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Assistant: Title: Watched With Pity and Concern
        Author: Zervisx Zervisx 
        Chapter: 1/1 
        Summary: Felix knew the risks that came with five omegas sneaking through a forest with no supplies or experience outside the walls they had been trapped behind...but he had never expected one of those risks to be a feral alpha stalking amongst the trees.
        Contents: Summary:
            
              Felix knew the risks that came with five omegas sneaking through a forest with no supplies or experience outside the walls they had been trapped behind...but he had never expected one of those risks to be a feral alpha stalking amongst the trees.
            
        

        
  Notes:





    
      Please for the love of the gods, double check the tags before you start this fic. Your negligence is not my responsibility.There are no specific scenes that graphically depict the trauma that the omegas go through, but it is heavily addressed throughout the fic. The point of this fic (besides the Chanlix) is depicting trauma in a realistic way. Some of it is from personal experience while other parts come from professional knowledge. If any of that might severely distress you, please don’t read this.An additional warning, Felix frequently uses ableist language towards himself and Chan. He is often not intentionally being malicious or bigoted, his beliefs stem from his environment and the trauma he endured. That being said, it doesn’t make the things he believes any less problematic.This fic has been a year in the making….by the time I finished writing the last sentence, I have also written eleven academic papers for my masters program. Ten out of ten would not recommend.Just out of silliness (and the sake of my sanity) there are references to other pieces of literature or events. Can you find them all? Can I remember all of them…..
    

    (See the end of the work for more notes.)



  





    
        
