For the people who sometimes gets lost with the small details:

Alphas: Minseok (4), Baekhyun (2), Jongin (2), Heechul (8), Yixing(4), Kris(4), Taemin & Jonghyun (2)
Betas: Chanyeol(1), Kyungsoo(0), Luhan(4), Donghae(6), Eunhyuk(6), Hang Geng(4), Suho(2)
Omega: Jongdae
Unik: Jongdae, Heechul and make your own guesses for the rest of the cast!

** (): Age difference between Jongdae and the rest of the wolves (Jongdae is 16, with his bday approaching)

Why is Unik also labeled as one of the three classes? You'll see in part 3!

It turns out that Minseok's home camp is located about ten miles from Saron. They usually go to Saron to restock on herbs and possibly some rare elk meat before they head back to their home camp. Minseok would join them occasionally when he feels the need to scour for potential pack members.

So, after resting another day, the pack moves towards their home. They shift into their wolves in the early morning, with some carrying a large bindle on their backs, filled to the brim with herbs and meat. Jongdae sticks close to Heechul, asking the million questions he has and the occasional Can you do this trick I’ve seen before? Heechul seems to love the attention and humors Jongdae’s questions during the journey.

As soon as they arrive at their destination, Baekhyun is immediately separated from his brother despite his protests. He questions Minseok’s order but never voices it since he feels his brother can use the time to mature independently. He ends up following the alpha leader around dejectedly as he greets his fellow wolves. He scowls as they greet the fifteenth wolf of the day, and Baekhyun is extremely close to strangling someone if they have to stop and chat again.

“Why am i following you? Why am i not being introduced to my trainer?” Baekhyun rudely interrupts, and he hears the low growl coming from the other wolf. Minseok laughs at his words, as usual, and Baekhyun rolls his eyes in frustration.

“I thought you’ve mastered it all?” Minseok teases.

“How would you know?”

“I just do,” he replies.

“Well, I would like to meet someone who knows about light rather than hearing this pointless conversation.” Baekhyun crosses his arms and waits for his wish to be fulfilled.

“You need to learn some manners,” the other wolf growls, but Minseok raises his hand to stop him from approaching Baekhyun.

“It’s fine, Kris.” The wolf named Kris leaves but not before he glares at Baekhyun threateningly.

“Alright, Baekhyun. You can meet Donghae now.” Minseok gestures for Baekhyun to follow him, and the younger wolf sighs in relief as he stomps after the alpha leader.

They walk towards a semi-large hut, one that hangs a red flag on a pole, and Baekhyun immediately knows it’s a healing hut. He wonders why his potential trainer would be hanging around in this hut, but he guesses his trainer could be injured at the moment. They pass by a few beds, where some critically injured wolves are sleeping, until they reach the back of the hut and see two wolves talking to each other.

“But why can’t I be on top? It doesn’t make sense. Okay - I should be allowed to top. We’re both betas!” the first wolf whines, lips pouting for effect, and the second wolf looks completely bored, as if it’s discussed daily. “So I told him that he doesn’t get to stick his inside me until he lets me top - “

“Hello,” Minseok interrupts.

“Alpha!” the first wolf squeals and hugs Minseok immediately, and the second wolf’s face finally shows some kind of reaction as he smiles at both.

“I see you’re still trying to get Eunhyuk to bottom,” the alpha leader teases.

“More like begging,” the first wolf replies, letting go of Minseok.

“Please tell me you have a new task for me,” the second wolf pleads, uncaring of the fact that he sounds completely childish. To him, anything is better than listening to the first wolf’s rant.

“Yes, I do. Meet Baekhyun, one of our newest members. ” Minseok allows the two wolves to assess each other. Baekhyun sees a friendly yet cautious gaze from the wolf, and he wonders if this wolf’s personality will match with his.

“This is Yixing - he’s our main field healer,” Minseok adds, gesturing to the second wolf.

They nod at each other, unwilling to make unnecessary contact. However, the first wolf prefers skinship as he immediately hugs Baekhyun.

“I’m Donghae!” he tells him with a wide smile, and Baekhyun widens his eyes.

“You’ll be my trainer? But you’re a beta - they’re not allowed to reach fifth degree.” Donghae laughs at Baekhyun’s words, despite the fact that any other beta would have felt offended.

Usually, only alphas are allowed to master their power until the last degree, due to the fact that they are always at the front of the line in any fight. These days, wolf packs only rely on betas for their brains so they are not required to master all five degrees.

“As you’ll notice, my pack does not follow the standard rules. I allow anyone to achieve their wishes as long as it doesn’t affect the pack’s safety,” Minseok explains, and Baekhyun stares at him, turning his words over inside his mind. He’s slowly liking Minseok’s character.

“Well, if you think I’m not good enough, there are fourth degree alphas, though I’m the only fifth degree light wolf.” Donghae smirks at him.

“No - I’ll take you just because you’re a beta. Not only would you be a better teacher, but you would teach me in more than one aspect! I’d love to learn from you,” Baekhyun immediately replies.

Donghae scrutinizes him for a moment before smiling widely again.

“I like him - you're going to be my prodigy," Donghae tells him in an amused tone before patting Baekhyun's head.

"You can still change your mind when it doesn't work out," Yixing tells him as if it was a joke, but his face looks deadly serious. Donghae pouts at them in response and clings onto Baekhyun's arm.

"I'm sure I'll be okay," Baekhyun reassures them, and Donghae's smile returns.

"Yixing will also work closely with you. As you know, your roles will correlate, and I hope you will both work well with each other," Minseok adds.

