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“He’s planning on mating me after the feast tomorrow.”

Jihoon closed his eyes and released a shuddering breath. “I know,” he whispered after a few moments of silence. He could hear his alpha further in the camp, laughing raucously with the other warrior alphas as they passed bottles of moonshine around the campfire. Someone was playing the guitar and singing off-key— probably Minsoo; it was always Minsoo. 

“Hyung,” Vernon whispered beside him, voice soft and trembling as he reached out to wrap his long fingers around Jihoon’s wrist. “Hyung I won’t survive it.”

“You will,” he murmured, trying his best to keep his voice even, to not give way to the sorrow bubbling just under his skin for his younger friend’s fate. “Alpha Junghee won’t kill you.”

Vernon released a near-silent bitter laugh. “He killed you,” he whispered venomously. “Maybe not literally but hyung... He killed everything that you were. I— I barely even recognize you anymore. I can’t— I can’t survive that.... I’m not as strong as you. He’ll break me.”

Jihoon clenched his eyes even tighter as he willed himself not to cry— Alpha hated it when he cried. He’d only given into the urge once in the last year; just last week when it’d been announced that Vernon had fallen into his first heat. Jihoon had cried then. He’d cried for his best friend who he had hoped and prayed would not present as an omega, to save him from the same fate that had befallen Jihoon two years prior. 

“You’re strong,” he croaked around his tears. “You’ll be alright. And we’ll— we’ll be together again. Properly.”

“Hyung,” Vernon whispered, daringly resting his head on Jihoon’s shoulder, something that would surely invoke Alpha Junghee's wrath if he smelled their scents on one another even if he was planning on mating Vernon very soon. “I don’t want to lose myself the way you have. I don’t want Alpha Junghee to take me as his mate too.”

Jihoon pressed his cheek to the top of Vernon’s head— rules be damned, Vernon would be his omega-mate come this time tomorrow, surely they could survive until then. “You don’t have a choice,” he intoned morosely. “Same as me. Alpha Junghee takes what he wants.”

“We could run,” Vernon suggested tentatively, voice trembling at even the thought. “We could leave right now while they’re all stumbling drunks.”

“I can never leave,” Jihoon said, opening his eyes as he tilted his head upwards to gaze at the stars above. “I’m already mated. Alpha Junghee will always be able to find me no matter where I go.” He paused, his eyes tracing the Orion’s Belt thoughtfully. “You should run though. There’s a river to the north that you can use to mask your trail.” He brought his head back down and shifted, gently removing Vernon’s head from his shoulder so that he could look at the younger omega. “I want you to run, Vernon,” he ordered firmly. “If there’s any chance of you escaping this fate then you should take it.”

Vernon frowned and shook his head, gently reaching out to cup Jihoon’s cheeks with both of his hands. “I’m not leaving you behind, hyung. You’re the only person I’ve ever loved. I’m not leaving you to die here.”

“I can’t leave,” Jihoon repeated softly. “Alpha would always find me. We’d never be able to stop running.”

Vernon smiled, soft and watery and terrified. “I’m not leaving you, hyung,” he reiterated, voice resolute even despite the soft trembling that gave away his terror. “I won’t leave if you don’t leave with me— and I really don’t want to stay. But... I wouldn’t mind always running if I had you by my side.”

Jihoon swallowed thickly as he let Vernon’s words rattle around in his brain. Off in the distance, he heard Alpha Junghee bark with laughter. It was the same laugh that he made whenever he hurt Jihoon, tore his skin open or used him until he bled. He couldn’t let Vernon befall the same fate. 

He stood up, startling Vernon who quickly drew to his feet as well, glancing around the little clearing in the woods that they’d sequestered themselves in once the alphas of their pack had begun their pre-mating celebration. “Grab your things,” he whispered, eyes wide and frightened as he acknowledged what he was about to do. He wrapped his hand around Vernon’s wrist, feeling the younger omega’s equally elevated heartbeat. “I’ll do the same. Let’s see how fast we can run.”

Vernon’s expression melted into one of weary excitement as he leaned in to press a quick kiss to the corner of Jihoon’s mouth before running off towards his hut. Jihoon took a steadying breath before doing the same, carefully skirting around the edge of the camp, keeping out of the alphas’ sight as he made his way to the tent he shared with Alpha Junghee. 

He gathered a few of his warmest furs and as much dried meat as he could, folding them into one of Junghee's leather hunting bags. As he was leaving he paused before turning back and snatching two of Alpha Junghee’s hunting knives as well. 

Vernon was already waiting for him when he returned to their clearing, smile bright and bouncing in place— in nervousness or excitement, Jihoon couldn’t tell. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jihoon asked wearily. “We’ll never be able to stop running. You’d— you’d get further without me.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you, hyung,” Vernon stated firmly. “Let’s get to the river before they realize we’re missing.”

Jihoon nodded and reached out to thread his fingers through the younger omega’s before taking off into the woods. They didn't run, not yet, because they both knew they'd need to preserve their energy but they kept their pace fast as they made their way through trees and bramble. 

The river took longer to get to than Jihoon had thought it would, and by the time they reached it, the sun was just starting to lighten the sky. 

“We need to keep moving,” he said, pulling Vernon towards the water despite their tired limbs. “Let's walk upstream a few miles before crossing. Hopefully Alpha will assume we went downstream and we can buy ourselves a bit more time.”

Vernon nodded his head and tightened his grip on Jihoon's hand as they stepped into the chilly waters. It was barely spring and so the river was still ice cold. Jihoon had to grit his teeth as they started walking, wanting more than anything to just walk to the other side and get out, but he knew that being mated meant that they'd need to take every advantage they could get in order to out run him. 

Jihoon wasn't an idiot though, he knew, eventually, his alpha would catch up to them, he just hoped that he'd be able to get Vernon far enough away by then that his younger friend would have a chance to keep running. 

“Fuck, that’s cold,” Vernon whimpered, shaking his hand in Jihoon's grip as though trying to distract himself from the cold. 

“Hopefully, Alpha Junghee will think we're too delicate to hike upstream in this water,” Jihoon muttered, giving Vernon's hand a little shake in return. 

They kept hiking up the river, finding a good place to cross where the water only reached just over Vernon's knees. The younger omega had to help Jihoon keep his footing when the deepest part nearly hit his waist and threatened to carry him away. 

“I got you, hyung,” Vernon grunted, wrapping his arm around Jihoon's waist as he pulled him from the water slightly, taking a few large steps to get to the shallower bank on the other side. 

“Thanks,” Jihoon mumbled once he was on his own two feet again. 

Vernon threaded their fingers together once more and led the charge further upstream until they couldn’t bear the cold anymore and were forced to step back onto dry land. The sun was just starting to peek through the leaves of the trees as they stopped to eat some of the dried meat Jihoon had stolen. 

Jihoon didn’t allow themselves to stop for long before pushing Vernon onwards, knowing that every second would count as he tried to get his best friend and fellow omega as far away from his alpha as possible. 

By the time the sun was high above them, Jihoon and Vernon were both exhausted. They crossed another small creek, wading upstream that one as well for as long as they could bare it before getting out and curling around each other in the mossy overgrowth under a big tree. 

Vernon fell asleep almost instantly but Jihoon found sleep far more difficult to succumb to despite knowing that he’d need to get the rest while he could. He could feel his alpha’s anger simmering just below the surface of his skin like an itch he couldn’t scratch. Alpha Junghee knew that they were missing now— was, no doubt, already assembling a hunting party to assist him in retrieving his wayward omegas. 

That knowledge sent a shiver down Jihoon’s spine that had nothing to do with the cold. It made regret surge in his chest because his alpha was going to find him and the punishment his disobedience would incur would be impossible to bear. 

But Vernon had been right when he’d said Alpha Junghee had killed Jihoon. Alpha Junghee had taken Jihoon for his own and had happily stripped everything that had made Jihoon Jihoon. He’d become a subservient shell of the man he had once been and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that seeing Vernon become just as lifeless and hopeless as himself would have been a far greater punishment than whatever terrible fate his alpha would undoubtedly reign down on him for his disobedience. 

So Jihoon kept watch while Vernon slept until his heavy eyes could no longer avoid the terrifying allure of sleep and he drifted off. He only slept for maybe a half hour when he was woken by Alpha Junghee’s murderous glee, rippling through him like an electric current. 

He gasped and shook Vernon awake before standing up and grabbing his bag. “We need to keep moving,” he urged. “He’s too happy. He must have caught our trail.”

Vernon, eyes still heavy with sleep, nodded as he stood up and shook his head a bit to clear the fog. He shouldered his own backpack and followed after Jihoon as the smaller omega trampled through the trees, urged forward by his own fear. 

They were halfway up a large hill when Vernon spoke up. “Hyung.”

Jihoon froze, eyes widening as he heard the soft raspy whine in the younger omega’s voice that he hadn't heard in years. “Shit,” he hissed, grabbing Vernon with both hands as he rushed to sit the younger man down on the ground, leaning him against a large tree. “Fuck. Did you bring anything?” He asked— practically begged. 

Vernon nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to take deep wheezing breaths. “Bag,” he gasped out, pointing shakily to his bag. “Fire.”