          Felix knew before they had even stepped foot outside of the keep that they would only have a day at most before Jiyoung had his best trackers on their tails. Maybe less. The omegas weren’t used to physically strenuous activities, their thin clothes and flimsy footwear would offer little protection against the weather and terrain. It would have been too risky to acquire new clothes, especially some that would have been more suited for travel. They had never been dressed in anything that was to be viewed outside the harem.They had spent most of their days trapped within the harem anyway. It was how Jiyoung wanted them; his pampered, useless, little omegas. They had no idea how to fend for themselves. And Felix’s condition automatically made him the weak link, a burden on the others. Even with all that information, the others still wanted to take the risk. They had sworn that they would never leave him behind. He wouldn’t have been able to find it in himself to blame them if they did. But the last thing that he wanted was to be left behind, to end up back in the warlord’s grasp. He knew without a doubt that he would suffer the most. Not because Jiyoung would physically punish him. No, he was the favorite. Jiyoung would never raise a hand against him. But if he was the only omega to remain, all of the attention - obsessive and possessive attention - would be focused on him. Felix couldn’t stomach the thought. So he pushed himself. Made sure that he could always see Yeosang’s translucent cladded back as they ran. It didn’t matter how his stomach or his legs burned. Or that most of the time he couldn’t see Hyunjin’s head of long black hair unless they were resting. Even as the group slowed for him at times, Felix was proud that he never stopped moving.That pride was short-lived as the sun began to sink below the horizon, anxiety souring the others’ scents. They would be useless at night, vulnerable to more than just Jiyoung’s trackers. And as Felix looked at the other omegas, he knew that they were uncertain of their next move.They had settled upon the forest floor to rest their legs, Jisung and Yeosang cuddling against his sides as Wooyoung and Hyunjin scanned the treeline. Their reprieve would be fleeting, a plan needed to be decided on and quickly. The longer they stayed still, the larger the risk grew. ”We should try to find some source of water,” Felix panted. “Maybe cross it, if it’s a big enough river.””Throw the trackers off our scent,” Wooyoung supplied, almost giddy.Leave it to the older omega to still be a ball of energy after spending a whole day on his feet under the blistering heat of the sun. Felix was incredibly thankful for his presence, his attitude easily offsetting Yeosang and Jisung’s quiet personalities. There needed to be someone amongst the pack that could keep their spirits elevated. ”We can’t stay near the water long. They’ll expect it,” Jisung mumbled.”Let’s get moving then,” Hyunjin called, waiting long enough for Yeosang to help Felix to his feet before he started to move.They moved with a purpose now, slower, quieter, ears strained for the sound of running water. Nostrils flared for its unique scent. The group’s formation shifted as they traveled, Felix moving to take the lead. He had the best eyes, even in the rapidly darkening forest.It did little to help them, though, when he spotted the flickering flame of a fire in the distance. He was too slow in warning the others. Their steps froze when a growl reverberated throughout the trees. Felix felt a hand yank him back, towards the safety of their little group. The omegas pressed in closely to one another.It was a lone figure that emerged from the darkness - definitely not the trackers then, they always moved in a pack - growl never quieting as it approached. Felix knew that they would be no match for this alpha - what else could it be with the way it so aggressively defended its territory - even if they had it outnumbered. Hyunjin and Wooyoung were the only two in any kind of condition to fight. Yet that didn’t mean they had any type of experience with it. Felix wanted to snarl, bare his fangs at the stranger’s approach, but instincts left him whimpering, arms wrapped protectively around his swollen stomach. The movement seemed to catch the alpha’s attention, slowing his approach. He was close enough now that Felix could catch his fresh scent. Even with the other omegas crowded close, the scent easily invaded his nose. The alpha stopped a breath away from them, body bent low as his nostrils flared. Felix wasn’t sure if it was his stance that made him uncomfortable when it was supposed to be placating or if it was his proximity. Either way, he didn’t want the alpha anywhere near him.Felix almost yelped when the alpha abruptly pulled away. Jisung did yelp. The strange male c@cked his head at the noise and seemingly huffed at them. He stared at them a moment longer before circling behind them, pushing in close. There wasn’t even a flinch at the echoing snarls from Hyunjin and Wooyoung. The alpha kept moving, adjusting to push them in a desired direction.He was herding them.The omegas had no choice, but to follow where he directed. Even if there wasn’t a pregnant omega to protect, they had no experience fighting. They were at his mercy for now.Yet, for some reason, Felix couldn’t find it in himself to panic. Despite Yeosang’s bruising grip and Jisung’s endless whimpers, he kept his chin held high. They had escaped an alpha that had taken everything from them once. They would find a way to do it again. Felix would ensure that they found peace if it was the last thing he did.Their direction became clear with the scent of smoke on the wind and the glow of a fire amongst the trees. Felix relaxed - only slightly, he wasn’t that naive anymore - when it was clear that there were no other scents in the vicinity. The clearing was empty of multiple belongings, a single pack amongst the roots of one of the trees. They were only dealing with one unreasonable alpha.And unreasonable he was as he crowded them towards the fire, growling and grumbling until they settled before the warmth. Felix didn’t want to groan as he sank to the dirt, but his body sang with relief. As much as he hated it, he was a prized breeder. Extensive physical activity was not in his skill set (not that his collection of skills was great). And the pregnancy only made it more difficult. They had only been free for a day and Felix could already see how he was a liability to the others. He tried to shake the thoughts; they were useless, he knew the other would never leave him behind.He startled and then quickly scrambled to his feet when a half deconstructed deer carcass fell beside the fire. The sight alone had his stomach rolling, the smell making it exponentially worse. He barely made it out of the light of the fire before his abdomen was clenching with painful heaves. There wasn’t enough in his stomach to do anything more than burn, but it still brought tears to his eyes.”His stomach and nose are sensitive,” he heard someone snarl. Maybe Wooyoung?It was answered by a resounding rumble as he panted over his knees. He had thought he had passed the stage of sickness especially now that he had made it beyond the halfway point. Though he supposed none of the elder omegas in the keep had expected a prized breeder to be presented with a half eaten deer. It definitely hadn’t been in any of his lessons.When he turned back to the fire, the alpha and omegas were having a staring contest. The displeasure was clear on all sides, but the clearing remained silent. Thankfully the deer had been moved to the other side of the fire, sliced chunks of flesh roasting in the flames. He settled himself beside Hyunjin, easily accepting Jisung’s head into his lap. Felix began combing through the knots of the other omega’s hair, feeling Hyunjin beginning a similar process upon his own. He was certain if he glanced in Yeosang and Wooyoung’s direction, they would be in a similar position. But he was unwilling to take his eyes off of the alpha, even as his focus shifted onto the meat.As he worked on the other omega, Felix felt him adjust and then readjust, face scrunching against his thigh. Felix hummed, leaning forward as much as possible to stroke over Jisung’s soft cheeks. It settled him slightly, but his whimpers were enough to draw the attention of the other omegas. And the alpha.“I want it off, Lix,” Jisung whined, pulling at the metal collar that dug into his neck. The warm metal of his own collar sat heavily against the hollow of his throat. It was such a continuous fixture of their attire that Felix had forgotten that they all still wore them. In their rush to escape it hadn’t been a focal point in their plans. Removing a metal brand could not compare to the opportunity of true freedom. With the attention returned to the collars, Felix couldn’t deny the discomfort he felt clawing beneath his skin. It had been Jiyoung’s way of marking them as his. It would have been too damaging and unsightly to physically brand their skin. There was no chance he would have given them a mating bite, that would have created a two way connection. And if there was one thing the warlord refused to do it was expose a weakness. “Soon, Sungie,” Felix cooed. “Once we find somewhere to settle away from Jiyoung’s control we’ll find someone to help us”Felix stroked his cheek as he continued to whine. Even in the low light of the fire, he could see how the skin of Jisung’s neck was rubbed raw and bruised, even scarred in certain spots. The other omega was prone to great episodes of anxiety, which led him to yank on the collar when he grew distressed. Jiyoung had severely punished him when he had originally seen the damage, but it had only increased Jisung’s anxiety. The warlord had left it alone after that. It wasn’t until Hyunjin began to growl that Felix realized that the alpha had moved from his place behind the fire. Jisung scrambled up from his lap, trying to press himself into Felix’s side. This time the alpha didn’t stop as he drew nearer, unaffected by the omegas’ displeasure. His massive hand came down to hook beneath Jisung’s collar, pulling the omega to his feet with a cry. Felix and Hyunjin lunged after him, hands outstretched, but they couldn’t pull Jisung back for fear of hurting him. Jisung was openly weeping, the sour scent of his fear flooding the small campsite. A cry resounded behind Felix as the alpha shifted his grip, grasping the sides of the collar with both hands. Panic choked Felix. He lunged without thought. The alpha didn’t flinch as small fangs embedded in his forearm. Felix felt the muscles shift beneath his fangs as the alpha began to move, blood rushing into his mouth. There was a deafening snap of metal, Jisung falling back into Hyunjin’s waiting arms with a sob. Felix blinked at the broken collar hanging in the alphas hand. Unconsciously, his jaw relaxed, barely holding the arm in his mouth. Dark eyes shifted down to look at him, the collar falling to the ground nearby. Felix ripped back, startled at the hand that had moved to grab him. He bared bl@@dy fangs, rejoining Hyunjin and Jisung. There was absolutely no way he was trusting another alpha anywhere near his neck.The alpha continued to stand above them, head cocked to the side, blood dripping from his fingers. Felix wanted to scoff. Clearly no one had taught this alpha how interacting with others worked. No matter how badly he wanted to be free of all traces of Jiyoung, he would not accept being manhandled and treated as though he couldn’t make an informed decision.”Hey,” Wooyoung called, startling the whole group.Pulling Yeosang behind him, the older omega approached the alpha. He stared back, brows furrowed, expression still confused. Felix glared into the back of Wooyoung’s head.”Can you break ours too,” he questioned, thumb jabbed towards his own collar. There was no holding back his gasp as he looked between the omegas and alpha. There was no way Wooyoung was trusting that…The alpha only grumbled, reaching out and snapping Wooyoung’s collar like it was nothing. The omega almost purred in pleasure as he stretched and cracked his neck. He had significantly less scarring on his skin than Jisung. It took more coaxing to shift Yeosang against Wooyoung’s chest, hands helping to bare his neck to the alpha. The third collar broke like the others, revealing an almost smooth neck.Felix watched the entire interaction with his jaw hung low. He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. After everything they had been through, he couldn’t understand how Wooyoung could so easily trust another alpha, especially with Yeosang. It just didn’t make sense.Felix bared his fangs once again when the alpha turned his attention towards him. The alpha simply huffed, turning back towards the fire and abandoned food. He ripped at the fabric on his forearm, exposing the bleeding wounds and using the now torn cloth to wrap it in mimicry of bandages. Felix’s concentration was broken when Wooyoung bumped into him, dragging Yeosang into the hypothetical puppy pile.The pile readjusted until Felix and Jisung were at the center, Yeosang resting against the pregnant omega’s back. Hyunjin and Wooyoung settled to flank the triad.”Yongbok,” came the barely-there whisper of Yeosang’s voice. Felix tilted his head back to bump against the other in acknowledgment.”The scars on his face, they’re from a muzzle.””A feral,” Jisung gasped.Felix looked back towards the alpha, examining him for the first time amidst the fire’s light. He was dressed in simple black pants and boots, a tight shirt covering him from his neck to wrists. If he twisted just right, a section of skin along his waist was revealed. While his features were quite prominent - strong nose, plump lips, unruly curls - it was the scars that pulled Felix’s attention. They varied in depth and color and severity, but it was the worst across the bridge of his nose and cheek bones. The path of scars running along his chin and above his ears into his hairline were a dead giveaway to the muzzle that had once dug into his flesh. There was no clearer mark of a feral alpha.Their luck could only have been worse if the trackers had managed to find them. A feral was dangerous. They were muzzled for a reason, the restricting metal meant to be a permanent feature. To be found by a feral alpha who had managed to remove his muzzle was the definition of rotten luck.”He knows what it’s like,” Hyunjin mumbled.”He’s like us,” came Wooyoung’s voice.Felix rounded on the older omegas with a snarl, stained fangs on full display. Through the haze of his rage, he noticed Wooyoung absently stroking at his recently undecorated neck. “He’s nothing like us! He knows nothing of what we’ve suffered,” Felix hissed.The other omegas whimpered, reached for him, but he yanked away. He didn’t want to be touched. There were already too many hands on him. Phantoms and apparitions. Haunting his every step.A yelp ripped from his throat when a hand appeared in front of his eyes. The alpha was crouched low, freshly cooked meat extended. The sight alone made his uneasy stomach lurch. He turned his head away, hands clamped over his lower face, before the urge to run amongst the tree line was too great to ignore.The alpha merely grunted at Felix’s snuff, shifting to the next omega with the promise of food. He worked through the omegas, briefly retreating only to return with a waterskin. Felix begrudgingly accepted the water when Jisung pushed it into his hands. There was no denying the relief as the cool liquid eased down his throat. It took no time for the small amount of meat to disappear between the hungry omegas. It was nowhere near enough for pampered omegas who were used to eating their fill. They had not missed a meal since entering the warlord’s household, the pain of hunger foreign to them. It was the hardest for Felix who needed significantly more to sustain two lives. He burned through the energy at a blinding rate. Felix knew if he didn’t eat soon he would slip back into nausea. But there was also no way his stomach would hold onto the deer meat. The omega was at a loss, he had no idea how to find his own food.The feral returned once more, bandaged arm outstretched towards the group. In his hand was a small collection of first aid supplies. When the omegas stared at him, the alpha motioned towards Jisung and his damaged neck. It was Yeosang that reached for the bandages and other items. Felix watched warily, confused why the feral would use tattered clothes on his own injury, but offer legitimate - and probably expensive - supplies to a stranger. This alpha made no sense. It mattered little which way Felix tried to approach the situation from, he just couldn’t understand.The alpha retreated back to the fire as Yeosang worked to clean Jisung’s neck. The older omega easily wrapped the bandages, bruises and raw skin disappearing beneath the fabric. Yeosang was the most patient when it came to caring for injuries, but each omega possessed enough skill to prevent infections and cover wounds in unusual places. An unfortunate benefit of their previous living arrangement.It was unclear who let the first yawn slip, but it seemed to start a chain reaction. The sun had set long enough ago, most of the omegas would have been well into sleep in the harem. It might have been a light, fitful sleep, but it still left the omegas tired amongst the hush of the forest. Felix remained in his place by the fire, quiet and hungry as he watched the others’ attempts at finding places to rest. Yeosang and Jisung got the better deal, the oldest omega curled up in Wooyoung’s arms with the younger plastered against his back. Hyunjin had settled amongst a great oak’s roots, the trunk supporting his weight. They might have always had a warm bed and a roof over their heads, but it was also never guaranteed when Jiyoung would  visit  them. They learned to sleep when given the opportunity, often falling into a dreamless rest the moment they laid their heads down. Felix should have joined them, given his body the chance to recover. But he could not find the strength to move from his place before the fire. There was too much weighing on his mind. His hunger, his exhaustion, his overall condition, the group’s next move. It spun his brain in circles, too fast to keep up with.He was once again startled when food was shoved into his face. He really needed to start paying better attention to his surroundings…The alpha was before him again, but instead of deer, it looked like he was offering…bread? Felix didn’t growl or bare his fangs this time, only raising an eyebrow at the alpha. He grunted at Felix’s response, never breaking eye contact as he bit into the bread. He chewed and swallowed deliberately before holding the food out once more.Was he trying to prove that it was safe?Where in the world had this alpha come from?Reluctantly, Felix reached for the bread, only slightly flinching when their fingers brushed. The alpha broke eye contact, head dipped low as he moved away. Leaving Felix to eat in peace. The omega was too stunned for a moment to move. He could not remember a time when an alpha had let him be of their own volition.For the first time that night, Felix voluntarily looked away from the alpha as he inhaled the bread. It wasn’t necessarily fresh or anything special, but it tasted like the most amazing piece of food he had ever eaten at that moment. It was nowhere near filling and his stomach slightly growled in its desire. Felix couldn’t find it in himself to complain, though.The alpha was lost in the dance of the flames when Felix looked back up from his miniscule meal.“What do we call you,” the omega called.He didn’t startle, per say, but his head raised with enough speed to show his surprise. Felix couldn’t blame him. He had been the most aggressive in their short time together. And while he couldn’t say he was happy to be in the alpha’s company, he wasn’t raised by savages. The alpha had provided for them and deserved a thank you.Except he wasn’t speaking. He simply stared at Felix over the fire, face devoid of any clear emotions. The omega tried leaning forward, eyebrows raised in question to make it clear he was still waiting. But nothing. The alpha didn’t speak.“Fine, don’t tell me. But don’t expect any of us to call you alpha,” Felix snapped, irritation coursing through his veins at the silent treatment. Without another word, he rose from his spot - with all the grace of a foal - to settle beside Hyunjin. Getting comfortable was a struggle, but not a new experience for the young omega. He drifted off quickly, in part due to Hyunjin’s warmth.Though sleep came easily, it did not last long. Throughout the night, the omegas would jerk awake whether due to a sound from the forest or their alpha companion. It would take some time to assess that there was no immediate danger and have their heart rates return to a somewhat normal speed before they could drift off once more. By the time the sun was rising, none of the omegas had slept for longer than forty minute stretches. As they slowly woke, the alpha had worked to remove the remaining pieces from the deer that would be viable to eat. Felix queasily watched him wrap the meat in sections of the animal’s pelt before storing it in the large pack resting beside him. He wiped bloodstained hands on his wide pants before gathering the sparse supplies that remained. Only then did his attention turn to the omegas. He approached them slowly, hands visible and filled with their morning meal. They quietly accepted the food and water provided and climbed to their feet with little complaint when the alpha doused the fire and grumbled at them. It quickly became their routine over the next couple days, or was it a week, maybe more. Felix struggled to keep track of the days through his fatigue. The alpha hunted for them - though he quickly learned to keep the meat away from Felix, returning with berries and other greens instead - guided them through the forest and to a campsite each night, and kept watch over their sleeping forms. He even accompanied them on trips to relieve themselves or wash quickly in the frigid stream water. And though it all, he never touched any of them or spoke. It was doing wonders to gain the others’ trust; Hyunjin had even come around to asking for his collar to be removed. But Felix couldn’t do it. He still jerked awake the most often throughout the nights. He had the ever present reminder digging into his ribcage of why alphas couldn’t be trusted. So he chafed every time the alpha drew near to offer food. Had to hold back a growl when he circled behind the group to herd them in a particular direction. Or when he once again stood up to follow Felix as he disappeared into the treeline.It took every ounce of his remaining patience not to snap his fangs at the alpha. Not that it would have done him any good. The other male wouldn’t flinch, he probably wouldn’t even tilt his head in confusion. He’d only halt his steps until Felix began to move again. Felix could bitterly admit that the feral was more stubborn than him.So Felix kept moving through the trees until the light of the fire no longer danced with the shadows, the scent of smoke lost to the wind, and the noise of the omegas dimmed to the hum of an insect’s wings. He glared at the alpha to halt his movements before disappearing behind a couple of trees. And because he couldn’t have a moment of peace, the alpha had begun to growl before he had even reappeared. “What is your problem,” Felix hissed the instant the alpha was back in his sights.Of course there was no verbal response - why would he ever make things easy on Felix? - but the pitch of his growl deepened. Almost too low for Felix’s ears to pick it up. He was about to snap at the alpha when he heard what had set him off. A group, maybe three or four alphas, stomping their way through the forest. The air was filled with a scent he couldn’t forget. His very blood froze in his veins.Jiyoung’s trackers.As easily as his blood froze, his heart slammed against his ribs at a bruising pace. The others. They were defenseless without the alpha who was currently at his side. They didn’t know about the danger they were in. They wouldn’t have time to run. He had to get back to them, warn them, give them a chance. Not a single one of them could end up back in Jiyoung’s claws.Felix turned in the direction of the campsite, ready to run as fast as his sore feet could carry him when a hand wrapped around his bicep in a vice. He didn’t have a moment to scream before he was yanked back and crowded against the trunk of a massive tree. The alpha was pressed flush against his back. The sound of his growl was nonexistent, but Felix could feel the rumble against his spine.Any desire to fight or rage against the alpha for manhandling him died when he heard the trackers once more. Their footsteps were infinitely closer, practically drumming in his ears. The alpha had stopped him from running head first into them. The relief was nothing compared to the anxiety over the fate of the other omegas.Felix stiffened as the alpha pressed further against him, essentially draping himself over his back. An arm had come up to wrap around his shoulder, bicep pressing into his neck, and a hand skimming his chest. His chin hooked over Felix’s other shoulder, rough, scarred skin rubbing against his neck. The hard metal of the collar dug uncomfortably into his collarbones. Felix wanted to feel indignation, but it didn’t take a genius to recognize the alpha was smothering his scent.Instead, he stayed still, let the heat of the alpha seep into his skin as they listened to the trackers’ receding footsteps. It would only take a couple more moments for them to be out of range. Then Felix could be curled up with Yeosang again. Things were never that easy though. A pain unlike anything he had ever felt ripped through his abdomen, tearing a gasp from his throat as his body spasmed. He could feel the way the pup shuddered and rolled within his stomach, discomforted by its dame’s pain. Felix clamped a hand over his mouth to attempt to muffle the noise, but it was too late. The footsteps had paused, a din of voices echoing amongst the trees. He squeezed his eyes shut, one hand remaining clasped over his mouth while the other cradled his swollen stomach, attempting to breathe through the rippling pain. The pup responded in kind, lashing out and colliding with his bones. His teeth ground together to keep the groan trapped in his throat. His body jolted as a large, rougher hand settled over the top of his own. The rumble against his back deepened, fingers working into the exposed skin of his stomach.His touch was gentle, but firm, deft fingers starting at the main swell above his belly button and traveling towards the slope of his hips. The alpha paused to pay particular attention to any muscle that continued to spasm, shifting his attention only once the area had been soothed. And throughout his movements, he continued to rub his patchwork cheek against Felix’s neck and jaw. Beneath the panic and the pain, Felix could feel the way his omega whimpered at the touch of a foreign alpha on his pup. Tiny jolts were sent throughout his body each time the alpha brushed against the scent gland on his neck. But he also couldn’t deny the way his body slackened under the ministrations. Even the pup grew quiet in its movements. The alpha’s method allowed Felix to pull his hand away from his mouth, breaths coming easier.To Felix’s shock the ease did not disappear as the footsteps drew closer once more, the alpha’s rumbling and touch never halting.  If the trackers found them, there would be no hiding. They would identify Felix immediately. His collar and tattered clothes were incriminating enough. It wouldn’t have mattered though. Jiyoung’s scent was surely entwined with his own. If the trackers found them, they would kill the alpha and drag Felix back to Jiyoung’s side. He should have been panicking on multiple levels, but that area of his brain was cotton.He knew it, every single minute detail. Yet Felix could do nothing, but slump in the alpha’s hold. He and the pup’s heart rates had fallen to a steady rhythm. There was something from the alpha’s behavior that Felix could not identify that provided reassurance. And sure enough, the footsteps came to a halt once more, a voice sounding in the distance. Felix counted and waited, letting the alpha stroke at his stomach and nuzzle his scarred cheek into his neck. Waited until there were no sounds outside of the forest’s whispers.Then it was like a flame being ignited.With a guttural snarl, Felix shoved back against the alpha. The larger male pulled away without an ounce of hesitation, tilting his nose towards the moon. Felix shook himself out, smoothing hands over his stomach. His skin might not have been crawling, but the discomfort didn’t leave his fangs. Felix didn’t think he would ever become used to an alpha’s touch again. The alpha quickly grew impatient watching the moon. With a snap of his fangs and a low rumble, the alpha attempted to herd him towards the others.“I’m not an invalid! I know how to get back,” Felix snapped, fangs fully presented.The alpha simply snorted - as if he was some kind of unruly pup! - and pressed in closer again. Felix kept up his growling, but began to move through the trees to avoid touching the other male. His omega was too rankled to handle an alpha’s touch so soon. It was off putting enough how strongly the alpha’s scent clung to him. Felix could almost guarantee that there was a long, furiously whispered conversation with the other omegas in his future.He was already exhausted. And it had nothing to do with his rapidly progressing pregnancy.He just wanted to curl up with Yeosang, feel Jisung sneak up to steal their warmth as they drifted to sleep. Listen to Wooyoung and Hyunjin’s steady breathing. To just forget about everything else for a little while and enjoy the presence of his omegas.They were already looking in his direction as he stepped into the fire’s light. There was an anxiety thick in the air, almost enough to choke on as he and the alpha settled. Felix paid little mind to Jisung and Yeosang’s anxiety, it was a normal enough occurrence. It was Hyunjin, even worse, Wooyoung that set the young omega on edge.“What,” he hissed when no one answered his questioning gaze.“The breeze carried the trackers’ scent,” Yeosang mumbled, playing with the torn fabric of his pants. “This is the closest they’ve gotten since we’ve escaped,” Wooyoung whined.They had all fallen into a false sense of security - even Felix - with the alpha guiding them and neither hide nor hair of the trackers being seen. It was foolish. Naive. They each had known the lengths Jiyoung would go to when planning their escape. He’d want each of them returned without a scratch on them. Especially Felix. The punishment would wait until Jiyoung could carry it out himself. So long as the injuries did not interfere with their ability to conceive, he would not be concerned with harming them. “I know,” Felix rasped. “We almost ran into them.”Jisung whimpered, the obvious tremble in his body breaking Felix’s heart.His spine stiffened at the overwhelming scent of the alpha’s pheromones that spread over the camp. They were meant to help calm the distressed omegas. Perhaps even hide their scents from the trackers. For the others, it helped, even fractionally. But Felix’s omega huffed at the attempt as he looked across the fire. The alpha stared back at him expectantly.He was not so easily placated. It was a trick that Jiyoung had tried in the beginning, to dampen the revulsion at his touch. After many, many unsuccessful tries, the warlord had abandoned the tactic. Became frighteningly immune to the screams.If Felix and his omega could resist Jiyoung, there wasn’t a chance he’d bend to some feral. He scoffed, broke eye contact with the alpha to return his attention to the others. There was no need for a power struggle, they weren’t pack. Looking away was no act of submission.“Let’s just rest. Guard dog will be up half the night anyway,” Felix soothed, reaching for the others. They easily fell into a puppy pile, the action like second nature even if they had been using it less since gaining their freedom. Tonight, they each needed the extra warmth and security to begin to drift off. As usual, Felix was the last to remain awake, watching the alpha tend to the fire. But he could not fight off the tantalizing warmth, eyes closing without his knowledge. It ironically was the easiest he had slept under the stars.Perhaps that was the reason he was so violently ripped into the waking world.The other boys startled beside him, fearful gazes cast about to find what had awoken them. It reached Felix’s ears and nose before his eyes could catch up. A deafening snarl. The scent of other wolves besides the feral. Felix spotted him easily, back illuminated by the light of the fire. Even in the dim light, Felix could see the tension, the muscles of his back drawn tight. As if he was ready to spring. And standing before the feral were Jiyoung’s trackers, their gazes flickering between the feral alpha and cowering omegas.Felix counted three amongst the shadows, though there certainly were more searching through other areas of the forest. These ones just happened to be lucky enough to catch their scents. No doubt, Felix’s scent mixed with Jiyoung’s had been the guiding force. They never should have settled back down; they should have moved their camp somewhere safer. Even if it had meant walking through the night. One of the trackers stepped away from the group, further into the light of the fire, hands raised placatingly. “You have done an excellent job of protecting Jiyoung-nim’s property. Release them into our care and you will be greatly rewarded,” he called to the feral, continuing his approach despite the growls. The words struck Felix like a bolt of lightning. The feral….he had been working for Jiyoung? All of it had been a ploy to return them to the warlord?Every sense narrowed onto the feral as Felix fought to pull breath into his lungs. The alpha hadn’t moved from his place in front of the omega, his growls the only indication that he had heard the tracker. The rage boiled through his blood, heartbeat roaring in his ears. “You b@st@rd,” Felix screeched. That got the feral’s attention. His spine straightened, growls quieting. Dark eyes pulled away from the trackers to meet his own. The light of the fire was bright enough to illuminate the alpha’s eyes, but even so he could not tell what emotions swirled in the seemingly endless void. For a fleeting moment, Felix thought his head was going to cock in confusion. It did not matter. Felix cared not for his confusion or any other emotion he might have been feeling. “You’re no better than Jiyoung! We’re just things to you,” Felix raged, fangs on full display, shrugging off the frantic hands trying to pull him back to the others. Rising laughter sounded from the direction of the tracker who had stepped into the light, the noise sending chills crawling down Felix’s spine. “Still as feisty as ever, Yongbok. Not even being repeatedly bred has diminished your fire.”He did not recognize this tracker, but clearly he knew who Felix was. Though, that would not have been a hard feat in Jiyoung’s keep. Although he had been hidden away behind the harem doors, the rumors of Jiyoung’s favorite blonde omega surely had spread far and wide. No doubt the screams from within the harem had echoed throughout the keep. And the maids had taken away blood soaked linens on many occasions. Cold fear crashed over Felix’s body, heartbeat stuttering as the tracker seemingly stared into his soul. It unclogged his ears to the sound of the others’ whimpers. He did not need to hear them though. He knew, intimately, what the omegas were remembering. Could hear their screams echoing in his mind. The phantom hands had returned with a vengeance, gripping, pulling, ripping at his body. There was no stopping the tears as a tremble began in his limbs. He didn’t think he could ever erase Jiyoung’s touch. He tried to breathe like the elder omegas had taught him and Jisung, to ground himself in this moment. But there was no safety to be found in the present, the hellscape did not fade outside of his mind. If he had possessed the energy to check, Felix was certain that Jisung was in a similar situation. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from the feral. He could feel the fear, the dread in his bones, waiting for the larger male to move aside. A tiny voice in his mind screamed for the alpha to keep them. To offer the safety of his possession instead of the rage of Jiyoung’s. At least with this feral they had not been harmed. Perhaps, that would not change as time passed. Perhaps, he would not seek to overwrite Jiyoung’s claim and make them his own.The alpha could not hear him, nor did he see Felix. The omega’s screams were locked behind the fear that had clenched his jaw. The alpha’s attention had returned to the trackers, the remaining two having stepped out from the trees. Though it was difficult to pick up over the noise in his mind, it was almost as though Felix could feel the ground reverberating with the feral’s growl. His possessiveness caused Felix’s stomach to twist into knots. He was being naive once more. Even if the trackers didn’t return them to Jiyoung, they would never be free. “It’s time to give up the breeders, you feral mutt. We are expected and cannot waste more time standing around,” one of the trackers snapped.But they had made an erroneous misstep. In their impatience, they had gotten within reach of the feral. He had moved in the span of a single blink, fangs embedded into the nearest tracker’s neck.The screaming was instantaneous, echoing throughout the small clearing. Felix wanted to cover his ears, to squeeze his eyes shut, but he was frozen watching the scene unfold. He barely flinched at the spray of warm blood splashing across his face as the feral tore the throat from the tracker.The remaining two attempted to rush to their companion’s aid, but the feral only roared at their approach. As though he was lighter than a feather, the feral launched the limp body at one of the trackers. It was enough to take the male to the ground and give the feral the opportunity to launch himself at the other tracker. When the next spray of blood hit Felix, he managed to close his eyes to the carnage. It did nothing to block out the noise. The screams were ungodly. The tearing of flesh echoed nauseatingly in his ears. He couldn’t hear the whimpers of the other omegas. The scent of blood grew so powerful it blocked out the feral’s pheromones. As rapidly as the screaming had begun, it fell silent. Only the sobbing remained. Forcing his eyes open with a steadying breath, Felix turned to take in his companions. They were in varying states of disarray, blood soaked and trembling. Felix had taken the brunt of the carnage being at the front of the group, but they would each require a long trip to the river to wash away the stench. A hiccup sent the omegas into motion.Jisung grabbed Felix. Felix reached for Wooyoung. Yeosang collapsed against Hyunjin. Wooyoung pulled at Hyunjin’s shoulder. Once more they were piled together, reminiscent of long nights pulling themselves back together in the harem. One another’s arms was the only safety they had ever known.Felix was tired.No.That wasn’t right. He was exhausted down to his bones. He could not remember what it was like to fall asleep without fear. For it not to be a necessity to constantly look over his shoulder for the next moment of pain. All he wanted was somewhere to feel safe that was far away from Jiyoung’s reach. It really didn’t feel like too much to ask for.There had to be somewhere. Far away and filled with green as far as the eye could see. Somewhere with enough space for his little pack to settle, where they would never have to worry about brutish alphas and their too powerful pheromones and their endless entitlement.“We shouldn’t stay here,” Yeosang whispered into his hair.Jisung responded with a whimper, burrowing further into the group. Wooyoung hummed, petting the younger omega’s back. Felix knew Yeosang was right, the scent of blood would easily lead other trackers to them. But it was so comfortable in the warmth, a hand steady upon his stomach and the scent of a seabreeze moving across the trees.Felix’s eyes snapped open to meet the gaze of the bloodsoaked alpha. The carnage dripped from his hair, weighing the curls down until they were almost straight from the moisture. He was crouched before their pile, one head resting on Hyunjin’s hair while the other encompassed Felix’s stomach. A thumb gently stroked along the exposed skin, leaving stains across his pale skin. His scent was rolling off of him in waves, a steady rumble in his chest.“Don’t touch me,” Felix hissed.The alpha’s hand didn’t pull away, only shifting so that he could more easily pet over Felix’s stomach. His head dipped low to nuzzle along Wooyoung’s hairline, that steady rumble almost becoming a purr. As if they were his omegas to comfort.“Are you deaf or just limited, you worthless feral? I don’t want your touch or false comfort,” Felix snarled, tone growing loud as his fangs flashed and his eyes blazed.“Felix,” Hyunjun chastised, tone scandalized and hand reaching for him. “No! I can’t! I won’t let another try to claim me,” he cried, raged, tried to burrow deeper into the omega pile.It finally seemed to have clicked for the alpha, taking his hand away. He opted for stroking Wooyoung’s hair as he did for Hyunjin, watching Felix carefully. The pregnant omega hated it. How close he was to his friends. The way his eyes tracked Felix like he was something that would shatter. He might have only been an omega, the weak link in the group, but he would not break under this alpha’s gaze. He had survived for this long already, he would not crumble. “Felix, we really should move. Wash the blood away and find a new place to rest for the night,” Yeosang coaxed, shifting to stand and detangle the pile. He whimpered, but let himself be pushed and pulled until all of them were on their feet. Jisung clung to his arm as Wooyoung took the lead, the alpha hanging back to break down the campsite. It took little effort to find a nearby stream and only slightly more to wade into the freezing water. The current engulfed the group to their waists, but remained gentle enough to keep them on their feet.The omegas worked together to remove all traces of blood from their skin, hair, and clothes. Without soap or proper brushes, the omegas were dyed a slight pink. The water at least washed away the scent of blood clinging to them. The group barely flinched as a splash echoed from slightly further upstream. The alpha had finished collecting their supplies and joined them at the stream, diving beneath the current.Felix blatantly ignored him as he moved quickly, nail beds beginning to turn blue. Pulling himself back onto the bank, he tried to shake and squeeze all the water from his clothes and hair. It did little to ease the chill that had crept into his bones, but anything less than a fire wouldn’t have much of an effect. The rest of the pack - alpha included - was a symphony of chattering and shivering as they joined Felix on the bank. The omegas huddled together in an attempt to slow the sound of their teeth colliding. It was one of the few times Felix was grateful for his large stomach; it acted as his personal heater. He pulled Jisung flush against his front, entwined hands resting on his belly, hiding his own face in the crook of the other’s neck. It was a little sad how nice his warm breath bouncing back onto his skin felt. A moment of cuddling passed before Felix recognized the sound of Wooyoung speaking and something heavy being draped over his shoulders. He whined in discontent, but managed to lift his head from Jisung’s neck to see a thick pelt covering him. He blinked slowly, releasing the other omega to stroke over the incredibly soft fur. Shifting his gaze towards the pack, he watched Yeosang - who was also draped in a pelt - wrap another one around Jisung. Wooyoung and Hyunjin were in a similar state with an empty sack at their feet. Only the feral remained without one, water clinging to strands of his curls. His shivering seemed to have stopped, but Felix could still pick out the blue tinge of his lips.“I kind of forgot how nice it is to be cared and provided for,” Jisung whispered, watching the alpha.“Jiyoung  provided for us too. It doesn’t make him trustworthy,” Felix grumbled.“He’s much kinder than Jiyoung,” Jisung mumbled, looking down at his feet. He wanted to be more annoyed at Jisung, but he only had enough energy to direct into making his feet move when the alpha snatched the sack and circled around them with a grumble. Felix was already exhausted from the day’s travel - all of the days they had traveled really, but he wasn’t going to acknowledge it - even with his instincts raging, he didn’t have enough irritation to fight. He really just wanted to reach somewhere that they could sleep.Even as the alpha repeatedly circled back as they walked, crowding close enough to ensure that Felix was keeping up, he couldn’t find the energy to snap at him. Only thoughts of warmth, the omega pile, and sleep danced across his thoughts. It was just enough to keep him moving behind the others.  ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ Felix was ashamed to admit it took him three days longer than usual to recognize the signs. He could have made the excuse that he was only used to Jiyoung’s pheromones, but he was exhausted, his brain distracted. The symptoms were as clear as the freckles on his face. A permanent flush to his skin, excessive sweat, increased restlessness, refussl to take point while they traveled. He had been circling around the little pack endlessly, ears perked, nostrils flared, and eyes scanning every inch of the forest.The feral’s rut was hitting him full force as they set up camp for the night and somehow Felix hadn’t noticed. Even if he had not come close enough to lay a finger on them, Felix should have recognized the danger. There were too many fertile omegas for his composure to hold. Felix didn’t know when, but he was certain that the feral would snap. And when he did, one of them…maybe more, were going to get hurt.Curling into Hyunjin’s side, Felix clenched a hand into the fabric of his clothes as he whispered, “He’s going into rut. A strong one by the smell.”Hyunjin let out a low hum as he nuzzled Felix’s hairline. “He hasn’t come near any of us. Not even to scent.”Felix watched the alpha, growling and sweating as he worked to start the fire. The rising heat seemed to frustrate him, baring his fangs as he worked. It twisted his scars into an aggressive, ugly thing. Every line of him radiated danger. “He’s an alpha. A feral one starting his rut. He’s going to snap,” Felix murmured, almost afraid that his words would bring the alpha’s attention.A soft hand threaded into his long locks from behind, Yeosang’s scent teasing his nose. “I’m more concerned about how many days we’ll have to nest waiting for his rut to run its course,” the oldest whispered, settling behind Felix.It was another thing to add to the list that the omega’s pregnancy brain had not thought about. They were increasingly vulnerable traveling with such a magnitude of omegas. But stuck with an alpha in rut? They might as well have offered themselves on a platter for the trackers. The idea of being dragged back to Jiyoung sent the usual panic racing through his veins.An unaided rut could last for days. And if the trackers found them, the feral wouldn’t be able to tear them apart again.They couldn’t stay camped out that long. But Felix couldn’t handle the thought of the others coming to harm again. Their cries and screams haunted his dreams more than his own.A chill raced down his spine at the realization. “I’ll help him,” he choked, burying closer to Hyunjin.It was Jisung that reacted first, falling to his knees before Felix with a wild look in his dark eyes. “Felix, no. You’ve enough burdens to bear.”“Sungie’s right,” Hyunjin interjected. “You know the damage that can be caused during a rut.”Felix scoffed, refusing to look at any of them, “What’s the worst damage he could cause? Some lacerations and bites? A miscarriage? I’ll survive.”He knew the others were staring, a mix of horror and disbelief. He could understand it, everything in their instincts drove them towards pups. But there was something broken in Felix. He hadn’t wanted this pregnancy. He struggled to feel the maternal drive, even with his own instincts arguing otherwise. “You don’t have to do this. We don’t have to stay with him,” Wooyoung stated, crouching behind Jisung to meet Felix’s gaze.“As much as it pains me to admit it, we have a better chance with him. For us, for our future, I can do this,” Felix spoke without looking away from the other omega.Wooyoung nodded his acceptance, though the others continued to voice their complaints. It took some finagling to remove the other omegas from his person and an additional layer of effort to pull himself to his feet. He attempted to take a steadying breath. It did little to ease the tremble spreading along his limbs.Felix tried not to stare at the alpha as he walked around the fire to approach him. But it was difficult to ignore the screeching of his instincts that told him losing sight of the feral, for even a second, was even more dangerous than approaching him.The alpha had eyes upon him from the first sound of his footsteps. The intensity in his gaze had shivers playing along his vertebrate. His muscles seemed coiled, ready to spring, but he did not move even as Felix knelt before him. A whine started in the back of the alpha’s throat. Still, he remained unmoving.“I’ll help you.”The alpha startled at the words, the confused tilt of his head returning. It was too difficult to glean information from his scent. And Felix knew better than to expect a verbal explanation. “Your rut. To ease it,” he grumbled, finally breaking eye contact.He still didn’t move, made no attempt to claim Felix. The omega wasn’t sure how to approach the situation at first. Everything he knew about alphas and their ruts told him that the feral should have lunged for him the instant he had gotten close enough. Yet here he sat.Was it…did the pregnancy make Felix unappealing? Would he have preferred one of the others to help?Felix shook the thoughts out of his head. It didn’t matter. Felix wouldn’t let the other omegas suffer through this. Steeling himself, Felix reached for the alpha. Tried to ignore the way his hand shook, the way dark eyes followed his movement. There was a stutter in his heartbeat when he made contact with the swollen gland in the alpha’s neck.It was enough.Felix didn’t need to think of his next move as the alpha’s control snapped. He tried to allow his body to fall limp as hands wrapped around him, pulled him towards the inferno. If a whimper fell from his lips, Felix refused to feel the shame with it. No matter what happened, he could endure it. For the sake of their safety.The alpha deposited Felix in his lap, hands pressing him close until his entire back was covered by the other’s chest. His erection seared through the thin layers of their clothes, insistent against Felix’s ass and back. Another whimper sounded. Maybe the others had been right about him coming to harm. Even without seeing it, he could tell the alpha was monstrous.Felix tried to fight back the tears as hands began to wander. He did not want to show this alpha his weakness, but the demons were screaming, his fear welling over and streaking down his cheeks. A nose pressed beneath his ear, tearing a gasping sob from where it had been caught in his throat. They were pressed too close together for Felix to miss the way he rumbled, trying to offer comfort. He clamped down on his lip, teeth grinding to quiet himself. Even if he couldn’t see or smell them, he knew the others weren’t far. He didn’t want to distress them, to add his cries to their nightmares.Felix fought to calm his breathing, to slip away from his mind like the older omegas had taught them as a warm mouth worked over his neck. But each time he began to slip, the feral’s touch would startle his mind. He was too different from Jiyoung, hard in all the ways the warlord was soft. Felix could feel the pr@ck of fangs upon his gland with each open mouth kiss. Rough hands worked over his swollen stomach, traveling down hips to grasp at the plump flesh of his inner thighs. The attention was dizzying.The alpha squeezed his flesh, hard enough to sting, but not enough to press bruises into the skin. He used the leverage to pull Felix’s legs further apart, the fabric of his pants pushing against his core. The omega gasped and squirmed, heat flushing his face as the scent of slick reached his nose. Shame clawed at his throat, choking the whimper threatening to escape at the evidence of his body’s betrayal.His thoughts screeched, raced, attempted to escape the phantom of Jiyoung. Yet he could not help the recoil at the corner it worked to flee towards. Beyond all the bruises and wounds and scars there was a tiny place, a desire long buried. A wish to experience the soft touch of an alpha.Felix could not bring himself to acknowledge that desire even as the alpha avoided his core and began tracing a hand back up his body. There was no trust even as his touch remained gentle, as his fangs were nothing more than a light pressure. How? How could Felix find it in himself to trust when his body housed the evidence of an alpha’s violence? Allowing for such a vulnerability would only open him to further injury. He fought to focus on holding in his whimpers and controlling his squirming. To prevent the jump as a hand came into contact with the collar resting against his clavicle. The alpha growled into his shoulder, scent spiking to an almost nauseating level. In the span of a breath, fangs and fingers gripped the foreign metal. A high keen broke passed Felix’s lips at the deafening snap and loss of weight.There were equal parts anger and relief with the collar’s removal arguing amongst his thoughts. The feral had no right to make such a decision for him, especially for the selfish intent of removing an outside claim. Yet his body slumped back into the alpha’s hold, relishing the breeze caressing his neck. It had been so long, Felix had almost forgotten what it felt like without the collar.The alpha’s hand returned to the soft flesh of his thigh, mouth attaching to his exposed neck, fangs teasing his pulse. Despite the literal furnace that the alpha was, Felix could feel his hair standing on end as he squirmed. The other male growled into his neck no doubt due to the friction against his erection. His grip tightened. Felix gasped.His eyes squeezed shut as the alpha began to grind into him with intention. He waited, expecting the ripping of fabric and the awful burning pain of a knot. Teeth ground together to hold in his whimpers, clenched fists resting upon his abdomen. He waited. The heedy pheromones spiked, pace never slowing.Yet the alpha did not progress. He did not move beyond pawing at Felix’s thigh, scenting and mouthing along Felix’s gland. He fought to reopen his eyes, shifting to take in as much of the alpha’s profile as possible. His unruly curls were stuck to his forehead with sweat, a flush sitting high upon his face. But his face was lax. Felix was almost willing to call his expression content.”What are you…Guard Dog?”There was a low hum against his skin. “Guard Dog, we cannot be stuck here waiting for your rut to abate. I did not volunteer to be pawed at; you need to knot me,” Felix gasped, practically choking on his words. The feral released his thighs, hands at his chest and neck to pull him tighter against the other. Felix whimpered as fingers encircled his neck, head falling back against his broad shoulder. A scarred cheek and nose began to rub along his jaw, following the path of his profile. The rough, foreign texture left Felix shivering. The alpha whimpered as he peppered soft kisses across his jawline. A shriek almost escaped Felix’s throat as the alpha suddenly readjusted their position. Felix was maneuvered onto his side with his back facing the fire. The alpha curled around him, tangling their legs together as he wrapped an arm over his shoulder and tucked Felix under his chin. His muscular bicep was offered as a pillow to Felix. The alpha rumbled as he dug his fingers into the omega’s lower back. Felix couldn’t deny the way his body went lax under the alpha’s ministrations, the ache in his back lessening with each press of his fingers. It had become such a constant, he had forgotten what it felt like to not be in pain. He could have asked the other omegas to help him, but they were all so tired by the end of each day. He didn’t want to bother them when they could be resting. For just this once, he would let himself fall into the touch and the comfort the alpha was offering. Ignore the throbbing erection that was still pressed against his thigh. Felix chose to focus on the alpha’s fingers, allowing his eyes to slip shut. He wasn’t sure when he fell asleep. There had been no dreams or nightmares to mark the night’s passing. The only thing that let Felix know the night had slipped by was the light of the sun peaking over the horizon. It took a moment for the shock to wear off. Then came the next big shock of the morning. The alpha was no longer wrapped around him.Felix jolted up, heart pounding in his ears as he searched for the alpha and other omegas. It took very little time to find them across the camp. Even without seeing his face, Felix could tell that the alpha was still sweating, the back of his neck flushed red. Unsurprisingly, his rut had not broken during the night. And he was hovering over the omegas.”Guard Dog,” Felix called, voice cracking from disuse. The feral perked at the sound of his voice, his metaphorical tail wagging as he looked back at Felix. His shift gave the omega the chance to see the pelts draped around the others. They all blinked sleepily, snuggling into the warmth. The alpha was carding his fingers through Wooyoung’s long locks, the omega leaning into his touch.The action set Felix’s fangs on edge. The entire point of offering himself to the alpha was to keep him away from the rest of the pack. Perhaps he was caring for them, ensuring that they did not grow cold, but he should not have been touching any of them. Fighting the churn in his stomach, Felix called out again, adding an extra whine to his voice. It worked, perhaps a little too well. The alpha pulled away from Wooyoung to return to his side. Crouching before him, the alpha reached out to grasp the back of his neck, pulling them close to nuzzle along Felix’s hairline. Rescenting him in the light of day. Even though the omega was thoroughly drenched in his scent.Felix held himself still, allowing the alpha to do as his instincts dictated. His ministrations lasted less than a minute before he was moving to break their camp down, offering the skin of water as he went. Somehow, he had even managed to snag a couple squirrels from the trees that were added to their food reserves. The fire was the last thing to be taken care of, the smoldering pit easily covered by loose dirt.Once the tasks had been completed and the omegas finished the crumbs of their meal, the alpha began to move. They were far enough in their journey that he no longer had to herd the omegas to force their movements, they rose to their feet and moved to the tree line on their own. Felix made to follow them, but stilled at the feral’s growl.There was not a chance to question his motives before he was swooping down to grab Felix under his legs and around his shoulders. He lifted the omega easily, cradling him close to his chest even as Felix let out an undignified squeak. One arm came to cradle his stomach while the other wrapped around the alpha’s shoulders. The pace he set was relatively smooth, hardly jostling the omega as he walked. The fire beneath his skin and the sweat creating tracks over his body did nothing to alter his steps.Though Felix had already known it to be true, the scent of arousal was overpowering as he rested his head against the alpha. The alpha’s rut was as strong as ever. Felix had little doubt if he reached beneath him that he would find the alpha’s erection. Still, besides the slight movements the night before, he had made no attempt to claim Felix. Sure, he was covered in the alpha’s scent, but they had slept besides one another, it would have happened no matter what. Despite not looking, Felix knew that there were no bruises on his body. His touch had been firm, but gentle. His fangs had never scrapped, scratched, or broken skin as he had pressed open mouth kisses into Felix’s flesh. WIth a sigh, Felix tried to readjust himself in the alpha’s hold, finding a more comfortable angle to rest his head at. It left his nose practically flush with the alpha’s skin, blocking out anything that wasn’t rut pheromones. He felt the flush return to his own body, the uncomfortable tightening beginning in his stomach once more. The alpha rumbled against him, swooping low to nuzzle into Felix’s blonde locks. It was still a long journey while being held in the alpha’s arms, there wasn’t much for Felix to entertain himself with. At most, he pawed over his bare neck, mapping out the scars and tender skin left by the collar. He couldn’t object about being carried, the relief that came with giving his feet a reprieve. Or the warmth that was offered through the thin layer of his clothes. It was hard to shiver when a living fire was carrying him.Throughout the day, they followed behind the omegas, Felix sometimes calling out to Yeosang or Hyunjin to shift the direction when the alpha veered a different way. It felt like the alpha was constantly pushing the waterskin into his hands which only forced them to find a source of water multiple times. Through it all, the omegas talked quietly amongst themselves, shooting glances at the feral, but never making comments about Felix’s unusual position. He was grateful when they settled for the night, the alpha collecting the pelts from the omegas to lay across the ground in a makeshift nest. He settled Felix in the furs, before setting to work on the fire and food. Felix wanted to stretch out amongst the furs, cover himself in the scents of his pack, but it felt uncomfortable to partake in the luxury while the others sat on the cold ground. But he also didn’t want to invite them closer and risk the alpha’s attention turning to them. Felix chose to sit in the middle of the furs, rubbing over his stomach and poking back at the pup whenever it pushed against him. It was still difficult for Felix to wrap his head around the fact that he was growing a life in his body. That soon there would be a little pup in his arms, that would be a continuous reminder of Jiyoung and everything he had done to them. He wasn’t sure that he would be able to raise this pup if it wasn’t for the other omegas support. He knew nothing about being a parent. The alpha’s larger hand came to rest next to his own on his stomach, thumb brushing over the stretched skin as he almost purred in content. It still caused a flinch in Felix’s body, but he allowed the alpha’s touch to remain. Even if it set his instincts on fire, the pup quieted under the larger hand. Perhaps that was why the elder omegas always talked about the importance of having the alpha around during the pregnancy. Felix still would have rather done it without an alpha.He would have rather not done it at all.That was too far out of the question now, though.He sighed and leaned back, stretching out his torso and trying to create more space so that the pup was not pressed into his organs. The alpha stroked over his stomach once more before holding out some berries that he had scavenged. Felix could tell that he wanted the omega to eat more, but just the thought of eating meat threatened to make his stomach rebel. He certainly wasn’t putting on as much weight as he needed, omegas often twice his size by now. But he had always been small, even for an omega. So he happily ate his measly meal, refusing to spend energy on something that he didn’t have the ability to change. Looking towards the other omegas, Felix couldn’t help the bark of laughter that broke past his lips, startling the alpha at his side. The other omegas looked at him over the fire, unable to help their smiles at Felix’s laughter even if they were confused. It was the other youngest omega, his twin that had caught his attention and caused his mirth. Jisung’s cheeks were round and full with the meal that he was happily munching on. A meal that Felix could remember the alpha catching just that morning.