Healer wolves re-energize by absorbing light so usually a light wolf would stand close to them during this process. Healers can also recharge by absorbing any heat source such as fire or lighting, but light seems to work the best. This is why wolves tend to hunt down light wolves at the beginning of a fight, so light wolves focus on dodging strategies. However, for Baekhyun, he feels that dodging should only be a last resort so he focuses more on defending himself, especially since he's the enemy’s first target.

~~~~~

It's been a few weeks of gruesome training for Jongdae. Heechul teaches at a fast rate and becomes unforgiving when Jongdae forgets the basics. First, he makes sure that Jongdae understands the strengths and weaknesses of Unik wolves. Typically, Unik wolves start their training when they're young pups, mostly learning how to handle unstable emotions. Then, by the time they reach the age of ten, they should be able to act rationally in the face of upsetting situations without carelessly lashing out with their powers. At the same age, they’ll receive their beta trait, the thirst for knowledge, regardless of if they’ve mastered their emotions or not. Then, they’ll spend the next eight years satisfying their thirst by learning about everything they could think of. By the time they reach age of maturity, they should be able to think logically with knowledge at hand when placed in an upsetting environment. Almost every Unik is able to master both traits by the age of maturity, but Jongdae won’t have time to do so.

He has less than two years to master both traits due to the fact he never knew of his abilities until now. In fact, he’s so far behind that the finish line seems like a dream. So, Heechul promised to skip unnecessary steps but only if Jongdae was willing to work at a gruelling pace. Luckily, Heechul finds out that Jongdae’s thirst for knowledge is already stabilizing, which means he’s not too far behind from mastering the beta trait. The only issue is stabilizing Jongdae’s emotions since the younger wolf tends to lash out quickly when things become upsetting.

Jongdae spends fifteen hours a day, five days a week, training with Heechul. During the weekend, the focus is on improving Jongdae’s mental state. Heechul signed him up to assist in the ‘Intensive Care’ hut, where wolves need round the clock services and undivided attention. At first, Jongdae assumed it would be full of injured wolves, but he was only half right. The hut also had heavily pregnant omegas, but most of all, dying wolves, ones who would only survive a few days. The atmosphere gave him anxiety attacks - seeing blood reminded him of his mother. It took him almost two weeks to be able to calm down without help.

It is a late Saturday night when he meets an intriguing wolf. The hut is silent, other than the occasional snores that traveled through the room. He is about to doze off for the night, tiredness spreading across his limbs, when he hears loud rustling noises from the hut's flap.

"Carefully!" someone whispers loudly as Jongdae sees four wolves carrying an injured wolf.

"Lay him here," the same wolf orders, and Jongdae's curiosity increases at the moment, so he walks up to them.

His brother is one of the carriers, and he naturally stands next to him. Then, a bright light emits from the commanding wolf’s hand, and he stares in amazement as the light seems to be healing a long cut.

"What's wrong with him?" Jongdae interrupts. They stare at him with a surprised look as if talking is frowned upon during these moments.

"Who are you?" the healer wolf asks him.

"This is Jongdae. He's one of the caregiver here," Baekhyun answers instead.

"Hunting accident. His left leg is broken, in addition to two broken ribs, and internal bleeding, but I managed to stop it," the healer wolf explains, as if the injuries are as common as a cold. "Make sure to keep his leg still and get the fever down if you can. I’ll check on him tomorrow."

"Oh - okay," Jongdae replies confidently out loud but not in his mind. Baekhyun can sense Jongdae's hesitation but does not comment on it.

The rest of the wolves decide to leave, but Baekhyun tells them that he'll stay to help his brother.

"Wait! I don't know your name!" Jongdae calls after the healer.

"Yixing," the healer tells him, and their gazes meet momentarily. To anyone else, it would be a normal occurrence, but to Jongdae, it felt different. Yixing’s green eyes pierce into his black ones, and he holds his breath before warmth spreads across his arms. Lightning crackles under his skin, slow but intense, as if it is traveling through his veins but refusing to come out. The moment lasts for a mere five seconds, but it felt like forever.

~~~~

Jongdae is wary ever since he met the healer wolf. In the back of his mind lay unanswered questions. The sensation he felt from looking into Yixing's eyes were different, and he knew that there must be a special meaning to it. The first possible answer he came up was that Yixing might be his mate, but he wonders why he would wonder so much about another wolf when the beta trait should only thirst over useful knowledge. So when Monday arrives, and Heechul stands before him with instructions, his mind keeps wandering back to those green eyes.

"Jongdae." Heechul's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry!" Jongdae bows his head in apology.

"What's wrong?" his mentor asks, concern in his voice.

"I'm confused about something," he answers truthfully, and Heechul assesses his face before he beckons him to sit down on the grass. Jongdae sits in front of him and builds up the courage to say what's on his mind.

"The questions in your mind will not cease forming. Unik wolves will always wonder so don't hesitate to get answers," Heechul continues as he waits for Jongdae to continue.

"I know, but am i supposed to wonder about irrelevant things? Shouldn't I instead wonder about the functional uses of some herb?"

"You're mistaken if you assume a beta’s curiosity limits itself to certain topics. Nothing is irrelevant in our mind. We're always too curious for our own good."

There’s a silence between them, and Jongdae has the most important question on the tip of his tongue. It takes a few more seconds before he finds the courage to ask it.

"Will you tell me how you found your mate?"

"Ah, well, we actually found each other." Heechul grins at him.

"What do you mean?"

"As you've heard, regular wolves find their mates when they feel the need to stand as close as possible to a certain wolf. In fact, they'd feel powerless at that moment because they have the strong urge to mark them with a bite, and nothing else will consume their thoughts. It's entirely different for us Unik. We don't have the urge to mark them with a bite nor do we need to stand as close to them as possible. We just need their scent to be with us once we mate."

"Their scent? But you don't smell like your mate.." Heechul chuckles at Jongdae’s statement.

"Of course not. The scent is only for my nose and no one else." Heechul reaches inside his shirt and takes out his necklace, where a paw-shaped stone hangs. "This necklace belonged to him, and it has been with him for years. He gave it to me after we mated. I’m the only one who can smell his scent because the quantity is so small that only our bond allows me to detect it. You will soon know what I mean when you receive your own necklace."

Jongdae stares at the necklace in curiosity and wonders what kind of stone he will receive from his future mate. Then, he realizes something gapingly obvious-- Heechul does not have a bite mark on him.

“Wait - you don’t have a bite mark, but you claim to be mated. Does that mean…” He lets his question trails off, and Heechul ruffles his hair as he grins.

“You’re such a smart kid!” Jongdae blushes at the compliment.

“Then how did you know he was the one?”

“You can feel it in your skin. When I met Hangeng for the first time, I felt a rush of lightning flowing through my veins, and it felt as if the lightning wanted to come out of my skin but couldn’t. That’s when I knew he was my mate. As for Hangeng, he’s an ice wolf, so he felt the numbing cold in his veins. It was such an exciting moment to meet my mate for the first time. Luckily, there was no complications since we were both the same.”

