The wolves and the lynx pack crowded around the center table the morning after breakfast was taken, everyone trying to squeeze into a space where they could fit in. I was about to sit myself down next to Chanyeol who grinned and patted the seat next to him before someone else grabbed onto my arm so that I fell into a lap.

Gasping in surprise, I whipped my head around to see Luhan’s face just millimeters from mine, eyes averted towards the wolf leader like he hadn’t done anything wrong and I scoffed, pushing at his chest lightly, “Yah ahjusshi, get your hands off-“

He only responded by placing his hands around my waist, chin fitting onto my shoulder. I jumped and threw him a scowl, squirming uncomfortably. “What do you think you’re doing?!” I hissed at him in annoyance and more than just a little embarrassment.

“Shut up and listen” he just snapped back. I was about to argue back when I realized that everyone had been staring at us throughout our heated discussion.

Coughing slightly and looking at the ground to inspect the carpeted flooring, I bit my lip and thought about how great it would’ve been if the ground had swallowed me whole because oh my ing god I had never felt so embarrassed in my entire life. It didn’t help matters when Xiumin and Chen flashed me their dimpled grins across the table with two thumbs up.

I swear once I get my hands on those two little s I’ll ing chop off their balls.

The Leader of the Lynx pack going by the name of Hanbin, only chuckled while raising a brow, “Newly found mate?”

Kris offered him a smirk, “You guessed right”

“So,” Suho threw a gentle smile but had an authoritative tone that shut everyone up. Placing his elbows on the table and having a pleased expression on his face – it was probably because in normal circumstances nobody listened to him. After all, he really looked like a cute rabbit instead of a dangerous wolf- continued, “We talked with Hanbin yesterday about his pack’s findings’

He then nodded towards Hanbin who lifted his head in turn and regarded us all with that pokerfaced mask of his. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that he was the werewolf instead of Suho. He really looked badass like he was about to kill someone at any moment.

Clearing his throat, he started, “Our pack has been scanning the perimeter around the city according to what we were supposed to do by the higher orders. During our night shifts we noticed that there were coyotes roaming the area. It seemed weird because we had made sure that there were none around and during that time no scent was found. They’re dumb and shallow, they don’t fit into our category, they’re monsters and they stink” his eyes swiped right and left before his features darkened slightly, “that is, until Junhoe found out that they actually could talk”

“Wait, you mean as in conversations?” Kai butted in with a shocked look on his face.

The Lynxes nodded as Junhoe replied, “He talked to me, that coyote. Said that danger was coming soon and that we should be on our guards”

“Our hypothesis is that they are actually developing the humankind nature, which never happened before. This can cause a problem to us” Hanbin said with crossed arms.

“I mean, they were dumb before. You could kill them like that” Bobby snapped his fingers, “But now, they know. They understand, and most of all they’re growing a population”

“” Tao hissed with a clenched jaw.

“But they’re not alone on this” Hanbin concluded dryly. The wolves cocked their heads at him and so did I as confusion muddled my brain. It was hard to follow their train of thought, but then I made some kind of sense that coyotes were the bad ones, and that they were slowly growing into a human species or something like that? My brow furrowed automatically as I tried to make sense of their words. It was actually pretty hard to keep up with a wolf conversation when all you could grasp were words like ‘coyotes’ and ‘human’, and that was pretty much it. Not to forget that I had an attention span of a millisecond.

Especially when it didn’t concern me.

“What do you mean?’ Sehun asked.

“They couldn’t develop that ability so easily, someone is pulling the strings somewhere” Hanbin replied.

“And that someone is definitely trying to turn them into a population that could wipe out the shapeshifters and lycanthropes” Kris said, “the question is, how?”

“My bet, maybe they’re poisoning them with something” Suho suggested. “Maybe they found some sort of solution that they’re injecting”

“Or maybe,” Luhan suddenly spoke up beside me as I felt his breath stir the baby hairs at the back of my neck, giving me chills, “someone’s creating them”

“What do you mean by that?” Chen piped up.