Jihoon nodded frantically, leaning forward to press a kiss to Vernon's forehead before pushing himself away to gather sticks and dried leaves from the forest floor, pushing Vernon's bag closer to the other omega so that he could grab the ma huang inside.  

Jihoon grabbed the flint from his own bag, striking it with a nearby rock until he finally caught a spark. He bent down to fan the flame but couldn't help continuously glancing up at Vernon as the younger man's breathing got worse. 

As soon as he could trust the fire to stay lit on its own, he scrambled over to Vernon and took the herbs clenched in his fist, plucking a few and holding them over the tiny fire until they started smoking. Jihoon brought them back over to Vernon, desperately wrapping himself around his omega as he held the burning herbs up to Vernon's face. 

“Breathe, Nonie,” he begged, dropping kisses to Vernon's hair and cheek as Vernon gasped for breath in his arms. 

Slowly, so painfully slowly, Vernon caught his breath again and Jihoon sagged in relief, laying back against the tree as he breathed in time with the younger omega. Vernon was still wheezing slightly when he patted Jihoon's thigh. 

“We should keep moving,” he rasped.

Jihoon shook his head, closing his eyes. “Five more minutes,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to the top of Vernon's head. “Keep breathing your medicine for a bit longer.”

Vernon huffed out bitterly but obeyed Jihoon nonetheless. “I'm sorry, “ he whispered once the herbs had burnt down to ash and his airway sounded far less inflamed. 

“Don't you dare apologize for something out of your control,” Jihoon scolded, turning Vernon in his arms so that he could cup the younger man's cheeks and glare at him head on. “I'm sorry,” he continued. “I forgot about your asthma. I should have taken us a different route.”

Vernon shook his head, the movement deterred somewhat by Jihoon's hands. “It was the safest route,” he argued. “I didn't say anything either, hyung.”

“You haven't had an attack that bad since we were pups,” Jihoon whispered after a few moments of silence. 

“Yeah,” Vernon replied roughly. “I had hoped I'd grown out of it.”

Jihoon released a choked off laugh and pressed a few desperate kisses to Vernon's cheek. “I'm glad you were prepared for another attack.”

Vernon nodded, grabbing the remaining herbs and carefully bundling them back up from where Jihoon had dumped them carelessly in his frantic attempts to help him. 

“We should stay on the lookout for more,” he noted softly, tucking the bundle back into his bag as he stood up, holding out one hand to Jihoon to pull him up as well. “They work better when they've had time to dry out and I don't want to risk running too low now that we know my asthma is still a problem.”

Jihoon nodded, wrapping his arms around Vernon's waist as he pulled the younger omega into a tight hug, resting his ear against Vernon's chest as he took a few moments to listen to his steady heartbeat. “We’ll find you more,” he promised softly, pressing one more kiss to the younger man's chest before pulling away and hitching his satchel back over his shoulder and stomping out the fire.

Nearly a week into their escape, the pair of them were running out of food and medicine. They'd only been lucky enough to find one small patch of ma huang and only a few patches of wild strawberries that they'd been able to pick from as they hiked. 

Vernon had had two more attacks and they were down to the last dose while the ones they had just picked were still drying. 

Jihoon was starting to question whether they did the right thing by running away. Back at the camp, Vernon wouldn't have had to overexert himself. In fact, since the pack had discovered his asthma,  he'd become the most sheltered member. And Jihoon understood. He didn't like seeing Vernon gasping for breath and nearly dying in his arms. 

But he also knew that Vernon was right— that Alpha Junghee would have killed him, if not in mind then surely in body. Alpha Junghee had never believed in illnesses. From everything from chronic pain to the common cold, nothing was tolerated. It was honestly shocking that Alpha Junghee hadn't thrown Vernon out the first time he'd gasped for breath. 

“I’m okay, hyung,” Vernon whispered, his cheek resting on Jihoon's shoulder as they both watched the embers of the tiny fire they'd lit flicker in the late evening. 

“We can't keep going like this,” Jihoon whispered back, gently scratching at Vernon's scalp as he tugged his fingers through the younger omega’s tangled hair. 

“We can't go back,” Vernon stated firmly. 

Jihoon shook his head and hummed his agreement. “No, but all this running is killing you too.” 

“What do you suggest?”

Jihoon bit his lip, well aware that Vernon wasn't going to like what he suggested next. “We find a local pack. We're far enough from our homelands that no one should be friendly enough with Alpha to take you back.”

Vernon sat up, a stern frown painted across his lips. “Us.”

“You,” Jihoon corrected softly. “Or did you forget I'm still mated to him? I'll keep running on my own— get him as far away from you as possible.”

Vernon slapped Jihoon's shoulder. “You're not getting rid of me, hyung,” he scolded. “I told you— I'm not leaving you. I'll run forever as long as you're by my side... I love you, hyung. I always have.”

Jihoon closed his eyes in despair before tugging Vernon into his chest with a tight hug. “I love you too, Nonie,” he murmured. “Why do you think I'm trying so hard to keep you alive?”

“You have to stay by my side, hyung,” Vernon pleaded desperately into his neck. “I won't live without you. You can't make me.” 

“That’s not fair,” Jihoon whispered. “You can’t play dirty like this.”

Vernon huffed against his neck, tangling his fingers further into the folds of Jihoon’s sweater. “It’s the truth, hyung,” he admitted. “I can’t do this without you— any of this. The last two years have been horrible without you. But at least then I knew where you were and I could catch a glimpse of you every once in a while. You can’t leave me behind, hyung. I can’t live not knowing what became of you.”

Jihoon sighed, feeling his weak resolve crumble like kindling. “Okay,” he said, knowing that, one day, he was going to have to break his promise. “We’ll keep running then.”

The younger omega pulled back just enough to shoot Jihoon a watery, grateful smile before leaning back eyes fixed on Jihoon’s lips as he gave the older man plenty of time to pull away. Jihoon didn’t, leaning in, himself, to close the distance between them for the first time.

Kissing Vernon was completely different from the few times when Alpha Junghee had kissed Jihoon. Those times had hurt, the alpha tugging roughly at his lips and biting into his skin until he bled. Vernon’s lips were soft and gentle, slightly chapped from the cold dry air but sweet tasting. Jihoon wanted nothing more than to continue kissing Vernon forever but a sudden spike of displeasure shooting through his bond with Alpha Junghee pulled him away from the younger man. 

“We should keep moving,” he suggested breathlessly as he pulled back to gather the rest of their things. The sun had fully set by now but with the full moon, Jihoon knew that they’d be alright to continue walking a bit further— at least until they were too tired to carry on. Though, Jihoon supposed, tired was a relative term because they were both exhausted after a week of living rough, on the run, with little to no sleep. 

They made it to the early dawn hours before they both couldn't go on any further, collapsing against a scent marked tree on the very outer edge of a foreign pack’s territory. 

Jihoon hadn't wanted to rest there, but Vernon's breathing had started to take on that labored edge that always indicated another flair and they couldn't risk it turning into an attack. 

Vernon rested his head on top of Jihoon's and wrapped his arm around the older omega's waist. Without meaning to, Jihoon fell asleep like that, tucked against Vernon's side. 

He woke up not long after, the sun just barely cresting the horizon. It took him a moment to realize what exactly had woken up. 

He choked on a surprised gasp as he sat up, pushing a still-sleeping Vernon behind him. 

“You're alright,” the omega in front of them soothed softly, holding both hands out palms up. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

Jihoon's eyes flickered behind the— pretty, long haired, delicate— omega to the two other wolves standing guard a few feet behind their crouched omega. He tightened his grip on Vernon, shaking the younger man as subtly as he could. 

Vernon whined, scrubbing his cheek against Jihoon's. “Hyung,” he grumbled, clearly still half asleep. 

“Yah, wake up,” Jihoon hissed. 

“Fuck,” the younger omega whispered, sounding much more awake now. “Is Alpha close?”

He was. Jihoon could feel him nearing, he'd clearly not bothered to rest at any point during the night but right now they had more pressing issues. 

“We’re sorry,” Jihoon said, turning his full attention back to the omega still crouched in front of them. “We didn't mean to fall asleep so close to your territory.”

Vernon sucked in a surprised gasp as he wrapped both arms around Jihoon's waist, tucking his chin over Jihoon's shoulder as he eyed the wolves wearily. 

“You're not in trouble,” the omega assured. “We smelled you when we were doing our morning patrol and wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Jihoon carefully stood up, watching as the omega followed his lead, standing up too and taking the few necessary steps backwards to fall into the taller of the two other wolves arms. “We should keep moving,” Jihoon stuttered out, feeling Vernon shift behind him as he grabbed both of their bags. “Sorry to disturb you.”

“Stay for a while,” the shorter of the two unknown wolves said, eyes wide and hopeful. “At least for breakfast. You two look like you could use a good meal.”

The omega nodded, smiling at the other wolf. “Thats a great idea, Channie,” he agreed. “Let us be good hosts and treat you to breakfast at the very least.”

Jihoon swallowed nervously, not wanting to upset the strangers but knowing that accepting would ensure their deaths. 

Vernon, as if reading his mind, piped up softly, voice barely a whisper. “How close is he?”