“Complications? How can there be such a thing when mates can sense the attraction?”

“When your mate is a regular wolf, they do not feel the pull of attraction as regular wolves do with a regular mate. In fact, they almost despise you for no valid reasons; reasons that may seem idiotic if you ever ask them. This is where it gets emotionally tough for Unik because they find the one they’re supposed to be with, but the other does not want them in any way.”

“Then how can you attract them if they don’t want you? It seems like a lost fight..” Jongdae frowns at this thought, and Heechul gives him a sad smile.

“It’s not impossible. Otherwise, the Unik population would have dwindled a long time ago. Plus, I’ve heard it only takes a kiss to win them over. But, of course, I didn’t have to test that theory.” Jongdae flusters at the thought of his first kiss and looks away in embarrassment.

“So, who is it?” Heechul teases, and Jongdae’s cheeks begin to color in deep red.

“Yixing,” he mumbles, hoping Heechul wouldn’t hear him, but his mentor did.

“Aww - you certainly picked a good one. He’s definitely one of the strongest alphas I’ve ever met. A lot of people underestimate healers, but trust me, they can be unforgiving in an attack.”

“But all they do is heal - how else can they attack someone?”

“You’ll see when you join us for hunting.” Heechul smirks at him, and Jongdae huffs in frustration.

"Do regular wolves know about these things? Isn't it possible for a wolf to notice his sudden hatred for me and realizes I'm his mate?"

"I don't know about you, but I've hated a few wolves at first glance. We don’t tell them the possibility because everything is fate and will occur in time. You just need to have some faith, Jongdae."

Jongdae pouts at his words and plays with the cool grass under his feet. Heechul ruffles his hair again before commanding him to stand up so they can resume their training.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Baekhyun really thought it would take time to get used to their new pack’s dynamics. He was extremely sure that he would hate some members as easily as he first hated Minseok, but it seems that he was wrong when he finds himself laughing amongst the other alphas. It takes a while to remember a name when seeing a familiar face, but he now knows everyone and their mates.

He finds himself being close friends with Jongin, an alpha that had a bad first impression of him. They were designated as roommates, and after a few brawls, they soon got along. He finds out about Jongin’s future mate, Chanyeol, a tall beta with fire powers known for his quirks and clumsiness. He learns that his fellow alpha is waiting for Chanyeol to turn of age, the acceptable age for wolves to officially mate. It seems that the wait gets much harder over time as he senses the heavy pheromones emanating from Jongin. He can feel Jongin’s patience wearing thin since he knows in theory how much ual frustration there is when your mate is so close, and you can only do so much.

The light wolf was also becoming close friends with his trainer. Donghae reminds him a lot of his own brother: the hyper personality of a young boy and the affectionate attitude towards Baekhyun whenever the latter achieves a goal. The paternal instinct always rises whenever he sees his trainer messing up a simple task, such as the time he dropped their hunt of the day into a puddle of mud. Nevertheless, it was funny to watch Eunhyuk, Donghae’s mate and voice of reason, scolding Donghae. He finds the couple to be the perfect example of opposites attract, and it’s a nice change from seeing overly affectionate couples.

It’s only been two months when Minseok decides to allow Baekhyun to participate in the council. The group meets in a large hut, where five of the smartest wolves in the pack and Minseok would sit in the middle. They would discuss daily problems, such as lack of food sources or when certain wolves misbehave. The alphas and betas would surround them as they listen in and learn from their problem solving. Sometimes, the alphas were allowed to give input whenever the discussion revolved into fighting strategies, while the betas would give input regarding food plantations and how to store food for the upcoming winter. It’s a democratic approach since Minseok would take their suggestions into account before he himself make the final decision. The council would hold these meeting once a week, where each could last the whole day. On the days where they ended early, the wolves would run out to the nearby lakes or rivers and relax until it was time for dinner.

Today is one of those good days, where the sky is sunny and with little humidity in the air. The alphas and betas finished a good five-hour long discussion in the stuffy hut, and now they ran for the closest river they could find. Baekhyun follows Jongin, as they both aim for the spot they call theirs. It’s secluded and shaded, a perfect combination if you want some privacy and rest. They jump into the shallow water and sigh as it ran against their thighs.

“I am never returning to that hut. I don’t care if Minseok punishes me by assigning me to omega duty, but that,” Jongin complains and sits on the edge of the river, enjoying the coolness against his skin.

It’s common knowledge that omega duty is basically babysitting the omegas when they go out to take care of the planted foods. Every alpha hates this duty, but Baekhyun never really minded it. He likes the idea of being able to sit for hours instead of the constant physical activities he endures on a normal day. Luckily, being a new alpha of the pack, he babysits them quite often.

“But the fruits died! it’s injustice, I say!” Baekhyun mocks a fellow beta while rolling his eyes, and Jongin laughs at this. The joke doesn’t last long as he feels a rather hard smack against his head.

“You’re both s,” Chanyeol tells them  crossing his arms. He also pouts his lips, as if the action will score justifiable sympathy. However, Jongin is too used to Chanyeol’s childish reactions and ignores him.

“Don’t hate me. Hate your fellow beta, who sounds like he’s a kid. I am not joking,” Baekhyun tells him seriously. The idea that a smart beta could sound so childlike was irritating.

“He’s worried that we won’t have enough food for winter. You should know how hard winter is,” Chanyeol nudges Jongin, who shrugs in response.

“Whatever - if we really need food, we can just bully Kris to fly up and catch us some birds. Barbecued wings!” Jongin shouts and high fives an amused Baekhyun.

“I should have picked a better mate,” Chanyeol mutters to himself as he walks away.

“Good! Go! See who would want your scrawny ,” Jongin shouts at him, glaring at his back.

Determined to prove Jongin wrong, as usual, he walks away from the pair and finds Jongdae and Kyungsoo walking towards him. Kyungsoo became part of their little group since he was Jongdae’s roommate. He’s also a beta, like Chanyeol, except he was a power wolf.

“Kyungsoo! Want to be my mate?!” Chanyeol yells loudly despite the fact that they were ten feet apart.