“Maybe they’re not real coyotes. Maybe they’re something else entirely” Luhan narrowed his eyes at the thought, “that makes them twice as dangerous”

“You mean, someone’s creating a species that looks like coyotes?” Hanbin quirked up a brow in thought.

Luhan nodded, “You said you couldn’t identify their scent. It’s a possibility that they’re not coyotes at all although they look like them”

Jinhwan sighed and cracked the muscles in his neck, easing some tension around his shoulders, “He may be right” he said to the Lynxes, “Well we still need to go snoop around”

“But it is clear that something fishy is going on” Suho concluded, folding his fingers together.

Kris nodded, “we’re going to put more tight schedules for the night and day shifts. Don’t let your mates roam around freely. Even you Seulmi” He shot me a warning look as if to tell me that I shouldn’t go looking for trouble, “I don’t want you taking the risk of going to school when Luhan’s not around you”

“What about Sarang?” I asked. “Is she allowed to go to school?”

“No” Kris shook his head, “I don’t want the mates to be in any danger. You guys will need to replenish the wolves’ strengths. I don’t know what would happen to them if one of you get injured”

“We’ll find a place nearby so that we’ll be able to keep in contact easily” Hanbin clasped a hand onto Kris’s and Suho’s shoulder and they exchanged a knowing gaze, as if foreboding the storm that was coming. A finger of fear ran down my spine, causing me to shiver in Luhan’s embrace. I was tempted to move, tempted to jump out and push him away and make a big scene but this wasn’t the most important thing right now. All the words that have been exchanged suddenly gave me a headache. It was horrible how my mundane, normal human life has been turned into this. I couldn’t even go to school anymore, what bull was that?

I jumped out of Luhan’s lap the moment the meeting was over and ran over to Kris’s side, grasping onto his shirt sleeve and looking up at him, “My mother won’t accept this. She’ll question me, and I can’t let my grades go down! I’ve got work as well!”

“Seulmi, don’t argue” He sighed like I was some kind of annoying child he wished to get rid of.

My anger flared at it’s best, “If I don’t work, then we’re both dead” I snapped at him with the coldest voice I could muster, “My mother barely makes anything as a barmaid, if I’m not there to pay the bills, who will?!”

“I’ll talk to your mother” he answered in a very cool tone, not even annoyed by my lack of formality, “ We’ll figure out a way okay? Just-“

“What about my work?”

“Kris, let her go” Suho’s hand dropped on my shoulder and almost instantly I felt the anger dissipate. I blamed it all on the angelic looking boy standing next to me and yet I couldn’t find the energy to push him away, “It’s not like school, Luhan can accompany her to and back right?”

“What about his shifts?” Kris threw him a pointed look.

“We’ll figure something out” Suho flashed me a gentle smile to which I returned tentatively. I heaved a sigh of relief when Kris finally nodded and told me to scoot now because he and Suho had to discuss important things in between pack leaders. I nodded and made my way back to the kitchen with a satisfied face, seeing a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and grabbing one before stuffing it in my mouth.

“You’ll get fat if you continue eating this much” Haerim slapped the back of my head teasingly as she took a seat opposite me on the kitchen counter. A smile full of hidden secrets was dancing across her lips and for once I felt like running away from her. Granted I really loved her presence but that smile – I knew she was going to ask me about Luhan and stuff. And to tell the truth, I wasn’t really keen on talking about that.

“So, how’s Luhan?” I knew it.

I kept my gaze steady on the plate before me, “Ask him yourself”

“Yah yah, what’s this? I thought you guys were getting along pretty well” her well-defined eyebrow arched in amusement.

I shrugged and continued stuffing my face, “I don’t understand him. He’s bipolar” I scoffed.