“Sungie, that’s cannibalism,” Felix giggled. The other omegas blinked back at him for a moment before shifting to look at Jisung. Then Wooyoung and Hyunjini joined Felix in his mirth, laughter bursting from them as the young omega looked towards Yeosang for support. The oldest omega patted his head without a word.  “Squirrel,” Wooyoung wheezed, arms wrapped tightly around his abdomen.Felix could see the alpha looking between them as Wooyoung and Hyunjin continued to laugh, Jisung indignantly trying to defend himself around his mouth full of food. The flush still sat high on his cheeks, but his face was soft as he watched them. And for once, Felix didn’t feel the need to snap at him and draw his attention away. His scent spiked when he turned his gaze back to Felix, eyes tracing over his entire body, Biting back a sigh, Felix tilted his head, exposing his neck to the alpha and inviting him closer. The alpha needed no further convincing this time, rushing forward to wrap himself around Felix and bury his face in his neck. The rough skin against his tender neck had Felix’s skin prickling, returning the tension in his lower abdomen. The alpha seemed more confident, his touches more sure as he adjusted Felix onto his back. The pressure on his spine wasn’t the most comfortable, but it was easy to ignore when the alpha spread his thighs to settle between them. They were pressed flush together, his desire throbbing against his core. Felix squeezed his eyes shut, face turned to press into the furs and expose his neck. The mouth was on him instantly, working over his scent gland, those sharp fangs pricking soft flesh. Yet every bruise that Felix had discovered earlier that day the alpha seemed to avoid, his touch gentle even over the scars. Like he couldn’t bear to bring harm to the omega spread out beneath him. Even his weight hadn’t pressed into Felix, their bodies flush, but not painful or suffocating. Plenty of space left for his stomach and the slumbering pup. Felix jumped as the warm breath hit his face, the alpha’s nose meeting his jawline and nuzzling up towards his ear. He cooed and kissed everywhere he could reach, touch desperate for the omega’s attention. Felix only whimpered, hands fisted into the furs beneath him. He couldn’t understand why the feral toyed with him. Why didn’t he just take what he so clearly wanted? Why drag out Felix’s suffering?It was almost cruel how much he touched and mouthed and scented Felix without taking him. Like he was taking advantage of Felix’s offer to help, to drag out their interactions through the extension of his rut. Couldn’t he understand that Felix wanted it to be over quickly? That he wanted to return to the other omegas’ sides and be done with this journey. He hissed at the fangs that bit into his jaw, dark eyes snapping open to glare at the alpha above him. His head was irritatingly cocked to the side, eyes with pupils blown wide staring down at him. He whimpered at Felix, petting over his long locks. “What,” Felix couldn’t help, but growl. The alpha only whimpered again, nuzzling over the swell of his cheek. “Guard Dog,” he sighed. “I offered to help. That does not mean that I want to be your mate.”He ripped back as if Felix had physically hit him. His chest stuttered on the next inhale, moving his body to sit back on his haunches so that they were no longer touching. A hand came up to rub against the side of his neck almost aggressively. Throughout, he refused to meet Felix’s eyes, his proverbial ears drooped low. He looked…hurt?Felix blinked up at him. Had he actually expected something to come from this rut? He…he had actually wanted a used and broken omega? His chest constricted painfully as he watched the other male pull back from him. It didn’t make any sense. Alpha’s were territorial by nature; sharing was not in their nature. And Felix had so obviously belonged to another. For what possible reason would this alpha want him? Was it because they were both broken?Felix wanted to be angry at the thought, to scoff at the alpha’s assumption. But he only ached. It was impossible to forget when he had realized that he was broken, that no one would want him, that he could never go back to how things had been before Jiyoung. And wasn’t the alpha, someone who couldn’t even tell Felix his name, struggling with the same burden? Their society would forever view them as outcasts. Hell, Felix had viewed him as such the instant he recognized the scars maring his flesh. Felix laid there, watching the alpha pull further into himself, his own thoughts stronger than any instincts of his rut. Neither the flush nor the erection had abated, but the alpha acted as though they didn’t exist. Instead, his hand worked over the same spot on his neck, eyes distant and unseeing. Struggling to sit up - the alpha was still between his spread legs and there was the ridiculous stomach - Felix shifted amongst the furs. Once he had himself settled in a semi-comfortable position, his hand hesitantly reached out for the alpha. The bigger male startled at the touch that landed on his thigh. Felix could feel the way his muscles tensed under his hand. Those dark, sad eyes looked down at him. The hand fell away from his neck to rest limp between his legs. He didn’t reach out for Felix this time. Felix was frozen looking back at him. He hadn’t thought beyond reaching out to the alpha. He hadn’t really thought about touching the alpha in the first place. It had just sort of happened. And now he wasn’t sure what to do. The empathy blooming in his chest was foreign to him, at least in regards to the alpha. He never thought he would be able to feel something so soft for any alpha ever again. But he did. Felix ached with the recognition that they did share a pain and an understanding of each other. He was surprised to realize it didn’t taste like acid swallowing that truth. “Uh…why don’t you lay down,” Felix offered, trying to shift to create room in the nest. The alpha stared at him, eyes tracing over his face as if he was looking for something. Whether he found it, Felix wasn’t sure. But the alpha let his head fall before he shifted to stretch himself out beside the omega. Steadying himself, Felix joined him in the furs, reaching up to smooth a hand over his wild curls. The alpha’s eyes drooped low, his body relaxing under the ministrations. Felix took the opportunity to drag his nails over the scar that cut into his hair. It was rough like the rest of his scars and Felix could see the way his touch had raised goosebumps along his skin. The accompanying shiver was barely perceptible, his mouth staying firmly shut. It was a bit unnerving for the alpha to remain silent. Even if he never spoke, he was still relatively vocal.Felix wiggled closer until the roundest part of his stomach pressed against the alpha’s toned abdomen, continuing to pet over his hair and even down his neck. His fingers hit another patch of scars, but he thought little of it. It seemed the alpha was decorated in them. Hesitantly, the alpha’s hand shifted onto Felix’s stomach. He seemed to have an affinity for stroking over the bare flesh, his hands seeking contact at every possible chance. Felix didn’t quite push into his touch, but he did allow himself to sink further into the nest, hand slowing until only his thumb was brushing along the alpha’s pulse point.  “Should we try again or do you just want to sleep?”The alpha grumbled, neck stretching to allow for him to bury his nose in Felix’s hair. The hand on his stomach continued to warm his skin without moving. He pressed forward to tangle their legs together, but halted before his thigh came into contact with the omega’s core. So…sleep.At least that’s what Felix assumed by his sated response. The pheromones and heat were still present, but even the omega could grudgingly admit that the alpha had a startling amount of control. An idea popped into his head and he wanted to immediately recoil from it. Maybe even snarl at his omega for the suggestion. But the longer he sat on it, the harder it became to ignore. With a huff, Felix pulled himself from the alpha’s hold to sit up. The alpha rumbled at him, tired eyes peeking up at him through his eyelashes. He let the other male be as he looked across the fire towards the omegas. They had piled together, sharing warmth, backs turned to the fire. “Come lay in the nest,” Felix called.The alpha jolted under his touch. The other omegas whipped their heads so quickly Felix worried for their necks.  He could practically taste Jisung and Yeosang’s anxiety spiking. Even Hyunjin looked nervous. It was Wooyoung that met his gaze.It took only a moment before the omega began to stand, pulling Yeosang with him. Jisung tried to reach out to stop them, but he wasn’t strong enough to keep them in place. By the time they were rounding the fire, Hyunjin was working to move Jisung with him. Through it all, the alpha watched Felix. He wouldn’t say that the alpha’s breath had hitched, but he could feel the tremble under his skin. Felix chirped at him as he settled back under his chin. The hand on his stomach shifted over his hip until it rested firmly on his lower back. The alpha flinched as each of the omegas found a spot in the nest. Hyunjin’s warmth pressed into Felix’s back, Jisung’s scent right behind it. Wooyoung laid behind the alpha, Yeosang close enough it was difficult to distinguish their scents. Felix’s omega whined and grumbled at Wooyoung’s proximity to the alpha, causing a knot to grow in his stomach. It was the alpha’s closeness with one of his pack mates. Even if his hands never strayed from Felix’s body. That was the only thing that could make him feel like his omega was pacing the entire length of his mind. There was no other reason for his omega to feel such unrest with the situation.Felix knew it would take time for his omega to calm, for the others to relax around him. Still, he let his eyes fall shut. Tried to let the warmth and the mingling scents wash over him, comfort him into sleep. To count the beats of the alpha’s heart or follow the rhythm of the content rumble in his chest.  ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ Against all reason, it was only another three days before the alpha’s rut came to an end. Throughout the rut running its course, he had kept Felix close, but never once going beyond caresses and hot kisses over the omega’s body. Their routine had not changed much during that time, though the alpha certainly jumped back into his role the moment his fever broke. Felix wasn’t certain if their pace increased now that the alpha was leading them once more or if Felix’s own condition had improved. His time being carried by the alpha had certainly made it easier to keep up with the others, but he wouldn’t say that his pace was particularly fast. The alpha seemed to have lost the urge to herd the omegas, simply adjusting their path and looking back as though he was completing a head count. It eased the atmosphere, though Felix was pretty sure he was the only one still on edge around the alpha. During most of their traveling, Felix found himself walking beside Wooyoung, the usually energetic omega unnaturally quiet. The others hadn’t seemed to notice, but Felix couldn’t help watching his every move, looking for what was ailing him. It wasn’t his actions that gave him away though. It was his scent. Felix caught it as they pressed closer between one step and the next. A scent that he was so achingly familiar with and had hoped that he wouldn’t have had to smell again for years. It explained the alpha’s behavior during his rut. His desire to care for Wooyoung when he wasn’t attached to Felix. The continuous touches that had made Felix’s blood boil. It wouldn’t have been the first time the alpha had proved to be incredibly attuned to his instincts. “Woo,” Felix started. When the omega didn’t turn to meet his gaze, he continued, “You smell like milk. Like…”"Jiyoung. Yeah, I know,” Wooyoung muttered, voice full of bitterness. “How long?”"Right before the trackers found us.”Felix blinked. And then blinked again. Before the trackers? That had been almost two weeks ago. Wooyoung had known that whole time and had said nothing?It was like a stone settled in his heart. Did the others already know? Was that why they hadn’t seemed to acknowledge the shift in Wooyoung’s personality? Because they had all known and only Felix was left ignorant.“I wish you would have told me. We could have shared this burden together, I am quite familiar with it,” he croaked, trying to offer a believable smile.  Wooyoung grasped his hand, palms flush and fingers tightly entwined. It soothed some of Felix’s nerves, though he still worried. He should be the one comforting Wooyoung, not the other way around. He had months of experience coming to terms with his pregnancy; it  was  easier to deal with now. When he had first found out, the temptation to find the highest window practically choked him. It was only the other omegas that had kept him in the breeders’ wing. “You’ve had so many burdens to bear. It has not been easy for you to continually be the favorite; I remember how you suffered when Jiyoung came to visit. I did not want to add one more weight to your shoulders.”The phantom hands did not tear as deeply into him when the memories resurfaced in his foremost thoughts. They still made Felix shiver, but he was able to say that they did not drag him back down with the memories. It was a small triumph, even if it would not last long. He was not able to fully relish in it though. It hurt more to know that Wooyoung had kept something so monumental from him. Because of Jiyoung and the pain that he had caused. Felix struggled to feel like they would ever truly rid themselves of him. He was like a demon haunting their every step. “Woo,” he whined. “We are pack, bonded by more than just our suffering. There is no happiness or tribulation that I would not want to share with you.”The grip on his hand tightened, a sniffle sounding from behind the long locks hanging in front of the omega’s face. Felix squeezed back, trying to offer a sliver of privacy. It would not be the last time the omega would cry. For Felix at least, it felt like there was no control when it came to his newer, maternal instincts. A single shift in the wind would have him crying in a moment.The other omegas did not react when the scent of tears was caught on the breeze. Just like Felix, they knew to give one another space and wait to be called for comfort. Even Yeosang barely twitched. The alpha was a different story. Felix could see the way the alpha’s back stiffened, head whipping up to probably scan their surroundings for a threat. When he found nothing apparent out of place, his dark eyes looked back towards Felix. The omega shook his head before angling his chin forward. His face pulled into a look of displeasure, further accenting his scars, but he turned back towards the path he had set. “We’ll get through this together, Woo. We’ll raise them to be good and kind no matter if they present as alphas or omegas,” Felix hummed, shifting closer as they walked so that their arms were pressed together. Wooyoung leaned into him as well, tilting until his head bumped against Felix’s and a purr slipped from his lips. A mumbled  thank you  escaped amongst the purrs. Felix answered with his own purr. He wished there was a chance to scent Wooyoung, but it would be too awkward as they moved through the forest. Maybe during their next rest. Their combined scents could potentially smother the traces of Jiyoung that clung to them even after weeks away. Although Felix probably carried quite a bit of the feral’s scent on him still. He hadn’t been willing to jump into a stream again, the temperature biting along his flesh. Once they had settled for the night, Felix would make sure that each of them properly scented one another. It would bring a sense of security and comfort when the lines between them were blurred. Though the alpha probably would dislike the inability to track them by smell alone. Not that they even really left his sight.Hopefully there was a big nest that they could cuddle into in the near future. They deserved to not move for days once their journey finally ended."Felix,” Wooyoung hissed, the grip on his hand yanking him back to the omega’s side.Wooyoung had stopped in his tracks, staring straight ahead. Hyunjin and Yeosang were in similar situations with Jisung pressed behind them. The alpha was moving, pulling deep breaths through his nose, head whipping around as if….Felix heard the rustle in the underbrush before the scent tickled his nose. It didn’t make him want to immediately recoil. It was barely distinguishable from the foliage around them. So not an alpha. The alpha had also relaxed at the scent, beginning to move towards the sound and gesturing for the others to follow. Felix stiffened. The alpha wanted to go towards the noise and unfamiliar scent? The others looked towards Felix, waiting for him to make the first move. They were going to let him decide if they continued to follow the alpha. It could be the chance for them to break off on their own like they had originally planned. Without the alpha though, it was uncertain how long they would last. He had provided for them since the beginning. None of them had needed to learn how to hunt or make a fire or even defend themselves. And there was still the matter of the trackers. They certainly had not given up on finding the omegas. It mattered very little that they had not caught the scent of trackers in weeks. And now there were two pregnant omegas that would increase the vulnerability of the group. Felix sighed, already unhappy with the idea. “Follow him.”There was no convincing required, Jisung taking the lead to follow the alpha’s scent. He had disappeared from their line of sight, but they were accustomed enough to following his trail; it took little time for, even Felix, to close the gap he had created. As they were reaching his side, another man burst through the trees. Felix and Jisung flinched. Wooyoung growled low in his chest. The alpha’s stance was still relaxed, watching the new arrival heaving to bring air into his lungs with an easy tilt to his head. Felix’s gaze flickered between the two. It was the first time he had seen the alpha react without aggression towards another. He did not seem to notice or care when the younger stood to his full height and leveled him with a glare.“You’re late, Chan-hyung. The pack has been insufferable. Much longer and Minho-hyung would have taken control,” he snapped, though Felix could find no true anger in his expression. A pack; that was where the alpha had been leading them? And this new male addressed him as if…he was the pack alpha. He had even said that someone else was going to take control. What was a pack alpha doing so far outside his territory?And what was it that the other had said? Chan-hyung?Was that the alpha’s name?Felix looked towards the alpha’s face, but he seemed unconcerned with the news. He had simply huffed and ruffled the other’s hair, much to the male’s annoyance. They really did know each other.“Chan,” Felix called uncertainly.The alpha did not whip towards him, per say, but he definitely perked. His dark gaze landed on Felix, an intensity to his expression that made the omega want to squirm. The other male’s attention had also been caught. He stepped up beside the alp…Chan, looking over his shoulder to take in the five omegas. “Well that definitely explains some things.”Felix returned his steady gaze. He was certain Wooyoung and Hyunjin did the same. If he had to assume, Yeosang was silently observing while Jisung kept his eyes towards his feet. Felix was not discomforted by this man, the longer he had to observe him, the more clear it became that he was not an alpha. Perhaps a beta. He didn’t smell like an omega. His scent wasn’t sweet enough. “I’m Seungmin, one of Channie-hyung’s pack. Why don’t we meet up with the others before we start the drawn out process of introductions?”He looked right at Felix as he spoke. Almost as though he knew the others would not move until Felix did. He assumed that this Seungmin was smarter than he ever let on. It had probably helped him survive amongst alphas well into maturity. Felix gave him a tentative nod, falling into step with the beta as Chan once more took the lead and the omegas stayed within his shadow. He could tell the Seungmin was curious, eyes shifting towards Felix’s scars and stomach, but he kept quiet as they moved. It was strangely reassuring. He couldn't say that he was used to others respecting his privacy or agency. It was only another shadow’s length, maybe two at most, before they were leaving the forest behind them for the first time in weeks. The omegas were left blinking after so long in diluted light. Seungmin left them squinting, bounding off to inform the rest of the pack Felix was sure. They took the time to observe their new surroundings, a massive valley stretching out before their eyes under the shadow of a great mountain peak. There wasn’t much information to be gleaned about the pack home from such a distance, but Felix could see the different smoke columns. It had not been a small pack that they had been brought to. Chan remained firmly planted beside them, close enough that Felix could have reached out and touched him. They watched one another. The alpha looked like he wanted something. Felix was still attempting to wrap his mind around learning the alpha’s name after so long. A part of him really had assumed that he would be ‘Guard Dog’ until they eventually went their separate ways.Seungmin returned to the small group with multiple pack members in tow, the scent of alphas overwhelming on Felix’s senses. They seemed to range in stature and demeanor, but each kept as much of a distance with the omegas while they greeted the pack alpha. He reciprocated their enthusiasm, trading hugs, shoulder clasps, and even playful swipes. The tentative atmosphere shifted with the appearance of a young alpha. He had called out Chan’s name from across the valley, long legs carrying him swiftly over the terrain. His speed and exclamation had the omegas flinching back, unused to the boisterousness after spending so long with the silent alpha.And Chan, like he always had, caught the omegas’ reactions. He was gone from their side in an instant, intercepting the younger alpha and slamming him to the ground with a deafening snarl. The pack startled at the confrontation - though it was hard to call it such when it was so incredibly one sided - but even the beta had not moved to soothe the aggression. The young one’s whine set Felix into motion once he realized that no one else was going to make an attempt. Having broken away from the other omegas, he made his way towards the two alphas. Chan had not released the other, hand planted against his collarbone and lips pulled back to present his fangs. “Guard Dog,” Felix called, having stopped a short distance from the pair. There was no response to his voice. Not that Felix expected him to reply. He could have at least acknowledged his presence. Chan was not so feral that he could not look at someone when being addressed. A sigh broke from his mouth. He took the last remaining steps to close the distance between them. Felix let his hand fall heavy on Chan’s shoulder. The resounding growl made the skin of his palm tingle. “Guard Dog, hey, it’s alright. He’s only a pup. Release him,” Felix soothed.While it was clear that the new alpha had long since presented, he was incredibly young. It made Felix’s own omega twitch, instincts demanding the safety of the pups, no matter the pack they belonged to. The cry of his instincts were little more than an annoyance, something he could have easily tuned out. He was more concerned about the nerves of the omegas. A pack dispute so early would only leave them on edge. Jisung spent enough time there without anyone’s help. Wooyoung did not need any further stressors. The alpha, Chan - gods that was still incredibly strange and difficult to wrap his mind around - grumbled, his lips falling back over his fangs as he pulled his hand away from the younger alpha. Felix stepped back from the pair as Chan stretched to his full height and dragged the other off the ground with him. The pup did not seem too terribly rattled, swiping dirt from his clothing while Chan cleaned his hair. He looked up at Felix with a wide grin, eyes practically disappearing into crescents, bumping his shoulder into Chan.“I’m Jeongin! You’re quite a pretty omega; no wonder Channie-hyung listened to you,” the alpha giggled, tilting his head back to grin up at the pack alpha.Felix watched in fascination as the older alpha rolled his eyes, but did nothing to rebuke Jeongin. It certainly explained his patience when handling Felix’s prickly demeanor. His patience seemed vast so long as he deemed there was no apparent threat. It was also not the first time Felix’s appearance had granted him favoritism. “Felix,” he spoke softly, with the slightest dip of his head. Jeongin rumbled happily. Even being fully grown with his presentation years behind him, he reminded Felix strongly of a young pup earning a treat from an elder. It was startlingly endearing. And slightly disconcerting. He never would have assumed to gain a soft affection for an alpha quite so easily. But he could not deny it as he watched Jeongin excitedly wave towards the rest of the pack and omegas as they approached. Felix scanned over his pack, noting that even Jisung seemed to have mellowed slightly. Jeongin disconnected himself from Chan to throw himself at Seungmin, the beta side stepping him with nary a twitch of his expression. Neither Jeongin nor the others seemed surprised by the display. The young alpha easily jumped at the beta once more. Felix turned from their play to look towards the two remaining alphas - there was little question of their presentation, their scent was not even required - who watched him with an easy curiosity. His instincts almost pushed him behind Chan’s bulking form. He refused to listen. Instead, he stared back at the dyad, refusing to break eye contact. They were exact opposites of one another. Felix rapidly came to the conclusion that he would rather risk dealing with the shorter, but larger alpha. He at least had dimples when he smiled and a gentle scent - for an alpha - like the first rain after a fire. His companion did not smile at Felix. He reminded the omega of the cranky cats that used to roam the halls of the keep with his sharp, observant eyes. “Pleasure to meet you, Felix,” the shorter alpha spoke (shouted? His voice was quite loud). “I’m Changbin and that cantankerous alpha is Minho.”Felix dipped his head once more in acknowledgement, but he was finding it difficult to pull his gaze away from Minho. The same Minho that Seugnmin had mentioned was itching to take control away from Chan. While Felix did not have an interest in being subservient to any alpha, he was quickly discovering that he would prefer Chan’s control. There was something in Minho’s eyes that made it difficult to tell his intentions. It almost seemed that he was tearing Felix apart at the seams with the way he narrowed his eyes. “They’re filthy. And clearly underfed. You better take them straight to Seonghwa before he skins you,” Minho spoke up, sharp eyes settling on Chan. “Hey!”“We’re not that dirty!”Hyunjin and Wooyoung were quick to grumble, but Yeosang only shrugged when he met Felix’s gaze. Jisung brushed over his tattered clothing, attempting to remove the grime while he kept sending glances towards Minho. Felix could not argue the alpha’s accusation. They had rinsed themselves in the rivers and streams while they traveled, but they had not taken a proper bath since leaving the keep. Their clothes were in tathers, there had been no additional clothing to change into during their travels. He would not have been surprised if their natural scents were muted beneath the dirt and filth. Chan rumbled at Minho, but ultimately began to move towards the rising smoke that Felix had spotted when they first arrived. The other pack members spared nary a glance at the omegas as they followed behind their alpha. It left the small group blinking at one another. It was still an unusual experience to be left to their own devices. Like before, the choice to leave was theirs. But there was the offer of food and a bath. And Felix really wanted to rest his feet. So they set off after the pack, an ease to their steps that hadn’t been present in the preceding weeks. It took little time for the group to reach the valley filled with a variety of buildings. It was nothing compared to the keep in stature or grandeur. Felix could admit that he already preferred it, even if it was not a place that they would permanently settle. He noted how Wooyoung practically vibrated with excitement. It was the brightest Felix had seen his face in days. Relief eased some of the tension in his shoulders. The other omegas appeared to follow his and Wooyoung’s emotions, openly taking in the new surroundings. There were multiple, smaller buildings scattered throughout the valley, sturdy-looking with few details. A couple had small patches of dirt that appeared to be for planting. Felix assumed that the buildings were homes for the pack especially with their uniformity. Situated further in the valley were three larger buildings, smoke rising from each of the roofs. Kitchens, perhaps? Certainly they were community based as Felix watched multiple males exiting the largest of the buildings. It took the new group little time to notice them, especially with Jeongin releasing a howling as he ran forward. Laughter rose at the alpha pup’s antics from both groups. One of the alpha - at least Felix assumed based upon his size - caught Jeongin’s hurtling form, keeping them from crashing into the grass. Hands rose in greeting with numerous calls of ‘Channie-hyung’ as the gap condensed. Felix thought that around his own pack he would begin to use his words. Yet the alpha remained tight lipped, only chuffs and growls answering the pack. Felix quietly wondered if he even possessed the ability to speak. It did not seem to phase the pack members, new or old. Some broke away to individually greet Chan, happily accepting his affectionate hair tussles. One in particular - he was definitely an alpha by the intense scent rolling off of him - approached Chan with his shoulders drawn back and an arrogant tilt to his head. Felix nervously looked between the pair. No one else seemed to react, but the omega was uncertain that a fight would not occur. This pack clearly did not hold any reservation in challenging Chan. Did they not know of his violent tendencies? Were the muzzle scars not indicative enough? A gasp fell from Felix when the new alpha lunged at Chan, stumbling away from the radius of harm. He did not want to be covered in another’s blood once more. The feral caught the other easily. He barely stepped back from the force. The noise that came from the alphas tore at his ears. If he hadn’t been frozen, Felix would have clutched at his ears. A bright laugh startled him from the grasp of unease. Chan had set the alpha back upon his feet, a smile present enough to expose dimples beneath the rough scars. Felix faltered at the new information. He had never seen the alpha emote beyond anger, confusion, or sadness. He was almost handsome underneath all the scarring."Hyung, where ya been,” the other alpha grinned, swiping at Chan.He smiled once more, huffing as he gestured towards the omegas. The rest of the pack had joined them and suddenly there were six new pairs of eyes upon him. Felix squirmed at the attention, arms wrapping around his stomach. He felt the other omegas drawing closer, nervous energy rolling off of them.A beautiful, older omega stepped forward from the pack, kind eyes taking in the huddled omegas. He offered them a gentle smile, but did not approach them further."I’m Seonghwa, the omega of the pack, though I am sure you are already aware of that,” he introduced, a soothing tone to his voice. “I’ll help you settle after we have gotten you fresh clothing and a warm meal.”He was kind. Felix could recognize it immediately. The others knew it as well if the ease in their scents was anything to go by. Yet there was something about him that caused a stone to settle in Felix’s stomach. Seonghwa turned towards Chan with a sharp look in his eyes that echoed Minho’s previous warning. The pack alpha rubbed at the back of his neck as he looked away. Was he abashed?Lost in his discomfort and Chan’s reaction, Felix missed the other omegas’ introductions. He tuned back in to catch the remainder of the pack’s words. There were two other alphas: San, who had previously lunged at Chan, and Jongho, a stoic male that stood towards the edge of the group. The last part of the pack consisted of three betas: Hongjoong, Yunho, and Mingi. Hongjoong was small enough, he could have been mistaken for an omega while the other betas were massive in stature, so unlike their presentation. It easily was the most diverse pack Felix had ever encountered especially with the number of alphas overshadowing all else. He had not believed that so many could live amongst each other without considerable tension or fighting. Yet as Felix observed them, it appeared that not only did they coexist, but they enjoyed one another’s company. There did not seem to be fear of challenging the pack alpha. Felix was uncertain how to approach such a new dynamic."Come along, little ones, let’s get you fed,” Seonghwa called as he began to move back towards the main buildings. Jisung and Wooyoung perked up at the offer, hypothetical tails wagging as they scrambled after the older omega. Hyunjin and Yeosang followed at a more subdued pace, fondly shaking their heads. Felix hesitated. The uncomfortable feeling around Seonghwa had his feet rooted to the grass. Could he be trusted? Would new, fertile omegas threaten his position in the pack?A heavy hand fell upon Felix’s head, startling him from his thoughts. Lifting his gaze, he locked eyes with Chan. Big, brown eyes observed him unabashedly. The hand on his head stroked over his hair, the fullest part of his cheek nuzzling along his hairline. Scenting him. Felix wouldn’t reciprocate, he couldn’t. Yet he remained still under Chan’s touch, allowing the alpha’s hand to work over his neck and stomach. The petting continued only a moment longer before Chan grumbled and nudged him towards the other omegas. Felix hissed at the alpha, but allowed his feet to begin carrying him away from Chan. He wasn’t inclined to admit it, but it was an uncomfortable feeling to be out of his eyesight for the first time in almost a month. Looking back over his shoulder, he watched Chan turn from him to rejoin Minho and Changbin. If Felix had to guess, they were updating him on everything that had occurred in his absence.He shook himself. It wasn’t his business nor did he care about the inner workings of this pack. Felix worked to push the alpha from his thoughts. He instead followed the scent of his omegas and fresh food. It wasn’t difficult to distinguish the correct building, it was  massive, easily twenty-nine meters in length and completely made out of wood. Smoke columns rose from each end of the building. The sound of laughter reached his ears, escaping from the closest entryway. He couldn’t help the smile pulling at his lips. It felt as if a lifetime had passed since he had heard such genuine laughter. “Felix!” came the call as he entered the building, the group seated along a massive wooden table piled high with food. The room was pleasantly warm with a fire smouldering at each end. He slid into the seat beside Yeosang, sharing a smile with Jisung as they made eye contact.“Felix, they have everything,” Hyunjin happily exclaimed around a mouth full of food."Even fresh bread,” Wooyoung giggled. “It’s still warm!”Yeosang had begun to place an assortment of vegetables and fruit onto his plate. Jisung nudged some kind of bowl filled with mixed nuts in his direction. The meat was passed further down the table so as not to upset Felix’s finicky stomach. Wooyoung did not seem to be struggling with the same bouts of nausea in the presence of…well anything. His own plate was piled high with anything that was within arms reach."Would you like something heartier, Felix? I could make you a stew or any rice dish you desire. I’m certain your meals lacked substance on the road with Channie-hyung.”Seonghwa was smiling as he spoke, the embodiment of the caring, maternal instincts proper omegas possessed. Felix wanted to snarl at him and his assumptions. What could he possibly know about Felix’s dietary habits? Or how Chan had cared for them?He suppressed the growl. It probably wouldn’t have been a great idea to disrespect the pack omega. Especially when he had no idea what type of relationship he had with Chan. Besides, the pack alpha certainly didn’t require Felix’s protection."That’s kind of you, but I don’t wish to waste your resources. This pup has a mind of its own, especially when it comes to eating,” Felix smiled, trying to hide how his fangs ground together."Trust us, Seonghwa, Felix will eat whenever the desire strikes,” Hyunjin supplied between bites."We thought Chan was going to drive himself crazy trying to feed Felix,” Wooyoung cackled. “Almost put his head through a tree when Felix got sick over that deer.”The others joined the laughter as Felix flushed down to his chest. He had hoped that particular incident had been forgotten. It wasn’t his fault meat of any kind sent his stomach into a spiral. Some part of his brain missed the pleasure of meat even if thinking about it too long made him nauseous. Seonghwa watched the new group as the meal progressed, trading easy words with Yeonsang. It was comfortable for most of the omegas’ standards. For Felix, it was almost comfortable enough to relax. He remained tension-free as the meal finished and they were brought to the next building that contained the baths.The baths were truly a giant pool with steam rising in heavy curls, surrounded by flat stones and housed in a giant room. A side room revealed a smaller pool with wooden buckets placed around the edge. Seonghwa directed them to the washing supplies, offering them the use of whatever they deemed necessary before vacating the building. The omegas were quick to discard the strips of their clothing and scrub themselves clean in the cold water of the side room. They were forced to take their time once their bodies were cleaned, helping wash one another’s grown out hair. Felix paid particular attention to washing all the scents from his body until only his natural sweetness remained. He had almost forgotten what he smelled like underneath the sweat, grime, and feral.Once it was deemed that they were thoroughly cleaned, the omegas were racing towards the main pool. Well, Felix was forced to walk at a subdued pace, the smooth stones slippery beneath his feet. Hyunjin had no such concerns, practically diving into the pool. Wooyoung followed after him with less fanfare while Yeosang and Jisung remained near the edge to help stabilize Felix’s descent. As the heat enveloped their bodies, the relief pulled gasps and groans from their lips.It did not take long for Jisung, Wooyoung, and Hyunjin to dissolve into playful match of splashing water at one another, their laughter echoing in the large room. Yeosang hovered around Felix, doing his best to use his body as a shield from the fly water. The pregnant omega was content to sink back against the edge of the pool, head resting against the stones as his eyes slid closed. The playful atmosphere soon settled, the room filling with overlapping purrs. Yeosang and Hyunjin were the first to pull themselves from the water, stretching lithe bodies out along the warm rocks. Jisung shifted himself until he was seated on the edge of the pool with only his feet submerged. Felix and Wooyoung remained in the heat, Felix kneading into the other’s tender back.Wooyoung practically moaned under Felix’s fingers, leaning back as far as the other’s stomach would allow. The older omega was still early enough along to lack a visible change in his body, but that did not stop the ache from setting in. Felix was thankful that their pregnancies were seeming to differ so greatly, sparing Wooyoung the unpleasantness of a rebelling stomach and random bouts of dizziness.The group continued in the ease of their own company until a new scent breached the entryway. It was the same intense pheromones from when they had first arrived. An alpha. Felix was relatively certain it was San by the harsh spice that clung to his nose. Hyunjin was the next to react, spine stiffening at the intrusion. Jisung slinked back into the water, placing himself in front of the pregnant omegas as he tracked Hyunjin’s back. The door opened slowly, San cautiously poking his head through the opening. He ducked his head low at the chorus of growls that greeted him. His sharp eyes made no contact as he brought his arms into the building, presenting unscented - beyond the residuals that had rubbed off from San - clothing for the group."Seonghwa is preparing your sleeping arrangements and asked me to bring these over. It didn’t seem as though your other clothes were salvageable,” San rumbled, anxiously searching for a dry spot to place his bundle.Hyunjin rose to meet the alpha - he had no shame or self-consciousness about his naked form - setting off a cacophony of growls at the proximity. San did not raise his head. His only movement was to outstretch his arms, wanting for Hyunjin to take the clothing. He began to retreat the moment the weight was taken from him. There was a slight pause before he fully closed the door."We dug up some of hyung’s old clothes. Hopefully they’ll accommodate your stomach, Felix.”The omega jumped at the personal address, but San had vanished before he could respond. Wooyoung chittered at him, fingers digging into his side and a smug look on his face. Felix ignored the teasing. If anyone noticed the flush of his ears, he would simply blame it on the heat.Yeosang chirped at the triad still in the water as he worked with Hyunjin to sort out the clothing. Jisung and Wooyoung were quick to pull themselves from the pool, laughing brightly as they shook out their hair in imitation of their lupine cousins. Felix was slower, arms unused to the additional weight and strength it took to lift his body. He took the time to squeeze out his hair and comb his fingers through his tangled locks. The omegas were in dire need of a grooming session. It had not been a necessity to bring any maintenance supplies when they had escaped Jiyoung. They were certainly in need of some haircuts. Felix had no doubt that Seonghwa was in possession of shears. He attempted to not roll his eyes at the thought.In his distraction, the omegas had dressed themselves in soft fabrics. The clothing had been appropriately made, covering more skin than Felix had ever seen. Wooyoung purred and preened as he buried his nose in the neckline of his tunic. Hyunjin was helping Jisung tame his rapidly drying curls before they had a chance to become wild. Yeosang approached Felix with the oversized clothes that San had mentioned. The omega assisted him in maneuvering the garment over his frame to ensure that it would not catch anywhere that would be uncomfortable to fix. It practically swallowed his shoulders, hands disappearing within the sleeves. The fit was only snug around his stomach though not enough to the point of true discomfort. If Felix flared his nostrils wide and slightly opened his mouth, he could recognize a familiar scent. Underneath San’s spice and the freshness of soap lingered Chan’s scent. It was buried deep within the fabric, though it should have been washed away ages ago. Felix determined it must have been a favorite of the alpha’s before it ended up with him."Felix? You ready?”He grumbled as he quickly - well not really, quick and a large stomach were not a viable combination - pulled on a pair of unassuming pants. There were no shoes provided, but their feet had hardened enough in the past couple weeks for it to not be much of a concern. Once situated, he followed the others out of the building and into the light of the setting sun. Seonghwa had patiently been waiting for them, that kind smile still plastered on his face. Felix barely suppressed a sigh."I hope you had the chance to enjoy your bath. If you’re ready, I’ll take you to Chan-hyung’s house so that you may rest.”Felix paused. He assumed the rest had as well by their silence. Seonghwa tilted his head at the group.“Is there something else you require,” he inquired. “Why would we reside with the pack alpha? Would it not make more sense to stay with you,” Yeosang pressed, mirroring his head tilt.Felix grumbled from the back of the group. He was beginning to tire of this omega’s assumptions. Traveling with the alpha and arriving covered in his scent did not mean they desired to continue cohabitating with him. And what kind of pack omega made such a suggestion."Hyung’s house is the only empty residence,” he supplied. “Until we build additional homes, it makes the most sense to house you together instead of expecting you to share with strangers.”"Wait,” Felix called. “Where’s Guar….Chan going to rest if we’re occupying his space?”The confused head tilt returned, Seonghwa’s gaze flickering between the omegas. They were missing something. Felix could feel it. And he did not appreciate being left in the dark."Chan-hyung isn’t staying. He already swapped out his supplies and is finishing any other preparations.”His whole body froze with Seonghwa’s words. He had no doubt the others were asking more questions, but he couldn’t hear them over the ringing in his ears. The alpha was leaving?Just like that?He simply dropped them with his pack as if they were some kind of burden so he could f@ck off to who knew where. If that had been his intentions all along, what had been the point of dragging them here? Why even bother? Why hadn’t he simply left them to fend for themselves?F@ck that.They weren’t prized breeders anymore. They couldn’t just be passed around on a whim. They weren’t things. And they certainly were not Chan’s.With a snarl, Felix pulled away from the group. He ignored the calls behind him, nose chasing after the familiar pheromones. Even with all the new scents, it was no difficult task to figure out where the alpha was. Some of the other alphas were with him if Felix’s nose wasn’t wrong. The additional audience should have made him nervous. Any other time, it would have. He was too angry to care. He had faced down Chan multiple times before; these alphas were no feral.He easily followed the scent to the edge of the valley where Chan stood with the alphas. San and Changbin were speaking adamantly, voices carrying on the breeze and hands moving erratically. Chan watched the pair with a stoic look upon his face. He had changed from his tight top to a loose jacket that exposed his bare torso. The pack on his back was different though the pants and boots looked similar. He was definitely prepared for travel.The closer he got, the clearer San’s words became. “Chan-hyung, I’m coming with you.”"At least let someone watch your back, hyung,” Changbin barked, his aggravation clear. Chan snarled in their faces, fangs on full display. The pair held firm, but even Felix could tell that they had looked away in submission. He increased his pace to join the small group before the alpha had the chance to leave. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re just going to leave us here,” the omega growled.The other alphas startled at his ferocity, stepping away in hopes of avoiding his wrath. Chan was unphased by the display. Not that it would be a shock; he had been growled and shouted at plenty by the omega in their travels. Instead of retreating, Chan stepped towards the omega. Felix bared his fangs up at the larger male, waiting for anyone to explain what was going on."If you’re going to just abandon us, then we’ll…” Felix was cut off by Chan’s touch.The alpha’s hand had slipped into his damp locks, entwining amongst the strands until his palm rested flush against Felix’s head. Chan used the hold to tilt his head to the side, cheek brushing past blonde hair. Warm breath tickled over his ear. “Safe.”A deep, guttural voice rasped out the single word, sending shivers racing along Felix’s spine. It felt as though the breath had been knocked from his lungs. Chan had spoken.In a sense. It had sounded as if his voice was almost nonexistent due to lack of use, more growl than word. Despite that, Felix could not deny the pleasant tone of it. He wouldn’t have minded the opportunity to hear it again. He pulled himself away from the disbelief, focusing on the feeling of Chan rubbing his cheek against him. It took Felix another moment to recognize that he was being scented. No doubt the alpha was displeased with his fresh scent that lacked any trace of his claim. Though Chan’s nose should have been able to identify himself within the clothing Felix wore.”Wait, are you…” Felix jerked away from the touch, trying to pull away enough to meet the alpha’s eyes. “You can’t go back there, Guard Dog, especially alone. He’ll slaughter you before you have the chance to touch him!”His omega was screaming at the idea of Chan being anywhere near Jiyoung. It did not matter that he had seen Chan single-handedly shred - literally; the thought still made his stomach roll - the warlord’s trackers. There was a cruelty to Jiyoung that Chan couldn’t match. If he tried to oppose the warlord alone, he would not make it home. Despite everything, Felix did not want Chan to die for some misguided purpose. Soft lips against his temple halted Felix’s thoughts. Another kiss landed on his forehead. Chan used the hand that still held his head to maneuver him so he could press a kiss along his cheek. He flushed at the attention, the softness of Chan’s touch, and especially at the knowledge of the other alphas watching their interaction. He wondered, for a fleeting moment, if returning the kisses would convince the alpha to stay.He must have seen something in Felix’s gaze because he straightened to his full height. He looked down at him before a sigh fell from Chan’s lips as he pulled away from Felix. The omega attempted to chase after him, fingers skimming over his wrist but he received a growl for his efforts. It seemed that no one’s words or actions would derail his stubbornness. Chan turned without a glance back, easily reaching the treeline of the forest.”Wait,” Felix shouted to no avail, frozen to his spot.”You don’t need to worry, Felix. The pack alpha is strong. He’ll return,” Minho soothed, though it had little effect.Felix paced, small grumbles and growls building in his chest. He was so caught up in his frustration he didn’t recognize that he was alone with four alphas he did not know. Normally his instincts would have been screaming, demanding that he return himself and his pup to a safer location. He was too upset with the thought of Chan’s impending demise to focus on or acknowledge it.Chan didn’t know Jiyoung or what he was capable of. He had only seen the slightest percentage of the damage he had done to the omegas. The bruising and scars on their necks from the collars had been nothing compared to long healed injuries. And they had been treated kindly by Jiyoung’s standards. Felix couldn’t understand what he possibly hoped to gain by confronting Jiyoung. Well, that wasn’t completely true. He knew Chan was being misguided by the ridiculous alpha notion that he needed to protect the omegas. But he wouldn’t be able to do that if he was dead."Why don’t we return? Everyone could use some rest. Hyung will be alright,” the fourth alpha - wasn’t his name Jongho? - spoke up.Felix whirled around, fangs on display. “Being a feral won’t keep him safe!”The alphas didn’t necessarily stumble back from his rage, but their eyebrows definitely rose. It was pretty clear to Felix that they were not used to a feisty omega. Seonghwa was probably too dignified for such base emotions. It was Minho who broke the tension. “Hyung is not a feral. Be aware, that is not a word that is well received within this pack.”Felix looked at the alpha, curiosity clear in his expression. Hadn’t Seungmin said Minho desired to take Chan’s place in the pack? Why would he place such faith in someone he intended to replace? How did he know Chan so well that he was allowed to remain when he threatened the stability of the pack? Felix couldn’t wrap his mind around Chan’s leadership skills, they seemed inherently flawed."Come on. I can see you want to know more about hyung. I’ll tell you his story,” Minho waved him back towards the valley’s center.Changbin and Jongho had started ahead of them while San remained quietly to the side, eyes still locked on the forest. Felix eyed him skeptically, but chose to follow after Minho. He did not trust these new alphas, even if Chan had felt comfortable leaving the omegas in their care. At least following behind Minho would place Felix with the other omegas and the slightly more trustworthy betas.Except no one else was around when they reached the shadows of the buildings. Had Seonghwa taken the omegas to rest? And what about the betas and young Jeongin? The sun had not fully disappeared behind the height of the mountain. Surely it was too early to retire when there was still light left in the day."Would you like to settle in the longhouse? Or we could remain out here and I’ll start a fire,” Minho questioned, tone strangely soft. Felix gave him a noncommittal shrug. He truly had no preference so long as he would be able to rest. The relief from his earlier bath was waning and with that, the pain from his back returned. Minho hummed in response, leading Felix passed the main buildings to a spot intentionally cleared to house fires. A great circle of stone occupied an area lacking any grass, surrounded by massive logs to be used for seating. Minho knelt before the stones, hands moving efficiently to gather the required material. It took him moments to arrange the logs in a manner that would allow the flames to dance freely. The kindling was introduced next before he started on creating the flames. Felix watched the process like a hawk, doing his best to memorize each step. There was a meticulous aspect to Minho’s process unlike Chan, who seemed to bully the fires to life."You may gather the other omegas if you’d like. Otherwise, have a seat.”Felix hesitated for a moment. There would never be a moment where he didn’t feel safer with the others at his side. But he wasn’t sure where exactly they were at that moment. He certainly could have sniffed them out, but he did not know this alpha and thus did not know if he would wait that long.He lowered himself to the ground, adjusting until his back rested against the log. Felix settled his hands over his stomach, occasionally rubbing at the spot where the pup pressed against him. At one instance, he identified one of the pup’s vertebrae and made the little thing shiver by dragging his nails along their spine. Throughout his ministrations, Minho tended to the fire until it raged within the circle.Groaning as if he was three times his age, Minho pulled himself to his feet. Felix swore he heard multiple joints crack with the alpha’s movements. The grimace on his face appeared to substantiate his assumption. He straightened when Minho’s eyes met his own, taking the seat diagonal to him. “I’ll tell you hyung’s tale, predominantly due to the fact that he cannot tell you himself. But I am not a patient alpha, Felix. Do not interrupt me.”Felix gave him a slow nod. It seemed Changbin had not been joking when he had called Minho cantankerous. Though Felix got the feeling he was more cat-like, hiding his softness under hisses and claw swipes. That did not mean that he was willing to tempt the alpha. Minho did not press for a vocal confirmation. He adjusted himself in his seat before he began.
   Chan had grown up in a basic village with his family far from the shadows of a mountain. He wasn’t the son of a pack alpha or a particularly strong leader of his friend group. It would have been more accurate to describe him as shy and self-conscious. But he was kind and always quick to help anyone in need. By the time his presentation and first rut occurred, it had been no secret to anyone in the village that he and a young beta, Jihyo, would end up mated. It had been a simple and perfect life. There had been nothing else Chan had desired.  

