Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sori was spread out on her bed, reading one of her favourite books. Unfortunately, she was having quite a hard time focusing only on the book, not feeling in the right mood to really follow the plot, but there wasn’t much else she could do since it was raining and the guys went grocery shopping. They’d left her home alone since she wasn’t feeling too good in the morning.

Would have they stayed home if it was one the born-were ones who was unwell?

She kept asking herself the same questions over and over again. Well, it was hardly possible for that scenario to happen, since born-weres never fell ill, but still...

She sighed thinking about that, but then again she knew she liked being alone and having time for herself. Actually, Sori often needed some alone time, which is something quite hard to have in a pack, especially in one with touchy and loud people like hers. Although she knew that she sighed again. From time to time she liked to pity herself a bit. Life hadn't been easy so far, and she didn't have the right personality to fit in the cheerful mess that was her pack. Having grown up mostly on her own, Sori had never learnt how to interact with people, especially with people of her age, and that set of lacking skills weighted her down.

She knew being negative and thinking the worst things wasn't going to raise her spirits not help her self-esteem, yet here she was again, poisoning herself with worthless thoughts.

Sori had always felt a bit left out and alone in their pack being the only turned-werewolf in it. Not that they necessarily mistreated her, but turned-weres were seen in a quite negative way from born-weres. It was an old prejudice, but it still seemed to stuck on many people. Although the were considered to be the lesser form, turned-weres were not that different from born-weres. Sure, they were smaller and slightly weaker, even closer to human beings since they could fall ill and healed slowly, but the rest was exactly the same: they had very fine senses, could run for hours without stopping and change just as fast as them. Did this really mean she wasn't as important as the others? What for? It wasn't like in the past. They didn't need to survive merely on their preys, not did they need to works strictly solely for the pack. Almost every wolf had a job, and they also occupied a role in the pack. That was it.

Nonetheless, the guys had always been nice to her since she officially joined the pack, however there were still moments in which they joked about people like her right in front of Sori, and even thought they meant no offence, it still hurt her a bit. Sori always hid it, she knew she was taking it too personal for no reason, but deep inside her mind those jokes left small, painful scars. She’d also noticed that they weren’t as touchy with her as they were with each other and sometimes it happened that they forgot to include her in their plans. Not that it happened often, actually, not anymore, yet she had cried herself to sleep more than once because of it.

Sori knew she should just be grateful she was accepted in the pack so quickly instead of being left to fend for herself in a world she barely knew, probably left to die in a couple of weeks, like it often happened to lone wolves, the rogues. Actually she would have had a horrible life if they didn’t accept her in the pack, because women in werewolf society couldn’t be lone wolves unless they wanted to be used as sex slaves or slaves in general. It was even worse with turned-weres such as herself, and while society was changing for the better, the improvement was too slow for her to feel safe on her own. She was very thankful to them, really, but nonetheless she felt lonely at times.

Despite having been a member of the pack for over three years, Sori almost never felt completely part of it. She knew she was mopping because Minyoung was accepted way faster and was already a real part of the pack in spite of only having arrived a month ago. No one had doubts about letting her in the pack. Just for being a born-werewolf she was trusted in a way Sori had never felt before. Sori felt a pang in her heart thinking about Minyoung, no matter how much she told herself it was useless to be jealous of her, for they’d never be on the same level.

Maybe what hurt her the most was how easily she caught Jungkook’s heart and attention. Jungkook was the youngest guy in the pack, but he was tall and strong, probably he’d make a good alpha if he ever decided to leave the pack, although it seemed very unlikely to Sori since she knew how much he loved the rest of the guys. He acted childish at times, but he could be mature if needed. Once Jungkook got close with someone he turned into a bubbly and annoying kid despite the quantity of muscles he had. Just not with her. Sori had never had his full attention for herself. Not even when they getting it on in her room: he’d just cum and leave her hanging. She was just an object for him, but that was more than enough for her. And yes, maybe she had been crushing on him for too long and it was high time she just gave up on him and moved on.

Sori had tried not to care for him, she had tried ignoring him and chatting up other guys, but he never left her head and her heart. Probably it was because of the huge amount of books she read, but Sori had reached the conclusion that Jungkook was her soulmate, her one and only true love for life, albeit he didn't feel them same. Unfortunately, her love was one of those sad and painful loves, those in which one party was dying to give love to one person while the other person was clueless, or careless, and kept hurting the one in love. And it sucked. So freaking much.

It often happened that when all the other guys were sleeping, Jungkook would step in her room and stay to sleep for the night. Those were nights Sori cherished and hoped to never forget, because when they were talking alone like that, lost in their little bubble, she could call him Kookie, just like the others, and he cuddle with her, joking and just let his mask fall. It was very special to her, because in front of the others he preferred to keep his distance, and clearly disliked Sori using any pet name unless he was in her room. Thus, yes, for Sori then nights they spent together made her feel special.

When Jungkook was in her room, right before going to sleep, he’d tell her about the things that caught his attention during that day or that week. Sometimes it was a guy with whom he wanted to be friends with, sometimes it was a song he loved or a singer, some other times it was girls he wanted to date or take home if he could. It always hurt, but she was so good at hiding it that he never suspected anything. Or at least that’s what she hoped for.

However, in the last weeks Jungkook had only spent time in her room to talk about Minyoung: how beautiful she was, funny, sexy, elegant, thin, playful, fast, and whatever else he appreciated about her. Sori could have written with all of the things Jungkook was fascinated by in Minyoung, yet she knew couldn’t complain nor compare herself to Minyoung.

Sori was quite plain in her looks, nothing that screamed “hey, look at me, ain’t I gorgeous?”. When she wore make up she was a little more than just plain, still she couldn't compare herself to Minyoung or Narae, which was the alpha’s mate and her best friend. She was too shy to joke around like them or to be as expansive and touchy. Sori was a bit chubby, not “fat” like Jungkook often called her, just not as thin as the other two girls. She liked reading a lot. She also liked cooking and going for walks on her own, because when she was alone she could relax and think about her past, how her life could have been had she never been turned, had she never gone out that night, had she still had her parents... She could think freely without having to worry about saying something stupid or embarrassing in front of the others, which would make them laugh at her.

Actually it was mostly Jungkook who embarrassed her whenever she didn’t know something about their world or simply made a mistake, but the others never stopped him. And although Jimin and Taehyung never let her go to sleep before having apologized for laughing at her, it hurt her pride, but she’d never get really mad at them, because she had to be thankful to the pack for accepting her. It just made it hard to even just ask for help.

Seokjin, Namjoon and Yoongi always glared at Jungkook when he joked about her, but only one who effectively defended her was Narae. It’d been like that ever since she asked to join the pack. For some reason she had taken Sori under her wings and so far Narae was her only true friend, or at least she was the one she considered her best friend. Hoseok and Minyoung at times smiled at his jokes, but then made sure to clear the air. She really couldn’t say much against their newest member, because Minyoung was really as nice as Jungkook described her.

Sori hated how childish and butthurt she was acting, yet she couldn’t help it. It was just sad to think she had known them for way longer, she knew everyone’s secrets their, the pack sought comfort in her bed and tried to get her to cuddle them when they were sick, yet she’d never be on the same level as their newest member.

Everyone liked her, just like they loved Narae. Narae was the mother and the sister of everyone in the pack, she’s their female alpha, someone they could trust no matter what, for they knew she'd always have their back. She was also a born-werewolf. Narae was the reason why Namjoon allowed Sori to stay in the pack in the first place. It took them so long to let her in that she had almost lost her hoped and was starting to guess when she would be kicked out of the pack. To this day, it still was one of her biggest worries, thus she always tried to be on her best behaviour. Sori couldn't even phantom falling so easily in line with such a big group of people the way Minyoung did. It had even happened before that some other pack made fun of BTS for having her as a member of the pack, yet Sori could only feel ashamed but not correct her ways. Actually, she couldn't pinpoint just what it was that made her such an easy target.

BTS pack was one of the strongest, oldest and most famous packs, and even though the rarely got involved with other packs, they had lots of allies. Sori felt so sorry to them for being the reason why people made fun of them, and that made easy for her to follow Jungkook's instructions to hide in her room when someone important came here to meet Namjoon. Namjoon eventually found out and forbid her to do so, and Sori could remember the alpha telling her right in front of Jungkook that whoever looked down on them because they had a turned-werewolf in the pack didn’t deserve to be their friend, let alone their guest. Narae and Jin supported his statement, and that was one of Sori's fondest memories, albeit she still wanted to keep hiding in her room when there were guests. At times she wondered if their were to leave these lands and go live in a bigger city later on, what it would feel like for her to meet more turned-weres.

Jungkook was right though, people like her should do all they can to avoid bringing shame on the leader and the pack that gave them a house. Sometimes she felt like crying, because she really wanted to be like everyone else, it wasn't like she had chosen to live this way nor had she had the chance to even refuse being turned, so why did she have to pay such a big price for something she had no responsibility over? Being different it’s not a bad thing, they said, but she always argued that it was extremely tiring nonetheless. Sure, there were many packs with turned-weres in Seoul, but in their town, or better there and in the lands around them, Sori had never seen another pack with a turned-werewolf. Mostly these packs were formed by old wolfs,while in the city it could be easier for her to just accidentally meet a younger pack, more open-minded who actually allowed turned-weres to live with them without it being an hindrance.

Lately the guys had taken up the habit of standing close to her and keeping an eye on her when they had guests over, just close enough to force her to attend their meetings, and the few times Sori managed to hide away anyway at night, without saying anything, the guys would go to sleep in her room. This usually happened with the older members of the pack and Narae, but it was more scarce with the youngers, except Jungkook.

Although, Jungkook was really a good guy, he was born and raised in a pack, or better in a society, that saw turned-werewolves as nothing more than scum, low-life trying to get into the power circles of superior beings, and at this point Sori was almost certain he would never be able to change him mind. From time to time she found herself thinking she could put up with his weird views about people like her if only he didn't voice them in front of the rest of the pack or in front of strangers. Or maybe it was because everyone spoiled him and he liked being the centre of everyone’s attention, probably because he was totally used to it thanks to his family and the pack, and he knew for sure they’d pay attention to him if he said certain things.

Sori couldn’t really bring herself to ignore him and his comments about her and people like her. As much as she said she wasn’t bothered and she didn’t care, it still hurt her. She couldn’t justify him completely, because although he was older than her (and werewolves live for way longer that humans) and she knew people’s mind couldn’t change from night to day, the other guys were even older than him and nobody treated that way. Maybe they didn’t always behave like she was one of them, but he was absolutely the worse. Or maybe the others pitied her because they knew about her feelings for Jungkook.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to focus on the book now, Sori went downstairs and wrote a note for the guys, so they wouldn’t worry if they came back home to an empty house. Despite feeling tired and nauseous in the morning, Sori changed to her wolf form and started running at her full speed. She loved to feel her paws scratching the ground, leaving paw prints behind her, following scents and running until she couldn’t breathe anymore.

In the beginning, it took her a while to get used to this and accept the fact that hating the wolf was useless, going back to being a normal human was impossible. When she finally accepted the way her life had drastically changer forever, Sori also started loving the wolf. Her wolf. It was amazing how different things were when she was human and when she was a wolf.

Mostly her feelings were the same in her two forms, but at times it happened that her wolf didn’t agree with some of her decisions and then she could feel the contrasting opinions crashing in her mind, and if they didn’t reach a compromise soon, she’d get a migraine. At times her wolf's emotions were easier to deal with, not always pleasant, but it was easier to just give in to her instincts rather the let brain point out all the negative things she noticed day by day-

To be completely honest, Sori loved her wolf form the most as of lately. No one cares about your body when your completely covered in fur, no one asks questions you don’t have answers to, and no one expects you to answer. She felt like she was free in this form...or something quite close to it.

She ran, light on her paws, until she reached the town, then Sori made her way back home going through the borders of the pack lands lands she hadn’t passed before. It took her a while, the sun was slowly going down as she passed tree after tree. By the time she got home the rest of the pack had arrived, so she opted to pressing the bell with her nose and waiting for someone to open the door instead of changing back. It was Jin who opened the door, and fortunately he decided to skip the interrogatory and stepped aside to let Sori in. Sori briefly nosed his knew before she went back to her room. While she was locking the door, Sori also caught a sight of Jungkook lying shirtless on his bed, as his room was right in front of hers. She locked the door before she got caught staring and finally changed back to her human form. She did a little bit of stretching to relax herself before she went to take a shower. It wasn't like she didn't know someone was about to step in her room to question her about her little runaway, thus she knew she had to be quick with the shower.

Just as she had anticipated, as she was drying her hair with a towel someone knocked on the door before opening it, not even bothering with waiting for an answer. Sori always made sure to dress up quickly after she took a shower because she knew her pack couldn't care less for privacy. For wolves going around naked wasn't a big deal and they grew up without seeing anything wrong with being naked around strangers, but for Sori it was a completely different story. Sure, she knew they had all grown up changing into wolves whenever they wanted from a very young age and no type of clothes could survive the changing, so to avoid ruining too many pieces of clothing people simply opted to stay naked, but for her who had been raised as a very boring, normal human it was uncomfortable. In the past years it had rubbed on her too, or better, she had learnt to be lass ashamed around her pack, but that didn't mean she didn't want some privacy.

“Sori, Jin hyung wants to know what you want to eat. He said today we're eating whatever you want, so please say you want fries”, Jimin said with a cheeky smile. Jimin could have been cuter had he not been annoying.

“Why?”, Sory asked a bit perplexed.

“Because you were sick this morning, so he obviously wants to make sure you eat something”, Jimin replied frowning, sounding very much like an unspoken “duh”. “But me, Tae and Kookie really want to eat fries, so can you want them too? At least say you don't want to eat spinach, I'm begging you”

“Oh”, she said sounding a bit stupid. At times like this Sori felt like she was really part of the pack. “Okay? Uhm... I don't really feel like eating fries, so maybe you can tell him I want an hamburger? Is that fine with you?”. God, her social skills still sucked after all these years.

“Uhm, fine, I'll tell him you want hamburgers and fries”. Satisfied with the outcome of his little mission, Jimin finally left after having winked at her with both his eyes. He still hadn't learnt how to do it properly, but he liked to try doing it when he felt no one would make fun of him.

Chapter Text

It hadn't been that long since they had lunch, yet Sori was craving for dark chocolate already, her mouth salivating just at the thought. The problem was that she didn’t want Jungkook to notice she was sneaking downstairs to grab some just to make fun of her for being fat afterwards, and there was no way he wouldn’t notice a square missing from the chocolate bar if he were to check. Sori had tried to talk herself into eating something else or, even better, nothing at all, but she felt like she’d die if she didn’t eat it soon, so she tiptoed in the kitchen as quickly and silently as she could manage. She took the chocolate and ate it as fast as she could while looking around her suspiciously. The house was quiet, maybe even too quiet for her liking. It was almost time for Jungkook to come home, albeit it was still a bit early, thus she had to be careful around snacks and food.

Just as she was munching happily, Sori remembered that it had been almost a month since the last time she had baked muffins. She usually baked them quite often because Jungkook loved them and since his favourites were the dark chocolate ones, her favourite too, it made an amazing cover to hide the fact that she ate his chocolate... not that a 21 year old needed to justify what she eats, but whatever. Since it’d been a while, Sori thought that she could do that instead of going out for her usual run.

Sori paced around here and there in the kitchen, grabbing all the tool and the ingredients she need, and in the mean while she imagine what it would have been like to bake together with the man she loved, maybe even someone she could call her husband. She giggled at the idea, knowing well she was acting silly, but since fantasizing didn't hurt... at least as long as no one found out about it... Well, in the end she was baking them for a man she loved. Just not her boyfriend. Or anything at all.

A tiny voice in Sori's mind was telling her not to get her hopes too high, because there was no way Jungkook would have finally recognized her skills and complimented her, yet Sori wanted to believe he would have. For once Jungkook could at least compliment her instead of praising Minyoung even just for having eaten everything she had on her plate and still keeping a nice body. Duh. Minyoung, being a born-werewolf, had not the tiniest problem with keeping her shape. Moreover, it was not like by recognizing Sori had some talent he was declaring his love or something in front of the whole pack. Just for once Sori really wanted to hear him praising her in front of Minyoung instead of the other way around. Just because.

When she was done, Sori set the timer and washed the tools, just relaxing before she had to take the muffins out of the oven. Seeing that she still had to wait for a while, Sori decided to bring her laptop in the kitchen, so that she could keep an eye both on the oven and on the last episode of the anime she was watching. She had picked a funny and easy anime, just perfect for the times when she had too much to think about and too little will to actually focus on anything.

From time to time Sori checked the time, making sure the muffins would be ready before Jungkook got home, knowing he liked to eat sweet things as a way to rest after his working day was done. It was quite stupid in Sori's opinion, because usually as soon as he was done eating Jungkook changed in his wolf form or just hit the pack's gym, but whatever, who was she to judge other people's weird habits, right?

Just as she had hoped, the muffins were ready five minutes before the time Jungkook usually got home. Clumsy as ever, there was no way Sori could have managed to take the muffins out of the over without burning herself at least a little. Thankfully this time it was only one finger and she probably wouldn't have to dress the burning. Not that she would have had the time to do it at the moment. If there was one thing she had learnt from having spent four years in this pack was that everyone had a sweet tooth and if you weren't quick enough to grab your share of food before the rest was done eating, than you would be left with no dessert. She was running out of time, and she still had to grab a muffin for her and Hoseok and Sori could hear Taehyung's excited stomping coming from the stairs. She grabbed two muffins in a flash and shoved them inside the cupboard making a mental note to bring them to her room later on, saving one for her and one for Narae. Now that the hardest part was done, Sori could slow down a little as she plated the rest of the muffins in a cute way despite knowing that no one would even noticed it in the rush of the moment. It only took Jimin and Taehyung a moment more to appear in the kitchen sporting matching grins on their faces. No way this time she would have let them get to her.

Had it not been the possible cause of a new fight, Sori would have found it comical how they stepped from side to side to try and find a way to get to the muffins before everyone else. But, yeah, no way she was going to allow them to get their dirty hands on her muffins this time. The last time it had caused a week long fight and she was not up to that kind of stress again if she could easily avoid it by just standing there. Also, if anyone had the right to eat before anyone else that would have been her, who was the slowest eater in the pack. Usually, by the time she was done eating, the rest had left already with some exceptions now and then from the members of the pack who wanted to keep her company or just chat calmly.

The battle lasted a couple of minutes before they finally stopped and resorting to using words.

“C’mon, Sori, give me just one”, Taehyung begged while kneeling in front of her.

“Yeah, Sori, we’re hungry! We need to grow more”, Jimin said while shaking his body.

“I don't think that's how it works, Jiminie. How many cases of people suddenly growing taller after having had a couple of muffins?”, Taehyung joked, “It's time to accept you won’t grow anymore, buuuut”, Taehyung dragged the vowel, pretending not to have seen the glare Jimin was sending his way, “we can still count on our right as older pack members. We have a right to those muffins also because we came down way before the others”, he reasoned.

Just as Sori was starting to worry she wouldn't have been able to defend the muffins from those two, Yoongi and Namjoon started making their way downstairs. Finally Sori could let her guard down and sigh in relief. Now it was their duty to make sure everyone got to eat at least one muffin.

Unfortunately the calm and peaceful atmosphere only lasted for a couple of seconds, then Jungkook opened the front door and the race for the muffing started. Sori barely managed to hear him sniffing the sweet scent that permeated the house before he rushed to the kitchen and grabbed two muffins. Same as usual.

Pigs.

It didn't take long for them to start eating as if they hadn’t eaten in years, not even bothering to munch their food with their mouths closed. Sori silently left the kitchen, knowing well that staying there for too long was like asking for Jungkook to mock her. She had made sure to hide two muffins, so she had no reason to stay and take part in the fight. She trusted the fact that the screams of the fight that was going on would be enough to cover up the sound of her steps, and it would also distract them enough to make sure they wouldn't try and steal the muffins she had saved for the others.

It was a while later, when the house was quieter, that Sori decided it was safe to leave her room and go eat her own muffin. It was close enough to dinner time to use her hunger as an excuse, anyway. The guys were still in the kitchen, spread around the room, talking lively and drinking. The room seemed calm enough for Sori to follow up with her plan although Jungkook was still there. Unfortunately, before she could even reach the cupboard, Sori noticed and empty plate, the same one she had used to hide the muffins in the cupboard. As childish as it was, Sori felt her eyes prickling a little at the sight.

“Sori, you ate at least one...right?”, Yoongi said and he munched on his last piece of muffin. Soon all the eyes of those present in the room were on her. Namjoon gulped the piece of muffin he was chewing, the last bite of the last muffin he’d grabbed from the basket, and guiltily glanced at her.

“Tell me you ate yours before we arrived”, Namjoon said.

“Ok, I ate them before you arrived”, Sori said with a small smile. The list she could do was to look less pathetic than she actually felt.

“Really?”, Namjoon said, his expression brightening up.

“Nope”, she replied.

“Oh. Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry, why didn’t you tell us to stop? We would have left you at least one!”, the alpha said whining. “Now I have to feel guilty. You know how much we love your muffins! You should have said something...”, he complained.

It was true, they liked her muffins even better than Jin’s, which was something Sori was truly proud of, since Jin was a chef. It was funny how often he got annoyed by this tiny little fact, still Sori didn't deny it. It was good to have just one thing in which she was the best.

“Well, as you can all see she doesn’t need to eat more, right? No need to feel bad. I’m afraid she’ll have problems walking through the doors if she gets any fatter.”, Jungkook intervened before she could replay to Namjoon’s statement. “If she was dumb enough not to take one before we got here, than the joke's on her”, he shrugged. Sori could only hope the ground would swallow her and put an end to her suffering. This was exactly what she had been trying to avoid.

Silence fell into the room. No one dared to say anything, not wanting to start a new fight. She could feel the eyes of the guys on her, yet they all kept quiet, and Sori didn't feel brave enough to raise her head and meet their eyes... in the end it wasn't like she hadn't heard things like that before. The smirk on Jungkook’s face only darken a little when Narae's loud steps could be heard coming towards the kitchen. She must have heard Jungkook’s statement, which would have only meant another fight was about to happen in the house because of Sori.

And, just as Sori had predicted, Narae’s cheeks were red with anger as she appeared in the kitchen. Not only had they taken all the muffins without waiting for her, but she had also heard Jungkook’s slurs. No way a fight wasn't about to happen, and Sori knew she would be the one to be blamed for it. Sure, not by everyone, but she would eventually notice the typical glares in her direction.

“Jungkook, do you want me to order you to lick the toilet again?”, she growled. And all of them knew she would and she could do it since she’s the female alpha. It actually was one of the best memories of the pack. It never failed to bring laughters in the pack whenever someone brought it up again, although it happened two years ago. That was THE punishment, and Jungkook completely deserved since it he’d said they could sell Sori for sex for some hours a day, so that they didn’t have to work anymore and she could pay them back for the money the pack had to spend to feed her. He’d also added that it was tiring to work to buy groceries, when the person who ate the most was at home, relaxing and lying down, and then Jungkook had said that she wouldn’t mind since people like her were only useful like that. It was a well-known fact that turned-werewolves had been slaved and used as sex slaves for centuries before the government decided to bring the situation under control, as the number of attacks on humans had been increasing too much in certain areas where big pack resided, and people were starting to realise something was up. There had been multiple times when Sori had wondered whether Jungkook thought of her that way when they were having sex too.

Jungkook’s eyes were wide opened as he took a step back to get away from Narae. The others snickered, and Sori used that moment to leave the room mostly unnoticed. She just went to her room and hid pathetically under her comforter. At times like this she hated Jungkook to the point it felt hard to breathe when he was around, however she loved him too much to just move on with her life.

Why does he keep saying things like that to me? What did I do to him?

Sori really couldn’t think of a reason for him to treat her like that. So what if she was fat? So what if she liked to eat things she shouldn’t? Was that a good reason for him to humiliate her in front of everyone? Why does he care that much about her body if she doesn’t mind weighting a little more than she should? Why can’t he say something nice to her for once? Why did he become so mean lately? For once, just one time, Sori wanted to be praised by him in front of everyone, and once again she obtained the exact opposite. She wanted just attention, even just for a minute. At least, if he really didn't feel like saying anything positive to her, couldn't he leave her alone? Don't they say that if you have nothing positive to sat, than it's better not to say anything at all?

Sori looked straight at her reflection in the full length mirror in front of her. She was plain, but she wasn’t ugly. She was chubby, yet she wasn’t an elephant. Sori touched the areas of her body she’d like to change. Her hips were a bit too wide, and her thighs too thick. Looking at her arms, Sori couldn't deny she would have looked a little bit better if she went on a diet, but for whom would she do it? For herself? For Jungkook? Yes, maybe if she lost some weight he’d like her more. As Sori observed how full her cheeks were, she thought for hundredth time that she didn’t mind seeing them like that. Actually Sori liked her chubby cheeks. She carefully avoided her own gaze in the mirror thought. She really hated seeing her eyes staring back at hers trough her reflection.

She let out a deep sigh and took some comfy clothes to change into. They were long yoga pants and a very baggy shirt, so that none of her fat belly and ass would show. Actually, that was Sori’s favourite shirt to were when her period was about to come, but she was sure it’d do for that day too. Thinking about her period, Sori made a mental note to check on the calendar in which day she had to expect her period.

After having changed into those clothes, Sori threw herself on the bed again and stared at the ceiling. She really wished she was a born-werewolf. Born-werewolves don’t get fat. Born-werewolves don’t get chubby no matter how much they eat. They all have the well-built kind of body, like someone who hits the gym at least three or four times a week. Sori envied both Narae and Minyoung. She wanted to be like them. But deep inside her she knew she only said that because Jungkook always made it clear to her that he liked skinny girls. What was weird was that he’d go to her anyways whenever he needed his release even thought often he could have gotten a better girl just by going out for one hour, but whenever the others were around he would turn into a mean and arrogant person.

Sori despised herself. When she was human she was thinner, at least. Her mother never had the time to teach her how to cook, so she went on eating whatever she found in the fridge, but now she had a completely different life style. Now she knew how to cook, having used her spare time to learn some new skills, and had become a little bit chubbier. In spite of being aware of her weight gain, Sori didn’t really mind it unless someone pointed it out, as if she was stealing the food right from their plate. She had also lost some weight in the last couple of months, albeit nobody seemed to notice. How funny it was that as soon as you gained a little weight everyone felt entitle to point it out, just to pretend you were always the same if you managed to lose a little weight.

Sori regretted leaving her laptop downstairs. At least, if she had it with her, she could watch something cute or funny and get some distraction, instead she had to stay locked up in her room even though she had done nothing wrong, and she had nothing to do, aside from overthinking the usual things and wait for the fight downstairs to end.

Her mental rambles were interrupted by some light knocks on her door.

As soon as Narae left the room, Namjoon turned to Jungkook and shook his head.

“You should really learn when to shut that useless mouth of yours. And you absolutely should learn to shut up when the situation is uncalled for and no one asked your opinion. You should just shut the fuck up in general, to be honest. Had you said those things to me, I’d have punched you. Be thankful Sori’s nice to you”. That being said, Namjoon left the room muttering something barely understandable under his breath, along the lines of “...thinks that makes him look cooler...”, or something.

Yoongi was about to leave the room too, but the he suddenly stopped and turned to the maknae again.

“I just wanted to let you know you’re the dumbest and most useless human being in this pack. If you don’t want her and dislike her just stop going to her all the time”.

Jungkook didn’t even have the time to reply as Yoongi was gone right after saying that. He's cheeks warmed up and Jungkook immediately felt the need to defend himself and leave the room. How could his hyung embarrass him like that in front of the whole pack? He felt ashamed, but also a bit enraged. Why did they all take the defences of someone like Sori? She was one of the lowest members of the society. She’s fat. He came from a rich, pure blood linage. They should treat him better. Jungkook told himself the day Sori would betray the pack like all those like her do, and then the pack would have to recognize he was right from day one about her. Turned-werewolves were all the same.

“You know what he said is not true, right?”, said Narae. Her head was resting on her best friends chest. Her bright red hair tickling the skin of her friend’s chin and cheeks, head raising slightly with every breath Sori took. In the sun her hair always looked a little bit brighter than it actually was, but it was still very pretty.

Sori hummed. She knew it... but did she really? What if she really went on a diet? Doing it only because she wanted to be appreciated and liked by someone didn’t seem like a reason legit enough to change herself when he didn’t even dislike herself that much. There were time in which she wished she was thinner, but almost all of them followed some comment made by Jungkook or listening his rants about the girls he liked. She was just tired of trying to get him to like, or at least to fill in more into his “idea girl type” without ever getting the result she hoped for, but she also knew she wouldn’t and couldn't stop just yet. She was convinced she could get Jungkook to like her somehow, because if he really disliked her that much, then why would he go to her whenever he needed someone to talk to? Sori had a feeling there was something more to it.

“No, really, Sori, no one thinks about you that way! Trust me”, she continued. Narae’s hand was caressing her friend’s arm, while her other hand was gripping tightly her friend’s one. She wanted to kill that guy for talking like that about her best friend, whose self-esteem was already non-existent. Narae had already advised Sori to leave Jungkook behind and start looking for someone knew, and albeit Sori promised again and again she would do it, Narae had realized that she was hurt and annoyed by her comments. In the end she took a step back and decided to let Sori do as she pleased, even when the consequences of her actions would hurt her, because as long as she didn't make that decision for herself, Sori would only believe Narae didn't trust her with her own life and her own decisions. It was sad to see Sori this demoralized, still Narae knew these were all necessary steps for Sori to be able to pick up her pieces and grow stronger. Not today, but someday all that pain would pay her back.

Sori waited a moment before she spoke. She was collecting her thoughts and trying to put them in order so that she wouldn’t make her friend worry with what she wanted to say.

“It’s not like I don’t believe you, but...maybe if I were thinner he’d stop acting like this. Or I don’t know...it’s not like the others butted in to defend me. Actually, they never do. Maybe they share his opinion but they don’t know how to voice it out loud”. Sori’s eyebrows raised, taking in consideration that possibility. “Maybe I could tell to shut up, but... I mean, I can't really think of anything I can say to defend myself when he embarrasses me in front of everyone...”, the girl murmured.

“I can’t believe you! They were just speechless because of the way he attacked you out of nowhere! Not to mention that he acted like a douche for no reason! He went from chatting happily to being rude in no time! No one expected it, so no one knew what to say!”, Narae told her while lifting her head to meet her friend’s eyes. “It's not that normal to say such mean things without a specific reason to. He was eating and then what? Where you stealing his food? Did you hurt him in anyway? No! We were all just as surprised, don't mistake their opinion's with Jungkook’s asshole-ish behaviour!”. Would it be useful to let Sori know multiple people had defended her, albeit never in front of her?

“Yeah, I don’t know… maybe I’m over-thinking. It’s just that it’s not the first time he insults me and no one goes against him or what he said. I just... feel like I should give the pack the best of me and show those who come from outside, or just our guests, that I’m in a good shape, you know... to show them I'm really thankful to you. Getting thinner and working on myself would make me look less...at ease, I guess… as if I’m working hard to deserve and keep my position on the pack, you know? I'd like to do that, but thinking that my life from now on should be like that for something I didn’t even chose to become… it tires me. I want to do my best to demonstrate how much I appreciated what you did for me, but I’d like to be myself too. I...”, Sori’s voice faded in the silence of the room, not wanting to add any more of what she’d been thinking in these past few years. She was scared her friend would reveal it to someone else and that she’d look weak.

Narae lifted her head completely from Sori’s chest and frowned.

“Sori, you need to stop thinking about yourself this way You don’t have to be thankful for anything at all. We accepted you in the pack because we wanted to. You’re part of this pack as much as I am, don’t ever think something different, okay? You have to be yourself. We accepted you as a member of this pack knowing what you are and wanting to know who you are. If anyone ever dares to say something different come to me and tell me. I’ll make sure to put them in their place.”

Sori nodded, but in her heart she knew they’ll never be the same in the pack or in the society. She was just different and less important, and she wouldn’t be able to change that no matter how hard she tried. And she was perfectly aware she had only been accepted in the pack because Narae had pushed for her to stay, and her vote as the female alpha mattered more than the others. Sure, had they all disagreed, in the end her vote would have been useless, as much as Namjoon's, still... Sori had learnt the truth the hard way not long after she had received her spot in the pack.

“Anyway, I knew they’d eat like that, so I tried to save some for those who weren't there, but unfortunately they ate each and every single one of them”, Sori complained. She felt uncomfortable knowing her friends wouldn't get the change to eat at least one muffins. It sort of seemed like it was her fault, and she tried hard to make sure she was fair with everyone, but when things like that happened... it was difficult for her to accept that her hard work had gone down the drain.

“I know, don't worry. Next time I'll be the one making sure they can't take even step in the kitchen. Fuck those assholes”. Narae scoffed.

“Sooooriiiiiiii”. The girl could hear the annoying sound nearing her room and she hid her face in the pillow, begging all the gods above to not let her door open. Just for today.

Please, don’t come in. Please, don’t come in.

Though luck.

“Soooooriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii”, Hoseok’s shrills were piercing her ears. He hadn't even said anything, yet Sori felt really tired again. Hoseok was generally very sweet and well aware of the moods around him, however he was also terribly annoyingly loud and once he decided he wanted to cuddle, he’d stick to you like glue. “I heard you baked muuuuffffinssssss”. He was crouching right in front of her pillow. Sori did her best to ignore him. He also liked to pretend nothing was wrong, so that he didn't have to feel guilty about his behaviour. “Did you hide mine again?”, he said excitedly.
Oh... ops

I guess they decided to spare themselves this pile of shit... well, guess what? I'm sending it right back at you

“I'm sorry, Hobi. I hid a couple of them, but the other found them and ate those too...”, she half-complained. Honestly? Yes, she was annoyed she didn't get to eat even just one muffin, but it annoyed her even more to know both Narae and Hoseok wouldn't get to taste them. That being said, talking and thinking about the muffins made her remember Jungkook and his words, thus Sori didn't feel that guilty she barely gave him a half-assed reply.

Hoseok's happy expression fell, leaving room to an annoyed pout and a long sigh. He knew Sori had tried her best, but it had been all useless, so it was no use complaining about the muffins more. Not with Sori at least. Someone else would hear him rage, and he would make sure to make his point clear right after he'll have deemed Sori all better.

“I also heard something unpleasant happened today”, he said softly. He nosed her neck and rubbed his cheek on her arm. She nodded and he hummed in response. Hoseok was always quite open with his affection, and whenever Sori was down he liked to mark her lightly with his scent to let her know he had her back. They cuddle like this for a while, without talking.

“C’mon Sori, let’s go eat something and play. I bet you didn't get the chance to eat one of your muffins”, he said gently while lifting her up. She whined at the loss of warmth. He chuckled on lifted her bridal style before making his way to the kitchen. Oh, well, Sori thought, I might as well let him do as he pleases, at least I won't be responsible for what I'll eat of if my presence will annoy the others.

Around the kitchen table there were all the other members of the pack. Sori really didn’t feel hungry, but as soon as she saw Jungkook there her nausea doubled. Jin gave her a meaningful look and filled her plate, but the smell of food made her a bit dizzy. She started taking deep breaths with her mouth open, praying with all her might for the dinner to end uneventfully. Namjoon, who was sitting next to her, noticed it, and took her hand in his, probably thinking she was having a panic attack or something from having to stay in the same room as Jungkook. For an alpha, Namjoon was extremely tactful and gentle, especially with her. He was one of the few people Sori always respected and liked because he never forced his opinion on others, and he always made sure to show he respected the members of his pack. Also, if he accidentally hurt someone, be it with words or with his clumsiness, Namjoon always made sure to do as much as he could to make it right again. Like a spell, the anxiety washed away and Sori was filled with calm, maybe this was the famous power of the alpha, she reasoned. The nausea didn’t go away completely, though, thus she stuck to shallow breaths as far from the table as she could get without being too obvious. After a while, and some glares later, Sori decided to try and eat something, but after a mouthful or two, but she was already feeling full. Feeling eyes on her, she pretended she didn’t notice and kept her gaze low.

The dinner was unusually quiet. Sori knew it was because of the fight from earlier in the evening, however she didn't know how to lift the mood of the pack. She was never one to talk a lot, and now that it was her fault everyone was lost in their thoughts and upset, she couldn't do much aside from feeling guilty,

Jungkook left the room right after finishing his meal. Jimin and Taehyung looked at each other before turning to Sori and giving her a small smile, non-verbally telling her they were angry with her. A moment later they left the room to go upstairs, probably to Jungkook’s room.

“Sori, you should eat. Really, you're making me feel uncomfortable by staring at your hands while I eat as if I hadn't seen food in years”, Seokjin complained.

“Mmm, it’s not like I don’t want to eat, but I was feeling a bit nauseous earlier, so I decided to wait until the nausea goes away before I eat some more”, she mumbled, “feel free to leave, I'll wait here and then I'll come upstairs too”. It would have been better if he just left, or better if they all left and she was free to eat without them checking her intakes or something. If Sori had learnt something ever since she had joined the pack, it was that no matter how little she ate in comparison to rest, it was always too much, because her stomach always turned round and huge. Totally embarrassing, especially if she compared herself to the other girls in the pack.

Namjoon met Seokjin's eyes and shook his head, but Seokjin didn't even need to check with him. He had already made up him mind.

“Don't worry Sori, take your time, we will wait for you”, he told with a gentle smile on his face.

Chapter Text

Sori turned again in the warm sheets of her bed. She was all warm and cozy, bathing in Jungkook’s scent that still lingered on the bed after the previous night. His side of the bed had now gone cold, but his scent lingered in her room, allowing her to think he was still there and she was cared for.

The sun was going up in the sky. Sori had been awake for a while now, but she didn’t feel like getting up just yet. She sighed. She could hear the muffled sound of the guys talking in the living room, but she had a some thoughts to sort out before joining them... or at least that’s the excuse she came up with to justify the fact that she wanted to lay down for a while more without thinking about anything in particular. So she waited there, letting her thoughts flow freely.

Jungkook had left her room soon after he ended his business with her. Sori thought there was something different in him the previous night, but maybe she was wrong. They’d talked for a while before he leaned in and gently kissed her. He sort of apologized for the things he had said some days ago, too, which was really unlike Jungkook's usual behaviour. He wasn't really one to openly apologize, honestly. He was more the type of person who ignores whatever happened and starts behaving like nothing was ever wrong between him and the person he offended, hence he hadn’t really said the canonical “I’m sorry”, but Sori understood what he meant to say anyway. The way he blushed in embarrassment for a while made Sori think he looked more like a bunny than a mean wolf. He had cuddled up against her side and hugged her tightly while he talked about light things, and Sori happily to lend him her ears. At moments like that Sori thought that he had feelings for her, but then, every single time, she was proved wrong.

Jungkook liked to tell her little things about himself, and Sori could always remember them, despite the fact that Jungkook never seemed to do the same. Although lately Jungkook had made it an habit to spend the night in her room just to talk about Minyoung and all her qualities, the previous night he had utterly surprised Sori by not even mentioning Minyoung for the whole night for the first time in weeks. He hadn’t mentioned her for the whole night. Because of that Sori’s heart had swelled up with hope. It felt so good be spared from having to listen how perfect some girl was for the man she had been in love with for so long.

Out of nowhere he had started kissing her slowly and sweetly. Jungkook did that sometimes, whenever he felt particularly sentimental, and she always felt goose bumps like it was the first time they kissed . In the end they made love, if calling it that way was even proper. No, that wasn’t the exact name for what they did, but at times she felt like she could call it “love” since it felt so sweet and passionate. It always made her feel vulnerable and emotional when Jungkook whispered sweet nothings in her ear, and this time it was no different. They’re eyes met while he was moving above her and his eyes were full of emotions Sori couldn’t really read at the time. Despite all of that, the moment those emotions disappeared from his eyes was just too easy to identify for Sori's well trained eyes. In a matter of seconds his eyes were back to being cold and distant, and as soon as he was done he left her room, leaving her hanging.

Sori was still looking out of the window above her bed. The sun was high in the sky now. She felt confused: did he feel something for her or did she imagine his tender touches and whispers? Did she really imagine all the times he sweetly moaned her name and told her she was beautiful? Did that mean nothing to Jungkook?

Sori scoffed and threw the covers away. She looked at her phone and seeing it was already half past eleven, she decided to get up and take a shower. She proceeded to scrub herself the best she could, because there had been a couple of episodes in which Jungkook got mad at her for smelling like him the day after they had slept together. For that reason Sori was very meticulous, because she hated seeing Jungkook mad at her. She enveloped her small body in the big fluffy towel she had prepared right beside the shower and got dressed. While getting dressed she caught something weird in her reflection. Avoiding her own eyes, she observed the big purple spot on her neck. Jungkook had left a mark on her for the second time. That tiny detail was enough to make her feel euphoric.

He feels something for me for real! Oh my God, he left it on purpose!

Her cheeks were now red and hot. Sori was shrieking in her mind, feeling a little bit silly for fangirling over something so common, albeit not for her. It was important to her, who had never been marked by another man. The man she loved marked her on purpose. No matter he left her like that, Jungkook had still marked her! Sori suddenly felt like singing and laughing!

She got dressed while singing under her breath and went downstairs. In the kitchen there was no one, but she knew they had heard her coming down. Sori didn’t really care if she had to eat alone, it was more comfortable for her actually, because no one would’ve known how much or what she ate. Not that they spent their time looking at what was in her plate, but she still felt like she shouldn’t eat much, especially when it came to some specific food, in front of them.

Since she had decide to go for a stroll to the library and to the nearby park afterwards, Sori only ate a sandwich to make it quick, thinking that if she got hungry later on she could stop in a cafe. She slowly ate everything, cleaned the table and washed the plate she had used still smiling sillily, lost in her own thoughts.

Knowing Namjoon didn’t like her going out alone, all the most when she didn’t tell him where she was going, she started looking for him. It seemed he had disappeared in thin air, because she really couldn’t find him anywhere. She went downstairs again and asked in a loud voice:

“Guys, did you see Namjoon?”. She waited, but no answer came. She waited some more, but still nothing was heard a part Hoseok’s loud laugh. She felt a small prick to her heart, but she ignored it. She didn’t want something so stupid to ruin her good mood, let alone that she knew they wouldn’t pay her any attention when they were playing with their stupid videogames. She walked closer to the living room without fully entering and asked again:

“Do you know where’s Namjoon? I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find him”. The three inside the room didn’t even look at her. “Ok, fine. If you see him, tell him I’m going out and I’ll be back in a couple of hours”. No reaction at all.

Whatever.

Sori grabbed her purse and checked the money she still had in her wallet from the last time she had left the house, around a week and half ago. She liked staying at home or going to the lake nearby, and Namjoon hated it when she left the house for too long too, thus she never really went out that much. Jin once explained her that Namjoon was always worried for her when she went out alone, because she wasn’t strong enough to defend herself from a possible attack, and if no one was with her anything could happen. Not like it wouldn’t happen if she wasn’t alone, he reasoned, but still their alpha liked it better when she had someone with her. Sori didn’t really mind bringing someone with her once in a while, but she was a loner, so she didn’t really have much to do or friends to meet when she left the house. She mostly went to cafes or to the park with a book to read while she enjoyed the sun. Lately Sori had discovered an amazing library just a bit further than she usually went, which was the reason why she hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. She was afraid they would forbid her to go there or worse, they might want to go with her keep an eye on her. She liked the guys of the pack, but no one loved reading a part from Namjoon, and he was always busy, which meant she’d have to read while someone spoke to her, played with her hair or with her phone, or asked her every two minutes when they’d leave, because they were bored. Nope. That was only going to ruin her mood and waste her time.

Sori was thankful her alpha cared for her, but it was too much at times. She was told from day one that alphas have a tendency to be overprotective over weak members of the pack and especially with the females of their pack, but she never gave him a reason to worry in the past three years. It happened once or twice that she forgot her phone at home, when she had just joined the pack, and came back to find 30 or so calls from the alpha, but that was long time ago. Now she always checked her phone’s battery before going out, and made sure to have the volume turned to the maximum, so that she’d hear it as soon as it started ringing.

She took her clothes off, tightened the strap of her purse around her body and folded her clothes, so that they fit inside it. Once she was standing on the ground in front of the house she changed and ran as a wolf until she was close to the town. When the sounds of cars and city life got too near for comfort, Sori changed back to her human form and wore her clothes again.

Sori slowly walked towards her favourite cafe, which was quite close to where Jungkook worked, enjoying the timid rays of the sun and breathing some fresh air after having stayed coped up in her room for almost a week.

She was trying to restrain herself from going to eat at Jungkook’s workplace just to see his face again and see if this time he would act differently towards her than all the other times they had sex. It surely felt different for her since he had marked her, but she couldn't take for guaranteed that Jungkook would have felt the same way. After all it would also be convenient for her since the café she had planned to go to was on the same street as Jungkook’s workplace. Sori giggled softly on her own, nodding her head at the sound of the music that was blasting through her earphones.

Sori walked at the pace the music set and, as she got closer to Jungkook’s workplace she turned it down. Now that she was this close, Sori wasn’t all that sure this was a good idea. Actually she was pretty sure it was a shitty one. Her heart was pounding and her anxiety was taking over. She had been warned more than once by him not to enter his work place, as he didn’t want to see her there. He was quite exhaustive when he yelled her that she must never go there, actually. Sori didn’t really know why she was the only one in the pack who couldn’t go there, at least not if she was on her own, but she followed his order anyway. Not that she ever had the occasion to go alone before anyway. Sori was quite happy when she discovered her favourite cafe by chance and she was even happier when she learnt that Jungkook didn’t know she often sat in there, just across the street, to watch him work.

It was ironical for her to understand she wouldn’t find it in herself to go there knowing Jungkook could get angry, no matter how much she felt entitled after he had clearly marked her as his own. Actually, she didn’t even want to go in there after passing in front of the restaurant, in spite of her previous resolution. What if Jungkook noticed her and thought she was trying to spy on him?

Through the glass walls she could clearly see the girl smiling as Jungkook took a piece of paper she had handed him, before the two girls who where leaft the BBQ place. The both of them were taller than her, dressed fashionably and they were thin. No wonder he was smiling so brightly: they were exactly his type. Sori didn’t want to think about it, but she wasn’t dumb enough to think it was just the receipt. Unfortunately.

She stood there pretending to be talking on the phone and waited for the girls to exit. Then, she followed them for a while, trying to eavesdrop their conversation to confirm her suspects. She was close close enough to hear one of them say:

“He said he’d bring a friend tonight, so maybe you should ask him what his friend looks like, because if I don’t like him I’m not dolling up for nothing”, in a whiny voice.

“Yeah, we can do than, and maybe I’ll call him and ask him to bring more of his friends. That way we can bring some of the girls, so it won’t be a double date and you won’t have to put up with his friend for the whole night, but I sure as hell want to get in his pants tonight”. Sori stopped after hearing that. She could clearly hear the girls giggling between themselves and making dirty jokes, but she couldn’t understand them since her brain wasn’t working properly. “See, he texted me already!”, she grinned. “I have high hopes for tonights”, the girl giggled.

Sori wanted to mentally slap herself. She should have known that hickey meant nothing. She should have known right away. She shouldn’t have been dumb. She shouldn’t have given herself the possibility to put her hopes up, because now it hurt. Even thought she’d already suspected what that piece of paper was, it still hurt her. It hurt so bad Sori felt her breath faltering as she felt tears prickling in her eyes. As Sori could feel a violent shift coming, she started walking back, right throw the short cut for the pack house. She needed to change, but she couldn’t do it in the middle of the street. So now all she needed to do was breath deeply and pick up her pace to reach the first rows of trees as soon as she could.

Dumb. You’re so fucking dumb, Sori. You deserve it.

At a certain point she took off running, because she was sure her control wouldn’t last enough for her to reach the woods if she didn’t quicken her pace. This was one of things she never loved about being a turned-werewolf: sudden and powerful emotions could cause violent shifts. She was particular subjected to them since she often felt very embarrassed or hurt because of the things she heard and saw around her, and she was even more affected by the things Jungkook did. Lately her control had improved, which made this sudden shift even more embarrassing and hateful. It was all because of her stupid hopes. Her stupid ideas. Her stupid feelings. She despised herself so much.

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. You the worst. You and your dumb ideas. Why would he ever want you?! Hasn’t he made himself clear enough times already? Fucking idiot. I hate you.

Nobody will ever know how much Sori hated herself at times. Nobody will ever understand how much she loved Jungkook and how much she wished her feelings disappeared every single day at the same time.

Why can’t I stop? Why can’t I hate you? Why can I only hate myself? A disgusting turned-wolf, that’s what I am. His whore. That’s what I should remember when I think he can fall for me. Dumb. Useless. Ugly. Fat.

She repeated those words in her head until she reached the threes of the short cut. She fell on all fours right after, finally losing the control she had been holding to until that moment. A painful growl left her mouth when the gravel scratched her hands and knees as the shift took its time. It was one of the most painful changes Sori ever experienced. Usually a violent shift took her around three-four minutes for her instead of the usual couple of seconds, but now hours seemed to have passed as she was blocked there, bones breaking but fixing up again without letting her take her wolf form. At last, Sori felt her skin tore little by little, her bones break and fix themselves in different positions, her teeth elongating slowly and painfully. It was all because of Jungkook.

No, you bitch, this is all because of you, because you can’t stop being his little bitch. Because you keep doing everything you can for him to notice you. Because you continuously delude yourself into thinking you're worthy of his attention. It’s all because of you.

Those words were resonating loudly in her head, and Sori could only whimper and cry, feeling empty and pathetic. The hot and salty tears left burning paths on her cheeks.

When she finally opened her eyes again, Sori looked down to see her hands had finally turned into paws. She could only wish for the rest of the change to speed up too. She was now swaying side to side, trying to ease the excruciating pain in her hips and shoulders caused by the slow change. Usually the changing was so fast that she barely felt any type of pain other than some tingly sensation, thus this was a new experience, way closer to the first time she changed. It took some more minutes, but finally Sori was on her wolf form and she could run to burn out some of her pain.

She ran at her full speed towards the lake, which was situated along the confines between BTS and EXO's lands. It was one of her favourite places in her pack’s lands. Or better, it was one of favourite places in general. During these past few years she’d built a very small hut there, and only Narae knew about it. It was tiny, but it was perfect for her: when it rained and she was there, she could simply go lay in her hut and wait for it to stop without having to go back home. It was also the place where she spent a lot of sad times, since she often ran there when Jungkook said mean things about her. It was her place. The only place she really felt hers. Not even her room was hers like this little hut was. She loved it.

Huffing through her nose, Sori stood in front of the water. It was only March and it was 2 p.m. already, so she wouldn’t have much time to dry herself before going back home, but the cold water was calling her despite the chances of catching a cold. The run had helped her to calm down a bit, still Sori upset. It wasn't the first time she felt disappointed, nor the first time she put her hopes up because of something Jungkook had done, nonetheless it was painful. Moreover, she knew she couldn’t go home now, otherwise she would have to see Jungkook, who was quite low on the list of people she wanted to meet at the moment. She didn’t want to face anyone to be honest, but out of everyone, he was the one he wanted to see the least.

One deep breath later Sori had jumped into the water and was swimming slowly, ruining the peaceful surface of the water. It was something she loved to do. In this place, in her place, she could play however she wanted, she could be silly and weird without having to worry about a thing, knowing that no one would’ve seen her nor judged her because no one knew about this place... or at least that’s what she believed since she’s never seen anyone checking on this border. Sori looked around to be sure there was no one was around for real, and then she started swimming from side to side of the river, trying to ease her mind in the cold water. She swam until she felt like she couldn’t breathe anymore and her muscles were burning. The freezing cold water hadn't bothered her as long as she had been swimming, but now that she was tired and she had to get out the stinging sensation in her paws was becoming a little too much. As soon as she was out of the water Sori shook her fur energetically, trying to get rid of the water in her fur to dry herself quicker. Her beige fur, now that it was dampened, looked darker than it actually was, she noted.

Sori generally liked the colour of her fur, because it was not a common colour. She remembered a book she was given to read soon after she was turned. Apparently every turned were was given this books and general information to let them adapt better to the change. It was easier to accept how their lives were never going back to be as they were before they were bitter by another wolf when they were given interesting information and if the positive aspect of the change were put under the spotlight. Anyway, the book stated that wolves that show particular signs, such as special talents or different fur colors than most wolves, they are special. This characteristics were meant to make them more noticeable, and they many of those who showed those signs had a mate. A mate. It was something Sori had dreamed about from the moment she learnt about them. Someone who’d accept her the way she was, someone who’d love her no matter what she was, no matter how imperfect she was. There was a time in which she was convinced Jungkook was her mate, because the love she felt for him was too extreme to be normal. Wasn't it a sign that she could forgive him no matter what he did? That’s why, after finishing the whole book, she had asked a lot of information about mates to Narae, since she was the alpha’s mate, hoping to get more evidence to prove her suppositions were right. However, Narae had mostly told her things she already knew, like the rarity of having a mate, how powerful and strong is the bond between mates is and how they can even physically mark each other if they want to, so that their bond could be even stronger. Moreover, when Sori asked her to describe how she felt for Namjoon, she couldn’t really answer. She just said:

“It not something I can describe with words. There is nothing I can compare to the feelings the mate bond creates, it... It's sort of a very deep feeling of love, but it’s not just that. It’s like that person is your best friend, your lover but also yourself. I can’t explain it, really. Namjoon is me, although we’re different and we were born in different centuries, so we have different view on some things, he’s the one I’d blindly trust with my life, with my future, with... well, with myself in general. Without him I can't see a future. I can’t even imagine to breathe and live in a world in which Namjoon doesn’t exist. I could live only for him if he asked me to, but I wouldn’t be able to survive a day if he left me. There are no words to describe what I have with him, Sori, I’m sorry, but I can’t explain it! It's lame, I know, but... you will know when your mate will be in front of you”.

Sori wanted to feel that special bond. She wanted someone who loved her like that. She wanted her mate. And she wanted to believe that person was Jungkook.

With this thought in her head, Sori asked to every single wolf in the pack if they’d ever heard of a turned-werewolf with a mate, but no one knew anything useful, so she went to the hospital to get a better explanation about mates and how to recognize them with the doctor who had follower her case and helped right after she was turned. He was surprised to see her there, and even more surprised when Sori shifted in front of him just to shift back seconds after. She excitedly asked the doctor if he had ever met another turned wolf with a fur like hers. Unfortunately, even the doctor didn't have a proper answer to her doubts, but he had looked at Sori a mix of amused and intrigue. The doctor told her that in the four centuries in which he’d been a doctor he’d only met 4-5 wolves with a fur similar to her's, and they were all born-werewolves, which was why he would have liked to help her and study her case more, albeit at the moment her had no answers to give her. With her stomach churning from the anticipation, Sori asked him if all of those wolves had a mate, and he answered positively, but then his expression was puzzled when he added:

“But as I said before, those were all born-werewolves. In my life, I have never met a turned-werewolf with a mate. I did read about them, but the cases are extremely rare, and so far I never researched more about this topic. It not in my intentions to upset you, but if I understood what you are asking me, I am afraid to have to disappoint you. If I remember correctly, you are now a member of BTS pack... do you not think it would be extremely hard to have two mated couples in the same pack? It is something almost unheard of, and in the pack in which there are more mates couples, usually the members are all very old wolves who joined the pack in different periods of time. It seems unrealistic to me that in this very short period of time you, a turned-werewolf, would have found your mate already, if you even have one. I do not mean this as offence in any way, but I personally think you should focus more on other positive aspects of being werewolves, because unfortunately this one almost never regards people of you kin. And, once again, I do not mean it in a derogatory way, believe me”. He ended his long discourse with a small and sad smile. Even then, Sori could only wish to be a normal werewolf. She had all the requisites to be a mated wolf, but being a turned-werewolf that possibility was off-limits for her.

If I were a born-werewolf, would Jungkook see me in a different light? Would he be my mate? Uhg, Jungkook, Jungkook, always Jungkook. I’m so tired of him.

Sori just laid down on the sunny patch of leaves that were still scattered on the ground. She forced herself not to think of anything. The mental tiredness she had felt lately was there again, and little by little it won her over.

When Sori woke up it was almost dark. Only then the thought of her purse and clothes crossed her mind. She’d left them in the short-cut.

Oh shit. Namjoon must be going berserk. Bye bye life.

She took off towards where she left her clothes instead of going home right away, as Sori had a plan: she would check how many times he had called already, and if it was more than ten times, she would just text Narae she was sleeping out and then she’d spend the night in the hut. It would be a bit cold during the night, but since it was the end of March she could just sleep in her wolf form and put her thick fur to use. Or at least that’s what she hoped for.

Sori shifted as soon as her clothes could be seen, and with shaky hands she gripped her purse and opened it. Her phone was ringing, yet she didn’t have to check who it was, she already knew it was Namjoon. Scared she would accidentally answer, Sori didn’t grab it, opting for wanting until it stopped ringing. The voicenote left by Namjoon's on her voice mail told Sori all she needed to know: she was in deeeeep, deeeep shit. Not that she didn't expect it, though.

“Narae, your stupid friend isn’t picking up her phone. I’m going to kill her this time. I don’t care if she has a good reason. She’s gonna pay for this”, Namjoon’s growls could be heard loud and clear.

Ahahah ahah ah. Ah. Ah. Shit. I did all this shit and maybe Jungkook won't even care about those girls. Oh, shit. How do I explain this? Shit.

She facepalmed and sighed again. When the lights of her phone switched off, she took it in her hands and unlocked it. It was a bit past ten already…not surprising since she’d woke up to seen the reflection of the moon on the surface of the lake. 24 calls from Namjoon were notified. 15 texts from Namjoon as well.

Nope, not going home tonight.

Sori listed out all the possible excuses she could think of to justify her absence, but then again it’d be useless, because she could be able to lie and be believable now that she only had to write down a couple of lies, but when they’ll directly ask her about her where she was, Sori wouldn’t be able to lie. Or she would just forget later on what she had lied about. She totally sucked at lying. Not surprisingly, Sori decided to opt for the easiest option: not justify at all her actions. She simply informed Narae she would stay out for the night, then she sighed again, regretting her decision already. Not only was Namjoon was going to murder her, she had no doubt about it, but she would also have to find a way to spend her time until tomorrow morning. And waste all that time worrying about Namjoon yelling at her, too. But really, how could she sleep that long without waking up? She sighed yet again. Just how dumb could she be?

Sori stopped writing the text to Narae when she heard a car nearing the place where she was standing completely naked. It was biting cold out there, but since she didn’t have the time to get dressed before the car would have passed her by, Sori ran a little to be able to have a better view while also being covered by the bushes. What she saw didn’t help her mood at all: Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung were going out together, and by what Sori could see, they were wearing nice clothes and their hair was styled up. The usual night out for them.

It’s ok, Sori. You don’t even know where they’re going, you’re just supposing things because Jungkook is a bit of a manwhore, but still you have no evidence they were the guys those girls were talking about. And if they were...well, the two of you are not together. No matter what you think or feel. That hickey meant nothing. You know you’ll never mean anything to him. Stop being dramatic.

Sori stood there for a while, lost in her thoughts. Only when she her phone started ringing again Sori remembered she hadn't sent Narae the text she had thought of. Actually, she realized she was shivering from the cold as her hands were shaking so bad she was having a hard time completing the text. It took her a minute or so, but Sori finally managed to sent the text before wearing her clothes again. How she wished she was like one of those lycans from the movies that was never affected by the weather.

Sori slowly made headed back to the bushes, her mind was focused on Jungkook again. She had hours to fill until morning and it was getting really cold, but if she ran she’d get to the hut soon and then she’d only have to wait there for hours doing nothing. Moreover, she doubted she could fall asleep again after having slept the afternoon away.

Sighing, Sori decided she couldn't just postpone facing Namjoon... it would be to no use, and it would also be just a waste of time, because she would just spend her time thinking about what Namjoon could possibly tell her, or whatever, thus she slowly and very silently walked around the pack house, but she stayed hidden in the woods to spare herself from the alpha’s rage for a while more. She was trying to understand if there was someone near the door, or better trying to see if Namjoon was there. The alpha’s rage was never something she wanted to experience, because his outbursts could be very explosive (albeit he always apologized if he went too far), so maybe if she was quiet enough, paid attention and didn’t made herself visible, she’d be able to live another night and face death the following morning.

Right then Sori had another idea: she could wait for the guys to come back home and see if they’d brought the girls from that morning with them. If they were alone, she could let them see her and they'll let her in without having to face Namjoon or try to sneak in. She simply had to wait somewhere where she couldn’t be seen from the alpha, but near enough to the house that she wouldn't miss the guys if they were to come back. She was half tempted to change back to her wolf form to keep herself a little bit warmer, however she couldn't be bothered to undress again just to change back in a couple of hours.

No matter how much the girl waited before checking how much time had passed, it was always only a couple of minutes. She was shivering like a leaf in the wind, yet she was too stubborn to just stop then and go inside the house to take a warm shower. Actually she was starting to get worried she’d enrage Jin too at this point. Namjoon would yell at her for being stupid and disappearing, Jin would be mad because she was sick and there was a quite big possibility of Jungkook being there to had fuel to the fire. Not good.

Sori waited more, sitting on a rock behind an old oak, blowing her warm breath on her hands, trying to warm them up just to have something to spend her time on. It was no surprise that she felt that agitated, really, she already knew it would end up like that if her suspicions about Jungkook would have turned out right. Once again, Sori checked her phone only to discover it was half past one in the morning and her battery was close to death. Around midnight Namjoon had stopped calling and sending her texts. It felt as if he was even angrier than the previous times, though Sori didn’t really care about his reasons for it nor why he was that angry. She only hoped he’d yell until the vocal cords broke and everything went back to normal without having to be force to explain herself or have to tell anyone about the reasons behind her behaviour. Despite that, at the moment she was more worried about angering Jin too, in fact she could already feel her nose getting stuffy. Not good. Not good. Jin was scarier that Namjoon when he got angry. All the alarm bells in her head were going off, but still she didn’t gave up.

A while later Sori was leaning towards the idea of going to sleep inside if Jungkook didn’t come back soon or if he came back without girls, because she couldn’t feel her feet anymore and she was scared that if she passed more time in that freezing cold she lose a toe. After all, even if came home with one girl there wasn’t much she could do to help her situation. He probably wouldn't even notice she wasn't there. Sori wasn't going to lie to herself about that.

Sori kept opening and closing her fists, because her hands were so cold they hurt. She kept wondering how much time she would have to wait until it was morning and she could go back to her room and have a shower... So much for being a not-too-cold-March-night.

The moment Sori heard a car she stood up. It was still far from the house, but she wanted to see who was in the car. Her legs were really steady after spending 3-4 hours sitting on a cold rock, and her hips hurt, so she started jumping on the spot and doing some stretching, murmuring about how she wished she had worn thicker clothes in the morning.

Her heart sped up as the car got closer and its front could be seen through the death branches behind which she was hiding. Time to check if her suppositions were right.

Please, don’t disappoint me. Please, don’t do this to me. Please, that hickey must have meant something for you too. Please, Jungkook, don’t have a girl with you for the night. Please, please, please.

The car doors open and Sori felt her heart in her throat. How much could it hurt her if she war right?

“Please, please, please, Kookie!”, she was murmuring. Begging silently to be wrong for once about him.

Jungkook and Jimin could already be seen. Her heart sank a bit in her chest as she saw him walk towards the other door to open it. A very uncommon gesture for Jungkook.

Please, just let it Taehyung. Maybe he’s so drunk he can’t stand up on his own. Please, don’t be a girl. Please don’t be a girl.

Sori’s hopes were crushed down a moment later, when she heard a loud and girlish giggle. A tall, thin and almost naked girl go out of the car. With her there were two other girls and Taehyung. Sori’s attention was focused only on the first girl though, because she had already seen her in the morning. She felt her heart crumbing down.

I should’ve never waited for him to come back. Doubting him was bad enough, but having the confirmation you’re worth nothing for him is way worse.

She saw the girl gripping tightly Jungkook’s arm while waiting for Jimin to open the door. She heard Taehyung whisper:

“You guys have to be quite unless you want Sori to wake up”, while chuckling. Jungkook scoffed and said a bit louder:

“And why would I care about waking her up? She’s not my mom, I don’t have to justify what I do”. Jimin sent him a weird look and closed the door behind him. Not that Sori needed to see or hear more, anyway.

Sori stood there for a while more, then she changed back in her wolf form and ran back to her hut near the lake.

Chapter Text

The sun had barely begun to raise when Sori made her way back home. She didn’t catch a wink of sleep since she was too busy bawling her eyes out, and just like she had imagined, she had spent a good portion of time just worrying about what Namjoon was going to say. The only thing that had changed from the day before was that Sori had started coughing and she was feeling weak. As for the rest, Sori was still alone, and she was still hurting because Jungkook didn’t give her his full attention, albeit she recognized she had no reason to expect him to.

The path she took to go home was the shortest, but it still felt like she had been walking for hours as she kept worrying about the same things: Namjoon and having to face Jungkook after their last night together and what he had said about her. Her whole body hurt, hence she was pretty sure she caught more than just a cold, but she wasn’t too worried since she’d probably be okay again in a couple of days. She felt her eyes prick and her face getting hot, too, a typical sign her temperature was starting to raise.

Sori almost stopped when she reached the meadow in front of the house, both exhausted and scared. The only thing that convinced her to move on was the thought of her warm and comfy bed after taking a hot shower, although to enter her room she’d have to pass right in front of Jungkook’s, and since his room was right in front of hers, she risked hearing...disturbing noises. Not that it would be the first time, but for Sori this time it felt like it would have been different to hear him with another girl. This time she was pretty sure it would cut her deeper.

In the end Sori resolved to face her pack. No matter how much Sori wanted to stay in her safe zone, she really needed a very warm shower, take some pills and sleep. There was a good chance that before having the chance to do that she’d have to hear her alpha’s growls and yells, but Sori was really hoping her best friend would step in and convince him to postpone that unfortunate talk for a while. Perhaps, in the afternoon, after she woke up from her slumber. It was a fat chance, but you never know.

Sori started walking again, her paws were working even more slowly than before, she really felt like shit. Her head was pounding, both from crying too much and from the cold temperatures she had exposed herself to, and every step she took seemed to be slowed down, as if he paws weighted a ton.

Shit. Jin’s going to stab me with the thermometer.

Sori had a plan, though: she would stay in her wolf form until she got in the shower, and only then she would change to her human form. After the shower she planned to shift right away, and after that she would go to sleep in her bed. Possibly she’ll blast some music right in her hears with her earphones, just to spare herself from the eventual noises coming from Jungkook’s room, as the noises coming from his room never failed to disgust and pain her.

The main part of the plan was to avoid Jungkook like a plague. It’s not like he did anything new or that bad, Sori was perfectly aware of the fact that they were not together. As much as Sori would’ve loved to, he wasn’t hers. She had simply put her hopes up because marking someone was a lot more meaningful than in human society, and being Jungkook an old wolf, she had supposed his actions had a meaning... and she had just illuded herself. It was like telling everyone that that person was yours and nobody else could touch them. In the past, Sori had learnt, mates used to bit each other again and again, deep enough the leave a permanent mark on each other. Obviously Jungkook hadn't bitten her, so he probably didn't even want to mark her at all. He must have lost himself in the moment. Despite knowing that, Sori's pride and heart had been hurt she needed some time to lick her wounds, no matter how silly and childish she sounded.

Sori didn’t want anyone to comfort her. She only wanted to be alone and forget all the things she’d imagined the previous day, because those castles of glass hurt her even more than the fact that she knew she was completely replaceable for Jungkook. Her dignity was too important to give it away like that and pretend nothing happened. Sori didn’t want to be obvious, but she wanted to give importance to her feelings. In the end nobody knew what happened, it wasn't anything public like the last time he made fun of her, but it hurt more than the usual because of how much she had fantasised about the meaning of that stupid hickey.

Sitting in front the door, Sori was trying to decide whether to ring the bell and wait for hell to break loose, or sit there until someone opened the door and only then get in, hoping to pass unnoticed. If she had to be honest with herself, she knew the second one was highly unrealistic, because the first person to leave the house would be Seokjin, and no way would he’d let her be if he were to find her first. Jungkook would most likely follow him in a matter of minutes, or worse, they could go out to work together. Let alone the girls the guys had brought home the night before... Sori didn’t really feel up to a confrontation in which she’d look shabby, fat, plain, dirty and boring against someone who looked like a fairy. Maybe she could act like a dog, but she felt too much like Jungkook's bitch already, why ruin herself more with her own hands? Her self-esteem was at his lowest point already, no need to show her how far she was from being pretty.

She weighted a bit more the two options in front of the door, and then out of nowhere, before she could decide, Jimin opened the door, making all her speculations useless. Not that she minded the interruption. Actually, she really appreciated it, because that way Sori would completely avoid both Namjoon and Jin until they noticed she was in her room. And she really hoped it didn’t happen until late in the late afternoon.

“Ya! Be quiet with those paws, Namjoon has been acting more like Mr. Hyde than Dr. Jeckyll since yesterday.”, he whispered while moving to the side to give her way. “Where the hell were you, by the way? We didn’t see you at all yesterday, we were afraid something happened to you! You know, I started thinking that maybe Namjoon isn’t completely wrong when insist you don’t leave the house alone...”, he kept on whispering. Sori just scoffed and left without listening to another word. Absurd. She wished she was brave enough to voice her sarcastical thoughts out loud. Sure, Jimin was a better encounter than Namjoon or Jungkook, but that was about it.

Hadn't you completely ignored me yesterday morning you would have known where I was going. As if you didn’t go out and brought a girl home. Wow, sure, you were so worried for me, I might really feel touched.You must have been totally out of your minds looking for me everywhere.

Sori walked on her tippy toes to the bathroom and locked the door right after she had changed back to her human form. It was partially because she didn’t want to be discovered by the others, but also because of her modesty . Albeit nudity was nothing special in a pack of wolves, Sori tried to avoid it as much as possible. She wanted to keep her body to herself. All the more when it was a perfect excuse to hide herself a bit more and keep away possibly enraged pack members.

She stepped in the shower right away. The hot water was scorching hot on her frozen skin. Sori hissed in pain, but didn’t move. It felt like the single drops running down her skin were drawing pretty images as the slid down. It took her body a couple of minutes to find the warmth pleasurable. As her body temperature raised under the hot water, Sori slowly stopped shivering. Her muscles hurt from the constant spasm, but Sori didn't worry about it nor did she massage them to ease the pain. She was going to sleep in five minutes anyway. She just let the water dampen her hair, the hot drops of water slowly sliding down from her hair to her body. She closed her eyes to let the water run freely along the features of her face. It was easier to be at ease when the only thing you could feel was hot water that covered any other sound.

Sometimes she used Jungkook’s bath foam or shampoo, but today the sight of it made her feel a bit disgusted. Or maybe she should say it irked her a little. Either way, she used Narae’s shampoo and body wash instead of her owns. Narae loved fruity scents, so her shampoo always smelled like melon, peaches, strawberries, and whatever other weird fruit could be turned into a soap, and today was no exception, in fact the shampoo smelled like apples and honey. It wasn’t the kind of scent Sori loved, however she didn’t dislike it either. Quite the opposite actually, as the fruity scent reminded her of her best friend and it relaxed her a little. It was just that Sori loved flowery scents and vanilla-everything better. This usually gave it away whenever she was feeling down or stressed, since she used shampoos, lotions, and body washes of her pack member to calm down her anxiety and relieve her mood.

It had also happened that the other members used her products for the same exact reason, but it was mostly Sori’s habit. She’s smelled her vanilla scent on Jungkook a couple of times before Minyoung arrived, but Sori knew well he would never do something like that on purpose and he’d most likely picked the wrong item as he was showering. Using other people’s stuff with the purpose of smelling like them meant you had a close relationship with them or even that you belonged together which clearly wasn’t their case. Why would he ever want to smell like her? That was a step from saying he belonged to the person who owned the shampoo or the bath foam, and Jungkook would never say that about her, not even if he didn't have to explicitly say anything.

Sori took her time and made sure she’d washed away the scent of soil, grass and sweat from her body. Let the water heal her spirit, ease the pain on her shoulders, and make her feel warm again. When she was done, Sori enveloped her body in her bathrobe and quickly dried her hair with a towel. She combed and blow dried her hair trying to be as quick as she could, for she could already hear people walking on the upper floor, which meant either Namjoon or Narae was awake. She had to get out of the bathroom real quick if she wanted to avoid Seokjin as well and be able to pretend she was asleep.

A minute later Sori opened her robe and shifted back to her wolf form, still shivering because of the cold, but not feeling like she freezing anymore. Silently she walked to her room hoping no noise would be made from the room in front of hers until she had her headphones on. Or better, Sori believed they should’ve been done by then, but you can never be too sure. Once she entered her room, she only closed it instead of locking it, because she knew the rest of the pack will want to check on her as soon as they notice her presence in the house...and also because changing in the bathroom hadn't been a great idea since that meant she had no hands to turn the key or grab her earphones.

Being left with no other choice, Sori huffed and changed again. Changing this often was tiring her even more, so Sori just decided to give up on the only possibility she had to avoid Namjoon’s questions for a while. She grabbed her earphones from her nightstand before burying herself under the covers. Then Sori made a very small ball out of her body and finally took a deep breath, knowing this might be the last second of peace she had before Namjoon found her. She chose some of the slow instrumentals she had on her playlist, the ones Sori usually played during the nights she had a hard time falling asleep. Her body was still shivering, so Sori curled herself even more before closing her eyes and letting her thoughts run free. She could feel the exhaustion weighting her down, however there was still too much anxiety filling her mind for her to fall sleep just yet. Sori waited until the shivering had calmed a bit to focus only on the music coming from her earphones. Her headache still pounding her skull, and the music wasn't helping with the pain, but it was enough to cover any other sound and it made her feel a little bit better. Both in her soul and in her body. Her body was heavy on the mattress, her eyelids stopped trembling, and her mouth relaxed to a soft line, leaving her lips only slightly opened. She fell asleep with music still playing.

“...let her sleep a bit more, then you’ll give her a piece of your mind”. Those were the first words Sori heard when she woke up. Her eyelids still felt heavy, probably her eyes were swollen since she had cried for so many hours, and she had a strong headache, yet she could bring herself to sleep even a wink more now that she discovered they were in her room. Since she was also a coward, Sori came up with a plan: stay as still as rock and hope they won’t notice she’s awake.

“Sori, get out of there. We have to talk.”, she heard Namjoon say from somewhere very close to her bed. Mmm, no thanks? No matter how many times she said she was ready to swallow whatever the alpha had to tell her, right now Sori was just about to change planed to avoid taking any responsibility over her actions. Very slowly, Sori appeared from under the covers and Namjoon, Narae and Seokjin appeared in front of her eyes. Narae was sitting on her bed, Namjoon on the chair by her desk and Jin was on the ground. She was pretty sure it was a casual thing, but it also happened to represent the order of the highest ranks in the pack: alpha, female alpha and beta. In fact, Namjoon was in the highest position in the room as he was the alpha and overpowered the other three; Narae was sitting only a little lower and in fact, as the female alpha, she had more power than Sori and Jin; while Jin was sitting on the ground, but in spite of the fact that his head only reached Sori’s height, Jin was still dominating over her, since Sori was laying down, which showed her submission.

The following rank order got mixed up and confused over the centuries, but Jungkook once told her that the initial ranking was: Namjoon, Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung and Jimin. During these centuries it’d been modified, and no one had cared enough to establish a new and serious order in their pack rank. Jungkook had also explained her that he was in a higher position than Jimin and Taehyung, and those two were now at the same level, in fact they compensate each other perfectly fine now. Hoseok and Yoongi had stopped trying to decide which one of them was the highest in rank long ago, and everyone thought it was a blessing really, since no one wanted to hear stupid fights in which animals were used as insults. As Jungkook put it, it didn’t really matter how people established their rank in the pack, for it only came natural to submit or to lead the pack if it ever happened to be in a risky situation.

Sori wasn’t able to tear her eyes from Namjoon’s, as his eyes kept changing colour, which gave away how angry he was. This time there was something more in them, though, something scarily close to pity, and Sori hated it when other people pitied her. She pitied herself just fine, no need for more, thank you. She made sure to turn her eyes to her comforter and keep them there to avoid Namjoon's glare. The alpha cleared his voice, and Sori got the signal it was time for her to start talking and explaining.

“Mmm...sorry?”, she almost asked. Namjoon’s growl came right away, and it was loud and clear. Yeah, okay, maybe it was not the best word choice. “Ok, just ask, if you want to know more details, but basically I went out to go to the library, I looked for you to tell you about it, but I couldn’t find you and nobody could tell me where you were, hence I...sort of just left like that”, Sori said. Namjoon eyes flashed dangerously at her. “I swear, I asked the guys where you were, but they didn’t know”. She said trying to hide herself better under the covers, as if that could protect her from the alpha’s rage. Sori knew Namjoon was painfully aware she was lying, but she didn’t want to put her packmates between a rock and a hard place. Not that they had behaved the right way, but still... nobody likes snitches.

“They didn’t know?”, Namjoon said in a knowing tone.

“Well...maybe they did but they just didn’t tell me? I don’t know, they just didn’t answer me”, guilt seeping in her voice. Unfortunately there was not much Sori could do about the fact that she couldn’t lie to save her life, and now that she had spilled the beans the other guys were going to be mad at her too.

“Oh, and so you left without even leaving a note?”, his voice was scarily calm, but Sori could clearly see the alpha’s hands shaking a little. Maybe she had underestimated how really angry he was? It didn't seem like such a big matter to her...

“Yeah...I, uhm, I’m sorry, I didn’t think I’d be out for that long”, she whispered. Namjoon growled again and Sori just shut her mouth. What could she say to make him feel better and get out of this sticky situation? Not to mention that she had an headache and little to no will to focus on such conversations. It was over, she was home, they needed to get over it already. Silence fell in the room after that. Sori wouldn’t even have found it that annoying if it weren’t for the three pairs of eyes she could feel glued on her laying figure.

“Go on, Sori. Where did you go for the rest of the afternoon?”, Jin asked only a tad gentler than Namjoon. Narae grasped her hand tightly from above the blanket, sending her a tiny yet encouraging smile.

“Mmm...well, I was in the wood near home”, Sori said tentatively. How much detail was is safe to give away?

“You were in the wood...near home?”, Namjoon said mockingly while raising an eyebrow. He was set on making Sori suffer and embarrass herself.

“Yes, I was in our lands, alpha. I took a bath in the river and then I rested a bit in the sun, so that my fur would dry”. Sori and Narae exchanged a meaningful glance, and Sori knew she was going to have to tell her everything as soon as the situation was acceptably calm. Seokjin, on the other hand, was fuming by now. Oh, well, it wasn't like Sori didn't expected it...

“Oh, really? And after having taken a bath in ice cold water, you though it was wise to stay out to dry up? How wise of you!”. Jin's mocking chuckle was one of the scariest things Sori ever witnessed in her whole life. Goose bumps ran over her skin. With the corner of her eye she saw Narae shiver lightly too. “Oh, but tell me more, Sori. Where did you sleep tonight?”, the sass was pouring in the room through his voice, and Sori was starting to feel too tired to even make up new lies.

“I slept somewhere safe”, her voice was small, but firm. She wanted to keep her affirmations vague since Sori didn’t want anybody to find out about her hiding, because if they did she wouldn’t have her own place anymore. Then she would have nowhere to drown into her sorrow in peace. Nowhere to be herself freely. That place wouldn’t be hers anymore. At least not in the way she liked it to be.

“Yes, but where?”, Jin insisted. His sarcastic-cold-mocking was exactly what Sori was scared to face earlier that morning. Namjoon gulped, because although he was the alpha, his beta was the scarier than him when he got angry. Like... Jin uses this cold voice, then he ignores you, and he’s passive-aggressive, and he doesn’t cook for you, etc...Jin is scary. Do not enrage Jin if you know what’s best for you.

“I...I’d rather not tell you, but it was in our lands, and it was safe... I go there quite often but nothing even happened”. Sori gulped loudly as Seokjin stood up and reached for her covers. She tried to pull them back, but...well, she was sick and taken by surprise, so she didn’t really succeed in defending herself. She saw his hand reaching for her forehead, and she knew it was over. Big, bright and shining letters were flashing in her mind, composing the words “game over”. Narae tightened the grip on her hand to give her strength.

“Oh, what a pity, it seems that your oh-so-safe place wasn’t all that safe, since your running a fever, was it? Tell me the truth. You slept outside. You slept outside, and you were outside the whole day. You took a bath in ice-cold water, trotted around with your wet fur, and you slept outside. And don’t tell me I’m wrong, because when I went to the toilet after you came out I could still faintly smell the scents of soil and cold. You are delusional if you really thought I wouldn’t catch them because you washed yourself”. Jin said all of this with a mean smirk on his face, and his voice dropped of some octaves from the beginning of his speech to the end. He couldn’t be fooled, he never fell for her lies, Sori already knew it, and since she didn’t want him to get even madder at her, she nodded weakly in surrender. “Amazing, really. So now I have to stay here for who knows how long and take care of you because you were careless. How many times do I have to tell you to take proper care of yourself? How many times do I have to tell you, you don’t heal as fast as we do, Sori? When will you surrender yourself to the idea that being careless isn’t going to show how much your worth? We all know your value, we don’t need you to show us that you heal faster than a human, nor do we need to run after you to make sure you don't endanger youself”. In spite of the harshness present in his speech, the beta spoke while he was holding her shoulder tightly and sending her a small, but sweet smile. “Why do keep acting so carelessly?”. Anger could still be spotted here and there in his brown eyes, however it wasn’t as scary anymore. Sori could only lower her gaze and hope for some sympathy.

Silence filled the room once again and Sori truly hoped that was the end of it. She had heard those words many times before. At times from Namjoon, others from Hoseok or Narae, even from Yoongi, yet it wasn’t enough. She wanted to hear them from someone else, and it pained her to know she’ll never be able to, because he despised all the people like her. But she was worth something... everyone is worth something, right? Why couldn't he see it?

Jin’s words were innocent and full of concern for Sori, still they lightly scratched some old wounds nonetheless. No matter how many times she heard them already, those words always hurt her.

It was Namjoon, who’d calmed down in the mean while, who asked her softly: “How come did you decide to sleep out there rather than here? Did something happen?”. Sori had to weight her answer. She had to establish how much of what happened she wanted them to know. They all knew of her one-sided love already, yet she usually avoided talking about what went on between her and Jungkook unless she had no other choice, however this time Sori wasn’t sure whether Jungkook could be at fault or not for what he’d done the previous night. She didn’t really have that much time to chose what to say, because Narae broke the silence asking her another question.

“Is it Jungkook again? Did something happen yesterday?, she asked hesitantly. Narae's voice was down to a whisper, because she didn’t want to hurt her friends sensibility by letting the men who occupied the room in front of hers hear what they were saying. After all they were pretty close, but it was up to Sori to chose how much and to who she wanted to reveal her secrets. Narae knew she must have hit a sore spot, as Sori’s shoulders immediately started shaking. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth, trying to retain whatever sound she might emit if she let it go. Sori wasn't sure if she had ever felt that pathetic before.

Namjoon’s sigh could be heard loud and clear in the room. Jin was now frowning in concern for the youngest member of the pack, who had to fight both her fever and her broken heart. He and Namjoon stood up at the same time, and sat on her bed and hugged her tightly, because what else could they say? Sori was lost in her sorrow, and it didn’t happen often that she let them see her weaknesses, hence they didn’t want her to stop or calm down. It was a good thing that Sori was finally allowing her feelings to emerge. She was too sensitive for someone like Jungkook, but it’s not like Sori could decide who to love. They had seen the youngest member of their pack fighting her feeling many times already, however it seemed like her efforts were never enough and in the end Sori always fell for Jungkook again. They had seen the distraught look in her face whenever her hopes and feelings were chucked like trash by the man she loved. They had tried to push her away from him, to make her meet new people, but so far nothing had worked. On the other hand, Jungkook kept giving her mixed signals and the rest of the pack could see them too. They didn't need to see whatever happened behind closed doors to know Jungkook cared for her in his own way, so in the end they had decided to step back and let them solve it on their own, and it seemed like it wasn't the right decision. There wasn’t much they could do for Sori, really, so they just hugged her with all their might, hoping she’d feel the warmth and comfort they were trying to envelope her in.

Sori cried as silently as she could manage and it took a while before her hiccups turned into less frequent sobs. She didn't want Jungkook to hear her from his room. When the tears slowed down Jin stood up and went to take a small basin from the kitchen’s cupboard, then he filled it with cold water and brought it back to the maknae’s room along with a small towel. The beta put the basin on the floor and dipped the towel on the water, squeezed the excess of water from the towel and, after having lowered the covers that were still hiding Sori, Jin put the wet towel on her forehead. Sori whined a bit from the contact with the cold towel, but she didn’t move from her spot in between Narae and Namjoon’s arms. A comfortable silence engulfed them until Namjoon softly whispered:

“Do you want to talk about it now?”. Sori didn’t answer. She wanted to talk about it, but at the same time she was uncomfortable with that, because that’d make Jungkook look like the bad guy of the story and her like the silly one who let men use her. Not that Sori believed they’d change their opinions about them if it was true, yet she didn’t want to seems too silly and delusional. Despite this, the need to be understood for once won over all her other reasons, and after a couple of minutes she lowered the cover enough for them to see the purple spot that decorated her neck. Jin and Narae gasped at the sight, while a low growl and a string of curses could be heard from Namjoon.

“That bastard did that and then brought a girl home?”, the alpha muttered, probably it wasn’t meant to be a rhetoric question, but Sori answered anyway.

“Not really in that order. He left the hickey, left me right after, went to work, took her number, brought her home, and told her I’m nothing. It went more like this.”. She decided to add a light chuckle, so that her sentence didn’t seem too serious. She let out a little chuckle and added: “I pretty much saw and heard it all, so I was upset, but you don't have to worry”.

“He’s a dickhead”, Narae growled in response. This was exactly what Sori wanted to avoid.

“It’s not like he really did wrong. We were never a thing and we’ll never be, it's fine. I just put my hopes up once again. Jungkook never said it meant something, I guess he just did it without really thinking, and then left after he noticed because he was afraid I would misunderstand it for something more than it actually was. And he was right, because I did. Maybe he acted a bit cowardly for having left me like that, but he no obligations towards me, you know… As for bringing a girl home, that’s simply part of who he is. Nothing to be surprised about”. Sori chuckled humourlessly.

“Well, he’s been an adult for long enough to know that some things do have a meaning, especially in our world. Sometimes it’s also our instincts that’s telling us something we don’t understand, you know? It can be a signal your wolf is trying to send you, so maybe this is his case. He might-”, Narae wasn’t able to complete that sentence, as she was interrupted by her friend.

“Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it.”, Sori’s trembling voice was a tell tale of the fact that she was trying to keep herself from tearing up again. After all, was it really worth it to cry that much for something that had no solution? “I think I’ll go to sleep now. I’m feeling really tired”. It wasn’t a lie, but it was also an excuse to stop the trio from talking and questioning her, and if her tone was a little bit clipped it was just to let them understand she was done with that conversation. It actually didn’t take long for her to fall asleep in the secure arms of her best friend and her alpha.

Jungkook woke up because a disgusting smell was filling his nose. He drowsily opened his eyes to discover that the scent came from a naked girl laying beside him, still asleep. He remembered how they met the previous day and how he brought her home. A slight feeling of guilty washed over him at the idea that the girl who occupied the room in front of his heard what they were doing, but then again... he had organized all of this exactly because he wanted her to see and hear them, thus there wasn’t much he could think of to lessen the guilt he felt. He had acted on purpose because he didn’t want her to think the two of them were a thing. He didn’t want her, a turned-wolf, to think she was important to him. Jungkook shook harshly the girl to wake her up. He wanted to call her to wake her faster, but he didn’t remember her name, so he was left with no other option. The girl stirred and turned towards him smiling, leaning in for a kiss, which he avoided without trouble. Stupid humans smelt like shit and were always too touchy.

“Get up and leave”, was all Jungkook said before throwing away the covers and picking up her clothes, that were scattered on the ground, before piling them on his bed. Then he proceeded to opened his wardrobe and picked the clothes he wanted to wear for the day. A quick look at the clock informed him it was already 9 in the morning, so there were high chances of being late for work. Jungkook ran to the bathroom right away, mentally praying for Sori to be up, so that his breakfast would be ready for when he was done in the shower. Five minutes later Jungkook was running down the stairs and into the kitchen, however Sori was nowhere to be seen, and so was his breakfast.

Damn it! Where’s Sori? I didn’t see her at all yesterday and today she didn’t prepare my breakfast...is she avoiding me?

The mere thought of Sori avoiding him gave Jungkook a sense of anxiety he couldn’t quite make sense of. He didn’t understand the pang he felt to his heart. He remembered the satisfaction he felt when he saw the mark he left on her neck two nights ago. Jungkook blushed just by recalling that image. The words that were repeating on his mind at the time echoed in his head: Mine. She’s mine. He had never felt as scared as he felt when he understood the meaning of those words. He was so angry he left right after his orgasm, regretting his precious lack of control. Thankfully while he was working he’d met this very flirty girl and everything she said was an hint about her intentions, giving him the perfect chance to clear up the situation with Sori. That’s how Jungkook had decided to bring that girl home to show Sori that the hickey meant nothing, but then again...Sori was nowhere in sight, so he did all of this in vain. Jungkook sighed and took out a glass, poured the first juice he found in the fridge in it, and took some bread to eat with it as he drove to work. Just as Jungkook was about to leave, he heard someone coming from the living room. Hoseok and Yoongi appeared short after.

“Weren’t you a bit loud last night, kid?”, Yoongi asked with an eyebrow raised. Jungkook blushed. Hoseok’s room was the last one at the end of the corridor, but Yoongi’s one was next to his. He knew they disapproved of the way he treated Sori, but Jungkook just couldn’t help it. There were some things that couldn't work just because you wanted them to.

“Ah...I’m sorry, hyung. I didn’t notice we were being that loud”, he stuttered as his cheeks warmed up. Jungkook wasn't shy about sex, but he wasn't even the type of person who would just talk about openly in front of everybody, and for Yoongi to have heard everything that went on in his room...

“Oh really? Shame on me that thought you were doing it on purpose”, Hoseok said a in a highly sarcastic voice. Jungkook didn’t answer to that, he simply lowered his head because he knew lying was useless. And the girl he brought home passed right in front of the kitchen with her two friends right in that moment, whispering to each other about their nights, just like the cherry on top of his horrible embarrassment. Actually, calling this “embarrassing” would be an euphemism.

To quicken the process and get out of the awkward situation with his hyungs, Jungkooke walked the girls to the door and, without even asking them if they needed a lift to the town, slammed the door closed as soon as they stepped out. Their hands were working perfectly fine, after all, if they wanted a taxi they could arrange it on their own. Although Jungkook had planned this whole thing, he resented them as if it was their fault he was caught, and albeit he knew he was at fault and he was being childish, he didn't want to see them ever again. He ruffled his hair and went back to the kitchen to finish his breakfast and run to the restaurant.

“-didn’t prepare breakfast today? I don't think I saw her at all yesterday. It’s the second day in a row I don’t eat the breakfast Sori cooked for me...do you think she hates me?”. Although he missed the first part of the sentence, Jungkook knew perfectly what Taehyung was talking about. Actually, he was wondering exactly the same thing, although he was also annoyed Taehyung believed he had the right to complain about Sori not doing something for him. A weird feeling settled in Jungkook’s chest but he ignored it. He joined his hyungs in the kitchen, pretending everything was okay, only to be greeted by the sight of Minyoung coming down the stair in short shorts and top, which was her usual pyjama. There was nothing weird about it, the whole pack had seen her wearing hat kind of clothes ever since day one, but somehow Jungkook found in some way attractive how the silly fabric of her pyjama hugged her body. No matter how cold it was outside, werewolves aren’t bothered by cold temperatures, so the only reason why they turned a bit on the heater was because of Sori. Why would Minyoung need to wear more clothes? Jungkook was a bit distracted by the sight of the smiling girl, who was now greeting him, but he still managed to catch Hoseok saying:

“Hyung told me she’d sick, Tae, unless you said something stupid again, that’s the reason why she didn’t cook you breakfast”.

How did she get sick in a day when the last time I saw her she was perfectly fine? Stupid weak turned-werewolf. Useless.

“Really? She didn’t look sick the last time I saw her”, Jungkook spit out before he could even realize what was coming out of his mouth. His eyebrows pinched together a he was trying to remember any sign of possible sickness she had manifested while they were together, but nothing really came to his mind.

“Yeah, well, not like you were paying attention to her health, right?”, Yoongi said with a knowing smirk, causing Jimin and Taehyung’s loud and annoying snorts. Jungkook glared at his hyung but didn’t answer to the provocation, also because he was never too good at answering to his kind of provocations, so there was a high chance he just messed up or offended the older werewolf.

“From what Jin hyung said, she spent the night out after doing something dumb, and that’s why she’s running a fever”, Hoseok intervened while munching an apple. His mouth full while he spoke, and the juice was drooling to his chin. Disgusting.

“Yep, it was me who let her in this earlier this morning. I don’t know from where she arrived though, I only saw her sitting there while I was looking outside from the window”, Jimin said while pointing at the window on his right.

So she was out all night and she didn’t hear nor see anything of the show I put on? What a useless waste of energy and time. Where did she sleep though? And what did she do to get sick?

Jungkook had an half idea of going upstairs and check on her, but when his eyes met the kitchen’s clock, he knew he was already late for work.

I’ll check on her later.

Chapter Text

Jungkook had spent a lot of time on the phone that whole day. He kept subtly asking about Sori’s condition to those who were still at home and trying to suggest what they could do to attend her without giving himself away. It was difficult for him to know that someone as weak as Sori was at home, with a fever at that, in the hands of those crackheads... not that they were necessarily bad at taking care of her, but he didn't really trust them with Sori. Actually, Jungkook didn’t really trust anyone next to her, because she was too frail for the way they behaved around her. He only considered Jin and Narae, except himself, to be safe around Sori. At times Jungkook really wished Sori was a born-werewolf, because then everything be easier. Because then he wouldn’t have to feel ashamed whenever his feelings for her stirred inside his chest, giving him butterflies in his stomach. Jungkook even tried suggesting her ways in which she could at least improve herself to lean more towards the type of girls he liked, but somehow his suggestions were always perceived as insults, so he had mostly given up. Jungkook could swear it was only because she’s a turned-werewolf, and people like her don’t use their brains properly, otherwise she would have noticed he had no ill intentions towards her and he just wanted her to feel more accepted into their world. Let alone that in their pack Sori was pampered like a baby all the time and everyone acted like they were her bodyguards, so she had no real idea of what it was like outside of their lands. From his point of view, after having heard the stories Sori shared with him, it was more like Sori never had the chance to stay with people aside from herself and she never learnt how to behave around people, and it was showing.

Ever since that morning Jungkook kept doing the same thing: checking the time on his phone. Fortunately, it was almost time for him to leave from the BBQ restaurant and go back home, so that he could finally see how everything was going with his own eyes. He spent the last ten minutes of his shift serving a couple of costumers, cleaning tables and putting of the dirty plates in the dishwasher just to avoid getting scolded for having wasted time until it was time to leave. Then he checked the time once again and saw it was finally time for him to leave. Thank God.

Just as he was closing the car's door, Jungkook had the idea to stop at the nearby supermarket and buy some of Sori’s favourite dark chocolate bars to raise her spirits. She loved dark chocolate the most, and since she had baked muffins some days ago, he could use that as an excuse to justify the fact that he bought Sori’s favourite brand of chocolate. Not to mentions that Sori always got a little bit moody when she was feeling sick or down, so... well, he could just do that and not look weird or be interrogated about his intentions by his packmates, right? And maybe that way Sori would forgive him or something. Lately she had been acting so cold to him that he didn't even think she was giving him the cold shoulder, at this point she was just acting like a corpse. Jungkook sighed and checked the time again on his phone to see if he had any new notification. Weird. No new notification positively meant there was something wrong at home. He had to hurry.

Sori felt really tired, but she couldn’t sleep nonetheless. There were many reasons as for why she couldn’t simply close her eyes and sleep her fever away: she had a splitting headache, her throat was sore and parched, her limbs hurt... and maybe the biggest reason was that the guys had decided to hangout, loudly, in her room. Technically they should’ve been helping her and keeping her company, as Jin ordered them to, but in the last hour or so they had decided to revive their best memories together. The beta of their pack had also left a list of meds and foods to give her and at which time she was supposed to take them, but no one had checked the it. Wasn't it just a cold anyway? All Sori had to do was sleep the fever away and by tomorrow she was going to be fine. Despite Sori's wish to sleep the fever away, the guys had been shrieking since they had arrived at lunch to bring her the soup Jin had prepared for her, and then never left. At first it had been quite okay and entertaining, because albeit she had been with them for almost four years, there were still so many stories she had never heard about, however Sori didn’t wish for company at the moment. She didn’t want to be rude and ask them to leave her alone, but she wanted to be alone. She had an headache and she wanted to be free to let her thoughts run without having to pay attention to anything else or be disturbed by anything in general.

All Sori wanted was to be alone and to lick her wounds until she felt okay with herself again, but the guys were acting all cute and were very sweet as they forced her to eat all of the soup to make her heal faster, so she couldn’t bring herself to tell them off. They already cuddled her, slept with her, and only when they all fell asleep Sori found a minute of peace. Sori just hoped that when they woke up, they would take the hint and leave her alone for a while. Things hadn't gone they she wanted though, and Sori’s biggest wish at the moment was for 4 p.m. to arrive fast, so that Hoseok and his loud, annoying voice would finally leave her room. Her second biggest wish for the others to follow Hoseok’s example and leave her alone to deal with her splitting headache. Moreover she was feeling nauseous again, but she didn’t dare throw up, because she knew they’d force her to eat again. Sori looked at the clock on her wall and sighed.

To no one's surprise, Taehyung’s laugh pierced her ears a moment later. Oh, how Sori wished Yoongi was there to make them shut up on her behalf. At this point she was only hoping for Narae to come back home soon and shush them from her room before cuddling with her for what was left of the day. That would actually be nice, if Sori had to be honest.

Sori usually liked to listen to their discussions and watch the guys play, even when she wasn’t really paying attention, because hearing their voices always helped her relax. When they were loud and annoying, they were still her anchor, the proof she wasn't alone anymore. There were also times in which Sori had hoped to be playing with them or be part of their conversations, instead of just watching from the side, however now she was also fine with being a bystander. You don't have to be part of something to enjoy it. Despite that, today Sori found them insufferable. She tried again and again to block the sounds of their voices off of her head as she concentrated on relaxing without thinking to anything, and hoped for Jin to come home soon and do her that massage he’d learnt to ease headaches. The beta's low nagging was still a better sound than Hoseok's obnoxiously loud voice.

To be honest, Sori wasn't just annoyed because they were being loud, but also because they were talking about things she didn’t know. If at first they had explained briefly how things evolved until they reached the point of the story they wanted to tell her, after a while she had lost the concentration to listen to those episodes and the more her headache got worse, the little she understood about their conversation, and then the guys had started ignoring her and focusing on their funny stories. Also, she felt like it wasn't fair that both Hoseok and Jimin were telling Minyoung that many episodes Sori had never heard before, albeit she had been in the pack for way longer. Couldn't they just stick to their good old stories?