“Come on, he’s not that bad right?” She leaned closer and smirked, “I mean, you even sat on his lap during the meeting”

I tried not to let my cheeks flame bright pink and kept a calm, composed pokerface although my insides were burning with embarrassment, “That was because there was no place”

“Yeah right, say that to someone who will actually believe you” She snorted, “I can tell he’s slowly starting to accept you though”

“He said it himself” I took another cookie to distract myself, “that he didn’t want anything to do with me and the bond”

“He’s just bluffing” Haerim scoffed, “Don’t let that bring you down. The boy has a tendency to say the things he doesn’t mean the most”

I felt my heart shake slightly at her words, throbbing so painfully inside my chest that I was scared she’d hear it with her ultra-werewolf senses. What was happening to me? I wasn’t becoming soft or anything right? Oh god please let it not be that otherwise I’d never forgive myself for letting my guard down, especially if it turned out all bad in the end. I was worried, for if I rejected Luhan really, then I wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to survive without me on his own for long, after what had happened with his former mate. But then, did I really want this type of relationship with him? Did I really want to become his official mate and bear him small wolves? I could do it, but that didn’t mean I would love him.

It was just so complicated, I felt like my head was about to burst.

It’s been a few days since then, and Luhan has not stopped following me around like a shadow wherever I went. It was annoying at first to deal with his clinginess and his random comments that could hurt like a , but I was Park Seulmi, no one messed with Park Seulmi. Therefore I always made sure to reply him with a kick in his shin or his stomach, threatening that next time I’d kick him so that he wouldn’t be able to have children. His sarcasm has toned down a notch after that, thankfully.

However, I couldn’t help but notice that every time I stepped foot into the bakery where I worked, Luhan’s eyes would suddenly flash silver and he’d growl from across the room. I wasn’t sure whether I was the only one hearing it because frankly people kept staring at me when I told them about it. So I concluded that whatever Luhan was doing, it only reached my ears. Not to forget the fact that he was extremely jealous and over-possessive when Donghyuk – the new part-time cashier- and I would take and get along just fine, laughing here and there while throwing jokes at each other. He was like a little kid whining for his mother every time he’d call me to his table. It came to a point where I completely ignored his utter presence and told someone else to go to him. He was aggravating at this point; it was frustrating to say in the least.

But on this particular day, Luhan was nowhere to be found. I searched for him throughout the whole house because he was the one supposedly accompanying me everywhere, specifically to my workstation. To my dismay I caught sight of Kris pouring himself a cup of strong coffee from the machine, the leader looking up curiously upon hearing my footsteps trot into the kitchen. I swear those rapid wolf responses crept the hell out of me.

“Do you know where’s Luhan?” I asked. He didn’t even bother looking up at me before replying oh-so-casually, “It’s the full moon tonight. There’s no way you’ll see him”

“Huh?” I asked blankly.

Kris sighed and sipped his coffee, “You know, I’m not even sure what Luhan tells you. You’re just as clueless as when you first came in”

“That’s all ahjusshi’s fault”

“Yeah well, you get the consequences of it,” He leaned onto the countertop, drumming his fingers on the cool granite, “Wolves that haven’t made it official with their mates and unmated wolves aren’t allowed to come close to the perimeter of the house tonight, because of the full moon. If he does see you, his hormones will probably run wild which is why you’re not allowed to break or make any stupid noise that will disrupt him”

“But who’s going to accompany me to work?”

“Junhoe will” Kris nodded towards the main door and I assumed that there was someone behind it considering his x-ray vision. My eyebrows met at the center as the unfamiliar name rolled off his tongue, “Junhoe? Who is that?”

“He’s from the lynx pack” as soon as the words fell from his mouth, the door opened to reveal a tall, gruff but good-looking boy. I couldn’t help but stare at his eyebrows because man, eyebrows as thick as those were rare to find in Seoul, especially when everyone was maniac into having them in the first place. This guy looked like he had very much of it but it did give off this very charismatic charm to his face so I wasn’t complaining.

He stepped into the threshold and his eyes landed on my frame, “Are you Seulmi?”

I nodded meekly, quite intimidated by his pokerfaced mask. Weird how I didn’t feel anything close to fear when Luhan was around, but with him was a completely different story.

“Let’s go then”

Unlike his cold and mean appearance, Junhoe was a very sassy guy, someone that you could joke around with and throw sarcastic jokes back and forth without having to explain them. The atmosphere was light with a tinge of insult every now and then, but I really liked it. Even if he was a lynx, he seemed pretty much used to being around humans and werewolves; I must admit I was very impressed by his aloof-ness.

