#pack!prequel

You nod, keeping the movement jilted to stop from worsening your headache. “Yep.” She sits back in her chair, blowing out a breath, the perfect dark eyeliner-reminiscent of cat eyes-framing her lashes wrinkling a little as she narrows her gaze, pursing her lips in thought. 

“I mean, you’re in a pack now, does it help at all?” She finally queries, glancing back over to where you still lay slumped over the desk like some sort of victorian plague victim. 

You groan, pushing yourself up to a somewhat sitting position, and ignore the protests of your body as you do so, the pull of the sharp cramps tightening around your midsection, making your pubic bone ache. 

“I don’t know. I haven’t told them.” 

Hwasa’s gaze sharpens on your own, disapproval washing over her pretty features and leaking into her tone when she speaks. “What? But you guys have been together long enough to have this happen several times now, right?” 

You give a little shrug. “Well, yeah, but I don’t hang around them during that time of the month. I give excuses, and crawl into my bed and die for a week, and then when it’s over, I drag my ass back to life and no one is none the wiser.” 

Hwasa crosses her arms over her chest, sharp, pointed nails ticking across the arms of her coat as she stares at you. 

You feel your hackles rise under her gaze. “What?” 

She sighs, long and heavy, like you’re a disappointing child, and retorts, “You need to tell them. They could help you through it, like a rut. Trust me, it’ll be better for everyone.” 

“It’s gross and personal-” You protest right back, already feeling your cheeks heat at the thought of having to talk to the pack-made up entirely of males-and explain to them why you’re out of commission for a week out of the month. “-they’re not gonna understand.” 

She scoffs at that. “Please, you’re all adults, and if they’re not ready to deal with a little bit of period shit, then they have no right to be in your life in the first place.” 

“It’s easier said than done-” You whine, putting your forehead in your palms and staring at the chipped surface of the desk. Someone has drawn a crude pen rendition of what looks like a penis just below your notebook. 

“(Y/N).” Hwasa says your name sternly, and when you don’t look at her, she leans over and loops her fingers around your wrist, causing you to meet her gaze. She fixes you with a firm look. “They’re in college, I’m sure they’ve had the talk a long time ago and know about female anatomy, okay? It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” 

You groan, but she stops you from tugging your gaze away from hers once more. 

“Honey.” She sighs, and her fingers loosen around your wrist a bit, her voice going softer, her expression growing sympathetic. “I know from our time together, and all our years of friendship since, that your ‘time of the month’ if we’re being delicate, is a lot worse than what’s considered normal. So please, just let them in. They might be able to help and it might save you some misery in the long run.” 

You make another little groaning sound, but the headache behind your eyes is pounding and the cramping is only getting worse, so in the end, you acquiesce, at least to just stop talking about it for the moment. 

“Okay.” You sigh and give her the hint of a tight smile. “I’ll talk to them.” 

*****

“They’re getting worse.” You told your mother, standing in front of the bathroom sink, hands braced on the cold tile, staring at your pale reflection in the mirror. 

She had put her hand on your mid back, and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “It’s the change. Presenting always affects women differently and more dramatically than men.” 

“I don’t want it.” You had cried, already doubled over from the cramps, tears streaming down your cheeks. 

It was unfair, cruel even, and in that moment, you’d wanted to disappear, cease to exist, sink into the floor. 

“It’s not a choice.” Your mother whispered, pressing kisses to the top of your head. “Women were chosen to suffer, and it is simply something we must endure. In turn, when you are older, the ability to create life will be yours.” 

You’d thought that sounded awful in the moment, but didn’t say anything, and determined to follow in your mother’s footsteps, suffered in silence. 

*******

It was awful, you decided, to be cursed with such a fate. 

Awful in the fact that you could do nothing but curl in your bed and wait for the pains to subside. 

Awful that blood stained your hands and thighs and the floor of the shower when you stood beneath the stream of the water, wanting to be clean for just one single moment, but denied the pleasure, a constant reminder.

Awful that no one knew, no one wanted to know. 

Awful in the way that he looked at you, like you were some sort of disgusting creature, base and dirty and unworthy. 

Awful, awful, awful. 

It was raining, drops pelting the window, wind howling, when he came to stand in the doorway of your darkened room, dressed to go out. 

Sitting up, you had begged him not to go. 

He had simply waved you off, already pulling on his coat. “I don’t have time to sit around with you while you go through whatever this is. Other girls I’ve been with managed to take care of themselves still, get dressed, accompany me, all while this went on.” His lips curved into a sneer as he stared at you, huddled on the bed, bent over from the agony. “At least shower, for god’s sake, put a little effort into yourself for my sake.” 

He’d gone out, leaving you alone, and you decided at that moment that it was better to suffer alone, than suffer under the scathing gaze of someone else. 

*****

At eighteen, you realized your mother had lied to you. 

She’d told you creating life was a gift, a blessing, given to adults. 

The positive test sitting in the shaking palm of your hand said otherwise, a blatant lie bathed in stark pink lines. 

There wasn’t an option, not now. 

It was raining again, when you took the bus to the clinic by yourself. 

It was raining when you went home, alone. 

Raining when you laid curled up on the bathtub floor. 

Raining, raining, raining. 

Bleeding, bleeding, bleeding. 

Awful, awful, awful. 

******

You’re sitting in your bed, curled up against the wall, heating pad held tightly over your midsection, trying to distract yourself with scrolling on your phone, when there’s a knock at the door. 

Heaving yourself up, groaning slightly as it jostles your body and worsens the agonizing cramping, you practically double over as you walk to the door, reaching for the handle. 

On the other side is Hyunjin, flanked by Felix and Jeongin. 

You straighten a little, surprise flickering across your face as you see the omegas standing in the hall of the alpha dorm like they belong here. 

“Oh. Hey.” You manage to get out, palm splayed flat on the heating pad to keep it in place as you stand, leaning against the door. “What are you guys doing here?” 

Hyunjin gives you the sassiest, most annoyed look you think you’ve seen in awhile. 

“Please, like we were gonna sit and let you suffer alone after all you told us in that message?” He sniffs, looking you up and down. “Not very personable by the way, you couldn’t have told us in person?” 

You flush slightly, remembering the text you’d sent the pack the night before. 

‘This is embarrassing, but I’m on my cycle this week, and you probably won’t see me much. It’s usually pretty bad, but don’t worry, I’ll be good as new next week, and I’ve had plenty of experience dealing with it. Just didn’t wanna make any of you worry with my silence. Plus Hwasa told me I needed to tell you. So there. 😛’

“I didn’t think-” You start to say, and Felix cocks his head, staring at you. 

“Didn’t think we’d care? We do.” He says softly, firmly, in a way that makes your bones warm. 

“Yeah, noona.” Jeongin nods from behind Hyunjin’s shoulder. “I don’t know much, but I know enough from having girl friends that this time of month sucks on the regular.” 

Hyunjin loops his arm through yours. “Now c’mon. We have a bath already drawn up for you in the omega dorms. Let’s go before it gets cold.” 

“What, but I-” You begin to protest, but Felix takes your other arm as Jeongin shuts the door to your dorm behind you. 

“No buts.” He admonishes gently, giving you the hint of a smile. “You always help us, now let us help you.” 

It feels odd, foreign even, but you nod anyway, biting your bottom lip and swallowing the rest of your protest as they walk you over to the omega dorms. 

When they lead you into the communal bathroom, the large, sunken tub is already full of steaming water, bath oils shimmering on the surface, bubbles collecting at the edges. 

They really weren’t kidding when they said they’d drawn a bath for you. 

The room is steamy and warm and smells of citrus and something floral adjacent. 

Felix locks the door, and Jeongin moves to grab a couple of towels, as Hyunjin tugs you over to the large tub. 

He releases you, putting his hands on his hips, taking you in before he motions with a tilt of his head. “C’mon then, the water's not getting any warmer.” 

You hesitate, staring at him for a moment, and then you swallow. 

“You guys really don’t have to do this.” 

Jeongin glances at you from his seat on the lip of the tub, dangling his fingers in the water, genuine confusion on his face. “Why wouldn’t we?” 

“Well, just because-” You hedge out, not really sure how much detail to get into. “It’s kind of gross, and it gets messy-really messy, for me-and the bath is so nice, but you really don’t have to stay-” 

Hyunjin’s expression firms as he stares at you as you stutter out excuses. “Please, you don’t think we’re used to messy? C’mon, sweetheart, you’re talking to a room full of omegas here, we’ve got slick and bodily fluids and mess for days.” 

You blow out a breath at that. “I know, but-” “But nothing.” Felix says firmly, his hands going down on your shoulders. “A little blood isn’t gonna put any of us off. Right guys?” He glances to the other two omegas and they both nod without hesitation. “See?” Felix murmurs in your ear, his low voice sending a slight shiver down your spine. He moves a small fingered hand to cover your own where you still hold the heat pack to your lower stomach. “You don’t like to see us suffer, right? And you’ve helped us all through heats at this point, so let us help you now, okay?” 

Your gaze meets Hyunjin’s and he gives you a pointed stare.

“Just get in the fucking bath.”  

Sighing, you finally nod. “Okay. But let me go to the bathroom first.” 

You step into the ensuite bathroom and close the door, because suddenly, you feel self conscious. You’ve been naked in front of all of them before-they’re pack, for fuck’s sake-but this feels more intimate, more terrifying. 

Words used before ring through your mind as you strip down. 

Dirty. Pathetic. Shameful. Disgusting. Weak. 

Taking in a breath, you remove the protection you wear and toss it, and almost immediately, blood is slowly starting to ooze down the inside of your thighs, coating your skin with warmth and slickness. 

“Fuck.” You swear, glancing down, and decide that as much as you’d like to hide out in the bathroom for a few more moments, you can’t risk it. 

Not if you don’t want a puddle on the floor. 

Plus, the cramps are resuming with the removal of the heat pack. 

So with a sigh of resignation, you leave the bathroom, arms wrapped around you as you step into the warm humidity of the other room where the omegas are waiting. 

Trying to keep your legs clamped together so they can’t see the crimson coating your skin, you hurry to the bath and slide into the water. It instantly takes on a pink hue, and you hope they just attribute it to the bath oils they’d clearly added while you were gone. 

“Temperature okay?” Felix asks, moving to sit beside Jeongin at the edge of the tub, his gaze assessing your features. 

“Yeah, it’s good.” You breathe out, and shift awkwardly beneath the water. Already the heat is helping, but the way they’re all staring at you-

“All right, move over.” Hyunjin commands the younger omegas, as he approaches the bathtub with a rag held in one of his hands. He arches a brow at you as they slide apart, making room for him on the edge of the large tub. “Lemme see.” 

You stare at him for a long moment, mouth slightly parted. “No, it’s okay. You really don’t have to-” 

He crouches down beside the tub, wetting the rag in the water, his gaze never leaving yours. 

“It wasn’t a request, babe. Let me see.” 

You don’t think you’ve ever heard Hyunjin sound quite so authoritarian before. 

So without another word, you bring your knees up out of the water and spread your legs for him. 

The water has washed away the majority of the blood, but there’s still stubborn dried patches from earlier stuck to the warm skin of your upper thighs. 

Carefully, slowly, as if he’s scared he’ll spook you, Hyunjin leans forward over the lip of the bath and begins to gently scrub away the bloodstains from off your skin. 

You tense under the contact, taking in a sharp breath, but Felix reaches out to put a cool hand on the overheated skin of your shoulder. 

“C’mon, noona. You’d do the same for us. Let us take care of you.” 

You give a slight shake of your head, and you don’t know if it’s because you’re currently on your period, or if you’re just emotional suddenly, but tears choke your throat a little. “No, it’s not that. It’s just-” Your words cut off as you bite your tongue, because maybe being too honest in this moment isn’t the best thing. 

You feel Hyunjin’s gaze flicker up from his work in between your thighs, scanning over your pinched expression. 

“Someone gave you shit for it, didn’t they?” He asks softly, and you meet his gaze, your own mirroring the sudden shock his words send crashing over you. 

Felix’s fingers tighten a little bit on your shoulder. 

Hyunjin scoffs a little laugh-humorless and bitter-and must take your silence as an answer of itself, because he ducks his head to continue washing your skin with the warm water, saying in a murmur, “Yeah, I figured. People like to shit on things they don’t understand. It’s fucked up, but it’s the way it is.” 

“That’s just stupid.” Felix announces with a slight edge of defensiveness to his tone. “It’s an anatomical function. Just like something associated with secondary genders-like scents or slick or knotting. You can’t do anything about it.” 

“Yeah, but-” You hesitate, then push yourself to continue. “-mine’s always been worse than normal. Way worse than normal. And people just never liked to deal with it.” Your voice dips softer, your breath coming out in a sigh. “It got worse after I presented, so I just kind of holed up every month and dealt with it on my own.” 

“You’ve got us now, noona.” Jeongin murmurs back, moving his hand to cover Felix’s where it covers your shoulder.

You glance up and give him the hint of a smile. “I know.” Your smile wavers a bit. “But old habits die hard. And I don’t want you guys to ever think-” Once again, your words stutter to a halt. 

“Think what?” Felix pushes softly, as Hyunjin finishes washing your legs, and moves to lean against the lip of the tub, studying you silently, seriously. 

You shrug one shoulder. “I don’t know. That I’m gross or pathetic or something like that.” 

“Why would we ever think that?” Felix asks again, his voice coming out a little sharp in obvious defense of you. 

“Because someone else did.” Hyunjin answers for you, not looking up, playing with the rag held between his hands. He glances up at you. “Right?” 

You give a little nod and release a shaky breath. “Yeah.” 

“We’re not them.” Felix pushes firmly, his fingers squeezing into your shoulder until you look up at him. “Okay? We could never be like them.” You hold his gaze until a small part of you believes him, and move to squeeze his fingers back. 

“Okay.” 

********

The door to your dorm opens, and you glance up from your laptop, as soft footsteps head down the hall toward you. 

You smell him before you see him-rain. 

Chan appears in the doorway, clothed in an oversized hoodie and sweats, hood pulled up over his unruly curls. 

He leans against the doorframe as you shut your laptop, shifting it to the side of your bed as you meet his gaze. 

“Hey.” You say softly as way of greeting. 

“Hi.” He returns, reaching up to push his hood back with his free hand, the other dangling by his side, a plastic bag clenched between his fingers. “Yeosang said you didn’t feel well enough to go running this morning.” 

“Yeah.” You sigh, glancing down at the pile of blankets on your lap, the heating pad warming your lower stomach buried below the layers. “Wasn’t up to it.” 

Chan pads over to the bed and sits down on the edge, careful not to jostle you as he does so. 

You flick your gaze to his, and you can tell, by the furrow between his brows and the slight souring of petrichor that he’s worried. 

He holds aloft the bag in his hand. 

“I brought you some things.” 

Your lips curve slightly at the unexpected gesture. “You didn’t have to do that.” 

“Of course I did.” He counters back, sliding the bag across the bed so it rests in your lap. 

You bite back a smile and glance down, undoing the knot of the bag to reveal the contents. 

On top is his overly large Nirvana hoodie, the fabric warm and soft between your fingers. 

“Your hoodie?” You look up at him in slight surprise, and the tips of his ears go red as he tries to play it off with a shrug. 

Adorable. 

“Yeah, I thought it might help.” 

You arch a brow, but pull out the hoodie and slip it on over your head without another word. 

You swear Chan makes a sort of muted purring sound in his chest when you do so. 

You dig into the bag some more, and pull out a couple of boxes of your favorite treats, some sports drinks, and a couple of DVDs-probably snagged from Jisung’s extensive collection. 

“Channie.” You breathe out, glancing up at him once more, and again, the stupid tears are threatening. “You really didn’t have to do all of this.” 

He shrugs, reaching for one of the movies, turning it over in his large hands. “C’mon, you really thought I was just gonna sit by and stay away while you’re clearly over here dying? You really don’t know me. Or him.” 

You give a little laugh at that, and Chan grins, dimples flashing. 

Glancing down at the treasures in your lap, you find yourself murmuring before you can stop the words, “No one’s ever done something like this for me before.” 

Chan shifts slightly on the bed, reaching out to put his hand over yours. “Yeah, well, that all ends now, baby. You’re stuck with me.And all of us.” 

You glance up at him, and he gives you another grin, reaching up to tousle his fingers through his hair as he spreads the movies out in front of you. 

“Now c’mon. Pick a movie. I brought you the cream of the crop.” 

You hold up one of the cases toward him, brow arched. 

“‘Hard Boiled’?” You announce with slight disbelief, a smirk curving your lips and brow disappearing further into your hairline. 

Chan reaches out and snatches the movie from you. 

“Okay, so maybe that one’s a miss. I tried.” 

You bite back a grin, and settle on one of the chickflicks you’ve seen a thousand times. 

But hey, classics are classics for a reason, right? 

After Chan fetches your laptop and gets the movie started, settled in the perfect spot on the end of the bed, you pat the spot beside you, scooting slightly so he has a bit more room. 

He hesitates. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna hurt you or anything.” 

You roll your eyes, reaching out to tug him down beside you with your fingers buried in the fabric of the sleeve of his hoodie. 

“I’m not injured, I’m just simply bleeding out slowly and surely.” 

“Oh, because that sounds so much better.” Chan retorts back in a grumble, but he doesn’t resist anymore, sliding beneath the layers of blankets with you. 

Grinning, you tug the hood of his Nirvana hoodie up over your head and snuggle into him, cheek on his broad, warm chest, arms wrapping around his middle. 

He’s like a furnace, and he smells like wet pavement. 

He wraps his arms around you in turn, keeping you tight against him, as he reaches to turn off the bedside lamp as the movie begins to play across the small brightly lit screen of your laptop. 

His cheek is resting on the top of your head, and the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath your own cheek is soothing. 

“Okay?” He asks softly, and you nod, cheek brushing the fabric of his own hoodie. 

“Yeah.” You murmur back. “More than okay.” 

You feel him press a kiss to the top of your head, and suddenly, you don’t feel so bad anymore. 

******

You open the door to Minho, who immediately pushes past you without a word, a tower of bentos held in his arms. 

“Hello to you too.” You mutter as he marches past you, directly toward your small kitchen. 

You follow behind him wordlessly, and he motions to the table with a jerk of his chin as you enter, already spreading the boxes out on the counter top, removing lids like he has some sort of personal vendetta against them. 

“Sit.” He commands, and you decide it’s better not to question him, so you do. 

Almost within moments, Minho has presented you with a bowl full of steaming ramen with all the garnishes-fish cake, bamboo, mushrooms, bean sprouts-shoving a pair of chopsticks in your hand as he turns back to the counter. 

Your mouth falls agape, and your stomach rumbles loudly as the smell of the food reaches your nose. 

He returns to the table with a smaller bowl full of hot rice, and one full of kimchi. Last but not least, he positions a slab of perfectly cooked pink beef ribs atop your ramen and slides you one of the sports drinks Chan had brought you from the fridge. 

“Eat.” He commands once more, and you stare at him as he sits down across from you after tidying up the now empty bento boxes. 

“What-” You start to question, and he simply fixes you with an unblinking gaze, expression unreadable. 

“What, you’ve never had ramen before, sweetheart? You’re supposed to put it in your mouth.” 

Glancing down at the food before you, you hesitantly take your chopsticks and gather up a mouthful, before blowing on it and popping it into your mouth. 

It’s so heavenly, you almost moan. 

“Good girl.” Minho praises, seemingly satisfied, as you take another bite, and then another. He sits back in his own chair, watching you, but the food is too delicious for you to feel embarrassed under his sharp, astute gaze. 

“Holy shit, Minho.” You manage to get out in between bites. “You made this?”

Minho scoffs lightly. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m a good cook.” He leans forward slightly, sweeping his gaze over the quickly dwindling food. “I usually make this one with pork belly, but I read something about red meat being better when you’re on your period, so I swapped it for the ribs this time around. It wasn’t too disappointing.” 

Your gaze meets his, and your mouth falls open. 

“You read something?” You squeak out, and Minho has the decency to look offended, rolling his eyes. 

“What? I can read too you know, sweetheart, cooking isn’t just my one speciality. I’m a multi trick pony.” 

“No, no.” I shake my head, wiping my mouth and setting down my chopsticks for a moment. “You read up on what to make me while I’m on my period? Why?” 

Minho holds your gaze, arching a brow. “To get the recipe right.” 

You stare at him for another long moment, and when it’s clear that’s all you’re going to get, you move to resume eating, finishing the ramen in record time. 

Minho moves to gather up the now empty bowls, and in a bold move, you reach out and snag his hand with your own. 

“Thank you.” You say softly, seriously, and he gives you another long stare, before he pulls away and moves to pack up the dishes. 

You’re surprised when he moves to sit back down across from you instead of leaving immediately now that you’ve eaten his food. 

You sit in silence for a few moments, and you don’t know what it is about Minho that’s always made you feel safe, unjudged, able to tell him anything, but you find yourself, once again, volunteering to tell him something you’ve never told anyone else before. 

The words are already at the tip of your tongue before you can stop them. 

“I had an abortion.” You announce into the silence, and if Minho is shocked by you baring this truth out of the blue, he doesn’t show it. Which gives you the courage to go on, fidgeting with your fingers, as you stare down at the chipped surface of the table. 

“When I was a teenager. And it made them worse-the periods, I mean. They were bad before, but ever since-” You give a slight shake of your head and let out a breath. “-they’ve been awful.” 

“Mm.” Minho makes a sound of acknowledgement beneath his breath from across the table, but that’s it. He doesn’t offer anything more. 

So you keep going. 

Spilling your guts into the silence. 

“I thought, for a long time-” You sniff and take in a breath, a humorless sharp little choked laugh leaving your lips as you continue. “-that maybe I was being punished, you know? Punished for being born a girl, punished for presenting as an alpha, punished for-” Your words trail off a little. “-well, you know. Not keeping it.” 

You shrug, tapping your fingers along the table softly. 

“I dunno. Maybe I thought that bleeding was a symbol of everything I’d ever done wrong. It was certainly treated as such.” 

There is a long moment of silence, your words hanging heavy in the air between you, and then Minho takes a breath, leaning forward across the table.

“You know, sweetheart-” He murmurs, and you glance up at the soft tone of his voice, so unfamiliar when it comes to the alpha sitting across from you. “-I’ve come to learn that everything is simply a coincidence. There’s no higher power punishing people, bullshit happens to people every day and it’s all just a fluke. There’s no rhyme or reason.” 

You swallow, and he holds your gaze with his own. 

“So believe me, when I tell you, that whatever idiotic moron made you think there’s something wrong with you that needs to be ‘punished’ every goddamn month, is a fucking fool.” Your lips part slightly, but he doesn’t let you speak. 

“And if it’s yourself, well then-” He gives you a hint of a smirk, tilting his head slightly as he regards you. “-I’m afraid you’re just gonna have to tell that bitch to shut the fuck up, sweetheart.” 

******

You wince slightly, coming in after your shower, hurrying to the dresser to find a pair of underwear to slip on beneath your oversized t-shirt before you can drip all over the floor. 

Changbin must take notice of the grimace from his spot on your bed, because he pushes himself up, arching a brow. 

“Cramps?” 

You nod, still digging through your drawers for underwear, swearing slightly under your breath. “Yeah. They always get worse whenever I stand up and move around.”

You feel his presence behind you, smell a wave of smoke wash over your senses. 

“You know what they say.” He murmurs, wrapping a strong arm around your waist, careful not to put too much pressure on your tender midsection. “About helping cramps.”

You scoff a little, glancing over your shoulder at him. “What if that’s just an old wives tale?” 

He wiggles his eyebrows at you playfully, smirking a little now. “Is it?” 

You skate your gaze away from his, suddenly embarrassed. “I mean. I don’t know.” 

There is a brief moment of pause, and then Changbin asks in slight surprise, “What, you’ve never done it before?” 

You huff a breath at that, still avoiding his gaze, hands stilling in the depths of your drawer. “I mean-” You hesitate, before admitting, “-it’s gross.” 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Changbin turns you at that, hands going down firmly on your shoulders, lifting your chin with a finger after another moment of you not looking at him 

“I’m gonna drip blood all over the floor if you don’t let me go find something soon.” You protest a little weakly, reluctantly holding his gaze. 

“In a minute.” He waves you off, expression going serious as he stares at you. “Listen, I mean, if that’s you talking, and you personally think it’s gross, then by all means, I get it, and that’s well within your right. As Hyunjin would say, ‘Slay, pussy boss bitch queen’ or whatever he usually says to empower females, but-” 

You watch the way his brow furrows, dark gaze holding your own, lips pressing into a firm almost angry line. “-If some son of a bitch pussy footing prick masquerading as a man put that idea in your head that it was gross, then we’re gonna have a whole other problem.” 

You stare at him for a long moment, mouth opening and closing for a few brief seconds as you try and comprehend what he’s telling you. 

“You-” You hedge out, still staring at him in slight disbelief. “-don’t think it’s gross?” 

Changbin chuckles, and then it turns into a full blown laugh. “Baby girl. What part of who I am and all you know about me points toward the fact that I would find anything about this gross in the slightest?”

“I don’t know-” You protest back helplessly. “I just thought-” Changbin backs you up until your back hits the wood of the dresser behind you, hands going on either side of your head, and when you take in a sharp breath, meeting his gaze, his irises are almost gleaming completely gold. When he speaks, his tone is low, voice almost predatory. “Well, let me correct you then.” He leans closer to you, breathing in against your temple, taking in your scent. 

“Blood is not a turn off for me. Or him. Quite the opposite actually.” 

You take in a shaky breath, mind taking a moment to catch up to what he’s telling you. 

“So.” He brushes his nose along your hairline, breathing you in still. “I’m going to ask you again. You know what they say helps cramps?” 

Your voice is small, barely a whisper. “Yes.” He flicks his gaze down to yours, smirking slightly-teeth flashing dangerously in a way that sends a shiver down your spine. “You wanna try it?” 

You swallow hard, and push past every single part of you that’s screaming at you to say otherwise. 

“Yes.” 

As if that’s all he needs to hear, Changbin sweeps you up with a growl, and deposits you will little to no effort on the center of your bed, flat on your back. 

You don’t even have a moment to feel ashamed or embarrassed, or check the situation down below before he’s already crawling between your legs, forcing your thighs apart for him. 

“Bin-” You start to protest, panic setting in once more as you feel the telltale stickiness on the inside of your upper thighs, but he silences you with one glance. 

“I’m gonna take it easy on you, baby. It tends to get a little more sensitive down here around this time, yeah? We’re gonna make sure you’re comfortable,so don’t worry about that, but I also don’t want to hear one word out of that pretty mouth unless it’s begging me for more, understood?” 

He settles himself down on his stomach between your thighs, and you find yourself only able to whisper out, “Yes, sir.” 

A sharp flash of white teeth. “Good girl.”

You take in a breath, holding it, and then let it out slowly, trying not to think of anything but the feel of his warm breath on your skin, the tickling of his fingers skating up your bare legs, moving back the hem of the large t-shirt you wear-

He slides a finger inside of you, and you instantly tense up. 

“Relax.” He murmurs, and you try to do as he asks, and you know he can feel it, when he gives a slightly approving hum in the back of his throat, almost a growl. “Good girl. There you go.” 

“Oh.” You breathe out, as you slowly relax, and he slides a second finger in, moving them carefully, searchingly, looking for that spot inside that makes you feel like you’re floating on air, sparks flashing before your eyes. 

He’s right, you are sensitive down there, and everything is overwhelming, but in a good way. 

“Bin-” You whine out, squirming slightly now, body already keying up as hot ropes of pleasure start to gather low in your belly. 

“Yeah, baby.” He purrs, and when you meet his gaze, his pupils have completely taken over the gold of his irises. 

It’s almost enough to send you over right then and there, the way his lips are slightly parted, drinking in the sight of you writhing beneath his touch greedily. 

He pulls back, before you can fully succumb to the pleasure though, and you have to bite down hard on your lip to stop from whining at the sudden loss of contact. 

He shifts, pulling his hand back from you, and holds up his fingers for you to see, his gaze slowly tracing over the blood dribbling down the digits, staining his skin crimson. 

“Beautiful.” He growls, and the way he says the word has a shiver running down your spine. 

He raises the fingers to his mouth, and without thinking, you jolt upward, already reaching out for him, old habits kicking in as you blurt out in a sudden panic once more, “Don’t-” He holds your gaze steadily as he slips the fingers into his mouth and sucks them clean, slowly, one by one. 