She turned again in her sheets, just in time to see Minyoung excuse herself and leave the room. Well, that didn't bother her in the slightest. She wasn't a fun of showing her weakness in front of people, not to mention those she didn't really like or know, and Minyoung was part of both categories. Sori didn't even know how long had it been since the guys had arrived in her room, but it was high time they took Minyoung's example and followed it. She couldn't wait for the moment her room would be silent again, and she would be able to focus entirely on the same thoughts kept swirling in Sori’s mind again and again. By that moment she had already sifted all the possible and valid excuses she could use to leave her room and go hide in Yoongi’s, lock the door to guarantee they couldn’t follow her. In the midst of her silent speculation, their voices caught her attention again. Sori really wished she knew what they were talking about, so that she could laugh with them, instead of just listening to their endless chatters and feeling awkward in her own room.

“Do you remember that time Namjoon broke the chair and the window at the same time in the palace of the duke during the party for his daughter’s birthday?”, Hoseok said almost tearing up by how hard he was laughing. He, Taehyung and Jimin had been reminiscing about the good, old times ever since they awoke from their little nap. Sori liked hearing the description of places she hadn’t seen nor heard about, both of far and near lands, since she never travelled when she was human nor now as a werewolf, and some of the places they told her about didn't exist anymore. Actually, their stories and descriptions made it all seem like some sort of weird fairytale. It was easy to be caught up in the descriptions of dresses and personalities of famous characters, although they didn't exactly look completely human-like in her mind. It was hard to imagine her packmates in such regal places, despite knowing that, with the exception of Narae, they had all seen so much more that her. As for Narae, she was older that Sori, but she was actually born only two years before her, in fact she was younger that all the others born-werewolves of the pack. Narae was really 23. The others were way older, yet they didn’t age, so all of them looked real young in spite of their real age, and each time they moved to a new town, they all decided the age to tell to any human who asked.

Taehyung was in hysterics rolling on the ground, while Jimin was silently laughing while holding onto her bed to avoid falling face first on the floor.

“I think those were the worst five minutes of hyung’s life”, Jimin managed to say when he could finally breath again. Namjoon was often the subject of the stories the guys told her, because his clumsiness was a legendary trait of his, and it was painfully easy to imagine his mortified face as he caught up with the amount of damage he had caused just by moving around too freely. The second hand embarrassment was real.

“Do you remember that little girl’s expression when she realized Namjoon had ruined both her party and her dress by falling on the table? I remember it like it was yesterday. The sound of hyung’s chair breaking and then wine glasses falling down as he brought the tablecloth with him”, Taehyung couldn’t stop the tears that were falling from his eyes as he was laughing too hard. Hoseok’s mouth was hanging open and he was holding his stomach like it hurt as he laughed at the top of his lungs again, shrieking all his amusement. “And - and then the chair bouncing back as hyung jumped up as fast as he could, only to smash it against the window behind him”. They were hysterical.

Sori’s headache was pulsing at every high shrill they let out, but she kept quite in anyway. Under normal circumstance, Sori loved listening to the happy sound of her pack mates laughs, just not that day. She forced a smile on her face to show them she was enjoying the story too, although she was pretty sure the guys didn’t even remember she was still there at that point. Sori wished she knew the expression that girl’s face too, the way Namjoon managed to break both the window and the chair, as well as what the chair looked like. Back then, when there were no girls in the pack aside from Narae, it didn't feel like she was the only clueless one, however now Sori frequently felt left out in comparison to the two other girls, because they were always given a bigger frame of the episodes or more clues about what happened than they gave her. Also, Minyoung knew many of the people BTS knew too, even the old wolves, so Sori couldn't relate with her at all. She was once told that it was useless to give her too many details because they were talking about people they didn't meet up with anymore, yet she had realized they often gave the other two girls a huge amount of details, which might have made sense in Minyoung's case, since she was as old as them and might have known all that people too, but not in Narae's one. At a certain point, Sori supposed it was because they were born-weres like the guys, while she was not, otherwise it would make no sense to her. To be honest, Sori wasn’t even that bothered by it anymore. That was just the way things were for her, albeit it was still exhausting to pretend not to notice all the preferences made right in front of you and to turn a blind eye in front of everything that could hurt you. Sometimes she was still caught by her jealousy and she started feeling left out again, but... yeah, that was just the way thing were, really, and today was definitely one of those days. She felt utterly alone.

Before Minyoung joined the pack, Sori had honestly found it quite easy to ignore some things that didn't sit well with her, and easy to keep her disappointment for herself, because the guy only acted differently around Narae, and being the mate of the alpha it was easier to accept, but now it was always harder. While before she could always justify their actions with the fact that she was the last to join the pack or they just liked to “play rough”, now that excuse didn't work anymore, and it was a constant reminder of her permanent condition of an inferior “turned-were”. Didn't she deserve more?

She softly sighed and looked at the clock again. It was only 15:30. Accidentally her brain slipped in its usual path, and Sori started wondering why Jungkook wasn't home yet, however the moment that thought crossed her mind Sori felt a bid stupid for wondering about his whereabouts once again. Not that she could help it, anyway, but it annoyed her how she always ended up worrying for him when he didn't care about her at all. Still, she was curious. She was curious about the reason why he was late, since Jungkook hated doing things right after he got out from work. He generally liked coming back home, eating and relaxing before doing anything else. So were was he? She mocked herself in her mind. What if he had managed to find a new girl to hook up with already? Not like she thought she had the chance to get his attention, but it bothered her a little anyways, and it was all because of her stupidity.

“What was the name of that girl Jin hyung met at that party?”, Jimin asked, still smiling brightly.

“The blond one? Tall, skinny, blue eyes and brown hair? The turned-were?”, Taehyung asked making a quick description.

“Yep, that one”

“Dunno”, Taehyung said with a shrug, making his friend pout. Hoseok laughed at their antics.

“Poor hyung, he was really falling for her. She was pretty enough to look good if paired with him...it’s a pity she was a two-faced backstabber. Why are turned-wolfs always like that?”, Jimin mumbled under his chin. Hoseok shook his head again as he kept smiling while he stood up.

“Guys, I’m going to get ready for work. Behave while I’m not here!”, he said amusedly, waving with his hand.

The two boys left kept on laughing even after Hoseok had left the house. Sori’s headache hadn’t gotten any better, but they were so lost in their happy memories they didn't pay attention to anything else. At some point she’d even started wondering if rolling from side to side on her bed would’ve finally made them realize she was there too, or at least make them believe she was possessed by some kind of devil spirit and scare them away.

Just like everyone else in the pack, she had a double bed, so she would actually have a lot of room to roll into, but unfortunately rolling wouldn’t help the soreness of her body, nor her headache nor her broken heart. Sori wasn’t too worried about the latter anyway, for she knew she only needed time to heal. Some things will heal faster than others, and some will just turn into ugly and painful scars, but they will heal in they own way in the end. She locked all the sounds out of her brain once again, willing herself to drown her sorrows in the silence. Slowly, Sori forgot the flow of time, losing herself in the confusing thoughts that were crossing her mind, and was actually surprised when she opened her eyes again at the sound of the door opening. Her room was now empty and filled with silence she’d craved for hours. Had she fallen asleep? Where were the guys?

Trying to pick up where the noisy boys had gone to, Sori started listening carefully to the sounds coming from all around the house. The first sound she picked up, obviously, was Jungkook’s soft steps downstairs. With her heart in her throat and cursing herself for being so affected just by his presence in the house, Sori listened as he entered the living room where Jimin and Taehyung were playing some video game and sat there with them for a while. Once she realized he was going to stay there for a while she relaxed again and heaved a sigh. She didn’t really expect him to check on her, not after what he had said the previous night at least, but being completely ignored felt horrible. Then again, what could he have possibly tell her to make her fell better? Not to mention that she was already feeling better, so she was aware he didn't even need to be worried about her. Actually, Sori despised how melodramatic she was at times, but she couldn’t help it. Oh, well, for once she could use the fever as a believable excuse.

Jungkook’s steps could be heard coming upstairs and nearing her room, but it wasn’t surprising since his room was right in front of hers. Sori knew she had to ground herself and not allow herself to fantasize anymore about him. However, she discovered only a moment later that it wasn't his room he was headed to, because soon after he was standing in front of her door and knocking lightly against the wood. Sori felt like her heart was going to burst both because he spontaneously came to see her, and because she wasn’t ready to face him yet. She really didn't know what to say to him. A couple of seconds passed before she heard a new set of knocks on her door, thus she opted to keep quiet instead of answering, as if she was asleep, so that Jungkook would have to decide on his own whether he wanted to enter or leave, like he always did. Thank God she didn't have to stand or anything, because her legs were shaking so bad she was starting to diagnose herself some pretty nasty illness.

Sori waited in complete silence for a few minutes, trying to predict what he was going to do, but Jungkook himself didn’t seem to know, as he kept taking one step back just to step forward again. It went on like that for a while, then Sori saw the handle of her door being turned down and with her heart pounding loudly inside her ribcage, Sori closed her eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep, already knowing Jungkook would never fall for her acting. Her heartbeat was way too quick for a sleeping person, and she was painfully aware he could hear it too, yet she didn’t feel like talking to him, thus she kept her pathetic act up. She needed more time on her own to find a new compromise between her pride and her heart. She just wanted some more time on her own, was it too much to ask?

Jungkook hesitantly took a step into her room and closed the door behind himself. He fidgeted a little on the spot before taking a couple step more towards her bed.

“Uhm, hey, how are you? I heard this morning you were running a high fever”, he said in a small, uncertain voice. Nothing surprising, really, Jungkook hated it when he had to face tense situations. It was always the same routine with him: he acted nice to her, she got her hopes up, he did something that hurt her and then tried to make everything okay by being nice again. It was always the same and albeit she knew it, Sori always fell for it. She just couldn't understand why he acted all nice and gentle and then back stabbed her every time. If he didn't mean anything of it, than what was the point of doing it? Despite this in her heart she was happy to see him in room, because at least it was a small sign he cared about her at least a little, right? Otherwise he could have easily asked the others about her instead of facing her in person, right? Still, she didn’t answer him, she just hummed since he already knew she was awake. “I-I just wanted to know how you are feeling and what happened to you”, he said stuttering a bit. His small voice didn’t impress her anymore. Same old story.

“Sick and nothing.”, she answered, trying to be as short as possible. She never got angry at him for long, but she liked to keep a façade just for the sake of her credibility, or at least to save what was left of her pride.

“Oh...and where were you yesterday? They guys told me you didn’t come home last night”, Jungkook tried again to make her speak, but really, what was the point of it after what he said about her? If she was a nobody, just as he said, why did he care about her whereabouts?

“Out”, she replayed. Through her eyelashes she saw his face fall a little, but she didn’t give in to the pity she was feeling for him. She wanted her façade to last at least for a bit longer. Jungkook never pitied her anyway, so there was no reason to be too merciful with him.

“Oh, I see...”, he almost whispered. “I guess you’re tired and you don’t really want to talk right now”, he added as he played with his fingers, before sitting down at the foot of the bed. Sori was so short she never even used that part of the bed, thus it wasn’t like he was making her uncomfortable by occupying that space, but he was still too close for comfort at the moment. The beds were too big for the others as well as Namjoon purposefully had them made to make sure all the pack members could sleep together when they felt like it, which happened quite often. However, having Jungkook sitting so close to her, looking worried for her health felt way more intimate that Sori was used to. It was nothing like the times the others slept in her bed. “So, uhm... I'll just sit here for a while to keep you company... uhm, j-just until you fall asleep”. As if she could fall asleep knowing he was staring at her.

Jungkook was fidgeting while staring at her without uttering a single word, and Sori knew it, however she didn’t feel like talking to him just yet, so she kept quiet once again. He looked like he had something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t brave enough to voice it out when there was a big possibility of Sori being upset with him. This was another one of his usual behaviours: Jungkook made mistakes but he didn’t have the courage to take the responsibility for them. He always had an excuse to justify his actions, a reason for whatever he did, and Sori didn’t want to hear any of it. As the years passed, she learnt the hard way that she could never win an argument against him, because he had a way to turn things however he pleased that made them seem different on the basis of what he needed it to be at the moment. She learnt Jungkook said and did stupid things and expected everyone else to be fine with it. Sori also learnt that out of three words that come out of his mouth, one and a half could have more than one possible interpretation. Likewise, his action are often half-heartedly done, and you can hardly ever fully understand why he did one thing instead of another, especially when feelings were involved. Maybe he never learnt that actions do have a meaning and can weight people down, and knowing his origins Sori wouldn't find it too absurd if she were to discover she was right. The most important thing Sori learnt, was that listening to her heart all the time could have unpleasant results. So she kept quiet, and waited for him to break the silence.

Apparently, Jungkook had realized the conversation he was trying to start was going no where, and after letting out a long sigh he let his back lean against the wall with his legs touching Sori’s feet. Sori didn’t move from her spot nor invited him to lie down beside her like she usually would have done, not wanting Jungkook to take it as a sign that everything was alright between them. Not this time. At the moment she couldn't just get over being marked only to be completely dumped and bad-mouthed behind her back in the same day. So yes, he was always good at pretending nothing happened, but Sori was tired of feeling like she was blowing things out of proportion all the time, thus just this once she was going to follow her feelings. Sure, they weren't a couple, but did her feelings not count at all? Could he possibly not know she was in love with him?

They stayed like that for a long while, she didn't how long, but slowly Jungkook’s scent permeated Sori’s nose, helping her calm down and comforting her. For some reason she never understood, his scent always succeeded in making her feel relaxed. Despite her anger towards Jungkook, Sori’s body slowly felt heavier on the mattress, her breath deepened and her mouth opened slightly. It wasn't long before she fell asleep.

Jungkook silently watched her fall asleep with a small smiled on his lips. He knew his scent relaxed her, just as Sori’s scent did for him. It was probably because of that, that he had noticed her scent was a little off, which was also the reason why he hadn’t been able to fall asleep yet. He was trying to figure out what had caused that small change in her scent. It was similar to her usual scent, but there was something different, sort of sweeter. He guessed it was because she was running a fever or something, because it wasn't really affecting her scent that much, it was just very slightly different. It was more like a lingering hint of something Jungkook couldn't really figure out. Having found a possible answer to his question, he let loose and closed his eyes. He was worried for her during the whole day, but thinking about it now, Jungkook knew was being totally irrational, because she would be fine in a couple of days anyway. When he was sure she had completely fallen asleep, he lightly grabbed Sori’s foot above the blanket. It wasn't a direct contact, but he needed to touch her, and even if he didn’t know why his instincts were telling him to do that, he simply decided followed them. It took him mere seconds to fall asleep afterwards. He felt protected and safe because she was there, her scent was all over him, he was touching her, and he was there for her if she needed something. He didn’t need anything more.

“Aren’t they cute?”, Jimin whispered to Taehyung.

“Everything would be easier if Kookie managed to get his head out of his ass.”, Taehyung said nodding. It was no secret to anyone in the pack, aside from maybe Minyoung, who hadn't grasped how seriously complicated things between those two were yet, but Taehyung just had a feeling she was going to learn it the hard way sooner rather than later.

The two had purposefully left Sori’s room when they heard the younger boy’s car approaching the house. They knew he was worried all along, which was also the reason why they didn’t answer to his texts during the day nor to his calls. They lowkey shipped Jungkook and Sori, just like everyone else in the pack, and after years without a change, they had decided they had to take matters in their hands and help them out. They could admit to their hypocrisy, although maybe not out loud, but they had decided to act this way in the first place because they were scared that if things didn’t work out, there would be ugly consequences in the relationships of the pack. In all honesty, Jimin and Taehyung could easily admit they hadn't done a great job so far and, by indulging Jungkook's bad habits, they were also one of the reasons why Sori and their friend weren't as close lately. Sure, Jimin and Taehyung wanted their pack mates to become a thing, however they didn't want to give up on their teasing nor in having fun nights out with Jungkook...somehow, it all would've been easier if Sori accepted some things instead of always acting up and getting offended. After all they were still young and as summer neared the girls were dressing less an it was a huge turn on for them. Maybe Jungkook could stop pinking up girls or Sori could go with them and keep Jungkook company, but that wasn't on them, right?

“Guys, let them be. Close the door”, Yoongi scolded them from the nearby room.

“As if you weren’t here looking at them five minutes ago, hyung.”, Jimin scoffed. Taehyung lightly chuckled at the sound of his hyung’s groan. The two closed the door and left with the idea of cooking dinner for Sori. Idea that Jin wouldn’t appreciate one bit when he would eventually find out about it. Still, since they had nothing to do...

“Tae, did you see this?”, Jimin said. His eyes wide opened in surprise. In his hands he was holding a chocolate bar. The thing that amazed him wasn’t the chocolate itself, even though nobody had bothered to buy it again ever since when Sori baked the muffins, but the fact that it was Sori’s favourite brand. No one had left to do groceries today, and Jimin was sure as hell there was no chocolate in the morning when he had checked. “Now we know why Kookie came home later than usual”. Taehyung’s eyes sparkled and soon after the two were cackling while slapping each other’s arms and backs. “I’m soooo gonna tell him I know what he did”, he said when his laugh calmed down.

Chapter Text

Sori was sitting in front of her little hut, laying down while enjoying the warmth of mid April's sun. Spring and summer had always been her favourite seasons, even when she before being turned. As a human, in this time of the year, she used to go hiking and exploring the wood near her town during the weekends. Despite the solitude of the lonely afternoons in the woods wishing her mother would for once have time to join her, she loved seeing how the leaves started growing again and flowers blooming here and there as soon as the weather warmed up. In virtue of her love for nature, Sori had tried to take care of a couple of flower, but when the tiny cactus she had bought at the mall died too, she had just accepted the fact that she had no talent whatsoever in gardening. Not that she had talent in many things, anyway.

Ever since she had been turned, Sori had had the luck of living in a pack whose house was in the woods, so she could at least watch the many bright and colourful flowers all around the house without even having to grow them herself, not only because she had no talent in that area, but also because no flower lasted long with the guys fighting in their wolf forms in the garden. Only Hoseok had a little cactus in his room, however Sori was pretty much sure it only survived Namjoon's clumsiness and Jimin's bursts of energy for so long because no one was allowed in his room unless he was there, and even then no one was allowed to touch his cactus.

The day was sunny and slightly windy, exactly the kind of weather Sori loved. The only thing missing to make the whole picture perfect was some light music in the background. She’d been thinking about buying herself a new iPod since last year, but she never really had the money to buy it and she was ashamed about asking Namjoon money for it. Playing music with her phone would've kind of ruined the mood because it would've scared away the small animals that linger around the area, not to mention that if her battery was to die while she was outside Seokjin would have had her head. She had dared to complain about Seokjin to Yoongi once, but then he had reproached her because she was the one who was in the wrong and had ranted about her carelessness for half an hour. Sori had decided to keep her thought for herself ever since.

Sighing, Sori turned to lay on her stomach. She had wasted the whole time there thinking about how she could tell Namjoon she wanted to get a job soon. She had been thinking about this for a while now, and she had reached the conclusion she only needed to convince Namjoon to let her work and then she would be “free” to do whatever she wanted. Jungkook wasn’t wrong when he said he didn’t want to work only to give all his money away for those who stayed at home lazying around, and Sori wanted to be independent once again. She missed the time when, as human, she had her own tiny apartment and job. She used to work as a waitress for 6 hours a day, and it didn’t grant her much money, still it was enough to be fine on her own. In fact, the night she was turned she’d gone to a pub with some friends because she’d finally managed to obtain a full-time job in an office, which would have allowed her to give her mother more money and even buy a house in the long run.

A part of her wanted to find the courage to try her lucky and follow for her dream: being a writer. Unfortunately she knew that making it in that area was extremely difficult. If she were to go for a normal job instead, she could work as a waitress again. It was tiring and not a high paid job, but she already had experience in this field, and it would have been enough for her to leave the house for an acceptable amount of hours without causing Namjoon a full on alpha-panic attack. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure the alpha was not going to be too pleased with her request and he was surely going to try and convince her to stay at home and use his money. When she had first joined the pack, Sori had thought the alpha was barbaric for even thinking that proposing something like that was acceptable for her, but as she spent more time in his pack and got to know him better, Sori discovered he was very sweet and she finally got to understand where his ideas came from. Actually, spending various years in the pack, she got to know other alphas and members of other packs, which allowed her to discover that many alphas shared Namjoon's beliefs. Although it was still quite far from her way of thinking, Sori had slowly accepted this side of him too.

Actually, Sori had started asking Namjoon for some money after he had gotten really upset with her. Narae had explained her that Namjoon basically expected her to use his money even without asking him for permission, since he had offered it to her. When she hadn't used it at all, Namjoon had taken it as if Sori didn't want to lean on him and didn't trust him, which had bruised his pride. An alpha always provides for his pack, and Sori hadn't trusted him to do so for her. After that fight Sori had learnt what Namjoon's words really meant, once she knew how to read between the lines, so she had taken up the habit of asking him for small amounts of money to buy a shirt and some small presents for him or the rest of the guys every once in a while. That way Namjoon was happy and she didn't have to feel too bad about wasting his money all for herself. Sori smiled at the memory of Namjoon’s flushed face the first time she handed him a tiny present. The alpha was cuter than he gave himself credit for.

Before leaving the house, Sori had packed some clothes as she had planned to relax for little bit before spending the whole afternoon walking around looking for a job, and if she were to find something she would inform Namjoon about her intentions. Other than that, she had another plan no one knew about just yet. Sori had started writing a book to send to some publishing houses hoping someone would find it interesting and she would somehow be able to be a novelist. That was her dream ever since her teenager days, however she never had the courage to write down her ideas up until some months ago. One day she had scribbled down a dream she had had the previous night, and surprisingly, she had discovered she didn’t really have many problems with shaping her ideas with her words. She didn’t want to get excited over nothing, but she felt as if she finally found something she was good at.

Thinking about it gave Sori the energy she needed to finally stand up again and leave her little pond. She was filled with hope at the idea of finally being self-sufficient under whatever aspect and to be finally able to help with the general expenses of the pack, and maybe do it by working her dream job. She was fretting at the idea of it. She trotted happily for barely more than a handful of minutes in her wolf form, and as the town came in sight, she changed back and wore her clothes. I’ll send the first chapter tonight. I hope they will at least give me some feedback if they don’t like my story.

Furthermore she was looking forward meeting some new people, even though Sori didn’t really mind being a loner. In fact, even when she was human she wasn’t really close with many people, but at times she felt the need to talk with someone new. As a human she always hanged out with the same old people, since they had been friends ever since they were children. Although they had grown up, they were still close, but their little group hadn't had many chances to hang out once they had moved out of town to attend their classes in college and Sori had started taking more and more shifts to save some money and help her mother pay their debt, then she had been turned and they had definitely lost contact. At times Sori missed them, but she had her pack now, and when she was feeling down because of that Yoongi, Seokjin and Hoseok always brought her some ice-cream and gave her small presents to make her feel better.

Despite the fact that they had been close, four years had passed without her old friends crossing her path even once, and as much as she despised it, Sori had to admit to herself that as years passed she thought of them less often. It saddened her a little, but on the other hand she was pretty sure they all went on with their lives and were quite happy. Probably she missed them less because she was getting closer with her pack members, she reasoned, but lately she had found out it didn't bring her too much pain to think about them. Quite the opposite, instead. Remembering her old friends and their movie nights brought a smile to her face. When the paramedics had realized Sori was still alive after the attack, Sori had been secretly brought into the werewolf hospital near her house. Werewolves were not really completely hidden nor out in the open for everyone to see and learn about. People knew general things about them, however they were never given the chance to learn more or to discover the identities of the wolves who lived in their town, just like the government wanted. The knowledge about weres was expected to slowly fade and turn into a myth. This was also the reason why she was brought there and asked to move to another city once she would have recovered fully. She only moved around two and half hours away from where she used to live before, but it seemed to be enough distance to severe what was left of her human past relationships. Sori was pretty sure her old friends had suspected something when she never called them again after the news of the accident, but they didn’t know whether she was still alive or not and she was never going to be allowed to tell them the truth, so moving on was the right choice. Probably they were told she had disappeared and that the police was looking for her, or maybe they suspected she was turned. There had been other similar cases in the past, albeit no one talked much about them.

It wasn't like there would be people looking for her anyways. Her father was a dead-beat, and albeit he never fully left Sori and her mother, he never really stayed either. Sori didn’t have many memories with him, and the ones she had were from back when she was very young. After that her memories of him became more sporadic since he only showed up from time to time, often drunk, telling her he wanted them to be a normal family. It was even worse when he wasn’t drunk and tried to act like the best father of the world, playing the victim because he didn't get to spend enough time with his daughter. He had never been someone Sori could respect. Her mother was the exact opposite, instead. Sori always wondered how her mother managed to fall in love with someone like him. Her mother was quite pretty too, in her opinion, so what was it that made her fall for someone like him? Maybe she wasn't the prettiest woman around, but she was pretty enough for her to stand out and gather attentions from many people. She was a shy woman who was always working hard. As a child, and even as an adolescent, Sori had been very angry with her because she was always at home by herself and also because they were poor, but as she grew up she learnt to understand how hard her mother worked for the two of them to live a normal life. Unfortunately she only realized it when it was too late.

Her mother was the reason she had started working as soon as the school holidays started ever since she was fifteen, as she wanted to help her mother as much as she could. Sori wanted to be able to support her with their living expenses and bills, so that her mother could finally slow down and spend time with her. Her mother strongly wished for her daughter to study hard and have a good, easy life. A life with no worries, a life in which she didn’t have to break her back working day and night. It broke her heart whenever Sori handed her out her paycheck, but she needed it to pay some past due bills, so she bit the bullet and accepted it, promising herself every time that she would give Sori her money back as soon as their economical situation would have improved to make sure she could save as much money as she needed to attend uni. However, Sori didn't really like studying and as soon as she finished high school she started looking for a part-time job to fill her days and stop being caged inside her house. Maybe, she thought, if she worked more than she would be able to help her mother more and their debt would be paid off sooner. Her mother had been really disappointed when Sori had brushed off any chance of going to a good college, not that they could effort its college fees anyway, or anything aside from a short list of necessary goods. It wasn't even as if Sori made her feel the burden of that. She didn't need to. The last time she spoken with her mother had been the night she had been turned. Sori had called her to tell her about her new job, and her mother was really happy for her, although a bit of disappointment could still be heard in her voice. From time to time her mother still pushed her to go to college, but she knew it was too late and it wasn't what Sori wanted.

Some time after she was changed Sori tried looking for her. She knew her mother could be trusted with the information about her new life. Sori knew she wouldn’t spread the news around, and if no one found out about it, then they could still see each other from time to time, but what she ended up discovering destroyed her: her mother had committed suicide after she had learnt about Sori’s disappearance and how badly injured was the friend who was found death in apartment. Apparently, her mother had believed that Sori had been killed like her friend, or maybe she had believed that Sori had killed him and then ran away. Sori never managed to tell her she was finally living a fine life with a good group of people who was taking care of her. She had lost the most important person of her life. The only one that had cared enough about her, even though they didn't spend much time together.

Sori mourned her for a long time, but then Namjoon told her that her mother was always with her in her heart and that she probably knew everything about that night already, so she didn't have to worry about her not knowing the truth and Sori somehow, slowly started to feel better as the time passed. She missed her a lot, but Namjoon's words helped her to ease the constant pain she felt. There were still days in which Sori was blinded by her rage, and felt like running away to go look for that bastard who had ruined her life in so many way, but she had had to learn how to deal with it.

As usual, Sori was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, so it was quite a surprise when she found herself in front of her favourite coffee shop . She had appreciated the atmosphere there the first time she'd stepped in to get her breakfast, and she'd stuck to it ever since . She quickly took her usual table and went to check what they were selling that day, since she had skipped lunch because she was feeling a bit nauseous again in the morning. Seokjin had noticed too, in fact he had advised her once again to go to the doctor for a check up and Sori had agreed with him, but then again she had decided to wait for whatever she had caught to pass on its own. Why waste money on medicines for a stupid stomach bugs? Actually, Sori had planned on taking some vitamins to finally get better, she just hadn’t had the chance to buy them yet.

A chocolate muffin with hazelnut caught her attention, and her mouth started watering right away. Well, it’s not like anyone here can tell me I’ll get fatter if I eat it, right? I even skipped lunch!

She paid for her order, and went back to the table right next to the big window that brightened the whole room. Sori was finally feeling relaxed now that she didn't have the whole pack’s eyes on her. That was the main reason why she took up the habit of leaving the house everyday to go to the lake. She loved them, really, but enough was enough. She had grown up alone in a small house, with basically nothing to do to occupy her time with and doing house chores hoping to be appreciated by her mother... living with nine loud and very nosy people was a little too much for her at times.

Her phone buzzed while she was happily stuffing her mouth with the muffin. She checked to see who it was, although she was almost sure of it already, and in fact she was proven right: Jimin was reminding her that Namjoon was only okay with her staying out until six in the afternoon, and that she shouldn’t make him mad again since he still hadn’t forgiven her for the last time. Stupefied, Sori checked the time, only to see it was already almost half past five in the afternoon. Just how long had she been lost in her thoughts? Damn, she wasted too much time once again! She hadn't even had the chance to relax yet and she had to leave already!

“Stupid alpha instincts. I’m not two, in case you hadn't noticed”, Sori muttered after having released an annoyed scoff, although she started quickly eating what was left of her food. Somewhere behind her someone started laughing and for a moment she wondered if they were laughing because of her, albeit she didn't think she had spoken that loudly. Just to make sure, Sori glanced at the table right behind hers only to catch a man openly smiling in her direction. He looked older than her, quite short but his well-built body could clearly be see in spite of his elegant and sober attire. He had an dazzling smile that made her want to smile back, so she followed her instinct and did it. Only then she noticed something quite important and interesting about him: his scent was familiar to her. She couldn’t pinpoint where exactly she had smelt it before, but she knew this wasn’t the first time she walked the same path as this guy. He was a wolf, yet Sori didn’t feel threatened by the lack of space between them. Usually it was quite uncomfortable to be alone with another wolf she didn't really know in the same room, but he didn't seem threatening at least.

“Let me guess: your alpha is a little apprehensive ?”, he said with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow.

“You guessed right, but it’s slightly more than a just little”. She huffed, feeling a bit sour. Sori couldn't help but wonder if he'd do the same if she were a born-werewolf, or if maybe he just didn't trust her enough because she was a turned-were. The other chuckled knowingly again, so she added “It seems like you know what I mean”.

“Mmm, yeah, something like that”, he said with a somewhat amused expression. “To which pack do you belong to?”, he inquired, still smiling openly.

“BTS”, Sori simply replayed. Was she giving too much info to this perfect stranger?

“Oh, I see now. Namjoon has always been a bit of a control freak. There are some alphas who are way worse than him, thought, you can't complain that much about him”, he said while shrugging lightly. Sori wanted to ask him how come he knew Namjoon, but she was afraid she was going to seem dumb if the reason was obvious and she was just too ignorant to realize it, so she kept her curiosity for herself.

“Like who?”

“Like me”, he said smiling brightly. Sori stopped chewing and studied his expression attentively.

“...seriously?”, she asked him, quite surprised yet irked at the same time. Did she attract weird people? And why did he sound so smug? What was there to proud about being a pain in the ass?

“Yep”, he said with another shrug. So he was an alpha, right?

“Which pack is yours? Maybe I heard about you”, she asked him. She was starting to feel really curious about him. Sori didn't know many packs and BTS only interacted frequently with the few packs close to theirs, still there were very few of them that visited their house during the time she had spent with them, and for him to talk about Namjoon so casually, he had to be a close friend of his.

“Ever heard of EXO?”, he asked tentatively.

“Duh, you’re the pack that owns the lands next to ours.”, Sori said, feeling slightly insulted by the fact that he thought she didn’t know with whom BTS shared the confines of their lands.”So you’re Junmyeon. I heard some things about you”. It was true. Namjoon had told her about him. Their families were close so they knew each other ever since they were just pups, but they had lost contact for a while after Junmyeon had left his original pack to create his own one, and they'd met again by chance a couple of years ago. Sori knew the two alphas called each other every once in a while, and they had met up for a coffee not too long ago, she just hadn't had the chance to meet him in person yet. Seokjin told her that Junmyeon was boring because he liked to follow rules too much, but so far he seemed pretty much okay to her. Maybe a bit weird, but he was okay. She liked to follow rules too, anyways, so they could be boring together.

“Really? Only nice things, I hope!”, he said, still smiling brightly at her. He almost seemed too nice, honestly. Could it be that he was just faking it to make fun of her?

In spite of her first impression, time seemed to fly by as the two wolves chatted and laughed without noticing it was getting late for Sori. Junmyeon’s story about his nickname, Suho, was interrupted by the sound of Sori’s text notification. It was only then that Sori discovered it was already 18.13, and she was nowhere near home. Shit.

No way. Namjoon’s going to murder me for real this time. Sori paled at the idea of Namjoon getting angry for the second time in such a short period of time, and for the same reason too. Junmyeon had probably noticed her sudden change in her mood, since right after that he offered her to drive her as close as he could to her lands with his car while she called Namjoon to tell him she was almost home. Sori didn’t like to accept favours from people, let alone from people she didn’t actually know, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She grabbed her purse in a rush and turned just in time to see Junmyeon walking quickly towards the front door of the cafe. She followed him and jumped on passenger sit right away. This was probably the wildest thing she had done in a while, which made it painfully clear that she had a very boring life.

She made sure to thank him about a million times as Junmyeon was doing his best to avoid any traffic light along the way. In the mean while, she was also trying to get Namjoon to answer his phone by sending him a thousand texts, calling him again and again without ever managing to get in touch with him. When the car stopped Sori was definitely demoralized, knowing well that the house was still quite far from there, as this was just the confine of their lands, and Namjoon was obviously mad at her again.

“I’m sorry, I can’t bring you any further. I don’t want to create tensions with Namjoon, and I know for a fact he’ll be quite ticked off when you’ll arrive late and smelling like me.”, he said apologetically. Right, she was also going to be smelling like another wolf. It was going to be an interesting evening.

“I’m not that late yet”, Sori whined, much to her embarrassment. She knew that if she ran in her wolf form, she could get home real quick, however it would've been preferable for her not to have to change again, because then she would have to waste more time taking off her clothes and getting dressed again afterwards. Not like she had that much of a choice at this point, anyway.

“Mmm, you’ll be quite late in two minutes, so unless you can run really fast, and I mean really really fast, you’ll definitely be in trouble soon”, he informed her while looking at the display of his phone. There were traces of humour in his voice, but Sori had no time to think too much about it.

“Shit. Can’t you bring me at least half way through?”, Sori asked hopefully. Just this once she was going to be pathetic and ask for two favours in a matter of minutes.

“No, I’m really sorry, Sori! I really want to help you, but my pack's safety comes always first. Although I don’t think Namjoon would really attack me since our friendship goes back to when we were pups, I still prefer to avoid causing any further annoyance. If it makes you feel better, this time you can argue you tried to inform him you were coming home a bit late but he was M.I.A.”, Junmyeon told her whit a small smile.

Sori quite doubted she could actually do that, however it was late and she had no time left to exchange jokes, so she just nodded and shouted a “thank you”, before running further into the lands of her pack, looking for a bush behind which she could change. She took off her clothes and tore everything that wouldn’t come out right away. She turned in a matter of seconds and took off towards the house hoping Namjoon would be understanding. She had truly planned to be home before the curfew Namjoon had imposed, she had just lost the sense of time talking with Junmyeon. Sori was pretty sure the alpha was going to be mad about that too, although there was a chance he might forgive her because he was friends with Junmyeon. Or so Sori hoped.

Sori couldn't help the sigh that left her lips. This time it was going to be harder convincing Namjoon to let her go out in the afternoon again, but she had to try because she had also forgotten to go look for a job, which was the main reason why she had left the house in the first place. She had to get a job in order to inform her alpha why she had decided to start working. That was going to be a tough conversation for sure, and it would only be preferable to have it once there was a job she actually had to go to, rather than just starting the conversation out of no where and leave time for the alpha to think of a new possible solution that would be perfectly comfortable for him.

She could now see the house from afar, so she quickened her pace, although she had no doubt she was a couple of minutes late anyways. Her legs were cramping because Sori had spent the whole afternoon sitting down before she had to run all the way home, still she wasn't going to slow down until she reached the house.

When she was only a couple of metres from the house’s door, she noticed Taehyung, Jimin and Hoseok outside, scrutinizing her movements. Sori didn’t waste time to stop and chat with them: she ran in front of the door and as soon as Taehyung opened the door for her and rushed upstairs towards Namjoon’s office.

By what she could make out from what she could hear, Namjoon’s last appointment of the day hadn’t ended yet, which could also explain why he hadn't picked up his phone, however Sori felt like she had to let him know she was home, so she gently knocked on the door with her front nose. Namjoon opened the door just enough to see who it was. He gave her an annoyed look but then nodded, so that Sori knew he'd talk with her later. She nodded back and made her way to the bathroom to wash away the sweat caused by the run. She took a real quick shower, and with only her bathrobe on, Sori left the bathroom to go wear some fresh clothes in her room. Although it was mid-April already, Sori still felt a cold, so she chose to wear a jacket over her short-sleeved favourite shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed she had gained weight in the last couple of weeks. She had skipped dieting for a couple of days, telling herself they were only cheat days, but now she was going back dieting. Tonight’s dinner was going to be her goodbye to big portions of food for a while. If only she wasn't a turned-were...

Sori threw herself on her bed and took her time thinking about the time she had spent with Junmyeon. He was really a nice alpha. It had felt so good to chat freely with someone who didn't belong to her pack. She also wondered if Namjoon appeared to be like that when he met people who were not part of the pack. Actually, Sori shouldn't have spent the whole afternoon talking with him like that without informing Namjoon, exactly because he was an alpha and it could seem a little bit sketchy to behave like that, but Sori didn't regret it. Even if she had wasted the time she had to use to look for a job. Maybe they could be friends in the future! At least he hadn't show any sign of being bothered by her nature, he was Namjoon's friend and his lands were right at the confine with BTS'. Having a werewolf-friend, especially from outside the pack, didn't seem too bad. Quite the opposite, in fact.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she was completely startled when she saw Namjoon standing in front of her with a weird expression on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to scare you, but since I’ve been knocking on the door for a while and you didn’t answer although I knew you were inside, I came in. I thought you were listening to music. What were you doing?”, Namjoon explained, sitting on her bed. He sounded quite exasperated, which made Sori’s heartbeat speed up right away, but once she understood the situation. It took her a moment to gradually calm down, letting out a huff before she sat next to him.

“I was just thinking about this guy I met today. He’s a werewolf, an alpha”, she decided that being honest with her alpha was the right way to go about this topic. Honesty was always the right choice. It wasn't like she had an hidden agenda or something, she had nothing to hide. However, when Namjoon’s growl made his way through his teeth, Sori quickly added “He knows you too, he said you’ve been friends for a long time. He’s the leader of EXO”. Namjoon’s expression was still quite sour, but not as much as before. He simply didn’t look too pleased with her words.

“Yeah, I’ve known him for longer that I can remember. Junmyeon is a nice guy, but I bet you already know it”, he commented. So far he was only sporting a raised eyebrow, hence it going quite well in Sori's opinion.

“Yes, we’ve spent some time together today. He’s a nice guy, but he’s jokes aren’t that funny”, Sori said with a sheepish face, trying to lighten the mood. Namjoon didn’t seem offended by her comment, she kept talking. “He brought me back to the confine with his car. I don’t know what else to say about him honestly, I didn’t mind spending some time with him even though he belongs to a different pack. He seemed completely indifferent to the fact that I'm... a turned”. With the corner of her eye she saw Namjoon slightly shaking his head.

“Sori, I don’t know how many times I already told you this, but there’s almost nobody who thinks being a turned-werewolf is a curse anymore. That belief stopped being common way before you were even born, and you do know it. As the older wolves died and turned-wolves took more and more part in our wars and packs, that mentality changed. Let alone the fact that turned-werewolves, and the short time they need to be created, were the ones who made it possible for our kind not to disappear when the wars were raging all around the world. Although someone still has some old views, we all know that he doesn’t really mean those words”, Namjoon told her, patting her comfortingly on the back at the same time. Sori caught the jab at Jungkook, but she pretended not to. Also because there were others who spoke about her in the same way, so she wasn't a hundred percent sure he was actually talking about him.

“Mmm, I was surprised anyways”, Sori said. Then she changed the topic, moving it to her lateness. “I hope you saw the texts I sent you and the calls too! I wrote you like a million texts, because I wanted to tell you that I was going to be a little late. I still managed to get here at 18.32!”, she said, somewhat proud of herself.

“I saw them a couple of minutes ago, but that won’t change the fact that you’ll be in charge of today’s dinner as a punishment. Aaaaand tomorrow I'll only give you two hours to spend outside, and you better not complain about it”, the alpha said standing up. Well, that was disappointing but she had expected it from the moment she had stepped into the house. Moreover she didn't really mind cooking, so it was fine.

“Okay, Joonie, tomorrow I’ll pay more attention next time and I'll come home right on time”, Sori said while giving him the military salute. Namjoon shook his head while smiling at her antics. He patted her on the head and left her room.

When Sori made her way downstairs a while later, she was greeted by the scene of Jungkook staring at Minyoung with heart-shaped eyes while she was smiling and talking about something she had seen on Youtube earlier. Jungkook was staring at her like she was the last chocolate bar in the pantry.

Sori thought, releasing a sigh in her mind. Namjoon was right: cooking dinner was a punishment for her.

Chapter Text

It was a early Saturday morning and Sori had been up for hours already. She was in her wolf form and she was sitting in front of the house, waiting for the rest of the guys to gather together to finally start the group hunt. BTS never really turned it into a tradition, but from time to time in spring and autumn they all went hunting together to reconnect with each other and with their wolves. Sori had learnt that hunting was often used as way to create or strengthen the relationships inside the packs, so many packs went hunting together quite often instead of just a bunch of time like them, especially in older packs.

The reason why it didn’t work for them was probably that living together for years, they didn’t really have many tensions inside the pack, and the ones that existed couldn't just be solved with a hunting, like the tension between her and Jungkook, for example. Lately their relationship hadn’t been as close as it used to be and Sori knew the others had perceived it too. Although Sori had spent a lot of time rethinking their relationship, the only cause she could come up with for the distance between the two of them was was the fact that Minyoung had become a part of their pack. Everything had changed after she had joined BTS. Not that the tension was created explicitly by Minyoung, nor was she trying to push herself in between them, but her constant presence didn’t help Sori's cause at all. It was a constant reminder of what Sori should looked like to attract Jungkook, and a reminder to Jungkook of how far Sori was from his ideal type.

Usually the tensions between them were solved during their late night talks, which often ended up being make out sessions, but lately Jungkook had stopped going to her room. It had been almost four weeks since they last spoke for real. It wasn't like they were avoiding each other, in Sori's opinion, still she was perfectly able to tell that something had definitely changed in their relationship. In fact this time they didn’t step over the problem and pretend nothing had happened, but they didn’t address it either. Their difficult relationship had turned to no relationship in general. At this point they weren't talking to each other at all, and albeit Sori knew some of the other members of BTS had tried to talk to Jungkook to learn what had happened between them, the situation hadn't changed in the slightest so far.

Furthermore, for some weird reason, in the last weeks Sori always felt more and more self-conscious when Jungkook was around, especially when she was wearing her pyjama or she had to eat in front of him. However, whenever she was feeling nauseous just a small sniff of his scent was enough to make her nausea disappear, which was the reason why she could they weren't avoiding each other. Or better, she could say she wasn't avoiding Jungkook. Sori knew she was constantly staring at him and she was always aware of his position inside the house, yet she couldn't help herself. She had to pay attention to Jungkook even though she didn't want to. This also made her painfully aware of the fact that Jungkook was often near Minyoung and that he never spared her more than a glance. Jealousy wanted to swallow her entirely at times, but in her head Sori knew she had nothing to be jealous of. You don’t get to decide when or with whom you’ll fall in love, and Jungkook clearly wasn't in love with her. She just found herself wishing he wasn't the only one who kept falling deeper and deeper.

Either way, now things were, or at least felt, different between them. The only attention Jungkook had paid her lately was when Jin had asked her about her meeting with Junmyeon. She saw something she could decipher flicker in his eyes, but soon after he turned back to listen to Jimin. A couple of days had already passed from that moment, yet it kept flashing in her head every once in a while, still trying to decipher what she had flashed in his eyes. Her flow of thoughts was interrupted by Jimin and Taehyung who came barreling in the garden, finally ready for the hunt. Now they only had to wait for the other six. How nice. Why are they taking so long, by the way?

Sori had woken up feeling like eating raw meat and going hunting, but since she couldn’t go out in the woods alone, she had asked Namjoon and Narae to accompany her. She could third wheel just fine after all this time. Although it was quite early in the morning, the two had had the idea of bring along the whole pack because it had been a while since they had last hunted together. Minyoung hadn't seemed too thrilled, but it was understandable since she didn't like getting up early in the morning and this was only the second group hunt for her. Moreover, Namjoon had been informed a couple of days previously that in some lands near theirs there had been some attacks by rogues, so he probably wanted to be careful and bring everyone with him, and this was also the perfect occasion to strengthen the bond between the members of his pack. However, despite her best intentions, Sori was getting really impatient. She wanted her meat now. She had gotten up at dawn with a specific purpose, so why was she still in that stupid garden instead of in the woods hunting for her breakfast? In all honesty, she wouldn’t even know why she was craving for it that much, but she needs it right now.

To pass the time, she was now pacing in front of the house while Jimin and Taehyung were playing lightly by themselves (without breaking anything for once) and shooting her curious glances. She knew it was because she was usually disgusted by the idea of raw meat, and even in the previous pack hunts she only ate a little, yet now she looked absolutely impatient to go. Actually, it still disgusted Sori, but she was truly craving raw meat and she needed to eat it. Now. She glared at the door, as if that would make her pack-mates hurry up. The irritation was quickly taking her good mood away. Okay, my period must be coming. Calm down, Sori, you’re not going to die if you wait a little longer. Let’s avoid fighting again. Just way a little longer.

The door opened again and Sori deluded herself into thinking they were finally ready to go, but only Narae, Minyoung and Hoseok came out of the house much to her disappointment.

“Don’t look at me like that, Ri. Joonie is trying to wake Yoongi up and Jin is trying his luck with Jungkook, but you know how they are in the morning...”, Narae said, as an exasperated sigh left her lips. She then proceeded to change into her stunning white wolf. Sori liked her own wolf, it was soft and fluffy, but Narae’s one was the one she liked the most in the pack. It was all white and shiny, it seemed to spark brightly when it snowed. Sometimes Sori even asked her friend to change form, so that she could pet her wolf. Thankfully Narae never too offence in her requests, laughing at her silliness instead.

Looking around, Sori took note of the colours of the fur of the rest of the guys. Jimin was a rather big wolf, especially considering his stature and physique as a human, and his fur was short and light brown. He wasn’t really fluffy, but his natural cute-self made it hard for him to look dangerous. Sori never thought Jimin could actually look scary, no matter how much he tried to scare her. He could be annoying, irritating and he at time he accidentally hurt her with his superficial jokes, but he never scared her.

Taehyung’s wolf, instead, was quite like him: lanky and thin. His fur was reddish and longer than Jimin’s, which made him look super fluffy. Tae's attention span wasn't that long, though, so he often got distracted, which caused him to stumble and fall a lot. He also like to roll around and play like a dog, so and he often needed someone to comb his hair after he changed back, because a lot of grass and leaves got stuck in his head and Namjoon hated it when he clogged the shower's drain.

Minyoung was beautiful even in her wolf form, no doubt about it. Although her wolf's mane wasn’t as unique as some of the members of the pack, it still managed to catch everyone's attention with her black and grey fur. Between the females, she was the tallest wolf, the skinniest and the most elegant. No one else in the pack could move with such elegance. Her fur was shiny, fluffy and long. When she was running in her wolf form, her fur danced in the wind making her look like a painting. Sori was mesmerized by the beauty of Minyoung’s wolf ever since the very first time she saw it. His paws were long and thin, yet they were strong and powerful, in fact she was one of the fastest runners along with Hoseok and Jungkook.

Hoseok’s wolf’s fur was a curious mix of dark grey-brown wolf. He didn’t immediately catch Sori’s eyes when she entered the pack, but now it was one of her favourite wolves. It was amazing to see how he looked in the sun or while he was running. Although his fur wasn’t as fluffy and Tae’s, it was still fluffier than Jimin’s, and since he didn’t have muscles as big as the latter's, he looked really tall and skinny. In spite of that, he was around Taehyung’s height as a wolf, and he was one of the most powerful members of the pack. Hoseok was very good at planning attacks, which was very useful during hunts, and he was also good at tracking scents scenting and running. He definitely was someone you would underestimate at first sight, which would end up turning against you if the chance arose. Sori got bitten quite harshly by him for this exact reason the first time she went hunting with the pack. She didn't know much about wolf hierarchy back then and Hoseok didn't like to be disrespected.

Seokjin’s wolf was the tallest in the pack, and his wolf was very much like him: well-built and strong, nice and patient. That was another characteristic people often overlooked, but it could be lethal if needed. Jin can wait without getting impatient. Hearing no sound and seeing no movements, eventually the prey takes confidence and starts to moving, and that's when Jin attacks and kills it. It’s something he also does in his human form: he never attacks straight forwardly, he beats around the bush pretending he knows nothing, he listens to whatever you have to say, and then when you think you’ve fooled him he puts you to shame. Sometimes Jin really has no idea of what was going on, but the pack members are so used to his behaviour that they gave up on lying and tell him everything, only to try and take it back once they realize the beta didn’t actually know a thing about the matter. Jin’s wolf was quite big and had a good amount of muscles to show off, but he didn't like hunting.

There was a loud yelp that startled Sori a little and after a moment the last four members of the pack came out of the house (finally). Jungkook’s black fur was shining in the morning early lights. The other two wolves were clearly smaller than him, while Namjoon was going to be at his same height as soon as he would turn into his wolf form. Jungkook was the most powerful wolf of the pack, even stronger than Namjoon when he actually engaged himself in a fight. He was the fastest runner and the best fighter, second only to Sori in following and recognising scents, with an amazing eye-sight and a very good hearing. The thing in which he lacked consistently in was planning, organization, and most of all patience, which was also the reason why he knew he would never be a good alpha if he were to leave this pack to create his own one. Being that impulsive could have terrible consequences if were to have a pack to lead. Not that he wanted a pack to lead and all the responsibilities that came with it. Quite the opposite instead.

Yoongi’s wolf was quite small, just like Jimin's, and his light grey fur was often ruffled because Yoongi loved to go lie in the sun and take a nap. It was a quite calm wolf as long as everyone respected him, however, when he felt like he wasn’t given the right treatment or an acceptable amount of respect, Yoongi showed the other side of himself. He could be quite cruel if needed to without even feeling the slightest bit of regret about it. Sori never experienced personally his rage, yet she saw it with her own eyes a couple of times in which Jungkook and Taehyung took their shenanigans too far, and that was enough for her to know she didn't want to experience his wrath.

Since Jin mostly liked to watch and later cook the preys they caught, Sori was surprised to see him in his wolf form too. She often thought that he was one of the big reasons why their pack almost never when hunting together: Namjoon didn't like to leave one of his members behind nor force them into an activity they didn't like. The only three real hunters of the pack were Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook, who sometimes went hunting just to prove their strength.

Weirdly, Namjoon was still standing on his two feet. There were a lot of strange things going on that morning. He scanned the wolves of his pack, and once he noticed hey were all there and were ready to go, he nodded once with his head.

“We can’t stay out too long because I’m waiting for an informer to arrive. Since the information he’ll bring is very important and it regards the recent attacks in a couple of towns not too far from here, I want you all to be there and to listen to what he’ll say. I'm afraid we probably have to expect an attack on our lands sooner or later too, and I want us to be ready when the time will come”, he said with a serious expression. The alpha didn't waste any more time and turned in his wolf form, officially making the hunting session start. It wasn't exactly how Sori had imagined her morning hunt to go, but whatever, she would think about his words later on.

As they were running to get a feeling of being in their wolf forms, Sori took her time reflecting on the dynamics of their pack and their general behaviour. Whenever another pack met BTS pack in wolf form, the new comers always thought Jungkook was the alpha of the pack. Probably that assumption came from his height as well as his confidence, because although Namjoon was at the same height as Jungkook, his wolf was quite plain under many aspects: it was tall but scrawny, his muscles weren't as defined as the younger's, his fur was short and he often stayed in the side lines instead of the front. His fur was white and grey, which only made him plainer. Despite this, Namjoon was a well respected alpha, known for his amazing skills in planning and organizing his pack. He could orchestrate perfectly the hunt as well as whatever else he wanted. He could also be very powerful in his run and strength, but that was a side of him he didn't show too often. He liked to use his brain better that his strength, so he often left the spot reserved to the alpha to the youngers, so that they could have fun. Sori had heard that before leaving to form his original pack, his father had assigned him one of the highest titles in their pack, as he had full control their warriors. Unfortunately, Namjoon didn't enjoy that kind of life and in the end he had decided to leave his pack and create a new one with his friends.

Silently the pack started moving towards the same direction. It was at times like this that Sori understood perfectly the fact that she was not really part of the pack. Even Minyoung knew where to go, in spite of the fact she had only joined the pack a little over three months ago. Sori knew for a fact that getting to be really part of BTS pack would’ve been extremely hard ever since she met them. The friendship they all shared was something close to a mystery for her, who had mostly grown up alone. They had conversations without speaking or even just by looking at each other. They moved as one body. They’d been together for centuries, thus the almost four years spent with them often reminded her that that span of time meant nothing if compared to over 250 years spent together. As much as she reminded herself one day she would be like them, for now she felt emptiness and a latent anxiety at the idea of not belonging... well, anywhere. She didn't belong to anyone or any place, honestly.

Although she was feeling a bit disheartened at the moment Sori didn’t stop yearning for raw meat, so she just followed them the best she could in the woods. By the time she reached them, they were inside the wood already. They were disposed by the usual order during hunts: Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung, Namjoon, Hoseok and Narae, Jin and Yoongi. Jin and Yoongi’s friendship was something Sori saw as utterly precious and weird to see. It was probably due to the fact that Yoongi always seemed to have a way to boss others around, he looked like he was never afraid of anything and at times even Namjoon didn’t dare to go too strongly against him or his opinions, unlike Jin. Jin was the only one who got to boss Yoongi around, and that said a lot. Yoongi and Jin at times seemed to be completely opposite personality wise, yet the two fitted weirdly well together.

When she reached them, Sori noticed they were all staring at her. It took a couple of seconds to understand that it was because she had to be by the head of the pack for the hunt. Her ability in finding and following scents was second to no one in the pack. Also, she was a good fighter when it came to catching preys, although she usually left the dirty job to Jungkook or Taehyung, or anyone who was near her actually. She wasn't the best fighter and hunter, but Sori was still very useful in pack-hunts, so she made her way to the head of the pack. She heard Jungkook scoff as she passed him with her head lowered, but she was almost sure he was just joking, because Narae’s growled laugh could be heard together with Namjoon’s and Hoseok’s. One again, Sori was glad she was in her wolf form at the moment, because that granted her the fact that no one would’ve known she was blushing and her own tardiness.

Sori was scrutinizing her body again. She’d seen how Jungkook was staring at Minyoung when she changed to her human form after the session of hunting. Maybe she could start dieting or something. It wasn't like she had to loose 30 pounds, maybe just 10 or so, she was pretty sure she could lose them easily if she cut down on junk food and chocolate. Just so that she could improve her image a little and capture his attention again. Her round cheeks were probably going to disappear if she were to follow her intentions, and that didn't really please her because she didn't dislike them, but she could give up a feature she liked in her face just to be prettied. Prettier... in wasn't like being skinny coincided with being pretty, but maybe she could look less plain and boring that way.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the alpha’s voice calling those who were upstairs to the living room. The pack only took one hour and a half for the hunt this time. Thanks to Sori they caught a rabbit, a deer real quick, so they actually wasted more time eating than hunting, so at the moment the only thing she actually felt like doing was napping as she digested her lunch. Soon after they came back they to take showers and get ready for the guests who were to arrive, so she hadn't had any time to actual rest after the hunt and now there was going to be a meeting. Ugh.

Well, getting ready was not how Sori would have defined the way she had spent the last half an hour honestly, but whatever. She wore her shirt and took a jacked with her to put on while she was going down the stairs. By the smell of it, there were only three guests, and from what she had overheard Namjoon saying, they were two alphas from different packs and the beta of one of them. Actually Namjoon had already mentioned he had been informed there had been some attacks, perhaps they knew more about it, or maybe they were from the packs who had been attacked. Since they had come together they must have known each other, though, and probably the other guys in the pack had met them already, and that made her feel uncomfortable. Was she the only one who didn't know them?

Sori studied the atmosphere in the room for a moment before she decided to go sit on the ground next to the armrest of the sofa, right next to Hoseok. The two alphas were near Namjoon, at least, so this way they weren't going to notice her.

“Why are you sitting here?”, Hoseok was staring at her, clearly bewildered by her actions, “There’s plenty of space for you here! At least move a little, I can't even move my legs if you sit this close to me”, he said showing her the empty cushions of the sofa on his left, but Sori knew better than to show herself off in front of unknown alphas. This was an important meeting, and it was fundamental for Namjoon to appear like a strong alpha, which he was, no doubt about it, but the others didn’t know it just yet, and letting them see her sitting on the same level as the males of the pack, would already be bad enough, not to mention the fact that she was only a turned-werewolf. Sure, she knew the alphas had spoken on the phone more than once, but meeting in person was a different thing and there was a whole game of mental power that usually went on whenever different alphas got stuck in the same room. She had to do her part to make Namjoon look like he had everything under control and an obedient pack. After a moment Sori met Hoseok's eyes and slowly shook her head, before turning her gaze to the floor again. She heard Hoseok whisper a sigh beside her, but she made no move when he patted her on the back with his hand.

One by one the members filled the room. Some on the chairs and some on the sofas, leaving only the three alphas standing, when the new beta decided to sit on the armchair right next to his alpha.

“Hello guys, I think you all know why we’re meeting today. I have already met some of you and I guess you might have heard of me from Namjoon, but since I was informed your pack recently increased its members, I’ll shortly introduce myself. I’m Jiho and my pack is called Block B. I'm pretty sure you haven't heard our name as we try to keep a low profile most of the times, we don’t really get into fights for lands nor take part in many social events, but don't underestimate us. Recently we were attacked, and this forced us to start a war, so today I came here not only with the hope of finding an ally in you, but also to warn you. Obviously I want to revenge the death of my pack mates, but I also want to warn you about these rogues. They are shrewd to the point very few people knew they were running in a pack. No one knows exactly what they want. We made some suppositions, but we have no way to establish if they are following a plan or if they just attacked us because they could take us by surprise. I would recommend you not to overlook those rogues and get ready to defend your lands”. He ended his speech with deep bow towards the members of our pack, and everyone immediately reciprocated. The other alpha stepped slightly forward and after bowing to us and having seen everyone bow to him, he sat next to his beta.

“Hello! I am Hanbin, alpha of iKon. We, like Block B, aren't well known. We are a relatively small pack and many expected us not have any fighting experience since iKon was only created a couple of decades ago, but so far we were able to resist many attacks without losing anyone and without having to lean on other packs for support”. At that, Sori saw some of the members of her pack exchange stupefied glances. “This is by beta, Jiwon. Unfortunately, during the attack some of our members were seriously injured and many of our houses set on fire, but fortunately no one died. We were attacked during the night so we were completely unprepared to defend ourselves. Before that night we had received no threats and there was no sign of strangers in our lands, and this is the reason why no one even imagined we would be attacked so violently out of no where. Even though no one died, we want to prevent other attacks from happening. That's why we joined Jiho today when we discovered he was coming here”. He and Jiho shared a glance, and then he proceed with his speech. “We talked about this with other alphas whose packs were attacked, and we believe you or EXO might soon be the next target. We don’t know when, but it’s likely for many reasons, mainly you’re famous and you both are close to our lands. We think that you should start training to get ready for an attack”, he said. The beta, Jiwon, nodded all along his speech. “It might no happen obviously, but training your wolves will do you good, you know, just in case something happens”. Namjoon’s eyes flashed yellow as he was listening to the news, but he didn’t speak. He simply lowered his head, as if he was trying to recollect himself before speaking.

“I was aware of this possibility, but I was hoping for it to be only an impression of mine”, he finally said, nodding slowly to himself. It was hard focusing on the discussion when the beta, Jiwon, kept sniffing the air weirdly, and his alpha was looking at him as if he was the dumbest thing he ever saw.

“What’s wrong with you?”, he whispered. Jiwon only shook his head and stilled himself again, although his eyes still seemed very curious.

“You can count on our help, though. You’ve been advised, so make a good use of your free time and improve your skills: train yourselves the best you can. In the case you will not be attacked, you will still be able to defend yourselves from any other pack, which is always a good thing”, Hanbin said, looking right into Namjoon’s eyes. He nodded a couple of times and sent him a small smile.

“We’d like to bring our pack mates here, so that we can get to know each other and learn each other's scents. This way we should be able to recognize each other in case we'll have to fight together!”, Jiho said. Namjoon let his gaze run along the faces of his pack mates to get their approval, but he lightly stopped himself when he saw where Sori was sitting. He shoot her a disapproving expression and then turned towards the other two alphas. Sori saw him shaking his head slightly, but she didn't know what else she could have done. Perhaps she could have stayed upstairs, but it had been Namjoon who had requested them all to be there...

“You have my pack’s approval and mine to enter in our lands whenever you like until this training will be over. I only demand for you to inform me about it before you enter. Now, can you tell me more about the attacks that happened in your lands and how did the rogues work to attack you?”, he asked politely. Hanbin signed to Jiho he could speak first, and the latter nodded.

“They attacked us at dawn. We hadn't received a thread in a while so we had no night guards doing rounds. The most of us were still sleeping too, which is why there were even some deaths. They attacked us from two different fronts at different times: the majority of my were engaged in the fight in the North of our lands when we heard the howls from Southern lands. We knew they were asking for help, but by the time we neutralised the troupes on the North and reached the South, the houses were on fire already, and some of my wolves were death. Ever since two of mine mated 50 years ago, my pack started increasing it’s numbers, and their kids were always around us. Four of them died inside the building that was on fire”. Hoseok and Taehyung’s gasps were heard by everyone. The two always loved children, it was no surprise that they were the most shocked in the room. “Two of my older wolves died as well: one fighting against the rogues, as he was the first to notice the presence of rogues on the South, he had no one to help him despite his calls for help. The other wolf died trying to save her children from the fire. There were also many injured and a lot of houses were damaged. Unfortunately some humans were involved as well and had to be turned. Only one of them survived the transition. The government admonished us, but still understood our reasons and paid for the reparations necessaries for the houses. There's no certainty that we won't be moved, though, as the attack was pretty big and noticeable”.

“That’s really sad, Jiho. I’m sorry for what happened to your pack. I wish we had heard about the attack earlier. We would have found a way to help you when you needed it”, Namjoon said, giving the other alpha a masculine pat on the back and squeezing his shoulder a bit. The other alpha was simply nodding in response.

“As for the attack to my lands, I think they didn’t want to exactly kill us, or better kill all of us. It seemed like they were tasting our power, probably thinking we were weak. They attacked us early in the morning, not as early as them though”, he nodded in Hanbin's direction, “ It was around eight in the morning. They were a big troupe, but no one seemed to actually know how to fight. We manage to kill a couple of them, but as soon as they saw things weren’t going well, they ran away. The only similar thing was that they put on fire cars and a couple of houses, but we didn’t suffer any losses. Unfortunately, even in this case, humans were involved and one of them was injured when one of our cars exploded. We were given an admonition from the government, yet we received money for the damages caused by the rogues too. On the positive side, we live quite isolated from the human community and we managed to make the attack look like an aggression from some city gang, so we probably won't be moved”, Hanbin concluded.

“Do you have any idea about where are at the moment?”, Jin asked after a moment of silence.

“No, unfortunately we don’t. We still haven’t understood who’s in charge of the group, or if it’s more than one group and they’re collaborating in conquering lands to settle down.”, Jiho informed him. “As I told you before, we are making some hypothesis, but we don't have any real information about them”. Had she not been so embarrassed and afraid to humiliate Namjoon, Sori would have asked them if they had tried tracking down their scents already, and eventually where the scents lead to. A female turned-were speaking directly to unknown alphas, two strong ones at that wasn't the right. That would have only made her appear as an ignorant, rude woman and probably a bit sluttish too. She was hoping for someone to ask about it, but they kept asking other questions, so she took matters in her hands and sent Yoongi a text. He only needed a couple of seconds to feel his phone vibrating in his pocket and check the text. He shoot her a look, as if he wanted her to ask it herself, but went he saw Sori making puppy eyes to him, Yoongi scoffed and showed her his middle finger (after having hidden his hand behind Hoseok’s back). It wasn't like Sori wasn't aware Yoongi hated speaking up like this, but it was better to make him uncomfortable for a moment than let them leave without having asked that question.

“Did you try tracking down the scents to see where they lead?”, Yoongi asked in a somewhat embarrassed voice. In her mind Sori took note to make Yoongi a couple of muffins only for him to thank him for this favour.

“We tried to, however there were too many scents for us to be able to isolate and track it. Moreover, they divided themselves both when they attacked us and when they retreated, so the scents all lead to different places”, Jiwon replayed him. At that, Namjoon and Jin stared at each other, busy with a silent conversation. Sori had a bad feeling about this, but maybe she was overthinking it.

“Well, if it can be of any help seen the situation, we have Sori here”, he indicated her with his hand, “she can track almost anything without problem. She never tried it in a land so vast and in such a serious context, but I can assure you her nose is the best I have seen so far”, the alpha spoke, pointing at Sori with his hand. He sounded somewhat proud, but Sori was panicking too much to care about it. Namjoon should have known better than to put her in the spotlight. Now he was going to look bad because of her. Not to mention than now they were going to talk to her and about her too, and she had nothing clever nor useful to say. She could see Jungkook shaking his head with the corner of her eyes, so she tried to shrink in the armrest of the sofa even more, trying to hide herself the best she could, but they were all staring at her already and Sori couldn’t think of anything to say. It felt like there was no air for her to breathe in the room. It only took Namjoon a moment to notice she was seriously panicking, then he made the beeline towards her and put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Contact with other pack members and specially with the alpha was a well knows method used to calm down the wolves who were facing a difficult moment. And then Jiwon spoke, and he said exactly what Sori hated the most.

“Hey, so it was you who was smelling weirdly! No offence, but I was trying to understand where it was coming from and I couldn’t pinpoint it. So BTS pack has a turned-werewolf?”. Hanbin shoot him a death glare, but he himself wore a stupefied expression on his face. When the beta caught the eyes of his alpha, he quickly added: “Oh, I’m sorry if it came out wrong! I didn’t’ meant it as an offence, it’s just that I was surprised. I only met a couple of turned-werewolves in my life, and it was never in a place like this... I mean, in such a nice house... I mean... you know... well, I think you know what I mean without me remind you, now I’ll shut up”. Hanbin looked like he was about to murder him. Hoseok, Narae and Jin seemed to share his opinion. Sori felt her cheeks burning, but in the end he hadn't said nothing she didn't know already.

Namjoon didn’t even turn towards him to look him in the eyes as he simply told him: “Yes, we have a turned-werewolf in our pack, and no, we don't own her. Whomever has objections against it is strongly requested to keep it for himself. She’d been a faithful member of the pack for the last years and never created us any problem”, he said sending a pointed look towards the youngest wolf of his pack and added: “Unless we take in consideration some minor and very recent episodes, am I right?”. Sori tried smiling at him, but it looked painfully forced. Seriously, when was he going to let go of that story? Could they all stop staring at her?

Jiho was silently looking at the scene with a raised eyebrow, yet he looked somewhat amused.

“He didn’t mean it in a negative way, Namjoon, I promise you. I always tell him to learn more vocabulary and express himself properly, but he never listens to me. Our pack is rather small, ad there are only two females, so he isn’t really that practical in interacting with women in general. Also, she’s the very first female turned-werewolf we’ve seen in a long while. In our original pack they weren't allowed to be near us, so we never actually met them, and then we moved to create our own pack”. At least he was embarrassed by his own words judging by his grimace. Sori knew he didn't just mean they weren't allowed to be near the members of the pack. Most of those old packs used turned-weres as slaves or sex slaves. If they never met people like her before, it just meant that in their old pack turned-weres were used as sex slaves and had to stay in a separate building. “To us she smells kind of funny, but it’s not a bad scent, just... weird? It seems like... I don't know, as if she was sick recently, but stronger. Probably Jiwon was wondering if that was her normal scent of something happened to her. Not to mention the fact that... well, turned-weres are know for a reason, all the most when they’re females, so we were even more surprised to see she was sitting here with us all the time, like she’s really part of the pack”. Hanbin said in a rush, while gesticulating with his hands. They kept talking about her as if she wasn't exactly there with them. Sori was more hurt by the last sentence he pronounced than by the whole ordeal.“Like she’s really part of the pack”, Sori registered those words in her brain to think about later on.

“In fact she IS really part of the pack, I don’t understand why you’re so surprised”, Seokjin said in an ice-cold tone. Jiho seemed really amused by the situation, while basically everyone else was glaring at their guests.

“Okay, okay, I think they’ll just have to talk a little with her and they’ll get over it. There something special within her though, but I guess no one of you knows what it is yet. I think you will be the surprised ones when you’ll learn about it”, Jiho said smirking. That knowing look was scaring Sori quite a bit, and from the looks of it, she wasn't the only one who thought it was a little bit creepy. What was it that made her special? And why did this man she had never seen before know about this something? It took her a moment to realize everyone was staring at her, and she could perceive different types of reactions around her. Sori raised her head just enough to confirm that some of her pack mates were looking at the curiously, others funnily, but what caught her attention the most was one pair of eyes was looking at her suspiciously. Jungkook was scrutinizing her like he wanted to start questioning her, and not in a positive way.

“I’m not sure of what you're implying, but we know Sori in special already”, Narae stated in a somewhat bored voice.

“You sure do, but I’m pretty sure we don’t mean the same thing. Actually, I’m quite sure she doesn’t know it either, but I think she will find out soon enough.” Jiho said nonchalantly. “As for checking our lands with her, I agree, she will show us if she’s really as good at tracking as you say, but I think she’ll need a couple of weeks to check all the scents and their directions. Without over-exercising yourself, mind you”, he finished. Sori limited herself to respond by weekly nodding. There wasn’t much to say since she didn’t understand much of what he meant. Despite that she was ready to show him she was as good as Namjoon told him. She wanted to brag her one talent a little.

Namjoon eyed her again carefully before he asked the two alphas and the betas to follow him to his study, so that they could exchange their contacts and select a day to do the tracking. Once the five wolves left the room, the silence was complete. No one really knew what to say as they were taking in the stories of the attacks and the Jiho's quizzical words.

“So you’re hiding something from us? Typical of people like you”, Jungkook said, breaking the long silence. He scoffed as she shook his head, then he stood up and left the room. What an amazing way to make the mood even gloomier.

“C’mon, guys, I don’t want to wait for you again”, Jin complained. They were waiting for Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung to finally leave the house. The three were always the last ones to come downstairs, and everyone else had to wait for them, and they all hated it. Tonight they were going to their favourite club, the one where Yoongi worked for. It wasn't an extremely popular one, but it was the only place where they could relax and let loose a bit.

“We're almost done!”, they heard Taehyung yell. Everyone groaned as an answer. They had decided to go out to get rid of the weird atmosphere that had settle in the house ever since the meeting in the morning. Sori didn’t really feel like going out, as she was still feeling quite down after Jungkook's words. Moreover she didn't like going to the club that much either. Even as human she only went there once or twice a year, and that was more than enough for her. Now, with supernatural hearing, going to the club was more like torture for Sori. The others didn’t suffer too much as they’re eardrums constantly repaired themselves, being born-weres. They didn’t even get a headache. Instead, for Sori, it was torture: she always got terrifying headaches and her ears kept hurting like hell. Sure, she was a supernatural-being, but she didn’t heal as fast as her pack mates.

She had dressed well for the occasion, but she was hoping she would be able to convince Namjoon to let her go home after an hour or so. It’s not like she could stay there and get drunk. To get a werewolf drunk it took way more alcohol and money than she could afford.

Once the last three members of the pack were finally ready, they jumped in the cars and drove to the club. It was only fifteen minutes away, yet today the road felt so long Sori was surprised whenever she looked at her phone and saw only a couple of minutes had passed since she last looked. They managed to park their three cars quite close to one another, so they didn’t have to separate themselves when they had to go home.

As she was waiting for the others to re-group, Sori looked at the group of girls that were entering the club. By the way they were dressed and their body-type, she was quite sure Jungkook would try to bring one of them home tonight. She only wished she didn’t have to drive back home with him and his fling this time, it was enough to have to hear them from her room.

Being friends with the Dj, their group got in the club without having to queue outside. Yoongi waved his hand at them and then focused back on his console. It was obvious that he loved his job. He often told her about this new piece he added to his console, the songs he remixed, the sounds he created by pressing one button or another, how he managed to make them fit all those things together to make people dance and jump, and it always made Sori wish one day she would be able to find a job she could enjoy just as much as Yoongi enjoyed his.

They ordered drinks for everyone and then some shots to loosen up a little. When everyone was holding a shot in their hands, they all joined their hands in front of them.

“Fuck the rogues, fuck problems and amen if there’s anyone special in this damn group. We are all special in out very own way. Cheers!”, Namjoon said. They all raised their glasses and downed the drink. It burned down Sori’s throat, tears were starting to form in her eyes and she was feeling dizzy again. Sori hated having to drink bottoms up. She likes to sip her cold vodka slowly, enjoying its flavour when she ordered a fruity one. Nonetheless, Sori tried to stand still and not grimace, so that she wouldn't ruin the mood. When the others drifted to the dance floor she moved to take the seat in front of the bar, next to where Minyoung was standing.

“Hey, are you fine?”, the girl asked her frowning. Ugh, why did she have to be left alone with Minyoung? She didn't have the strength to chatter with her today.

“Yeah, I was tired of standing up”, Sori replayed smiling a bit. Although Minyoung didn’t really seem convinced, she didn’t insist either. They weren't close enough for her to act all caring anyway. Actually it was better this way. The conversation could only be cut short when the two of them were left alone, because they really had nothing in common.

While the others were talking, Sori ordered another drink for herself and started drinking it slowly, savouring the way the alcohol blended in with the other ingredients, and replaying the events of the day in her head. She was mentally tired rather than physically, but it was enough to make her wish she could go home soon and just lay down in her bed. As soon as her drink was finished, she unlocked her phone to see what time it was. Yeah, I think I can go now, I’ll just let Namjoon know to avoid another scolding tomorrow.

Sori lifted her head to check who was the closest member of the pack to let them know she was leaving, but there was no one around her. She eyed the dance floor, and there she could see Minyoung dancing with Hoseok and Jin and they laughing their heads off, the usual trio was trying to approach the girls Sori had noticed before, the ones who were entering in front of them, and Namjoon and Narae were nowhere in sight. Probably they were in the back of the club or in the toilets. No one was even looking her way. She was alone. She was alone once again.

Sori waited a bit more and took another drink, but no one came to talk to her. Once she was done with her drink she stood up and left on her own to call a taxi. She didn't even bother sending a text to let them know she was leaving. She made her way home alone. Alone, as always.

Chapter Text

For the first time in almost a month and half, Jungkook had actually noticed Sori’s presence in the room. Earlier that day, Jungkook had complimented the way the jeans she was wearing looked on her and also told her the muffins she cooked were amazing. Despite the awkwardness it was like a wave of fresh air for Sori. After having ignored Sori’s existence for more than a month, he was finally giving her his attention! Their conversation only lasted around half an hour, but it was enough for Sori to feel happy! Whatever it was that brought Jungkook back to her, Sori was glad it was finally over.

Moreover, he looked amazing today! Sori always thought he looked amazing, honestly, but the way that black shirt hugged his shoulders was something else. Not to mention how good he looked in his light jeans. They hugged his tights perfectly, showing off his muscles quite a bit. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

Only thinking about him and the way he gently talked with her had Sori on the edge. She knew it was not normal for her to be this happy and excited just because Jungkook finally remembered about her existence, but he was Jungkook, and she missed him in a way that couldn't be simply explained with words alone. She missed him like she never missed anything before. She missed him like any day spent without him sending her his typical shy smile was empty. As if she wasted all the time in her life she didn’t spend with him. She loved him with no dignity, no self-respect. He always came first for her, and she wanted to be the first thing on his mind too. She wanted to be the only one. And finally, after a long series empty and depressing days, he finally turned his attention towards her once again. Sori was happy. For the first time in months, she was happy. Jungkook had a way to warm her from the inside she could find no where else, and she had longed for that warmth for a long while.

Although later the pack went clubbing without her, she was happy. She didn’t care that much that they thought it was normal to leave her home on her own, because today Jungkook had spoken to her. He smiled at her. He even complimented her, and Sori was too happy to care about being left behind. It wasn't like she loved clubs anyway, so she was more than fine with being at home on her own.

She spent the night in her room, wondering about Jungkook and the way he was dressed. The only flaw to her perfectly good mood was the tiny voice in her mind that kept wondering whether Jungkook was going to a girl home for the night or not. Sori really wished he wouldn’t, and that he spent the night with her instead. It’d been so long ever since they last spoke, she couldn’t even remember the last time they spent the night together. Probably it had been some time after Minyoung had joined the pack, because not long after that things had changed between them...

It was very frustrating for her, because she wanted to remember all the seconds in which they were together, as if they were all special although she knew it was childish to have such ideas. Those moments were indeed special for her, which was why she was staring at the ceiling of her room, trying to remember the smallest details about the boy’s body and voice.

So far, despite her horniness, Sori had never found the courage to touch herself too much because she thought it was embarrassing. She was scared just at the thought of what the others would think if they were to discover she did something like masturbating. Unfortunately, as the years passed Sori learnt that, at times, the solid and thick walls of the house weren’t enough to protect the privacy of everyone. Unsurprisingly, that lead to many unpleasant accidents and awkward moments inside the house. One of the things for whom she was more thankful for to God, was that Narae’s and Namjoon’s room was upstairs and not close to the rest of the pack. Actually, if Sori focused and listened carefully, she could still hear everything that went on upstairs, downstairs, on the rooms next to hers and even outside. Which was exactly the same reason why she had the habit of always bringing one pair of earphones with her wherever she went. She has to protect herself form unpleasant and disgusting noises that would scar her for life. Nope. She didn’t want to know Namjoon kinks.

To be honest, what frustrated her the most was owning the room right in front of Jungkook's. He wasn’t an annoyingly noisy kid, yet he had the habit of taking girls home quite often. And while it enraged and disgusted her, it also made her suffer. Knowing you’re not important enough for the man you love is bad enough already, hearing him having sex with other girls few nights a week was on another level of “bad”. There was just no describing how it made her feel.

No, she wasn't going to think about that tonight. She was going to think about lighter topics and be at peace with herself.

Sori spent a couple of hours thinking about his body and question his intentions for the night, thinking about his skin on hers. If he didn’t bring a girls with him, then maybe they could’ve spent the night together. God know how much she needed it. How much she needed him.

The moment Sori heard the front door being unlocked, she held her breath. She knew it was foolish to get her hopes that up only because he complimented her, but it was also true that he almost never complimented others, and especially not her!

She listened to the guys walking around, some were going to the kitchen, others were going to the living room and someone was going upstairs. From the sound of it, Sori knew it was Yoongi and Hoseok, and when they both entered Hoseok’s room, she questioned again their relationship. The two of them never liked talking about it, or even just having people mention their ambiguous relationship, but it was hard to just overlook every single casual touch here and there, and other things that could add up to Sori's theory. It was a reoccurring question that she never had the courage to directly ask to the two guys. They were close, but Sori didn’t know if they were close enough to tell her their private matters. She told them some things about the mess that was going on with Jungkook, but she never questioned them directly about their “friendship” being a little more than just a normal friendship. Obviously she had no evidence , but maybe others in the pack did and just kept the matter quiet, which wasn't exactly wrong per se, Sori just wondered whether she was the only one being left out once again.

Namjoon and Narae had decided to stay downstairs, apparently, since Sori could hear their heartbeats coming from the living room. That left Jungkook in the kitchen with Minyoung, Jimin and Taehyung. It actually seemed like there was no one aside them. Thinking about it, Sori found it really weird that the three of them hadn’t brought anyone home. They’d made it an habit that of bringing girls home whenever they went clubbing, so why was tonight any different? Had she been so lost in her fantasies she hadn't noticed there was something unusual going on?

Half an hour later she heard Minyoung’s light steps on the stairs and then going towards the bathroom. The sound of the shower could be heard for a while, to the point Sori's body relaxed by listening to it and she slowly started falling asleep. That was probably also the reason why she didn’t answer right away when she heard someone knocking on her door. She was quite sure it was just a dream, because sometimes her dreams were very realistic, but when the sound kept on repeating very lightly and a voice whispered: “Sori, it’s me, are you awake?”, Sori decided to give reality a chance.

“Come in”, she whispered back, stretching herself a bit to shake off the sleepiness she was feeling. Slowly the door opened, and Jungkook tiptoed inside her room. She was appalled. He was actually in her room. For the first time in a month or maybe more, he was in her room. It felt inexplicably good to see him getting closer to her bed, although walking a bit unsteadily. Just how much did he drink to be in this condition after spending an hour downstairs eating? Let’s hope he doesn’t end up throwing up on the floor again...

Just then Sori remembered Jungkook got paid a couple of days ago, so he probably wasted half of his money on alcohol, because to be able to get that tipsy as a born were, and to keep being half drunk after half an hour he must have drunk a lot.

“Hey”, he said lightly. He laid down on her bed, right next to her and put his head on her shoulder. He mustn't have found that position satisfying, because after a moment he removed his socks, pants and shirt before getting with her under the covers. Sori wasn’t really surprised by his actions, because Jungkook always hated wearing clothes to sleep, but the sight on his toned body was warming up her body, and it was quite uncomfortable. It wasn't easy to keep calm when she was horny and nostalgic. She really missed feeling his body close to hers, above her, touching her, holding her so close that there was no space left between them. She really missed him, and those sculptured abs weren’t helping the wetness she was starting to feel in her panties.

He lied down really close to her and looked right in her eyes before sending her a bright bunny smile. She smiled back to him and caressed his head, which was now settle right above her shoulder.

“Why did you drink this much, Kookie?”, she asked, keeping her voice just above a whisper. He sighed before answering.

“Missed you”, he replayed in a whiny tone. He then let out a real whine and proceeded to move even closer to her and began snuggling his face in her neck and shoulder, totally cuddling himself against her, just about to fall asleep. Sori’s panties were getting even wetter, but the boy didn’t seem to notice or care, which awoke her frustration.

“You missed me? But you were the one that was avoiding me, Kookie”, Sori whispered.

“Mmm, can we not talk about it? I just missed you a lot”, he slurred lightly. His arms were now wrapped around Sori’s tummy and were bringing her even closer than she thought possible. At this point the only thing she could do was hug him back and hope he didn’t mind touching all her fat, because that was exactly what he was doing. Drunk Jungkook was always cute and cuddly, so Sori just let it slide and decided to enjoy the moment. They kept quiet for a while, Just enjoying each other’s presence and closeness after a long while. The both of them had missed each other.

“Sori”, he called her, a bit drowsily, “you know, you’re really pretty”. Sori looked up at his face, trying to decide how she had to interpret his statement, but she got no useful suggestions as his expression was simply pacific. He’d fallen asleep right away, and all she could see on his face was at relaxed and peaceful expression. Sori let her gaze caress his whole face, from his sharp jaw to his forehead, slightly covered by his dishevelled hair, his closed eyes, the long eyelashes that almost grazed his cheeks, the pointy nose and his this lips, from where his breath softly hit the skin of the forehead. He was the most handsome man to her. She knew there were many handsome men around, but he was the only she could see. The only one worth to be looked at. Sori snuggled closer to him and let the gentle movement of his chest lull her to sleep.

Sori didn't know for how long she slept like that, she just woke up some time later. She wasn’t able to tell whether it was still in the middle of the night or if it was early in the morning, because of the curtains that were covering her window. Confused, she touched a bit around to locate her nightstand, trying to find her phone. That was when she felt something poking her in her buttocks. She turned around and saw Jungkook staring at her, his eyes filled with lust. He trusted against her ass again, and Sori immediately found herself out of breath, almost sighing in relief. Finally.

“I knew you wanted it too. I’ve had this really nice dream about it, and I thought that maybe you wouldn’t mind helping me fulfil it”, he whispered in her ear, his voice low and sexy. Sori could only lightly moan back. Although she’d been feeling tired lately, the previous night she had longed for his body so much she was a tad disappointed when he fell asleep right away, and now that they were getting at it she couldn’t think anymore. She just wanted him. Now. It was also a relief to know he still wanted her too, although she wouldn't have guessed it had it not been for him confessing it so openly. “Tell me, have you been thinking about me? Did you miss me as much as missed you?”, he said, leaving a trail of kisses along the curve of her neck and her shoulders. “Do you even know how much I think about you? You’re killing me just by doing nothing. You make me go crazy, Sori”. His hips kept snapping into Sori’s ass, and she was arching her back to feel more of his rubbing against her. She needed more, which was why she whined when he stopped kissing her neck. “Answer me”. His chest was completely flushed against her back and he was pulling Sori so close to him there was no space left between their bodies.

“I did. I missed you a lot. I only look at you, you know it”, she moaned in response to his wandering hands.

“Mmm, really? And I thought you were out there making friends with another guy, another alpha”, he moved away from her back, laid her on her back and then he got on top of her. His knee was settled between Sori’s legs, his hands were travelling down her sides as his gaze was fixed into Sori’s face. “You’re mine, remember it. Don’t let anyone else touch you, understood?”. His voice sounded somehow childish, but his action were all but it. His hands had found their way under Sori’s shirt, and were slowly making their way upwards. Sori was already panting. She felt so wet and ready for him she just wanted to undress him and take the lead, but she knew he wouldn’t like it, so she stayed still and let him play whatever game he wanted to play with her.

“Yes”, her mouth was open, her head thrown back as his hands finally came in contact with her breasts. She didn’t even remember his hands feeling that good, but it was all she needed to feel fine at the moment. If believing Junmyeon had any interest in her besides being friends made him react this way Sori was going to let him believe whatever he wanted.

His hands slid down her thigh and he made an impatient motion for her to lift her back. Now, this was something she didn’t want to do, because that would imply he’d eventually have to see her belly, and she was pretty sure she gained weight in the last weeks. Not like he didn’t know she wasn't thin already, but allowing him to see her like that was quite far down the list of things Sori desired at the moment. For a moment she hesitated, wondering if Jungkook would have minded it if she kept her shirt on, although she knew Jungkook really hated it when there was even just a piece of clothing left on her while they were having sex, yet Sori couldn’t help but feel self-conscious now. She knew he didn’t like her type of body, so seeing her completely naked wasn't going to do any good for her case. He liked people like Minyoung, not like her. Abruptly, Sori’s thought were interrupted when Jungkook sighed and lifted her back by himself, removing her shirt right away. She only slept with her shirt and panties, so there weren’t many clothes he had to get rid of in the first place. He was only in his briefs, so Sori had nothing to take off his body. Her hands made a movement to cover herself a bit from his gaze, that was scanning her up and down, but he took her hands in his and leaned on her, kissing her hands.

“I think I saw everything there was to see years ago, Sori, there’s nothing to cover up anymore. There isn’t even something to cover at the moment, baby, you’re the prettiest when you’re laying under me. I missed you so much it hurts, let me have you how I want you”. His lips were already on her neck, sucking hard on it. Although it but a bit painful, Sori couldn’t find it in her to protest. He could do whatever he wanted with her body. “Please”, he mumbled against her skin. His hips stopped rutting into hers and he lifted his face from her neck. He was looking at her, seeking her approval, and finally Sori nodded at him. Her cheeks were on fire. She had given him her consensus, however now she could only focus on her paranoia. Sori knew she should have been more careful when she was waxing, but back then she didn’t really care since she hadn’t expect for this to happen, and now she felt extremely self-conscious about the presence of hairs scattered here and there around her body. What scared her the most, though, was the idea that he’d make fun of her, although she was hoping with all her might he wouldn't notice.

Jungkook lifted himself from the bed and removed his boxer without making the slightest movement to cover himself. It was more like he wanted her eyes all over him, and she complied right away giving him her undivided attention. There was no turning back now, so she could at least enjoy this as much as she could. He lifted an eyebrow but said nothing more before leaning in and grabbing the elastic bands of her panties. She noticed his eyes lingering on face for a couple of seconds, probably he was looking for a sign of fear, but whatever he found made him proceed with his actions. As soon as Sori’s panties were thrown away, he settled himself back between her hips. His lips were on her breasts, sucking on her nipples, leaving red mark here and there without a care in the world.

Sori put her hands on his cheeks and brought her hands on his cheeks and lifted his face. She leaned towards him at the same time he did, and their lips met. The kiss stated slow, tender, but then evolved in a frenetic movement of lips and clashing of teeth, trying to convey their passion through the kiss. Their hands grabbing each other, wanting to pull the other as close as possible without having to break their kiss.

He positioned himself in front of her entrance, his eyes never leaving hers in the meanwhile. Sori gulped, knowing too well she wouldn’t be able to last long, because it’s been so long ever since she last got some action, and just the thought of having him this close had a certain effect on her...

As he entered her his lips found their way to her nipple and started sucking on it again, while his other hand fondled with his other breast. Just like that Sori and Jungkook started moving together, moaning and panting, as the both of them wanted to reach their orgasm but trying to pleasure the other as well.

“I’m close”, she moaned, trying not to be too loud to avoid being heard by the other guys. That was when Jungkook stilled for a moment before starting again, picking up his pace and going even deeper that before.

“Me too”, he said, his face hidden on her neck. Sori could understand it just by the way he was moving, this time she knew they were going to cum together. It only took Jungkook a couple of trusts more to start moaning louder, then he locked his hips harshly against hers for the last time. And that was it apparently, because he pulled out right after it and, after having cleaned himself with some tissues, he laid down again. It looked like he wanted to go back to sleep while Sori was left hanging just like that once more. Seeing that he had no intention of getting her off as he made himself comfortable in her bed, she was divided between the idea of giving herself the orgasm she deserved or letting go and simply going back to sleep with him. Why can’t he let me finish too? Am I just here for him to use as he pleases?

She scoffed loudly, trying to get a reaction out of him, so that they could at least talk about this habit of his, but he did nothing in response. In the end she just gave up. She couldn't help but feel pathetic and used as she dragged her panties back up her legs and tried falling back asleep right next to the man that had just disappointed her for the ninth time. Sori tried to ignore the heavy feeling that was enveloping her heart. Tried to ignore the fact that it hurt her to know to him she was worth way less than the girls he always brought home from the club, since he always made sure to make Sori hear how much he could make them scream. To him she was just a body he could use. Her thoughts were poisonous. To save what was left of her pride Sori made sure she was as quiet as possible as her tears started to slide down her face.

The sunlight was entering lightly through the curtains, and although it was filtered by them, it still woke Sori up. As soon as she remembered what happened a couple of hours earlier, and the determination to talk about with Jungkook resurfaced. She was determined to wake him up and talk it out this time. Hence why she turned towards him, but there was no one beside her. She touched the sheets where he laid before, only to find out they were cold. His scent was still all over her room, but he wasn’t there anymore. This hurt her even more. This time it had felt different between them at first, so why had it ended so badly? She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made the previous night different from all the other nights the two of them had spent together, but she felt like it was different from the previous times they had sex. It ended up just like all the other times, though: he cum, she didn’t, he left. The only thing missing from the usual scheme, was the whole pretending nothing happened the morning after, because this time he hadn't even waited for her to wake up before he left her room. Which didn't meant it couldn't still happen, since she hadn’t met him yet.

Sori chose her clothes carefully and, after having looked at her reflection in the mirror, she left her room. She took a quick shower feeling too nervous to postpone the talk she needed to have with Jungkook. She meticulously scrubbed her body with the purpose of eliminating the scent of Jungkook from her body, thinking about how she could start the discussion without sounding too pathetic or aggressive. Once she was done, as she was leaving the bathroom, she took one more look at herself in the mirror just to make sure she looked okay. The first thing that crossed her mind while she was looking at her reflection was that there was something different in her appearance, although she couldn't exactly say what had changed in her image. Maybe I’m just obsessed with the thought there’s something wrong with me. There’s nothing wrong with me.

She slowly walked through the corridor, carefully avoiding to make any type of noise. There wasn’t a particular reason for it, she just felt like being invisible was going to be her thing today. The plan was to talk it out with Jungkook and go back to her room to work on her book to relax and reflect on whatever he was going to tell her. She wanted to ask him about it the night before, but she wasn't sure she was going to be brave enough to just openly confront him about such a topic, or even just about her personal impressions. Perhaps she could talk about it with Narae later on... maybe. If only she could be sure Narae wasn't going to get mad at her for her stupid choices. Sori’s mood was only getting worse by the minute, and the day had just started.

From the kitchen she could clearly hear Taehyung and Hoseok’s loud laugh paired with Jimin’s loud protest. The two were probably making fun of him, just the usual. It sounded like half of the pack was still having breakfast, an a sudden fear spread though her mind. Call her a coward, but she didn’t want anyone to be there when she asked Jungkook about last night. She didn’t want them to pay attention to her. Moreover, there was a chance Jungkook was going to be pissed if anyone heard her talking about their sexual intercourses, and she didn't want to anger him, hence why her resolution begun to weaken . All she asked for was an answer, but she could get it even later on or maybe in the evening. They could meet again when the others fell asleep and speak freely of what had happened. Sure, she couldn't say for sure she was going to get the answer she was hoping for, but she could still hope to hear something that could give her a reason to improve herself, or at least apologize for whatever it was that had led Jungkook to keep his distance from her, so that Jungkook wouldn’t be mad at her anymore. She really didn’t want to accidentally enrage him, yet she needed answers. She decided she would wait for the others to leave the room first, and then ask him about his reasons for behaving that way the night before.

The moment Sori stepped into the kitchen and the laughers quieted down. Where they talking about me?

“Good morning”, Sori barely whispered, feeling extremely self-conscious with everyone's eyes on her. They replayed to her greeting, some sending her smirks and knowing smiles, but nobody said anything more to give her a clue about what was happening, and her paranoia started up once again. Did I do something wrong without noticing? Quietly, Sori made the beeline to the fridge to take the milk cartoon with her head lowered to the ground, trying to avoid all the eyes she felt on her, as the silence had enveloped the room. Really, what’s wrong with them today? Why aren’t they talking? Maybe I should just leave and talk to him later. She didn’t want to be too obvious, but she didn’t like the way they were staring at her that openly. She wished they’d at least tell her what was wrong and give her the chance to fix it.

When her mug was filled with milk she put it in the microwave and waited for it to be warm enough, hoping at least the noise of the microwave was going to cover up the sudden silence in the room. She leaned with her back against the kitchen counter and tried to distract herself with lighter topics, mentally fighting against the idea of eating biscuits with her milk. In the end she compromised: just one biscuit. She opened the cupboard and grabbed the first pack of biscuits she could reach, grimacing at the loud sound made by the paper of the confection. Just as she was about to open, Jin and Minyoung were called upstairs by Namjoon, finally freeing her from the weight of their eyes as she busied herself with her breakfast. That left Sori with the trio and Hoseok. At least she knew they’d start to talk soon and be noisy again soon.

When the microwave’s bell went off, Sori grabbed her mug and brought it to the table, together with a napkin, a spoon and her biscuit, feeling as if the silence in the room was solidifying from how hard it weighted down on her at every single thing she did. As soon she sat down she remembered she hadn’t added any sugar, and she only liked to drink her milk sweetened by a spoonful of sugar. She stood up to grab the sugar and finally someone spoke.

“I don’t think you need to add sugar, Sori. You already took the biscuit, how much sugar do you want to eat? Or do you just wish to get fatter?”, Jungkook froze her on the spot. She could perfectly hear Jimin and Taehyung trying to stifle their laughs, and with the corner of her eye she could see Hoseok shaking his head, although he was sporting a sympathetic smile on his face. She stood still, not knowing what to do, too shocked to even react in any way. She wanted to speak up for herself, she wanted the other guys to leave, she wanted to be invisible and she wanted Jungkook to respect her. Yet, the only thing she could do, was stay still and tremble. Sori was trembling because she was enraged, hurt and terrified at the same time. There were some words she never wanted to hear, even less when they were coming from Jungkook. Why does he act like that in front of everyone? Am I not a human too? Does being a turned-wolf erase all my rights? She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but she kept them back, she didn’t want to cry again in front of everyone. She had to speak up for herself. She really wanted to, but nothing seemed to come out of her mouth.

In the end Jungkook scoffed and started walking away. Instinctively, Sori grabber his arm to stop him. Jimin and Taehyung’s laughs dissolved into thin air. Everyone knew how much he hated to be touched, especially by her.

“Can I talk to you?”, she finally spit out. The anger swimming into those dark orbs made Sori advert her eyes from his face. He harshly removed his arm from her grasp.

“It's whatever, just keep in mind that I don’t have time to waste talking with you, so keep it short”, his voice barely less than a growl. She felt the adrenaline pump through her veins. He had accepted to talk with her even though she had asked him in front of other people. Her hands were shaking, but she wouldn’t waste this opportunity just because she was scared. He walked away, and got out of the house. Sori immediately understood why he did it. He didn’t want the others to hear what she had to say. Did he suspect the reason she wanted to confront him already?

Lifting her face, she caught Hoseok’s serious expression and Jimin and Taehyung sending her small apologetic smiles. Sori just looked at them without giving away her true thought, and the leaves the room.

She joined Jungkook outside, walking until she was right in front of him. He seemed completely unfazed by her request, a part from the very visible anger fluctuating in his orbs. She really wanted to talk with him, but unfortunately, once again, she was at a loss for words. She was trying to formulate a complete sentence without making it sound too pathetic and letting him know how hurt she was by his actions. It was not just something she wanted to leave behind, pretending it never happened, the way they usually did. In fact, Sori did that for years and nothing ever changed between them until three months ago. Unfortunately, Sori couldn’t say she was happy with the new situation nor with the new member of the pack, but she couldn’t say she was unhappy either, right? It could make it worse. Moreover, Minyoung didn’t know about her feelings for Jungkook, and even if she did, it wasn’t her problem. It was Sori’s. She wasn’t able to get him to love her back after all these years, she never even told him she had feelings for him, so how did she expect him to care? How could she expect him to be interested in her?

Lately things had changed though, and not in the way Sori had wished for, so now that she was really standing in front of him, it felt like a turning point. She never believe he’d actually agree to talk with her, which was why she was a little surprised when he actually accepted.

“So? Do you plan of just standing there some more?”, he scoffed. Obviously is mad, I bothered him while he was having breakfast, and no one wants to be bothered while they’re eating. She tried to come up with an excuse to justify his rudeness, for she really didn’t want to face the fact that he simply hated her. She was going through all the things that happened in the pack ever since she joined BTS, but she wasn’t able to find something that could justify his hatred. She gulped, scared to open her mouth to ask what she wanted to know. Okay, so maybe this wasn’t exactly a good idea...

“No, uhm, I just...wanted to ask you if I did something to upset you? Are you mad at me?”, she mumbles, hoping he caught what she said despite the low volume of her voice.

“You think you’d be able to do something to upset me? You think you’re that important?”, he mocked her.

