Kyungsoo wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he felt he had to. It was necessary despite the challenges that would follow it. He had been demoted by his Alpha. Do Kyungsoo had been thrown from top Beta to the status of an Omega. The young ones wouldn't even let him close. He knew why. Everyone knew why, but it was the Alpha's orders, and he was overpowered, so what else could he do? He could leave.

   He placed the small note announcing his break from the pack on the nightstand next to his roommates bed. The boy in bed was an Omega as well, and Kyungsoo knew he would get heat for delivering the news, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He left his pack that night, scared and alone, but determined to find a new home.

   It had been almost a month now with no noise from his old pack, and no sign of any of the others he knew were around. Kyungsoo wasn't used to being alone, having been in a pack of some sort since birth. It was what he was accustomed to, what he needed. If he didn't find at least one person, gods forbid it be a human, to form a bond with…he didn't want to think about what would happen.

   "Hey," said a voice next to Kyungsoo's seat on the bus. Kyungsoo looked up, blinking from the sun, to see a young man with tanned skin, multiple piercings, braids running along his skull and down to his collar, and well-fitted clothing accented by various chains. His smirk and the way he looked at Kyungsoo let Kyungsoo know that he knew what he was. He was one, too. They held eye contact until the stranger looked away with a frown. It was only then that Kyungsoo moved over and let him have a seat beside him. "I'm Kai."

   "D.O."

   "Is that seriously your name?" Kai arched a brow at him but looked away when Kyungsoo turned his gaze to him.

   "Is Kai seriously your name?" He responded, flicking his gaze up and down Kai's sitting body.

   After a few beats of silence, Kai spoke again, "You're alone."

   "As are you." When Kai let out a laugh at that, Kyungsoo looked over at him again, and Kai hesitated but straightened his face, then pursed his lips.

   "I'm not alone," he said softly, "I have a pack. You don't." Kyungsoo tensed, his mind running through all the possibilities that came with running into a member of another pack. If he played his cards right, he could find a way to join them, if not…well, Kai didn't seem like much of a challenge, but Kyungsoo knew nothing of what his Alpha was like. The two were silent until Kai stood up, pulled the stop rope along the window, and looked down at Kyungsoo. "Come with me."

   "Why?" Kyungsoo didn't like the twisting feeling in his gut. He had never been introduced to an Alpha. He was always a part of forming a pack, not joining one. He knew what the joining process was like though, having witnessed it with his old pack. He prayed Kai's Alpha didn't welcome new wolves into the pack the way his previous one did.

   Kai braced himself on the backs of the seat in front of Kyungsoo and the one he had been in, leaned down, and whispered, "Because you belong in a pack, not alone." Kyungsoo wondered where his confidence had suddenly come from, but when he made eye contact, it was gone. Kai stood straight and made for the bus entrance once it pulled to a stop. He didn’t wait for Kyungsoo. He didn’t have to.

   Once on the street, Kai led him down various streets, and sometimes through an alley. By the time they stopped, the sun was almost fully set, and they were standing in front of a run down apartment building. A few of its windows were smashed in, and vines were covering the entirety of its bottom. When Kyungsoo looked down the street, the rest of the buildings on it were in the same state.

   “Where are we?” Kyungsoo whispered as he followed Kai up the front steps. He wasn’t scared so much as wary. He could smell the others from Kai’s pack. The entire building had their scents practically dripping from its sides, but one stood out over the rest. It was powerful, and Kyungsoo knew this Alpha was going to be as well.

   “You’ll see.” Kai’s voice was strained but he kept walking forward. Kyungsoo narrowed his eyes at Kai’s change in disposition. If they had been wolves his tail would be tucked, ears pulled back, and his head lowered, but as he was, his heart rate was quicker, his breathing following, and each step was careful. To an outsider, he’d of looked like a kid nervous to enter a seemingly abandoned building. Kyungsoo followed behind at a comfortable distance.

   The second they entered the building, Kyungsoo stopped. In the lobby, there were four males. Two were small, almost effeminate, with blood red hair, another was a bit larger with a young face and dark orange hair held back by a gold headband. The last had strong facial features but it was obvious he was young, his hair was light brown and styled up. Kyungsoo had never met them before, but he could tell they were higher ranking than Kai, and one of them was the Beta, just which, Kyungsoo didn’t know yet.

   “What do you think you’re doing, Jongin?” There he was. The lightest haired one stepped forward, his eyes trained on Kyungsoo, the others were staring just as intensely but made no move forward. The Beta passed Kyungsoo and made for Kai. Kyungsoo didn’t dare move to see, but he heard a growl and a body being thrown against a wall. “I asked you a question.”

   “I found him. He’s alone, Suho,” Kai said softly. He let out a sigh when he was let down from the wall, and stayed where he was, eyes glued to the floor. Then, the Beta was back on Kyungsoo.

   “How long ago did you break?” He asked as he circled Kyungsoo and looked him up from every angle. Kyungsoo followed him with his eyes when he could. He wasn’t as strong as he was trying to act. It left Kyungsoo wondering how he was a Beta, but then he remembered he was asked a question, and didn’t feel like being thrown about.