You stare at him, mouth agape, chest heaving, and you hate to say it, but it’s probably one of the hottest things you’ve ever seen-watching him savor the taste of you on his fingers, cleaning them with swipes of his tongue, his dark gaze never wavering from yours. 

“‘Don’t’ what?” He growls out, pinning you beneath his swirling golden gaze. “Don’t taste you?” 

And without warning, he leans back down between your legs, and drags the warmth of his tongue up your center, flattening it against you as he slowly works his way upward. 

Your breath comes out on a sort of choked sound, and you fall back against the bed, muscles trembling. 

“Jesus fuck-” You swear breathlessly, and a guttural growl rumbles in his chest at the words leaving your lips. 

He surges up, hands going down on either side of your head now, staring down at you, eyes dark and hungry and predatory. 

His lips are reddened, stained with blood. 

Your blood. 

Well, fuck. 

He smirks, and you reach up without really thinking to swipe the pad of your thumb across the full swell of his bottom lip, studying the crimson that comes off on your skin when you do so.

A slightly awe filled laugh leaves your lips on your next exhale. 

Changbin flashes bloodstained teeth at you in a sharp grin. 

A completely dangerous sight you could get used to. 

“Want me to keep going?” He murmurs, holding your gaze. 

You nod eagerly, already moving to pull him down to you. “Yes please.” And when you kiss him, you taste yourself on his lips in an entirely new way-the way he must-and he’s right. 

It’s fucking beautiful.

****

“Feeling better, gorgeous?” Jisung murmurs to you, leaning back against your chest, your arms wrapped around his tiny waist beneath the warmth of the blankets. 

“Much.” You breathe back, rubbing your nose against his soft hair. 

Seungmin scoffs from his position behind you, his own arm slung along the couch behind your heads. 

“Be quiet. The two of you are gonna miss the movie.” Jisung leans his head back and grins up at you, nose wrinkling, as he whispers to you loudly, “Party pooper.” 

You laugh, kissing the tip of his nose. 

Seungmin sighs behind you, but you feel him stroking his fingers idly through your hair regardless of his show of irritation. 

You snuggle down between the betas, the air filled with the spice of ginger and linens, warm and safe beneath the blanket between their bodies, and feel, for the first time in your life, that maybe this week isn’t as awful as you always thought. 

Maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t need to be. 

Not ever again. 

Jisung takes a swig of his soda and considers for a moment, furrowing his brow. “Well, have you guys been-” He clears his throat, motioning slightly with his hands in a flapping motion toward Changbin. “-you know, intimate?” 

You clear your throat at that, interjecting, trying to save Changbin the embarrassment of answering that question. “Intimacy can be a lot of things, Jisungie, you know, like when you and I and Seungmin showered together, or when Chan scents us, or trusting someone enough to talk to them about difficult subjects-” Hyunjin leans around the beta and stares directly at Changbin now. “No, he’s asking if you’ve fucked.” 

Down the table, Chan chokes on his food, and Jeongin openly covers a cackle with a well timed cough. 

Next to you, Minho mutters beneath his breath, “Jesus Christ.” 

Changbin clears his throat hard, and you note the tips of his ears going a bright red. “Well, yeah.” He gives a shrug, as if it’s not a big deal, but the way his muscles stiffen tells you he’d rather be anywhere but here right now, talking about this.

“You don’t have to talk about this, Bin-” Chan starts softly, shooting Jisung a warning look that practically screams head alpha.

Changbin waves him off, and Chan’s hackles visibly relax a little.

“He likes you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Changbin assures Jisung, throwing an arm around his shoulders and ruffling his hair with a large hand. “All of you. He’s just a little more cautious when it comes to showing it. With me, there’s the weird biological pull of moonmates or whatever, but with the rest of you, you just gotta be patient. But he likes you. He’s told me.” 

Jisung sighs, relaxing slightly at the alpha’s touch. “Fine. As long as there’s hope that one day we can fuck in your studio, I can live with that.” 

Changbin removes his arm so quickly from around the beta’s shoulders that it’s like he’s been burned. “Please don’t do that.” 

Jisung shoots him a wink. “No promises.” 

“Apparently he’s into degradation in bed if that makes you feel any better.” Hyunjin remarks offhandedly, picking at his salad with his fork. “You probably couldn’t handle that anyway.” 

Changbin chokes a little, glaring over Jisung’s head at the luna. “Hyun, you promised me when I told you that in confidence-” Changbin’s voice drops to a hiss. “-that you wouldn’t talk about it!” 

Hyunjin gives a slight shrug, glancing around at everyone’s stunned reactions. “What? There’s no secrets in the pack right?” 

Jisung’s jaw is on the floor. 

“He what?” 

“Oh my god.” Chan groans from down the table, fingers already kneading between his brows, staving off an oncoming headache. “This is not appropriate lunchroom conversation-” 

“Okay, okay.” You wave your hands. “You’re gonna give Chan an aneurysm. Let’s table the kink talk for a more private time and location, okay?” 

“Hah.” Jeongin snorts softly. “Table.” 

Minho elbows him hard. 

******

You’re watching Jisung practice something on his skateboard in front of the dorms-a kickflip maybe? You can’t remember what he called it-chin in hand, open textbook unread in your lap. 

“Shit.” Jisung swears as the skateboard clatters away from him once more, and he sighs, tucking it under his arm and coming to sit down beside you on the cold concrete of the steps. 

He bumps his shoulder into yours. “Why the long face?” 

You glance sidelong at him, wrinkling your nose slightly. “I don’t have a long face. I’m just thinking.” 

He arches a brow. “Okay, so what are you thinking so deeply about then?” 

You sigh, running a few fingers over the page of the textbook in your lap, considering for a brief moment. “I was thinking about Seungmin.” 

“Ah.” Jisung nods, tilting his head slightly. “What, about the fact that he’s into being called shit in bed? Because I for one did not see that coming.” 

“No!” You say a little too quickly, cheeks heating even despite the cool nip of the air. “No.” You repeat, a little more levelly this time. “Just-about how I relate, to what you said. I never really know how he feels about things.” 

Jisung leans back on his hands beside you, staring out at the campus for a moment. Finally, he says, “Yeah, he’s kind of a weird dude, huh? I mean, I know he’s into Changbin, but I don’t really know if he’s that into the whole idea of the pack.”

You glance sidelong at the beta sat beside you, and you note the way he bites his bottom lip, fingers drumming along the skateboard held in his lap. 

“I was kind of excited to have another beta around.” Jisung admits a little softly with a sigh, glancing down at the chipped orange paint that adorns his nails currently, courtesy of Hyunjin. “I dunno, until I moved to university, I never really spent a lot of time around others like me. And it’s nice, the dorms and the friends, but there’s something about having a potential packmate who just gets it that’s comforting, you know?” 

You nod, reaching out to put one of your gloved hands over his. “Yeah, I do. I know you’ve been through a lot, with the whole beta thing, and I was hopeful Seungmin could help you through some of the stuff you’re still dealing with.” 

Jisung gives you a slight smile, but it’s tight and doesn’t quite reach his large dark eyes. “I don’t even know if the guy likes me, noona, or if he just puts up with my company because of Changbin.” 

You sigh, glancing down at where your gloved fingers rest over Jisung’s chapped, red ones. “Well, at least he didn’t straight up tell you that he didn’t feel like that about you. That’s something.” 

Jisung snorts. “That’s because I didn’t ask like you did.” 

You swallow. “Yeah, well, I’m an idiot.” You huff out, glancing over at him and it’s your turn to give him the hint of a smile that doesn’t quite feel completely real or genuine. “I mean, I told him I loved him, and he didn’t say it back. So maybe his feelings really haven’t changed.” 

Jisung gives a slight shrug, and then knocks his shoulder into yours once more. The smell of detergent is strong in your nose, as if his beta is subconsciously trying to put out pheromones to soothe your obviously agitated alpha. 

“Hey. You said it yourself-the guy’s an enigma. We just gotta give him the time and space to figure it all out on his own.” 

You sigh, long and hard. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” 

Jisung leans his head on your shoulder, and you bury your nose into the soft knitted fabric of his beanie, breathing him in for a lingering moment. 

He squeezes your fingers. “If it’s any consolation, I said it back, remember? And it’s still true.” 

You give a little laugh at that, kissing the top of his head. “Yeah, I know. I love you too.” 

You squeeze his fingers back in return, and then nudge the round, reddened apple of his cheek with your shoulder with a slight hint of a smile. 

“Now c’mon, that kickflip of yours isn’t gonna learn itself.” 

******

“I dunno, maybe I’m pushing too hard. Putting expectations on everyone that are unrealistic.” 

Yeosang glances over at you, breaths coming in harsh little pants in the cold morning air, his hands on his hips as he walks a few loose circles around where you stretch. 

“Betas are tricky. When Mingi joined the pack, I swear to god, the hyungs almost drove themselves crazy trying to figure out what he was thinking.” 

He drops down beside you on the sidewalk, leaning over to stretch out one long arm along the line of his leg, before he switches to the other side effortlessly. 

He’s barely panting from our run, skin glistening with a light sheen of sweat in the early morning rays of weak sunlight. 

You blow out a breath, leaning your head back slightly to stare at the sky. “Jisung is losing his mind. He had this whole grand vision of what having another beta in the pack would mean, and Seungmin’s just-” You hesitate, considering for a moment, before you sigh again. “-not that.” 

Yeosang’s gaze flicks over to me, and he makes a little sound of understanding under his breath. “Mm. Yeah, when we all study together, I can tell the kid’s a little harder to read than most. Even for a beta.” He shifts, coming to his feet again as he rolls his ankles a little, then his arms and his neck, glancing down at me. “But he seems nice. And he seems to be into Changbin, so that’s a plus.” 

“That’s the thing though-” You admit, standing up too now, rolling your shoulders for a moment, before you tuck your earbuds back into your pocket. “-he likes Changbin, but does he like the rest of us?” 

Yeosang moves to stand in front of you , reaching up to push some loose strands of hair back from your jaw with a long finger, chilled from the morning air. He gives you a slight smile. “Wolves aren’t solitary creatures, babe. You know that. And with how smart Seungmin is-and how obsessed with biology-he knows that too. Just give him some time to warm up. It’s probably overwhelming, especially for a seemingly solitary guy like him.” 

You groan. “Fuck, you’re right, but do you have to be?” 

Yeosang chuckles at that, moving to bump his shoulder into yours as you turn to follow the sidewalk back toward campus and the bus stop. 

“Yes. It’s one of my many talents.” 

You arch a brow at him. “Being right?” 

Yeosang grins. “Never being wrong.” 

You roll your eyes and elbow him in the side. “They’re the same thing, idiot.” 

He laughs in response. “Trust me, they’re really not.” You walk in silence for a few moments, shoes scuffing the concrete, hands tucked into the pockets of your jackets, and then Yeosang asks, “Have you tried talking to him about all of this?” 

You scoff a little, shaking your head. “No, because what the hell am I supposed to say?” You move to walk in front of him, taking backward steps as you face him, pitching your voice into something akin to a fake version of your own. “‘Hey, Seungmin, weird question, but like, are you into us? Also, just wondering, but have your feelings changed about me? Oh, and Jisung would really like to fuck you, but he’s nervous you don’t even really like him, and by the way, Changbin totally told everyone you like to be degraded in bed.’” 

Yeosang’s eyes widen at that last part, his mouth dropping open slightly. “Wait, really?” 

You wave him off. “Yeah, well, technically Changbin told Hyunjin, who told everyone else, but that’s beside the point.” 

Yeosang whistles beneath his breath as we continue to walk. “Shit. Okay. Didn’t see that one coming, but good for him.” 

His tone is laced with slight surprise still, but mostly just open admiration and appreciation. 

You pull your phone from your pocket and glance at the time, groaning slightly. “Fuck. I have to go. I’m late for a lab and then I have a study session at the lib.” 

Yeosang arches a brow at that, a slight smirk coming to his full lips. “Oh, with you know who?” 

You stare him down, expression and voice deadpan. “No, I am not meeting Voldemort, The Dark Lord, for a study session, Sang. That’s just stupid.” 

Yeosang rolls his dark eyes, reaching out to shove you, but you dodge the halfhearted attack easily. 

“I’m talking about a certain beta.” 

“I know that.” You retort back, rolling your own eyes now. “Besides, even if Voldemort went here, he’d never be in the sciences department. Probably like arts and humanities or something.” 

“Or dance.” Yeosang points out thoughtfully. 

His suddenly wide eyed gaze meets your own, his mouth in a small ‘o.’

“Minho.” You both say together. 

Yeosang grins as you both laugh, reaching the bus stop. He bumps his shoulder into yours once more affectionately, as you separate to take different buses. 

“Good luck with your study session, babe.” He points a stern finger in your direction. “Talk to him.” 

You roll your eyes and wave him off. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll consider it. Say hi to Voldie for me when you pick up Hwa, will you?” 

Yeosang’s grin widens as he gives you a little salute. “Will do.” 

*****

“You’re staring again.” Seungmin comments without looking up from the page he’s working on, his pencil scratching rhythmically in the quiet of the library. 

You clear your throat, dropping your eyes back to your own textbook. “What? No, I’m not-” 

Seungmin sighs, shutting his notebook, and pushes his glasses up on top of his head as he angles to face you, expression unreadable. 

“All right. Out with it.” 

You’re taken off guard, glancing up at him in a slight panic, like a deer caught in headlights, eyes going wide as your mouth opens and closes a few times before you finally manage to choke out, “Out with what? I’m good. Fine even.” 

Seungmin snorts at that. “You haven’t stopped rereading that same page for the last half an hour. And I’m pretty sure you’ve been studying me more than anything else.” 

“Plus your scent is all wacked out.” He says with a slight wrinkle of his nose. “Even my limited faculties can tell that much.” 

You sigh, glancing down at the open book in your lap before you close it and set it aside, tapping your pen along the table for a brief moment as you consider how to word what you want to say. 

Finally, you get out softly, “Jisung is worried.” 

Seungmin’s brow ticks up a bit at that. “About me?” 

You give a slight shrug, not really looking at him, gaze on the pen flicking between your fingers. “I guess? He’s just worried because he doesn’t really know how you feel-” You glance at him then, and then away again. “-none of us do.” 

The eyebrow goes up another notch. “How I feel? About what?” 

You sigh, a slight sound of frustration now. “About everything? About him, about us, about the pack, about-” I throw a hand out. “-all of it.” 

You tap the pen down a little harder than necessary to punctuate the end of your sentence. “In case you haven’t noticed-” You point out in a mutter beneath your breath. “-you’re not the easiest guy to get a read on.” 

There is brief silence for a moment, and then Seungmin admits quietly, “Yeah, I know.” 

You flick your gaze up to his then, and see a hint of vulnerability in the depths of his dark eyes before he reaches up and scrubs across his face with the palm of his hand. 

“Look, (Y/N)-” He says on a sigh, and you tense up, preparing yourself for what he’s about to say next. Judging by the slight hint of burnt bitterness that now mars his orangey citrus scent, it’s probably not going to be what you want to hear.

Great, can’t wait to break the news to Jisung that the only other beta in the pack doesn’t even wanna be here. 

Seungmin smooths his palms on the table in front of him, staring at the pages of notes scrawled in his messy handwriting. “I know there are expectations. I knew that coming in. I know Jisung has expectations especially, and from what he’s told me about his past and how his parents wanted an alpha for a son, and all the struggles he went through as a beta to try and fit in, I don’t blame him. But I-” 

Seungmin gives a little shake of his head, and his gaze meets yours once more, lips pulled into the hint of a thin line. “I never went through anything like that. I was a beta, born into a family happy to be betas, and I never even thought twice about it. Never felt like I was somehow lacking, or less than, because it was all just biology. Nothing more. So I don’t really know how to-” He hesitates, seeming to struggle with his thoughts for a moment. 

“-relate.” You finish for him softly, and he gives a slight jerk of a nod. 

“Yeah.” He agrees. “But I’ve found I’ve had that problem all my life, not just with Jisung, not just with this, with everything.” He gives a tiny shake of his head, and a humorless sardonic smile curves his lips in the slightest way. “I don’t know how to relate to people. I never have. Maybe I’m missing some integral part of my own biology, because I know better than anyone that wolves are not loners, they’re pack oriented, but I’ve always always preferred to be alone. A lone wolf, I guess you’d say.” 

You study him for a moment and then you say softly, “There’s nothing wrong with that, Seungmin.” He heaves a sigh and leans back, staring up at the ceiling above us. “I guess not, but I guess, what I’m trying to say is-” He glances at you, expression going flat. “-I don’t know how to let you all in to understand me, if I don’t even understand myself.” 

Before you can second guess yourself, you reach out and cover one of his hands on the table with your own. “Hey.” When he looks at you, you give him the hint of a smile. “We’re all figuring this shit out, just the way you are.” 

He blows out a breath through his nose, almost like a sardonic sort of laugh. “Yeah? Well, you guys seem to have shit pretty figured out from my viewpoint.” 

You shake your head. “We don’t, trust me.” Your lips curve slightly as you stare at him, holding his gaze. “We’re a mess, we’re just pretty good at hiding it. Well, most of the time.” 

Seungmin stares at you for a long, silent moment. 

“I want to be what Jisung needs.” He finally admits, so softly it’s almost just a breath. “I want to be what Changbin wants. I want to be-” He blows another harsh breath out through his nose and drops your gaze. “-pack, but I’m just not sure where to begin. This is all new territory for me, and while I’m all about new discoveries in the scientific fields, my personal life is another matter entirely.” 

You give a little laugh at that, and note that he hasn’t pulled his hand back from your touch yet. 

That’s a good sign. 

“You don’t have to have it all figured out today. Just one step at a time.” You encourage softly, leaning down so you can meet his ducked gaze. “You can do that, right?” 

Seungmin sighs, but he nods anyway. “Yeah, I can do that.” 

“Good.” You sit back and blow out a breath, glancing down at your study materials spread out before you. “Now I don’t know about you, but I can’t study anymore tonight or I might go blind.” 

Seungmin nods, surprisingly, and begins to pack up his materials. 

After another brief moment of silence, he asks suddenly, “What about you?” 

You shove another handful of pens and papers into your backpack without looking up. “What about me?” 

Seungmin makes a noise that clearly signifies he thinks you’re being obtuse on purpose, and you can feel his annoyed stare burning holes in the side of your head. 

“You know, don’t you wanna know how I feel about you? Now that I’ve had some time?” 

You freeze, swallowing, and then force yourself to resume your previous activities of packing up and getting ready to leave. 

“I mean, not really. I figure you’ll tell me that when you’re ready.” 

Lies. 

You wanna know so bad it’s driving yourself and your wolf crazy. 

You busy yourself with lining up your highlighters back in their designated case, just so your antsy fingers have something to do. 

“You know-” Seungmin states suddenly, voice even, tone neutral. “For a long time, I thought I was asexual.” Your eyes jerk up in surprise to meet his own, lips parting slightly. 

“You don’t have to-” 

He waves you off, pulling his glasses off his head and carefully folding them to stow in their case as he talks. 

“No, it’s fine. I want to.” He glances to you then, a slight smile curving his lips. “I’m supposed to be pushing myself right? Opening up so you can get to know me better?” 

You swallow and give a slight nod. 

“You know, the whole lone wolf thing from before? I didn’t really ever feel the need to be involved with anyone like that. Didn’t think I needed it, felt complete without it. And then-” He sighs, and a slight flicker of annoyance crosses his pretty features. “I met Changbin.” 

“Changbin.” You breathe in slight agreement, and your lips twitch upward a little at the other alpha’s name. “Yeah, he tends to have that effect on people.” 

“Mm.” Seungmin nods in slight agreement. “So then, I thought, well, maybe it’s just biology, but maybe I don’t really want to be alone, not quite like that. But then I think-” He considers you for a long moment. “-I met you, and we became friends, and I liked your company, but then you asked me if I could ever like you like I liked Changbin.” You cringe slightly at that. “Oh god, can we just pretend that conversation never happened?” 

“No.” Seungmin responds back immediately. He arches a brow. “It made me think you know. About myself. About what I wanted. It was good for me.” 

“Glad to help.” You mumble back, your cheeks flushed slightly in an irritated sort of hot feeling blush. 

“I considered that maybe, after you asked me that, that I was just into guys.” Seungmin admits in a softer sort of voice, but still matter of factly. 

“Oh, so it’s my gender, got it.” You retort back, avoiding his gaze. 

“No.” He shakes his head at that. “I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really care about gender, not in the long run of things. I think I’m more into people themselves, their personalities, and how they handle mine.” “Great, so it’s just my personality then.” You blurt out, throwing out your hands now. 

“No.” Seungmin repeats a little bit more firmly, sharper. “You’re not listening to me.” 

You give a little sharp laugh at that. “It’s really fucking hard to listen to you when we’ve been studying shit that turns my brain to mush for the last four hours.” 

Seungmin’s hand covers your own, and you freeze, gaze flicking to him, mouth slightly agape, words instantly dying off. 

“I-” He says firmly, taking in a sort of shaky breath, his fingers still resting a little bit awkwardly on top of your own. “-like you. You, (Y/N). I like the way you make me feel accepted, I like that you listen to my ramblings about scientific findings, I like that you don’t push me to go further than I’m comfortable, and I like that we started as friends first, and you’ve given me time and patience to explore where this could potentially go. At my own pace.” 

You stare at him for another beat and then, “I’m sorry. If what I said in the shower made you uncomfortable.” 

His lips curve slightly at that, his nose wrinkling with the hint of a smile. “It didn’t. In fact, it kind of surprised me that I liked hearing it. Just-” He blows out a breath. “-give me some time to figure out my shit okay?” 

You nod, curling your fingers around his own. “Yeah, I can do that.” 

Seungmin nods, and removing his hand from yours, begins to move to pack away the rest of his things. “Now c’mon, I promised Jisung we’d be in time to watch a movie with him.” 

You grin, standing up and slinging your backpack over your shoulder. “It’s gonna be one of those cheesy action flicks he loves, you know that right?” 

Seungmin sighs, but his voice is filled with affectionate amusement. “Yeah, I know.” He glances at you with a lift of his brow. “But anything for our boy, right?” 

You grin back at him, knocking your arm into his as you walk. “Anything for our boy.” 

“Wellllllll-” Changbin hems from the other side of the room, a grimace going across his features, as he swivels in his chair to face them, not quite meeting Chan’s gaze. 

Chan bolts upright, his voice loud with triumph. “Ah ha! I knew it!” 

“Oh my goood.” Hongjoong groans, scrubbing at his face with his hands, before he must decide that they’re not worth the trouble, turning back to his computer and pulling his headphones back up- on both ears this time. 

Changbin’s lips twist to the side in an obvious guilt ridden expression, his dark eyes finally meeting Chan’s. 

Chan feels his stomach drop as he regards his best friend and packmate’s worry. 

“What?” He asks, suddenly breathless, leaning forward in the office chair, his alpha suddenly on high alert. “What did I do? How did I fuck it up? You gotta tell me how to fix it, Bin, it’s fucking with my head.” 

Changbin reaches up to rub at the back of his neck, Chan recognizes the nervous gesture, and clears his throat, his eyes darting around the room, as if trying to focus on anything except the man in front of him. 

“You didn’t do anything, hyung. I swear to god, but I can’t tell you anything else, because (Y/N) will fucking eat me alive.” 

“She is pretty fucking scary.” Hongjoong chimes in once more, glancing over his shoulder at Chan, his fingers paused on the mouse. “Almost in Seonghwa’s league. Almost.” 

Chan glances back to Changbin, who is nodding avidly along in agreement with what the other alpha is saying. 

Chan’s alpha is growling at his mate’s resistance, at the way he’s holding back, even if he knows how to fix this whole mess, but he takes in a deep, steadying breath, and clamps his hands in his lap, willing the angry wolf back down. 

“Bin.” He tries again, glancing back to the other man, his voice steady, calm, imploring. “You gotta tell me something. If I don’t know what’s wrong, I can’t fix it, and I’m going crazy over here.” Changbin’s chest heaves with a sigh, and then he swallows, Chan watches the way his Adam's apple bobs, as he looks up to the ceiling, as if for some form of silent approval. 

Finally, he sighs again, audibly this time, and rakes a hand agitatedly through his dark hair. 

“Fine.” 

Chan feels his entire body tense, waiting on what comes next. 

He can sense a headache starting to pound to life behind his left eye. 

He doesn’t know if it’s because of the current situation, or because he hasn’t really seen you much over the last week, and his alpha is taking direct note of the loss of contact. 

Changbin shakes his head slightly to himself, as if he can’t believe what he’s going to say, going to reveal, and then he grits out, “She’s worried about something she said.” 

Chan’s mind races, going over every tiny interaction the two of you have had in the last week and a half. 

Nothing significant comes to mind. 

“What?” He asks, puzzled, as if Changbin can reveal the clues to him. 

Instead, the other alpha gives a half hearted shrug. 

“I dunno, hyung. She wouldn’t tell me anything besides that. I’m sorry, man.” 

Chan shakes his head, still analyzing every time you’ve spoken, or interacted, since he saw you during Jeongin’s heat. 

Honestly, it wasn’t much, considering you’d been avoiding him at all costs. 

He manages a weak grin, and stands, walking over to pat Changbin on the back. 

“Nah, it’s fine, mate. Thanks for telling me that much. I’ll figure it out.” 

Changbin glances up at him, expression unreadable, and gives a curt nod, already reaching for his headphones again. 

“She feels things really fucking deeply. Deeper than the rest of us. Sometimes she just needs a little space to figure it out. But she cares about you, hyung. A lot. She wouldn’t be this fucking worried if she didn’t.” 

Chan grips his shoulder a little tighter, a silent sign of acknowledgement, and goes back to his own work station. 

He knows Changbin’s right. Knows he speaks from experience. 

So why is his stomach still in knots? 

*******

Fuck. 

Your eyes dart around the small kitchen, helplessly looking for an escape route, before they settle on the two men sitting at the table, staring you down. 

You clear your throat, and try to work up an easy smile. 

“You were talking about me? I’m flattered Min.” 

Minho’s smirk widens, growing sharp and dangerous, as if he knows exactly what you’re trying to do. 

You’re sure he does. 

He pats the chair beside him, in the middle of he and Chan. 

“Have a seat.” 

You can’t think of literally anything worse in this moment, your skin already hot underneath Chan’s stare, your fingers itching at your side, your alpha begging you to please get the fuck out of here already.

You take a step backward, back toward the safety of the hallway. 

“That’s okay, I actually was just leaving to go on a run.” 

Minho’s brow arches a little higher. 

“At eleven PM?” 

There is amusement in his tone, as if he knows he’s caught you in an outright lie. 

You give a little shrug, and take another step toward the door. 

“I do my best running at night. Must be the wolf in me.” 

You don’t dare look at Chan, not when he’s right here, staring at you, expression unreadable. He hasn’t said one word since you entered the room, and you can practically feel your body withering from the shame of his heavy gaze. 

It’s like he can see right through you, and you need to get out of here, right now. 

“Anyway-” You’re halfway into the hallway now, the front door, your shining savior, within sight. You give the men a little wave and another unconvincing, weak smile. “-gotta go. Have fun.” 

You dart for the front door, nearly bowling an emerging Jisung over, sending his popcorn flying. 

“Hey!” He protests with a glare in your direction, but you don’t stop, tugging on your sneakers with record speed, before you barrel out the door of the apartment. 

“Sorry, Jisungie!” You call over your shoulder, because you are, but honestly, in times of crisis-

You can breathe easier out here, in the quiet darkness of the dorm hallway, even though you’re still practically jogging, headed directly for the elevator. 

You’re making a beeline for your dorm a few floors down, and you’re staying locked up in there until Chan decides to leave. 

Well, not leave, because he lives here too, but at least until he decides to go back to his own kitchen and stop talking to Minho about whatever the hell they were discussing. 

You slide through the gap of the doors in the elevator before they’re fully open, and pound the second floor button a few more times than necessary, catching your breath as you wait for the doors to close. 

They’re almost down to a sliver, and you think you’ve gotten away with your hasty escape, when an arm shoots through, bouncing them back open, and Chan steps into view. 

Immediately, the breath you’ve just regained leaves your body, as he joins you in the elevator, the doors hissing shut quietly behind him. 

There’s silence, the space suddenly feeling smaller than normal, as you stare him down warily from your corner. 

“What-” You start to say, in an attempt at least to fill the uncomfortable quiet, but Chan beats you to it.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He demands, dark eyes flashing, as the elevator jolts into motion. 

You brace yourself against the wall, your mouth dropping open at his serious, commanding tone. 

“I’m not avoiding you-” You start to protest weakly, the lie sounding unconvincing to even your own ears. 