   Then the raids had started in the villages to the west, soldiers of a local warlord leaving nothing, but ash in their wake. They had been in search of a rumored bloodline descended from the shifters of ancient times. As the soldiers drew closer with every plundered village, Chan had begged his family and Jihyo to flee. They disregarded his words, certain that the harm would never reach their remote locale.  

   The soldiers came in the night. The village was aflame before Chan had the chance to pull Jihyo from their bed. It was a maelstrom of screams and cries. No one was spared. Chan watched his father lose his head defending his mother and siblings. His little brother took an arrow through the back as he attempted to flee in terror. His mother had not seen the blade that had sliced her neck, too consumed by grief after watching a collapsed building crush her daughter. She had bled out in Chan’s arms, the alpha begging for death in the ruins of his childhood home. 

   It had been Jihyo’s screams that had pushed Chan to his breaking point. The thing that he hadn’t known was that the soldiers had found the correct village after weeks of pillaging. The ancient bloodline had needed some type of trigger to awaken. The warlord had assumed sending the protective instincts into overdrive and compounding that with trauma would be the perfect spark. It was the reason for the soldiers’ wanton violence and bloodshed. But what no one had taken into consideration was how to handle the awakened bloodline.  

   The very few who had survived the massacre and fires said that Chan had shifted mid-sprint to save his mate. A massive black wolf of legends and nightmares had taken his place. He had slaughtered every last soldier, rending flesh from bone with fang and claw. The earth had been soaked in blood. Yet it had not been enough to save Jihyo before they had driven a dagger through her heart.  

   For all his strength and all his rage, Chan had not been able to do anything to save his family. His village, his friends fared no better. The survivors had said his song of grief shook the heavens.  

   He had disappeared from the village before the sun had risen. Those who remained had buried his family near their home, giving them all the necessary rights and rituals to find peace. No one thought the last son would ever return. The remaining dead had been buried and what little remained was salvaged. 

   Then came the news that the keep of the warlord who had ordered the massacres had burnt to the ground over the course of three nights. The warlord - or more accurately, his body - had been left before the keep, split open from gut to gullet for the scavengers to feast on. The staff who had managed to escape to the surrounding villages claimed to have seen no army invade the keep. All they could recall was the terrible sounds, like a creature risen from the depths of hell itself. 

   It would have been safe to say that the nearby warlords were terrified of being struck down next. A truce had been called amongst the territories, resources pooled together in an attempt to find the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. The suffering of villages exponentially increased in the following weeks, alphas from every direction targeted. Some even ended up unjustly being labeled as feral and muzzled.  

   It had been in this time of terror that Chan had stumbled back into the village, eyes empty of life and a silver muzzle burning into his flesh. An assumed design flaw prevented the effectiveness of the muzzles. The majority of the wearers were able to easily remove them without any outside assistance. There hadn’t been a flaw though. Forged from pure silver in part due to legends of old, any who descended from the ancient bloodlines would be incapable of touching the muzzle, much less removing it.  