“So, have you found your mate yet?” I blurted the words that had been on my mind ever since we started walking for the city. The boy tensed slightly before replying with a curt, “maybe’, dragging his eyes away and signaling me that indeed there was something going on behind that cool-vibe he gave off to everyone.

“Well? Who’s the lucky girl?” I prodded some more. Now that his secret was out, it wouldn’t make any sense for him trying to cover it up now when the beans were already spilled. The boy only bit his lip and looked away.

Did I say something wrong?

“She-“ His brown orbs darted around like he was scared people would hear us when we were in the middle of a deserted alley leading to the center of Seoul. “She’s-Uh-“

“Dude spill. Is she human? That’s not really a problem right?” I clicked my tongue.

Junhoe lowered his gaze to the ground and heaved a big sigh before narrowing his eyes at me, “You can’t tell this to anyone, you hear?”

“Why would I?” I shrugged, “Don’t your members know anyway?”

The silence that washed over us right after my comment made my jaw drop.

“Y-Your pack doesn’t know?!”

Junhoe shook his head, “She’s…” he took another sigh, “She’s a …wolf”

My mind kept replying Junhoe’s statement inside my head throughout work and because of this distracting news I spilt coffee all over the floor. In a daze and not quite hearing my manager giving me and earful about not being careful enough with hot drinks, I picked up the broken pieces of porcelain and made sure to clean the mess while my thoughts kept flying back and forth within my brain. The sudden overwhelming feeling of comforting Junhoe came to mind. I didn’t even know this could happen and wondered whether there had been a case like this. But then what was to come out of their offspring? A hybrid? Wouldn’t that specie threaten the two distinct packs? Maybe it would be a change, I thought to myself when I suddenly bumped into Donghyuk’s chest.

“Wow what is up with you today? You seem more distracted than usual” He said with surprise, curiosity getting it’s best.

I blinked twice, and then replied, “I’m sorry I’m not feeling very well”. Smooth Seulmi, your lying skills are no joke, bruh.

“You should go home, Seulmi-ah” He answered and stepped away from the counter. “I’ll accompany you”

“What? No” I pushed him by the shoulder, “It’s fine Donghyuk, I can walk by myself”

“I’m not letting a girl walk alone in the middle of the night” he scowled back at me. In the end, I decided to just let him do whatever he wanted because obviously when Donghyuk wanted something he was going to get it. Actually, I was pretty reluctant into showing him where I really lived – my place at the wolves’ house- and thought that it would be better if he accompanied me just halfway. It was good enough that I got acquainted to someone like him and caused the poor innocent boy to fall into Luhan’s bad books, I couldn’t imagine how Luhan would feel once he saw me and Donghyuk together.

He’d probably kill him.

Then faint.

Once we arrived halfway where the alleyway split, I stopped and turned around to flash Donghyuk a brief smile, “I don’t want to take more of your time. My house is just around the corner so I’ll be fine”

“Are you sure?”

His concern warmed my heart at the slightest. I nodded vigorously and lifted a hand to bid him goodbye, “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow at work-“

Before I could even blink, a white beast flung itself onto Donghyuk’s body and I just stared for a few seconds, not quite believing what had just happened.

“LUHAN!”

I am so sorry for the late update. :( So so sorry i hope you guys forgive me :( Schools' just been hell for me right now and i haven't even got time to sit and relax, let alone write a chapter especially when my brain's all tired out. I try to write in between classes and whenever I'm free but this method isn't working as well because it's hard for me to switch into writing mode as easily as *snaps fingers* this. xD 

I hope you like this chappie, thank you so much for all the comments and i'm sorry for not replying. Like i said i barely have time to write and reply comments :( But you guys know they are veyr much loved and appreciated right? I love you guys so much, you mean the world to me :) 

What do you think of this chappie? Comment your thoughts down below! 

And *hint hint* Junhoe's mate? *wriggles eyebrows*.