   “A couple weeks ago,” he said softly, like Kai had. He let the other nudge his head to the side, and run his nose up his neck and into his hair with an inhale.

   “You reek,” he said as he pulled away. He stepped off and nodded his head in the direction of the stairs. The other three went to follow him, their eyes finally leaving him. There were no indications on whether Kyungsoo was to follow, so he took his still being alive as a sign. Before following after them, he turned to look at Kai.

   “Jongin, huh?” Kai simply glanced away, his expression feigning boredom. When he nodded, Kyungsoo spoke again, “I’m Kyungsoo.”

   “You should go.”

   “Are you coming, too?”

   Kai laughed, “They don’t like it when I’m around Kris.”

   “Kris?”

   “You’ll see.” Kai flashed him a quick smile, then left. Kyungsoo didn’t waste any time thinking about what Kai meant, or why he was so reluctant to give details. He knew the answer already. Omegas don’t talk about things like that.

   Kyungsoo reached the fourth floor where he was met by the others. They all stared at him more, but did not seem to feel threatened by him. The two red heads were relaxed enough to even smile.

   “I’m Luhan,” said the taller of the two, “this is Baekhyun.” He gestured to the other, who simply nodded and smiled a bit wider. The Beta let out a low growl and Luhan rolled his eyes. Names weren't to be revealed like that, not when no one knew who he was. Kyungsoo took to walking just behind Luhan and Baekhyun, while the other two stayed in front. The one with the gold headband would glance back every so often, but the Beta stayed forward, his frustration rolling off him like a stench.

   Kyungsoo let his gaze wander around the small corridor they were in. It was obvious from the outside that the building had been a tenement, but from where he stood the hall didn't reach a fraction of the actual length of the building. Aside from that, there was only one door on the entire floor, leading Kyungsoo to believe that all the walls and doors had been removed to make one large area, as opposed to the small apartments that had been there initially. A den.

   The Beta opened the door and moved aside. The others followed suit until a path of sorts had been made for Kyungsoo to enter first. As far as they knew, it would be easier to take him down from behind if he tried anything. Slowly, more for show than being intimidated, Kyungsoo stepped forward and into the den. It was well-lit compared to Kyungsoo's last den. There were large plush pillows, of varying colours, scattered about and surrounding large support pillars. There were a few small tables, blankets folded and lain in corners, and a couple walls that held secret rooms. The ceiling had been raised up, the two floors above this one having been broken down. There was still evidence of the destruction on the floor, smalls bits of drywall and cement and the occasional shard of glass.

   Judging by the sheer amount of materials and space, this pack was much larger than Kyungsoo had expected. Then, there were the scents. Not including the four behind him, Kyungsoo counted six more, one being much stronger than the others. Trepidation was crawling on his skin, the urge to run humming in his head. He had thought that the four he had met downstairs were a majority of the pack. He took a step back.

   "Guys. You can come out." Luhan was the one to speak. He sighed loudly, then there was movement all around the large room. Kyungsoo stood still as three more members stepped out from behind pillars or from under the large cushions, and one fell down from the support beams running along the ceiling. One in particular, he was unusually tall with large eyes and long orange hair, looked upset at Luhan having called them out. He had an exaggerated pout on his lips and an attempt at a glare pointed at the group near the door. Kyungsoo wasn't sure he wanted to know why they were hiding in the first place. The other three that came out were more curious than anything.

   One was obviously a pup with the excited glint in his eyes, and the way he could not seem to stay still. He was tall, as well, with a shade of turquoise for his hair, multiple rings and studs in his ears, and strong, angled features that made him seem more like a kitten than a pup. Another, this one more matured, had a soft face, brown hair and eyes, and an otherwise blank expression as he climbed himself onto the pup's back, resting his chin on the other's shoulder as they swayed side to side.

   The last, the one that had been up in the beams, was short, possibly shorter than Kyungsoo himself, a thought Kyungsoo was more than willing to entertain, and had a smirk playing at his lips. His hair was styled up, making him appear older than he was, and the air about him was laden with mischief.

   "He's bigger than I thought he would be," the tall ginger said grumpily, his eyes running down Kyungsoo's body. Kyungsoo had to force himself not to jump him. He was about to say something in return when one of the doors in the back opened up. There he was. The Alpha. Kris.

   Kris stepped out of what seemed like a bedroom with an only slightly smaller male. Had he not been shaking, Kyungsoo might have found it in himself to get indignant of all the tall people around him. The boy was also a pup, with pastel colours running through his ruffled hair. He was covered with sweat that reeked of . Kyungsoo relaxed a bit at that. It was a good sign to him. One that meant there was less violence in this pack than in his last. The tension returned to him, though, when Kris started making his way up to him silently. It took every fibre in Kyungsoo's body to not straighten his back and fight Kris with just as strong a stare as he was receiving. He couldn't let himself behave here the way he did before. Not if it meant losing a potential home, or potentially losing his life.