“Well, I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just...you seemed quite upset this morning, and I just... wondered if was because I something I did. You know, you can tell me whatever it is, right?”, she stuttered. His eyes were burning in rage and something new. Something she never saw in his eyes before.

“Oh my God, now I know what you want”, he said laughing bitterly, “Do you want me to tell you I like you? Do you want me to tell you I have feelings for you and I’m scared because I don’t know if you feel the same? Well, let me get this straight once and for all: we’re not a thing. We’ll never be a thing. Someone like could never be with someone like me. Just because I fucked you, it doesn’t mean I have feelings for you. Not to mention the fact that, even if I had feelings for you, after this morning there’d be nothing left of them. Do you know you got even fatter than before? You also waxed like shit. I was trying to decide whether if felt more like having sex with a monkey or a whale”. Sori’s mind was completely blank. He had noticed every single imperfection she never wanted him to see in her body. Those words were slowly sinking in, burning their meaning in brain. “Get your shit straight, Sori, you’re just a fat turned-werewolf, and I wouldn’t waste my time with someone like you, is it clear? We just fuck. And wear some make up, if you don’t want to cover your ugly face,or at least spare me the embarrassment of being the one who fucked an animal. Unless you didn’t cover that hickey on purpose, so that they’d know I banged you”. That being said, he turned on his heels and went inside again.

She wanted to follow him, to slap him, to make him feel in the same way she was feeling, but what was the use of it? Would he even feel anything? He’d just think I’m even more pathetic. I’m pathetic. Why can’t I be more for him? I want to be more than just someone he fucked because he could. I want him to want me just as much as I want him. I’m just so disgustingly pathetic. Fuck everything.

The rage she was feeling started burning slowly while he was talking, but now her blood was boiling. Moreover, the only person she could blame for this was herself. She was the one who wanted to talk with him. She was the one who foolishly fell for him. She was the one who thought she had a chance. She was only a turned-werewolf.

She was hating the stupid society she was forced to live in to the point she would start destroying the things around her if she didn’t move away from there. Sori slowly started walking towards the lake. In the lake she knew there’d be something beautiful waiting for her. Her peace. Her safe place far away from the stupid world she lived in. A world in which she was condemned for something she didn’t do. A place in which nothing she could possibly do would be seen in a positive way, because people like her only commit mistakes, because turned-werewolves aren’t trustworthy. She’d never be more than someone’s bitch, because she was a sinner. She was a sinner, but the sin wasn’t something she could take the blame for, no matter how much she’d be blamed for it. Had I died with Jaehyun, now I’d be free. I can’t do this anymore.

She reached the outline of the woods and started removing her clothes. She had carefully chosen them to please Jungkook, as if his taste was the only thing that mattered for her. Probably it was also like that, but Sori was tired of this. She was tired of herself. As she secured her clothes to her hinder leg, she made a promise to herself. A promise that she wanted to keep. Something that, if broken, would destroy Sori.

From today I’ll learn how to be pleased with myself. From today I’m only doing what I like. No more Jungkook. No more acting dumb.

Sori didn’t know how many hours had passed ever since she had reached the lake. She had decide to stay in her wolf form and just stare at the water, willing herself not to think of anything in particular. The wind shook slightly the leaves and created small waves in the perfectly clear water of her little pond. It was the perfect weather to calm down Sori's nerves usually, but not this time. Unfortunately, the more she stared at the water in complete silence, the more the previous events kept of flashing in her mind, and she couldn't help it. She went over the same words again and again, analysing more and more and ending up hurting herself even deeper with her own thoughts. Moreover she was scared of going back home, because she didn't really wanna face anyone, or even just hear the excuses they would make up for Jungkook, so she had no plan for the rest of the day.

Sori didn’t know many times she’d already asked herself the same questions without finding an answer. Was there something she hadn’t already considered? Was there actually something different in his behaviour? Or maybe she had just made it all up in her mind to sate whatever illusion she wanted to believe? Had there even been that close relationship between them before Minyoung arrived?

To her it all seemed quite real, but then what had ruined their relationship? She wanted to find an excuse for his behaviour and let a bit lose on her promise, actually nothing that could justify the way he acted ever since Minyoung arrived, so what was she going to do now?

The long silence that had enveloped the whole place ever since she arrived was suddenly interrupted by the sound of paws nearing the place where she was lying near the lake. Sori didn’t run away, but she stayed in alert, because she didn’t recognize that pace as that of anyone she knew, and thus if she had to run and ask for help, she could only count on the surprise effect to give herself a chance, since she had never been a fastest runner, just an average one. She tried catching the scent of the newcomer, trying to lean more on her talent for recognising scents, but the wind was blowing towards the trees instead of towards her, so she couldn’t really figure out who it was for now. She waited there, letting them get closer, but taking slow and silent steps back towards the woods to hide her wolf.

Out of nowhere a big dark gray and black wolf jumped out of the woods. He was sporting what seemed to be a wolfish and amicable smile, still Sori didn’t know if she could trust him. She never saw that wolf and she couldn’t catch his scent yet, so she was clueless about his identity.

As he shortened the distance between them Sori immediately mirrored him by taking a couple of steps back, just to keep some space between them. The wolf turned his face, as if he was questioning Sori’s actions, but before Sori could take another step back or run, he changed to his human form.

The surprised gasp that left Sori’s mouth provoked Junmyeon’s laugh. The man was standing there, laughing his ass off at Sori’s baffled face. Sori’s would’ve laughed too had she not been in her wolf form. Actually, she wouldn’t have laughed anyway, because she was totally embarrassed by the naked body of Junmyeon , who was carelessly standing right in front of her. She’d guessed his body was well built from the way his clothes hugged his body at the café, but now she knew he was RIPPED.

“Aren’t you going to change? I wanted to talk with you”, he said smiling. She nodded the best she could despite her wolf form. Still wondering about how he managed to find her there, Sori went inside her hut and changed, not appreciating the idea of standing naked in front of a man she didn't even know that well. She got dressed quickly before going to sit next to where Junmyeon was sitting on the ground.

“How did you find me?”, she said while sitting down. To spare herself from having to look him right in the eyes and risk giving away she had cried, Sori decided to pick apart a couple of fallen leaves she had found near her feet.

“I caught you scent in the wind, and since I haven’t seen you or heard from you in the past two weeks I decided to come see you. I hope you don’t mind it”, he said sincerely.

“No no, of course I don’t mind! It’s just that no one knows about this place. You’re first person I meet here”, Sori explained, waving her hands, as if that would express better the misunderstanding.

“You’re cute, you know?”, Junmyeon chuckled. “To be honest, I already knew you came here. I’ve seen you here before and I’ve been reported about your presence by my wolves, but since you never crossed our confines nor seemed to be planning on attacking us, we let you be”, he said shrugging.

“So you already knew me when we met?”, she said incredulously.

“Mmm, sort of? I knew you were the wolf I saw here by your scent, so I kind of knew you belonged to BTS, but I had never seen you in your human form before. Since you seemed funny I started talking to you. You told me the most important things about you, though”, he reassured her. Sori slowly shook her head.

“Really? But I never caught your scents!”, she said. The only thing she could do really well was following scents, so why didn't she catch their scents?

“Well, you couldn’t, or maybe you stopped looking for other scents once you reached the confines. We go in recognition through our lands, but we try to stay hidden, so that if there’s really someone, the one who saw the intruder can run back to us to report us about it. Some of my wolves saw you in both forms and mostly know your scent, so they don’t really report nor track your presence that much anymore. Baekhyun doesn’t even say you’re here unless I ask him about you”, he said matter of factly.

“Oh, I see”, Sori replayed, a bit uncomfortable with the idea of having been seen so many times without her even suspecting about it. She was going to pay more attention in the future.

“How have you been? Did Namjoon get angry at you for your lateness in the ends?”

“Nah, not really, you know how he is”, Sori told him. He chuckled at her words and nodded slightly with his head. “And I’ve been well, I guess”, she tried to say in a nonchalant voice. She didn’t succeed in her purpose though, because Junmyeon frowned upon hearing her words.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, he asked. He seemed way more concerned that an acquaintance should be. Junmyeon was too nice for his own good, and to know someone actually worried about her made her feel a bit warmer inside.

“Mmm, it's nothing, really, it’s always... the same”, she said trying to let go of the topic. She was pretty sure she’d break down if she had to talk about it out loud, and for once she wanted to spare her pride the humiliation of crying in front of this handsome, almost-stranger, man.

“Are you sure? You know, if they do something you don’t like you can talk to me, all the more if as you just said it’s something that happens frequently”. His frown deepened. It looked like he wanted to touch her but he wasn’t sure she would appreciate it. Sori couldn’t blame him for thinking about it like that, he was still a completely naked man she’d only met before, no matter that it was a common thing between wolves.

“It’s nothing big, really. Moreover, it’s not “them”, it’s just one person who... doesn’t particularly appreciate my... status”, she muttered, trying to chose her words carefully, not wanting to give him the wrong impression about her pack. In the end what happened between the two of them had nothing to do with the rest of the pack.

“What do you mean?”, he said, sounding totally unconvinced by her words.

“Let’s just say that this person has an old mentality about wolves, and his words can be...sharp. He also has a thing for thin and tall girls, so he also likes to... express his disapproval about my body”, she answered quietly.

“He? So is he also someone you like? Because it totally sounds like he’s a big piece of crap to you, and you liking him would be...”

“Yeah”, she said softly. How about loving him?

“There something I don’t really understand though. Does he say these things in front of your other packmates?”, he expression was a mix of worry and frustration. Sori really didn’t get why he was so bothered about something like that. She knew her place in the society, and she was sure he did too.

“Sometimes. He doesn’t really care about who’s around when he has something to tell me”, she answered him, a small smile on her face. His face was starting to look more irritated as he stared at her neck. Shit, Jungkook didn't want people to know about it! Actually, although she didn't want to talk about it with Junmyeon, she was wondering too why he had marked her if he was so disgusted by her mere existence.

“And they haven't done anything about it?”, he said incredulously, still staring at her neck. Feeling self-conscious about it, Sori tried covering her neck the best she could without being too obvious, although she was hoping with all her heart Junmyeon wouldn't think poorly of her because of this.

“Why would they snap at him for something that doesn’t involve them? I’m an adult, I should know how to defend myself”. In fact, she felt annoyed that he thought she wasn’t able to defend herself. She knew she wasn’t, but for once she wanted to look strong and independent. She had enough of people thinking she couldn’t do things on her own.

“They should because you're their friend? I’d never let something like this happen in my pack”, he stated as if it was obvious. Sori didn’t know what to reply, so she just shrugged. Probably she would’ve defended her friends if someone offended them, but he couldn’t expect them to do the safe for her. Not everyone was the same, and she was also a turned-were. That basically put her in the most marginal category of her society. No one would’ve stepped up to defend people like her.

“Sori, I don’t want to put you against them or something, but I want you to know that what’s going on in your pack isn’t completely normal. No one should be treated that way. If you ever feel like it’s too much and you can’t take it anymore, you should take in consideration the idea of joining EXO. Actually, being EXO's alpha, I’m officially offering you to join my pack. Unfortunately we don’t have any female in our group, so you’d be surrounded by men all the time, but I promise they’re all pretty nice. Maybe a bit lazy and childish at times, but I think you’d like them”, he said honestly. The offer took Sori by surprise. That was a big thing. No one ever asked another wolf to join a pack without having had a proper conversation beforehand. She wondering whether he was now regretting his words, thinking that maybe he had spoken too carelessly, and doing so in spite of his friendship with Namjoon could make Junmyeon look pretty bad. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now, Sori, you can think about it and tell me later. Just keep as an option.”, he said smiling. Not knowing what to say, Sori just nodded.

Later that night, Sori went home knowing Namjoon would be angry at her for leaving the house for the whole day without telling him and Jin would be mad at her for having skipped all the meals that day. She felt like shit both emotionally and physically, but at least she knew she wouldn’t have to throw up if the nausea augmented. She felt a bit dizzy, but she was almost home, so she wasn’t that worried about it. She kept forgetting about going to the doctor, but she’d eventually go when she remember about it at an acceptable hour. Maybe tomorrow I’ll make an appointment. She thought, knowing perfectly well this night she wouldn’t. She wasn't even going to be able to sleep thinking about Junmyeon’s proposal. I don’t think telling Namjoon about this would be a good idea, I’ll just keep it for myself for now.

Chapter Text

The sun was going down outside Jungkook’s window and Sori was not home yet.

In the morning he had tried catching her eyes to see how she was, but it seemed like she always sensed his eyes on her and turned the other way or lowered her head to avoid him. She was avoiding him. The pain Jungkook was feeling was something he couldn’t understand. He found himself almost at a loss of physical strength, he barely had been able to get up and go to work in morning. Sori’s face was everywhere: in the mirror, in the pages of his favourite book, in front of him, in his dreams. She was everywhere. She always appeared to be crying in his dreams, and he knew it was because of him. What he didn’t know was why she kept appearing on his dreams. It was like some punishment from the gods, punishing him for having acted like a dick. Jungkook kept hearing his harsh words and seeing Sori’s pained face, right before she cried she looked at him and whatever she saw on his face scared. From that moment Sori had put some distance between them and whenever he tried to reach her to confront her, she seemed to get further away from him.

He had dreamt the same thing ever since he had that fight with Sori, if it could even be called that way, which was a good three and half days ago. He was afraid of going to sleep now, because the moment he closed his eyes, the scene from three days earlier kept flashing in his mind. I messed up big time. Shit. I don’t even know what to say.

The night of the fight, Jungkook was worried sick. He knew Sori lately was having some health issues, so she needed to eat carefully and well, so that her dizziness could go away, but she skipped both breakfast and lunch, and when she came back it was quite late, so she could’ve eaten dinner at least, but she skipped that one as well. Jungkook had barely seen her ever since. She hid somewhere and only came home late in the evening. Even Seokjin wanted to have a serious talk with her about skipping meals, and hearing that made Jungkook feel even guiltier. Is she really skipping meals because of me?

He knew he was an asshole, but the idea of Sori going on a diet just to look more appealing for him made him feel a bit proud of himself too. It’s hard to find someone who loves you enough to change his habits for you. He had someone who loved him that much, it was quite obvious. Did he deserve it? He wasn’t sure about that, and that sent him on paranoia at times. Jungkook knew Sori wouldn’t have a hard time if she ever decided to look for a partner, while Jungkook would never be able to do the same. Not when it came to long term relationships, at least. No one would want to spend time with a jerk like him.

Thinking about his words, Jungkook had established that this was probably the main reason why he’d reacted that way. He was good looking and he had always known it. He hardly had problems in finding girls for one night flings, and he was always careful with choosing the prettiest one out of those who flirted with him. He took pride in showing off the girls he conquered, but it was never more than that. It was always only a one night stand.

Not being able to see anyone else but Sori was ticking him off. Sori had nothing special physically. Boring dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, chubby and short. Was there in the world something plainer than that? She was constantly compared to Minyoung in his mind. Minyoung was quite tall, slender body, perfect abs, perfect ass, wasp-sizes waste, light brown hair and hazelnut eyes. Much of this was probably due to the fact that she was a born-werewolf, but that didn’t make her any less attractive in his eyes. Or at least, he easily recognised her attractiveness. She’d be the perfect girl to be paired with someone like him, but would she be able to love him like Sori did? Would he find her cute and sexy in the way he thought about Sori? Would she even be able to get it the way Sori did?

Ever since the fight Jungkook had felt completely apathetic to anything that wasn’t Sori. Looking at Minyoung he still thought she was pretty and attractive, just not to him. Not anymore. That was when he knew something for seriously wrong with him. He was staring at her and he couldn’t think of having her under him anymore, because her face was changed into Sori’s in a matter of second. He, the man who always had whoever he wanted, never having had to fight for a girl before, never being a second choice once in his life. He was now the man who could only think about a girl who didn’t even get close to his preferences. Thinking about her only worsened the pain he was feeling all over his body. Where is she? Why isn’t she home yet? Has she eaten? Did she finally go to the doctor for a check up?

He felt like Jin 2.0, however he just could stop worrying about her. The weirdness in her scent hadn’t disappeared yet, so his initial supposition about it was wrong. But if it wasn’t because of the fever, then there was something else that was wrong with her body, and he didn’t know what it was. Why is she a turned-were? Why can’t she be just like me? Stupid turned beasts can’t even heal themselves properly. He mentally scoffed and pressed his pillow on his face. Jungkook couldn’t believe himself. He’d lost the count of the amount of times he’d repeated the same identical words in his minds. It felt like a broken record was playing over and over in his head.

What if this time I really went too far and she won’t forgive? His heartbeat rate picked up at the thought. Jungkook had noticed Sori's change of behaviour. She didn’t change completely, obviously, but the fact that she didn’t try to talk to him was something new. It was even more surprising that she had the courage to talk to him in front of the others, in fact that was the first time Sori openly spoke with him in front of them. She usually spoke under her breath if they were close to them, or just made some physical signs to show him she was listening to whatever he was saying. Even that was his fault.

He never was comfortable with the idea of liking a turned-were, just imagining what his father would say if he were to discover his son's preferences scared him. Not that he would ever find out since they hadn’t met once in the last fifty years or so, actually he could’ve been dead for all he knew... still it gave him goose bumps. It would only prove him he was right, that Jungkook is just a failure in his household.

This thought was enough for him to hardly snap at her after the first time they had sex. It was years ago, but he could see in her eyes that she hadn’t forgotten it. If Jungkook had to be honest, he hadn’t cared that much about Sori's nature after a while, because everyone else had gotten pretty close to Sori as she spent more time in the pack, and he often felt left out because she pointedly avoided him, going as far as only talking openly when he wasn’t around. At times he noticed she tried to sit as far from his as she could when they had a meeting or they had to go out, while she didn’t care about the other packmates being close to her. He had learnt the hard way he was the one who had weird morals, and he had overcome them. Until Minyoung had joined the pack, that is. Jungkook had been trying to make Sori definitely understand she didn’t have to act like that around him anymore, since the only thing he wasn’t okay with was being openly affectionate in front of the others. However, when Minyoung joined the pack, his old self awakened and Jungkook felt disgusted by himself. Minyoung wasn’t used to seeing a turned-were staying in the same room with the others or living in the same floor as them, so her first days in the pack had been a tad awkward. Although it only lasted a couple of days, it was more than enough for Jungkook to have the time to think about the impression their pack gave others whenever they had multi-pack meetings. They were a joke. And the fact that he couldn’t behave the way he used to without feeling guilty made him feel even more disgusted with himself

He wanted to insult her, to humiliate her, to let her know her place, but at the same time he wanted Sori to always stay there, closely, with him. He wanted Sori to be always there for him whenever he need her. For some reason, this also ruined his one night stands. Whenever he was looking for girl, no one could catch his eyes. They all looked plain and boring. If he brought one of them home, he was forced to think about Sori and her scent, because he couldn’t get hard in any other way. He felt like he was going crazy.

The light series of knocks against his door startled Jungkook.

“Come in”. He removed the pillow from his face and sat up, trying to act like he normally would. As soon as Taehyung and Jimin stepped into his room, Jungkook realized what they were up to: the talk. For the record, Jungkook lost the count of the amount of times they already had “the talk”, and he also thought what they said was right, but it was hard for him to change his behaviour in the long run. Usually it only lasted a couple of days, maximum a couple of weeks, but then... well, old habits die hard, they say.

The two sat cross legged next to him and stared at him, waiting for him to start speaking. The silence between them wasn’t that common. Usually those brief seconds of silence felt like a blessing to Jungkook, but it felt bothersome today. He wanted them to start speaking or at least ask him something. When he couldn’t take the silence anymore Jungkook spoke up.

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything? Don’t you have something you want to tell me?”, his eyes alternating between hid two hyungs.

“Nah, I think you already know you fucked up big time. What else can I say that you don’t know yet?”, Taehyung shrugged. “I can’t even say you disappointed us, since you already know we are disappointed in you. What else do you expect me to say?”.

“I don’t know. Just say something. At least insult me, I don’t know, just stop being quiet”, his voice sounded every bit as tired as he felt. He already knew they were all disappointed by his behaviour, and he had no excuses for it, but anything was better than that silently accusing glares. If there was something he could do to take his words back, he’d do it, but now it was late. Moreover, it felt like it was a bit hypocrite of them to act like that when they had never defended Sori...

“I have something to say, however I want you to reflect on this more than receive an answer to my question right now”, Jimin told him sternly.

“Deal. Tell me”. And let’s hope it’s not something I haven’t thought through already...

“Have you actually realized you’re losing her? Don’t you see she’s acting different lately? Don’t you see she’s starting to be more independent?”, he questioned, sounding as if he was trying very hard to show him something that should’ve been obvious to him. If Jungkook had to actually reflect about it, Sori was definitely acting in a more independent way. It wasn’t likely for her to go out before leaving a note for Namjoon or directly asking him his opinion about it, but lately she seemed to have taken up a liking for going out and coming home whenever she liked. What was even more surprising was that, for some weird reason, Namjoon let her do as she pleased. Not even them, born-werewolves, could go out without notifying the alpha about it, because he’d go berserk, yet Sori could. “There's something special in her though, but I guess no one know what it is yet. I think you'll be the surprised ones when you’ll learn about it”. Jiho’s words echoed in his mind. Were his words hinting to something like this? Was she hiding something and Jiho knew it?

“I noticed, but I don’t really have a clue about what’s going on. I... noticed some changes in her, but I don’t think it was anything major. Maybe she’s just finally going out of her comfort zone”, he said, trying to sound unbothered. “As for the question about losing her...I don’t know, hyung. I don’t want to think about it”. His voice sounded worried and sad even to him. Ugh, disgusting.

“Haven’t you asked yourself why she changed? Even if it’s only a light change, it’s still a new beginning, right? I really think you should go and clear the air with her, by the way. What you said it’s not okay, and although I try to stay out of your business, I think Sori deserves better”, Taehyung, who was usually very loud, was calm and composed today, and it made Jungkook feel weird. As if something big was about to happen and he was the only one who hadn’t taken the hint yet. Do they know more about her than I do? Do they know where she is?

“I think she needs more time to deal with the things you said. Didn’t you notice she has slimmed down? I haven’t seen eating a whole meal in the last three days and, if you remember, she was already skipping meals a bit before this whole ordeal happened. I don’t think it’s a healthy thing to do in the long run, so I think you shouldn’t wait too long before apologizing. However, I really think you should clear you mind before talking it out with her. In my opinion, the most important thing you have to do right now is gather you thoughts on that matter and decide what you want”, Jimin frowned.

“Also, have you noticed the way your behaviour has changed lately?”, Jimin asked him, finally meeting his eyes. “You’re constantly annoyed, you're divided between wanting her and hurting her. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you need to make up your mind before talking to her. Choose. You can either take her or leave her, you know she doesn’t deserve to be a second choice. A friendly reminder frpm me would be for you to choose soon, because if you wait too long, than it’ll be too late”. This all sounded pretty creepy to Jungkook’s ears. Moreover, his relationship with Sori was a topic he hardly ever liked to openly discuss. He mostly preferred to understand on his own what was going on and what he did wrong, what his feelings for her were, etc...Talking about it with other people wasn’t his forte. The guys were great, but there were things he didn't want to share with them. Also because they were never on his side whenever it came to Sori. I mean...okay she changed, but it’s not that drastic. As soon as I’ll be able to find her I’ll tell her I’m sorry.

“I really don’t know what to say. I mean, I went overboard, but I could have said worse things. Besides, I already tried apologizing to her yesterday when she came home, but she just locked her door and then she ignored me”, he explained, curling in a ball to protect himself from feeling too exposed. It was embarrassing to let others know he actually tried to apologize to Sori. Jungkook caught his two hyungs sharing a glance, as if they actually did know more and were trying to decide if it was the case to share it with him as well. Eventually they decide to do it since Taehyung started talking right after that.

“You know why she locked you out on purpose, and it’s relatable, but... her room wasn’t locked for the whole night”, the two exchanged another glance, and it was ticking Jungkook off even more. What were they hinting at?

“So?”

“We slept in her room, and from what Hobi hyung said, the previous night him and Yoongi hyung spent the night with her”, Jimin carefully stated. He averted his eyes, making it impossible for Jungkook to read his expression.

“Which means-...”

“That she’s cutting you out”, Taehyung completed the sentence for him. It wasn't very polite of him, but Taehyung often liked to be very direct when he was expressing his opinion.

Now, Jungkook guessed this was the feeling everyone called “fear”. His heart was in his throat, his stomach churning and his heart rate spiking up. Why is she avoiding only me? Is she hiding something from me in particular or she’s just mad at me? I wasn't the only one who made her sad, tho, why is she only angry with me? For a reason Jungkook couldn’t understand, he felt his eyes stinging, like he was about to cry. He never was one to cry this easily, but there was something weird with his body. He was starting to feel like he couldn’t breathe properly, and the more he told himself to take deep breaths, the more he felt breathless.

“Shit, I knew this wasn’t going to end well!”, Jimin’s panic was clearly audible in his voice.

“Whatever, let’s just bring him to Namjoon”. Taehyung grabbed his shoulders and Jimin his legs, and headed as fast as they could towards the alpha’s office.

Namjoon was still sitting in his office. Seokjin and Narae had just left to go make dinner. Actually it was Narae’s turn, but both Namjoon and Seokjin were afraid she’d poison or spit into Jungkook’s food if left alone, so the latter followed her with the excuse of helping her. Narae had always been very protective of her best friend, and after having heard Hoseok telling Yoongi what happened, she’d been barely able to keep her mouth shut. Reasoning about it, Namjoon had thought it was only because she hadn’t heard the full version of what happened from Sori yet. Not that Narae had no right to get mad and maybe even punch Jungkook, but there was already enough drama going on lately, Namjoon would have happily skipped over this single problem. Jungkook’s better stay clear away from Narae if he knows what’s best for him.

Not to mention that was getting even worse, because Sori had avoided almost everyone in the last three days, and it was no mystery she was hurt by Jungkook’s words. Who wouldn’t be hurt and feel used at that point? What Namjoon didn’t understand was what she’d been up to in these days and where she spent her days. He had a feeling Narae knew it but didn’t want to tell him about it. And that reminded him he also had to talk with Sori about her leaving whenever she pleased. The alpha mentally groaned thinking about it. She at least had to tell him where she was heading to, because the thought of the youngest and weakest member of his pack being alone with all the rogues attacks was pushing all the alarm bells in his head and depriving him of his sleep. Up to now he’d been able to stop himself from directly ordering her to do it, because he couldn’t blame for needing some time alone, away from everyone after what had happened, but he was the alpha of the pack, and he didn’t feel like he deserved to be constantly on edge, thinking that whatever call he was receiving would be from the police, reporting her death. I need to stop being paranoid. Sori’s fine, and she deserves to go wherever she wants. She never made me doubt her intentions nor caused problems. She deserves to be trusted. But really though, don’t I deserve to live peacefully?

He groaned. Things were always complicated between the younger members of the pack, but lately the tension between them had spiked up, and he wasn’t able to pinpoint what caused it yet. He felt like this was a bit of a failure for him. He’d been the alpha of the pack for a while now, and still he wasn’t able to keep a comfortable atmosphere in his pack. He could do better as an alpha, he just didn't know how to subtly slide into personal relationships, very frail ones at that, between his wolves. He would have been enraged if someone from the pack were to try and put themselves between Narae and him, so did he really have the right to do that the other members of that pack? And if so, where did he have to draw the line? How did he understand when it was time to step back and not go overboard?

The phone ringed, breaking his concentration. Namjoon groaned again. He really wanted to have time on his own to think through the problems of the pack, yet that never happened. He silently complained some more until he saw the name showing on his phone. Bad news...

“Hello, Namjoon. I hope I’m not bothering you”, Jiho said.

“No, don’t worry. Did something happen?”, Namjoon dismissed the small talk, skipping directly to the main point of the call. He might have set aside his politeness, and he was probably going to be embarrassed about it later on, but now he wanted to know the reason for this call.

“Straight to the point, okay. Well, unfortunately yes, something happened. We’re waiting for on official statement, but there was an attack last night, only a couple of towns away from yours. From the way the attack happened, we’re pretty sure the rogues are involved”, Jiho explained shortly to the other alpha.

“I hadn’t heard about this, so you’re taking me by surprise. Just how close was it to my pack?”, the alpha asked, feeling the tension stiffening his body. What was it with all these problems lately?

“Around fifty minutes by car. But there's more : some rogues are nearing your pack, Namjoon. I was told by a friend of mine that they were seen a couple of times in the town near yours. The attack is nearing, and we have to be ready”. Jiho’s voice wasn’t fully worried, but it wasn’t relaxed either. Namjoon thought that this was due to the fact that there was very little they could do to stop the attack, and unless they reorganized and trained hardly from now on, there would be no hope for them. They had to act fast.

“Okay, what do you suggest we do?”, Namjoon questioned.

“I think we should let our packs meet and alerting EXO of the imminent danger should be on the very top of our to-do list. They need to be ready too, or they'll be the next target. As old and strong as your packs are, they are too many for you to fight them on your own and expect no losses”, Jiho told him matter of factly.

“Bring yours here whenever you want. Just let me know beforehand, so that I can have some rooms prepared for you”.

“I don’t think staying overnight is a good idea, Namjoon, I’m sorry. No one would feel comfortable, and with the two unmated females on you pack, your guys would feel the instinct to protect them. Also, I don't want to leave my wolves alone in case there's another attack, so I’d rather we arrive Sunday, early in the morning and leave in the evening. During the day we’ll teach your guys some fighting techniques and we’ll train together to get more comfortable with each other”, Jiho suggest.

“Sure, you’re right. I can’t think straight these days, I’m sorry”, Namjoon massaged his forehead.

“Don’t worry, Namjoon, I know what it feels like to be the alpha of the pack. I’ll call you to tell you how many guys I’m bringing with me”.

“Okay, that’s good for me.”, Namjoon’s head was pounding by then. Too much stress.

“I’ll call you before the end of the week! Bye”, the alpha said quite cheerfully.

“Sure, bye Jiho, and thank you for informing me”, Namjoon ended the call. Once there the silence absorbed every little noise in the room he sighed as he kept massaging his forehead, trying to ease the pain in his temples and eyes. Too many thought were never a good things for him. However, the silence was very short lived, for a couple of seconds later he could hear some noise nearing his door. He could only hope it wasn’t the trio playing some dumb game of theirs.

Once the commotion reached his door he just gave up and stood up to go open the door. Now, what he found in front of him wasn’t exactly what he was expecting: an extremely pale and shaking Jungkook was definitely not what he was expecting to see.

“What happened?”, was the only thing he managed to say through the shock-wall produced by the sight. He had seen him only a couple of hours earlier and he had looked perfectly normal and healthy!

“We were simply trying to make him realize he’s going to lose Sori if doesn’t stop acting like a bad case of PMS, but apparently he already knew it, and... well, he started paling and shaking and then he almost stopped breathing, which was why we decided the situation called for the alpha touch”, Taehyung said, gritting his teeth. No matter how strong of a werewolf you are, bringing around a almost dead and shaking body was hard, let alone when you had to do the stairs while holding Jungkook and his muscles. The two settled the body of the younger on Namjoon’s leather black sofa.

“And what did you tell him?”, he inquired. This was going to be bad, Namjoon could feel it in his bones.

“Nothing special, really, I just made him notice she was acting in a different way and then... well, he told us last night he tried talking with Sori to apologize, but the door was always locked, and we told him that we slept with her and so did Hoseok hyung and Yoongi hyung”, Jimin explained, starting to feel a bit guilty.

“Shit. Why did you tell him about it?!”, the alpha exclaimed. Was there nobody with a functioning brain in his pack?

“I mean...we had good intentions, how could we know he would end up like this?!”, Taehyung made weird gestures to point at Jungkook’s condition. “We just wanted him to help him, because Sori won’t be there for him forever, and he’s losing him chances one after the other just because of his pride”. Namjoon just huffed and grunted as an answer. They weren't wrong, so he couldn't even scold them. He closed the distance between him and the youngest guy, before kneeling down in front of him. He lifted the younger’s head and slid his arm beneath it, so that he could rest his head there. After having made sure his skin was touching Jungkook’s skin, he grabbed one of his hands.

“Jungkook, try taking deep breaths now, okay? I’m here for you, you can trust me, nothing’s gonna happen, okay?”. The alpha tried to keep his voice quite low, so that the other wouldn’t be startled by his voice nor agitated. Just his low, normal and calm voice in spite of the shock Namjoon was going through. If he had to be honest, he would have to admitted he was totally baffled by Jungkook’s reaction. Everyone knew his feelings for Sori were deep, no matter how much he denied it, but this was a tad of an excessive reaction. After all the mean things he told her in these years, Namjoon couldn’t pinpoint what was different this time, but he knew something had changed between them. He didn’t want to agree with their theories, but he shared the idea Jungkook didn’t have many other chances left before Sori really gave up on him. This though, didn’t seem THAT tragic to him, it was serious, no doubt about it, but it was not the end yet. He could amend for his wrongdoings and Sori would’ve listened to his reasons... if he had any. Obviously it was a serious matter though, and he knew it too, for Sori had never left the house for so long and so frequently in the three years she’d been with them.

“C’mon Kookie, breathe with me”, Namjoon told him. He could see Jungkook was listening to him, but there was something that wasn’t working properly in him. From downstairs came the sound of the door being opened, and the last member missing in the house stepping in.

“Did you hear that, Kookie? She’s home. Sori’s back home, she didn’t leave okay? She’s angry right now, so just give her a little time and space, and she’ll be ready to listen to whatever you have to say, okay?”. Now at least Namjoon had something with which he could coax him into breathing in the right way. “Listen to her heartbeat. Can you hear Sori’s heartbeat?”. This time Jungkook managed to nod, although in a weird way. He was trying to take deep breaths and relax the way Namjoon told him to do, but he needed to see her. He needed to know she was still his, that his mark on her neck was still there for everyone to see.

Jungkook started imaging her from the way she was walking around in her room. She was walking towards the bed, were she probably left her purse and phone. Then she was standing in front of her wardrobe, choosing what to wear. Something comfortable and loose. Probably black or white clothes. Sori always wore black and white clothes. She was now walking towards the bathroom to take a shower. Her vanilla scented body wash had an amazing effect on her already sweet scent. He could visualize her expression as the hot water came in contact with her body, relaxing her aching shoulders.

Jimin, Taehyung and Namjoon could see Jungkook gradually calming down. It took him a while, but finally his breath was almost normal again, and so was his heartbeat. Namjoon’s tension was finally decreasing too, but he kept touching and caressing Jungkook’s head anyway, trying to make him feel better. He was all but ready to leave this day behind and go to sleep.

At times Namjoon tried to imagine what would happened to him had he tried acting with Narae the way Jungkook did to Sori, although he couldn't really see this happening anytime soon. Or later for the matter. He loved Narae way too much to hurt her that way, and he knew perfectly well that mates who decide to stay single exist, but the thought of leaving his mate had never even crossed his mind. All in all, the thing that would happened if he dared to say something similar to the things Jungkook said to Sori, he’d probably find himself hanging by the ceiling by his balls. Narae wasn’t someone you could mess with.

Namjoon still wondered from time to time how could the kid say those things to someone he loved that much. He tried hard to find a sense to his behaviour, but it never seemed logic to him.

“Are you feeling better, Kookie?”, Taehyung asked, nearing the sofa. Jungkook just nodded, his cheeks stained by the trails of his tears. He was silently crying and clutching the alphas hand. Namjoon decided that this was the werewolf version of a panic attack. Good to know, now let’s add this to the things I don’t want to see ever again.

“Let’s go take a warm bath okay? I’m sure it’ll help your nerves, Kookie, and then, if you want, we can talk about what just happened and why it happened. Do you want to do that?”, Namjoon asked to the sobbing mess in his arms. He wanted to coo at how cute he was, but he managed to stop himself. The way the boy was clutching his arm to his chest was though, and also how he’d put his head on his shoulder, trying to inhale the alpha’s scent to calm down.

Namjoon moved him arm from his shoulders and moved it to Jungkook’s back. Taehyung and Jimin understood what he wanted to do, so they grabbed his legs and helped supporting his back. Together they brought the younger to Namjoon and Narae’s bathroom. Taehyung started filling the bath and grabbing a towel, while Jimin helped Namjoon undress Jungkook. They were all sincerely worried, because in all the years they’d spent together, that was the first time he acted like that. Actually, they’d never seen someone acting like that at all. Werewolves are stronger than humans, so they hardly ever had physical reactions like the one Jungkook just had. It was uncommon, really. I guess he really regrets the way he acted..

They all shared the same opinion and they also felt pity for him, because if he was to definitely lose her, than that would’ve been really bad for the whole pack.

The guys were talking around the table, but there was a weird tension in the air that Sori hadn’t ever experienced before. Did something happen while I was away? She observed her packmates, trying to catch a change in their expressions and behaviours, but nothing seemed too out of the norm. The only thing that she could think of was that Jimin and Taehyung had a fight, for the two were uncharacteristically quiet and seemed to be lost in their thoughts. Weird. Since when can those two be upset with each other?

She thought the scene itself was quite funny, and she would have tried to further analyse the situation had it not been for the sudden wave of nausea that hit her. Ugh, why now. Please don’t throw up in front of everyone. Focus on other things and don’t throw up. I don’t want to stay here and listen to Jin’s lecture about the importance of taking proper care of your health- I don't want to tell him I didn’t see the doctor yet, okay? Don’t throw up just now.

Sori used to love Jin’s cooking, but lately just staying near any food made her feel nauseous. She had always been like that: whenever she got stressed, her body started hurting out of nowhere and she has problems with breathing and eating. She knew she needed to relax to fix this problem, but lately it hadn't been easy for her...

She wasn't even hungry at this point, but she ate her meals to keep a facade or normality, only to throw it all up half of the times because of her nausea. On the other hand, it was pleasing to see how fast she was losing weight. She’d not been eating correctly from a couple of weeks before, and now that she was skipping both lunch and dinner and almost never digesting her breakfast, she could feel her body changing. It didn’t show much, but she could see it in the way her thighs now had a bigger gap between them. And as much as it enraged her, she often found herself thinking about the fact that she was getting closer to Jungkook’s favourite body-shape. It was a poisonous thought, but it was a reoccurring thought she had. She also felt a bit light headed at times and suffered a bit from dizzy-spells, but nothing seemed to be too out of the norm. No doubt she would gain all those pound back as soon as she got the chance to relax a little.

Talking about Jungkook, she could perfectly feel his eyes on her, and she was purposefully staring out of the window on the opposite direction. That was also helping her not to throw up in the middle of dinner. Jungkook had been trying to catch her eyes lately, and she also heard him trying to enter in her room a couple of nights, but she didn’t feel like facing him yet. She had nothing to tell him at the moment, and whenever she actually looked at him he was either busy with other things or talking with Minyoung. Her pride hadn’t healed enough for her to tell him everything was okay or leave the fight behind as if it never happened. Was that even a fight? I didn’t even open my mouth...

Thinking about it was making her feel even more nauseous, and that was then she knew she had to leave the room soon and reach the bathroom real fast. Silence fell in the room as she suddenly stood up and ran away. She felt Narae’s steps right behind her and someone else was following them, but she couldn’t focus on who it was at the moment. Sori ran across the living room and reached the bathroom. She didn’t even have the time to close the door, she just kneeled in front of the toiled bowl and did what she could to stop the painful churning of her stomach. She heaved a couple of times, but she nothing came up since she hadn’t eaten anything since early in the morning. She felt so miserable she tore up a little, but she kept her despair in her heart, waiting for the moment she would be alone in her room to dive into that feeling. Things were swaying in front of her eyes, so she clenched them shut and leaned against the wall taking deep breaths. Narae was there, sitting next to her, letting her friend lean on her while she patted lightly her arm.

“I guess you didn’t go to the doctor, right?”, came a voice from out of the door. Shit, it was Jin who was following us. Please, spare me, just for today. I’ll even go to the doctor. Just leave me alone.

Sori just nodded weakly, still not over the nausea that hit her a couple of minutes ago. Narae sighed but kept brushing her hands up and down her back and arms.

“Let’s get you upstairs, okay? Lean on me for walking”, Narae told her while standing up. Sori grabbed her hand and her best friend almost lifted her without having Sori use any of her strength. Once the door was open Jin grabbed her from the side and the three slowly headed towards the stairs. As they were making their way through the living room, Sori noticed the presence of Jungkook. He was standing there, looking like he was trying to decide what to do, taking one step forwards and going back right after. Sori just turned her head away from him, and let her two friends drag her to her room.

Then Seokjin went downstairs again to grab some pills and brought back with him also a wet and cool towel. He folded it and put it on Sori’s forehead. Actually, Sori was now feeling a bit better now that there was no scent of food near, but she didn’t trust herself to speak just yet. She laid still and kept taking deep breaths.

“Oh, finally there’s a bit of colour back on these cheeks. How are you feeling now?”, Seokjin combed her hair with his fingers.

“Mmm, I wouldn’t say “well”, but better - that's for sure”, she answered him with a small voice.

“How about some fruit? Would you like an apple?”, he questioned her.

“Yeah, why not”. As soon as Jin was out of sight, Sori started craving strawberries. They usually had some at home since Taehyung was a strawberry maniac, so... if only he could give some of them to Sori, she would feel … It felt like that was the only thing that could go down her throat and stay there.

“Rae, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure, ask away”, her friend answered her, seriousness showing both in her voice and expression. That was when Sori realized she actually formulated her sentence in a misleading way and she had probably given Narae, who was now staring at her with her mouth set in a thin line, a small heart attack.

“Can you ask Taehyung if I can have some of his strawberries?”, Sori demanded, trying not to sound as pathetic as she felt. Narae seemed to be at a loss of words for a couple of seconds and then she facepalmed.

“I thought you had a philosophical question or something”, Narae stood up from the ground. “Going. But I’m coming back and we’re going to talk, because I miss you and you’ve M.I.A for days”, she informed her before leaving her room. Sori smiled at her and laid there waiting.

Sori only had to wait a couple of minutes to see her food coming through the door. Narae had piled everything in a plate and had came back alone. Just looking at those red ripe strawberries she felt her salivation increasing. Who thought strawberries could be this fascinating to watch?

Narae gave Sori the plate and put the water bottle and the glasses aside, on Sori’s desk. That's when she noticed some papers with many different e-mails listed, some checked and some barred with a straight line. Feeling curious, Narae lifted the paper and showed it to Sori.

“So, what did I miss?”, she asked taking a sit next to Sori on the bed. Sori really wanted to tell her about her new job, but she was too busy eating. Who even ever thought strawberries could taste this good right after almost throwing away your soul? Narae shoot her a funny look and then gave up on obtaining the answers she wanted any time soon. Sori had always been a slow eater, and since she’d just started eating, she figured she’d take a while. Moreover, she didn’t wanted to bother her while she was eating and say something that would upset her, making her hunger pass. Her best friend needed food.

Just imagine her surprise when, not even five minutes later, the plate was shining clean. She observed her best friend in amazement and with a good amount of respect. Finally she was eating again. Obviously it wasn’t much, but it was still better than nothing at all.

“So? What are all of these?”, Narae asked her again while going through the papers on Sori’s desk.

“Mmm... do you remember when I told you I used to work before I was turned right?”, she wanted to beat around the bush a little. Sori really wanted to tell her about the news in her life, but she didn’t want to upset Narae with her words, so she was trying to be careful. After all she was Namjoon's mate, if Sori refused to accept Namjoon's money, would Narae be mad at her too?

“Yeah...”, Narae was frowning, probably trying to see the connection between telling her she used to work as a human and having written down 3 pages of e-mails.

“Well, so, uhm, lately I’ve... let’s say thought about it a little, and, uhm, I sort of felt like I could also help out the guys with the money for our bills and general expenses”, she slowly said, trying to chose the best words to explain herself. Sori quickly glance to her friends face and saw she was trying to connect the dots. “I always wanted to be a writer, you know, and... well, since I have a lot of free time and I mostly spend it at home I decided to give myself a chance?”, she ended the sentence as if it was a question.

“Okay, so you’re writing a book?”, Narae asked sceptically.

“Mmm, sort of? I sent them the first three chapters for now and also the general plot of my story and two or three of them asked me more, so I write a little everyday and I’m crossing my fingers. I’m really hoping one of them will find my story interesting enough for it to be published. It's just a short story, but hopefully my enthusiasm will make up for my lack of experience”. Narae didn’t answer right away, but she took a couple of minutes to think this whole thing through. It didn’t seem “bad”, but Sori already knew Namjoon wouldn’t like it.

“Does Namjoon know about this?”. From the way her friend was fidgeting she’d bet her life he didn’t.

“Not really? You’re sort of the first person to know about this. And, uhm, you know, I wanted to tell him about it, actually I wanted to tell it to everyone, but somehow there was never the right moment to do it and... I’m a little scared Namjoon will take this as a personal attack”, Sori told her. Honestly, Narae couldn’t argue that she was wrong, for lately the tension in the pack hadn’t decreased, bad new awaited for them everyday and well, there was no denying that Namjoon wouldn’t like this matter.

“Oh, c’mon, he won’t take it as an offence. It’s more likely that he’ll try to talk you into letting this go and he’ll be a bit stingy for a while, but he won’t force you to give it up or stay home. To me the idea sound great, I mean, if I had a dream like yours I’d want to try my luck too. Moreover, I can’t see a possible way in which your passion and, eventually, your job would be a nuisance for the pack. It would be a distraction for you and also a way for the guys to keep more of the money they gain!”. Sori just sighed in response. It was a bit of a sore spot for her, but she knew Narae meant well.

“You know I don’t like to fight. Honestly, I’m just doing it as a way to distract myself. I don’t think being more independent economically would damage Namjoon’s reputation. He would only be an alpha who allows his wolves to be themselves. Not to mention that I can still take little sums of money from him to do whatever, it that would make him feel better”, she shrugged, “I’ll tell him about it if I’ll receive a positive answer to my emails”, Sori groaned. Her frowns made it pretty clear she wasn’t pleased with the idea of bringing the matter up with her alpha for the hundredth time.

“Sure, just let me know when you’ll go talk with him and I’ll help you convince him to give you more freedom”, Narae nodded. She moved toward Sori's arm and brought her down on the mattress with her. “And about the rest? How are things going lately? Did you meet Junmyeon again?”. The questions asked with no pauses in the middle for Sori to answer made her chuckle. Narae was always like this whenever she didn’t get as much time as she thought she deserved with her best friend.

“I met Junmyeon nearby my hut a couple of days ago. He’s too nice to be real!”, Sori informed her. “Yesterday he brought a pack mate of his to the lake so that we could get to know each other. Actually, one of his wolves, Baekhyun, has seen me there a lot, but he never showed himself to me. I didn’t even know about it until some days ago. He’s nice, you know, he’s also very handsome. I’m pretty sure he’d easily get close with the trio...”, and just like this the two friend told each other what happened in their lives in the four days in which they didn’t met. They chatted until Narae fell asleep. Sori caressed the pretty girls hair and gave her a kiss on her forehead, before standing up and locking the door.

Chapter Text

“Soooriiiiiii, look at this!”. Baekhyun’s childish yell could be heard all the way to the town probably. Although Sori had only known him for five day, it felt like years already. The guy was very charming, and Sori couldn’t help but be fascinated by how different his personality was from hers. He somehow always managed to make her laugh.

Junmyeon was sitting next to her on the shore of the small lake. The three of them had made it an habit to meet there early in the morning ever since the previous week. They were like a breath of fresh air for Sori.

The tension in the house was too though to bear for Sori, who never liked conflicts in the first place. She knew she only had to forgive Jungkook and that tension would go away, but she didn’t want to give in to the pull she felt towards him. Whenever they were in the same room, his eyes would never leave her. He looked away blushing whenever she caught him staring, but he eventually turned to her again and it often seemed like he was trying to tell her something with his eyes. Unfortunately, telepathy was never a skill Sori developed, so she just ignored him and turned away.

She felt the splitting need to both forgive him and ignore him. She felt like her body really wanted to cave in and take him in her arms again, but her brain was completely opposed to that idea. She wanted him, but she also wanted him to suffer. In the end, to Sori it seemed right to just wait until one of the two would overcome the other to decide how to act from there.

“What are you thinking about?”, Junmyeon asked her. As he glanced down to look at Sori his eyelashes brushed against his skin. At times Sori found herself thinking he looked like an angel with all bright light of the day illuminating him. Maybe it was because of the peaceful atmosphere at the pond, but he totally looked like some kind of fairy. Sori was embarrassed by her own thoughts, but she often compared him to all those pictures of old Greek or Roman warriors that were in her school books, after all she had seen his body, and he had nothing to envy to those statues. Not to mention that Junmyeon was the ideal man to fall for: handsome, nice, wise, well-built, generous and caring. The fact that he was really rich only weighed more on the positive aspect of falling for him. How easy would it be to fall for him? Sori felt her cheeks warming up. She blushed whenever this kind of thoughts popped up in her mind, because it always made her feel like some desperate puny girl. As if anyone would be okay for her as long as they were rich.

“Nothing much, really, it’s just that I’ll have to go back sooner today, because Block B pack is coming to train with us, and Namjoon wants us to get to know the other guys before getting started”. She hugged her legs to her chest and put her chin on her knees.

“Oh, right, Namjoon told me about this. We’re starting the training with Block B soon too, although I think for us it will be a little different since we're all quite old and some of us were trained to fight ever since they were little children”. Junmyeon took a moment to observe Sori's expression, then he asked her: “Do you not want to learn to fight?”. His gentle smile was something Sori cherished and it never failed to bring a smile to her own lips. Junmyeon was always very respectful and that was something that always caught Sori's attention. And positively so.

“Mmm, no, I’m actually curious about the training and how I’ll do, but in comparison with the others I’ll just look pathetic”, she sighed. Her eyes met Junmyeon’s and she stopped him with her hand. “I know, I know, I’m just a normal wolf, I get it, but I’m still weaker than the other, Jun, no matter what we like to think. It’s a fact. Moreover, I know what these Block B guys think of me, and I don’t want to embarrass Namjoon with my presence, but since Jiho already knows me… I’m considering hiding until the training will end, but then Namjoon and Narae will be disappointed”, she sighed again.

“You know, the more I get to know you, the more I think Namjoon would be all but embarrassed by your presence during the training. Actually, I think you're the one he would like to see there the most. I don’t mean this as an offence, you know it, but you’re actually the less strong wolf in his pack, and I’m sure he’s often worried about you not knowing how to properly defend yourself”. His smile was dashing. “And talking about this, I don’t think he ever thought of you as a shame for his name or his pack, no matter how many times you tell me he doesn't like you being there. Sure, Namjoon may be stern, an annoying know-it-all, overprotective and whatever else you want, but I’m sure he never judged you for who you are, Sori”. His hands were now holding hers as he let her know his opinions on the matter.

“Ya, are you even listening to what I’m saying?”, Baekhyun’s overly annoyed voice resonated in the small opening in the woods. Sori and Junmyeon chuckled guiltily at his antics and at his tiny pout. By now Sori had understood Baekhyun’s personality, and she knew he liked acting like an overgrown baby, and he also needed just as much attention to be paid to him, and when he believed he didn’t get all the attention he deserved, he’d start pouting and whining like a real baby. Thankfully it had only happened a couple of times so far, but Sori was sure it was more than enough for the rest of her life.

She kept them company for another half an hour and then stood up, ready to go have lunch with the others and meet Block B pack.

“You’re ready to go?”, Junmyeon smiled at her. “Give all you have in the training!”

“Mmm, yeah, and you better tell us if there’s someone interesting in the other pack”, Baekhyun recommended Sori.

“I doubt any of them will pay me attention, so I won’t know who’s interesting or not”, she chuckled, “and how do I fight well if they’re all stronger than me? I bet Namjoon or Narae will insist to pair up with me and they’ll let me win to make me feel better about myself”, Sori told them, a bit resigned to her fate.

“You know what? I think you think too lowly of yourself and take it for granted that the other think about you in the same way you do. I never once thought about you in a different light because you’re a turned-wolf, but I keep hearing you say you’re different”, Baekhyun told her seriously. “Stop doing that”.

“I agree. You should stop considering yourself that way. You can do whatever you want and you know nobody’s stopping you. Moreover, knowing Namjoon, I think he’ll be tempted by the idea of pairing up with you for the training, because that way he’ll be able to protect you, but I’m pretty sure he won’t actually do that. He’ll probably let you fight your battle and learn from it”, Junmyeon added gently.

“But if he does I’ll obviously lose, and his reputation will be damaged. It’s better if I lay low and train with Narae instead”

“I already told you to stop thinking about yourself in this terms, didn't I?”, Baekhyun told her in a somewhat diva-ish and annoyed way, but he was still smiling warmly, though. “Take me as an example: I’m one of the smallest wolves in our pack and surely I’m not the strongest, but I won many battles. Minseok has no rivals when it comes to strength, Kyungsoo is the second best fighter in our pack and Chen is the best planner of the pack. We’re all small wolves, right? Use your body to your advantage, and use your brain whenever you can’t overcome your rivals’ strength!”. So far, Sori had never thought about things under that light, so she was a little awestruck.

For a moment she was left speechless as she took in the meaning of those words, then her phone dinged with the notification of the training, so she just waved at the two guys and made her way home while she was still focused on their words. While she was pretty sure there wasn't going to be a good outcome out of this training session, but perhaps if BTS ever got the chance to train with EXO she could ask them to teach her something basic! Maybe she could learn by observing their moves! For the first time in a while, Sori felt a sort of euphoria permeating her body. It good a good day after all: she had woken up feeling happy, she even wanted to sing, but what surprised her the most was that she ate a great amount of food and didn’t threw up afterwards! Today was a good day for Sori.

Feeling positive about the situation she was about to face, she picked up her pace and trotted towards home. The scent of Jin’s food could be smelt even in the middle of the woods. And then it struck her.

She was going to meet new people, and she was already disadvantaged because she wasn’t a born-were, but then it was going to be even worse than she had first thought, for she didn't look like a normal werewolf. Being a turned-were, Sori was softer and rounder than the rest of the members of the pack, and there was no denying people generally judged other people by their body shape. All the more when she was coming home late, right in time for lunch, and on top of that she had no knowledge of any fighting technique.

That was when she started to slow down, her happiness fading a bit. She knew Seokjin and Narae wouldn’t be happy if they were to discover she was thinking about skipping another meal without a reason they could consider acceptable. The image of their bright smiles in the morning, when they were eating together was making her feel guilty, but wouldn’t the others have a better impression of Namjoon if they thought they weren’t treating her as an equal? Maybe she could use that as an excuse? Would they believe it? Or maybe she could eat less then she normally would? Just so that they'd think Namjoon was still keeping her on her toes and making sure she was getting back in shape. Or maybe I am too obsessed with my body... Am I doing this because of Jungkook?

The moment those thought popped up in her mind, her paws stopped. Was she starving herself because she wanted to be thinner for him?

Sori whimpered. It was painful to admit even to herself, and she wouldn’t ever admit it in front of anybody else, but probably a part of it was to be blamed on Jungkook words. She let him get under her skin. She was being weak once again. But then again… she had to admit that the biggest reason why she wasn’t eating that much was because she was feeling nauseous and she was scared she’d get one of those horrible crisis in which no matter where she was nor what she was doing, she had to sit down, close her eyes and take deep breaths while praying her nausea would go away soon. Skipping meals during the day was just something she did when she was in the woods, just to avoid Jungkook, but when she was in town, she ate at least one meal a day.

“Yah, why are standing there like that? Jin wants you in the kitchen”. She was so lost in her thoughts she almost pooped her pants when Yoongi yelled at her. He was standing there, stark naked, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, which probably was for him, to be honest.

“Why? What was it this time? Tae stumbling over his feet or Jimin falling while sitting down?”, she replayed right after having changed. She was dressing herself, but Yoongi saw her naked so many times she didn’t even feel the rush to over herself up. She wasn’t comfortable, but not as uncomfortable as she’d be if it was someone else standing there. And Yoongi, being a gentleman and knowing she wasn’t that fond of showing her body, turned his eyes to the new leaves growing on the trees around them.

“Nope, this time they didn’t break anything, but Namjoon offered to help cooking”. He was leaning against the bark of a tall pine tree with his arms crossed.

Sori stilled for a couple of seconds and then closed the zip on her trousers. She met Yoongi’s troubled look. Their alpha was a good leader, a good wolf, a good man and even a good friend, but cooking really wasn’t his thing. He was always so nice, being one of the few who often offered to help with the dinner, so no one wanted to deny him that nor to offend him, but one thing was him poisoning them or cutting his fingers when they were alone… another one was when the food was meant to be eaten by perfect strangers. Namjoon + kitchen + heated stove + knives + strangers= disaster. Sori did the easy math on her head, discovering she felt more horrified than usual.

“Tell me he didn’t get near knives just yet”, she said felling lightly alarmed.

“No, Narae and Hoseok managed to convince him to show the house to the guests, but if you don’t come home to help us he’ll ask again, and you know how that's going to end”, the boy told her shaking his head.

Without adding another word, the two started walking at a fast pace towards the house, hoping they would get there before Namjoon had the chance to renew his offer.

“Guys do you need help?”, Namjoon poked his head inside the kitchen. Jin smiled at his and shook his head.

“With Sori and Yoongi’s help we should be fine. Lunch will be ready soon!”. He was stirring the soup without giving much attention to Namjoon, so he missed how his face fell a little at his words.

“How about you help tomorrow for lunch?”, Sori said, feeling guilty for the evil plan she’d made with Jin and Yoongi. She pretended not to notice the venomous glares sent in her direction, keeping her eyes on the cutting board.

“Why not for dinner?”, he asked a bit surprised. Sori always thought Namjoon was really cute. Although he could make your ears fall with his philosophical theories, his attention could be attracted by simple things and he could be surprised very easily. She was biting her lips trying to contain the smile his expression provoked.

“Because you’re the alpha, Namjoon, you should stay with them until they leave, right?”, Sori told him. She was cutting the vegetables in cute forms and artistically setting them in the plates with the sauce Jin had previously prepared.

“Oh, okay then, I’ll cook with you tomorrow”, Namjoon said nodding a little. “Well, if you don’t need me here, I’ll go to entertain our guests. Call me if you need me!”. The silence in the kitchen was only broken once they heard their alpha start a conversation with Jiho.

“Ok, I officially feel like I’m a bad person”, Jin sighed. Yoongi chuckled a little too hard for someone who was supposed to be feeling guilty. Sometimes Yoongi was mean like that.

“I know right? And now we have to find an excuse to send him away from the kitchen tomorrow too”, Sori shook her head. Yoongi was openly cackling at this point, by the sound of it, it seemed like he had something on his mind.

“What’s so funny?”, Jin was eyeing him with an eyebrow raised.

“I was thinking about tomorrow’s menu”, he was openly laughing now.

“And?”, Jin was starting to smile too.

“We can make a cheese-omelette and salad. Namjoon’s job will be adding the cheese to the eggs and washing the salad”, Yoongi was starting to tear up. Sori was cackling too now. It was a little mean, but it was fun nonetheless. Poor Namjoon, it wasn't his fault he was a black hole whenever it came to cooking.

“We’ll only give him the full spoon, that way even he won’t be able to mess up”, she added. “The salad is risky, tho”. Yoongi made a sound, as if he was disagreeing with Sori's words, too sure of himself.

“You think so? I’m sure he could manage to spill everything on the floor”, Jin was letting out his wind shield laugh, which somehow always managed to make Sori crack up. Yoongi was almost rolling on the floor now, probably imagining the face Namjoon would make. It took them a couple of minutes to completely collect themselves again.

“Poor Namjoon, I still feel guilty tho”, Sori told them, a gentle smile still on her face.

“Oh, so you feel guilty for not letting Namjoon poison us but you don’t feel guilty for abandoning us for days?”, Yoongi told her poking her hip. Sori felt blush raising in her cheeks.

“That’s right, you can’t feel guilty for Namjoon if you don’t feel guilty for avoiding us to spend time with people from another pack”, Jin said pouting. Okay, I knew Jin would’ve complained about it, but Yoongi? Really? He knows how it felt for me to always be alone, or mostly so. She had told him multiple times she wanted to make new friends... he had even agreed with her that it was a good idea. Sori couldn't understand him.

“Yah, just because they’re handsome it doesn’t give you the right to forget about us! What can we do about our faces? Just bear with us! Pack stays together through thick and thin, and even through ugliness!”, Yoongi complained as he kept poking her hips. At that Sori burst in a wild fit of chuckles.

“YAH, DON’T YOU DARE SAY I’M UGLY”, Seokjin exclaimed hitting Yoongi’s head with a spoon. This provoked even more chuckles from Sori. She laughed until her stomach hurt. And the bickering started!

“I never said you’re ugly, but it’s clear she wants to stay with those guys from EXO because they look like models. She didn’t even tell me in person, I had to hear it from Namjoon”, he mumbled holding his head where Jin hit him. They were talking about me?

“Oh, c’mon guy, let’s be real. They’re super handsome”, Sori told them. She wanted to keep a light mood, but in her head she was already thinking about what they could have possibly said about her. How had they ended up talking about her and her friendship with the guys from EXO?

“See? I knew it. You know, it hurts to be left behind just because you’re now handsome enough”, Yoongi kept mumbling.

“Buuuut, that’s not the reason why I hang out with them lately. You know why I go there, and they just so happen to be nice and friendly. Not to menting that I never said you’re ugly, to me you guys are very handsome”, Sori explained to her packmates. “You were the one who said you're ugly!”.

“Yeah, you say that now, but I never saw you around in the house a part those two nights in which I slept with you”, he was now pouting. Jin on the other hand was smiling and resignedly shaking his head at his friend’s antics. Everyone knew how possessive Yoongi was.

“Yep, but you know I wasn’t avoiding you, silly!”, Sori took a couple of steps towards him and gave him a half-hug.

“Really?”

“Really”, Sori told him. Yoongi clearly wasn’t satisfied by the half-hearted hug he was receiving, so he turned towards Sori and hugged her tightly to his chest. “What a baby. Jealous?”, she joked, but she still cuddled him.

“Mmm, not telling you, but make a little time for me too, ok? It feels like you’re putting some distance between us”, he told her more seriously. Sori tightened the hug, so that he knew she was still there for him if he needed her, just like he had always been there for her. If he was joking like that, it must mean that whatever he and Namjoon had talked about was not that serious, right?

“Okay”, she said standing on her tippy-toes to place a kiss on his cheek. “Talking about distance and things that have to be said…how are thing going between you and Hobi oppa?”, she playfully asked.

Jin couldn't help looking at Sori and feeling a little reassured. He knew she woke up happy today, it was clear by the way she was smiling, and it was a stark difference from the Sori he had seen in the last weeks. It made him feel at ease, for they didn’t saw many smiles on her lips lately, and she sure deserved to be happier, and maybe this could be a little opening to bring closer to the pack again. Like Yoongi, Jin had perceived the distance Sori was putting between them, so now he felt better. It was going to be a good day.

“That’s none of your business”, the Yoongi replayed, bright red cheeks showing his embarrassment. At that Sori and Jin’s eyes met and their laughs exploded. Yoongi looked from Jin to Sori for a couple of times and then a smile appeared on his face.

“So, what can you tell us about the rogues that attacked your pack?”, Namjoon asked the other alpha. He was picking his favourite side dishes while still managing to look confident, which was something Sori would never be able to do.

Sori felt Jiho’s eyes on her, so she lifted her head to scrutinize his expression and concluded he looked somewhat apologetic. What she couldn’t figure out was if it was due to the fact that he was staring at her and was caught or because of his members who acted improperly and asked her private questions now and then. Actually, it wasn't the first time she was asked weird questions when meeting new people, hence why Sori made sure she to take the seat between Hoseok and Jimin, so that there were members from the other pack only in front of her and she could avoid them and their questions. Not that she wanted to dampen the mood or act coldly towards the members of the other pack, who were even using their spare time to train her pack, she just wanted to be left alone.

“From what I personally saw and from what I was told from my members, there are both born-werewoves and turned ones, but unfortunately the majority of them were turned-weres.”, Jiho shoot her another apologetic glance and then added “This can be an advantage since they can be… neutralized easier.” Perhaps I was wrong…

The food she was munching felt like sand in her mouth. She wanted to stop eating, but she didn’t want to upset Seokjin and Narae, so she settled with taking tiny bites and gulping mouthfuls of water. She felt Hoseok grabbing her thigh under the table and, glancing up, she saw her was worriedly looking at her. Since there wasn’t much she could do to reassure him she was fine, she sent him a small smile, which he reciprocated. Actually she wasn’t sure she was fine just yet with the information she just heard, still she was just going to store the information in her brain and keep her feelings for later, when she’ll be alone in her room.

“And did you find out who’s the leader?”, Seokjin asked.

“No, we didn’t see anyone giving direct orders or staying out of the fights to watch how the wolves fought. Hanbin and me came up with this supposition: they’re looking for a land and they’re looking for a weak pack to overtake or a land to occupy and defend from the pack who owns it. We think they’re looking for a small pack with a good amount of lands. That way they’ll be able to win over the pack or gain a land and defend it without having to worry too much. Or at least that’s what we believe.”, Jiho told him. His members were eating like they hadn’t seen food in years, which could be seen under the positive light of them appreciating what Sori, Jin and Yoongi had cooked, but the silence left from the lack of the previous noise, was bothering Sori. She could hear the small tickling noises of when the fork met the knife, the scraping of the fork on the plate, gulping sounds and the noises of the liquids inside their glasses…it was unnerving for her. She kept feeling like all the eyes were on her too, which wasn't good on her nerves either.

“Then we don’t really have much to work on, right? I mean, under the technical side”, Jin told him frowning.

“Did you discover anything else?”, Namjoon asked him, resignation clear in his expression.

“Yeah…we did”, Sori felt his eyes on her again, but kept her head down, so that he could see her reaction to the words he was about to pronounce. “We found out that part of this rogue… group, since pack doesn’t seem to be the exact term to define what they are, was formed by recruiting recently turned werewolves”. He waited a couple of seconds, and Sori though he was probably taking in her packmates reactions to the news, not that Sori wanted to check to make sure her suspicion were right.

“By recently turned-weres, we mean really recently, like a year ago at most”. Sori didn’t exactly remember the name of the man who just spoke, but she was quite sure he went by Taeil or something similar. He cleared his voice and then gave BTS pack more information about their discoveries. “We did some researches on the wolves we killed and captured during the attack. So far we don’t know how they work out their rankings. We don’t even know how to fit in the born-werewolves who are part of the pack, nor have we discovered from where they came from”, he concluded, his serious voice didn’t seem to match well with his cute expression in Sori’s mind.

“I just remembered another detail”, this time it was a guy with a name similar to Jaeho or whatever, but Sori knew for sure his surname was “princess”. Ever since the new pack arrived a couple of hours before, she had heard that word so often she almost called him by his surname when she was asking him to pass her a bread slice. “They didn’t seem to have great skills in fights, tho, which made us think they never were part of a real pack. Being them turned-weres, we sort of imagined they were trying to form a real pack without having to be seen as less important than born-weres. We seriously doubt they’re succeeding, for some of those we captured and from the bodies of the dead ones, they showed clear signs of being victims of physical violence. It could be that their seeking for equality in the wrong way”. His voice lowered with every knew word he pronounced. The silence was engulfing the whole room.

“Well, then we better start this training soon”, Namjoon said with a rough voice, officially ending the first part of their meeting.

Chapter Text

Stuck in a headlock again, Sori established she was bad at fighting in human form. Like really bad.

If Sori had to be completely honest, training was nothing like she’d expected in the morning, but it was exciting nonetheless. Actually, it was even more exciting this way.

She caught the displeased look Jimin was sending to Taeil, so she decided to surrender and start again. The said guy loosened his grip on her neck and took step back.

“Okay, so, remember what I told you before: if I come towards you or throw a punch at you, you have to take a step back. You shouldn’t lower yourself, because that leaves half of my body out of your sight.”, Taeil gently explained her again, softly punching the air in front of him to show her what he meant. But it's faster if I duck! Sori thought again, although she knew she was wrong, in fact she’d already been caught in a headlock two times, and the both of them were due to the fact she’d lowered herself. This wasn’t how she had planned her attacks to end. But then again… her plans always sucked, so it was no surprise.

She looked around her and pretty much everyone was learning new techniques. BTS never really trained in human form, so some of them were having problems in coordinating their movements the right way.

As she had imagined, they had been divided into small groups, and each member of Block B had to choose a partner for the first part of the training, mostly basing themselves on their body types and skills, and they would get to change partners in the next training session.

The long anticipated moment of the pick went by really fast, in fact it took Block B less the five minutes to sort everything out. Sori couldn’t help imagine BTS doing the same if put in the same situation. Her conclusion was that she probably lacked trust in them, since she could only picture them bickering for hours about who got to train with whom and who had the better skills among them. Or maybe they were all really childish.

To Sori’s surprise, she was the second member to be picked, and not by a girl. She couldn’t help but mentally grin at the sight of her partner: he was quite short and looked like a little puppy, but his arms were ripped and his body covered by tattoos. She was split between feeling proud of herself for getting such an adversary and being scared for her life. By the looks of the guy, he wasn’t lacking in strength and he looked confident enough to underline his personal experience in this field.

“I hope you don’t mind I chose you, but you totally caught my attention”, he’d told Sori, blushing. His hand was scratching his neck, which was a clear hint of the fact that the glares coming from her packmates weren’t that easy to ignore. Poor him, not only he’s stuck with my useless ass, but he also had to stay alert unless he wants to be stabbed by one of the guys. I guess I'm still lucky, tho. At least I'm not he last one to be picked.

“No, really, I’m happy you chose me, I thought I was going to be left as the last pick”, Sori reassured him smiling. She was inwardly praying he would not regret his choice right away, or at least that she wouldn't notice if he did.

To distract herself from her anxious thoughts, she turned around to see how thing were evolving. The sight in front of her eyes was all but surprising. Jiho had only brought 8 of his pack members, so BTS members knew that two of them would eventually have to fight against each other during the training. Originally, Sori had expected Namjoon and Narae to end up together, but by actually thinking about it, it was obvious they couldn’t really go against each other just for the sake of the training, and risking to hurt each other. Sori couldn’t believe she hadn’t foreseen this scenario when it was definitely obvious they were never going to put any effort in landing a punch if they were up against each other. The two of them even had problems with having serious discussions and bickering, how would they even be able to throw punches at each other? Still, it was a pity. That would’ve been an interesting new side of their relationship to see.

Standing beside her and Taeil there were Hoseok and a lanky guy, which Sori was almost sure went by the name Yukwon. They were talking animatedly and chuckling and Sori found herself smiling at the sight. Hoseok never had problems with making new friends, but at times he had to hold back because werewolves were not to reveal their real identities and age (not to mention their wolves) to humans, which would’ve only created problems in making steady friendships with humans, not to mention the amount of lies that he would have to say to keep his pack hidden and safe. On the other hand he had many werewolves friends, but since they lived quite far from their town, he mostly spent his time working or with his pack members, and by the look of it, her friend missed having a conversation with someone from outside the pack. Sori knew perfectly well how Hoseok felt.

In the end, Narae had been picked by Jiho. It was funny to see them together. Narae was far from being a tall girl, and Jiho seemed to be even taller than Namjoon, which only made her look shorter. It obviously didn’t please Narae, and the glares she was sending in Jiho’s direction only made things more comical. All in all there wasn’t much to laugh, though, in fact Narae could be quite strong and mean, so Jiho shouldn’t under evaluate her… not to mention the displeased expression Namjoon had been sporting from the exact moment he saw his mate was chosen by a male, and an alpha at that. Knowing him, Sori would’ve bet a hand on the fact that Namjoon had it all planned in his head: Jiho would’ve trained with him and SunHae (which was introduce to Sori as Yukwon’s girlfriend or mate or whatever) would’ve trained with Narae. Oh, well. At least Narae was going to have a good excuse to justify herself in case she sucked, but Namjoon wasn't going to do the same if SunHae handed him his ass.

Talking about how Namjoon had the whole training planned in his head, Sori was pretty sure he’d taken for guaranteed that she’d be the one to be paired up with another BTS member, for his annoyance was clear as the light of day when Sori was picked by Taeil. Or maybe it was because she was chosen right after his mate…or because she was chosen before him. Either way, Namjoon was unhappy with how things had developed and Suho was both right and wrong in his predictions: the first time she was shoved to the ground, Namjoon growled loudly in Taeil’s direction and Jiho rushed over where they were fighting. He then proceeded to – embarrassingly - bring Taeil away to have a talk with him. Her alpha had stayed in his line nonetheless, no matter how many times she’d been hit or fell to the ground, he growled and cursed but he didn’t interrupt her training. Sori somehow felt grateful to him, for she took it as a sign he trusted her, and Namjoon’s trust wasn’t something she’d overlook easily.

Instead, SunHae picked Taehyung without a wink of hesitation. The former and Yukwon shared a teasing smirk, which only made Sori think she was grateful to be paired up with a gentle looking boy. She was around Minyoung’s height, maybe a tad taller (which made her taller than both Narae and Sori). Taehyung, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have caught on with his partner and was looking at her with his boxy smile. No good would come out of that pairing, in Sori’s opinion.

Jin and Jaehyo were rolling on the ground laughing, so Sori could only presume they were hitting it off. Seokjin was always kind of weird-ish, and Jaehyo didn’t look much saner. Actually, at first glance, Sori was mesmerized by his handsomeness, but then he spoke and… well, he kind of ruined it for her. Jiho himself didn’t seem too convinced by this paring of handsome and weird old guys, but then again, better let the weird ones stay together, right?

Yoongi and Minhyuk were the weirdest pairing. Minhyuk looked quite shy and silent, and his body type was completely different from Yoongi’s. Yoongi on the other hand wasn’t too keen on spending time and touching people he wasn’t close with, and he hated moving a lot, so if he already felt forced to participate to the training session in the first place, now he was completely unhappy and ready to snap at whoever decided speaking with him was a good idea. Sori could see it in the way the two were fighting that their mood wasn’t as light as the others. Moreover, Yoongi always had a possessive personality and was very territorial over “his” things, and “his” people, so knowing his pack members were having fun with others made him feel uncomfortable and jealous, which lead him to unleashing his pent up frustration on his poor parter.

As for Namjoon, he wasn’t satisfied nor unsatisfied with his partner. Sori guessed he’d expected to be trained by the other pack’s leader, but his partner was a very much like him physically. To Sori he looked a bit like an awkward kid since he kept making weird gestures with his hands and stuttering, but all in all he didn’t look mean or too menacing. He seemed to have all the qualities to train Namjoon nonetheless, in fact Jiho nodded in approval when his younger member headed towards the other alpha, and a couple of minutes later, Sori’s alpha was spread out in the ground at Jihoon’s feet.

The last one to be picked had actually been Jimin. His partner’s body was really similar to his, just like in Namjoon and Jihoon’s case, and just like the former, he didn’t seem too convinced by the situation. He was glaring at Kyung (if that was his name, because Sori wasn’t exactly sure about it) as if standing in front of him was an offence. The two were a quite dysfunctional couple, in fact they kept on with the mockeries and the insults, and the actual fighting for the training was down to zero… unless you counted shouting useless shit. Actually, insults could still be handy in a fight, right? So maybe they weren't really wasting time.

Minyoung and Jungkook, being the two members of BTS who hadn’t been chosen by any of the Block B guys, were paired up together. Minyoung, having spent a lot of time in another pack before joining theirs wasn't as clueless as the other two girls of the pack, and since she had trained in human form in her original pack she could teach Jungkook what she knew. Sori didn’t really keep track of what they were doing, for she didn’t want to look like she was spying on them. She only glanced now and then, but mostly they were laughing and kidding. She’d noticed that the two of them were quite touchy, but Sori wasn’t sure if it was the actual truth or if it was just the result of her jealousy, because try as she might, she couldn’t help but feel jealous of their relationship at times.

“Are you ready?”, Taeil asked, walking around her. Sori only nodded and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate again. Up to now she hadn’t made too many mistakes, and considering she had never trained before, the results she’d obtained weren’t that bad. She’d only surrendered twice… and got punched a bunch of times.

As soon as she opened her eyes, a punch made contact with her nose and she hit the ground right away. Fuck. It hurts. The pain was so strong she felt like throwing up, but Sori reacted quickly and started taking deep breaths with her mouth, forcing her body to calm down.

Slowly she sat up and opened her eyes. She wasn’t sure if her eyes were working properly, in fact whatever she was staring at at the moment was covered with black and blue spots. She waited a bit longer, still taking deep breaths, and the spots lowly started fading away, which only allowed her to see her white shirt dotted with red drops of blood. Her favourite shirt. BASTARD. She wanted to stand up and punch Taeil back both for having ruined her favourite shirt and for not having made sure she was looking at him, but her legs didn’t quite seem to work right. Didn’t he see I had my eyes closed?

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Why are you still bleeding?”. Taeil was kneeling in front of her with his arms stretched out to reach her face. His face was pale and his hands were lightly shaking, which could also be because of the growls coming from all over the garden. He look quite pitiful to Sori’s eyes. Geez, I can’t even get mad at him without feeling guilty. He ruined my face, and I have to feel guilty.

“Meh, it’s because I take more to heal, don’t worry. Let’s hope it’ll be okay by tomorrow or by Monday at least”, she told him, trying to dismiss the situation quickly. Their little shenanigan was catching way too much attention, and it was embarrassing for Sori to let everyone see her with a crooked and bloodied nose. Also, it was quickly becoming clear she had made a pathetic mistake, so why let everyone know about it? She knew it and she recognized her mistake, time to move on.

“But why did you keep your eyes closed? Hadn't you just said you were ready?”. His expression was still mortified and the tremor hadn’t calmed down at all, but Sori couldn’t blame him. Her packmates were walking towards them, and some of them didn’t really look too happy.

“I was trying to regain my concentration, I didn’t expect you to attack me this fast”, she told him, feeling every bit as pathetic as her action pictured her. The guys had formed a small circle around them and they were all staring at her. Sori felt her cheeks reddening right away. Being the centre of everyone’s attention wasn’t for her.

“Oh, shit, are you okay? Do you want me to punch him for you?”, Narae asked, crouching down beside her. Sori smiled at that and leaned against her shoulder. It wasn't like Narae knew that much more about physical training that she did, but it was her intentions that mattered. And Sori was sure if only she had said the word Narae would have done her best to take revenge in her stead.

“No, it’s okay, it’s my fault anyway”, she told her chuckling… or trying to. Her nose hurt like hell, the others were still staring at her, and she was pretty sure she didn’t look too pretty with half of her face covered with blood and a nose swelling at about twice its usual size.

“I’m so sorry, really, I should’ve made sure you were paying attention to me before attacking again!”, Taeil apologized again. Sori shook her head. Her nose wasn’t bleeding that much anymore, so she probably wasn’t going to die today, but the bruising wouldn’t be nice to see and her pride would certainly hurt for a while. Well…at least Junmyeon and Baekhyun will have something to laugh about for a couple of days.

“No, really, it’s fine. Can you just help me inside? I want a glass of water and to clean myself a little, then we can go on with the training”, she told him, trying to stand up on her own. Narae grabbed her by her hips and lifted her from the ground as if she was as light as a feather. She growled at Taeil and started dragging her inside while still holding Sori by her hip. Did I ever mention how embarrassing Narae can be?

“Stop right there”, Namjoon told her, his voice not leaving room to protests. He stood in front of Sori and leaned towards her face, observing her nose without touching her. Sori felt herself blushing even more in self consciousness because of the excessive proximity between their faces. She took a step back, but Namjoon stopped her again. From his expression she could tell he wasn’t too pleased at the moment.

“It shouldn’t bruise for too long, but it will surely swell up in a while.”, he lightly knocked on her head with his knuckles. “Yah! Pay attention while training! Why would you even close your eyes if you know you’re going to be attacked soon?”. He massaged the back of her neck with his hand, and keeping her in place he turned towards Taeil, who still looked quite shocked. “And you… can’t you make sure she’s following your actions before throwing a punch right to her face? She's here to learn, not for you to let go of your frustration. You better be more careful when you're sparing with Sori”. His voice was low and menacing, something they didn’t hear than often, in fact Namjoon rarely tried to scare someone,and whenever he did, he usually succeeded without having to try too hard.

“Mmm, I guess it’s better if Sori cleans herself up before we move on with the training. You guys should go on practising the moves you were doing up till now instead. I’m sure she’ll be fine on her own”, Jiho said to placate the tension, meeting Namjoon’s eyes. Namjoon waited for a couple of seconds before stiffly nodding. It was hard for alphas to collaborate, and Sori presumed from Junmyeon’s words earlier in the morning, that Namjoon sort of felt like the safety of his weakest member was being threatened.

“No, I’ll go inside with her” Jungkook’s voice seemed extremely loud in the silence of their small circle- The tension rose again right away. His face was completely serious and his eyes had a weird light in them, something Sori had only seen happen a couple of times before…it gave him a wolfish aura even in his human shape.

“I don’t think it’s necessary”, Jiho told him. By his voice tone, everyone understood he didn’t mean it as a personal opinion over the matter. It was an order. Jungkook growled in response, but Namjoon shut him with a glare.

“Just let him go, they’ll be fast and Sori will have someone with her if something happens. I know you’re not used to it, but she needs more care than us”, Namjoon waved his hands to indicate generally all the born-werewolves present. Jiho shook his head, but didn’t comment further.

“You say that as if no other pack ever had a turned-werewolf as a member”, Jiho muttered under his breath. He then turned around and started heading to where he stood originally during the training. “Come on, go inside and come out fast, you still have a lot to learn. The rest of you should go on practising”. He signalled them to move with a hand gesture. “And you, come with me for a second”, he pointed at Taeil. The latter gulped and lowered his head, following his alpha. Okay, now I feel guilty. Can’t we just let it go for once and stop behaving like he hurt me on purpose? He already apologized too...

Namjoon was clearly annoyed by the fact that another alpha was ordering his members around, but he had to be rational and recognize that Jiho wasn’t wrong. In fact they didn’t have much time left before the rogues would decide it was time for them to attack his pack, and he wanted all his members ready and able to defend themselves. Or at least this was what Namjoon kept repeating in his mind while taking deep breaths, trying his best to keep his calm. He cracked his neck to get rid of part of his frustration and then turned to the guys who were still standing there. He looked at Sori and then at Jungkook before looking at her right in the eyes again. There was no need for words, as Sori knew what he was asking her already. She wasn’t okay with Jungkook just yet, but she could feel her head pounding, so the only thing she could find herself caring about was going inside quickly and taking a painkiller before the pain increased. She nodded at him, showing him she was okay with his request.

At that, Namjoon turned to Jungkook and nodded at him. The latter moved beside Sori right away, his expression still carefully neutral, but also serious and attentive. Slowly Narae loosened her grip on her best friend’s hip, and glaring at Jungkook she took a step back. Sori and Narae made eye contact for a moment before Narae turned around to relieve her frustration on the other pack’s alpha. Namjoon had to be glad about that, at least, in Sori's mind. Had Narae been his sparing partner, maybe for once he would have had the chance to experience Narae's rage.

“Don’t waste too much time inside. If you don’t feel like training anymore, then just sit and watch us fight. This way you should still be able to learn some technique and be able to tell us what we’re doing wrong, okay?”, Namjoon was still standing in front of them, his frustration was still showing.

“Okay, I’ll come out again as soon as I can”, Sori quietly agreed before making her way towards the house with shaky legs. She was shivering a little both from the pain and the tension, although she was trying her best not to show it.

After a couple of steps, out of nowhere, Sori felt a hand on her hip and an arm behind her knees. She let out a small shriek when her feet lost contact with the ground and she found herself face to face with the man she had avoided with all her might for the last week. Oh, dear Lord, please, spare me the embarrassment of having to show him my bloodied face. Or at least stop my nose from swelling right away. Please, for my pride… Ah, I knew I was going to humiliate myself in public. I just knew it.

“Ya, what are you doing?”, Sori asked him, doing her best to put some distance between the two of them despite the situation they were in. Being this close to Jungkook was uncomfortable, not to mention that he was carrying her bridal stile, so her weight was very noticeable, and she didn't want to serve him a new chance to humiliate her on a silver plate. She tried pushing his chest away and wiggling in his arms, but he didn’t seem too keen on letting her down. In fact, it was exactly the opposite, and his arms only tightened beneath her.

“I’m carrying you inside since you still look weak on your legs”, he said. His voice was completely nonchalant, as if there was nothing weird with it. As if their relationship was perfectly fine. Sori could only tilt her face to hide her blush. Jungkook was touching her in public was something new and she wasn’t sure if she liked this change in behaviour yet.

Not knowing what to replay, Sori kept quiet and tried to stay still, in order to simplify the whole process: the faster the better.

Jungkook set her on the kitchen counter, and after telling her to wait for him there, he left running. Sori wanted to be angry at him, but she couldn’t find it in her. Her pride hadn’t fully recovered yet, but she could stop herself from feeling all giddy. The butterflies in her stomach didn’t help her nervousness at all. If Sori had to be honest, she also felt a bit ashamed by herself, since she knew she shouldn’t have been feeling like this after what he told her the previous week, yet couldn’t help it. He made her happy just by being there, just by smiling at her, and she’d missed him so much during this week she almost gave up on her grunge just to have him by her side again. Rationally she knew it was a wrong wish, but her heart didn’t care about it.

She sat there playing with her hands and waited, trying to swallow the lump she was feeling in her throat. He didn’t take too long to come back bringing some towels with him.

White towels. Really? Who’s going to wash them? Jin is going to throw a fit…

“Lift your face”, he gently told her as he squeezed the excess of water from the towel he’d soaked in the sink.

“Are you sure using white towels is a good idea?”, she asked hesitantly. It was uncomfortable for her to be in the same room with Jungkook, especially now that they were alone and her appearance wasn't cured. Moreover the way he was acting all nice and caring was both hurting and confusing. One moment he acted like he cared and the next one he wrecked her.

Jungkook looked quite surprised by her statement. He stood still beside the sink, staring at the towel in his hand for a couple of seconds before he shrugged and walked in front of her legs. Sori had goose bumps in her arms just by having him this close to her. Actually the position was a little too intimate for her to feel comfortable, but still… Too close, dude, too close.

“Nope, I guess I shouldn’t do it… but I guess I always do wrong things, so why not?”. Sori felt her shoulders rising defensively, her whole body tensing up at his affirmation. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to forgive Jungkook just yet, and usually he used sentences like this to apologize for what he’d done wrong… but was it really enough this time? Was this even the right moment to talk about what happened? “Look… I wanted to… tell you something, but... I never knew when or even how to say it”, he spoke again. Sori lifted his face when she heard his voice shaking. She took a moment to carefully scrutinize his expression and the various feelings she could read in his eyes. Weird. What’s wrong with him today? First he touches me and speaks to me in front of everyone, now he wants to talk more and acts all nice… did Minyoung smash his head during the training? “I… uhm, about last week… you know, I-I…”, Sori was curious, but she didn’t want to push him into saying whatever he wanted to say faster just in case he had a sudden change of mind and decided to hurt her again. It was the first time he showed a sign of uncertainty too, or at least it was the first time he showed it in front of her, which made her feel a tad anxious, like she had to reassure him she was there for him, ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

Seeing that he wasn't going on with his speech, she even thought about suggesting him some words to help him, but she wasn’t sure if it was the case. Maybe he didn't know what to say either. Maybe he had just started this whole conversation to get it off his chest, but without actually knowing what to say.

She kept her eyes on Jungkook, studying his expression, which didn’t really help her in finding answers to the questions that kept popping up in her head. An annoyed scoff left his lips, and Sori jumped a little, surprised by the sudden release of frustration. He was now scratching his neck in anxiousness. He opened his mouth again, but no sound came out. It was more than enough for Sori to get more and more nervous as the minutes passed without him completing his speech. Jungkook took a deep breath and ruffled his hair with both of his hands. After a couple of seconds he sighed and lifted his head.

“Okay, listen well, because I’m not sure if I’ll be able to say it again. I thought about what I said last week… and I was wrong. I hope you know I didn’t mean to say it, and I didn’t mean any of the things I said to be honest”. He lowered his head again and murmured a barely audible: “I’m sorry”.

Sori’s mouth was slightly opened in shock. What the heck? Did I hear him right? She was so surprised she didn’t know how to react. She just stared at him with her mouth agape, observing his cheeks reddening as the seconds passed in silence. Well, this is something unheard of...wow

In spite of the chaos in her mind, no words left her mouth. Her thoughts were absolutely a mess, yet the only thing she could loudly hear in a repeat inside her head were Jungkook’s words. What does he meant with “I didn’t mean what I said”? It’s not like he said something he hasn’t ever said before…

Hearing him sighing again, Sori decided to leave her reflection to some other time, and told him the first thing that she could think off.

“Oh, okay”. Lame. Really? Couldn’t you say something more clever? Jungkook’s shoulders sagged a bit hearing her words, but since Sori hadn’t added anything more, he lifted his head and smiled a little. It looked more like a bitter smile to Sori, but it was still a smile.

“So are we okay again?”. His eyes were filled with hope, despite the defensiveness Sori could perceive from his demeanour. Are we? Am I ready to forget what he said?

“Yes”, the uncertainty in her voice didn’t kill the relief in Jungkook apparently, since as soon as her words sank in, he lifted his head and brightly smiled at her. He was showing her his adorable bunny smile, which never failed to brighten Sori’s mood. In fact, it didn’t take long for her to smile back to him albeit hesitantly.

“Okay”, he nodded cutely. Without adding anything else, he lifted the hand that was holding the towel and gently wiped the blood away from her nose and chin. He didn't add anything else and Sori was still too bewildered by his apology to do anything more than sit there and let him do as he pleased, so they spent the following moments in silence.

It only took him a couple of minutes to clean her face, yet to Sori it felt like hours. Everything seemed to be passing slowly, in complete silence,excluding the loud sound of her pounding heart. She was hoping with all her might for him not to notice it.

His words kept repeating in her mind, and although they were some very easy and basic words, to her they didn’t make sense. He’d never apologized before, so why now? Why was he suddenly touching her and talking to her in public?

The only answer she could possibly take in consideration was that one of the guys must have had a serious conversation with him about his behaviour, and this made her feel guilty, because if she knew how to defend herself properly, than no one would have to step up with her, risking their own friendship in order to help her. She was pretty much sure it had been Narae once again, however she was trying to convince herself she was wrong, because the last fight between Narae and Jungkook about Sori had been pretty bad, and no one wanted to live it again.

She lifted her gaze to find him already staring at her. Sori felt her cheeks warming up again.

“I think I’m done with your face. You should go change your clothes”, he told her, still showing her his shy smile. This was another news… since when Jungkook smiled while talking with her? This behaviour was way more similar to the one he showed when he was in her room than his usual behaviour. Definitely weird.

“Uhm, okay, tell Namjoon I’ll be right back.”, she hopped off of the counter, trying to put some distance between them. Sure, he had apologized, but it still felt weird to be this close to him. To Sori, it felt like their relationship was falling apart day by day, for as much as she thought about it, there were too many weird changes in his behaviour and there was a tangible distance between them that was never there before. Did something happen with Minyoung and the guys didn’t tell me about it? Is that why he's acting all nice? Usually rumours spread faster than lightning inside BTS, so it didn’t really seem all that realistic for her to be the only one left out from the news, but it was still a possibility. Maybe they wanted to spare her the suffering.

“Why? Don’t you want me to wait for you? Are you feeling okay already?”. Sori briefly glance at his expression, but at the sight of the anxiety that flashed in his eyes, she turned away and went up the stairs, thinking about something to say to put an end to the conversation. When she had almost reached the first floor she turned back towards him.

“I think it’s better if you go back and train some more… you know that I can’t do much to help you guys if we get attacked, but you’re a great fighter, so I’m sure it’s better like this. Go work on those skills”, she told him as sweetly as she could. Those words tasted bitter in her mouth, yet she could deny how truthful they were. He could be a great help for the pack if they were to be attacked, but she? She was simply a turned-were, and no training could change that. Moreover she felt the need to spend a short while alone before going back with the others. Although she wasn’t seriously hurt physically, there were some things that she had to lock in a tiny part of her brain until she was alone. Somewhere where the thoughts wouldn’t get in the way of her learning process… and possibly be the cause for a black eyes.

“Oh, I see”, he muttered disappointedly, “Then I’ll go back with the others and I’ll tell them you’re coming out soon. But, mmm… if you don’t feel like sparing with that dumbass we can switch teams, you know, I’m sure Minyoung wouldn’t mind training with him instead of with me, and… I-I’m sure I’ve learnt enough for today, so I only have put it in practice… and, well, I could teach you the same things I learnt”, he said hesitantly. He was biting his lower lips in anticipation. His shoulders here stiff as he waited for the rejection that would inevitably come.

“No, don’t worry, Taeil is really nice to me, what happened was my fault”, she shrugged. “Minyoung might not be upset, but what good would it do to you and the pack if you trained with me instead of with her? As I told you before, I’m not useful if something happens…you should just stay with her and do your best”. She left him like that and headed to her room. She closed the door behind her back and threw herself on the bed. She could have done a little better to sound normal and accommodating, but whatever. Such a tiring day. Sori huffed and curled herself in a small ball, trying to warm herself up. Although it was May already, Sori still felt cold quite often, and now that she was warming down she found herself shivering. She laid still in that position for a while, gaining back some of the strength she’d lost earlier because of the shock. Am I reading too much in Jungkook’s behaviour? It’s not how he usually behaves around me, though…

She struggled with her own memory, trying to think about a particular event or episode that could have caused this sudden change in behaviour, but try as she might, nothing popped out. But why do I feel so uncomfortable? Isn’t it better if he treats me nicely?

Do I deserve it?

Her last thought horrified her. She sat up immediately and jumped off of her bed. She opened one of her drawers and took out a black shirt, which should have been loose enough to hide her embarrassing fat tummy, wore it and left her room. She was doing everything as fast as she could, willing herself to stop thinking, because she knew that thinking it through any further would’ve opened a Pandora box that was better left unopened in a day like this.

It had started as an amazing bright and hot spring day, her mood as bright as the sun and nothing seemed to be able to ruin it until lunch, when Jiho’s words about turned-weres had eventually dampened her optimism. In the end, all of her good purposes ended in the trash when she made that mistake and found out everyone was staring at her while her nose was bleeding all over her clothes. Not exactly the impression of herself she wanted to leave during the first meeting with the other pack. Were they going to make fun of Namjoon for having someone like her in his pack? I’m useless for now, but I think I can improve myself…I hope Namjoon will allow me to continue with the training at least.

She gritted her teeth. She was always useless, no matter what she was told by Junmyeon. She was useless again. Why would someone like me think Jungkook might be interested in her? Why would there be further intentions hidden behind this sudden change in behaviour?

Just shut up, Sori. Go train and think later.

By the time she reached the rest of the guys, Jaehyo had a bleeding eyebrow and Taehyung was holding his ribs. She tried hiding her smile.

At least she wasn’t the only one who was injured during the training.

Chapter Text

Sori had almost reached the café where she first met Junmyeon. She checked the time on her phone once again just to make sure she was on time for their meeting. A couple of days ago, the alpha of EXO had invited her for dinner in his pack’s house, so that she could meet his whole pack and make new friends, but she had declined the offer, not wanting to upset her pack any more than they already were. She also refused because she sort of had the feeling that meeting another pack on her own would’ve been a big deal, and she was afraid it could be seen as betrayal towards her own pack. In fact, usually packs meet as “whole groups”, single members of a pack meeting another pack weren’t that common.

Feeling uncomfortable both by refusing completely to meet him and by going to their house, but still wanting to befriend someone from outside her pack's close circle, Sori had bargained for meeting him in the same place they met some week sago.

Baekhyun was utterly offended for being left out, but it was nobody’s fault he had to work in the afternoon. No matter what they said, he still pouted and sulked for a good while before reaching the conclusion that they’ could have another little meeting together soon, and he promised he’d bring someone else from the pack, so that Sori could get to know his friends. It was a bit weird for Sori when he acted like he wanted to show her off, but she wasn't going to fuss about something so little as long as they didn't make her too uncomfortable.

Sori opened the café’s door, finally finding a shield from mid May’s hot sun. She looked around and found Junmyeon sitting in the same table in which she sat when they first met. It seemed like he was playing some game on his phone, for he was mumbling words under his breath and leaning from one side to the other while holding his phone with both of his hands. Sori smiled at the sight and loudly joined him at the table, almost giving him an heart attack.

“Yah, couldn’t you make some noise before sitting down like that? I was focused on the game!”, he nagged at her holding his chest. Sori was trying not to laugh, but the way he was taking deep breaths with his eyes closed was really funny, so she let out a small chuckle. So much for an alpha with years of experienced under his belt.

“The last time I was too focused on something different from what I was supposed to be doing I got punched in the face, be grateful I didn’t punch you”, she chuckled again. Junmyeon smirked at that, but didn’t move his hands from his chest. He noticed her cheerful mood, and couldn't help but wonder what made her happy like that!

“So, are you still upset with Baekhyun?”, Junmyeon curiously asked after a couple of seconds. He brought his hands back on the table, and after having tucked away his phone, he intertwined his fingers in front of his him. Time to get Sori to spill the news.

“Nah, what can I even do about him? I don’t think he’ll let that story ever be forgotten”, Sori shook her head. Baekhyun had had a field day when she told them shortly how the training went. And Sori was pretty sure that by now he’d even told about it to all of his packmates… great ways to make yourself known to people who haven’t met you yet.

Suho cackled lightly at her misfortune, not wanting to laugh and rub it even more in her face, and then he stood up. “So, what do I order for you?”, he asked leaning on the table to pass Sori the menu. Sori went through the options quickly, but didn’t really took time to choose something from the menu, because the silence and the weight of Junmyeon’s eyes on her was making her uncomfortable.

“You know what? I’ll trust you, order whatever might suit my taste on your opinion”, Sori dismissed the problem easily. If he was going to be the one paying for the both of them, then it was only right for him to be spending as much as he wanted. It wasn't like she was a picky eater, anyway. She put down the menu and raised her eyes to meet Junmyeon’s, smiling openly at him.

“Mmm, okay, so I’ll force you to eat something, because lately you seem to be losing more and more weight”. He winked at her before waltzing to the counter. Sori chewed her lip, her cheeks warming up. She was losing weight, but to her it didn’t look that noticeable, not for the others at least. Am I the only one who doesn’t see any kind of change?

Thinking about it, maybe she was really the only one. BTS members had questioned her more than once about why she kept losing weight and at times she could feel their eyes scrutinizing her during dinner, but it seemed like no one wanted to bring the matter any further, or maybe they didn’t want to hurt her. Either way, they didn’t question her further about her eating habits. Only Jin and Narae dared asking her frequently about her meals, and Sori never hid the fact that at times she skipped meals. Instead, she hid the fact that she was still feeling nauseous and tired, even dizzy when she skipped too many meals, and despite her promise to Jin, so far she hadn't seen any doctor about this matter.

She knew it wasn’t right, but she really didn’t want to alarm her packmates nor to be forced to go to the hospital, and although she knew they’d respect her choices, the possibility of them dragging her to the ER without her consent scared her. What if they found out she was suffering from some kind of lethal disease? That would make being a turned-werewolf definitely useless.

Ever since the “small” accident during the training, Sori had experienced again the nausea at full blown-force and she was also suffering from terrifying headaches, so Sori couldn’t really think of a way to convince them to let her be until the effect of the punch disappeared if they were to find out about it. So nope, she was not going to tell them about it.

To kill the time, Sori checked her phone to see if she had any new notification, and against her predicaments, there was one text. The text was from Jungkook. Weird.

