While Minseok has learned over the years to take things in stride – to never let himself get too caught up in things he has little to no control over or stress himself out over matters that can quite easily be resolved – today has been just a little too much for him to deal with.

Mainly it was due to work, with Mitchell Tall peering over his shoulder as he read through the few, short and not very detailed reports of unusual wildlife activity. The guy had been so excited over the sudden “re-appearance” of what he’d believed to be an old wolf pair from the area that Minseok almost felt bad about countering his enthusiasm with hard facts, pointing out that the animals in the few photos were extremely similar to those of the north-eastern pack which was known to migrate further south a few times a year. The rest of the day at the office he’d spent suffering through hours of one sulking co-worker and another who would not stop talking – because between the two of them Eleanor and Mitch somehow manage to hold fairly balanced dialogues, whereas Minseok himself isn’t sure how to cut either of them off once they get started – in between having to take countless phone calls from people who were concerned with the falsely rumoured increase in wolf-activity and needed to be told otherwise.

Therefore, tired and a bit grouchy, Minseok had hoped to get some rest once he got back to the house. What he got instead were a bunch of strange smells and an unusually upbeat half-pup.

“They were really nice, even though they kept looking around like someone was gonna jump them.”

“Unaccustomed to human environments, most likely. Or just nervous because they were in another pack’s territory – they told us they’ve been on their own for quite some time.”

“Well yeah, but they weren’t exactly awkward or anything. I mean Baekhyun really seemed to like it here.”

“Mm, he did. The girls were a bit harder to read though…”

“Oh, but Chanyeol was pretty fun once she loosened up. And she’s freaking strong – you two should’ve seen how easily she won at wrestling! My shoulder still hurts!”

“Jongin please, you’ll knock something over.”

“Suho seemed really serious though, don’t you think? Sort of scary actually…”

“She’s not scary Jongin. With those two around she probably has no choice but to be mature and make proper decisions, don’t you think?”

“Still, it would’ve been nice if she’d just joined in for a bit – a little fun never hurt anyone. Besides, the teams were totally uneven and Chanyeol—…“

Minseok exchanges a tired look with Jongdae as they listen to the other two list off their impressions of the stray pack they’d apparently had over, chewing slowly and continually moving the water jug out of range of Jongin’s increasingly careless arm-waving. It’s been a while since they’ve had such a lively dinner, conversation louder than Minseok would like it to be and the topic as unusual as the mood.

Truthfully, he isn’t sure what to think of the sudden news whatsoever. There’s no point in getting mad or anything as dramatic, he knows as much, but there’s also no way to simply accept a bunch of strangers and welcome them into their home. Minseok sighs as Yixing shoots him a smile. If he were in fact pack leader by the normal fashion, he’d have scolded her for not thinking her actions through more. She’s too kind and trusting, and while he’s sure every one of them can handle themselves, she and Jongin would have been in trouble if the trespassers had decided to behave improperly.

But these concerns don’t mean he’s entirely opposed to the idea of forming new bonds. Strays or not, shifters have become rare, and one can never have too many allies if anything unfortunate were to come up.

“You said they’ll be coming over again?” Minseok asks, and albeit a bit stunned by the interruption, Jongin nods fervently with an excited ‘yeah, tomorrow’.

“I’m thinking of taking the day off,” Jongdae adds casually, giving him a pointed look. “Wouldn’t want to miss them again…”

“I’m sure they’d be able to handle things at the office for one day,” Yixing agrees, though Minseok doesn’t need much convincing as far as his co-workers capabilities to study numbers goes. He nods curtly, decidedly.

“And this group knows about the two of us?”

“They’ll probably be expecting to meet you this time.” Yixing smiles, setting her cutlery down with a quiet clink. “That and we did sort of promise that you’d be around for a proper talk anyway. You don’t mind, do you?”

Unfortunately, he can’t really argue there.

It’s pretty incredible, Minseok thinks, how fast a person can go from exhilarated to near-comatose. He shakes his head at the untouched mug on the parlour floor, taking a hold of it with a scoff before joining with Yixing in the kitchen.