“ no.” Kyungsoo pushes him away when the tall beta bounds up to him. The fire wolf pouts again as he hears Jongin laughing at his misery. Kyungsoo joins the boys in the river.

“I’ll be your mate,” Jongdae declares to Chanyeol. The thunder wolf smiles at him, knowing that his answer was just to rile Jongin up.

“Nah - won’t work. He knows about Yixing,” Chanyeol whispers after thinking about it. Jongdae blushes at the name. The fire wolf almost sags in defeat from not being able to secure another mate, but then he sees the pretty, yet manly, beta called Luhan.

“Luhan - wanna mate?” Chanyeol asks in a hopeful tone. Luhan walks up to him and trails his fingers along Chanyeol’s chest with his own playful smirk.

“That depends - will you bottom?” Luhan his lips and slowly travels his eyes down towards Chanyeol’s impressive package.

“Um, uh sure?” his voice stutters, and he can hear the squeak at the end of his sentence.

“Meet me by the cave after dinner,” Luhan whispers to him, and Chanyeol can feel his cheeks turning red by the second. He’s frozen in his spot since he doesn’t know how to reply. Jongin watched the whole exchange with darkened eyes and immediately walks up to them. He snarls at Luhan before dragging a confused Chanyeol back towards the base.

“Well that was disappointing,” Luhan tells the others as he shrugs. He really likes riling people up to the point where the other wants to punch him.

“One of these days, you will find your mate, and he won’t want you because of your mind games,” Kyungsoo tells him with a judging look, and Luhan shrugs in response.

“Who needs a mate anyway?” Luhan leans back and rests his head against his own folded arms behind his head.

“Aw, our little Luhan is so headstrong!” Heechul says, when he suddenly arrives with Hangeng. Luhan glares at him, silently wishing for his death. Hangeng clings to Heechul's side.

"Hi!" Jongdae greets his trainer with a wide smile, and Baekhyun slants his eyes towards his brother's cheerful face. Heechul returns the smile.

"Didn't I tell you, Baekhyun? Council meetings are unnecessary. When will you listen to your elders?" Heechul scolds.

"When I decide you're worth listening to." Luhan laughs at Baekhyun's response.

"It's so sad that you're related to him, Jongdae." Heechul shakes his head while tutting.

"Jongdae is so obedient, right?" Luhan adds.

"I bet he never broke any rules." Kyungsoo joins in.

"He did - he cried when he ran away from home," Baekhyun says as he recalls a certain memory. Jongdae kicks his brother's shin, but they can see there was no power behind it. Kyungsoo gives Jongdae a pity rub on his back.

"Anyway, Hangeng and I have some great news to tell you!" Heechul looks like he can barely keep the news to himself while his mate half-smiles.

"You're joining another pack?" Luhan asks in a hopeful tone.

"No. We're expecting!" Heechul grins at his mate. They seem to stare at each other lovingly before Luhan ruins it.

"Sounds terrible. I would never go through pregnancy," Luhan comments, and Baekhyun is happy enough to punch him in the guts. The amount of thanks from the others goes unnoticed. Hangeng retaliates in his own way, twirling his index finger and creating a mini cloud that snows. The cloud travels above Luhan's head and stays there, as if permanently.

"Hey!" Luhan squawks, and the rest laugh at his new predicament.

"You may be my new best friend," Kyungsoo tells the ice wolf in appreciation.

"You need to ing learn some manners," Hangeng tells Luhan coldly, and Heechul pulls him back. He kisses the junction between Hangeng’s shoulder and neck, and the latter visibly relaxes.

"You should just ignore him. The only person Luhan ever listens to is Yixing, and that's on a good day," Kyungsoo tells the couple.

"We'll be fine. I'm just glad Yixing will receive a better mate." Heechul gives Jongdae a knowing look, who blushes and looks away.

"Now, if only Yixing's mate would seduce him already." Luhan returns to his playful mood even though he's beginning to shiver under the snowy cloud.

"As if he can say one word without stuttering," Kyungsoo scoffs, and Jongdae pouts in sadness. A confused Baekhyun looks from person to person, not being able to catch their eyes, and wonders what kind of inside joke he's missing here.

~~~~~~~

"Were you planning to tell me after you've mated?" Baekhyun explodes when the brothers are alone.

"No - it's just new information," Jongdae mumbles.

"Do you even know what being mates mean? You're not even ready to be a Unik, and you're thinking about some alpha," Baekhyun says exasperatedly.

"It's not like I meant to meet him. And you know him! You always say he's a great guy!" Jongdae tries to reason.

"Yeah, but not for you!"

"Then who?" Jongdae challenges, and Baekhyun stays silent for a moment.

"I don't know! But now is not the time to think of mates," the alpha crosses his arms, and Jongdae sighs as he stares at the ground.

"It's just a crush. And he barely look at me. I doubt he'd ever see me differently," Jongdae whispers to himself.

Baekhyun's instinct to protect his little brother suddenly diminishes. He sees the same sad look that Jongdae had when they found out the latter was an omega. The dejection and the frustration overwhelmed Jongdae at the time, and for once in Baekhyun's life, he can finally replace that look with a happier one.

"Don't. Come here." Baekhyun grabs his wrist and pulls him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget you also need me as your friend and not just your brother."

"It's okay."

"It's not. I'll help you," Baekhyun tells him with a small smile.

"But you just said I'm too young!" Jongdae whines.

"You are, but I’ll have to give you away one day. I might as well give you to someone who can heal the injuries from your clumsiness,” he teases, and his brother smacks him hard on the arm.

“And who knows? You might soon have puppies!" Baekhyun continues.

"I told you - I don't want puppies. Yixing can just deal with it, or he can find some willing omega." Jongdae scoffs at the idea of carrying pups. He will not sacrifice nine months of laying around for pups to grow in his body when he can do so much more with his time.

Baekhyun laughs at him as he ruffles his hair.

"Let's just get you comfortable with him first, kid."

~~~~~

It's a rainy week for them, so farming activities are halted, and the omegas are staying inside their huts. The alphas and betas are still required to do their weekly hunting, but any other hour is filled with much boredom. It was close to dinner time when Heechul approaches Jongdae to let him know of tonight's plans.