To Sori, his whole behaviour during the past week could be resumed with the word “weird”. Actually the whole pack’s behaviour had been out of character lately (the training had left the whole pack in a dire need of fighting and sparing with each other at any time, no matter where or how lour they were), but he was the one who had surprised her the most, for he kept stealing glances at her, sending her small smiles and at times even asking her about what she was up to, or how she was doing. Actually, Sori had the suspicion he was more interested in having news to tell the others and facts to proves him right about his theories about turned-weres, so she never really answered him properly, but up to now he hadn’t made fun of her, and it looked like the rest of guys hadn’t really notice their small and awkward interactions. Most of the times Sori still avoided him, honestly, and to spare herself from visiting the hospital, she’d recently been avoiding the others as well. Standing next to him was too embarrassing for her, for there never was that kind of relationship between them before, in fact they weren’t really friends… nor were they anything else, actually. They were just… well, they were nothing, to be honest. After his apology, he’d been acting quite sweet and caring, but it was too awkward for it to be normal. It felt more like he was trying to ignore the big wall between them rather than really patching up their messed up relationship.

Sori often found herself looking at him when she was sure no one else was looking, and studying his behaviour with the other girls of the pack, trying to classify their relationship in comparison to whatever they shared in the past and his behaviour at the moment. With Narae there was not much skinship, just as much as with any other pack member, not to mention that things between them weren’t always smooth, since Narae frequently stepped up to take her best friend side during their fights. In fact their relationship had been quite rocky in the past few months, but Sori knew Narae cared about Jungkook, no matter how much she complained about him, and she knew Jungkook cared about Narae too.

With Minyoung instead, it was a completely different kind of relationship. Although Sori had never really seen them acting as a real couple, in was undeniable that there was something going on between them or at least that’s what it looked like to whomever as much as glanced at the two of them. Having had a couple of days to seriously observe them, Sori could clearly see that the interest between them was reciprocal. In Minyoung’s case, her behaviour wasn’t that openly flirty kind of attitude they show on films, however it could still be easily noticed: she smiled more when she was around him and she talked louder than usual, which was a lot to say since her behaviour was pretty cheerful on a daily basis. She’d sit with her back straight to show her goods, and around the house she’d started wearing more revealing clothes… which could also be because the temperatures were raising, but still… She’d also allow him to sit and stand closer than she looked to be comfortable with the rest of the guys in the pack and Minyoung had developed the habit of preparing afternoon snacks for the two of them, so that they could eat them together when he came back home from work. There was no more room for her to bake her muffins for when Jungkook got home from work.

Instead, on Jungkook’s side, the flirtiness was more obvious, although Sori had to admit it could also be that evident because she’d the habit of observing his every move when he was in the house. He would say all those cheesy lines you hear in romantic dramas, and making a ton of positive comments about every single thing she cooked, no matter how easy the recipe was, like, Sori literally heard him complimenting her skills in making sandwiches… Not to be jealous or have an attitude or anything, but Sori started making sandwiches on her own when she was 5, so she couldn’t see anything special in them that deserved being complimented, especially that much. Not to mention that she cooked way harder things on a daily basis and he never even said “it tastes good” or “thank you”, so she guessed it was just a matter of personal preferences after all.

In all of this studying, observing and being in pain, Sori had reached the conclusion that maybe Jungkook had apologized because he wanted to start their friendship, if they could even be considered friends, anew now that he was getting closer to Minyoung. She even reflected on the fact that maybe it was really Minyoung who had pushed him to apologize, although it was a bit out of her character, it was still possible in Sori’s mind. There were not many options she could think of to justify Jungkook’s change of behaviour.

Having taken all of that in consideration, Sori had made up her mind the previous night: she could be Jungkook’s friend. It wasn’t even that hard to picture it in her mind if he kept behaving the way he had in the last couple of days. To be honest, months ago she felt way closer to him than they were now, but they had never been this openly friendly with each other before, so she thought it would only be easier now that he was acting all nice and friendly. They could be friends, and Sori could be happy for him and Minyoung when they’d decide to make things official. She could be there for them instead of being a sore ex, which she wasn’t, by the way, since he had never been hers before.

This was the main reason why she’d tried to avoid him this week. Sori wanted to get over her feelings for him for real this time. No coming back to him. No finding him interesting. No wanting to be closer to him and no letting him in her room. No wanting to feel his hands all over her again. She was going to have the upper hand this time. She was surely going to keep her feelings in check.

Not to mention this was also the perfect excuse to avoid the rest of the pack, which was a tad too excited for her poor brain. She’d been suffering from severe migraines ever since Taeil had tried to push her nose inside her head, but apparently Voldermort-style wasn’t that easy to acquire, and although her nose was pretty much fine by now, her head wasn’t, which made those extremely loud screeches and banshee yells totally unbearable for her.

To soothe her headache, Sori had spent the first two days by the lake, far from the noises, a part from Baekhyun’s loud voice, waiting for her noise to be back to its original size and thinking about the plot of the next chapter she wanted to write for her book. As soon as her nose wasn’t swollen anymore, Sori had taken a quick trip to the town, looking for new possible jobs she could apply to. Actually, Sori had decided to postpone the whole “job-hunting” until she felt completely fine again, so she was just looking for jobs that could be interesting for her, or maybe not even interesting, just jobs to earn some money. As long as she could apply for them it was fine.

In the meanwhile Sori had spent her resting time trying to figure out the characters she wanted to write about. It wasn’t like she was in dire need for money anyways and she was waiting for a reply from the editing house to whom she’d sent the first three chapters of the book. Thus, why not work on her book some more? Maybe she could fix some scenes that sounded too corny when she read them again.

As of now, the pack provided her with every single thing she might want or need, but using and wasting your own money, what you earned with your hard work, was very different from using and wasting somebody else’s. Not to mention the personal satisfaction in being self-sufficient again. It wasn’t like she needed it, but she liked the idea of it. Moreover, if she didn’t work nor study what could she do during the day? Once she had already cleaned the house and cooked, there wasn’t much left to do, especially there was nothing interesting to do. The house chores were split between the members of the pack, so she had nothing to do. She couldn’t even go that often to the lake unlike a couple of months ago, so she knew perfectly well that staying at home was only going to bore her to death, and the idea that the rest of her life was going to be like this was terrifying. She needed to do something before she went crazy.

For more than three years Sori had tried to spare her alpha’s ego, but she couldn’t do it anymore. If now that they didn’t know about her desire for a job there were no problems, why would them appear later on if she decided to let them know? A part-time job wasn't going to occupy that much of her time, and even id she managed to be a writer , it wouldn't be enough to pack her schedules to the point of damaging her relationship with the pack. What she wanted was to earn her own money and to have something to do when the most of the guys was out. It would also be fairer on them, since she would be able to help with the bills.

Sori lifted her head just in time to see Junmyeon coming back with their drinks. She put away her phone and smiled at him.

“Do you know where's Sori?”, Jungkook asked from where he was sprawled on the sofa. He had been playing games on him phone since he had gotten home from work and he was about to die of boredom. He had spent so much time playing on his own that he was starting to feel restless and annoyed

“Out”, Narae replayed soon after. Jungkook glared at her with his “No shit, Sherlock” expression.

“I know that much already, thank you”, he rolled his eyes, “but she’s been out for hours ,so I texted her, but she just read it without texting me back”. He was frowning at his phone, as if he was blaming his device for it. He wasn't used to texting Sori, nor was he used to being ignored by Sori. There was definitely something going on.

“Well, perhaps she’s out with Junmyeon again, or maybe she found another hot guy and she's putting her time to good use”, Hoseok shrugged. “Why do you suddenly care so much?”. He was scrutinizing the younger’s expression, looking for something to confirm his suppositions. At least Narae couldn't say she was the only one who was overprotective of Sori.

“You say that as if I never cared about her before”, Jungkook retorted sulkily, giving Hoseok an eyeroll. Seriously, why were they all against him. He had apologized to Sori, why couldn't they mind their business?

“And it surely did look like that, didn't it? So why do you care so much about her whereabouts at the moment?”, Yoongi intervened this time. “Are you looking for new facts to use against her? Or are you just plainly planning on embarrassing her in public again?”. There was something darker in his voice. Something very similar to a treat.

“Chill, hyung, I was just asking since she wasn’t answering her phone”, Jungkook cowered a bit pouting. It bothered Jungkook a lot that everybody seemed to be against him when he was only looking out for the pack. Maybe they didn't share his opinion, but they were supposed to know by now that he wasn't a bad person. So why were they acting like that?

“Don’t feel too beat, Kookie, she told me she was just going out for a coffee with a friend”, Minyoung told him, trying to save the situation. It was always a bit uncomfortable for her when they started talking about Sori, because she was always too pampered in her opinion, but she wouldn’t dare to voice it out loud since she was the last one to join the pack and she didn’t feel like she perfectly fit in with the other guys. Add to that the fact that in her pack all the turned-werewolves were… given a specific role, so she at times she was afraid of talking with Sori for she feared she’d say something very wrong and end up upsetting the whole pack against her. Although it’d already been almost four months, Minyoung didn’t completely feel comfortable when Sori was around her or the pack chatted about her.

Minyoung caught Narae’s glare from the table, but she didn’t move from her spot. She hadn’t done anything wrong in her opinion. If Sori wanted to keep it a secret then she should have known better than to let it slip in front of her. Moreover, Jungkook had been a part of the pack for way longer than Sori, and if he was worried about her why would she completely ignore his feelings? And above all, why would the other members keep the information from him? Wasn’t he just like them? After all Sori should be glad someone like Jungkook was worried about her at all. It would be hard for her to find another pack who cared as much about a turned-werewolf who didn’t even play her role in the pack properly.

“Which friend?”, Jungkook moved his eyes from the display of his phone to fix them on Minyoung’s face.

“I don’t know, I guess it was Junmyeon again? I hear from Jin and Namjoon that recently they got closer and she often spends time with him”, Minyoung shrugged, ignoring the daggers Yoongi’s eyes were throwing in her direction. If glares could kill…

“That’s weird”, Jungkook mumbled under his breath, still perfectly aware of the fact that others could hear just fine what he said.

“What’s weird?”, Namjoon asked, walking down the stairs.

“Why, jealous?”, Narae spoke at the same time of her mate, wearing a smug smirk on her lips. It was always too good whenever Jungkook got a taste of his own medicine without earning a bit of sympathy for himself.

“No, why would I be jealous of her? We all know she’ll come to me whenever I call for her”, he replayed smugly, despite knowing his words were only going to bring shame on him later on. And while his words provoked a cackle from Minyoung, Narae was openly showing her disdain by showing him her middle finger, while Yoongi stood up and left the room right after his words muttering a quiet “fuck you”.

The silence that followed his words was extremely loud and threatening in Jungkook’s mind.

Honestly, Jungkook felt knew he shouldn't have said that, but he wasn’t too keen on keeping quiet and let them make fun of him. He knew he had some power over her, and he wasn’t going to look weak in front of his members. Moreover, it wasn’t like Sori was going to know what he said anyways. They could protect her by just keeping his comment for themselves. Wouldn't that be better than making Sori cry once again?

“I just think it’s weird that now that were about to be attacked by the rogues, a group mostly made of turned-werewolves like her, she’s suddenly disappearing for hours and making new… friends, if we want to believe she’s out there with Junmyeon, fine. If we even want to take in consideration that they might really know each other”. He concluded his speech not raising his eyes from his phone. He gulped as the atmosphere in the room started changing, fearing the consequences of his words.

“Are you implying something?”, Narae’s ice-cold voice was the only thing that could be heard in the perfectly silent room. Her steps were extremely loud as she made her way in front of Jungkook.

“I didn’t –“, Jungkook’s words were cut off by Narae once again.

“Just shut up. Poor little Kookie is upset because the girl he likes isn’t playing by his rules anymore. Boo hoo. And guess what? Nobody gives a fuck about what you find weird. Sori is perfectly capable of making friends whenever you’re not around to treat her like trash, and on that topic, unless you want me to trash your face, you better keep that mouth closed around me for the rest of day. And trust me, I’m not kidding, Jungkook. Throw shit at another member once more and I’ll have to make sure you know your place in this pack.”. Narae stormed off of the house only seconds after having said this.

Jungkook could feel everyone’s eyes on him, and his cheeks were emanating so much warmth he felt his eyes brewing tears, but he didn’t move from where he was laying before the whole commotion. He was too embarrassed to say anything else. Both by Narae's speech and his behaviour. Minutes of complete silence passed before Namjoon sighed and moved from the spot where he was standing to follow his mate outside.

“Jungkook”, he called before closing the house’s front door. “Jungkook”, he repeated. “Answer me”, the alpha repeated once he understood Jungkook wasn't going to speak.

“Yes”, Jungkook asked in a small voice.

“Remember what she said.”, and the door was closed once again.

“Shit”, Jungkook said running his fingers through his hair as he sat up. He had fucked up once again. He just couldn't seem to make it right when it came to Sori. But if they knew it, then why did they act like that to bring out the worst in him? Shit, they were going to tell Sori and she was going to get mad at him again. At this point Jungkook only wanted the ground to swallow him and make him disappear.

It was then that Minyoung closed the distance between them and hugged him, patting his arm in comfort. Having forgotten she was there, Jungkook almost jumped out of his skin, still he managed to catch himself before he embarrassed himself once again.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry, you know they only said that because they see her as an important member of the pack”, she whispered comfortingly. It felt wrong to have her that close, in all honesty, but he was not going to act on his instinct. He knew better.

“But she IS an important part of this pack. I don’t even know why I said it. I just wanted to prove them I wasn’t worried about her”, he was now massaging his temples.

“And were you?”

“No, I mean, she knows how to call for help, I was just curious...”, he prevaricated. No way he was going to talk about this topic anymore for today. He had embarrassed himself enough.

“Well, she is an important part of this pack, and so are you. It's bothersome that they always act too protective of her. What’s between the two of you shouldn’t bother them, and they should make sure they’re not crossing a line when they step up for her”, Minyoung told him honestly.

“Yeah, I agree with you on this, but still I crossed the line first today. I’ll just go in my room and... whatever”, the Jungkook said before standing up and heading towards his room. He hoped being honest was going to be the first towards making his pack mated realize he wasn't that bad of a person.

Sori was walking back home. She had informed Namjoon she was going to stay out until 6 p.m, and she had confirmed him she was heading home with a text. He had replayed right away to wait for Taehyung and Jimin and come back home with them since they had gone to buy groceries for the house stock, so that they could come back home all together.

She had waited for them for a couple of minutes before calling Jimin to inform them she was going to move near Jungkook’s work place instead of waiting there. She didn’t tell them her instincts were making her feel wary of her surroundings. Sori could feel the hair on her neck standing up, but as much as she looked around her, she could see no one. Still, why make them worry about something she didn't even know if it was true? Maybe I feel creeped out because I haven’t been out here alone for a while...

She getting so anxious she was holding her breathe trying to hear more clearly if there were any movements or signs someone was there with her. Well, this is weird. So much for a nice evening in town.

Sori had told Junmyeon not to wait with her for the guys to arrive, in fact it was still pretty bright outside considering it was mid May, so since she had insisted, he had left. After all she wasn't a baby. All she thought she had to do was wait there for them and then head home. How could I know something like this would happen?

The sudden noise of her text tone made her jump in surprise. Okay, Sori, you’re a big girl, you’re not afraid, just read the text as you start walking. Chill.

Reading while walking could be a little bit tricky, but Sori was too scared to stop and read. She opened the text to find out that it was Jimin telling her they would wait for her there since they were pretty close to Jungkook’s workplace already.

Sori begun walking fast, clutching her purse to her chest and looking behind her at every single window she found along the side walk. There was no one beside her walking in that street. She could hear no other footsteps, still she felt observed. It actually seemed like nobody was following her, but there was something that wasn’t quite right, for her instincts were hardly ever wrong. Maybe something happened at home?

At that point Sori almost stopped to extract her phone from her jean’s pocket again and calling Namjoon, but then she thought better and started walking faster. If something had happened, then surely Taehyung and Jimin would tell her.

Every gush of wind sounded like someone was breathing right beside her, the long shadows elongating behind her back looked like people, and the eeriness of the whole situation was only increased by the lack of the normal noises produced by people. She was walking alone along the last trait of walkway before she had to cross the street and walk until she reached her packmate’s workplace. If I run I'm going to get there so much faster. If someone’s following me, they won’t be able to put up with my werewolf speed.

She took one last look behind her back and took off running towards where her packmates were supposed to be waiting for her. She was running at a quite fast pace, albeit not enough to be identifiable as a supernatural creature if someone were to see her running. Her instincts were yelling at her to run faster, to get away as fast as she could, but she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was wrong. Sori just knew something wasn’t right.

With horror, she saw no one in the spot where Jimin and Taehyung were supposed to be waiting for her. Sori slowed down slightly, trying to decide real fast whether to stop again and wait for them or if she’d rather tell them there was something weird with the whole situation and run home in her wolf form. They wouldn't take long to get there if the knew she was scared.

Eventually, she decided for the latter and she wouldn’t even have stopped running hadn't she been grabbed by a hand hadn’t out of nowhere. The yell of terror that erupted from her lips was so loud that all of the birds who were chirping and eating nearby flew away. Apparently whoever had grabber her was surprised too, because they loosened the grab on her arm and Sori fell to the ground on her ass. Jimin and Taehyung were staring at here in utterly dismay.

“Hey, what happened? Are you okay?”, Taehyung asked crouching down next to her. Jimin stepped closer to them but his eyes were on the street. He was looking around, searching for the cause of the fear he could read in the younger girl’s eyes. At least Sori couldn't complain they didn't know her well.

Sori wanted to tell them what had happened, but the sudden rush of relief for not being in a bad person’s hands, for finally having found the help she so desperately needed, washed her so hard she started crying. And not the drama kind of crying. It was more like the I’m-yelling-on-the-streets-and-I-don’t-even-care-because-I-finally-feel-safe, kind of crying. Taehyung was startled by her loud wailing, and at first it seemed like he didn’t know what to do to calm Sori down, but in the end he encircled her with his long arms and brought the crying girl to his chest, hugging her close enough to him that she could feel safe and bathe in the warmth of that feeling. Taehyung was kissing her temples, patting and rubbing her back, making all type of comforting sounds right next to her hear while Jimin went to retrieve the shopping bags they had left behind.

When Sori was finally able to breathe slowly and the tears in her eyes had dried down, the two guys asked her what happened. She took a deep breath, and after having made sure there was no one around them, she stood up from the ground.

“I’ll tell you while we walk home, I don’t want to stay here any longer”. The two guys shared a glance, but they didn’t complain. Sori grabbed a bag and started walking and the other two rushed behind her.

“Here, take this one, that one is heavy”, Jimin told her as he grabbed the bag she was carrying and gave her another one. They quickly started walking away constantly checking left and right to make sure they weren't being followed.

“So? Mind telling us what happened?”, Taehyung asked her once they were finally almost home. He and Jimin were walking close to Sori’s sides, but she didn’t look comfortable yet, in fact she kept stealing glances behind her and her hands were still shaking. Taehyung replayed the scene from before in his mind, trying to pick up any hint, any detail he might have missed before, still nothing he could think of nothing.

“To be honest even I don’t know what happened. I told Junmyeon to leave because you two were coming, but then I start feeling… weird. I don’t know, I just looked around me and there was no one in all the street nor in the windows I could see from where I was standing, but it was like my instincts were telling me to run because someone was staring at me. I tried to be smart and pretend to be fixing my make to look behind my back with the small mirror I have in my purse, but I couldn't see anyone and that weird feeling of being observed didn’t ease at all. When I couldn’t stand it anymore I sent you that text, and I waited for you to answer me, but my instincts were telling me something really bad was about to happen, so I started walking really fast to get away from that spot, and when I knew I was close to Jungkook’s work place I started running and it sure as hell felt like someone was chasing me”, she told them shrugging a little, as if she believed she was just acting silly. If there was no one they could see, could she tell them she was almost sure she had heard someone stomping behind her when she was running? No, maybe it wasn't a good idea.

“But there was no one running behind you, tho. What’s even weirder is that there no one around in the whole street”, Jimin glanced behind his back again. “Maybe you got scared of being alone with the news we've received?”

“I know. I walked alone in the whole street… it’s eerie I guess, and maybe that’s what scared me”.

“But your wolf instincts are good, right? So why would they be telling you the wrong thing right now?”, Taehyung frowned. He was very in tune with his wolf, so he couldn't comprehend how Sori's wolf could be wrong in her perceptions.

“I have no idea, really…when I noticed there was no one around I assumed something happened at home, but for some reason I felt like it was me who was in danger, not the guys at home”, Sori replayed.

“Whatever, let’s go home fast, I don’t like this whole situation, and this silence is suffocating me. Let’s tell the others about this as soon as we reach home”, Jimin picked up his pace and the other two followed him.

“To be honest, I still feel like someone is watching us, but it’s not as strong of feeling as it was before.”, Sori wrapped her arms around herself.

“I feel it too…let’s hope nothing happened at home and that we’re just being influenced by this silence. Let’s run as soon as we reach the first threes”, Taehyung whispered.

Sori and Jimin didn’t even answer, they just nodded lightly in agreement.

“What do you think about what Sori, Tae and Jimin told us?”, Jin asked. It was already late in the night, and the two of them were still up to organize the last details of next Saturday’s training session. At this point they were just about done and they were dragging the last matters in laziness.

Namjoon sighed and closed his eyes. He was so tired he didn't even want to think anymore. Lately there was nothing but problems with the pack, and after the argument they had in the afternoon, the news brought by Jimin, Taehyung and Sori didn’t help him at all.

“I don’t believe she just made it all up… I think it might have been the rogues roaming around”, he muttered after a while.

“Yeah, I thought so too. Do you think they’re sending their men to keep an eye on us?”, the beta stood up and collected the now empty mugs from Namjoon’s desk to put them on a tray. “Isn't it weird that the one time Sori is alone something like this happens?”

“I don’t know, maybe it was just a loner who was curious about Sori. Ever since her scent changed I found myself paying more attention to her and smelling her. It can also be that it was a loner who found her scent weird and was curious because of it”, he said massaging his temples.

“I hadn’t thought about that. There are just so many possible explanations for what happened. Do you think we should tell the guys to stop going around on their own?”, Jin inquired again.

“I think…I think we should be cautious, hyung. Sori won’t like it, but what else can I do? I don’t want her running around on her own. What if something happens and we can't reach her in time? How would we be able to help her?”, the alpha sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll call Jiho to inform him and in the morning I’ll tell the guys not to go out in small groups anymore. I’ll ask them to give me a call when they reach the place they were headed to and to tell at what time I should approximately expect them to be home”. There was going to be a fight, no doubt about it.

“I’m sure they’ll happily collaborate Namjoon, didn’t you see how scared those three were? They’re still locked in Sori’s room”, Jin said, patting his arm in a comforting way.

“Let’s hope no one will get annoyed by this”, Namjoon sent a small smile to his beta. Better not to indulge too much on his pack member's privacy.

“And even if they do, you can just order them to follow your instructions”, Jin shrugged.

“I don’t want to force them, though. Let’s just hope they’ll freely collaborate”.

“You’re right, Joonie. But they trust you, so I don’t think there will be problems even if you had to force them into doing the right thing for once”. He stood up and stretched his limbs. “Anyway, It’s time for me to go to sleep, and you should go to bed too. Who knows, maybe Narae will help you relax”, Jin smirked before closing Namjoon’s door behind his back.

He went to the bathroom to take a quick shower before going to sleep in Hoseok’s room. It didn’t take him long, since he knew it was already late and he had to wake up extremely early the next morning. Jin wrapped himself in his bathrobe and opened the door to step into the corridor. He didn’t speak, he just studied the scene in front of him for a while before heading to Hoseok’s room shaking his head.

Jungkook was so focused on listening to Sori’s light breathes through her room's door he didn’t even notice Jin’s worried eyes on him. He kept staring at the locked door in front of him, wishing he was allowed to sleep with her again.

Chapter Text

The whole house was quiet. It had been that way for a while now.

No one was pleased with Namjoon’s new instructions.

Personally, Sori found it quite hard herself, although she preferred to keep it for herself. because with these new rules she was basically forced to either stay home or go out with several people for several hours at once, and she had to always have someone accompanying her. It felt like she couldn’t breathe if she thought about it too much. The positive side of this whole situation was that Yoongi, Jin, Jungkook, Hoseok and (unfortunately) often Narae too, were out of the house together, because they had to go to work and they had to move as a unit as for their alphas wish.

As for the rest, at the moment her nausea had mostly subsided, so she was feeling better and she didn't understand the need to constantly have a supervisor around. The worst thing for her at the moment were her headaches, but Sori guessed it was mostly because her body didn’t like to be punched. The situation was mostly under control now, to the point she felt she could honestly say she was feeling so much better.

Actually, with the whole “be careful and move as a unit” situation Sori had finally found it in herself to write her book much faster. Probably it was also due to the fact that she had finally received a positive feedback from one of the publishing houses she had sent her manuscript to, and she was asked to send more chapters to establish if it was good enough to grant her a meeting with someone in a higher position.

In spite of that, the new situation was also weighting Sori down, for there was a huge negative side of this situation that had to be taken in consideration: Sori had to find topics to bring up during lunch, because the silence annoyed her and made her feel nervous, however she didn’t have much in common with Minyoung, and it was still kind of awkward between them, so… well, Sori was looking for a way to avoid meals whenever the majority of the pack was outside. She would either eat earlier or later than Minyoung and Namjoon whenever she managed to go unnoticed, otherwise she tried to eat very little and very fast, to give herself the chance to leave the room as soon as she could say she was full.

Although Sori couldn’t blame Minyoung for the awkwardness between them, since she had already explained to whole pack before officially that she wasn’t used to being around turned-werewolves on a daily basis, nor to treat them like “normal” werewolves, so she needed a little time to get used to being around Sori. Despite knowing this, Sori strongly wished for Minyoung to start acting normally around her. The way Minyoung acted, as if she had to weight every single word that she said, or how she seemed to be wary of making physical contact with her, made Sori feel even more awkward around her. It all spiralled to a long list of reoccurring thoughts, such as: do I smell bad? Should I wear better clothes to give her a better impression? What is she thinking of me?

Plus, Namjoon was often at home with them. He frequently met his partners and clients at home, in his studio, and that guy was plainly awkward in the first place. Whenever the three of them were eating together, the conversation seemed to be forced, which turned a pleasurable moment, like having company while eating, into a long torture. At times the conversation managed to keep going for a couple of minutes, but mostly it happened when Namjoon asked Minyoung some details of her daily life in her old pack. Minyoung seemed always out of it when Namjoon and Sori talked about things and people she didn't know, so Sori tried to make herself scarce to spare Minyoung the feeling of being an outcast.

At times, out of nowhere, Namjoon started asking weird questions, like “where’s this sound coming from?” or “Sori, was that your phone?”, and when the both of them told him no one made noise, and they actually hadn’t heard any noise, he kept insisting that he had heard a weird sound for sure. However it had already been two days since the alpha first asked that, and he still hadn’t found the source of the sound that caught his attention at the most unexpected moments.

Another quite “meh” aspect of this situation was that at this point, Sori couldn’t even skip meals anymore, because with the guys around all the time, she knew there was always someone keeping an eye on her and checking if she’d eaten and what she'd had. There goes my weight loss…

Sori sighed in frustration. She’d been sitting at her desk for a while now, and her back and her legs were starting to hurt from being still for too long, but she couldn’t go downstairs…or better, she didn’t wanted to. Namjoon had appeared for around ten minutes around lunch time, and then he’d returned to his studio right after having gulped down his food, which had left Sori and Minyoung alone again. Sori wouldn’t have been this bothered by having to eat in silence if it was someone else, but with Minyoung it felt really uncomfortable since she couldn’t help but wonder what was Minyoung thinking about her or if she was judging her and her eating habits. Sori had mostly grown up alone, so at times she was a little clueless about the table etiquette, although her mother had tried her best to teach her what she needed to know.

Sori was pretty sure there were no interesting subjects she could bring up to start a conversation and Minyoung seemed to be struggling in the same way. The only thing left to talk about was their own and their packmates’ private life, however Sori was worried about not respecting their privacy, thus they ended up in silence. Moreover, she was pretty sure that by now Minyoung knew more about them than Sori did, for they always told her details about their old life and shared funny stories with her, while Sori only knew a couple of them and mostly she knew them because she listened to her mates private conversations from time to time. Plus, she didn’t trust her enough to share her personal thoughts. Furthermore, Sori feared the other girl would’ve brought up Jungkook as a topic of conversation, which would have only force her to talk about him or listen to Minyoung blabbering about him. She sighed again, wishing she was laying in the sun near “her” lake.

In spite of all of this, Sori loved her pack, but too much was too much, and she did her best to follow the alpha's orders and set a good example for the others.

Even Junmyeon had stopped calling her after she’d ask him to just text her to avoid upsetting her pack since they were getting really close in spite of being from different packs. Actually, the most of the mean comments came from Jungkook. It’d happened a couple of times that he’d slammed the door of her room after hearing her laughing and talking for a while with Junmyeon and Baekhyun. Unsurprisingly, Sori felt mortified. What if talking this much with the members of another pack was seen as betrayal? What if she was the wrong one?

The others didn’t seem too pleased with her new friendships either, but they didn’t act out like Jungkook did, although their jokes weren’t all pleasant either. Not that she had cut Junmyeon off only because of their jealousy, but Jungkook’s reactions bugged her at times. It wasn’t like the others didn’t have any other friend outside of the pack. Moreover, she wasn't planning on cutting them off. They were her pack and the only family she had. She could have justified their reactions if she brought home several friends everyday, but it really wasn't her case, not had she any family members she could turn to in case.

The only one who supported her, though with scarce enthusiasm, was Narae, and despite her initial hesitance, after having had a good chat with Junmyeon and Baekhyun through a facecall, she seemed to be more at ease with the idea of Sori having another friend. She had even offered to go with her to the lake and take the whole responsibility if Namjoon were to find out, in spite of her busy life at the moment.

Sori wasn’t really confident in letting them meet in person just yet, tho, for it seemed to weird to her that someone with Narae’s strong personality would go over her impressions of people that easily, so she’d asked her the reasons why she’d decided to be openly friendly with the members of EXO. Narae took her time to answer, but in the end her explanation made sense: EXO and BTS had to keep their alliance strong, all the more now that the rogues were planning on attacking them, which worked perfectly fine with the role she had in BTS pack. Not to mention that she could use some new friends as well, so why not trust her best friend’s choices and give Junmyeon and Baekhyun a chance?

This was a surprising discovery to Sori, as Junmyeon had looked quite suspicious to Narae in the beginning, but ever since Sori told her that the reason behind his non-stop texting and calling was to apologize for what happened after he left the cafe, she seemed to have no more doubts about EXO having further motives in approaching Sori. Or maybe it was the fact that they were making her meet other members of their pack while face-timing with Sori, which made it hard to believe they only wanted to take advantage of her best friend. Let alone that if that was their purpose, they had had a lot chances in the past year and even now that they spent a lot of time together by the lake. She’d been told by Sori that they never even mentioned her status of turned-were before. Actually, Baekhyun had reacted to her status in a “do you think I care?” way, before going back inside the lake to play.

Whatever her reasons were, Narae was now more convinced that they only wanted to be Sori’s friends and not steal her from BTS or use her as a prostitute, and it was enough for her to start acting friendly towards them. Or at least, friendlier than before.

Junmyeon had texted Sori a couple of times to ask her whether she would have liked for him to ask Namjoon if they could hang out together. He had even offered to bring his pack with him if Namjoon wanted more protection for her, or even if she wanted to eat in his house, so that they could finally meet again after having only texted for two days in a row and she wouldn’t have to stay coped up in her room all day, but Sori had shot down his offer again, not wanting more drama around her at the moment. In spite of that, she had informed him that her pack was likely to go to the club Yoongi worked in that night, so if EXO wanted to, they could meet there. One way or another, they were going to meet up if they wanted to.

Her phone’s display lit up again, signalling her she had a new text. Sori welcomed this distraction from her boredom and checked it right away, thinking that it was Junmyeon’s replay to her invitation. Surprisingly, it was Jungkook once again, asking her what she was doing. Weird.

Jungkook’s unusual behaviour hadn’t stopped yet, and Sori didn't really know how to interpret it. One moment he was watching her, offering to do things for her, texting her, smiling at her and asking how she felt, and a moment later he was acting cold again. The thing Sori had noticed the most was that now he almost never made comments about her body, and when he did… well, it wasn’t something new for her.

She felt quite proud of how much weight she had lost nonetheless. While her tummy didn’t change that much yet, her thighs and her ass were clearly showing her efforts. Now the only thing left to fix was her fat stomach, but having spent the last few days coped up inside the house, alone on top of that, since the guys went out together in the morning and came back home at lunch time or in the evening, Sori had had a lot of time to eat whatever she wanted without being nagged at or regretting it. Still, she was going to need to work out more.

Another text made Sori’s phone ring. This time it actually was Junmyeon, informing her that he’d be at the club too with some of his members. Sori grinned and stood up right away to look for an outfit for the night.

“You look stunning!”, Narae exclaimed, fawning over her best friend again. Sori was pretty sure she had already repeated the same exact words at least ten times in the last five minutes. Not that she wanted to deny it though. In fact, she was proud of her look for the night! She had put a lot of effort in picking her clothes, not to mention that she had spent the last four hours getting ready and watching make-up tutorials, and she had made it on time only because both Narae and Minyoung had decided to help her by curling her hair. For the first time, the three of them were talking without having the guys around and running out of topics. Probably it’s because of Narae’s never ending blabbers, but still…

The only thing left for her to do was wearing her black high heels and join the others downstairs. They were her only pair of high heels, as she preferred to wear flat shoes, however these shoes never failed to make Sori feel sexy. Whenever she felt like spicing up her outfits Sori wore them, and tonight was one of those nights. So far she wasn’t sure whom exactly she wanted to impress, however she’d decided to go for a “sexy but natural” style for the night, which also finally gave her the chance to wear her new nude dress, bought with Namjoon’s money and under his insistence. Even though Sori wasn’t that convinced by the cut of the dress, that showed more of her cleavage than she was comfortable with, she had given in… it was his money, after all, so if that was what he wanted to buy, Sori was going to let him do as he pleased.

Seeing it on her body now, though, Sori acknowledged Namjoon’s taste is clothes and mentally thanked him for being stubborn and buying it against her will. For the first time in a very long time Sori didn’t feel embarrassed by showing a couple of inches of skin more than usual. She felt sexy yet not vulgar. Nice! She couldn't help but wonder how the guys were going to react when they realized what she was wearing. She could already picture Hoseok shrieking and jumping in her head. It was going to be funny!

“This dress suits you, Sori! You should wear dresses like this more often, because it really compliments your curves!”, Minyoung sent her a wink. Sori smiled at her, albeit it felt a tad weird. It was a little too friendly for they scarce conversations, still Sori appreciated the effort. Moreover, the fact that Minyoung was mentioning her “curves” gave her the impression she had been studying her body, which made her quite uncomfortable.

Minyoung and Narae had spent a good five minutes checking her out and making her turn back and forth to observe how gorgeous she was in that dress. It seemed like they’d finally established that nude and light pink could do magic on Sori’s slightly tanned skin, and after a very long and extremely embarrassing session of compliments, the two were finally ready to go downstairs. After glancing at her reflection in the mirror one last time, Sori left the room with the girls to join the rest of the pack in the living room.

“You’re finally ready! Thank God, I thought you girls weren’t coming with us anymore”, Namjoon complained. In all honesty, Sori recognized that maybe, just maybe, she’d taken too much time to get ready, in fact when the guys stood up their junctures made some weird and very disturbing sounds… but hey, she hadn’t dolled up in ages, so she needed all the time she’d taken.

“Woooo, tonight we’re gonna have a hard time keeping guys from you”, Jin told her smiling. He walked around Sori whistling, as he was finally paying attention to her look. Sori smiled at him, her cheeks heating up because of the attention she was receiving.

“Yaaa”, Hoseok shrieked, shortening the distance between them. “Yaaaaaa”, he repeated once more. “Yaaaaaaaaa”. Sori could only laugh at his expression: his mouth was slightly opened and his eyes were widened in surprise.

“Snap out of it, you sound like you’re still stuck in the homo sapiens era”, Yoongi mumbled. Hoseok looked quite offended, but before anyone could add anything, Yoongi joined him in checking Sori out and circled his shoulders with his arms. “Stop looking at me like that, you know you’re too loud all the time”. Yoongi nudged Hoseok with his arm and Hoseok sent him a dirty look, but apparently he wasn’t offended enough to ignore Yoongi, as he just mumbled “whatever” under his breath.

Sori could see Hoseok had tried hard to look good too, and she mentally grinned, because now she had something to tease him with. Ah, the efforts he puts in catching Yoongi’s attention. Cute. Yoongi, on the other hand, didn’t look too excited to go out… which was kinda understandable: who would want to hang out in their workplace in their day off? Which was why he’d only worn his black jeans, a burgundy button down shirt and his favourite leather jacket. There was a particular element that showed that he DID put a tiny bit of effort in looking good: his wrist was adorned with a watch, and if Sori wasn’t wrong, it was the present he’d received from Hobi for Christmas. Oh, Lord, save us from these lovebirds. They’re too cute, I don’t even feel like making fun of them! Sori was fighting against the instinct of pinching their cheeks in a grandma-of-the-neighbourhood style. She was trying really hard.

“My baby girl is all grown up”, Jin commented again while leaning against the alpha’s shoulder. His shoulders were slouched down, as if was worried about something, a pout clearly visible. “I feel old”, the elder guy mumbled quietly as he hugged his alpha’s arm tightly.

“Oh, well, if we have to feel old to have her all smiling and looking stunning, than so be it”, Namjoon commented. He hadn’t even tried to hush his voice, like he wanted Sori to hear their conversation, and seeing the wink he sent her as soon as he met her eyes, probably that was exactly his intention.

“Ya, you should compliment me too, you know, I’m your fiancé”, Narae said in a mockingly annoyed voice. Sori had always thought that Narae looked amazing no matter what she wore, but the sleeveless night blue dress she was wearing was really perfect on her, especially with her recently dyed light brown hair. Sori thought that Narae’s new hair colour was only a shade or two darker that her wolf’s fur, so she was completely fascinate by it and the way the light affected its shade.

“I really should, shouldn't I?”, Namjoon eyed her from head to toe and back, enjoying very much what was in front of his eyes. “I don’t know if I can tell you how much I appreciate the way you look, but if you want I can show you”. He took a few steps in his mate’s direction. Okay, this needs to stop. Now.

Sori and Hoseok shared a shared expression of disgust while Yoongi was opening and closing his fists to make sure his fingers wouldn’t curl too tightly and get stuck that way. It was risky to stay in company of Namjoon and Narae when they were in a flirty mood. More disgusting then risky actually, but whatever.

“Do you really want to? Because I want to know how much you like me right now”, Narae sent her mate a smirk, and as if he enchanted by her words, Namjoon nodded at her. The two were only separated by a couple of inches… a couple of inches less than the rest of the pack could stand.

“Okay, cut the crap. I don’t want to see this”, Yoongi spoke out loud in everyone’s stead. Sori mentally high-fived Yoongi for having spoken up.

Namjoon’s cheeks and ears were now extremely red, but his mate was having none of this. She leaned in and smooched right on the lips in front of all of them.

“Be thankful our room in not on the same floor with yours, because then you’d be hearing way more than this”, Narae winked at him. She grabbed her mate’s hand and leaned against him, and a couple of seconds later Namjoon circled his arms around her waist, kissing her cheek. Disgusting. Why can’t they ever keep their PDA at minimum in front of us? Ugh, whatever.

“Whatever”, Hoseok mumbled, as if he was reading Sori’s mind. “Yaaaaa”, he said again eyeing Sori one more time. She just chuckled and pointed at Minyoung.

“Look at her, doesn’t she look gorgeous too?”, Sori asked smiling. Hoseok furrowed his eyebrows and briefly glanced at the other girl before shrugging and turning to Sori again.

“Yeah, she does, but like… it’s nothing new, she always look gorgeous. We all know white is her colour, I’ll check her out better later”, Minyoung smiled at him and shook her head at him. Yoongi was eyeing his… well, maybe boyfriend wasn’t the correct definition yet, friend funnily. “Moreover, I’m sure she’ll receive way more compliments later, while you’re the news. You never look like this, so I was wondering what inspired you to doll up like this. You should totally do it more often”, Hoseok nodded at his own words. He didn’t mean it in a malicious way, but to Sori his words sounded harsh. While it was true that she never really put much effort in looking pretty, if was also true that she didn’t need him to remind her that nor the fact that Minyoung was beautiful 24/7. Nonetheless, Sori hid her hurt pride behind a smile.

“Mmm, EXO’s coming to the club tonight, and I wanted to look pretty to see their reactions”, Sori briefly explained only half joking. It was supposed to be a funny comment, but seeing her packmates giving surprised reactions, she decided to add: “Junmyeon was worried after what happened a couple of days ago and he wanted to see me to apologize in person, but Baekhyun wanted to come with and so did Chanyeol. I told them we were going to the club tonight and he told me he would be there too”. Just so that she could make sure they understood she was just kidding and she wasn't that frivolous. Despite her effort, Namjoon didn’t look too pleased, as he was staring at her with his eyebrows raised.

“I’ll finally get to meet them in person then”, Narae commented quickly, putting her arm around Sori, not disturbed in the slightest by the news. She sounded quite excited, actually, which could’ve easily been the main reason why Namjoon didn’t look too pleased at the moment. In her heart, Sori knew Narae was wordlessly defending her once again, which only made her love for her friend deepen even more.

“So you know them too? But, I mean, isn’t this a pack-night? If we start bringing other people with us, how are we supposed to spend time together and relax?”, Yoongi, the loner, exclaimed in a somewhat grumpy way. Ah, right, because you guys usually spend a lot of time together when we’re in the club, let alone the times in which Yoongi is working instead of staying with us, or all the times in which you guys left me alone at the bar… and thinking about it, it happens almost every single time we go out together. Hypocrites.

“I don’t know them yet, but I’ve talked with them a couple of times when they facetimed Sori. They’re not bad”, Narae shrugged. “I don’t think they’ll stay glued to our hip the whole night anyway, I guess they’ll also want to spend time on their own. Probably they just want to know what’s up with Sori and the training”, she concluded. Namjoon had already informed his pack that on Saturday, EXO would be joining BTS for the training in wolf forms. Sori was looking forward to it, because Baekhyun’s words about the hidden talents in his pack had set free her curiosity about they’re techniques. Perhaps, if one of EXO’s small wolves was there during the training, one of them could teach her how to use her body and her brain better. Sori was really anticipating that training session, honestly.

“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d be annoyed about this, because the club is a free zone, so they can go there whenever they want. I just wanted to see them, but with the new rules and… well, the purpose of not upsetting the guys by talking with them at the phone, I thought this was a good compromise”, Sori, not used to speaking up for herself, said gluing her eyes to the floor. She didn't even want to blame them or anything, she just wanted them to see the situation from her point of view. “I mean, like Narae said, they won’t stay with us all the time, they just wanted to see me, but probably they just want to have fun with each other. Moreover, they’re nice, so maybe you guys could make some friends too”, she ended her speech in a barely audible murmur.

Namjoon sighed loudly and stroked his check with a hand. “No, it’s okay. You surprised me, but I guess I could use this as a chance to catch up with an old friend and let you guys know better some of our allies. After all, it can be useful since we have to train together”, he said. “I’m just kind of worried because I don’t want this to dampen our mood. I want us to stick together and hung out together tonight”, he sent Sori a lopsided smile. Just as Sori was about to agree with him, the last three missing guys were heard stomping down the stairs, so she just gave a small smile to her alpha and then stepped together to Yoongi and Hoseok.

Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook were laughing and goofing around when they stepped into the living room. They were looking hot, as usual, but Sori tried to ignore the part of her brain that formulated and recalled memories of her and Jungkook together. Just a friend. Nothing more than a friend.

Jimin stopped talking as soon as he spotted the rest of the guys. “Ops…I guess we took too much again?”, he asked sheepishly.

“What do you think?”, Narae sarcastically asked back. She studied their outfits and nodded lightly, as if she was giving her approval to their cloth choices.

“Let’s just go”, Yoongi said in a bored tone, completely used to the trio's attitude. No one wasted another second before heading to the garage, more than happy to leave the tension that was filling the room behind. Seokjin was the last one to leave the room, he closed the door and activated the cameras around the mansion. Nothing had happened ever since the episode at the café, but more safety wouldn’t hurt, right?

Sori ended riding the car with Jin, who was their designed driver for the night, Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook. This was not a comfortable situation for her, unfortunately. The trio would only talk between themselves, which left her and Jin out of their discussion, and forced them to speak loudly if they even wanted to communicate, and that was obviously not going to happen. Not that there was much she hid from the pack, but some things were better left unsaid. The fact that EXO was going to be at the club with their pack was totally one of them, and now that they knew it was clear they were upset and she wanted to spare herself some drama. It would have definitely been better if she had kept quiet e the two pack would have just faced each other once they both arrived at the club.

“Why are they even coming with us? Who invited them in the first place?”, Jimin asked crossing his arms tightly. Why are they all so childish about this matter? If only Jin knew how to keep him mouth shut…

“They’re not coming with us. They’re just going to the same club we’re going to”, Sori told him monotonously, starting to feel upset by the negative reactions given by her pack members. They were acting as if no one else had the right to go to that club, or as if they’d all spend the whole time together, when in reality they went hunting for girls the moments the stepped inside the club, and they often spent the night out with the girl they found or brought her home with them. In Sori’s opinion, that was not what “hang out together” meant, which only made them sound even more hypocrites to her.

“Oh, so it was you”, he briefly glared at her, “Why am I not surprised? I bet it was getting boring at home without your new boyfriends”, Taehyung snorted evilly. “Now I see why you dressed up like this”. Sori caught Jin glaring at Taehyung through the rear view mirror, but he didn’t say anything, and Sori didn’t know what to reply. Her good mood was brutally destroyed and she only felt like going home and laying on her bed. Does he really have to be this mean? I get it, they don’t want EXO there, but what’s done is done…

Jungkook was staring outside with his hands clutched painfully tightly on his lap.

No one spoke anymore until they reached the club.

“So, when are we meeting them?”, Narae asked for the nth time. Sori really didn’t feel like hanging out with EXO anymore. She didn’t think it was the case anymore. She just wanted to go home and sleep.

She took another sip from her drink and sighed. “I already told you I don’t know. For all I know they might have decided to stay home”.

“Oh, come on, stop it. Why are you acting like this? Did something happen on the way here?”, Narae inquired. Her best friend was always good at sensing when something was wrong, but that didn’t mean Sori was going to spill the beans that night. Maybe tomorrow in the morning, or the day after…or maybe never. She didn’t want Narae to fight for her.

“No, nothing”. Sori eyed her almost empty glass, and pondered whether to take another drink and hope to get drunk or just wait like that some more. It didn’t take much for her to decide that tonight was a good night to test how many drinks a turned-were needed before being completely drunk. It was already her second, but she felt no difference, so why not going for a third? She ordered another one and stood beside her best friend, looking around the club for the other guys.

They’d spent the first few minutes together, but seeing EXO hadn’t arrived yet, they spread around to do what they always did: hunt for girls. I was right. They acted up as if I was disrespecting them, when the only think they had in their minds was getting some. Always the same. Putting up with them is really tiring at times.

Sori took a swing from her new drink and lost herself in her thoughts. By the sounds she could hear from outside, it was raining so there was also a good possibility that EXO decided against coming. Hence, all the effort she put in her looks was actually going to turn into a mere waste of time. After all, they had to travel for more than an hour to reach that club by car. I should have stayed home tonight.

By the time Sori was starting to feel the effect of alcohol, which was around her eighth drink, EXO finally showed up. Since she had already been waiting for more than an hour, she had been pretty sure they wouldn’t show up anymore, so Sori had made up her mind, and had decided to leave after finishing her last drink. Clubs weren’t her thing, and the loud music and screams from the other customers of the club were getting on her nerves. Now, let’s pretend to be totally sane. They already heard all the embarrassing things Baekhyun told them about me, no need to give them a confirmation of their suspects…

“Hey, I’m sorry, we had some problems with some latecomers”, Junmyeon told Sori, his eyes sending daggers in Chanyeol’s direction. The latter only scratched his head letting out a sheepish giggle. “So, did we miss anything interesting?”. He leaned on the counter near Sori’s drink. Sori smiled, probably awkwardly, trying not to give away how much she’d been drinking. Although it was unusual for a werewolf to get really drunk since their bodies aren’t really affected by the effects of alcohol, the government strongly invited them not to drink in public places for their eventual lack in self-control could endanger the safety of those around them. Now, Sori wasn’t much of drinker, as she couldn’t see the point of wasting a lot of money in drinks that wouldn’t even make you feel properly drunk, but that being said, she’d heard rumours about turned-werewolves being affected by alcohol more easily than born-weres. And now she had evidence that it was true.

“Mmm, nothing much, to be honest”, Sori was trying to control her voice, how much she was speaking and also her expression at the same time, hoping nothing looked too weird. “Narae, you can finally meet EXO”.

“Hello!”, came Narae’s excited greet. The guys all greeted her back, and that finally made Sori realize there were two new faces along with the three she already knew. As if they were reading her mind, the two guys smiled in her direction.

“I’m Jongin and this is the maknae of our pack, Sehun”, the extremely handsome boy offered. The latter seemed to be quite on the socially awkward side, given that he was hiding part of his body behind his Jongin and shyly waved at both Sori and Narae.

“He’s quite shy at first, give him some time to warm up to you and he’ll turn into a…I wouldn’t dare to say “casanova”, but he surely is a flirt. Keep it in mind!”. Baekhyun winked at Sori, having noticed how stunned she was by the two guys she just met. Before anyone could add a witty comeback (or defend himself in Sehun’s case), Namjoon joined the small group at the bar and the topic of the conversation completely changed. Sori didn’t take part in the conversation, though, but she kept quite instead since she was still feeling quite dizzy. The effect had actually been worsened by the noise of the music, the conversations going on around her and having people touch her. Besides, she had been forced to drink another drink as it was the only way to have Baekhyun and Chanyeol leave her alone.

What was even worse was that she felt like someone was watching her. Her instincts had been yelling it at her for a while now, however she hadn’t spotted anyone staring at her or looking suspicious, so she was mostly blaming it on the alcohol. Ugh, I’m never drinking again. She gave a calculated bored look to take notice that there was no one staring at her for real. Okay, maybe I’m imagining it. But what if there’s actually someone…should I tell Namjoon about it?

Sori lifted her eyes to where her alpha was animatedly talking with his friend and laughing with the other guys. Her pack looked happy for the first time in while, and it was oddly satisfying to see them like this. Like, she wanted to have enough courage to openly tell Namjoon: “see? It wasn't that bad”. She lazily gazed around some more, willing herself to snap out of her annoying condition. This was how she caught Jungkook staring in her direction before adverting his eyes back on the girl that was sitting with him. Nope. No. Not tonight. Ignoring what her instincts were telling her, she kept her eyes still on Jungkook and his girl. Sori felt quite confused. Didn’t he sort of have a thing with Minyoung?

Before spending the night into the club, Sori would’ve sworn her two packmates were about to be a thing, but as for the way things were right now, she didn’t know what to think: Minyoung continuously glanced in Jungkook’s direction, but he never seemed to notice it, since he didn’t bother looking her way even once for the whole night, not to mention that the girl he was with had nothing to envy to the werewolf in fact of looks, and he seemed totally absorbed in whatever that girl was blabbering. Sori felt a pang to her heart, and finally decided that she needed more alcohol if she was going to have to put up with that shit for the whole night. Actually she wanted to leave, but leaving behind the guys who travelled for more than an hour just to see you seemed a tad disrespectful. Moreover, if she left the club now she wasn’t going to see what was going to happen next, and she had a feeling there’d be more for her that night.

Sori turned her eyes in Jungkook’s direction once more and felt her jealousy spiking up, so she forced herself to fix her eyes on the counter in front of her. She gulped down her drink and scrunched up her face at the burning effect left from the alcohol sliding down her throat. He’s just a friend. Just a friend. You have no reason to feel hurt. You have no reason to be jealous. Don’t be unreasonable. Then she ordered another drink. This is the last one.

“Aren’t you drinking too much?”, she heard a voice speak up. She couldn’t quite recognize the voice, but she was pretty sure she’d heard it before. When she turned around, Sori noticed it was the guy from before, the maknae from Junmyeon’s pack. “It’s Sehun, if you forgot”, he timidly smiled at her.

“Oh, sorry, I was just focused on something else, it’s not that I forgot your name”, she lied. Keep your mouth shut, Sori, we don’t need more embarrassing storied about you spreading through the pack.

“Sure”, he smiled more openly at her now. “So, what do you think about my packmates?”, he asked her, trying to make a small conversation out of the only thing they had in common. Although Sori kept repeating in her mind “keep quiet”, she couldn’t help it, she smiled back at him and replied right away. No mouth brain filter to give at least some meaning to her words.

“Nothing much, really. I mean… I think a lot of things about them, but nothing important. You know what I mean? “

“Not sure”, Sehun chuckled. “What kind of things do you think about them?”. Sori leaned her head to the side a bit and hummed, thinking about her answer the best she could in her almost drunk condition. Some part of her brain was still telling her she needed to shut up for her own sake, but the other part of her brain was telling her to talk freely, and that side was clearly winning.

“Promise you won’t tell them”, she pointed her finger to Sehun’s chest, who put a hand on his heart and winked in her direction. Somewhat reassured, Sori nodded and started talking again. “Just… I just think that they’re hot. Like, Junmyeon could be the model for a calendar, you know like a firefighter or something, and he’s also very nice”, she slurred a bit in the end. Okay, I’m pretty sure I didn’t sound too sane right now. I really need to stop talking.

“And what about Baekhyun hyung?”, he asked again leaning toward her hear a bit. He was clearly having fun, although Sori wasn't sure what it was that was entertaining him. Still, he was being nice to her, so she was pleased to keep the conversation going.

“Oh, about him…”, Sori got a little bit distracted by the pretty face that was leaning closer and closer, a little too close to be honest, but hey, the sight surely wasn’t hard on the eyes.

“What about him?”, his voice tone lowering, which was doing weird things to Sori’s full of alcohol body.

“I mean, he’s good looking, there’s no denying it, but he could be a better girl than me, so he’s annoying at times”, she slurred again. The hair on the back of her neck were standing up, as her instincts were telling her someone was staring at her. She looked around the best she could without being too obvious, but she couldn’t really pinpoint who it could be. Also, Sehun didn't seem to be perceiving the same vibes as her, so maybe it was all in her head because she wasn't used to drinking.

“I agree. He’s definitely the most annoying member of our pack!”, Sehun nodded smirking at her. Sori was starting to get this very disturbing thought that he was using his packmates as a flirting topic. “And what about Chanyeol? How did you get to know him?”, he asked her, their shoulders touching and their faces only separated by a couple of inches.

Sori looked around, distracted both by the creepy feeling that was giving her anxiety, the effect of the alcohol she had had and the sexiness of the man sitting next to her. The way he was looking at her was making her feel sexy, and she wasn’t really used to it. Is this how it feel to be wanted by someone? Did Jungkook ever feel this way when he caught me staring at him? Sori grimaced at her own painful thoughts. He’s just a friend. Stop thinking about him.

“Hey, are you okay?”, Sehun asked worriedly. Sori just nodded at him and took another sip from her drink. “How about we dance a little? You might find it funny in the end, and since you don’t really seem up for a chat… or maybe it’s me?”, he asked with a slightly embarrassed expression. “Am I bothering you?”

“Nono, don't mind me, I don’t really know what’s wrong with me. I guess it’s because I’m not used to drinking this much” Sori explained making weird gestured with her hands. Actually, the feeling of being watched hadn’t vanished yet, however she wasn’t able to establish from which part of the club she felt the looks, so at a certain point she just decided to ignore the creepiness and enjoy the night. If anyone was harbouring any hill intention in her regards, then they'd better keep in mind she wasn't alone. Nonetheless, ignoring the shivers that were running through her body wasn’t easy at all, especially when she wanted to look completely at ease.

“Really? Than would you dance with me?”, he asked hopefully.

“Don’t take it personally, but no”, Sori told be slurring a little less than before. Seeing his shoulders slouching down, she quickly added “I don’t dance, it’s not that I don’t want to dance with you!”

“Oh, well, than that’s not a problem. I’ll teach you the basics of dancing in a club, no need to be a professional dancer when you’re standing in a cramped area filled with sweaty bodies”, he told sarcastically. After that, he grabbed her hand and dragged her with him on the dance floor.

Just as he was grabbing Sori by her hips, he caught a man staring at them. Sehun was pretty much sure that was the maknae of BTS, the one Baekhyun had told about him. Baekhyun had even told him something about his relationship with Sori, but he didn’t really care. If he wanted the girl he only had to stick to her and show her he cared, but he only seemed to be interested in showing Sori he could get any girl he wanted for the night, so eh. Such a pity.

“Gosh, this is so not my thing, Sehun. Why are you even making me do this?”, Sori said covering her face with her hands. Sehun was grabbing her by her hips, and the only thing she could think of was that maybe he was thinking she was fat. Moreover her legs were a bit wobbly, so she needed to lean against Sehun to keep herself steady, despite the fact that her mind was a bit clearer than before.

“I’m making you do this because I want you to have fun, and dancing is fun once you stop being paranoid about other people staring at you”, he told her smiling. He brought her closer to him and started swaying from side to side, guiding her by her hips. “Not to mention that I have to take my chances: I see a pretty lady sitting alone, drinking and looking bored, so I bring her to dance with me like the gentleman I am. Who knows, maybe that pretty lady will get curious about me too and decide to reward my kindness”, he whispered the end of the sentence in her ear. Although she knew she was blushing, for some weird reason, Sori didn’t feel scared or bothered by Sehun’s forwardness. She felt flattered someone like him would take any interest in her, a plain Jane. For the same inexplicable reason, she found herself flirting back, as if her mouth had a brain of its own.

“Really? And how would you like the pretty lady to reward you?”, she asked him raising an eyebrow. Sori also noticed her voice sounded darker now, she couldn’t recognize herself in this attitude, having never really flirted much in her whole life. I should’ve stopped drinking 8 drinks ago…

Sehun loudly gulped beside her. Sori could see the hair on his arm raising and took way too much pleasure in that sight. It made her feel powerful to know she could have such a power over someone else.

“I don’t have any expectation. I’ll be fine with whatever regard she’ll decide to give me”, he whispered back in her hear. This time Sori lightly felt his lips lingering lightly on her lobe and his nose tracing a line from her jaw to her hairline, and soon the hair on the back of her neck were raising from a completely different reason than before.

She’d never imagined she’d feel this turned on by someone who was not Jungkook, which could also be because she’d never given anyone else a chance before, but now she felt like going with the flow. Sori wanted to see how far this could go, and she was only focused on turning on the other wolf in the same way he was affecting her.

“How about a dance?”, she smirked at him. He smirked back at her, bringing her even closer to him.

“That sounds perfect to me, just... can you follow me, tho?”, Sehun asked while he was caressing her back with one hand, stopping right above her ass and going a little lower every time, and tracing circles on her hip with his other hand.

“I can do whatever you want me to”, Sori told Sehun, leaving a kiss on him jaw. Something feral flashed in his eyes, and for an instant he looked dangerously similar to a predator that knows his prey just fell in his trap, and in some way that turned Sori on even more. Reflecting on it, Sori reached the conclusion that if this was the effect alcohol had on her, then maybe she’d better not drink ever again, but to be honest at the moment she didn’t care. She sort of liked this new carefree condition. As the seconds went by she found herself caring more about what Sehun was thinking and how he’d react to her words and actions, and less about other people’s opinion.

She didn’t make a sound when Sehun turned her around and grabbed her hips again. Sori felt his lower half making contact with her buttocks, and she found herself enjoying it. Or maybe she was enjoy the attention he was giving her. Whatever it was, Sori didn’t mind it at all.

He started swaying again, and she followed him. The music didn’t seem annoyingly loud anymore now that he was smelling her scent and scenting her. His nose against her neck was replaced by his lips as soon as Sori leaned her head back to give him more space to do as he pleased. It was all new and amazing for her, and for the first time she could say she wasn’t bored although she was in a club. It felt weirdly right to be in this kind of situation in a place like this, where she didn’t have to be the weak turned-were of BTS. Here and now she was only Sori.

Hearing her whimpering, Sehun decided to take it a little bit further. He circled his arms around her waist and started sucking a mark on Sori’s neck, and by the way she was moaning, he was pretty sure she was enjoying it just as much as he was. She confirmed his suspicions when her hand found its way to his nape and her fingers entangled in his hair, bringing him even closer. Taking this as a encouraging sign, Sehun started trusting lightly against her ass. Sori seemed slightly startled and he felt her body tensing up for a second before she relaxed against him again and begun rubbing her ass on his half hardened member, making him grunt at the feeling.

The music set the rhythm for the both of them, no need for words. Sori could feel his hard on against her ass and she didn’t mind in the slightest, she just wanted more. His lips kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck making her moan as he hummed softly on her ear. Sori felt like someone had put a spell on her.

Sehun turned her again and without giving her the time so say anything, he crushed his lips on hers. The kiss was full of passion and Sori felt like she was losing her mind. In a moment she put her arms around his neck and brought him closer to kiss him back. Sehun moaned on her mouth and grabbed her ass, making Sori gasp. He then took the opportunity and entered her mouth with his tongue. The moment their tongues touched, the spell was broken.

Out of nowhere, Jungkook’s face flashed in Sori's mind and she felt a painful tug to her heart. When she opened her eyes Sehun was eyes her in surprise and enraged Jungkook was glaring at the two of them right from behind Sehun’s back.

“Hey, did I do something wrong?”, Sehun asked worriedly, still holding her cheeks in his hands. Sori couldn’t tear her eyes from Jungkook, who was now groping and kissing the girl he was with.

“No, it’s just… this doesn’t feel right anymore, I’m sorry”, she told him before going back to the bar.

Sehun followed her, but he didn’t really know what to say, so he just sat there for a while, watching her drink, before leaving to who knows where. Sori wanted to apologize better to him, just not right now. She felt a bit disgusted by herself, no matter how much she told herself Jungkook had no reason to be mad. His expression kept flashing in her mind and in her eyes she saw something very similar to hurt, but she couldn’t be too sure about it. Either way, she need some time on her own.

When they finally left the club, Sori felt like she could finally breathe again. She rode the car with Namjoon, Narae, Hoseok and Yoongi, and no one knew about her little “misbehaviour”, if she could define it that way, and if they knew, no one bothered mentioning it. The effect of the alcohol she’d drank was slowly fading, making her reflect on the fact that, if she was a normal human being, she would probably be in a coma. The unbearable feeling of being watched had finally disappeared too, and she had made the decision to keep it for herself. It was useless to tell them about it, for she hadn’t seen anyone staring at her or acting suspiciously, not to mention she’d be drinking, and for all she knew, this creepy feeling could only be the result of drinking too much.

As soon as they reached their house, Sori got off of the car and headed to her room as fast as could, trying to avoid the sight of Jungkook and the girl he’d brought home. After all, it still hurt her to see him with another girl, no matter that she only wanted to be his friend or that she was making out with another man less than two hours ago.

As much as she managed to spare herself from that sight, she didn’t succeed in saving herself the noises coming from the room in front of hers.

The next few hours, spent hearing Jungkook’s name being screamed by another girl, helped Sori in taking in consideration to move on the room downstairs, next to Jin. This way she’d be able to save her sanity, making it easier for her to stop loving Jungkook. Or at least she hoped so. Making a mental note to ask Namjoon about it, she finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.

Chapter Text

Some light knocks could be heard on his door. Taehyung groaned. Being a werewolf, he didn’t feel the full effect of the hangout he’d surely be experiencing if he was a human, however he still felt under the wheatear.

Pushing his sheets aside to go unlock the door, he couldn't stifle the loud groan that left his lips again. He ruffled his hair and opened the door, letting the light blind him for a couple of seconds. He couldn’t really see who it was for a moment, but from the scent he could smell, he knew it was Seokjin at his door.

“Oh, I see you’re up! I didn’t want to wake you up”. Taehyung clearly heard sarcasm in his hyung's voice, but he couldn’t really pinpoint what he could have done to piss him up early in the morning. He wasn’t’ even awake until 30 seconds ago.

“Yeah, you did it anyways”, Taehyung yawned. “What do you need?”, he asked as he stretched his arms and back.

“I want to talk to you about something, but since I see you have some… nice company in here, I’ll tell you later. Take a shower and accompany this girl to the door before you come to talk to me. You smell like shit, by the way”, Seokjin told him scrunching his nose. “I want you to be in my room in fifteen minutes tops, so make it quick”. Seokjin glared one last time in the direction of the girl, who was now waking up, and left.

Taehyung grunted as a replay and closed the door behind his back. He smelled his arm, trying to understand what kind of smell Jin found disgusting, but he could only smell his sweat, the girl’s sweat and sex…oh. Perhaps now he knew what it was. “Hey, I’m sorry to wake you up this early, but I really need you to leave. On this note, since I’m quite busy could you rush a bit?”, he told her as he grabbed some clothes to bring with his in the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower, so you should be ready in five, okay?”. Without looking back, Taehyung left the room and since he hadn’t bothered in wearing clothes, he entered in the shower right away. He regulated the water and grabbed the first shampoo he found, not caring whose it was. He only wanted to hear what Seokjin had to say before having breakfast. He didn't like days that started with drama, and whatever was going on this time he didn't want to be part of it.

After having scrubbed himself carefully to erase any smell, he quickly dried his skin and hair before dressing up and leaving the bathroom. To his surprise, when he came back to his room, he found it empty. He shrugged and turned, but as he was about to close the door, a square white thing on his bed caught his attention. He grabbed it and suddenly realized that maybe he’d been a tad too harsh with his words earlier. The note left from the girl read: “You didn’t have to chase me away, I’d have happily left on my own will. Screw you”. Uhm, yeah, maybe I could have worded the request a little bit better...

Already done with this day, Taehyung ruffled his hair and made his way to Jin’s room. There Jin was, waiting for him sitting on his bed and looking scarily serious, which was quite out of his character. Still, Taehyung couldn’t really think of anything he could’ve done to annoy him. Despite not recalling any recent mistake, Taehyung entered aand settled on the floor in front of the oldest member of the pack, trying to keep his head down to let him know he recognized Seokjin’s authority.

“I think it’s high time to talk about this topic”, Jin told him crossing his legs. Although his body was relaxed, Taehyung could tell by his hyung's stern tone that there was no room for funny and easy topics at the moment. Not having idea of what had pissed off Jin, Taehyung opted to keep quiet and just nod with his head to let him know he was paying attention. “You know I always try to mind my own business and don’t meddle in the situations that don’t personally involve me, but seeing you are not going to change your behaviour and it is damaging the peaceful environment we usually have on this house, I decided it’s time to give you a piece of my mind”. Jin was glaring directly at him and his voice was really cold, however Taehyung still had no idea of what he did wrong this time. “Do you happen to think you can do however you please, Taehyung? Or perhaps, do you and you two friends think you’re entitled to do whatever you want just because you’re born-weres?”

Now Taehyung was starting to see where this conversation was going. A part of him had been expecting it sooner or later, but he wasn’t too worried. They were just messing around with Sori, so he hoped Seokjin wasn't going drag it for too long. Maybe they had crossed the line a couple of times, but they didn't do it to hurt her, they just didn't think enough of the consequences of their actions, really.

“I see how you guys confabulate against Sori, and let me tell you this, Taehyung, it isn’t funny and you’re hurting her for no reason. I had a chat with Namjoon about this and he agrees with me. It’s time you guys stop acting childishly and start realizing what you consider as a innocent joke can be hurtful for other people and also, that there could be consequences to your actions”.

“No, wait”, he took a deep breath to calm down and concentrate on what he wanted to say, “I’m not denying we sometimes say things we shouldn’t but it’s not like we purposefully hurt her all the time… it just sort of happens, you know. I’ll apologize for what I told her yesterday as soon as I see her”, Taehyung assured him, feeling unjustly accused. After all, he did care about Sori and he loved her as much as he loved all his members, but he liked to play around with Jungkook and Jimin too. He could even admit that they took their jokes too far at times, but she never really told them to stop, so…

“So you’re telling me you don’t know that calling her a slut and telling her she’s a traitor, or that she’s going to kill us is a funny and not hurtful joke to you? Do you really want me to believe you didn’t think those words could hurt her?”, Jin asked him in disbelief. His eyebrows were pinched together, an expression they didn’t see often. It was he disappointment showing in his eyes that hit a nerve for Taehyung. He had been careless, sure, but he didn't deserve that. Jin knew perfectly well that they didn't really believe in those things, they just said them... because.

“No, that’s not it. I mean, okay, they’re not the most delicate things to hear about yourself, but she knows we don’t really think about her that way. Moreover, if she was really bothered by our words, why wouldn’t she just tell us to stop? She just keeps quite”, Taehyung shrugged, trying to prove that he meant no harm to their youngest member. He didn't want to admit to having hurt like that just to have some fun with Jimin and Jungkook, and the accusations his hyung was moving against him were irking him.

“Have you ever thought that she keeps quiet because she doesn’t know how to fend for herself? You didn't, did you? You know how she used to live before being turned, what do you expect her to tell you when she was told she was only admitted into the pack because of her friend and that she had to consider herself lucky she wouldn’t be used as a prostitute by the pack? Have you ever even tried to put yourself in her shoes?”, Seokjin’s disappointment and anger could clearly be heard in his voice. “Have you ever thought that maybe she doesn’t know what you really think about her? She only knows what the society thinks about people like her. She knows you say those thing about her right to her face, so maybe she suspects you do worse when she's not around”.

To be honest, Taehyung hadn’t really thought much about how they played around with Sori. To him, that meant nothing, in fact he only went with the flow, but now that Jin was voicing it out loud it suddenly sounded scarily realistic and hurtful. He was never too sensible and understanding other people's feelings wasn't easy for him, which was also why he didn’t stop much to think that kind of things through. Putting it like that, it make him feel ashamed. What if the fact that they laughed at how much she ate was the reason why now she was often skipping meals and throwing up? Did she suffer from an eating disorder? Did she take his words from yesterday to heart? It was true that he didn't pay attention to many things, but that much he had been able notice for sure. Taehyung opened him mouth to defend himself, and then he closed it. He wanted to say something, but now he wasn’t sure he should speak anymore.

“You guys have to stop acting like that. Sori is going through enough on her own, you don’t need to add to that. I know she doesn’t spend much time with us anymore, but in the end she always comes back home to us, so just give her some space. She’s already dealing with letting go of Jungkook and accepting that he and Minyoung have something going on, while knowing she has no one left of her family and with no where to go if she ever wanted to leave the pack, don’t you think she deserves to have some fun too?”, Jin looked upset at his own words. “I’m not saying I’m okay with her going away or spending all her time with EXO, because I’m not, but there’s nothing we can do about that. Once she’ll be over her feelings, maybe she’ll stay with us more, just like she used to do before”, he frowned.

“But…it’s not just that. Talking with Jungkook, he said something that made me think-”, Taehyung was interrupted right away. It wasn't the strongest defence, but it was the best he could come up with.

“Oh, please, spare me. Jungkook is simply butthurt because she isn’t paying him any attention lately. He’s the most jealous in our group, and we all know why. And guess what? This whole situation is also happening because of him, so he should blame himself instead of throwing shit at Sori”, Jin scoffed.

“Well, that might be true, but I think he’s not completely wrong this time”, he raised his hand to stop Jin from intervening again, “Think about it: we’ve been threatened by a group of rogues, which so happen to be mainly made of turned-weres. At the same time, Sori suddenly starts disappearing for hours without telling anyone where she’s going. Out of nowhere she’s also close friend of the alpha of another pack…isn’t it weird?”. Seokjin, who seemed to be calmer than he was when he first started his scolding, was now glaring at him.

“Are you telling me that, not only you’ve been calling her names and making fun of her, but you’ve also been plotting against her?”, his voice was now very stern, and as if he was trying hard not to curse.

“No, I wouldn’t call it “plotting”. I mean, we haven’t planned on taking action against her or something, it’s just that we were making theories as for why she would stay out that much lately and… well, considering that she’s a turned-were, it makes sense”, Taehyung shrugged lightly, not wanting to cower in front of the beta of his pack.

“No, that’s exactly what I would define as “plotting”. You’ve been making excuses to justify your rude attitudes and convince other people you’re in the right because she might betray us. You’re not planning on how to punish her because you’re already doing it. Jungkook built up all this story to cover up his jealousy and his reasons for mistreating her and you and Jimin are following him without even fully understating what you’re doing”. Seokjin couldn’t believe Taehyung was being serious. “So tell me, did you just say she’s spending her time with EXO to have a pack to turn to when we’ll be attacked, or did you go as far as saying she’s helping the rogues?”, Jin told him smirking in a mean way. It was always quite scary when Seokjin got angry, because there was no way to calm him down until he felt like he had nothing more to add, and today was going to be no exception. Now Taehyung was realizing that maybe it would’ve been better if he just kept quiet and let Jin say whatever he wanted instead of trying to defend himself.

Not wanting to say that the latter was closer to the contents of his last chat with Jungkook and Jimin, he just stared at the beta of the pack, hoping the ground would open up and put an end to his misery.

“Oh, I see…”, Jin told him after having studied Taehyung’s expression for a moment. “Let me tell you this: you’re pathetic. You and Jimin are even worse that Jungkook, because at least he attacks her to hide his feelings, instead you just attack her to show you have his back. Keep behaving like that, and maybe your “suppositions” won’t be too far from the reality. Who knows, maybe she’ll really leave us to go in a pack where she’s treated the way she deserves”, Seokjin told him standing up. Taehyung opened his mouth to protest, but Jin cut him off again. “Don’t add another word, you've already said enough. Don’t try to justify yourself either. Just leave, I have to get ready for work”, he told Taehyung, pointing at his door. Even if Taehyung had something intelligent to add, which right now he obviously hadn't, Seokjin was the beta of the pack and he was speaking with his authoritative voice, so he could only do what he was told to.

He left the room silently, feeling ashamed of having even said those things out loud to Jin. However it still sort of made sense to him. There were many stories about turned-weres betraying their pack, so why would Sori be any different?

“Little wolf, what can you do?”, Baekhyun asked for the nth time. All the mocking was starting to annoy Sori. Like really annoy. She didn’t even know why, but her hands were itching with the need to slap him into his pack’s land.

Unfortunately for her it was Saturday, which meant she had to stay out there in the garden, under the sun, with all the others and train. As Namjoon had told them, EXO was there to train with them in their wolf forms. Some of EXO and Block B were friendly chatting, since they’d already met in some other occasion that Sori didn’t bother to ask about, while BTS member were mostly sitting around in small groups. On the other hand, Sori was sitting alone under the branches of the old oak she could always see from her room. Or better, she wanted to sit there alone, until Baekhyun had apparently decided he wanted to talk, so he was yelling stupid things Sori didn’t even care to listen.

If Sori had to be honest with herself, she’d have to admit she was this annoyed because she had to change in front of people she didn’t even know, and she already hated doing it in front of people she knew well, so… nope, she wasn’t in the mood to listen to Baekhyun constant. She really didn’t care at the moment. She wanted to stitch those two pretty little lips together until she wasn’t feeling this irritated anymore.

Moreover, it seemed like every single person present was staring at her. Sori had even tried to tell herself it wasn’t true, but no matter when or where she watched, there was always someone eyeing her or stealing glances when they thought she wasn’t looking. Then she tried convincing herself they were only staring because they were curious of her friendship with EXO, and up to a certain extent she could understand it, but it still annoyed her. Like, she wasn’t about to run away with them or something, she was just sitting there and waiting for the awful session of training to start. What’s so interesting about me, anyways? She huffed and plugged out another leaf from the bush next to her, reducing it to small and unrecognizable pieces of green stuff. There were stupid, disgusting little bugs flying everywhere today too, to make the situation even more enjoyable.

Having sensed her mood, Chanyeol was trying to drag his pack mate away from Sori to give her some space, but Baekhyun looked completely unfazed no matter what he did, thus Chanyeol could only send apologetic smiles in Sori’s direction, letting her know that at least he had tried.

Jiho, Namjoon, Narae and Junmyeon were taking their sweet time to come out and finally let this AMAZING training session begin, hence everyone was bored out of their mind, and the sun was starting to warm up the garden in an uncomfortable way.

Jimin and Taehyung, who were sitting around two in front of Sori, were trying to involve her in their conversation, but Sori didn’t really feel like it. It wasn’t like she had something against them, not really, but ever since Thursday she felt a little disappointed in both the members of her pack and herself. In her eyes, their behaviour was completely unjustified. EXO didn’t even spend the whole night with them, however her members had judged them and complained as if she was forcing BTS and EXO to spend time together. As for herself, she really felt ashamed of having shown them that side of her in front of everyone. Not being used to drinking, she couldn't have foreseen her silly attitude, and now she couldn't help but feel embarrassed whenever she remembered the little flirt she had had with Sehun. Add to that that she’d awoken feeling completely drained today, so she didn’t want to do anything. Given the chance, Sori would’ve happily skipped this training in favour of lying in bed the whole afternoon.

“Why are they taking so long? I’m bored, I just want to start this training and get over it”, Taehyung whined, and she wholeheartedly agreed. Sori reasoned in her mind that probably he was feeling so frustrated because he was excited for that night, since apparently the most of the pack wanted to go clubbing again, although Sori was having none of it. Not that they’d even asked for her opinion before deciding they were going out. She sure as hell wasn’t moving out of her bed that night. No way. They never cared that much if I was there before, why would they care now anyway?

A good five minutes later, Namjoon, Narae, Junmyeon and Jiho finally appeared, bringing two small boxes with them. Jiho put the boxes on the ground and Junmyeon, Namjoon and Narae sat down with the rest of the werewolves. Once again Jiho was the one who was going to explain and control the whole training session.

“I’m sorry for taking too long, however I’m sure you’re not going to complain once you’ll know what I prepared for you today”, Jiho stood in front of them with his hands on his hips and his head held high and a gentle smile adorning his face, showing that he was confident in his statement. Sori had no idea about what activity they’d be doing and by the doubtful faces around her, no one seemed to have a clue. “So, since last Saturday we trained in human form, today you’re going to play for a while in your wolf forms”.

Sori heard Taehyung whispering an excited “yeeeessss”, his eyes were sparkling with excitement at the idea of his favourite kind of training. Both he and Jimin loved playing at all times, it was no surprise that they were excited at the idea of training as wolves, however the quiet groans coming from here and there around the garden gave away that not everyone shared their opinion.

Sori loved spring and summer usually. It was really beautiful how the flowers blossomed all around their house, how the woods felt alive during those months. The water by her lake seemed to be always brighter during summer, and in the afternoon it was warm enough to swim in it. Actually Sori liked soaking in the water better, but she didn’t disdain a short swim every now and then. She loved laying down on the lawn near it and listen to the sounds created by the wind rushing through the leaves or the hushed sounds of the small waves that crashed on the shore again and again as soon as the wind started blowing, watching the branches of the trees swinging softly. The sun on her skin always managed to ease the tension in her body.

Despite that, the idea of having to run under the sun at 2 pm didn’t really thrill her. Quite the opposite, actually. Albeit she had grown fond of running around in her wolf, practising sports was never one of Sori’s passions. She had awoken in a foul mood, had to stay near Sehun in front of her pack, listened to Baekhyun screaming during the whole lunch, she had an headache, it was way too hot to be just mid May, she was pretty sure she’d have to spend the next few hours running without a real purpose and the only thing she felt like doing was sleeping. What an amazing day.

“Don’t take this as a real playtime though, because I promise you it won’t be. You’re going to be using your senses if you want to win this. You’re going to have to pay attention to everything around you and you better make sure you know how to make good teamwork because there will be a punishment for the losers, and it might or might not be…unpleasant”, Jiho said staring right into Baekhyun’s eyes. Sori saw his Adam's apple bobbing, and she felt a little bit satisfied by the light fear she could see on his expression. Finally. It was high time someone made him shut up.

“Today, once again, you’re going to be split in two teams: team red and team yellow. You’ll be playing flag tag, so each one of you is going to take one flag out of the box that contains your team’s colour. Before adding the rest of the rules, I’d like Namjoon and Junmyeon, who’ll be the leaders, to pick their teammates and their team colour”. Junmyeon and Namjoon both stood up and nodded at the other, inviting him to pick first, making the other guys laugh.

“Rock scissor paper?”, Junmyeon offered, smiling.

“I suck at it, but sure. Who wins picks first”, Namjoon smiled back. The two closed their fists and the rest of the wolves sang for them. Junmyeon scrunched his nose while Namjoon stared at his hand for a moment before finally registering that he’d won. “Wow, this is a first”, he said raising his eyebrows. “How about we pick two players at a time? So we can get over this quickly”, Namjoon proposed. To Sori, who was used to Namjoon's practical ways, it was clear that he was more than ready to get over this part of the training.

“Yeah, sure. You can also chose the colour of your team first”, Junmyeon simply replied. By the way his voice sounded, way too accommodating for a highly competitive alpha, Sori had the distinct impression he’d already chosen his first picks, and was now hoping Namjoon wouldn’t pick those he wanted while still maintaining his nice guy facade.

“Okay. So, no offence guys, it’s just a game, right?”, Namjoon said while eyes the faces of the wolves around him, who nodded in agreement. Sori shrugged, knowing she wouldn’t be picked until the very end, since she wasn’t much of a useful player. “I’ll pick red. And I want Jungkook and Taehyung in my team”. The two guys nodded and cheered. They rushed to the box with the red flags and took out one each, before going to stand next to their alpha. Junmyeon’s smirk told Sori that Namjoon hadn’t picked the guys he wanted. Observing Junmyeon's attitude was quite amusing for Sori, in fact he was always posed and classy, while today he looked playful and competitive, he looked very much like a real leader. Which to someone else might not even be a thing, but to Sori it made sense.

“I want Baekhyun and Kyungsoo”, his smirk was somewhat evil. This had Sori reflecting whether he was planning or not, because by the looks of it, it seemed so. His voice subtly gave away an arrogance, which wasn’t usually in his character. It was quite surprising, yet totally intriguing too. This stupid game/training session had already been turned in a competition. Boys... they turn everything in a challenge. Sori shook her head lightly, smiling a bit at their childishness. Junmyeon’s smirk was still there, and Sori was now getting really curious about his plan. He winked at her before turning to Namjoon again, waiting for him to pick again.

“Jimin and Yoongi”, Namjoon nodded in the direction of the guys he’d picked. The trio cheered loudly and soon Yoongi and Jimin were standing beside Namjoon holding their red flags. Yoongi met Sori’s eyes and smiled encouragingly, as if telling her Namjoon was going to pick her soon. A moment later Yoongi was glaring again at the sky, as if he was cursing at it for how hot the sun felt on his skin. He tugged the long sleeves of his shirt above his hands and pouted. Had Sori's day not been so horribly disgusting, she’d have probably cooed at the cute older guy.

“Sehun and Chanyeol”. Junmyeon’s eyes were glittering with some weird emotion, something Sori hadn’t ever seen before, and the way he was looking at Namjoon was both amusing and worrying. Just what the hell has he planned?

Sori had noticed how Jungkook’s head had snapped in Sehun’s direction as soon as his name had been called. For a moment Sori had the impression he was baring his teeth at Sehun, but she was sitting too far to be sure. She scoffed at her own delusional thoughts, knowing too well that Jungkook had no reason to be that openly hostile towards Sehun anyway, no matter how much she deluded herself.

“Minyoung and Jihoon”. It showed that he was carefully calculating the potential of the remaining players. Up to now he’d picked all the strong guys and those with the best fighting skills in BTS. To Sori’s surprise, he hadn’t picked his mate yet. That was extremely weird, because seriously, those two were attached by the hip normally. Another surprise, a painful one, was that he’d picked Minyoung before her. He’d picked Minyoung before his mate and her… Okay, Sori, it’s time to stop being this melodramatic. Just stop thinking about her. It’s just a game, it doesn’t prove anything. He said it before: “it’s just a game”. No hard feelings.

“Sori and Narae”, Junmyeon quickly pronounced their names. Not expecting it, Sori was completely lost in her own thoughts and she didn’t snap out of it until Baekhyun nudged her lightly with his knee. Sori searched for Narae’s eyes, and the two shared a look of disbelief, trying to figure out whether he was being serious or not. The bright, cocky smile on Junmyeon’s face was a clear indicator of how proud he was of himself, and that he was sure of his decision. Belatedly, Sori wondered if this was what he’d been planning right from the beginning, after all he had given Namjoon several chances to correct his oversight, but Namjoon hadn't even caught up with the chances he had been given, hence Junmyeon's smirk.

Slowly Narae and Sori stood up and silently went to take two yellow flags from the box, before reaching the rest of their team. On the way back, Sori felt her cheeks on flame. She didn’t want to be the centre of everyone’s attention, however it still felt like every single person present in the garden was staring at her, not to mention that the silence was completely overwhelming. Only after having joined her teammates she found the courage of lifting her head.

Namjoon’s mouth was hanging open while he stared at his mate, completely shocked by Junmyeon’ choice. Jungkook and Taehyung were gaping in surprise too. Junmyeon winked at Namjoon, confirming Sori’s suspects: he’d planned it beforehand. Everyone chuckled at the interaction. By everyone, Sori meant everyone but Namjoon, Jungkook, Taehyung and Narae, obviously. She looked a little sour, but who could blame her? Her own mate had had picked another girl before her, making her also appear useless in the defence of they pack, which was exactly Narae's role as the mate of the alpha.

Jiho’s cackle seemed to awake Namjoon from his state of shock, but only to make him frown in Sori’s direction. Being pretty sure she hadn’t done anything wrong, Sori just ignored his eyes and took her best friend’s hand, who was awkwardly standing behind Junmyeon. Yep, standing close to another alpha in front of your own alpha could be very awkward, Sori had already experienced it. Narae grunted, but took the flag Sori was handing her nonetheless.

Despite Jiho's intention to disperse the tension, Namjoon’s irritation was perfectly audible in the tone he used as he picked Hoseok and Seokjin. If looks could kill…

Sori would’ve never admitted it openly, but she was quite happy to be in Junmyeon’s team. Not that she disliked her packmates or something, but she was sure they wouldn’t have allowed her to play to her full strength, or even let her play at all. They’d have encouraged her to stay with them, follow them and tell her and even encourage her to learn some fight techniques, but in the end they wouldn’t have let her fight anyway. This was a chance for her to show she could be useful and she didn’t need the super-strength that comes with being born-werewolves. She had her brain to supply for her lack of strength.

“Mmm, I’ll take with me Jongin and Yixing”. Junmyeon sounded like he was trying hard not to laugh at his friend’s face and while Namjoon was gritting his teeth. He didn’t seem to be enjoying himself in the slightest.

“Minseok and Jongdae”, Namjoon pronounced their name as he was cursing. Or maybe he was really cursing in his mind. The fiery way with which Namjoon held his head to meet Junmyeon’s eyes and smirked at him was quite telling. Junmyeon probably thought Namjoon was kidding or something thought, because a couple of seconds later he was openly laughing at Namjoon’s face. As his eyes flashed yellow, Sori established that maybe Junmyeon hadn’t really taken in consideration how possessive alphas are of their mates… or maybe he did but he didn’t care enough. Whatever it was, Namjoon looked quite scary at the moment.

Narae tightened the grip on Sori’s hand, telling her she’d noticed Namjoon’s behaviour too, and she didn’t feel comfortable at the moment. Sori bumped her shoulder against hers and kissed her cheek. There weren’t many ways to salvage the situation as of now. It wasn’t like someone could tell Namjoon to cut the crap when there were other alphas around, because then they’d be disrespecting him in front of everyone, and for the same reason they couldn’t tell Junmyeon to shut the hell up. However, the atmosphere was quite awkward, and since nobody dared to speak, the could only rely on body language to communicate.

“Ok, let’s get over this. Remember that it’s just a game, no one is stealing mates or packmates permanently, okay?”, Jiho told them. It would’ve been better if they couldn’t deject the smirk that he was trying to hide, but apparently his words worked just fine anyways, because a second later Junmyeon wasn’t laughing anymore and Namjoon’s eyes were shining in a less blazing yellow.

“Okay. I’ll pick Taeil and Yukwon then”, Junmyeon said, looking at the two guys. They nodded and when to the take their flags. In the meanwhile, Junmyeon was still smiling and Namjoon was glaring at him.

“I’ll let you have one more player since you have two girls with you”, Namjoon almost growled at the smirking alpha in front of him.

“I don’t think these two girls will appreciate what you said, but… oh, well, you’ll be the one dealing with them after the game, and you had already pissed off one of them…”, Junmyeon shrugged, “Pick your last player and the two left will play in my team”. Namjoon growled at Junmyeon again, and this time he wasn’t the only one. Sori couldn’t pinpoint who it was, but she was pretty sure she heard another growl from somewhere behind Namjoon.

“You better watch your mouth, Junmyeon”, Jiho lightly said, but that didn’t seem to bother Junmyeon, who just nodded at him with his cocky smirk still plastered on his face.

“Park Kyung”, Namjoon said menacingly. It seemed like he was angry at the poor boy from the way he pronounced his name, and to Sori it was quite scary, but some of the guys from Block B and EXO still exchanged amused glances.

“Perfect. Minhyuk, Jaehyo, go take your flags”, Junmyeon exhorted them gently. A few moments later the two teams were standing in front of each other, waiting for Jiho to tell them the rules he’d set to finally change into their wolf forms.

“Okay, so let’s set two or three ground rules you must follow, and then you can start. First of all, you must keep your flag tied to one of your paws. If you hide it somewhere, tie it on your tail or even hold it in your mouth you’re out. To avoid disqualifying half of you before the real game starts, I’ll personally tie your flags after you’ll phase”. It totally gave the impression he was looking straight into Park Kyung direction, but it could also be Taehyung, who was standing right next to him. Jiho met the eyes of all the presents before going on, making sure they were all paying attention to his words. “Number two: as soon as your flag is stolen you’re out. I want you to come sit next to me as soon as your eliminated. You cannot retie your flag. And for this very reason, I decided that whenever you steal a flag, you have to bring it to me. I’ll smell it and know to whom it belongs, so you better be here when your flags reaches my nose. About this, I don’t want to hear complaints. I don’t care how many were teamed up against you nor how they stole it. You’re out. Also, avoid tearing away chunks of meat from the person you want to eliminate. You have to bring me the flag, not the whole leg”. This time the look seemed to be directed towards Jimin, but then again, Sori couldn’t be too sure. It was just her impression. “Number three: you can’t change back to your human form until the training session is finished, so unless I tell you otherwise, you’re expected to stay in you wolf form until I tell you we're done. You can’t ask to switch with other members of your group: once you’re out you’re out, don’t even ask me if you can go play again or take someone else’s spot. You all get what I’m saying?”, he scrutinized their faces and nodded. “Perfect. Now change in your wolves and stand in a line, your flags have to be tied”.

Sori stared at the others as they nodded at Jiho and started undressing. Her cheeks were so hot that her eyes felt warm and almost teary, so she fixed her eyes on the ground, thinking about how to undress and change without having to be naked in front of everyone else. Since there weren’t many possible solutions, Sori took a deep breath and slowly started to undo the ribbon that kept her pants in place. She stole a furtive glance around her to make sure no one was watching, and quickly pushed her pants down. When she looked up again she found Jungkook right in front of her. Sori let out a loud gasp, holding her chest with her hand.

“Shit, couldn’t you make a sound to let me know you were here?”. Okay, she knew it wasn’t his fault they had to change there, in fact it was nobody’s fault, because wolves never paid the slightest interest in nakedness, still it bothered her. It was just too embarrassing for her, so maybe her tone wasn’t the nicest, but he knew she didn’t like it when she had to change in front of other people. Perhaps it was because she’d grown up as a human, and humans don’t think nakedness in normal, but she just couldn’t undress herself just like they did. She felt her neck warming up and her eyes getting even hotter, tears were about to be shed and it wasn’t even because she felt like crying, it was just a body reaction. The longer he stood there the warmer her cheeks felt and her eyes got wetter.

Sori wanted to pretend she didn’t feel that embarrassed to be standing half-naked right in front of Jungkook, who was now openly staring at her thighs. He’d already seen all there was to see anyway, however his last words about her body kept repeating in her mind, and the more Jungkook stared at her the more she felt like covering herself the best she could and run away.

“What do you want?”, Sori inquired, trying to divert his attention from her body. His eyes made her feel both warm and completely frozen at same time. Although he was staring at her like he wanted to touch her, his made how he felt about her pretty clear the last time he saw her naked, which was enough to freeze Sori on the spot, unsure of how to react.

“I’ll wait for you to get changed, so you can hide behind me until you’re done phasing”, he offered her after having cleared his throat. “I can’t promise you it’ll be enough to hide you completely, but it’s better than nothing, right?”, he rubbed his neck. His voice sounded so shy Sori wanted to coo. Thank the gods for the little favours!

“Thank you”, she whispered, not wanting to be heard by the others. Sometimes Jungkook seemed to know exactly what to do to relieve her stress, and probably this was also one of the sweetest things he’d done for her in the last couple of months.

Having received her approval, Jungkook shortened the distance between them and turned around, trying his best to give Sori her privacy. Hesitantly, Sori grabbed the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting it above her head. As soon as her shirt reached the ground Sori started changing, removing her bra and panties just a moment before her hands started shrinking into paws. Once her changing was completed, Sori shook her fur and then paced in front of Jungkook, touching his knee with her nose to let him know she was done and he could now change into his wolf.

Jungkook crouched down and patted her head, carding his fingers through her fur and scratching behind her ears. He knew Sori loved it when people touched her head, and this time it was no exception. Sori felt her eyelids closing, enjoying the feeling of being petted by Jungkook. Her eyes shot open the moment she felt his warm breath on her head, feeling a short pressure being applied there. Sori was staring at him, trying to figure out if he’d really kissed her head and why, but Jungkook was already undressing, leaving her amazed with the perfection of his body. No matter how many times she saw it, his body always turned her brain in mush. All questions were forgotten. Actually, she barely realized that the others had already changed and were now staring at them, but really, she didn’t care right now. Maybe later she was gong to feel embarrassed by it later on, but whatever.

She couldn’t help but stare at Jungkook as he slowly (or was it just slow in her mind?) lifted his shirt and threw it next to his feet. He very slowly (really, was it just her? Because everything seemed to be in slow motion) slid his sweatpants and underwear down his legs. His feet were already bare. Sori had the distinct impression she’d seen this move in some movie, probably in Magic Mike, but she wasn’t complaining. That was the only positive thing happened that day: she had seen Jungkook naked, she’d enjoyed it and he wouldn’t even know about it, because he couldn’t read her expression when she was in her wolf form! The pretty and shining bubble she was fluctuating into was harshly burst by Jiho’s voice. Meh.

“The show is done, people. Form a line and then divide yourselves in two teams after your flag is tied to your paw. You can chose in which paw you want your flag, by the way”. He clapped his hand a couple of time to make sure they were all paying attention to his words.

A couple of seconds later Jungkook’s wolf was leaving to stand behind Jimin in the queue, but not before having nipped at Sori’s ear as she was passing by. Sori couldn’t stop her reaction this time, and a surprised yip left her mouth. The way Jungkook was staring at her was very endearing, and Sori liked to think that his face would’ve been adorned by a smile if he were a human right now.

It took them a couple of minutes to be all set and ready to start. Sori had decided to have her flag tied on her front leg, with the idea that protecting it would’ve been easier this way.

“Okay, guys, remember the rules I gave you. After the game is done I’ll tell you the punishment for the losers. I want you to play fair, but I also want you to use your brain and senses!”, his eyes quickly skimmed thought the eyes of the wolves in front of him, waiting for him to end his speech. “You can start now!”.

Sori was baffled by the abrupt ending of his speech and so were the others apparently, because it took them a moment before realizing that the game had officially started. Baekhyun touched her back with his muzzle, and when Sori turned around he signalled she had to follow him by cocking his neck in the direction of the trees. Albeit she was a bit distracted by the intriguing pattern of his beige and grey fur, Sori quickly obliged. In front of her she could see a small group of EXO members running to the first row of trees of the wood. Baekhyun was following them, but it seemed like he wasn’t going to his full speed. Weird. Is it because of me? Does he think I can’t keep up with him? Sori scoffed at the idea and with a sudden change of pace she left Baekhyun behind her. See who’s the slow one now, loser.

It only took a couple of seconds for Baekhyun to recover from the surprise and speed up. Sori caught the challenging look in his eyes and the race to see who reached first the wood started. Unfortunately for her, a couple of metres before the old oak that she could always see from the window of her room, she tripped on a root sticking out from the ground, resulting in her and Baekhyun reaching the trees at the same time, much to Baekhyun’s delight. He sent her a smug wolfish smirk and growled lightly a small laugh.

“Namjoon out”, Jiho yelled. Sori and Baekhyun snapped their heads towards Jiho so fast they almost bumped their heads together. In front of their eyes, Narae was trotting in their direction, beaming at them. Namjoon looked absolutely bewildered. Oh, well, see what you get when you chose someone else over of your fiancée. Karma is a bitch.

Jiho was trying really hard not to laugh at the other alpha’s shocked condition, but the more Namjoon stood frozen with that stupid expression on his face, the harder it was to keep it in. In the end a tiny sound came out from his mouth and it was enough to snap Namjoon out of his shock. He glared at Jiho and growled at him, but then he sat next to the other’s feet anyway fuming in anger. Namjoon was out without even having had the time to move from the spot in which he was standing when the game begun. Oh, well.

Baekhyun nudged Sori with his nose, signalling her it was time to move. She nodded at him, and Narae simply followed them holding her head up high in pride.

Sori couldn’t understand how it was possible that the usually loud and annoying Baekhyun was now extremely quiet and attentive to everything, carefully making his way through the wood to find a spot in which they could hide into. He lifted his head and sniffed the air, before turning around to the and yapping quietly.

Out of nowhere two wolves jumped on them. Sori and Narae were ready to fight back, but Baekhyun barked laugh made them realize that the two wolves had yellow flag tied on their paws. Sori barely had the time to recognize Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s scents before Jiho shouted again.

“Taeil, Myunhyuk, Jaehyo out”. Sori met Narae’s eyes, and when the latter nodded at her, Sori knew they were thinking the same thing: the trio was working together. Not good. She should’ve expected it, but somehow it still surprised her. How did they even manage to steal the flags of Jiho’s members? Poor Taeil, things never go the right way for him…

At this point Sori realized she was almost helpless, because she had fought in her wolf form a couple of times, but it was never the kind of serious fight in which you need to have real skills if you want to win…on the other hand, the other pack only had skilled, old and well trained members she could rely on, but she was pretty much useless in this game.

As if the three EXO members beside her had heard her thoughts, they all glanced at her and slightly nodded at each other. When Chanyeol swung his head to the side, Sori and Narae knew he wanted them to follow him. His steps were careful and silent. Had Sori not been this close, she wouldn’t have heard him at all. She studied how Baekhyun and Kyungsoo moved around him, and slowly she started copying their movements, trying to be as quiet as they were. Narae was doing the same thing beside her, however she was still having some problems with coordinating her paws and not making noise at the same time. In fact, Narae was young as a wolf, barely older than Sori, so she obviously didn’t have as much training as the rest of BTS. Despite that, Sori remembered Narae had already told her she’d been trained, but it was just a “know-how”, not a real “learn-how-to-do-this-movement”, which put the two of them almost on the same level…and that meant they were a burden to EXO.