“Jongin’s out cold,” he says with a yawn of his own, flashing her a quick smile as she takes the mug from his hand to rinse it off.

“It doesn’t surprise me – he probably exhausted every ounce of energy playing around all afternoon. Let’s just allow it for tonight.”

Minseok hums and feels the corners of his lips twitch a bit as he stares at his reflection in the window. Normally he or Jongdae will make sure the runt crawls into his own bed at the end of the day, but he supposes one exception won’t hurt anyone. He sighs as he slumps against the counter. “You’re thinking this is a good thing, aren’t you?” he mutters. “These strangers showing up in our woods.” Yixing chuckles quietly, barely audible over the running tap, but otherwise there’s no answer. It doesn’t bother him – it was a rhetorical question either way. “Suho… Baekhyun… Chanyeol… was it?”

“I’m telling you Minseok; they’re not bad people.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He knows he’s being stubborn, and from the way Yixing turns the water off, fixing her gaze on him with a stern expression, Minseok also knows that she isn’t liking his attitude.

“Sometimes it’s better to trust your gut. There is nothing you can pull from your imagination that will make me regret my decision to welcome them here, or decide to turn them away at the door next time they come.” With the steely look on her face and a confidence in her words that doesn’t often shine through her mellow exterior, Minseok feels as though he’s the younger of them, being scolded by someone wiser than himself. Someone much stronger. Yixing must notice the way his shoulders have stiffened, because her face softens as she rubs his arm in passing. “Don’t think too much, Minseok. Just trust me on this.”

Minseok nods numbly as they exchange quiet goodnights. He listens to her footfalls on the stairs, but once she’s out of earshot the silence creeps up on him, cold and heavy. The discomfort settles in the pit of his stomach as he turns the lights off, his eyes drifting over to the sharp shadows outside, and he shivers at the bladelike lines stretching across the frosted ground. Too many thoughts he has no desire to entertain reappear after years of suppression, and he’s quick to force them to the back of his mind again.

Jongin is still snoozing on the rug in front of the slowly withering fire, and Minseok covers him with a thick blanket, careful not to wake him. The runt’s expression, even in deep sleep, seems brighter than usual, a small curl to the corner of his lips that isn’t usually present. Minseok sighs as he turns to make his way upstairs, rolling his left shoulder almost subconsciously, uncomfortable tugs on the marred skin making him wince.

No, he’s been done trusting his own instincts for a long time. But maybe, just maybe, with a little bit of effort he’ll be able to trust Yixing’s.

*

Sehun shivers violently, eyes squinting into the shady gloom around them. He’s tired and aching; hungry, thirsty and generally miserable. And at the same time, he can’t stop moving. There’s an underlying urgency in the way the other wolf leads him through the woodlands, as though something invisible is tugging at his very core. Or, if considered in a more pessimistic manner, as though something is snapping at his haunches.

But no matter how grateful he is for being rescued from near certain death, Sehun can’t help feeling insecure around his saviour. The male is, while tinier than Sehun himself, clearly older and more experienced, used to the wilderness that Sehun still struggles to fully comprehend. It may have helped if he’d gotten to see the stranger’s face, heard his name, but now… nothing. Why the male even bothered to prevent his death remains painfully unclear – a question that’s been nagging at the back of his mind since their paths first crossed.

It’s to his great relief that Sehun notices the sky brighten, glimpsing faint lilac and heliotrope between the spiky branches of the evergreens. Though any shifter is able to find their way around even in the dark, the light is a welcome companion, especially in a place where the days are comparatively short and cold, and where the nightly shadows seem to envelope everything that dares venture into the old forests. Sehun understands now, after only a fortnight on his own, that it was the worst decision he could have made for himself.

Despite the sunrise however, they don’t stop until they find a small stream, clucking merrily in greeting as they carefully approach to quench their thirst, paws sinking deep into the cold, loose soil. Sehun feels like crying at the refreshing chill of water on his tongue and tries without success to pace himself.

“You’re going to choke if you’re not careful.”