"There will be thunderstorms tonight."

"Really?"

"It's time for you to learn about them," Heechul tells him with a playful smirk.

"Where do I meet you?"

"I’ll come and get you. Dress for warmth. You will be drenched wet, but we still don't want you to get sick from the cold."

Jongdae nods before Heechul bids him goodbye.

They meet shortly after dinner, Heechul beckoning Jongdae to follow him. They walk side by side along a path leading through the forest to a larger field. There, they see a few other thunder wolves from different packs, interacting animatedly.

"Thunderstorms are not just storms for us. They are naturally created so their intensities can range from energizing to deadly. We use them to recharge, but many do not know that it can heal our internal injuries. Of course, it doesn't heal us as well as a healer wolf, but it gets the job done. The only issue is we will never know which lightning bolt will be the most intense so it’s always safer to share one.”

"Wolves can share a lightning bolt?"

"Yep. I’ll even show you all the cool tricks." Heechul winks at him before leading Jongdae to the group.

“Being in a small pack means the amount of thunder wolves are limited. So make your connections - you’ll never know when you’ll need an ally in the future.“

Jongdae keeps repeating Heechul’s advice in his mind before he introduces himself to a few wolves around his age. He meets Taemin and Jonghyun, who he automatically nicknamed as the eccentric alpha twins. They’re identical in every sense of the word but have different eye colors, which was odd. He learned a long time ago that you may know a wolf’s power easily through their eyes. Blue is common for water, wind and ice wolves; green is for light, telekinesis and healer wolves; brown for transportation, flight, and time wolves; and black for power, fire and thunder wolves. Taemin and himself have the standard black eyes, but Jonghyun has brown eyes. He remembered Heechul mentioning that it’s a rare occurrence, and some wolves consider it their advantage. Jonghyun, though, seems to be upset that he’s not considered “normal” amongst his peers. Despite this one minor setback, he finds himself liking the twins and their energy. They’re different from the friends he has in his pack - solely because they understand the trials and hardships that thunder wolves go through.

It doesn’t take long before the thunderstorms arrive, and soon, everyone races to make groups of three to secure their own spot. At first, Heechul was wary of letting Jongdae team up with the twins, but he eventually lets him when Jongdae gives him an adorable pout.

The idea of sharing a lightning bolt is easy according to the twins. They only need to do two things: create a triangle formation and choose one person to be the main absorber. Knowing Jongdae’s lack of experience, the twins assure him that his task will be minimal.

The first lightning bolt comes quickly, and Taemin is the one who catches it. According to Taemin’s instructions, he needs to transfer the lightning bolt to another wolf in the formation under 15 seconds or else he would die from the intensity. So Jongdae watches as the lightning bolt travels through Taemin’s body, sees the spasms shaking his body, and how his eyes twitch uncontrollably despite the fact that they’re closed. Soon, a lightning bolt erupts from Taemin’s chest, and Jonghyun absorbs it quickly. Then, he passes the same lightning bolt to Jongdae. The sensation is euphoric as he feels every nerve waking up, and his heart thumps rapidly in his chest. Blood rushes in every direction, and he wants it to last forever. Regrettably, he feels emptiness soon after as the lightning bolt dissipates. He blushes quickly when he realizes the throbbing sensation in his lower region. He’s tempted to shy away and escape before his new friends see his dilemma, but his thoughts are interrupted.

“Don’t worry-- it’s normal,” Taemin tells him with a smirk as he gestures to his own hard on.

“Some even during it,” Jonghyun adds.

Jongdae blushes at the thought of during a training session.

“Though I prefer ing my mate once this is over,” Taemin says as he rubs the hard on over his clothes.

“Hey!” Jonghyun nudges his brother in disgust.

“So we stay until the thunderstorms are over?” Jongdae asks.

“We usually stay for three lightning bolts because we’ll be way too sensitive and . But if you can’t handle another one, just say so. We don’t want you to over exert yourself,” Jonghyun tells him with a comforting smile.

So they repeat the same process, but this time Jonghyun absorbs the lightning bolt first. By the time, the lightning bolt dissipates, he can almost see the outline of their impressive . He can’t help but wonder if Yixing’s will be the same.

“It’s too bad I’m mated or I’d do you,” Taemin says with a to his lips, and his brother rolls his eyes.

“Don’t worry - he’s happily mated,” Jonghyun assures Jongdae.

“You should do him, bro. I bet he’s a wild one. Minho was so shy when we met, but damn - he’s so energetic and loud in bed,” Taemin absently tells them as he unconsciously rubs himself, and Jonghyun groans loudly at his brother’s lecherous actions.

“Ugh, that’s it. We’re going back.” Jonghyun grabs his wrist, and Taemin is pulled away, pouting.

“One more lightning,” he whines.

“No! Minho will kill me if you get too frustrated - it’s worse than you cheating on him!”

Taemin groans but reluctantly agrees for the sake of their safety. They bid each other goodbye, then Jongdae is left alone. Before he can worry about what to do now, he sees Heechul approaching him.

“Hey kid - how did your first time go?”

“Great,” he replies almost sarcastically.