“Park Kyung out!”, Jiho shouted. Sori was so concentrated on following Jongdae’s movement, she was startled for a moment by the loud sound. Why is this going so fast? Shit, I haven’t learned anything yet!

As the guys started moving silently forward again, Sori had no other choice but to follow then, imitating their movements again. Step by step they formed a small group with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo in the front, Narae and Sori in the middle and Chanyeol in the back. They’d been walking for a while now, but Sori had no clear idea about what the guys had planned yet. To her, it looked both as if they were walking without a specific destination, waiting for the most of the players to be out of the game, or as if they were looking for a easy prey to take down. The only thing Sori could hear were the loud chirping of the birds and the natural and usual sounds of the wood, nothing that could give away the presence of an enemy. There was a certain uneasiness in the boys, yet she couldn’t pinpoint that cause of it.

It only happened in a second: Sori was staring at Baekhyun’s paws, so she actually caught the moment he stilled, his body tensed up and his head cocked to the side. A moment later he was rolling on the ground with a wolf two times his size above him. While he was struggling to keep his flag away from Jin’s teeth, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo were attacked by two other wolves. Narae was standing still beside her, staring at the fight with her eyes wide open in shock. Sori herself felt quite helpless, as she didn’t know how to help her teammates. There was a big chance she’d only end up ruining their chances of fighting back if she were to stick up for her them, however standing there and doing nothing didn’t really seem much better.

Sori studied the wolves is front of her, trying to decide what to do, and with the corned of her eye she could see Narae doing the same. Jin’s wolf seemed to be too big for the size of her wolf, Hoseok on the other hand wasn’t that big, but he was really fast, and he was actually biting down on Chanyeol’s flag in spite of his smaller size, and lastly Yoongi. Yoongi wasn’t much bigger than her, still he had centuries of practice in front of him, not to mention how smart he was, and that was something that could easily determine her elimination from the game. Sori didn’t exactly feel too confident with attacking anyone of them. Also, Sori didn’t want to risk too much, because she wanted to show to her pack that she could be useful and not just weight down on them, so she’d thought that if she managed to survive until there were only four or five players left, than they’d have to recognise it, and that was exactly what she desired. In spite of that, all her purposes went to hell the moment she heard Baekhyun’s loud whine. Without wasting another second Sori threw herself at the oldest member of her pack, and biting down hard on his paw she managed to tear a little the fabric of his red flag. Taken by surprise, Seokjin barely had the time to lift his head before Sori had managed to cut the rest of the fabric of the flag with her teeth.

Sori was staring at the flag in disbelief: she’d eliminated Seokjin. He seemed to be astonished too, as he was staring at her with his mouth opened. On the other hand Baekhyun was beaming at her, licking a strip on her muzzled. Wow. Knowing you CAN do things is a GREAT feeling.

She turned to Narae to show her what she had accomplished, only to find her already staring at her with Yoongi’s red flag on her mouth. Yoongi was frowning at her and baring his teeth, but no one seemed to cared too much since a second later the two girls were jumping around each other and barking happily.

Unfortunately their happiness died after a couple of seconds. In front of them Hoseok was leaving with Chanyeol’s flag in his mouth. Chanyeol was sitting sadly next to Baekhyun, who was licking up the point where Jin’s teeth had cut his skin. Chanyeol glanced sadly at them before standing up and following Hoseok to the garden. Baekhyun, Yoongi, Kyungsoo and Seokjin followed him right away since they had to hand in the flags they’d successfully stolen.

Jiho sent her a curious look while he was smirking and chuckling at the scene. The whole group marched towards him keeping their original formation, while Jin and Yoongi were walking behind them. Namjoon’s eyes seemed quite disheartened at the sight of his two teammates sitting next to him. He complained quietly, and Sori had the weird idea that he wasn’t throwing a full blown fit just because Narae was there and he knew she was still upset with his decision from earlier.

The two girls had now reached Jiho, who was taking the yellow flag that was hanging out of Hoseok’s mouth. When he was done he leaned towards them smiling, he patted Sori in the back as he slipped the red flag out of her mouth. Then he did the same with Narae.

“Good job girls! Show them you’re not as helpless as some of them seem to believe”, he smirked once again. At his words Namjoon lowered his ears, whining lightly, only to receive a scoff from Narae, who was still quite annoyed with him. “So, the teams seem to be well balanced! I’m quite curious about who’ll be the winner of today’s session. You’re also eliminating each other quite quickly. Make sure you learn at least some of the basics of fighting in this form, okay? Now go back to hunt for some red flags”. Jiho shooed them away with a movement of his head.

Hoseok glared at Sori before running in the opposite direction from where they had arrived. Sori only frowned in response. What did I do wrong this time? Namjoon said it before! It’s a game! To hell with trying to understand what goes on in his mind. Normally Sori would’ve felt really guilty about having eliminated one of her own pack, but today she was playing, learning actually, and she was showing she had some skills too. Not to mention that her mood hadn’t improved much from the moment she had opened her eyes in the morning. And if she was annoyed before, now she was pissed. Suddenly Sori felt full of energy. She wanted to be the one to eliminate Hoseok from the game. He deserved it. She growled under her breath and started running towards the back of the house, reaching the trees a moment later.

Namjoon sighed, already knowing that no one would go out tonight, and there was also a great possibility that their dinner would be filled with petty spats. Let alone that Narae was upset with him too. Exactly the kind of situation Namjoon despised with all himself. What an amazing day.

Although Namjoon was caught up in his mental complains, a small part of his brain was still quite in dismay because of the braveness Sori had shown today. First she stole Jin’s flag, which was already amazing since Jin had way more experience that her and in the past he had even been in the army for a while; and then she’d followed Hoseok in the woods to give him a piece of her mind. Call it 'beginner's luck', but Namjoon had already noticed a slight change in her behaviour in the past few months, although it was never as obvious as today. Ever since she’d joined the pack, Sori had tried to hide herself and be invisible, while lately she seemed to be more independent. She often left the house to meet new people, while before she used to sit far from everyone else, eat quietly and leave the room as soon as she could. She wouldn’t say anything unless someone asked something directly to her. There were times Sori spent so much time locked in her room that they even forgot about her. At times Namjoon wondered what he could do to make things better, but then again there wasn’t much he could in his opinion: the majority of the problem was Sori herself. She couldn’t see how much BTS appreciated and how important she was to them, for in her mind she’d never moved on from the fact that she was accepted in the pack only thanks to Narae. At times Namjoon had the distinct impression Sori wanted to be invisible to avoid upsetting them and risking to be removed from the pack, which was absolutely unlikely in his opinion.

Still, Namjoon had tried his best to make her feel accepted, but it seemed like he failed. Obviously Sori’s ideas weren’t the only problem, in fact Namjoon had no problem in admitting that some members of his pack had the tendency to speak without thinking. Both he and Jin had tried to explain them that saying things like “did Sori cook this? Are you sure she didn’t poison us? You know how turned-weres are”, or “we all know turned-werewolves are sluts” could hurt Sori, especially if said in front of her, but it only seemed like their words come from one ear and exited from the other. In their mind she somehow wasn't included in the said category, and Sori was supposed to know they didn't think about her like that.

“Minseok, Jihoon, Yukwon out”, Jiho said out loud, taking the flags from the mouths of Jungkook, Jimin and Yixing. Namjoon had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t even heard them coming. He frowned realizing that his team was losing, which was weird since he’d purposefully chosen the best players between the three packs.

In the meanwhile, Sori had lost sight of Hoseok. She was almost sure she’d been fast enough to catch him, however he’d disappeared in thin air. He must have already joined another group. Sori had reached the conclusion that now the teams were divided in small groups that were attaching each other, that would explain why people from both team were being eliminated every now and them. Just like it’d happened a while ago with her group and Hoseok’s. The only thing left to do was understand with whom he was teaming up now.

There was the group formed by Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook and maybe Minyoung. So Jongdae was now alone. They could target him and look for Hoseok afterwards. Or maybe someone else from the yellow team could eliminate him while they looked for Hoseok. Sori was in a big group, as in her team there were Narae, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and her, but the other group was just as big and there were Junmyeon, Yixing, Jongin and Sehun in it, and there was no doubt those four knew how to fight way better that Narae and her.

She looked around some more, but Hoseok was really nowhere to be seen. Around the time she finally decided to stop looking for him the other guys found her. Baekhyun growled in protest at Sori. She could almost hear his voice in her mind saying “Yah, wait for us”, so just rolled her eyes in response. Not happy with it, Baekhyun growled again and Kyungsoo stepped in, pushing him to the side. He glared at Sori and quickly started taking deep breaths with his nose held up high, taking in the scents brought by the light breeze.

Sori did the same, yet the only thing she could perceive was the strong smell of trees and humidity, meaning that a storm was coming. Weren’t she in the midst of a wood, she surely would’ve seen some dark clouds in the horizon.

It took her a while to notice that Kyungsoo was staring questioningly at her. At first Sori wasn’t sure about what he wanted, but then he took another deep breath and looked at her again, bending his neck to the side, and she finally understood he wanted to know what she had smelled earlier. Sori felt all their eyes on her, and suddenly she felt insecure and exposed. What if her nose wasn’t as good as theirs? After all she’d been told that born-weres and turned-weres weren’t that different, but…

Her thoughts were disrupted by Narae, who was leaning against her side and grazing her neck and cheeks with her nose, scent marking her. When their eyes met Narae nodded firmly at her, encouraging her friend. Felling a bit better with herself, Sori decided to try again and maybe, excluding the scent of humidity, she could be able to catch something else, and if she couldn’t do it than… well, than they would have to lead her to where the players from the other team were hiding. She shook her head at Kyungsoo and she closed her eyes.

Sori inhaled and exhaled slowly a couple of times, trying to calm herself, and then she took a deep breath. At first she could only perceive the trees and the humidity again, but after she’d exhaled and inhaled again, the scent of humidity was easier to ignore, while the scent of trees wasn’t just one strong scent anymore: Sori could differentiate without too many problems between the scents of pine trees, oaks, beech trees, chestnut trees and ash trees. She was overwhelmed by their slightly different scents. She sensed the grass, the brambles and the musk and many other things. It was amazing how she’d never smelt all these scents before. Sori was shocked by the smell of soil that engulfed everything around her. She’d already noticed that its smell got stronger before and after a storm, but she’d never quite perceived it like this. It was a rich scent, a mixture of dirt, water, stones, roots, salt and something else that Sori couldn’t figure out. It was definitely a pleasant aroma. Mmm, tonight I’m coming here again to collect some of this, I’ll put it in a jar or something, so I can smell it whenever I feel like it.

At her third breath Sori let out a gasp and snapped her head in Kyungsoo’s direction. Probably her expression was funny, because her three team mates were chuckling amusedly at her. Kyungsoo looked at her expectantly, waiting for Sori to do something.

Wanting to be sure about what she had smelt, Sori took another deep breath and opened her eyes again. Jongdae was near them. Not near enough for him to attack them, but even if did try to attack them, there were four of them while he was only one. In a tiny corner of her mind, Sori registered Hoseok’s faint scent. The bastard had ran away. She opened her eyes and turned her head towards where she’d perceived Jongdae’s scent. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun yipped happily at her and Narae proudly licked her muzzle.

They all took a couple of steps in the direction Sori had pointed at, but stopped right away at Narae’s loud wail. It hadn’t been more than a second, but it was enough for Hoseok to bite down on Narae’s flag again, drawing blood from her front paw too. Before any of them could react, Hoseok was running towards the garden again. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were standing still like statues, looking at Hoseok’s fur covered in soil and leaves as he ran away. Only then Sori realized he hadn’t ran away at all. Probably he had been watching how the boys were teaching her to capture scents and analyse them, because his scent was perfectly covered in mud and oak leaved…no one had understood he was standing right there because he had perfectly concealed his scent. Fucking bastard.

Hearing Narae whining, Sori closed the distance between them and helped her up. Her leg wasn’t bleeding anymore, but she was still limping lightly. Walking slowly, the group headed back to the garden to leave Narae with the eliminated players. As soon as Namjoon saw her he ran towards her, making sure she was fine and nothing serious had happened. Narae was only limping lightly now, yet Sori had no doubt Hoseok was going to regret biting Narae and making her bleed. Not to mention Jiho had mentioned that it was forbidden. Ah, I’ll happily watch Namjoon punch Hoseok in the face.

Sori herself didn’t know she had it in her to be this competitive, but then again she had woken up like this, so yep, she was a horrible person today, there was no denying it.

Going back to hunt down the remaining players, Sori couldn’t help but notice that the sun had gone down and that the temperature was way more bearable now. How long have we been playing? I would’ve sworn it hadn’t even passed an hour…

“Junmyeon, Yixing, you’re out”, Sori heard Jiho exclaim. Her group had already reached the first line of trees, however it was their opportunity to study how the other team’s players were organized. They turned around and looked at the formation in front of them: Jungkook was leading his group with a yellow flag hanging out of his mouth, he was followed by Minyoung, a yellow flag in her mouth and satisfied expression on her face. Taehyung and Jimin closely followed them and further behind Yixing and Junmyeon could be seen reaching the point where Jiho stood. The two of them looked quite battered, but from where she watching the scene, however they were too far for Sori to figure out what was wrong with them. To her it looked like they were lightly limping, but she couldn’t be sure from that distance.

The sight of Minyoung standing closely behind Jungkook and playing with him on the way back to the woods wasn’t pleasant. After all, Sori’s suppositions were right: Minyoung was in their group. Obviously they’d have no problem in letting her stay in their group: she was trained and useful, funny to play with and smart. Sori knew all of this, yet she couldn’t help asking herself if they would’ve been as accommodating if she were in their team. For some reason, thinking about this made her feel even more frustrated and annoyed. She huffed and entered in the woods without any hesitance. She wanted to eliminate Jongdae and then she was going to find Hoseok. He was going to pay for being a damned asshole.

Seeing that Kyungsoo and Baekhyun weren’t following her, Sori stopped and turned to look at them, trying to understand what they were waiting for. The two were staring at her, waiting, but Sori really had no clue about what they wanted. Tired of waiting for nothing, Kyungsoo loudly sniffed the air and then he pointedly looked at the only female of their group again. Taking the hint, Sori took a deep breath in the same way she’d done before. This time excluding the strongest scents was easier. She took another deep breath and pointed with her nose in the direction from where Jongdae’s scent came from.

Without wasting a second the three began walking silently again. Sori finally got the hang of it, so now she could walk without keeping her eyes on the other two guys. She knew it was just a game to learn how to use their sense better, but Sori still felt the pressured into winning. She was trying to figure out whether it was only her or if they all felt like her…like, maybe it was just her weird mood? It wasn’t really in her character to be this competitive, especially not when she knew she lacked consistently in a certain field. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, seeing it as a why to prove her worth, while it was just a chance for her to learn.

It only took her group a couple of minutes to find Jongdae. Well, it’s not like it was hard or anything. They didn’t even have to put up a fight, in fact Jongdae was peacefully sleeping under a birch tree, lulled by the sound of the leaved shaking in the breeze. To be honest it was a really cute sight, and Sori was envying him quite a lot. She’d been running non-stop while he had probably been sleeping all this time. Maybe he’d found this spot to protect himself from the sun when the game had just begun, which was probably almost two hours ago, and he’d waited for someone to spot him or something, but when nobody had shown up he’d fallen asleep. Lucky him.

Baekhyun grinned at Sori as he neared his pack mate. He blew on his nose, but Jongdae was far too gone to notice them, so he just scrunched his face a little before going back to his original position. Knowing his friend wouldn’t wake up, Baekhyun started nipping the knot that held Jongdae’s flag in place. Seeing it was tied too tight, he resigned himself and gave a real bite to the fabric right next to the knot, waking Jongdae up in the process. The wolf groggily opened his eyes, but he didn’t even have the time to realize what was happening before Baekhyun was biting down on his flag again and successfully stealing it.

Kyungsoo was wheezing a laughter, and as much as Sori was trying to keep herself from chuckling, Jongdae’s expression was too funny. The moment he jumped up, finally understanding what had happened, Sori lost it. She barked a laugh together with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo at Jongdae’s pouting face, and together they made their way towards the garden again, to hand in said guy’s flag.

Somehow, seeing how many people had already been eliminated made Sori feel a little bit better with herself. She was a nobody with little to no skills in fighting , yet she was still in the game while others, way more trained that she was, were already out. It was satisfying and pressuring at the same time, because now she knew those left in the game were the stronger and more experienced players, which automatically meant she was the next target for the red team. Oh, well, I only want to eliminate Hoseok, that little shit. Let me be the one who puts him out of this game and I’ll happily take my seat with the others…

Entering the mass of trees again, Sori recalled the first day she’d awoken after her shift. The doctor who’d informed her about her condition gave her a couple of information booklets and pamphlets about how her body and her life were expected to change from that day on. Inside one of those booklets Sori had found a short list of suggested books to read about the history of werewolves, their biology, their laws and also their defence mechanisms. Sori had gone through those boring reading slowly but she had soon brought them back to the hospital’s library, knowing she wasn’t going to remember any of those notions if she read them while she was trying to get over the fact that her old life was over and she wasn’t going to see her mother ever again unless she wanted her dead.

As the years passed, Sori forgot about those days, those books and those few information she had read about, which was why she was extremely surprised when an image from the book about defence mechanisms resurface in her mind: “Usually, when the pack only has a few members, they all stick together during an eventual attack. However, it isn’t uncommon for packs of 6-7 members, to divide into small groups in order to overwhelm the wolves who attack them by using a surprise effect…”. Will the red team use this tactic? They are actual members of a pack, so it may cross their minds…

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted the moment Sori heard Jungkook’s feral growls. Sori didn’t wait a second before she threw herself in the intricate path that would lead her to Jungkook. In less than a minute she was there, panting hard after having run fast like never before, looking at Jungkook and Sehun fighting. Or better, Jungkook was attacking Sehun, who was trying to keep his flag far from his jaws. Jungkook on the other hand was viciously biting down on his hinder leg, which wasn’t even the paw in which his flag was handing.

Kyungsoo rushed forward and grabbed Jungkook by his nape, throwing him against the trunk of a nearby tree. Sehun’s paw was heavily bleeding and he seemed to be in a lot of pain, however he didn’t wait any longer before he limped away, effectively putting some distance between him and Jungkook.

The sight of his blood had Sori feeling queasy right away, and suddenly having eaten lunch seemed like an awful idea. She sat down by the nearest tree and she leaned against it with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths with her mouth to keep the scent of blood out of her nose. She could only be thankful for the fact that the wind was picking up, since it was helping her with her nausea. It was a tell tale of the storm that was going to start in a couple of hours.

The annoying noises around her forced her to open her eyes again. In front of her Jongin and Kyungsoo were holding a red flag in their mouths, while Taehyung’s paw was resting on a yellow one. Jimin and Minyoung had lost their flags, but unfortunately Jongin had lost his too. They looked around for Sehun for a while, but seeing that he wasn’t there anymore they left, opting to come back to look for him later.

Once again, the whole group made its way to Jiho, knowing that now the game was about to end and that the yellow team was the favoured one. The smell of blood seemed to be lingering all the way to the garden and it was making Sori feel sick. Now, throwing up in front of all the guys would be too embarrassing for Sori to live through the experience, so she needed to keep her lunch in. At least until she was back in the wood with only Baekhyun and Kyungsoo.

As they got to the garden, Sori found out why she could smell the scent of Sehun’s blood all the way till here: Hoseok had stolen Sehun’s flag, and now Sehun was laying down on the lawn while Jin, who was back in his human form, and Jiho were putting gauze and disinfectant on his mauled paw. Really Hoseok? What’s wrong with you today? Giving up on keeping her distance with Sehun, Sori reached the point where he was laying down, wanting to make sure he wasn’t too badly injured.

“Okay, I’d say you’ll be fine by tomorrow morning, however I think you shouldn’t walk on that paw until tomorrow, because the dashes seem to be pretty deep. Can you turn? I’d like to check your leg in your human form”, Jin asked him looking at Jiho, who only nodded in agreement. His hand were grazing Sehun’s fur on his back, comforting him, as his eyes were examining his paw. A few moments later Sehun was stark naked in his human form. Sori blushed a bit and trying to advert his eyes from his naked glory.

“Like what you see?”, Sehun panted out. Sori supposed he was trying to mock her, but his pained expression failed to deliver his attempt of flirting. A whimper left Sori’s lips at the sight of his poor leg. His whole calf and ankle were covered in blood and in the marks of Jungkook’s teeth. It looked very much like the poor deer a bear had chewed on on a documentary Sori had watched a couple of days ago. “Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it seems”, Sehun told her, patting her head with a trembling hand. Sori knew he didn’t want her to worry about him, but the way his leg looked…however she didn’t want him to worry either, for she knew he’d be fine soon, so she licked him on the cheek to comfort him.

“Mmm, I think it’ll heal faster if we stitch itup a little. Is that fine with you?”, Jin said while he was trying to apply enough pressure to stop the excessive loss of blood.

“’Kay, no problem”, Sehun accepted the offer. Sori felt really sorry for him, as she knew perfectly well that he’d have to be stitched without any anaesthesia nor be on any pain medication, because no painkiller worked on werewolves.

“C’mon guys, lets allow Jin to work. Go end this game”, Jiho shooed them away. Junmyeon settled himself next to Sehun, nodding at Sori, informing her he’d make sure Sehun was okay.

Albeit hesitantly, Sori, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo made their way back in the midst of trees, roots and rocks. They were only a couple of meters behind the rift of trees when Baekhyun stopped in front of them and started digging a small hole in the ground. The soil pooled around him, creating a small mound around him. Having understood his pack mate’s idea, Kyungsoo begun digging another small hole. Seeing Sori wasn’t moving, Baekhyun barked at her. His eyes were radiating a very angry glaze. Yeah, so maybe Hoseok shouldn’t have taken Sehun’s flag like that. There was a big chance she wouldn’t be the one to eliminate Hoseok anymore because, let’s be real, Baekhyun had been training for years now, just like the rest of EXO, so there was little to no chance for her to be the one to eliminate him from the game. Or maybe Baekhyun would point Jungkook since he was the one who mauled Sehun’s paw… right?

Since Baekhyun was growing even more annoyed as the time passed and Sori didn’t move, before he growled at her again, Sori begun digging her own little hole without having properly understood what was going on. Once the three holes seemed to be deep enough, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo started rolling from side to side on the ground, covering themselves in the soil that they’d previously piled up. That was when the bell in Sori’s mind ringed and she started rolling down like the two guys were doing. They were covering their scents like Hoseok did earlier.

At this point Sori could tell Baekhyun had a plan, yet she hadn’t figure out what he wanted to do. Moreover, there was a huge possibility that Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung were now a team, which would mean that Baekhyun and Kyungsoo would’ve have to fight on their own, because she would be totally useless once it came to facing her four pack-mates.

In spite of knowing that, Sori still followed her two teammates, thinking that maybe she could offer herself as a distraction while the other two stayed hidden until they could freely attack the three members left of the red team. The other two stopped behind a large mulberry bush, studying the situation in front of them. Sori couldn’t really see or hear anything that could mean Taehyung, Jungkook, Jimin and Hoseok were coming, but since she was also the less experienced one, she could only trust Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. The two of them were attentively listening and sniffing with their noses in the air. Sori caught the exact moment Baekhyun heard the sound he was looking for, because his ears twitched, his body tensed up and his eyes darkened. Kyungsoo caught up with him pretty soon, and then suddenly they were staring at Sori as if they meant to say something… which, once again, Sori didn’t understand. To be fair, this time she had no time to figure out what they expected from her, because out of nowhere Sori could hear the rumbling of paws nearing their hiding spot. Baekhyun, still staring at her, put his paw on her own paw and slowly he dragged his head up and down. Sori really wanted to hit him just because he was taking for granted she’d understood what he was trying to tell her.

And then both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo jumped out, throwing themselves at the wolves passing in front of the bushes. Sori was completely taken by surprise, and for a couple of seconds she could only stare at the spot in which Baekhyun was sitting a moment ago. The growls and barks managed to snap her back in the reality.

Sori was sneaking around the bush, studying the situation in front of her, waiting for the best moment to jump out of the bushes and steal at least a flag before she was eliminated. The wolves were pretty much on the same level, because from what she could see, where Baekhyun and Kyungsoo lacked in size, they supplied with their cunning skills.

The moment Baekhyun’s back touched the ground and Taehyung laid on him, trying to lock him in a position that would allow him to steal his flag, Sori decided it was high time she appeared. Unfortunately her attack was very short lived, because Taehyung saw her with the corner of his eye and his head snapped in her direction. However, not every cloud has a silver lining, so when Taehyung jumped to attack Sori, Baekhyun caught one of his hinder paws, making him lose his balance, and resulting in Taehyung harshly bashing his muzzle on the ground..A pained whine left his mouth and a second later Baekhyun was biting down on the red fabric of Taehyung’s flag. Taehyung was lightly protesting (or maybe he was just writhing from the pain), so Sori rushed to sit on his back until Baekhyun lifted his head, holding the flag on his mouth.

Their joy didn’t last long, thought, because when Baekhyun reached the spot where Kyungsoo was still fighting with Jungkook, a heavy weight dropped on Sori. At first she was pretty sure it was a tree, but a second later she could feel someone breathing heavily on her neck. Hoseok. This bastard.

Sori said goodbye to the chance of being the one to eliminate him, because there was no way she was going to steal his flag on her own. When he pushed her on the ground she opposed no resistance. She slid down and even let him roll her on her back. Sori was pretty sure she wouldn’t have counter attacked had she not seen his annoying smirk right in front of her face. Out of nowhere her hinder paws were pushing Hoseok away with all her strength, and Hoseok, taken by surprise, was slammed against a rock. Sori took that chance to steal a bite on his flag, knowing full well that her teeth were as sharp as razors, keeping in mind that if she left and indent in the fabric Baekhyun would have found it easier to take his flag right away. Talking about him, Sori didn’t even exactly know whether he was still in the game, because all she could hear from behind her were growls.

Her attention was focus on Hoseok once again as he unsteadily lifted himself from the ground. That's what you get for acting like a piece of crap! He weakly leaped on Sori direction, but his jump was a little pathetic. It was quite evident his back had bumped pretty hard against the rock. Sorry, not sorry.

Once again he was laying down on the ground, pushing himself up to attack her. Sori took this chance and bumped her shoulder against his hips, sending him sprawling again. Turning around, she took the red and dusty fabric with her teeth and gave it a hard pull. The already damaged fabric finally tore and Sori ended with her ass on the ground as a consequence.

It didn’t register for a couple of seconds, but then she was jumping up and down happily barking: she’s stolen Hoseok’s flag!

Shortly after she was joined by the two teammates, who were howling just as happily. Baekhyun was bleeding mildly from his front paw and had lost his flag, but in Kyungsoo’s mouth rested Jungkook’s flag, while Jimin's was under his paw.

They had won!

Chapter Text

“We’re going out later, do you want to come?”, Yoongi asked, slipping his head in Sori room instead of fully opening the door of her room.

“To go where?”. Sori lazily asked him. She actually wanted to join him since she had to buy a present for Narae’s birthday, but she was writing a chapter of her novel, and she was afraid of wasting the inspiration she had been feeling since that morning.

“Nothing much, just the mall. We have to buy a couple of things and go grocery shopping”, he shrugged opening the door a bit more. “And before you ask, there’s going to be me, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook”, he sent a wink in her direction. At that Sori turned back to face her computer, trying to hide her red cheeks to Yoongi’s sly eyes. Ever since the training session Jungkook had been acting kinder than usual towards her, or at least kinder than he’d been in the last few months, and Sori couldn’t help but be happy about it. He wasn’t even acting all nice just when they were alone, and that had surprised her a lot, but since for once it was a positive kind of surprise, she accepted it gladly. Albeit it was a bit embarrassing when he talked with her in front of the other guys, and things were still a bit awkward between them, it felt good to see him trying to be more gentle. However, Sori couldn’t help but wonder about the cause of his sudden change of behaviour.

“Uhm, 'kay, I need to buy something too, I’ll go with you guys”, Sori nodded slowly at him, “what time are we leaving?”.

“Not too late since we also have to pick up Hoseok from his studio… how about 15.30? It should be okay for the others too, so Jungkook will have enough time to eat and wash up before leaving”, Yoongi told her, thinking things through to set the perfect time for everyone.

“Mmm, fine. I’m calling shots for driving there with you!”, Sori half yelled at him before he closed the door. She had no problem with Taehyung and Jimin, and even with Jungkook things were going better, but when the three of them were together annoying and upsetting things tended to happen, hence why Sori didn’t want to risk it. It was her first afternoon out after a while, and honestly she wanted to have a good time. Lately she had started feeling less nauseous and tired, but since summer was finally coming and also because she was feeling better, and she wanted to spend some quality time with Yoongi. After all it’d been a while since they had last hang out alone, as she had been working on her book, staying at the lake and spending time with EXO, while he was always with Hoseok or working, and just like he’d told her a couple of days ago, Sori missed spending time with Yoongi.

Yoongi had been one of the first to be nice to her when she joined BTS. He never liked to be too openly touchy and affectionate, but he often checked on her before going to sleep or leaving for work, and he always bought her small gifts when he went to the mall. Yoongi was never was to talk a lot, but he listened well to all her concerns, giving her his opinion when he felt like it might help her. He and Jin had this trait in common, which was probably one of the reasons why she felt so close with them. Sori was always very thankful to Yoongi, because she had the impression that without his help she wouldn’t have stayed in the pack. In a certain way Yoongi had been even more important than Narae in letting her in their group. Narae had helped her and she was the reason why the pack had accepted her as a new member, but Yoongi was the reason why she stayed in the pack and she got to know the other members well.

As the time passed they got quite close, and he eventually told her that his older brother had married a turned-were more than a century and half ago, so he had been in contact with “normal” turned-weres way longer than anyone else in the pack. Yoongi even told Sori he would have gladly introduce the two of them, so that Sori could have a sort of mentor that could actually answer her questions since his sister-in-law knew what she’d been through. Not to mention that through the years she had also been involved in campaigns against the condition of turned-weres, and that had lead her to meeting other people who shared her beliefs. As far as Yoongi knew, his sister-in-law was also friends with other turned-weres that were not used as mere prostitutes, which could allow Sori to make new friends. He always did his best her to the top of his abilities.

However, Yoongi had too had been lonely all along, so Sori couldn’t really blame him for wanting to spend more time with Hoseok lately. Once Jin had explained her that those two had liked each other for a very long time, yet they had grown up inside a close-minded society, in which being gay was seen as disease that had to be extirpated. This made it really hard for them to accept their feelings and their sexuality, also because they both of them had been with girls before, so for a very long time they attributed their very touchy and deep friendship to the fact that they were best friends. Sure they had also seen how society evolved in the past century, learning to accept homosexuality, but hearing stories from other people, made it seem like changing your ways is easy, when in fact it is not.

Yoongi once told her he always envied the teenagers of this new society, since they could freely choose what they wanted to be and what they wanted to believe. They were all young and free, with a brilliant future in front of them, while he was young only on the outside. He was really old indeed, and so was Hoseok. They had been on the same pack for centuries, and hearing it like that made it seem like an incredibly short period of time, when in fact Sori couldn’t even imagine how hard it must’ve been for them to be together for so long refusing to accept their true nature.

Sori could see them struggling with their beliefs and needs, but how could she help them when she couldn’t even help herself? Before joining the pack she had dated no one, no boyfriends, no real-life crushes, no sentimental life at all, thus she had no experience on that field. Despite being totally inexperienced, Sori wanted to be there for the two them, so whenever they spoke about their feelings and beliefs Sori lent them a ear. She let them speak as long as they wanted, for there was nothing else she could do for them, and probably there was not many people they could feel as comfortable with, since almost all of their packmates were just as old as them. After all Sori couldn’t quite think of a way to help them apart from being there for them and giving them tight bear hugs when she thought they needed one. Sori was still rooting for them. After all these years it was time for them to accept their feelings.

“So, did you ask her?”

“Mmm”, Jungkook fidgeted, playing with a thread sticking out from the hem of his shirt.

“Really? How much of a loser can you be?”, Jimin shook his head, “She’s not coming today, is she?”, he inquired raising an eyebrow.

“No, I asked Yoongi hyung to ask her, and he told me she’s coming, but she wants to stay with him only”, Jungkook shrugged, pretending he wasn’t disappointed about it. Yoongi had been all cheeky about it, and it didn’t surprise Jungkook since the two were quite close and lately they hadn’t spent as much time together as they usually did, yet he couldn’t stop his jealousy.

He’d been putting some efforts in stitching back his relationship with Sori, but the improvement wasn’t much up until now. Surely things were going better, but it wasn’t going how he had imagined it to. Jungkook knew he screwed up, but Sori had always been a forgiving person and so he had believed things would’ve been okay after he apologized. Actually Jungkook never had to apologize before, which could also be because he had never told her she looked like a whale or a monkey before, but still…

Actually apologizing hadn’t been as hard as he had imagined, for he had been feeling down ever since those words had left his mouth and apologizing made him feel a little bit better with himself. Jungkook still couldn’t pinpoint why he said those words to Sori. He didn’t believe any of them, nor had he ever thought of telling her something like that, which made him feel even worse about having told her those things right to her face. Before apologizing his nights had been sleepless, and he was so distracted he’d broken a whole set of glasses at work, for whom he’d had to pay after having received a harsh reprimand.

Seeing the looks his two friends were giving him, Jungkook added: “Think about it. Do you really think Sori would’ve accepted it if it were me asking her?”. The two smiled sadly at him. “And I can’t even blame her for wanting to keep some distance with me”, Jungkook whispered. The fact that Sori was still cold around him was depressing. Jungkook had gotten used to Sori secretly glancing at him, cooking for him and even letting him off the hook easily, so this was all new for him. And it was not a good kind of new, in his opinion.

“Come on, don’t put yourself down too much! Sure, you acted like an ass and if I were her I’d have kicked you in the balls so hard you wouldn’t have walked for a week, but you’ve apologized and you’re trying to show Sori that you care about her”, Jimin told him comfortingly as he patted him lightly on the back. If only apologizing was enough...

“Right. I think we’ve all noticed how you stopped acting like a duche, don’t give up yet!”, the ever so encouraging Taehyung said, “I have to apologize for a couple of things I said as too, and I’m waiting for the right moment to do it. Let’s try to make the best out of today and buy her something pretty as a first attempt of an apology”, Taehyung showed him his rectangular smile. His two friends had been very supportive and in the last weeks they’d been trying to figure out a plan to help him gain Sori’s forgiveness once again. They had also insulted him quite a bit when Jungkook informed them about the things he’d told to Sori a couple of weeks ago, but they didn’t give up on him, which was more than enough for him.

“What do you want to buy?”, Yoongi asked her without moving his eyes from the street. He was a good driver, no rushing, no braking out of nowhere, no almost bumping in other cars just because. He was definitely a much better driver than Namjoon and Taehyung. Sori felt at ease when Yoongi was driving.

“Not sure yet. I’ve been looking for things online, but I wasn’t really convinced by anything yet. I mean…there were tons of pretty things, but I’m not sure whether they’d be the right present for Narae. So I’m just looking for something in general”, Sori answered looking out of the window. “Have you decided what you’ll buy yet?”

“Nope”, Yoongi said popping the “p”. “Actually, I didn’t exactly remember her birthday was coming, so I haven’t thought of anything yet. I just wanted to buy some clothes for me and get out of the house for a while without it being because of work”, he shrugged. “I guess I’ll just follow you around and look out for something that catches my attention. It’s not like Narae doesn’t have money to buy the things she needs and I can’t think of anything she might want”. Sori nodded understandingly at his words. She was having the same exact issue. She wanted to buy a pretty but useful gift for her best friend, however Narae had always had a lot of money, so there weren’t many things she needed nor wanted. Her original family and pack were both very rich, thus Narae had always had whatever she wanted without ever having to worry about wasting money. BTS wasn’t poor, not at all, but Sori couldn’t imagine the use of wasting hundreds on a present Narae wouldn’t even need. She’d made a list of possible presents, but in the end she had nothing left on her list a part from jewels, books, shoes or purses, and none of them were things Narae could possibly need seeing how she’d turned one of the rooms on the third floor into her personal wardrobe.

“I’m looking for clothes too, actually”, Sori turned on the radio, adjusting the volume so that the music would just be a comfortable background to their conversation.

“Namjoon?”, Yoongi chuckled. Sori scrunched her nose in displeasure.

“Yesterday he came to my room looking like a mad man and handed me a lot of money I don’t need. Like, he actually apologized for having forgotten about giving me the money before, and that he wanted me to buy whatever I wanted with it, and that if I wanted more I only had to ask”, Sori’s expression showed her distaste for her alpha’s behaviour. “I told him I didn’t needed it, but he insisted it’s been a while ever since I last bought clothes and that since I’ve slimmed down a bit I need new dresses and pants. He was so adamant about it, I felt bad just at the idea of telling him I still haven’t even used the money he gave me the last time yet”. Yoongi chuckled shaking his head. To him it looked like Namjoon hadn’t found a way to show Sori he cared about her, so he gave her big allowances as a form of affection. Unfortunately Namjoon hadn’t do the same with him. Yoongi would’ve known how to spend that money.

“Oh, come on, just accept it. You know he’s paranoid about not being a good alpha and not giving you enough attention, and since you never ask for things…why don’t you just keep it in case you need anyhing? You never know right?”, Yoongi tried to make her rationalize her weird fear of spending and been given money.

“Yes, but it’s not like I need THAT much money anyway. He’s been giving me so much money lately that I’ve even thought about opening a bank account in my name”, Sori half joked, half coplained. Obviously Namjoon wouldn’t know about it, because he was just too sensitive about this topic, and Sori didn’t want to upset him. “Moreover I might make money on my own soon”, Sori mumbled. Noticing how Yoongi was eyeing her, she quickly added: “I’m not leaving the house, though. Just…do you remember when I told I always liked to write? Mmm, I might have the chance of publishing one of my books soon”.

“Oh, really?! That’s great, but how did it happen?”, he asked her smiling brightly.

The rest of the way to the mall was spent with Sori telling him about her job interview and Yoongi asking her questions about it every now and them. He was humming at the song that was playing on the radio as Sori spoke. Just like he always did when he was on a good mood or he felt comfortable. It felt good to know he still felt comfortable around her. It was good to know he wasn’t stopping her from pursuing her dream.

“Do you plan on buying something for her?”, Taehyung asked Jungkook. He’d been thinking about possible presents for Sori, but he could only think of food which wasn’t necessarily a bad idea, but he was scared she might misinterpret his present and he really didn’t want Sori to be mad at him anymore.

“Not really? I mean, I think she only came because she wants to buy a present for Narae, so... well, from what hyung told me, Sori wants to spend time with him. I don’t think I’ll get as much as minute alone with her to give her a present or even just talk, really”, Jungkook scoffed rolling his eyes. Jimin and Taehyung smirked at him. Jungkook was too easy to read for his own good. At times Jimin wondered how the others hadn’t figured out his feelings for Sori yet.

“Well, so why don’t you go ask Sori her opinion about something you want to buy for Narae and use that as an excuse to drag her away from Yoongi hyung?”, Jimin intervened. Jungkook could already feel his cheeks warming up. The things he had to do because of Sori.

“I don’t think she’ll want to come with me. I just…ugh…I want to spend some quality time with her, not spend an hour talking about Narae. Let alone that I have no idea about what I’ll give Narae as a gift either, so how do I ask her about her opinion if I don’t have an opinion to submit to her in the first place?”, Jungkook was starting to get annoyed at his two friends. They always made things seem easier than they actually were. He wanted to add more, but his phone ringed and he got distracted checking the text that he had just received.

“Is it Namjoon again? I swear, if he tells us we have to be back by 17.40 tops I’m going to purposefully bump against the first truck I see”, Taehyung scoffed annoyed. Namjoon had been a little overbearing lately. Jungkook had known him long enough to know Namjoon had figured it out too and was trying to get a hold of himself, albeit he clearly wasn’t really succeeding in it. It was relatable though: there was a real threat to his pack, and he couldn’t follow all of them around, so his alphas instincts were all over the place.

“I guess we’re going to be late if we destroy the car, but I’m scared about what will happen if we don’t die on the impact. Like, do you remember what happened the last time you didn’t answer his calls when you had broken your arm?”, Jimin cheekily replayed, patting his friend on the thigh.

“Oh…shit”, Taehyung answered, remembering the pathetic episode, “but we can answer our phones and still be late, right? I mean, if we don’t die we’ll have to be late for sure: we would have to be brought to the hospital, then we would also have to discover where the car was towed to and how much it was damaged, and then we would have to walk home. We can do this, right?”, he wondered playfully. It was actually terrifying for Jungkook, because Taehyung was totally capable of doing that stunt if it meant more freedom for a couple of hours. Not to mention that his driving skills weren’t exactly his best skills. Okay, maybe Namjoon had been more than a little overbearing in the last couple of days, but still…

“No, it’s not Namjoon, it’s Minyoung”, he quickly informed them, hoping they would be satisfied with his answer, although he already knew they wouldn’t. A heavy silence followed his words. Taehyung and Jimin exchanged a look, having a silent conversation.

“So, mind telling us how things are going between the two of you?”, Taehyung asked, as he shot a look at Jungkook through the rear view mirror. Jungkook knew it was coming. He should’ve known they wouldn’t have lasted until they reached the mall before they started with their personal investigation.

“What do you mean?”, Jungkook sight, slouching down on his seat. He’d already imagined Jimin and Taehyung were only waiting for this to start digging in his business. Jungkook was starting to feel grateful Sori and Yoongi had chosen to drive on their own till the mall.

“We mean that the two of you lately are attached by the hip. Really, what do you even talk about this much?”, Jimin questioned him half annoyed. “It’s not like you’ve known each other for that long. I always see the two of you chatting and laughing. That’s what we mean”, Jimin concluded his speech raising an eyebrow at the younger in the back seat.

“There’s nothing going on between us...”, but having noticed the sarcastic glares his two friends were giving him, he quickly added: “I swear there’s nothing between us!”. Jungkook shoved his hands in the air to prove his innocence. A groan left his lips as his two friends stared at him in disbelief.

“Yeah, your nothing really seemed like something to the rest of us, though. You haven’t answered to Jimin’s question”, Taehyung still sounded very sarcastic. As for Jimin, he was still staring at him with an eyebrow raised. Jungkook seriously took in consideration the idea of telling him that scrunching his forehead like that would give him wrinkles just to be petty, but in the end he decided against it.

“Think whatever you want”, Jungkook said in exasperation. “We talk about many things. She’s really nice, and if you actually stepped up to get to know her better you’d know that by now. Not to mention that her original pack was very similar to mine, you know, all the unbreakable rules, punishments, strictness in people’s relationship, the strong hierarchy, etc…It’s easy for me to talk with her”, he shrugged, hoping his answer would satisfy them and finally allow him to change the topic of the conversation. His old pack wasn’t a topic he liked to discuss often, since that kind of strictness wasn’t seen well in the werewolves society anymore and it often brought strong criticism to his father and his whole former pack. Jungkook wasn’t proud of how he’d grown up, but at the same time it was his pack and his father. He didn’t like to hear any criticism about them, also because he didn’t think it was really that bad to live with firm rules and control, you only had to learn what you could and couldn’t do.

“By that you mean you’ve used Sori as a conversation starter, right?”, Jimin mocked him, and without letting Jungkook speak, he mumbled: “Pathetic”. Jimin had always strongly criticised his pack and the way Jungkook had been brought up with these ideas about turned-werewolves being mere servants to born-werewolves. Jimin himself recognized he still had confusing behaviours towards Sori, but he justified his mistakes and action with the lack of contact with turned-werewolves. In his original pack there were only two turned-werewolves, but they were really old and liked to live on their own, so they never mingled with the rest of the pack a part from some rare occasions. Jimin’s mother had told him that the times had changed but old scars don’t heal.

“Oh, come on, hyung, why are you being like this? I just told her I knew it was hard to accept Sori for what she is because we haven’t been brought up to accept people like her as our equals, we didn’t spend whole afternoon talking about her”. Jungkook was starting to feel really annoyed now. Out of everyone else in the pack, Jimin and Taehyung must’ve been the two to notice his efforts in gaining Sori’s forgiveness the most, so why were they bringing up all of this right now? Moreover he saw nothing wrong with what he’d done. You can’t simply change your mind about all the things you’ve been taught from night to morning. Minyoung felt weird and he helped her, end of the story.

“Yeah, well, I guess you talked about Sori a little longer than that, but whatever. Why didn’t you bring her with us? Scared Minyoung could misunderstand your intentions if she saw you pining after Sori?”, Jimin teased him. Jungkook furrowed his eyebrows at his words. He wasn’t pining after her, he only missed her as a friend and he was tired of feeling guilty because of something he wished he never said in the first place.

“I’m not pining after anyone, I just want to get over this mess”, Jungkook spoke through his teeth. “I didn’t invite her because I didn’t feel like it, can’t I spend my time however I want?” He frowned. Jimin raised his hands in the air as if he was surrendering. “It’s not like she has to be my shadow, I can still decide to spend time with other people if I want to”.

“Don’t act all innocent in front of us, Kookie”, Taehyung bit back at the youngest of the group.

“Do you still go around telling people you believe Sori is involved with the group of rogues?”, Taehyung smirked, knowing full well that Jungkook was getting really irked by the continuous pressure he and Jimin were putting on him. By the face of the younger, he had obviously thought they were letting go Sori and Minyoung’s topics.

Jungkook held back the snarls that was about to leave his mouth, and took a deep breath. As much as he wanted them to understand, they just couldn’t. No one in his pack could. A part from Minyoung, maybe. “I don’t just go around throwing shit at her. You know it’s a possibility. Not to mention that she “casually” started going out this much right when this whole shit with the rogues started. I remember you saying it seemed weird to you as well no further than a week ago”, Jungkook raised an eyebrow. “Moreover, I’m not forcing anyone to believe it, I’m just stating it’s a possibility since you can never trust people like her”, he leaned back on his seat.

“And if your oh-so-convinced she might betray us, why are you trying to gain her forgiveness?”, Jimin sarcastically asked him. Jungkook knew Jimin had a weak spot for Sori, but he tried to hide when the others were around, yet to him and Taehyung it was clear. He liked to cuddle with her and he always checked how much she was eating, at what time she was leaving, how her temperature was. Jimin was a clingy person, and he was often left out whenever Jungkook and Taehyung played a prank on Sori.

“I simply said it could happen, not that I’m sure about it. Can’t you just shut up?”, Jungkook tried to stop the conversation from going further on. He knew that Sori probably wasn’t doing anything wrong, but the continuous prodding about Sori annoyed him. He was still a pure born-werewolf, and there were no turned-weres in his family. They were pure. In the old society his family had gained power exactly because of the fact that there was no turned-were blood in their family. His friend’s words sort of implied he had feelings for her, and it really annoyed him. Even though in his head he knew it might’ve been true, it still bothered him. One thing was believing and knowing you cared more than you’d like to admit about a person, but letting other people know about it was not something Jungkook wanted. The things Jungkook had told them about Sori betraying the pack were merely a way to stop them from saying he was jealous, but then Jimin and Taehyung ended up giving the idea a thought. It happened at times that Sori left the house for hours and somehow the three of them found themselves speculating about her whereabouts and her intentions. There was no proof, but to Jungkook it felt very intriguing, as if they were detectives. And it was also quite childish, but in his head they were doing nothing wrong. In his head there was nothing wrong with coming up with weird mysterious stories about a turned-were, after all there was no born-were who hadn’t heard about turned-weres. Everyone knew they were traitors and they were always seeking for money. The stories he, Jimin and Taehyung came up with were nothing more than that: stories.

“Sure. Well, Jin hyung wasn’t really pleased with your theories though”, Taehyung lightly informed him. “For a second I thought he was going to hit me when I told him about them”. Jungkook sighed as he rubbed his face with his hands. This wasn’t how he’d planned his afternoon.

“Jeez, why did you tell him?”, Jimin almost screeched, panic clear in his voice. Jin had this weird thing about him that turned him in a second from lovely to scary, and no one needed angry Jin in the house.

“Mmm, it was after the last time we went clubbing. I mean, Jin hyung wasn’t really pleased with the things I told Sori that night, so he came to have a…very short chat with me about it. It just sort of slipped out of my mouth?”, Taehyung smiled sheepishly, “It came out before I realized it. I swear, it didn’t even seem that bad until Jin hyung begun turning red, and then, well, you know him, right?”. Awesome. Now they’re all going to blame it on me. As of now Jungkook could only hope the news didn’t reach Sori’s ears, or he’d never gain her forgiveness again. He was pretty sure he was swimming in a pool of shit right now. Or at least it felt like it.

“Have you finally found something you like?”, Yoongi sighed in despair. He refused to leave the mall before Sori bought at least one piece of clothing, but after almost an hour his resolution was weakening. He had sort of promised Namjoon he was going to make sure Sori didn’t leave the mall empty handed, but it looked like Sori’s anxiety over spending other people’s money had worsened. At this point they had literally checked out all the clothes of all the shops in the mall, but Sori had bought nothing, because every time she found a piece of clothing of her liking, its price was too high for her standards.

“Mmm”, Sori hummed, “Not sure yet? I think I found Narae’s present thought! Why don’t you join the others while I make a quick stop to the shop we saw on our way here?”, Sori tried to chase Yoongi away without making it too obvious. She had actually found a present for Narae, but she’d also set her eyes on a burgundy dress, and it was quite a sexy dress. It had a low cut that showed a bit of her cleavage and it was also tight enough on the right places. Or at least it looked so. Sori wanted to try it on, but she didn’t want Yoongi to see the dress since she felt embarrassed just by the thought of it. The guys were already waiting for them at the nearby café, so she wasn’t just pushing him away and leaving him alone, he would have some company, and maybe they could also get started with the groceries.

“Nope, not going anywhere without you, darling. Why are you kicking me out?”, Yoongi faked an hurt and overly dramatic voice. Sori hated it when he was sarcastic like that.

“I'm not chasing you away, I'm just trying to have some time on my own?”, Sori grimaced a bit at her own words. She didn’t raise her eyes to meet Yoongi’s while she was speaking. She sort of knew he was going to be disappointed, but then again, was is it really necessary for him to be there? Don’t males traditionally get bored while girls try dresses on?

“We have like”, he checked it on his phone to be accurate, “15 minutes before we have to meet the guys at the café, so just move it, Sori”, he told her. “And no, I’m not leaving without you. I already know you like that red-something dress, just try in on and let’s go buy Narae’s present”. Yoongi’s infamous scowl was finally showing up. Not good.

“It’s burgundy, not red.”, Sori muttered under her breath. “But…”, Sori tried again. What if the dress looked bad on her and he saw it on her?

“Okay, no buts. Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn’t. How do you think Namjoon would react if he were to hear I left you alone to get some coffee? And for your information, I don’t want to leave anyway”, he made his way to the shop they had visited only a couple of minutes earlier, and then he plopped down on the seat right beside the changing rooms as soon as they got there. “Just try that red-something dress on and let’s go buy Narae’s present”, he told her as he crossed his arms on his chest

Sori mentally facepalmed before huffing and entering the farthest changing room from where Yoongi was seating. It’s not like she was afraid he’d judge her. Sori had never felt like Yoongi was judging her, but her body always made her feel uncomfortable and whenever she had to try clothes on she felt unsatisfied. Going shopping was a very stressing task for Sori, as the clothes she liked never quite fit her body the way she would've liked them to and it bothered her. It was nobody’s fault, but she liked having some minutes on her own right after having tried clothes on. She made sure the curtain was perfectly closed and quickly removed her clothes. It was a lovely dress, and Sori would’ve loved it for it fit her well. She knew she had lost some weight lately, however she had this unsettling feeling in her chest that told her it wouldn’t look good on her. Sighing, she decided to try it on anyways, so that Yoongi wouldn’t nag her for being slow nor insist to look for another dress. Slowly, Sori opened the zip of the dress and soon after she could feel the fabric of the dress sliding up her legs and tummy. It didn’t seem too tight yet, just really fit, and that was when she knew she wouldn’t like whatever she was going to see in the mirror. She only turned back towards the mirror once the zip was closed.

And there it was. Once again, she disliked what was right in front of her. In spite of the fact that the dress fit her better than she’d expected and it also underlined the slimness of her short legs, it put way too much emphasis on her round hips. Moreover the fabric was really tight on her breasts, which had been hurting for a couple of days now, so all the squeezing they were suffering wasn’t pleasurable. It took her less than a minute to decide she wasn’t buying it. To decide she wasn’t buying any clothes today. Sori hang the dress back on its hanger and left the changing room in a second. Yoongi looked quite surprised by her sudden change of heart, but he didn’t question her, he just followed her. He didn't need to. He had noticed the upset look on Sori’s face.

Sori was resting, sprawled on her bed, staring at the ceiling, completely lost in her doom. She knew it was coming, just like every single time she went shopping, but in the end a tiny part of her was also satisfied.

All in all, Sori believed her fool mood was mostly caused by nothing but pms. It was high time her period arrived. Her stupid period had never been regular , and the worst was that the later it arrived the more it hurt, and Sori knew damn well this time it was going to hurt like a bitch, so she could only hope for it to arrive soon. She curled up on a small tight ball and let her mind run free from a thought to the other, losing the sense of time. It was only when someone knocked at her door that Sori came back to earth. She stretched her arms and the legs, then she stood up and went to see who was knocking.

To her surprise, there was more than just a “someone”, in fact in front of her stood Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook. Each one of them was carrying a small bag and was wearing an uncomfortable expression. Not knowing what to say, Sori stepped on the side to let them in her room. She closed the door behind them and went back to sit on her bed. What did I do this time?

A moment of silence followed as they took a seat on the floor, making her the highest person in the room, which felt slightly uncomfortable for her. Usually Jungkook or Taehyung would’ve stood taller than her since they were obviously more powerful than Sori, yet the fact that they were all voluntarily sitting on a lower spot than her made her the most powerful person in the room. Sori had imagined more than once how it’d feel to be the most influential person in the room, however now that she actually was given it that title, it didn’t feel good at all. She wasn't influencing anyone. To lessen the height difference, Sori crossed her legs, put her elbow on her tight and rested her cheek on the palm of her hand.

“So, is there… something you wish to talk to me about?”. Sori broke the highly uncomfortable silence. To be honest she was feeling that uncomfortable because the three guys sitting in front of her were visibly grimacing at their own awkwardness, since to Sori it was better that they told her whatever they wanted in her room, where she could at least have a little bit of privacy to digest their words.

Sori’s eyes were studying the expressions sported by the trio without having much of a clue about what was going on. While Taehyung and Jimin were sporting red cheeks and making awkward gestures with their hands, Jungkook seemed to be cowering and wishing to be anywhere but there. Sori couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him at the moment: Jungkook was used to being acknowledge as a strong wolf, almost like a leader, so sitting there, at the same level as the other two wolves must’ve been hard for him. Not to mention being in a lower position than a turned-were. It was hard not to smirk at the irony of the situation they were in. Jungkook being on a lower status than her was really ironic. Albeit her mood wasn’t the best at the moment, she recognized that this moment should be remembered as the iconic day in which the infamous Jeon Jungkook willingly submitted to a turned-were. And accepting to sit on the ground instead of on the chair was exactly that: he was recognising her power.

Thinking about it, the situation was really unusual. If she had made a mistake, why were they submitting to her? Sori was perplexed, but then Taehyung finally spilled the reason why they were in her room, and everything assumed a different meaning.

“I, uhm, no, we… uhm, we wanted to make sure you have forgiven us for being, well, assholes”, Taehyung stuttered sheepishly. Sori felt her eyes widening in surprise. What the heck? Are they making fun of me?

“Actually, I’m here because I felt like I haven’t been a great friend to you lately”, Jimin informed her keeping his eyes on the ground. In their society, not meeting someone’s eyes could easily been a sign of weakness. She furrowed her eyebrows. This was not okay. Did they do something behind my back I should know about?

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, uhm, you know the day we went to the club and EXO was there. You know the things I said…I was worried you might think I really believe in those words”, Taehyung scratched his neck. Sori would’ve cooed at his unease had she not been that surprised. “And well, Jungkook has other things to apologize for”. Sori clearly saw Jungkook nudge his hyung, yet she pretended she didn’t notice.

“And well…I just feel like I should’ve been a better friend in general? I know lately you’ve been turning to EXO because you’ve been feeling alone in here, and I can’t help but blame myself a little”, Jimin told her softly. Sori’s nose scrunched up at his words. Again with EXO.

“I’m not just being friendly with EXO because of that!”, she felt the words leaving her mouth before she could stop herself. “They’ve all been really nice to from day one, so there no need to pity me, albeit it’s true you’ve not been exactly been the best of friends”. Sori covered her mouth as soon as she realized what she had said. She’d been having mean thoughts about whomever criticized her friendship with the guys from EXO, but she’d never planned on saying them out loud.

Jimin stared at her with eyes wide open, taken by surprise by the tone she’d used. A few moments later Jimin was shaking his hands in panic. “Nonono, Sori, I didn’t mean it like that! I only wanted to say that, maybe, if I’d spent more time with you, you would have felt less lonely and maybe you wouldn’t spent that much time with them, and…look, I’m glad they kept you company while we weren’t there for you, just…you get it right?”, Jimin tousled his hair. Okay, and so what?

“Not really”, Sori’s tone clearly told him she was unimpressed by his statement.

“Let’s just say I mean it in a positive way, okay? I’m only here because I felt like I didn’t do enough for you lately and I’m sorry”. Word’s quickly left from Jimin’s mouth as he scurried to get back on the safe zone of the conversation.

“Okay?”, Sori somehow questioned, still annoyed with him. She was still feeling grouchy and Jimin’s words made no sense to her, so at the moment Sori didn’t feel like changing topic yet, but she didn’t even want to be the one to drag useless arguments over for hours. Sori had tried to convey her opinion by using her voice, letting him know he wasn’t off of the hook yet without causing a scene.

Still, Jimin nodded at her in relief. He grabbed the bag he had brought with him and handed it to Sori. “I saw this as I passed in front of a shot and I knew you’d have love it”, he told her, confidence brimming in his voice, making him change his posture. Sori doubted it was trued, however he had already bought it, so she felt like she had to at least look at her present and thank him for the gesture. Actually Sori never liked receiving presents because it always made her feel guilty when she thought at the amount of money people wasted to buy her a present. She had been taught from a very young age that presents aren’t necessary to celebrate something or to show people you loved them, because what really mattered were everyday actions that made you feel loved and appreciated. Growing up Sori had realized her mother most likely taught her that because she didn’t have the money to buy her big or pricey presents, and she didn’t want her child to feel less loved then the children she frequented in school, who always received many pretty presents. Slowly she opened the bag Jimin had given her before peeking inside. Surprised she shot a look at Jimin, who was now grinning. She opened the bag completely and finally took a good look at her present. At the sight, her mouth hanged open. Jimin had bought her a cushion of the anime she was actually watching and even a pyjama. How did he know I like it? I don’t think I told him about it…

Sori gulped loudly before smiling at Jimin, letting him know she’d forgiven him both for his weird words and for his bad behaviour towards her. After all, if he knew about this detail, then it meant he cared for her and paid attention to her even though she didn’t notice it.

“Thank you, Minnie”, Sori whispered. It was a pet name she had given him years ago after she’d drunk enough to let lose around him. Ever since then, Minnie was the name she called him whenever he did something that made her feel warm inside.

“Since we’ve skipped all the steps I had planned for this apology, let me give you this”, Taehyung grabbed the bag he had put beside him and extended his arm towards Sori. “It’s not much, but I hope it’ll make you want to forgive me a little bit”, Taehyung gave her a tiny, embarrassed smile. Since Sori's excitement was kicking in, she took the bag right away and a moment later she was staring at a huge box filled with chocolates wrapped up in bright wrappers. Sori skimmed trough them, noticing there were many different flavours, and they were from her favourite chocolate brand. Well, Taehyung was right: it wasn’t much, but it was enough for her take a step on the path of forgiveness. After all, she had let him off the hook every single time before, so why couldn’t she do it now that he was even putting some efforts in showing he was sorry for real?

Sori felt her eyes stinging as the tears welled up again, yet she fought them. It was weirdly overwhelming to feel appreciated and loved, and right now she felt exactly like that. For once her heart was pounding for a positive reason. Stupid period. Sori had always been an emotional person, and when her period was about to come, it got even worse as she grew older. She took a deep breath and looked at the two cute, smiling guys in front of her. “Thank you so much guys”, her lower lips trembled a little, and Sori felt really dumb for feeling like crying over chocolates and themed pyjamas. “I’ve missed you a lot, and I appreciate it that you recognized things could’ve been better, but then again…what’s done is done, right?”, she stood from her bed and leaned down to hug the boys. “Just give me some more time, and things will be fine again”, she whispered in Taehyung’s ear when he tightened his arms around her.

Sori had always thought the four of them shared a weird, but special relationship. Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook were older than her, but every now and then they acted childishly and said hurtful things, yet they always made sure she had forgiven them and apologized for their behaviour. They got jealous when Sori received more attention than them and ganged up against her, but in the end they always made sure she knew they loved her and whenever it was needed, they protected her.

“I’m sorry for having been a duche, I think I was just jealous of you, but…yeah, Jin hyung is right, you have the right to make as many friends as you wish”, Taehyung sighed leaning his head on Sori’s shoulder. It was cute that they were that jealous of her new friends. They were really like little kids, and so she decided to treat them the way they deserved.

“Come on, move out of this room, I need some quality time with my new presents”. She kissed Jimin and Taehyung on the cheek and then she tousled their hair. “If you annoy me again you’re gonna get it from me, understood?”.

“Yes, mom, we’re sorry”, they answered rolling their eyes. Slowly they stood up, promising to come back soon to catch up with her. Sori was starting to get worried with their change of attitude. Usually they put up a fight whenever she told them to leave her alone in her room, but today they jumped up like little soldiers, and in a moment they were ready to leave. Maybe they didn’t understand I was just kidding?

“You’re coming with us?”, Taehyung asked eying some spot behind him. Only when she turned her head, Sori reminded Jungkook was there too. He had been sitting silently against the side of her desk, and being caught up with her presents, Sori had forgotten he was even there.

“Mmm, no?”, his answer came out as a question. Jungkook turned his gaze in Sori’s direction, biting his lower lip as if he was having an internal conflict about saying something or not. Sori was openly staring at him as he took a deep breath and softly spoke again. “I’d like to…to talk with you a-alone, I mean”, he stuttered. Sori felt her heart squeezing itself in her chest. Jungkook had always been a big softie, and spending a lot of time with him, she’d learnt that he could also be very shy. Whenever Jungkook didn’t feel comfortable or felt shy, he would begin stuttering cutely as his cheeks reddened up until his neck. It was such an endearing sight Sori almost didn’t pay attention to his words. A second later their meaning hit her in full force, though, and her hands started shaking lightly right after.

Unfortunately the thing was quite evident, and Sori caught the moment Jungkook realized what was happening and he sucked in a breath in surprise. A look of hurt flashed in his eyes, but soon after Sori could only see concern swimming in his eyes. Let’s be real. You know he apologized. Maybe you haven’t been alone in a while, but what do you expect him to do? Moreover, if you want to be his friend, you have to start talking to him again, right? Right. I only have to remember EXO and what’s going on between him and Minyoung aren’t topics I'm willing to .

“Sure, why not?”, Sori replied quietly. With the corner of her eye, Sori caught Taehyung and Jimin sharing a knowing look.

“Mmm, ‘kay. See you later then, and if you need anything or Kookie says anything stupid you know where to find us”, Taehyung told way too nonchalantly for Sori’s liking. It seemed kind of rude to deny Jungkook this little chat when the other two had been granted one. In fact, Jungkook had been nice to her earlier in the evening, when he had followed Hoseok in her room, so many she could give him a chance to explain himself.

It had happened right after the end of the training, when Hoseok and Jungkook came back from the meeting with the rest of the red team. It had lasted for a while, and since Sori had nothing better to do apart from taking a shower and basking in compliments, she had left the room. She’d taken a long and relaxing shower, making sure to remove all the leaves and dirt that were stuck in her hair. It was quite disgusting, to watch all that stuff falling from her hair, but Sori didn’t really feel like complaining since she had never felt prouder of herself ever since she’d been turned. It was nice knowing she could do things on her own, and knowing her pack was proud and shocked by her knew skills made her feel even better.

Namjoon had side hugged her as they were entering the house again after the game. He told her he’d never been more proud of her, although he would have liked it better to have her in his team. Sori had had the distinct impression he had looked at her with new eyes. Yoongi and Jin had ruffled her hair as they patted Sori’s back, complaining about having to be punished because of her, but their faced were showing open smiles. Even Minyoung had complimented her as she passed her to join her teammates on the living room. On the other hand, Jimin, Jungkook, Taehyung and Hoseok weren’t as happy as the others, but Sori couldn’t really bring herself to feel bad about it. It was just a game after all.

When she’d resurface from the bathroom, Sori had found Hoseok sprawled on her bed and Jungkook sitting on her desk’s chair staring at his feet. She had felt contrasting feelings about his staying in her room again, still he had apologized for his words… maybe it was time to stop this cold war.

“You suck”, Hoseok had moaned as he rolled from side to side. Honestly, Sori wanted to snicker, but at the same time the fact that he wasn’t apologizing for his behaviour earlier in the afternoon annoyed her.

“What are you doing?”, Sori asked him, ignoring his previous comment.

“Just rolling around on your bed and telling you “you suck””, Hoseok shrugged. He slowly sat up frowning in Sori’s direction and then he pointed at her with his finger. “Because of you I have to make security rounds around our lands and clean all the bathrooms for two weeks”. In spite of Hoseok’s disdained expression, Sori found this really hilarious, and her loud laugh seemed to annoy Hoseok even more, and as a result he slammed himself back on her bed, covering his eyes with his forearm.

“Really? That's too bad”. Sori was trying with all her might to stifle her laugh, since she knew that it would piss Hoseok off more, but it was really hard and her voice was already cracking. When he lifted his arm from his eyes to glare at her she lost it. Hoseok flashed her his middle finger, making her laugh even more. At a certain point Jungkook started cackling too, pissing Hoseok off even more.

“Hyung, let’s consider ourselves lucky! At least we only have four bathrooms. We can also plan it better than that, like, if four of us clean the bathrooms, the others can go for the inspection run”, he chuckled. Noticing Hoseok’s dark glare he lifted his hand in surrender. “Just think about Jihoon, Park Kyung, Minseok and Jongdae hyung…”, Jungkook sputtered some words more, but they were unintelligible because of his hysterical laugh. Sori thought about it for a moment before realizing the four guys he mentioned were the only ones being punished for real. As far as Sori knew, EXO’s house had 3 floors, which meant at least three or four bathrooms, and the perimeter of their lands wasn’t much different from BTS’ one, however there were only two guys having to do all of that, but it was going to be even worse for the two poor Block B members. That had Sori wheezing, and maybe it also made Hoseok feel better about his punishment too since a moment later his lips were curving upwards and was chuckling too. His hands shoot towards Sori and laced tightly around her hips, making her fall on the bed. As soon and Sori hit the bed, Hoseok wrapped himself around her, just like a koala. Sori let him do whatever he pleased. A peaceful silence enveloped the three wolves for a while.

“You know I’m sorry for earlier right? I didn’t mean to act like a jerk, I guess my competitiveness got the best of me”, Hoseok whispered, albeit he knew perfectly well that Jungkook could hear his words loud and clear. Sori decided not to press the matter any further, letting him say whatever he wanted before expressing her opinion. Hoseok must have sensed it though, for he raised his head from the mattress to eye her expression before he huffed as he let himself fall back on the soft fabric of her duvet. “Okay, maybe I was also angry at Junmyeon for picking you before Namjoon and because you didn’t object to it…and maybe I was a bit jealous too”, he added sheepishly. Surprised, Sori’s head snapped towards his face.

“Jealous?”, she questioned him doubtfully.

“Mmm”, he hummed in replay. “Lately you spend all your time with them and I never see you”, he nodded cutely against the girl’s shoulder.

“It’s not true, and you know it perfectly well. The reason why we don’t see each other that much is because of the new rules set by Namjoon, not because of the guys”, Sori told him, trying hard to hide how annoying she found his words. Sori knew her patience wasn’t going to last for long, but she really wanted to clear things out with her pack mates and friends, because they were the only family she had and they were very important to her, no way she wanted them to feel like she was leaving the pack. “Spend less time with Yoongi and you’ll see me more often. It's obvious that we won't see each other when you all leave the house to go to work while I have to stay here”.

Hoseok made a weird and childish sound as he nosed Sori’s shoulder. “Okay, maybe it’s Namjoon's fault, but I still don’t see you as often as EXO”, he pouted. Sori took a deep breath and counted to ten in her mind, weighting her words. Sori also noticed the older guy had skilfully ignored her last statement.

“I never said it’s Namjoon’s fault, I only said that we don’t see each other as much as before because you’re often out, and when you’re here you’re busy with someone else”, she told him, putting emphasis on the “someone”. “I haven’t seen EXO either, since I have to stay in the house unless someone can come with me and none of you likes them”, Sori explained as calmly as she could.

“Really? You haven’t met them?”, Hoseok’s voice sounded hopeful. Sori just wanted to eye roll so bad.

“Obviously”, she let the sarcasm flow freely, “I haven’t met them in a while”.

“Oh, but it looked like you were really close with them earlier”, he pouted again. Sori gripped the hem of her shirt before answering this time, willing her frustration to stay under control.

“Because we are. They call me and text me, you know. If you really wanted to hear from me you could’ve done the same. Actually, you only had to make some time for me, since we live in the same house”, she spit out. Sori instantly regretted being so straightforward with her words, but they still sounded right.

“Oh,yeah…I’m sorry, okay?”, Hoseok mumbled, “Let’s not argue anymore”, he added, leaning his forehead against Sori’s arm.

“Fine, let’s leave it at this”, Sori simply huffed as she let his snuggle closer against her side.

“Jungkook come here”, Hoseok called him with his hand. Sori had forgotten he was there with them by then, but now she was hyper-aware of his presence in the room. If he accepted Hoseok’s offer, then he was going to be laying down right next to her, but at the same time the fact that Hoseok was there too made the whole deal less pressuring and embarrassing, so Sori didn’t protest. “Yah, come here”, Hoseok snapped at the younger boy seeing he hadn’t moved from the chair. A moment later Sori felt, more then saw, Jungkook’s eyes skimming from her to Hoseok and to the door of her room. He took a big and very audible gulp and the, hesitantly, Jungkook stood up from the chair, making his way to the bed as he scratched his neck. His eyes were looking for something on Sori’s posture, then he took the last step and reached the bed. Very slowly he sat down and stopped very rigidly again. Sori had the distinct impression he was acting as if he was moving around a wild animal. It was funny and upsetting at the same time, because he’d been the one who hurt her, yet he was also the one who acted all scared, as if she was going to attack him.

Jungkook was taking his time, and apparently it was way too much time in Hoseok’s opinion, who sat up in a moment and pulled Jungkook down on the mattress. Sori let out a chuckle at Jungkook’s bewildered expression, but she stifled it as soon as she realized how close they were laying now. It wasn’t something she couldn’t handle, but it was also uncomfortable. Sori was ready to stop the cold shoulder treatment she’d been giving him, but going back to being all touchy and friendly didn’t seem right for now.

Sensing the weird atmosphere around them, Hoseok started speaking again, telling Sori about his students, and how he and another teacher were interviewing new aspiring teacher for the next year. Sori already knew his studio was getting more and more recognition, however she didn’t know it was THIS known around town. As Hoseok blabbed about whatever came to his mind, Sori slowly felt her body relaxing. After all they were her pack, and being close with people from your pack always eased the anxiety and stress you were feeling.

Sori’s body only tensed up for a moment when she felt a hand grabbing hers and intertwining their fingers. She glanced in Jungkook’s direction only to find him already staring at her with an expression she would’ve defined as a “longing expression” if it were not Jungkook she was talking about. It took her a while to relax again, but eventually she did, and she spent the rest of the night holding his head and listening to Hoseok’s relaxing voice. This was probably also the reason why it didn’t feel completely wrong to stay in her room with Jungkook again right now. Or maybe it was the fact that she missed him.

But now, back to the present, after Jimin closed the door behind him and Sori’s room was suddenly filled with a strangely tense and vulnerable silence. Sori wasn’t sure if she was ready to open the Pandora Box just yet, and Jungkook looked more or less like he shared her thoughts. He was fidgeting and biting his lower lips, secretly stealing glances at Sori’s face as he waited for her to start talking. Sori herself was wrecking her brain looking for a good conversation started, but she could think of nothing, and before she could stop herself she spilled her usual bullshit.

“How are you?”. Sori cringed at her own words, wishing they’d at least come out less awkwardly. Jungkook quickly raised his eyes to meets hers, before turning them back to the ground.

“I’m fine… I guess? What a-about you?”, Jungkook’s cheeks were as read as cherries now. He was staring at his hands as he played with the handles of the bag he’d brought with him. Sori was kinda curious about what was inside it, but then again there was no certainty of it being a present for her and asking about it straight away wasn't like her.

“Same”, she answered shortly. Her thoughts were revolving around the fact that he was still sitting on the floor even now that the other two had left, and not only was it uncomfortable for Sori, but for him as well. He had been sitting cross-legged ever since the trio had entered the room. Once again the words slipped from her mouth without Sori’s consent. “Why don’t you come sit with me?”.

“Oh…mmm”, Sori was pretty sure Jungkook’s lip was going to start bleeding soon from how much he was biting on it, “okay?”, he replayed as if it was a question. He clumsily stood up grabbing the bag, but unfortunately he stumbled on him own fit the moment he took a step towards the bed, causing him to fall face first on the bed. He could as well consider himself lucky, because it would’ve been worse if he happened to fall on the floor instead. Sori didn’t want to laugh at his dumb expression, but then again things like this one don’t happen every day, so she might as well enjoy it.

“Shit, I didn’t plan this little chat like this. In my head it was much better, I swear”, Jungkook muttered under his breath, but Sori caught his words anyway and ended up laughing even more.

“So…”, Sori finally spoke after she manage to stifle her cackles.

“So…”, Jungkook repeated quietly. “I wanted to talk to you”, he risked a quick glance in Sori’s direction and then stared at his hands again. Sori’s eyebrows raised, as she stared at him, weighting carefully his expression, from what she could see of his face, and the mood in her room. He seemed tensed up, but not in a angry way, just nervous.

“Did I do something wrong?”, she whispered. Jungkook’s head snapped in her direction, eyes wide open in surprise.

“Nonono, you did nothing! A-a-actually nothing happened, why are you…you asking me that?”, he stuttered as he made frantic movements with his hands to make sure Sori knew he didn’t want to yell at her or anything of that kind.

“Oh”, Sori exclaimed, lacking a better way to express her surprise. She didn’t know why she was so sure he was going to complain about her behaviour, since he’d been nothing but sweet to her lately. Maybe it was just the fact that in the past couple of months he had yelled at her so often it turned into a costum.

“So, mmm, how are you? We haven’t spent much time together lately, and I just…well, I guess I just wanted to know how you are doing”. Jungkook didn’t raise his eyes to meet Sori’s, he kept drawing circles on his hand, but Sori could see a small, sad smile stretched on his lips.

“I’m fine, Jungkook, don’t worry”. Sori winched at the coldness that laced her voice, but she could swear she hadn’t done it on purpose. It had just came out that way. Jungkook perceived that coldness too, and Sori heard a hushed sigh leave his lips, so she quickly added: “And you? How have you been?”.

“Yeah, I’m doing just fine, nothing new”, he shrugged. Sori highly doubted nothing new had happened, because she had perfectly working eyes, and she could see him and Minyoung talking on their own all the time, but at the same time she had promised herself she wouldn’t bring up that topic, so she just kept quite. She hummed at his sentence as a replay, knowing there wasn’t much to say. To be honest in the past she wouldn’t have find it hard to keep the conversation going, but the last months had sort of erased a good part of the positive impression she had of him. Sori couldn’t say that before Minyoung joined the pack he had been the perfect pack mate, but he wasn’t that bad. Maybe during her first year in the pack he hadn’t considered her much, but afterwards things had been different. Albeit he didn’t pay much attention to her and sometimes he criticized her eating habits and the way she dressed, he was very sweet and caring when there was nobody else around. He was her Kookie. Now she couldn’t say that anymore.

“I”, Jungkook sighed again, this time harder, “I just…whatever”, he mumbled the last word. “I bought you this”, Jungkook told her as he pointed at the bag he’d brought with him, “it’s nothing that special, but I thought you might like it, and so I, well, I bought it”. Sori felt her curiosity creeping up her spine, as she saw his cheeks reddening. That was definitely unusual for him.

Jungkook didn’t had anything more to hint at what his present was, nor did he move to pass her the bag, so Sori just grabbed it and quickly peeped inside, only to feel even more confused than before. The only thing she saw was some sort of dark fabric, buts she wasn’t even sure about what she’d seen a moment ago.

“Can I open it?”, she whispered. The room was filled with a peaceful intensity, and Sori didn’t want to break it using a loud voice. Probably Jungkook thought the same, since he only nodded at her. Once Sori received Jungkook’s approval, she pulled the sides on the bag to open it. For a moment Sori had no idea about what the thing inside that bag was, but then she gasped loudly and stared at him, not knowing what to say: Jungkook had bought her the very same dress she had tried on earlier in the afternoon. It felt both good and bad seeing that dress there. Sori felt touched by his choice because that meant that somehow Jungkook knew her taste, which meant he knew something about her, but at the same time she didn’t want that dress anymore. She’d already seen how it looked on her, so now she had to find an excuse to spare herself from having to wear it on Saturday. Sori didn’t want to tell Jungkook she’d already tried it on though, for she didn’t want to disappoint him. It’d been quite a while ever since Jungkook last bought her something, so that dress could be a sign he cared about her. I’ll just keep in my closet, eventually he'll forget about it.

“Wha-what do you think about it? I know it’s not much but…I don’t k-know, I thought you might like it, and-“, Jungkook mumbled stuttering. Seeing him like this was really endearing. Sori almost wished he kept this attitude forever. Almost. So she just interrupted him.

“It’s really pretty, Jungkook, don’t worry! I like it a lot, in fact I saw it too but I didn’t want to spent too much money, since I already had to buy Narae’s present…”, Sori kept her voice low. The room was filled with this warm intensity, it was almost too intimate, but Sori had missed their moments so much she didn’t actually care about how weird it was to talk to him while sitting on her bed after all the things that had happened. It was calming and peaceful and Jungkook’s scent was filling her nostrils, which was perfectly fine by her.

“Really?”, Jungkook eyed her surprise written all over his face, and maybe that little sparkle on his eyes could be excitement. “But you shouldn’t worry about Namjoon’s money, he has plenty of it, right?”, he furrowed his eyebrows, finally stuttering a little less.

Sori lowered her eyes at his words that stung her heart. He just said the exact opposite of what he’d always claimed. Sori had clear in her mind all the times he’d yelled at her that she only wasted their money. When he told her he was tired of working only to see his money wasted by people who did nothing but stay at home. Somehow Sori had always thought Jungkook’s words only applied to her even thought Jimin, Taehyung, Narae and now even Minyoung were in the same situation. It didn’t feel like she was like them. It felt like it wasn’t wrong for them to stay at home, but she knew she was supposed to be working to keep her place in the pack. Ever since she was a child Sori had listened to her mother saying “If you want to be independent, you have to work. Work gives you dignity, Sori”, and not once in her life had Sori thought her mother was wrong.

Seeing he was receiving a response any time soon, Jungkook to move a little from his original position on the bed, so that he could face Sori as they spoke. “Listen, Sori, I’m…”, Jungkook started again, this time looking straight into Sori’s eyes. “I…ugh, I just wanted to see you for a bit on my own”, he took a deep breath before proceeding with his speech and a new found courage, “I just wanted to stay with you for a little because I miss you”. Sori didn’t know what to say. “And no, before you ask me, I’m not talking about t-that”, Jungkook flushed and fixated his eyes a tiny hole in the hem of his shirt. It took Sori a moment to understand what he meant and blush just as much as the man sitting in front of her.

“I wasn’t thinking about that, I swear”, she denied right away. “Jungkook, I wasn’t-“. Jungkook flinched hearing his full name slipping from Sori’s lips for the ninth time that afternoon. Usually when they were alone he was just “Koookie” for her. Well, now they were stuck there and they had nothing to say.

“Can you hug me?”, he barely whispered, timidly raising his eyes to meet the brown orbs of the turned-were. Sori seemed to be frozen on the spot, mouth ajar and tensed shoulders.

They stayed like that for a while. Sori was looking for an answer to Jungkook’s question, and Jungkook was patiently waiting for her to say something, afraid that he’d lose his chance if he moved. Eventually, very slowly, Sori nodded with her head. Jungkook scrutinized her expression, but apart from her slightly shaking hands and the way she was carefully biting her lower lips, nothing gave away her distress. In the end Jungkook decided he wanted to try his luck. He would’ve accepted it if Sori didn’t hug him back. He would’ve tried to understand her if she pushed him away. It would hurt him, but he could accept it.

Very slowly Jungkook lifted his arms from his knees and encircled the girl’s body, trying his best not to scare her away. It felt wrong to act this carefully around Sori, but his instincts were yelling at him that this was the right way to proceed if he wanted her to open up to him again. He closed his arms around her and leaned in to rest his head on her shoulder.

At first it was quite uncomfortable since Sori was as still as statue, but she gradually relaxed and gave in to Jungkook’s scent and warmth. It didn’t take long for Sori’s arms to tighten around Jungkook’s body.

After that there was no need for talking. They were basking in each other’s scent, and that was enough. It was comfortable and relaxing. Things that were not okay between them couldn’t be fixed just like that, in a matter of minutes, because Sori had been seriously hurt by Jungkook’s harsh words, but that could be fixed later on. They could enjoy the moment as long as it lasted.

“You can’t even imagine how much I’ve missed you”, Jungkook whispered in her hear as he pecked her cheek.

Chapter Text

The light passing through the flimsy fabric of the curtain created a beautiful rainbow on the white surface of plate in front of her. It was so pretty Sori almost lost herself staring at it. Almost. Unfortunately the giggle coming from across her brought her back to the world. Jin was sitting there, a smile brighter than the light of day on his face, and she could see him biting hard on his lower lip to keep himself from laughing. Sori felt a sudden rush of violence and it took all her willpower not to slap him on the head at the next snort she heard. Stupid pigs were always making fun of her.

In her mind Sori was perfectly aware that Namjoon was waiting for her opinion, so it was high time she took a bit of the disgusting, chunky thing he had served her, yet she couldn’t find it in her to taste it. It looked weird and smelled worse, which wasn’t really helping Namjoon’s case. Sori had an half idea to ask him whether it was supposed to be a salty or sweet dish out of curiosity, and the only thing stopping her from doing it was the fact that Namjoon might be hurt by her question. The alpha didn’t cook often, which filled the hearts of the rest of the pack with gratitude. Not because they enjoyed cooking themselves, but because he was incredibly lacking in this department. It’s not like he didn’t try to cook or didn’t like it, quite the opposite, but no one allowed Namjoon in the kitchen anymore. He had a natural talent for destroying and damaging almost everyone and everything around him, and that only got worse whenever he was trying to cook: he had to hold cutlery, pay attention to the fire, to the pots, be quick and keep his fingers attached to his hands, all the while he had to be mindful of those around him to avoid stabbing them by accident. Not an easy task for Namjoon.

After he’d stabbed his own hand by accident, Jin had finally took pity on him and had promised their alpha to help him with learning the basics of cooking. It was cute, in Sori's opinions, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw Namjoon in the kitchen ever since Jin had told her that, before he met Narae, Namjoon hadn’t ever shown much interest in cooking. Maybe it was the fact that in the past centuries there had been times when there wasn’t much to eat or to cook in general, or maybe it was the fact that Namjoon had always been rich, so he had always had servants to cook for him, still whatever it was that made him change his mind, Namjoon was putting a lot of efforts in cooking to impress Narae. Unfortunately though, as much as she found it cute, it was really hard to appreciate his efforts. Only Narae seemed to appreciate it, and it probably was only because she never had to taste his cooking so far. Namjoon wasn't keen on letting his mate eat anything but the best, thus as long as he didn't feel ready he wasn't going to serve Narae his food... he was just using his pack mates as test subjects. Sadly.

At first he’d experimented with simple things, like cutting and boiling vegetables, but seeing he wasn’t making any progress, not to mention the amount of times he cut himself, the alpha had decided to try his luck with meat, since he could buy the meat already cut and ready to cook. Those had been some rough times alright. Namjoon had force-fed the pack less that properly cooked meat or meat seasoned with weird stuff for months. Now it looked like Namjoon was focusing on preparing a nice breakfast. One would think it should be easy enough he could handled it just fine, but somehow that didn't look like it.

Apparently he had been worried for Sori as he’d heard from Seokjin the she was feeling a bit down, hence he’d decided to cook some breakfast for her to make her feel pampered. As a consequence, now there was a weird-looking, brown thing sitting on Sori’s plate, waiting to be tasted. Sori was crying on the inside.

She should’ve guessed something was up the moment she stepped out of her room and the air smelled off. She should’ve known it was Namjoon again. She should’ve noticed and stepped back in her room, removed her clothes and slipped under her covers again. Instead she’d decided to go looking for the source of that pungent smell before she opened the windows and now she was trapped. The moment Sori found Namjoon in front of the stove she knew it was too late to run and she was going to be forced to eat whatever he’d... prepared? Cooked? Baked? She couldn't really tell.

Hence, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place since she really didn’t want to eat whatever it was Namjoon had cooked for her, but at the same time Sori didn’t want to hurt Namjoon by telling him his food sucked. Again.

Grabbing her courage in both hands, Sori lifted her chopsticks and picked up a small piece of the brown thing Namjoon had served her. Her alpha had been so gentle to cut it in bite-sizes, so the only thing she had to do was bring it to her mouth. As she chewed it, Sori couldn’t quite grasp its flavour, but she could make out it was something floury and that the flour hadn’t been blended well with the other ingredients, since she was chewing on lumps of flour that popped in her mouth. By then, Sori had also figured out that it was probably mixed up with milk, yet she still couldn’t pinpoint what it was that the alpha had tried to cook. Out of nowhere, the flavour changed from tasteless to spicy. As in extremely spicy.

With the corner of her eye Sori caught Jin biting on his spoon to keep himself from laughing, but she didn’t have the time to kick him on the shin before she started chocking and tearing up. Something in her brain was yelling “attempted murder”. Her mouth tasted sour and her tongue hurt. Oh, fuck it, I knew this was gonna happen.

At the same time, Namjoon was flapping his hand here and there, not understanding what had gone wrong with his cooking this time, since he’d even followed the recipe. He didn’t know whether to pat Sori on her back or give her a glass of water, because it really looked like she was one step away from dying and he didn’t want to be charged with murder.

“Oh, shit, Sori are you okay?”, Seokjin half-yelled as he scrambled to pat Sori’s back, finally understanding there was nothing funny at the moment. He bent his back over the poor girl’s shoulder to smell the rest of the food, sending a dark glare to his alpha as soon as he stood straight again.

“Water. I’ll get the water”, Namjoon mumbled as he reached for the bottle of water on the fridge.

“N-no w-wa-ter”, Sori managed to say in between her coughs, “M-mi-milk”. To be honest the only thing she wanted to do at the moment was throwing up, but that would cause a lot of unnecessary drama, and she wasn’t up for that. Somewhere in the back of her mind Sori was also cursing at her best friend, who somehow was free from the periodic torture they all had to face.

“Oh, so it was too spicy?”, Namjoon stood there, with the bottle of water in his hands, staring at the poor girl as if he was even waiting for an answer. What a good moment to go looking for constructive critics.

“Namjoon, I think you should get her the milk and then ask her opinion about your cooking, you know…”, Seokjin calmly stated. The beta was still patting Sori’s back lightly, as the coughs were slowing down. That seemed to put Namjoon in action again and he stumbled in their direction once again, spilling milk from the bottle he’d uncapped as he was walking towards the table. He filled Sori’s glass to the brim and brought it to her lips. Sori snatched it from his hands and drank it as if was the first thing she drank in months. It took her four glasses of milk to able to speak and breath normally again, but her mouth felt numb and it still tasted sour, not to mention the state of her stomach and oesophagus . Her nausea was back at full power- Perhaps drinking four glasses on a row wasn’t right, but whatever, it was too late to cry over spilled milk. And nope, the pun wasn’t intended.

As for Namjoon, he was standing pathetically next to the table, fidgeting with his fingers, waiting for someone to break the uncomfortable and accusing atmosphere that had settled in the kitchen.

“So, Namjoon…mmm, mind telling me what did you cook for Sori?”, Seokjin voiced out the question that had been swirling in Sori’s mind from the moment the alpha had shoved the plate in front of her face. In the mean while, Sori was staring at the bright rainbow that was still dancing in her plate, willing herself not to throw up because Namjoon would’ve been upset if she did. She had to wait at least until the alpha left the kitchen.

“I just cooked pancakes, hyung”, Namjoon mumbled as he picked his nails, “I even followed the recipe, I don’t know what went wrong”. Perplexed, Sori glared at the mushy thing staring at her from her plate. Oh. That thing was supposed to be a pancake. Okay.

“But did you add anything to the recipe?”, Seokjin pushed, knowing his friend too well to believe he hadn’t, and by the width Namjoon’s eyes reached at the question, he knew he was right.

“I swear, it was nothing special! You find those ingredients in many recipes, hyung!”, Namjoon lamely defended himself. Sori almost cooed at him, had it not been for the fact that she was about to throw up she would have found his innocent expression cute instead of annoying. Seeing his beta gesturing for him to go on, Namjoon pouted and started listing the ingredients, counting them with his fingers, to prove his innocence. “I used eggs, butter, flour, chocolate – dark chocolate, actually -, milk, a little bit of salt and I also added a pinch of chilli powder, and a couple of black berries”, he lifted the last finger in the direction of the chef, letting him know the ingredients he’d used were perfectly normal. Seokjin drew a deep breath, ready to voice out his perplexity, but just as he was about to speak, Namjoon added one last forgotten ingredient he’d used in his amazing recipe. “Oh, and also half of a ginger”, he sent a proud smile in Sori’s direction, who was focusing on not throwing up as long as the alpha was there.

“Ginger?”, Sori repeated hesitantly. Only hearing that word made her stomach churn. Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up. Don’t throw up.

“Yes! I heard from Tae that you weren’t feeling too well because of your period”, the alpha blushed a little , “so I looked around for things that could help you! If you look it up online, you’ll see I’m right, Sori”. Namjoon was pouting as the other two were staring at him as if he was really dumb. Sori took a deep breath, knowing full well that she wouldn’t be able to keep the food down much longer.

“And what about the chilli?”, the beta deadpanned. Jin really despised the days Namjoon felt inspired to cook because he always messed up his kitchen and broke knives and pots, not to mention that the food he cooked was almost (mostly) inedible.

“Oh, I added it because spicy chocolate is good and also because it’s good for your blood, you know, period -”, Namjoon never got to end his sentence since Hoseok loudly smashed the door to the wall, panting as if he’d run for a hundred miles.

“Oh, shit, I think it’s too late”, he murmured barely audibly. Jin didn’t even flinch, keeping his eyes on the alpha, unsure whether or not he really wanted to ask the next question at the sound, while Namjoon almost peed his pants at the sound of the door smacking the wall. Hoseok eyed the three inside the room and slowly took in the condition of the kitchen. Sori was visibly paling and sweating, but there wasn’t much he could do to help her at this point. Maybe he should’ve stopped Namjoon before he actually served her that shit. Yeah, he definitely should have acted faster.

“And why didn’t you put some sugar and yeast in that concoction…ugh, I mean, dough?”. Against all his prediction, Seokjin ended up asking Namjoon about it.

“Oh, well, that's obvious, isn’t it? I mean, I know Sori was and still is dieting, so yeast and sugar would’ve been no good for her. Not to mention that I used a whole lot of sweet ingredients, right?”, the alpha sort of asked, as if he was looking for approval, but also defending his choices. Sori suddenly stood up from her chair, running towards the bathroom, heaving in the way. Hoseok made a disgusted face and shook his head, following Sori right away.

“Yeah, no, Namjoon. I mean, it was very sweet of you to keep in consideration all of these things, but…mmm, let’s say you should follow the recipes step by step when you cook, however…mmm, you should still practice a bit more before you serve other people your food, okay? Also, tasting your food before you serve it might help you. Not to mention that you should keep other people’s preferences in mind when you cook for them”, Seokjin told him as he stood up from his chair to pat Namjoon comfortingly on the back. Namjoon hadn’t really caught on with what he meant, so the alpha was staring at him as if he’d said something completely obvious. “Sori really, really, really hates ginger, Namjoon”. With that, Seokjin left the room to check up on Sori.

As he brought the muffins to the table he was serving, Jungkook tried his best not inhale the sweet scent coming from the tray. His stomach was aching from the hunger, but there wasn’t much Jungkook could do about it until it was time to leave. Unfortunately he had wasted his ten minutes break talking with his colleague, and he barely had the time to go to the toilet before he had to go back to the front of the diner. He had skipped his breakfast in order to escape the sad doom expecting whomever run into Namjoon’s horrifying moment of cooking inspirsation. He didn’t wish to immolate himself as a guinea pig for his alpha’s new experiment. It was only luck that the previous night Jungkook had had some problems falling asleep since Sori kept polluting his mind, and he’d ended up falling asleep late, resulting in him waking up to the stink of Namjoons breakfast recipe. Knowing well there would be no breakfast made by Sori to wait for him in the kitchen, as Sori still hadn’t completely let go of their little argument, the best thing he could think of was to leave right away without notifying Namjoon in advance. As disappointed as he was that Sori was still angry, he was perfectly aware that entering that room would’ve meant risking his life, but still... maybe he should have texted Sori to make sure she wouldn't be a victim of his either.

Jungkook had hoped to make it on time to work, so that maybe he’d also have a spare minute to devour a slice of cake before he had to start working, but obviously things hadn’t go the way he hoped: on his way there, Jungkook had met one of his co-workers, who also happened to be a chatter-box and a very slow walker, who asked him to keep him company to go buy packet of cigarettes. Poor Jungkook had tried and tried to make his co-worker to move faster, but the other was hopelessly lost in the story he was telling, and that was how Jungkook lost his chance to have breakfast. No breakfast was still better than Namjoon’s cooking, though.

As he was making his way behind the counter, Jungkook felt his skin prickling and weird feeling permeated his mind. His senses were screaming at him to pay attention at what was happening around him, yet there was nothing that seemed to be out of the ordinary. Not that he could take more than a quick glance here and there. It was lunch time, thus the room was full of costumers, which made it quite hard to spot whatever it was that was giving him this weird sensation on the back of his neck, as if someone was staring at him. To gain time, Jungkook grabbed a rag and started drying the counter, carefully trying to assess whether it was just him being paranoid or there was really something weird going on. Pretending to be looking for his colleague, Jungkook straightened his back and slowly let his eyes scan the restaurant. Albeit nothing seemed to be out of place, there was something bothering him. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind: what if there’s something wrong at home? They would’ve told him, right? Despite knowing he had to stay calm and think positive, Jungkook had to take a moment to gather his wits before he took his phone out of his pocket to send Namjoon a short text, casually asking him if everything was fine at home, hoping his alpha hadn’t left his phone out of sight as usual. Much to his embarrassment, his hands were shaking.

Raising his eyes from the phone to check the room once again, Jungkook noticed a costumer making a gesture in his direction, as if he awkwardly asking for him to attend him at the table, hence Jungkook quickly left the counter and headed towards the costumer. He was sitting alone in the corner of the room, and in spite of the crowd inside the restaurant, it looked like there was a lot of space around him. Jungkook found it hardly surprising that nobody had taken his order or noticed him trying to attract the attention of a waiter since his appearance and the vibes around him weren't really eye-catching. By his uneasiness, Jungkook could already tell the man wasn’t really an habitual costumer of restaurants, which meant he’d probably ask him a lot of questions and by having to explain the different dishes he wasn't going to have a chance to check his phone for a while. Great.

“I’m sorry for the long delay, sir, I’m afraid your order hasn’t been taken yet”, Jungkook started, wanting to know whether the man had ordered already and had to be served or if he had to order yet.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m not in a rush. I haven’t ordered yet, but at least I had enough time to figure out what I want”, he chuckled lowly, “I think I’ll take chicken wings and roasted potatoes”, the man told Jungkook, pointing what he wanted on the menu. Contrary to Jungkook’s opinion, the man didn’t ask any question about the various dishes, but there was still something about him that screamed “out of place”. He mentally shrugged and went on doing his job. The sooner he got the order, the sooner he could check his phone.

“And what would you like to order as a drink? Perhaps you also are interested in one of today’s desserts…”, the you werewolf’s voice trailed off when he noticed how the man was scanning him. Okay, that wasn't weird at all. “Do you need any help with your order, sir?”, Jungkook hesitantly asked after a moment. The man was now smirking lightly, but it didn’t look like an happy expression. Jungkook glued his eyes to the menu the man was holding in his hands, pretending not to notice the weird tremor that shook the costumer's hands and lips every now and then. With the corner of his eye, Jungkook analysed the man beside him. He didn’t look old nor young. He was one of those people you can never guess the age of. His hair was dark brown, the cut wasn’t anything too stylish but it wasn’t sleazy either. Brown eyes. Nothing special about him or his clothes. Just this weird feeling he was giving Jungkook. “Excuse me, sir, would you like to order anything else?”, Jungkook asked him again, trying to get the man to advert his eyes from his face. The man turned quickly his face to the menu, only to fix his eyes on Jungkook soon after.

“No, I…”, he trailed his finger along the list of deserts, “I’ll just order some still water, I don’t care whether it’s cool or warm”, he said closing the menu. His words weren’t anything special, however the smirk on his face gave Jungkook mixed feelings. He sounded like he couldn't care less, yet his body language told Jungkook he was deeply interested in something he couldn't pinpoint just yet.

“Okay, I’ll bring it all to you right away”. Kungkook knew he could have been a little more polite, but he really wanted to put some distance between him and that weird man as soon as he could. Once he was done handing the order in the kitchen, Jungkook paced back and forth with the bottle of cool water he had to serve to the man. Unexpectedly, he was getting really bothered by him, albeit he didn’t really know why. Jungkook didn’t understand his smirks, his hinting voice nor his body language, and that was just wrong. Humans mostly used their body language accidentally, mostly unaware of what they could communicate with it, but for wolves, body language is extremely important, and now that he couldn’t read the costumer he was serving, Jungkook was starting to feel uncomfortable around him, almost feeling threatened by him, and it was quite unusual for him to feel that way since humans were just…well, just humans. Frail. Useless. Weak.

Jungkook checked his phone once again, sighing as it showed no new notifications. He didn’t know whether it was the lack of communication from his pack or just the fact that he couldn’t free himself from this uncomfortable feeling, but the young were was starting to feel an unusual type of nervous frenzy. At this point he was almost sure there was something wrong at home, which would have explained that weird tingling on the back of his skull. Jungkook went through his contact list, his fingers lingering on Taehyung and Jimin’s names before it skidded towards Sori’s contact and opened a their chat. As he skimmed through their texts, Jungkook couldn’t help but notice how cold his replies often were. Should I show her actually I’m making an effort? After all, she sort of forgave me yesterday. Wouldn’t it be better if I texted her to prove I’m still trying to gain her trust back? No, that came out wrong. I mean, I should text her and explain her I’m worried something happened because nobody contacted me and I just want to know from her if everything’s alright at home. Ugh.