   Minho had found Chan collapsed before the graves of his family, the scent of burned flesh heavy in the air. He almost lacked the stomach to help the unconscious alpha, the memories of the massacre attempted to drown him. Until he heard Chan’s whimpers, haunted by his pain and horror even within sleep. Despite almost losing his head when Chan had thrashed awake, Minho had managed to free him from the silver and treat his wounds. The pair of alphas had been together since, slowly collecting more members of their current pack. 
The sun had long since set below the horizon, with the moon rising to rest amongst the stars as Minho had woven his tale. Throughout, Felix had remained silent as he had been forewarned, but a feeling settled in his stomach, twisting tighter and becoming more painful as the night ebbed on. He had known without asking that something had occurred in Chan’s past that had caused him to lash out, that left others resorting to forcing a muzzle upon him. Never could he have guessed that it was the slaughtering of his village and family. He had felt Jihyo's scar upon Chan's neck, had snapped at the alpha about mating during his rut, and watched him trace over the remaining memory of his old life. How many old wounds had Felix ripped open, leaving the alpha to drown in his nightmares? Something awful rose in Felix's throat. Jiyoung truly had twisted him into something unrecognizable to allow him to lash out at someone like Chan.He couldn't remember her face anymore, but he knew his mother would have been disappointed to see him now. Perhaps once Chan returned - he razed a keep once. That meant he had to come back, right? - he would find a way to apologize to the alpha. It was the least that he was owed. Especially if he removed Jiyoung from this world. Saying ‘I'm sorry’ wasn't necessarily his strong suit, but maybe Seonghwa could teach him how to prepare a meal that Chan would enjoy.With a sigh, he rubbed his hands over his face before looking towards a now silent Minho. “He's descended from the Prime Alphas, isn't he?”The alpha offered a quick nod, but his dark eyes were focused on the dying fire. It looked like he had lost all his sharp edges, the trauma stripping away the armor of a hurt little boy. Minho had said it himself, even if it hadn't been in as many words. It had been his village too. He had witnessed the massacre and horror firsthand. And if he had left with Chan, he had probably lost everything too. It made one thing startling clear.Alphas could be hurt too. Felix didn't know what to do with that information, it was something he had never considered before. Of course they were mortal like every beta and omega, but to be harmed by something beside another alpha seemed inconceivable. Yet who was he to make such a judgment? What alphas had he encountered outside of Jiyoung and the harem? There was so little of the world he seemed to understand. “Thank you for telling me. And I’m sorry,” Felix mumbled, struggling to look up from the hands resting over his stomach.The alpha rumbled, before pushing himself to his feet and brushing his pants clean. Felix watched him quietly, unsure what action to take next. He was still grappling with the new revelation, leaving little room for other thoughts to process. It took him another moment to recognize Minho moving towards him, catching up by the time the alpha reached a hand down to him. Felix stared at it for a moment. He had not willingly touched an alpha in years. He would not count Chan’s rut due to the fact that it had been out of necessity instead of desire. The phantom touches were beginning to creep up his skin at the mere thought of taking Minho’s hand. But this alpha had also shown him that the world was not as he had originally believed. Pulling a deep breath into his lungs, Felix steeled himself as he reached for Minho’s hand. His skin prickled and the gums around his fangs ached, but still, he let the alpha pull him to his feet. The moment he was stable upon his feet, Minho released his grip and took a calculated step away from him. Felix appreciated the gesture as he ran his tongue over his fangs. “I’ll take you to Chan-hyung’s den. No doubt the other omegas have settled down for the night,” Minho coaxed, shifting his direction away from the fire. Felix hummed, attempting to suppress his yawn as he followed after the alpha. The idea of nesting with the other omegas was too sweet to pass up. Perhaps with time, they would be able to properly build a nest with their own materials and scents. It was enough to keep some energy in his steps. Minho led him away from the fire and the main buildings, working towards the edge of the valley where the multiple homes were nestled. Their uniformity hinted at the idea they had all been built by the same hands. A couple seemed slightly larger, as though there was room for the inhabitants to continue growing. His earlier suspicion about the plots of dirt was confirmed, small patches of greenier peeking out from the soil. They stopped before a house that was at the furthest edge of the valley, the land around it looking abandoned and uncared for. The overwhelming scent of omegas leaking from the doorway with the fading undertones of an alpha identified it as Chan’s home. Though it did not seem that the alpha spent much time within its walls. Perhaps he did not remain within the valley often.Without a word, Minho left him at the door, his form disappearing within the darkness to likely care for the fire they had left behind. Felix did not hesitate to enter the dark building. He would have recognized the omegas’ scents anywhere. And if they were resting inside, that was exactly where he wanted to be. Predominantly using his nose, he navigated through the darkness, though he did not escape a couple stubbed toes and some expressive swearing. He found the omegas curled up together in the main living area, the scents fresh and content and using one another for warmth. Yeosang’s head popped up from within the pile, a wide yawn cracking his jaw. He beckoned to Felix, who happily moved to integrate himself amongst the mass of bodies. It was not until Felix’s head landed upon Jisung’s stomach that the omega realized how exhausted he was. It had been weeks since he had to be in the presence of some many wolves. And he could not recall a time when he had been near so many alphas. Perhaps it had occurred when he was a child, but those memories had been lost years prior. Even if they were safe, warm, and fed, it had been too much to handle in a day. It still took him a moment to find a comfortable position - which was becoming more difficult the larger his stomach grew - but once he had the softest part of Jisung’s belly, he purred. For the first time since he could remember, he didn’t fight the allure of sleep. Felix let himself be pulled down into its waters.  ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ Their first couple days in the valley were quiet, most of the pack allowing the omegas their space to settle in and adjust to the new environment. At first, they wandered outside of the den in groups, too anxious to be apart from one another for long. Even then, their time outside of the den was kept to a minimum. It was on the third day that Hyunjin ventured out for the first time without the other omegas at his side. It was as though his departure opened the floodgates. Wooyoung was the next to wander off exploring after many eye rolls due to Felix’s concern over his condition. To everyone’s shock and amazement, it was actually Jisung who took the next step. His adventure might have been the shortest, but he returned with a wide smile and gifts of tantalizingly smelling treats from Minho. Yeosang and Felix were slow to move forward. Felix spent time appeasing his instincts, building and demolishing and rebuilding the pack nest until not a piece of fabric was out of place. The small group had also commandeered Chan’s bedroom, which sent the youngest omega into a tizzy rearranging the room to his liking. Yeosang had no particular reason to remain in the den; he had always preferred his solitude and had no great inclination for new social interactions. On their fifth day in the valley, Felix woke to an empty nest and the sound of an omega moving around in the main living area. The den was too saturated in their scents to be able to distinguish who was outside the nest. It also was difficult to identify much around Felix’s own sour scent. He was overdue for a visit to the bathhouse. The thought had him groaning in exhaustion and discomfort. While he had lost tracks of the days and weeks during their travels, he knew that he was reaching the end of his pregnancy. It should have been a blessing that he had stopped growing so exponentially, but now it felt as if every inch of his body had been repeatedly struck. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have assumed his skin had been decorated in bruises. A hot soak would most likely ease his muscles, but he didn’t want to gather the energy to leave the nest. Did he truly need to visit the bathhouse on this day? Surely the other omegas would overlook his unpleasant scent for a little longer. None had made a complaint while sharing the nest the previous night. It would be fine if he spent one more day hiding in the nest. The rest would be beneficial for him anyway, he would need all of his strength in the coming weeks. The mere thought of dealing with the birthing bed terrified him. He wasn't the slightest bit prepared for it. The pup seemed to care little for his dilemma or plans, though, as it delivered a kick to his ribs. The impact was sharp enough that Felix was forced to curl into himself, worried that something had been bruised or broken. 
   There goes my chance for rest. 
The pulsating ache sent Felix from the nest, dragging himself on unsteady feet through the bedroom. A groan spilled from his lips as he bent to collect new clothes and once more when he pulled himself to his full height. Soon, he wouldn’t be able to reach anything that was placed lower than his waist. Relying on others was a reality that he would be required to accept, even if it would be like swallowing a bitter tea. Leaving the bedroom, Felix found himself surrounded in silence. Whichever omega had been in the main living area when Felix awoke had vacated the room, leaving him alone in the den. There went the possibility for him to drag one of the others out with him. Perhaps he could at least find Yeosang or Wooyoung on the way to the bathhouse. They were at least easy to pin down. Felix had no idea how Hyunjin spent his time away. He also wasn’t interested in tracking Jisung down, who was no doubt hovering around Minho. The alpha was still intimidating despite their night by the fire. Gritting his fangs, Felix dragged himself out of the den and blinked into the bright sunlight. By the height of the sun, he assumed it hadn’t quite reached midday. So he at least hadn’t slept the day away. His steps faltered as he stumbled upon a wolf outside the door. The young alpha pup, Jeongin, was lounging in the grass with his face tilted towards the warmth of the sun. A smile exploded across the alpha’s round face, eyes disappearing in the crinkle of his cheeks. Jeongin launched himself to his feet, bouncing happily before Felix.“Hi, pretty omega Felix,” Jeongin chirped, though his name came out more like ‘Fell-lix’ with his drawn out tone.  “Do you need a bath? You smell kinda funny.” Felix balked at the young alpha and his blatant attitude. It did not appear that he was trying to be…rude. It was more like he had never been taught to hold his tongue for his own safety. Felix found himself both admiring and fighting back jealousy of possessing such a quality. What kind of life had Jeongin lived where he never had to fear another’s retribution?“I, uh, hello, Jeongin,” he mumbled, clutching the bundle of clothes to his chest. “I was about to head to the bathhouse….”The little alpha - though, he was substantially larger than Felix - practically vibrated with excitement. “I’ll come with you!”Felix stared at him, mouth slightly slack. This pup clearly had no understanding of dynamics, or simply did not care. Felix stuttered and fumbled over his words, but could find no way to tell Jeongin to let him be. So with a sigh and a droop in his shoulders, he began walking towards the bathhouse with the alpha cheerfully trotting beside him. It wasn’t uncomfortable, per say, but Felix certainly was not comfortable with such attention either. Despite the fact that he was an alpha, Felix’s instincts did not scream of danger in his presence. Even as Jeongin shifted into his space, Felix’s fangs did not ache nor did his skin prickle. His omega seemed to tolerate his presence much easier than any other alpha he had ever encountered. Throughout their short walk, Jeongin spoke animatedly, widely gesturing with his hands. Felix gave up trying to respond after the first few times the alpha spoke over him as though he was too excited to hear the omega. It was fine by Felix, he was barely awake enough to truly hold any type of meaningful conversation anyway. He couldn’t say he was keeping up with Jeongin’s words either, just letting them wash over him as they entered the bathhouse. Felix was thankful that the alpha had enough thought to wander off to a different section of the bathhouse, giving him the privacy to remove his sleep clothes and scrub himself down quickly. With a towel pressed to his front - there wasn’t one large enough to wrap fully around him with his bulging stomach - Felix made his way to the pool. He stopped on the edge of the flat stones the moment he recognized others in the warmth of the water. Seonghwa and one of the betas - he thought it was Hongjoong, but it was hard to tell by sight or scent through the steam - were lazing against the opposite rim of the pool. The pair took a moment to recognize him before they were gesturing him forward with open smiles. “There’s plenty of room, Felix. Settle in and relax,” Seonghwa cooed, eyes slipping shut in contentment. Felix hesitated a moment longer before he was setting his towel aside and letting his body sink into the warmth of the water. There was no stopping the contented hum that passed his lips as he situated himself. This had been a long overdue trip, not simply due to the need to clean himself. As the days dragged on and he got closer to the end, it would probably benefit him to spend more time soaking in the warmth of the baths. It was slightly awkward to share the space with others who weren’t his omegas, but it would be just another thing he would need to become accustomed to if they were going to continue cohabitating with this pack. And if the attachments that the others were forming was anything to go by, they weren’t leaving this valley anytime soon. At least another omega and a beta were an easy starting point that didn’t make his omega snarl in defensiveness. He only slightly jumped when Jeongin practically launched himself into the water. Seonghwa gave him an exasperated scolding, but even the older omega seemed to struggle staying upset with the young alpha. Jeongin was certainly lucky that so much of the pack still viewed him as a pup. It allowed his mischievous nature to have more free reign. As Seonghwa and Hongjoong quietly talked to one another, Jeongin slid in closer to Felix, flashing him a bright smile. Felix almost felt the urge to ruffle his floppy hair, but he blamed it on the pregnancy instincts and worked to push it away. Jeongin was not his pup; he wasn’t even a pup. He certainly did not need to be cooed and fussed over by a random omega. Even if the alpha would have enjoyed the attention. “Hey, Felix,” there was that weird pronunciation of his name again. “Where’s your alpha?”His whole body tensed up at Jeongin’s words, almost to the point of physical pain. His stomach twisted and revolted, but he refused to get sick while he was in the bath. It wasn’t Jeongin’s fault, he knew that; there was no way the alpha could possibly know what he had been through. The knowledge of his ignorance did not stop the phantoms from pulling and ripping at Felix’s flesh.His alpha. Jiyoung. His captor and tormentor. The same one Chan had left to face, to potentially die. F@ck.He needed to breathe. He couldn’t fall apart in front of these virtual strangers. It wasn’t safe. Safe was with his omegas, curled up in the nest in their den. He never should have left by himself. He shouldn’t have left at all.  F@ck .He’s about to fall into the full hold of the phantoms. They were going to drag him under the water and right back into Jiyoung’s clutches. No. 
   No. No. No. No. 
He didn’t want to be in pain again. He hadn’t had the chance to prepare for the endless pain that was bound to occur. If he wasn’t prepared, it would make the pain that was going to occur so much worse. Jiyoung always gained the most satisfaction when he could catch the omegas unaware and rip the unfiltered screams from their throats. Felix just wanted to be safe. Why was that such a difficult task to accomplish?It was too much. The phantom hands were wrapping too tightly around his neck, squeezing all the oxygen from lungs. It felt as though his heart was going to burst from his chest with the way it slammed against his ribs. Felix needed to leave this place, to escape back to his nest and his pack. At least buried in their scents and arms, the phantoms’ grasp wouldn’t be as strong. 
   Help me. Help me. Help me! Somebody help me! 
The scent of wet earth slammed into his nose, clogging his nostrils and choking the breath from him. He lurched and coughed, trying to pull away from the overpowering scent. A hand, firmer than all the rest, landed on his shoulder. Yet it didn’t drag him down or claw at his flesh. It held him steady, kept his nose close to the scent. The more Felix breathed in the earthy scent, the less it felt like choking. The haze was clearing from his mind and sight, revealing Hongjoong before him. The beta had his wrist pressed beneath his nose, the other hand firm on his shoulder. Felix could just barely make out the movement of his lips, but his ears still felt too clogged to decipher the words. Eyes flickering around the pool, Felix manages to make out Seonghwa and Jeongin, the younger’s face twisted into a look of distress. The older omega was petting over his damp hair, lips moving too minutely to distinguish any words. Beyond the three, Felix could not find anyone else in the vicinity. Shame shot through his veins as trembling hands reached out to pull Hongjoong’s arm away from his face. The beta offered him a gentle smile, shifting back to Seonghwa’s side. Providing Felix with some much needed space. The intense desire to be back in the den, buried under the scents of his nest, was crippling. The last thing Felix had wanted was for outsiders to witness such an all consuming reaction. He knew when they had arrived at the valley that it would not be difficult for the pack to piece together their story. Perhaps Hyunjin, Jisung, or Wooyoung had even told some of the others what had occurred in Jiyoung’s keep. It did nothing to diminish the shame, though.He wanted no part of the embarrassment that came with being weak before a pack of strangers. Having his cracks and scars on display left him feeling raw and exposed. He wanted to lash out. He wanted to hide. Felix didn’t want to feel broken anymore. He was tired of jumping at the slightest interaction from another wolf like a terrified pup that hid behind its dame. It was exhausting being haunted by Jiyoung’s shadow, unable to escape no matter if he sank into the realm of dreams or wandered beneath the sun. He just wanted the chance to build a new life for himself. A life where he could know peace. Bringing his gaze back to the small group around him, Felix made a decision. Perhaps, just maybe, the change that he wanted would start with these strangers who had cared for him and his own. Those who had opened their home and offered them kindness without asking for anything in return. Even with Chan’s departure, they did not abandon the omegas. Felix had resolved to show kindness and gratitude to Chan upon his return. If he could do that for an alpha, he could try to find trust for those who supported him. A small whimper had Felix turning towards Jeongin, the young alpha’s eyes watery and downcasted. “I’m sorry, Felix. I didn’t know,” he whined. “I’m sorry.”A lump caught in Felix’s throat at the pitiful tone of his voice. He was unsure if Seonghwa had explained where the youngest had gone wrong, but surprisingly the shame didn’t swell and rise with the possibility. There was too much sincerity in Jeongin’s words for Felix to shy away from him. With a slight shift and breath pulled into his lungs, Felix reached out. He couldn’t stop the tremble in his hand, but he managed to settle his fingers amongst Jeongin’s hair. Sad, soulful eyes looked up at him through thick lashes. His lower lip trembled. “It’s okay,” he whispered, choking on the syllables. “It’s not your fault. I’m…I’m okay.”As he spoke, his voice struggled to find the strength of confidence, but the weight of his hand increased. He brushed through the damp strands. It was slow, barely perceptible. Yet it was his first kind touch to a stranger. For a moment, it looked as though Jeongin wanted to launch himself at Felix. Perhaps curl into his hold. Seonghwa stilled him with a hand on his shoulders, the slightest shake of his head. Felix appreciated the consideration. He wasn’t sure he was ready to embrace an alpha. Or really any of the members of this pack. Not yet, at least. Jeongin resettled beside Felix while Hongjoong and Seonghwa returned to the opposite side of the pool, though they were significantly closer than before. Felix chose to ignore the obvious concern. He didn’t want to decide if they were watching him like a wounded animal. It would have been a valid thought process after the scene they had witnessed. It did little to change the discomfort he felt about the idea though. The steam filled room remained quiet as the small group enjoyed the water. Felix allowed himself to slip lower until he was covered to the cut of his jaw. As soothing as the waters were, Felix desperately wished to return to the safety and scents of his nest. Perhaps he would stay there until they decided to move on from this pack or Chan removed them from his den. At least then he would not have to deal with the humiliation of being seen by these strangers.Yet the other omegas did not seem to share his discomfort. Hyunjin and Wooyoung appeared to even enjoy their interactions with this pack. What would he do if the others had no desire to leave? Felix couldn’t imagine a life without them. And he certainly wouldn’t be able to manage raising a pup without their support.He would have to stay in the valley and learn how to coexist with the pack. At the very least, Felix knew that Jeongin was drawn to him and Minho and Seonghwa tolerated him. It wasn’t much, but it at least was somewhere to begin. With a deep inhale through his nose, Felix dunked himself below the water. Allowing the warmth to wash over him and clear his thoughts. He resurfaced before his lungs had the opportunity to burn, pushing long locks from his face and blinking water from his eyes.As his vision cleared, Felix hesitantly met Jeongin’s concerned gaze. With slightly more confidence and a decrease in the tremors, he gently patted the alpha’s shoulder. He could imagine the well intended, but misplaced concern that was rattling around in Jeongin’s thoughts. It was a similar concern that had prevented the omegas from bathing alone within the keep. Yet, like before, Felix was as unwilling to leave the others behind as he was to being left behind.“I think I’m ready to return,” Felix spoke, his voice soft.Joengin nodded, turning his back to the omega to provide a semblance of privacy. Felix dipped his head to Seonghwa and Hongjoong before pulling himself from the water. It was not an easy feat, the strength of his upper body waned and his weight increased. It certainly would have been simpler to ask for assistance. He wanted to retain some of his pride, though.Once he was dry and dressed, Felix called out to the young alpha. Jeongin quickly scrambled from the water, though he maintained a wide breadth between them. Felix left him to dry and dress, heading outside into the sun. There was something about the heat of the sun on his freckled skin that brought him a sense of peace. Perhaps it was due to the little direct exposure they had received in Jiyoung’s keep. Or maybe, it reminded him, distantly, of the caress of his mother’s hand. As warm as the new omega den was, if given the opportunity, Felix would bask in the warmth as often as possible. He let his heavy eyes droop closed, breathing in the heavy air as he walked away from the baths. The grass carrassed the hardened soles of his feet, the soil soft and malleable from the thunderstorm the previous night. The breeze that came down the mountains cut some of the heat, though not quite enough to cool the sweat on his skin. If the valley possessed the scent of fresh blossoms, Felix would have little to argue against it being a haven. It was not difficult to discern the reasons Chan and the others had decided to settle here.The valley was like the dreams Felix had of the omegas’ freedom when they were still trapped within the harem. He had told Jisung whispered stories of his dreams, how the sun would feel on their skin as they lounged under the clouds. No alphas and no fear. Their present reality wasn’t quite the same. Felix never would have guessed they would cohabitate with a seemingly endless supply of alphas. Nothing had truly gone the way Felix had planned since they had escaped the keep.It was still difficult for Felix to accept that he missed Chan’s presence in the valley, that not having the alpha in his sights made him anxious. He wished to rage at the reason behind the desire, the blame being placed at the feet of his omega and the endless instincts coursing through his body. There was little to be done against his omega though. It seemed to have a mind of its own since gaining its freedom. For the time being, Felix would enjoy the warmth of the sun and whatever time he could spend with the other omegas. He had learned to pick his battles years ago and there was not much to be gained from such a fight. With his face tilted towards the sky, eyes closed to the brightness of sun at its zenith, Felix walked further into the valley and the hamlet that had been built.Perhaps it was because of his drowsiness from the warmth of the bath and the sun. His brain might have been exhausted after the ripping panic that had coursed through him not too long ago. Or maybe, foolishly, he had fallen into the same sense of security the other omegas had. No matter the reason, Felix still did not recognize that someone was in his vicinity. It would have been nothing if it had been Jeongin or one of the omegas. But no, Felix ended up on his ass in the grass after crashing into one of the alphas. The fall caught him by surprise more than it hurt. The fact did little to stop the whimper that fell from his lips. “Watch yourself, omega.”Felix found himself blinking up at Jongho, the only alpha he had not previously interacted with. He had been relatively quiet during their introduction and only watched, unconcerned, as Chan had left the valley. Presently, he was staring down at Felix, face a flat mask of disinterest. If it had been anyone else, they probably would have rushed to the omega’s side to help him from the ground. Felix couldn’t truly say he was displeased to be left alone. He wasn’t hurt. And he certainly wasn’t an invalid. He could stand on his own just fine, it would simply take him a little longer. Jeongin apparently hadn’t received the same message as he lunged towards the other alpha, lips curled back over his fangs, his body placed protectively in front of Felix. It was almost painful how reminiscent the scene was of Chan defending them from Jiyoung’s trackers. Felix was unsure if it was due to being raised well by the other alphas or Jeongin’s new attachment to him, but it was sweet. Or it would have been if a fight wasn’t about to break out over the top of him. Jongho’s hackles raised the longer Jeongin refused to back down. The pitch of their growls was becoming ear piercing. Felix cast his gaze helplessly around them, looking for someone, anyone to help prevent the alphas from going after each other’s throats. The last thing he wanted was having to explain to Chan upon his return why his pack had fallen into disarray in his absence. Felix doubted that would endear himself to the pack alpha. And if he and the others were going to stay, Chan’s approval was paramount. But there were no other alphas nearby to bodily separate the pair or betas to intercede and push for calm with their words and scents. “Jeongin, I’m okay, I swear,” Felix tried pleading, but his tone possessed too much distress to ease the alpha. It took the slightest movement to have the pair lunging at one another. With a yelp, Felix threw his arms up to cover his head. Even as they collided it quickly became apparent that this fight was nothing like what he had witnessed with Chan in the forest. They snapped, but did not sink fangs into flesh. They hit, but there were no claws creating rivers of red. Felix could not tell if it was Jeongin or Jongho who brought them to the ground, but their bodies shook the earth as they hit. The scuffle was becoming complete chaos, as much a ploy for dominance as it was to protect Felix. The omega scrambled backwards to avoid being unintentionally dragged between the alphas. Coughing from the dust that was kicked into the air, Felix tried to shout at the pair and stop their ridiculousness. He was thoroughly ignored. Jeongin had managed to pin Jongho beneath him, fangs exposed and face twisted into a snarl as the first shout echoed across the field. Almost out of nothing, Changbin and San appeared, throwing themselves into the fight. Yunho and Mingi raced past Felix’s spot on the ground, placing themselves between the alphas as Changbin pulled Jeongin away and San held onto Jongho. The explosion of scents in the small space slammed into Felix, unbalancing his equilibrium and causing his stomach to roll. The cacophony of growls only diminished with the arrival of Minho and his resounding bark that left no room for disagreements. The fight went out of the two youngest alphas, though their faces remained twisted in aggression. Felix pulled himself to his feet as Minho thoroughly scolded the fighting pair, sounding so like the elder omegas in the harem. He barely bit back the laugh at the image of the alpha draped in silk and caring for barely presented pups. Brushing the dirt from his clothing, Felix caught the hesitant gaze of one of the betas. He thought it might have been Mingi, but he still had not learned the difference between him and Yunho. If the omega had to assume, the beta had approached to help, but was left hovering. Felix offered him a strained smile and a slight dip of his head. The beta offered his own smile before stepping back towards the small group. “Felix,” Jeongin cried out, scrambling to his side and circling around him. “Are you injured?”The omega could see it in every inch of the alpha’s body that he wanted to touch Felix, to affirm that no harm had come to him. It was sweet and overbearing and utterly unnecessary. His tailbone might have been slightly sore, but he was otherwise intact. When Jeongin looped in front of him for the third time, Felix held his hand out to stop him. Giving in to the impulse, Felix ruffled his damp hair. “I’m sturdier than I look, pup.”Jeongin chuffed happily at the affection, dimples peeking out from the roundness of his cheeks, head ducking down to reduce the stretch of Felix’s arm. He looked a little ridiculous with dirt and grass clinging to him, rendering his recent bath obsolete. The alpha didn’t seem to notice or care. Ruffling some of the dirt from Jeongin’s hair, Felix looked towards the other alphas. Jongho was being herded away by the betas, the pair pushing and prodding at the younger male. San and Changbin were talking in hushed voices with Minho, the oldest alpha steady gaze meeting Felix’s. A slight dip of his chin was the only other acknowledgement he gave, the omega accepting it as an easy dismissal. “I’d like to go back to the den,” Felix murmured, letting his hand fall away from the alpha. Jeongin perked up, quickly bouncing ahead to begin leading the way. He never strayed too far away, looping back to pace the area around Felix before returning to the front. He continued the cycle across the valley. The phantom image of Chan in a similar position had Felix holding back an adoring croon. The pack alpha’s influence practically draped Jeongin like a cloak. There was little question who had the primary hand in raising him. Watching Jeongin loping beneath the sun’s warmth had Minho’s words and Chan’s story tickling at the back of his mind. Felix couldn’t help, but wondered if this was how Chan had acted when he had been young. Before tragedy had ripped his family away and stolen his voice. Would his silly personality have persisted as he grew and matured? Would his face have been decorated in a smile instead of endless scars?That young Chan - untouched by the world - was only a remnant now, visible in a pup that wasn’t his. So much like the forgotten pup Felix had been before he was stolen from his mother’s arms.  He’s like us, Wooyoung had said. At the time, Felix had snarled and raged at the idea that an alpha could understand what they had gone through under Jiyoung’s torture. How ignorant he had been, how wrong. There was only Chan, who had been broken and scarred like the omegas, forced to find a new way to live in a cruel world. Only he had felt their pain. The guilt settled like a stone in Felix’s stomach as his mind danced across the memories of his interactions with Chan. It was an understatement to label his behavior as unkind. There was so much he wished to atone for. For the first time in years, Felix sent a quiet prayer towards the heavens for Chan’s safety. “Felix!”His dark eyes shifted from the clouds to take in the group gathered outside Chan’s den. The omegas were filled with an anxious energy; if Jisung wrung his hands any further he would begin to peel his skin while Hyunjin paced the length of the building. Wooyoung had fallen back to his old habit of biting into his thumb as Yeosang’s eyes never stopped moving, never slowing their search for something dangerous. Seungmin was slightly apart from the group, though his eyes locked onto Jeongin in an instant. “What happened,” Hyunjin snapped, advancing on the youngest omega.“Seungmin said a fight had broken out,” Wooyoung chittered.Holding his hands out before his body, Felix tried for his most placating tone. “Everything is fine. No one was hurt, there was just a…disagreement between alphas.”The older omegas settled, though Hyunjin did not look any less irate. Jisung had at least declined to squeezing his hands, breathing slightly slower. It was Seungmin that looked increasingly annoyed as he practically drilled into Jeongin with his eyes. The alpha had retreated to stand just behind Felix’s shoulder, head drooped low and looking every bit like a scolded pup. His appearance did little to placate the beta. Seungmin stalked forward to grab at the alpha around Felix, hand twisting in his shirt, pulling them practically nose to nose. “Hyung,” Jeongin whimpered, proverbial tail tucked low."You picked a fight with Jongho again! If Minho doesn’t skin you, Chan-hyung is going to shred you,” the beta spat, small fangs bared."But…but…he,” the alpha tried to explain, but Seungmin refused to listen to a word that fell past his lips. Their size difference meant nothing as the alpha was dragged away, presumably in the direction of his den for a proper tongue lashing. Felix cringed in sympathy for Jeongin, having dealt with his fair share of punishment as an unruly child. “I wager they’ll be mated before the first snowfall.”“Wooyoung,” Yeosang hissed.There was a moment of silence as the omegas looked amongst each other before laughter seized the group. It was enough to get even Jisung to relax, his voice pitching low as he laughed. The smile that split Felix’s face hurt his cheeks as he watched the others and their happiness. Perhaps, just maybe, staying in the valley with this new pack was the best path for them.  ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ The omegas settled in the valley and pack life surprisingly quickly, though it was certainly an adjustment being cared for and given independence. Yeosang and Hyunjin threw themselves into learning how to sew clothes with Hongjoong. Jisung found a sort of comfort from tending to the small garden outside of their den that had affectionately been named the omega den.Wooyoung and Felix were restricted from most manual labor, earning a sharp scolding from Minho or Seonghwa if they attempted to disobey. It left Felix spending many days lying beneath the sun near Jisung’s garden, taking advantage of the opportunity to have no responsibilities. Wooyoung was unable to find the same peace of mind, often wandering off to bother other members of the pack. He trailed San the most frequently, but also seemed to enjoy spending time with Mingi and Yunho.There were times when Wooyoung had no choice, but to remain around the den as some of the pack traveled to fulfill their obligations. Changbin, San, and Jongho were gone most days hunting in the surrounding forest, returning with a variety of animals to sustain the pack. Every couple of weeks, Mingi and Yunho would leave the valley to travel to the closest village in search of supplies that they were incapable of crafting. They often stopped by the omega den for requests before embarking on the journey. Felix was thoroughly startled to learn that Minho spent more time in the longhouse with Seonghwa, processing the prey the other alphas returned with and cooking many of their meals. An alpha completing such domestic tasks was something the omega never considered witnessing. Seungmin and Jeongin were often mysteries during the day, disappearing for hours on end, only to return when a new meal was served. Felix never saw them returning with any supplies or carrying anything from the valley. Though in the summer months with fewer jobs to fulfill, perhaps the pair were allowed to spend their days roaming. With the omegas relatively seamless integration into the pack, Felix expected the last major change would occur upon Chan’s return. Yeosang tilted everything on its axis. After weeks of the omegas inhabiting a single den, the oldest announced that he would be moving into Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s den. His declaration had struck the group silent. The five omegas had not been separated since first being introduced to one another in Jiyoung’s harem. They had lived longer with each other than they had ever lived without. It felt as if the breath had been knocked from Felix’s lungs, but Wooyoung, he swung from tears to rage and back again. Cursed the older omega and demanded to know what he lacked in comparison Seonghwa and Hongjoong.Hyunjin had barely been able to physically restrain Wooyoung as he attempted to reach Yeosang. Jisung had guided the oldest out of the den while Felix pressed in close to Wooyoung’s front. As he had calmed, Felix had dragged him into their nest and spent most of the night scenting and soothing him, giving no acknowledgement to the tears tracking down his cheeks except to wipe them away.  