“Too close,” Jihoon replied just as quietly though he could tell the three other wolves heard both of them. “We need to keep moving,” he continued louder, now directing his voice towards the strangers. “Thank you though.”

“Who's chasing you?” The omega asked, a concerned frown now marring his pretty face. 

“Your alpha?” The tallest man asked just as concerned as his omega appeared to be. 

Jihoon felt Vernon nod over his shoulder. 

The omega stepped out of his mate's embrace and moved towards the pair, holding out his hand. “All the more reason for you to come with us,” he declared. “We can protect you.”

Without meaning to, Jihoon found himself pushing Vernon towards the omega. “If you could— take him,” he begged. Alpha Junghee was practically snarling in his chest, telling Jihoon that they had mere hours before he caught up to them, if that. “Keep him safe.”

The omega frowned, not taking a hold of Vernon like Jihoon wanted. “And you?”

“Hyung,” Vernon pleaded, turning in Jihoon's grasp to cup his cheeks. “You promised. You can't— this wasn't the plan, hyung. We have to stay together.”

Jihoon sighed and shifted his grip to cup Vernon's neck, rubbing his thumb over the younger omega’s scent gland. “This was always the plan, Nonie,” he admitted reluctantly. “We were never going to outrun him— not with me by your side.”

“You're mated,” the omega breathed out in horror, sidestepping Vernon to gently turn Jihoon's neck to reveal his mating bite. “Oh, you poor thing.” His hand trailed down until it was resting on Jihoon's shoulder. “Come on,” he murmured. “Let us help you— both of you.”

Jihoon shook his head. “I'm mated,” he admitted weakly. “And Alpha is— he's dangerous. It'd be better for me to leave on my own— draw him away from your territory.”

“You will do no such thing,” the omega declared, sounding equal parts affronted and horrified. The omega wrapped his arm around Jihoon's shoulder, tucking him against his side firmly. “We’re not afraid of a measly little alpha,” he continued undeterred. “We'll keep you both safe.”

Measly and little were two adjectives that Jihoon would have never in a million years used to describe Alpha Junghee. “He never hunts alone,” he argued weakly, feeling near-drunk from the omega’s sweet honeysuckle scent. “It'd be safest if I left. But please— Vernon hasn't been claimed yet. Alpha won't be able to track him so he could— he could be safe with you.”

Vernon hissed and wrapped his fingers in a vice around Jihoon's wrist. “I'm not leaving you,” he snarled. “I will sew our hands together before I let you out of my sight again, hyung.”

Jihoon swallowed around the growing lump in his throat at Vernon's declaration. Vernon was very rarely expressive, especially after Jihoon had been mated. To see him so devoted hurt Jihoon's heart, especially since he knew that as long as Alpha Junghee was alive he'd never be safe and he couldn't ask these strangers for protection from his alpha. All he could do was hope that they’d keep Vernon safe and that he'd find happiness with them. 

“Why don't we start with breakfast,” the omega suggested, a small, fond smile decorating his pretty lips. “I'm sure Wonwoo would be happy to lend you his sewing supplies should you need it.”

Jihoon frowned. “Its really not safe,” he argued weakly. 

The omega smiled and gently nudged him forwards towards the two other wolves and into their territory. “Let us be the judges of that,” he assured. “Gyu, Channie— take their bags for them. They both look utterly exhausted.”

The taller wolf nodded, stepping forward immediately to gently take Vernon's bag from him. Now that they were closer, Jihoon could smell the alpha on them and couldn’t help his knee-jerk reaction to back away from them. With Alpha Junghee, if he even caught a whiff of another alpha on Jihoon it ensured pain for weeks to come. 

“You’re safe with us,” the shorter alpha, Channie, as the omega had called him, assured as he watched Jihoon closely, not daring to take another step closer. “We won’t hurt you— either of you.”

“Your alpha on the other hand,” the omega grumbled furiously as he delicately plucked the straps of Jihoon’s bag and passed it over to Channie.

The two alphas nodded their heads in agreement as the omega gently took both Jihoon and Vernon and steered them further into their territory while the alphas trailed after them, watching their surroundings closely. 

“My name is Jeonghan, by the way,” the omega stated as they walked. “The tree behind us is Mingyu— he looks big and scary but he's just a giant marshmallow. The other one is my darling baby Channie— I practically birthed him myself.”

“Hyung,” Channie groaned, sticking out his bottom lip in an impressive pout when Jihoon glanced behind himself. “Please stop introducing me like that. One day someone is actually going to believe you.” His pout melted into a gentle smile as he caught Jihoon’s eye, ignoring Jeonghan’s joyous cackling. “My name is Chan, but everyone calls me Dino.”

Mingyu snorted. “Literally no one calls you that,” he deadpanned playfully. 

“Seungkwannie-hyung does,” Chan argued, his pout set firmly back on his lips. “... sometimes.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes as he turned back to the path ahead of them. “That’s because he hasn’t learned how to tell you no yet.”

Chan stuck his bottom lip out further while Mingyu laughed at him and Jeonghan shot him a playful smile over his shoulder. 

“I'm Vernon,” Vernon piped up after a few moments. “And this is Jihoon-hyung. It's— are you sure it's okay to bring us into your territory? Your pack alpha won't be mad?”

Jeonghan shook his head and gently threaded his fingers through Vernon's, giving their joined hands a little shake. “He'd be mad if he found out we discovered you and chose to leave you out here,” he admitted easily. “Espeically once he sees how sickly you two look.”

“We’re not sick,” Jihoon said with a frown, glancing over at Vernon appraisingly. Vernon looked tired, deep bags resting under his eyes and he was dirty from sleeping on the forest floor but Jihoon wouldn't think he looked sickly.

Jeonghan frowned and gently trailed the hand over Jihoon's shoulders down to his ribs. “You're skin and bones,” he chided softly. “Both of you.”

Jihoon frowned looking down at Jeonghan's hand now gripping his waist before looking over at the other omega. Jeonghan's waist was more filled out, Jihoon couldn't count his ribs like Vernon or himself and his cheeks had a fullness to them that Jihoon hadn't seen in himself since he was a pup but according to his pack, omegas were supposed to look like Vernon and himself. They were supposed to be light and delicate and fragile and the constant gnawing in their stomachs was a sign of good health. 

“This is how omegas are supposed to look,” Vernon stated, saying aloud what Jihoon was thinking. 

“No,” Mingyu hissed softly behind them, startling Jihoon. “You're— your weight isn't healthy at all. I— is this what your pack raises omegas to believe?”

Jihoon swallowed, glancing back and seeing horror splayed across both alphas’ faces. “Yes?” He replied weakly. “As soon as our presentation starts we begin our first fast to ensure our bodies match our genders for the alphas in our pack. That's not— not normal?”

Jeonghan's grip on him tightened minutely. “Not at all,” he confessed sadly. “There's a difference between a healthy-skinny and starvation-skinny. You're both clearly the latter. How long have you been running from your old pack?”

Vernon chewed on his lip as he answered. “About a week, I think,” he said. “Maybe two? It's been hard to keep track.”

Jeonghan nodded in understanding as they turned onto a more well-worn path that slowly sloped upwards through the trees. 

“So this is how you looked when you left,” he surmised, sounding like he was biting back his anger. “I hope your alpha comes. I'll gladly tear him to pieces.”

Jihoon couldn't say he agreed, no matter how satisfying it would be to see Alpha Junghee dead and gone, he knew that Jeonghan wouldn't stand a chance against him. He may have had more weight and muscle to him than either Vernon or himself but he was still a far cry smaller than his alpha and he knew Alpha wouldn't hesitate to snap his neck to reclaim his omegas. 

He didn’t say anything though, he may not have known Jeonghan long, but something told him that the other omega wasn’t about to listen to Jihoon’s protests. Jeonghan’s grip on his waist tightened slightly, as if he could tell what Jihoon was thinking. 

“How many are in your pack?” Vernon asked softly as they started up a thin set of stairs built into the path. 

“Eleven,” Mingyu replied from the back of their group. 

Jihoon frowned. “That’s it?” he asked, shocked. 

Jeonghan nodded. “We’re a soul pack,” he stated. “We do have neighboring soul packs nearby so we’re not completely isolated.”

“What’s a soul pack?” Vernon asked softly, his wheezing voice striking fear in Jihoon's heart. 

“Nonie?” Jihoon asked, pulling away from Jeonghan as he moved over to his omega. “Non?”

Vernon shook his head, his face scrunching in pain. “‘m fine,” he croaked out weakly. 

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” he scolded as he rushed to push Vernon down onto the steps. “Give me my bag,” he barked, holding out his hand frantically towards Chan. 

The alpha flinched at his harsh tone before practically tripping over his own feet as he rushed to do as Jihoon said. Jihoon snatched it from Chan’s hands the second it was within reach and dug through it until his fingers found the ma huang. He handed it to Vernon before searching around to find things to light a fire with. Vernon’s breathing was getting worse, each inhale sounding more painful than the last. 

“What do you need?” Jeonghan asked, resting a gentle hand on Jihoon’s shoulder, eyes scrunched in concern as he watched Vernon’s quickly worsening breathing. 

“Fire,” Jihoon gasped out as he turned his full attention back to Vernon. “How bad?” he asked. “Was it the stairs?” 