Jungkook was painfully aware he was every bit as pathetic as he thought he was. Huffing, he quickly wrote a short text and sent it to Sori, hoping somehow she would answer him soon. The chances weren’t that high since Sori often, like really often, forgot she even owned a phone, but a boy can hope, right? His fingers curled up as he re-read his text. The smiling emoji at the end of his text was a clear sign that he’d definitely lost his dignity. To spare himself the pain of having to look at what he had written, Jungkook locked his phone, remembering only than that the man from the table in the corner was still waiting his food and water. Just as he was opening the door to bring the water to his weird costumer, his phone ringed. Keep calm. Just keep calm.

“Here's your water, while your potatoes and chicken should be ready in a moment”. Jungkook kept it vague, since he hadn’t even asked how much they needed to prepare the order he’d brought earlier in the kitchen, having been on his phone the whole time, but the man couldn’t know that.

“Oh, thanks then. Actually, I must leave soon, so I’d really appreciate it if you could bring me my lunch in...”, he checked the time on his phone, “the next five minutes at best”, the man didn’t look apologetic at all in spite of the way he was trying to appear. Not that he was wrong, since he’d been sitting there for who knows how long without being served, but still, it looked strange. Not the kind of typical costumer-behaviour Jungkook had grown used to.

“I’ll make sure of it”. With his mind stuck on the text he’d received a couple of minutes ago, Jungkook made his way back behind the counter. As soon as he was sure the man couldn’t see him anymore, he crouched down and fished his phone out from his pocked. Despite knowing it was wrong and that if were to be caught with his phone in his hands while a costumer was waiting for his order, he might be fired, he couldn’t be bothered by it at moment. Sori’s name flashed on his chat notification and Jungkook felt his heartbeat picking up.

“No, everything’s okay here, why?” . Sori’s text was short and there were no emojis on the text, but it was okay since Sori wasn’t completely over their little misunderstanding. Albeit he wanted to point it out, Jungkook forced himself to reply with another short text.

“Oh, okay then. I feel weird, I think. Are you coming with us tonight?”, he sent back. Why did I write that? Why? Just why? Okay, maybe now Jungkook could admit to himself that he was panicking. Surely it was because of this weird-creepy feeling that was coursing through him, still he didn’t feel okay. He also disliked talking about his feelings, and he didn't want to be looked at like a scaredy cat or as someone who tried to make up stuff to talk with a girl. It was better to change topic fast. His hands were trembling slightly and his heartbeat was too fast, and no way it was just because Sori had texted him back quickly. There was something wrong. Maybe…maybe it’s because I’m hungry? Everyone knows skipping meals is bad for you health.

“Kook, the meat for your table is ready. In a moment and I’ll give you the potatoes too”, Jungkook heard his colleague inform him.

“If you’re going to be quick, I’ll just wait here until both the dishes are ready”, Jungkook distractedly replayed as he checked his phone once again.

“Oh, okay then. Give me a second and I’ll hand you the plate. I’ll leave the meat here”, he told Jungkook, setting a plate full of piping hot meat right next to him on the counter. Not even a second later his phone dinged again, telling him he’d just received a new text. Why was she answering so quickly? Still a bit perplexed, Jungkook opened his chat with Sori.

“What do you mean by “weird”? Are you guys going out?” . Once again, there were no emojis and Sori wasn't letting go of that topic. The chat showed that Sori was still writing, but then suddenly the little dots disappeared and no new text appeared. Yeah, it was definitely going to take a while before things went back to normal between them.

“We’re going to listen to Yoongi hyung’s new song, don’t you remember?” , Jungkook quickly typed, glossing over Sori's question, and putting his phone back in his pocked mere seconds before the kitchen’s door opened again and his colleague handed him the last dish he needed. Rolling his eyes a little, Jungkook grabbed the dishes and, unwillingly, made his way to the table. The strange feeling was even stronger than before. Jungkook couldn’t wait for the day to be over.

This time the man didn’t even lift his head when Jungkook set the plates in front of him. It went without mention that Jungkook was feeling more and more weirded out by him, still he wasn’t complaining at the lack of attention he was receiving. Besides, the faster he got away from that creepy man the better. He just bowed a little, informing the man he could find him by the counter in case he needed him, but seeing that the man wasn’t listening to him, Jungkook left him alone to go check his phone again. Unfortunately, this time his chat informed him Sori had read his message and she hadn’t answered albeit she was online. What the hell?! I get it, I’m not forgiven yet, but that's rude.

Out of nowhere, Jungkook got an idea as for why Sori wasn't texting him back although he could see she was still online: Sori was chatting with the guys from EXO once again. That would’ve also explained the quick replies. The realization had his stomach churning right away, but then again… was it that wrong that she was talking with someone else? Jimin and Taehyung had apologized just the day before for trying to keep her from contacting the guys from EXO, but Jungkook wasn’t convinced it was okay for her to talk freely with them. First of all because they belonged to a different pack and Namjoon didn’t even check her texts, but also because she was a girl and talking with so many different guys didn’t make her look good. Sure, she was bored at home, since Namjoon was busy all the time and the only other person left at home was Minyoung. Actually, Yoongi was often at home too, but he usually slept his mornings away, so Sori couldn't really rely on him to keep her company, yet that didn’t seem enough of a reason for her to talk with them all the time. If Sori was really that that bored, couldn’t she simply go and talk with Minyoung? Maybe they didn’t have a good relationship yet, and maybe they didn’t have much in common, but why couldn’t Sori try to be her friend? Why couldn’t she just give her a chance? Everyone but Sori was trying to help Minyoung feeling accepted.

As logically as Jungkook tried to explain himself Sori wasn't doing anything bad, he still couldn’t help but feel irked at the idea that Sori preferred talking with people from another pack rather than give their new pack member a chance, but it didn’t surprise him at all. Sori always had that kind of attitude. She always chose the easiest path, never paying attention to her appearance, eating whatever she wanted without keeping in mind she wasn’t going to be thin like all of them or have the perfect body if she didn’t take care of her meals properly, thus it was no surprise to him that Sori would simply chose to talk with others instead of facing someone as pretty and smart as Minyoung. It could also be that she simply wanted attention from other guys, he reflected. Whatever Sori’s reason was, Jungkook was having a hard time justifying her.

Scowling, Jungkook shoved his phone back in his pocket. Looking around the room, he saw two tables empty and still dirty, so he decided to busy himself by cleaning while he waited for the last hour of his shift to end. Honestly, he didn’t mind working at the diner, because it was always busy and that was the kind of job he need. An active job that allowed him to leave the house and see a lot of people without requiring too much attention from him. In the past he had tried working in offices, but sitting down all day and answering calls really wasn’t his thing, thus he was quite satisfied with his actual job. He earned a bit less than before, but Jungkook didn’t mind it, since his pack had more than enough to provide all the members of what they needed. Sure, Jungkook’s family wasn’t poor either, but he’d never been as rich as Namjoon or Narae, for example, so he really didn’t mind being paid a little less as long as he could keep himself busy by moving around and earn something at the same time.

Jungkook had simply grown used to simply handing Namjoon half of his salary and keep the rest for his personal expenses. On the other hand, being the alpha, Namjoon had grown used to just collecting the money his members gave him and split it for the various expenses of the house, and covering with his own money the rest. As far as Jungkook knew, Namjoon didn’t even check how much each one handed him, he just took whatever they gave him as long as he found it on top of his desk by the end of the month.

As he waited for his shift to end, Jungkook piled the dishes from the empty tables and brought them back to the kitchen, then he collected the glasses and did the same. Just as he was collecting the remaining cutlery and dirty napkins, Jungkook noticed one of his colleagues heading in his direction.

“I see you already cleaned my tables, Kook! Thank you. If you want, you can leave the rest to me, and when I’m done here I’ll help you with your tables”, Dahyun offered, already collecting the knives from the table.

“Thanks, hyung, if you don’t mind I’d rather you started with the floors. I only have two tables left to clean, I'll be quick”, Jungkook asked him, knowing that his kind hyung wouldn’t deny him the favour.

“Sure, Kook, which tables are the ones you served?”

“Just two: the one in front of the counter”, Jungkook pointed at the table, “and the one in the corner”, he pointed at the other table. “I think he’s waiting for the bill”. He nodded with his head in the direction of the weird man from earlier.

“Okay! I’ll bring it to him then, but I'll steal your tips though”, the elder joked. Jungkook just chuckled at his statement, knowing perfectly that his hyung was too nice to do something like that. It wasn’t long before Jungkook was pacing back to the counter, bringing with him what was left on the table he had attentively cleaned. He distractedly checked his phone again, knowing well he hadn’t received any message from Sori, only to be surprise by the fact that he actually received a text. Mumbling under his breath about how was it possible that he hadn’t heard the notification ring, Jungkook unlocked his phone and opened his new text.

“Nothing happened, why? Go buy some dark chocolate bars before coming home. Take the brand Sori likes” , it read. Typical Namjoon. Jungkook rolled his eyes at his commanding alpha. He was tired already, why did he have to go buy things for her? Furthermore, useless things. Now that Sori had almost reached an acceptable weight, Namjoon wanted her to eat that rubbish again.

“Hey, Kook, the man you were serving, you know the one who was waiting for the bill, he left this for you”. Jungkook lifted his eyes from his phone just in time to see Dahyun reached out to hand him a slip of paper, that the young wolf suspected to be the napkin the man had used. Gross.

“I can’t believe it, now even men hit on you”, Dahyun joked. Jungkook didn’t know whether he didn’t care or he felt irked. Like, maybe he wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t that weird man the one hitting on him. It happened sometimes that customers left their phone number for the waiter who caught their attention and every once in while he chatted them up for a little while before he ghosted them. It was of no use to make them grow affectionate and comfortable when he couldn't have any human friends, although from time to time even Jungkook liked to have someone to talk to, especially when that someone wasn't related to them pack and allowed him to act like a normal human being. Jungkook grabbed the napkin and turned it around to read the message the weird man had left him and suddenly Jungkook knew why he was feeling weird. With his heard beating crazily, Jungkook hastily grabbed his phone to call his alpha.

“Is there something wrong?”, Dahyun was weakly asking him, probably stupefied by the sudden and unexpected reaction, as he tried to look at the short message on the napkin,but Jungkook couldn’t give him an explanation. Normal people like him didn’t know what was lurking around them, and Jungkook had no wish to be the one to disrupt his hyung’s peace of mind. He turned the napkin upside down and waited for Namjoon to answer. The second Namjoon answered his call, Jungkook started spitting words.

“Hyung, this is serious, call the others, check on Jin hyung and Narae noona, they’re already here”, and he really hoped his alpha would catch who were the “they” he was talking about, because with Dahyun that close to him, he couldn’t give his alpha any other clues aside from that emphasis.

“Wait, Kookie, calm down. What happened?”, Namjoon tried to resonate, but Jungkook was having none of hit. He gave a quick glance to the clock before shifting his eyes to the napkin in front of him.

“Nothing hyung, call the others, tell them I’m going to pick up them in five minutes. We’ll be home as soon as we can”.

“Fine, but you will explain me what happened when you get home”, Namjoon let go of the patronizing tone the younger was using with him, knowing well that there were more important things than keeping the pack’s ranking in check right now.

“You know what would be even better? Call Junmyeon hyung, Jiho hyung and Jiwon hyung, I’m sure they’ll be interested in what I have to say”, his hand already untying the knot of the apron his was wearing, “We’ll be home soon”. He read the words on the paper napkin one more time and then he slipped it inside his pocked with his phone. “Hyung, I’m sorry, but I really have to go now, can you cover the last half an hour of my shift? I promise you tomorrow I’ll return you the favour”. Before Dahyun could even reply, Jungkook was running towards his car.

“Okay, so now that we’re all here”, Namjoon clapped his hands to stop the low chatters in the room and catch everyone's attention, “you can finally tell us what happened”. Feeling a little uncomfortable with all the eyes on him, Jungkook couldn't help his anxious gulping, but still he stood up and brought the napkin put of his pocket. He handed it to his alpha, who passed it on after having read the words scribbled on it. As they all read the short sentence written on the napkin, Jungkook had the time to observe the different reactions showing in their expressions.

“Hello, little wolf, pay more attention next time”, Jimin read out loud before glancing in Jungkook’s direction and passing the paper napkin to Jiho, who was sitting next to him. “Did he just leave it out there for everyone to see?”. Jimin was clearly alarmed, and he had a good reason for it.

After an unfortunate and dark time of civil war between werewolves, which had ended up involving and harming the humans in several attacks too, the government had restricted the information about werewolves the humans had access to, and had made sure to keep reducing it until all that was left of that old knowledge was that werewolves were a thing and they lived somewhere in between humans. That was it. The old folklore tales about werewolves had become a reality too suddenly for the humans to be able to accept it, but since going back to how it was was impossible, this was the second best option for them, both to make sure no one dared to attack humans and to prevent werewolf from keeping up behaviours that would give away their secret again, the government had made sure to reinforce the law with painful punishments for whomever was caught in foul. At first it hadn't been enough to prevent a couple more of attack against both humans and werewolves to happen, however the following punishments had been severe enough to make people realize that living in a more modest way was better than having to suffer. Nowadays it was more common for packs to be moved whenever humans caught up with the fact that werewolves were closer to humans than they expected, as long as their weren't at fault for being discovered. In that case they erased the whole pack.

Jungkook had a specific scene burned in his mind. For any werewolf who saw the last acts of the process against the wolves who had participated in the last arson to revenge their friends and relatives, killed by the humans, it would have been impossible to forget it. It had been a time of vengeance and there were always new deaths to avenge from both sides. Well, the wolves who had been responsible for the ending act of that deathly time, the arson of the town, had been executed in a live stream only accessible to the werewolves. The government had made sure to create different media for the werewolves to be able to easily communicate with them, and everyone had been strongly advised to watch the stream that morning. Jungkook could never forget the horror of seeing another werewolf, almost an immortal, dying so easily right in front of his eyes.

Unsurprisingly, the strong control had been enough to drastically change their society. At first there had been another couple of small attacks, but the government's iron fist had settled the problems the hard way. As the years went by many building had been built specifically to offer services for the wolves, just make sure there weren't too many contacts between humans and weres in tense circumstances, such as anxiety-filled ERs, and to prevent information about werewolves to be shared too easily with the humans. One of this buildings was a prison.

In a similar way, the government had split in two, leaving the werewolves citizens in the hands of a very strict handful of powerful men, who made sure the new rules were respected. Any valuable communication was accessible for the werewolves via media, only accessible for those who had the credentials purposefully given by the government to the registered werewolves. The fear of an information leak was very bland.

For Jungkook the whole thing had been pretty dumb, because werewolves had always existed and lived along with humans just fine, albeit he had to admit there was an attack every now and then, but it wasn’t like it was an open war or something. At least not anymore. What kind of stupid decision was it to divide for good the citizens who had always lived in the same places and shared the same towns? He respected their decisions, but he was sure there could have been better ways to manage this situation.

Their media was mostly used to show the government was still actively paying attention to their action and no one was safe from the consequences of their doings. The first time the government used its special TV channel it to was to give a speech that turned out to be a public execution. Just as the head of their government was nearing the end of his speech, out of nowhere, the cameras started showing a long, white wall and around 30 people, both man and women, standing in front of it. Jungkook recognized some of their faces from all the articles he had read about the werewolves responsible for the last attack, the huge fire downtown, and he thought they were going to be forced to publicly apologize for their actions, instead, a moment later they were shot death. Jungkook could still remember the disgusting image of the blood painting the white wall. Soon after a short sentence appeared on the screen, subtly informing them that this was the treatment those who went against the government had to face. A no tolerance policy.

After that every single pack had been relocated. Their new houses were given by the government, who had made sure to buy a high number of houses to rent to the various packs and to be able to relocate whom ever needed it. Soon enough Namjoon had received a letter to inform him about the new town they were going to be relocated to and the various houses owned by the government in that area, so that he could pick their new pack house. Moreover, they wanted Namjoon to know werewolves were no longer allowed to reside in the same place for more than ten years, as the more time you spend in a place the more people you meet, and sooner or later they're going to start noticing you don't age, and if they went poking their nose here and there, or even started questioning them, the pack was going to be punished. They were not allowed to mention their nature to the humans in no kind of way, and that also included allowing humans to discover their real nature. Bad consequences would’ve ensued any episode of violence or an attack towards the humans too.

This was the reason why Jungkook was not taken aback by Jimin’s alarmed voice. Jimin had always been quite the kind to get affectionate quickly and he hated moving often, thus such a message could not be good news. If someone were to suspect anything about them, they’d be contacted by the special forces.

“When I was working, earlier today, I started feeling weird, but I didn’t understand why. Since I had skipped both breakfast and lunch, I thought that maybe that was why”, Jungkook started, letting his eyes graze every single person in the room. “As the time passed I started worrying something had happened at home, though, so I texted both Namjoon and Sori to ask them if everything was okay”. Jungkook tried really hard not to show how embarrassed he was to have to admit in front of his whole pack that he had contacted her first. He hated showing any weak spot on his perfect defence system, still he was trying to explain everything that had happened that afternoon and for some reason, before then, it hadn't even crossed him mind he could have asked it to Minyoung too. Also, he hadn't thought about that back then, but was it really necessary to text two out of the three people that were always at home? Wouldn't it have been better to try and contact someone else from the pack that was not at home and might be needing help? To make things worse, Sori was sitting next to Yoongi, who was hugging her by the waste while she was leaning on his side lightly, and it was kind of unusual since neither of them being too fond of PDA. A part of him was riled up at the sight, though. She had just spent the whole day chatting with EXO and not she was also showing public affection to Yoongi. Typical of a turned-were.

“Go on”, Jiho urged him.

“Yes, so, as I was saying, I kept feeling weird, but I didn’t know why. Nothing seemed out of place or uncommon, hence I just thought I was being paranoid. I served this table, and the man was giving me this weird creepy feeling, but again I didn’t really think much of it, because… well, a human is just a human. And that continued the whole time he was there. Like, he kept staring at me and talking in a strange way, only to keep staring at me with this obnoxious smirk when I left”, Jungkook went on, glancing at the other wolves. “I was cleaning a table when one of the hyungs brought me the napkin, telling me that man had left it for me”

“How did you not notice he was a wolf? Didn’t you catch his scent?”, Jiho asked, sporting a incredulous expression on his face. So far, in their training session Jungkook had always distinguished himself because of his good skills and Namjoon had told him several times about his talent in following scents, hence qhy he was so surprised by Jungkook's words. Namjoon nodded at the older guy’s remark as Junmyeon sent him a small, encouraging smile. Once again, Jungkook felt like he was drowning in his own embarrassment, albeit no one was really laughing at him, the fact that he hadn’t noticed the man was a werewolf was quite embarrassing. He had not made a mistake. He couldn't possibly have missed such an obvious thing. He hadn't made a mistake. With the corner of his eye, Jungkook noticed Sori wincing and grabbing Yoongi’s arm tighter, but his curiosity had the chance to took over him, Jungkook replied.

“I don’t know, there were many scent, you know, with food and people, so…I don’t know, maybe his scent got covered by the others”, his cheeks were warm now, having to admit his mistake. Jungkook felt irked by this whole situation. He never made mistakes. “I wasn't paying much attention to his scent. I just thought he was a human and I never really pay much attention to their scent... it's not that common for a wolf to show up where I work”, he sarcastically added. Were his father to discover his embarrassing mistake, Jungkook would have probably be in for a nice beating.

“Well, I guess that could happen to us all”, Namjoon intervened, shooting a glare in Jiwon’s direction, who was sniggering lightly, “let’s just move on. Tell us what he looked like”.

“There was nothing remarkable about him, hyung. Dark brown hair, almost black, and small, dark eyes, plain facial features, average height and he also looked like he was of an average weight. He didn’t seem to be dressed in a specific style: clothes were nothing special, really, just a grey shirt and black jeans, and so was his haircut”, Jungkook explained, refraining himself from playing with the little thread coming out of the hem of his shirt, which would have been a sign of weakness.

“So, basically, we have nothing on him”, Jiho grumbled. “This isn’t good, guys. How about making rounds around the whole town? Each one of our packs can cover an area, so that we won’t waste too much time on patrol”. Jungkook curled his nose just at the idea of adding more hours to the amount of time he already wasted leaving home well before he started working, and coming home later that he’d like to go pick up his pack mates.

“Mmm, I don’t really think it’s a good idea. Those on patrol would be alone, possibly putting our wolves a risk of having to face multiple wolves on their own. In my opinion we should think this through with more calm”, Junmyeon told him, his voice firm in his opinion, but gentle enough to avoid starting a fight.

“I’m with Junmyeon on this”, Namjoon mumbled, “I think we should take a couple of days to think about it before deciding how we’ll manage this new situation”.

Albeit Jiho wasn’t really pleased with the way the situation was developing, he had to agree with them. He would have much rather taken a fast decision, and acted on it, but he wasn’t alone in this. Jungkook let out a big sigh of relief feeling that the attention wasn't on him anymore, and slowly sat down on the last free armchair. Rubbing his forehead he lost himself in his thoughts. As he listened to the hushed conversations going on in the room, Jungkook slowly relaxed, letting the fatigue sink in.

“Are you okay?”, Jungkook heard Hoseok say.

“Yeah, don’t worry, it’s nothing”. The moment he heard Sori’s soft voice, Jungkook’s attention spiked up, but he made sure to keep a straight face in order to avoid giving himself away.

“It doesn’t look like nothing to me, Sori, you’re squirming in pain right in front of my face”, Yoongi deadpanned. At that, Jungkook found it impossible to restrain himself any longer and ended up openly staring in Sori’s direction to check for himself what was going on.

“Oh, no, really”, he observed as the blush spread upon her cheeks, “it’s just my period, you know how it is”, she barely whispered. In the pack, it was a known fact that Sori’s period was quite a curse, so no one was surprised by her statement. At first, living with girls had been quite embarrassing for the boys, as they had been a whole group of males who had spent year only with each other, thus it was quite hard for them to cope with the smell of blood and the knowledge of something so personal about someone else, who probably didn’t even want to let everyone else around her know about it. However, Narae had no problems in letting them all know she had her period. Hers usually wasn't that painful, the opposite of Sori's . Sori would have rather kept the information for herself, so when she realized they all could tell she was on her period, she spent a lot of time in her room. When she had first joined the pack she had taken the habit of only leaving her room when there was no one around, then she had gotten over it a little. Narae had had a hard time convincing her there was nothing to be ashamed of. It wasn’t like she could control it, and since she was a member of the pack, the pack had to get over their embarrassment. Narae had almost forced Sori out of her room at first, and slowly Sori had started following her example. Sure, she still liked to be on her own whenever her period came, but it was also because her period was quite painful. It was only recently that she had started asking for a little bit of company when her period got too painful.

Jungkook made a mental note to check on her before going to sleep and then relaxed back again his armchair, listening to the soft voices around him. He barely even realized when the guests left, as he was slowly falling asleep. Unfortunately, he was suddenly brought back to reality by the strong vibration of his phone. He lazily fished it from his pocket before he answered without even checking who it was.

“Jungkook, tomorrow we’re coming over. Make sure you all stay home. I want to see you”, and then call was ended, but Jungkook had recognized the voice as soon as he’d heard it, and by the startled expressions of his pack members, they had too.

Chapter Text

Sori was starting to panic along with the rest of the guys. She was crumpling the hem of her striped shirt with her hands before smoothing it out again. Yoongi had picked the clothes she had to wear today, telling her it was better if her clothes weren’t too flashy nor shabby. He wanted her to be dressed quite plainly and to wear sneakers inside the house for as long as Jungkook’s father was there, for “any necessity” he’d said. Which meant in case she had to run or leave the house quickly. Normally she would’ve freaked out just at the idea of stomping around with her dirty shoes, but if Yoongi told her it was better like that, just for two day, she could get over herself and follow his advice. Then she’d probably clean all the floor with a sterilizing detergent, because she was a little bit of a neat freak.

Everyone around Sori was running left and right fixing up the house and cleaning, while she was just told to sit still and drink fresh water to keep herself from sweating and smelling. Sori couldn’t pinpoint why she couldn’t work like the rest of her pack members so she just kept following them around and trying to help, but after the third time Hoseok had to repeat himself, he had simply grabbed her by the waist, lifted her and dumped her on the sofa. That was when she gave up and sat still. Moreover, her period had just started, and since she was scared of staining her jeans, sitting down and waiting didn’t seem all that bad. Not to mention that her period made her feel tired, thus in the end Sori was fine with her packmates decision. She only had to worry about the smell of blood and the possible stains, but otherwise she wasn’t half as panicked as the rest of her pack mates. She wasn't even really bleeding yet, and spotting wasn't going to stain anything, right?

To Sori all this cleaning and panicking really made no sense. Narae’s parents usually dropped by a couple of times a year to visit their daughter and son-in-law, and so did Jimin and Taehyung’s parents, but it wasn’t anything that special. Sori had only met Namjoon, Yoongi and Hoseok’s parents a couple of times before, yet no one seemed especially mean or anything like that, nor had there been special and intensive cleaning sessions right before their arrival. What could possibly be that different with Jungkook’s parents? Yoongi an Taehyung had hinted about Jungkook’s parent's being a little close minded and stern before, still that didn’t seem much of a reason to be making such a big effort, especially because they were only staying for a day and half or two days maximum, but since they didn’t elaborate further on the matter, Sori hadn’t pushed it.

Namjoon looked really gloom as he paced around the living room, and had also been extremely susceptible ever since he had heard that Jungkook’s parents were going to be there in a matter of hours. A couple of years ago the alpha had told Sori a bit about old packs and their mentality, and that time he had used Jungkook’s old pack as an example, telling her most packs didn't share their morals anymore. Sori had come to the conclusion they were working that hard to ease any kind of tension between their alpha and Jungkook’s parents, thinking that maybe they had quite the tendency to criticize Namjoon’s leadership and how he led the pack. If they found little to nothing to criticize, there was nothing that could cause tension. Or so Sori thought.

The pack had established everyone’s tasks the previous night, thus everyone had to get up early to complete them before Jungkook’s parents arrived, albeit no one really knew at what time they were suppose to arrive. Sori hoped it was soon, because the tension was getting to her too, and whenever she got to nervous she felt like throwing up. Moreover, the sooner they arrived, the sooner they left.

Sori was about to fall asleep when a particularly strong cramp made her curl in a tight ball on the sofa. If I my next life I’m not a male I’ll off myself, I swear. Unfortunately there wasn't much to distract her from the pain, aside from the frantic movements of her packmates and slowly she dosed off.

It was a while later when a loud noise woke Sori up. She confusedly looked around her, rubbing her eyes and searching for its source. She could hear the loud whispers of “shit, they’re here” coming from the upstairs rooms and feet stomping everywhere, hence her curiosity started getting the best of her. Sori yawned loudly as she carefully stood up, afraid a rushed movement might awoke the pain in her tummy again, but still willing herself to at least fix her clothes and hair before she met Jungkook’s parents. She also made sure to comb her hair with her fingers a little, using her phone as a mirror.

In the end, hearing the door’s bell ring again right away and seeing that nobody was going to open the door, Sori decided she would be the one to open the door before the guests got even more frustrated. Just as she was twisting the doorknob, she saw Yoongi and Hoseok rushing down the stairs making frantic gestures with their hands and shaking their heads to stop her but, unfortunately, by then the door was already swinging open, and Sori’s barely awake brain didn’t allow her to react fast enough to stop the door from opening completely before they all got there. Needless to say, the man in front of her didn’t look impressed at all.

“Where is Namjoon? And who are you?”. Jungkook’s father, Junghyung, had a very deep voice and a constant scowl on his face, which seemed to really suite the mean descriptions Sori had been given the previous night. Something in the way Jungkook stood rigidly with his arms held tightly against his hips, with his eyes pointed in front of him looked really suspicious to Sori. Moreover, he wasn't even staring at his father's face, just straight ahead of him.

From there the conversation started, if a little stiffly and tense, with the other members of the pack, which was once again quite in line with the opinion Sori had formed by the descriptions given by the other members of the pack. Jungkook himself seemed quite out it, barely opening his mouth to intervene when no one else was sure of how to keep the conversation going. Sure, he had never been the chatter box of the pack, but he still did participate in the discussions going around him, especially when it involved things he knew a lot about, which seemed to be the case since his father was talking about his old pack, however today he looked like he was silently lost in his thoughts. It almost gave the impression Jungkook didn’t have a close relationship with his father and mother, or his whole old pack in general. He wasn't asking about anyone in specific from his old pack, nor how they were doing, which should have arguably been one of the first things that would cross the mind of someone who hadn't seen his friends/relatives in quite a while. Sori was totally getting the idea that maybe he wasn’t lost in thoughts at all. Maybe he was simply trying to avoid talking with his father. It wasn’t like Sori was judging him anyways, but his weird behaviour stuck out like a sore thumb. Usually her pack mates were overjoyed when their relatives visited and they all got absorbed with the news they brought, since they didn’t get the chance to see each other that often now that the packs had to live in the lands assigned by the government, which often meant living far from their families. This idea of hers seemed more solid from minute to minute as she added to her observation that Jungkook had never really told her much about his parents, in fact what she knew about them she heard it from the others, and she had seen him talking on the phone with his parents only a few times too. Well, who was she to judge him? It wasn't like she had the best relationship with her father before she was turned.

As far as Sori had learnt in the years she’d spent in the pack, werewolves parents didn’t like to keep their children around for too long once they were considered “adults”. Leaving the original pack and creating a new one once the young weres grew was really common, in fact it helped keeping the packs equilibrated and it also assured no one was going to marry or have children with close relatives.

Not growing older and having stopped wars between packs meant that now the numbers of werewolves was constantly increasing, and there was also a huge amount of humans turned and unregistered by the government. This made it hard to keep a peaceful atmosphere between close by packs, thus the creation of smaller packs to occupy smaller portions of lands for short periods of time was now sponsored by the government. Moreover, the huge packs of the past had a reason to be that big: the bigger the pack was, the less likely it was for other packs and rogues to attack it, but nowadays it wasn't needed anymore, and the bigger packs were constantly closely observed by the government, just in case. For this same reason forcing packs to move around often made it easier to keep at bay their instincts of possession towards the lands.

That being said, the parents of her pack mates she had already met were pretty much okay with the new rules and were quite affectionate and touchy with their children. Jungkook’s father, instead, had spent the last hour criticizing how small Jungkook’s pack was and how much he missed the good old times. All of this while was sitting in Namjoon’s chair at the head of the table. Junghyung’s eyes were staring at the different members of the pack as he spoke, making sure everyone was paying attention to him, clearly showing he didn’t think of Namjoon as the alpha of the pack or as important as himself. As if Namjoon couldn’t ever be a treat for him. His scrutinizing eyes stopped a couple of times on Sori, to send her a death glare, and disapprovingly frowning towards on his son, who wasn’t even looking his way. In spite of the nice smile he was showing, Namjoon’s annoyance could be easily spotted by the way he was bouncing his legs under the table, as he tried to keep his calm. Namjoon had never been one to try and make it all about himself, however it was getting hard even for him to ignore Junghyung’s rudeness and disregard for his role as the alpha of the pack.

On the other hand, Sori knew she was being stared at and she was starting to get paranoid rather than irritated. At first she’d thought it was just her imagination, but then she’d caught Junghyung’s eyes just as he was glaring in her direction and slowly Sori started realizing why the guys had often told her she wouldn’t have liked meeting Jungkook’s parents. The atmosphere was tense with no one talking, aside Junghyung, while everyone kept their eyes pointed on the two alphas. At some point, Sori realized Jungkook’s mother wasn’t there and started wondering about the woman’s whereabouts. Her husband had ordered her to go unpack as soon as they’d arrived, and she had yet to come back. To be true, Sori envied her a little. In her mind she imagined just how peaceful it would’ve been to just leave the room and lock herself in her room or the rest of the day.

Sori didn’t have a clear idea about Junghyung’s personality yet, but from what she had seen and heard since he ha arrived, Sori knew she didn’t want to get to know him to a more personal level. Moreover, he sounded like one of those elderly man who feels the need to bitterly compare everything he lived in the past with the current present. Usually Sori was fascinated by other people's stories, also because that way she didn't have to say much about herself, but in his case she was getting fed up with the amount of utter rubbish he kept spouting. With the corner of her eye Sori saw Narae squirming on the sofa, willing herself to keep quiet just for the sake of peace, although letting Junghyung speak like that went against everything she believed in.

Every now and then Jungkook’s father barked out a humourless laugh at something he said, be it a remark about Namjoon’s pack or something about his childhood, and Jungkook visibly shrunk on the sofa more and more each time avoiding everyone’s eyes, basically wishing for the ground to swallow his at once. It was kind of easy for Sori to focus more on his behaviour than about what was going on around her. It was so unlike him to try and act invisible. Not that being quite was unusual for him, still Sori had never seen him acting this way before, and somehow she felt sorry for him. No one likes it when people has bad opinions about their parents, even though they know their parents suck, and here Jungkook was, in a room full of people who almost openly disliked his parents and he was well aware they put up with his father's shitty personality only for his sake. She was so lost in her thought that she didn’t notice someone was talking with her until she felt a hand touching her on her shoulder. Raising her eyes, Sori met Jimin’s worried ones.

“Hey, are you alright?”, he almost whispered, a deep frown on his forehead.

“Oh, yes, I was just thinking”, Sori awkwardly chuckled lightly, not wanting to attract too much attention on herself. Albeit Jimin didn’t really look convinced by her explanation, he decided to let it go, probably not wanting to attract too much attention either.

“Mmm, ‘kay. Lunch will be ready in a minute, come sit at the table”. He grabbed Sori by the elbow and guided her to the kitchen, right in front of the seat he wanted her to take. The seat was her usual seat, at the centre of the table, with Jimin and Hoseok on her sides, hence there should have been nothing wrong with it. However, today it felt wrong for her to sit there. It gave her the impression she was completely out of place there, and she knew her period was about to start for real soon and the idea of a stranger, Jungkook’s father at than, smelling her blood and knowing she was on her period made her feel utterly uncomfortable. Raising her head a little, Sori caught the sight of Jungkook’s mother in the same situation, as she looked at the free seat near her husband but felt uncomfortable with the idea of sitting there because then she’d have to stay close to the other alpha and it clearly too much in the spotlight for her liking too.

When Jimin tugged once more on her sleeve, Sori resigned herself and finally took her seat. Knowing well Sori was uncomfortable with the whole situation, Jimin didn’t let go of her hand, probably to comfort Sori as much as himself and Sori let him do as he liked, because Jimin always got nervous and agitated when he had to face tense moments like that, and she was glad she could at least help him like that. Moreover, it was also reassuring for her, since Junghyung kept giving her glares full of disgust. Sori wasn’t sure if it was because she was female and she was having a displayed public physical contact with male, if it was because she was still single in spite of being a turned werewolf, or if it generally was because she was a turned-werewolf, or maybe it was for some other reason she couldn’t think of. By listening to him she gathered a lot of hints about his personal opinions, and turned-weres were definitely among the things he dislikes, however he didn't even seem to like born-were that much, if the way the other members of the pack had tried to fix her appearance and behaviour for the day hadn't given it away already.

Sori couldn’t help but anticipate the moment she’d be free to leave and lock herself on her room. No matter what the others were going to say, she wasn’t having dinner with them. She’d rather skip dinner than sit there getting disgusted glares. Aside from making her feel uncomfortable and unwanted, they also irritated her. Like what the heck, she was in her own house and she’d done nothing bad to him, why did he hate her so much? He didn't even know her in the first place, what the hell did he want from her?

The moment Jin entered with a bowl full of pasta Junghyung turned his eyes towards him and hell broke loose.

“Why is your beta serving us, when you have three females in you pack? That one is a turned, isn't she? Why is she sitting with us instead of doing her chores? Get up, turned, you don't get to sit with as!”, he spit at Sori. “Why would you even sit there in the first place?! Didn't you realize this is a family reunion? People like you have no business with us real wolves. Get out”. Sori froze, not knowing where to look or what to say, too embarrassed to even be able to move. Junghyung’s voice held a very patronizing and disgusted tone, with a barely hidden menace in it. The couple of gasps from the members of BTS were mostly covered by Jin, who cleared his voice.

“This is really heavy, sir, not to mention I have a perfectly working body too, so she doesn’t need to serve us. I cooked and I want to serve you myself”, Jin spoke lightly, albeit his hostility could easily be perceived. “Sori is part of the pack, so she can stay here with us”. It wasn't exactly what Sori had hoped to hear, but alas... At least she knew he had tried to subtly step up for her.

“Oh, really? Don’t you think you treat this little bitch too well? She has to know her place, and it surely isn’t in the middle of the pack.”, Jungkook’s father retorted, sending another glare in Sori’s direction, the corner of his lips raised in distaste. Sori could only think about how sorry she felt for her pack, who had to be looked down upon once again because of her. She knew today she shouldn’t have taken that seat. She just knew it. Right from the moment she stepped out her bed she had realized things would have gone wrong, but she had done what the other members of the pack had advised, hoping her instincts were wrong, and now here she was. Facing yet another embarrassing moment because of something she couldn't control.

“It’s not like that, sir”, Namjoon spit out the last word as if it was an insult, “we treat her the way any decent human being should be treated. She can have whatever spot she likes in our pack, and we don’t need her to do any kind of work for us. Sori can do whatever she wants”. His hands were slightly trembling, which wasn't a good sign for werewolves, really. It usually meant his wolf form was close to the surface and he was losing control of himself. Quite weird being that Namjoon was... well, Namjoon. He went for sarcasm and passive aggressive remarks, however he never showed the kind of violence that trembling hands usually lead to.

“Ah, I see, I see”, Junghyung darkly chuckled, “you only do what you like, right?”. This time the man was directly talking to Sori. There was an evil in his eyes that Sori couldn't motivate. They had never met him before, she couldn't have possibly offended him before. The girl raised her head a little to focus on the man sitting only a couple of seats from her. “I shouldn’t be surprised, since you are what you are right? Sluts like you are the best ones, I’m not surprised they don't required any more work from you. I suppose it's no bother to them to keep you here to do what the likes of you can do best. Spreading your disgusting kin around the world, aren't you?”. Sori was speechless. How was it possible that this man had turned Namjoon’s words and gave them such a disgusting meaning? She could see Jungkook’s mother lightly tugging on her husband’s arm, but her husband wasn’t done yet. “This is exactly why we’re forced to live like this. Hidden without being at fault. People like this bitch ruined us. And people like you allow them to live as if they are free to do whatever they please, as if they could possibly be like us. Let me tell you this, alpha”, he spit our mockingly at Namjoon, “you are making a mistake. Alphas like you are the reason why we are ruined. You shouldn’t be an alpha if you aren’t even able to make this turned stay in her place. I bet my son would be a much better alpha than you”, he concluded raising his brows, daring Namjoon to confront him. Jungkook looked utterly mortified, yet he didn’t say anything as he curled on himself up to look smaller.

A long silence followed Junghyung’s words, and no one seemed to know what to say to break it. Namjoon was clenching his jaw with all his might, looking like he was on the verge of losing his calm, while everyone else was staring at Jungkook’s father with their mouths ajar.

“Sori, I’m sorry, I think it’s better if you leave for a while. I’ll bring you your lunch in a moment”, Seokjin finally spoke up. Sori didn’t replay, she just stood up before she glanced in the beta’s direction and nodded, acknowledging his words. The girl felt like she was walking some sort of very distorted walk of shame, with everyone’s eyes fixed on her, staring in silence, as she left the room. Her cheeks were on fire and her hands were trembling so hard that she couldn’t even extract her phone from her pocket to check the time. As soon as Sori reached her room, she noticed her things weren’t there anymore. Looking around in disbelief, Sori realized almost all of her possession had been moved or thrown in a box without her knowing. At that point holding the tears back was becoming hard. Were they moved there by her pack mates? Actually Sori could only faintly perceive the scents of her pack mates and also Jungkook’s mother’s scent, but since they’d kept all the windows and doors opened while they were emptying her room, Sori couldn’t catch the scent properly. If her things hadn’t been moved by her pack mates, then maybe Jungkook had told his parents to settle in her room, because right beside her beds rested their suitcase and duffel bag, and it looked like their clothes were being hanged inside her wardrobe, from the looks of it.

Standing inside the room now filled with other people’s belongings and scents was making it hard for her to breath. It was also hard to cry quietly when some ugly sobs wanted to be let out. Suddenly an idea crosses Sori’s mind and she turned her body towards the window. If she jumped the right way, Sori knew she would’ve been fine. Even better if she were to jump in her wolf form.

“I knew I’d find you here”. His voice ringed so loud in the peaceful atmosphere of the lake. Sori wasn’t surprised though, she’d heard his steps nearing and had recognized his scent right away.

“Mmm, I’ve been enjoying the weather”, she just told him, before she rested her head back on her knees. The slow rocking motion of the water was soothing her sour mood. A small part of her brain was wondering if Junmyeon was looking for her for real or if he’d just said what he’d said for the sake of it.

“How bad did it go?”, Junmyeon tentatively asked. Sori had texted him about the guests her pack was waiting for in the morning, thus it didn’t surprise her he’d already done the math and understood something had gone wrong with them, however Sori had no answer to give him. She still hadn’t figured out whether it was her who was overreacting or if things had really gone as bad as she thought. It all seemed like a distant dream and she felt like some details were bound to disappear in a couple of hours. What if things were really as bad as she thought? Should she just go back later and pretend nothing happened? Where was she going to sleep tonight though?

Time passed slowly, with Sori and Junmyeon just sitting there and staring at the lake in silence. The shock caused by Jungkook’s father was fading into a dull ache in her chest. As the images of the morning flashed in her mind, Sori couldn’t help but ask herself what had happened after she left or if something would’ve been different if she’d talked back to Junghyung instead of waiting for the others to defend her. She had never learnt how to stand up for herself, but would that even have been the right thing to do in that moment? To her Junghyung’s behaviour made no sense, but thinking about all the thinks she’d heard about him in the years she’d spent with BTS, she should’ve guessed he wasn’t going to welcome her with open arms. Quite the opposite, instead. It was beyond her why she had stayed when she already had a bad feeling when she had awoken.

“I think it’s time to go, Sori”. Junmyeon put his hand on her arm to wake her up from her daydreaming. His bones popped as he stood up and stretched. Eventually Sori realized that the sun had gone done and she hadn’t even noticed it. How long had she spent there?

“You can go, Junmyeon, I think I’ll stay here a little longer”, she kept her eyes on the lake and her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke. It was warm enough for her to still feel comfortable out there. It was the end of may after all, so if Junmyeon left now, she’d have the chance to take a bath and swim a little before going back home and facing her pack mates. “Thank you for keeping me company”

“Why do you want to stay here more though? You’re just sitting there, alone. silent and depressed”, the sweet smile on Junmyeon’s lips melted a little bit of Sori’s sadness, silently asking her to tell him what had happened with their guests, but Sori knew she couldn't talk about it with someone outside the strict circle of her pack, otherwise it would look like she was trying to turn another alpha against her own alpha. “Don’t you think it’s finally time for you to meet my whole pack?”, Junmyeon asked her after a moment of quiet. Sori took a couple of seconds to ponder her answer. She had to go back at some point, although she didn't feel like it yet, moreover she hadn't informed anyone about her location and to go to another pack house she needed Namjoon's permission, still... she had been sitting there alone almost half a day, maybe having some company would have cheered her up? In the end she shook her head and smile gratefully smile at him.

“Mmm, I’d really like to, Jun, but I don’t think I can. I shouldn’t even be here right now”. Somehow it didn’t feel right to stay out there for so long without having informed Narae or Namjoon, since she didn't want them to worry about her, but at the same time it felt way more right than sitting at the same table with Jungkook’s father.

“Why shouldn’t you? Did Namjoon set a curfew for you?”, Junmyeon asked her, perplexed by her vague replay.

“Mmm, Namjoon didn’t exactly set a curfew”, Sori finally raised her face to look Junmyeon in the eyes, “Namjoon doesn’t even know I’m here, actually... as in, no one knows where I am right now”.

“Oh”. That was all the alpha managed to say as he stood there, staring at her with a quite dumb expression on his face. Sori resonated that maybe he was just dumbfounded because he was a man who loved rules, and probably he shared many of Namjoon's ideas about how a pack should be run. Sori knew Junmyeon didn't approve of her being there alone, however he probably didn't want to betray Namjoon's trust by bringing her to his pack without informing his friend first, but at the same time the only other option he had was to leave her there on her own or basically stay with her until she felt like going back.

“Well, he might know by now, because I was asked to looked for you by Narae, so…”, he didn’t need to end the sentence, Sori already knew she was death meat as soon as she stepped back into the house. “How about you come to my house, eat dinner and then I drive you back home at least?” Sori was stupefied. Out of all the things she’d imagined Junmyeon to say about her disobeying Namjoon’s rules, an invitation to dinner at his house was far from expected. Some part of her was still wondering whether she’d heard right or not when he spoke again. “So? I'll talk to Namjoon later on, and you can't deny it would be more responsible to stay here alone in the woods”. Well, in fact the choice was not that hard. Furthermore, the only other options she had were going back to Junghyung’s glare and spiteful words (and probably to Namjoon’s rage), or staying by the lake until it was late enough for everyone to be already asleep when she got back. A little company didn’t seem that bad, not to mention that would make her feel safer than staying alone far from any person who could hear her if she were to cry for help.

By the way he usually dressed up and by the cars she’d seen him drive, Sori already knew Junmyeon was rich, however, she didn’t know just how much. In front of her eyes stood a three storey house with a perfectly kept garden and an amazing pool. Sori had fallen under the conviction that richness didn’t impress her anymore ever since she had fully realized Namjoon’s money alone was enough to sustain his whole pack and their house leaving out great amounts of money to spend however he liked, but she was wrong. Now more than ever she realized that being rich was in fact great.

“Don’t be fooled by the outside”, was all Junmyeon commented at her stupefied face, “the inside is quite plain and messy”. Quite uncertain, Sori followed him inside the house and…well, maybe the alpha wasn’t wrong when he told her not to be too biased by the external appearance of the house. The inside of the house was a huge mess. The more she looked around, the more Sori felt her hands twitching with the need to clean and tide the rooms. The furniture was clearly new and well kept, but almost every surface was covered with clothes, dirty dishes, glasses, ramen cups, take away boxes and old pizza boxes.

“Oh…ehm…I think Kyungsoo and Minseok aren’t home yet”, Junmyeon laughed awkwardly and he was scratching his neck, “mmm, usually this place isn’t THIS messed up”. Sori followed his example and let out an identical embarrassed laugh. She wasn't going to complain about Jimin and Taehyung's messes anymore.

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t mind”, she lied, following him through the maze of clothes to reach what once was a kitchen. Junmyeon was utterly speechless as he took in the mess his pack mates had created.

“I don’t know what to say, I’m really embarrassed right now”. The alpha was scratching his head in frustration as he walked around egg shells and flour scattered all around the kitchen’s floor. It looked like the guys had played some sort of food fight that had turned into a clothes fight, or the other way around, who knew. The more Junmyeon turned on himself, the more annoyed his expression became, and his tight smile turned into a dark smirk. “You know what? The kitchen will be perfectly cleaned in 5 minutes, and I promise you in 15 minutes top the rest of the house will be too, and then I’ll give you a tour of the house. Just give me a moment”. The girl nodded at him, hiding her doubtfulness. It looked highly impossible for the whole house to be cleaned that fast, still she wasn’t going to say it straight to Junmyeon’s face. He was still an alpha after all, and he deserved to be respected.“Guys, look who I brought home”, Junmyeon yelled in the general direction of the kitchen’s door. When no sound was heard from the rest of the house, he motioned with his hand for Sori to speak and, albeit hesitantly, she complied.

“Mmm, hello?”, somehow it sounded more like a question, but Junmyeon's expression was satisfied as he looked towards the door expectantly. Soon enough multiple feet stomping could be heard coming from upstairs.

“Soriiiii”. A moment later a bunch of limbs was tightly wrapped around Sori’s body. “You finally came to see me!”.

“Hey, Baek! Mmm, Junmyeon found me and brought me here to introduces me to his pack mates”

“And to have dinner”, Junmyeon added. “Well, now that you’re all here, let me tell you this”. And suddenly his voice dropped lower and his expression turned grim, ”I want this house cleaned in ten minutes top. Starting now”. At the sight of the alpha’s terrifying smile even Baekhyun, who was already pouting and complaining, left the room right away. “Would you like some water?”. The way Junmyeon went from utterly pissed to extremely gentle in a matter of seconds was actually confusing. He didn’t even wait for Sori to really answer him, he just grabbed two glasses and a bottle from the fridge before he leaned against the kitchen’s counter. “Do you want sparkling water or is this one fine?”, he pointed to the bottle he was holding.

“Still water is just fine. Thank you, Jun”. Somehow it felt awkward to stay alone with the alpha now that she was inside his pack house. Moreover, Sori was starting to feel queasy, because he was a man who held power over other people, while she was a little nobody, thus she didn’t feel like speaking much. Junmyeon tried to make some small talk here and there, clearly aware of Sori discomfort, but Sori was more focused on her skipped lunch rather that on his words. Suddenly, the sound of Sori's ringtone startled the both of them. Seeing that Junmyeon was waiting in silence for her to pick up her phone, Sori quickly fished it from her pocket, absent-mindedly made a mental note to bring the pants she was wearing back to the hut. Unsurprisingly, it was Namjoon that was calling her. She waited a moment, thinking carefully about her options, only to lose her chance to take the call, as Namjoon closed it.

“If you want to, I can text him. I’m sure he’ll be understanding of the situation”, Junmyeon kindly, and way too optimistically, offered. It wasn’t like Sori was really afraid of Namjoon, albeit he wasn't someone she wanted to face at the moment, she just wanted to be out on her own and for as long as she wanted without anyone questioning her about it. Sori needed time to digest Junghyung’s words and think about the situation she was in. About the fact that nobody stood up for her. About the fact that she hadn't either.

“It’s not really necessary, but if you want to, then I have no problem with it. Just tell him I won’t be back until later tonight, please”. She was aware that her voice sounded stand-offish, but she couldn’t bring herself to worry about it. As much as Sori told herself Junmyeon just wanted to do the right thing, it didn’t feel right to her. Why couldn’t she make the most of her time on her own for once? Was she really that naïve that she couldn’t even look after herself for a whole afternoon?

“What the heck? What happened in this house?”, someone frustratingly exclaimed opening the door of the kitchen. The new boy was pretty short, and had a very deep voice, and in contrast with he lovely appearance, Sori realised the alpha was kind of scared of him.

“Oh, Kyungsoo, you’re home already”, Junmyeon let out another awkward, nervous laugh, “I don’t really know? I just got home and it was like this and, uhm, don’t worry, I already told the guys to clean up”.

“Those dumb fucks were playing with food again. In my kitchen”. He didn’t add anything else, he just took a deep breath before he made a u-turn for the door, quickly walking towards where his packmates were cleaning. A long silence followed Kyungsoo’s exit, aside from the loud groans coming from the other rooms.

“He’s not always like that”, the alpha whispered in Sori’s ear. He checked the time on his phone and put it away. “You know, it’s getting late…how about we get started with the dinner? What do you want to eat?”

“Mmm, I’m not really a picky eater, anything it’s fine”, she shrugged, “I didn’t know you could cook”.

“In fact he can’t. Just tell me what you want to eat and I’ll cook it for you”, Kyungsoo deadpanned as he entered in the kitchen again. “The guys are almost done cleaning, so in a while you’ll be free to explore the house. I’m Kyungsoo by the way”. His words sounded quite careless, but in the end, he couldn't be that bad if he was offering to cook dinner for a perfect stranger. Perhaps she was letting what had happened earlier at lunch affect her, and he wasn't annoyed by her presence at all.

“I’m Sori”, she stepped forward and grabbed the hand Kyungsoo was offering, “I have no specific food requests… just, maybe something light would be better?”. Just as Sori was speaking, her tummy made a very loud sound. A baby-like smile appeared on Kyungsoo’s face.

“'Kay, if you don’t feel like eating anything specific, I’ll just ask the guys if they want something in particular”, he took a step in the direction of the door, “Actually, you know what? They don’t deserve it”, he shrugged, “Don’t expect too much from me, though. Now go take a look around the house, it’ll take me a while to be done”. It kind of looked like he wanted both Sori and Junmyeon out of his kitchen, but Sori didn’t complain. No one in her pack ever refused a helping hand, even when the owner of the said hand hadn’t offered to help in the first place.

“Come with me, Sori, I’ll show you around”, Junmyeon smiled at her as he lightly grabbed her elbow, leading her out of the kitchen.

Just like the garden, the house looked like it came out of a home-design magazine now that it had been cleaned up. There were still clothes and thrash here and there, but it was clear that the house was well kept and furnished. Junmyeon made sure to show Sori the most used and important rooms of the house, but only showed her his and Baekhyun’s room.

There was a tiny bit of an embarrassing situation when Junmyeon pointed her Sehun’s room only moments after the said guy had walked down the corridor to bring a pile of dirty clothes in the laundry room. Junmyeon didn’t comment about her silence nor about how Sehun stared at her with a shocked expression.

There were many open spaces and windows in the common rooms, and since some of them were left open, there was a nice breeze refreshing the house. It also helped Sori with her nausea that had been ruining her already awful day, only worsened by the amount of unknown scents in the house and by her hunger. The girl just hid her trembling hands when she was talking with Junmyeon, and kept telling herself that the dinner was almost ready. When her legs gave up a little as Sori was taking the last steps up the stairs, she justified herself by telling Junmyeon she’d just tripped over her feet.

On the last floor there were only two very big rooms: one was Junmyeon’s studio, while the other looked very much like the space in the living room in BTS house. The only difference was that EXO had decided to keep their living room on the last floor, so the whole room was occupied by sofas, armchairs, a TV and many laptops. Sori was actually perplexed by the quantity of laptops in that room, however it also made sense: if she counted them right earlier, there were nine members in EXO, so it was one at least one laptop per person.

The more they took to get back to the kitchen, the more Sori started feeling weak, yet she didn’t stop making appreciative comments about how beautiful the house was in her opinion. Junmyeon’s room left the girl stupefied as it was the exact opposite of what she’d expected: instead of being a clean and ordered room, full of neutral colours, it looked like a bomb had exploded in there. Clothes were thrown basically above any free surface in the room and dirty take away boxes were scattered here and there all around the room. Not to mention that no piece of furniture seemed to click with the rest, not even by their design.

“Ehm…this is quite embarrassing. I didn’t know you’d be coming around and…mmm, it doesn’t always look like this”. It sounded like the alpha’s awkward laugh was stuck on repeat lately.

“Don’t worry, Jun, really, Narae and Taehyung have develop the tendency to live just like you, and at times they try to force the rest of us to do the same. I’m not shocked”, Sori tried to put him at ease. It wasn’t even a lie she was telling, in fact Jin, Hoseok and the two pathological messy members had had quite a fight over this matter only months ago, and ever since then the situation had slightly gotten better.

On the contrary, Baekhyun’s room was exactly how Sori had imagined it: full of plushes, toys and pastel colours. To be fair, Sori had also expected a lot of clothes spread all around the floor, but mostly they were hung on the back of his chair and spread on top of his bed, but the rest of the room looked rather clean. The only thing that really caught her attention was the computer, and the three monitors that came with it, on Baekhyun’s desk. Just how rich were these guys? Sori had always thought Namjoon was absolutely too rich for his own good, but now she knew there were even richer people or at least people that liked to show off their wealth more, and it was quite weird for her, who had been raised in a poor household.

“I’m pretty sure I’ve shown you everything. The only thing left is the canteen, the cellar, the rooms of the guys and Jongin’s dance studio, but I’m pretty sure he’ll show it to you as soon as he opens up with you. He loves to dance, and anyone willing to give him attention is pretty much someone he likes. Jongin is kinda childish at times even though he doesn’t look like it, but with time you get used to it. Just don’t steal his banana milk”, Junmyeon whispered the last part is Sori’s ear. “Let’s go down and check the situation. I’m sure the guys will want to show you their rooms after dinner”. With a hand on the small of Sori’s back, Junmyeon guided her towards the stair. She didn’t know whether it was because he had caught on her heavy breathing or if it was just because Junmyeon was a gentleman, but she let him do as it pleased. By the time the two reached the ground floor, the room was swaying in front of Sori’s eyes. She could only hope dinner was about to be ready, because the uncomfortable clenching in her stomach and the nausea were overwhelming her, and Sori wasn’t sure she was going to be able to keep them under control if she didn’t eat soon.

The living room looked nothing like I did before. Now the sofas and the table could be clearly seen, as well as the huge white rug that covered a good half of the room’s floor. It looked more the way Sori had expected it to be: basic colours with little bright coloured object to lighten the atmosphere up and break the colour scheme. It looked very neat now that there weren’t clothes, take away boxes and dirty glasses laying around. She made a mental note to give it more attention as soon as she amazing scent of food coming from the kitchen stopped distracting her.

“Ya, you finally came to see me”, Baekhyun’s loud whine came from the kitchen. “Did you really spent this whole time showing her the house or were you busy doing other things?”, he winked sillily. Sori felt her cheeks warming up at the implication of her friend’s words, but Baekhyun didn't seem to be paying much attention to him. He just had the time of his life whenever he got to tease Junmyeon.

“Ya, Baekhyun, how dare you say something like that?”, the alpha sputtered in dismay.”You-you…”, he kept sputtering without being able to find the words to complete the sentence.

“Enough bullshit, Baek, go set the table”, Kyungsoo appeared in the living room. In reality, he was barely concealing the smirk on his lips, just like the rest of the members, but at least he was making the effort of trying to hide it. Apparently teasing the alpha was an official sport in this pack house.

The air seemed to be getting heavier in room too, of maybe it was just Sori who was having problems with breathing, because no one else seemed to uncomfortable. The turned-were willed herself to take deep breaths and calm down. She would gladly get over a meal without drama involved, and fainting was definitely going to cause a scene.

“Now, introduce yourselves, guys, don’t just stare at her like she’s growing a second head. I suppose you’ve seen a girl before, right?”. Kyungsoo sarcasm seemed to snap the others from their trance. One by one the guys introduced themselves, taking a small step forward and offering Sori their hand or giving a small wave. Sori had the impression the number of guys in the room had increased from the first time she’d seen them, but she couldn’t tell for sure since she didn’t know their names and didn’t recognize their faces. Maybe those who weren’t home when she’d first arrived, had arrived while she was touring around the house. Sori would’ve liked to be attentive and to be the kind of person who remembers everyone’s names as soon as they hear them, but unfortunately the whole room looked really unfocused in front of her eyes and things were starting to sway from side to side in front of her. Sori greeted each one of them nonetheless, before she slowly sat down on the closes chair she could find, hoping it didn’t look like a rude behaviour.

“Take a seat, I’ll bring everything here in a second”, Kyungsoo announced. Sori let out a sigh of relief. Finally she was going to get some food in her body. A moment later, Kyungsoo came back, bringing with him a huge pot full of spaghetti. They rich, red sauce looked amazing. Sori couldn’t wait to taste it. “Hand me Sori’s plate, guests first”, Kyungsoo gestured to Baekhyun, who was sitting right beside Sori. “I hope you’ll like it. It’s not much, it’s just an invention of mine, but since no one went to buy groceries…”

“It’s just fake modesty, don’t mind him, Sori. He knows he’s a good cook”, a very tall guy conspiratorially whispered from beside Baekhyun. Sori was pretty sure she’d already met him, but she couldn’t remember his name at the moment. Unfortunately for him, Kyungsoo heard him and hit him in the head with the wooden spoon. “Ya, Kyungsoo, stop being so violent!”, he yelled as he scratched the sour spot on his head.

“Shut up, Chanyeol. I’ll just bring this back to the kitchen, you go on and eat before it gets cold”, Kyungsoo told them as he was leaving the room without giving a second glance to the tall guy, bringing with him the empty pot. Sori didn’t say anything, but she completely agreed with Chanyeol if the spaghetti tasted as good as it looked. Seeing that everyone was digging in already, Sori started rolling her fork in the spaghetti. She leaned in and took a good sniff of her smoking pasta. That, unfortunately, seemed to be a very wrong choice, for as soon as the smell invaded her nose, Sori felt her stomach churning. She stood up right away to go look for the toilet, but her body felt so heavy and slow that she knew she wouldn’t make it on time this time around. The dark spots in her eyes were getting bigger and bigger.

“Shit”, was the last thing Sori heard before everything turned black.

Chapter Text

The feeling of something uncomfortably tugging at her arm woke Sori up. Her eyelids seemed really heavy as she tried to open her eyes, and it took Sori a couple of seconds to put on focus the beige walls surrounding her. Surprised by the fact that the room looked nothing like her own, Sori let her eyes slide from side to side of the room and finally it all clicked together: she was in the hospital! Or was it a clinic? The uncomfortable feeling in her arm was given by the IV tube, that had gotten stuck under her forearm. At that, Sori noticed the big plaster on the inside of her elbow and couldn't keep herself from grimacing. Needles weren't her thing. How had she ended up there? Actually, it wasn’t like Sori didn’t know how she’d ended up there, more like she just found it absurd. Just because she’d skipped a couple of meals she had fainted. Maybe she should've been more careful since she was also on her period, but it seemed such a drastic consequence. Sori stared in wonder at the IV bag as it got absorbed by her body drop after drop. There was barely any kind of lighting inside the room, it looked like it was still night or really early in the morning, and in addition with the silence, Sori started feeling drowsy again.

“Oh, I see that you woke up. I hope you are feeling better”. The young man was quite tall and had a sweet face. TV series had taught her that his green uniform meant he was a nurse. Sori nodded lightly as he checked the IV bad, before he took a step back and smiled at her. “I came to check your IV, and since it is almost finished, I will call the doctor. He will inform you about the results of your exams and then I think the needle will be removed, okay?”. The nurse left right after that, leaving Sori alone with her thoughts again. It seemed like time was stretching to infinity in the annoying silence of the room. Sori kind of wished she'd brought her phone with her when she'd left the house the day before. The same questions kept repeating in her mind: was there something wrong with her? Do turned-weres get seriously ill? Is that way nobody is telling me what's going on? Does Namjoon even know I'm here? What if he's angry at me?

A light knocking on the door informed Sori about the arrival of the doctor. He was shorter than the nurse Sori had met earlier and a little balding on the top of his head, he looked tired and about to fall asleep. Also, he didn’t look much older than the nurse, so maybe e wouldn’t be too formal with her. Albeit she was old enough to know how to deal with doctor and formal situation, they always put her in an uncomfortable situation.

“How are you doing, miss? You have been here for a couple of hours now, so while you were sleeping we run a couple of routine exams. If that is fine with you, I can check the results now and tell you what we have learnt from them right away. Or, if you would like to wait for your alpha, we can wait for him”, he politely offered, “He should have arrived a couple of minutes ago, so I guess he is just looking for the right room”. Namjoon was already there? Oh, shit. She didn't' know whether it was worse to have to face her alpha or to stay in there alone with the doctor. Awkward.

“Mmm, I guess…whatever is best for you, sir. If it is easier, than you can tell me the results of my exams when my alpha comes in”, Sori weakly told him, accepting the fact that there was no time left to postpone the meeting with Namjoon’s rage. She inwardly cringed at her lack of proper words.

“In that case. I will go look for him and come back in a minute to tell you about the results”, the doctor told her as he left the room again, passing a hand on his face. As soon as he left the room the nurse entered. He sent her a small smile, but this time he didn’t start a chat with her. “Sorry, we got to rush a little because around this time the first patients of the morning schedule arrive”. He didn't add anything more and Sori had no reply to his statement anyway. The nurse simply removed the IV and left, but before closing the door he added: “Do not worry. Everything will be alright”.

Minutes seemed to stretch to hours as Sori waited once again for the doctor, and now even for her alpha, expecting to hear the worst. How big could the hospital be for them to take that long? Was she still going to be allowed to stay in the pack if she had an unexpected illness? Could a turned-were even have an unexpected illness?

“Here we go, sorry for taking this long”, the doctor informed her while he held the door opened for the alpha behind him. Their sudden arrival had startled Sori, but she hoped she hadn't made it too obvious. “I just went to take your last exam too, as I was informed they had arrived while I was looking for your alpha”. The only thing Sori caught of his sentence was “your alpha” referred to Junmyeon. Why in the world was Junmyeon standing in front of her and being called her alpha instead of Namjoon?

“He is not my alpha, sir”, Sori denied, spilling the truth without even taking a moment to reflect.

“You are not? I was informed you were the one who brought her here, I am sorry for my mistake”, the doctor asked as he fixed his glasses on his nose, making his way to lead Junmyeon to the door.

“No, you are right. I brought her here, but we are just friends. She belongs to another pack, and I have already called her alpha. He will be here as soon. Since I called him a while ago, I suppose he is about to arrive any minute now”, Junmyeon shoot Sori a meaningful gaze, which told Sori he knew something he couldn’t tell her in front of the doctor. “Do I have wait outside?”, Junmyeon asked.

“Well, that is not my decision to make. Would you like your friend to leave before I tell you the results of your exams?”, the man asked politely. Sori didn’t really mind Junmyeon’s presence in the room. In the end, it wasn’t him who had the power to chase her away from the pack, and it wasn’t in his personality to judge. Whatever it was, at least she wasn’t alone with the doctor to hear the news. “Or would you rather wait for your alpha?”

“No, it’s fine. Do I have to worry?”, Sori couldn’t help herself from asking. She knew it was a dumb question, but she was starting to panic and lose control over herself. The last time she'd been in a hospital had been when she had been attacked and turned, and that had been quite traumatizing.

“No, I wouldn’t say you have to worry. I quickly checked your results on my way here and there is nothing worrying about them, aside from the fact that you are lacking a lot of vitamins. How far along are you?”, the doctor asked, barely lifting his eyes from the papers he was reading, and sounding more friendly. Sori caught Junmyeon surprised expression, but only shrugged to let him know she was at a loss as well.

“Along with what?”. At her words the doctor finally lifted his face, confusion written all over his face.

“With the pregnancy?”, his statement came out as a question, and Sori didn’t know whether it was real statement or just a sarcastic remark. That would’ve been quite unprofessional and rude, but you never know how people might treat you once they find out you’re a turned-werewolf, especially after what had happened just the day before.

“Pregnancy?”, Sori shot back in complete disbelief. The doctor looked at a loss of words himself, as he took his time staring at Sori up and down before he spoke again, probably thinking her a complete idiot,

“Miss Shin, are you perhaps not aware of your pregnancy? The results of your exams clearly show that you are pregnant”, the doctor pointed at the various results of what looked like a blood test, as if those numbers should’ve meant something to Sori. Unfortunately Sori had no idea of what he was telling her. She was on her period. A weird one, but still a period. Her mind felt fuzzy, as if there were bees flying in her head, but also as if there was cotton in her ears. His words made in no sense. “Well…by your expression I suppose you were not informed about it. So…congratulations?”. The doctor, who was so professional and kind earlier, was so lost he seemed to be rambling, or maybe he was so tired he couldn't wrap his head about the absurdity of the situation. “Let me just… hmm, I can give you a moment, if you'd like. I will leave for a moment, write down what you need to buy to avoid fainting again, and then I will come back and read you the rest of your exams... there is nothing to worry about, if that might help you”. Sori didn’t even realize when he left. The room suddenly seemed too small and the air too dense for her to breathe it in. She couldn’t be pregnant. It was impossible. They had been using protection most of the times and Jungkook hadn’t even touched her in so long…

Jungkook. Jungkook was the only one she’d ever had sex with. If she was really pregnant Jungkook was the father of her child. A child. There was a chance they were going to have a child together.

“Sori, breathe, okay? Listen to me”, out of nowhere Junmyeon was sitting next to her and caressing her arms. It would’ve been comforting if not for the fact that Sori felt like her life was about to end. “Come on Sori, take a deep breath and listen to me. This is not the end of the world. If it’s true, then you will have a lot of people ready to help you. You, me and all the others who care about you, and there are a lot of them, okay? You are not alone. We will find a solution together”. The other members of the pack were going to find out too. Namjoon was about to arrive and then the doctor was going to tell him and… no way, Namjoon couldn’t know about it yet. What would Namjoon say if he were to discover about this? And Narae? Baekhyun? And Jungkook? A wave of nausea washed over Sori. Junmyeon, attentive as always, barely had the time to shove the room’s trash bin under her face before Sori started heaving. Fortunately there was nothing she could throw up, aside from a little gastric juices. It took her a couple of minutes to regain her control over her body, even though the nausea hadn’t left. No,she wasn't ready for this.

“Sori, please, calm down. I understand that you’re shocked, but this isn’t helping you. Moreover, if the doctor sees you like this, he won’t let you go home! Please, take deep breaths and drink a little bit of water”, he offered her an uncapped bottle, “Gosh, you’re so pale. Come on, Sori, deep breaths”.

“I don’t think I can do this. It can’t be true”, Sori managed to murmur after a moment.

“Sori… I - this might be a little too straight forward coming from me, but if you had unprotected sex not too long ago, this might be true, right? And if in the end it comes out that there’s a baby on the way, then it’s not something that horrible. It might be hard for you, but there a lot of worst thing that could've happened. We’ll all be there for you to help you. Both during the pregnancy and after, okay?”. Sori could only nod, because she was speechless again. Junmyeon kept rubbing his hand up and down her back to comfort her, but Sori felt more alone than ever.

Only when someone knocked on the door Sori raised her head again, assuming it was the doctor, however when Junmyeon opened the door only Namjoon and Narae were standing there. Namjoon looked enraged, while Narae only seemed to be worried, and in fact she reached for Sori right away.

“My poor baby! How are you doing?”, Narae was holding Sori’s cheeks so hard that an unnatural pout formed on her lips. “Why did you leave like that?”, she went on whining while she was rubbing her cheek against Sori’s cheek, scenting her friend. “You had us all worried about you!”. All the moving caused from Narae's movement was doing no good to Sori's nausea, but she couldn't find it in her to stop her. What if after today there would be no more cuddling sessions with Narae?

Namjoon stood next to Junmyeon without uttering a single word, clenching his jaws so hard Sori could see the way his cheek's muscles tensed from her bed. This was exactly what Sori was afraid of. When the alpha got that angry, he often ended up yelling and spewing words he would never even think of usually, thus Sori just turned her eyes back on Narae, who kept whining childishly in her ear.

“I don’t know what happened, Rae, I just…I don’t know how to explain it, I felt heavy and then breathing became hard and then, well, I woke up here two or so hours ago, I think”, Sori mumbled to her friend. There was something off about her scent too, and it was making her nervous. She carefully took glances at her friend’s body and then she saw it: there clearly visible a bump in her arm. Sori gently grabbed Narae’s arm and lifted the sleeve of her jacket, exposing a neatly done bandaging, probably made by Jin, if Sori recognised the handwork. “What happened to you?”

“Oh, that, uhm, don’t worry about it, I’ll tell once we get home”, Narae shot a glance in Namjoon’s direction, who looked like he was about to lose his brain-mouth filter and let out all his frustration on Sori. Unfortunately for the alpha, before he could as much as utter a word, someone knocked on the door again, and a moment later a nurse came in.

“May I ask who of you is Shin Sori’s alpha?”

“That would be me”, Namjoon took a step in her direction, “Why? Did something happen?”. For a moment the hard expression on his face broke into a worried one, just enough to slightly lift Sori's spirit. At least he still cared about her.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to worry. The doctor sent me here to bring you to the front office, as he need you to sign some papers since the girl is ready to be discharged. He is also preparing some prescriptions for her, hence you might not see him there, but he will come here soon”. Sori felt a little offended to be dismissed with a simple “the girl”, even though it made sense for the nurse to call her like that. It would’ve been weirder if the nurse had simply called her “Sori” without knowing her, and there were high chances she didn’t remember her name, so even expecting to be called “miss Shin” could be a little weird. There were tons of patients and it was very early in the morning for her too.

“Fine, lead the way”. Namjoon sounded every bit as annoyed as he looked as he followed the nurse out of the room, which was completely out of his character, especially when he had to interact with strangers. Sori could only wonder what had happen to upset him that much.

“What happened, though? I haven’t seen you since you left the living room yesterday at lunch, and the next thing I know is Namjoon got a call about you being at the hospital”, a deep scowl marred Narae's soft features, informing Sori of how upset her friend was.

“I really don’t know. I think it was because of the hunger, though. I ate breakfast early and they I skipped lunch. I just spent the afternoon at my pond and then Junmyeon arrived and invited me for dinner and…well, you can tell I didn’t have many other choices, right? Also I wanted to meet the rest of his pack, so I accepted. I was feeling a little queasy, and I thought it was because I hadn’t eaten since early in the morning. My legs were shaking and my hands were too, then the room started spinning and I don’t know how to explain this…uhm, the air seemed to be too dense? I don’t know, it was hard to breath. The last thing I remember was that I was about to start eating”, Sori finally put a stop to her word vomit. In her fuzzy state of mind, it was hard to deliver a full sentence. Everything around her seemed blurred, whether it was people, feelings or words. Sori couldn't focus on anything aside from her anxiety.

“So you do know what happened, Sori. And after that?”, Sori turned to Junmyeon this time. He’d been so quite since the couple had arrived that Sori had even forgotten he was there.

“Nothing much, really. There was a sort of really…uhm, chaotic situation and…well, Baekhyun started yelling Sori was dead and then he was crying, but fortunately Kyungsoo slapped some sense into his brain, and shortly after that I was driving to the hospital. I called Namjoon and then I waited until the doctor informed me Sori’s condition wasn’t dangerous…”, Junmyeon dragged on the last words, looking at Sori, uncertain about informing Narae about what the doctor had told them. When Sori realized what he was silently asking, she shook her head, so Junmyeon simply concluded with: “that was pretty much it”.

“And did you talk with the doctor already? Did he tell you why you fainted?”, Narae asked looking at Sori again.

“Sort of…I’m waiting for him to come back and read the results of my exams”, Sori let out a shaky breath before she spoke again, “I might-“. Before she could end the sentence someone knocked at the door, and a sniff was enough to tell her who it was. Namjoon wouldn't have knocked again. Oh, shit, he's back. I’m not pregnant. I’m not pregnant.

“Hello, miss, I’m back with your prescriptions and also to read you the results of your exams. Now, I think it is better if we do this with you alpha present. Where is he?”.

“I am his mate. You can tell us everything and I’ll inform him later”. The doctor didn’t look too convinced by Narae’s words, yet he looked like he didn’t want to waste more time than necessary on the situation, which was also kind of understandable since Sori’s condition wasn't life-threatening. Narae had stepped up as soon as she caught on with Sori's reluctance to let Namjoon know what was going on, and now it was the right time to play the alpha's mate card.

“That is fine by me. Just please, inform him about the situation later on. The hospital policy provides that the doctor directly informs the alpha about the condition of his wolves, thus I would be left in a problematic situation if your alpha were to leave a complaint about my negligence, however seeing miss Shin’s condition isn’t worrisome…”, the doctor didn’t end the sentence, too focused of ordering the papers he had prepared and Sori’s exams. He briefly eyed Junmyeon before he focused on the papers again. “I suppose he is not going to leave either, so I will just briefly explain you why you fainted, and after that you will be free to ask me question. As you can see from you blood tests, you are lacking cobalamin and folic acid. The lack of this two vitamins explains the fatigue, the nausea and the dizziness. When you’re with child, it is quite normal for you to lack these vitamins, which is why I’m prescribing you these supplements”. Beside Sori, Narae let out a loud gasp and snapped her head towards her friend. “No, do not worry, she will only have to take these pill twice a day, but she will feel better quite soon. She will feel tired nonetheless, however she should not feel extremely weak anymore”. Sori was left speechless once again. While the doctor was gone, she had somehow managed to convince herself she really wasn’t pregnant, but now he had confirmed it in front of Narae. Was Narae going to change her mind about Sori? It was truly terrifying to know she might lose her best friend because of this. “However, the weakness you were feeling is not the only reasons why you fainted. Low blood sugar and dehydration were the major reasons why you experienced fainting. You must remember to drink often to keep hydrated. During your pregnancy I would recommend you to drink at least three litres of water a day, more if the day is particularly hot. Being dehydrated, aside from the normal negative effects, might make your limbs bloat and also cause contractions, which could possibly lead to losing the baby or giving birth prematurely”. The doctor waited in silence for Sori to give a sign that she was still listening before he went on. “To keep your sugar levels from dropping too low, instead, you have to do two simple things: eating more often and eating the right kind of foods, and also need rest as much as you can. I advise you to do this for as long as this condition will continue, however this does not mean in any way that you should sit or lay down all day for the rest of your pregnancy. If you follow the advices I gave you earlier and make an appointment with a midwife soon, to make sure your pregnancy is going on smoothly, you should be feeling better soon. In case you are experiencing a strong nausea, you might want to eat small portions of food, and possibly dry food, like crackers”. Sori head was buzzing with a white noise sound, and the doctor’s words made no sense to her. She could only stare at him, trying to give a sense to what was happening.

“But... but I'm on my period, I'm sure I saw some spotting in my pad”, she weekly opposed to his words. She couldn't be pregnant. No way.

“Oh, that's normal, especially during the first weeks of pregnancy. If it were to get worse or more painful, please book an appointment with your doctor”. The room was spinning around, and Sori didn't know what to do anymore. This had to be all wrong, it just couldn't be possible. Nothing but silence followed the doctor’s speech, and it stretched until he cleared his voice, then Junmyeon finally intervened.

“We will make sure Sori eats and drinks often. We will also make an appointment with a midwife as soon as we reach home”, his words sounded weird in Sori’s ears, as if he was spitting them out without even knowing what he was saying. “Thank you for your explanation”. The doctor seemed even less convinced than before now, but it was too late to regret not having waited for the alpha to come back. He simply handed Sori her exams and papers, recommending her to bring them to her midwife and then left. Once again the room was filled with an extremely loud silence. Sori could almost hear Narae screaming inside her head, however she couldn’t bring herself to focus on that when her own thoughts were extremely loud and confused.

“What happened? What's with those faces?”. The voice of the alpha startled the three wolves who were lost in their own thoughts. Namjoon's eyes flipped between the three of them, his brows raised.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking. Well, guys, if you could go wait outside...”, when Namjoon shoot her an inquisitive look, Narae added “I'll just help Sori to put her clothes on, and then we can go home. We only have to stop by the closest pharmacy to buy Sori's vitamins”. Sori was extremely thankful Narae had taken the situation in her hands and was doing all the talk with Namjoon, since she couldn't seem to start working like a proper human being again. The only thing she was sure of was the fact that she was about to have an heartache, because her heart was pounding almost painfully inside her ribcage.

In all reply, Namjoon scoffed and glared at the two of them, but obtained no reaction, since Sori was too busy trying to breath and look normal, while Narae had no fear of his anger. Also, Narae had no fear of speaking her mind and putting the alpha back in his place if it was necessary. Knowing better than to defy his mate when she was worried, Namjoon just turned around and left the room followed by Junmyeon.

“Oh, Gosh, what do we do now?”, Narae barely whispered. Sori lifted her head, surprised by her words choice, but before she had the chance to speak her friend was hugging her tightly to her chest and gently swinging for side to side. “Don't worry, we can talk about this when we get home, okay? Now lets put your shoes on and leave this awfully smelling place, okay?”. Sori only managed to give her a nod, knowing she would just choke if she were to try and speak at the moment. Narae basically did all the work: she made her sit, grabbed her clothes and shoes from the small cabinet Junmyeon or a nurse had put them in, made Sori wear them and even tied her shoelaces. Soon after Sori was standing, ready to go, and Narae was combing her hair with her fingers, doing the best she could without a comb. “You know we don't have to tell the others, right? If...if you don't want it we can just keep it for ourselves and ask Junmyeon to do the same”, Narae whispered again. Sori wasn't sure if it was because she was afraid Namjoon might have heard her if she talked louder or because every word seemed to disrupt Sori's thoughts.

“Can we? Really?”, she whispered back, and seeing the way Narae was looking at her while nodding, gave Sori a tiny bit of hope. Maybe not everyone was going to hate her for what happened. Maybe not everything had to change.

Only Namjoon was waiting outside the room when they left the room.

“Where's Junmyeon?”, Narae asked him, as she looked left and right in the empty corridor.

“He left a moment ago, he told me he'll call you later to know how you're feeling”, Namjoon informed them, openly staring at Sori. He still sounded off, but since he wasn't attacking her, to Sori was perfectly fine. She had enough to think about, no need for Namjoon to add on.

Narae spoke every now and then on their way home, but nor Namjoon nor Sori seemed to be in the mood for chatting, so she just informed her fiancé they had to buy supplements since Sori was lacking some vitamins. The way back home seemed so short, Sori barely realized it when Narae dragged her inside the pharmacy, probably to spare her from staying alone with Namjoon in the car. In a moment they were home. Somehow Sori realized the other guys were there and they were worried, but her head was too stuffed to focus on them, thus she just made her way to her room and threw herself on the bed. Only then things seemed to be clearer.

Her bed smelled disgustingly like Jungkook's parents, and it made her feel sick again. To avoid dry heaving again, Sori sat up and opened the window above her, hoping a little fresh air would do her good and remove the their scents from her bed, then proceed to remove the sheets from her mattress and dump them next to the door. From what she could smell, they'd probably left early in the morning, and seeing there weren't their things around her room nor were they with the other guys when they had arrived from the hospital, Sori thought Jungkook's parents had cut their visit short and left the house. And it wasn't a bad things, to be honest. She had enough to think about already and there was no need them to add new worries to her list.

Sori sighed as she tried to relax and understand how everything in her life had changed in a matter of minutes. She shouldn't have been that surprised, really. She knew Jungkook was acting carelessly and she was letting him do whatever he pleased, being just as irresponsible as him. At first Jungkook had always worn a condom when they had sex, then he had told her it wasn't as satisfying to have sex with barriers between them, and Sori had ended up telling him it was fine if he didn't wear one. However, Sori had only told him that because she wanted to go on the pill. She had read enough blogs and articles to know condoms weren't always safe against unplanned pregnancies, and being a werewolf, Sori didn't need to worry about sexually transmitted illnesses, so the pill seemed better to avoid unplanned pregnancies. Although that had been her original idea, in the end she had taken any birth control, as she kept delaying the appointment with a gynaecologist because the idea of baring herself in front of a stranger made her uncomfortable. When Jungkook had informed her that taking the pill might not do good to her body, Sori hadn't bothered to gather more information, blindly trusting that Jungkook knew more about pills and sex that she did. For a while the two of them had tried to hold back from having sex, but there was always a latent sexual attraction between them, and their resolution hadn't lasted long indeed. Also, Jungkook had found the perfect solution to their problem: if they had sex and he wore a condom, then he could come inside her, if he wasn't wearing a condom, then he would pull out. At first they had followed the rules as if they were written on stone, but after the first mishap, they hadn't been as constant. They weren't worried anyways, after all they'd been having sex like that for a while and she hadn't gotten pregnant. It seemed unrealistic that a pregnancy could happen to the two of them out of all the people in the world.

Sori couldn't believe it had happened right when the two of them had little to no sexual intercourse, especially in comparison to the two previous years. It seemed so stupid. It had been almost two months ever since they last had sex. It was unbelievable that in the handful of times they'd had sex that year she had gotten pregnant when they used to have sex everyday before Minyoung arrived. Why now? In her head it sounded so stupid now. And now she was going to be a mother, and a single one at that.

Was she really going to be a mother? She had never really thought about having kids any time soon. When she was younger, Sori used to think one day she would have had a nice job and a caring man, with whom she'd happily get married and later on have children and maybe even buy one of those fancy houses with a small garden and a white fence, like you always see in movies. Unfortunately, her actual situation wasn't anything like that: she wasn't old enough, she didn't have a job, didn't have a caring man, actually she didn't even have a man of any sort, and the father of her baby was far from the ideal man to have a baby with. Sori felt her eyes watering at the cruel realization of her current situation. She felt so stupid she wanted to punch herself in the face.

Sure, she had always been pro-choice, however, now that she was the one who had to make the decision, it didn't feel like something she could ever be able to do. She had been irresponsible and now she had to pay the consequences of her actions. It felt so unfair, though. Jungkook could happily go on and live his life however he pleased, while she would be the one stuck with a child, who might even lose her pack if the members of the pack wouldn't take well the news of the pregnancy. If she were to be kicked out of the pack, than she'd have to start looking for a new pack too, and who could guarantee she would find a nice pack who treated her and her baby fairly soon? In spite of being formally allowed to live on their own, a packless female werewolf was socially not accepted, especially in the case of a turned-werewolf. Too many females had died trying to prove they could live by themselves, or so they said. Moreover it was pure instinct for wolves, the desire to form packs and have people you trust around you made some rejected wolves go crazy, and that would've put the packs in the surrounding area in a risky situation in case the humans noticed something. Not to mention that without a pack, Sori was going to be just like her mother. The simple idea of living a life worth nothing and having to condemn her child to a life of loneliness such as the one she had lived made her panic again.

What would her mother think of her had she been still alive? Her daughter, for whom she had sacrificed her life, to whom she had tried to teach her values in spite of the little time they spent together, was about to mother at 21. The daughter to whom she used to say: “Don't follow my path Sori. I was stupid and I had a child before I had the chance to experience life. I don't regret having you Sori, at all, you know how much I love you, but there are still days I wonder what my life would've been if only I had had you three or four years later”. Would her mother have loved her grandchild if she were still alive? Would she be disappointed? Sori was older than her mother was when she had her, but that didn't seem to be much when she thought about how little she had seen of the world, and how little she had obtained so far in her life. She used to feel a little bit hurt whenever her mother told her having a child when your too young is a mistake, but now Sori felt like she could understand her better. Sure, if she decided to carry on with her pregnancy, that wouldn't mean she had to give up on her life and passions forever, but how was she going to make the baby grow without a job to buy what they needed or even be able to give them any emotional support when she still needed so much help from other? If Namjoon ended up kicking her out, they would also be homeless. She would have to find a job soon and hope she would have enough time to recover from giving birth before she had to work again, not to mention that she would also need someone to watch over the baby when she started working again. It was all too much. Her breathing pace was spiking up and it felt like no matter how much air she breathed in, it wasn't enough. Before she went of a full on panic attack, though, Narae entered her room.

“Hey, hey, breathe Riri, okay? I'm here with you, don't worry”, Narae held her tightly against her chest and Sori finally shed the tears she needed to release. She wasn't sure how long she'd been crying for, but when the ugly sobs calmed down and the tears slowed down Sori felt a tiny beat better. The current situation was not desirable, but at least she wasn't alone with her problem. At least she wasn't about to die.

“Do you want to talk about it?”, Narae asked her, as she combed Sori's hair with her fingers. Honestly, Sori didn't really want to talk, but she guessed it was time to accept what the doctor had told her and face reality, so she found herself nodding in her friend's chest. “The baby is Jungkook's, right?”, Sori nodded again and Narae sighed, her fingers never stopped massaging her scalp, “Do you want to keep it?”

This time Sori didn't answer right away. There didn't seem to be an appropriate answer yet. If she were to have an abortion, she was afraid she was going to regret it later on, and she had read enough blogs and heard enough testimonies to know it was an hard decision to make and and even harder process to heal from, both mentally and physically. On the other hand, if she decided to keep the baby, she was going to face judgment, the risk of being kicked out of the pack, having find the money to raise it and give up on the little freedom she'd gained in the last months. Still, she could be kicked out and judged even if she gave the baby up. Who would want to keep a turned-werewolf who embarrassed you in front of other packs, wasn't able to do anything, got pregnant and aborted afterwards?

“I don't know yet”, she whispered, “I don't know what to think”.

“My suggestion would be for you to decide what to do after your appointment with the obstetrician. Don't get mad, but I thought the sooner the better on this matter, so before coming upstairs I looked for a good doctor for you and scheduled an appointment too”. Although, Sori wanted to be irked with Narae for having been overstepped her and deciding all that without asking her first, Sori recognized she was right and it wasn't like she was in the right mental condition to make any kind of decision at the moment. “Before you start complaining, know that I chose a female obstetrician and she doesn't require the alpha to be there during the visit, but I told her I'm your alpha and gave her my number instead of Namjoon's anyways, just to be sure”. Sori found herself smirking at how fast Narae was with picking up what was going on inside her mind.

“When is the appointment?”

“In three days. She told me you need to bring all the exams you took at the hospital with you. I thought three days would be fine for you, you know... you can reflect and search things online to get more information about your options, right?”, Narae sounded a little hesitant when she added the last part, and Sori couldn't help herself but think Narae was acting like that because she was hoping she would keep the baby. Narae loved babies and it was no secret she wanted to have one soon.

“No, you're right...it's just that I don't know what to expect. I don't even know if I want to know what's happening inside of me. There are so many things I'm scared of and I'm not sure if there a possible right choice in this situation. I'm...I'm just scared”, Sori mumbled. Narae's chest moved slowly, helping Sori with her anxiety, as she felt it as it went up and down with every breath her friend took as she rested her head on Narae's chest. “I never really imagined my life going like this... I don't want to end up being an absent mum like my mum, but right now I can only see that possible future in front of me if I decide to keep the baby. On the other hand, if I... give it up, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive myself”, she whispered against her chest. Narae hummed in response and tightened her grip on Sori, but she kept quite otherwise. Narae kept running her fingers trough Sori's hair and Sori hugged her friend tightly, while her tears slid down her cheeks.

“You know, it doesn't have to be like this. We all would be more than happy to help you and then there'd be all your new friends from EXO...even Jungkook would be there for you if just you let him know. I don't think he'd leave you to fend for yourself and your baby like that”, Narae calmly stated. Sori chose not to answer. Telling Jungkook about the baby sounded like the worst thing she could possibly do at the moment. She would think about it sometime, but not now. While she was lost in her thoughts, Sori distractedly noticed something soft was poking her from time to time in the back. She lightly lifted her face and only then she noticed it was the bump in Narae's arm that was touching her.

“In the end you didn't tell me what happened with your arm”, she told her, pinching her in the hip, “Did Namjoon stab you with his fork by mistake?”, she tried to lift the mood. Narae grimaced for a moment, but then her expression turned neutral. It looked like she was weighing her words carefully.

“I don't want you to think of this as something dangerous or anything, okay? You don't need more stress right now. Just don't go out on your own from now on, at least for a while”. Despite Narae's attempt to dismiss the situation, still Sori wanted to know what had happened. If Narae herself reached the point of telling her not to go out alone, and she expected Sori to follow her advice, then something bad must have happened during her absence, and it could be no good if Narae had ended up with a bandaged arm.

“But why? Why won't you tell me what happened? Did Jungkook's parents do something to you?”, the wildest options were now floating around in Sori's brain.

“What? No! Why would you say that? Don't say something like that in front of Jungkook, he would be very upset!”. Narae looked bewildered, but really, to Sori it didn't seem like an absurd possibility from what she had seen of Jungkook's parents. Moreover, it wasn't like she wanted to hurt Jungkook, but she had all the reason not to have a high opinion of them.

“I don't know what to think! Just tell me what happened!”, she complained.

“Ugh, fine, but promise me you won't start to panic again first. The situation is under control now”. Narae didn't go on until she felt, more than saw, Sori nodding. Narae could only sigh seeing how determined to know the truth Sori was. “Okay, well...When we realized you weren't here, the guys started panicking, so we started looking for you. Me and Jungkook went together. While we were running though, Kookie smelled a weird scent and we followed it... and well, to make it short, there was a wolf inside our lands. We chased after him and we attacked him, but he managed to land a good bite on my paw. Kookie stopped fighting him to take care of me and the wolf ran away. Hoseokie and Tae went after him as soon as Kookie and me got home, but it was too late. They lost his scent when they reached the first group of houses. Probably he got into a car. Namjoon already called Jiho and he's coming today with some of his wolves to smell that scent and discuss what happened”. A shiver ran along Sori's spine at the idea of her pack mates being in a dangerous situation because of her. She didn't even want to think about all the possible “what ifs” of the situation, she was just thankful they were all fine, and she made sure to let Narae know it.

“I'm glad you are fine, Narae”, she lifted her head and left a kiss on her cheek, leaning her head back on her chest, Sori rubbed her head all over her neck and shoulder, scent marking her. Narae tightened her arms around Sori and hummed.

“Me too”.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in each other's arms, holding each other tightly.

“Sori! How are you feeling?”, Jimin yelled as soon as he saw her coming down the stairs. Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook, Hoseok and Minyoung were all lying down in the sofas watching some Marvel movie. Sori felt really awkward staying in the same room with Jungkook after discovering she was expecting his baby, let alone after what had happened the previous day at lunch. The fact that he had gone to look for her with Narae wasn't making any difference for Sori. It probably had really embarrassed him, but he was quite good at following scents, so the responsibility had obviously fallen on his shoulders. Minyoung was there too, and her presence in the room only seemed to make the atmosphere more tense.

“Much better! I drank a lot and I think I'll go eat some snack right now”, she tried to come up with an excuse to leave the room aand spare herself the uncomfortable talk with her pack members.

“No-uh”, Taehyung told her, barely moving his eyes from the screen, “Jin said you have to eat what he made for dinner, and he also prepared a list of things you have to eat until the level of iron in your blood is normal again”. Sori could only give him a puzzled stare in response, before Hoseok took over.

“Narae told us what the doctor told you”, he made a vague gesture in Sori's general direction. “Namjoon wasn't too pleased with the whole situation”. Hoseok himself sounded quite hostile, and it made no sense to Sori, like why would he be angry at her? For a moment the idea that Narae had informed them about her pregnancy crossed her mind, but then she remembered Narae's words. She would never betray her like that, so what was the reason behind Hoseok's anger? She could understand it if Namjoon was angry at her for having disobeyed to his rules and having made him appear like an incompetent alpha both in front of Jungkook's father and in front of the doctor, but Hoseok had no reason to be irked with her. It was her who had an iron-deficiency, what did it matter to him?

“Yeah, I suspected it when he arrived at the hospital”, Sori mumbled, trying to put an end to the conversation.

“Yeah, well, it's not hard to understand you put him in a shitty position, is it? Who knows what the doctors thought of him when they discovered you fainted from not eating and drinking enough. We know for sure Junghyung believes he's a idiot”. The bite in Hoseok's words was there, yet it wasn't that strong, which was very typical of him: Hoseok liked using sarcasm better than openly addressing the problem. “We also had to go look for you, because you couldn't even bother to take your phone with you, and we got attacked. What an amazing day”. It took Sori a moment before she mastered the courage to look up again and set her eyes on Jungkook, who seemed to have shrunk on himself after his father had been mentioned.

“About that... I'm sorry. I'm also sorry about what happened with Namjoon, it's just that I needed to some space after what happened yesterday”, Jungkook nodded at her words even though he still kept his eyes away from hers. “I lost the sense of time and then...uhm, I just didn't have any food or water with me, and I fainted just like that”. Hoseok grunted and seemed to be about to speak again, but then Taehyung put a hand on his knee and Hoseok quieted down.

“Ya, Sori, you don't have to apologize for that! It's just that we got worried when you didn't come back and since you hadn't brought your phone with you, we had no way of contacting you”. Minyoung smile gently at her as Taehyung finished his speech, and Sori felt disgusted by herself once again. How could she hold a grudge against her? Minyoung had grown up with a different mentality, yet she was trying to overcome it ad change her way of thinking. It wasn't her fault their relationship was still very superficial. It wasn't Minyoung's fault if she got along with Jungkook better, and Sori couldn't even blame her for the fact that Jungkook liked her more.

Having nothing to say to excuse her carelessness, Sori lifted one corner of her mouth in her direction and then leaned again the back of the sofa, giving up on getting something to eat as well. Moments later Jimin's hand was poking hers, and when she raised her face to question Jimin about his intentions, he smiled at her and circled her shoulders with his arm, dragging her against his sturdy chest.

No one said anything else after that. Every now and then Sori felt somebody's eyes on her, as if they were checking her condition, but they didn't ask her anything else. There was still tension in the room, but somehow Sori was convinced it wasn't a bad kind of tension. Nothing that they couldn't overcome in a couple of days. A part of her brain remembered her she also had to text Junmyeon to inform him she was feeling better, however she was quite convinced the guys were upset because she was with EXO when she had fainted too, so she postponed it for later. She would wait just until they were all asleep and she would finally be alone in room with her thoughts. For the moment she just wanted to enjoy Jimin's hug and not think about the baby, the abortion, Namjoon's anger, the strange wolf or anything else.

Chapter Text

Sori woke up to a loud noise coming from right in front of her room. Her head was already pounding, and she was so hungry her stomach was churning painfully. The previous night Seokjin had only allowed her to eat plain meat and spinach, which Sori quite disliked, but since it was good for her iron deficiency, Jin didn't leave her alone until her plate was empty. She groaned as she looked at the little alarm clock on her bedside table, only to realize it was almost half past eight in the morning, which meant that she was already running late for the training and also that she'd barely slept for two hours, too antsy to fall asleep with the discovery she had made in the morning.

"Joonie, let her sleep in just for today! We can teach her something later in the afternoon or tomorrow!". Narae's voice drilled into Sori's brain even though she wasn't actually being loud. Sori supposed Narae had left while she was sleeping, because she could clearly remember her friend hugging her arm while she was sleeping, after she had followed her upstairs shortly after dinner. Sori had tried to watch a movie with the rest of the pack, but she kept spacing out and eventually she had decided to just go in her room to avoid attracting too much attention on herself.

"No. She'll get her ass down there and train with us. End of the discussion. Since she likes to run away so much, she might as well learn how to defend herself". Namjoon was still angry, apparently. Even since he'd arrived at the hospital he'd been mad at her and he had avoided talking with her for the whole dinner too. It was such a weird behaviour for him. Sori had gotten used to Namjoon reasoning, trying to make everything go smoothly while also keeping his stance as an alpha, so this new, weirdly silent and angry version of him was scaring her. It was also a bit hurtful to hear him talking like that about her, but Sori understood where he was coming from and why he was angry with her, thus she couldn't really blame him either. She just wanted him to understand her too. A moment later Namjoon he was knocking loudly on Sori's door. "Get up, Sori. We're waiting for you downstairs. Make it quick". It was such a cold voice, Sori really got up right away not wanting to keep Namjoon waiting, as she was painfully aware it wouldn't take him long to tear her a new one if she didn't listen to him. Not feeling like doing anything, Sori picked some comfortable clothes to be comfy at least.

"Wow, Namjoon, that was so mature of you. The doctor said she has to rest for a couple of days, couldn't you leave her alone?".

"She'll rest after the training, I don't care. She made her bed, now she has to lie in it. Next time she won't run away when I tell her not to". Namjoon wasn't even trying to keep his voice down, and Sori reluctantly recognized he wasn't completely wrong, but it wasn't like she kept running away out of nowhere for no reason, nor was she leaving for days. There was always a good reason for her to take a couple of hours away from the pack, and the fact that he didn't recognize it was both annoying and painful. Moreover, Narae's words weren't wrong. Albeit she hadn't decided what to do with the baby yet, the risk of hurting it didn't make her feel at ease, yet she didn't want to tell Namjoon why she couldn't train with them, thus she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

She listened to the sound of the alpha's feet getting away from the door of her room as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Would it really be that dangerous for the baby if she exercised just for today? Unfortunately, she didn't believe Namjoon would have let her skip the training that day. Maybe she could just train for a couple hours, so that Namjoon wouldn't be mad anymore? She was feeling better than the day before and she'd had taken her supplements yesterday after dinner too, so maybe today there wouldn't be any problems, she decided. She was still staring at herself in the mirror when another set of knocks came from the door, and the door swung opened, showing her a very upset looking Narae.