“It’s too bad you’re unmated, otherwise you’d so want a far up your ,” Heechul says with a chuckle and wraps an arm around Jongdae’s shoulders as a red blush spreads across Jongdae’s cheeks.

~~~~~

Baekhyun relaxes under the cool shade of a tree along with Chanyeol and Jongin. The sensation is welcomed, due to the fact that Minseok decided to upgrade their combat training from four hours to six. It’s a precaution, according to the alpha leader, with the rebels’ constant attacks, they have to be prepared for the worst. He grudgingly agrees inwardly, but outwardly, he’d always pretend that Minseok is an insufferable leader. So he doesn’t take it too kindly when he is interrupted from his nice nap.

“Good afternoon,” Minseok greets them with a warm smile. Chanyeol, forever Minseok’s obedient pet, greets back loudly, while Jongin nods in acknowledgement. They start a conversation regarding the weather and nonsense fillers, and Baekhyun is content to ignoring them, favoring the will to fall asleep again.

“I saw your combat earlier today. You’ve really improved,” Minseok tells him with a shy smile, not that Baekhyun sees it since his eyes are closed. The light wolf grunts in acknowledgement without feeling the need to say thanks.

“We’re heading to Saron again, but Donghae can’t make it, sadly. So it’d be really great if you could replace him,” he asks nervously, and Baekhyun looks up to gaze at Minseok’s face. He contemplates if he really wants to waste a weekend guarding the alpha leader, but in return, he would see some cool fights. Then, he realizes it’s the only free weekend he has, and he had been meaning to spend some time with Jongdae.

“No thanks,” he replies curtly, missing the disappointed look on Minseok’s face.

“Oh right - well next time then,” Minseok awkwardly says as he kicks a small rock away. Baekhyun barely notices Chanyeol leading Minseok away, and Jongin’s eyes on him.

“When are you going to warm up to him?”

“I’d rather babysit the omegas.”

“He’s a great guy and a great leader. You just need to give him a chance,” Jongin desperately tells him, and it’s Baekhyun’s turn to criticize him.

“Why are you so keen on me getting along with him? Is everyone indebted to him just because he’s our leader?”

Jongin sighs exasperatedly before standing up.

“You still don’t get it, do you? Not everyone who has joined this pack were as lucky as you were. Some of us suffered from the brutality of other packs before we found Minseok,” Jongin explains before he leaves, but Baekhyun stops him before he can walk away.

“Then tell me. Why are you indebted to him?”

“It’s not a debt, Baekhyun. Minseok doesn’t ask us to join out of submission. He offers us a way out,” he tells him. He hesitates for a few seconds before he decides to tell his story.

“Before I came here, I was in a pack with my parents. Chanyeol was my childhood friend. We were inseparable ever since we were young. I didn’t even understand what mate meant until I was ten. I never thought it would be my best friend until I turned 18, and all I wanted to do was to mark him as mine. I thought my parents would be happy, but they weren’t - they wanted me to mate with an omega. They would rather have their lineage continue than see their son happy,” Jongin says bitterly.

Baekhyun knows that the chances of an alpha and a beta having puppies were quite low. He even heard rumors that an alpha’s parents would force their son to mate with someone else. He never thought those situations would occur to those he knew personally.

“They even threatened him, and you know how Chanyeol is. He’d just nod along and want everyone to be happy. But I couldn’t just let go of him - he was already mine the moment I saw him. So we ran for so long, and we thought we found a pack that’d accept us, but they were just the same. Everyone just wanted me to breed their omegas - as if it wasn’t as bad as using an omega as a pack breeder.”

“Then Chanyeol fell sick with a cold, and I didn’t know what to do other than hold him. I thought it was the end, and I accepted death, knowing I had no regrets. Minseok found us when his pack was heading to Saron. He brought us back to his base, and Yixing healed us in less than a day. The next day, he offered us to become part of his pack, without any condition attached to it. At first, I didn’t trust him; I was like you - I kept expecting him to be the same. That maybe he’s as fake as the other alphas I’ve met. He’s really not - he just wants you to be happy. I just wish he’d find his happiness one day - sometimes I think he goes to Saron just so he can finally find his mate.”

Baekhyun remains silent before asking his next question.

“Who had the worse fate before Minseok took them in?”

“Heechul - he was a Unik breeder when Minseok met him. Minseok had to win a duel against the head alpha of that pack so Heechul would have his freedom. The worse part was that Heechul had to leave his pups behind. I think he had five pups, all from different alphas.”

“What did Minseok have that he could bargain to get that duel?”

“Yixing, of course - healer wolves are as prized as Unik wolves. I just feel bad for your future nephews.” Jongin grins at him, and Baekhyun groans at the idea of protecting another most wanted wolf.

They turn their heads at the sound of a loud laugh. It seems Chanyeol has managed to lift Minseok’s spirits, and Baekhyun can’t help but smile at the scene.

~~~~~~~

Jongdae is trying, or at least that’s what he tells himself, when he stares at Yixing’s pale complexion. His heart beats to fast whenever the elder is near him, and sometimes he’d be too nervous to actually say a word. He promised himself that today would be different.

“Hi,” Jongdae hears himself saying to Yixing. He sees the healer wolf turn around with an impassive look.

“Hi,” he simply replies before returning back to his work. The patient is a young pregnant omega, probably there for his check up, but Jongdae wonders where the omega’s mate is.

“Are you going to the festival tomorrow?” Jongdae crosses his fingers for a good answer.

“It’s a hunting festival…” Yixing drawls as he takes the omega’s blood pressure. “Why wouldn’t I go?”

“Oh, right. I guess I thought you could be busy or something,” Jongdae mumbles to himself, not expecting a reply from Yixing, but still disappointed that Yixing does not continue the conversation. So he tries again for the sake of not wanting to give up.

“So I heard from Baekhyun that you will be taking your fifth degree test in fall. I think that’s really amazing - plus you’re really good at helping people. So I know you’ll be - “ Jongdae stops talking when Yixing looks back at him curiously, as if the younger is being too obvious. So Jongdae blushes and looks to the ground until Yixing focuses his attention back on the patient.

“But I can’t wait to see it,” Jongdae says softly. “I should go now.”

He makes a move to leave but stops when Yixing grabs his wrist. The sudden increase in heart rate is deafening to his ears, but all he cares about is the soft, calloused fingers touching him.

“You can’t come,” Yixing tells him under his breath, and to Jongdae, that’s all it took to have his heart crushed. “You’re not even part of the council so you’re not allowed to be inside the hut.”

To Jongdae, everything sounded like Stay away from me.