As though on cue, Sehun does end up coughing violently – a strange sound when coming from a wolf’s snout – but in his defence he’s certain it’s the stranger’s fault for suddenly talking to him. Once he’s done getting the water out of his airway, Sehun’s quick to shift too. The water is freezing around his hands and feet, but he remains crouched in place with no real motivation to move more than necessary. He’s also fairly sure that his limbs would be covered in ice within a few minutes if he were to get out.

“So…” he glances over at the other somewhat awkwardly, blowing a few strands of brown hair out of his eyes, “thanks for saving my life?” It wasn’t really supposed to come out so hesitantly, but when Sehun actually sees what the stranger looks like – still tiny, frail-looking almost, and with a messy mop of deep red hair that falls over big, dark eyes – he sort of wonders if it’s the same individual who fought off a grizzly without any discernable difficulty. “I’m Sehun, by the way,” he tacks on after another moment of silent staring between the two of them, and the other sighs, seemingly annoyed as he scratches his head.

“…Kyungsoo,” he breathes irritably, eyes narrowed at Sehun as he stretches, unabashed and entirely comfortable with both of their blatant , it seems. Either way, it seems like he’s found something that’s not entirely to his liking, and Sehun yelps, almost toppling over when fingers prod gently at his ribs.

“What the hell dude?!”

“Oh shut up,” Kyungsoo mutters, and Sehun’s teeth clamp down on his bottom lip to keep him from complaining as the medical exam continues for another few minutes, the cold and occasional bursts of pain quickly making him sicken of being in his human skin – it’s all a lot easier to deal with when he’s shifted. “Well, good news is – nothing seems to be broken. You might have a few cracks, but nothing that shouldn’t heal within a week. The bruises should be gone in another day or two.”

Sehun lets out a quivering breath before washing his flushed face, successfully ridding his eyes of whatever moisture had gathered during the examination. “Why are you even helping me?” he asks a bit grumpily, earning himself an unimpressed glare.

“If you don’t want it I’ll gladly be on my way, with or without you.”

“…sorry.”

For a few minutes they fall silent, and Sehun watches as Kyungsoo changes back into his pelt, still an alarming shade of dark crimson, before proceeding to sniff the air, ears clipping and tail twitching every few seconds. Then he gives a gruff bark, which Sehun doesn’t need to be shifted to understand, and disappears among the trees.

“’Stay here’… huh?” Sehun mutters to himself as he finally climbs out of the water, toes an alarming shade of purplish pink, and slips back into his pelt with a comfortable sigh, instantly much warmer though still feeling rather nippy. At least he’s not thirsty anymore.

Kyungsoo doesn’t return until quite some time later, the sun closing in on its zenith by the time a very enticing smell wafts over. If he were more experienced with the different wildlife and their scents he might have been able to place it, but all Sehun knows, and needs to know really, is that it’s the smell of prey.

The young buck that drops to the forest floor with a thud looks equally appetizing as it does repulsing. Sehun stares for a few heartbeats, taking in the sight of spilled innards, the fleshy hind leg from which the other wolf has clearly snuck a few mouthfuls on the way, but then edges closer, waiting until Kyungsoo snorts and rolls his eyes before tucking in. It’s still warm, steam rising from the open wounds, and the metallic tang of the bloody meat is as welcome as any human meal would usually be to him.

“There’s a town not far from here,” Kyungsoo murmurs, wiping his mouth as he stares off into the cluster of trees over Sehun’s shoulder. “I’ve stayed well out of range – hunting spot and all – but I’ve picked up faint traces before. If the pack still lives there, you stand a better chance of healing up in comfort than you do out here.”

Sehun’s nose crinkles, eyes questioning as he gives a light whine. It’s interesting how much they can understand without actual words – whether it’s the two of them or shifters in general remains unclear to him – but when Kyungsoo responds by raising a brow nonchalantly, a teasing curve to the corner of his lips, Sehun feels a sort of appreciation for the similar way in which their kind’s minds seem to work. He makes another sound at the back of his throat, his snout nervously.

“Look, I’m still planning to go with you. I don’t know how long I’ll stay—… actually, I don’t even know if they’ll let you stay.” Kyungsoo brows pinch together in a concentrated frown, but then he shrugs noncommittally, rolling his neck with a yawn before shooting Sehun a look. “It’s all down to the situation on that part. Either way, we’re going up there to find out.”