Vernon nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to suck in air. 

“Shit,” Jihoon hissed, turning back to start a fire only to see Mingyu and Chan already fanning a small flame. “Thank fuck,” he breathed out as he rushed over to them, lighting the ma huang with the tiny flame. It took a few tries since the plant wasn't fully dried yet and by the time it started properly smoking Jihoon's hands were shaking with stress. 

“What’s going on?” Chan asked as he hovered over Jihoon’s shoulder while the omega held the smoking ma huang up to Vernon’s mouth. 

Vernon reached out to shakily grab hold of Jihoon’s wrist. “Vernon has asthma,” Jihoon admitted. “This— all of this running has been kicking it up and we’ve used through all of the ma huang we had and— why does it smell like that?” Jihoon frowned, pulling the plant closer towards him as he examined it. It only took a few moments for him to realize that what they had thought was ma huang was just a very similar looking weed. “Shit,” he hissed as he threw the plant to the side, moving to cup Vernon’s cheeks as the younger omega continued trying to pull in air. “Do you have any more in your bag, Nonie?” he begged, unable to stop the tears from gathering in the corners of his eyes when Vernon shook his head. 

His face was growing red and Jihoon didn’t know what to do to help him. Desperately, he glanced around the forest in the hopes that the plant would miraculously sprout up between the trees. When he couldn’t find anything, Jihoon shifted to sit behind Vernon, pulling his back against his chest as he rubbed at Vernon’s sternum frantically. 

“Please just breathe, Nonie,” he begged, pressing kisses to the younger man’s tacky cheeks. “Please— please, Nonie. I’m sorry, I should have— I should have known, I—”

“Over here,” Jeonghan said as he rushed to Vernon and Jihoon’s side, two unfamiliar wolves trailing after him just as hurriedly. Jihoon hadn’t even realized that he’d left.

The wolf with glasses dropped down next to Jeonghan and immediately started digging through the satchel he had brought with him. “Asthma?” he asked hurriedly. 

Jihoon nodded, something like hope blooming in his chest. “We— we ran out of ma huang,” he admitted. “I thought— I thought we had found some more but it— it wasn’t.”

“I’ve got some,” the wolf said, pulling out a little sachet. He lit the dried leaves on fire before bringing it over to Vernon’s face and holding it over his mouth and nose, using his other hand to cover his face from above to help keep the smoke close. “You’re alright,” he soothed as Vernon continued to gasp for air. “An attack like this can take some time to come down from. Just keep breathing as deeply as you can. I’ve got more ma huang if we need it.”

“Thank you,” Jihoon whispered in relief as he watched Vernon’s gasping slowly recede into far less dangerous wheezing. 

“Wonwoo,” the wolf offered softly. “And I’m glad I could help.”

Jihoon didn’t bother to bite back the tears as they steadily started to make their way down his cheeks. He buried his face in Vernon’s neck while sobs wracked his body. At some point, Jeonghan shifted behind Jihoon and gently cradled both of their bodies against his own. 

“You’re okay now,” Jeonghan soothed as he gently carded his fingers through Jihoon’s tangled hair. “You’re both alright.”

Neither of them responded to Jeonghan, not that the other omega seemed to be looking for a reply. 

“We should get them back up to the house,” the other new wolf said softly after a few minutes of tense silence. “They both look exhausted.”

Wonwoo nodded his head. “Good thinking, Soonyoung,” he murmured. “Gyu-yah, can you carry him? He shouldn't try to overexert himself right now.”

Jihoon frowned and shifted to hold Vernon tighter. “I've got him,” he said, moving his body in front of the trio of alphas in front of them. 

“What about Soonyoung?” Jeonghan suggested gently as he combed his fingers through Jihoon's matted hair. “He's a beta. Would you be alright if he carried Vernon? Or me?”

Vernon clasped his fingers around Jihoon's wrist. “It's alright, hyung,” he croaked. “You’ll be right by my side.”

In front of them, Wonwoo nodded his head in agreement. “We won't separate you,” he assured. “We just want to get you two somewhere more comfortable. And Vernon should really lay down and rest after an attack like this.”

Jihoon chewed on his bottom lip for a few moments before reluctantly nodding his head. He knew that he wasn't strong enough to carry Vernon himself and if they could get Vernon to safety before his alpha descended upon them then hopefully he'd stay safe while Jihoon was reclaimed. He internally shuddered at the thought, knowing how angry his alpha was and how badly his punishment for running away would be. As long as he could keep Vernon from the same fate, though, he could bear any amount of pain. If he was lucky, Alpha Junghee would kill him in his rage and he wouldn't have to endure much before it would be all over. 

Wonwoo backed up and the beta, Soonyoung, stepped forward before crouching with his back to them, shooting a gummy smile over his shoulder. 

Jihoon reluctantly let Vernon go as the younger omega wrapped his arms around Soonyoung’s neck and his legs around the beta's waist. 

Vernon hummed softly as Soonyoung stood up, his chin resting on the other man’s shoulder. “Strawberries?” He asked softly.

Below him, Soonyoung laughed. “My parents were convinced I was going to present as an omega with how sweet I smelled,” he admitted as he started walking up the path once more. 

Jihoon followed right behind them, eyes fixed on the pair to ensure nothing happened to his omega. Jeonghan immediately saddled up next to Jihoon, draping his arm over the smaller man's shoulders casually though Jihoon could smell the calming pheromones he was pumping out in an attempt to quell Jihoon's anxiety. 

“Didn't know betas could have a scent,” Vernon admitted softly, his eyes fluttering closed in exhaustion or contentment or both, Jihoon couldn't be sure from his angle. “The beta in our pack doesn't have a scent.”

“Probably trauma induced suppression,” Wonwoo surmised as he pushed ahead of the group to examine Vernon again while they walked. “Are they treated poorly in your pack?”

Vernon gave a halfheartedly shrug while Jihoon's eyes found the ground as discomfort swelled in his chest. “Well,” he hedged. “She's a beta. Alpha Junghee doesn't really see the point in keeping betas around.”

Beside him, Jeonghan huffed furiously, his fingers tangling in Jihoon's sweater. “Just another reason to hate your alpha. Disgusting sexist pig.”

Before anyone could say anything more about Alpha Junghee, they arrived at the pack’s home, the trees parting as they rounded the bend in the path to reveal a simple but sturdy structure. The home had open walkways between rooms but looked strong at the foundation and like it could withstand heavy winds or storms if it needed to. It was a far cry from the flimsy, drafty tents Jihoon's pack resided in and he felt something in his chest loosen. This pack was well off and clearly knew how to take care of themselves and one another. Vernon would be safe here. 

He was interrupted from his revelation by a fierce snarl. He flinched into Jeonghan without meaning to but the taller man just adjusted his grip to keep him close instead. 

“Its alright, Alpha,” he said over Jihoon's head. “Look what I found. Come— see.”

Jihoon tensed further, trying to get out of Jeonghan's arms but the other omega didn't budge as a foreign Alpha closed in on him. His nose was flooded with warm cinnamon and cedar as the Alpha came up behind him and took a deep breath. 

“Where did you find them?” The alpha asked, the wonder in his voice nearly making Jihoon flinch again at the unexpected tone. 

Jeonghan hummed happily, rubbing his cheek against the top of Jihoon's head, covering him in sweet honeysuckle. “Just on the border,” he reported. “They're skin and bone, alpha.”

The alpha grunted unhappily, a large hand coming to rest, just for a moment, on the back of Jihoon's neck. “I see that,” he noted. “We'll have to fix that. Get them inside and in warmer clothes. I'll take Minghao out to finish your patrol.”

Jeonghan made an affirming noise as he gently maneuvered Jihoon under his arm again, giving him the perfect view of the alpha in front of him. He had broad shoulders and slightly curly hair, taller than Jihoon— though most wolves were— but shorter than Mingyu. Jihoon suspected he was probably close in height to Vernon. He had a fierce expression and looked to be examining both Jihoon and Vernon as he glanced between them before his face melted into a gummy smile that released some of the tension in Jihoon's chest. 

“My name is Seungcheol,” he said, voice softer than before and a little raspy in the corners of his words. “Welcome to our home.”

He was cut off from saying anything more by a furious snarl that ripped through the clearing. Jihoon froze, recognizing that growl in an instant. Before he could run to his alpha to hopefully prevent him from find Vernon, he was wrapped back up into Jeonghan's arms as they were both shoved behind Seungcheol's wide shoulders. 

“You're trespassing,” Seungcheol warned, as the rest of the wolves gathered around them, creating a barrier between the omegas and the foreign wolves breaching the small clearing. 

“I'm collecting what's mine,” Alpha Junghee declared. "My bitches must have gotten a little lost in the woods. We'll be out of your hair shortly.”

Soonyoung must have let Vernon down because suddenly Jihoon had a trembling Vernon pressed tightly against his back. Seungcheol spared a glance back at the pair of them before turning back to Alpha Junghee. “They don't look like they'll be coming with you.” He noted blandly. “You'd be better off cutting your losses now and tucking tail before I make you regret invading my territory.”

Alpha Junghee snarled again, louder and more vicious and Jihoon had never heard him sound angrier in his life. He couldn't prevent the tiny whimper from escaping his lips which in turn made Vernon's grip tighten on him. 