A couple days later, after a painfully tense conversation, Yeosang moved dens. Wooyoung spent the following days curled in the grass with Felix, no energy to see the rest of the pack. Felix was reaching the edge of his patience with Wooyoung, ready to drag him to Seonghwa’s den. The issue resolved itself before he snapped. A visit from San was all it took to perk the omega up, color returning to his face. Watching them from a respectful distance, Felix slowly realized there were many more changes to come before Chan returned to the valley. He only hoped the pack alpha would not be too dissatisfied with the differences to his home. The change he had forgotten to account for was within himself. As the days and weeks passed, Felix had grown larger, finally putting on the weight he had missed during the beginning of his pregnancy. The discomfort seemed to grow with each passing day, stealing away his ability to sleep through the night or doze beneath the sun. His back and feet hurt worse than when they had been traveling with Chan. The discomfort drove him to pacing through the commune, resting in the shade of dens or amongst patches of wild flowers. Most days, one of the omegas had to be sent to find him for meals or to return to the nest. A new change came when Felix heard the commotion from the furthest edge of the valley, a multitude of different scents of the pack rising in the air. Someone was at the tree line of the surrounding forest. Fear spiked in the omega’s veins first. After weeks of silence had trackers finally stumbled upon their haven? Yunho and Mingi had sworn that they had taken all necessary precautions when it came time to travel outside of the valley. They had cleaned away traces of the omegas’ scents on their departure and never took the same path back home. Yet Felix and Wooyoung had grown larger by the day, no doubt Jiyoung’s scent increasing with every change. There was no fear on the breeze as the sounds of the pack rose. Felix’s nose could find no trace of negativity in the scents. It couldn’t have been the trackers. San’s spice would have flooded the valley. It had to be someone the pack was open to receiving. The thought appeared in the next breath.Guard Dog.Chan.He was finally back. After weeks of waiting. Jiyoung hadn’t taken him away. Felix climbed to his feet as quickly as his body would allow before he was racing - well, kind of. Heavily pregnant and quick movements weren’t the best combination - towards the sounds of the commotion. Something inside of him was screaming. He had to see Chan, safe and whole, with his own eyes. It couldn’t wait.He made his way across the valley as quickly as possible. His breath was ripped from his lungs in painful pants, the ache in his lower back intensifying. There was a cry of ‘ don’t run! you’re pregnant! ’ that he decidedly ignored. He refused to slow his pace until he was past the dens and the alphas’ backs were in view. Felix could see the tension in the lines of Minho’s muscles the closer he drew. His gaze quickly flickered to Changbin and San, who did not seem to be out of the ordinary. Jeongin hadn’t arrived yet, though his response would have been an unhelpful indicator. Felix didn’t bother looking towards Jongho. No matter how much Yeosang liked the alpha, they had found no common ground after the incident with Jeongin.It was San who acknowledged his presence first.”Felix, go back to the omega den.”Before he had the chance to show his fangs to the alpha, a snarl like he had never heard before shook the air. Everyone froze. From over Minho’s shoulder, Felix watched a massive, black creature rise from the grass.The alphas attempted to press in closer, to shield it from the omega’s view. Or perhaps, to hide him from it. Yet Felix could see it, the way their muscles shook as if trying to defy their instincts. There was only one wolf who could force a group of ferocious alphas to his will.”Guard Dog,” Felix tried calling. The bone shuttering snarl halted with his voice, tall ears perking above San’s head. The creature was lupine in nature. No. It was a fully shifted Prime Alpha.Chan took the breath from his lungs as a bright yellow eye met his gaze. Minho’s story had done little justice to Chan’s primal form. He was the biggest thing Felix had ever seen. It was no longer difficult to understand how he had single-handedly brought down a warlord’s keep. The only thing he couldn’t make sense of was how anyone had managed to muzzle such a beast. His omega whimpered at the sight, pushing and straining to be closer to the alpha amongst alphas. Felix couldn’t find it to deny him, the curiosity and nagging feeling to check Chan for injuries was almost powerful enough to make him dizzy. He easily pushed through the wall of alphas, though it took additional prodding to convince San to step aside. While they relented on allowing him to pass, the alphas still remained close to his back. Felix stopped a few steps before Chan’s giant form, forced to tilt his head back to get a decent view. The distance must have not been agreeable for the alpha. He stepped closer until he could lower his head enough to meet Felix’s gaze. The omega gasped when he saw the state of his face. The same scars from the muzzle danced across his snout and head, leaving sections of his pelt furless. While new to this form, Felix couldn’t say he was surprised to see the scars. It was Chan’s left eye that stole the breath from his lungs. What had once been a warm brown eye was now bisected by a new scar, the pupil a milky white color. The injury had clearly healed during his travels, but Felix couldn’t stop the trembling hand that reached for the alpha. Chan lowered his massive head to further diminish the stretch Felix had to make. His eyes fell closed as the omega’s fingers brushed his fur. For a moment, he almost lost himself in the feeling of Chan’s fur. It was incredibly soft and gave him the desire to cuddle into it.With a slight shake, he focused on Chan’s new injury. A scar to add to the collection. One that he had received in defense of Felix and his omegas. Examining it at such a close proximity, Felix had no idea how he hadn’t lost the eye in its entirety. The scar was thick and deep, the skin a dark purple color. Felix’s stomach lurched at the thought of the pain he must have endured. A pain that had been inflicted because of Felix. Small, omega fangs sank into his lower lip, nausea rolling through his stomach. This hadn’t been what he hadn’t wanted; it had been exactly as he had feared. To Felix, it was a miracle that he hadn’t been hurt worse. Chan whined softly as Felix’s hand slowed to a halt over the destroyed eye. He pawed at the ground and shifted his weight, unused to the omega’s silence. He would have preferred a scolding or even shouting to the unsettling stillness. With a huff and a gentle nudge against Felix’s hand, Chan stepped away from the omega. He began to follow the alpha, but Minho halted him with his body and a shake of his head. With a grumble and growl, Felix remained where he stood, though dark eyes never left Chan. It was difficult to remember why he hadn’t chased after Chan when the alpha’s entire body began to shake. Felix stepped forward. But there was no need for Minho or the others to stop his advance. He had frozen watching the shake turn into a ripple before an awful crack resounded through the valley. The crack was only the first of many, Chan’s body twisting and pulling as he shifted from four legs to two. A deep groan sat in his chest throughout the process as if the change pained him. Felix didn’t know how it was possible for it not to hurt. Even watching the dark fur recede had the hair on the back of his neck rising. He wasn’t sure if it was horror or disbelief, his omega whining to match the alpha’s groan.With a final shudder - or was it more of a shake? - Chan stood on his own two feet again. Completely naked. Felix yelped at the sight, ducking behind Minho’s back as his heart jumped into his throat before racing at a breakneck pace. While he could say with certainty that he had not seen anything….intimate, the proximity alone had him squirming. Minho chuckled from in front of him, peaking over his shoulder to raise an eyebrow at the omega. Felix hissed at him, feeling the flush spreading across his skin.Felix wasn’t to blame for spending little time around alphas and the seeming comfort they had with their naked form. And when it came to Chan…it was just different. “It’s safe now, little chick,” Minho snickered. He hissed at the alpha once more before slowly leaning around his arm to peak at Chan. His torso was still bare, but he had at least slipped a pair of pants on. His pack was resting on the grass at his feet. It must have been strapped on his lupine form somehow and Felix hadn’t taken notice of it. The omega would have preferred for him to have another layer of clothing on, but it was enough for Felix to at least step out from behind Minho. Chan ignored his discarded possessions, quickly moving to close the distance between them so that he was directly before Felix. Being so close once more, with Chan’s naked torso and the way Felix had to tilt his head to meet his eyes, the omega was sharply reminded of their size difference. He was attempting with the entirety of his will to ignore the muscles on display before his face. He would not lower himself to the same base instincts that alphas so often blamed…..even if he wanted to reach out his hand and test the firmness. A hand slowly rose in front of Felix’s face, the movement steady enough to prevent the omega from startling. For the first time, Felix met Chan halfway. He rested the roundest point of his cheek in the palm of Chan’s hand, the inkling of a purr beginning in his chest. The alpha blinked down at him, head tilting to allow his right eye the central focus on Felix. A rough thumb stroked over Felix’s cheek, feeling as though he was tracing the freckles that had darkened and grown from his time in the sun. The warm hand shifted from his cheek to travel over his ear until it rested firmly within his hair. Chan used the new position as leverage, pulling the omega closer to allow their bodies to press together. It took a little maneuvering to settle Felix under his arm, face nestled against warm skin and strong fingers working through his hair. The flush returned to Felix’s skin, but he struggled to find the desire to push the alpha away from his space. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the alpha’s presence during his absence. At some point, he had become a point of comfort and safety. Even if Felix struggled not to bare his fangs at Chan’s behavior. Hesitantly, Felix rubbed his cheek against Chan’s skin, lightly scenting the male. The hand in his hair slipped down to settle upon his swollen abdomen. The pup jumped at the touch, activity significantly increasing with the close presence of the alpha. Perhaps the little thing had missed him as well. It would not be surprising to learn that the pup had already imprinted and claimed this alpha as its sire.  Felix wasn’t ready to think about the repercussions of such a situation yet. Slowly, hesitantly, Felix lifted the arm that had been flush against Chan’s. There was still a tremble under his skin, but he succeeded in softly resting his hand over Chan’s waist. The purr that worked its way through his chest startled him, the feeling of ease that came with the contact unexpected. The muscles of Chan’s abdomen tensed and twitched at the touch, but he gave no other reaction besides the movement of his thumb over Felix’s stomach. Attempting to ignore the purr growing in his chest, Felix tuned back into the conversations happening around him. He listened to the bland reports that Minho and Changbin gave to Chan, saw the way that San’s gaze flickered to Jongho when they omitted the conflict and tension that had begun weeks before. Chan was attentive in his focus, but eventually silenced the pair with a raise of his unoccupied hand. Changbin easily fell silent, unphased by the pack alpha’s behavior. Minho curled his lip and displayed his fangs, but Felix was beginning to learn that his attitude came from growing up alongside Chan. It was never meant to be a challenge and Chan would never take offense with his actions. Felix felt his ears burn from the way that Changbin smiled at him or the raised eyebrow from Minho. San looked concerned, but he turned his focus on returning to the pack with Jongho. And suddenly, for the first time in months, Felix was alone with Chan. The typical lurch of his heart returned, the tremble ever present. Yet the purr had not abated. There were no lingering phantom touches. Felix found it difficult to focus on any of the points as he felt Chan sagging against him. The alpha hadn’t put even a fraction of his weight on Felix’s shoulders, but from the miniscule amount, his exhaustion was clear. The repeated trip had been a strain on his body, the violence and injury only compounded the situation. He should have rested when they had first arrived in the valley. Now, Felix was determined to ensure that he rested and recovered. It was the least that he owed Chan; he had sworn that he would attempt to make amends with the alpha, to treat him better. “Come on, Guard Dog, let’s escape to the den,” Felix hummed, using enough pressure to pull on his waist.  Chan pulled himself to his full height, taking all the weight from Felix’s shoulders, before he followed after the omega. It was easy to lead him to the den the omegas had been inhabiting; it was habit more than anything at this point. It didn’t fully register until the door had closed behind them that the entire den was drenched in the scent of the omegas, completely drowning out any claim the alpha had. Felix nervously peaked over his shoulder for Chan’s reaction, but he seemed to relax within the scent, tension falling from his body. The salty hue of his scent seeped out gently, working to intermingle with the omegas instead of overwriting them. As though he had missed having the small group close to him. It left Felix’s omega purring. Or maybe that was him?Either way, Felix chooses not to acknowledge it. He directed Chan towards the main living area while he searched for a cloth and some water. It wouldn’t be the same as visiting the bathhouse, but surely it would be a relief for Chan to remove some of the grime from his travels. He found Chan resting outside the cushions and blankets the omegas had used to build a miniature nest, bent over his knees with his eyes closed. Felix settled himself into the farthest edge of the nest before chirping to the alpha. Chan’s head whipped up, Felix minutely flinching at the fast movement. The alpha stared at him as if he couldn’t believe the sound he had heard. It was still unsettling, almost to the point of distraction, to look at the milkiness of Chan’s eye. Attempting to keep steady eye contact with him, Felix chirped again. The alpha rose to his knees slowly, shuffling until he was at the edge of the nest. He looked at Felix once more, unmoving. Waiting.He wanted to be certain. He was giving Felix a chance to change his mind. Felix couldn’t deny there was a whimper trapped in his throat. He had never invited an alpha into his nest before. They had barely been allowed to build a group nest, much less their own, during their time with Jiyoung. There was something instinctual about them that even the worst alphas struggled to disrespect. Fingers tightening on the cloth in his hands, Felix warbled another chirp. Ever so carefully, Chan lifted himself over the edge of the nest. Despite his hulking mass, not a single item was displaced. And through it all, every centimeter that he moved closer, he watched Felix for any sign of discomfort. The slightest twitch had him pausing and waiting for Felix to relax once more. When he was finally settled, Chan sat before Felix with his legs crossed and his hands hanging limp between them. His shoulders were rolled forward and he kept his head at a downward tilt. It all screamed that he knew he was in Felix’s domain and that he would only remain there by Felix’s grace.Dipping the cloth into the water he had brought along, Felix shifted until his knees touched Chan’s shins. With a trembling hand, Felix cupped Chan’s jaw and lifted his face until they were eye level. Beginning at his hairline, Felix worked the cloth over his skin. He moved in soft strokes as a coo began to build in his chest.Over his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, in the dip of his cupid bow.The process continued, Felix pausing to dip the cloth in the water, the honey color of Chan’s skin slowly being revealed. Chan’s head was heavy in Felix’s hand, eyes barely opened as he worked. The alpha chuffed and rumbled as the cloth moved beneath his jaw and down his neck. It was the most content and vulnerable Felix had ever seen him. It softened the features of his face. Took some of the age and stress away from his visage. When the honey color fully returned, Felix turned his attention to the multitude of scars.  There was little reaction from the alpha as Felix worked over the old scars. He practically leaned into the touch as he moved across the rise of his cheek and into his hairline. It was when Felix focused on the new scar, gnarled and purple and barely healed, that Chan opened his right eye. Felix felt captive; hand unmoving as the cloth hid the majority of the damage. It hurt, not only to know, but to see the pain Chan had endured because of them, because of him. After everything that he had been through, he didn’t deserve to lose the sight in his eye. Especially for an omega who had shown him nothing, but hostility and disgust. The tremble had returned to his hand, but it wasn’t nerves or fear that shook him. It was the tears building behind his eyes, the constriction of his throat. A grief he had no idea how to handle or process. It was not the first time someone had been injured on his behalf. Early on, when Felix was barely older than a pup and the other omegas had begun to realize the interest Jiyoung held for him, they had sacrificed themselves. Put their bodies between Felix and the warlord’s violence and l@st. They had cradled Felix as he cried, blood coating their bodies. It haunted him in his waking and dreaming moments. Yet with Chan, it was different. Chan wasn’t an omega, fearful of the brutality of an alpha. Chan had not grown up alongside Felix and the others. There was no true loyalty that Chan was required to give them. And still, he had risked his life and suffered grievously for them. A callous hand settling atop his own frozen hand shook him from the memories and grief. Felix blinked through his tears to meet Chan’s gaze. The alpha did not release his hold, only leaned further into the soft touch. His uncovered eye was soft, trailing over Felix’s face in a lazy manner. As if he wanted to catalogue each feature and mark, to keep them tucked away within his memory. It was too much. The tears swelled over, dripping down his cheeks and blurring the image of the alpha before him. A choked noise of concern sounded in Chan’s throat, a discordant coo filling the air as he rubbed his face into Felix’s hand. His care and affection only caused a sob to break past Felix’s lips. “I’m sorry,” he whimpered through trembling lips. “I’m sorry.”Chan moved to lift Felix into his lap, legs resting over his thigh and head leaning on his shoulder. The alpha reclaimed the hand that had fallen away from his face, discarding the cloth before covering his eye once more. Exposed without the cloth, the skin under Felix’s hand was rough and slightly concave. The indisputable evidence only caused the sobs to wrack his chest, stealing the ability to breath. Felix didn’t release his hold on Chan as the alpha brought his arms around his body. For once, he ignored the swell of Felix’s stomach. Instead, he cradled Felix, drawing him impossibly closer. His awkward, poorly formed coos continued, though they dipped into rumbles that shook Felix from his place on Chan’s chest.The alpha’s hold was warm, safe from the horrors following him. Even the pup was quiet and settled despite the way Felix’s body shook with his sobs. “Done,” came the broken rumble against Felix’s wrist. Chan’s disused voice startled the omega enough to cause a temporary halt of his tears. It was another moment for the word to register and his blurry gaze to lift and meet Chan’s. The alpha’s face was gentle as his thumb rubbed circles into his flesh. “Gone,” was the next disjointed sound, originating more from his throat than mouth. There was no explanation needed. The two words were clear enough for Felix to understand him. Chan might have returned with a new injury, but Jiyoung would never touch any of them again. Felix was almost certain that the keep had been razed to the ground with the warlord and his lackeys within its stone halls. They were finally free. Safe. Never to be harmed again. A wail broke from Felix’s lips as he curled into Chan’s body, hand falling around his shoulder to grip onto the muscle. Everything hurt with the force of his sobs. The pressure behind his eyes was practically blinding. If the wails continued there was little doubt his voice would be missing the following day. Felix couldn’t stop though. He wasn’t sure he had any desire to.It should have been a relief that flooded throughout his body. But instead it was like every once ounce of fear and pain had rushed to the surface and drowned him under its wave. Never had he allowed himself to fall into such feelings. It had never been safe enough, left him too vulnerable and unaware of his surroundings. Now that the threat had been destroyed, there was nothing to hold the feelings at bay.Throughout, Chan’s hold never faltered. Felix was unable to hear it over the sounds of his own cries, barely even recognized the vibrations in his chest that signaled the alpha’s deep chuffs and rumbling coos. He gave no sign of discomfort at the pitch of Felix’s voice in such close proximity to his ears or the way his chest was becoming wet and tacky. Chan only lowered his head to allow his cheek to rest upon the crown of Felix’s head. ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ Returning to the waking world was like a sensory rush. Felix recognized the pain behind his eyes in the same moment the warmth of the nest seeped into his bones. Though slightly clogged and puffy, his nose distinguished the scent of the omegas before acknowledging the distinct lack of the alpha. It was hard to open his eyes, forced to repeatedly blink to clear the blurriness. He noted the walls of the main nest that was in the epicenter of the den. Yet he had no memory of falling asleep amongst the omegas or even entering the nest. The last thing he remembered was….Chan. And sobbing, like every tear he had ever repressed came flooding to the forefront.Yet Chan was nowhere to be scented. Lifting his head from the pile of fluff and warmth, Felix cast his eyes around the room, searching for any sign of the missing alpha. Instead, he was able to account for four sleeping omegas in a nest that was beginning to become too small for them. Blessedly, he had ended up on the edge of the nest instead of his usual spot in the middle. It simplified, though it still wasn’t easy, lifting himself from the bedding without disturbing the others. His legs felt unsteady and weak as his feet touched the cold flooring. With the way his head spun, he certainly needed to find some water. He wanted the alpha first. Felix was pretty certain he had not offered the slightest  thank you to Chan during his outburst. It was the least of what he deserved; Felix felt as though it was the first step in all that was owed to the alpha. There was no great distance Felix had to travel to find the alpha. He practically tripped over his prone form at the entrance to their room, head hung low in sleep. The alpha had lost his sleeping quarters to the omegas and apparently had not wanted to occupy their smaller nest for the night. The sight of his slumped form had Felix’s stomach twisting uncomfortably. Taking in his appearance, the omega noted the slight changes since the last time he had seen him. At some point after Felix had fallen asleep, Chan must have changed from his travel clothes, leaving him in simple, loose pants. His torso continued to remain bare, seemingly uncaring about the draft that slipped beneath the door at night.Felix’s hand was petting through his unruly curls before he had a moment to recognize the movement. He wanted to rescind his touch, but he couldn’t deny the pleasure of the silky strands against his fingers. Even if a cleaning was long overdue. When Chan did not stir at his touch, he allowed himself to indulge a little longer. It spoke to his trust and comfort within the valley, within the den filled with others, that he remained asleep. Felix’s hand moved lower, over the back of his head and towards his nap. There wasn’t a twitch throughout his body. It almost seemed as though he relaxed further at Felix’s touch.His head slightly drifted towards the shoulder furthest from Felix and displayed the full length of his neck. Felix’s hand froze, fingers pulling away from Chan’s hair. With the alpha’s shift, a white, raised scar had been revealed. Jihyo’s mark. Nestled within the junction of his neck and shoulder was the mating mark that had been left by the beta Chan had loved. That he had lost. That he had been forced to watch die. Nausea rolled through his stomach. He didn’t need to touch it to know its texture. He could still remember the feel of it under his hand before he had known what it was. In his naivety, Felix had attributed it to one of the many scars that covered the alpha’s body. He had trampled over wolf etiquette and norms and respect with that single touch. The alpha had been forgiving. He had shown no sign of distress or agitation at Felix’s blind fumbling. Chan would have been well within his rights to dominate and lash out at the omega. The alpha hadn’t even flinched at the touch; he had only moved himself closer to Felix. There was a whimper in his throat. Felix pulled back, taking his touch with him. He shoved back at his omega as it tried to push forward, distraught with the distance that had been created with the alpha. With a snarl, he reminded it that Chan was not their alpha. They had no alpha. He ignored its whimpering and sniveling as he turned towards the small kitchen. He still needed to find some water. There must have been a shift in his scent. His bare feet certainly had not made a sound on the wood flooring. Either way, the alpha grumbled and shifted behind him. Felix opted against looking back as he filled a cup from the reserve. As he sipped quietly, he listened to Chan moving behind him. He didn’t flinch as he felt the warmth at his shoulder or the sniff near his ear. For the briefest moment, he was tempted to lean back against Chan’s solidness.  Before he had the chance to argue with his omega, Chan closed the distance. His cheek rubbed against his temple, fingers skimming over his clothed stomach. A purr shook from Felix’s chest despite his hesitation. He wanted to fix the wrongs he had done to the alpha. To find a path that diminished the hold Jiyoung had upon him.But he didn't want to be a replacement. He couldn't bear it.Felix stepped out of Chan's hold, head tilted back to meet his gaze. Chan's head turned slightly to allow his remaining eye to focus upon the other.With a wrinkle of his nose, Felix snarked, “You need to bathe. Your smell is starting to offend my nose.”Chan huffed, the sound similar to a laugh, the corner of his mouth curling upwards. He crowded Felix's space, a soft rumble in his chest as he lowered his head. The scent of dirt and sweat spiked at the proximity.Felix dropped his mouth open enough to avoid the use of his nose.The smile on Chan's face grew, the dip of his dimples peaking against his cheeks.Chan was  teasing him!With a light snarl, he shoved at the alpha’s chest. A significant amount of force was lacking to be able to remove Chan from his space. They both chuckled as Chan pushed closer before Felix shrieked with the drag of dirty curls along his hairline and down his ear."Go get clean, you knothead! And then, maybe I’ll prepare you something to eat!”Chan chuffed happily as he rubbed himself against Felix once more. The omega swatted at him, baring tiny fangs at him. He took the hit gracefully, stretching to his full height and providing Felix with…some space. The shift gave Felix a nice flush across his cheeks and an unobstructed view of the other’s bare chest. Faced with a wall of muscle, Felix knew despite their existence being limited, that Chan was a supreme specimen of the prime alphas. He had been built with the intention of power. Every muscle a rippling cord beneath his flesh. The skin was also painted with scars - new and old - and bruises. An expansive story of the life that Chan lived. A hand - large and veiny - dropped into Felix’s field of view. Its appearance brought his gaze away from Chan’s chest, eyes trailing upwards to be greeted by a fanged smirk. He flushed brighter, his ears burning. Chan knew, without a doubt, that Felix had been taking stock of his physique. The squeak that escaped his lips had the alpha’s smile expanding.It gave Felix the sight of Chan’s face lit up in a smile as well as his unique biology. Unlike usual alphas, he had a double set of upper fangs. The outer pair were slightly longer than the norm while the inner pair were only barely larger than an omega’s fangs. It was a blatant show of his strength and ferocity, the ability to shred sinew from bone with a single bite. Felix blamed his omega for the rising desire to admire and catalog Chan’s fangs instead of feeling the fear they were meant to invoke. A finger tapped the end of his nose that pulled his thoughts back to the present moment with the alpha. Felix blinked repeatedly, arching an eyebrow at him. The alpha chuffed at him, gesturing down to his body. Felix tilted his head, his gaze flickering between his face and body. The flush returned in full force when Chan tugged animatedly at the waistline of his pants, gaze burning into Felix expectantly. He tugged once more before turning his attention towards the inner den where the remaining omegas slumbered. The realization felt like electricity down his spine. Chan needed clothes before cleaning himself.Clothes that were in the same room as four resting omegas. And the alpha was respecting their space despite it being his den. He would have been within his right to enter the inner room, but instead he was waiting for Felix to make a decision. He sent a silent prayer to Chan’s mother for raising such a respectful alpha in a time of savages.“Just a moment,” Felix mumbled, slipping past Chan.The alpha let him go without complaint or obstruction, moving around quietly in the kitchen behind Felix. The domestic nature of the situation almost had him crashing into Jisung at the threshold of the inner den. The other omega was barely awake, a wide yawn cracking his jaw as he rubbed at his swollen eyes. Felix offered him a soft pat on his hip before twisting around him and into the room.Yeosang was awake in the nest, sitting up beside Wooyoung and stroking through his long, dark locks. The pregnancy was finally starting to catch up with the other omega, his body fatiguing faster and taking longer to recuperate. It felt as if Wooyoung was sleeping more than he was awake most days. Seonghwa had reassured them that it was a perfectly normal symptom for omegas, nothing wrong with Wooyoung for experiencing it or Felix for not being dragged down by such a crushing exhaustion. Hyunjin was curled up against Wooyoung’s sleeping form, most likely enjoying the additional heat his body was producing. There was nothing particularly exhausting that kept Hyunjin sleeping. He was habitually a late riser, preferring the light of the moon to that of the sun. Yeosang acknowledged Felix with a dip of his head, sparing him little attention as he fawned over Wooyoung. The pair had always doted on each other in a way that was different from the other omegas. They each had their own unique relationships with one another, forged in the hardship of their lives. Despite it being tested recently by Yeosang’s departure, the love and care was almost shining in the omega’s eyes. It left no room for jealousy or offense within their tight knit group. Felix did his best to remain quiet as he dug through the chests against the walls of the room, looking for the multiple articles of clothing Chan would require. Some of the clothes were too heavy for the time of year while others were filled with holes from age and disuse. Clearly no one had been maintaining nor fixing the alpha’s wardrobe. It certainly made an entertaining image to imagine Chan with a needle and thread attempting to mend his clothes. Finding something somewhat suitable, Felix quietly slipped back out of the room, leaving Yeosang to watch over the slumber omegas. He kept the clothes close to his chest, refusing to think about the way his wrists were pressed into the fabric. Chan would already smell like all the omegas after a night in their den; clothes with Felix’s scent clinging to them would not be attention grabbing. That wasn’t even mentioning the way he had scented Chan in front of the other alphas the day prior.There wasn’t anything new about Felix carrying Chan’s scent if he looked back on their time together either. He had been drenched in it during the alpha’s rut. Had shown up in the valley smelling like dirt and sweat and Chan. Even after a bath, the alpha had ensured to scent him before leaving.Felix doubted anyone would comment on it. But what about him? Did he truly want the alpha to carry his scent in such an intimate manner? Or was that just his omega, high off alpha pheromones and seeking stability during his pregnancy? And all of that was without factoring in the whole Jihyo situation. No matter how much he drowned Chan in his scent, Felix had no claim. There was a scar on Chan’s neck to prove it.Maybe he should have stayed in the nest with Wooyoung today instead of searching out Chan the moment he had awoken. He could have avoided such thoughts for a little longer. His day should have focused on sharing the new freedom they had gained with the other omegas, not working out his relationship with a new, unavailable alpha. The confusion swirling within his thoughts did nothing to stop his omega from whimpering at the sight that greeted him as he returned to the kitchen. Jisung was tucked securely beneath Chan’s arm, his face resting against the alpha’s bare chest. Eyes closed and face slack, Jisung was the picture of contentment as Chan stroked over his hair. There was no hiding the crushing feeling in his chest with thoughts of fear for Jisung’s safety. Felix could no longer deny that Chan would protect them. No, this feeling had nothing to do with Chan’s proximity to Jisung. It was entirely about Jisung’s proximity to Chan.It wasn’t right. Nothing about the situation was supposed to be happening. Had Chan and Jisung developed a bond when Felix hadn’t been looking? Was it Jisung that Chan had truly wanted during his rut and that had been why he hadn’t laid with Felix? Had Chan simply been placating him, working to gain his trust to get near the other omega?He could no longer tell if the whimper was coming from his omega or his own mouth. Chan’s clothes were clenched tightly between his fingers, the seams straining under his grip. Felix wanted out, out of the moment, out of the feelings clogging his throat. He wanted back the times of distrust and anger and no care for how the alpha was feeling. “Lix?”Another whimper was the only response he would muster to Jisung’s concerned voice. The omega was no longer standing in Chan’s embrace, the pair looking towards his frozen form. The alpha’s scarred face was twisted into something ugly, like he was in pain. Without a look back towards Jisung, Chan closed the distance with Felix, his nostrils flaring for any hint within his scent. Wobbly lips pulled back to bare his fangs up at the alpha. Strong eyebrows pulled low over mismatched eyes, confusion rolling off of him. Chan chuffed and rumbled, lowering his head to get a better look at Felix’s face, hands hovering over his stomach without touching. He at least had the intelligence not to use his scent in an attempt to appease Felix. The omega might have lashed out at him with the ghost of Jiyoung breathing down his neck. “What’s wrong, Lix? Are you hurt? Is something wrong with the pup,” Jisung called from over Chan’s shoulder, wide eyes swimming with anxiety.The clothes were removed from his hands and dropped carelessly on the floor, callused hands wrapping loosely around his wrists. Chan raised Felix’s limp hands, resting curled fingers against his scarred cheeks. His poor attempt at a croon rattled Felix’s bones. Everything about Chan, from his appearance to his scent to noises, indicated his desire to comfort and soothe. That Felix was the one who had his full attention.He wanted to say it was enough, that the feeling melted away with the simple touch from the alpha. The pressure in his chest did not ease nor did the pit in his stomach shrink. It mattered little if Chan had no interest in Jisung. Another omega would always be a better option than Felix. Chan was not disheartened by Felix’s lack of response. He turned his face slightly, nose brushing against the bone of his wrist. Massive fangs peaked out from behind his lips, but they did not tear and maim as they approached his skin. It was a gentle bite, little more than a nip against the scent gland in Felix’s wrist. Felix’s hands were dragged down the rough planes of the alpha’s face until they settled upon his neck. Fingers uncurled to rest against Chan’s scent glands, the faintest oils soaking into his skin. His fingers gripped into the sensitive area. The alpha rumbled, but allowed the display of dominance. Offered his trust that Felix would not take advantage or manipulate him. “Did hyung tell you about Jiyoung too?”His eyes flickered to meet Jisung’s nervous gaze. The other omega wasn’t quite behind Chan, but he was close enough to make Felix’s omega uncomfortable. His fingers twitched against the alpha’s neck. Chan responded with his own rumble. Jisung watched the pair, his lower lip caught between his teeth.“He  told  you,” Felix croaked, a whimper behind his words.He hadn’t realized how much the idea of Chan only speaking to him mattered. If the alpha was forcing out grumbled, barely intelligible words from his unused vocals for Felix then that had to show that he was different from the others. That Chan felt differently towards him. They had only ever been forced out when others were either not around or too quietly for them to hear. It had only been for Felix’s ears.Those mangled words were precious, something Felix had been holding close to his chest unconsciously. Even though it had only been a single word at the time, the omega had turned it over in his head endlessly while Chan had been gone. He had yearned to hear more of what Chan would say. Regretted that he had sobbed so heavily the night before that it was difficult to recall what the alpha had said to him. He didn’t wish to share that side of Chan with anyone. Not even his omegas.It was selfish. He  was selfish.And it was unfair to place such an expectation upon Chan’s shoulders when they had no obligation to one another. “Well, he didn’t actually say anything, but from your condition and his injuries, it was pretty easy to piece together,” Jisung supplied. “After that, we just asked endless yes and no questions.”Oh.
   Oh. 