“Bullshit” Chan cuts you off once more with a growl, taking a menacing step toward you, and suddenly, you know, you’re not dealing with Christopher Bang any longer, you’re dealing with his alpha.

His irrational, incredibly pissed off and slighted alpha. 

Fuck. 

The elevator feels tiny now, saturated with the scent of thunder, and you swallow hard, your own alpha flattening its ears in response. 

The sound of a ding signals the arrival of the next floor, and before you can make a move to do something, anything, Chan reaches behind him without a glance, and slams his palm down over the emergency stop button. 

The elevator grinds to a sudden halt with an eerie shriek of gears, and then there is silence, all movement ceased. 

Your mouth falls open once more, but you feel your own anger flare to life in the pit of your stomach, rising to meet his. 

“Chan, what the fuck do you think you’re doing-” 

He stalks toward you, and you shrink back into the corner, the cool metal of the hand bar digging into your back. 

“Exactly what I should’ve done when this whole nonsense started.” He growls, caging you in as he puts his hands on either side of your head, fingers digging into the slick, cool brushed metal of the elevator’s walls as he glares down at you. 

You’re choking on the storm now, your heart pounding against the wall of your ribs. 

But you hold your ground regardless, lifting your head as defiance flashes across your gaze, and frost starts to crackle outward from you, freezing the storm. 

“Oh? And what’s that? Emergency stop an elevator in a little temper tantrum?” 

His dark eyes flash, and a muscle ticks in his jaw, but his voice is steady when he responds. 

“If I have to trap you in a room with me to get you to talk over things like an adult, like my mate, then yes.” 

You scoff, looking away from his burning gaze. 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” 

“That’s not what Changbin said.” 

Your head jerks up, your angry gaze meeting his. 

“Fuck Changbin.” 

“I do, and I enjoy it.” Chan fires right back without missing a beat, crowding you into the corner further, his scowl deepening. “But that’s not what we’re here to talk about, is it?” 

“I’m not. Avoiding you.” You grind out through gritted teeth, your jaw clicking with the immense pressure of keeping your rage back. 

It’s a blatant lie, and you both know it. 

Chan’s eyes darken, dripping golden around the pupils now, and when he parts his lips, his teeth flash in what’s almost a snarl, dangerous and threatening. 

You can practically feel his alpha’s teeth poised warningly over your exposed throat. 

You don’t think you’ve ever seen him this angry before. 

“You think-” He begins, and his voice has dropped dangerously, a menacing growl in the back of his throat, a rumble in his chest. “-that even if I was stupid enough not to notice, he wouldn’t?” 

Your lips part, ready to spit something back, but something about his words ring true in the hollow pit of your stomach. 

He’s right. You could avoid him all you wanted, but your alpha, and his, would know. They were the ones who were suffering because of the distance, keening for their mates. 

Fuck, if it was hell for the two of you, it was fucking torture for them. 

Chan’s gaze hasn’t wavered from your own, not once, and when he speaks again, his words are just above a murmur, and you don’t miss the way his breath trembles on his next inhale. 

“I can’t fucking sleep, (Y/N.) I can’t eat, I can’t study, I can’t produce, I can’t do anything, because every single waking moment is spent trying to figure out what I did wrong and how to fix it.” 

You feel guilt drop like a hot pound of lead into the pit of your stomach. 

You lean your head back on the wall behind you, and meet his gaze head on, your voice quiet, but steady, when you reply back, “It wasn’t anything you did.” 

Confusion starts to pool into his expression, easing some of the anger, and you feel your own fury start to melt away like sand with the tide, leaving your body tired and heavy. 

“Then why?” He questions back, gaze boring into your own. 

You sigh, and glance behind him to the still blinking emergency stop button, wondering how much time you have before someone notices the elevator hasn’t moved and calls the fire department to rescue the two of you. 

That’s all you need right now. Better hurry this up. 

“I said something.” You announce without preamble, shifting your gaze to meet his own once more, sudden fear rising like bile in your throat. You force through the feeling, and swallow hard. “The day you asked me for help during Jeongin’s presentation.” Chan watches you closely, silently, and you give a little shrug and half a laugh-it’s awkward, and fleeting, and leaves the space in between you feeling heavier than before. 

“And I wasn’t sure if what I’d said-what I’d admitted-made you feel weird. I was scared I’d messed shit up, and I wanted to give you space to deal, if that was the case.” 

Chan cocks his head-the motion is endearing, like a puppy-and you resist the urge to reach up and push some of the curls back off his forehead with your fingers. 

Confusion is clear on every inch of his features now. 

“What did you-” He starts to ask, and then something clicks behind his expression, his eyes going wide and his jaw going slack. “Oh, you mean the love thing.” “Oh my god.” You groan, covering your face with your hands, already feeling your cheeks heat up. “Do we have to call it that?” 

When you peek back through your fingers, Chan is smiling, his lips pulled crookedly to one side, the gold fading slowly from his gaze. 

“That’s why you were avoiding me? You were worried about that?” 

“Yes!” You shriek,a little bit louder than necessary, and Chan’s grin widens even more. “I mean, that’s a fuck of a thing to announce to someone out of the blue, when they’re already dealing with a ton of shit and I didn’t know how you’d take it.” 

Chan tilts his head, regarding you. “But you’ve already told me you love me. Once before. Remember?” 

You stare at him like he’s just grown another head, and then it clicks. 

“That didn’t count!” You cough out, choking on your own spit, waving your hands wildly as you try to regain your breath. “That was like a post fuck thing, I was feeling sappy,  I just threw it out there to everyone in general, you guys had just saved me and given me the best orgasm of my life and it wasn’t-” “True?” Chan finishes for you, though there’s no hurt on his face, only slight amusement. 

“No!” You protest, growing angry again as you grow more flustered by the second. “It was true, it just wasn’t so-”

“Direct?” Chan tries once again, watching you closely. 

“Yeah.” You finish helplessly, your shoulders slumping. 

Chan gives a little laugh, and slides one of his large hands down the elevator wall to grip your chin in his fingers, raising your embarrassed gaze to his once more. 

His expression softens, the corners of his mouth settling into an affectionate smile, as you struggle a little and try to resist his gaze. 

“Baby. Look at me.” 

You finally do as he says, reluctantly meeting his eyes, and he arches a brow at you. 

The air between you is heavy with ice and storm, but it doesn’t feel so oppressive now. 

In fact, the headache you’ve been battling all week seems to be miraculously gone. 

Chan’s lips twitch, and you huff at him a little, folding your arms across your chest at his obvious amusement in your sheepishness. 

“Listen. If it hasn’t been incredibly fucking clear since the first time I met you that I’m head over heels for you, then I must not be doing enough to prove it to you.” 

Your own lips twitch into the hint of a smile then, and you begrudgingly uncross your arms from your chest. 

“No, you’re doing enough. Trust me. Following me around like a little lost puppy when I openly hated your guts for the first couple of weeks definitely sold it.”

Chan laughs, and the sound sends warmth cascading down your body. 

Your tired muscles feel a little more manageable now. 

 Chan leans in, and rests his forehead against yours. 

You take a moment to breathe him in, and then he murmurs, breath warm on your face, “Now, say it again, but don’t run away this time.” 

You smirk, keeping your eyes closed as you whisper back, “There’s not really anywhere for me to go. You saw to that.” 

He chuckles, breath fanning across your skin, but doesn’t move to pull away. 

You take in a deep breath, and let your hands skim up the warm length of his arms, letting your fingers take him in for a moment, before you breathe out, “I love you, Christopher Bang. Even though I hated your guts, and fucked up a couple of huge things, and you trapped me in an elevator with you-twice, I might add, against my will-I love you, and I don’t think that’s ever not been true.” 

Chan opens his eyes, and you stare into the golden flecks of his irises, before he pulls back, and his lips curve into the start of a smirk. 

“Now, was that so hard?” 

You swing an arm out and hit him lightly in the chest, giving him a fake glare. 

“Say it back.” 

He grins, and leans in, caging you with his forearms once more against the cool metal behind your head, his nose brushing your own. 

“I fucking love you, (Y/N), I always have. Even when you hated my guts. In fact, in retrospect, I think that made me love you even more.” 

You giggle, and Chan covers your mouth with his without warning, swallowing the sound. 

You let your hands trace up his back and into his hair, fingers tangling in his curls, as he flicks his tongue between the seam of your lips and into your waiting mouth. 

The sharp points of his canines graze and tug at your bottom lip, and you moan, breaking the kiss as you let your head fall back to the wall behind you, breathing heavily, as Chan presses kisses down your jaw, the column of your throat, tickling and teasing your skin as he nibbles your collarbone, traces your scent gland with his tongue. 

“They’re gonna send the fire department after us, you know.” You gasp out, gaze flicking beyond him once more to the flashing button on the wall, as he drops to his knees in front of you, fingers finding your hip bones. 

Chan looks up at you, lips red and kiss bitten, a grin stretching the pink skin over white teeth. 

He arches a brow. 

“Lucky for you, baby, they’re not incredibly known for their fast response time, and I’m a fairly quick worker.” 

You reach out a hand to stop him as he reaches for the closure of your pants, and when he looks up at you in confusion, your lips lift into a smirk. 

“What if I told you I wanted to take my time?” 

His lips slowly lift into a wicked grin of his own. 

“I think we can make that happen.” 

********

Your apartment is closer than Chan’s (by one floor, but hey, a floor is a floor), so after apologizing to some severely annoyed alphas who were waiting on the stalled elevator, you push through your front door and Chan doesn’t wait a second before he pounces. 

He backs you against the wall of the hallway, his hands dropping to your waist once more, his mouth already on yours. 

His tongue swipes around the inside of your mouth, and you groan into him. “About that taking our time thing-” 

Chan chuckles huskily, the sound going right to your core, and if you weren’t already incredibly wet before, you sure as hell are now. 

There’s a quiet sound behind the two of you and you freeze, leaning up to glance over Chan’s shoulder, suddenly on full alert. 

“Jeongin?” 

Chan follows your gaze, your mouth open in shock, to the omega standing beside the front door, waving sheepishly to the two of you, his cheeks almost as red as his hair. 

“Hey, noona.” 

You slip out beneath Chan’s arm and approach him, surprise clearly etched across your face. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“I was waiting for you.” Jeongin gives a little shrug, but he won’t meet your eyes, embarrassment clear on his pretty features. “You said later earlier and I thought-” 

Oh. Fuck. 

You let out a sigh, suddenly feeling more than a little remorseful. “Sorry, Innie. I was hanging out at Minho’s and then Chan was there-” 

Jeongin glances down, scuffing his shoe into the worn carpet. “No, it’s fine, noona. I was just gonna sneak out when I heard the two of you, but I should’ve known I had no chance when up against a wolf’s hearing.” 

His hand reaches for the doorknob, and without thinking, you reach out and stop him. 

“Wait-” You swallow, his large, dark eyes flicking to you in surprise. “I mean. You can join us? If you want?” 

Jeongin stares at you, his pupils huge. 

“What?” Chan approaches, his hand going on your shoulder as he addresses Jeongin. “Yeah, Innie. It’s up to you, but we don’t mind-” 

You notice the way Chan reaches up to rub his neck as he speaks, as if he’s just as nervous over this as Jeongin is. 

“Don’t feel any pressure.” You hurry to reassure the omega standing in front of you. “I know you don’t have much experience, and one alpha on a good day is a lot, so if this is too overwhelming-”

Jeongin bites his lip and glances between the two of you. Finally, he says hesitantly, voice barely above a whisper, “I think I’d like that. But-” He takes in a nervous breath. “Can I just watch for a little bit first? Would that be okay?” 

You smirk. “Oh, so you’re one of those?” 

Jeongin instantly flushes, and you rush to reassure him you were only teasing, looping an arm around his shoulders as you lead him back toward your room, Chan following on your heels. 

“I’m just kidding, baby. There’s nothing wrong with a little voyeurism. Minho loves to watch.” 

“He also loves to boss.” Chan says with a slight smirk, as he steps ahead of you and pushes open the closed door, allowing you both to pass first into the room. 

“That he does.” You laugh a little, and then turn to Jeongin. “Okay, pup. Pick your poison.”

Jeongin glances around, clearly still a little shy given the circumstances, and then he settles into the desk chair in the corner of your room, opposite the bed. He pulls his knees up to his chest and nods. “Okay. Just pretend I’m not here.”

Chan has come to stand against your back, tickling his fingers up and down your spine, brushing his nose across the juncture of your throat, and at Jeongin’s words, he groans, and you feel him press into you from behind. He’s still clearly worked up from before, the momentary pause hasn’t even phased him. 

“That’s gonna be pretty hard to do when you smell so fucking good, pup.” 

Jeongin looks wide eyed at Chan’s throaty admission, and leans over to not so subtly sniff his own shirt. “I don’t smell anything crazy.” 

Chan growls in his throat, and you smirk, reaching back to palm him through his jeans. He bucks his hips up into your hand, his fingers digging into your shoulders. 

“That’s because you’re used to how you smell, but you’re kinda blooming, Innie. It means your omega has sensed the presence of alphas-pack alphas-and is desperately trying to get our attention.” 

“Oh.” Jeongin murmurs, looking suddenly small. “I’m sorry, I can leave-” He makes a move to get up. 

“Sit down.” You command, and his pupils dilate at the sound of your timber, but he does as he’s told. You soften your tone a little. “You’re fine, Innie. You’re not going to distract from anything. If anything, your scent is going to make this all the more enjoyable.” 

Chan’s teeth graze over your scent gland, and you glance back at him, arching your brow. “Eager, are we?” 

Chan growls again, the sound a low rumble against your back, and snakes his hand around your waist, letting his fingers find the inside of your thighs. He applies pressure with the palm of his hand, and you arch your back in response, letting out a quick hitch of breath. 

“Very.” He replies, licking a stripe up the side of your neck with his tongue, tasting you. 

You turn to face him, your eyes flashing gold to match his own, but before you fully lose yourself in him, you glance once more at the omega over your shoulder, saying in a soft, serious tone, “Innie, if you want us to stop at any point, say something, and we will. Without hesitation.” 

He nods. “Yes, noona.” His eyes are wide, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips as he watches Chan pull you toward the bed. 

“Sit down.” Chan orders you, much like you had commanded Jeongin earlier, and you do so, but not without a slight smirk in his direction. 

“I’m not going to make this easy.” You warn, settling onto the edge of the bed, your expression wicked. 

Chan knocks apart your knees and stands between your legs, a look of annoyance on his features. One hand tangles into your hair and he yanks your head back, forcing you to look at him, as the other hand comes to loosely wrap around the front of your throat. 

You feel your pulse quicken under his hold.

“Don’t play that game, pet. Not right now. You already made me wait far too fucking long already.” Chan lifts his lips into the hint of a snarl, and the flash of his sharp canines has your inner thighs slick with want. 

He slides his hand slowly up the column of your throat, finally letting his fingers find purchase beneath your chin, tilting your head back even further. 

“But you know that already, don’t you?” He murmurs, staring down at you with something akin to a hungry predator in his dark gaze. 

You swallow beneath the hold he has on your throat, and arch a brow pettily in response. “Care to remind me?” 

Chan’s lips curl, and another animalistic growl slips through the barrier of his teeth. 

You hear Jeongin let out a sharp exhale from the corner, but you don’t look over.

Your entire body is electrified, waiting for Chan’s next move. 

“I could remind you who you belong to-” Chan muses, eyes flashing golden as he stares at you. “-but I don’t think that’s necessary, do you?” 

He leans down, and without warning, slips a hand down underneath the band of your pants. 

His fingers immediately touch your heat, and just by the look of satisfaction that flickers across his features, you can tell he feels just how wet you are already. 

He pulls back, and holds up his slick, glistening fingers for you to see with a cock of his head. 

“I think you already know.” He repeats in a low tone, advancing toward you now, backing you onto the bed, until he’s straddling you, leaning over your prone form. “Don’t you?” 

“Yes.” You breathe out, tired of playing already, tired of staying away from him. 

“Yes what?” He prods, lips curling up into the hint of a dangerous smirk, as he moves to strip you of your clothes. 

“Yes, daddy.” 

Chan freezes, his pupils blowing at the nickname, and a muscle in his jaw ticks, as if he’s silently fighting himself for control, his hands curling into fists beside you on the bed. 

You openly smirk up at him. “Oh, I knew you’d like that one. You know, given your certain proclivities.” 

His irises are completely drowning in gold now, his lips parted slightly as he stares down at you, his breath coming in harsh pants, his chest heaving. 

Still smirking, you roll your head to the side and find Jeongin in your line of sight, arching a brow in the omega’s direction. 

“Did you catch that, Innie? When he was fucking you through your presentation?” Your voice is smooth like butter, dripping with taunting. You’re playing with the alpha on top of you now, and you all know it. 

Jeongin stares at you, his stare moving slowly to Chan and then back again. “Catch what, noona?” His voice is hoarse, like he’s been holding his breath. 

You shift so you’re staring back up at Chan, looming over you, and your lips tick upward into a dangerous expression meant to goad. 

“Our Channie here has a little obsession-a fantasy, if you will-with breeding. He probably went easy on you the first time he knotted you, because you’re inexperienced, but he just loves to fill you up when he fucks you, loves the idea of stretching you with his seed and then his pups, hm, Channie?” 

A low growl rolls from Chan’s chest, and you hear Jeongin’s breath catch. 

The smell of cinnamon is overpowering. 

Chan pins your hands above your head in one smooth, quick motion, and leans over to bite down-hard-on your scent gland in the curvature of your shoulder. 

Not hard enough to mark or draw blood, but damn near close. 

Your body goes limp beneath him, your mind going blank, your jaw slack, and suddenly, any of the teasing from before is long gone, and the only thought is-alpha, alpha, alpha. 

He pulls back, licking his lips with a wicked smirk, and fuck it, he knows he’s won already. 

“I should punish you for teasing me, pet, but lucky for you, I’m far to eager to feel you squeezing every last drop out of me to make myself wait any longer.”

And without warning, he leans over and sinks his teeth into your muscle once again, sheathing himself fully inside of you in the same frantic motion. 

You cry out, the sensations hitting you all at once, and arch your body up into his hold. 

He hadn’t prepped you, but honestly, you were wet enough that he slid in without much resistance, and the friction was honestly close to pushing you over the edge already. 

Chan growls, the sound sending goosebumps over your skin, muffled by his hold on your shoulder, and thrusts wildly a few times, like an animal gone mad with desire. 

You let him, your fingers scrabbling at his skin, and letting your head roll to the side to give him more access to your neck, you catch sight of Jeongin, watching the two of you with something clearly hot, but tentative, on his features. 

Reaching a hand out, you splay it across Chan’s bare chest, stopping his movements, and he releases his teeth’s hold on you, as you say quietly to get his attention, “Chan.” 

He’s panting, but he stills, and the feeling of him filling you without moving is enough to drive you crazy, but you keep your focus on Jeongin as you hold out your free hand. 

“Done watching, Innie? Wanna join in?” 

The omega swallows, you see the way his throat bobs, and then he stands, looking suddenly nervous, but you can tell he’s intrigued and more than a little hot and bothered at this point if the tent in his pants is any indication. 

He approaches the bed, and swallows again. 

“You don’t have to.” You say softly, taking his hand in yours and rubbing his fingers. “I know this can be overwhelming, but if you want to-” 

He nods, glancing down at you, his eyes trailing down the length of Chan’s body atop yours, before he meets your gaze once more with a look of determination. 

“No, I want to.” 

“Good boy.” You praise, before you tug him forward and onto the bed beside you and Chan. You jerk your head at his clothes. “Take those off.” 

He does so quickly, and then sits back down beside the two of you once more, looking unsure. “Now what?” 

You give him an encouraging smile. “Now, you’re gonna kneel above me and slide yourself into my mouth.” You open your lips and lean your head back to show him, careful not to jostle Chan. 

Jeongin’s eyes go wide. “What? But what if I hurt you-?” 

A raspy chuckle leaves Chan’s lips, and he gives the omega a soft look. “You’re not gonna hurt her, pup. I promise.”

“You’re not.” You reiterate, as Jeongin finally takes a breath and moves to kneel above your head. You glance up at him, as you wrap your hands around the back of his thighs. “And besides, now is as good a time as any to talk about safe words and safety gestures. I won’t be able to talk, obviously, but if I need you to stop at any time, I’ll tap you twice, like this, okay?”

 I tap the back of his thigh with two fingers hard, twice. 

Jeongin nods, staring down at my head between his knees. “Okay.” 

“Okay.” You repeat back, parting your lips once more. “Whenever you’re ready.” Jeongin hesitates briefly, glancing to Chan, who gives him a little nod, and then he leans forward and places the tip of himself into your mouth. 

You adjust slightly to allow easier access as he slowly slides between your lips. 

You see the way his body tenses as he feels your tongue on him, but he still gives you a worried sort of glance. “Okay?” 

You nod slightly, and hum a sound of affirmation, before you let yourself suck, creating suction with your tongue. 

Jeongin instantly groans, his head falling back and his hands scrabbling to tangle in your hair. 

Chan takes that as his cue to move again as well, and he resumes his thrusting from before, his hips moving more rhythmically now. 

You feel Jeongin hit the back of your throat, and oh god, he tastes just like he smells, and fuck, with Chan moving like that-

You can feel the muscles in your body tensing, readying for release, as you keep working Jeongin with your mouth and Chan shunts your body over and over with his. 

“Fuck, noona, I-” Jeongin starts to say, and then he’s shuddering, and you feel him release, tasting the sweetness on your tongue. 

“Fuck.” Chan swears, watching Jeongin come for you, and then he leans forward, his sweaty skin sticking to yours as he rests his forehead on your chest, fingers digging into your wrists, and roars through his own release. 

Everything whites out for a moment as your own body uncoils, and you have to remind yourself to breathe, as Jeongin slowly pulls himself from your mouth and Chan lies on top of you, catching his breath. 

“Fuck.” Jeongin repeats, staring down at you, his eyes full of awe. “Fuck.” 

You give a weak little laugh and reach out to brush Chan’s sweaty hair back from his forehead. He glances up at you, his chin on your chest, and releases his hold on your wrists, one of his hands moving to your jaw and pinching your mouth open so he can look inside. 

A small smirk quirks the corner of his mouth as he says hoarsely, “A shame to waste all that perfectly good come on your mouth, baby.” You grin down at him, wincing slightly as he pulls himself out of you with a long, low groan. 

He flops down beside you on the bed, covering his face with his arm as his chest still heaves. 

On your other side, Jeongin collapses down as well, his hand finding yours, even though his eyes are closed. 

After a few moments of silence, Chan pushes himself up with effort, and scoots to the edge of the bed. He waves a finger between you and Jeongin’s prone forms. 

“Don’t move. I’ll be right back.” 

You give a sound of assent, but don’t open your eyes. 

Soon though, you hear the sound of his footsteps padding back, and he nudges you with his hand. 

“Drink this, baby.” You crack open your eyes, and take the bottle of water he offers you, passing the other one to Jeongin, who guzzles it down immediately. 

Chan slides back onto the bed between your legs, and begins to wipe down the sticky skin of the inside of your thighs with the warm rag, cleaning up all the residual juices that were left behind. 

You relax into his gentle motions, and when he’s finished, he turns to Jeongin, arching a brow at the younger boy. 

“Can I?” He asks, and Jeongin hesitates, before he nods slightly, spreading his legs for Chan to clean him up as well. 

You watch them-how gentle Chan is, how trusting Jeongin is-and you feel warm from head to toe. 

Warm and content. 

When he’s finished with Jeongin, you finally sit up and reach for the rag, motioning for Chan to lay back on the bed. 

“Okay, now you.” 

He opens his mouth, as if to protest, but Jeongin pushes him down gently with a hand to his chest and a small smile. 

“C’mon, hyung. It’s only fair.” 

Chan rolls his eyes, but lets you wash him over with the warm rag anyway, and you can tell, by the slight hint of pink on his cheeks, that he enjoys the tender touches just as much as you do. 

When everyone is cleaned up, you motion for Jeongin to snuggle down between the two of you, your arm looped comfortably across him, your fingers making nonsensical patterns on the warm, bare skin of Chan’s chest. 

Leaning over to press a kiss to the tip of Jeongin’s nose, you say softly, “I love you.” Jeongin glances up at you with large eyes, and his lips curve into a smile. 

“I love you too, noona. And you, hyung.” 

You grin and press another kiss to the top of his soft, red hair, before he glance across to Chan, who is watching you affectionately, a small smile on his lips. 

He arches a brow at you and whispers over the top of Jeongin’s head, “I’m proud of you. You’re getting better.” 

You grin back at him, and reach up with your free hand to cup his jaw, before you squish Jeongin between you as you lean forward to press a kiss to his lips. 

“I love you, Bang Chan.” 

He tugs you forward for another kiss, and Jeongin whines slightly at being squished. 

“I love you too.” ********************************

“So, I’m guessing the two of you made up?” Changbin remarks offhandedly, leaning against the desk as he eyes you with an arch of his brow and a smirk on his lips. 

You give a little shrug, sifting through Chan’s papers to find the one you’re looking for. “I guess. How can you tell?” You stop, glancing back at him with a narrowing of your eyes. 

Changbin grins, his eyes dropping pointedly to the large black hoodie you wear. “That’s his favorite hoodie.” 

You hold out the heavy fabric so you can see the Nirvana logo printed across the front of it, staring at it skeptically. “Really? This old thing? I just stole this the last time we went over to his dorm after hide and seek.” 

Changbin laughs and shakes his head, leaning around you now to pluck up a piece of paper and present it to you. 

It’s the one you’ve been looking for. 

You snatch it from him with a teasing glare. 

“Really.” He nods, tugging at the hood of the hoodie teasingly. “This fucking thing is his favorite fucking thing on the whole planet, so the fact that he let you take it and wear it-” He shakes his head in slight disbelief, and smirks down at you. “-well maybe that just means that he has a new favorite fucking thing on the whole planet.” 

You grin at that. 

“I kind of like the sound of that.” Changbin grins back and tackles you onto the futon in the corner of the studio, tickling you as you shriek and struggle to get away from him.

You step past him, and he’s true to his word, rooted to the spot, but your wolf doesn’t miss the way his jaw ticks as you pass, the way his nostrils flare, the almost death grip of his white knuckles as they tighten on the door. 

You retreat to the opposite side of the small couch for safety, and watch him warily as he closes and locks the door once more before turning to you. 

He takes a small step in your direction, and you tense without really thinking about it. 

Chan freezes, staring at you, and you notice the wild look to his eyes has diminished since he first saw you, but the alpha gold is present and vibrant as ever in his irises, swallowing any hint of his normal caramel.

He sighs again, and reaches up to rake an agitated hand through his messy hair. 

“I’m sorry.” He apologizes in a whisper, voice strangled, and your wolf keens sadly in response. 

You emerge from behind the safety of the couch, moving to stand in front of him. 

Surprise flashes across his haggard features, but he doesn’t move, staring at you, as you study his face. 

The man is tired, so is the wolf. 

You dare to reach up and run a finger beneath his jaw, swiping across his scent gland gently, and his chest caves in as he takes a deep, shuddering breath, then another.

“You don’t need to apologize.” You murmur back, watching him carefully, your fingers still playing around the oozing gland at his throat. 

The smell of storm is overwhelming. 

“I do though.” Chan says hoarsely, his eyes meeting yours, his bottom lip going between his teeth. “I basically kicked you and Minho out-” 

Your lips quirk up into the start of a small smile. “Yeah, well Minho was being an asshole, so I don’t blame you. He kind of deserved it.” 

Chan huffs out something that could’ve been a chuckle if his entire demeanor wasn’t so stiff and morose, and glances sidelong, past you to the darkness of the hallway. 

“Still, I don’t think my alpha has ever reacted this strongly to an omega’s heat before. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with me.” 

You place your palm flat against his gland, and he leans into your touch, as if he’s a dog seeking comfort from a familiar hand. 

“I think I have an idea.” 

Chan’s eyes flare with surprise, and his lips gap. 

You give him the hint of another small smile. “First off, I don’t think any of us have ever dealt with someone presenting before, so that’s an unknown that we weren’t really planning for. Secondly-” 

You pause, watching him carefully, gauging whether you think he’s ready to hear this. 

Better now than later. 

“Minho wasn’t just being an asshole, though he does that often enough that it wouldn’t surprise me if he were.” You give a little laugh, and then sober up again, staring up at Chan. “He was testing something.” 

Chan’s brows disappear into his hairline. “What?” 