Jeonghan's fingers clenched around Jihoon's waist as he tucked him farther from Alpha Junghee's sight. 

“I'll leave once you give me back my property,” Alpha Junghee snarled.

Jihoon tensed in Jeonghan's arms, ready to break free and offer himself to his alpha in the hopes of sparing Vernon when Seungcheol laughed. The alpha grabbed Vernon by the shoulders and pulled him to the front of the group despite both Jihoon and himself struggling against the motion. “These omegas?” He asked, holding a trembling Vernon by both shoulders. 

Jihoon whimpered again as he struggled to break free from Jeonghan's surprisingly strong grip. 

“Yes,” Alpha Junghee hissed, taking a threatening step forwards. “My omegas.”

Seungcheol laughed again and tilted Vernon's head to the side, showcasing the blank skin of his neck where Alpha Junghee's mark would have gone had they not run away. “This one doesn't look like he belongs to anyone, let alone you,” Seungcheol mocked. He laughed harshly as he pet the side of Vernon's neck with his thumb. “You never learned to share as a pup, did you?” Seungcheol leaned down and sniffed at Vernon's skin, smiling softly at the scent he found there. “Unfortunately for you, neither did I.” 

With that, Seungcheol bared his fangs and sunk them into Vernon's neck in a claiming bite. Jihoon whimpered alongside Vernon as the younger omega was claimed by the alpha.

Alpha Junghee roared, taking a few steps forward before he was stopped by another wolf in Seungcheol's pack, claws out and ready to fight should Alpha Junghee not back down. 

“Thank you for delivering such precious omegas right to my front door for me,” Seungcheol continued once he'd pulled his teeth from Vernon's neck and tucked the now dazed omega close to his chest. “I will be sure to cherish them in all the ways you failed to do so.”

Jihoon’s alpha was furious, and the other three hunting alphas that he’d brought with him looked more than ready for a fight. “I didn’t deliver you shit,” Alpha Junghee hissed. “You took what was rightfully mine.”

Seungcheol laughed and gently passed Vernon back to another omega that had come out of the house sometime during all of the chaos. The omega cooed at Vernon, tucking him against his chest as he held him up easily, completely unconcerned with the enraged alphas on the other side of the clearing. 

“They were never yours to begin with,” Seungcheol snarked. 

One of the other alphas with Junghee curled his lip in disgust and leapt at Seungcheol, clearly uncaring to wait for Alpha Junghee's command. In an instant, the wolf that had been holding back Alpha Junghee darted forwards and dropped the alpha with a well placed slash of his claws to the alpha’s neck. 

Alpha Junghee's eyes widened as the other wolf casually stepped back over to stand in front of him once more and raised his eyebrow in challenge. 

“I think it'd be best if you leave now while you still have the opportunity,” Seungcheol suggested, a small smirk dancing across his lips. “My omegas will not grant you as quick of a death as Jun did for your friend there.”

Alpha Junghee visibly swallowed and glanced over the pack in front of him before his eyes found Jihoon's. “That one is mine,” he barked, pointing an accusing finger at Jihoon. “I've already claimed him. Just give me the pipsqueak and you can keep the other one.”

Seungcheol hummed thoughtfully and Jihoon tensed, readying himself for the inevitable moment the alpha handed him over to Alpha Junghee. He chanced a glance over to Vernon who was now being held between two omegas who were gently combing their fingers through his hair and quietly fawning over him. Vernon would be in good hands— he had to believe that— Jihoon would go back to Alpha Junghee without a fight as long as Vernon was safe. 

Seungcheol stretched out a hand, gently taking Jihoon from a reluctant Jeonghan's grip. “This pretty little omega?” He asked condescendingly as he tilted Jihoon's head to the side with gentle fingers, exposing the ugly raised skin of his mating mark. “Why would I give back what you have so plainly mistreated?”

“He’s mine,” Alpha Junghee roared. “I’ve already claimed him. He is of no use to you. Hand him over and we'll leave.”

Seungcheol laughed again as he stroked his thumb over Jihoon's neck, much like he had done with Vernon though Jihoon knew the action wouldn't— couldn't— lead to a bite. It felt soothing nonetheless, Jihoon having never been touched there so gently before, some of the petrified tension leaving his body. “I'm afraid I won't be doing that,” he replied blandly, completely unconcerned with the metaphorical steam coming out of Alpha Junghee's ears. “I've decided I'll be keeping both of them.” 

The alpha bent his head down, warm cedar filling Jihoon's senses as lips pressed against Jihoon's skin seconds before he bit down right on top of Alpha Junghee's claiming mark. Jihoon trembled in Seungcheol's strong grip as he miraculously felt his connection to Alpha Junghee disintegrate. He could hear Alpha Junghee roar in anger but all he could feel was Seungcheol's warm presence surrounding him inside and out as the newer, stronger bond took hold. 

Seungcheol pulled his teeth free from Jihoon's neck but didn't release his hold on the omega while fighting broke out around them. Everything for Jihoon felt like it was underwater, however, as he floated against Seungcheol's chest until he was gently passed over to another set of arms. 

“Take them inside and get them into the nest,” Seungcheol ordered softly, hie voice sweet like honey now that he wasn’t talking to Alpha Junghee. “We'll clean up here and come join you soon.”

“And get them in warmer clothes,” Jeonghan added sternly as long fingers trailed through Jihoon's hair. “I'm going to grab them some food and then I'll join you.”

Somewhere above him, Seungcheol laughed. “You need to clean up before you go inside, love,” he teased fondly. “You made quite a mess of that pesky alpha.”

Jeonghan huffed petulantly, dropping a kiss to Jihoon's forehead before backing away once more. “I should have made him suffer more,” he grumbled softly. “Look at what he did to my babies.”

“They're safe now, love,” Seungcheol crooned softly as Jihoon started moving with the body holding him, Seungcheol and Jeonghan's voices getting softer as they moved further away. 

Jihoon whined as he felt his new alpha separate from him, prompting the man holding him to coo softly as he took over combing his fingers through Jihoon's hair in Jeonghan's absence. 

“It's alright,” the man cooed— omega, if Jihoon's nose could be trusted. “They'll come back. We're just going to the nest, alright? Alpha will join us soon.”

They kept moving, the air changing, growing warmer, around them as they no doubt entered the house Jihoon had seen when they'd come to the clearing. Jihoon whined again when the combined scents of the pack invaded his senses and brought the floaty underwater feeling back to the forefront of his brain. 

It felt like only moments later when he was laid down on something soft and plush. Jihoon had never laid on something this nice and he briefly wondered if his new alpha somehow knew how to bring the clouds down to earth. 

Lilacs pressed into Jihoon's nose seconds before Vernon wrapped his arms around him, tucking him against his chest with a happy hum, sounding equally as out of it as Jihoon was. Something loosened in his chest once he was pressed against Vernon. He still had his omega— they were mates, both belonging to the alpha, Seungcheol, who had somehow, impossibly, overridden Alpha Junghee's claiming bite with his own. 

“How are they?” A voice murmured just as a hand passed through Jihoon's hair. It took him longer than he'd care to admit to recognize the voice as Jeonghan's. 

“Out of it,” another voice replied softly, sounding fond and amused and so very endeared. “Cheolie really did a number on them.”

Beside Jihoon's head, Jeonghan snorted. “You weren't any better,” he chided fondly. “You were out for hours after Cheol claimed you. All soft and cuddly.”

The stranger huffed though he sounded amused more than annoyed. “I'm sure you were the same.”

“Oh, I was,” Jeonghan admitted with a laugh. “I didn't let Cheol go all day. I'm surprised they're as docile as they are right now considering how far Cheolie is.”

“They've been put through hell,” the voice murmured sadly as a different hand trailed up Jihoon's arm. 

“They have,” Jeonghan agreed. “But they're going to be taken care of now. They're ours.”

The voice laughed softly. “Can't believe you just stumbled over them.”

“It was actually Channie who smelled them first,” Jeonghan mused. “We wouldn't have found them otherwise. They were far enough off our path that we wouldn't have seen them if it hadn't been for Chan.” 

“Lilacs and hyacinths,” the stranger murmured, sounding amazed. 

“How are they doing?” Another voice asked, startling Jihoon when he realized the voice belonged to Seungcheol— his new alpha.

He whined weakly, nosing against Vernon's cheek as he tried to open his heavy eyes with little success.

“Come see for yourself, alpha,” the stranger teased, the hand on his arm leaving him moments before it was replaced with another, larger hand that trailed up to his fresh mating bite, stroking the sensitive skin gently. The scent of cedar wood grew stronger, smelling pleased and happy, and Jihoon forced his tired eyes open tilting his head to the side in order to see the room without shifting away from Vernon.

“Hello, Jihoon-ah,” Seungcheol murmured, eyes so soft and filled with utter fondness as he gazed down at him. “How are you feeling?”

Jihoon licked his lips as he tried to formulate a response, his brain dredging through knee deep mud. “Tired,” he finally got out, his eyes threatening to close once more, the single word exhausting him more than he thought it would.

Seungcheol smiled. “That's to be expected,” he noted fondly. “Any pain? I didn't catch a nerve when I bit you, did I?”