Chan was still treating Felix differently. He sagged a little in the alpha’s hold, his fingers loosening on his scent glands. Chan’s hands remained firmly wrapped around his wrists. He stepped further into Felix’s space to flatten his nose against his forehead. Felix could only taste the relief on his tongue. A part of him wanted to press closer to the older male, even tuck his head against his scent glands. But he held himself in place. It was still too difficult to discern if the desire came from his omega or himself. Felix was unwilling to make a move if it was only something being driven by his omega and the influx of instincts. The most he could allow at the present was for the alpha to approach him. Although, maybe not exactly in this moment. “You still stink, Guard Dog,” Felix warbled, trying to keep his emotions locked behind his fangs. The alpha huffed, his warm breath fanning over Felix’s face, but he relented. Releasing his hold on the omega, Chan stepped back to retrieve the clothes he had previously discarded on the ground. Felix’s complaints and insistence didn’t stop him from swooping back in to scent the omega a final time. He snapped at the alpha, but his fangs came together before he was anywhere near the other’s skin. It was grumpy and playful more than anything. Chan offered him a smirk before he was ducking out of the den. Watching his back disappear left Felix’s omega restless and pitiful, pacing and whimpering like they had been abandoned. Felix refused to acknowledge its tantrum. If Chan had returned from hunting down Jiyoung, there was little doubt he would return after bathing. The theatrics were unnecessary. Though his previous response was nothing, but theatrical as well. Felix was tired. Of the irrationality. Of his omega. Of these instincts. He longed for the days when he could approach situations with a level head, his emotions placed to the wayside. He wasn’t certain that such a side of himself would return after the pup was born. His instincts would still be in overdrive and fighting with the trauma that clawed at his mind. “You have affection for him,” Jisung bluntly stated. “You might even love him.”Felix whipped around to stare at the other omega, jaw slack and air knocked from his lungs. His twin stared back at him, a smile spreading across his face. How could Jisung possibly…?There was no way. Felix couldn’t be in love with an alpha, even if it was Chan. He had sworn to never let himself fall prey to another alpha. Even if he had met alphas who were not like Jiyoung, he could never trust that they saw him as anything more than an omega. Something that was good for breeding and being a prize to display. Something less than human. “Hey, Felix. Hey, woah, you’re alright.”Jisung gripped him around the biceps, brown eyes wide with concern. He guided Felix towards the smaller nest in the living area to settle him amongst the soft materials. The other omega clambered in after him. He rearranged the nest until Felix was cocooned in warmth, trembling hands hidden beneath a blanket. The nest smelled like the omegas, but Chan’s scent blanketed everything from the previous night. Despite his panicked state originating around the alpha, the salty brine was a comforting sting on his nostrils.Jisung slowly stroked through the long locks of his blonde hair, pressing his purring chest against Felix’s side. The affection soothed some of the tension in his body. It did little to slow his thoughts. What could it possibly even be to love another person, to want to be their mate and share a life together? A love like that was something Felix had never experienced or had any concept for. A love like that seemed almost fantastical. Such desires had only ever been selfish, a means to gain something that one did not previously possess. No matter how much Felix knew that Chan wasn’t Jiyoung, that they were two alphas that couldn’t be any more different, that did not make Chan inherently trustworthy. Or at least trustworthy in this area. Felix could admit that he would trust the alpha to protect him and the other omegas. But after that….Was there any guarantee that he would not change once he gained what he desired? Felix couldn’t open his heart to such a risk. Since the day he had entered Jiyoung’s harem, a mate and a happy family became nothing more than a worthless dream. He could not trust anyone to provide for him in the ways that he secretly desired. His attachment to Chan was nothing more than obligations and gratitude. Anything more than that couldn’t be allowed to flourish, for his own safety. “Felix, my love, you need to breathe,” Jisung’s voice cut through the chaos of his clouded thoughts. The other omega had shifted once more, moving close enough to press his nose against the side of Felix’s face. He stroked slowly over the expanse of Felix’s rib, pressure steady, but light. The touch had him recognizing the way his chest was heaving, stuttering with each exhale. A quiet whimper broke through his struggling breaths. Curling as much as his body allowed, Felix nuzzled against Jisung’s warmth, trying to find the other’s breathing over the roar of his blood in his ears. If he hadn’t been struggling to expand his lungs, he might have chuckled at the reversal of their positions. In the harem, it had been Felix that had often held a trembling, panicked Jisung through sleepless nights. “I’m sorry, Lix,” Jisung whined. “I should have been more careful with my words.”Felix shook his head, words still trapped behind his teeth. It wasn’t Jisung’s fault. He knew that. The blame rested at Jiyoung’s feet, and his own. The other omega had not been the one to cause any damage and his words only pressed on a hidden wound because Felix allowed it. Each of them carried wounds from their days in the harem, but that did not mean they had been harmed in the same way. If Felix never spoke of it, how were the others to know what was still bruised and bleeding? No, trying to blame Jisung would be a fruitless path. His pain and fear were his to carry. The pair remained curled together as Felix’s body calmed, basking in the chance to scent one another and enjoy the additional warmth. If they were left there long enough, Felix had no doubt he would succumb to slumber once more. A new layer of exhaustion had been added since Chan’s return to the valley. The alpha’s presence and actions should have brought nothing, but relief for Felix. Yet he felt like a flower attempting to weather a storm, ripped in different directions and hanging on by a thread. Like his head was plunged beneath the water, Felix heard muffled noises coming from the inner den. Perhaps Wooyoung had finally decided to awaken for the day. He was too tired to lift his head from Jisung’s shoulder to investigate. If anything, Wooyoung would probably join them in the smaller nest. His earlier instincts had been correct; a day of rest in their nest was exactly what was needed.“Oh! Sungie, Lix, I didn’t realize you were still here.”Not Wooyoung then. It was Hyujnjin’s deep morning that reached his ears. With the slightest roll of his head, Felix blinked blearily up at the older omega. Even fresh from the nest with rumpled hair, Hyunjin still looked like an ethereal being. Like something out of the tales he remembered his mother telling him as a pup. A part of him was grateful that despite all his beauty, Hyunjin had never been Jiyoung’s favorite. The diminished attention saved his personality from being broken down. His quick wit and sharp tongue never seemed to dull. It had certainly gotten him in a different kind of trouble. Still, he had taken every hit without complaint to protect the other omegas. Felix sometimes wondered if he would have been better suited to being an alpha. Hyunjin gracefully climbed over the edge of the nest to settle himself near Felix’s back, though he did not lay amongst the blankets. Nimble fingers reached out to stroke over the long, messy strands of his blonde locks. Felix was certainly overdue for some well needed grooming. The mere thought was exhausting. He could save it until after the pup arrived. That thread of thought had the omega shivering, desperately pushing it away. He in no way had the energy to think about the ordeal of labor. Hyunjin interrupted the silence that had fallen over the nest. “Did you talk to Lix, Sungie?”“Jinnie,” Jisung hissed, eyes frantic as he looked between the omegas. There was no salvaging it, Felix immediately pushing himself to turn towards Hyunjin.“Talk with me about what?”There was no need for Hyunjin to say anything, Felix could see his regret in the twisted lines of his face. They had been keeping something from him. “I mean, nothing’s certain,” Jisung stammered, reaching for Felix’s shoulder. He didn’t shrug the touch off, but the other’s hand felt like lead settling upon his body. “Changbin offered to give up his den for us while Seungmin and Jeongin to work on completing new buildings,” Hyunjin filled in, refusing to break Felix’s gaze.“You want to move out like Yeosang did?”Was that his voice? It sounded so small.“Only if you’re comfortable with it,” Jisung scrambled to continue. “Having our own space might be nice, especially once the pups arrive.”Felix couldn’t say for certain if his blood was still coursing through his body. It felt almost as if it had frozen in his veins. He should have known - especially after Yeosang - that the others would be interested in stepping out on their own. And it wasn’t like they would be far, the valley wasn’t large. So why did Felix feel like he had been betrayed? Was it so foolish to believe that they would continue to live together?“And Wooyoung,” he asked, voice cracking around the syllables. Hyunjin gave a half shrug. “I think San offered, but he doesn’t want to leave you after everything.” The words left unsaid were deafening. He had probably meant all their hardships and pregnancies, but all Felix could hear was  after he raged at Yeosang for the same thing . Guilt settled into his stomach like a stone. He never wanted to be the one to hold his friends back. And they had already suffered so much for him.There was no part of him that had the strength to deny them of their desires. Felix simply could not be that selfish. “If that’s what you want to do, I’ll support you. Though I won’t really be able to help with moving stuff to the new den,” he tried to smile, but it must have looked like a grimace. It hurt how they stared at him in disbelief, that they had expected him to lash out, but he pushed it down. If they saw him cry now, they would never leave. If they stayed against their wishes, Felix thought the guilt might drown him. So he smiled and nodded along as they prodded and reaffirmed that he was truly certain. The smile remained plastered on his features as Yeosang and Wooyoung appeared from the inner den, pointedly ignoring the sharp look from the eldest omega. Jisung and Hyunjin relinquished their spot to Wooyoung, scrambling up to begin making plans. Surrounded by all of them again in such a small space sent a jolt through Felix’s chest. Oh how he had taken for granted their presence and noise and chaos. I’m going to be so lonely .As close as they would all be, it would not be the same as sharing a nest or waking to the blanket of their combined scents.With a sigh that was little more than an exhale from his nostrils, Felix stretched himself out alongside Wooyoung. If their days of cohabitation were limited, he intended to enjoy every possible second. Closing his eyes, he listened to Wooyoung’s steady breathing and the puttering of the other omegas. Even if it hurt, this moment would remain as a cherished memory. Felix’s comfortable doze was interrupted by a chorus of welcoming ‘hyung’s and the sharp scent of the ocean. Chan had returned from the baths, scent unobstructed by dirt and grime. The intensity rapidly increased, signaling his approach to the nest. For a moment, Felix thought he was going to ask for permission to join them, but he only rumbled from the edge. When the omega did not roll over to acknowledge him, Chan chuffed, the sound startlingly closer. Shifting his head, he found the alpha crouched nearby, hands cradling a bowl of fruit. Felix’s eyes narrow at the alpha. “No food in the nest,” he warns, the small hint of fangs visible. He’s graced with a scoff and a dramatic eye roll before a massive hand was offered to him, scarred palm facing him. Felix scowled, eyebrows settling low over his eyes. Chan was really trying to pull an omega from their nest. Even for food, it was a risky endeavour. But his eyes, mismatched and slightly unfocused, were soulful as he gazed down at Felix. With a sigh that was more for having to move than Chan’s persistent, he took the offered hand, shivering slightly at the difference in size. Slowly, gently, Chan pulled Felix first into a sitting position and then to his feet. He was more than capable of exiting the nest on his own, but Chan’s hold remained firmly around his hand. Felix couldn’t help the breathy chuckle on his next exhale as he was dragged towards a nearby table in the makeshift kitchen. Chan was herding him again, though in a much less animalistic manner. Unwilling to risk Chan physically directing his body, Felix resigned himself to a spot at the table and reached for the food offered to him. The alpha hovered close by, watching raptly as he picked through the fruit. Felix wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or roll his eyes at the ridiculousness. He had been the one to offer a meal to the alpha after his bath, not the other way around. But apparently, old habits were hard to break. “You could at least share a meal with me if you won’t allow me to provide for you, Guard Dog,” he groused around a bite of apple.  Chan stared for a moment before his face relaxed and he settled into a seat beside the omega. Felix sprung forward - okay, it wasn’t really all that fast between his stiff muscles and ridiculous baby weight - to shove an apple slice between the alpha’s lips. He startled at the attack, but with a hum his massive fangs sunk into the fruit. His eyes remained locked on Felix as he pulled the apple from his fingers and slowly chewed, eyebrow raising almost in a challenge. For a moment Felix’s breath stuttered before he was growling back at the alpha. “Felix,” Yeosang’s question voice rose above din of the omegas. Refusing to back down from Chan, he simply called back, “We’re just playing!”A grin spread wide enough on the alpha’s face, Felix could see it crinkle his eyes. Chan was thoroughly enjoying their supposed spat. Something told Felix that Chan had liked to wrestle with his siblings when they were pups. “If you two are done measuring b@lls, should we go have a legitimate meal,” Hyunjin quipped, an unimpressed eyebrow raised to his hairline and a smirk to soften his words. Felix would not eat more than some fruit and perhaps bread, but Chan’s hulking body needed to be sustained. The omega was also certain that the other had not enjoyed a proper meal since before he had found the omegas in the forest. If Chan would not allow Felix to provide for him, he could at least ensure that he received a warm meal. “We’ll have to wake Wooyoung first,” Felix conceded, pulling himself to feet. The other omegas laughed, escaping to the sun to avoid such an unpleasant task. Felix hissed at their retreating backs, but he could not deny the logic. Wooyoung could be a beast in the morning especially with the pup growing in his body. Waking him came with the risk of losing a finger or two, but Felix knew he needed to eat. His fatigue would only worsen without proper care. Awkwardly crawling into the nest, Felix grasped at the slumbering omega’s shoulder. For how recently he had moved to the small nest, Wooyoung had fallen into a deep sleep. He merely grumbled and whined at Felix’s attempts to shake him awake. Not even poking his cheek or tugging on his ear was enough to rouse Wooyoung.Sighing, Felix sat back amongst the blankets, struggling to think of another method to move the omega. Chan crouched along the outer edge of the nest, nearest Wooyoung. He extended his hands, hovering them over the omega’s body as he looked to Felix. There was a moment of hesitation, fangs sinking into his lower lip before he nodded.Chan moved fluidly, getting his arms beneath Wooyoung, drawing him to his chest, and stretching to his full height. Wooyoung whined, but otherwise only turned into Chan’s warmth. Felix flinched, just the slightest twitch of his face before he shoved his omega back. There was nothing to be distraught about when he was the one who had given Chan permission. Taking the lead, Felix walked them out into the sun and the footsteps of the omegas. The intensity of the light was finally enough to pull a reaction from Wooyoung, the omega’s discontented rumbles increasing with every step they took away from the den. Looking over his shoulder, Felix couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips. There was a domesticity to the atmosphere, something that had been directly influenced by Chan’s return. Almost like there was a new life to the valley. The longhouse drenched in the scent of food was boisterous with the cacophony of the pack, loud enough to be heard before entering the structure.The omegas - even the irritated Wooyoung, returned to his feet - were able to seamlessly blend into the pack. Words and food were easily shared under Chan’s ever watchful eyes. And Felix took the opportunity to make amends, piling food - meat and all - onto the pack alpha’s plate. It was a normal Felix had never expected. It was peacefully and imperfect, a type of monotony taking over the passing days. Rising from their nests, attending to responsibilities or basking in the quiet, eating meals together, and returning to the safety of their nests. The sun rose and set. A new breeze began to travel down the mountain. The dens began to shift. Changbin’s presence flooded into Minho’s space. Days passed before Hyunjin and Jisung inhabited the empty den. Half structures appeared near the far side of the clustered buildings. With some pushing and coaxing and pleading, a handful of days ended before Wooyoung found space in San’s nest. Through it all, Felix refused to cry, tired of endless months of expelling precious water. And Chan remained close by, not quite smothering, finding rest in the small nest of the main den. It was an adjustment for each of them, unused to someone new in their space. Perhaps Felix should have been more distrusting, but it was difficult to doubt Chan’s intentions. Nights came, the stars shifting as the moon waned to its full size and still Felix could barely convince the alpha to rearrange the den in a way he preferred. Shifting him to the main nest in the inner den was almost impossible most nights. The guilt gnawed at Felix, Chan left to live like a guest in his own home.Yet once Felix discovered the method, it was as easy to move Chan as a flower in the breeze. A well placed comment of loneliness or a night chill had the alpha scrambling to rectify the problem. So the sun’s path dipped and shortened across the sky, Chan occupying half of the nest. He never approached Felix and was gone before the light had fully risen above the horizon, but his scent lingered amongst the fabric. And it brought a strange sense of ease to Felix and his omega as time ticked by. The normalcy of the valley was new and difficult to adjust to, but even with the distance of the other omegas, Felix struggled to be discontent. Or it might have simply been his advancing pregnancy and the increased occupation of his nest. Regardless of the reason, he succumbed to sleep easily with the additional warmth in his nest. Pulling himself from his dreams and into the waking world was a challenge, more like an uphill battle than the simple act of opening his eyes. So Felix woke with the sun resting high in the sky, fatigue clinging to his bones as though he had not curled into his nest before the moon had risen upon the mountain peak. As the arrival of the pup grew closer, his body burned through more energy and took longer to recover it as well. Barely cracking his eyes open, he looked around the nest to find himself unsurprisingly alone. Chan had slipped out early in the morning, off to attend to whatever responsibilities pack alphas had. The omega couldn’t be bothered with his whereabouts so long as he was able to continue sleeping. He considered curling back into the warmth of the nest with the intention of falling back asleep, but a noise had begun to trickle into the den. It was simple enough to ignore at first. Yet the longer Felix laid in the nest, the louder the noise grew. It almost sounded like a…fight?His pulse jumped, heart clogging his throat. Had an unknown group stumbled upon their valley? Were a new group of warlords looking for revenge after what had happened to Jiyoung, like the first time Chan had decimated a keep?Straining his ears, Felix could hear no greater din of violence. Surely, if they were in danger, there would have been some kind of shouting or even howling from the prime alpha. Rolling himself to the edge of the nest, Felix maneuvered his feet to the cool floor, pushing himself into a somewhat straight standing position. It dragged a tired, sore groan from his throat as he adjusted his weight. Forgoing the opportunity to replace his sleep clothes, Felix grabbed a nearby blanket that was drenched equally in his and Chan’s scent. He wrapped the thin material around himself before pushing out into the bright, midday sun. The omega did not travel past his own entryway to discover the source of the noise that had disrupted his sleep. Chan and Jeongin were….fighting. In a sense. The pack alpha had reverted to his lupine form, colossal black body lunging towards the youngest alpha. The pair toppled to the ground, Jeongin struggled to regain his balance as Chan’s increased weight bore down upon him. While the sound of growling and snapping rose from the alphas, to Felix’s ears, it lacked the aggression of a pack dispute. So they were just…playing?Felix couldn’t be completely certain. The ways of alphas was like a foreign language to him. Perhaps squabbling like pups in the den was a norm for grown alphas. Either way, Felix had no intention of interrupting the pair. Any effort would be wasted. Felix had never - and would never - possess the physicality to pull two alphas apart. Determining to watch them for a time, Felix took the effort to lower himself into a sunny patch of grass, his borrowed blanket spread out around him. He certainly wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to bask in the warmth of the sun before the cold days began to fully descend from the mountains. The expanse of freckles upon his skin had no doubt darkened and increased in numbers from his continued time in the sun. In some way, it felt like a rebellion against Jiyoung, who had kept them from the sun and sneered at the constellations that would bloom on Felix’s skin. He contemplated for a moment returning inside the den to procure more materials to make a temporary nest. That involved pulling himself from the ground and the minuscule comfort he had found. As nice as the potential sounded, there was no chance he was leaving his spot until someone forced him to. Returning his attention to the tussling alphas, he watched Jeongin attempt to tackle Chan’s flank. The massive wolf barely shifted at the assault, twisting to swipe at the younger’s side. Jeongin yelped at the contact, body momentarily disappearing behind the bulk of the wolf before hitting the ground. Felix winced for the alpha pup, he surely was going to be carrying a bouquet of bruises and scrapes by the end of this encounter. The sound of approaching footsteps had Felix tilting his head back to catch sight of the new arrival. He winced again with Jeongin’s next yelp as he met Yunho’s gaze. The beta offered him a slight smile as he crouched in the grass nearby. “This is a frequent occurrence amongst the alphas. Especially with hyung and Jeongin,” Yunho offered, steady eyes following the scuffling pair. Felix hummed, watching a moment longer before returning his attention to the large beta. “Are they simply playing like pups?””In a sense,” his new companion chuckled. “Like pups figuring out how much strength to use, Chan-hyung is learning how to incorporate his new disability. Innie is simply taking the opportunity to test out his capabilities on someone who won’t be injured.”For a moment, Felix was unsure if he wanted to laugh or cry at the context of what he was watching. It was certainly a scenario that reeked of alpha bravado and foolishness. Yet with Chan, he was only in such a situation because of Felix and the other omegas. His unseeing white eye was the direct result of his assault of Jiyoung. He never would have been disabled so drastically if he had stayed away from the keep. It mattered little if Chan showed no signs of distress or inconvenience over his new limitation. Most days, it felt like Felix could not breathe around his guilt when he looked at the alpha. There was nothing he possessed or could create that would qualify as repayment for what Chan had sacrificed. “It’s the way of the world sometimes,” Yunho interjected. “Especially the one hyung has lived in since losing his family. He has little time for regret.””So I should not be burdened with regret in his place,” the omega rumbled, trailing fingers over the pup’s resting place.The beta shrugged, expression impassive. “Your emotions are yours to dictate; no one can take that from you.”Felix rumbled his displeasure, but did not argue further with Yunho. It was a fair point and without Chan confirming it himself, there was little way to know how he felt about everything. It seemed against his usual disposition to regret the actions he took; the alpha tended to be a creature ruled more by his instincts and his drive to provide. It was better to keep his guilt close to his chest, little would be accomplished by burdening Chan with it. Felix’s eyes were drawn back into focus with a startled yelp that accompanied Jeongin’s body colliding with the earth, the young alpha’s limbs sprawled, chest heaving as bright eyes looked up at the wolf hovering above him. Chan’s dark form lacked any hint of aggression as he cast a shadow over the younger alpha. For a moment, Felix assumed he was checking on Jeongin. The idea was dismantled as his massive head lowered and a long, pink tongue dragged over the other’s face. Jeongin shrieked and made to roll away from Chan. The pack alpha barked his amusement, disregarding the opportunity of a chase. He trotted from Jeongin’s side to circle around Felix’s relaxed form, a slight rumble in his chest as he looked towards Yunho. The beta simply rolled his eyes at the possessive - protective? - display before lifting himself to collect Jeongin. Chan huffed happily, as if he had driven some great threat away. Felix followed Yunho’s guide, rolling his eyes at the alpha’s behavior, though he didn’t bother attempting to scold him. Chan would have paid such words no attention. “Go dress yourself, Guard Dog,” Felix flippantly dismissed him with a flourish of his hand. “I wish to rest in the warmth a little longer.”Chan chuffed and rumbled. His massive body shifted closer to the omega’s back. With a deep sigh, his legs folded beneath him, his flank pressed against Felix’s lower back. Chan curved his body, ridiculous black paws stretched beside the length of Felix’s legs, head following to rest upon the limbs. A fluffy tail appeared on Felix’s opposite side, landing in his lap, comforting as it was claiming. Felix felt the temptation to scoff at his stubborn childishness, but the mass of fur created a wall around him that was  warm.  He would be foolish to decline the opportunity presented. Leaning back, he allowed his body to sink into the sturdiness that was Chan’s lupine form. The new position gave him the chance to stretch his abdomen and remove some of the strain on his rib cage. And if a purr built in his chest being surrounded by Chan’s scent, it mattered little. There was no one around to witness his vulnerability. A steady yet disjointed croon rumbled from the alpha. The warmth of the sun and his impromptu bed wasn’t enough for Felix to fall back asleep, unfortunately. He dozed at the very least, shifting and readjusting occasionally when the pup became too uncomfortable. Chan’s own mismatched eyes were closed, but his ears remained tall, flickering and swiveling in all directions. The perfect embodiment of Felix’s nickname. They remained resting together as the sun dipped behind the mountain, a dark blanket covering the sky of the opposite side of the valley. With a groan and a shift of stiff limbs, Felix pulled himself from Chan’s warmth, stretching his body as much as possible. With a jaw cracking yawn, the alpha lumbered to his paws, shaking his fur out. Stepping a slight distance away, Chan shook out his primal form to the sound of snapping bones. He returned to Felix once a pair of pants sat low on his hips, showcasing the dark trail of hair that disappeared beneath the fabric. “Do you think we can wait for the stars before going for dinner,” Felix wondered, head tilted towards the sky.The alpha chuffed, returning his smaller form to the grass. He no longer possessed the bulk to easily wrap around Felix’s body, but he remained close, offering his support. The omega ignored the offer, resting himself back into the grass to have an unobstructed view of the darkening sky. It created an unnecessary amount of strain on his spine, the additional weight of the pup and his body concentrated to his lower back. But to watch the stars begin to paint the sky, Felix deemed the pain a worthwhile collateral. “I used to stare at the stars for hours when I was little,” he whispered, a fragility to the quiet air. Chan rumbled a response, leaning back on his hands for a clearer view. It could have been wishful thinking, but Felix had a nagging feeling that the alpha enjoyed the stars as well. “I never got the chance to learn about the constellations in the harem. Jiyoung wanted us isolated and ignorant,” the omega continued, a slight tingle running beneath his skin. “But I think my mom used to tell me stories about them; heroes and monsters, tales to frighten pups into obedience.”Her face had disappeared from Felix’s memories years ago, along with her name and voice. But he knew she had been kind, that being held in her arms was safe and warm. She had loved him completely. How horrified she would be to see him now…if she was still alive. The events around Felix joining Jiyoung’s harem were blurry and disjointed. He had no idea if he had been stolen away or sold. His life might as well have started within the walls of the harem. Everything else felt like the wishful dreams of a broken pup. A warm hand settled upon his hairline, rough thumb rubbing over his flesh. His scent must have soured enough to give Chan a glimpse of his turmoil.”I think I miss my mom,” Felix whispered, voice barely louder than the rustling of the grass. Could you miss someone, grieve for them, when you barely remembered them? What a dangerous route of thoughts to traverse. Chan drummed the side of his tumble against Felix’s skull. Pulling his gaze away from the expanse of light overhead, he met the alpha’s steady eyes. With a chuff, he pointed at Felix and then his own chest before nodding. The omega stared at him. He repeated the gestures, gaze expectant.Chan was trying to…communicate beyond his usual vocalization. Oh. Oh .Felix rolled slightly towards the alpha, stomach meeting the grass as he propped himself up on his forearm.”You miss your mom too?”There was an endless ocean of grief in Chan’s eyes as he nodded once more. Tears burned in the back of Felix’s eyes at the realization. He was harshly reminded once more that Chan could empathize with his grief. Reaching for the hand that had slipped from his head to his shoulder, Felix entwined their fingers, palms flush. He brought their hands to rest against his chest over the rapid pace of his heart. “Do you visit your family,” Felix questioned, squeezing the hand clasped in his grip. Chan shrugged soundlessly, free hand rising to rub at the back of his neck. So not as much as he should. Felix hummed thoughtfully.It wasn’t possible within the near future but…“Perhaps, if you want, we could visit them together. After the pup is born,” he offered, an uncomfortable flush rising on his cheeks.If he had the opportunity, even if it was only a grave, he would visit his mom at every available chance. Hopefully, Chan’s family wouldn’t see his presence as an intrusion. Especially Jihyo. They could even bring Minho along or bring flowers to his family if he was unwilling to leave the pack without the eldest alphas.The specifics could be figured out at a later time, if Chan accepted his offer. For now, Felix had a massive alpha to focus on. One that was rapidly invading his space to press a kiss against his forehead. Another on his temple. His cheek. His nose. His other cheek. A kiss as light as a butterfly on the corner of his mouth.Like an excited puppy, Chan was drowning him in love.  ⋆˚⟡˖ ࣪⋆⭒˚.⋆ Felix had caught Chan staring continuously, eyes always returning to his bare neck. It had been happening since the alpha’s return. Like he had to be certain there was no new mark or claim that had escaped his notice. It had Felix flushing, squirming under the attention, his scars from the collar aching. He knew Chan wasn’t one of the knotheaded alphas, his unique presentation seeming to give him an advantage over his instincts. It did nothing to abate the unease he felt though. There was a single, unwavering fact that could not be appeased.Felix didn’t want a mate. It mattered little how well they cohabitated within the den or even shared a nest most nights. It simply did not change the fact. The idea of being owned in such a way only brought phantoms and memories of Jiyoung. The alpha’s fate at the end of Chan’s fangs and claws did not chase away the horrors that lived within Felix’s mind.And all of that had nothing to do with the other glaring fact that sat between them like a choking, sputtering breath created by rolling clouds of smoke. Chan had a mate. One that he had loved since he had been a young child, if Minho’s words were to be believed. How could a damaged, used omega ever compare to such a love? How could Felix ever bring himself to overwrite Jihyo’s mark and take that bond away from Chan? It was unfair and cruel. It was something Chan didn’t deserve.Felix couldn’t become Chan’s mate and serve as her replacement for the rest of his life. He would wither away to a husk under such a truth. Yet escape from Chan and his affection was near impossible. Neither he or his omega wanted to completely remove the alpha from his life. Even as he left the den looking for a reprieve from Chan’s heavy gaze only brought Felix to rest beside the garden beside the building. His face had barely tilted his head to the warmth of the sun before the scent of salt tickled his nose.”You aren’t very good with hints, Guard Dog,” Felix sighed, keeping his eyes closed. The alpha chuffed as he stepped closer, bringing his hulking body to crouch before Felix’s feet. Felix could tell he was being called without seeing Chan’s face. Weeks of living together have almost made him an expert at distinguishing the meanings of each different noise. Throughout their time together, the alpha had not spoken again, not even a single word.A hand wrapped around Felix’s ankle, but he still refused to look at the alpha. If there was anyone within the pack that could match Chan’s stubbornness, it was Felix. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Not with Chan. Or anyone else. Of all the instincts and stereotypes Chan contradicted, why did it have to be the overwhelming desire to mate that his mind had to be caught on?The alpha whined, grip tightening on Felix’s ankle. He was relentless in his desires. Felix wanted to snap at him, to curl into his embrace. Chan was infuriating in a way the omega had never seen before. It was only a matter of time before….
   F@ck! 
Fangs sank into the sharp edge of Felix’s jawline, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to snap his eyes open. Uneven, heterochromic eyes met his gaze, unphased by the fangs bared in his face or the growl building in the omega’s chest. He chuffed at Felix, knuckles dragging down the scars leftover from the metal collar. The omega snapped, the sensation like electricity lighting up his nerve endings. “You’re being cruel,” Felix bit out, turning from the alpha. Chan flinched back, taking his touch with him, hands resting limp upon his lap. Felix could almost see the way his lupine ears drooped and his tail hung low. It was unbelievable how a prime alpha that could stand over two meters managed to perfect the appearance of a scolded pup. He whimpered and huffed as he leaned into Felix’s space, his herculean form eclipsing the sun. He wanted permission, to draw closer again, to avoid being lashed out at. It left Felix’s chest feeling tight, haunted by his promise to treat the alpha better, to be kind and understanding instead of cruel.Yet, if he did not set this boundary with Chan, the alpha would only continue to push his advances. Which was simply unfair to both of them. Felix’s mind wouldn’t change anytime soon, maybe not ever. If Chan wanted a new mate, he was better off seeking out an omega - or even another beta - that was more than just damaged goods. The damage caused by Jiyoung would only fade so much as time passed. Eventually, Felix would stop improving. He would be forced to adapt to a life with the scars left behind. Chan didn’t deserve a mate, or a life, like that. Felix rolled himself to his side before pushing against the ground to lift himself into a sitting position. He caught Chan’s hands hovering from his peripherals, aching to help, to support him in any way possible. His omega whimpered at the display, aching to lean into strong hands that would not falter or harm. He shoved his omega back with a snarl. Why did it always have to make things so difficult?A bit back groan accompanied the strain of pulling himself off the ground and straightening his spine to support the additional weight of his abdomen. There was an uncomfortable tightness becoming present around his hips, annoying enough that he knew he would have to spend some time pacing the valley. Or well, hobbling, seeing as Felix no longer moved fast enough to call it walking. The alpha behind him chose to disregard his earlier caution, stepping into Felix’s space to offer his own body as a point of support. The heat radiating off of Chan was scorching against his back, his own body flinching away at the proximity. A massive hand settling upon the base of his spine had Felix snapping, rounding on the alpha to shove against his chest. “Don’t…don’t do that…,” Felix panted around a snarl. Chan’s gaze widened, caught between taking a step back and reaching for Felix, uncertain of the reason for his distress. It was clear from the movement of his eyes that the alpha was desperately looking for a problem to resolve. Yet he was completely overlooking himself as a potential option. For all the things that Chan could understand and empathize with the omegas on, this was one area that he was severely lacking. Societally, mating did not hold the same implications and pressure for alphas as it did for omegas. For all his good intentions, Chan’s actions would only be a detriment to Felix. Yet the alpha was inherently stubborn, hands still raised and reaching for Felix, determined to close the distance between them. Arms rising to wrap around his swollen, heavy stomach, the omega bared his fangs. “Don’t you understand? This is not your seed growing within me,” Felix hissed, body held tense. “No matter what your alpha demands, you don’t want me. I am  used  …and  broken . In more ways than you could ever imagine.” His voice broke on a whine, dark eyes tearing away from the crumbling, devastated look on Chan’s face. Felix couldn’t let himself be swayed, not by his omega or Chan’s silent pleas. It was ridiculous of the alpha to state a desire to form a bond when he knew essentially nothing about Felix. Overeager instincts were not a valid reason to mate someone.It wasn’t Felix he was looking for. The future he had imagined and dreamt of was with someone else. That was an undeniable truth even if Chan refused to acknowledge or accept it.“You don’t want me.”Felix watched the way Chan’s mouth opened as if he was about to speak. There was a hiss of air, like words trying to escape, before a guttural sound lodged in his throat. The alpha’s face twisted in frustration, lips pulling back further from his fangs. A snarl shook his body, shoulders drawn tight as he began to pace before Felix. He snapped his fangs together, the snarl deepening in his chest, sounding every bit like the feral they had assumed him to be. Whipping around to meet Felix’s unsteady gaze, he raised his hands towards the omega. Felix flinched back on instinct, but Chan did not touch him. He rapidly gestured between them, hand repeatedly slamming upon his chest as the other pointed at Felix. His movements and mannerisms were too agitated for the omega to keep track of or attempt to decipher.Another snarl pulled from the alpha’s chest as he recognized that his efforts had no impact on Felix. His nostrils flared, facial scars pulled tight. The breath slowed him, though the tension remained in his hands. Trying again, Chan pointed towards Felix’s scarred neck, then his swollen stomach before adamantly shaking his head. Another sharp gesture towards Felix and then back at himself. His brows were set low over steady, mismatched eyes. He had quieted, but a rumble remained in his chest. “Do you think it makes a difference? That you don’t care,” Felix snapped and snarled, throat tight and tears beginning to collect at his waterline. “I never asked for this,” he howled, voice breaking on the words. “Any of it!”Tears tumbled over and streaked down his cheeks, breath unsteady and chest heaving as his composure fell completely away. Chan had froze, gaze flickering over his face, looking for any answer to what his next step should be. Felix shook his head as he took a step back, hiccuping on the sob that fought its way from his chest. It was too much. Every aspect and every thought. No matter what he did, Felix couldn’t change anything. He couldn’t go back to the days before Jiyoung, before he was shattered irreparably. For the rest of his life, he would be nothing more than a shadow of who he had been. The real Felix was gone. And the idea of giving away any more of himself to make another happy twisted his stomach into knots. ”I will not be her replacement,” Felix croaked, voice raspy and ragged from his tears. “I have been less than my entire life. I won’t be that again. You cannot ask that of me!”Chan reared back from him, chest heaving as the snarl returned and rapidly grew in pitch. His face twisted in a way that Felix had never seen, turning his scars into a visage of horror. Was he…angry?The snarl through clenched fangs that was angled in Felix’s direction was answer enough. He wanted to take a step back, closer to the valley and the rest of the pack, but his instincts screamed not to flee from this alpha. A sudden movement risked his safety. So, despite the pain flaring in his body, Felix remained as stationary as he could manage. The next snarl had the breath catching in Felix’s throat, practically suffocating him. Was this the moment where Chan would finally lose control of his impeccable instincts? Would he take his anger out on Felix like so many alphas were prone to do? Should he scream for help? Or would that only aggravate the alpha further?The choice was taken from him. Chan whipped around, exposing his back to Felix, striding towards the forest as his body shook. There was a cacophony of tearing, the loose clothing that had covered the alpha falling away as his lupine form hit the ground. Massive black paws dug into the dirt before he launched into a full sprint. Between one blink and the next, his dark form disappeared beyond the tree line. A sob tumbled from his lips as he lost sight of Chan. His omega howled. Remained stationary for a moment longer, allowing the hurt to course through his body. He was a contradiction down to his bone. He did not want to mate the alpha, but he did not want him to leave. He was so, so selfish. Turning in the opposite direction, towards where the other omegas and the rest of the pack rested, Felix started the slow trek across the grass. His movements were subdued, the discomfort in his hips swelling and receding. It wasn’t enough to stop his advancement, but it forced a groan past his lips or a slow exhale from his nostrils. Something besides his omega railed within him, demanding him to find a place of comfort. Perhaps he could curl up in Jisung and Hyunjin’s nest. He was nowhere amicable enough to intrude on Seonghwa and Hongjoong nor comfortable enough to lay within San’s scent. Felix’s probably would have been the best course of action, but even the thought of it felt too empty and cold. Attempting to rest in the canopy of Chan’s scent would not calm him. A strong kick to the walls of his abdomen had Felix flinching, a deeper groan that he could not bite back escaping through his teeth, the muscles seeming to spasm from the contact. The pain dulled with the next breath, but it did not disappear. As Felix stood there, struggling to reign his breathing into some type of normal rhythm, the pain began to crest. Reaching Jisung and Hyunjin’s den no longer seemed viable. Yet, if he couldn’t make it less than halfway across the valley, how was he going to reach the longhouse that contained the infirmary? He certainly wasn’t going to allow an alpha or beta to carry him the distance especially now that Chan was no longer in the valley. Hobble it was. With a firm set to his jaw, fangs grinding together, Felix shifted his direction towards the communal area of the valley. It would have been a slow process on a normal day with the additional weight upon his body. Now that the pain continued to spike at seemingly random intervals, Felix was forced to continuously slow his pace or halt altogether. Felix wasn’t sure if the urge to groan was from pain or frustration as he dragged his feet across seemingly endless stretches of grass. Something was wrong. This wasn’t the normal pain he felt throughout the pregnancy. This was something different, sharper, stealing the breath from his lungs with each fluctuation. F@ck, it hurt.It hurt more than anything he had ever experienced. Even as the warlord rotted in some torturous hellscape, Felix cursed Jiyoung. How dare he continue to inflict pain from beyond the grave.Felix snarled through the next influx of pain, wishing, for just a moment, that he could bring Jiyoung back and rip his throat out a second time. “Felix?”The omega cracked his eyes open to see Changbin hovering besides him, San and Jongho standing a little further back. They must have been preparing to head out for a hunt. A harsher snarl rose in Felix’s chest at their proximity, instincts screaming of the danger having them near in his current state. “I need,” he snarled, words an unnecessary effort against the pain. “Jisung.”Changbin turned towards the other alphas, gesturing - or maybe speaking, it was hard to hear over the ringing in his ears - for them to follow along with Felix’s directions. It seemed like they disappeared between one blink and the next, but that might have just been Felix squeezing his eyes closed for too long. Without his awareness, his body had curled into itself, almost protectively over his cramping, pulsing stomach. Attempting to straighten back to his full height only caused the pain to increase. He needed to get to the infirmary, sooner rather than later, before he lost all ability to remain on his feet. “Where’s hyung? Do you need me to fetch him,” Changbin rumbled, trying for comforting, but his voice only grated on Felix’s nerves.  