“Yeah.” You nod. “And I told him he should never, ever be a scientist, but he kind of cemented something into place for us regardless.” 

Chan is staring at you, brow furrowed, expression confused. 

You take in another breath, and spit it out. 

“You’re a head alpha. And not just any head alpha, you’re our head alpha.” 

Chan is frozen, staring at you, expression unreadable, and you suddenly worry you’ve broken him. 

“Channie-” You start to say, reaching out for his hands now, as his chest heaves with a breath. 

“Oh my god.” He cuts you off, his voice little more than a shocked whisper beneath his breath. “It all fucking makes sense.” 

Well, he’s taking it better than you had expected. 

“Yeah.” You nod, squeezing his fingers between your own. “Sorry to drop that bomb on you right now, but I thought you needed to hear it, at least to put your mind at ease a little over your behavior.” 

Chan’s gaze raises to you, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips.

“Fuck, okay, I’m going to need more details on that later, but now-” 

His gaze flicks past you once more to the dark hallway, and you take in a steadying breath. 

“Yeah, okay. What can I do to help?” 

The alpha in front of you rakes another violent hand through his hair, and you can practically see the agitated wolf pacing beneath the surface of his twisted features.

“I don’t fucking know. I don’t-”  

You reach out and palm his gland again, and when he finally looks at you once more, you give him a serious, pointed look, your alpha surging forward now, ready to hear about the newest omega-your newest omega-in the other room. 

Suddenly, the scent of petrichor is being drowned out by the smell of freshly baked bread, crusted in cinnamon.

“Is Jeongin okay?” 

The wild look is back in Chan’s eyes, the gold molten, as he tears away from you to pace the length of the small room, movements agitated. 

“Yes? I don’t know. Everything happened so fast, but I didn’t- We didn’t-” 

You stare at him, trying to figure out what he’s trying to say, your wolf growling dangerously now. 

“You didn’t what-?” You pin him beneath your gaze, and Chan stops, reaching up to tug at the ends of his messy curls, expression frantic. 

The smell of storm is decaying, turning into something sour and rotten.

“He’s fucking miserable, (Y/N), but I couldn’t-” 

He stops again, and something clicks into place in your brain. Your irritated wolf backs down instantly, purring and chuffing in comfort to the clearly distressed alpha before you. 

“Channie-” You say softly, stepping toward him, trying to send soothing signals into the space between the two of you. 

Chan sighs, long and heavy, shoulders slumping once more, and stares at the floor beneath his sneakers, his hands clenched into fists at his side. 

“The kid’s never taken a knot before.” He sucks in a breath and glances up at you, eyes dark and serious. “And I know he’s an omega now and that his wolf biology is built for that or whatever, but fuck, that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of hurting him.” 

His chin drops back down to his chest, and his fingers clench at his sides, knuckles whitening. 

You step toward him, and wrap your arms around his waist, consequences be damned. 

“Baby.” You breathe, tilting your head to look up at him. “Look at me.” 

He does, lips pulled into a thin, tight line, stretched with worry. 

You can see the war behind his eyes, the struggle. 

Because Chan is worried about Jeongin, worried that it’s his first time, that he’ll be uncomfortable, and his alpha is worried about the new omega, worried that he’s suffering, that he needed a knot yesterday.

You smooth your palms down the sides of his neck, watch the way his chest rises and falls with an inhale, the way his muscles relax slightly beneath the wave you push forward of your own scent. 

“Did he ask you?” You question quietly, gaze intent on his own. 

His features fall a little, and he lets out another long, shuddering breath, a muscle in his jaw flexing slightly as he grinds his teeth. 

“I mean, yeah.” He admits in a murmur, his expression unsure now. “But I didn’t know if that was just a physical and emotional response to being so close to my alpha now that he’s presented, or if he actually knew what he was asking for.” 

“It’s probably both.” You admit gently, his eyes flicking up to your own, and you give him what you hope is the hint of a soothing smile. “However, maybe you just need to trust your gut and go with instinct this one time. Not overthink it.” 

Chan lets out a little sardonic cough, halfway to a chuckle, his eyes bitter. “Yeah, kind of a hard ask when it comes to me.” 

Your mouth tugs upward, and you reach up to trace a finger down the line of his nose, smoothing away the worried wrinkles currently residing between his eyes. 

“Channie.” 

When he looks at you once more, you cock your head and stare him down. 

“You already know, deep down, you’re not gonna hurt him. You’re going to be gentle and loving and careful and give him exactly what he needs. You and I both know you’d never do anything to endanger a member of this pack, right?” 

He parts his lips, as if to respond, but all that comes out is a huff of breath, as if he’s unsure how to answer your question. 

“Right?” You prod again, a little more sternly, and Chan finally nods, shoulders slumping forward in defeat. 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay, so-” You let your hands smooth over his scent gland again, your palms sticky with the leaking pheromones, and tug your fingers up through his disheveled curls, tilting his chin to make him meet your gaze. “-go in there and help our omega.” 

Something resolves in Chan’s gaze, just a little, and he gives a tiny nod, lifting his chin, his gaze flickering past you and to the hallway beyond. 

“Okay.” He nods again, taking in a deep breath, chest rising and falling against your own. “Okay.” He repeats, more sure this time, glancing back down to you, a fire in the back of his eyes. “You’re right. I can do this.” 

“Good boy.” You grin, laughing slightly as he rolls his eyes. 

There’s the Chan you know. 

Something hesitant flickers across his gaze, and he rolls his bottom lip between his teeth, looking anxious. “Fuck, why am I acting like a pup that doesn’t know what he’s doing? I don’t know why I’m so fucking nervous.” “Because you love him. And I know what that’s like.” You reply back with surety, so quickly that it takes the both of you off guard. 

The look of shocked surprise on Chan’s face probably mirrors your own. 

Because you do love Jeongin, have known it for awhile, and you know Chan knows that, but in this moment, you’re no longer talking about the newest omega down the hall, you’re suddenly talking about-

Chan stares at you, and you wish you could bite your tongue off. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He stares. 

You look away.

You clear your throat in the sudden silence, and inch back from him, straightening the hoodie he wears, if only to give your fingers something to do, your eyes somewhere else to focus. 

You give him an awkward little pat on the chest before you step away completely. 

“So, go get him, pretty boy.” 

You can feel Chan’s gaze still on you, can feel the start of something brewing at the tip of his tongue, the tension in the air between you, but you doggedly avoid eye contact, not giving him the chance, already headed for the door. 

“Text me when you’re done, yeah? I gotta get out of here, the smell of cinnamon is making my teeth ache.” 

Your hand is on the knob when Chan calls, “(Y/N).” 

You turn back slowly, already regretting the decision. 

He gives you the hint of a smile and a little wave of his fingers. 

“Thanks.” You nod, biting down on your own tongue, and leave the apartment and the smell of baked bread behind. 

******************

“God-” 

You throw another punch, your glove landing solidly in the middle of the bag. 

Thwack. 

“Fucking-” Another hit, another ripple of pain through your already abused knuckles. 

Thwack. 

“Dammit!” 

Your glove connects again, and this time you let it drop back to your side after the hit, breathing hard, chest heaving, sweat dripping down your brow, body numb. 

With a low whistle, Changbin appears at your side, brow arched and expression slightly amused, taking in your exhausted stance. 

“Fuck, girl, if I’d known you could go that hard, I would’ve brought you with me to the gym a lot sooner.” 

You give him a sidelong glare, reaching to pull the glove off your dominant hand, before you undo the other, dropping them to the mat at your feet, before you move on to ripping the tape off of your knuckles unceremoniously. 

“Don’t get used to it.” 

You don’t usually take Changbin up on his offers to hit the campus gym-preferring to stick to long distance running with Yeosang instead-but tonight, you’d needed something a little more than running. 

Your slip up with Chan last week-and your misstep and ensuing fight with Jeongin-had had your thoughts in knots since, your body tense, and fuck it all, you’d needed an outlet. 

So rather than unfairly deck Jisung in the face when he’d poured cold water over you in the shower earlier, you’d opted for going to the gym with Changbin, and the punching bag had been just what you needed. 

Changbin reaches down and picks up your discarded gloves, tossing them back into the recesses of his large gym bag, before he steps toward you and takes your hands in his, inspecting your knuckles. 

They’re already bruising, darkening to blue, and a little bit of the skin is split on your dominant hand, but other than that, you haven’t fared all that bad, especially considering you’d been going at it-hard-for more than an hour now. 

Changbin brushes his thumb over the split between your knuckles, and you let out a hiss between your teeth, his eyes meeting yours at the sound with another knowing arch of his dark brow. 

“Minho’s gonna be proud, considering how well you fared the first time you threw a punch against him.” 

You glare at him, pulling your hand from his grasp, as a slight smirk comes to his lips. 

“I didn’t have a glove the first time. It was spontaneous, a rage filled necessity. Minho knew he was egging me on, I just reacted. He was being a fucking dick, and I threw a punch, knuckles and proper form be damned.” 

“Right, right.” Changbin agrees with a little chuckle and a raise of his hands, ignoring your sour look in his direction, as he steps over to pick up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. 

His golden skin is glistening with sweat from his own workout, and if you weren’t in such a bad mood, you would’ve taken the opportunity to push him into the nearest locker room and lick it off, slowly and meticulously, but since you are in such a bad mood, you silently follow him down the stairs and out the front doors of the gym. 

It’s dark outside, and chilly, the sun having set hours ago, and you keep stride with Changbin easily, as you walk through the park and cut across the main field of campus, a shortcut of sorts, that will deposit you directly outside of the alpha dorms. 

As you walk, you can feel Changbin darting glances in your direction, but you ignore him, striding beside him in complete silence. 

Finally, he asks, “So, are you gonna tell me what brought all that on or-?” 

You violently kick a pebble off the edge of the path with the toe of your sneaker, listening to it rattle away amongst the trees in the darkness, and refuse to look at him, snarking back, “What? I can’t just enjoy a good boxing session every once and a while without some dark, sinister reason? Seems a little hypocritical, don’t you think?” 

Changbin clicks his tongue beneath his breath, dodging your warpath, as you kick another pebble into the trees, this one dangerously close to hitting his ankle. 

“I mean, yeah, you can, but you don’t.” You send another rock flying with a vehement curse under your breath. 

“Fucking hell, dude, just drop it, would you?” 

He pivots to walk in front of you, walking backward so he can stare at you, his brow furrowed into the start of a dangerous scowl, eyes dark and flashing with warning. 

“Fucking talk to me like that again, dude, and I’ll drop you.” 

You don’t back down an inch, glaring right back at him and walking quicker, closing the distance between the two of you. 

“Try it, I dare you. I just spent an hour improving my aim and force, and I’m dying to actually apply it in real life.” 

He holds your glare for another moment, a muscle ticking with annoyance in his strong jaw, and then he sighs with exasperation, stopping in front of you so you have to stop too, lest you run smack dab into his broad chest. 

Actually, that probably wouldn’t be so bad. 

He stares at you, his hands going to his hips, like he’s a mother-or Minho-getting ready to tell you off, and then he blows out another breath past his teeth, his shoulders slumping, as he admits with softened irritation, “You’re infuriating, you know that?” 

You feel the muscles in your body relax, if only just a bit, and your glare softens minutely at his obviously candid words. 

“So I’ve been told.” 

He glances up at the dark sky over your heads, the moon rising over the stark branches of the trees, and then back to you, before he says, “You know your scent has been whacked out all week right? Ever since Jeongin’s presentation.” 

Your shoulders tense, but you start to accept defeat under his scrutiny, letting out a long sigh of your own in response. 

“I know.” You finally acquiesce, voice slightly bitter, your words dropping off, as you glance back down at the ground, scuffing your sneaker along the sidewalk, wishing for another rock. 

Changbin steps closer, you see his converse kiss the toes of your own, and then his fingers find your chin, tilting your gaze back to meet his own, eyes dark and gentle. 

“Talk to me, baby.” 

You blow out another harsh breath. “I think-” You start, before stuttering off again, a sudden lump in your throat. 

You nip your bottom lip between your teeth and will yourself not to cry. 

Changbin reaches out, freeing the skin from your grip, before he thumbs your lip softly, tracing the skin with his touch. 

“You think-?” He pushes gently, eyes locked on your own, expression intent. 

You swallow thickly, and glance up at the sky above you, counting stars silently to keep your emotions in check. 

Fuck it, you might as well just tell him. 

“I think I told Chan something, inadvertently, that maybe fucked up our relationship forever.” You give a sardonic little laugh, one that lacks all humor, and shrug helplessly. “You know me and my big mouth. And then, of course, the whole thing with Jeongin-” You sigh. “Ive fucked up-probably irrevocably-two of my most important relationships in the last week.” 

Changbin’s gaze narrows in on you, and you can see him processing, going over things in his mind, reviewing the week back, looking for clues. 

“Have you talked to Chan about it?” He asks you finally, and you’re glad he hasn’t asked you what it was that you said. 

You don’t think you could repeat it again. 

‘Love. I know what that feels like.’ 

“I’ve been avoiding him.” You admit quietly, your gut churning into knots at just the thought of seeing Chan, at having to talk to him about what you’d admitted. 

Changbin takes your hands in his, thumbs brushing carefully over the sore, swollen skin of your knuckles, and when he speaks, his voice is gentle, but firm, “That’s the first step then. And we all need to make reparations with Jeongin. But I think you know all that already.” 

You swallow, before you nod reluctantly. 

“Yeah, I guess so.” 

He gives you the hint of a soft smile, and pulls you with him as he begins walking again, hand still firmly in his own. 

“C’mon. Let’s go home. Minho-hyung’s gonna wanna look at those knuckles.” 

**************

You: Hey.  Innie: Hey.  You: Can we talk?  Innie: Yeah……cafe @ 12?  You: I’ll be there. 

You’re not sure what to expect when Jeongin slides into the booth opposite you, dropping his backpack with a thud and turning to you expectantly, albeit a little shyly. 

God, he’s pretty. 

His fiery red hair is tucked beneath a baseball cap today, a thick, wool cardigan hanging off his shoulders, a woven bracelet you vaguely remember Jisung making tied around his small wrist. His nails are painted a dark navy, matching the mood of the oncoming winter outside.

The scent of warm bread fills your nose as he leans toward you slightly, and your jaw aches in response, saliva pooling beneath your tongue. 

“Hi.” He says without preamble, large dark eyes on your own. 

You swallow and take in a deep breath through your mouth.

“Hey.” 

It sounds lame, flat, a placeholder for what you should be actually saying. 

You take in another breath and jump in without preamble. 

“Look, Jeongin, I am so fucking sorry-” 

His lips quirk slightly, catching you off guard, and he sits back, looking more relaxed now. 

“Yeah, I know, noona.” 

Your words die in your throat, and you stare at him, openly shocked. 

“You do?” 

“Yeah.” He shrugs, giving you a grin now, white teeth flashing. “Chan-hyung told me all about it. You know, after-” His words stumble to a halt, and his cheeks flush a deep red. 

Fucking adorable. 

You clear your throat. “Okay, well, I just need you to know though, that you’ve always been a part of this pack, from the moment we met you, but we just couldn’t figure out how to be around you when you weren’t-” 

“Presented.” Jeongin finishes for you easily, his brow quirking upward. “Yeah, noona, I get it now. It’s okay.” 

Your body relaxes slightly, and you let out the breath you’ve been holding, sinking back into the booth behind you. 

“Yeah?” “Yeah.” Jeongin nods back resolutely, his expression open and understanding. “It hurt, before, because I didn’t get it, but now, I do.” His dark eyes flash with affection. “You guys were just trying to protect me. I see that now. Seriously.” 

Your alpha hums contentedly in your chest in response. 

“Fuck.” Your shoulders slump with relief. “We went about it really stupidly, Innie, but I swear we were.” 

He gives you a half smile, his lips curling up, and a wave of spiced cinnamon has your gut clenching with need. 

“It’s okay, noona. Really.” 

Might as well continue with the honesty, right? 

“Innie-” You let the words die on your tongue as his eyes meet yours, large, and dark, and completely vulnerable. You swallow and ask, like a coward, instead, “-are you feeling okay? You know, after everything?” 

His cheeks flush a subtle pink again, and he looks away, tapping his fingers on the table between you in an awkward sort of stiletto. 

“Yeah-” He gives a half little shrug, and you see his throat bob with a swallow. “-I mean, I guess? I don’t really know how I’m supposed to be feeling right now. I’ve never done this before.” You reach out, stilling his fingers by placing your palm over his hand, and when he finally looks at you once more, you give him a soft, comforting smile, squeezing his hand in your own. 

His skin is warm, soft and familiar beneath your hold. 

“It’s okay, Innie. We’ve all been there. It’s overwhelming at first.” 

“That’s an understatement.” He gives a little snort, rolling his eyes. “I swear to god I’ve never been this aware of how people smell in my entire life.” 

With a jolt, you realize that you’re probably being really overwhelming right now, this close to him, touching him, your alpha pheromones oozing from every pore in an attempt to soothe the agitated omega before you. 

“Oh, shit, I didn’t even think-” You start, pulling your hand from his grasp, but his fingers clench down on your own, his brow furrowing instantly. 

“No, not you!” He blurts out, almost in a panic, and you freeze. He clears his throat, blushing again, and then repeats quietly, “Not you, noona.I like how you smell. I like how everyone in the pack smells.” 

Your body relaxes once more, and you give him the hint of a smile as you reposition your hand over his. 

“Oh, okay. That’s good. Great, even.” 

“It is?” Jeongin questions curiously, before he lifts an arm, taking a sniff of his sweater, his large eyes flashing back up to your own, alight with innocence. “Do I smell good to you guys then too?” 

As if his body reacts to his own question, you catch a fresh wave of cinnamon and yeast, heady and strong, and your fingers tighten around his own on instinct, your jaw suddenly clenched, aching and expectant. 

You breathe out slowly through your nose, and relax your fingers one by one. 

“Yeah-” You get out through gritted teeth. “-you could say that.” 

Your alpha is begging you to pounce on the omega in front of you-all too big eyes and small frame, wrapped up prettily in an oversized sweater-but you force down the instinct, breathing out slowly instead, counting to ten silently in your head as Jeongin watches you expectantly. 

“Noona?” He asks, a little hesitantly, and you’d bet that his omega is doing something weird, maybe alarming, in response to your obvious reaction. 

“Sorry.” You shake your head to clear your thoughts, and give him a strained smile, clearing your throat. “Yeah, you smell really good to us too, Innie. It’s a pack thing, a biology thing. Especially between alphas and omegas. Nature wants us to find each other enticing, so omega scents are specifically designed to appeal to alphas and vice versa.” 

“Oh.” He simply replies, looking thoughtful now, as if he’s digesting what you’ve told him. 

“Anyway-” You glance at the clock on the wall behind his head, noting the time and how long you’ve both been sitting at the booth now. “-I have a lab I need to get to, but it’s on the way to the omega dorms if you’re done for the day and wanna walk with me?” 

Jeongin’s eyes light up and he grins, nodding rapidly, as he reaches for his backpack and scoots out of the booth. 

“I’d like that.” 

You follow him out of the small, warm cafe, the winter air nipping at your nose as you step outside, slinging your own bag over your shoulder, your hands going into the pockets of your coat for warmth. 

Jeongin pulls a scarf from his bag and tucks it around his neck with difficulty, the brisk wind whipping at the knitted fabric. 

Without a thought, you step forward and bat his hands away teasingly, wrapping the scarf securely around his throat a few times, before you tuck the loose ends down into the heavy fabric of his cardigan. 

“There.” You say firmly, finishing and looking down at him, making sure he’s completely covered. “Better?” 

Jeongin stares up at you, wide, dark eyes lined with incredibly long lashes, the end of his pert nose already turning red from the cold, face tucked into the folds of the scarf. 

“Yeah.” He breathes out, still staring up at you, his breath clouding in the cold air, and not for the first time, you have the fleeting thought that Jeongin looks good enough to eat. 

Bread bakes between the two of you without warning, and you clear your throat, telling yourself to step back, but you can’t physically make your feet move, fingers still clenched on the soft fabric of Jeongin’s scarf. 

“Fuck, don’t look at me like that.” You choke out, not able to stop yourself, glancing around to see if anyone has noticed the two of you, frozen on the sidewalk in front of the campus cafe. 

No one is around.

You don’t know if that’s incredibly fortunate, or incredibly dangerous.

“Noona?” He questions softly, and your eyes flick back to his own. 

“Yeah?” 

He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth and chews it, staring up at you, and everything inside of you is begging you to free the delicate, plump, pink skin. 

His cheeks are red, and you don’t know if it’s from the proximity, or from the frigid air. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

You hold your breath. “Of course.” 

He glances away, suddenly looking nervous. “Do you-” He takes in a shaky breath, and bravely meets your gaze once more. “-I mean, would you-?” 

You know what he’s asking, even without the words. 

Taking a step closer to him, your shoes butting against his own, you put a finger beneath his chin and angle his gaze upward, and you’re so close now, your lips are almost brushing, the warmth of Jeongin’s breath fanning across your tongue. 

You can almost taste the bread. 

“Yes, little pup. I would.” You murmur, words husky, voice dropping into a touch of alpha timber in response to his body against your own, his omega practically begging for your alpha just beneath the surface of his gaze. 

He sucks in a sharp breath as you let your thumb brush across the seam of his lips. 

“However, if I kiss you now, baby boy, I don’t think I’d be able to stop anytime soon.” 

His body shivers, and you can tell it’s not from the cold, and fuck, you really want to skip your lab, but-

You thumb his bottom lip once more, letting the skin drag beneath your touch, before you pull back. 

“And I want to take my fucking time, so-” You tug his collar and scarf up around his throat once more, bundling him for the walk back to the dorms. 

His eyes are hazed, pupils dark and blown, as you give him a little smirk. 

“-later, hm, pup?” 

He nods eagerly, and your alpha chuffs approvingly in response.

“Good boy. Now c’mon, let’s get you out of this cold.” 

*****************

“You can’t avoid him forever, you know.” 

Jisung tosses another handful of popcorn into his mouth beside you on the couch, eyes trained on the TV where a badly made action movie is currently playing. 

You don’t look at him as you query back innocently, “Who?” 

He snorts, stuffing more popcorn into his already puffed cheeks. 

“Chan-hyung.” 

“I’m not avoiding him.” You reply back a little too quickly, clearly a lie, your eyes stilling on the page you’ve been doggedly reading for the last half an hour. 

Jisung snorts again. “Yeah, okay, and I’m not fucking Minho-hyung.” 

“Ew.” You shove his shoulder, and he totters, steadying the popcorn bowl at the last moment so it doesn’t dump its contents all over said hyung’s couch. 

He gives you a glare, throwing a popcorn kernel at your head, and missing by a margin. 

“Well, it’s true! I’m just saying, noona-” His words become muffled as he shoves another handful of popcorn into his waiting mouth, glancing at the movie once more. “-ever’one knows you’re being weird all the sudd’n.” 

“Yeah, okay, well-” You shut your book a little bit harder than necessary, tossing it aside as you stand. “-when I want advice from you, Han Jisung, I’ll ask for it.” You lean over him obnoxiously, blocking his view of the TV, as you take a large handful of his popcorn and shove it into your mouth, chewing loudly as you stare him down. 

“Hey!” He protests, jerking the popcorn out of your reach violently, as you straighten and give him one last pointed look, gathering up your homework. 

“I’m only trying to help!” He calls out as you turn to leave the living room, flipping him off over your shoulder without looking back. “Just looking out for you, noona!” 

He goes up on his knees on the couch, cupping his hands around his mouth, as if it’ll make him louder, and you can’t hear him just beyond the doorway. 

“Considering, you know, that he’s here right now and all!” 

His words don’t register for a moment, and when they do, it’s already too late, considering you’ve just rounded the corner into Minho’s kitchen and caught sight of both he and Chan sitting, deep in conversation, at the small table. 

You come to a dead stop, your stomach instantly dropping out of your shoes, and they both look up at your entrance, Minho arching a brow at what you’re sure is clear, unfiltered panic crossing your face. 

His lips curve into the hint of a knowing smirk.

“Ah, sweetheart. We were just talking about you.” 

“I needed to test my theory. And I agree with you, sweetheart, it wasn’t my best work, but I had to improvise in the moment.” 

You glare up at him, even as he grins and ducks his head back down between your thighs. 

“You’re seriously so-” Minho’s tongue licks, long and slow, across you, and you suddenly lose all train of thought, the words dying out on your lips. 

Your fingers bury themselves in his hair, and you arch your body up into him, chasing the high of his mouth on you. 

“God, fuck-” You groan out, squirming beneath Minho’s weight, his teeth grazing along the inside of your thigh as he pulls back. 

You whine pathetically at his sudden absence, wordlessly begging him for more, but he ignores you, leaning over you, palms planted steadily on either side of your head, staring you down with a serious expression, eyes dark and feral, even as his face remains smooth. 

“You don’t get to say God’s name when we’re fucking, sweetheart. The only name that’s allowed past your lips is mine. God’s not the one in between your legs.” 

The rough, low timber of his alpha voice has a shiver running down your spine, your body flashing hot all over. 

Minho pumps a finger into you, slow and leisurely, and you bite down on your bottom lip hard enough to taste copper, resisting the urge to whine between your lips. 

Instead, your chest rises and falls with a breath, and you work up your most innocent, sickly sweet smile. 

“Yes, sir.” You quip back, and the flash of something predatory, bordering on wicked amusement, in Minho’s gaze at your snarky words tells you he knows exactly what you’re doing. 

“Mm mm.” He gives a shake of his head, a disapproving tsk clicking off the end of his tongue. “Not good enough.” 

He moves his fingers again, and your body arches against your will, begging for more, even as the brat inside of you rears its ugly head at the challenge. 

Minho smirks, and you hold his gaze, managing to get out in a somewhat level tone, “What, you don’t like when I call you ‘sir’?” You arch a brow tauntingly, and a slight smirk to match his own flickers across your lips. “Binnie usually loves that one. What about-” You make a thoughtful face, and then grin up at him, sharp and goading. “-’alpha?’ Yes, alpha?” 

Minho’s lips quirk with something akin to dangerous amusement, and he slides in another finger without warning. 

You can’t hold back the gasp that slips out of you this time. 

“Try again.” 

You’re panting now with his increased pace, and struggling to choke out your words, and god dammit, the smug look on Minho’s pretty face tells you he knows he’s already won. 

He slides his fingers out and leans over you once more, hands planted on either side of your head, his gaze swirling dark. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Cat got your tongue?” His lips twitch and a flash of sharp, white canine has your core clenching. His clean hand goes into your hair, tilting your head back commandingly to meet his gaze. “No? Then be a good kitten for alpha and behave.” 

You nod desperately, no more fight left, you just need-need him, need Minho, need his body on yours-and reach up to tangle your fingers into the thick locks of his hair, tugging him down to press his mouth to yours. 

At the same time, he slips a hand back between your thighs, and you immediately mewl with need into his open mouth. 

“Minho, fuck-” You pant out, chest heaving, brushing his with every breath. 

His eyes flash, a dangerous gold, and a smirk curves up the corner of his mouth. 

“Good girl.” He praises in a low growl, and you whimper in response.  

You know he can feel how wet you are for him already, his fingers slick against your inner legs as he pauses, considering you for a moment. 

His smirk grows wider. 

“You know, I rather like the sound of my name on your lips, sweetheart. Sometimes you’re too mouthy for your own good, but it’s nice to know that insufferable mouth of yours is good for at least two useful things.” 

“Fuck you.” You bite out, but it holds no venom, and the words are way too breathy and verging on a moan to be considered threatening. 

Minho chuckles and slides between your thighs with a knowing, amused look and a flash of dangerous teeth. 

“Oh you will, sweetheart. But right now, you’re going to be a good girl and wait your turn.” 

His head sinks between your thighs, and your fingers tangle into his thick hair once more, and you hate to admit it, but Minho’s name really does sound great as a moan. 

*****************

When you and Minho reemerge into the living room, the betas are sitting on the couch together, Jisung showing something to Seungmin on his phone, laughing quietly. 

You sit down beside them and sling your arm around Jisung’s narrow shoulders. 

“So. I guess everybody else is kind of preoccupied.” Jisung glances up from the video and instantly wrinkles his nose, making a face of disgust. 

“Gross. You smell like Minho.” 

You let out a little disbelieving laugh and glance in the other alpha’s direction, who doesn’t even bother to look up from whatever he’s doing on his phone. 

Fine. You’ll be offended for him. 

“I thought you liked how Minho smelled!” You exclaim, ribbing Jisung in the side, as he gives you a little glare and rubs at his offended ribs. 