Jihoon made to shake his head before he remembered that he was resting it on Vernon's chest and moving it would feel wrong. “No,” he mumbled out. “Didn't know... could feel... this nice.”

His alpha’s expression darkened though his hold on Jihoon didn't change. “I'm going to make sure you're never hurt again, Jihoon-ah,” Seungcheol promised. “Both of you.”

Jihoon frowned, a question on the tip of his tongue but the words were lost to him.

“Vernon?” Seungcheol continued, undeterred by Jihoon's lack of response. “How are you feeling? Alright?”

Vernon hummed, his chest rumbling delightfully in Jihoon's ear. “Good,” he mumbled, sounding half asleep. 

Jihoon suspected that their floaty headspace had something to do with their bites but Jihoon hadn't felt like this with Alpha Junghee. He'd been amped up and anxious for days after his mating, constantly flinching and oversensitive. It also could have been the pack’s combined scents that made them sleepy. He'd heard of omegas that were more susceptible to certain scents but for both of them to be this affected was strange. 

“Let's sit you two up and get some food in you,” Jeonghan suggested, already gently tipping Jihoon up despite the pathetic whine that escaped his lips when he was separated from Vernon. 

He forced his eyes open as he was settled in someone's lap, rolling his head upwards to see who was holding him. It was an omega, wearing the prettiest smile Jihoon had ever seen and smelling like roses. He vaguely recognized him as the omega that had held up Vernon after Seungcheol had claimed him.

“My name is Joshua,” he said once he was certain he had Jihoon's attention. “It's very nice to meet you Jihoon. Though I wish we could have met under better circumstances.”

Jihoon released a soft hum of acknowledgement, words still feeling too difficult to try. He turned his head back towards Jeonghan who had settled Vernon in another omega’s lap. 

“Seokmin,” the omega offered with a smile, one hand already trailing through Vernon’s hair as he brushed it out of his face. 

Jeonghan accepted a couple of bowls from Chan just outside of the nest, pressing a kiss to his cheek in thanks before laying them on the blanket between them. “Let’s get some food in you while you come back up,” he said as he handed a bowl to the only unnamed omega still in the nest who settled down next to Seokmin and Vernon as he carefully started to feed Vernon while Jeonghan did the same for Jihoon, every once in a while holding up his chopsticks to give a bite to Joshua. 

“‘s good,” Jihoon said after a while of quiet, careful chewing. “Thank you.”

Jeonghan smiled and leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to the tip of Jihoon’s nose, giggling at the red that immediately bloomed across Jihoon’s cheeks at the action. “You are most welcome,” he cooed. “You’re our packmates now, after all.”

Jihoon chewed on his bottom lip at that reminder. He glanced over at Seungcheol who was now sitting on the edge of the nest with the rest of the pack, separate from the omegas but all watching them with careful, concerned eyes. “Yours,” he mumbled tiredly as Jeonghan fed him another bite of rice. 

“Yes, you are,” Seungcheol said. “Just as much as we are yours. I am sorry for the way I mated you both, however. That is not the kind of alpha that I am and I hope to change your perspective of me in the future.” 

Jihoon didn't really understand what Seungcheol meant, alphas were supposed to claim omegas whenever and wherever they wanted, but he didn't want to get in trouble for questioning his alpha, especially this soon after being claimed. He was lucky that Seungcheol had chosen to claim him and kill his alpha. Whether it was his own greed or because he saw the bond between Vernon and himself, Jihoon didn't care because it meant that he could continue taking care of Vernon. 

“Do you know how old you are?” Jeonghan asked the two of them as they slowly emptied the tray. 

Vernon nodded his head, swallowing the rice in his mouth before speaking. “I'm twenty-three,” he said. “Hyung is twenty-five.”

Jihoon hummed thoughtfully. “I'm twenty-five already?” He mused. “I hadn't realized.”

“You... didn't know how old you were?” Seokmin asked wearily. 

Jihoon shrugged and shifted to rest his cheek against Joshua while Seungcheol still allowed it. “It was hard to keep track,” he admitted. “I was twenty-two when Alpha Junghee mated me.”

“He's not your alpha anymore,” Seungcheol growled, startling Jihoon. 

He quickly bent forward in apology, his forehead bumping against Jeonghan's knee in the process. “I'm sorry, Alpha Seungcheol. It won't happen again. I—”

“Aish, get up, sweetheart,” Jeonghan scolded  as he gently took Jihoon by the shoulders and lifted him back upright. “Cheolie, I swear—”

Seungcheol's eyes were wide as he watched Jihoon from the edge of the nest. “I didn't tell him to call me that, Hannie— You know I didn't. Jihoon-ah— we don't— you don't have to defer to any of us like that anymore. I'm just— I'm just Seungcheol, or Seungcheol-hyung.”

“Yeah!” Mingyu chimed in cheerfully. “We only ever call him Alpha when we want something from him.”

“Like a video game,” Chan added cheekily. “Or a second helping of dessert.”

Seungcheol sighed, smiling fondly at the pair as he shook his head. “The point,” he pressed on. “Is that I am your alpha, yes. But I will never expect you to call me such. We’re all equal here. No gender is less than any other.”

Jihoon felt himself frowning even as he nodded his head in acceptance. He’d do what his alpha asked of him, even if it went against everything he had been taught before.

“We’re your pack now,” Jeonghan stated firmly as he gently cupped Jihoon's cheeks. “Not your masters.” He leaned forward, pressing a featherlight kiss to the center of Jihoon’s forehead before pulling away and feeding him another spoonful of rice. 

Jihoon ate obediently, watching Vernon receive the same doting attention from the other omegas in the nest. Once the bowls were cleared, Jeonghan passed them over to a few of their other pack members to clean up. It made Jihoon nervous because he was pretty sure at least one of them was an alpha and he'd never met an alpha that willingly cleaned up after an omega but the two took the dirty dishes without complaint and left the room, returning a few minutes later and settling in on the edge of the nest once more.

“Why are you all so far away?” Vernon asked, unafraid to voice the question that had been burning inside of Jihoon’s throat. 

Seungcheol smiled at Vernon softly. “We didn't want to overwhelm you,” he explained. “Mating can be a lot and your sense of smell is heightened to help your body adjust to your new packmates’ scents.”

Jeonghan nodded his head as he gently rubbed his wrist against Jihoon’s jaw, flooding his nose with honeysuckle. “It’s always easier to be surrounded by your own second gender for a while after mating before introducing too many other scents,” he continued gently. “The alphas and betas will come into the nest in a few hours once you’re not so scent dazed.”

Vernon nodded his head, a cute little frown on his lips as he sank back against Seokmin. “Betas?” he asked as Jeonghan moved his wrist over to Vernon’s neck, soaking him in honeysuckle too. “You have more than one?”

Two of the men sitting on the edge of the bed raised their hands with little smiles. “Minghao and Soonyoung,” Jeonghan introduced as he pointed them out in turn. “The rest of our pack are made up of alphas.”

Jihoon couldn’t help his eyes from widening as he took in the two betas that were now a part of his pack. His last pack had only ever had one that hadn’t been cast out upon presentation and that had only been because she was the pack alpha’s daughter. But she had been an outcast in the pack; never invited to any pack gatherings or given work tasks with other members. She’d been completely isolated and Jihoon had only ever seen her a handful of times, always with her head down and a scowl firmly in place. She’d died of old age before he’d even hit puberty. 

Joshua’s hand wrapped around Jihoon’s stomach as he pointed to each of the alphas in turn, naming them for Vernon and Jihoon’s benefit. There was Chan and Mingyu who they’d already met, Wonwoo, who Jihoon had been too panicked at the time to really take in, and of course, Seungcheol, who carefully slid further into the nest when Vernon released a weak little whine at being reminded their new alpha was so far away. The last alpha of their pack, Jun, one of the ones that had been to take their dirty dishes. 

“Let’s see how they handle my scent,” Seungcheol suggested as he inched closer to the pile of omegas. 

Jeonghan snorted but didn’t stop the pack alpha from coming closer. “You just want to hold your new omegas,” he chided teasingly. 

The alpha rolled his eyes fondly. “Of course I do,” he deadpanned. “Are you telling me you don’t want to wrap them up in warm blankets and keep them safe from the world after everything that’s happened today? After discovering everything our fated mates have had to endure?”

Jihoon frowned. “Fated mates?” he asked, startling himself. 

The whole room froze before Seungcheol slowly turned his head to fully face Jihoon. “You— have you never heard of fated mates before?” he asked carefully.

Jihoon saw Vernon shake his head in his peripheral, a matching look of confusion painted across his face. 

“What’s a fated mate?” Vernon asked. 

“Do you feel it?” Seungkwan asked as he scooted across the bed to hold his hand up in front of Vernon. Cautiously, Vernon brought his hand up to match Seungkwan’s and their fingers intertwined. “You’re ours. You’ve always been ours.”

“Fated mates are destined,” Seungcheol explained as he crawled the rest of his way across the nest to sit in front of the omegas. “Our souls were made from the same stars. You two were always meant to find us. We were always meant to be together.”

Vernon frowned. “That sounds like a fairytale,” he mumbled unsurely.