So he runs out before Yixing can say another word, and he keeps running until he reaches his place, a secluded place he found by accident when he got lost the first week they arrived. He doesn’t realize he’s crying until he feels the cold wet tears on his fingers.

~~~~~

The trip to Saron is approaching fast, and Minseok explains that he will only bring the necessary wolves: healer, light and four warriors. The warriors may be any wolf, which is why the pack holds a small competition between sixteen wolves. The four winners will join him.

Baekhyun watches the competition in amusement and relaxes considerably after fixing the small fallout he had with Minseok the other day. Although he’d hate to admit it out loud, he begins to have a new appreciation for the leader. It could be because of Jongin’s stories, or it could be the fact that Minseok’s smile is not as irritating as before. He can’t help this newfound feeling in his chest, the one that tells him Yeah he’s not so bad.

Minseok and his team depart the next day with Baekhyun leading the way, customary because light is always a guide. The reason sounds so lame in his head, but he fully understands when he realizes that light wolves have a stronger sense of smell.

By the time they arrive, only Heechul and Jongin are allowed to Minseok to his meeting with Changmin. Dejectedly, Baekhyun looks around for things to do since his best friends can’t accompany him. He realizes how different Saron is, now that the stress of not having a pack is no longer an issue. Now, he can enjoy the smells of delicious food and the ruckus of duels. He finds himself moving from one duel to another, analyzing the tactics being used and cheering for well-thought out attacks. By midday, he finds Yixing in the middle of a field, where he seems to be collecting purple flowers.

“What’s that?” Baekhyun asks him as he walks to Yixing’s side.

“Corydalis, an herb used for pain relief. Sometimes I am just way too exhausted to be everyone’s personal healer,” Yixing bitterly tells him.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know the exact feeling, but I do know how exhausting it is when someone depends on you physically and emotionally,” he replies.

“He doesn’t seem to need you as much. I’ve seen him depending on others too.” It takes Baekhyun a few moments to realize that Yixing is talking about Jongdae and is a little shocked to hear that the healer wolf is noticing his brother’s growth.

“He still comes to me when he gets emotional. Did you know that part of mastering emotions is to not cry as your first reaction? Can you imagine not crying when your mate is dying or injured? That you’re only allowed to calm the situation - what kind of bull is that?” Yixing remains silent as if the topic is a gray area for him, even though he has heard a similar rant in the past.

“I think I would cry also. Knowing how much Unik wolves suffer to master their traits makes me grateful for not being one. It seems so selfish to be happy that others are suffering in this way, but I am glad I’m not a Unik. And - “ Yixing pauses for a moment, contemplating if he should continue, and Baekhyun urges him on.

“Jongdae seems strong-willed as a young wolf. He’s unrelentless towards mastering his two traits before his 18th birthday despite knowing how impossible it is. I guess I’m shocked - I have never seen a young wolf this passionate about a way of life that he once never knew about. I really hope he can achieve it all,” he says sincerely, and Baekhyun feels a weight lifted off his shoulders, knowing Yixing regards his brother as more than a pretty Unik.

“I’m so glad his mate feels that way.” Yixing freezes at Baekhyun’s words, and Baekhyun is hoping Yixing didn’t hear that.

“He found his mate?”

Before Baekhyun can fix his mistake, Jongin teleports in front of them, a sign that time is important. He just says it’s an emergency before he grabs their wrists and teleports them to a hut.

The sight is still something he’s not used to, though Yixing seems to be completely calm and immediately rushes to Minseok’s side. He sees them pulling off Minseok’s torn shirt and jeans. His stomach churns heavily as his eyes darts from one bruise to the next.

“What happened?” Baekhyun rasps, feeling his throat drying, and his heart racing in response to the negative thoughts in his mind.

“It was a trick. Changmin wanted to create a wolf army to fight against the rebels, but he only wanted the strongest packs so he made every alpha leader fight against one of Changmin’s warriors. Anyone who refused to fight would lose the alliance they had with Changmin’s pack,” Heechul growls out.

“What if the leader lost?”

“They’d still lose the alliance. The whole idea was barbaric. I can’t believe he’d stoop this low.” Heechul laughs bitterly as he whispers the last few words in case someone listens in.

“Shut up,” Yixing snarls at him. “Baekhyun, stand by my side. I need you to recharge me every 60 seconds. We need to get the internal bleeding to stop, then we can worry about the broken bones.”

The whole process seems overwhelming in his mind as he watches Yixing counting Minseok’s heartbeat every few minutes. By the time they’re done, both wolves are exhausted, and they can only wait until Minseok opens his eyes so Yixing can reassess him.

Baekhyun can only stare at his sleeping face as the others decide to get some sleep. His heart hasn’t stopped clenching ever since he saw blood oozing from Minseok’s chest. He thought he’d feel better when Yixing finished healing the bruises, but he doesn’t. Now he realizes he just wants Minseok to wake up, and maybe that would make him feel better. Maybe.

So when Minseok’s eyes flutter open, Baekhyun stops breathing for a second. He automatically grabs Minseok’s hand, and his knees feel weak so he kneels, gazing at Minseok’s blue eyes.

“Hi.” Minseok’s voice comes out, barely a whisper.

“Hi.” Baekhyun’s hand trembles as he reaches out to touch his cheek. He can feel the hollowness, and his heart clenches even more.

“I’m okay.” Baekhyun almost cries at the fact that Minseok needed to reassure him. He hates how Minseok can’t just admit his pain and sorrows. He wishes he can hear all of Minseok’s troubles, without his rank holding him back.

His fingers trace the emptiness of his cheek, the sharp jaw, and the outline of his bottom lip. He doesn’t really understand why he’s doing this, but it seems to be an urge inside him to memorize every line, curve, and softness. He stops when he feels Minseok’s hand over his, and he returns his gaze back to Minseok’s eyes.

There’s confusion and wariness in his eyes, but it doesn’t stop Baekhyun from dragging his knees across the hard ground. His limbs move on their own, and he doesn’t notice that his face is so close to the alpha leader’s until he feels a warm breath spreading over his lips.

Minseok’s lips are soft, dry, but most of all, pliant, when he coaxes them to part slowly. He can hear the sharp inhale of breath, and a hand grabbing onto his shirt. The slow buildup of desire and lust pools in his stomach, and he feels the magnetic pull of being so close to his body. He tries to be gentle and pushes away the urge to be fierce, saving it for a future kiss.

“Baekhyun,” Minseok whispers when they pull apart. There is raw emotion still laced in his voice, and he can see the frantic hand searching for his. He grabs it and holds it tightly, fingers interlacing.

“I’m here.”

~~~

A month later

"I don't think I should go. Baekhyun, you're not listening to me," Jongdae says desperately.

"I am listening, and you're being rude to Minseok. He invited you personally, so enough with this attitude."

Baekhyun manages to get Jongin to help him, as they each grab one of Jongdae’s arms and drag him to the large hut. In approximately three hours, Yixing will start his test, and every alpha and beta are keen on watching him pass it.