“I do!” He protests, still wrinkling his nose dramatically, even going so far as to cover it with the palm of his hand, which you promptly swat away. “But not like this!” 

You stare at him, open mouthed. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

Seungmin leans around Jisung to catch your eye, an exasperated look washing across his features, before he deadpans, “He means you smell like fucking.” 

“Oh my god.” You roll your eyes, throwing your hands in the air. “Seriously? Are you in the fourth grade?” 

“No.” Jisung pouts, crossing his arms over his chest, glaring at you, as he snuggles back further against Seungmin, who gives him a little pat on the shoulder in support. “Fourth graders aren’t allowed to say ‘fuck.’” 

“I was.” Minho pipes up dryly, rather unhelpfully, from the opposite corner of the room. 

“You’re the exception.” Jisung throws out, without really looking in his direction. He keeps his glare level on you. “You know, noona, I can’t really decide what offends me more. The fact that you and hyung were off kanoodling while Seungmin and I were here worrying, or the fact that you didn’t even think to invite me.” 

“Dude!” You exclaim hopelessly, letting out a little laugh that verges on a scoff. “Being around you right now is torture! You literally smell so much like Jeongin it’s making my alpha feral, and Minho was the easiest, closest stress outlet.” 

Minho glances up from his phone at that and gives a wry little smirk. “I think that’s the sweetest, nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, sweetheart.” 

“Still.” Jisung visibly pouts, slumping back into the couch. 

You sigh, letting out a long breath, and try not to notice the hints of cinnamon and yeast still clinging to the beta sitting beside you. 

“Sungie.” You try, and he turns away from you with a humph, arms over his chest, glare avoiding your gaze. 

You grin a little, and lean over, butting your head against his chin until he has to notice you. 

“Sungie-” You wheedle, pitching your voice up, until you see his glare and hard expression finally wavering, his lips trying to twitch upward. “I’m sorry. We should’ve invited you, okay? Tensions are high and I wasn’t thinking clearly. Forgive me?” 

Jisung is still for a moment, and then he sighs, finally removing his arms from his chest and turning to face you with a glare that holds less bite than before. 

“Fine. But you owe me. Big time.” 

“How about-” You nuzzle your nose into his throat, scenting him lightly, and you feel him start to relax against you. You glance up at him, and meet his dark, doe eyed gaze. “-I start right now?” 

Jisung narrows his eyes. “I’m listening.” 

You bite back a smile, and raise a hand to twirl one of his dark curls around your finger. 

“How about, we go back to my place and make showering a group activity?” 

Jisung’s eyes spark with interest, though he fights to keep his expression impassive. 

“Can Seungmin come?” He asks, glancing back at the other beta, who has lost interest in the conversation, scrolling through his phone. 

“Well, yeah.” You immediately agree, pushing yourself up, until you can meet his mouth with yours, his plush lips parting beneath your own. Your voice drops to a whispered purr. “‘Group’ implies more than just the two of us, Sungie.”

Jisung swallows hard, and your eyes follow the movement, before he glances once more over his shoulder at the other beta and asks in a slightly strangled voice, “Minnie, you wanna go back to noona’s and shower with us?” 

Seungmin glances up, his expression indifferent, as he gives a little shrug of his shoulder. 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

Jisung turns back to you with a shrug of his own. “That’s all the enthusiasm you’re gonna get from him, noona. But basically, that’s a hell yes.” 

You laugh and stand, tugging Jisung, and then Seungmin, up with you. 

“Perfect. Let’s go.” 

*******************************

“Okay, my turn.” 

You focus on the way the suds of the shampoo foam beneath your fingers as you massage Jisung’s hair as he talks, your hands buried up to the knuckles in his thick, ebony curls, tight and heavy with water. 

He looks thoughtful for a moment, leaned back against you in the small space of the shower, and then he grins, snapping his fingers as he announces triumphantly, “Okay. Got it!” His grin morphs into something slightly more wicked. “Who is most likely to end up on Korea’s Most Wanted? Chan-hyung or Minho-hyung?” 

Seungmin looks exasperated, rinsing his own shampoo beneath the running stream of water. “Hyung, these questions are supposed to be hard.” 

You laugh and smear a streak of shampoo down Jisung’s cheek when he pouts. 

“Minho. Obviously.” 

Seungmin shakes the excess water out of his hair and switches Jisung spots so he can rinse, leaning back against you, the warmth of his naked, freshly washed body comforting against your own. 

The beta lets out a sound that borders a snort. “Yeah, no offense, hyung, but your boyfriend is fucking scary. He’d murder someone just for looking at him wrong.” 

Jisung grins, his tightly shut eyes crinkling, as he washes another wave of suds from his hair. 

“Yeah, you’re right. He’s fucking hot though, so it all balances out.” 

You give a little half shrug in response. “Men who can kill you are always hot. I don’t make the rules.” 

You give Jisung a grin as he opens his eyes, and Seungmin glances between the two of you as if you’ve lost your minds. 

Finally, he lets out a heavy sigh and slowly shakes his head. 

“Sometimes I worry about the two of you.” 

“Ah.” You coo, tickling his sides, even as he swats your hands away, and lean in to press a sappy, sloppy kiss to his cheek. “You’re so sweet, baby.” 

“Shut up. I hate you both.” 

Jisung emerges from the water with grabby hands, smooshing an unwilling Seungmin between the two of you in a sandwich sort of embrace. 

“No you don’t, Minnie. You looooveeee us.” 

Seungmin swats irritatedly at the other beta, but doesn’t make a move to leave the sudden close quarters situation he’s found himself in, belying the truth beneath Jisung’s teasing words. 

You rest your chin on top of Seungmin’s head and snake your arms around his waist, taking Jisung by the hips and pulling him tighter against the two of you. 

“Okay, my turn.” You announce, settling against the cool wall of the shower, taking most of the relaxed, cuddling betas’ weight. 

Seungmin reaches for the body wash, and begins to gruffly rub some of the floral scented soap across Jisung’s bare chest. 

You don’t comment on the way his hands linger on the other beta’s defined pecs, but by the smug look on Jisung’s face, you know he’s noticed too. 

“Just don’t make it stupid. Or easy.” Seungmin grumps as he continues to lather, and Jisung makes a face at him. 

“Your words hurt me, Minnie. They really cut me to the core.” 

“Shut up.” Seungmin grumbles, moving to remove his hands from Jisung’s skin, but the older beta is too quick, looping his fingers around his boyfriend’s wrists with a smirk, keeping his hands firmly against his chest. 

Seungmin makes a noise of annoyance in his throat, but you don’t miss the slight pink flush to his cheeks, as after a moment, he silently resumes his scrubbing. 

“Okay.” You bite back your grin as you watch them. “Who’s most likely to say ‘I love you’ first between the two of you?” 

Seungmin’s hands go still on Jisung’s chest, and Jisung gives you a wide eyed stare over the other beta’s head, his lips slightly parted. 

You swallow hard, and push down the sudden nervous butterflies rising in your stomach. 

The steamy shower begins to fill with the scent of wisteria. 

“I-” Seungmin starts to say, his mouth open and closing a few times, as if your question has short circuited something in his brain. 

You give a breathless little laugh. 

“Okay, I’ll admit-” You admit quietly with another nervous chuckle, swallowing again, as you allow your hands to idly play with the hair at the base of Seungmin’s neck in an anxious sort of movement. “-that was a trick question. It’s me.” 

Jisung is still staring at you, and Seungmin is completely still against you. 

You force the words out past your lips, even though something inside of you is balking, reminding you of how this went the first time.

But this isn’t the first time. Or even the second. And not even close to the last. 

“I-” You take in a deep breath and exhale the words. “-love you.” 

Jisung’s eyes are so wide and dark that you feel you could get lost in them. 

He lets out a little breath, and his plush lips seal back together once more. 

“You-” He continues to stare. “-love us?” 

“Yeah.” You give a little nod, and try to ignore the fact that Seungmin still seems to be frozen in your arms. “I do.” 

Jisung gives a shocked little laugh, and his eyes light with something warm. 

“You love us.” He repeats, as if to make himself believe it, and you feel something warm and final settle into the pit of your stomach at the acceptance, and reciprocation, opening up his features the longer he ruminates. 

You glance down at the beta against you, still silent and unmoving.

“Min?” You question softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

He shifts, clearing his throat. 

“That was a really stupid question.” He murmurs hoarsely, clearing his throat again, as he finally moves, shifting his gaze past your own. “You were supposed to come up with something hard.” 

You grin, because with Seungmin, that’s as close to an acknowledgement, and acceptance, and reciprocation, as you’re going to get. 

“Sorry.” You apologize giddily, a little laugh of relief slipping past your lips. 

Seungmin humphs, and pulls away from the two of you, a light pink dusting his cheeks as he turns to shut off the water. 

“You two suck at games. I’m gonna have to teach you a thing or two.” 

Jisung matches your wild, wide grin above the other beta’s head. 

Laundry sneaks its way in between the wisteria blossoms, and underneath it all, a ginger laced ember begins to glow.

“Can’t wait, Minnie. Can’t wait.” 

****************

“Do you think Roy is the top in the Royza relationship?” Jisung muses sleepily, his head on your chest, your fingers carding lazily through his hair. 

“No.” Minho replies back immediately, not even bothering to look up from his phone at the anime that’s currently playing on the TV quietly in the background. 

“That man has definitely been pegged.” You add on, reaching over Seungmin’s reclined form to grab another handful of popcorn from the bowl. 

“And enjoyed it.” Seungmin agrees with a slight nod, adjusting his glasses, the lights from the TV flashing across the lenses. 

Jisung snuggles in closer against your side, and you bury your nose in his hair, breathing in the smell of detergent and clean laundry. 

Ginger spices your nose as Seungmin shifts on your other side, his arm tossed lazily across your waist, his fingers subtly stroking the arch of Jisung’s cheekbone, the slope of his nose. 

Your phone vibrates, but you’re too comfortable and cocooned to even bother to search for it. 

Behind you, Minho rolls to his back, jostling your head out of its position of comfort, using him as a human pillow. 

You’re about to complain, when his phone vibrates as well, and he holds it above his head, squinting his eyes against the brightness of the screen. 

Suddenly, for some reason, nerves prickle across your skin, and your wolf raises its head. 

“(Y/N).” Minho says in a low voice, and you glance up at him, careful not to move and disturb the dozing beta lying on your chest. 

He turns the phone screen for you to see the text message scrawled there. 

Minho’s expression is serious, his eyes dark. 

Inside, your heart bottoms out of your chest.

“Chan needs you.” 

********************************************************************************

💗 Taglist:

@hosh1kwon

@carolinexkpop@blithevix

@sunabokuto

@wildflower-at-heart@faericals@5sos-wdw@hyuneyeon

@studyingthemind@illicee

@maddmartian

@binnie--baby

@xwinchesterprincessx@ley-lani59

@lady---boner

@rosegaming117@meivida

@sai-kida134

@cutecucumberkimberly

@aroseharder

@spideyweirdo

@coureurs-de-bois9

@unfiltered-starlight@sixswaggy

@shimmeringmoons22

@thatgirlangelb

@beautifulcolorgarden

@runningthroughlifestay@dearalice@patat-boi@stay-berry

@laylasbunbunny

@misxing-you

@sawadabegum

@changbinsrightboob

@maliamaiden@sunnibearr@bkirsted@jamlou512

@latinxmochi@goquokka

@leeknowsw0rldd@yoongihan

@simeonswhore

@rubberduckieyourtheone

@chanlovesme

@janvibutbetter

@starlostjimin /

@vampcharxter

@dadonbabysworld

@cursed-mars-bars@lexiluness@nanaberry6

@yoongisleftearring@seoulsaver

@leeyanyanyaaan@septicrebel

@peppermint-tea-life

@ashcapybara

@thesingingelephant@ksho123

@bangchanwhore

@im-sinking-in-mud@nxahlxl

@peachbokkie@pretty-blkgirl

@bokkierachacha

@richardofyork@neohyxn

@dumplinbokkieracha

@dreamingsmile

@smollquokka@hash2013

@atinystaycarat

@i-dont-know-me-either

@ketchupaeternum

@urmomsgayforme5@nxahlxl

@eastleighsblog@ssslatttxx

@kawennote09

@ichiraku-verse

@stephy-nicole13

@friendlydumbass

@weird-bookworm@jesuisstay

“He’s right though.” Seungmin comments from his spot against the wall, watching everyone warily, as if he’s studying you all. “We will have to get the appropriate paperwork from the Heat Clinic to excuse him from studies.” 

The beta shifts slightly, clearing his throat. “And delayed presentations, from what I’ve read, are like a heat, but on steroids. So whether he knows it or not, he’s gonna need an alpha-a knot-sooner rather than later.” 

You don’t miss the way Changbin and Chan stiffen at his words, a muscle flinching in Chan’s clenched jaw. 

Minho sighs, reaching out a hand to stop Jisung’s endless pacing, tugging the beta to him and tucking him beneath the safety of his chin. 

Jisung’s body stills, but his foot still taps anxiously against the floor. 

“What do we do now though? At this exact moment?” 

Seungmin shrugs. “We’ll have to ask him-what he needs, what he wants. Every omega-especially newly presented ones-are different. No two are the same.” 

Hyunjin snorts from his position on the couch, anger flaring to life in the dark recesses of his eyes. 

“He’s in no fucking condition to talk, Seungmin. Kid can’t even keep water down. He’s miserable.” 

You know why he’s angry-and he has a right to be-but your alpha growls warningly in response at the slight bitter flare to his scent, as if he’s challenging you. 

You discreetly put a hand over your nose and breathe through your mouth, because the scents colliding in the room right now-heightened by uncertainty and rampaging emotions-are threatening to overwhelm you. 

You can feel a headache starting to pound behind your eyes. 

“He’s probably scared.” Felix whispers, eyes large and dark, expression grave and worried. He’s picking at a string on the blanket across his lap, and Hyunjin breaks his inactivity to reach out and place his fingers comfortingly over the other omega’s. 

Felix gives him a grateful look before he continues. 

“Someone needs to be there for him. I don’t know what late presentations are like, thank god, but I do know what heats are like, and he’s not going to want to be alone.” 

Chan clears his throat, resignation in his eyes as he steps forward, glancing between you, Changbin, and Minho. 

“We have responsibilities as the alphas of this pack to take care of our own. We need to ask him who he wants, before he suffers needlessly.” 

“He’s already suffering.” Hyunjin mutters bitterly beneath his breath, and Chan turns to him, eyes suddenly flashing, but his voice steady. 

“Hyunjin, you have a right to be angry on Jeongin’s behalf, we were boneheads, I get that, but no matter how stupid we’ve been going about it, we’ve always, always put this pack first, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. Please give us a little slack, and if you don’t have anything helpful to add, find somewhere else to be until you can get control of your emotions.” 

You see Felix squeeze Hyunjin’s hand, and finally the omega nods once, curt and short. 

Chan blows out a long breath and glances back to all of you, and you see the dark circles forming beneath his eyes, slowly bruising the tan skin. 

“Okay. How do we do this?” 

You feel something heavy sink into the pit of your stomach at his words, and you immediately hold out your hands, your voice quiet as you announce, “Well, he definitely doesn’t want to see me. So I’ll take myself out of the running.” 

Chan opens his mouth to say something-maybe to agree with you, maybe not-but Seungmin beats him to the punch. 

“Not necessarily.” The beta pushes off the wall and comes toward you, studying you with a sharp gaze that seems to look right into everything you’re so desperately trying to keep hidden. “You may have been a straight up alpha asshole, and Jeongin may be upset with you right now, but his omega is an entirely different story.” 

You stare at him, and he gives you a slight smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he shrugs. 

“Biology’s a bitch, remember?” 

You sigh. “So you keep telling me.” 

“I’ll just go and talk to him.” Hyunjin announces sharply, pushing up from the couch with a slight glare. “He’s used to my scent since I helped him down here to his apartment, so it shouldn’t trigger him too much or make him too territorial if I enter his nest-” 

Suddenly, the omega sways on his feet, and Changbin is up in a flash, steadying him with an arm around his waist. 

“Jin.” Changbin murmurs, his face pinched with worry and confusion as he stares at the omega. “You good?” 

“Fuck, I don’t-” Hyunjin starts to say, shaking his head slowly, before he groans and leans over to clamp his arms around his midsection. 

“Fuck.” He repeats again, and it’s a whimper this time, as Changbin takes all of his weight with a grunt and holds him upright. 

“What the fuck is going on?” Chan asks, voice tight, as he kneels down in front of Hyunjin and tries to look up into his face, his hands going steadily on the omega’s hips. 

There is the sudden sharp scent of lemons flooding out all the other smells in the room, and saliva starts to pool behind your teeth. 

Your wolf begins to pace in agitation. 

“I think I-” Hyunjin starts to say between gritted teeth, before doubling over once more. 

And then you smell it, clear as day. 

It makes your jaw ache, spit flooding your mouth, your wolf suddenly at full attention, hungry. 

Slick. 

“Aw, fuck.” Minho growls out, dark eyes growing more serious as he stares at Hyunjin. “Are you in heat?” 

Hyunjin shakes his head violently, as Changbin helps him toward the door with slow, unsteady steps. “No! I’m diligent with tracking, I’m not even close-” “Wait.” You say, hurrying after Changbin and helping Hyunjin slip his feet into his sneakers. You glance up at the pained look on the omega’s from where you’re kneeling and suddenly, you feel stupid for not putting it together sooner. 

“The same thing happened when Felix experienced his first heat as part of the pack.” You glance at Felix for confirmation, and he gives a quick nod, his eyes never leaving Hyunjin’s crumpled frame. “And now Jeongin-” 

Seungmin’s eyes light up like he’s just put the puzzle pieces together too. 

“Oh my god. We’re so fucking dense.” 

You nod, and Hyunjin lets out a harsh breath, glaring as much as he can between the two of you. 

“Spit it out. I’m dying here.” 

You smooth a palm down his thigh, and the muscle trembles a little less beneath your touch, your pheromones blooming in the air between you. 

“You’re our Luna.” You murmur, and your wolf growls with the rightness of it all. You can’t believe you hadn’t realized it sooner. You glance back up to Hyunjin’s pinched face. “You’re the Luna of the pack.” 

Understanding crosses Hyunjin’s face, followed by panic. 

“Fuck, I think I’m going to be sick-” He chokes out, and you don’t know whether it’s the sudden news of his position in the pack, or the impending heat, but he does suddenly look a bit green. 

You stand, and open the door so Changbin can usher him into the hall. 

“Take care of him, yeah?” You say softly as they pass you, and Changbin glances at you, nodding stiffly. 

“I’ve got him, baby girl. Don’t worry.” 

You nod back, holding his gaze. “I know.” 

Hyunjin whines, and you have to tamp your wolf back down from answering the call. 

You lean over once more to glance at his face, smoothing a hand over his hair. 

“If you need me, baby-” You assure quietly, staring at him unwaveringly, your scent backing your firm words. “-I will be there immediately. Okay?” 

Hyunjin nods, whimpering slightly beneath his breath, clutching his middle, and then you let them go, watching as Changbin helps him down the hall and out of sight. 

You glance back in through the open doorway, to where the rest of the pack is still discussing how to help Jeongin, and now Hyunjin, and feel something heavy and forbidding settle into the pit of your stomach. 

“Fuck.” You mutter beneath your breath, just to yourself and whatever God may be listening, before you go back into the apartment and shut the door. 

***************

In the end, you all come to the decision that it’s for the best if the two betas go in to talk to Jeongin and see what he needs from all of you. 

“Our scents are soft and faint, they won’t trigger him like the alphas’ or Felix’s would.” Seungmin had assured, looking between all of you seriously. “We’re also neutral ground, so his omega shouldn’t feel the need to be territorial over its nest either.” 

 And now Jisung was looking like he wanted to follow in Jeongin’s and Hyunjin’s footsteps and promptly hurl his guts up in the bathroom. 

“I’m having a fucking panic attack.” He chokes out, leaning over the sink, palms flat against the cold marble of the counter, face red and sweaty. 

You shut the door quietly behind you and approach him slowly, watching the way his chest heaves as he breathes in and out. 

Well, gasps in and out. 

“Jisung.” You murmur gently, coming up behind him and carefully sliding your hands over his, pressing your chest against his back, if only to ground him a little. “Breathe.” 

“I can’t-” He stutters out, fingers clenching beneath your own, his whole body trembling, as he drops his head and gasps for breath, repeating again desperately, “-I can’t.” 

“Jisung.” You echo, voice firmer this time, pressing more tightly against him, pinning him against the counter, hoping to settle him with your body weight. “Look at me.” 

He lifts his head, just enough to meet your eyes in the mirror from beneath the dark fringe of his bangs, and you hold him steady with your gaze, watching the panic swirl in the depths of his eyes. 

“Breathe.” You admonish again, softer once more, and Jisung manages to take in one deep, shuddering breath. You nod, squeezing his hands. “Good. Again.” 

He takes in another breath, followed by another, and you wait in silence, until his heartbeat is no longer thundering through his back and into your own. 

“Good boy, baby.” You praise quietly, rubbing your fingers over his own, as he ducks his head once more and takes a few more calming breaths. “That’s it. You’re doing great.” 

You watch him carefully in the reflection of the mirror, gauging his condition, and after another beat of silence, he lifts his head and says hoarsely in a halting voice, not quite meeting your gaze, “I’m sorry.” 

You immediately shake your head, snaking your arms around his waist now that he’s a tad calmer, squeezing him to you as you continue to both stand in front of the mirror. 

“You have nothing to apologize for, ever. Not with me, not with any other member of the pack. We love you, baby. That will never change.” 

You squeeze him once more, just for good measure, and he finally meets your gaze, his own large, dark eyes still slightly more shiny than normal. 

“Thanks.” He whispers back, taking in another long, trembling breath. 

You nod silently, still watching him, and then ask softly, “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Jisung blows out the breath he had been holding, and his fingers tighten again against the lip of the counter, his knuckles whitening. 

The scent of drying laundry filling the bathroom grows slightly moldy. 

His body tenses beneath your hold, and you sink your chin onto his shoulder, just to remind him you’re there. 

“I-” Jisung starts, biting his trembling bottom lip. “-don’t think I’m the right person for this job.” 

You say nothing, waiting for him to continue. 

He sighs, and releases his hold on the counter finger by finger, as if he just now realized how tightly he was clenching the stone for support. 

“I don’t know what to say, or what to do, and I’ve never even dealt with someone during their cycle before-well, that’s not true, I’ve been with Minho-hyung for rut, but a heat is completely different according to Seungmin-and a whole lot is riding on this going well, and I-” His panicked rambling dies off into a groan, and he leans over the sink once more. “-Fuck, I think I’m going to be sick-” 

You cling to him more tightly, and try to pull him back from the brink. 

“Jisung.” You say firmly, keeping your voice calm and steady, your expression never wavering from his as you stare him down in the mirror. You mimic a deep, long breath. “Breathe, baby.” 

He manages to pull in another breath at your words, and then another, and when he looks at you once more, he doesn’t look quite so intent on vomiting up his breakfast. 

You let him calm down in silence for another beat, and then you ask quietly, voice firm, “Who made you feel like that?” 

Jisung’s eyes flick up to yours, and there is surprise written on his face, mixed now with the panic. 

“Like what?” 

It’s your turn to take in a deep breath, something cold and final settling between your ribs now that you’re truly paying attention, as if your wolf knew what was happening before you did, growling low and threatening, ready to protect the beta enclosed in your arms with its final breath. 

“Like you’re not good enough. Like you’re somehow lacking.” 

You’re not just talking about the anxiety attacks either. You’re talking about the fact that someone made him feel as if he didn’t have anything to contribute to serious situations. 

The thought makes you see red. 

Jisung visibly winces, and you know you’ve hit the nail on the head. 

“Jisung.” You say firmly, reaching up a hand to cup his chin, so he can’t duck his head and avoid your gaze any longer, your palm against his throat, the rapid flicker of his pulse speeding up beneath your touch. 

His eyes are large and dark, and a silent tear rolls down one of his cheeks. 

“You are an important, valid, loved member of this pack. When I say you can do anything you set your mind to, I mean it. And there is no one, no one, better for this job than you.” 

His bottom lip quivers and you swipe your finger tip across it gently. 

“You were the first one to make Innie feel welcome. The first one to help him get comfortable. The first one to invite him to hang out in a casual setting. You were the only member of the pack he trusted from the absolute very beginning. You, Jisung, no one else, you. And he needs you now. And we wouldn’t have asked you to do this, if we didn’t believe that you could.” 

Jisung takes in one more deep, shuddering breath, and then nods, straightening his shoulders with a determined look. 

“You’re right. I can do this.” 

You give him the hint of a smile as he turns in your arms, and lean forward to press a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, swiping away the track left behind by the rogue tear. 

The scent of laundry is cleaner now, giving hints of a warm summer day and fresh detergent.

“Yes, baby, you absolutely can.” 

*********

“Stop pacing.” Minho snaps out, glaring at Chan, as he takes another circle of the room. 

Chan shoots him an apologetic look and flops down beside you on the couch. “Sorry, Min.” 

He glances at his watch and then to the empty hallway. 

“They’ve been in there a long time. Do you think they-” “No.” You shake your head, knowing where he’s going, and let your hand rest on his jiggling thigh, stilling the nervous movement and hopefully keeping him place for a moment longer. “They’re okay. Jisung and Seungmin have got this.” 

Chan sighs and nods, sinking back into the couch, but he doesn’t look happy about it. 

The hand he covers your own with is trembling slightly. 

“God, you’re like a nervous mother hen, hyung.” Minho remarks with a slight smirk, though you can tell, by his grip on the arm of the couch, that he’s not as relaxed as he’s pretending to be. 

This whole thing has put everyone on edge. 

“I can’t help it.” Chan protests, throwing his hands out helplessly. “He’s always on edge, but today it’s like ten times as bad.” 

You know he’s talking about his alpha, and something in his words catches your attention, making you think for a moment. 

Hyunjin being the Luna of the pack made sense after you’d put everything together, maybe Chan-

Your train of thought is interrupted by the reappearance of Seungmin and Jisung, and a fresh wave of a scent you’ve never smelled before. 

Something yeasty, like rising bread? And spiced with cinnamon around the edges. 

Your wolf immediately pricks its ears, growling possessively. 

At the same time, Chan covers his nose beside you, pupils going wide and dark almost immediately. 

“Fuck.” Jisung goes directly to Minho, curling up into his arms and snuggling his head against his chest, and Minho rears back, hissing slightly between his teeth. 

Jisung glances up, expression offended. “What the fuck, hyung?” 

Minho carefully deposits the put out beta onto his own cushion of the couch, and scoots closer to you and Chan, his own palm going up to cover his nose and mouth. 

“No offense, Sungie, but you’re gonna have to shower before you come near me again.” 

Now all three of you are crushed onto the furthest end of the couch, and Seungmin is watching from the doorway, open amusement on his features. 

Jisung glances at the other beta with annoyance on his face, and Seungmin takes pity on him, coming to sit beside him as he pats his hand once in sympathy. 

Minho practically climbs on top of you and Chan to get away. 

“It’s Innie’s scent, hyung. It’s all over us.” Seungmin says, glancing over to the three of you with humor in his dark eyes, his brow arched. “He didn’t have one before, but now that he’s presenting, it’s kinda strong.” 

“Kinda?” Chan chokes out, trying to breathe through his mouth, and you have to agree with his outrage. 

You literally can’t take a breath of the yeast laden air without your entire body prickling with want. 

“Well, fuck me, I guess.” Jisung grumbles, lifting the hem of his shirt to his nose as if to smell what Seungmin is talking about, then letting it fall in open disgust. 

“Oh, I will.” Minho retorts back, his hand never leaving his face. “But only after you shower.” 

“Well?” Chan asks impatiently, and Seungmin gives him a sharp look, to which he slumps back on the couch. “Sorry.” 

“Wow, first you say we stink, now you’re taking tones with us?” Jisung wails dramatically, flinging himself over Seungmin, even as the other beta wrinkles his nose and tries, unsuccessfully, to shove him off. “The pack is being torn apart by this!” 

“You don’t stink-” You start carefully, glancing at Chan and Minho, who look just as desperately frazzled as you feel. The saliva in your mouth echoes the truth of your words. “-quite the opposite actually.” 

Jisung immediately ceases his wailing and sits up right. 

“Oh?” He arches a brow, and a saucy look comes over his face. “So you’re telling me I shouldn’t do this-” 

He makes a move to playfully lunge toward the three of you, piled on the end of the couch, and swear to god, you all visibly flinch. 

