When Jongin was young, he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t treated like his sister. Why he didn’t get to stick to his parents on grand pack meet-ups. Little Nini never spends a second away from his Mama!

 

He also didn’t understand why his father would call him a thing all the time. It was a word little Jongin could not quite understand. It was Jongin! His Mama’s Nini. Boa Noona’s Nini. He didn’t like how his father called him a ‘thing’ as if he was something to be thrown away!

 

There was another word that he didn’t know the meaning of. Pureblood. But his Mama would always kiss him shut whenever he asked about why his father always called him by those two words he couldn’t understand.

 

“I wish you’d always stay this way, Nini…” Jongin still remembers his Mama saying this to him whenever he would ask her to break the meaning behind those words to him.

 

But defying what his Mama had wished for him, Jongin grew up and learned how to break those words himself. Jongin, now 17 years old learned many things on his own. Like how his mother was the only person who truly wanted him to be alive in this whole wide world.

 

He wouldn’t say his older sister hated him or showed him that she did. She just kept her distance from him. And so did Jongin, with his father too. It's not like Jongin saw him much or something anyway.

 

But still, this was his home. A place where the person he loves the most lives. A place where he thinks he can always come back to. Thus he preferred staying in his home most of the time. Not that he had any other choice. His father had restricted his outdoor activities after his Mama tried to talk to him about sending him to the same classes his sister was attending at that time.

 

“What good can he do attending elite classes?”

 

“It’s not about what good he can do! I don’t want my children having a different kinds of education!”

 

“Hyeri and he is not the same!”

 

Jongin remembers him Mama being told. But she made sure he didn’t miss anything. Yeah, sure she did her part. But he wondered how his sister feels having a group of friends. Going on hunts together, going on foraging.

 

Just…

 

Being herself.

 

So yeah, Jongin thought he missed some part of his life. He didn’t get to come home with a letter for brilliant results in hunting or hand-to-hand combat.

 

But Jongin didn’t feel the thing called jealousy. Never. He just had this fascination toward his sister, and her abilities, personality, and moreover, her life. He was fascinated because she seemed to be simply fit in everywhere she went.

 

“Oh, are you going to Taemin’s house honey?” Jongin jumped a little by his mother’s voice. He had been hearing this voice since when he wasn’t even born. But getting used to it wasn’t something he had mastered. His hand flew on his chest by instinct. Feeling his heart beating slightly faster, no words seemed to come out of his throat to reply to his mother. So he nodded, confirming his mother’s statement.

 

His mother clasps her hands together as she puts some more stuff in her son’s basket for Lee's household.

 

“Do you want to stay the night there? Your father and Hyeri won’t be home until the hunt ends.” Jongin’s eyes sparkle at the proposal. It was one of those rare occasions when he got to spend a bit of time however he liked. The hunt’s end means not until two days. It wouldn’t be a problem if he returned home the early morning the next day.

 

Somehow Jongin felt ecstatic all of a sudden. A smile crawled up to his lips naturally. His mother seemed to notice the sudden change in the air. But she didn’t let it show.

Jongin puts on his cloak as he heads toward the entrance of the backdoor of his hut. He turned around and looked at his mother. His eyes were a bit hesitant; maybe he was trying to look any kind of doubt in his mother’s eyes. But she just smiled at him. And Jongin almost flew out of his hut.

Taemin and others didn’t live far from their pack. It’s just how their pack worked. Entering the circle of houses, Jongin spotted the leader of the betas. Minho whipped his head in Jongin’s direction as soon as he stepped in the circle and smiled at him. There was a warm feeling that bloomed in his chest as his lips curled upward, gently returning the leader a courteous smile.

 

Taemin was all over Jongin when he opened the door of his hut. Unlike him, Taemin got to work as a helper at the lazaretto of their pack too. Even though Taemin was of the as same age as him, he knew so much!

It always was fascinating to hear Taemin talk. Jongin wouldn’t say he wanted to spend time with Taemin for those reasons only. Taemin was one of those persons Jongin held dear to his heart. But there weren’t many people anyway. So he just wanted to….

 

“You’ll be turning 18 soon right?” Taemin asked him while they were out on the riverbank, collecting some herbs for the lazaretto. It was one of those things Jongin always looked forward to. Collecting herbs and learning how to use them.

 

Jongin stopped on his track. His 18th birthday is something he didn’t want to think about. The possibility of his getting into heat just after he had turned 18 scared him. Moreover, it will be something no one will be able to help him through.

 

“Yeah..... Soon..... ” Jongin replies as he resumes his work. Taemin often wondered how Jongin can actually express so much without words. Or maybe over the years, he had come to read his friend like an open book.

 

“Do you want some new books? Minho Hyung recently had brought them for me.” Taemin asks, trying to divert his friend’s attention to something else.

 

“He did?” oh just how much Jongin loved reading books.

 

“Yes, he did. Now hurry, he said he’d tell us stories of his recent visit to the west territory.” Taemin grabs his friend’s hand and drags him back to their hut.

 

“Snows all year round?!” Taemin almost screamed. They were sitting around the campfire Key had set on earlier that night.

 

“Yeah, they hardly get summer. It’s like less than three full Moons in their territory.” Jongin couldn’t help but feel amused. Winter of their territory seemed to not last at all.

 

“It always wasn’t like this they say.” Minho continues.

 

“It’s said that their ancestors did something terrible thus they lost the blessing of Mother Nature.”

 

“Then what about their food supply?” Jongin couldn’t help but ask.

 

“Yeah, I’m coming to that part too Nini.” Both Minho and Key laughed and Jongin couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

 

“It is said that their land is cursed by Mother Nature. This is why they don’t have lands fertile enough to make their own food supply.”

 

“Stop stuffing their head with this mythical nonsense both of you.” Boa comes back with a bowl of freshly baked sweet potatoes.

 

“Hey! I’m just saying what we’ve heard in our visit there.”

 

“Nini, don’t believe in what they’re saying, dear. You never know how much of those are true.”

 

“But their land is beautiful. Looks like a winter wonderland! The ones we read in fantasy books.” Jongin seemed to be in a daze. Taking in the words that came out from either of his Hyungs.

 

“They’ve been some trouble with the east territory for some time now. Before that, the east’s pack used to supply basic foods to the west.” Key finishes.

 

“So they have no food supply for now. Right?” Taemin asks.

 

“Yeah, this is where our pack comes in. After their feud with the east, they sought help from us.”

 

“And from what we know, they will visit our pack soon to show their gratitude toward our pack.” Both Key and Minho look at Jongin. He stays mum. Not knowing what to say. Visitors meant they are to stay at the pack’s