Sehun just nods, staring for a few more seconds until it becomes clear that they’ve reached the end of their conversation, and then returns to his meal. He ponders over what exactly he’s supposed to expect; what’s a pack of werewolves like? Do they live outdoors? Hunt together? And how do they react to strangers… trespassers? He gnaws absentmindedly on a thick bone, mind weighed down some by figments of his imagination, musings of ‘what if’.

But even more so, Sehun’s thoughts stray to another question mark, and he finds himself wondering again just why this strange shifter is taking the time and effort to help him to this extent – saving his life, allowing him to rest and sleep peacefully, providing him with food, taking him to a safer place – yet all the same, he doesn’t want to bring it up again at the risk of being thrown aside. Kyungsoo is here now, unknowingly setting him on a better path than before. And for that, Sehun is grateful beyond belief.

So for now, he settles for appreciating the undeserved acts of kindness, and makes a silent promise to someday, when the situation calls for it, return the favour tenfold.

*

“I feel sick.”Chanyeol ignores Baekhyun’s eyeroll and leans into Suho, who sighs but her hair gently nonetheless, their slow breaths coming out in pale puffs.

“Nerves?” she asks, and Chanyeol hums quietly, not feeling up for an in-depth conversation on the reasons for her exaggerated concern. Because she sort of knows that’s what her worries are – exaggerated and frankly rather unnecessary judging from the result of yesterday’s socializing – but today’s plans scare her even so.

“You’re such a ,” Baekhyun snorts, and Chanyeol has to lean away as Suho reaches out to slap his head harshly.

“Don’t- use words like that,” she tells him sharply, but Baekhyun, as per usual, doesn’t seem to take anything to heart, simply rolling to his feet to pace around the small clearing where they’d spent the night.

“Seriously though, how long are we going to hang around here? They told us we could stop by anytime and I’m kind of, like, really hungry.” Before either of them can comment, Baekhyun shoots them an offended glare. “And don’t tell me to go find a squirrel again, I’m done with those pesky little rodents. All bones and no meat… not worth the effort…” His grumbling dies off into unintelligible mutters, and Chanyeol’s shoulders slump tiredly as she settles back.

Suho however seems to find his ceaseless wandering much too annoying to put up with, body tense against Chanyeol’s and a telltale twitch of her brow.

“Why don’t you just go ahead and give them a heads up then?” the redhead suggests, to which both Baekhyun and Chanyeol stop breathing for a moment. Go ahead? As in, alone to the heart of another pack’s territory?

“I-uh… are you sure?”

“Perfectly. They’ve been hospitable enough so far, and you seem more than eager to go.”

For a few seconds Chanyeol is sure Baekhyun will chicken out – he’s only ever as brave as he’d like to be in her and Suho’s presence – but then appears that stubborn set of his mouth, lips pursed determinedly, and she knows curiosity won out over common sense in the end. She shakes her head ever so slightly when Suho meets her eyes.

“Alright then. When should I tell them you’re coming?” Baekhyun’s voice has taken on a much more serious tone than usual, and Chanyeol wonders with a faint smile if he’s trying to think of this as some sort of mission.

“Thirty minutes? And hour? Something along those lines,” Suho responds with her usual calm, giving Chanyeol’s shoulder a brief squeeze in assurance. “Wouldn’t want you to give you too much time to muck things up.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” With that, Baekhyun turns sharply to stalk off through the cluster of trees that remains between them and the town, shoulders pulled up as annoyed utterings keep falling quietly from his lips. And then he pauses, just within sight, to stare over his shoulder at them. He looks like a little boy again with the hesitant expression, ten rather than twenty.

“You’ll be fine,” Suho reassures with a smile, voice barely more than her previous volume, yet Baekhyun’s brow simply furrows, seeming all the more hesitant. Chanyeol wonders briefly if it’s her approval he’s waiting for, hung up on her own reluctance, and she straightens up slightly before flashing him a wolfish smile.

“Tell Jongin I’m looking forward to winning again.”