"Riri, I'm sorry. I tried speaking to him, but he won't change his mind. He's being so damn stubborn I want to punch him! Please, get dressed and come down quickly, though, I'll talk with Jiho in the meanwhile, maybe he'll be more understanding than Namjoon", she told her softly. Only then Sori remembered that Jiho and some of his pack members had notified them they would arrive earlier than usual to check the scent of the wolf from the other night. Everything before yesterday night seemed to be filtered inside her head, very far from her current reality.

"Mmm, I'll just put something on and I'll come down right away". Actually she had been standing in front of the mirror for a while already, staring at her closet.. "What are you going to tell to Jiho?". Sori didn't want Narae to tell him exactly what was going on with her, if she had to be completely honest, but she didn't want to sound petulant. However, it didn't seem wrong for her to decide who, when and how people got to know about her pregnancy, and out of all the people she knew, Jiho wasn't the first on the list of the people she wanted to inform. She could only imagine what Namjoon would've said if he were to discover Jiho had gotten to know about the baby before him. Not to mention that if she weren't to keep the baby, then there was no reason to inform anyone.

"Don't worry, I won't tell him anything about...your condition. I'll just say the doctor advised you to rest for a while", Narae shrugged. While she was talking, her eyes kept going from Sori's face to her belly, and albeit Sori was pretty sure she wasn't showing already, she suddenly felt the anxiety starting to raise again. What if she was showing already and the others figured out what was going on? What if Jungkook found out? Subconsciously Sori rested her hand on her tummy, as if she was trying to protect herself from Narae's uncomfortable gaze. Her tummy did feel different to her, but was she really not showing? Was it because now she knew there was … something in there? She felt tempted by the idea of lifting her shirt and taking a good glance just be sure, however she didn't feel like doing it in front of Narae with the way the female alpha was staring at her belly. The movement of her hand seemed to have awoken Narae from her daydreaming, her eyes stilling on her friend's face. "I'll wait for you downstairs then", she told her while she patted her shoulder. There was a faint blush on her friend's cheeks, and Sori didn't understand what had flustered her, but she decided not to think about it too much. She just shrugged and turned her eyes back to her reflection. What if I abort the baby in the end? Will Narae change her mind about me?

There were still so many thoughts swirling inside her head. Nothing seemed to be okay, no matter how much she thought about every possible scenario and solution. New problems appeared whenever she felt like she had found the solution to the previous problem. Everything got tangled in a unruly mass of wild, unpleasant thoughts, and she was tired.

At last, Sori huffed and finally opened her closet, looking for the most comfortable clothes she owned. After some searching, Sori simply slipped on her favourite oversized, black shirt and a pair of black leggings, deciding not to bring a jacket albeit she was a bit cold, as it would only end up annoying her when the temperatures raised, or if she had to change to her wolf form. The sound of her stomach growling made Sori speed up even more, slipping on a pair of white sock and trying to tie her hair in a nice pony tail as quickly as she could in order to have a minute left to grab something to eat before going outside. What the doctor had told her the previous morning had her worried about the risk of fainting again, thus she had decided was going to eat an apple and drink a glass of water, something light that could fill her stomach quickly.

Sori felt a little afraid to leave her room, since it was the only thing shielding from weird glances and questions, despite knowing no one else had realized she was pregnant yet. Feeling her pulse quickening, Sori decided to take a moment to breathe in slowly and deeply to calm the crazy beating of her heart. In her mind she kept reasoning there was nothing to be worried about as her body was used to skipping meals, not to mention that the training could be a chance for her to forget about her new problem for a while. She knew she could do it.

In spite of everything Sori had said to convince herself everything was fine and no one knew she was pregnant, the moment she stepped outside Jiho was already eyeing her knowingly. Sori's pulse quickened again right away and the anxiety started taking control of her body. Had he really understood what was wrong with her? What if he told Namjoon? As her breathing was getting heavier, Jiho moved his eyes to Namjoon, and started speaking again. Sori had the impression he was doing it on purpose to remove the attention from her, so that the others wouldn't notice her panicked condition. For a moment Sori felt her body freezing, expecting the alpha to blurt out the truth to Namjoon, but then his words reassured her he was only talking about the training and her breathing slowed down.

"Okay, now that we're all here, I'm going to explain what kind of training you're going to do today. I want you all to be able to recognize scents, footprints and sounds. So today you will be learning how to properly track someone for the first part of the training, then I will give you a little break, in which you'll explain me how you followed the wolf from my pack that I'll assign to your group. If you don't find my wolves before the break, then there'll be a punishment. But believe you all should be able to find them on time", Jiho sounded extremely serious, yet Sori couldn't focus on his words, since her anxiety was making it hard for her to focus on what was happening around her. "The second part of the training will be a physical combat one on one, I'll decide whether you'll be fighting in your human form or in your wolf form, while in there first part there will be groups of two for each wolf of my pack, and you'll be in your wolf forms. I will make the pairings for the first part of the training, and I will also judge the fights to give you an evaluation. I want you all to use all the things you've learnt during the previous trainings, and also want you to discover your enemy's weak points and fighting style, as well as your pack mates'. It will be very useful in order to help them improve and also to know how to help them in a real fight”.

"Do we have limited time for the fight as well?", Hoseok asked him.

"I think you should. In a real fight you can't take it slow and take your time to think about a strategy. You have to act quickly and effectively", Yukwon told him, taking a glance in his alpha's direction. Sori had learnt that many alphas still didn't allow their underlings to speak freely when another alpha was around, and she had felt really lucky to have been accepted in a pack that didn't follow such rules. Something told her that Jungkook's parents' pack was one of those where those rules were still very actual, though. What she didn't now for sure was Junghyung's position inside the pack, but from how he behaved, he must be a alpha or a beta.

"That's right. You will have 5 minutes to take down your opponent. I won't set a punishment for this session, but keep in mind you should do your best and also train more on your own if you fail. I will point out your weaknesses and you will have to work on it, because the best you can fight the more chances you have to survive in a real fight". His words sounded extremely ominous, and the wolves seemed to share Sori's opinions, since they silently glanced at one another. Seeing no one had questions to ask, Jiho proceeded to assign his wolves to the pairings he made. "Keep in mind that in the next training you'll be tracking more than a wolf, so treasure what you'll learn today. Since some of you never had to follow a scent, I will try to put together wolves with different levels of experience in this field". Sori finally felt like she was finally getting over her anxiety. Maybe if she didn't have to be alone today wouldn't be a complete failure, right? All the things Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had taught were still quite fresh in her mind and she was pretty sure she was going to forget them if she didn't get the chance to train those skills more, but at least she could use them to help her teammate. Sori took a good look at the wolves in the room and only then she realized Junmyeon was there, and he looked like he was about to leave too, since he was texting away on his phone and standing in the shadow right next to the door, car keys dangling from him pinky. Sori wanted to ask him why his pack wasn't there, however she didn't want to cause any discomfort, so she chose to keep quiet. She didn't want to irk her pack members again.

"Let's start, guys, stand up. Hoseok and Seokjin will track Taeil, Namjoon and Taehyung will follow Yukwon, Narae and Yoongi will track Minhyuk, while Jungkook and Minyoung will find Jihoon". Sori felt the sting of jealousy, yet she kept her expression impassible. Jungkook and Minyoung were so perfect together that even Jiho put them in the same team. One was going to fill in where the other was lacking. Minyoung was standing there wearing really short shorts and a tiny sport bra looking gorgeous, while Sori just looked like a mess, only feeling like going back to bed. Moreover, with that division Sori was bound to be tracking one on Jiho's wolves on her own. "You, Sori, will have to track me. I will give you fifteen minutes more to track me, because I know you really have no experience in this field while I have a lot of experience in hiding myself, and I do it well, trust me". Sori had no doubt Jiho knew how to properly hide his scent while she had no clue about what she was supposed to do and it bothered her that she had to be singled out that clearly. Once again Sori was made to feel like a complete outsider in her own pack. Obviously she would have liked it better to be paired up with Narae or Yoongi, but she didn't dare to say it out loud. She only hoped the training would pass quickly and she could go to bed again soon. She felt too tired mentally to think about tactics or learning anything that didn't regard her current problem. "Now, I want you to smell really well the wolf you'll have to find, so that you won't forget his scent, okay?".

Sori watched as the members of her pack reached out the wolf that was assigned to them and started taking deep breaths near their necks and chests. She was waiting for Jiho to do something, because to her it seemed like a really uncomfortable and embarrassing thing to do with people she didn't really know. Sure, she scented and let the members of her pack take her scent often and she had gotten so used to the pack-scenting after a couple of months from officially becoming a member of BTS, it felt reassuring instead of pressuring. However, Jiho was an acquaintance, not a member of her pack, and one who knew way too many things about her at that.

"Sori, come here. It's better if you put some distance with the others, so that their scents won't confuse you. It might seem a little weird now, but try to focus only on my scent", the alpha lightly grabbed Sori's wrist and made her follow him. He dragged her to where Junmyeon was standing, and Sori understood right away that the two of them had planned this to speak privately with her. "Come closer now, so the scent will be clearer. Did you know that each one of us has a point where the scent is stronger, right? Most of us will have that spot on the neck, but don't take it for guaranteed, it's just more common for the area around the neck to have a stronger scent then the rest of the body because of the amount of blood concentrated in such a small area. Now, lean closer and smell my scent as much as you can, find the place where my scent is clearer". Junmyeon was watching attentively the scene in front of him. He looked like he had something to say, but was waiting for the right moment to open his mouth, and Sori was pretty sure she knew what he wanted to talk about. The previous night Sori had decided to wait to call him, not wanting to irk her members, but in the end she'd fallen asleep before she even managed to send him a text to tell him everything was okay.

"While you're searching, do you mind telling me how you're feeling? You had me worried when you didn't call me yesterday", Junmyeon whispered. He was pretending to be focused on his phone, his head lowered, so that no one could read his lips. Sori took a deep breath from near Jiho's chest, which was the highest point she could reach without having to stand on her tippy toes, and in the meanwhile she thought about an answer for Junmyeon that wouldn't give away how much her pack disliked him and his wolves. She didn't want BTS to look bad in front of Jiho and Junmyeon, even though they were being unreasonable about this matter.

"I am fine", she muttered back in the end. She could feel someone's eyes on her back, and it made all the hair on her neck stand. "I needed some time to think about the situation and then I fell asleep". It was only a half truth, but at least it wasn't a lie.

"About that...I know you're pregnant, I've known it for a while, actually. I was surprised no one in your pack realized what's going on with you already. That was why I was paring you up with people I trusted not to harm you, and it's also the reason why today you are paired up with me, aside from the fact that I want you to train more seriously than the others. Don't take it personal though, I mean it in good way", seeing Sori's perplexed expression Jiho added: "I know you're lacking on this side of the wolf life because you were recently changed, and no one taught you anything. Moreover, you never had to face a war, so you obviously know less than the others do. I need you to train harder to improve faster and reach your pack mate's level". Sori distractedly followed his speech, still shocked about the fact that he knew she was pregnant before she did.

"Did you guys know too?", she whispered to Junmyeon.

"No, I didn't", he almost sounded offended, "Why wouldn't I have asked you anything about it if I knew? As far as I know, in EXO no one but me knows about it, and I only discovered it yesterday". It made sense in a way, but it also didn't. Why did Jiho know about it when nobody else did, then?

"Go on searching for my scent, Sori", Jiho lightly pulled her head towards his chest, wanting her to stay focused in spite of the conversation that was going on, "I was suspicious of how nobody seemed to care about your pregnancy, but thinking about it now, it makes sense. Think about it, I am the only alpha between the three of us who had females in his pack for a long while. Sure, Namjoon had Narae in the pack for a while, but she's never been pregnant before, right? I can recognize the addition to you scent because many females in my pack had children, but the other two alphas forgot about that kind of scent as the past centuries were spent between males only, and the same goes for their pack mates". With the corner of her eye, Sori caught Junmyeon's meditating face. Putting it that way it made sense, but it still felt weird that he knew about the baby before anyone else. Realizing another thing Sori grimaced.

"So I never trained for real. Amazing". Jiho's scent and the closeness to his body was starting to make her feel really uncomfortable, and she could still feel somebody's eyes on her back. It was too much and too inappropriate for her liking, no matter what Jiho said.

"That's not true!", Junmyeon indignantly exclaimed, while Jiho shot her an annoyed glare.

"I wouldn't make you waste your time on a fake training, and nor would I ask my wolves to waste their time on a fake training with you", he scoffed. "It's true, they knew about your condition for the same reason I did, but that just meant they were careful not to hit you in the stomach and made sure you avoided making dangerous moves that could make you fall, but nothing more. As far as I remember you've got hit quite enough on your face, chest, arms and legs, right?". He had a point and Sori recognized it, but it didn't make her feel any less annoyed, for with he had just reminded her of how many times she'd been a complete failure in front of everyone. Sori wondered if the pack had ever felt embarrassed because of how slowly she was progressing in spite of the long hours they'd spent training already. "Now, do you think you've memorized my scent? Where do you think it's stronger?", Jiho asked seeing there was no response to his previous statement. "Is that guy baby's daddy? Jungkook, right? He doesn't look too happy", Sori really tried to ignore his amused statement, focusing on her task. No need for everyone to know about her private life.

"Yep", Junmyeon snickered, speaking low enough Sori barely managed to hear him. Gee, thanks.

"I think I do?", it came out like a question. She decided to ignore Junmyeon and just focus on her task. Not like she could do much to take back his words anyways, and she doubted Jiho would tell Jungkook about it. "I can't really understand what you smell like, to be honest, but I think I can recognize your scent. There are too many different scents on you, but near your neck it seems to be clearer? It's like...I can't say it for sure, but it seemed to me like the kind of scent I smell in the woods in autumn? Like cold and leaves? I don't know, it's very peculiar,", Sori told him. Raising her head she realized how close she'd gotten to the alpha, thus she took a quick step back only to trip on her own feet. Thankfully the two alphas had quick reflexes and caught her before she fell.

"Ya, can you pay attention where you put your feet?", Yoongi yelled at her from where he was watching the scene. Sori felt herself blush, but she didn't say anything back, recognizing she was indeed being clumsy again.

"Oh, well, he's not completely wrong, is he? Be careful, or your almighty shining knight might come to beat us up", Junmyeon told her as he patted her head, not even bothering to lower his voice this time. Just the idea of Jungkook rescuing her from the two of them was ridiculous, let alone the idea that he cared about her enough to do something like that. Why were her pack members staring at her, though? Had Jungkook heard what Junmyeon had just said? "Now that I know you're fine I can go home. I know you don't have time to waste right now. Talk to you guys later". Junmyeon waved with his hand at the other wolves and when Jiho nodded at him. "Call Baekhyun, though, he was very worried for you", he added before he left. Some part of her was painfully aware she had wronged him by ignoring both his texts and calls, but at the same time she also felt like she had really needed some "me-time" to think about what she was going to do ever since she had discovered she was pregnant, hence why she hadn't been on her phone much. Maybe she could tell him about the baby and hear his opinion on the matter? That would only mean letting more people know about Jungkook and her, though, and she was pretty sure he wouldn't like it.

"I'm giving you all a moment more, so if there's something you want to ask or take in my wolves' scent in once again, do it now". Jiho then muttered under his breath: "Sori, you'll start with the others, but if you start hurting somewhere or you don't feel like you can train anymore, just howl and I'll come looking for you, okay? I'll make up an excuse for you, if you want". Sori wanted to roll her eyes at the idea that whatever Narae, herself and the doctor had said wouldn't be taken in consideration as much as Jiho's words, but then again she knew that it was just the way their society was. "Are you ready?", when everyone nodded the alpha gave the last instructions. "My wolves will go hide now, you'll wait here for 5 minutes and then you'll start. No cheating. No attacking. When you find my wolves you come back here and wait for me to return. Now change, and as soon as your team is ready you can start". Sori observed her pack mates shimming out of their clothes right away to change into their wolf forms. They looked bigger than Jiho's wolves, and Jungkook was probably the biggest out of all of them. Would their baby be that big once he reached adulthood? Their baby. It felt so wrong to think about it that way, albeit it was the truth.

"Ya, Sori, you have to change too", Jiho prodded her arm with his hand. He was already standing naked in front of her, ready to change, and Sori felt her cheeks warming up once again. She didn't understand why, but nakedness was one of the things she couldn't get used to. She simply nodded in response and turned around, looking for a chance to hide herself to remove her clothes. Had she known it before, she would've come down in her wolf form right away. What was the use of wasting time getting dressed just to be naked again ten minutes later anyway? She turned around once again, wanting to warn Jiho she was going to change somewhere else, only to discover she was the only one left in the garden. How much time had she just wasted?

She quickly undressed and changed. Remembering what Kyungsoo had taught her, Sori lifted her nose up in the air and took a deep breath. At first she felt her nose twitching in displeasure at the amount of scents from the nature around her she caught, but at the second deep breath she managed to focus more only on the scent of the wolves. It was still annoying, especially because Jiho's scent wasn't exactly defined in her mind and it was mixed with the ones of his wolves, but Sori found it even more annoying when her nose seemed to be focusing more on Jungkook's scent than on Jiho's. She took another deep breath, and she got an idea about Jiho's general direction.

Sori turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of a big black wolf entering the woods.

A lot of time had passed since she had started looking for Jiho, and Sori was pretty sure the time limit was over already, or at least there was only a little time left for her to find Jiho, because the sun was up in the sky already, and it had just raised when they'd started the training. Finding Jiho was a frustrating task and whenever Sori was sure she was about to catch him his scent got lost and she was back to square one. He left no scent, no hair, no pee, and since it hadn't rained in a while, the ground was too dry for him to leave footprints. It was extremely frustrating, and it was getting so warm that Sori felt irked just at the idea of having to start looking for him once again. That was he reason why she'd decided to just sit under a large pine tree, enjoying the gentle breeze under its shadow. What would it matter if she didn't find Jiho in the end? It wasn't like anyone actually expected she would make it. Moreover, what was the point of running around if she couldn't even follow his scent properly? It was a stupid thing to do, since it was too hot for her liking and the doctor had told her to rest. Namjoon could shove his anger up his arse for all she cared at the moment. Okay, maybe she was just exaggerating because she was worried, stressed and the temperature was way too high, but she was really thinking that she would snap at the alpha if he were to complain about her in front of everyone once again. Fine, she wasn't as strong as born-werewolf and she had left the house without telling him, but enough is enough. As much as he might be right about her putting herself in danger, Sori believed that she deserved a little peace of mind away from everyone else in the pack.

Taking deep breaths was helping her calm down, while she was staring at the branches above her, mentally thanking them for protecting her from the sun. Some of the lower branches were so thick, Sori couldn't help but ask herself how old the three was. They looked so thick that they would hold her weight without breaking. She took another deep breath, emptying her mind from all thoughts and once again she caught Jiho's scent. It bothered her to no end how she could tell Jungkook and Minyoung were running really close to were she was laying down, as the breeze brought her their scents stronger and stronger. She could also smell Narae and Yoongi, but their scent was lighter, so maybe they had already passed that spot and their scent was just lingering around the area. Unfortunately she didn't know enough about scents to be able to tell if her suppositions were correct.

When the breeze brought Jiho's scent to her nose once again, Sori tried to distract herself by imagining how she could climb the lower branches of the tree. The were high enough for Sori to need to jump to reach them, still they weren't that high it would be a bad fall if she were to lose her balance. Actually, it did seem pretty easy for her to reach that high, even though she was a quite small wolf.

The sound of Minyoung and Jungkook's paws were getting closer, and suddenly Sori didn't wanted to see them together nor to be seen alone. She eyed the lowest branches near her once again, mentally establishing how much strength she would have to use to reach them, and finally jumped up. The landing was a bit rough, and standing properly without falling back down was quite hard for a moment, but in a matter of seconds Sori regained her balance. Rather than standing up, though, Sori decided to lie down on the branch, so that she'd feel steadier. She barely had the time to lie down before the Jungkook and Minyoung arrived.

The two of them were running close to each other, tails touching every now and then, and Sori knew for sure Jungkook wasn't running with all his strength so that Minyoung could keep up with him. The image of the two wolves together made her feel nauseous. Or maybe it was the jealousy. Or the breakfast she's skipped. Or maybe it was the sun who was getting too hot for her, but Sori was certain seeing Jungkook and Minyoung together was only adding to her queasiness, and it was spoiling her bad mood even more. I can't wait for this damn training to be done.

She watched as Jungkook stilled in the shadow of the three, smelling the area where she had been laying only moments before and then looking around, perplexity written all over his face. Sori was only waiting for the moment he would look up the three and see her pathetically staring at him to definitely say to hell with the training and go back to sleep. She held her breath as Jungkook turned on himself, looking for Sori. Her scent was so strong in the area that she must have been close. She must have been there for a while, at least, and the ground where the lawn was pressed down was still too warm for her to be far enough for him not to see her. And Sori knew it. He was looking for her. Her heart was beating crazily inside her chest. Why would Jungkook be looking for her that insistently instead of going on with his training? He keep taking deep breaths and turning around. At that point, Sori wasn't sure if she wanted to be found or not. She just wanted to see how he'd react once he noticed her.

Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by the sudden annoyed bark Minyoung let out. Jungkook suddenly turned to her and lowered his head, apologizing for taking up too much time in his small personal quest. Sori wanted to whine when they started pacing towards where they were originally running, nose up in the air to catch Jihoon's scent again.

She was still completely caught in her jealousy, staring at the silhouettes of the two wolves getting farther away from her when the wind brought Jiho's scent to her nose. Unfortunately, she was still too lost in her own thoughts to pay it much attention. How was it possible that Jungkook had not found her? He that was such a capable hunter... Not to mention that she was right above him, it seemed completely absurd to Sori.

It was only when the wind brought to her nose the strong scent of Jiho that Sori had a realization: he scent was all around her in the branches. Jiho had been there too! And for his scent to be that strong, he must have have stayed there for a while.

Sori was yelling with excitement inside her head. She lifted herself a bit unsteadily and started looking around for the next big branch that could sustain her weight. If her supposition was right, she had to look for branches big enough to sustain Jiho' weight. Being also bigger than her, Jiho had probably needed to use branches locates in points were the space wasn't crowded by other smaller branches or leaves, so that he could move freely. As she moved to a branch on her right with a little jump, excitement pervaded Sori's body when she smelt Jiho's scent there too. The idea of engaging herself more seriously into the training was tickling her mind. What if she really managed to find him? Even if the time was already up, it would still show them all she wasn't completely useless, keeping in mind that she had never done this type of training before! Sure, she was slower than the other, but she could improve! With that in mind she kept going from branch to branch, keeping her balance as steady as she could, following Jiho's scent or jumping were she thought he had to skip a branch too weak to support his weight.

Jumping that way was really tiring and satisfying at the same time, because it was an hard task to comply and not anyone could have done it. She was just the right weight and size to move quickly around those branches! The more she proceeded, the stronger the alpha's scent became. From time to time Sori lifted her head up in the air and took a deep breath, the way Kyungsoo had taught her, to ensure she was still moving in the right direction. At that point, Sori wasn't sure of how long she'd been following his scent that way when Jiho's scent became even stronger. She felt completely surrounded by his scent. Excitement filled her body, making her tremble lightly with expectation as her tail wagged in happiness. She had found him! She was sure of it! She only had to actually see him to say she'd succeeded in her task.

As silently as she could, Sori skipped to the branch right in front of her, trying to find the perfect spot to have a clearer view of the area around the three. It all seemed completely normal if she had to be honest. If anything, Jiho's scent was a little bit weaker there, but she didn't want to give up yet. He had to be really close to her, otherwise his scent wouldn't be that strong. She lowered herself on the centre of the branch, feeling the rough cortex scraping against her tummy, and jutted her head as low as she could. Still, no one seemed to be there and no one was hiding behind the bushes she could see. Sori didn't want to jump down again, too scared she wouldn't be able to get that close to him again. Not satisfied with the view she had from up there, Sori turned around to search for a lower branch. There was no branch that looked thick enough, yet Sori didn't want to give up. She knew he was near and she was about to complete her task on her own, and she really wanted to do that. She wanted to prove to herself and to her pack that she was not useless or frail. She could be useful and capable, maybe even during a battle.

Looking here and there, she finally managed to find a branch that looked quite small, but still thicker than the other ones. Sori wasn't sure it would be thick enough, but it was worth a try just for the sake of saying she did everything she could to solve her task. It was also quite far from the branch where she was standing on, but hopefully she could reach it if she jumped with enough strength. Sori looked up at the sun and took a deep breath to calm herself before she jumped. The sun was so high up in the sky that she was pretty much sure she would be the last one to go back to the garden. Oh, well, since it was already late, she could at least finish her task and say she had succeeded in finding Jiho even though it happened after the time limit was up. This was still the first time she ever had to track a wolf, let alone that the wolf she had to find was way more experienced than her and she was the only one who was not in a team. Just finding him seemed a good result already.

Shaking her head in resignation, Sori decided to do her best and worry later about what the others were going to say. The landing was pretty good, albeit the branch let out a little cracking sound. Carefully, Sori turned to her left, catching Jiho's strongly scent once again. On the ground there was nothing worth of notice, thus she turned to her right, only to find there was really no one beneath the three. She lifter her head up in the sky once again and something caught her attention.

She barked happily when she caught the alpha's tail swinging from side to side on the wind. He'd fallen asleep while laying down on a branch only a couple of threes away from her. She barked again at the alpha, and finally she managed to get a reaction out of him. The alpha slowly lifted himself from the three, leaning forward and arching his back as he yawned. He sat up and moving slowly he turned his head in Sori's direction, taking in the wagging wolf in front of him. Proud of herself, Sori yapped at him again, jumping slightly on the spot, not being able to contain her happiness.

Well, that was a mistake.

The moment her paws made contact with the branch again, it broke in a half and she fell down, unable to react fast enough to try and jump on another branch. The fall seemed to last for an endless amount of time, but in reality a moment later she hit the ground. It felt like she couldn't breathe, and her whole left side was pervaded by a numbing pain. She could hear herself yelping loudly, but it seemed like a distant sound in her ears. Oh, shit, she was pretty sure she had at least a broken rib. God, why did it always end up like that?

Only when she felt a warm hand on her side Sori realized Jiho was by her side in his human form.

“Can you sit up? I need to check your side...do you feel anything weird in you lower stomach?”. The last question was asked in such a calm voice, Sori got the distinct impression Jiho was talking to her the way you talk to dangerous animals in hope they don't leap at you. The mental image was quite funny and it gave her a little distraction from the pain in her side.

Slowly Sori's brain started processing the fact that she had been doing dangerous things all along, forgetting she was pregnant, and suddenly she felt disgusted with herself. If this was the best she could do now that the baby wasn't even born, what kind of mother would she be? Was there even a baby she had to worry about after the fall? “I'm going to roll you on your right side, okay? I have to check on your ribs...and maybe you should change in your human form and tell me how you're feeling. That might be better, actually”. Actually changing didn't seem like a good idea. It was already painful as it was, no way the stretching of the change was going to help her. Carefully she pushed herself up in a sitting position, holding her breath and only gasping when she had to apply pressure on her injured side to roll on her pause. After than, a moment of silence followed, while Sori and Jiho tried to take in the possible major injuries, but nothing could be seen. Her paws looked normal and there was no blood. No external injuries, didn't mean her insides were okay, though.

“Come on, Sori. Change back, I'd rather I could hear you say where you're feeling pain instead of having to guess it”. In all response, Sori shook her head slowly. She was trying to understand if there was something wrong inside her or with the baby, but the pain seemed to be more focused on her ribs. She felt a slight discomfort in her tummy, but it wasn't too bad. Some days earlier she had felt even more uncomfortable, so she was almost sure there was nothing wrong with the baby. “Fine, if you don't want to change I'll take you to the clinic and they'll check you up”. Jiho, practical as ever, lifted her by holding her on her ribs. The burning pain, that had slightly subsided as she sat there and took shallow breaths, came back and Sori let out a loud yelp. Jiho let her go right away, but her cries didn't stop. “Oh, shit, I'm so sorry, Sori. So you've hurt your ribs? Let me check them for a moment”. His hand was sliding down Sori's ribs a moment later, fingers pressing lightly in each rib while Sori let out a loud yelp and gasped from the pain. “Okay, I think you've cracked two ribs, but that seems to be it. I think it would be better if you went to the hospital anyway... just to get you checked, don't look at me that way”, he told her while holding his hands up in the air in surrender. “What if the baby was hurt? You know the rest is going to be okay in a matter of days, but at least you should make sure the baby is okay”

The way he was talking to her was quite sensible, because... well, no pregnant woman would feel completely calm after a fall like that, but then again it wasn't like she was really planning to have the baby yet. Or better, she had not made a decision about her condition, thus if hypothetically the baby were to die, then there would be no decision for her to make. Also, going to the hospital meant telling Namjoon what was going on or lying to him again, and Sori didn't want to do either of those things. Usually in movies, when a woman is having a miscarriage there's blood and she's in a lot of pain, yet Sori felt none of it, and hopefully it wouldn't change during the rest of the day... and if it were to change then so be it. If Jungkook could be free of any responsibility, then she wanted the same, as selfish as it might sound.

Seeing no kind of reaction to his statement, Jiho sighed. “Fine, just... let me bring you back. I'll let you walk to the garden when we get closer to the house. As for your ribs, I think it will take two or three days for them to heal and the bruise to disappear, because trust me your whole side will get bruised in the afternoon”. To this Sori agreed. She might not be feeling any discomfort in her tummy, but her ribs sure hurt like hell.

Finding Jiho hadn't been that hard, in Sori's opinion. In the end, she had followed what Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had taught her, and discovered something new on her own, but it hadn't been that hard once she had realized the path Jiho had followed. To her dismay, she had been able to find him before the time was up, and maybe had she been a little more patient it would've ended up in a different way. Still, to Sori, it meant that she didn't really suck that much. It was the evidence that she could be trusted to help the pack in case there was an attack.

In spite of all her efforts to prove her worth, it seemed like nobody could believe it when Jiho and her emerged from the woods a couple of minutes before her time was up. She had only needed five more minutes than the rest of the members of her pack, and taking in consideration her complete lack of experience and the fact that she was the only one working alone, it didn't seem like a bad result at all, but they hadn't looked too convinced. Seeing how everyone was acting, Sori wanted to scoff at the members of her pack because really, she wasn't as dumb as they thought, but then again she remembered she herself hadn't believed that she would've made it in time.

Hoseok and Seokjin hadn't been as lucky, and she had been listening to their complaints for the last twenty minutes about how unfair it was that Sori had had more time than the rest of them. It sounded so petty, but Sori didn't voice her thoughts out loud, willing herself to keep calm and wait for the rest of the training to end without causing a scene.

The fighting part wasn't as easy, though. Sori's ribs hurt like hell at every breath she took, and only the idea of having to fight and possibly receive a punch in that area made her wince. No one had noticed there was something wrong with her so far. She had changed as fast as she could to be able to get dressed while the others were still changing so that no one would notice the bruise that was starting to form on her ribcage. Yukwon had eyed her in a worried way, but he hadn't asked anything, and Sori couldn't thank him enough for it.

Now she was waiting her turn to train with Jiho, who she had discovered to be a brutal sparing partner, and that meant she was going to get beaten up in front everyone. What a great way to end such an amazing training session. At least he had promised her he wouldn't hit her in the ribs, but that didn't mean much. He could hit her in the rest of her body, especially because she couldn't move much without her side hurting. At first he had opposed to letting her do the last part of training, but when Namjoon had told him not to worry, that he could work with Sori and Jiho had resigned himself.

She was sitting under a thee once again, staring at Jimin's wolf fighting against Jihoon's wolf, trying to grasp their techniques and remembering how to do some of the moves she'd learnt correctly. Not that it would matter anyways. No way she stood a chance against Jiho.

As the time passed, the temperature raised, and Sori felt her legs and arms getting heavier. Despite that, Sori tried to focus more on the training session, ignoring how weird her body felt. She had only skipped breakfast anyways, it wouldn't be long before she could take her prenatal pills. Her limbs felt so weak and heavy and she knew things weren't going to get better if she didn't eat soon, yet she was too stubborn to go inside to eat at least some fruit or drink a glass of water. The doctor had told her she would've felt better after taking those pills,but apparently it was going to take a while for them to start being effective. From time to time she caught Jungkook and Taehyung shooting glances in her direction, however they were sitting a couple of meters from her, so she couldn't ask them if there was something wrong without calling all the attention on her. She could feel her cheeks warming up every time she caught them staring at her too. It was annoying, but for now she would have to bear it.

It was only when Narae took a seat on her right, one hand on her thigh as she looked at her in concern that Sori managed to get distracted from those inquiring eyes. Rather than looking at Narae though, Sori was looking at Namjoon who was now frowning at his mate.

“Hey, are you okay? You look worried”

“No, don't worry about that, it's just that they're just looking at me, and... I don't understand, do I look weird? Do I have something on my face?”, Sori whispered as she rubbed her cheeks with her hands. She had decided to keep the fall from earlier for herself unless it was really necessary to tell anyone. Narae was a lovely girl and Sori was grateful she was her friend, but ever since she had hinted at how Sori should keep the baby without taking in consideration any other option because the baby had no fault for their irresponsibility, which was exactly what Sori didn't want to hear, she had been a little annoyed with her. Sure, they were at fault, but she didn't want to feel pressured in anything or have other people make decision in her place.

“What? No!”, Narae eyes the two guys and then added: “I think they might be staring because they remember what the doctor said and your hands are shaking pretty badly and you're also very pale”. Sori looked at her hands, holding them in front of her eyes, and only then she took notice of how much they were shaking. To be honest, her head was starting to feel light headed too, but she reasoned that it probably because of the sun. She hadn't really noticed how weirdly she was breathing, between tiredness, having low blood sugar and the pain in her ribs.

“Namjoon, you're against Yukwon in your human form. You have five minutes starting now”, Jiho's expression was full of boredom, and no could blame him for it. He was an old wolf who'd fought many battles, and now he stuck with them, teaching them mostly the same things every Saturday. Who wouldn't be bored in his shoes?

Sori didn't pay much attention to Namjoon nor to his training, partly because she was feeling weird but also because she was feeling a tad annoyed with him. Not that it even lasted that long. Apparently the match was already over, and Sori had really lost her last chance to watch how the others fought before it was her turn. She felt the anxiety raise as she though about how short her little match with Jiho would be and what the others would think about her, but she knew at that point there was nothing she could do to improve her technique.

“That wasn't bad, Namjoon, but you have to be more careful when you attack, you keep leaving too many open spots. Keep practising on that and I'm sure you'll win the next match”. Jiho patted his friend on the back and turned to the last person who had to evaluate. Sori stared back at him with eyes wide open because of the anxiety, waiting to hear in which for she'd have to fight. “Is it just me or your heartbeat is going at a weird pace?”. Sori gasped and turned to Narae in horror. What if the others focused on her heartbeat and noticed there was something weird with her? Could they already hear the baby's heartbeat?

“Are you okay?”, Yoongi asked, already stepping in her direction, worry written all over his face. Sori lifted her face to tell him everything was fine, only to meet Namjoon's annoyed expression. At that she stood up as she could, the pain in her side spiking up, only to end up stumbling on her own feet because of how weak her legs were at that point. Yoongi and Narae both grabbed her, but by then it was pretty clear there was something going on. “Sori, I don't think you should do this... why don't we just stop here for today?”, Yoongi eyed their alpha with a tentative expression, trying to predict what he would said, but Namjoon said nothing, turning his eyes towards Jiho instead, his handsome features distorted into an ugly version of his face by the deep scowl on his face.

“He's right, Sori. I'm sorry, but today you won't be training. Go back inside, eat, rest and take a shower, you'll feel better in a couple of hours”, Jiho used a pacifying tone, probably having realized the tension between Sori and Namjoon, but Sori felt bad nonetheless. Although she couldn't deny Jiho and Yoongi were right, Sori couldn't help but feel like she was a burden from the pack more than anything else, and she also knew Namjoon wasn't going to be pleased with her for having skipped the training session, however there was no way she was going to be able to train in the state she was in, as much as she would have liked to. “Don't think you won't have to train, though. I'm letting you off the hook for today, but tomorrow I want you to train with Narae. She did well enough to be able to correct you if you make a mistake, and she can also use some more training herself”, Jiho gave a comforting pat in the back, winking at her before pushing her lightly towards the door of the house. “In the evening you and Narae will tell me how your training session went. You guys can take part in the training too, obviously”. The alpha glanced in the other wolves direction, purposefully moving the attention from Sori to himself. “We have to go, guys, I'm sure Yukwon can't stand staying away from Sunhae and his baby any longer”, he joked, trying to lift the mood. Or better, he tried to, but without any positive result.

Sori could still feel Yoongi and Narae's hand hoovering over her back, ready to grab her if she were to lose her balance, while everyone else was either staring at her or at Namjoon, as if they were ready for a fight to start. Before any of that could happen, Sori waved with her hand at the wolves from BlockB pack, and headed towards the door instead of waiting for them to leave. She could really use some rest before she caused another scene.

Chapter Text

Sori checked the time on her phone once again. The anxiety was getting to her and her hands were starting to shake noticeably, only this time it wasn't because of low blood sugar. She had spent her weekend laying in bed, thinking about her situation and all the possibles outcomes of it as rationally as she could, often ending up crying because it seemed like there was no solution. At some point, though, she had realized she wasn't even able to cry anymore. What's the point of crying your eyes out if it doesn't fix the reason why your crying anyways?

Moreover, as much as Sori had thought about it, she hadn't been able to make a decision about her pregnancy, and now she was minutes from her appointment and she still had no idea of what she was going to do. Out of sheer desperation, she asked for Narae's opinion, and in the end it had only managed to irk her. Apparently, her best friend was of the opinion that babies were gift sent from God and they could only bring happiness, thus having an abortion was pure cruelty. By the ninth time she repeated that sentence, Sori had asked her to leave her alone for a while. Sure, babies could bring happiness and be a blessing, but only to people who wanted them and had the possibility to support them, and that wasn't Sori's case. She had no man, no house, no stability of sorts and no job, as much as she could go out of her way to keep it, then what could she do? Ask Namjoon to give her all his money? Freely disposing of her pack mates' money to have them pay for a child who wasn't theirs? Make them pay even more than they already did to feed another mouth and keep freeloading from them? Not to mention the fact that she was also risking her spot in the pack. No, this baby wasn't going to bring her, or anyone else for that matter, joy.

Despite knowing that, Sori didn't feel like abortion or adoption were the right answers for her. What if after the abortion she ended up regretting it? She was more that just a little scared she was going to be one of those women who were eaten alive by their guilty conscience for having had an abortion. And giving the baby in adoption didn't seem like an easy decision to make at all. What if she wanted her baby back after it was already adopted? What if she signed something or promised her baby to a family only to not being able to give it away after giving birth? Where they not going to give her a chance to take back her words? What if she didn't know the family who was adopting her baby and they ended up being bad people? She didn't want her baby to hate her either, and there was a big chance of that happening if it were to discover she had just abandoned it, right?

The only thing Sori had really understood out of all of this, was that she wasn't ready to be an adult. She had never even been an adolescent, how could she be a responsible adult? Not to mention that she knew nothing about parenting, babies nor had she had a good example of how to be a good parent, and the fact that she kept referring to the baby using “it” was quite telling for her. Jungkook seemed to be more or less in the same situation, albeit he had spent way too much time as a teenager, free of any responsibility. More than two hundred years spent as a werewolf and he was still more immature than her. What kind of father could he be?

So, not only she had no material things to offer her baby, but she also had no family to raise it in. What could she offering him better that a single parent or two parents living in the same house but in a weird relationship with each, at best? Most of the time they were barely in speaking terms, if not for the times he went in her room to vent.

By the time Monday morning came, Sori felt exhaust and had come to one final resolution: if she hadn't reached the tenth week of her pregnancy, she was going to have an abortion, if she had passed it already she was going to keep the baby. It wasn't exactly a decision, but having heard Junmyeon's advice of not making a choice until after the appointment with her ob-gyn, that was the best she had managed to come up with.

And now she was sitting in an annoyingly white waiting area. There were so many scents around her that her nose itched, but the stinging scent of disinfectant overpowered them all. It was so strong it was making her feel nauseous, and that only added to how squeamished she was feeling.

She was sitting there, waiting for the final detail that was going to definitely change her life, in one way or another. After today nothing was going to be the same, whether she decided to keep the baby or not. Around her it was full of women with their husbands and mates, all looking happy as they talked softly about their babies, the genders and their plans for the future, while Sori was fidgeting alone in her uncomfortable seat. It just seemed like another indication that keeping the baby wasn't a good idea. If she was already finding it difficult now that she only had to attend an appointment alone, what was she going to do in the future?

Actually, Narae had offered to skip classes and go with her since they were already breaking Namjoon's rules, but Sori had refused, for going to the ob-gyn seemed like something you either do alone or with the father of your baby, and since he wasn't in the picture. Moreover, there was a chance that bringing Narae with her was only going to annoy her, rather than being a comforting presence. Sori wasn't against having babies, nor was she completely opposite to keeping her baby, but thinking rationally about it, Sori recognized it was the wrong moment and wrong way to have a baby. In her mind, there was a list of things a woman definitely needed to have in her life before she could be ready to have a child. One of her biggest fears had always been to end up like her mother. Sure, at the time her mother had had her, she had an husband, but it wasn't the right man to have a child with, and she had spent the last years of her life working more than bonding with her daughter. That was why Sori didn't have many memories of her mother, especially as a teenager, since her mother used to work from early in the morning to late in the evening around that time. When she got home they had dinner together, but she often was so tired she didn't even feel like talking.

That wasn't the kind of mother Sori wanted to be. Not to mention that she wasn't a human anymore, hence she also needed a good pack to raise her child in. BTS was a good pack, Sori recognized it, but she wasn't sure she could take it for guaranteed: Namjoon was still angry and barely spoke with her, Seokjin was feeding her healthy food but she had heard him complaining about wasting a lot of time with cooking so many different dishes, Yoongi was never at home anymore and it had been weeks since they had even had a real chat, Hoseok was pissed with her for having left while Jungkook's parents were there, only to meet up with EXO, in their pack house and was still being bitchy about it. She still had nothing to say to Minyoung, they had nothing in common, and Sori hadn't really been speaking much with Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook either, who were mostly busy with their flings or whatever they were doing when they were not playing like little children. Narae was the only one she felt really close with at the moment, albeit she was pushing Sori to make the decision she wanted her to.

She still had five more minutes before she would be requested to make a decision, and she was honestly leaning towards the “no”. There would be too many problems, complaints, and hardship if she were too keep it. A little voice inside her head was telling her again and again that maybe the decision would've been easier if she had informed Jungkook about the pregnancy and listened to his opinion, but Sori was purposefully decided to ignore it again. She answered Narae's encouraging text, and looked at the time again. Three more minutes to go.

Narae had told her that she would just wait for her at the bus stop and then they would go home together, being respectful of Sori's decision to go to the appointment alone. Thinking about having to fight with Namjoon again, and Sori had no doubt an argument would happen as soon as they got home, almost made Sori not want to go back right away to get over with it. Maybe telling her alpha what was going on after the appointment would help Narae and hers' situation, yet it was going to put her on the spotlight again and it was going to set off the alpha once again. After such an exhausting morning, Sori didn't want to have and exhausting afternoon and evening too.

“Shin Sori?”, a nurse asked as she read the name from a list. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. She wasn't ready. There was no way she was going to get over the appointment without throwing up.

“This is your first appointment, right? Please, make yourself comfortable inside the studio, the doctor will be here soon. The visit might take some time, but you don't have to worry, it is always like this at the first appointment of each pregnancy”, the nurse smiled gently at a visibly petrified Sori, who could only manage a nod to prove she understood. Seeing Sori was making no move whatsoever, the nurse opened the door wider and signalled that it was okay for Sori to enter.

The room smelled mostly of two specific people, rather than being filled with many different scents, and even though Sori could smell the weaker scents of the patients who probably had been there yesterday or earlier in the morning, it wasn't the overwhelming melting pot of scents she had been expecting. It was a big room, and that was a great improvement from the tiny waiting room. There was very elegant looking desk and two chairs sitting in front of it, a big cabinet, that Sori supposed to be filled with medicines, and a huge window. Sori looked outside, trying to distract herself from the impending encounter that was going to force to make a decision. She couldn't actually see much from the window, but it still good enough to divert her attention from the gynecological examination chair she had always seen in movies. Thank God she didn't have to sit in there.

“Good morning! I am doctor Nam. You must be Shin Sori, right?”. The doctor was a short, middle-aged woman who looked way too energetic that early in the morning.

“Yes, that would be me”. Sori wanted to slap herself for not being able to come up with a better reply. “Nice, ehm, nice to meet you”. Sori felt her cheeks warming up at the sight of the doctor's warm smile.

“So, tell me why you are here today”. Sori stared her, perplexed. Didn't she know why she was there already?

“I...I am pregnant?”, her answer came out embarrassingly more as a question. “And I am not sure of what to do y-yet. Actually, I do not know mu-much about pregnancies in general”. It felt like her cheeks were burning in flames, and she was also starting to sweat. Such a nice way to start this whole ordeal.

“Well, that is what I am here for! I can help you, give in information you need to understand your situation and also give the knowledge you need to be able to make a decision. Have you thought about your options already?”. Okay, this wasn't going the way she had imagined it. In movies, the girl just sits on a bed of sorts and gets gel splattered around her stomach before a doctor points out weird figures on a monitor, showing which parts of the baby she's watching, so why was her visit not going like that? She didn't have answers yet, what could she possibly tell her, if the only thing Sori had decided up until then was that she was going to make a decision only after the ultrasound?

“I...I am not sure yet”, Sori hesitantly told her. Suddenly the bright smile on the doctor Nam's face faded a little, giving space to a more cold and professional expression, albeit a small, encouraging smile was still there.

“Do you know all your options well enough to be able to take such an important decision?”. Feeling the depth of her ignorance, Sori only shook her head. Why had all of this to be so complicated? Couldn't there ever be anything easy for her? “Well, you do not have to worry about it. Many people need more information before making a decision when it comes to such important moments of their lives. In that case, how about I learn a little bit about you and your pregnancy before we get started with all the explanations? I can also give you some pamphlets to read at home and then you can call me if you think you need to know more about one of them”.

“That would be perfect”, she mumbled. Sori didn't know if the whole story about hormones messing up your feelings during pregnancy was true or not, but she could already feel her eyes stinging because of the embarrassment. She was really trying to keep them in and not make the doctor notice, but the older woman seemed to know what was going through Sori's head, and slowly she made contact with Sori's shoulder, as if she was afraid she would break.

“Hey, come on, don't worry so much! Excuse me if I talk so informally, but you look so young you must be around the age of my daughter, and if she ever found herself in such a situation I would like someone to comfort her. I'm not judging you in any way, I promise! Do you think there is that many people out there who know everything about pregnancies, abortions or adoptions? Let me tell you, there aren't! No one knows everything and we all make mistakes. You are taking your responsibilities right now, and that's something you can be proud of!”. Her words were about to set Sori off, and she really didn't want to cry in front of a perfect stranger at their very first meeting, but the importance of the choice she was weighting her down. “I can assure there are many women, often older than you, that come here and have no idea of what to do. At times they even have children already, but they still have a hard time facing such a difficult decision”. Sori studied the gentle smile doctor Nam was showing her, and in the end she decided it seemed sincere enough and smiled back at her. “Okay, now take some deep breaths and let's start with your visit, but keep in mind that I am not asking you anything just to judge you. I need more information to be able to help you. So, let's start! Are there any medical conditions I should be aware of?”. The doctor had gone back to her chair behind the desk, and was now waiting for Sori's answer to fill whatever form she needed on her computer. “Keep in mind that if you end up keeping the baby, this is important information”. Sori really thought it through, but nothing seemed to come to her mind. Was there really anything significant in her medical history she had to report? She was a turned-werewolf, did anything that had happened before she was turned?

“I...I do not remember anything important”. She was pretty much sure that she couldn't get anything more than a cold now that she was a werewolf, or a very quick flu, and the baby was going to be a born werewolf anyway, thus he was never going to be sick.

“Before we move on to the next question, I need to ask you whether you are prescribed any pills for psychological condition and also if you are on a diet. Please, do not be offended by my forwardness, I prefer to ask about it directly because some people forget to mention it”. Even though Sori could see how polite and warm she was with her, it also looked like the gentle smile and eyes from before had been replaced by a more professional expression. The smile wasn't as big nor as opened as before, and her eyes weren't as bright. That was the first time Sori actually realized for how long she had been dieting while being pregnant, and it was actually scary to think that something as silly as a diet might have potentially hurt another human being. Was it even a diet if the only thing she was actually doing was skipping meals?

“I...I have been quite busy lately, so it happens...sometimes I have to skip a meal, but if it is a problem I-I will find a solution”. She hadn't lied in a long time, since lying always made her feel dirty and stupid, but she lied anyway. She didn't know if she did it because of the way the doctor was staring at her had made her feel nervous or if it was because she didn't want to feel guilty because of her reckless behaviour, but at least she felt less exposed now that she had an excuse to justify herself. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't seem to buy her lie, and her already small smile suddenly got smaller and colder. Maybe it was because her heartbeat had quickened the moment she had opened her mouth, or maybe it was the experience, but Sori decide to ignore the fact that doctor Nam knew she was a liar.

“For the next months you should always find a couple of minutes to eat then, that is if you are going to keep the baby, or it could cause harm to both you and the baby. However, even if you don't want to keep the baby, I would recommend you to pay attention to your diet until you have the abortion, otherwise you might feel really sick and weak. On the hand, if you plan on keeping the baby, I will give you a new diet to follow”. Sori really didn't want to think too much about her words. Keeping the baby would mean gaining back all the weight she had lost, but aborting a baby just because she didn't want to gain weight seemed really childish, and Sori wanted to think she was better than that. “Please, keep in mind that there are many common beliefs about pregnant women, such as having to eat for two, that are not exact. You will only be needing to eat the right kind of food to sustain your need of vitamins, proteins and all the nutrients you will need, but you will not be eating for two. Also, gaining an excessive amount of weight might cause you more harm than good during the birthing process and the latest stages of the pregnancy, and that is why we strongly recommend not to gain more than twenty-two pounds, which should be around ten kilograms, to be specific. That way, you'll be only gaining the weight of the baby, water and placenta, or a little more than that, and after giving birth you will be just about your weight before the pregnancy”. Thinking about it in this terms made it seem more bearable, but still... She had been chubby all along, would gaining an healthy weight for the sake of the baby really harm her that much? Could she be mature enough to see herself fattening up for a couple of months? She had already thought about exercising during the pregnancy and after it too lose the weight back, but if the doctor told her there was a way to not gain too much weight, then it was only going to be easier, right? “About this, do you mind getting on the scale? I will need to know how much you weight right now to see how much weight you will gain if you decide to go on with the pregnancy. I will also take note of your height and blood pressure”.

The idea of having a perfect stranger know her weight left a sour taste in Sori's mouth, still she knew she couldn't complain for she had chosen to go there. She was there because she had been irresponsible. Somehow, just the idea of weighting herself and having someone writing down how much she was gaining every time she went to a check up suddenly made her decision about the baby lean more on the idea of abortion. As immature as she knew she was being, she wasn't the only one responsible for her actual situation, but she was the only one paying the price for it. She was going to give Jungkook only more reasons to make fun of her. No thanks. Sori would've done anything else without complaining, but her weight was something she considered to be very personal, and she wasn't open to letting other people know how fat she was. Not to mention that she would also have to gain a lot of weight just now that she had finally lost it.

Albeit reluctantly, Sori finally removed her jacket and her shoe before putting the first feet on the scale. For a moment she was horrified when the doctor made a comment about the fact that she hadn't removed her dress, but when she didn't complain any further she let out a relieved sigh. At least she didn't have to be almost naked as she stood on the scale.

“Thank you! Your weight seems quite normal for your body type, there is nothing to worry about”, doctor Nam told her as she went to write down Sori's weight and height, “This is something I always say: exercising is good, both to keep your muscles and exercise, but also to keep control of your weight and to help you during childbirth, again only if you decide to keep the baby. You do not want to reach your due date without a good set of muscles to help you, do you?”. Sori wanted to smile at the joke, but she really couldn't. Why was everyone assuming she was going to keep the baby? “With that I do not mean heavy lifting, nor long runs, but long walks, yoga and so on. From what I can see, you do not have to lose weight, so if you give in to cravings of greasy food from time to time it won't be a problem. I will give you a list of the food you cannot eat during your pregnancy and the food that has to be cooked before you eat it. No raw fish, no rare meat, and make sure your vegetables and fruit are well washed if you are not going to cook them”. Why was a damn pregnancy so complicated? In movies everyone was happy, and aside from nausea , sore feet and back pain nothing regarding restrictions with food was ever mentioned. And why the hell were they so sure she wasn't having an abortion? “Okay, we are done here, follow me”. Still writing things on her computer, the doctor wasn't paying attention to Sori's nervousness. She went back to her chair after having put her shoes back on, fidgeting with her fingers as she listened to the doctor typing slowly on her keyboard. The clock on the wall informed her it was already nine forty, and she still hadn't taken a decision. She had to meet up with Narae at eleven on point, and now she was starting to doubt she would make it there in time.

“Do you remember when your last period started? Where you using any form of birth control? Do you have any idea of when you might have gotten pregnant?”, Sori felt her cheeks and neck warming up in embarrassment once again. Not only this perfect stranger knew how much she weighted, but now she was also going to know about her period and sex life. What an amazing day. It wasn't like she hadn't expect such question to be asked, but it was embarrassing nonetheless. The doctor understood right away what was going on inside Sori's head, as she told her: “You don't have to be embarrassed. As a doctor, knowing these things is only a part of my job, otherwise I will not be able to help you”. Nodding in response, Sori finally found the courage to reply:

“The...the last time we...the last time”, she stuttered eloquently, “I-I think it was in April or maybe late March. And the l-last time I had a long period was around mid February, but I d-don't remember the exact date”. Why hadn't she thought about that before?

“What do you mean by 'long period'?”, the doctor asked looking utterly puzzled.

“Oh, uhm...well, last week I experienced period cramps and some spotting, and I thought that was my period, but then I-I fainted a-and I discovered about... uhm, in February I only experienced a little bleeding and some spotting”. Sori couldn't stop herself from fidgeting with her fingers, worried that the doctor might tell her something bad about her pregnancy or judge her.

“Oh, I see! Spotting is quite common during the first trimester. On the contrary, I found it worrisome that you fainted. Do you know happen to know why you fainted?”. Sori watched as her eyebrows raised lightly, and suddenly she felt uncomfortable again with having to tell her about the results of her exams.

“I, uhm...here are the results of my exams”, Sori just avoided the question by handing her the papers she had brought with her. She might come to the conclusion she wasn't eating properly anyway, but at least she wasn't going to have to admit to it out loud. There was a short moment of silence as the doctor studied the papers in front of her with her brown scrunched up in concentration. Sori could feel her heartbeat picking up its pace the more the silence stretched, preparing herself to be told off by the doctor, who was now comparing the results of her exams.

“It seems like you are lacking some vitamins and proteins, that is quite normal. Earlier, you told me you were following some diet, am I right?”, Sori bit her lips and nodded once again, “May I know the name of your dietician? You should not be lacking vitamins and proteins if the diet is balanced and correct for you”. There was a hint of suspicion in her voice, and Sori tried to think of an excuse to justify the fact that she didn't know the name of her dietician, however she surrendered when the doctor raised her eyebrows at her.

“I...I made up my diet. I had no idea I was pregnant and I wanted to lose a little weight”. She didn't specify how often she had fasted, but from the expression on the doctor's face, Sori could tell she had a hunch of what she was keeping from her. The older woman sighed and shook her head.

“That is not okay and it might be risky too. This kind of self-made diets are dangerous, and rather than helping you out they often end up creating bigger problems. I strongly advise you to not keep on dieting this way for many reasons, aside from the fact that right now you have to think about the baby and your health. If you really want to diet after the baby is born or you have an abortion, than I recommend you this dietician”, she wrote a name in a post it, and put it on the papers Sori had handed her earlier. “However, I see no reason why you should follow a diet. Rather than dieting, you might want to go to the gym, as that might help you shaping your body more”. The scepticism in her voice made Sori feel a little uncomfortable, but at least she wasn't yelling or insulting her. Not that there was something she was comfortable with at the moment. Was it really that wrong to skip a couple of meals? Like, I didn't die and there are many girls thinner than me...

“Tell me about the birth control method you were using, so that I can approximately estimate how far along are you. Also, was your period regular?”. The doctor went on after a moment of pause.

“Uhm, we-we only used the condom... sometimes. As for my p-period, it was never regular”. Sori wanted to bury herself in the deepest hole she could dig. She thought she had been embarrassed before, but telling a perfect stranger about her sex life and her irresponsibility was probably the most embarrassing moment of her life, especially after having heard the long sight the doctor let out. She sounded disappointed, and Sori didn't even know why since they had never met before.

“Okay, give me a moment and then we can go on with the visit”. At that point Sori couldn't wait to leave and just take an appointment to have the damned abortion, before going on with her life. It was all a mistake, and she wasn't ready to face the consequences of it. She wasn't even ready to face a visit with an ob-gyn, what kind of torture were the next months going to be if she kept the baby?

The clock slowly moved from minute to minute. The silence in the room was only disturbed by the sound of the doctor turning the pages of the calendar, marking some days with her pencil. The more time passed, the more Sori felt like running out of the room. She had about an hour left to reach the point where she had to meet with Narae, and the doctor was taking too long. To be honest, Sori had just imagine the doctor would just tell her what the various options she had were about, do an ultrasound, and then give her another appointment. In movies, this visits take about ten minutes, but she had already been there for more that half an hour.

“So, if the baby was conceived right after your last period, assuming it was around the middle of February, you should be on your twelfth or thirteenth week. However, that is not sure, since your period was not regular and you were not using any kind of birth control, you might have conceived later than that. Knowing your last intercourse was in the beginning of April, you have reached at least the seventh week. Before going through your options, seen as we don't know how far along you actually are, I need to do an ultrasound. Unfortunately, in the case you already are in your twelfth week, then abortion would not be available anymore, otherwise you might still have a short window time to do the procedure. In the case you are just at the seventh week, instead, you will have take in consideration all the possible options you have”. She put down the pencil, and straightened her back to look at Sori in the eyes. “Are you okay with this? Keep in in mind that you can also leave, take your time to think and if you need you can make another appointment, or even just go to an abortion centre, and there you will have you ultrasound. However, if you are too far along your pregnancy by then, the abortion will not be performed”. Well, hearing that didn't exactly make it sound like Sori had many other possibilities. What use would it be to go home and book an appointment for the abortion, only to find out she was already over the time limit and she couldn't have it? Sure, Sori only wanted to leave at this point, but she also knew she had to be wise and not waste her time and Namjoon's money. After all, if he was going to be mad at her, she might at least use her chance to know everything about her condition to have a clearer view of her situation.

“I... am fine with it. I think I need to know as much as I can before making my final decision”. The doctor looked satisfied with her answer, and showed her an encouraging smile.

“Those are wise words!”,She stood up and pointed toward the examination chair Sori had tried so hard to ignore until then. “As we said before, we don't know how far along you are, and we need to determine it, and that is why I recommend a transvaginal ultrasound. That might make you a little uncomfortable, but it is not painful nor will it hurt the baby. It will make it possible for me to locate the fetus and its size more accurately. If you accept, I will be using this probe”, she pointed at a long stick-like, white thing beside the examination table, “and I will move it around a little to check if everything is okay. It will take around fifteen to twenty minutes, and it is a very common exam. You might want to ask for a nurse to accompany you, since you came here alone”. Sori tried to hide her horrified expression, but she realized she probably wasn't doing a great job with it when the doctor sent her another warm, and encouraging smile. Oh, shit. Movies had betrayed her. Where the heck did all those scenes with happy people, raised shirts and giggles caused by the cold gel go? This baby wasn't born yet and it was causing her so much discomfort, Sori couldn't wait this pregnancy to be over. Why males had it always easier? Just why, oh why, did she think Jungkook knew more about birth control than she did?

“Okay, I will do it”. There was no curse Sori wasn't silently shouting inside her head at the moment.

“In that case, you can take off your underwear while I go call for a nurse”.Sori's eyes widened at those words, and she sputtered something foolish just to stop the doctor from leaving the room.

“It's fine like this, I don't want a nurse”, she managed to say when the doctor turned around. A part of her brain registered she had spoken informally to the doctor, but it was whatever. At the moment she needed to stop her from leaving, later on she might apologise for her rudeness.

“I apologise, but this is the hospital policy. Transvaginal ultrasounds can only be performed in the presence of a nurse in the case the patient does not have a family member or a friend with them”. Then why the fuck did you ask me to do it if you knew I am here alone, and I need someone with me for this exam to be performed? Sori was almost at her breaking point. She didn't know if she was just being too dramatic, but she really couldn't do it anymore.

“No, I want to do it alone. I won't press any changes of sorts, if that is what you are worried about, I won't even tell it to anybody, but I want to do this alone. It's too personal, and I don't want a stranger with me while I laying there with my legs spread wide open and wearing no underwear. If I wanted someone here with me, I would have brought them here from the beginning”. That was about when Sori realized she had gone too far. The doctor was silently staring at her with her mouth ajar. “I am really sorry for my rudeness, but still I remain of the idea I do not want another person inside this room. I am not comfortable with the idea of a stranger being in the same room with me while I am half naked and in a vulnerable position”. Sori felt her eyes stinging once again, and a moment later she felt a tear sliding down her cheek once again. Crying two times in front of a stranger in forty minute. It's a new record. Thank you so much for being always this useless, Sori.

It took a moment for the doctor to talk again, offering her a tissue to dry her tears.

“If you are this strongly opposed to it, then... I can make an exception for you, but please, do not mention it with anyone. I am risking my job by going against the hospital policy, but you look like a nice person who is really stuck between a rock and a hard place. I want to help you, but I don't want to lose everything I worked for. I just need you to promise you will keep this for yourself”.

“I promise! I swear I won't say anything!”, Sori barely managed to say with a broken voice, while she was still drying her cheeks, trying to keep herself from tearing up more. Carefully, the doctor put her hand on Sori's shoulder and patted her to comfort her.

“I can't say I understand your problem, but I'm trying to. It must be a really hard situation, but I promise you it's going to get better. This is one of the most important things I learnt from my job: babies are not always a blessing, but they're not the end on your life either. Many people come here with no clear idea of what to do and they see no future for them with the responsibility of a baby, but in the end those who kept those babies are not sad people with horrible lives. Some faced hardship, others learnt to leave their life in a better way, and only a few of them regretted their choices – be it keeping the baby or not...much of what will come out from this situation will be a consequence of the prospective from which you decide to observe your current situation from”. They sounded like a nice lesson, but Sori couldn't really focus on them at the moment. She made a mental note to think about it later on, when she felt more at ease. “Now come on, I'm sure you want to go home and rest after such a distressing morning! Let's just keep talking informally, I think it will make things easier for you”, Sori just couldn't believe how nice this doctor was being to her. She was afraid she was going to way more stricter or force her to call her alpha at some point, yet the visit had been nothing like she had imagine, both in the good and bad things. “You should take off your underwear while I put the sheath on the probe and lubricate it. I will tell you everything I'm doing and point at it on this monitor, so that you will know what's going on and will feel less uncomfortable”. Just the mention of removing her panties with a stranger in the same room, made Sori's cheeks turn even more crimson than before, let alone the thought of opening her legs for her to insert the probe inside her.

“If you are ready, come sit here”, she gestured towards the armchair, “then put your feet on the stirrups”. The only thing Sori could think about aside from the weird buzzing in her ears was the fact that she hadn't shaved. Who in this world goes to the ob-gyn without shaving? Once again, her eyes were stinging because of the tear of shame she wanted to shed.

“I-I'm so sorry, I-I fo...forgot to shave”. Her voice was shaking again, barely above a whisper, and she felt so weak and stupid, she just wanted to hide. Maybe Jungkook wasn't that wrong when he told her she looked like a monkey.

“Oh”, the doctor finally turned to her with a surprised look on her face, before she fixed the sheath on the probe once again, “it doesn't matter. Having hair 'down there' doesn't make the area dirtier, just as being perfectly shaved doesn't make you cleaner. I've been an ob-gyn for 23 years, trust me when I say that a few hair don't scare me”. The sound of doctor's light-hearted laugh relieved Sori a little and made her feel a little more at ease, even though the thought was still in the back of her mind. Finding a little bit of courage, Sori shifted on the armchair until she was able to put her feet on the stirrups, keeping her legs as close as she could without giving away how uncomfortable she still felt. In the meanwhile, the doctor had turned on the monitor beside the bed and was pushing some buttons to improve the quality of the image, or so it looked to Sori.

“Do you feel comfortable in this position?”, the doctor asked her while she kept her hands high enough for Sori to see them. In response to Sori's nod, she raised the hand that was holding the probe and pointed at it with her other hand. There was a shining concoction spread all around it, giving it a weirdly looking shine because of the room's lights. “If you feel ready, I will insert the probe. We will be able to see your you cervix, your uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries, and I will point them out for you, but we will focus mostly on the uterus. I will try not to dwell too much, because unfortunately I have another appointment in less than half an hour, but it should be enough to see the baby and give you more information about your options, if you still want them”.

In the end it wasn't as uncomfortable as Sori had imagine. Sure, she was almost naked, embarrassed and extremely confused, but the doctor had asked her many times if she wanted to stop and kept her word by pointing out all the things she could see on the monitor, even though Sori didn't really see anything aside from a bunch of grey and black stuff, and she didn't even care about it. It wasn't much, but it helped Sori with her anxiety and it made her feel more in control, despite the fact that she understood very little of what the doctor said. In all honesty, Sori couldn't even focus properly, totally distracted by her desire to go home, book the abortion and forget this embarrassing day as well as this whole chapter of her life. She couldn't wait for the moment she would finally be able to start anew with her life, being more careful and who knew, maybe in a couple of years she would have a man she trusted and be ready for a baby.

“This little spot you see in here is your baby. If you squint your eyes a little, you might notice that these are the arms and legs, and this is the umbilical cord. Now I will measure the baby's size. I will need to move the probe a little and it will take me a moment, don't worry if you see me taking the measures more than once. It is quite hard to establish the exact stage of pregnancy of the patient when we don't have much information, and sometimes we will still make mistakes in calculating it... so let's say that if I tell you your are ten weeks along, you might actually be eleven weeks or nine, then again keep in mind that some babies are bigger and other are smaller. I will try to be as accurate as I can since you are not sure about what to do, so that you will know what options you have and how much time you have to decide in the case abortion is still possible”. Sori watched as the doctor pointed at the little numbers on the monitor and watched them change as she moved the probe around, trying to understand what they meant. The quietness of the doctor was making her tense up, but Sori kept telling herself that it was normal since she had to focus to give her the details in the most accurate way. It took a good ten minutes before the doctor turned to her again, and the expression on her face wasn't exactly reassuring.

“I tried to take the measures in the best way I could, but I have to take in consideration the fact that you have been eating incorrectly during your pregnancy and unfortunately that might have affected the growth of the baby”, despite the fact that she had planned on booking an abortion as soon as she left the clinic, hearing those words made Sori gasp in guilt. Sure, she didn't want the baby, but she didn't want to hurt it either. “No, don't worry yet! It might also just mean that the baby is a little smaller than it should be at the stage of your pregnancy! It doesn't necessarily meant that you have actually hurt the baby”. Making the poor, unborn child she was carrying starve didn't seem like not having hurt it to Sori, not to mention that she might have damaged it further than they actually knew. “From what I can see, the baby's size is around 3.4 centimetres long, let's say that it is the size of a strawberry, and that is quite normal around the tenth and the eleventh week. That unfortunately means you might not make it in time for an abortion, but I'm quite sure you have not passed the twelfth week yet. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but we need to observe how it grows once you start eating correctly”. She scrutinized the numbers showing on the screen once again before she started talking again. “My advice would be for you to follow the diet I will give you for the next two weeks and then come back to take the new measures of the baby, but if you want to book an abortion, than this information should be enough. They will probably do another scan just to be sure you are not over the 12^th week”.

Sori stared at the white dot on the screen thinking about a reply, and to her dismay the little blob moved. The baby was moving its little legs inside her, and suddenly Sori was able to recognized its face. She could actually point out one eye and the nose, and the sight filled her chest with a weird emotion she couldn't name. The doctor's voice became only a background noise as Sori watched the baby make tiny movement with its arms and legs, thinking that it might not be there anymore in a couple of days. It was only when she felt a hand on her arm that Sori realized the doctor had asked her something.

“Do you want to hear the baby's heartbeat?”. Did she want to hear it? Even though she was having an abortion? Looking at the little thing moving inside her, it seemed only right to do it. She might be a terrible person for not wanting it in her life, but she could do that much for it. It looked so small and defenseless, that Sori could not even imagine it ruining her life.

“Yes”. It was the only word she said before the doctor pressed a button and the sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room. There were no words to describe what Sori was feeling at the moment. She felt a tightness in her throat, a lump that made it hard to even swallow, and her eyes were watering. The pace of her heartbeat picked up once she realized that this might be the only moment in which she saw her baby alive, and out of no where a feeling of grief pervaded her chest.

“The pace is this fast because the baby is moving around, but it sounds really healthy. It is now 182 beats per minute, which is completely normal. Your baby looks and sounds healthy, and being a werewolf, if you keep the baby, you will mostly have to worry about your health. There will be a couple of exams you might need to do, however what we need the most is to know make sure of how far along you are exactly”. Realizing Sori was too caught up on the moment to pay attention to what she was saying, the doctor quieted down to give her the time she needed. Unfortunately she couldn't grant her much of it, since she only had fifteen minutes left before the next appointment. “Do you want a couple of picture of the ultrasound?”. It was heartbreaking to Sori to have to part from the baby already. She didn't feel ready to let it go. Watching it moving and listening to its heartbeat had filled her with a mix of emotions, and she couldn't even name all of them. Right now she was regretting all the mean things she had thought about the baby until then. The baby was really harmless and innocent, only being blamed because of its parent careless actions.

“Yes. I think I have made up my mind”, the doctor looked at her expectantly as she pressed another button on the machine connected to the monitor, “I'm keeping it”.

After having waited for five long minutes for Narae where they should have met to go home together, Sori sent her a text, telling her she was going home alone and they would talk once she got there. Actually Sori planned to call for a serious pack meeting as soon as she got home to inform them she was having a baby, just to know where she was standing inside the pack. That would be the first time she would ask for a pack meeting, and as much as she didn't like the idea of making her pack mates waste their time on her, the occasion seemed important enough for her to ask them for five minutes of their time. That way she might also finally tell Namjoon the truth and hope he would forgive her. She didn't want to say she had disrespected his role, but she reckoned that lately she had defied many rules and that there had been some tension between her and the members of the pack because of her friendship with EXO, and while she didn't want to stop meeting with her new friends, she didn't want her pack mates to be upset with her either. They were her family, the only one she had at that, and she missed her pack in a way she couldn't describe, even though they saw each other every day. They used to be closer, but lately it hadn't been like that and Sori felt really sorry about it, because she knew it was partly her fault too, as she had built walls around her ever since Minyoung had joined the pack. Not that it was Minyoung's fault, but Sori hadn't quite reached the point she felt comfortable around her yet, and her insecurities had been eating her alive, making her chose to be alone most of the time.

In order to figure out how she was going to break the news to her pack, Sori had decided to take her time, and she was now sitting on a bench near Hoseok's studio. By then she had it almost figured out, after all it wasn't like she was going to make anything big or make them a surprise, since she already knew they were going to be quite mad at her once she arrived home. The only wild card was Jungkook. Sori could quite predict what his reaction was going to be, and for that she had spent the last twenty minutes trying to figure out a way to tell him the baby wasn't his and to fabricate a believable lie to tell him and the rest of the pack. That was obviously only going to work if nobody insisted to know the father of the baby and if Junmyeon helped her out. Only him and Narae knew the truth, and Sori wanted to keep it that way. Maybe she would tell it to Namjoon and Yoongi too later on, but for the moment she only needed them to forgive her and accept her baby. She had supposed she could say that she had met the baby's father at Junmyeon's house and then never met again or something. She would use Namjoon's money until the baby was old enough to go to the kindergarten, and then she'd go to work to pay the alpha back. She was sure he wouldn't want the money back, but Sori felt more comfortable with the idea of only borrowing the money from him. The baby would be fatherless, but Sori was sure her pack would provide him with all the support he might need in the future.

No matter how much as she thought about it, Jungkook didn't fit in the figure of a father for her baby. She wasn't going to be the best mother for her child, but she could at least make sure Jungkook wouldn't throw his negativity in the baby's life. There were many single mothers, and Sori doubted they were all hated by their babies. Sure, at some point she might face a hard time, but in her pack there were many members and Sori knew she could count on them. Honestly, Sori knew Jungkook wasn't a bad person, he just couldn't be her father's baby. Not to mention what would happen if his parents were to ever find out he had slept with someone like her. No, Sori wasn't up for all the drama that would come if she ever decided to tell Jungkook he had a child.

Like the doctor had told her, the presence of the pack was going to be very important during her pregnancy, and also in the baby's life. She had to trust them and tell them, because there was no way she was going to be able to hide her secret for much longer, and she didn't want them to find out on their own. Telling them her decision right away would show them Sori trusted her pack members, just like the doctor had said. She trusted her pack, and it was time to show them just how much.

Still brooding about what she would tell Jungkook, Sori checked her phone to see if Narae had answered her text, only to be surprised by the amount of times her friend had called her. She had put it on silent before entering the clinic and then she had completely forgotten about it. Chuckling, Sori assumed it was because she was excited to hear about the baby, and decided it was time to go home. It was already noon, thus Sori didn't take her time this time around, wanting to call for the pack meeting as soon as she could. She couldn't wait to tell her pack about her baby, and the sooner she reached the pack house the sooner she would be free from her secret.

She was going to call Junmyeon too later, in the afternoon, and tell him and Baekhyun all the things she had discovered. Something told her Baekhyun was going to go crazy about the baby.

With the time she took waiting for the bus, arriving at her bus stop and going all the way back home, when Sori finally caught sight of the pack house it was almost two in the afternoon, and weirdly there was all the pack standing outside in the garden. Why are Jin, Hoseok and Jungkook still here? Shouldn't they be at work? Or did they decide to skip work and train? It seemed suspicious, but since they were all still there, Sori only took it as she could just tell them the news right away instead of waiting for everyone to be home. However, the closer she got, the weirder the scene looked. They were all looking completely dishevelled, their clothes torn, and both Namjoon and Minyoung were standing outside barefooted. If that wasn't enough to push all the alarm bells in Sori's brain, there were also stains of blood on their skin and clothes, and probably also and the ground, since around them dark spots on the grass.

“Oh, wow, thank you for finally making an appearance”. Sarcasm was oozing out of Namjoon's voice, but it wasn't his usual sarcasm. It was darker and meaner, full of anger, just like his eyes. The whole pack was staring at her in anger and disappointment. Sori helplessly looked at her pack mates as she thought about the right words to express her disbelief and her sincere apology, even though she didn't know what had happened, because she was sure it must have been something serious. She barely opened her mouth before Namjoon raised his index to his lips. “Shut up. I don't want to hear it. We don't want to hear it. I don't even know how many times Narae called you. We almost died while you were happily minding your business”. Namjoon's eyes shining in a blazing red Sori hadn't ever seen before. The usual calm and collected alpha she had always known wasn't there, there was a furious man who was barely able to keep hold himself together. Fists closed and breathing heavily, Namjoon turned towards the house and walked away, only to stop once he reached the door. “This isn't over. I want you all in the living room at three and a half. Freshen up before it. And Sori, you better have a very damn good excuse for having left on your own again, without having received my permission and for not having picked up your fucking phone not even once”. He entered the house and slammed the door so hard it visibly shook for a moment. Sori was so shocked she really didn't know what to say. She knew Namjoon was going to be angry, but this rage wasn't what Sori had imagined. This whole scene wasn't what Sori had imagined. No one spoke a word as they made their way inside the house, leaving Sori alone with Narae.

“Come on, Sori, let's go inside. Let me wash up a little and get changed, and I'll tell you what happened. Or at least what I know, because it all started before I got here. I'm sure you also have something to tell me”, Narae guided her inside with a hand on her elbow, and Sori absent-mindedly followed her. Only when she reached her room Sori managed to take a deep breath and calm herself enough to realize she had to get changed too, if she didn't want to go around wearing her stupid dress the whole day. Still shaking, she removed her dress and wore the clothes she had worn the day before. Sighing, she took the sonograms from her purse, and put them on the desk with the pamphlets the doctor had handed her, the diet, the new medicines she had to take and the blood test from the previous week. She looked at the little bulb that was supposed to be her baby and sighed once again... this wasn't the way she wanted to announce her pregnancy to the pack today. Her baby deserved better than being used to justify her actions, or being cursed at by her angered pack members. The life of her baby should at least be announced in a more proper way, albeit it wasn't a joyful way, no matter that she herself didn't want them in her life until only a couple of hours ago.

“Hey, are you okay?”, Sori was completely startled. She was so focused of her thought that she hadn't even heard Narae opening the door. “I knocked, but you didn't answer. Come with me for a moment, we need to talk before the meeting”. Sori followed her right away, wanting to know as much as she could before facing her enraged alpha, who was now pacing back on forth, stomping all his frustration away as he informed Jiho of what had happened. Narae waited until they were once again outside before she started talking. Sori took in the patches of grass plucked out and the the disgusting metallic scent of blood mixed with humid soil. It was enough to make Sori feel queasy, but not enough to make her puke, also because she had skipped lunch, thinking she would eat once she arrived home, so her stomach was completely empty. “So, uhm... if you saw how many times I called you, then you know it was something serious. While I was waiting for you I got a call from Hoseok, telling me we had to get our asses back home because they needed a hand and we were under attack. At first I thought he was kidding to guilty trip me, but then I heard the growls from the guys and I drove here as fast as I could, and called again and again you on my way here. When I arrived were two wolves laying dead on the grass and 4 were still attacking. They were hurt, but so were the guys, and that was when I ran over one of them with my car and stopped calling you”. Sori observed the huge dent made by the impact on the car's door. The car was still there, door opened and keys inserted. “I didn't really do much because I was the only one fighting as a human, so the guys made sure to keep me away from the majority of the fight, but I landed some good blows at least”, Narae shrugged. They had reached the first rows of trees of the woods surrounding their house, and Narae seemed satisfied with the spot she had chosen as she leaned against the bark of the nearest tree right away. “There were six or seven of them, I don't know if someone had already ran away when I got here, and they knew how to fight. Not the trained kind of fighting knowledge, more like the kind of knowledge that comes with experience, so maybe they were old wolves? I don't know that much about what happened myself. I tried talking with Namjoon, but he was on the phone with Jiho...”.

“Was anyone hurt?”. Sori was fidgeting with her fingers, trying to keep her guilt at bay. As much as she would've liked to be there to help her pack, she would have probably been a nuisance more than anything, and it wasn't like she was having the time of her life in the meanwhile.

“I think so, but I don't know how much. I saw Jimin had a deep cut on his calf and it looked like someone had tore off a stripe of flesh from Hoseok's arm, but they were already almost healed when you got here. I'm sure the others were injured too, especially those who were here when the wolves attacked at first, since they were outnumbered. I don't even know why they were attacked yet. I'm shocked”. Narae ran her fingers through her hair, messing up her short pony tail even more than it already was. “Enough with this, I'm sure the guys will tell us more later. Tell me about the baby”. There was a small smile on Narae's lips, but it was enough for Sori to feel a little bit better. At least her friend wasn't angry with her.

“I... I know I said a lot of bad things about the baby, and I really thought them at the moment, but when I saw it...them, I don't know, something snapped inside of me”, Narae was leaning closer, a not of concern could be spotted in her eyes, “and well, I decided to keep the baby”. A second later Narae was cheering and jumping on the spot, and the next she was smashed against the huge bark of an oak, coughing in pain because of the strength of the impact.

A huge, although extremely thin wolf was now growling at Sori, who barely had the time to scream before the wolf was on her. The paw on her shoulder was heavy enough to push Sori to the grown and keep her still, and Sori could only be thankful it didn't weight more, otherwise her clavicle would've been shattered in the impact. She barely registered she was still yelling, too shocked to fight back or do anything else, terrified by the idea of hurting her baby. The weirdest thing was that the wolf was only sniffing her neck, but not biting her or attacking her, however the feeling of his drool on her skin was enough to have Sori shaking. She could feel his tongue on her neck, and it gave goose bump. This wolf was actually a person. A men. And that man, a complete stranger, was licking her neck. Thankfully it didn't last long, because a big black wolf was on the strange wolf only moments later. Jungkook had arrived, and the rest of the pack was making its way to where she and Narae were talking only a minute earlier.

Sori was so shocked she barely registered the fact that Namjoon had literally changed while he jumping over her, and was now chasing after the strange wolf. Jungkook had probably managed to bit him pretty hard, because on Sori's hands there was blood and patches of dark grey fur were slowly falling down around her. Sitting up was quite a hark task to do with arms and legs shaking like leaves in the wind, but in the end Sori managed to do it and joined her pack mates that had gathered around Narae, who was still laying down and breathing heavily. There was no blood on her, but the guys were still checking her ribs and massaging her back, both comforting her and making sure the only reason why she was still like that was because of the impact.

“Are you okay?”, she barely managed to ask as she stumbled closer to her. Narae couldn't speak without coughing yet, thus she opted to nod in Sori's direction, who let out a sigh of relief. Sure, she was still in pain, but Sori reasoned that at least she was still conscious and responsive. A born were like her was going to be okay in a matter of minutes, hours at worst.

“Did you see were he come from?”, Jin stopped her before she could ask Narae another question. He had just stopped checking Narae's ribs and was now sizing Sori up and down from were he was kneeling down. Sori thought about the answer and in the meanwhile she assessed the amount of pain she was in. There was nothing that hurt too bad, thus she assumed that aside from some bruises, the wolf hadn't actually hurt her or the baby. Her head hurt a little from the strength with which it had it the ground, but Sori supposed it was also because of the fright, the stress from earlier in the morning and the imminent meeting with an enraged Namjoon. She took a moment more to think about the scene from when Narae had lead her in the woods more in detail, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no matter how much she thought about it.

“I don't know. We were just talking and then it jumped on Narae out of nowhere. Maybe... maybe we were talking too loud and we didn't hear him because of that?”, Sori hesitantly told him. Narae nodded at everything she said, confirming she hadn't noticed the wolf either, but nobody paid her any attention.

“How could you not hear him?”, Hoseok scoffed, “It's not like it was a mosquito. Like, you came out here, he was here or very close to the two of you, and not only you didn't see him nor caught his scent in the wind, but you didn't hear his heartbeat either?”. Narae glared at him, and finally opened her mouth as if she was trying to voice her irritation, but she never had the chance to speak because she was interrupted before she even manage to say the first word.

“I don't know! I didn't even think we could be in danger!”, Sori finally screamed in frustration, attracting the attention of all her pack mates on her. “Narae asked me to go out with her, and we came here, then -”, a terrifying growl came from behind her before she had the chance to complete the sentence. A moment later Namjoon and Jungkook changed back to their human form, and for the first time ever Sori didn't feel embarrassed by their nakedness, too scared by the rage of the alpha to care about anything else. Her eyes were fixed on Namjoon's chest, as his growl filled the air around them. She could feel Jungkook's eyes on her, but the fury of the alpha forced her to keep her submissive position even when the alpha wasn't staring right at her. Once he was reassure his mate wasn't hurt too seriously, he turned towards Sori, who could only cower more on herself, knowing well that this time she was in big trouble.

“I've had enough of this shit. Bring Narae inside”. He didn't even bother to divert his eyes to see who was holding his mate, who was now protesting weakly as she tried to oppose to being lifted like a potato sack. “Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think you can do whatever you want? I'm so done with your shit”. Sori wanted to justify herself, yet she couldn't bring herself to speak, afraid she was only going to anger Namjoon more. “Fucking answer me right now. And look at me when I talk too you! Do you think you're above us?”. Sori knew she was shaking in fear of the alpha, but since Namjoon was speaking with his alpha voice, she could only obey. She lifted her eyes from his chest to meet his ruby red eyes for a moment, only to lower them right after, staring at his chin instead.

“N-no, I d-”, she could only say before she was interrupted again.

“Well, that's weird seeing the way you behave. I might end up thinking that Jungkook isn't wrong when he says people like you can't be trusted, if you're not careful enough. How come you're either never here when we get attacked, or you don't get hurt, uh? Did you organise this little show with your new friend?”. His words were meant to cut just as deep as they did, meant to hit her right where it hurt. Sori gasped in surprise and hurt. His words were like a slap right in the face. Namjoon, the man who was always careful with his words, had just used her condition against her. He had just implied that she had willing betrayed her best friend and her pack just because she was a turned-werewolf. Did he really think that low of her?

Jungkook was moving awkwardly behind the alpha, feeling uneasy at the mention of his name in the argument. He had never meant his words to be used like that against Sori by others, and hearing them coming from somebody else's mouth had changed their meaning in his mind, making them sound more hurtful and disgusting. He couldn't help but feel disgusted with the alpha. Jungkook glanced in Seokjin's direction, hoping he would step in to diffuse the situation.

“You did, didn't you?”, the alpha carried on chuckling, “I swear, I'm so done with your shit, Sori”. Sori though he had finally vented out all his anger when he took a deep breath and finally stepped back. Somehow she was convinced she could finally explain herself, but she was wrong. “I don't want to see your face anymore”. Startled again by his words, Sori finally meet his hateful glare.

“I'm so sorry, Namjoon, but I really don't kno-”, she took a step towards him, but the alpha raised his hand, clearly telling her she had to keep her distance, or else.

“I told you to shut your mouth. I don't want to hear another word from you. I'm done with your bullshit!”, this time both Jungkook and Seokjin gasped at the order he was just shouted. It was so unusual to hear their alpha talking like that, especially with Sori, whom he always wanted to protect. Moreover, Namjoon never used his position against his members, thus it was quite a surprise to hear him using his alpha voice two times in a row in the same day. “Actually, you know what? I want you out of my pack”. Sori was completely at a loss for words. Was Namjoon being serious?

“Namjoon...”, Seokjin called him, but Namjoon didn't pay him any attention.

“Shut up”, he ordered to him and Jungkook, before he turned to Sori again. “Leave”, was the only thing he said, actually he said before ordering the other two wolves to go back inside he house. Albeit a bit reluctantly, both Seokjin and Jungkook left, glancing back at Sori every now and then. “Now”, ha added when Sori didn't follow his order right away.

Not being able to oppose to the alpha's order, Sori turned around, and started walking away, leaving behind her house, her pack and her possessions.

So much for having finally believed her pack mates would never kick her out of the pack.

So much for finally having finally found the courage to trust her pack members.

Chapter Text

Sori didn't know how long she had been walking for, but she distractedly guessed it must have been hours, seeing as the sun was going down. She felt extremely tired, her feel were sore, but she kept on walking, trying to reach the place where her wolf wanted her to go. Sori had just follow her instinct because she wasn't able to think about anything at the moment, still too shocked by the words her alpha, well, ex-alpha. However, her instinct was still perfectly working, so she blindly followed it.

It was only a while later that she realized that her feet had brought her to her pond. The water was reflecting the shining lights of the sunset, and the gentle breezed was blowing in between the leaves of the threes that surrounded it. Such a pleasant image completely crashed with the chaos and darkness inside Sori's head. She didn't know whether she felt more pain because she was now packless, with nothing to offer to her baby, or because of Namjoon's words. Sure, being packless was a big deal, but the fact that even the man she had always considered as a reference point thought so lowly of her seemed to be a bigger one at the moment. If even after four years and all that hardship she ha gone through to become part of the pack he still believed she would betray them so easily? For what? Than what were the chances of ever finding a pack that trusted and loved her for herself? Was the fact that she was a turned-werewolf a life sentence? Were there no possibilities for her to prove her worth? Was it only Namjoon that thought she was a traitor? Probably Jungkook too, since he always said those things... and maybe Hoseok too, since he hadn't looked too convinced by her explanation about not having noticed the wolf near her and Narae. Did that mean that deep down, all the members of her pack thought of her like that? She just couldn't get over the fact that they all seemed to believe she would hurt her best friend, who was the only reason she had found a pack and probably the only reason why she was still alive, so easily.

By that point, Sori had cried so much she felt like she had no tears left to cry, only a deep desperation she could effortlessly drown in. In fact, she was feeling extremely weak, and she didn't know if it was because she had skipped both her lunch and her dinner, or because of the number of times she had been shocked in just one day.

She had literally nothing left. She had left without even bringing her phone with her, so she really had no means to call for help if she were to feel any weaker, thus she must decide to crawl to her little hut and spend the night there since the sky was already dark. Hopefully she would fall asleep right away, and after a night of sleep she'd be able to go away and look for a new pack. A part of her suggested to slip in EXO's lands, just in case one of them passed nearby and decided to help her, but she didn't want to possibly cause tension between them and BTS. It wasn't worth it.

She looked at her pond carefully, knowing this was the last time she got to spend time there, saying goodbye this place. Sori wanted to remember it like this: peaceful, comforting and hers. This was the only thing she had left she could call 'hers', and it was only going to be like that until the next morning, when she would definitely leave Namjoon's lands. Her heart broke again at the idea of losing this one last thing too, but what else could she do? Now that she wasn't part of BTS pack anymore, she couldn't stay on their lands unless she wanted to be attacked as an intruder. She hoped they wouldn't look for her there that night, as she needed at least a little bit of rest before she had the strength to run away.

Slowly, Sori leaned as comfortably as she could against the wooden surface of the wall, and she closed her eyes. The wood had been warmed up by the sun during the day, and now it was just comfortable enough to rest on it while a fresh wind blew around her. Sori really wanted to fall asleep and forget all the things that happened that day, but try as she might, her mind kept giving her flashes of the image of Namjoon's enraged face and his cold glare as he ordered her to leave. Were the others thinking about her too? What did they think about Sori not being in the pack anymore? Did they agree with Namjoon? The more questions popped out in her head, the more Sori curled on herself, trying to spare herself same pain. Nonetheless, there was no getting away from her own painful thoughts. Sori kept asking herself the same thing again and again, looking for a way to justify what had happened earlier in the afternoon, although there was nothing she could think of. She couldn't change the fact that she was a turned-were, she hadn't even chosen to be one in the first place, but that didn't mean she was different from any born-were out there. She was weaker, but she was no traitor, just like not all the born-werewolves were loyal. She was imperfect, but that didn't determine her personality. That didn't determine who she was. Why couldn't they understand it? In the back of her mind Sori promised herself she would look for some history books about werewolves and she would learn more about turned-weres and the historical episodes that gave them such a bad reputation. She wanted to meet more turned-weres herself, so that she would be able to judge them for herself. It seemed unlikely that ALL turned-weres were bad people.

At that point, Sori didn't know what time it was anymore, and she was so tired that her swollen eyes were closing every now and then, even thought her brain hadn't completely stopped working yet. That was probably why she didn't hear the steps getting closer to her hut until they were so near she knew she wouldn't be able to save herself even if she ran, she was too weak for it anyways. There was no way they weren't going to find her.

Okay, don't stress, you can beg for mercy. No matter how angry Namjoon is, the pack won't kill you. Don't yell. Just wait and see what happens. To her surprise, Sori could only her one set of footsteps. Namjoon must have really gone crazy if he allowed one of his wolves to run alone in patrol, especially after the recent attacks. Hope started flowing in her blood. What if that wolf was Yoongi and she could ask him for a pack that would take her in? Or maybe it was Jimin. No matter how angry Namjoon was, Sori was certain Jimin wouldn't hurt her just because.

Sori breathed in deeply to catch the wolf's scent, but she smelled nothing. Perplexed, Sori took another deep breath and waited, mentally recalling the scents of her ex-pack, reflecting on which one of them had found her, but she still couldn't perceive any scent. Weird. Despite the trust she could still feel in her heart for some of her ex-packmates, Sori made the decision to wait for them inside the hut. Sure, the wolf could be anyone from BTS, but what if it was Minyoung? Sori didn't trust her enough to blindly leave her hiding and openly face her.

Much as she waited, the wolf didn't seem to be reaching the door of her hut anytime soon. Actually, it seemed like it had stopped a couple of meters away from her the back of her hut and it was either changing or waiting for her to come out, but Sori had no intention of going out on her own free will, afraid that it might be perceived as a threat or just getting attacked by them. Whomever it was, they would have to wait until the morning or go to the hut and talk to her.

When the steps started again, Sori knew her suppositions had been right, probably they had stopped to change. Now the sound of the steps was heavier and way louder than before, human-like, and she could easily hear they were getting closer. The closer they got, the faster her heart beat inside her chest. Her instinct was telling her to run for her life, but Sori knew it was just because the wolf knew she was not part of the pack anymore, and the wolf outside could rightfully attack her for having found her in their lands. Okay, Sori, deep breaths. What happened today doesn't change the people they are. They would've never attack another wolf just because they were found inside their confines-

The flow of her thoughts was abruptly interrupted by the loud sound of a knock against the wood. Sori jumped a little, completely startled by the sound even though she knew they were getting closer. A low chuckle came from outside, and another knock followed. Sori's heart was beating so strongly against her rib cage that it was almost painful. What was the need of playing such stupid games after all the things that had happened that day? They knew for sure she was tired and scared, there was no need for more terror. At least they could show a little pity and support her...

In spite of what she thought, her ex-pack mate kept walking around the hut and knocking, chuckling lowly every time Sori gasped or jumped because of the loud sounds coming from different parts of the hut again and again. It was getting to the point Sori was finding it hard not to growl, even thought she didn't wanted them to think the was threatening them or planned to attack them. She smelled the air again, and once again she didn't caught their scent.

“Hello, wolfie”. The voice caught Sori totally by surprise, making it impossible for her to restrain herself from growling. “Oh, no don't growl, you might scare me”. Fuck. The same curse kept being repeated again and again in Sori's mind, as loud as it could get. That voice didn't belong to any of the wolves of her ex-pack. It called back something from a long time ago, but she couldn't pinpoint just what it was. Sori knew she had heard that voice before, but no matter how much she tried to remember where she had heard it, nothing came to her mind. She only knew that it didn't belong to the members of BTS, EXO or BlockB. If that chuckle made her feel nervous before, now it gave her chills.

“Did you really think you could run away? Did you think I wouldn't find you, Sori?”. And then Sori realized who it. It was the way he pronounced her name that gave him away. Oh God, how did he manage to find me? Please, please, Namjoon, send someone to look for me, please!

“Did you have a good time in your pack? Did you let them all fuck you like a good, little whore? Tell me, did you think of me when you were with them? Did you think about me?”. Sori could hear him pacing around the hub, alternating between knocking and scratching the walls of the hut. She was pretty sure he had a club or something with him from the sound of it, but she really hoped she was wrong. There was no way she was getting out of this alive if he had a club with him. Her breathing got more and more labored every time he scratched the wooden surface that surrounded her, and soon she wasn't able to follow everything he said anymore, too afraid he would hit the walls until they fell down and than catch her. As long as he didn't open the frail door, she could still hope one of her ex-pack mates would come looking for her.

“I heard what happened to your mommy. Oh, that was a shame! It's pity your friend died too. That was never my intention, I was just angry”, he was using a childlike voice, clearly mocking Sori and her pain, “Well, I guess you didn't feel that sorry for them, though, you were finally getting banged by all those handsome dudes in your pack. Oh, uhm, ex-pack, right?”. With a punch, he made the walls around her shake, and Sori knew he was doing all of this on purpose to scare her, assuring her he would get her as soon as he felt like it. At that point Sori knew she didn't have much time to leave before he stopped playing and finally attacked her, and she started praying for one of the guys, even Namjoon himself, to come and save her and her baby. They were so tiny, she didn't want them to die. She had so many things she still wanted to do in her life, so many things she hadn't experienced yet, and she was going to have no chances to do it if she died that night.

Everything around her was becoming unfocused and unclear, and there was a loud ringing in her ears. Sori knew she was hyperventilating, but she didn't know how to stop. It was too much. It was all too much.

“Are you going to let me fuck you too? Do you know how many times I dreamed how your mouth would feel around my dick? Your ass under my hand. Can you imagine how my lips would feel on your neck?”. The more he spoke, the more Sori panicked and she felt disgusted. When he started faking sexual sounds, Sori felt her toes curling in discomfort and bile coming up her throat. Why her? Why?

Suddenly he stopped and broke his sexual chanting and held his breath.

“Uh oh, someone is coming, baby, but don't worry we'll meet again soon”, Sori barely registered him say.

Shortly after there were arms around her, holding her against a firm body. Sori yelled and tried to fight back with all her might, but he kept scenting her neck. “Let me go”, she kept yelling, but then a hand covered her mouth to muffle her screams. Namjoon, please, I beg you, come save me. I don't wanna die!

She was so desperate, she took a while before she noticed the familiar scent around her. Since there was a hand was covering her mouth, and breathing with her nose while hyperventilating was almost impossible, Sori fought with every bit of the strength she had left to push the hand away, biting it as strong as she could. Everything was fuzzy and her legs were so unstable she wasn't even able to properly turn around to look him in the face.

“Ow, Sori, calm down, I'm trying to help you”, Baekhyun whined as he flailed the hand Sori had just bit. When she registered to whom that voice belong to, the relief was so big Sori started bawling her eyes out so loudly she probably would have been embarrassed by it if only she could be bothered by anything other than the relief she was feeling. She was safe. Her baby was safe. She had been strong enough. Someone had come to rescue her. She had been so sure she would die after a long night of torture. “Shhh, Sori, I know you where scared, but you are safe now. We are here. Junmyeon is looking for that man, but he changed in his wolf as soon as he heard us and then he ran away. You are safe now. The others are near, if he comes back we will kill him, okay? Try to focus on me and take deep breaths, I'll make sure no one hurts you”, Baekhyun whispered again and again in her hear as he hugged her. Sori really wanted to stop crying,however she had completely lost control of body. Every single time she thought she was calm enough to stop crying, she started again. There were black spots everywhere she turned.

“I think she's in shock, Myeon, let's just bring her home and let her calm down, then you can ask her whatever you want”, he whispered to Junmyeon as he caressed Sori's back, who still didn't seem to have realized that Junmyeon and the rest of the pack had arrived while she cried her heart out. The alpha sighed and nodded in agreement, worried that such a big stress might also harm the baby.

“Come here, Sori, let's go home”, he said in a soothing voice as he tried to lift her from the ground, but they soon realized it was impossible as Sori was holding on to Baekhyun's hand so tightly that it was turning to an ugly violet shade.

“It's okay, I'll take her”, Baekhyun told him, before he turned his attention back to the weak girl in his arms. “Sori, can you let go of my hand? Come on, put your arms around my neck, and I'll do the rest”. It took a lot more of coaxing for Sori to be able to move her arms. The felt so heavy and weak, it seemed like she didn't even know how to use them properly, but in the end she managed to let go of Baekhyun's hand. He took her arms and put them on his shoulders, and patted her on the back to make sure she was still following his directions. “Now, intertwine your fingers tightly until I tell you to let go, okay?”. Sori didn't reply, but he knew she had heard him, because after a couple of second followed his directions and was leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Okay, we're ready. Let's get you home, Sori”.