   No words were spoken by anyone. Kris stood directly in front of the newcomer. Luhan, Baekhyun, and the others all stepped out from behind Kyungsoo. The Beta came to stand beside Kris, his jaw clenched as he looked Kyungsoo over again. Everyone else, save for the two pups that were busying themselves rolling on pillows aimlessly, was standing still with their eyes trained on Kyungsoo. Even Luhan had lost the kind, somewhat comforting, smile he had had in the hallway. Kyungsoo had his own gaze focused on the ground in front of Kris' bare feet.

   "Suho?" Kris' voice was gentler than Kyungsoo was expecting, almost soft.

   "Jongin brought him here," Suho bit out. He had something against Kai. It sparked curiosity in Kyungsoo that he also had to force away for the time being. Having said his piece, Suho stepped away, his footsteps echoing loudly in the room.

   "What's your name?” Kris asked, beginning to circle him just as Suho had.

   “D.O.,” Kyungsoo said firmly. He couldn’t afford to appear weak just as much as he couldn’t afford to be too bold. Kris stopped his movements and stayed silent, waiting. Playing on the truth wasn’t going to work with him. “Do Kyungsoo.”

   “I’m Kris.” He moved to stand behind him. “Why’re you here, Kyungsoo?” He stepped up to him, one of his large hands coming up under Kyungsoo’s chin, pulling his head up and back into Kris’ chest. Kris pressed his nose into Kyungsoo’s hair, whispering, “I suggest you don’t lie.” Kyungsoo let his arms fall limp at his side. He could easily reach behind him and rip open the inside of Kris’ thigh, but then there were the other nine to deal with, and causing problems of any sort would be counterproductive.

   Kyungsoo took a breath, as much of one as he could with Kris holding him back, and began his story. There wasn’t much to tell. He had been demoted to Omega, had too much pride to stay, and left. The fighting and general neglect of others was worth mentioning, but Kyungsoo didn’t want that to influence them in some way. When he finished, he waited for Kris to move. To let him go, or rip his trachea out for all to see. Something. He felt them then, the nails of Kris’ hand growing longer and sharper against the side of his next. He wasn’t satisfied.

   “He just let you leave?” Suho said from a few meters away.

   “She. And, no. She doesn’t know yet...I think.” Kyungsoo tensed more when a nail breaks the skin on his neck.

   “You think?” Kris growled in his ear, it was almost drowned out by the chorus of, “She?”

   “Omegas don’t get attention. We’re checked on maybe...once every few months. We don’t even run together.” This got Kris to loosen his grip. Maybe a sob story was a good course of action? “One of us could end up dead and she wouldn’t flinch. I didn’t want to live like that.” Kyungsoo tried his best to make his voice pitiable. It was working.

   Kris let go of Kyungsoo, nudging him forward a bit. Suho gaped.

   "Kris, you're not seriously considering this, right?" The Beta said with hardly contained distaste. "She could still come after him. The Moons haven't passed yet! And we have no idea how strong they are, or how strong she is, she's an Alpha and a female for gods' sake!" Kris sighed at Suho's rant but said nothing.

   "She won't do anything. She stopped caring about me long before I got put down," Kyungsoo explained to the room, more to get Suho to be quiet than anything else, "that note I left was more of a courtesy." Everyone stayed silent. Kyungsoo couldn't tell if he had amde any progress toward joining them, or if he had just dug his grave. Minutes passed before anyone said anything.

   "So, where's he sleeping?" It was the tall ginger that spoke. He looked between Kris and Kyungsoo.

   "Wherever there's room, but," Kris raised his voice before anyone could say anything, particularly Suho, "he's not a part of this pack until the Moons have passed, and we know for certain the bonds have been severed." He stared Kyungsoo down while he spoke. Once he felt his poiny had been made, he made his way to the back room again, leaving Kyungsoo with nine strangers, one of which aleady didn't like him.

   Everyone moved in on him then, even the grumpy Beta, but Luhan stepped in front of everyone, his hands held up, and shooed them away, complaining about how it was too late, and they could wait until morning. With mumbles of discontent, they all walked back.

   "Luhan's right," Suho said, gentler than he had sounded at all that evening, "too bed." He pointed in the direction of a large pile of pillows, and the rest of the pack went without a word.

   "I know Kris said to wait for the Moons," Luhan said, with an arm thrown over Kyungsoo's shoulder, once everyone had cleared away, "but even if something happens between now and then, he won't let you go."

   "You sound so sure," Kyungsoo commented as Luhan led him to the pile.

   "He likes you," Luhan gave him a smile, "and he doesn't like whoever ran your last pack.

   "Again, with sounding so sure." Kyungsoo didn't like how matter-of-fact Luhan sounded, but he couldn't help the smile stretching on his lips.

   Laying down beside Luhan, Kyungsoo listened closely as the other spoke aimlessly about their pack, how much he would like them, and their territory, promising to show him around later. Kris eventually joined them as well, all voices hushing to mumbles and whispers once he had gotten comfortable. Kyungsoo felt an arm wrap around him from behind, where Luhan was, then a leg across his own from somewhere else, and a head finding its place just above his hip. The closeness was new to him. None of the other packs he was in were like this, but he slept soundly, pushing his face against a pillow and someone's foot. He had found a new home, and, hopefully, it would be permanent.