“No!” You all shriek at the same time, and Minho’s elbow hits you square in the face and Chan takes your knee to his ribs as you all scrabble to get away from the smirking beta and the overwhelming, incredibly tantalizing scent of warm bread. 

“Fucking hell, Jisung.” Minho groans, pinching his nose and screwing his eyes closed as if he’s getting a migraine. “Do you have a death wish?” 

Jisung’s smirk grows wider. “Death by fucking? It’s my ideal way to go.” 

“Yeah, well-” Chan sighs deeply. “Don’t play with fire right now, okay? Or our alphas are liable to jump you and never let you go. They’re-” He shifts uncomfortably beneath you, and you feel his hardness between your legs. It makes your mouth water more. “-incredibly riled.” He finishes lamely, and Minho scoffs and rolls his eyes at the obvious understatement of the century. 

  “Speaking of,” You turn to Minho, who is practically sitting on top of you, Chan on the bottom of your unfortunate dog-or wolf-pile. “Can you get your boner out of my face?” 

He levels you with an even gaze. “Only if you get yours out of mine.” 

Chan groans. “Seungmin, for the love of god, please just tell us who Jeongin wants so the other two of us can get the fuck out of here.” 

Jisung’s face grows serious, and Seungmin lets out a long breath. 

“He doesn’t know.” He lifts one shoulder in a shrug, even as your stomach plummets at the grave words. “You’ve all gotta go in there and see who his new omega responds to the most favorably.” Seungmin’s face darkens slightly. “But hurry up, because even if he doesn’t know it, he’s gonna need a knot, and soon.” 

Chan nods resignedly. “All right. Do we get Changbin?”

“We can’t.” You immediately shake your head. “You know how Jinnie is in heat. He won’t let anyone else near him for the first twenty four hours.” 

“Guess we’re the lucky Three Musketeers then.” Minho grunts, shoving himself up from the couch and offering you and Chan a hand. “C’mon Porthos and Aramis. Let’s get this over with.” 

“How come you get to be Athos?” You grumble beneath your breath at the other alpha, but allow him to pull you to your feet regardless. 

Minho arches a brow at you and gives you a look that brooks no argument as he pulls Chan to his feet as well. 

“Because I said so. Now quit your whining and c’mon. Let’s go.” 

********************

When you enter Jeongin’s bedroom, the first thing you’re hit with is the wave of scent. 

It’s so thick you can taste it, warm and spicy on your tongue, saliva instantly pooling, teeth aching.

Your wolf is instantly pacing your insides, whining long and low, begging you to do something. 

You clench your hands into fists at your side and glue yourself against the wall, because you’re not sure you can trust yourself to take another step. 

Not yet. 

Minho files in after you, his expression neutral, the only signal he’s taken notice of the new omega’s scent a slight flaring of his nostrils as he steps inside, leveling his gaze on the curled boy on the bed. 

He crosses without hesitation, and crouches down beside Jeongin, careful not to disturb the carefully curated nest of blankets and pillows surrounding the omega, lining the edges of the small twin bed. 

You admire his calm confidence, back hard against the wall. 

“Hey, pup.” Minho says in a low, gentle voice, and Jeongin cracks open an eye, staring at Minho in slight confusion before recognition dawns on his features. 

“Hyung?” He croaks out weakly, not moving from the fetal position, his arms curled around his middle. 

His scent flares in response to Minho’s presence, and you grit your teeth, willing yourself to remain firmly in place. 

Chan appears at your side, the last to come through the door, and you glance sidelong at him, noting the immediate change in his demeanor as the scent laden air washes over him. 

His whole body stiffens, and you can see it, the alpha coming to life in the depths of his eyes, erasing the dark circle of his pupils as fiery gold washes in. 

“Chan-” You start to say, not sure if you should reach out and touch him in his current state. 

Minho reaches out to swipe a hand across the sweaty hair plastered to Jeongin’s forehead, and Chan growls, low and threatening in the back of his throat, the dangerous sound filling the room and making your every hair stand on end. 

Minho glances over his shoulder at the other alpha, expression hard, lips pressed into a thin line. 

“Christopher.” The name Minho always uses for your mate must snap him out of his alpha mindset for just a moment, because Chan is suddenly back, stumbling backward to plant his back firmly against the door beside your own, his eyes wide and dark, chest heaving, expression panicked. 

A harsh wave of thunderstorm, so thick it threatens to choke you, rolls over the room. 

This time, you reach out and lay a hand on his arm, and his frantic gaze snaps to your own. 

“I can’t be here-” He chokes out, eyes flicking around the room, as if he’s looking for an escape route. He clutches at the fabric of his shirt covering his chest, as if his heart is pounding so hard he has to stop it from escaping. “-not with the two of you. Fuck, I need to go-” 

Minho stands, slow and certain, staring Chan down. 

Behind him, Jeongin whimpers. 

“Do you want to rip my throat out, Christopher?” Minho asks so calmly, you have to double take on his words, his fingers pinching the skin of Chan’s wrist, his whole body stiff once more. “Rip it out for touching your little omega?” 

Chan gulps, the sound loud in your ears. 

“Minho, don’t.” You warn in a low voice, hand tightening to keep the alpha beside you in place. 

Minho ignores you, cocking his head and arching a brow at Chan, completely relaxed. 

“C’mon then. I won’t resist.” Minho smirks, baring his throat for Chan and going completely still. 

Beside you, Chan freezes, and when you glance at him worriedly, his entire pupil is swallowed in a sea of roiling gold. 

Minho snorts. “Oh? So you don’t care if I-” 

He holds Chan’s gaze steadily, and reaches out to swipe a hand once more across the sweaty, pink skin of Jeongin’s flushed forehead. 

A low growl emanates from Chan, and all of his muscles coil, as if he’s readying himself to pounce on the other alpha. 

“Minho.” You repeat, harsher this time, and Minho finally looks at you. You stare him down. “Don’t.” 

“I’m testing something, sweetheart.” Minho murmurs back, his gaze flicking back over to the other tense alpha practically vibrating beside you. 

You have the silent thought that he could probably ‘test something’ when none of your lives are in danger, but you don’t say it out loud, choosing to keep a steadying hand on Chan instead. 

“He’d just as soon rip your throat out too, you know.” Minho remarks, taking a step forward now, his searching gaze scanning Chan’s face. “Just because you’re his silly little moonmate or whatever Seungmin insists on calling it, it won’t stop him from turning on you with teeth bared if you so much as touch that omega currently on the bed, sweetheart.” 

You glance to Jeongin, still curled into a ball, and then back to Chan, eyes wide, every breath a pant through his parted lips. 

“Minho.” You try one more time, staring down the other alpha, who looks triumphant now. “Please stop.” 

Thankfully, Minho listens to you this time, shrugging his shoulders easily, before he steps away from the bed and Jeongin and back toward the door. 

Chan’s hackles slowly lower. 

Minho smirks. “C’mon, sweetheart. I think I’ve proved my point.” He takes your hand off Chan’s arm and leads you around him to the door. “We’re not needed here.”

You stumble after him, still in a partial daze from Jeongin’s scent and Chan’s behavior, and let him pull you from the room, glancing over your shoulder as the door shuts behind you. 

In the hallway, your head clears, and you’re whirling on Minho in an instant. 

“What the fuck was that?” You demand angrily, the other alpha leaning against the wall and holding your gaze steadily, ignoring your obvious fury. 

“What, you don’t know?” Minho inquires cockily, arching a brow, and you suddenly want to punch him in the face. He jerks his chin toward the room where you’d left Chan and Jeongin. “That, sweetheart, was a little test for Christopher, just to prove my theory right.” 

You stare at him, something itching at the back of your brain, and Minho rolls his eyes at your silence and sighs, like he needs to walk you through it. 

He pushes off the wall and closes the gap between you, reaching up to take your face in his hands and shake you a little. 

“Sweetheart. Let me spell it out for you.” He slows down his words dramatically and you glare back at him, even as his lips curve upward into a smirk. “Christopher is a Head Alpha. More specifically, our Head Alpha.” 

It clicks into place, and you remembered wondering, briefly, earlier. 

You continue to stare, and Minho sighs again, releasing his hold on you. 

You instantly miss the warmth of his skin and the sweet smell of bergamot in your nose. 

You realize with a start that you’re still slightly riled from Jeongin’s overly strong scent, your wolf pacing restless, relentless heat slowly building beneath the surface of your skin. 

“Minho.” You say as he turns to walk back to the living room, and he pauses, glancing over his shoulder at you with a raised brow. 

The itch is growing, spreading over your body in prickling waves. 

Staring at the full swell of Minho’s lips, bitten slightly between his sharp white teeth, is certainly not helping. 

“Yes?” Minho goads, and you realize you’ve gotten lost in your own thoughts again. 

You shake away the cobwebs and stare him down. 

You can feel the gold creeping in, your alpha emerging. 

You glance past his shoulder to the living room where the betas most likely wait, then back toward the spare room of Jeongin’s apartment. 

Minho follows your gaze, and something predatory comes into his own. 

“Oh?” You shrug a shoulder and take a step backward, toward the empty bedroom. 

“I mean, they’ll expect us to be gone a bit longer-” Minho smirks dangerously, taking a step in your direction, and your pulse picks up, anticipating the game as the spicy scent of amber hits your nose. 

“You’re absolutely right, sweetheart.” He purrs, taking another step as you take a step back to match, watching him warily. 

His tongue darts out to wet his lips, making your core clench pitifully.  “And lucky for you, kitten, I’m in the mood to take my time.” 

********************************************************************************

💗 Taglist:

@hosh1kwon

@carolinexkpop@blithevix

@sunabokuto

@wildflower-at-heart@faericals@5sos-wdw@hyuneyeon

@studyingthemind@illicee

@maddmartian

@binnie--baby

@xwinchesterprincessx@ley-lani59

@lady---boner

@rosegaming117@meivida

@sai-kida134

@cutecucumberkimberly

@aroseharder

@spideyweirdo

@coureurs-de-bois9

@unfiltered-starlight@sixswaggy

@shimmeringmoons22

@thatgirlangelb

@beautifulcolorgarden

@runningthroughlifestay@dearalice@patat-boi

@stay-berry

@laylasbunbunny

@misxing-you

@sawadabegum

@changbinsrightboob

@maliamaiden@sunnibearr@bkirsted@jamlou512

@latinxmochi@goquokka

@leeknowsw0rldd@yoongihan

@simeonswhore

@rubberduckieyourtheone

@janvibutbetter

@starlostjimin /

@vampcharxter

@dadonbabysworld

@cursed-mars-bars@lexiluness@nanaberry6

@yoongisleftearring@seoulsaver

@leeyanyanyaaan@septicrebel

@peppermint-tea-life

@ashcapybara

@thesingingelephant@ksho123

@bangchanwhore

@im-sinking-in-mud@nxahlxl

@peachbokkie@pretty-blkgirl

@bokkierachacha

@richardofyork@neohyxn

@dumplinbokkieracha

@dreamingsmile

@smollquokka@hash2013

@atinystaycarat

@i-dont-know-me-either

@ketchupaeternum

@urmomsgayforme5@nxahlxl

@eastleighsblog@ssslatttxx

@kawennote09

@ichiraku-verse

@stephy-nicole13

@friendlydumbass

*************

Changbin watches you silently, curled in the safety of Chan’s arms, and he thinks, not for the first time, that he’s thankful for the other alpha, because sometimes, he doesn’t know what to say or do, and Chan’s a fixer, always has been.

But he doesn’t say anything now, and Changbin watches as you shiver again, your lips slowly turning from that scary blue from before to something a little more like your natural pink. 

He takes in a breath, glancing up into the stream of the slowly cooling water, blinking his eyes a few times to shed the droplets, and then he says to no one in particular, “Water’s getting cold.” 

He shifts, leaning one shoulder against the wall of the small shower, his chest brushing against your arm, and he tells himself that you feel warmer, that you’re slowly returning to life. 

His alpha disagrees, pacing anxiously up and down his insides, taking in the distress still clear in your scent, but Changbin forces himself to only wrap his fingers loosely around your wrist, placating his wolf for the moment just by touching you, feeling your pulse under his palm. 

******

Minho wants to grind his teeth in frustration, because it’s clear, even after everything, that you’re still upset, still unsure, still fucking cold. 

He sighs, long and heavy, instead, and tips his head back, staring up at the foggy ceiling for a moment before he finally says firmly, “You’re not hard to look out for.” 

He feels your gaze on him, and he tilts his head back down, arching a brow at you, holding your eyes. 

“So whoever put that stupid idea in your head, sweetheart, tell them to fucking back off.” 

You drop his gaze, running your fingers up your arm, watching the way the water trails between them, and he sees you take in a shuddering breath. 

Minho’s wolf growls at the bitterness still present in your scent. 

When he shifts slightly, his arm brushes against the warmth of Changbin’s, and his eyes go to Chan’s over your head. 

Minho snaps his teeth a few times, working off the antsy irritation crawling across his skin, and then he takes in a deep breath, and reaches out to brush a finger down the line of your cheek. 

You glance up at him once more, and he tilts his head, studying you, and when he speaks, his voice is gentler, and he doesn’t know if he’s the one talking now, or if it’s the alpha inside of him trying to reach out and reassure your own. 

“No one here thinks you’re a burden, sweetheart. And no one here is ever going to give up on your sweet little ass either, even if you do.” 

*****

You stare at Minho, and your insides feel warm, even if your skin is still slightly cold from being out in the storm. 

You part your lips to say something, anything, in return, and suddenly, the power cuts out. 

You let out a yelp of terror and surprise, and when a boom of  follows, seeming to shake the small bathroom, you scramble in the dark to find Chan, your nails scratching across his chest, your breath heavy and hard in your ears. 

You’re blinded by panic, and it takes you a moment to register that they’re talking to you, all three of them closing in to form a tight circle around you beneath the cool stream of water from overhead. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Chan says breathlessly, his hands coming up to loop fingers around your wrists, holding them firmly against the warmth of his chest. “It’s okay, baby.” 

Your night vision hasn’t kicked in yet, and your heart is thundering so loudly in the pitch black that you feel like you’re going to throw up. 

You feel light headed as a flash of lightning and another crack of thunder crashes outside, and you barely register as Changbin slips an arm around your waist, pressing the warmth of his body against the length of your back. 

“Breathe, baby girl.” He murmurs out, his breath warm as it washes across the juncture of your shoulder. “We’ve got you.” 

You take in a few deep, uneven breaths, shuddering on the way in and out, and you feel Minho rest his chin on top of your head, a heavy comforting weight, as he says firmly, “That’s it. Good girl. In and out.” 

You take some more deep breaths, and you can begin to see their dark outlines appear in the black of the shower. 

You blink a few times, the water dripping into your eyes, and another loud cacophony of thunder echoes outside the building. 

You skitter into Chan, crowding into his space once more, and he releases his hold on your wrists as you paw desperately at him, and when you cry out, your voice is full of panic, breathless and scared. 

“I need you to distract me. Please-” You dig your nails into his upper arms as another streak of lightning flashes, and you can feel your heart speeding up again as you swallow hard. “-anything! Please, Chan!” 

He hesitates, you can see the indecision crease his brow now that your night vision is in full effect, but when another loud bang of thunder has you gasping, wide eyed and terrified, his features set, and he leans forward and covers your mouth with his. 

It wasn’t what you had in mind, but it works. 

Because as his fingers find your chin in the dark, holding you in place, angling your mouth so he can slide his tongue in between the part of your lips, you find yourself thinking less of the raging storm and more of the alpha standing in the spray of the shower with you. 

You’re breathless and your heart is still pounding, but for an entirely different reason now. 

Changbin’s hand slides around the front of your throat, warm and steady, and you feel him at your back, hard and ready. 

Without thinking, you press yourself back into him while you kiss Chan, and he lets out a slight groan, his fingers flinching around your neck. 

Chan breaks the kiss, sliding his tongue from your mouth, and you catch your breath, staring up at him, breathing hard, and he tilts his head, taking in Changbin’s hand at your throat, the water streaming over your skin, lips red and slick. 

“Is it working?” He asks with slight amusement, sliding a large palm up your stomach, cupping your breast, the water gathering in his hand. 

“Yeah.” You breathe out, because it’s true, you haven’t noticed the lightning or thunder for the last several minutes. “But-” 

But you need more. 

Changbin presses against you, and you let out a breathy sort of sound, his lips at your ear, breath hot against your throat. 

You can hear the smirk in his voice when he says softly, “But we can do better.” And then to Chan, “C’mon, Channie. Wanna share?” 

Chan glances to Changbin, eyes dark, and then back to you. His tongue darts out to wet his lips as he watches you, until he finally asks quietly, “More?” 

You nod immediately, feeling dizzy, Changbin kissing slowly up the arch of your neck, and something darkens in Chan’s eyes, his lips parting slightly as he lets his gaze drop slowly down your bare, wet body. 

Another round of thunder has you jumping slightly, fingers clenching into the skin of Chan’s chest, but before you can fully process the rising panic, Minho is there, leaning into your space, sandwiched between Chan and Changbin, his long, cool fingers capturing your chin. 

“Look at me.” He commands, voice low, and you can’t tear your eyes away from him. Something akin to satisfaction washes across his pretty features, and he leans toward you, lips brushing your own. “I want to watch your face when they both take you, sweetheart.” 

You shiver at his words, and in some sort of unspoken agreement, Chan and Changbin move-tugging off their drenched, heavy sweats in one motion, Changbin’s fingers finding your hips and holding you still, and Chan sliding into you without warning at the same time. 

You gasp, body clenching slightly, but he’s slow, deliberate, and gentle, and soon, you relax. 

“Fuck.” Chan breathes out, letting his forehead drop to your own, and you have to agree with the sentiment. 

Changbin grins, you feel it against your skin, and then you feel him, and he angles himself behind you, fingers slick with water as he slowly lets them trace down your hips to your thighs. 

“Deep breath, baby girl.” He admonishes beneath his breath, and you force yourself to relax once more as you feel his fingers explore between your thighs, before he leans in to you and slowly, so slowly it’s almost painful, gains entrance. 

You bite down hard on your bottom lip, because you’ve never felt anything like this, but Changbin takes his time, and soon, there’s nothing but pleasure as you finally fully relax into both of them, stretched and full. 

“Good girl.” Minho murmurs, eyes bright, as he takes in the two alphas on either side of you, the water cascading down all of you. He lets his fingers slide down your throat as you whine at Changbin’s slight movement behind you and Chan’s ensuing groan. “Breathe, sweetheart.” Minho reminds you gently, watching you carefully, his thumb trailing backup to trace across the outline of your bottom lip. “It’ll feel even better if you breathe through it.” 

You don’t know if that’s even possible, but you do as he says anyway, taking in a few deep breaths, hands on Chan’s shoulders, Changbin motionless against your back, and then Minho cocks his head, smirking slightly, studying you with a dark, unreadable gaze. 

He leans forward, baring his teeth, and bites down on the skin of your shoulder, teeth marking the skin around your scent gland. 

You gasp, a delicious shiver running down your spine, and Chan jerks his hips up into yours on reflex, Changbin letting out a shuddering breath as his fingers tighten against your throat. 

Minho lathes across the sting of his bite with his tongue, tracing your scent gland, the line of your collar bone, the column of your throat, peering up at you knowingly through dark lashes. 

“Do that again, hyung.” Changbin rasps out, voice hoarse, your legs trembling, body tight around him. “She liked it.” 

Minho’s breath is warm as it fans across your bare chest in a chuckle, and he slides his hands up your sides, his voice low when he murmurs out against your throat, “What did we say about breathing, sweetheart?” 

You consciously take in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and then let it out, and Minho practically purrs. 

“Good girl.” 

His teeth sink into your skin again and at the same time, Chan and Changbin move. 

A wave of pleasure crashes over you, numbing your thoughts and heightening your senses, as the two alphas in front and back of you work you over slowly, finding a rhythm between the two of them that has all three of you soon panting for breath, Chan’s forehead heavy against your own, Changbin’s hand tight around your throat. 

You moan, and Chan splays a hand  with a loud thud against the shower wall beside your head. 

“Fuck, I can’t-” He stutters out, just as Changbin growls and buries his head between your shoulder blades. 

There is warmth, the feeling of being completely filled, and then both their hips stutter to a stop and all you can hear, all you can feel, is your heart pounding in rhythm with their own, your harsh gasps for air as they hold you up between them. 

Your body feels limp and weak, but good, and you haven’t even thought once about the storm still raging outside, the dark, unlit atmosphere of the bathroom, the now cool water streaming over your bare skin. 

No, it’s just them, and you, and this glow of contentment that’s slowly settling every inch of your body, making you tired and awake all at once. 

Changbin is the first to move, pulling out with a groan, and he leans against the wall for support for a moment before he crooks a finger at Minho, still standing in front of you. 

“Dick, hyung.” 

Minho smirks, arching a brow at the still panting alpha, and you don’t miss the way his eyes slowly roam down the broad lines of Changbin’s bare chest, the rest of his tan, naked skin. 

“Are you calling me one, princess, or are you asking for mine?” 

Changbin growls, rolling his eyes, and in a brave move, loops his fingers around the other alpha’s wrist, yanking him toward him as he drops to his knees in the limited space of the shower in one smooth motion. 

He glances up at Minho from between his legs, clear exasperation, edged with open hunger, on his features. 

“You tell me.” He mutters out, before he leans forward and takes Minho into his mouth. 

You watch, from the safety and comfort of Chan’s arms, body limp and satiated, as Changbin finishes Minho off, the older alphas’ hand tangled in his head of wet, dark curls, and everything inside of you feels good in this moment, right even. 

“I love you.” You say, without really thinking it through and to no one in particular, warm and hazy in Chan’s arms, as Changbin swipes a hand across his mouth and pulls himself to his feet.

Chan freezes behind you, hands going still on your skin. 

Changbin crosses the small space to you, pinching your chin between his fingers, eyes dark and warm, breath ghosting across your lips as he growls, “Gets better every time you say it.” 

And when he leans forward to kiss you, you taste Minho on his lips. 

Minho smirks. 

“Yeah, we know, sweetheart.” He motions to the cool water, the dark bathroom, and then to your thighs, sticky with fluids. “Now c’mon. Let’s get cleaned up-again-and get out, before we all die of hypothermia.”

******

“I think I fucked it up for good this time.” You say morosely, playing with a loose string on one of the many blankets tucked over the top of you. 

You’re warm and dry, bundled in your bed, wearing one of Changbin’s hoodies and Chan’s sweats, body already deliciously sore from your earlier activities, the three alphas lounging beside you, cuddling against you for extra warmth. 

The power still hasn’t come back on, but the storm has sort of stopped howling, and the flicker of the few candles you had managed to find are nice, almost cozy, in a way, lighting up the walls of your small bedroom.

You’ve just finished telling them about seeing Jeongin earlier, before your ill fated run, and your heart is starting to feel heavy again in your chest. 

“Told you it was a bad idea.” Minho remarks offhandedly, glancing up from the screen of his phone, his fingers pausing in playing with Changin’s wet, stringy curls, the other alpha’s head nestled in his lap. “We can’t avoid him forever, or even currently, it seems.” 

“You’re not helping.” Chan comments sharply, and Minho shrugs, turning back to his phone, as Chan leans up on his elbow, staring down at you, before he says gently, “It wasn’t your fault, baby. We all came up with the plan. You were just doing what you thought was best.” 

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that. And I still feel awful.” You shrug hopelessly, pulling the heavy weight of Chan’s arm back across your chest and wiggling your toes, cold even with socks on, into the warmth of the unsuspecting Changbin’s side. 

“Fuck!” Changbin curses and yelps at the feel of your frozen feet, jumping slightly, before he cracks open an eye and levels you with a heated glare. “Watch the ice blocks, baby girl, goddamn.” 

“You’re supposed to be warming me up.” You fire back, and Changbin grumbles, but stuffs your feet back under his arm anyway. 

You stare at the ceiling for a moment, letting your eyes grow heavy with the feel of Chan’s relaxed breaths beneath your cheek-in and out, in and out-and then you admit quietly, “The human side of me is pretty sure we love that stupid kid. The wolf side of me, however, wants to violently rip him apart every time we see him.” 

“Stupid, dumb alpha.” Changbin replies, nodding, before he sighs. “I get it. We all get it.” 

Minho huffs a breath in annoyance, shoving Changbin’s head roughly off his lap as the other alpha yelps once again. 

“Hyung!” 

“I told you we should just tell him the truth. But nobody listens to their wise, sageful elders around here.” 

Changbin sits up, eyes wide and curls disheveled. 

“We can’t just tell him the truth! What are we even going to say? ‘Oh, sorry kid, you can hang out, but we can’t tolerate you in your current state, but don’t feel bad, don’t let this give you a complex or anything!’” 

“Seo Changbin, that’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever said. And trust me, the list is pretty fucking long.” 

They continue arguing, and you start to tune them out, it all becoming comforting background noise against the tired, contented hum of your exhausted brain and body.

Underneath you, Chan’s body stills, his fingers coming to a stop on your skin beneath the thick fabric of the hoodie, and then his voice, quiet in your ear, “Hey.” 

You roll over to squint up at him. “Hi?” 

He stares at you for a moment, uncertainty washing across his pretty features, and then he says in one hurried, breathless rush-”Did you mean it? What you said in the shower earlier?” 

It takes your muddled brain a moment to catch on-what had you said in the shower?-and then recognition dawns, like a lightbulb being turned on, and you huff a little laugh. 

You reach up and stroke a finger down the arch of his cheekbone affectionately. 

“Yeah, unfortunately for you, pretty boy, I did. I meant every fucking word.” You tilt your head, giving him a cheeky little grin as you arch your brow. “You’re stuck with me now.” 

Chan is silent for the beat of a moment, not even breathing, and then his face crinkles with a smile so large you think he’s going to split himself in half-eyes disappearing into half moons, dimples sinking in his cheeks. 

“Fuck yeah.” He breathes out, before he leans over and covers your mouth with his. 

You let yourself sink into his warmth, into the familiar, comforting embrace of his kiss for a few minutes, but a loud, insistent pounding at your door has you jumping in surprise all too soon, bolting upright in the bed and jostling the other alphas. 

Changbin’s brow creases with confusion as he glances into the darkness of the hallway, the wild pounding still echoing, and he shoots you a cautious glance. 

“Are you expecting anyone?” 

You shake your head, your brain feeling more than a little fuzzy. “No, I-” 

Your eyes drift to your phone sitting on the bedside table, screen dark and battery dead, and suddenly, everything clicks into place in horrifying detail. 

“Fuck.” You swear, throwing aside the blankets and stumbling to your feet, aware the other alphas are on full alert now, tense and ready. “Hyunjin. I forgot to respond to his text when I left his apartment, and then the power went out and my phone died-” 

Guilt churns in your gut as the thundering on your door continues, frantic and insistent now, and you dart down the dark hallway without a second thought, unlocking the deadbolt and flinging open the door in one rushed motion. 

Hyunjin is standing on the other side, phone held in hand, flash light on, looking absolutely unhinged with worry. 

All the breath in your body leaves at the sight of him. 

“Hyunjin-” You breathe out, but he pushes past you into the dark apartment without a word, scent sour and angry, and it’s only then that you realize he’s not alone. 

Jeongin is standing in the doorway now, eyes red from crying, face swollen, and everything inside of you crumples. 

Your wolf growls, tearing at your insides. 

“Jeongin-” You say hoarsely, torn between wanting to hug him, and rip his throat out. 

Hyunjin saves you from doing either. 

“Do you know how fucking worried we were?” He’s pacing the length of your living room, and you turn your attention to him, his eyes flashing dark and angry, body tense. “You left all weird and then didn’t return my texts or calls and it started to storm-” 

“I know, I’m sorry-” You start to say, reaching out a hand for him, but he shrugs you off, cutting you off without so much as a glance. 

“And then you just-” He stops, chest heaving, and suddenly bends over, a hand going to his forehead as his face screws with pain. “Fuck, I have the worst headache, and you just-” 

“Jinnie.” You say softly, taking a cautious step toward him, hand still outstretched. “Sit down-” 

“No!” He blurts out, straightening up again, eyes crackling, as his gaze sweeps across you to the mouth of the hallway, Minho, Changbin, and Chan appearing now, expressions cautious and guarded. “One of you fucking couldn’t call and let me know she was okay?” 

“Hyunjin.” Minho warns firmly, face unreadable, but eyes flashing gold dangerously. 