Baekhyun grins then, bright and cheerful, and disappears without another care, a short ‘gotcha’ ringing off the trees for another beat before everything falls into silence.

“Are you really?”

“What?”

Suho chuckles as she combs her fingers through unruly tangles of bright auburn, and Chanyeol makes an appreciative sound at the attention, a low rumble in her chest. “Looking forward to winning another wrestling match. I thought you said it was tiring?”

“Oh… it was. Sort of.” Chanyeol frowns as she thinks back on the playful tumbling around they’d done in the room with the fireplace – how Jongin had almost set himself on fire by rolling too close to the flames as Baekhyun looked on, trying to suppress his usual howls of laughter after Yixing pointed out that their neighbours like their peace and quiet in the evenings. “Hmm… it wasn’t too bad, I guess.”

Suho’s hand stills for a moment, and Chanyeol knows her sister’s perceptive side has caught onto something she herself isn’t fully aware of. It’s a strange feeling when someone else seems to understand one’s self so thoroughly, yet in Suho’s case, it isn’t really that unsettling. Chanyeol puts it down to her habit of shaking it off – she’s used to being analysed by the older girl by now, and doesn’t mind it as much as she did when they were younger. It makes her wonder though, and she meets Suho’s steady gaze with a questioning stare.

“…are you really that unsure about all this?”

She in a great lungful of crisp forest air, expelling it in a heavy sigh as she shrugs, sitting up properly and crossing her arms in an attempt not to fidget. “I don’t know.” The anxiety is still there, a lump in the pit of her stomach that doesn’t seem to want to unfold, but she isn’t sure why. “They don’t… scare me or anything. I mean, you know, not if it came to a fight or anything. It’s just… I don’t know. What to expect. How to act. What if it doesn’t work out?”

At that, Suho just bursts into giggles, pale hands shooting up to alternate between covering and waving apologetically. “Sorry- I’m sorry Chan- it’s just- really? Really?” She seems to calm slightly at Chanyeol’s scowl, taking deep breaths to quiet down and wiping a few stray tears from the corners of her eyes. “You’re being really cute again, do you know that?”

“I’m not!” Chanyeol protests loudly, gnawing concerns pushed to the back of her conscious mind as she glares fiercely at the redhead, who continues to wave her hands in mute apology as she tries to control her breathing, another fit of laughter having built up at Chanyeol’s reaction.

“You are too,” she wheezes, and Chanyeol is of half a mind to try and catch up to Baekhyun, but is tugged back down to the base of the tree the second she starts getting to her feet. “Look, Chanyeol,” Suho starts, a more serious tint seeping into her voice, warranting proper attention, “I wasn’t trying to be mean. You just really seem too bothered by things you have little to no control over. Don’t dwell on what might happen today, or what anyone might think of you, or us, or what they’ll decide about us being here. Either we’re welcome or we’re not.”

A few moments pass in silence, muted sounds of the forest around them – rustling and chirping of birds, the wind singing as it swirls around the treetops – acting as a serene backdrop.

Though she’d known all along that worrying would make no difference, it’s only now, after Suho’s strong reminder and gentle back-rubbing, that Chanyeol finally starts feeling better about what’s to come. She peers over to meet dark eyes again, a smile teasing at the other’s face.

“What about Baekhyun though?” Chanyeol ponders aloud, not quite as troubled as before, but feeling somewhat bad about the possibility of their being rejected and sent out of the territory. “He seems attached to the place already.”

Suho laughs, a tiny glimmer in her eyes. “He does, doesn’t he?”

Chanyeol frowns. “What’s so funny about it?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I just think it’s more about the people than the place, per se.”

The frown remains on Chanyeol’s face, questioning, but Suho doesn’t seem to want to elaborate. In the end though, she supposes she’ll eventually find out just what it means.

Word count: 4030

Yikes, a bit longer this time, huh? (How did this happen?) For those who like really fast-paced stories, I guess this isn't all that exciting - you're welcome to tell me when you're fed up with the introductory-ish chapters (even though I personally feel like things are happening all around *perks of knowing the future of le story*).

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed the read and please feel very welcome to leave a comment.:)

Ta~

/argenou