The omega shook his head, words trapped momentarily as a wave of nausea rolled over his body. “Chan left. To the forest.”A startled noise came from Changbin’s direction, but Felix had stopped looking. “Hyung left? He left  you ?”Felix gave a pained chuckle, shaking his head as he forced his feet forward. “We had a…fight. He got angry.”“It’s hard to imagine hyung being upset with you.”Changbin followed after Felix, pace slow and body still a respectful distance. The alpha’s disbelief was sweet. Clearly he had not spent enough time with Felix to grasp the full extent of his personality. “I can be rather… vexing . It was unavoidable that I would push him to the edge.”The alpha snorted a laugh, shaking his head. Felix wanted to study his face, figure out what he deemed so entertaining about the situation, but the pain seemed to be affecting his vision. Almost like a film had settled over his eyes. No amount of blinking cleared his field of view. It was unsettling even without his instincts shrieking about the danger. Felix had always had a slightly superior sight compared to those around him. To lose such an advantage in such a precarious situation set his teeth on edge. He needed Jisung and to reach the infirmary as quickly as possible. Yet for every step he took, it felt as though he was forced to rest for an additional minute. A part of him - the tired, frustrated part - wished for Chan’s steady embrace to carry him the rest of the way. “Lix!”He caught the scent of Jisung and Yeosang before his eyes were able to focus on their approaching forms. The omegas flanked him without question, each taking an arm to loop around their shoulders and support his weight. Felix lost track of Changbin as the dyad practically dragged him through the entry of the infirmary. Seonghwa was already waiting for them, the room drenched in the scent of herbs and soap. Jisung was mumbling something to Felix, but the ringing in his ears was too loud to hear through despite their close proximity. Yeosang detached himself from the group to offer assistance to the elder omega. Felix ignored Jisung’s flimsy attempts to coax him into one of the nests. He didn’t know how, but something in him knew that laying down in the moment would only add to his pain instead of alleviating it. Better to stay on his feet and work through his pain. Felix bared fangs as Seonghwa approached him, uncaring of the placating hands or the soothing sounds. It felt like the slightest touch would unravel him. He would shatter and fall to pieces upon the floor.Oh.No, wait.Perhaps that feeling was simply his stomach rebelling. Felix stumbled away from Jisung to support himself on the nearest wall as his stomach lurched and tensed, acid burning in his throat. Each heave tightened his abdomen and sent ripples of pain throughout his lower body. He was left gasping for breath in his bent position. For a moment, he wondered if fire was coursing through his veins. It was getting worse by the moment. He had no idea how he was supposed to get through the next second. Voices were rising behind him, the sound reaching his ears, but sliding off his brain like water. Did it really matter what any of the omegas were saying? Their words would not help to take the pain away. A body approached him. A snarl rumbled in his chest, but his fangs remained behind his lips at the recognition of Jisung’s scent. He allowed the other omega to maneuver him, striping him of the clothing that covered his lower half. Whether it was for ease or privacy, the large tunic remained on his torso. A scent was shaken from the clothes in all of the movement. Heavy and sharp. Stinging in its intensity. Felix whimpered.Chan.The alpha’s scent teased his nose. He wanted to sob. Where was Chan?He should have been here. It didn’t matter that they fought or that he was angry with Felix. He needed to be here.”Chan,” he sobbed, frustrated with the alpha’s absence and the tears falling and the way his body betrayed him. Felix moaned as he pushed away from the wall, body angled towards the entryway. If Chan would not come to him, he would simply find the alpha himself. Surely his distressed scent would travel across the valley, calling Chan like a beacon. There was no way he could ignore Felix.”Woah, hey!”Hands grasped at his body. He snarled his frustration. But he wasn’t strong enough to continue forward. “Let me, Lix,” Jisung soothed, his grip unrelenting on Felix’s shoulders. “I’ll go find him.” The omega might as well have been speaking under water for all Felix comprehended of his words. It didn’t stop him from relinquishing his hold and racing from the longhouse. Jisung’s absence brought a whimper to his lips. It was a short moment of distress as pain rolled through his body, significantly worse than the previous wave. He sobbed on the exhale, pacing back into the center of the room. Felix swore the pup was attempting to rip him apart from the inside. Even as the pain ebbed, a pressure was growing between his hips and spreading outwards.It was steadily getting worse. He wasn’t going to survive this. A bitter, petty part of his brain laughed at the chance to spite Jiyoung one final time. To deny him this pup and Felix’s life. The thought was gone with the next convulsion.”Chan,” he panted pathetically, as if the alpha could hear him from such a distance. “Felix, we need you to get into position. The pup could arrive at any moment,” Seonghwa pleaded, dark eyes trailing the omega as he paced the length of the room. Sweat was rolling down his skin like tears, the ends of his blonde hair beginning to stick to him as he groaned through a contraction, hands grasping at his convulsing stomach. He shook off Yeosang’s gentle hands, unable to remain still as groans and moans were pulled from his throat. Felix knew the pup was ready. He could feel it with every sharp increase of pain. But his omega would not settle. Something was missing. “Where is he,” Felix whined, fangs bared. “Jisung is looking for him now. He’ll be here soon. But Felix, you need to prepare,” Yeosang urged.A particularly harsh contraction ripped through Felix’s body, pulling a screaming sob from him, “Chan!”The alpha burst into the room, showcasing the whites of his eyes, fur ruffled along his nape. His massive frame barely fit through the entryway. A panting Jisung followed a couple steps behind Chan, hand pressed to his hammering heart. The alpha shook out his form until he was standing on two legs once more. Felix growled at his appearance, though the sound was cut off by a deep groan, his pacing had halted to hunch over his pulsating abdomen. He rackled at Chan’s hands upon his back, but his omega whimpered, slackening the hold on Felix’s inhibitions. “Where have you been, Guard Dog,” he whined.Chan rumbled, pulling Felix’s weight against his chest. The omega went easily, slumping until his forehead came in contact with the other’s collarbone. He leaned down to nuzzle into Felix’s sweat soaked hairline, sweeping the hair away from his nape. Felix whined once more, trying to push himself closer to the alpha.The next contraction crashed into him, ripping a gasp from the omega strong enough to bow his body into itself. More hands fell onto him, attempting to pull his body into a new position. The movement only caused more noises of pain and distress to sound from the omega. “Chan-hyung, we need to settle him. The pup is ready,” Seonghwa urged. The alpha released a noise akin to a purr as he repositioned himself on the floor beneath Felix. The other omegas rushed forward to adjust the nest for Chan’s comfort. It was clear once it started, there would be no out for the alpha. There was no guarantee how long the pup would take.Chan pulled Felix into the nest, positioning his legs over the top of his thighs to keep them spread, letting the weight of the omega’s torso rest against him. Felix’s head pressed into the junction of his neck, arms loose around his shoulders. Yeosang and Jisung settled to the side, Seonghwa taking his place at Felix’s feet. “Felix,” Seonghwa called, hand resting along his spine. “I know it hurts, but when the next contraction starts I’m going to need you to push.”He heard the older omega’s words, but it felt as if they rolled off of his brain without anything absorbing. There was too much. The stimuli were coming from every direction. It had not fully started and Felix already felt the fatigue overtaking him.What Felix wanted mattered little in the moment. The pup cared not. Nor did the pain. It swelled to a new height, almost taking the breath from his lungs.”Now, Felix!”No. He couldn’t. It was too hard.“Push,” came a deep, raspy rumble from beside his ear.Grinding his fangs, nails digging into Chan’s shoulders, Felix’s entire abdomen clenched. It felt like nothing beyond further pain, but encouraging cries sounded from the surrounding omegas. Through the fog in his mind, he recognized that he must have done something correctly. Felix collapsed back against Chan as the tension ebbed, fighting to catch his breath. The alpha nuzzled against him, a pleased edge seeping into his scent. His big hands pressed into Felix’s back and offered the slightest relief. There was no true reprieve for Felix, the contractions continued to rock through his body in quick succession, lighting his world up in pain. He lost track of how many times he tried to force the pup from his body. All his brain could focus on was the pain. Even the feeling of Chan beneath him felt distant and unreal. He wailed.The pain crested.Blood flooded into his mouth.The process repeated. Through it all, Chan never left. His chest continued to rumble any soothing sound he could manage, hands steady as they pressed into Felix’s body. At the proximity and pitch of Felix’s cries, the alpha’s ears should have been bleeding. Seonghwa’s voice repeatedly crying out to him, lifted over Felix’s screams by Jisung and Yeosang, managed to pull his attention through the pain. His vision was still blurry and tear filled, but he could recognize Chan’s skin beneath his face. And where his fangs had sunk into flesh. He had bitten Chan in a moment of pain. And then continued to use him as though he were a personal chew toy through each new wave. With great effort, Felix loosened his jaw to pull his fangs from Chan’s flesh. His mouth was filled with the taste of his blood. Felix ignored it in favor of turning his attention towards the other omegas. His head was heavy against Chan’s neck, but he managed to meet Seonghwa’s gaze. “The pup is right there. I can feel its head,” Seonghwa chirped, the excitement clear in his voice. “Just a little more and then you can rest.”Felix understood the omega’s optimism and excitement. If their roles were reversed, he probably would have felt similar. In that moment, though, all he wanted to do was rip the omega’s throat out. There was no chance of him moving from Chan’s hold though. He settled on exposing his bl@@dy fangs and pulling a growl from his chest. Seonghwa gave no response to his rage, focus remaining on the pup and Felix’s body. Chan refused to ignore it, though. His hand settled on the nape of Felix’s neck, pulling his face back towards the alpha’s scent gland. A disapproving grumble sounded from the alpha. His thumb rubbed the soft spot behind his ear to soften the impact. Felix’s body froze at the scolding. Gentle as it was, he was unprepared to deal with Chan’s correction. He whimpered, high and pathetic against Chan’s scent gland. His distress was met with an uneven croon. The alpha brushed his sweat slicked hair away from his temples, rubbing his scarred face against the exposed skin. With the only additional strength in his body, Felix licked tiny strips along the bl@@dy and bleeding wound on Chan’s neck.  The tang of blood sat heavy upon Felix’s tongue as the next wave of pain crested through his body, curling into Chan’s immovable form. Heavy hands kept his hips from rising, enough pressure applied to keep his weight towards his legs. There was no strength left to scream, mouth gaped with breathless pants as he clenched and pushed. A new scream pierced the room, high and with all the strength of its lungs. Felix slumped, the waves receding and leaving behind only a thrumming pain. Chan took his weight without complaint or strain, leaning their bodies further back to relieve the omega’s legs. A sob broke past Felix’s lips, harsh and heaving, but with no tears to accompany them. He shook and clung to Chan, his body feeling as though it were falling apart. A massive hand at the nape of his neck kept him steady and flush to the alpha. “Lix, you did it,” Jisung cooed somewhere behind him.“A little boy,” Yeosang continued, his voice steady.He heard their words, but it was as though they slid off of him like water. Felix could only shake his head, refusing to pull away from where he had buried himself in Chan’s neck. Warmth at the apex of his legs had his body flinching away from the touch, Seonghwa purring as he worked to clean him. There was too much blood and pain. Even in death, Jiyoung had managed to hurt him again. His goal had been achieved. A male pup to continue on his line.It was too much. Felix wanted to leave this place and all of its torment. He wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on his skin and curl up in the scents of his pack. This room, these people, the suffocating scent of blood. It felt like the phantom hands were digging into his flesh and pulling him down into the dark depths once more. He didn’t have the strength to resist their hold.  “Felix.”His name was spoken heavy against his ear, the moist heat of a breath fanning over his skin. The omega stuttered on the next sob, fingers digging into the hardened muscles of Chan’s back. His name, rumbled from the chest of the alpha, should not have shaken him in such a way, but it was a first. Felix had not thought that Chan would ever utter his name, his speech remaining stilted and rough despite their time together. It had never been spoken in such a manner either. The complete opposite of how Jiyoung had sneered and moaned and snarled. Chan spoke his name as if it was something reverent, a blessing to be offered. “Chan,” Felix panted, breathless and fatigued.The noise in the room sharpened, Felix’s ears picking up the movements of the other omegas, the squall of the pup, and the continuous rumble from Chan’s chest. He finally noticed how the alpha was bare beneath him, probably forgoing the chance to dress in favor of helping Felix. Despite the heat of his body and the sweat upon his skin, he still managed to flush at the situation. A naked alpha pinned beneath his body was not something that he had ever expected to experience. Blessedly, the shirt Felix wore kept his own body covered along with the alpha’s lower body. It was only the feel of bare skin against his legs that gave away his state of undress. An exposed chest was somewhat of a norm for Chan, a sight Felix had slowly gotten used to seeing. Even if it still brought a flush to his cheeks. The alpha rumbled beneath him, a tinge of amusement in his scent. Felix refused to acknowledge Chan and his laughter, burying his face in the shoulder not drenched in drying blood. “Felix,” Yeosang called from somewhere over his shoulder. “Your pup needs you.”He could hear the tiny creature, fussing and whimpering from a similar location. It was probably hungry and seeking some type of comfort. His omega was practically straining to get a glimpse of it, to take in its scent. But Felix couldn’t bring himself to move. Behind him was the living, breathing proof of the claim that Jiyoung would forever have on him. And with this new pup, the warlord’s lineage would carry on for an indecipherable amount of time. How could Felix possibly take such a creature into his arms? And what if it looked like Jiyoung? Would Felix have to be haunted by his face for the remainder of his life?He whined against Chan’s skin, his voice high and warbly. It felt as though raising his head to look at the pup would bring all the tears and crushing panic back. He wasn’t far enough over the line of being calm to move from his place. The other omegas could try to coax him until the moon rose in the sky, but Felix was just not ready. For any of it. One of the alpha’s arms wrapped firmly around Felix’s torso, using the leverage to slightly shift his body further to the side. The other seemed to move outward, Chan’s head turned away as he released a steady croon. Felix could not bring himself to care for the alpha’s behavior so long as he remained flush to him.“Hyung?”That sounded like Jisung, a nervous hint to his tone. Chan chuffed. And then grumbled. There was silence for a moment, almost as if the omegas were looking amongst themselves to make some type of decision. Yeosang knelt along the alpha’s other side, the small thing’s whimper increasing with the movement.Felix buried his head deeper into the crook of Chan’s neck, eyes pressed tightly into the other’s skin. The other male shifted, a new warmth coming closer to the omega’s side. He tensed, claws dragging against the muscles of Chan’s back. The little thing’s fussing had quieted in the alpha’s hold. Its scent bloomed into something warm and entirely its own. It smelled more of blood and Felix than its own scent; even straining his nose it was difficult to find a trace of Jiyoung.Chan’s cheek came to rub against the back of Felix’s head, grumbling gently at him. He was being coaxed. But he was tired and content where he was. Yet Felix couldn’t avoid it forever either.Slowly, as though he was afraid of being snapped at, Felix lifted his head from the comfort of Chan’s neck. He rested his forehead against Chan’s jaw, finally looking down.The pup was wrapped in a little blanket, nestled firmly in Chan’s arm. His big eyes were drooping with the continuous rumble the alpha was emitting. His skin was a flushed red, though some of that was probably due to him needing a bath, cheeks round and squished. A matted mop of dark curls were plastered to his head.He didn’t look much like Felix. He didn’t look like Jiyoung either. The pup didn’t look like much at all in the omega’s opinion. He was slightly ugly no matter what way Felix looked at him.The realization calmed something in Felix’s mind. It did not bring the urge to scoop the little thing into his arms or hold him close to his chest. He was perfectly content to allow Chan to continue holding the pup. The omega shifted himself further down to rest his head on the alpha’s shoulder once more. Chan rumbled and cooed, shifting his attention between the two in his arms. A steady hand remained on Felix’s waist, the thumb rubbing a consistent pattern along his hip bone. The other arm bounced the pup slightly. He looked tiny in the alpha’s arm, but Chan did not have a shred of discomfort or hesitancy. As though it was not his first time holding a pup. Felix’s brows furrowed. Minho had never mentioned anything about Chan losing pups alongside Jihyo and his family. Any of the alphas Felix had previously known couldn’t be bothered with pup-rearing. Perhaps it was different where Chan was from, his home more communal than any Felix had ever experienced. Surely it was simply the experience of growing up in a safe environment with little siblings and packmates. If Chan had lost pups…if Jihyo had been pregnant when the village was attacked, wouldn’t all of this be drastically different? Even without his voice, Felix couldn’t believe that Chan would withhold such a thing from him. Would Chan support him through everything and take the steps to deepen their relationship without being his authentic self?The possibly didn’t sit right with Felix; he didn’t want to believe Jiyoung’s sneering voice. He had been under its control for most of his life. It was exhausting to lack the ability to trust others and his own mind. The other omegas had begun taking steps forward. Wooyoung had even moved into San’s den and shared a nest with him. Felix wanted to take that step and catch up with the others. So, for now, he would stay in the alpha’s arms and trust him with more than just his body. The rest would come with time…and they could figure that out together. If that was what Chan wanted too. Shifting enough to look up at the alpha, Felix tried to offer him some semblance of a smile. “You should decide on his name. I haven’t thought of any.”Chan startled, looking down at Felix before casting his gaze around the room. When he determined that it was really him the omega was addressing, he stared at Felix. His good eye was bright and if his tail was still present, Felix was certain that it would be wagging rapidly. It seemed that he had taken the right step. After a moment of silence, the hand on Felix’s waist began to move. Chan’s finger traced over the vertebra of his spine before beginning to write a pattern. It was another moment before Felix began to recognize what the alpha was attempting to communicate. Chan paused for a moment before restarting the pattern. 
   Oh! 
“Eunho,” Felix questioned.The alpha smiled at him, massive fangs and deep dimples on full display. So he had gotten it right. Chan had decided on a strong, bright name for the pup. “It’s a good name.”“Nice work, hyung,” Jisung chirped, pushing into the small group’s space. “Hello, Eun-ie!”His round face was shining as he looked towards Felix, brushing his sweat damp hair away from his face. Everything about Jisung’s proximity helped to bring a sense of peace to him. It had been a tried and true fact that the other omega would remain at his side through any hardship or celebration. So long as Jisung was near, Felix would be able to find a reason to smile.It had been what kept him somewhat level headed throughout his pregnancy. With Jisung and the others, they would find a way to get through what Jiyoung had done to them. He did not have to fear being shunned by them as he struggled and panicked through the next stage of his life. The other omegas would never view him as broken because he could not feel the maternal bond with his new pup. They would step in where he faltered. Chan watched them quietly as Jisung shifted to be able to stroke Felix and Eunho’s messy hair. The noise in his chest had quieted, though it did not stop. It seemed to keep the pup calm, his little face only barely scrunching at the other omega’s touch. “Would you like to have anyone else come to visit,” Jisung wondered.“I want to see the others,” Felix paused for a moment. “And Jeongin.”Yeosang paused in his work helping Seonghwa to stare at Felix. Jisung only smiled while Chan hummed. It was an unexpected request, perhaps. But Felix was unable to deny the way Jeongin had grown on him. It might have been the only example of maternal instincts that he possessed. Despite the alpha being nowhere near the age of a pup. Not that Jeongin seemed to mind the way he was babied by the omega. “I’ll inform them and the rest of the pack of the good news,” Yeosang said slowly before walking out into the moonlight.“Jisung, would you care for Eunho while I examine and care for Felix,” Seonghwa directed as he knelt near Chan’s feet. The omegas were unable to make a move, frozen by the snarl that tore past Chan’s fangs. He clutched the pair in his arms tighter, unwilling to relinquish either of them. Felix stiffened at the noise, but it felt like his omega had turned into a pile of goo over the alpha’s protective nature. He was unsure who was being more ridiculous, Chan or his omega.“Don’t start with me, hyung. Or do you not care to have your packmate examined for additional injuries,” the older omega snapped back, gaze unwavering. The snarl quieted, but it was another moment before his hold on Eunho began to loosen. Jisung waited until his lips fell down over his fangs once more. Only then did he step in to lift the pup into his own arms. Eunho began to whine and fuss away from the pair. Jisung took it in stride though, bouncing the small thing as he wandered around the room. Felix watched them quietly, content to let the other take over. Seonghwa chirped sharply, drawing Felix’s attention behind him. The older omega was positioned with his hands raised, waiting for Felix’s acknowledgement before moving closer. He sighed, allowing his head to fall back onto Chan’s shoulder. In an attempt to drown out how Seonghwa was touching him, he focused on the alpha’s scent. Let the sharp saltiness sting his nostrils. He probably should have been in more pain, but his lower body had felt numb since he had expelled the pup from his body. It was only the scent of blood that informed him that he was still injured. It might have been shock that left him feeling nothing. Or too many years under Jiyoung’s cruelty had dulled his ability to properly feel pain. The reason mattered little so long as Seonghwa was able to give him a clean slate of health. Felix only needed to be able to stand on his own once more, to aid and provide for the pack. He had spent long enough being cared for. It was time for him to return the favor. Especially the further Wooyoung’s pregnancy progressed. “It doesn’t appear that you require any stitches. You’ll heal just fine with some rest and food,” Seonghwa declared, shifting away from the pair. His focus turned towards Chan. “You both need to get cleaned, the nest as well.”The alpha huffed, but offered no complaint. Arms moving beneath Felix’s body, Chan easily lifted the omega before climbing to his feet. Gentle as he was, the movement had Felix flinching and clinging onto the alpha. As he settled in the hold, a realization struck him. Chan was still incredibly naked. And walking around the room with everything on display for the other omegas. “Guard Dog,” the omega shrieked. “Don’t! You need clothes!”The alpha disregarded his displeasure, undisturbed by the loud pitch of Felix’s voice or the way he wiggled in his arms. Thankfully, the infirmary had other nests and beds to settle in so Chan did not have to carry him a far distance. Jisung hovered nearby, still rocking Eunho and waiting for any instructions or a chance to help. Chan chose a nearby bed to settle Felix upon. He stepped away from the bed - still naked - to wander around the room. The omega preferred to watch him then acknowledging Jisung’s curious gaze. He gathered clothes from a chest near the wall, moving Seonghwa aside to grab a bowl of water and a cloth.Returning to Felix’s side, Chan rested the bowl and cloth to the side. He spared Felix further indignation by selecting a pair of pants from the pile of clothes he gathered and easily slipping them on. They still sat incredibly low upon his hips and did not cover nearly enough to make Felix comfortable, but it was an improvement. The remaining clothes were placed on the edge of the bed before the alpha retrieved the previously set aside supplies. Dipping the cloth into the water, he looked expectantly at Felix. Felix blinked up at him. Chan wanted to clean him. In a way that was painfully reminiscent of the night he had returned with the news of Jiyoung’s death. But washing Felix’s body was incredibly different than what he had done for Chan. That was an intimacy he wasn’t sure that he was ready for. No matter what state their relationship was in or the progress they had made. With trembling hands, Felix reached for the damp cloth in Chan’s hand. “I…uh…I take care of it.”The alpha relinquished it easily enough. He turned from Felix to wander towards Jisung and the pup. It allowed the omega a sliver of privacy to wipe himself clean. All the while, he watched the alpha hover around the pair. His massive hand raised, dwarfing the pup’s head, to stroke a finger along his rudy skin. Eunho had begun to fuss in Jisung’s arms, his little face twisting into an unpleasant expression. The rumbling croon from Chan did not seem to be enough this time to appease the small thing. Jisung spoke quietly, Felix only able to see his lips moving. Whatever he had said had the alpha turning to look back towards Felix. He flushed under the heavy gaze, the weight undiminished with only a single eye truly bearing into him. At times it felt as though the milky white, blind eye still pierced into him. Felix returned the dirtied cloth into the bowl by his side, drawing his thighs together as best as he could while turning from Chan. It did not deter the alpha from approaching him or reaching for the stained shirt clinging to his body. He allowed Chan the material to be removed and replaced with a soft, well-worn tunic. The neckline hung low on him, the front kept loosely closed in the front with ties. The sleeves were long enough to fall over his hands while the hem covered his lower half decently enough. As Felix resettled himself, Chan slid himself in the place behind him once more. Those massive thighs caged his body, sturdy torso working to support his weight. The alpha easily guided his head back to rest upon his shoulder. The omega heard Jisung approach from the end of the bed, tired eyes blinking open to watch his twin. Eunho’s distress was growing, the pitch shifting from a whimper to a cry. He was hungry. Even Felix had enough knowledge to parse such needs together. Yet fulfilling such a need would require Felix not only to hold the pup, but to bring him to his breast. The mere thought had his stomach rolling, the panic clawing its way up his throat. Just as he had in the last couple weeks, Chan caught him before he had the opportunity to sink beneath the waves. Rubbing his scarred cheek over every available inch of Felix, he reached for the ties of his tunic. They fell away easily under his deft fingers. Chan’s free arm created a cradle along Felix’s chest.A small, solid weight settled between the pair, warmth seeping into the omega’s skin. Eunho had been nestled against his chest. Chan reached to have Felix’s arms cradle his own that held the pup. A pseudo hold that eased his omegan instincts yet kept his mind in a somewhat stable condition. With skilled hands, Chan maneuvered Felix’s tunic to offer Eunho the chance to latch and feed. The pup whined and whimpered, mouthing at swollen skin, but unsuccessful in finding the omega’s nipple. A warm hand cupped at Felix’s chest, manipulating the soft tissue from Eunho to reach. Chan’s movements were continuously accompanied by gentle bites and kisses along Felix’s jaw. The rumble in his chest had begun to send tingles across the omega’s back. The sharp pressure of the pup latching onto his chest was diminished by a warm tongue dragging near his ear. Somehow, the alpha knew exactly how to put Felix at ease and care for Eunho. He almost wanted to press further into Chan and cry with relief.Felix managed to keep his emotions under some sort of control, wincing at the feeling of the pup attached to his chest. It wasn’t necessarily a painful feeling, but it was uncomfortable. It would be one of the hardest things that he would have to adjust to and a task only he would be able to complete.Turning his head into Chan’s affection, Felix offered him a quiet whine. A chuff and a kiss pressed upon his forehead was the given response. Felix grumbled. It wasn’t what he had wanted. Not that he really knew what he was asking for. Or if it was him or his omega. He only knew that he wanted something more from the alpha. His opportunity to press Chan further was interrupted by an increased noise from outside the building. Felix didn’t have to look or even listen closely to know that Yeosang had found the others. No group was able to make a ruckus quite like them. As though to prove his point, Wooyoung and Hyunjin burst into the room with Jeongin hot on their tails. Yeosang’s entrance was significantly more subdued, leisurely moving to Seonghwa’s side to help the older omega. The larger group practically rushed to join Jisung, Hyunjin and Jeongin almost tripping over one another. Chan must have bared his fangs or Felix was certain they would have attempted to climb into the bed with them. Instead, they stood huddled around, going up onto their toes in an effort to get a glimpse of Eunho. Jisung held onto Wooyoung’s arm to stabilize the rapidly growing omega. “Hi,” Felix croaked, voice tired and worn from the ordeal. The single word was enough to set a barrage of questions off, almost too fast for Felix to be able to follow. Jisung thankfully jumped in to answer some of the more basic ones. Chan was understandably no help, though his scent was practically drenched in the sticky sweetness of pride.  As the pressure on his chest began to lessen, Felix called Jeongin closer. The alpha looked startled, his gaze flickering between the omega and Chan. Jeongin stumbled forward with a shove from Hyunjin, drawing close enough to catch a glimpse of Eunho’s face. His own face split into a blinding smile, the way his dimples carved into his cheeks and his eyes turned to crescents reminded Felix of Chan. The comparison only added to the instincts that demanded he was a pup under Felix’s care.Under Chan’s protective and watchful gaze, Jeongin did not dare to touch Eunho or Felix. He crooned happily at the small group, his metaphorical tail wagging nonstop. As the pup began to detach from Felix’s chest, Jeongin stepped back towards the omegas. Chan shifted to readjust Eunho from over the omega’s shoulder. He tugged the tunic back into place to cover Felix. It was a gesture that was as ridiculous as it was sweet. There was not a person in the room who had not been naked with Felix at some point. Still, it was thoughtful in a way that was all Chan. With Eunho quickly falling into slumber surrounded by their combined warmth, Felix looked towards the omegas. “Wooyoung, I can see your instincts fraying at the seams. Take him.”Unlike Jeongin, the older omega wasted no time swooping in to pull the pup to his chest. He was cooing and purring before he even made it back to Hyunjin’s side. The other omega was quick to join in on the doting, equally enthralled by the little thing. Felix sunk back into Chan’s hold, the full force of his exhaustion washing over him like a wave. The alpha nuzzled against him, that awkward, poorly formed coo starting up in his chest. Everything about Chan’s embrace was comfort and safety. He would happily rest in the warmth that was provided. He was on the precipice of falling asleep when his ears caught the sound of someone approaching the bed. The omega’s eyes remained closed. If it was a threat or a point of concern, Chan would have alerted him instantly. The alpha was equally calm, form unmoving beneath Felix’s resting body. “Would you like me to dress that bite, hyung?”Oh, it was Seonghwa. His voice was pitched low, most likely in an attempt to leave Felix undisturbed. It would have worked if his words had not caught the omega’s attention. A bite?When had….right, Felix had bitten Chan during a particularly rough round of contractions. The memory itself was blurry and dulled by the pain, but the taste of iron in his mouth confirmed it. If Seonghwa was addressing it as a healer, Felix must have caused a significant amount of damage. Chan huffed at Seonghwa. It sounded disinterested at best. The scent of blood sat too heavily in the room for Felix to gauge the extent of his injury through smell alone. With a groan and the massive thighs along his body for support, the omega pushed himself into a more upright position. Chan’s hand flew up to steady him. Mismatched eyes were wide as they looked down at him. Felix had no awareness of the alpha’s concern. All he could see was the weeping wound that sat just below the junction of Chan’s neck and shoulder. He had shredded the flesh in his agony. But as much as it made his chest tighten to see the damage he had caused, it was the placement that had Felix’s throat constricting. Felix’s fangs had torn into the scar of Jihyo’s mark, half of it hidden or destroyed.He choked on his next breath. That scar was the only thing Chan had left of his mate and Felix had ruined it. “Oh gods,” the omega moaned through his tears. “What’ve I done?”His hands flitted uselessly over Chan’s shoulder, unable to rescind the damage or decide his next step. How could Chan forgive him for such a transgression? How could he forgive himself? A mating bite was sacred, even more so when it had faded to nothing, but a scar. And Felix had desecrated Jihyo’s. If she could see him now, surely she would curse his name. He wished he could curl into himself, but the pain in his abdomen was enough to halt his movements. Felix settled for covering his face. Which effectively allowed him to avoid Chan’s own hands reaching for him. The omega couldn’t stand the thought of the alpha attempting to console him. It was more than he deserved. Chan appeared to disagree with the sentiment, large hands wrapping loosely around his wrists. With no force behind his grip as he tugged and pulled, Felix’s hands remained firmly upon his face. The alpha rumbled at him. His nose rubbed against the back of his hand. A soft kiss landed upon the same stretch of skin. Felix whimpered at the gentle affection. Which earned him another kiss. The alpha was unrelenting in his ministrations, all the while pulling at Felix’s wrists. Felix offered a final whine before slowly dragging his hands away from his face. The skin stung from the tears that had been trapped in their descent. No doubt, he looked a mess when his eyes rose to meet Chan’s gaze.“I’m sorry, it was an accident,” Felix whimpered. “I didn’t kn-”Felix’s sentence was interrupted by soft lips pressing into his own, effectively knocking the breath from his lungs. The barely there touch had a shiver racing down his spine. There was no chance to properly react before Chan pulled away. Felix stared up at the alpha. Trembling fingers rose to brush against his lips. Chan had kissed him. A short, sweet thing that demanded nothing of Felix. It made no sense. “But Chan, I wr-”The alpha leaned in once more, lips meeting Felix’s with slightly more force. His nose bumps against Felix’s, the angle awkward and uncomfortable. Like before, it is a short peck that did not allow Felix much time to respond. But this time, Chan did not fully pull away. Instead, he laid another kiss on Felix's lips. And then another. And another. Until Felix managed to find his footing and return the gesture. Chan doesn’t startle at the touch, only humming happily, scent exploding across the room. His hand rose to slide into the mess that was Felix’s hair. He used the hold as leverage to pull the omega closer to him, deepening the kiss between each breath.It was unlike anything Felix had ever experienced. A softness that he was incapable of explaining. In the rainfall of kisses that he strived to return was a continuous undercurrent of affection and care. There was not a word that Chan needed to utter to express his feelings.And Felix was realizing there was so much more that he needed to say to the alpha, about everything. But those words could wait a moment longer. So that they might enjoy the next kiss. And the one after that.'
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