“No.” Hyunjin repeats, softer this time, and he motions to Jeongin, who has entered the room, standing folded in on himself in the corner. “You owe him an explanation. So let’s fucking hear it.” 

You open your mouth, but no words come out, and Jeongin glances up at you, expression twisted with pain. 

Your heart goes right to your gut. 

“Noona-” He says, voice quiet and trembling, eyes downcast. “-if you didn’t want to hang out with me, it’s really okay-” 

Your chest caves in, and you take a step toward him. He flinches back, and you stop. 

“Oh my god, Jeongin, no, that’s not it at all.” You stumble over your words in your hurry to get them out, tongue thick and mouth dry as you stare at him. 

He looks up at you then, and his eyes hold a little bit of defiance now. 

“So what is it?” 

You swallow thickly, and glance to the other alphas standing silently in the mouth of the hallway. 

Everything feels precarious-you can feel the adrenaline, the fear, from earlier zapping just beneath your skin again, like electric wires only needing the hint of a spark to jump to life once more. 

Your heart is starting to pick up pace again, and you feel sick. 

“I don’t-” You start helplessly, and your throat is clogging up with the pounding of your heart, your fingers are trembling. 

“You just-can’t be here right now.” You say hoarsely, and everything inside of you balks at the way Jeongin’s face instantly falls. 

You’re dangerously close to another panic attack. 

“I don’t understand.” Jeongin blurts out suddenly, and his eyes are shiny with tears, and you really think you might lose all control now, watching him balling his hands into angry fists at his sides, staring you down with a flash of anger. “If you don’t like me, if you don’t want to be around me, then just tell me, and I’ll go! It’s not that fucking hard to be honest with someone, even if you don’t feel the same way!” 

“Jeongin.” You gasp out, shaking your head, the burn of tears in your own eyes threatening now. “It’s not any of that.” Your voice raises, and you’re not sure why, but you’re yelling now, willing him to understand. “I love you so fucking much that it hurts, but I can’t-” 

“Oh god.” Jeongin suddenly wraps his arms around his stomach, and you can see his chest rising in rapid movements, as if he’s hyperventilating. “I think I’m going to be sick.” 

His face contorts, and without another word, he shoves past you and darts for the darkness of the bathroom. 

You all stand there in silent shock for a moment, and then your feet move of their own accord to follow the distressed freshman, but Minho stops you, a hand on your arm. 

He gives a slight shake of his head, and your entire body crumples. 

“Well, I hope you’re all fucking happy.” Hyunjin seethes, still rubbing at his temple with agitation, as he whirls on the three of you with a snarl. “Was this part of your precious plan? Are you pleased with yourselves?” 

Chan’s expression is pained, and Changbin heaves a sigh, stepping toward the angry omega with a careful hand outstretched, as if he’s soothing a wounded animal. 

“Jinnie-” 

“No. I don’t want to hear it.” Hyunjin shakes his head angrily and pushes past you, stalking down the hallway and out of sight, following Jeongin. 

You swallow hard, and sink down onto the couch, your entire body trembling. 

Minho sighs-long and slow-and Chan comes to sit beside you, rubbing your back, as Changbin starts to pace the length of the living room. 

“I told you this was a bad idea-” Minho starts, looking none too pleased with being the one to point it out again. 

“Shut up, hyung.” Changbin snaps, but immediately looks remorseful at Minho’s sharp glare, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck before he sits down beside you and Chan on the couch. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” 

Minho huffs, opening his mouth to say something else, when Hyunjin reappears, cutting him off. 

He’s rubbing at his head like it pains him to even be standing, and everything inside of you is aching to take care of him, your wolf whining, but you remain where you are, as he takes in a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose for a few seconds before once again opening his eyes and staring the three of you down.

“Once again. Hope you assholes are happy with yourselves.” 

You flick a quick glance behind him, but don’t see any sight of Jeongin. 

“Is he-?” You start to ask in a small, unsure voice, but Hyunjin levels you with a glare. 

“He’s presenting.” 

Everything in the room goes silent, frozen, as you all stare at the omega standing in the yawning mouth of the hallway. 

Your alpha rears its head. 

Weary resignation replaces some of the anger in Hyunjin’s eyes, and he blows out a long, controlled breath, before he swipes a hand across his face, his expression sagging, instantly going tired. 

“As an omega.” 

********************************************************************************

💗 Taglist:

@hosh1kwon

@carolinexkpop@blithevix

@sunabokuto

@wildflower-at-heart@faericals@5sos-wdw@hyuneyeon

@studyingthemind@illicee

@maddmartian

@binnie--baby

@xwinchesterprincessx@ley-lani59

@lady---boner

@rosegaming117@meivida

@sai-kida134

@cutecucumberkimberly

@aroseharder

@spideyweirdo

@coureurs-de-bois9

@unfiltered-starlight

@sixswaggy

@shimmeringmoons22

@thatgirlangelb

@beautifulcolorgarden

@runningthroughlifestay@dearalice@patat-boi@stay-berry

@laylasbunbunny

@misxing-you

@sawadabegum

@changbinsrightboob

@maliamaiden

@sunnibearr@bkirsted@jamlou512

@latinxmochi@goquokka

@leeknowsw0rldd@yoongihan

@simeonswhore

@rubberduckieyourtheone

@chanlovesme

@janvibutbetter

@starlostjimin /

@vampcharxter

@dadonbabysworld

@cursed-mars-bars@lexiluness@nanaberry6

@yoongisleftearring@seoulsaver

@leeyanyanyaaan@septicrebel

@peppermint-tea-life

@ashcapybara

@thesingingelephant@ksho123

@bangchanwhore

@im-sinking-in-mud@nxahlxl

@peachbokkie@pretty-blkgirl

@bokkierachacha

@richardofyork@neohyxn

@dumplinbokkieracha

@dreamingsmile

@smollquokka@hash2013

@atinystaycarat

@i-dont-know-me-either

@ketchupaeternum

You jump, but you don’t know whether it’s from the storm or because he’s suddenly slamming his hand into the trunk of the tree above your head, leaning into your space. 

There’s a slightly smug smirk to his words when he speaks again, but it does nothing to soften the dangerous undertones beneath. 

“Then answer my question. And I’ll let you go.” 

You know he won’t. He never does. 

Swallowing, you rub your hands up and down your arms, trying to warm yourself, feeling your sweatshirt stick heavily to your skin as the rain drips steadily down your back from the tree overhead. 

“I don’t want to play your game anymore.” You whisper out, clenching your jaw, trying to stop your teeth from violently knocking together. 

It’s fucking freezing, and the longer you stand here, the more sure you’re going to freeze to death. 

He arches a dark brow at your words, disappearing into the red paint that runs along his hairline-some extension of his creepy death day mask-and his lips quirk up dangerously. 

You haven’t used the safeword yet in any of your pleading, so he can still play with you as much as he wants, and you both know it. 

A thrill of anticipation runs down your spine as he leans in closer once more, swiping his nose along your jaw, nice and slow, taking his time, and you feel the sticky paint he wears transfer to your own skin, striped across your throat like a brand.

“Interesting.” He muses, voice low and honeyed, sending a pool of warmth to your core where it settles directly between your legs. “How you’re still avoiding my question.” 

And then his fingers close around your throat, not tight enough to hurt, but tight enough to control, pinning you back roughly against the bark of the tree, and all the breath caves from your lungs. 

His fingers dig into the divots just beneath your jaw, and you can feel your own pulse pounding beneath his hold. 

It’s exciting, intoxicating, and it makes you forget about the cold, miserable state you’re currently in. 

He leans in once more, eyes swirling gold beneath the makeup, and lifts his lips in a snarl, the tips of his sharp canines flashing white in the dark, your heart rising to your throat. 

The air is crisp with a brewing storm.

“I’ll give you one more chance.” He growls beneath his breath, and the words scraping past his teeth have you clenching up in need. You gasp for air, and not because of the hand around your throat, and he leans in again, teeth grazing across your bottom lip. 

He doesn’t kiss you, just hovers his mouth over yours, so you can feel his hot breath wash across your face with every exhale, and then he grinds out, “Do you like it when he fucks you.” 

It’s not a question, it’s a demand. 

His free hand goes into your hair, fisting there, yanking your head back to force you to meet his gaze, and you gasp out, as your entire body tingles, “Yes! Yes. I like it.” 

He holds you there for another moment, staring down at you, the space between you filled with nothing but your harsh breaths, and then he slowly unclenches his hand from your hair, letting your head drop back down to your chest. 

“There we go. See how easy that was?” His voice is sultry, pleasant even, now that he’s got what he wanted. 

You take in a couple of gulps of air, your lungs on fire and your entire body sprung like a snapping electrical wire. 

One by one, his fingers uncurl from your throat and he lets you go entirely, stepping back and removing his body where it’s been pinning you against the tree for the last twenty minutes or so, and you instantly feel cold again, your muscles resuming their shaking. 

He tilts his head, watching you, and it’s too dark to see anything but the dark reds and blacks of his face paint, the golden swirl in his eyes, and the flash of his sharp teeth when he smirks, before he says smoothly, “I’ll keep my end of the deal. But I’d start running if I were you, before I change my mind.” 

Your brows arch into your hairline in surprise, leaned over against the tree, trying to catch your breath, and you stare at him, as he backs toward the nearby treeline, away from you. 

You straighten up as he turns to take a step, starting to disappear back into the thicker, darker part of the woods. 

“What if I don’t want to run?” 

He pauses midstep, glancing over his shoulder at your bold words, and a flash of lightning overhead illuminates the surprise twisting his face beneath the paint of his mask. 

You take a confident step toward him, the rain dripping from your hair and into your eyes, making the night appear fuzzy around you, but he’s clear as day, standing, waiting, warily watching you.

“What if I want to tell you how much I like him fucking me?” You question quietly, sneakers barely making a sound as you advance toward him, cold long forgotten as a renewed fire flares deep within your bones. “What if I want to tell you every single detail of how it feels, down to the way I always come while gasping his name?” 

“Don’t-” He chokes out, facing you head on now, eyes wide and golden, chest heaving, and you know, you know without a doubt-

You’ve got him. He’s the one playing your game now. 

“Do you want to know what it’s like?” You query casually, taking another step, and he’s staring you down without blinking, pupils blown wide and so dark they could swallow you whole. 

Another flash of lightning, followed by a boom of thunder, and you smirk, because you’re enjoying this game now, the hunted turned into the hunter. 

Your sneakers soak with water as you step into a particularly deep puddle, but you ignore the icy cold liquid sloshing in your shoes, your entire body on fire as you stalk toward him. 

He’s frozen, hovering just in front of the safety of the woods, caught between his salvation and his demise. 

“I bet you’d like it, you know.” You go on, doggedly ignoring the rain as you get closer, ever closer. “In fact, I know you would, because why else would you ask if you didn’t want to know?”

His throat bobs with a swallow, and you can see the hunger growing deep within his eyes. 

The tables have turned. 

He’s no longer the big bad wolf, you are. 

“Do you picture it?” You ask, voice soft and low, the space all but nonexistent between the two of you now. 

You cock your head curiously and stare up at him-the grotesque face paint, the hood pulled low over his head, the slight part of his lips, as if he’s trying to get enough air and can’t quite fill his lungs. 

Something hot and triumphant swirls in your belly, and you confidently loop your arms around his neck, pulling your body flush against his own. 

He’s warm, even through the soaking wet hoodie he wears, and he’s hard, just like you knew he would be. 

You lean up and let your lips brush the lobe of his ear as you speak. 

“Do you picture it when you’re alone and getting yourself off? Your best friend fucking me? Do you picture what it would be like to be there? Hm? Just you and him and me, all tangled up, nothing but skin-” 

He’s panting slightly now,and you hide your smirk behind your teeth, letting your hand trail down his back, the muscles tense beneath your palm. 

“Do you let yourself think about it? Who would get to be inside of me? Or maybe you’d share? Would you use your mouth, your fingers? Would I say his name or yours when I finally let myself come?” 

He swallows, and you turn your head into his throat, letting your teeth graze his scent gland, and he shudders, putty in your hands. 

“I’d let the two of you do it, you know. All you have to do is say the word, Channie.” 

Your voice is a purr, and he swallows again, harder this time. 

“What word?” He rasps out, and you’ve got him. 

You let your hands fall from his neck enough to step back and meet his gaze, eyes hot and molten, lips sucked between his teeth. 

You tilt your head and look at him coyly, suddenly dropping the pretense as you stare up at him, triumphant smugness washing across your face as you say lightly, all sultriness gone from your tone, “Well, you can start by admitting I won.” 

He looks confused, and you hold up your left hand, black scrunchie wrapped around your fingers. 

You grin and back away. 

Irritation washes across his eyes, lips pulling into a dangerous, thin line, and he takes a menacing step toward you. 

You, however, have no intention of letting him catch you. 

You wiggle your fingers at him, tucking the scrunchie in your hoodie pocket for safe keeping. 

“See you back at base, baby.” 

And then you turn and sprint into the woods without a backward glance. 

You can hear him, hot on your heels, the whole race back to the quad and the waiting cars, but he doesn’t have the chance to catch you, not with the two second head start you’d given yourself, and soon, you find yourself sprinting onto the manicured grass of the college, joining the rest of the prey as you triumphantly hold the black scrunchie aloft. 

The rest of your group whoops and hollers, picking you up and holding you on their shoulders like you’ve just won the goddamn olympics, and you grin down at Chan, entering the quad moments after you, a glare focused in your direction as he comes to a stop and catches his breath beside the other waiting Predators. 

Wooyoung grins as you’re let down, plucking the scrunchie from your hand and adding it to the growing pile on the hood of the car. 

“Well done, beautiful. We’ve totally got them tonight.” He bangs his hand on the hood of the car to emphasize his words, and beside him, Jongho rolls his eyes good naturedly beneath the paint of his warrior mask. 

“Prey for the winnnnn!” Jisung hollers, slinging an arm around your shoulders, as he smacks a loud kiss against your ear. 

You swipe at the wet skin he’s left behind, paint coming off onto your fingers, and glance sidelong at him, his dark eyes somehow made even darker by the white, ghostly paint he wears slathered across his face. 

“We haven’t won yet.” Hyunjin points out, pursing his full lips, as he counts the scrunchies, the red lipstick he wears smeared across one corner of his mouth. “We still need two more Predator tokens.” 

You glance to the said group of hunters, milling around across from you beside their own car, shadows in the blazing headlights, the downpour of dark rain, and mentally take count in your head.

Chan, Changbin, Hongjoong, San, Yunho, Yeosang, Mingi-

Shit, Seonghwa and Minho were still out there. 

You glance around at the members of your own group surrounding you, and a sinking realization hits the pit of your stomach. 

Jeongin. Where’s Jeongin? 

There was an extra predator out there tonight, one less prey, which meant someone had to take on two hunters, and somehow, amidst all the hunting, the youngest member had been left alone, in the woods, with Minho and Seonghwa. 

They were hunting him, together. 

Everything goes cold, and it’s not because you’re soaked to the bone. 

“Shit.” You swear out loud this time, and Jisung looks at you questioningly, arm still looped around your throat. You glance at him and whisper urgently, “Minho and Seonghwa are out there still, and Jeongin’s alone.” 

Realization dawns in Jisung’s dark eyes, and his lips pull into a thin line. 

“Should one of us go looking for him?” 

You shake your head, blinking a few times to clear the sting of the makeup running from the rain and into your eyes, and bite your lip. 

“I don’t know-” You glance across the gap to the predators. “How many of our scrunchies did they make out with?” 

“All of them.” Jongho appears at your side, narrowing his eyes at the waiting predators. 

“Not mine-” You start to protest, reaching down to your wrist for the cool fabric, but feeling nothing there. You panic, patting your pockets, and Jisung nudges you in the side, motioning with a jut of his chin toward the other car. 

You see Chan, standing in front of the headlights, watching you, and when he sees you looking at him, he holds up his hand, your white scrunchie dangling tauntingly from his fingers.

 He winks at you, lips pulled into a smirk, and you growl in irritation beneath your breath. 

“Dammit.” 

“It’s just a matter of time.” Jongho goes on beside you, leaning up against the car, the rain dripping from his dark hair and smearing the makeup on his round cheeks. He flips off Mingi across the way, who grins like the Cheshire cat, and then sighs. “Your boy has to make it back first with both missing predator tokens, or we’re fucked.” 

Jisung groans. “Fuck it all, and tonight I really thought we had a chance of winning.” 

“We still do.” You protest, glancing toward the dark treeline, but making out no movement. The confidence in your voice weakens slightly.  “He could still pull it off.”

Wooyoung appears, leaning his chin on Jongho’s shoulder, and audibly scoffs. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” He ignores your pointed glare and swipes at his nose, smearing the red clown paint from the tip. “Seonghwa-hyung is notoriously brutal at this game. Your little freshman doesn’t stand a chance.” 

Seungmin sidles up beside Jisung, hands in his pockets, his raincoat drenched and his dark hair plastered to his forehead. The puppy face paint Felix had forced him into before you left the apartment is all but wiped from his skin as he surveys the dark expanse of the forest. 

“Minho-hyung isn’t gonna let him go if he catches him, not until he has the scrunchie.” 

“He’s a fucking predator, man.” Jisung heaves out a sigh, dejected, but a slight gleam of admiration in his words. “On and off the playing field.” 

“Hey.” Chan appears several feet from the group of you, and you glance to him warily, turning your body to face him, even as he holds out his hands, palm up, as if in truce. “Don’t tear me apart. I’m just here to deliver a message.” 

Wooyoung smirks wryly, watching the two of you, and Jisung rolls his eyes as you step forward to meet the other alpha, arms crossed and brow cocked. 

“Well?” 

His casual expression falters slightly, and then he clears his throat, holding your gaze. 

“If they’re not back in ten minutes, we’re gonna call it a tie and find them for the night. We’re freezing our fucking asses off.” 

“And if he wins?” You ask heatedly, and Chan looks caught off guard. 

“If your boy pulls it off then-”

A whoop sounds from the edge of the woods, and everyone-prey and predator-turn as one to see Jeongin making a mad dash for the waiting cars, Seonghwa and Minho hot on his heels. 

Chan’s mouth falls open, and you grin triumphantly. 

“And if he wins?” 

He looks back to you with open shock on his face, as the rest of the prey team starts screaming encouragement at the approaching youngest, some of them holding their arms out as he comes barreling toward your group. 

You smirk and turn from Chan, right as Jeongin plows into the waiting arms of Jisung and Wooyoung, two black scrunchies held triumphantly aloft. 

Minho and Seonghwa are seconds behind him, sliding to a halt so as not to bowl the waiting group of prey over, hands instantly going to their knees as they gasp for breath. 

“Fucking kid tricked us!” Seonghwa yells out, clearly irritated, and Jeongin grins. 

“Boo hoo!” Wooyoung calls back mockingly, snatching the scrunchies and adding them to your now complete pile. He steps back over and holds Jeongin’s arms in the air in a triumphant fist pump. “Prey win!” 

“Let’s goooo!” Jisung crows triumphantly, swinging the still grinning Jeongin into his arms and spinning him around, almost stumbling over his own feet. “Way to go, kid!” 

You step toward the freshman, grinning ear to ear, and do a quick visual check on him. He looks fine, if a little muddier than you last saw him, lips stretched wide, makeup running down his face, panting as he tries to catch his breath and avoid all the hugs and head locks from the older prey members. 

He looks happy. 

You glance over your shoulder and see Minho accept a water bottle from Changbin’s outstretched hand, his brow furrowed in a glare toward Jeongin. 

You saunter over to the predators, and arch a brow at Minho and Seonghwa, both of them now greedily gulping down their water, chests still heaving. 

“What happened?” 

Minho lowers the water bottle and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, his dark eyes flashing as he growls out, “The fucking kid happened, that’s what.” 

Seonghwa tosses his now empty bottle into the back of the nearest car with a little more force than necessary. 

“Yeah, goddammit. He played us.” 

Your lips quirk upward into the hint of a smirk. “Wow. Almost like this is a game or something.” 

Minho fixes his glare on you now. 

“Careful, sweetheart, I’ve got a lot of adrenaline and anger that needs an outlet.” 

Chan is watching you warily from behind the duo of alphas, his eyes flicking to your own. 

Something strange washes across his expression, and then he ducks his head, moving to say something low to Yeosang beside him. 

You pull your gaze back to Minho’s once more as Hongjoong slings an arm around Seonghwa’s waist and grins widely. 

“Sorry, boys. Looks like prey bested us tonight fair and square.” 

Seonghwa grumbles something under his breath and Hongjoong chuckles, Minho still looking slightly murderous, the dark eyeliner lining his lids doing nothing to make him look less dangerous. 

San heaves a sigh from beside the older alpha, rolling his eyes. 

“God, we’re never gonna hear the end of this. Seonghwa-hyung’s a terribly sore loser.” 

Seonghwa turns his glower to the beta, who readily puts his hands up in defeat and saunters away to find Wooyoung. 

“Ah, princess, don’t be like that.” Hongjoong teases, reaching up to wipe a smudge of mud off of Seonghwha’s cheek, the taller man’s pink glitter face paint all but gone. When their gazes meet heatedly, Hongjoong cocks his head and offers the other alpha a sweetly sickening smirk. “Don’t ruin the fun just because the little freshman beat you and Minho’s asses at your own game.” 

Seonghwa mutters something that looks like a curse beneath his breath, and Hongjoong grins, leaning up to whisper something in his ear in return that has the other man blushing beneath what remains of his makeup. 

You turn to Minho, who is still watching Jeongin celebrate with the other members of your group, slowly crushing the now empty water bottle with a crackle into nothing but a lump in his fist. 

You sling an arm around his shoulders and press a kiss to the glistening arch of his cheekbone. He gives you a glare, but it holds less bite than you’re used to, and you bite back a smile. 

“How’d he do it then?” 

Minho eyes you warily and you offer him a shrug. 

“Promise I won’t tell the others. Your little embarrassing secret is safe with me.” You glance across to Jeongin, held up on Jisung’s shoulders above the crowd. “Can’t promise the same for him though.” 

Minho grumbles something under his breath that you don’t quite catch, his expression sour, and then he sighs. 

You try not to laugh at his obvious dejection, the whiskers Jisung had painted across his cheeks before you all left slowly leaking black paint down his chin and throat, a physical manifestation of his obvious displeasure. 

He glances up at the rain falling from the sky, blinking slowly as it pelts his face, his hair plastered to his forehead, and then he says in defeat, “The fucking kid double crossed us.” He shifts his gaze to Jeongin, climbing into the back seat between Jisung and Hyunjin, and narrows his eyes, his lips thinning. “He had Hwa convinced he had him, and he had me convinced I had him, and then-” 

You bite back a grin, but it’s harder this time. 

“Neither of you had him.” 

Minho blows out a harsh breath and scrubs at his eyes with the backs of his hands while he lets out a frustrated growl. 

“Fucking kid.” 

You smile and loop your arm around his waist, heading toward the nearest car. 

“Sorry for your loss?” 

Minho narrows his gaze on you, his eyes flashing. 

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re really torn up about it.” 

You laugh and glance up to see Chan watching the two of you, before he hurriedly slides in behind the steering wheel of his waiting car, already running and filling up with pack members. 

Wooyoung stands up, leaning through the sunroof of Hongjoong’s jeep as he cups his hands around his mouth and yells out impatiently at the rest of you still not in vehicles yet, “C’mon, mutts, load up! We’ve got a Halloween party to crash!” 

You roll your eyes, because it’s their Halloween party, and it won’t start until you get there, but you hide a smile anyway, folding your teeth between your lips, and follow Minho into the dark back seat of Chan’s waiting car, sudden excitement pulling at your stomach. 

You swipe your tongue across your bottom lip, tasting the salt of sweat and the cakey texture of makeup, washed there by the downpour outside, and feel your heart speed up in the walls of your chest as Chan pulls the car onto the road, headlights sweeping the dark, following the others. 

The night, and all the fun, was only just beginning. 

*****

“This movie blows.” Jongho complains, as he tosses another handful of popcorn into his mouth and Jisung shoots the omega a withering look from his seat on the opposite end of the couch, legs tangled up with Hyunjin’s. 

“No one said you had to watch it.” 

“Cool.” Jongho immediately replies, heaving himself up and brushing through the shroud of Halloween decorations hanging over the living room entry, disappearing down the hallway to his room. 

A scream filters from the TV, and Felix whimpers, burying close into Minho’s side. 

You untangle yourself from Yeosang and Mingi, shoving their legs and the blanket off your lap, ignoring the groans and protests as you get up from the couch and the current bloodbath happening on the screen of the TV as you stretch your arms above your head and yawn. 

“Perfect time for a pee break and some more alcohol.” You remark, as Yeosang tosses you his empty cup. 

“Get me something too.” 

You stare him down, and he finally rolls his eyes, already curling up against Mingi beneath the blanket and batting his lids sweetly in your direction to try to appear cute. 

“Please.” He adds, and you almost resist the urge to flip him off. Almost. 

You head into the kitchen, empty cups in hand, and as you head for the table full of selections of various alcohol, you’re not surprised to see Chan and Changbin leaning against the counter in the dark kitchen, beers dangling from their fingers, as Chan shows something to the other alpha on his brightly lit phone. 

Hongjoong sits up on the counter beside them, leaning over Changbin’s shoulder to see, interest apparent in his large, dark eyes, reflected by the phone’s light. 

You set the empty cups down on the table, careful not to set off the creepy witch in the middle that cackles if you trigger her motion sensor, and lean back, watching the three of them in the dim green light from the glowsticks hung around the low ceiling of the room. 

You’re not sure if they know you’re there, but then Chan glances up from his phone and his eyes connect with yours, and he clears his throat. 

Somewhere from the living room, a girl’s scream shrieks through the air. 

You cock an eyebrow at the trio, running your fingers absently along the silky spider webs spread across the backs of the chairs as you watch them. 

You’d give it to him, Seonghwa sure as hell knew how to throw a party. 

You’re still staring, and Chan is still studiously avoiding your gaze. 

You note briefly the dark, smudged makeup ringing his eyes, making them look more golden than before, and it sets something off in your stomach, quivering and anticipatory. 

You hide a grin and tap your finger along the table, hidden behind a cheap brightly orange table cloth covered in spiders and ghosts. 

“Why am I not surprised that the three of you are here?” 

Changbin grins, teeth white in the dark, and arches a brow at you, the skeleton mask painted on his face, smeared from the rain, stretching with the expression. 

“It’s Halloween. What better time to hang out in dark kitchen corners and skulk around and scare the locals?” 

He leaps toward you suddenly with a mighty roar, hands outstretched into claws, but when you don’t jump, staring him down, he stops short and you scoff, rolling your eyes. 

“I’m not a local, and you’re not very scary, Seo Changbin.” 

He shrugs easily and steps around you, reaching for another beer. 

“Worth a shot.” 

He slides up against you, closer than needed, perusing the alcohol, and smoke is strong in your nose, as he turns his head slightly and lets his nose bump into your jaw, his voice barely a whisper as he suggests cheekily, “I mean, I know some other things we could be doing. If you’re not up for scaring.” 

You let your chin tilt toward him, your lips meeting his nose in a quick little peck, your own voice low in response. 

“And what if I told you I like to be scared?” 

His dark eyes meet your own, sudden intrigue flashing there, before his gaze drops down your face to your lips, only centimeters from his own. 

“That can be arranged.” 

You feel eyes on the two of you, and you glance over to see Chan watching the interaction, his breaths slightly faster than before, his lips parted hungrily. 

He looks away as soon as you meet his gaze. 

Hongjoong hops down from the counter and stretches his arms over his head, easily catching the beer Changbin tosses his way. 

“I gotta go check on Hwa.” He grins, uncapping the beer and taking a swig, already headed for the ghostly curtain separating the kitchen from the living room. “Help him set up for games or some shit.” 

“Yeah, sure.” Changbin calls out after the other alpha tauntingly, and Hongjoong wiggles his eyebrows at him suggestively, before flipping him off and disappearing under the curtain. 

You glance to Chan once more after the other alpha’s departure, and he’s fiddling with his phone, turning it over and over in his hands, and Changbin is cracking open his beer, leaning up against the table beside you as if he doesn’t feel the sexual tension in the stifling air of the small kitchen, thick enough to cut with a knife. 

Or maybe it’s just you. Could be you. 

Another scream echoes from the movie in the other room, and you swipe Changbin’s beer out of his hand as he lifts it to take a gulp. 

“Hey!” He protests, reaching for the alcohol, but you hold it out of his grasp and stare him down. 

“I want to play a game.” 