Jeonghan reached out and gently cupped Vernon’s cheek. “It’s alright if you don't understand it right now,” he assured softly. “You will in time. For now, the only thing you need to know is that you’re ours now and that we’re going to make sure you’re safe and taken care of— both of you.”

Jihoon didn’t know how much he believed what Jeonghan and Seungcheol had to say but at the end of the day it didn’t matter, if he was honest with himself. Seungcheol was his and Vernon’s alpha now, not Alpha Junghee and that was good enough for him. 

Jihoon frowned, fidgeting in the doorway as he watched Mingyu. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen the alpha cooking in the kitchen but it was the first time he’d seen the man cooking something he had no clue what it was. The alpha turned around, either smelling or just sensing Jihoon— he was observant like that— and smiled at him, beckoning him over. 

“You’re up early,” he noted as Jihoon joined him at the counter, peering into the bowl curiously. “We didn’t wake you up, did we?”

Jihoon shook his head, still looking at the batter in the bowl curiously. Mingyu, Jun, and Seungcheol had woken him up when they got up to go do their morning patrol, just like the alphas did every morning, but Jihoon wasn’t about to say that. Everything woke Jihoon up so it wasn’t like they were being obtusely loud, Jihoon was just wired to wake up at every little noise or shift. It meant that he tended to become exhausted by mid-morning, but Jeonghan was always up for a nap at that time and happily dragged Jihoon back to the nest for a cuddle and a couple of more hours of shut eye.

“What is that?” he asked as he watched Mingyu add some cinnamon to the mixture. 

The alpha smiled as he started to whisk it. “French toast batter,” he explained. “Wanna help me make it?”

Jihoon frowned, chewing on his bottom lip. “You know I’m not that great at cooking,” he admitted reluctantly. It was one of the things he hated most. He’d been fine in his old pack with the cooking— he could grill meat and vegetables and he knew how to smoke and dry them when it was needed but his new pack made a lot more intricate meals with a lot of ingredients Jihoon had never even heard of before. 

“You do better than you think you do,” Mingyu assured gently. “We can cook it together for the pack. How does that sound?”

Jihoon nodded, still not confident but unwilling to tell one of his alphas no. He shuffled over to the sink and washed his hands before rejoining Mingyu who was slicing two loaves of bread into thick slices. He watched the alpha dip the bread in the batter before laying them on their large griddle. 

Seokmin wandered into the kitchen when they were done with about half of the french toast, wrapping his arms around Jihoon’s waist and resting his chin on the smaller omega’s head. “Morning,” he grumbled out, sounding like he was more asleep than awake still as he squeezed Jihoon close. “Smells good.”

Mingyu snorted and reached over to pinch Seokmin’s cheek. “You smell good,” he countered playfully. “Go be helpful and make some coffee if you’re gonna be in here.”

The omega whined and rubbed his cheek against the top of Jihoon’s head petulantly. 

“Jihoonie is cooking with me,” Mingyu continued faux-sternly, a smile dancing at the corners of his lips. 

“I see that,” Seokmin murmured, dropping a kiss to Jihoon’s hair. 

It still surprised him how affectionate everyone in the pack was, even the alphas were soft and tactile, only ever touching Jihoon with gentle hands. 

“It looks better than usual,” Seokmin continued as he pulled away from Jihoon to start on the coffee. 

“Yah,” Mingyu whined, waving his sticky spatula at the omega who just giggled and turned away from their alpha without a care. “You’re so mean to me. After me and Hoonie have been slaving away all morning for you.”

Seokmin giggled, blowing Mingyu a kiss before turning back to the coffee maker. 

Mingyu tugged Jihoon back into his side, dropping his own kiss onto the top of the omega’s head. “We’re almost done here,” he said. “Wanna go get some plates?”

Jihoon nodded and ducked out from under Mingyu’s arm to grab a stack of plates from the cupboard just as Minghao wandered into the kitchen as well. “Morning,” he greeted, sounding far more awake than Seokmin had. He gently combed his fingers through Jihoon’s hair as he passed by, dragging his wrist against Mingyu’s neck. “Jun-hyung and Cheol-hyung back yet?”

Mingyu shook his head as he carried a large platter of french toast to the table. “No,” he replied. “I have a feeling they ran into one of the others.”

“Jin-hyung probably stole them for breakfast,” Minghao mused as he plucked a few slices and put them on a plate before setting them in front of Jihoon. He set the syrup in front of Jihoon and then grabbed himself a plate, sitting down next to Jihoon. “Do we have fruit?”

“There’s some chopped in the fridge,” Mingyu said, already moving to the refrigerator and pulling out a tupperware of berries, setting it on the table. 

Minghao put some berries on top of Jihoon’s french toast with a smile. “You ever have berries on your french toast?” he asked as he put some on his own plate.

Jihoon shook his head, eyeing the syrup in confusion. Mingyu had made pancakes for him before and he’d had syrup on those but he wasn’t sure if the sweet sauce would be as good on the cooked bread they’d made that morning. “Never had french toast,” he admitted as he watched Minghao pour syrup on his own. 

“It’s good,” the beta said, completely unphased at this point. The pack were unsurprised whenever Vernon or Jihoon admitted to not knowing about something because their old pack was so incredibly different from Seungcheol’s. “You can try mine before you add it to yours, if you’d like.”

He held out a bite for Jihoon readily, dripping with syrup and topped with a berry. Jihoon leaned over and opened his mouth, having grown used to the pack feeding him any chance they got since he’d been claimed. 

“‘s good,” he said once he’d finished chewing, taking the syrup and delicately pouring a bit onto his breakfast. 

Minghao beamed at him and they both turned back to their breakfasts. A few minutes later, Vernon wandered out and sat down next to Jihoon, tugging the smaller omega’s chair until they were pressed together and Vernon could lay his head on top of Jihoon’s.

Jihoon allowed it for a few minutes before making the younger omega sit up properly and started to feed him the rest of his breakfast. More french toast immediately made its way onto his plate via Mingyu’s hand who smiled at the pair of them dotingly. 

Vernon hummed happily, his eyes closed as he let Jihoon feed him without having to worry. 

The rest of the pack trickled out soon after that, all in different states of waking up as they loaded their plates with french toast and berries. At some point Joshua started on some eggs and vegetables and meat that smelled divine. 

Jihoon watched Vernon wander over to the older omega and open his mouth like a baby bird, letting Joshua feed him. It still amazed Jihoon, even weeks later, that they were allowed to eat so openly and so much. Their alphas even encouraged it, feeding them snacks throughout the day and praising them when they finished their plates. 

Both him and Vernon had started to put on more weight since being claimed and it made everyone in the pack so happy any time they caught a glimpse of their slowly receding skeletal frames. 

After breakfast was over and the dishes were all cleaned up, Jeonghan wrapped his arms around Jihoon’s waist and rested his head on top of the younger man’s. “Nap time?” he asked, his voice sing-songing slightly. 

Jihoon hummed softly, leaning back against Jeonghan, knowing the older omega would happily hold his weight. “Yeah,” he said after a moment, already feeling his eyelids starting to droop now that he’d eaten and he was surrounded in honeysuckle. 

Jeonghan hummed happily, nosing against Jihoon’s scent gland before he gently led him back to the nest where they curled up together. Vernon trailed after them a few minutes later, climbing in behind Jihoon and nosing in close. 

Some time later, Jihoon woke to a gentle hand combing through his hair with warm cedar wrapping around him. 

“Alpha,” he mumbled, leaning into the touch as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Seungcheol cooed, dropping a kiss to Jihoon’s forehead as he backed away slightly. 

“Missed you,” he grumbled, unconsciously following Seungcheol’s body to the edge of the nest and clambering into his lap before the alpha could fully escape. 

Seungcheol chuckled and pressed a kiss to Jihoon’s scent gland fondly. “Want to come for a walk with me?”

Jihoon hummed, nodding his head as he forced himself to finish waking up, letting Seungcheol gently lift him off of his lap and helping him out of the nest. They made their way outside hand in hand, Jihoon leaning slightly against Seungcheol's side as they started down one of the dirt paths that circled around their territory. 

“How are you doing, Jihoon-ah?” Seungcheol asked softly once they were out of sight of the house. “Like how are you settling in?”

Jihoon stopped himself from immediately answering that he was fine, knowing by now that that was not what his alpha was looking for. Seungcheol— and the rest of the alphas in his new pack— were weird alphas in that they actually cared about everyone else's well being and happiness, oftentimes even over their own. It was strange and a bit off-putting but Jihoon kind of loved it too. “I'm good, I think,” he finally replied, his words coming out slowly, measured carefully. “Everything feels a bit like a dream. Like it's too good to be true and at any point I'll wake up and I'll be back with my old pack and Alpha Junghee will be standing over me.”

Seungcheol hummed in acknowledgement,  giving Jihoon’s hand a little squeeze. “Is that what's been keeping you up at night?” He asked gently. 

Jihoon shrugged, unsurprised that Seungcheol had noticed his poor sleeping habits. “Maybe?” He hedged. “But I think it might be more because I'm just a light sleeper. I always have been.”

His alpha made a small noise of discontent, clearly not appeased by that answer. “There's being a light sleeper and then there's being too afraid to allow yourself to rest. From everything I've learned about your old pack, I'd wager it's probably more the last one than the former for you.”