Jongdae whimpers as they finally enter the hut, and he widens his eyes at the audience present just for this. It seems that wolves from other packs have decided to watch the healer wolf’s test. Jongdae hopes that they will sit somewhere in the back, where Yixing won’t even notice his presence, but fate seems to really hate him these days. They manage to pull him all the way to the front, where Minseok and Heechul are sitting.

“We’d be here sooner if there was less whining,” Baekhyun informs them as he pushes Jongdae down to the ground by his shoulders, ignoring his exclamation of pain.

“Why are you so glum today? I thought you’d be happy.” Minseok smiles at him as he wraps his arm around Jongdae. The younger immediately leans closer for comfort. Baekhyun sits on the other side of Jongdae.

“He doesn’t want me here,” the younger wolf mutters.

“That’s just your insecurities.”

“He told me so! If he hates me more by today, I am never talking to you again!” Jongdae sends a death glare to his brother, who rolls his eyes at his immaturity.

“Jongdae, I taught you better than this,” Heechul chides, and Jongdae bows his head.

“Shhh, it’s starting,” Chanyeol tells them loudly from the back, and Jongin has to keep his mate away from crowding their personal space.

Yixing enters the hut with Donghae and Luhan behind him. There’s a path leading from the flaps of the hut to its center. The three walk to that spot, standing in their designated position, labeled by a red X. Without a warning, they strip to the bare minimum, and Jongdae flushes at the sight.

“Whoa - let’s cover your innocent eyes,” says Heechul as he manages to somehow conjure a large leaf and places it in front of Jongdae’s eyes.

“Guys - “ Jongdae immediately whines, half wanting to see it and half embarrassed at the thought of seeing Yixing .

They struggle for a moment, with Jongdae trying to regain his eyesight back and the others pushing Jongdae to the ground so he can’t see anything. Minseok ends up wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s chest, keeping Jongdae’s arms pinned to his sides, while Heechul covers the young wolf’s eyes with his hands.

“A Unik shouldn’t see his mate until mating night!” Heechul explains.

“I hate all of you,” Jongdae mutters as he feels Minseok’s warm breaths on his neck, tickling him.

It’s another minute before Heechul takes his hands off Jongdae’s eyes, and Jongdae has to blink a few times before his vision clears. He sees Yixing bowing to the the other two before he stands again. He lets his eyes travel over Yixing’s bare body, following the happy trail to the loin cloth covering his privates. He moves his eyes up suddenly and sees Yixing’s gaze on him. He freezes, unsure if he should run out or stay in his spot. He’s pretty sure Yixing is mad as his face remains stoic, and there’s no hint of a smile.

Minseok notices the sudden change in Jongdae’s disposition. He feels the younger tensing up so he rubs his hands over Jongdae’s arms, trying to get him to relax.

“What’s wrong?”

“He looks angry.”

“Don’t be silly - that’s just his serious face.”

Jongdae is pretty sure Minseok is wrong, but he can’t voice it out easily as the test has started.

He can’t find himself enjoying the process of the test as he keeps thinking Yixing is silently judging him from afar, even though the elder is not staring at him. He fidgets every few minutes until Minseok holds him still, gripping his waist so that he stops moving. By the time the test ends and everyone runs ahead to congratulate Yixing, Jongdae tries to break free from Minseok’s hold. He sighs miserably when he can’t, and he finds himself being dragged to greet Yixing. Minseok’s arm hangs loosely around Jongdae’s shoulder, and the younger wolf leans closer to the alpha leader’s side, wanting to hide behind him.

“Yixing,” Minseok greets with a smile, and Jongdae looks at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"Minseok." Jongdae is sure he can hear the distaste in Yixing’s voice.

"Congratulations. I hope you don't mind that I invited Jongdae along-- he's a big fan of yours."

"Of course not. He's your - friend." Jongdae knows there was hesitation, but Minseok didn’t seem to notice.

"See? You worried over nothing" he grins at the younger wolf

"So I think we should celebrate and see which omega wants to be knotted for the night." Luhan appears behind Yixing, always ready to cause trouble.

"Do we have enough greens?" Minseok asks Yixing, regarding a certain recreational plant that they use to get high.

"I'm not fixing their migraines when tomorrow comes," he warns.

"We'll just throw cold water on them when that happens."

"I knew you were secretly as cunning as me." Luhan grins.

Jongdae doesn't understand anything from that conversation, but he was happy when Minseok led him away from Yixing.

It seems that everyone is looking forward to the celebration. Some even went hunting to find extra food so they can enjoy the night with a full stomach. Then, there are some, especially Luhan, who just looked forward to taking advantage of some naive omega.

***

It's already nearing midnight when half of the wolves have fallen asleep and the other half have decided to release some stress either through mindless or some recreational drug. There's a rustling noise and hushed whispers in the outskirts of the camp.

"Hi." A pair of hands slide around his waist, and a cold cheek presses against his.

"I missed you." A cold nose tip presses against his neck, sniffing at the familiar scent. Rough hands pull him away, and a rough kiss is felt on his lips, muffling the words trying to come out.

"I hate how you were so nice to him. I know it meant nothing, but - " he starts to say with frustration but stops when his mate cups his cheek to signal his understanding.

"I'm sorry. It's hard for me also. I don't have your scent on me."

A silence passes between them. They hold each other tightly before one of them breaks it.

"I want to tell them. I know you're scared, but we can't lie to them anymore," he whispers.

"I'm not scared. I know they'd be happy for me."

"Then, what are we waiting for?"

"You?"

He stares at him in disbelief. They have been waiting for nothing.

"We really need to communicate more," he says with a chuckle, and his mate can only sigh.

"Then tomorrow, after the council. Sit next to me?" he asks.

The other kisses him in agreement, not needing any more words.

**Author's note**

* I actually gave 2 big hints (as in a hint per Unik) on who are also Unik. Leave a comment if you know or think you do ಠ◡ಠ 

(shamelessly stole that emoji from here)

** So I noticed everyone thought the last scene is Chen/Lay...it's not

*** Also I don't know if my fic got posted somewhere since I got 10+ comments under a week, which is really rare compared to my other stories. But thank you to all the positive support/comments and I hope you enjoy each part.