going to try to convince you to stay? 

His response began with cupping your cheek and kissing your forehead. “I’ll just have to spend as much time with you as I can before you go.”

You smiled at that. And he smiled back. 

“And you know what? I know how we can get started on that.”

**

“Okay, what’s up?”

Your head whipped over to your aunt, who sipped expectantly on a glass of wine across the table. 

There weren’t many people in this restaurant that she insisted you try today. Nothing else sounded particularly appetizing to you, so you agreed. It had been a while since you’d gone to visit her, which naturally made her a little put out. 

But she didn’t take it out on you. Too much. 

She’d poked fun at you looking tired from all the studying you had to be doing. She wasn’t wrong. You were tired. But not from homework. 

Well, from a little bit of homework. Mostly, you and Yixing stayed up talking. Among other things. You flipped back and forth between sneaking him into your apartment and spending the night out at the farmhouse. 

You quite liked it out there. It was quiet - most of the time. And you were getting used to the others. Becoming friends with them, even. Especially Ji Yeon. Surprisingly, you liked Baekhyun the most amongst the wolves. He was teasing, but not in a mean way. Never in a way that made you feel bad. There was a lightness to him, an infectious energy that you couldn’t resist. Yixing seemed to like the fact that you’d taken to the puppy-like wolf. 

But that was a problem. You liked the house, you liked the wolves, you liked having a close female friend who understood the pains of being a mate. Roots were starting to form. And they were cracking at the cement plans you laid down. 

Sighing, you put the fork down, not really enjoying the warm pasta dish sitting in front of you. “I’ve been thinking….”

“About?”

“School.”

“Yes?”

This should have been much easier. If you couldn’t talk to your aunt, then who could you talk to?

“Is this about Yixing?” She took another sip of wine. That was something you hadn’t kept from her. Not the wolf part. Just the… other stuff. Mostly. 

“Sort of,” you said. “He’s a part of it.”

She nodded. “Okay. Does he not want you to go to the other university?”

“The opposite, actually. He said that I had a life before him and that if that’s what I wanted to do then he would support me.”

“Smart boy.”

You laughed. “You have no idea.” Your smile faded. “I just- I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and-” You took a deep breath. “What if I don’t want to go anymore?”

“Then you don’t have to go,” she said simply. At your wide eyes she put the glass down and leaned forward. “You’re allowed to change your mind. Life isn’t set in stone, you know. Things happen, things we never expected. But they’re what make life exciting.”

You weren’t sure if you could completely agree with the exciting part. Anxious was a word you were fond of, personally. You didn’t like life’s surprises. But… she did have a point. 

“So, does this mean you’re staying?” she asked. 

“I don’t know,” you said honestly. You really hadn’t made any sort of decision. You were hoping your aunt would give you clarity, but…. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“Well, don’t worry over it too much. You’ve got time.”

Time. Right. 

To be honest, you would rather have a solution now. Maybe one would come to you soon. 

You took a bite of pasta, chewing slowly on the noodles. The end of the semester was still a couple of months away, but you knew that it could come in a blink. So while it felt like time was on your side, it really wasn’t. Any day, the letter of acceptance could come from the university. Then you would really have to make a decision. 

You just hoped that you made the right one.