He chewed on his bottom lip worryingly. “How do I fix it?” He asked

“We figure out how to make you feel safe,” Seungcheol corrected gently. “If you learned to feel unsafe while sleeping then we'll find a way to make you feel safe again.”

Jihoon had no clue how Seungcheol was planning on doing that, especially since Jihoon, himself, didn't know how to even start going about the problem to fix it. 

“Have you noticed any times where you've slept better than others?”

He shrugged one shoulder as he thought about it. “My naps with Jeonghan-hyung usually go pretty smoothly,” he admitted. “And— and your scent helps me sleep.” The second half was far harder for Jihoon to admit aloud but he didn't want to keep anything from his alpha, especially since it always made Seungcheol so happy when Jihoon told him the truth about how he was feeling or what he was thinking. “Jeonghan-hyung usually scents with you before we take a nap. So he always smells like cedar and honeysuckle.”

Something complicated that Jihoon couldn't translate crossed Seungcheol's face before he stopped walking and stepped in front of him. He released Jihoon’s hand only to gently cradle the sides of the omega’s neck, an amazed and adoring expression plastered across his face as he gazed down at him. 

“My scent?” He asked softly, sounding close to tears as his thumb started to trace the indents of his bite on Jihoon’s neck. 

Jihoon nodded his head, confused as to why Seungcheol seemed so happy about this fact. “Vernon also likes your scent,” he added, feeling like this was something he should tell his alpha. “He's told me so.”

Seungcheol huffed out a laugh, so full of fondness and happiness that Jihoon didn't know what to do with it. “I'll be sure to scent him more then,” he finally said after a few moments. “And you? Would you like it if I scented you more? Maybe right before bed? I know Jeonghan would be more than happy to scent you to sleep. Or you could just sleep next to me... if you’d— if that’s something you'd like to try.”

Jihoon swallowed, his throat suddenly dry at his alpha’s suggestion. Until now, he and Vernon had mostly slept on their own in the nest on one side, separated from the rest of the pack by the other omegas. He'd liked that arrangement at first, a buffer between himself and Vernon and the alphas was appreciated but now, after weeks of getting to know the pack better and growing closer, the idea of sleeping with Seungcheol was quite appealing. 

“I...” he started breathlessly. “We could— we could try that. If you— if you think its a good idea.”

Seungcheol frowned softly, immediately making Jihoon want to reach out and fix it. “You get an opinion too, love,” he chided gently. “If you're not ready, then I can just scent some blankets for you. I won't be upset either way.”

Jihoon whined, immediately biting his lip afterwards in a lame attempt to staunch the noise. “I'm ready,” he rushed out. “I— I want it.”

His alpha smiled in relief and pulled Jihoon in for a hug, unintentionally— or maybe intentionally— giving Jihoon unfiltered access to his scent gland as his face buried in the older man's neck. “Then we'll try sleeping together tonight,” he declared, dropping a kiss to the top of Jihoon’s head. “Thank you for trusting me. You have no idea how much this means to me. I promise you, I will not take advantage of this trust, Jihoon-ah. I swear it.”

Jihoon found himself nodding again, a tiny smile pulling at the corners of his own mouth. “I know you won't, hyung,” he said as Seungcheol let go of his neck and threaded their fingers back together, continuing their walk. 

That night, instead of going to his usual corner of the nest with Vernon, Jihoon stood awkwardly at the foot of the nest until Seungcheol came up behind him and carefully wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist. 

“Ready for bed, sweetheart?” He asked softly, his lips brushing the shell of Jihoon’s ear. 

Jihoon nodded stiltedly, shifting in Seungcheol's arms so that he could bury his face in the elder’s chest and not have to look at the rest of the pack's reactions.

“Do you still want to sleep with me?” He whispered softly. “Or would you rather I just scent some blankets for you tonight?”

Jihoon took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Seungcheol's waist, squeezing tightly. “You,” he grumbled out, not wanting to have to make this decision again for the second time. 

Seungcheol seemed to understand and just huffed out a soft laugh before picking Jihoon up and making his way into the center of the nest. 

“Hyung?” Vernon called nervously.

“Jihoon asked to sleep with me tonight," Seungcheol declared gently. “Would you like to join us, Vernon-ah?”

Vernon hummed in the positive as he shuffled across the bed in order to plaster himself over Jihoon’s back. The rest of the pack filtered in around them, not saying another word about Jihoon’s chosen sleeping partner, probably due to whatever Jihoon was sure Seungcheol's eyebrows were doing in order to silence them. 

Vernon hummed happily as he nosed against Jihoon’s neck, pressing a little kiss to his scent gland just because it was allowed before dropping off to sleep.

“You stole my omegas, Cheol,” Jeonghan scolded playfully, the only one not intimidated by Seungcheol's eyebrows. Jihoon felt Jeonghan slide in behind Vernon, tucking the younger omega closer to Jihoon and Seungcheol.

“They're our omegas,” Seungcheol countered petulantly. “I didn't steal anyone.”

Jeonghan snorted, his hand stretching out to grip onto Jihoon’s hip. “Thin ice Coups-yah,” he warned with a little giggle. “I better still get my morning Hoonie cuddles or you'll be in big trouble.”

Jihoon hummed, a small smile pulling at his lips as he nuzzled into Seungcheol's chest. “Can cuddle me anytime,” he replied sleepily. “Like when you hold me.”

“Fuck, hes so cute,” Soonyoung said breathlessly, amazement coloring his tone. “I can't wait until he asks to cuddle me. I'll never let him go.”

Jeonghan huffed, fingers trailing over Jihoon's hipbone. “You better share,” he grumbled, sounding equally as close to sleep as Jihoon felt. “Or I'll cut holes in all of your left socks.”

“Of course, I would, hyung,” the beta stuttered out nervously. Jihoon smelt a whiff of strawberries and knew that Soonyoung had settled in on Seungcheol's other side, his hand joining Jeonghan's on Jihoon’s lower back. “I'd never take your omegas from you... at least not without their permission.”

Jeonghan's hand left Jihoon’s hip just long enough to slap Soonyoung's own hand away before returning it to its place, ignoring Soonyoung's whining as they both drifted off to sleep. 

It was the first time Jihoon had slept through the night since before he'd presented. He probably would have slept longer too, but Seungcheol's shifting as he tried to sneak out of the pile to use the toilet woke him up. He clambered out after Seungcheol a few minutes later, wrapping his arms around his alpha’s waist once they were both in the kitchen. 

“Did you sleep alright?” Seungcheol asked, brushing his fingers through Jihoon's unruly bedhead. 

Jihoon nodded sleepily. “Best ever,” he answered honestly. “Can we sleep like that every night?”

His alpha barked out a soft, surprised laugh as he pulled Jihoon into his chest tightly. “I'd be honored, love. We can sleep like that whenever you'd like.”

Jihoon sighed, plopping down on the blanket next to Vernon. He and Chan were taking a break in the shade under the large willow down by the lake, Chan passed out with his head in Vernon's lap while the omega scratched his scalp rhythmically. 

“Seokmin-hyung tire you out already?” Vernon teased softly, very aware of the sleeping alpha on top of him. 

“He's exhausting,” Jihoon declared with a chuckle. “Then he decided to get Minghao and Mingyu involved and now I'm soaked.”

Vernon smiled, shifting slowly in order to wrap his free arm around Jihoon’s waist, uncaring of the water that made his t-shirt cling to his skin. “I can see that,” he noted fondly. “Though it looks like you stole Jun-hyung's shirt.”

Jihoon huffed in fake objection. “He gave it to me,” he grumbled playfully. “Besides, he knows I like his cinnamon scent.” 

“You like everyone's scents.”

“And you don't?” Jihoon rebutted with a laugh. “You're always stealing Joshua-hyung's clothes. If I didn't know you liked me best, I'd be jealous.”

Vernon giggled, dropping his head to rest his cheek on top of Jihoon’s head as they watched their pack play in the lake. Jeonghan had captured Jun on one of the sun lounge floaters and were cuddled together on the floating device as the waves caused by Seokmin, Mingyu, and Minghao rocked them gently. Seungcheol was sitting on the sand with Soonyoung between his legs, the waves gently lapping at their feet while Wonwoo was sprawled under another tree, his head cradled by the book he had been reading earlier with Joshua’s head on his stomach. 

Jihoon didn't see Seungkwan at first glance and almost brought it to attention when the younger omega came running with a scream and cannonballed off of the dock, rocking Jeonghan and Jun dangerously. 

He smiled, wrapping his arm around Vernon's in return. He could no longer count his mate's ribs under his fingers and he loved seeing Vernon smile more, especially when it was because of one of their mates. 

“I'm glad we ran,” he murmured softly, almost too quiet to be heard over Seokmin's singing. “Thank you, Nonie, for making me come with you.”

“Thank you for running with me,” Vernon said as he squeezed Jihoon’s waist. “Even if you did try to sacrifice yourself to save me like an idiot.”

Jihoon smiled in melancholy, still amazed to this day that their pack was so vastly different from the one they'd come from. “I'd do it again. Every time. But I'm glad we could stay together.”