He glares and takes a menacing step toward you. “I don’t.” 

You dodge around his advance easily and set the open bottle on the table as he turns to face you once more, open exasperation on his face, dark hair falling over his brow, flecked with white specks of paint. 

“I promise it will be fun.” 

You can feel Chan watching the two of you, feeling it out, but he remains silent, and you don’t look at him. 

Changbin heaves a sigh and you offer him a pleading grin, arching your brow. 

He sighs again and folds his arms over his chest. “Is that a promise you can keep?” 

You nod. “Yes.” 

He narrows his eyes and takes another step toward you, and you don’t back up, your ass already hitting the table as it is. 

He takes your chin between his fingers, and lowers his mouth dangerously close to your own, hot breath washing over your lips with every word. 

“And if you can’t?” 

A pleasant shiver runs down your spine, and heat curls between your thighs. 

You hold his gaze, unwavering. 

“Then you can punish me.” 

His brow lifts a hint in interest. “By scaring you?” 

You shrug, trying to act casual, as warmth pools in your gut. 

“Sure. If you want.” 

“Oh, baby girl, trust me.” His voice is a low growl in his throat, and you feel dangerously close to the edge like this, hovering, just in front of something you can’t quite see. He grins wickedly, and flicks his thumb across your bottom lip, making you gasp. “There is nothing I want more.” 

He studies you for another moment, fingers digging into your jaw, and then he breathes out a long controlled sigh, releasing you and stepping back with effort. 

You blink a few times, trying to clear the smoke from your senses and the rapid pulse from between your legs. 

You hear Chan swallow thickly, and suddenly, you’re pulled back to the present. 

Changbin’s arms go back over his chest. 

“All right. What’s the game?” 

You glance past the looming alpha to Chan, still leaning against the counter, and you note the way his formerly relaxed stance is now stiff, his knuckles turning white where he holds the lip of the formica, as if keeping himself steady, or stopping himself from running, you’re not quite sure. 

But he’s still here, and he hasn’t run away yet. 

You lick your lips and glance back to Changbin, raising a finger in Chan’s direction. 

“Him.” 

Confusion etches Changbin’s brow, and you hear Chan take in a sharp breath, but he doesn’t move, watching the two of you, frozen. 

“What?” 

You hold Changbin’s gaze, not wavering, as you repeat, “Him.” 

Changbin glances to Chan and then back to you slowly, still somewhat unsure of what’s really going on. 

You take a step in his direction. 

“You want him, right?” You ask quietly, and Changbin’s dark eyes widen a hair, his lips gaping. 

He stays rooted in place, watching as you take another step, narrowing the space between the two of you. 

You look up at him. 

“You’ve always wanted him.” You repeat, softer this time, and you glance to Chan, who’s warily watching the interaction, but his eyes are wide, as if he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing.

You turn back to Changbin. 

“But you never let yourself have him. Because he’s your best friend. And some things aren’t worth fucking up.” 

You let your fingers trail out, down the strong curve of Changbin’s arm, and you hear him suck in a breath. 

Heat starts to gather once more in your center. 

It’s an answer, even if he didn’t say the words. 

You slide your fingers up the warm skin of his arms, across his throat, into his hair, and his eyes flutter shut momentarily at the feel of your hands tangling in his dark curls, tugging his head back slightly, as you fit yourself into him. 

“But he wants you too, you know.” You whisper, and Changbin’s eyes flash open, pupils dark and impossibly large, staring down at you as his throat bobs in an uncertain swallow. 

Smoke burns your throat and eyes, but you ignore it, tracing a thumb across the plush warm rise of his bottom lip, admiring the pink skin. 

“He’s always wanted you.” You breathe out, and you drop your hand, staring up at him. “He wants you like this-” 

You lean up and cover his mouth with yours, diving into him, your tongue slipping between his waiting lips and your teeth meeting his, tasting him, savoring him, as he groans into your open mouth. 

Your hand fists into the back of his sweatshirt, still slightly damp from the earlier game outside in the rain, and you tug him back from you, giving you enough space to breathe, as you murmur huskily, voice thick with sudden need, “And he wants you like this-” You let your hand slip down the minimal space between the two of you, and you feel him in your palm through the material of his sweats, rock hard and ready. 

He moans, leaning his forehead into yours, panting with his mouth open and his eyes closed. 

You slide your fist around him, wet heat licking up your thighs at the feel of the friction, and he bucks into your hand, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. 

“Fuck, baby-” He chokes out through gritted teeth, and you stop, stilling your hand on him, letting him catch his breath. 

You can’t end the game too quickly. Where’s the fun in that?

You feel his heartbeat against your own, and you cock your head, looking up at him as he finally opens his eyes and stares down at you, bleary and a little out of focus. 

“He said as much, you know. In the woods earlier.” 

Changbin glances to Chan over your shoulder, the other man frozen still against the counter, eyes locked on the two of you, and lets out a shaky sigh, his fingers resting on your hips, digging into the skin there. 

“What did he say?” Changbin asks huskily, his eyes still locked on the other alpha beside the fridge. 

You smile slightly and fix your gaze on Chan as well, his pupils large and dark, his throat bobbing as he swallows thickly. 

You can smell how badly he wants it in the air, you both can. 

“He asked me if I liked it.” You reply simply, trailing your finger up the column of Changbin’s throat, watching the way he tenses beneath your touch. “When you fucked me.” 

Changbin turns his gaze back to you, fiery golden tendrils snaking into his irises now. 

“And what did you say?” He all but growls, holding you still, nails digging into your hips, biting, marking the skin. 

At your silence, he tugs you to him roughly, threading fingers through your hair and forcing your head back, teeth sharp as he snarls warningly. 

“What. Did. You. Say.” 

You smile, sweetly, and tilt your head away from his, gazing at Chan again. 

“I dunno, what did I say, Channie?” 

Changbin growls,a low and dangerous rumble in his chest, but he doesn’t speak again, waiting to hear what the other alpha has to say. 

Chan’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and then he replies back, voice steady and confident, “Yes. She said yes.” 

Changbin’s fingers relax just a bit on your hips, but his body stays tense against yours. 

“Yes what?” You taunt sweetly, splaying your hands, palms down, across Changbin’s warm, tight chest as you cock your head and continue to stare down Chan. 

Chan swallows, his throat bobbing, and you can see how hard he is from here, straining against his jeans. 

“Yes, she likes it when you fuck her.” 

Changbin growls again, deep in his throat, and dives into your mouth, licking, biting, tasting, his tongue swallowing you whole, hot and slick and sweet, making you shudder against him, whimpering as heat trickles between your thighs. 

He pulls back and grabs your chin in his fingers, golden eyes pinning you down. 

“Good girl.” 

You stare at him, not looking away, but when you speak, it’s to Chan. 

“What else did I say? In the woods.” 

There is a beat of silence, and then his voice, low and heated, “You said I could have that. Have you both. If I only said the word.” 

Changbin’s eyes flicker past you to the other man, and you don’t miss the alpha rear its head, hungry and suddenly interested. 

Your fingers dig into Changbin’s upper arms, steadying yourself. You lean your forehead into his chest, breathing in and out slowly a few times, listening to his thundering heartbeat, settling yourself, but you don’t glance back. 

“And?” You question firmly, throat suddenly dry. 

Changbin’s muscles tense beneath your hold, but he makes no move toward Chan. 

There is the scuff of a shoe on the floor, and the scent of rain crashes over you, closer than before, clearing out the smoke and the frost and washing away anything else. 

Chan’s voice is barely above a whisper, caught in his throat, hoarse and husky, but with more confidence than you’ve ever heard from him before, when he replies softly, “Word.” 

Everything inside of your brain goes quiet, and you turn then, your breath calm, your heartbeat steady, your motions sure, as you catch sight of him, hovering just beside the table, almost within reach.

He’s close enough, that if you wanted, you could reach out and touch him, feel the warmth of his skin beneath your fingers, but you hold back, because it’s not you who needs to touch him first, at least not right now. 

Changbin is a looming, solid presence at your back, his chest brushing you with every heavy inhale and exhale he takes, his muscles still tightly wound, as if he’s waiting for something to drop, to break, to shatter at your feet in a million unfixable pieces. 

But it doesn’t, the moment remaining quiet, intact, and you’re all still standing here, no one running. Not yet. 

Smoke begins to curl back in around the rain and you reach for his hand, tugging him in front of you. He goes without struggle, seemingly on autopilot, his eyes still locked with Chan’s across the distance. 

You lean into him, your chin on his shoulder, your body molded to the warmth of his back, and watch the two best friends stare each other down in silence, tension thickening the air. 

“You should touch him.” You murmur in Changbin’s ear, and he shivers as your breath washes over his throat, breaking the trance a bit. 

You let your lips brush across his scent gland when you talk next, feeling the hot rush of his skin beneath your mouth as you form your words, motioning with a jut of your chin toward Chan. 

“Look at him. He wants you to. He’s so fucking hard it practically hurts.” 

Changbin’s gaze roams down Chan’s body, slow and open and hungry, and the other alpha takes in a shaking breath where he stands, but he still doesn’t move. 

He’s letting Changbin come to him. 

You admire his resilience. 

Your teeth graze along the curve of Changbin’s jaw, your hands palming the strong lines of his abdomen beneath his hoodie.

“C’mon, baby.” You whisper with a kiss against his throat, your fingers stilling on the waist of his sweats, teasing him, egging him on. “Touch him or I will.” 

“Oh my god.” Chan groans out beneath his breath at your words, his knuckles going white on the back of the chair he’s using to steady himself, his lips parted as he openly pants, squeezing his eyes closed. 

Changbin growls at the quiet threat in your tone, but it’s the push he needs, because in one lunge he closes the distance between the two of you and Chan and grabs the other alpha by the chin, yanking him into him as he covers his mouth with his. 

Chan’s groan is instantly swallowed up by Changbin’s mouth as he devours him whole, desperate and ravenous and out of control like a starving man tasting food for the first time.

You watch, the heat mounting between your legs, resisting the urge to rub your thighs together to take off the edge, and you bite back a whimper, because god, they’re perfect together. 

Where Changbin had started out rough and ready and violent, like a storm coming in off the sea, Chan had matched him step for step, holding pace, coming in like a strong, steady undercurrent, keeping them on course, right where they needed to be. 

His fingers splay out along Changbin’s jaw as the other alpha backs him into the counter, and their lips pop apart as Chan slides his free hand down between them, under the waistband of Changbin’s sweats, fisting him. 

Changbin sucks in a breath, his forehead meeting Chan’s, his eyes going impossibly dark. 

“I’ve wanted this for so long.” He gasps out, a trickle of sweat dripping down his temple, smearing a streak into the makeup on one side of his face. 

Chan grins, giving an experimental stroke, and huffs a breathless laugh when Changbin bares his teeth around a groan and bucks into him. 

“Yeah, me too.” He admits quietly, small grin still in place, eyes fond. 

Another swipe of his hand, and Changbin snarls, crashing their lips back together once more. 

You’re itching out of your skin, and the wetness now soaking through your jeans has nothing to do with the dampness leftover from the earlier rain. 

Seonghwa’s gonna kill you for fucking in his kitchen. 

You’re backing toward the door quietly, thinking that maybe you’ll rope Jisung or Minho into helping you out with your current little ‘problem’, leaving the two guys alone to enjoy their shit, when you bump into a kitchen chair. 

Changbin pulls away from Chan at the noise, and you freeze, staring at the two of them, lit by nothing but the orange Christmas lights Seonghwa has strung all over the cabinets. 

They’re both breathing hard, exhales ragged, and Chan leans his forehead into Changbin’s as he pulls his hand reluctantly from the front of the other man’s pants. 

Changbin doesn’t look at you, his heated gaze focused solely on Chan, as he commands quietly, warningly, “Don’t move.” 

He finally releases the other alpha and steps in your direction, eyes dark and swirling, expression unreadable. 

His fingers slide along your chin and he holds you in a firm, strong grip, keeping you from turning away. 

When he speaks again, his tone is dark, velvet, and dangerous. 

“Are you ready for your punishment?” 

Your eyes widen slightly and your heart thunders in your chest. 

“But-the game was fun, wasn’t it?” 

He chuckles, but it’s not amused, it’s wicked and hints at things to come, his fingers stroking strongly along your jawline as he leans in, lips close to yours, eyes glinting like minted coins. 

“Oh, baby, but I want to scare you.” 

Your throat goes dry, and you stare at him, not moving a muscle. Your heart is about to beat through your chest, you resist the urge to choke on the smoke as you inhale, quick and short. 

Chan appears at Changbin’s side, his own eyes molten, and he gives you a knowing smirk, eyes trailing down your body languidly, before Changbin is taking your wrist and pulling you hurriedly from the kitchen. 

They flank you, tugging you through the living room where the other members of the packs still watch terrible, cheesy horror movies, and Changbin doesn’t even pause, calling over his shoulder as you struggle halfheartedly against his hold, “(Y/N) forgot something at her dorm. We’ll be back in a couple minutes.” No one tries to stop you. 

They usher you out into the hall, and you finally manage to pull your wrist from Changbin’s grip with a glare, only to immediately be swooped up and thrown over Chan’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

“Hey!” You protest, slightly out of breath, as you wiggle to free yourself once more, but Chan carries you like you weigh nothing, putting no effort into holding you captive as they head for the elevator and Changbin presses the button to the lower floor. 

“What the fuck?” You swear and hit Chan’s back with your fists, kicking your legs, and Changbin turns to face you, staring you down as you struggle, his lips quirked into the start of an amused smirk. 

You want to wipe it right off his stupid face. 

He leans back against the wall of the elevator, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Now you’re gonna play our game.” 

The elevator dings at the arrival of the bottom floor of the alpha dorm and Changbin steps out of the elevator, Chan following him as he steps off the main lobby and into the convention room, dark and unused at this hour. 

Chan sets you back down on your feet and you huff an annoyed breath, straightening your clothes as you glower at both of them. 

“Again. What the fuck?” 

“Here’s the deal-” Changbin cages you against the wall, ignoring your outrage, leaning into your space as his nose skims your jaw. He takes a long inhale of your scent, and you force yourself to not shiver at the contact. “-you get a five minute head start.” 

He pulls back, one palm still on the wall against your head, and cocks a brow at you. “Following so far?” 

You scoff, crossing your arms over your chest defensively, but finally nod begrudgingly. 

He smirks, and reaches up to push some hair back from your forehead. 

“Good girl.” He glances over his shoulder at Chan, who is watching the two of you, eyes gleaming in the dark, a hungry look all over his face. 

He turns back to you and thumbs across your bottom lip.

“You get the bottom floor. That’s it. Once five minutes is up, we’re coming to find you, so you’d better hope you hid pretty fucking well, baby.” 

Your muscles tremble, and your heart leaps into your throat in nervous excitement as you hold his gaze, tipping your chin up confidently. 

“What happens if you find me?” You ask, not because you particularly care, but because you want to hear him say the answer. 

Changbin chuckles darkly, sharp teeth flashing, and tips your chin up to him once more. 

“We get to do whatever we want with you.” He glances over his shoulder at Chan, who has drifted closer, and cocks his head. “What do you say, Channie? Winner gets to set the price, and the loser pays it?” 

The other alpha nods, smirking slightly. 

“Sounds good to me.” 

You scoff and he looks back to you in slight amusement. 

“And what if you don’t find me?” You ask, just to be contrary and stubborn, because you have no doubt they will. 

Changbin looks just as confident as you think he should as he leans into your space and nips across your throat, sending your pulse skittering in your chest. 

“Oh, trust me, baby, we’ll find you. There’s no scenario where we don’t.” 

You swallow, and he grins, dropping his voice, breath hot against your ear. 

“I’m going to fucking terrify you.” 

You swallow again, thicker this time, and Changbin steps back, giving you space. You rub at your arms, suddenly chilled and pimpled with goosebumps after the loss of his body heat, and he motions with his chin toward the door. 

“Five minute head start. Are you ready?” He arches a brow, lips curved as he throws an arm around Chan’s shoulders, both of them staring you down. “And use your time wisely, because I’m not a patient man, baby, and I won’t wait any longer than that.” 

You nod and push off the wall, and Changbin grins dangerously-all sharp teeth and shadows and alpha predator. 

“Good. Go.” 

You dart out of the room and disappear into the dark hallways of the bottom floor of the dorm.

You get as far as you can as fast as you can, and then you let yourself think strategy. 

Your heart is pounding in your ears, your breaths loud in the dark silence as you slide around another countless corner and sprint into an unfamiliar office space. The door isn’t locked, so you take that as a good sign, sliding between the desk and the cabinet in the corner, into the dark alcove created behind the curtain that hangs over the small window. 

How long has it been? Definitely five minutes. They’ll be coming. 

You crouch down, making yourself as small as possible, and curl into the pitch black corner, focusing on slowing your breathing-in through your nose, out through your mouth-and remaining as still as possible. 

They’ll hear any sort of movement, and you can’t risk giving away your position. 

The scent blockers you all had applied earlier in the night, before the first game of hide and seek, still seem to be working fairly well, even with all the sweat and rain, and you’ll just have to hope that it’s enough to keep them from following your scent trail directly to your hiding spot. 

Your heart is slowing against your ribs, and your breathing is quieting, when you hear the creak of a footstep outside the door to the office. 

You immediately freeze, not even daring to breathe, listening for any hint as to where they might be. 

The makeup from the evening’s earlier festivities is dripping, stinging your eyes, but you don’t move to wipe it away. 

Another soft, slow footstep, and you hold your breath, putting your hand over your mouth.

Suddenly, someone swipes aside the curtain and crouches in front of your hiding place, and you yelp, biting off the sound before it can fully leave your lips. 

It’s dark, but you make out the flash of Chan’s teeth as he smiles, the scent of petrichor washing over you as he leans toward you, arms resting on his knees. 

“Found you.” 

You let your hand drop from your mouth, and take in a deep, quivering breath, every muscle on high alert, your heart threatening to pound right out of your chest. 

Chan cocks his head, watching you with amusement, like a predator finally cornering its prey but planning to play with it first. 

“I could keep you a secret you know.” He muses in a low murmur, voice barely above a whisper. “Keep you all to myself.” 

Your heart is thundering in your ears. 

He grins again. 

“But where’s the fun in that?” 

A larger, darker shadow of a figure appears behind him then, and Chan tilts his head back to look up at Changbin. 

“How’d you manage that so fast?” Changbin grumbles under his breath, clearly put out, and Chan chuckles, shrugging in the dark. 

Chan stands, pushing himself to his feet, and they both lean forward at the same time to pull you from your hiding spot, and even though you squirm as far back into the tight space as you can manage, they extract you easily, kicking and swearing. 

Changbin tugs you out into the small office space, hands firmly around your upper arms, easily keeping a grip on you as Chan comes to stand in front of you both. 

“Easy, baby.” Changbin’s low voice sounds in your ear, amused and lilting, sending warmth between your legs. “We’re just gonna have a little fun.” 

You glare at him over your shoulder, sweating and baring your teeth as you spit out, keeping up the game, “Fuck you.” 

Not really though. Fuck me please.

Changbin chuckles, dark and low, and glances past you to Chan. “You’re the winner. What’s your price?” 

Chan holds his gaze, his throat bobs with a swallow, and then his eyes drift to you, down your body, to the way Changbin’s fingers clutch into the skin of your arms. 

“I want to watch.” 

You still, staring  at the other alpha, and you feel Changbin suck in a breath from behind you, rapid and uneven. 

But it’s very clear what Chan’s referring to, as he slides behind you without another word and takes Changbin’s fingers off your skin, pushing him around in front of you as he settles in at your back. 

His hand reaches around, fingers lightly resting at the base of your throat, and he pulls you back flush into him, keeping you locked against his chest with the hand beneath your jaw. 

He breathes out slowly, the warmth tickling your ear, and you can feel his heart pounding beneath your skull. 

Changbin cocks a brow, staring him down, almost challenging, and then he slowly drops to his knees at your feet, still holding the other alpha’s gaze. 

All the air in your lungs disappears. 

“You’re sure?” He questions his best friend, giving him one last chance to change his mind, as his fingers follow the length of your legs upward, finding purchase on the skin of your hips beneath the hoodie you wear. 

You bite your bottom lip, but remain still. 

You feel Chan nod against you, his fingers tightening slightly in their hold on your throat. 

“Yes.” 

The breathless, sure tone of his answer has instant heat pooling between your thighs, and you whine slightly, as Changbin chuckles and moves to undo the closure on your pants. 

“Okay.” He simply says, smirking slightly, as he slips the clothing from your legs, the cold air immediately prickling your skin. He glances up at Chan once more, smirk widening wickedly. “Cover her mouth then.” 

Chan slides his hand up your throat, his touch across your scent gland making you whimper, and firmly covers your mouth with his palm, fingers digging into the hollows of your cheeks. 

You can feel the increase in his breathing against your back, his obvious excitement pressing into you from behind, as Changbin grins one last time and sinks between your legs. 

When he touches you, you feel lightheaded, dizzy, and everything inside collides as you squirm helplessly in Chan’s grip, any sound that wants to break past your lips muffled by his hand. 

Chan leans back against the desk behind the two of you, supporting your weight, as you give in to the pleasure and start to sink in his arms. 

He’s breathing rapidly, eyes never leaving Changbin, and his reaction to what’s happening is maybe even more of a turn on than the actual act itself. 

He wants you. Both of you. 

When Changbin finally rises from between your legs, letting you come down from the high, swiping his mouth with the back of his hand as you both pant and gasp and try to catch your breath, Chan finally slackens his gaze on your mouth, letting his hand drop back down to the base of your throat, fingers lying limply against the sticky skin there. 

“Oh my god.” He breathes out, and you can feel how hard he is just by pressing back against his body. 

“Binnie.” You rasp out, voice hoarse from disuse, and the other alpha meets your gaze, lips still shiny and slick, dark eyes swirling. You let your head fall back against Chan, sliding your now free hands down the line of his body as he shivers beneath your touch. “Do him next.” 

Changbin leans forward, pinching your chin between his fingers, and there’s slight amusement in his eyes, even as his expression darkens. “Why do I have to do all the work around here?” His gaze flickers down to your mouth. “Why don’t you do him next?” 

“Why, you wanna watch?” You quip back, having gained your attitude back along with your breath. 

He arches a brow in challenge, leaning in close to growl, “Fuck yeah I do.” 

“Guys-” Chan pleads, squirming behind you in obvious discomfort, as you hold each other in a stare down, neither of you moving an inch. 

“How about-” You start, lowering your voice, smoothing it out, more a purr and less a growl. You flick his fingers from your chin, just to be defiant, and his eyes flash. “-he gets my mouth, and you get his hand then?” 

Chan groans from behind you, but you don’t take your eyes off Changbin. 

Your own eyes flick down his body line, to the obvious strain on his sweats, and your lips curve into the start of a smirk. 

“Because you obviously need it just as badly as he does.” 

Changbin’s lips pull up into a snarl. “Or how about-” 

He leans in once more, sliding his hand around Chan’s where it still rests at the base of your throat, and you can’t stop the slight gasp from slipping past your lips as he flexes his fingers, tightening their joined grip slightly. 

“-we do that, and then we both get to finish inside?” 

You stop breathing, staring at him, and he looks triumphant, knowing he’s won. His gaze flickers over your shoulder to Chan. 

“I know he’s got a kink for that. Why not indulge the fantasy?” 

Chan groans again, and this time it’s more exasperated than turned on. 

“Fuck, can we not bring that up right now-” 

“Shut up, baby.” You clip over your shoulder sweetly, eyes still fixed on Changbin. You can’t deny it, his words have you quivering, and you can feel renewed wetness starting to coat the inside of your thighs. 

He leans into your space, nose trailing over your jaw, lips slipping across your skin, leaving hot saliva in their wake. 

His voice is no more than a murmur as he says, “I told you I was going to fucking terrify you, baby girl.” 

His fingers flex on your throat once more as he pulls back smugly, and you can’t wait any longer. 

You need them now. 

“Fine.” You acquiesce, putting on a show of irritation, but everything inside of you is suddenly hot and fluttering with anticipation. “Both of you get on the table. Now.” 

Changbin’s eyebrows raise in amusement at your commanding tone, but he does as you ask, sliding up onto the desk beside Chan as the other man releases you and follows suit.

You turn to face them both, eyes trailing down their lean, muscled bodies, the bulges in their pants, and your mouth waters. 

You smirk dangerously as you take a step toward them. 

“We played your game but now it’s my turn. Finders keepers, losers weeper and all that shit. Now, be good boys for alpha and take off your pants.” 

*******

You settle down on the couch next to Yeosang and hand him his refilled glass of box wine, eyes already trained on the TV and the new movie they’ve started, some slasher horror film that looks way too cheesy to actually be scary. 

He gives you a sidelong glance and takes a sip as you spread the blanket over your lap. 

“Took you long enough.” 

You don’t bother looking at him as you snuggle into his warmth beneath the blanket, sipping on your own drink. 

The smell of sea and sand fills your nose, relaxing your muscles. 

“I couldn’t find the wine.” 

“Mmmhm.” He hums disbelievingly, and his fingers come up to tug down the collar of your hoodie, his eyes perusing the skin of your neck. “Sure.” 

You swat his hand away, but he smirks with open amusement at the sight of the dark hickies littering your throat before he says, “Did the hickies help you look faster?” 

You stick your tongue out at him and move to face him, trying not to jostle Mingi, who is asleep on your other side. 

“Shut up.” 

“No.” He quips back with a sniff, taking another gulp of his wine pettily as he inspects his nails. 

He lets out a sharp oof as San leans into his other side, chin going down hard on his shoulder as he stares at you. 

“Did you need both hyungs to help you find the wine too?” 

Of course he was eavesdropping. 

He grins triumphantly as you glare at him, but your gaze unwittingly flickers past him to the other couch, where Changbin and Chan had settled, already looking at something-probably music-once more on Chan’s dimly lit phone. 

Chan glances up at the feel of your eyes on them, and he tilts his head, watching you curiously, before his lips curve into the hint of a grin. 

You feel yourself flush and look away. 

“Hey, tell Seonghwa I did him a favor, okay?” You protest, turning your attention back to San and Yeosang, who lift their brows in response. 

“Oh? And that was?” San queries, devious light flashing in his dark eyes. 

You sniff and turn back to the TV, taking another gulp from your glass. 

“We didn’t fuck in his kitchen.” 

“Oh yuck. You’re disgusting. Get off me.” Yeosang gags in disgust and shoves you away from his side with an offended glower, even as San cackles delightedly beside him. 

San’s still giggling to himself as he turns back to cuddle up against Wooyoung and Jisung, and Yeosang just heaves a heavy sigh, like he’s a disappointed mother finding out her kid tried weed for the first time. 

You cross your arms over your chest and try to pay attention to the movie, but your gaze drifts once more over San’s head, to the best friends curled up on the far couch together, Changbin’s arm looped loosely around Chan’s shoulders as he leans in to look at the phone, and warmth stirs in your stomach as you bite back a smile. 

‘Two pretty best friends in a room-’

‘They might kiss-’

They already did. 

********************************************************************************

💗 Taglist:

@hosh1kwon

@carolinexkpop@blithevix

@sunabokuto

@wildflower-at-heart@faericals@5sos-wdw@hyuneyeon

@studyingthemind@illicee

@maddmartian

@binnie--baby

@xwinchesterprincessx

@ley-lani59

@lady---boner

@rosegaming117@meivida

@sai-kida134

@cutecucumberkimberly

@aroseharder

@spideyweirdo

@coureurs-de-bois9

@unfiltered-starlight@sixswaggy

@shimmeringmoons22

@thatgirlangelb

@beautifulcolorgarden

@runningthroughlifestay@dearalice@patat-boi@stay-berry

@laylasbunbunny

@misxing-you

@sawadabegum

@changbinsrightboob

@maliamaiden@sunnibearr@bkirsted@jamlou512

@latinxmochi@goquokka

@leeknowsw0rldd@yoongihan

@simeonswhore

@rubberduckieyourtheone

@chanlovesme

@janvibutbetter

@starlostjimin /

@vampcharxter

@dadonbabysworld

@cursed-mars-bars@lexiluness

@nanaberry6

@yoongisleftearring@seoulsaver

@leeyanyanyaaan@septicrebel

@peppermint-tea-life

@ashcapybara

@thesingingelephant@ksho123

@bangchanwhore

@im-sinking-in-mud@nxahlxl

@peachbokkie

@pretty-blkgirl

@bokkierachacha

@richardofyork@neohyxn

@dumplinbokkieracha

@dreamingsmile