“-don't know what happened. We found her around two in the morning in pond between our lands”, a moment of silence followed before Junmyeon spoke again, “No, she's fine now and there was sign of harm on her, I think she's just in shock”, another moment of silence, “She's with Baekhyun now, she fell asleep after he bathed her, and we're waiting for her to wake up to ask her what happened. The way that man spoke... I'm sure he knew her”. There was another brief pause, and then Junmyeon answered. “Yeah, sure, I'll tell her you called”. Junmyeon let himself fall on the armchair beside the sofa where Sori was resting. Sori heard him sigh out loud, and finally decided to let him know she was awake, mostly because she wanted to know who it was at the phone. She hesitated for a moment as she watched the alpha massaging his temples with his eyes closed.

“Who was it?”, Sori croacked. Her voice was still rough because of all the crying, and she had an awful headache too, not to mention her swollen eyes that were burning so much it seemed like they were being clawed off when she opened them to glance in Junmyeon's direction and the light hit them. Actually, her whole face was too hot and swollen, but she didn't feel like trying to hide it. Who cared if they saw her like that anyway?

Junmyeon jumped on his seat, completely taken by surprise by the sudden sound of a voice beside him. “Ya, don't do thing like that”, he whined as he held his chest with his hand. “It was Narae. She called last night to ask if you were here, and then she begged for us to go looking for you. When we got home I texted her to tell her we had found you, and she called me back a couple of minutes ago and uhm... she didn't exactly tell me what happened, but I understood that, in big lines, you had a fight with Namjoon”, he answered after he took a couple of calming breaths. At least someone was worried for me...

Sori swallowed the lump on her throat and lowered her head. She didn't wanted to cry anymore because of BTS. She knew she wasn't a member of their pack anymore, thus she had no reason to expect them to go looking for her or to be worried about her well being, but it hurt all the same. It hurt to know that the people you considered your family, and with whom you have spent the last four years of your life, wouldn't even bother with looking for you or searching you despite knowing you had no where to go, in spite of everything that had happened in their lands just a couple of hours earlier. Sure, it wasn't their responsibility she was painfully aware of it, still she couldn't help but be disappointed and deeply hurt.

“We didn't fight”, she just replied. What could she possibly tell him anyways? 'Your friend is a dick and I hope he chokes on his saliva every time he opens his mouth'?

“Do you want to talk about it?”, he offered gently.

“No. There's nothing to talk about, Myeon, I'm not a part of his pack anymore, that's all”. At the same time Junmyeon gasped loudly, Baekhyun shrieked:

“Are you kidding me? What a bitch! I can't believe it. Why would he kick you out?”. Sori almost jumped out of her skin, not having noticed he was awake and listening too.

“He-”, she started to say, but then she thought about how fast prejudice spreads and how much it hurts, and jutting out her chin, she just told him: “I don't want to talk about it. It's okay”. She couldn't risk them kicking her out if they were to start suspecting about her too.

“No, what the hell, it's not okay!”, Baekhyun almost growled, and he looked very ready to go on with his ranting, but the alpha shut him up with a glare. Thankfully.

“If you feel like talking about it, you can count on us”, Junmyeon reassured, “Tell us what happened with that strange wolf, tho. Did he know you?”. Sori took a moment before answering, contemplating what she wanted to say about him, not wanting to recall the previous encounter too clearly so soon, nor remember the times they had met before that.

“Yes, he knew me... when I was a human”, she specified, hoping they would understand the difference between knowing him as a human with no knowledge of the werewolf society, and knowing them as a wolf, or worse in cahoots with them. It was a little too vulnerable to keep laying down when she was telling such a story, hence she sat up carding a hand through her hair to fix it a little.

“But the way he spoke to you was... how can I say? I'd say that he seemed quite rude and menacing, but that would be an understatement”, Baekhyun intervened, still looking quite fed up with the whole Namjoon issue from before. Sori sighed, and finally told them one of the information she had always kept to herself. Or at least part of it.

“He is the one who changed me. Actually, he attacked me. Uhm... he had a sort of attraction to me, and uhm... he stalked me for a while, and the rest is history, I guess”, she concluded quickly. Sori didn't like to talk about the time when she was still a human, and she liked to talk about her change even less. Let alone that talking about such a man being attracted to her made her feel quite pathetic. Albeit both Junmyeon and Baekhyun looked like they were waiting for her to go on, Sori didn't had anything else. Actually, the only thing she wanted to do was rest and eat before leaving and moving on with her life. “I wanted to ask you this, but since I don't have my phone with me, I had no way to contact you earlier”, she just changed subject, “Do you know a pack that would accept me without, well, using me?”

“Yeah”, Baekhyun turned to eye her up and down.

“Yes”, Junmyeon spoke at the same time.

“Okay, than can you, uhm, tell me where I can find them? Or maybe you can let me call them? If you don't mind me using the phone”. It sucked to have nothing and to feel like you were totally depending on other people. However, she had to bow down and do what she had to do for both the baby and herself. It wasn't like she could even go away that easily from their pack house, as she had no idea how to move around without even having her phone to help her out.

“No need to, you're already here”, Baekhyun deadpanned, sounding every bit as annoyed as he looked.

“Stop it, I'm being serious. I need a pack, and it's not easy to find it when you're a turned were”, Sori snapped. It was no time to be joking around. If she didn't find a pack, than she would have no where to raise her baby. Not to mention that she probably would have no chance to raise her baby at all if she were to be attacked by someone in the meanwhile. The chances of being attacked and killed were very high in normal circumstances, let alone with the actual situation in their lands.

“So am I”, he turned to look at the alpha, who just nodded in approval, letting his pack mate do the talk, “We have no problem taking you in, and you already know all of us. We can keep on training you, you can have your room, and do whatever you want. You're not going anywhere. I'm not letting you out of my sight after what happened today”, he deadpanned again, not even taking another option in consideration,

“But what about the baby? What if you end up fighting with Namjoon because of me?”, Sori insisted, looking at Junmyeon. It seemed to weird for things to be that easy.

“Who's baby?”, Baekhyun asked, a completely perplexed expression showing on his face. Oh, oops, she hadn't managed to call them after she came back from the appointment with her doctor.

“I won't fight with Namjoon because of you, Sori. He's the one that chose to let you go, I played no part in the decision he took. I might talk to him about it later on, though. I am pretty sure he will regret his decision soon enough”, Sori barely managed to keep the ugly snort that was making its way out at Junmyeon's words. He clearly had no idea of the way Namjoon had glared at her, hate clearly visible in his eyes, but she just bit her lip, not to badmouth Namjoon in front of Junmyeon. After all, they were still friends and she didn't want to push him against Namjoon. “As for the baby, I see no problem. So, did you decide to keep it? What happened during the appointment?”. Sori blushed as she remembered the appointment from the previous day, mentally selecting the parts she felt comfortable with enough to share them with the guys. It seemed both extremely like a century had passed since she had left that clinic with a heart full of hope.

“Hey! What baby? Why are we talking about babies?”. Baekhyun almost yelled in their face, shaking her by her shoulders, reclaiming their attention. Sori slumped on the armrest of the sofa, and looked out of the window. The sun was raising, giving formally a start to her first day as a packless wolf. And on top of that, she was going to start it informing Baekhyun about the pregnancy. It was going to be a long day.

Narae was laying down on Sori's bed. It had already been two weeks since her best friend left the pack, and two weeks since she had occupied that room. Narae missed her. Sori had refused to talk to her, but sometimes she heard her bestfriend in the background when she called Junmyeon, and it was enough for her to feel better. At least she knew she was okay and that she was surrounded by people who cared about her well being.

The mood of the pack had hit a dangerously low point in the meanwhile, and it always seemed like a fight was about to break. Namjoon and Narae weren't on speaking terms, everyone more or less blamed the alpha for what happened too, and Jungkook always looked like he was caught in a sort of conflict between being worried sick, jealous, nervous and irked, but that didn't seem to stop him from giving Namjoon the cold shoulder too. From Sori's room Narae could hear Jungkook crying from night to night, but since he acted like nothing happened the next morning, she didn't mention it. In spite of his usual behavior, Jungkook really cared about Sori, they had known it for a long while, but he had been a toxic person for her, maybe because he had never learnt how to express any kind of positive emotion seeing his parent's relationship. Lately, his hands were always shaking, his voice cracking, and his eyes red, decorated by a pair of dark bags under his eyes. Too bad he lost his final chance. Narae couldn't help but think he deserved it. They all deserved it. She had never felt more disappointed with her fiancée as in the moment he had announced Sori had left their pack. Back then, once heard what had happened, she had wanted to slap him and punch him until she felt relieved, but she had managed to contain herself, only yelling at the alpha how much of a dick he was. However, things didn't go the way she had expected and Sori hadn't come back in the evening to pick up her stuff, and for the first time ever Namjoon used his alpha voice on her to order her shut up and go to her room. To follow his order she hadn't been able to go look for Sori, but she planned her revenge. None of them had gone to look for her since he had forbidden them to with his alpha voice. That had been the last straw. If Namjoon wanted silence, than silence he would get. And just like that, two weeks had passed without a single word being spoken between them. Sure, Narae missed him, he was her mate after all, but he had made no effort to be forgiven, nor had he regretted his actions both against her and Sori, thus she kept up her facade.

She took the small sonogram Sori had left in her room, and sighed, wondering if now her best friend was already showing. Junmyeon had told her they had gone to another appointment with the ob-gyn to check if the baby was growing correctly now that Sori was following the correct diet, as Narae had made sure to send Junmyeon the names of Sori's pills and also a picture of her diet plan, and the doctor had confirmed that the baby was growing steadily now, and Sori was actually at her thirteenth week, day more day less. They had asked to the doctor if the alcohol she had had couple of weeks ago might have damaged the baby, and the doctor had told them that it probably hadn't done any damage since she wasn't drunk nor had she drank again, albeit it was better for her to stick to alcohol-free drinks until the end of the pregnancy, as being a werewolf might only do so much if you're careless. Narae had really wanted to talk with her best friend that day, but Sori had refused once again. It was really frustrating to Narae, but it seemed like her best friend was holding the grudge against all of them, and she couldn't blame her. Even though she felt less guilty than the others, she knew she could have done more. She wasn't sure of what or how, but she knew she could have done better for her friend, and she should have done it when Sori was still there.

Every day Narae found herself wondering when she'll get to meet Sori again, and what she would tell her if she got that chance, and if she focused, she could still feel her best friend in the pack. That was the only thing she felt grateful for at the moment. Thanks to her position as mate of the alpha of the pack, Narae had access to the bonds of the pack, even if more weakly than Namjoon, she could still feel all of the members of the pack inside her mind. They were like little sparks, and when she focused, she could get a grasp of their mood. Sori's spark was still there but it was feeble, either because she was far away or because she had locked herself off to the pack.

“Narae, can we talk for a moment?”, Namjoon's voice disrupted Narae's flow of thoughts. He had tried this again and again ever since he realized she wasn't going back to their room, and Narae once again scoffed in response. “Come on, you can't stay in there forever, dammit”. Narae scoffed at him again, in spite of the irk she could hear in his voice. She would only talk to him when she felt like it. He couldn't order her to shut up and then to talk whenever he felt like it. “I've had enough of this shit, now you're going to talk to me whether you like it or not”, he finally growled as he barged in in Sori's room.

“Don't you dare come inside this room. You don't deserve it”, she growled back, ready to jump if Namjoon was to get any closer. “Get out!”, she yelled pointing at the door.

“I can do whatever the fuck I want in MY house. She's not here anymore, and you have to pull your head our of your ass and accept it. End of the story”. Namjoon was getting more and more agitated, not wanting to have to confront his mate, but being unable of getting Narae to cooperate. If he wanted her to obey, than he would have to order her around again, and God forbid him if he dared to do something like that again.

“The only one who has to pull his head out of his ass is you Namjoon, you and nobody else. I can't believe you are such a dumbass. I though you were better than that”, her voice dripping with disappointment as she looked at her mate, breathing heavily in anger. The other guy were gathering around Sori's room, checking what the commotion was about. Oh, well, now they'll hear what I have to say.

“Dammit, Narae, I did it for YOU! Don't you understand that if she stayed here you would've only got more injured? She would've only kept on using you! I can't trust her around you anymore, there were too may suspicious episodes for me to ignore”, he yelled, gesticulating vaguely in anger. Namjoon was never good at keeping his calm in big fights, often ending up losing control of his emotions and changing.

“No, you did it for yourself! For you fucking ego, alpha”, she spit out the last word as if it was a curse, “she's the one I trust the most in this pack. The only one who never betrayed my trust, the most loyal member of this pack, the one who took all the shit you threw at her in all these years without fighting back, nor leaving. She didn't even complain about it! And you know why? Because she had literally nobody else in this world. You should be ashamed of yourself. You all should be ashamed of yourselves for the way you acted around her and the things you told her. You know what? I'm happy she left, she deserves better”. Narae was fighting against herself, trying to keep herself from going too far and saying things she couldn't take back, but it was hard. It was really hard saying things she didn't mean so openly. She wasn't happy Sori had left at all, but she was glad she was finally in a better, more peaceful environment.

“How can you even trust her? You were attacked twice because of her! The whole pack was attacked and you're still defending her!”, Namjoon was downright losing control, his hands already changing shape and his ears elongating. The guys behind him were exchanging worried glances, unsure whether to put a stop to argument or not.

“I can trust her because I know everything that's going on, and you don't know shit! If you even think she would break your trust, than you know shit about her either, you asshole. She was right when she didn't trust you enough to tell you her secrets! I can't believe I told her you would understand and be there for her! I was so dumb to tell Sori she could count of you! You all were useless to her! She's so much better than you can ever be!”, she shouted, glaring at each one of her pack mates. “You can talk all the shit you want about her bring a turned, but she was way more loyal to you than you ever were to her”, Narae spat out in anger. Her eyes were burning and she felt like crying in anger, but what would she gain from doing that? Looking weak, that what.

“Oh, really? Let's hear it then, where was she two weeks ago?”. Narae really wanted to slap away the condescend smile from Namjoon's face, and tape his mouth to spare herself from the useless sarcasm he was wasting on her, thus taken by her anger, she grabbed the papers from Sori's appointment and the exams and threw them to her mate's face. Hopefully Sori was going to forgive her for what she was about to do... if Narae even ever saw her again.

“She was at the goddamn clinic, and she was going to tell you about it in the afternoon, you absolute douche”, she screamed at the top of her lungs. She could feel her teeth sharpening and poking at her lips, but she did the best she could to pretend she was still perfectly in control. Narae was never one to lose control of her wolf, but she guessed she was more enraged than she had originally thought.

“What clinic? What happened to her?”, Yoongi moved a shocked Namjoon to the side, to take his place right in front of Narae, no noticing why the alpha was shell-shocked beside him. She had broken her promise to Sori in front of everyone and only now she was grasping the reality of what she had just done. She couldn't help but grimace, wishing she could go back in time and respect Sori's wish to keep the baby a secret or at least use it against Namjoon when they were alone. Well, at least now it seemed like they cared about her.

“She, uhm, she was -”, she had no words to end the sentence without either lying or definitely spilling someone else's secret. She had gone too far and there was no taking back her words.

“She's pregnant?”, Namjoon finally managed to stutter, grabbing the scan from the ground. Suddenly there was a commotion, as everyone was trying to catch a glimpse of the scan, their voices getting louder as they fought to hold the squared little picture. Narae eyed Minyoung and her disgusted expression, her eyebrows raising, wondering if Sori wasn't wrong after all, and Minyoung really didn't like her.

“When did she discover it?”, Hoseok muttered to himself, a big pout on his lips.

“When she fainted. I was there when she was given the prescriptions for the prenatal pills”, Narae just told them, reckoning she had made a mistake and she would have to find a way to fix it.

“That was almost three weeks!”, the surprise and hurt showing on Jimin's face confused Narae, who had now forgotten her anger. What was there to be hurt if a person you've treated like shit doesn't tell you her secrets?

“Who else knew?”, Hoseok asked her, suspicion was making his way in his eyes, and Narae really wanted to roll her eyes at him.

“Junmyeon knew, and by now the rest of EXO will have discovered about it too. Jealous? Think of how much of a shitty pack you are if the another alpha knows more about the members of your pack than you do”, she snorted, looking right in her mate's eyes, before slowly eyeing watch one of her pack mates as it downed on them. Minyoung was surprising her, and not in a positive way. Her expression had 'scorn' written all over the place, and she really shouldn't think she was entitled to show it or even just have such an opinion on someone like Sori, both because Sori had been with BTS for way longer that she had, and because Sori didn't deserve it. Out of nowhere, a thought struck her. “Wait. Jiho told Sori the members of his pack, and most likely even the guys from iKon knew too because they could recognize the scent that had added to Sori's natural scent, while both EXO and us didn't know about it because we had no experience with pregnant females as our pack are mostly composed by man...but you, Minyoung, you haven't been with us that long. Hadn't you noticed it?”. Narae instinctively narrowed her eyes and she glared at the other girl.

“I, uhm”, Minyoung was startled by all the attention she was suddenly receiving. “I suspected it, but I wasn't sure. I mean, I am not a doctor”. The lie was so pathetic that Jimin and Taehyung rolled their eyes without even trying to hide it.

“And you didn't tell her anything? Like, she was literally training with us, skipping meals, and I remember her drinking alcohol recently, and still you let her do it? I can't believe it”, Hoseok told her shaking his head. Narae wanted to give her a piece of mind, but the room fell in utter silence the moment Jungkook opened his mouth.

“How far along is she?”, he muttered. He looked absolutely shocked. His face had completely paled, his lips were trembling and his hands were visibly shaking. Not exactly the ideal way to discover you're about to become a parent, still... it wasn't like their actual situation was ideal either. All the opposite, in fact.

“She's thirteen weeks now”, Narae simply decided to share the information she had been given, hoping that maybe the guys would collaborate and help her to fix the mess they had created. Maybe her best friend would come back home if they helped her. Hopefully. Narae watched as the youngest male of the pack opened and closed his mouth again and again, trying to formulate a coherent sentence. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears as he took in the whole situation.

“It's mine, isn't it?”, he barely whispered after a while. Jimin and Taehyung, loyal as usual, started comforting him right away, knowing well Jungkook was going to be a mess as soon as realized the implication of the current situation. He might not get to meet his baby, or might meet it, but not be able to be there to watch them grow. There was a high chance he was going to be completely excluded from whatever decision regarding the baby. The two of them were sure Jungkook was going to start panic the moment he would be alone with his thoughts.

“Yes”. A gasp could be heard from Minyoung, but the rest of them already knew that the baby could be nobody else's. Namjoon himself turned to the youngest wolf I the room and comfortingly patted him in the shoulder as the first tear slid down his cheek.

Tired, Namjoon rubbed his forehead with his free hand, and sighed. This was going to be a difficult knot to untangle. At least he hadn't burned all the bridges yet, but it was going to be difficult. “I take it you know where she is”, Namjoon finally said, still rubbing his temples. Sori bit her lip, unsure of whether she should reveal this detail too or not, for she was pretty much sure that if Sori was so upset she didn't want to talk with her, she wouldn't want to talk or meet Namjoon or anyone from their pack either. “So?”, he urged her.

“She's with Junmyeon. As far as I know, some time ago Sori was offered a spot in their pack if she ever was to leave us, and... you kicked her out, so she had to find a new pack”, she shrugged, pretending she wasn't bothered by it. Multiple growls and 'I-told-you-so' comments filled the room, and in spite of his own growl and bright red eyes, Namjoon told the other to keep quiet. How could they be more upset that someone had genuinely offered a spot in his pack to a good-hearted person they had hurt, than at the fact that person was left with on choice but take a chance in that pack was beyond Narae.

“Okay”, he said, more to himself than to his mate. “Have you talked with her about this?”.

“No, I only spoke with Junmyeon. Sori is... well, I think she's more than just upset with us”, Narae felt her lower lip trembling, but tried her best to keep herself from crying. They were at fault, and they deserved Sori's anger. “The night you chased her away, I called Junmyeon, and I asked him to go look for her, hoping Sori would go to them rather than wander randomly until she found a place to rest for the night. I was scared there might still be rogues in our lands, and I didn't want her out there alone. Turns out I was right. EXO went looking for her right away, and Junmyeon and Baekhyun found her in her little hut, having a panic attack so severe she couldn't recognize them”, she raised her hand to stop the guys from asking questions about the location of Sori's hut and talking, and went on, “They checked her to see if she was injured, but there were no signs of violence on her body. However, Junmyeon told me the wolf was talking to her, and some of the things he was telling her were quite... graphic. He didn't tell me exactly what he heard before the wolf ran away, but he said that from the sounds he was making... he was hitting the walls of the hut and he clearly knew things about her. Like, he was trying to scare her out of her wits, enjoying it too, and they arrived just in time to save her. Junmyeon tried to follow him, but he couldn't because he couldn't find his scent at all, and then he escaped through our lands and Junmyeon didn't want to step that far in our confines without your explicit consent. When the rest of his members arrived, he asked them to track down that man's scent, but nobody was able to find his scent. He doesn't have a scent, apparently. This could also explain why we, me and Sori, didn't catch his scent that day in the woods”. A tense silence followed her speech, as everyone was absorbing the new information.

“Hyung, you fucked up pretty badly”, Jimin finally sighed out, letting his head fall backwards. “They already wanted her before all of this, now they're never going to give up on their newest addiction. We handed Sori to them on a silver platter”.

“I...”, Namjoon was speechless. How could he even imagine something like that would happen? He hadn't actually meant the words he had said that night. He was angry at her because she wasn't respecting him and his rules, and he was upset because his mate had gotten hurt, and he just spit out whatever came to his mind. He just thought Sori would stay in the woods and come back in the morning to apologize for having overstepped his authority. It hadn't even crossed his mind that she would really leave. And now, because of his stupidity, he had lost an important member of his pack, and his wolves were angry with him. But it wasn't all lost. “I will find a solution, guys, don't worry. Sori will... she will come back home soon”, he promised. It was a risky promise to make, but he felt like it was the right thing to say. Sori belonged to his pack, not to Junmyeon's. As much as he was grateful to his old friend for having saved her, it annoyed him that he had taken her in without calling him to confirm she was actually packless or even just to hear his side of the story.

Another moment of silence stretched, before Jungkook nodded his head and retreated to his room, looking like his emotions were in a complete disarray. Jimin and Taehyung followed him without wasting a second. Minyoung left too, shaking her head in disbelief, and after a long sigh, Yoongi rushed out of the room with Hoseok right behind him, while Seokjin patted Namjoon on the back and went downstairs to make dinner. Narae and Namjoon were now alone, and studying each other, waiting for the other to break the silence. In the end, Narae huffed out, and picked up Sori's exam results from the ground, retrieved the scan from her mate's hands and neatly put them back on the desk, then she sat on the bed. Apparently, Namjoon took that as an invitation, as he followed her to the bed a moment later, sitting close enough to her that their shoulders were lightly brushing against each other. After a long, deep breath Namjoon finally found the courage to speak up.

“Listen, I know you are unhappy and disappointed, but I don't want my decisions as an alpha to influence our relationship. I might have to make decisions you don't like, but I don't want you to react like this. Our relationship is a thing, our relationships with the pack are another thing, and my relationship with the members of my pack is yet another thing”, he fidgeted with his fingers, curving his back to make himself look more vulnerable, putting his head at the same high of his mate's. He didn't want to lose the only person with whom he could effort to be weak with, but he wanted her to hear him out too.

“I can't always ignore how you act with the pack and the decision you make. It is my role too, you know? You make decisions I don't like, and I tell you, because you are human too Namjoon and you make mistakes, and if it's necessary, I have to be there to point them out for you. What you did was definitely too cruel for me to ignore, let alone that you did that to my best friend, who is also the most vulnerable member of this pack”, she interrupted him as soon as he started to speak to add: “I know you thought you were doing what was best for me, for you were wrong. And you didn't even give Sori a chance to defend herself, nor did you confront me about it before yelling at her face”.

“I just wanted you to be safe! If she had not left, we could have just talked about it in the morning!”

“Okay, stop it with this bullshit. You literally told her to leave and not show her face in front of you, what did you expect her to do? Stay there and way for what? For you to magically trust her? For you to take her back in a pack where she's always considered unreliable and always on the verge of being accused of something just because she's not a born-were like us? You told her you believed she had organized the attack on us. It broke my heart when Junmyeon told me how Sori didn't even want to tell him what you had told her, but he managed to make her spill the truth. She's reached the point she puts herself down constantly about her nature in front of others too, Junmyeon told me some of the things she says... You really hurt her. I can't deny I'm not sure if I'll ever to forgive you completely for it”. Narae wasn't able to look him in the eyes when she said that last part. Albeit Namjoon had really disappointed with his actions, Narae didn't want to hurt him.

“I'm not...”, that was when Namjoon understood he had to swallow his pride as well as the lump on his throat, “Okay, I was wrong. I did it for a good reason, but I made a mistake, and I'll do what I can to earn your forgiveness, still... I don't know how to say this, but I don't want you to act like this when I do things you don't like, especially when my actions regard the well-being of the pack. You could've come to talk to me, but you just shut me out and said nothing until today, and you only did because I barged in the room”, he shook his head. “You could've told me all of this the morning after the attack, but you didn't utter a single word until today, and that only made the problem bigger than it already was. Had I known the truth I wouldn't have acted this way”.

“And why was I supposed to talk to you? You ordered me to shut up. You thought you were entitled to order me, your mate, around. You thought you were right when you ordered us all around. And that might be fine with the others, even though it didn't seem like it, but you don't get to order me to shut up”. In spite of all her good propositions, Narae was starting to feel the anger boiling up again, no matter how many times she repeated in her mind that making amends with Namjoon was a necessity to start working on their pack's relationships and bonds, before trying to get Sori to forgive them. “You can't force us to do whatever you want whenever you feel like it and then expect everything to be nice and dandy. You should apologize to the others too”. Namjoon huffed out, a hand running through his hair, as he reflected on what to say. He puffed out his cheeks, and slowly grabbed Narae's hand.

“I'm so sorry about that, you know it. I admit that I was surprised too when I realized how much I had ordered you all around, and you know that I would never do that in normal circumstances, right? I was just so angry I couldn't think straight, and I sort of felt like nobody was respecting my position of alpha, so... I forced you all to my will. There are no words to say how sorry I am for my actions”. The more he spoke, the more it got easy to just go on and say whatever he wanted. Namjoon had been carrying the weight of his guilt this whole time, and he was finally feeling lighter and also a little bit emotional. It wasn't everyday that Namjoon allowed himself to be vulnerable and let his walls down, and every single time that happened, he was with Narae.

A moment of silence followed, in which Narae took a couple of deep, calming breaths, slowly letting out the air, before she nodded. Their bond confirmed her that Namjoon was really feeling guilty and admitting his mistake, but somehow she still held a little bit of a grudge against him.

“Now I feel like I can understand your reasons better, but... I am really sorry to say this, but I don't think I can completely forgive you yet”, at the sound of her mates quiet gasp, Narae quickly added, “I forgive you for what you did to me, really, but there a tiny bit of me that can't let go of what happened with Sori yet. That doesn't mean that I don't love. I missed you a lot during this two weeks, Joon. I... give me some time, and I will get over it”. Narae bit the inside of her cheeks, afraid she had hurt Namjoon more with her words. Even though he had really behaved in wrong way and he had hurt both her best friend and her, she really didn't want to hurt him. Namjoon had always been one who thinks too much, who tried his best not to hurt anyone, not being able to accept and get over his mistakes once he realized he was wrong, and sometimes it was scary to watch how hard he could be with himself. Narae knew all of this, and she recognized that part of what had happened with Sori had been caused by the fact that Namjoon was angry with himself for not having been able to protect his pack, and albeit that didn't excuse his actions, it made it easier for her to understand his reasons. It made it easier for her to forgive him, which didn't mean he was forgiven for everything he did, and what had happened Sori was going to weight down on their relationship for a while.

“I will work hard to gain back your trust and both your and Sori's forgiveness”, he muttered, keeping his head low. “I missed you too”.

“It's okay Namjoon, we will get over this”, Narae whispered in his ear as she leaned on his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

She's gone.

She's pregnant.

With my baby.

She was attacked.

She's part of another pack.

A whirlwind of thoughts were polluting Jungkook's mind. The same thoughts were repeated again and again in his mind, and much as he though about it nothing made sense. It didn't make sense at all.

It was everything Jungkook had always feared. That was why he never wanted a relationship: a relationship might get too serious and you might end up getting married and having children, and he couldn't be a father. There was no way he could be a good father.

He had always made sure he used protection when he had sex, but somehow with Sori it felt wrong not to feel her directly around him. There was something more when they were together, and he always felt complete when he was around her. He had just... wanted to feel complete. To feel good with Sori. And that way he had fucked up her life.

She hates me. I ruined her life. Every single time this thought popped up in his mind, Jungkook felt nauseous. That was never what he wanted. He had tried to put some distance between the two of them, exactly because he knew she had feelings for him, and he didn't wanted to hurt her like that. But he had ended up saying hurtful things instead. He had tried to protect her, because he knew he couldn't be the man she deserved, but because of his selfishness, he has also kept her close enough to enjoy her presence. To enjoy her body whenever he felt like he missed her too much.

What if father finds out? What is he going to say? Just the idea of his father discovering he was going to have a baby without being married, and with a turned-were at that, made his pulse go crazy. He was going to be so mad. Jungkook was pretty sure that would be the time his father finally ordered him to come back to his old pack. It had been so long since he had last time he was beaten up, but Jungkook had no doubt his father wouldn't find any relief to his anger until his fists left a good mark on him. Until he felt like he had beat the all shame of having such a disgrace as son out on Jungkook. And Jungkook was scared. He knew it was ridiculous to be so scared as an adult, yet he couldn't help it.

“Talk with us, Kookie. We're here for you”, Jimin whispered, caressing his friend's hair. Taehyung had draped himself tightly around Jungkook's body.

“What are you thinking about?”, Taehyung mumbled against his chest.

“I'm thinking... I don't know what I'm thinking about, honestly. There are too many things in my mind”, his voice was barely more than a whisper, they might have missed his reply if they hadn't listened carefully.

“Well, start from the first thing on your mind right now”, Jimin told him, lying down on his free side. He was actually surprised the younger was still quite calm. He had expected a full on panic attack by now. Junkook didn't like people acknowledging his weird relationship with Sori.

“I... She... Sori is pregnant”

“Yes, and what do you think about it?”, Taehyung kept his head on Jungkook's chest, not needing to raise his head to sense how tensed he was.

“I-I don't think...She didn't tell me anything. I'm the... father”, he gulped at the word, spluttering slightly as if it left a sour taste in his mouth, “and I didn't even know”, the other two wolves kept quiet, waiting for him to say anything else that might come to his mind. It took him a moment, but then Jungkook spoke again. “I don't think she wanted me to know about the baby”. Jimin and Taehyung met each other's eyes, unsure of what to say, or better, how to say it. “Do you think I messed up so badly she wouldn't have told me about the baby?”. Jungkook's voice sounded so weak, Jimin really wanted to deny everything he had just said, just to assure him everything was going to be fine, but unfortunately that was not going to help the situation. If Jungkook wanted to act, now it was the time to, and maybe it was too late already, but he wasn't going to tell him that.

“Look, Kookie, I think...yes, you did mess up pretty badly, but maybe Sori just didn't get the chance to tell you”, Jimin offered, not wanting to go all out and say he was going to be forgiven.

“No, think about it hyung. She discovered it on Friday morning, and she stayed with us until Monday afternoon... she had many chances and time to tell me about it if she wanted”, Jungkook retorted, shaking his head weakly, “What do I do, hyung? What would you do if you were me?”

“Well, okay, maybe she didn't want to tell you right away, but now you know, don't you? You can try to fix the mess you made now that you know there's a baby on the way, right? What do you think about having a baby with Sori? Would you rather she had an abortion?”. This time it was Taehyung who answered him, more blunt and practical than Jimin would have liked him to be.

“I don't k-know what I think about it. I- haven't thought about it that much yet, to be honest. I-I don't think that baby will ever know I'm their father, and maybe it will be for the best. I don't even think I will see the baby. And if the baby were to discover all the things I did to her...”, as Jungkook was ending his speech his stuttering stopped, probably because of the certainty of his beliefs.

“Jungkookie, you... we, actually, we all behaved wrongly to her. We apologized to Sori before all of this happened, but could've done more to show her how apologetic we were and also how much we care about her, it's not just you”, Jimin tried to lift up Jungkook's mood.

“Yet, I am the only one who had sex with her, tho. She bearing my c-c... my child”, finally the first hiccup shook Jungkook's body. “I am more in the wrong. She purposefully avoided me, and then she discovered about the baby and didn't tell me... she wants me out of her life”. Fat tears slid down Jungkook's cheeks, making him look like a lost child. There it was. His composure was finally starting to break down.

“Hush, Kookie, don't cry. We will do all we can to show her we are sorry. All of us, don't blame it all on yourself. She didn't tell anyone of us about the baby, okay?”, Jimin dried his friend's cheeks with his sleeves, trying to get the younger to look at him. “We will work on this together and make her come back to us! She belongs to our pack”, he half smiled, hoping to sound more sure that he actually was. That was when Taehyung decided it was time to speak facts.

“Yes, we were all wrong but it's not the same thing, Jimin. We all are her packmates, and we all broke her trust by letting her go without even trying to look for her. We all hurt her, but it's not the same thing”. Jimin tried to retort right away, but Taehyung interrupted him. “No, let me talk. We aren't going so solve anything by doing things half-assedly. Personally, I want Jungkook to have a role in his child's future, but I want Sori to be happy too, and if Jungkook can't do that for her, than this is the right time to let her go. I thought about it, and you can be there for your child, but you have to gain back Sori's trust before and try to be her friend first”, Jimin just rolled his eyes this time, but he didn't try to stop him from saying whatever he wanted, even though his words were making Jungkook cry harder. “I love you, Kookie, but you have done so many shitty things to Sori. Some are things I hadn't even realized before I had a good talk with Yoongi hyung, and I think you should do the same. He knows more about her and about turned-werewolves than we do, so if you really want Sori to trust you, than you have to start from the most basic things. I'm not saying you are the worst and she should hate you, but Kookie, you really destroyed her self-confidence. While we all made her feel uncomfortable from time to time in the pack, you made her feel uncomfortable in her skin too. I used to think Sori didn't actually mind since she always laughed it off, but then she started skipping meals, and that made me realize you had gone too far, and we were all to blame for laughing at your jokes. And while I do think that Sori can find it in her to forgive you if you try hard enough to show you've become a better man, I don't think you should even try to get close to her again if you don't want to change your ways”, he concluded, letting out a deep breath. Beside him, Jungkook had curled himself in the smallest ball he could manage, and Jimin had given up on drying his tears, opting for just patting his back until Jungkook cried out his remorse. Unfortunately he couldn't disagree with Taehyung. Jungkook knew what his hyung meant, and he had wanted to do things right for so long, but he felt ashamed. If he were to give in to his feelings, than he would have to go against every single thing his father had taught him, and he didn't know if he could do that.

“Jungkookie, you know that we love you, right?”, Jimin carefully asked. Jungkook took a moment before he nodded in response. “So keep in mind that we're saying this for you. I know you don't want to disappoint your father, but... well, it's not a secret that no one likes him, and maybe it's for a good reason. He, uhm...don't take it heart, but he was never there for you and he imposed his opinions on you, forcing you to his will by using his fists. Don't you think that it would be better to disappoint him, rather than lose something that might give you the love you never experienced before? Rather than losing someone that you really lo- care about”, Jimin quickly changed his words before he sent Jungkook's feelings in an even bigger disarray. He had a lot of time to realize his feelings and work on them, but only a short amount of time before they lost Sori forever.

Somehow, Jungkook agreed with his words and even though he crying even harder now, the younger wolf nodded again. Jungkook didn't want to lose his parents, although they never acted like real parents, but he didn't want to lose Sori nor his baby either. Because the baby Sori was carrying was his, and he wanted to take his responsibilities. He wanted to show Sori he could be a good father, and maybe even something more, he wanted to be there for them. When he was younger, Jungkook used to find himself thinking about the day when he'd have his own family and he had always imagined himself childless, too afraid he would be too similar to his father. In his imagination, if he ever were to have a child he had dreamed of being someone his children could look up to, someone they could trust with their secrets. He had wished to show his father that he could be worthy of love and praise. Someone he could be proud of. However, growing up, Jungkook had realized that trusting people was scary and he didn't even know how to do it, so he had slowly given up on finding someone to love and in gaining his fathers approval.

That was until a turned-were joined his pack. At first he had thought about informing his parents of Namjoon's decision, yet knowing they were only going to complain about his alpha's choice once they would learn she wasn't treated they way they wanted, he had opted for keeping it to himself. That way he also wouldn't have to talk about her and he wouldn't risk to admit that they were more than just packmates. That way he would be able to keep Sori and the peace she brought with her far away from his father's criticism, and also sparing himself from his father's anger. He had done a good job for four years, but then his parents had come to visit him. He hadn't told anyone, but the reason why they had left in the middle of the night wasn't because of Namjoon leaving to go look for Sori or anything like that. They had smelled his scent on Sori's bed. His father was enraged, but since he had caught everyone's scent on her bed, he had only assumed that his son and the rest of the pack were using her as every single turned-were had to be treated in his mind: as a whore. Junghyung had been disgusted, but he had been quite happy his father had left after having only slapped him. At first Jungkook had been worried he would have asked more later on, however his parents had just opted for ignoring him. He had had tried calling them multiple times right after they had left, but his calls were always rejected. He had believed that after all it had gone well, but now he was scared again. Could he possibly keep his baby a secret from his parents? Could he keep them from discovering their son had sex with a turned-werewolf? Did he even want to hide his baby?

He trusted Sori more than anyone else in his pack and more than anyone else he had ever met in his life. Knowing that she didn't trust him as much as he did was already painful enough, Jungkook couldn't possibly imagine how he would feel if he definitely lost her. Taehyung was right, though. If he wanted to be part on his child's life, than he had had to gain Sori's trust again. Sure, he had hoped to have children only once he had settled down, but it was too late for that now, and the baby was already on the way. Being friends with Sori was already better than losing her forever. He could do that if it meant keeping her close. His wolf wanted more, but Jungkook knew better. He still felt ashamed at the prospective of having to fight for a turned-were to trust him, but he could do that for Sori. He could do that for his baby. He could be her friend. Thus he took a deep breath, and slowly lifted himself to a sitting position, embarrassed by his tears, but ready to start his new mission.

“I'll go talk with Yoongi hyung”.

Chapter Text

It was an early June lazy afternoon. It was really hot for Sori's standard and too silent as well, since everyone had left to go buy groceries, aside from Minseok and Jongdae who were sleeping on the sofa downstairs. As far as Sori had learned in the past three weeks, the two of them were the best of friends and they always seemed to be doing things together.

She had gotten so used to the noise EXO made, that she felt uncomfortable with the complete silence that had enveloped the house. While she was staying with EXO, Sori had learned that in their pack there were some pairs who shared a very strong connection, much like the trio created by Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook, but at the same time there were larger groups that were formed every now and then during the day, only to let the pack become just one big group again when dinner time came.

Another thing she had surprisingly discovered was that EXO regularly did pack activities. At times they did silly things, like playing volleyball, and football, but there were also more serious activities, like training and pack meetings. She had already assisted to two pack meetings so far, because Junmyeon insisted they had to be done frequently, thus every two weeks they all met in the living room to discuss how the pack was doing and to speak up their minds on whatever matter they felt the need to bring up. Since she was staying with them, Junmyeon and Baekhyun had forced her to take part to both of the pack meetings, even when they were talking about her. It had been so uncomfortable to be asked about her opinion in front of everyone in spite of the fact that she wasn't even officially part of the pack yet. She also had to listen as they talked about the whole reason why she was staying with their pack. Not that they had insulted her or complained, but it had been really weird on her part, especially when she was insistently asked about what had happened with Namjoon during both meetings.

Another really weird thing had been spending time with Sehun. Jongin seemed to have taken it upon himself to smirk and raise his eyebrows whenever the two of them where sitting close to each other or were in the same room. It had taken Sori and Sehun a good week and a half to grow the balls to talk about what had happened in the club and decide to pretend it had never happened. Sure, he was an attractive guy, but Sori had bigger problems to focus on at the moment, rather than using her time to hook up with him. As for Jongin, Sori had grown to realize he was cuter that she had thought in the beginning. Actually, at first she had believed he was an arrogant and he made her feel uncomfortable with his constant reminding her of what had happened with his pack mate, but it seemed like a good punch from Kyungsoo had solved most of his attitude problems, and in fact he had mostly stopped acting so annoyingly. He was also quite a flirt, and in spite of her initial anxiety, seeing him flirt with his pack mates, or even being at the receiving end of his advances, was quite entertaining. It still made her feel quite uneasy because it brought all the attention on her, but seeing that he acted like that with everyone helped her. Sehun on the contrary was mostly shy and quiet, so they hadn't had that many chances to talk or spend time together alone, but the few times it had happened, it hadn't been that bad.

Kyungsoo's first impression had been quite wrong too. Although Sori had believed him to be a little bit of a bully with Chanyeol and Baekhyun, Kyungsoo was actually very soft spoken and cute without even trying. He tried to make her feel comfortable around them, telling her what she didn't know and trying to include her in the pack's chit chats, despite the fact that he wasn't a chatterbox usually. He reminded her of Yoongi at times, but she willed herself to stop thinking about him as soon as her old pack mate popped up in her head.

Everyone was really nice and Sori couldn't complain, to be honest, but she couldn't stop herself from wondering whether her choice of staying with them had been the right one. So far no one had brought up the fact that she wasn't officially a member of the pack yet, and no one had asked how long she was planning to stay nor had asked her to leave, so she was staying there and trying to keep herself out of their way, making herself as useful as she could to prove them she could be more than just a nuisance to the pack.

She had used a lot of time to think everything through in the three weeks she had been with EXO. It hurt Sori so much to admit to herself that she was nothing to her old pack, but it was a fact and there was nothing she could do about it. If she hadn't managed to make them see her in a different light in four years, what could she do now? Despite her intention to analyze how things could have been different had she acted differently, no matter how much she she blamed herself, there was no defending her ex-pack mates. Sure, she might have acted weirdly for a couple of weeks, but did the four years she had spent with them mean nothing? And if they thought she was acting THAT weird, why hadn't they simply asked her what was going on? Didn't they know better than just think she would betray them just because she was a turned-were? What was worse, though, was the fact that the more she thought about it, the more it frustrated her. By the time the third week came, Sori was enraged. With Namjoon. With Yoongi. With Hoseok. With Seokjin. With Jungkook. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, she was angry even with Narae, Jimin, Taehyung. Truthfully, she was more disappointed that angered with the most of them, but the weeks passed the disappointment had turned into anger. She wanted to go back and yell right to their face all the rage she felt, how betrayed she felt, tell them all the things she thought about them, but Sori knew they wouldn't care. If they hadn't cared enough about her after four years, why would they care about it now that she wasn't even part of the pack anymore?

Although she was hurt by the fact that the most of them hadn't tried to contact her or face her, Sori was also very frustrated because Narae kept calling Junmyeon to ask about her, and Namjoon had called a couple of times too. Junmyeon had caught her rolling her eyes more than once when Narae called and he had even tried to bring up the matter twice, but he had dropped it when Sori had left the dining room in the middle of dinner. Sori didn't want to act up, she knew she just had to be thankful because they had matter-of-factly saved her and put a roof above her head, but she knew herself too well to stay there and answer to any of Junmyeon's statements. She already knew Junmyeon wouldn't have liked what she had to say about Narae and Namjoon. He was an alpha, and as much as he was her friend, no alpha liked to be contradicted, and Sori couldn't risk losing the protection EXO had offered her. Still, as much as she wanted to be respectful, Sori was so angry that she was sure she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from cursing at the two BTS' alphas. After that, Sori had tried to be impassible whenever Narae called. She pretended not to notice when her name was mentioned in their conversation, even though she could perfectly hear it. If Junmyeon felt better with himself by informing the mate of his friend about their ex-packmate, than fine. Junmyeon and his pack had been too kind to her for her to be able to complain about that, or have them stop doing whatever they wanted because of her, but that was it. They had to keep their alliances too, obviously, she knew it, but Sori didn't want to hear any more about them than she strictly had to.

Baekhyun had been completely supportive of her choice, going as far as closing the call when Namjoon name had appeared on Junmyeon's phone and loudly calling BTS names a couple of times when Narae was on the phone with his alpha. Sori had asked him to keep it down, but when Jongin and Kyungsoo started agreeing with Baekhyun, she decided to just sit back enjoy the moment. It wasn't like she was forcing anyone to take her side. Actually, she didn't even want them to take a side, but at the same time she felt pleased to finally know someone had her back for once. Sori would've never expected she could be that petty, still it didn't feel wrong. It bothered her a little that Baekhyun called them names because deep down she knew they weren't BAD people, but then again it just seemed like they were getting what they deserved, just not from the right person. When she had joined EXO, Sori had made sure to tell them she didn't want them to cut their relationship with BTS and she didn't want them to fight because of her as she didn't want to be responsible if their relationship got strained, thus it had been clear for her from the start that staying with EXO wasn't like a neat cut with BTS and her past. She had just moved forward, and she had to keep going on.

Unfortunately, Sori didn't have a plan for her and her baby's future figured out yet, and leaving alone, without a plan now that she also knew that the wolf who had changed her had found her seemed more than just an irresponsible choice.

So far, Sori hadn't managed to find a solution to any of her problems. She lost count of how many times she had asked herself what she was going to do once the baby would be born, or what she was going to do when they would ask her about their father. What could be the least hurtful lie she could tell? Could she tell them the truth? At times she even wondered if she had made the right choice by keeping the baby, but then she remembered that at the time she had made that decision she believe she could trust her pack to help her until she was able to do everything on her own, and now it was too late to regret her choice.

A small part of her wanted BTS to find out she was pregnant and to see their reactions. Sori couldn't stop herself from wondering again and again whether Narae had told the rest of the pack about the baby or if anyone had found the ultrasounds in her old room. After all, it wouldn't have been that hard to find them since she had left them on top of her desk... but then again, if they knew, why hadn't they done anything at all? Why hadn't they called? Did Jungkook realize the baby was his? Ugh, no matter how much she tried to distract herself, her thoughts always went back to her old pack.

“Sori, come downstairs, they're here”, Jongdae's shouted. Sori grunted in response, already hating the idea of having to move at all.

Training with EXO and iKon wasn't as hard as she had initially thought. Albeit they were less careful with her, they always made sure she was okay during the training and paid attention to where they were hitting her. Her being pregnant didn't stop Hanbin from making her run three rounds around the garden, much to Baekhyun and Chanyeol dismay. Junmyeon had even tried to step in and convince both Hanbin and Jiwon to make her do something else, but he had to give in when the two wolves pretended not to hear him. As long as they were concerned, Sori hadn't been told she had to be on bed-rest, she had just been told to eat properly, so that she didn't lack the vitamins she needed.

Sori was definitely lacking skills, but not as much as she had originally thought. The previous week, Sori had even managed to land a good punch on Jinwan's stomach. She recognized Jiho had been honest with her, after all. She didn't suck that much for someone who had just recently started training, and BTS had babied less than she had initially thought. Sure, she was far behind the levels of EXO and iKon, but that was because they had much more experience than she would ever gain in her life. Moreover, her belly was starting to show, and albeit it wasn't that noticeable yet, she felt swollen all over, almost as inflated as a balloon, and that slowed her down. At times it also seemed like her balance was being affected by the pregnancy, and it was making her even more clumsy than she already was. Sori couldn't help but wonder if she was this bad now, how bad would she be when her baby would be fully grown?

Taking a deep, calming breath, Sori sat up and rolled over in her bed, definitely giving up on having her peaceful me-time. She wasn't exactly angry or bothered, she wasn't annoyed or bothered either. She just wanted to be alone, but it seemed like there was very little time she could use to be on her own. Sori had surprisingly found out that when she was in BTS pack, she had more time she could spend alone even though she always complained about her not having enough time to spend on her own. EXO had the habit of entering in her room and making themselves comfortable in her bed even if they said nothing, they always managed to get all comfy whenever they saw another member alone. Sori had wondered more than once why everyone was so engaged in not letting her stay alone for more than five minutes, but she had just given up, accepting the fact that she was never going to be left alone. Ever.

“I'm coming, give me a second”. Sori had gotten dressed before laying on her bed, so that when iKon arrived, she wouldn't have to hurry. She fixed her hair in a ponytail, patted down her shirt where it was wrinkled from lying too long on the bed, and then she was good to go. No need to fuss too much about your appearance when you're about to get sweaty and smelly.

From the voices she could hear coming from the garden, the rest of EXO had arrived too.

One thing Sori really didn't like of iKon's methods of training, was that they didn't allow members of the same pack to train together, thus the training sessions always lasted more than 2 hours. Since EXO outnumbered iKon, leaving someone to wait for the rest of the members to end up their training to have a sparring partner was an obvious consequence. Add to that the fact that no one could leave until everyone was done with the training, and you'll know why Sori wasn't happy to leave her room.

On the other hand, training with EXO and iKon was interesting. They didn't laugh when she made a mistake, and they always explained her what mistake she had made and how to avoid doing it again. In just a couple of weeks Sori had learnt how to properly follow tracks as well as a couple of handy tricks to hide her scent. She had also noticed than Kyungsoo and Junmyeon always made sure she wasn't alone whenever they had to run to warm up, and they never let her be the last pick when they had to do group activities. It was a nice change, honestly. It embarrassed her at times, but it was a nice change nonetheless.

The training had been even longer than Sori had expected. Actually, they hadn't even trained that much. They had barely done some sparing before they had taken a little break and started talking about people she didn't know and about fighting techniques they could try. Unfortunately, the short break became a two hours break. It was terribly boring, and what was worse was that she couldn't even leave for if she did, than Junmyeon would've have complained about her spending too much time alone and so would've Jongdae and Baekhyun.

After having wasted her whole afternoon that way, she couldn't wait for everyone to finish their dinner, so she could wash the dishes and go to sleep. She felt kind of anxious and frustrated too. Lately, she had used the training session to vent out her negative feelings, and having skipped the training that way had left her an uncomfortable feeling of restlessness. Unfortunately for her, everyone was completely immersed in the conversations going on around the table to eat quickly. Sori studied the guys around her, looking for a sign that they were full and ready to go to the living room to watch a movie, just like they traditionally did after every training session.

The loud chatter was disrupted by the obnoxiously loud ringing of Junmyeon's phone. Sori's mood immediately turned even sourer. It was always Narae who called around dinner time, and that was the last straw for Sori. The day had basically sucked from the moment she had opened her eyes. She was in a bad mood and she felt nauseous too, she had received an email from the publishing house she was in contact with, that basically informed her that only one of the five chapters she had sent them had been accepted, then she had wasted her afternoon thinking about the same things, only to spend the evening doing the same things she did in her old pack: listening to the others talking about things she didn't know and feeling like an outsider. Trying her best to go unnoticed, Sori slowly pattered out. The veranda seemed the perfect place to breath in and calm down without caging herself in the four walls of her room. She had originally planned to go there, but once she had glanced at the soft armchairs in the veranda she had changed her mind. The sun was going down, painting the sky in orange-ish and blue shades, there was a light breeze blowing. It was perfect.

Actually, Sori didn't know why it bothered her that much that Narae kept calling Junmyeon. Maybe she wasn't even calling to ask him about her. Maybe she just wanted to know about today's training. Maybe it wasn't even Narae. If she were to stay with EXO, than she had to let go of her grudge and get over what had happened unless she wanted there to be tension between the two packs. However, BTS had had so many chances to let her know she was appreciated and wanted in the pack, and they chose to get all interested in her well-being now that she wasn't a member of their pack anymore. What should have been a nice gesture only irked Sori to no end. It seemed like they only cared because they wanted to make sure no one judged them. In her mind, Sori logically knew Narae wasn't to blame. What else could she have done for her? Yet, it annoyed her. Every time she told herself she missed Narae, Sori recalled all the things Narae did that she didn't like, the way Narae pushed her to keep the baby, and all the feeling of longing got buried by the anger. It was irrational, Sori knew it, but she couldn't stop herself from wanting to vomit all her anger on them all. At times she fantasized about taking the phone from Junmyeon's hands as he was talking with Namjoon or Narae and tell them to their face exactly what she though of the little recital they put on daily to make sure they kept up their polished image. The only thing stopping her was her cowardice. She was too much of a coward to do that and face the consequences of her actions. Too coward to tell them what she wanted. Too scared she might regret her words later on.

“I thought you might need someone to lend you an ear”, this time Sori wasn't startled. She had heard Minseok coming her way, she had just pretended not to, hoping he would eventually leave her alone. “Spit it out. I know there's something bothering you and, well, maybe we're not that close, but you look like you need a friend, and I'd like to be your friend”. His chubby cheeks were a little darker than before, and Sori suspected it wasn't because of sunset light's. She was slightly caught off guard by him, albeit not in a negative way. There hadn't been that many people in her life, both as a human and as a werewolf, that had offered her their friendship so openly. Sure, she had had a couple of friends and packmates, but it was quite a different feeling knowing someone wants to get to know you just because, rather than because you work in the same place or are in the same pack. Somehow her brain was looking for a double meaning in his words, something that might have meant he was joking or something, even though ha hadn't given her any reason to doubt his honesty. Could they really be friends just like that? Wouldn't Junmyeon and Baekhyun get mad at her for having tried to make new friends, just like it had happened with BTS? Maybe she could talk with them and explain them she just liked to talk with different people, but they were still her best friends in EXO. Sori had tried to explain this to her ex-packmates, but it seemed like they hadn't understood much of what she meant, seeing the way things had ended. After all, she wasn't the kind of person who attracted other people, nor had she any charisma that made people want to befriend her, thus rejecting such an offer like that seemed risky. There was a high chance she wasn't going to be offered such a thing any time soon if she denied Minseok's request.

“It's just that...uhm”, Sori still felt a little unsure whether she could say such things out loud, but then again, it wasn't like BTS would care even if they were to discover what she had blabbered about them. “I'm afraid it might sound rude of me, but I really wish Junmyeon would... uhm, stop telling BTS how I'm doing. Like, I get it, it's his pack and can do whatever he wants, but... it seems unfair to me that they didn't care enough about me while I was part of their pack, and now they all pretend they're really interested in my wellbeing”. As she was speaking, the embarrassment of expressing out loud such thoughts made her speed up with her speech.

“I agree with you”, Minseok told her gently after a moment of pause. “I get why it upsets you, but I also understand why Junmyeon does what he does”, he took a moment to think, and then added: “Maybe you should talk about it with him”. Sori barely stopped herself in time from rolling her eyes.

“I don't think I will. I already know what Junmyeon believes, and I don't agree with him”. Her voice sounded very petulant, and if she wasn't to annoyed, she might have been embarrassed by having used such a tone with a person she didn't even know that well, who had been so nice to her too.

“Why don't you agree with him?”, Minseok asked sounding genuinely curious about her reasons. “You don't think they're actually worried about you?”. This time Sori couldn't keep her scoff in.

“If they were worried about me they could come here and see that I am doing fine by themselves. If they were so worried about me, they wouldn't have kicked me out”. She recognized the bitterness in her voice, but she couldn't help it. She was really mad at her old pack. Minseok hummed, tilting cutely his head to the side, taking a moment to thing about what to say.

“I don't think you're right. I mean, I don't think you're completely wrong either, but I think you're judging BTS too harshly because they hurt you...still, we all make mistakes”. Minseok was picking his nail lightly, shaking his had. He looked too innocent to be an adult.

“I don't think so. I've been there for four years and look where I am now. I doubt this would've happened if they cared about me”, she almost growled. “I've been nothing but a burden to them, and they never failed to let me know just how much I bothered them”, she spit out venomously. “It wasn't a mistake, quite the opposite instead”

“You think so?”, Minseok mumbled lightly, as if he was only thinking out loud, “I think they weren't the best at showing that they cared, and maybe they were harsher than they should have been, but I heard them talking about you and I've also heard their conversations with Junmyeon just as much as you, so I'm pretty sure they do care about you very much”, he smiled. Sori bit her lower lip to keep herself from badmouthing her ex-pack more than she had already done. She reminded herself that everyone had the right to have an opinion, and she didn't have to agree with the said opinion. Minseok was free to believe whatever he wanted. EXO was free to believe whatever they wanted. Realizing he wasn't going to receive a reply, he added: “I'm not saying you have no reason to be angry, Sori, nor am I denying they hurt you. I just think they realized how much they hurt you too late. Now they don't know how to fix the mess they made and they don't know how to face you, hence the calls to Junmyeon to ask about you”. Sori gulped down all the air she could to prevent the loud sigh that wanted to leave her mouth. She wasn't ready to recognize there could be some truth in Minseok's words, for allowing herself to accept such words would mean start to believe in BTS again, and she didn't want that. It would mean taking in consideration forgiving them, and Sori wasn't ready to face such a scenario. Too many times she had trusted them only to end up hurt, and now she didn't have to think only about herself. Being angry with her ex-pack seemed a lot safer than even just taking in consideration they did care about her.

“I think Minseok hyung is right”, both Sori and Minseok were startled by Jongdae's voice. “Unfortunately, BTS spent too much time on their own, and they realized and accepted that things have changed without having the chance to learn how to deal with them. You, Sori, brought an unexpected change to their pack, and they adapted to you, still at times their old habits came up”. He took a seat next to his hyung, before he went on with his speech. “Actually, I think it wasn't even their bad habits... you know, I suppose that since your personality is still very shy and you enjoy spending so much time alone, when you first got accepted in their pack you must have been even worse at socializing. I really think they just accepted you in the pack they way you were, and never realized that you changed as the time passed”.

“I don't think so. They purposefully left me out, and there was always someone telling me I couldn't be trusted because I'm turned-were, I couldn't do things because I'm turned, I behaved like a slut because I'm turned, I...”, Sori stopped herself mid-sentence, and refrained herself from growling in anger. “I don't think they acted that way just because they didn't realize I had changed”, her voice barely above a whisper to make sure she would keep her anger in check.

“Not going to fight you on that”, Jongdae conceded, raising his hands in surrender, “I just wanted to give you something to reflect on, and also to give you a heads-up since Junmyeon told Narae she can come over to talk to you”. The shit eating smirk on his lips really got on Sori's nerves. She never was a violent person, but she had to admit that the instinct of hitting him square in the face was quite strong at the moment. Then she took in the meaning of his words, and her heart sank as she realized she was going to have to face Narae soon and also in disappointment. She had really believe she could trust Junmyeon to respect her will, but it seemed she had been wrong all along once again. After a short pause in which Sori just focused on taking deep, calming breaths, making sure her expression didn't give away how hurt she was by Junmyeon's decision, she finally managed to talk again, even though her voice was very feeble.

“Did they say when they wanted to come here?”, she couldn't raise her head, as she knew she would break down if she were to meet their eyes.

“Tomorrow”, Jongdae's smirk leaving his lips once he realized Sori's hands were shaking. “Don't worry though, Junmyeon told her we won't leave you two alone unless you ask us to. She not allowed to bring anyone with her”. His hands were patting her shoulder to give her a little comfort, but it wasn't working that much if Sori had to be honest. She didn't even know why she was that scared. She had the right to be angry at them, she had the right to hold a grudge, still there was a searing pain she couldn't ignore. Maybe it was the betrayal, maybe it was the fact that no one had cared enough to go look for her that night, nor to come find her before to talk about what had happened, how she was discarded so easily... it just hurt a lot. A part of her really wanted to go inside and yell at Junmyeon too for having dared to take such a decision in her stead without talking about it with her beforehand, not even taking in consideration the fact that he knew how much they had hurt her already.

“Okay”, was the only thing she managed to whisper before she got lost in her thoughts, completely missing the sad smile shared between the two men.

The next day seemed to pass extremely slowly. Sori tried to keep herself busy, yet her mind kept jumping back to the fact that Narae might be there at any moment. Would she think Sori had changed now that they hadn't seen each other in almost a month?

Her brain told her that if she didn't care she wouldn't be calling every day to ask about her nor going to another pack's house to clear the air with her.

By the time dinner was almost ready, Sori's nerves were driving her up the wall, thinking about all the possible “what-ifs”. On one hand she wasn't ready to forgive BTS quite yet, on the other hand she wanted to know what Narae had to say. Jongdae had explained her that forgiving Narae didn't mean forgiving the whole pack, also she didn't have that much to be forgiven if compared to the other members of her pack, which Sori agreed with that, albeit she didn't know if she could do that. She guessed she would know what to do once she got to hear what Narae wanted to tell her. Maybe if they managed to mend their relationship Sori would have someone to talk to even if she were to leave this town, so that she wouldn't be completely alone.

“Okay, Sori, deep breaths. If you go on like that I think you'll start turning purple in a minute”, Baekhyun joked from beside her. She would've chuckled too if it weren't for the fact that by saying that he had made everyone's eyes turn on her, which was basically the last thing Sori wanted at the moment. “Come on, Sori, everything's going to be fine”, he told her as he patted her back comfortingly. He had had a discussion with Junmyeon about the fact that he had taken the liberty to invite Narae over without talking about it with Sori first, and even though they had talked it out in the morning, the tension between them was raising again, but seeing how tense Sori was already, Baekhyun felt like it was his responsibility to make her feel better. Sori was extremely grateful to him, but at the same time she felt like she was

Sori really wanted to believe Baekhyun was right, hence she willed herself to focus on the good moments she had had with Narae. Recalling the good memories wasn't hard, however her mind kept jumping back to the last weeks she had spent with BTS, and it got harder and harder to think about the positive things rather than the negative ones. Maybe it was because they were more recent or because she was upset, but the number of negative things that happened lately seemed to out-weight the positive things happened in the four years she had spent with them.

When the bell rang Sori discovered she wasn't ready to meet Narae at all. She felt more nervous than angry at the moment, and the only thing she really felt like doing was running away. Baekhyun grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it to give her strength.

“I'm going to stay here with you the whole time, if she messes up I'm going to make her leave real quick”, he whispered in her ear as the sound of hushed voices got closer to the dining room.

When Narae stepped in the room the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Sori was barely able to look in her direction, and she could barely whisper a “hi” is response to Narae's greeting before Junmyeon decided to save the day and start with the small talk. If Sori had to be honest with herself, she was a little disappointed that only Narae had come. If after all that commotion only one person of her whole ex-pack came to see her, how should she take it? It seemed more like a confirmation of what she had always known: they didn't really care about her. She had almost wished Yoongi or Seokjin had come too, but in the end it was better like this if they really didn't care about her, she shouldn't get her hopes up.

The dinner started peacefully without Sori even knowing what was going on around her. She wanted to be mad at Narae, but at the same time she didn't want to cause a scene. It was EXO's house, thus she had no right to tell them who they could invite for dinner, still she wasn't too pleased. Moreover it seemed like everyone's eyes were on her, waiting for something to happen, and every time she raised her head she found someone staring at her. Here and there she caught the names of her ex-pack mates, but Sori didn't allow herself to focus on the conversation long enough to understand the topic of the conversation, for she was too scared, anticipating the moment Narae would start talking to her. Unfortunately the moment seemed to arrive way sooner than she had expected.

“How have you been doing?”, she asked sweetly. Minseok and Kyungsoo had just left a moment earlier to go get the desserts they had prepared from the kitchen, and the room had fallen into a tense silence right when she addressed Sori directly.

“Fine”, surprisingly being irritated wasn't that embarrassing now that she was being directly confronted, instead of basically causing a scene. With the corner of her eye Sori caught Jongin smirking proudly, but she pretended not to have noticed. It took Narae a moment to realize the question wasn't going to be asked back to her.

“I'm glad to hear that”, she told her after she had cleared lightly her voice. “How is the baby?”

“Fine”. This time Sori was quite sure the snort came from Sehun, but she didn't manage to turn to him to check if her supposition was correct as she met the glare of the alpha sitting right next to Narae. Sori wondered if she had taken it too far, still she didn't feel that bad yet. In her mind she knew what she was doing wasn't completely right, but it didn't feel wrong to give her a taste of their own medicine. If she had survived feeling uncomfortable for years, Narae could do the same for a couple of hours. Actually, she could put an end to her suffering if she decided to leave before the dinner even ended.

“Oh...uhm, I'm glad to hear that”, the uncertainty in her voice made Sori feel slightly guiltier than she felt only a moment earlier, still it wasn't enough to make her change her attitude. “And...uhm, do you think we might have a little chat later?”. How could she answer such a question? If she said no, than she'd just plainly look like a bitch, if she said yes, she was afraid they might just end up fighting since she was still so upset about what had happened with BTS. Sori distractedly wondered if she would be able to stop herself from making mean comments, but since she didn't have much of a choice... after all, Narae had been the one who had helped her and the only one who had cared enough to ask about her and paid her a visit, even though it had taken her a long time and there was a good chance she had only done it out of guilt.

“Fine”. She answered again, keeping her reply short, but she chose to use a warmer tone, so that at least she wouldn't seem too much of a bitch.

Somehow it seemed liked dinner went fast forward from that moment, and Sori didn't know whether it was her who was distracted or everyone else was trying to finish eating as quick as possible to leave the room. It wasn't long before in the room there were only the two of them, as Minseok, Jongdae and Kyungsoo had told them they were going to wash the dishes, dragging Baekhyun with them. They had left her alone in spite of all the things they'd said before. Sori could feel Narae's eyes on her. The female alpha clearly felt more confident than her, and Sori wondered if she found that kind of courage from being the alpha's mate.

“So...uhm...how are you doing here with EXO?”. The question was nothing special, still all the anger Sori felt towards her turned into sadness. They had reached the point where even such a simple question could raise tension between them.

“Good, I've been learning about them and their habits”, it took her a moment to add something more and feel less empty thinking about how much their relationship had changed in such a short amount of time. “They're really nice”.

“That's good...I guess”. There was a brief moment of silence before Narae huffed and stood up, leaving her seat to sit on the chair right next to Sori. “Listen, can we stop it with all this madness? Like, yell at me, curse me, do something, so we can move on and get over what happened”. Tears welled up in Sori's eyes, because she really wanted it too, but speaking frankly had never been her forte, and she honestly wasn't sure whether she would ever be able to get over what had happened. She was really angry and sad at the same time, and she was pretty sure it wasn't because of the pregnancy hormones.

“I don't know what to say”, she barely managed to whisper, her voice shaking already, “I'd like to go back to how we were, but I don't know if I can forgive you”, Sori added after a short pause. Narae gulped loudly, probably disappointed by her words, but she didn't complain. Sori could imagine this wasn't how she had expected this meeting to go since she had never been one to hold a grudge and Narae had always made sure things were okay between them. Maybe she had expected she would step in the house and Sori would be all over her, hugging her and stuff, and when she had been faced with the truth Narae had not understood how serious the situation was. “Actually... I don't want to go back to how it was. It's time for me to grow up and go my own way”. She had thought about it for several days, and if she had to be honest with Narae, she had to be honest with herself too, even if that included saying out loud something that scared her.

“Just be honest with me, Sori. Tell me what you're thinking”. Narae's hands were shaking quite clearly, however she had never been one to let herself look weak in front of the others, so she was clasping them in her lap, trying to keep them as still as possible.

“I'm not-”, she stopped there for a moment before she let out a big sigh and let her shoulders drop slightly, “I'm just disappointed, I guess”, talk about the euphemism of the year.

“Trust me when I say I was disappointed too, but we all know everybody makes mistakes, and we want to work hard to gain your forgiveness”. Sori knew that voice tone. She knew Narae was about to try and convince her they could fix the mess they had made, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear whatever she had to say. From upstairs Sori could hear Baekhyun's muffled protest and Jongin hushing him. At least she knew that if Narae crossed the line they would be there to help her, and that gave her the confidence to speak her mind more openly. Sure, it was scary to say what she wanted to say, but if someone had her back, than she could try. She could also try not to see Narae as her enemy, and more like someone she used to be really close with not too long ago. Someone she was angry with, but deep down she knew she cared for her.

“I don't believe it's the same. All of you have let me down. You know, I had just made up my mind when your mate”, Sori had to gulp, recognizing not was able to say his name without breaking down, “kicked me out. I wanted to let them know about the baby later in the evening but then shit happened, and I realized that I had made a mistake by thinking I could trust you. I had once again made a mistake, and this time there was no going back”. Her voice was shaking, but Sori wasn't crying yet. Her throat hurt as she forced herself to talk without shedding tears.

“No, wait, what are you talking about? Trusting us wasn't a mistake, and you know you can come back whenever you want, Sori! We all realized how big Namjoon's mistake was the moment he told us what had happened”. Albeit Sori as surprised by her words, she decided not to pay too much attention to them right then as Narae hadn't caught up with what Sori meant. If needed, they could talk about the pack and what had happened after she left the pack later. “We were forbidden going after you, but I promise you now Namjoon knows he fucked up badly”, she pleaded.

“I'm talking about myself, Narae. I'm talking about the fact that I have to think about a baby and not just myself right now, not to mention that I doubt they thought me as much as you want me to believe”, Sori opened and closed her fists to keep her emotions in check, “I don't want my baby to grow up in a pack where his mother is constantly put down for something she can't change. Something that doesn't determine who or what she is, but that can change the way people see her. Something that apparently makes it okay to denigrate their mother whenever people feel like it. They had a shitty day? They can take it out on the turned-were of the pack”, the rage she felt was so strong that for a moment Sori lost control over her words and let out some of the thoughts that had been repeating inside her head ever since she had joined EXO. It took her a moment before she was able to control herself again. “No, I can't allow that, and in your pack that's exactly what would happen without you guys even realizing how much you're hurting me. I'm so tired of fighting for something I can't have, Narae”. Suddenly all the rage she felt towards Narae had turned into a bitter sadness, and Sori didn't want to fight anymore. She wanted everyone to realize how tired she felt, to understand she had tried hard to be accepted in her old pack but it hadn't worked out, and it wasn't her fault.

“It doesn't have to be like that, though. I know we let you down so many times before, but this time I swear it will be different, Sori! Everyone acknowledged we made a huge mistake, and we want to fix it if you'll allow us to”. At this point Narae was leaning towards Sori, trying with all the might to make her realize how serious and honest she was being. When Sori didn't answer, Narae took it as her chance to go on and convince her she still belonged with BTS. “We all care about you, Sori. You belong with us, not with EXO. They might be nice and I understand they've become your friends, but WE ARE your pack, and pack stays together through thick and thin. Come back to us, Sori”.

Sori didn't have the time to understand if her reaction was caused by Narae's words or by her hormones, but one moment after the girl had stopped speaking, Sori had burst in tears. Narae wasted no time, she wrapped her arms around her best friend as tight as she could, letting her vent all her rage and sadness. Distractedly, Narae realized Baekhyun and Chanyeol were glaring at her from where they were leaning against the stairs banister, but since they were saying anything, she decided to keep quite too and just whisper comforting words to Sori. Who knows how stressed she must have been with all the things that had happened with their pack, having to think of how to manage a child, the dangerous wolf who had scared her to death and having to adjust to a new pack? No, she didn't need the pressure of her best friend fighting for her with the members of the pack that was helping her. It took Sori a while to calm down and be able to take deep breaths to drink the glass of water Narae had prepared for her.

“Are you okay now?”. The only thing Sori wanted to day was “I don't know”, but then she knew Narae would start asking more questions and she wouldn't leave, and what Sori really needed right now was to be alone. Maybe it was because the day had sucked all along or maybe it was the hormones, but she really needed to spend a little time on her own and think Narae's words through, thus she just decided to nod. “Okay”. It was only when Sori had finished her glass of water that Narae spoke again. “So...mmm, do you think you might me able to give us another chance?”, she looked so hopeful that Sori felt her chest tightening.

“I don't know, I mean, I can try”, she told her after a while, “but I don't think I can get over what happened right away... and I'm not sure I can give a chance to each and everyone of you”. Sori barely managed to whisper the last part. She knew those words were going to hurt Narae, and she really didn't want to, but at the same time it felt right to let her know that she wasn't over what had happened yet and that she didn't think everyone deserved another chance. It was sad, but it was true. She had been hurt too many times to just let go of their words and behaviors just like that. Sori didn't raise her head form the table, though, she wasn't able to look Narae in the eyes and see the sadness written all over her face.

“it's okay, I know it must be difficult for you”, Narae muttered after a while.

It felt like he was going crazy. Jungkook kept staring at the door as he bit his nails until he felt the taste of blood on his tongue. It was maddening to just wait for Narae to come back, still he didn't want to give away how nervous he was feeling, so he tried his best to bare with it.

Yoongi had insisted it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to go with Narae, as his presence would only irk Sori or make her nervous, which wasn't good both for her pregnancy and for their pack's possible chance to make amends with her. Narae was the only one who could hope to establish a direct contact with Sori without making her freak out and run away, and albeit Jungkook didn't want to agree with him, once everyone saw that Namjoon wasn't going either, he was left with basically no choice. Hoping to help his wolf calm down, Jungkook had decided to stay in Sori's room, where her scent was still strong, especially in her bed. Not that it had helped him that much, but at least he had managed to calm himself down enough not to change because he was feeling too emotional. He didn't know why, but Sori's scent always made him feel calmer and protected. His wolf had always been very strong-willed, and he tended to try to take the wheel whenever he felt like him or someone he cared about was at risk, but since Jungkook was a very stubborn and strong-willed person too, it was rare for the wolf to actually gain control over the two of them. That didn't mean his wolf wasn't going crazy. Quite the opposite instead, because not only he couldn't change to follow instincts, but he couldn't even see Sori nor control the situation the way he felt more comfortable with. Moreover, it wasn't like there was an easy solution to opt for now that a baby was involved. He had tried to think about aborting the baby or giving it up for adoption, but of the options made him feel like he couldn't breathe. He had been raised in a very tradition environment, and he recognized than not many people shared some of those values anymore, but then only thing that seemed right to him at the moment was to marry Sori. Wasn't that what people always did when there was an unplanned pregnancy? However, that idea made him feel like he couldn't breathe either, though it made him feel more at ease with himself because at least that would've been the morally right thing to do. Marring her was perfectly in line with the education he had received but he wasn't sure he would be able to do it. If not for the tiny problem of Sori being a turned-were, and all the drama that would cause with his family.

What would he tell his parents? “Hello, mother. Hello, father. I knocked up a turned-were and now I'm marrying her. We're not going to live there with you, tho, you don't have to worry. Oh, I was forgetting it, I won't even ever create my own pack. Bye”. Yeah, that was probably the wrong way to deliver the news their first grandchild had been conceived with a turned-were and out of wedlock. He could already feel the sting left by his father's hands on his face. Maybe his father would also order him to go back to his pack. Actually, there was no way his father was going to let him live with BTS once the truth would be revealed. They were going to marry him off to the daughter of some high ranking man in his pack and finally have him settle down the way they had been telling him to for the last fifty years. Jungkook wasn't ready for that either. And what if they decided to hurt Sori?

He wasn't ready to tell his parents the truth.

He wasn't ready to get married.

He wasn't ready to have a baby.

He wasn't ready to face Sori.

Still he wanted to see Sori so bad it was almost physically painful to just sit there and wait for Narae to bring them some news. Although he knew he had little to no chance to convince Sori he wasn't as bad as she believed he was, Jungkook still wanted to see her. Had she started to show already? What were they going to do with the baby? They weren't even together and their relationship hadn't recovered from their last fight... would Sori even include him in the life of their baby? If she were to definitely leave their pack, would he even be able to see their baby at all? Were they mature enough to have a baby? How were they going to raise them right if they couldn't even stay in the same room for more than two minutes? Did Sori need money? He had more than enough money to support her, but how could he offer her his money without seeing her directly? Wouldn't she think he was trying to wash his hands of this situation by pouring money on her and leaving afterwards?

It was already late and Narae hadn't come back yet, and he kept wondering whether it was because they were fighting, or if EXO had caused some nuisance.

EXO. Oh, how their existence irked him.

Jungkook could stand the fact that Sori had left them just to go to EXO. But how could they be sure they didn't they have a role in what happened? Were they the reason why that man had found Sori again? And why hadn't they given Namjoon all the details about what had happened that night? Why did they only speak to Narae about that? Was that Sehun guy hitting on Sori? Did they have sex? Did Sehun even know the baby inside her was his?

Jungkook thought he was going crazy. He couldn't stop his thoughts anymore, and they were constantly buzzing inside his brain turning more and more painful the more he allowed himself to think, thus he decided to exercise before his feeble control snapped and his wolf took control. He stood up mechanically from Sori's bed and grabbed Sori's earphones, he turned on the volume of the music to the maximum and started exercising, working his muscles until they painfully burning and shaking, making it hard to even stand up and walk properly. He almost had an heart attack when he lifted his face. Jimin and Taehyung were sitting not even two meters away from him and were staring at him with their eyebrows raised. He tumbled back on his ass, grabbing his heart.

“When did you two come here?”, he yelled. He was still irked from before, and having shown such a scaredy cat reaction didn't help his already wounded pride.

“Relax, Kookie. We've just been here for five minuted, you didn't hear us because the music's too loud”, Taehyung waved him off. “Why are you in Sori's room?”, he asked, ignoring Jimin's hot glare.

“I was just exercising”, he answered evasively before he stood up. However, before he could leave, Taehyung grabbed his wrist ad tugged him down to sit on the ground with them.

“Come on, you know we're not judging you”, Taehyung rolled his eyes, “And we already know why you're here anyway”, he muttered under his chin. “About this matter, Narae came back a while ago and... well, Sori is doing fine, from what she said”. Jungkook didn't dare to look him in the eyes, nor to ask him what Narae had told them about their little encounter. He wanted to punch himself in the face for not having realized that listening to music to such an high volume would've meant not hearing Narae's car nearing the house. Now he had to wait and hope they would tell him what he wanted to know without him having to ask.

“Yeah, she said she's doing quite fine in her new pack”, Jimin told him quietly. He had a sad look on his face from what Jungkook could see as he stared at his hyung's hands, and Jungkook could understand him perfectly. Why was Sori adapting to them so easily when it took her years to even be comfortable around them? What if she got along better with them then she did with BTS? Would she even come back to their pack? It was embarrassing to even think he missed her, but he couldn't deny what he was feeling at the moment. At least not to himself. He missed Sori a lot.

“Narae told us Sori looked a little bit stressed and tired, but it should be normal since she's pregnant. I wish I could see her for myself to know if she'd telling us the whole truth”, Taehyung sighed. “We had just apologized and then all of this happened...I feel like we won't be able to mend what we've broken”.

“I don't know-”, Jimin didn't finish his sentence, and Jungkook felt the anxiety raising again. “She did say Sori is willing to give her a chance, but it seems like she's the only who's going to be given a second chance”, he added a moment later. It did nothing to soothe Jungkook's anxiety, aside from making it even worse.

“Do you think Narae might convince her to give us a chance too?”, Taehyung asked his friend doubtfully.

“Maybe? I hope so”, Jimin simply replied.

The three of them sat together for a long while, breathing in Sori's sweet scent to calm their longing for her. Jungkook kept quite, too afraid of what might have come out of his mouth if he were to actually speak, as Jimin and Taehyung told him what Narae had shared with them before she left to go inform Namjoon of what had happened with Sori. Maybe. I can work with that.

Chapter Text

"I can't believe how much you've improved in such a short time", Narae breathed out as she leaned on her knees, trying to take deep breathes to recover from the effort of training under the sun.

"You think so? I feel like I'm not improving enough", Sori herself was gasping for hair and laying down on the ground. They had only been practicing for half an hour, but the both of them were drenched in sweat.

"You have definitely improved from the last time we've trained together, I guess they understood how to help you better than we did". A small, sad smile made its way on Narae's face. "How about we take a break and start again later? It's too hot now", she helped Sori to stand up again and they made their way inside.

Baekhyun was sitting on the sofa and lowkey giving them the stinky-eye, but not daring to say anything against Narae. He and Junmyeon had had another discussion in the morning because Baekhyun didn't want Narae there, and in the end Junmyeon had left slamming the door, yelling that if he were to find out Baekhyun had embarrassed the pack spewing bullshit in front of Narae, he would be ordered to stay in his room and be quiet whenever Narae was there.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yeah, and a glass of water, please", Narae told her before she collapsed on the seat closer to the air conditioner. Baekhyun glared at her, but he didn't open his mouth, so Sori rewarded him with a smile and a comforting pat on the back. She herself didn't feel completely comfortable with Narae there even though she was the one who said they could try and mend their relationship. There was this awkwardness left between them that clearly showed that things were not completely okay yet, but they were working on it. "So...mmm, I promised to ask you this". Baekhyun glared at her right away, and Sori had an half idea of where the conversation was going, but she preferred to wait and see if her suppositions were correct.

"Okay", Sori dragged the "o" a little, trying to sound more confident and happy than she actually felt.

"Yoongi and Hoseok wanted to come with me today, but I managed to convince them to stay at home until I had asked your opinion first". Narae left it at that, choosing not to add anything about their intentions for the next time, so Sori would take her time weighting her options. There was a chance that if she were to actually say "no", the both of them would come anyway the next time. Although she had been upset the previous week when Narae had come alone to see her, Sori didn't feel ready to face both Yoongi and Hoseok. While Yoongi hadn't even tried to contact her anyways, Hoseok had texted her a couple of days ago, but Sori hadn't answered yet.

"I-", Sori started, then she stopped again and took a deep breath. She'd go for the least painful choice, but she had to speak up. It was time for her to start voicing her opinion, and it was high time people started respecting her will. “I don't want to see Hoseok yet. I'm not ready. Maybe Yoongi can come for the next training, or for the following one, but I don't want to see Hoseok yet. I'd rather neither of them came for a while more, though. I'm sorry”, she added an apology at the end, hoping it would be enough to comfort Narae, while still making sure her boundaries were respected.

“No, it's okay, I know you were really hurt by what happened”. Narae had never been a good actress, and the way she hunched shoulders when she said that clearly gave away her true feelings, still there was nothing Sori could do about it unless she were to go against her own wishes, and she didn't wanted to that no more.

“You think this is all about what happened the day you kicked her out?”, Baekhyun scoffed incredulously, “What about all those times you treated her differently just because she's a turned-werewolf? What about all those time you complained because she was hanging out with us?”

“Can you stop talking as if you know our pack dynamics for a second?”, Narae snapped at him. “You don't know how we feel. We all love and miss Sori, but we made a mistake and we're trying to fix it. If you cared about Sori as much as you wanted us to think you'd put her well-being before your personal interests”. Baekhyun looked like he'd eaten a lemon for a second, then his face started turning red and Sori knew she had to stop the two of them before the discussion got out of end and Junmyeon would punish Baekhyun, because Sori had no doubt Baekhyun would go too far with his words and regret it later.

“That's a bit rich coming from you”, Baekhyun turned his body in Narae's direction and crossed his arms on his chest, “If YOU cared about her well-being, YOU would have stopped your mate from leaving Sori homeless. YOU would have stopped your packmates from making her an outcast in her own pack just because of her nature. YOU would have stopped the douche-bag who knocked her up from making her feel worthy less than a piece of meat. YOU should have stopped your whole pack from making her feel like a traitor just because she was making new friends”, Sori grabbed him from his wrist and started pulling, so that Baekhyun would leave before he added anything else. It wasn't that she didn't agree with him, at least in part, but hearing those things out loud and knowing the other members of EXO could hear him too from their rooms hurt her too. She always thought about those things, but it's one thing to believe something in your mind, and it's a completely different thing to hear the same things coming out from somebody else's mouth. “Fine, Sori. You know what? If you want to stay with your friend that much I'll leave you with her, but don't bother coming to me when she leaves”. With that he stormed out of the room. Baekhyun was known to love drama, and Sori had always found it amusing when she watched Baekhyun drag someone just for the fun of it, but now that she was on the receiving end of his drama it wasn't that fun anymore. In fact, Sori had no doubt she would have to apologize and listen to Baekhyun ranting against her for at least an hour after Narae left.

“Don't take it too personally...Baekhyun is very protective of me”, Sori told Narae quietly when she saw how lost in her thoughts she was.

“No, I...did you tell him those things?”. Narae seemed unable to meet her eyes, and Sori felt too embarrassed to confirm her suspicions, but she didn't want to lie either, so she kept quite, giving her friend the time to draw her own conclusions. It wasn't like she could just pretend she didn't know how Baekhyun had found out about those instances anyways. “I'm so sorry you felt that way, Sori. I have no words to explain how sorry I am”, with the corner of her eye Sori saw how Narae gripper her own hands tightly to stop the from shaking. How had their peaceful afternoon together turned into such a sticky situation? “I had no idea you felt vexed for that long. Why didn't you tell me anything? I would have helped you”. What could Sori possibly reply to that? That she felt like she had to accept whatever they said because she was scared she would be kicked out? That she always felt singled out by them? That there was no way Narae hadn't noticed it wasn't just Jungkook who was bullying her? Sori didn't have the heart to dump all those heavy truths on Narae, thus she just shrugged and tried to change subject.

“What are you going to do in the weekend?”, on Sunday it would Narae's birthday, but since she was still very close with her family, they usually celebrated it the day before, so that she could spent the actual day of her birthday with her parents. Narae eyed her for a moment, giving her a knowing glance, but maybe she wasn't ready to hear the truth either, as she answered her question, her voice very soft, soon after.

“Nothing special, the mood is not best, so Jin is just baking me a cake, and then I'll visit my parents for lunch. I have to study anyways, so I don't think I'll do anything special this time around”. Sori felt a little bit bad for that, for she knew how much Narae cared about her birthday and celebrating it the right way. There were a lot of chances to do special things along the year, it wasn't necessary to go all out because of your birthday, and for Sori who had little to no memory of the very few times her birthday had been celebrate, didn't understand how Narae was feeling, still she knew it was a big thing for her best friend to skip her birthday's celebrations. Sori almost offered to spend time with her in the afternoon, but then the thought that someone from BTS might join them crossed her mind, thus she kept her mouth closed. “I think it's time for me to leave”, Narae stood up right away, not giving Sori the time to invite her to stay for more. Moreover, Sori had to talk with Baekhyun and the mood had turned so sour that she knew there was no making it better. She decided she would give her a call later in evening or in the night to talk about what Baekhyun said, as Sori knew she would never be able to address the problem if she had to face Narae as she spoke.

Silently, Sori followed her to the door and shared a short hug with her before she left. She watched her as she drove away and waved with her hand before she turned around sighing and made a plan to address what had happened with Baekhyun without letting Junmyeon know about it. Sori reckoned it was going to be hard, but she wanted to try anyway.

She took a moment for herself before she went upstairs to confront him. It was going to be a very annoying discussion to have, and Sori felt like she needed a moment of peace before she took on another task. She sipped her cool water slowly trying to empty her mind from whatever thought. It wasn't easy since she kept thinking about what Narae might think of her now that she knew that Sori had badmouthed them, or even what she might tell to BTS about what happened that day. A part of her felt guilty, and as bad as it, Sori could admit at least to herself that she only felt guilty because Narae had found out what she said, not because she had complained to Baekhyun about it.

Surprisingly for her, ever since her belly had started to grow, sitting down and standing still for long amounts of time made her feel uncomfortable, so it wasn't long before she felt the need to stand up and pace around the room. At times she wondered what it would be like when her belly would be rounder, if it already made her feel uncomfortable now that it was barely there.

“Are you bored, baby? Me too. What do you think we should do now?”, she whispered as she looked at her belly. It made her feel a little bit stupid, but she had read that babies start hearing around the 18^th week in the womb and since she was at the 15^th week of pregnancy, it didn't seem too absurd to start talking with her belly. It wouldn't be long before she would be able to feel the baby moving around too, and Sori found herself anticipating that moment whenever she read about it. “How about we go look for uncle Baek? Do you think he might want to hear about your development of the week?”. Sori and Baekhyun usually spent a lot of time together, and since Baekhyun found it boring to stay silent while Sori was reading, he had taken upon him the task of reading the developments of the baby from the app she had downloaded on her phone. It was a cute app that always compared babies to the size of fruit, and since that week he hadn't checked the developments yet, Sori thought it might be a good idea to be the one to read it to Baekhyun this week.

“Ugh, I don't envy you”, Minseok whispered from his room when Sori passed by his door. Actually, she really wanted to tell him she didn't envy herself either, but that might have sounded wrong if Baekhyun heard them, so she just faked crying and proceeded to knock on Baekhyun's door.

“What do you want?”, Baekhyun spat from the other side of the door without opening it.

“Come on, Baek, can we talk about what just happened?”

“Go spend time with you best friend. Better even, go back to you old pack, it seems like you miss them so much after all”, he snapped. Well, maybe he shouldn't have said that, because that led Sori to snap too. She blamed it on the raging hormones.

“You like to complain so much about them, but you are doing exactly the same things they did, aren't you? Aren't you trying to control me? Aren't you deciding with whom I should spend my time with? Aren't you trying to force your opinion on me?”. Baekhyun had opened the door by the time Sori had pronounced the last sentence, and albeit he looked less annoyed with her, his forehead was still marked by a very deep scowl. Unfortunately for him, Sori was still annoyed with him.

“I'm doing it for you. You don't see to be able to do what's best for you”, he sassed.

“You don't get to choose what's best for me. No one gets to do that. I choose what's best for me, and I choose with whom I want to spend my time, and you have no reason to tell other people what I tell you. If I wanted them to know about it, I would have told them already”, before Sori had the chance to add more, or Baekhyun had the time to speak again, Minseok and Jongdae interrupted their argument.

“Okay, you two, time out”. Jongdae grabbed Baekhyun's wrist and dragged him back into his room, closing the door behind his back, while Minseok brought Sori back downstairs.

“Don't take it personally, Sori, I'm sure he doesn't mean what he said, he's just a little childish at times. He will apologize as soon as he realizes what he said”, he told her as he patted her shoulder comfortingly. Lately Sori had developed a worrisome habit of crying whenever she felt upset over something, but today it seemed like she was too mad even for crying. She couldn't get over the fact that Baekhyun, who had always considered himself better than her old pack, had told her exactly the same things BTS had told her. Why did everyone think they knew better than her? Why would they even think they got to decided what was best for her?

“Here, drink some water, it will help you calm down. You're shaking, take deep breaths”. Sori didn't want to drink at all. She didn't want to take deep breaths either. She wanted to scream all her frustration in Baekhyun's face, and even Minseok's excessive apprehension was starting to rub her in the wrong way. Okay, maybe she was the problem, and not the raging hormones.

“Hyung, let me take care of her, you go talk with Baekhyun hyung”, Jongin waltzed in the room so light on his feet that Sori hadn't even heard him coming down the stairs. “Come on, let's go for a walk”. He helped her stand up and helped her put her shoes on. Sori was still very irked and the fact that Jongin was moving her around as if she was a rag doll wasn't helping her to soothe her nerves, but some part of her found it nice to have someone taking care of her. She didn't need him to help her, but it was nice nonetheless, at least someone was making an effort to make her feel more comfortable, although she didn't have a close relationship with Jongin.

It had been a while since Sori had actually stepped out of the house to go for a walk. Partly it was because Junmyeon had been strongly against her leaving the house on her own and Sori considered it a waste of time to go for walks with other people, because that way she wouldn't have had the freedom to think of whatever she wanted without paying attention to what happened around her, but partly it had also been because she was scared. The short meeting she had had with the wolf from her past had scared her, no matter that she knew he couldn't hurt her now that she was with EXO and they never left her alone.

Sori took a couple of deep breaths, breathing in the warm, summer air, and taking in the beautiful scenery that surrounded her. Albeit she had expected to be bothered by Jongin's presence, she wasn't bothered by him at all. He walked beside her, but he looked lost in his thoughts too. His eyes were focused on the ground as he silently walked at her pace. It was a while before the silence between them was broken, and Sori used all that time to think about what had happened, trying to rationalize it and get a hold of her feelings.

“How far along are you now?”, Jongin asked after a while. Sori looked at him and caught him eyeing her tummy curiously. Only then she realized she had put a hand on her belly as she was walking, and that was probably the reason why he was asking her that question. Embarrassed, Sori removed her hand and pulled her shirt in her stomach area, trying to make it adhere less to her skin.

“This is the fifteenth week, the app said the baby should be as big as a pear right now”, she found herself smiling a little as she talked about the baby.

“Wow, already? But you don't look pregnant though. Shouldn't you be showing more?”, Jongin looked really perplexed. Minseok had told her that Jongin had an older sister and she had had a baby a few years ago, but Jongin had been weirded out by the idea of his sister having sex, so he had kept himself as far away from as her could without actually disappearing. He loved his niece, and when his sister told him she was pregnant again he had been less awkward with her than the first time, but by then he had already started working, and being in another pack, he hadn't had the chance to see how his sister's body changed as the pregnancy proceeded, nor to be that present. He had just seen her when she was half way through the pregnancy and after she had given birth.

“I mean... I am showing, just not that much, but it's normal since it's still quite early and it's my first pregnancy”. Saying that aloud was slightly embarrassing as it gave away, but Sori found it endearing that Jongin was showing interest in her pregnancy. “I could only feel the bump even a couple of weeks ago. Now you can see the bump too, look”. Sori went against her comfort to show him what she meant, and tightened the shirt on her belly area, and Jongin let out a mesmerized gasp.

“I didn't even noticed it”, he moved his hand, but then he shook his head and brought the hand back down his side. Sori bit the inside of her cheek, praying she hadn't read his intentions wrong as she spoke next.

“You can feel it if you want, I don't mind”. Okay, that was a little bit of a lie. She did feel bothered by having other people's hands on her belly, but she supposed it was because of some weird instinct, and since she enjoyed it when people showed any excitement for her baby, she had decided she could get over herself and let them touch her bump if they wanted to. Once in a while, that was.

“Really? Then, uhm”, he still looked hesitant, so Sori grabbed his hand and put it right on top of her belly. There was no movement to feel, honestly, but she supposed she would've been curious too if she had to live with a pregnant woman.

“It's so small! Are you sure the baby is as big as a pear? How does it fit in there?”

“I don't know, but I trust the app on this”, she chuckled. His hand on her belly was starting to bother her more and more, but she didn't want to be impolite and remove it since she had been the one to put it there in the first place. Sori also felt a little bit guilty towards her baby for not having wanted it in the beginning, thus it made her feel better when she could talk about her pregnancy without having to worry about boring those she was talking with, and if they wanted to show some love for them, than she would step out of her comfort zone to make the baby feel some of that love and care. It gave her the impression she was correcting her wrong doings towards the baby.

“Do you feel them moving around though?”, he rubbed the belly a little on the sides, and then finally Jongin brought his hand back down along his hip. Sighing in relief, Sori took a step back, hoping Jongin wouldn't take offense in her actions, because she was acting on her instinct, which she honestly didn't understand that much lately.

“No, not really, it's too early, but I should start feeling it soon”. Sure, she hadn't wanted the baby in the beginning, but now she was looking forward to having the chance to get to know her baby, thus even something as small as a fluttering in a belly seemed like a way to establish a connection with the baby, and the fact that she still had to wait for it seemed a little unfair to her.

They walked in a comfortable silence for while once again Sori was starting to wonder whether she was ready to go back in or not when Jongin stopped right in front of her.

“Okay, just let me say this before we go back inside”, he paced until he was standing right in front of her, “When you first joined us I couldn't help but think BTS were disgusting for treating you the way they did, but now that you've spent more time with us, I think I partially get why they did what they did”, he raised his hands in surrender as he noticed Sori's burning glare, “I'm not justifying them, I'm just saying that now that I've spent some time with you I find it easier to understand why they acted that way. You wouldn't know because you just know what you're feeling and living, but to us you look so frail and weak, like a little kitten who needs help. I know you're strong, I do, but there's this protective instinct that always makes me want to fight those who upset you, and trust me, I don't like fighting”

“So? Should I be thankful?”, she scoffed, cocking her hip.

“No, that's not what I'm saying. It's okay to feel angry and upset both with BTS and Baekhyun, I'm just letting you know that it's so easy to make a big mistake while being totally convinced to be doing the right thing. I'm not saying this for you. You have a right to all your anger against them, but for me it makes it easier to understand their mentality if I look at you from their point of view. Compared to us, you are very young. You are extremely young, honestly, you're just a little more than a baby in our eyes and we want to keep you away from all the things that might hurt you”. Jongin looked completely serious as he said this, and it didn't go unnoticed as Sori always saw him joking around and being annoying. It was a completely different Jongin the one that was standing in front of her. He seemed more mature, and she found it annoying. She didn't want to hear anything logic, she just wanted to be pissed off.

“You say that, but I know it's not true. Narae is barely five years older than me and no one treats her the same as me. Damn, even Kyungsoo is younger than all of you, but I'm sure no one would ever dare to tell him what to do or with whom he can hangout with”. Sori had lost count of how many times she had had this discussion already, and no matter what they said, she had already told them there was nothing they could to make her change her mind. Sure, at some point in the future she might stop being angry with BTS, but she will never excuse their poor behavior towards her. “It's all because I'm a turned-werewolf”.

“Well, you're right, but Narae is a born-werewolf coming from a rich family and a powerful pack- She has a lot of people who have her back and she's the mate of the alpha. No one would hurt or annoy her. And about hyung... damn, can you imagine what would happen if Baekhyun hyung told him what to do?”, he chuckled. “That's beside the point, though. You know as well as I do that hyung is scary, strong and well-trained. You're none of that, Sori, which makes it very easy for us to fall into this protective, cavemen mentality. It's instincts. And now that you're pregnant it's even worse. So... uhm, how do I put this?”. He actually took a moment to organize his words, and Sori waited patiently, telling herself there was no reason to snap at him. He was entitled to have his own opinion. “Okay, I don't know how to say it nicely, all that shit belongs to Junmyeon hyung and Jongdae hyung. Just don't go too hard on Baekhyun hyung. I'm sure he has realized his mistake already. And about BTS, I'm not saying they weren't assholes, but now I get why they didn't want you to spent so much time with us”.

“And what am I supposed to do with this information? Should I blame myself because of the way you feel? I never asked anyone to protect me”

“No, you don't have to blame yourself, obviously. Just try to be patient with us. Fighting against your instinct isn't easy, but we are trying. That's it”. With that he slowly started to walk towards the house again. Although she felt really annoyed, she had no way to reply because Jongin was already a few steps ahead of her. Sori took a deep a breath and decided to face Baekhyun like an adult. She was a big girl, and it time for her to wear her big girl pants and try to have a discussion without crying or yelling. Maybe she could accept the way they felt as long as they promised not to interfere with her decisions.

It took them less than ten minutes to reach the front of the house, and there sat Baekhyun, Minseok and Sehun. As soon as they realized Jongin and Sori were close enough, Minseok and Sehun stood up.

“How about we try the new game I bought?”, Sehun asked. “Jongin, are you up to have your ass handed to you?”. Albeit the proposal had surely been made to leave her alone with Baekhyun, the fire in Jongin's eyes told Sori there was going to be a real competition in there pretty soon. Probably someone would be pouting by dinner time.

Sori stood there staring at the door, not wanting to leave in a childish fashion, and at the same time she was not feeling brave enough to be the one to break the silence. They waited there in silence as they both reflected on what to say, then Baekhyun broke the silence first.

“Listen, about earlier... I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have said those things. You trusted me with your thoughts and I should have kept them for myself. I'm sorry I broke your trust”. It felt weirdly nice to hear someone recognizing their faults towards her, and Sori could respect Baekhyun for this. She had never been good at apologizing, often missing the point of what she wanted to say, forgetting to say what she wanted, and at times even being afraid to take her responsibilities, so she could respect Baekhyun's braveness. With BTS Sori had taken their habit of just ignoring whatever happened until everything was okay again, but now she knew things were never completely fine again if no one ever admitted their mistakes.

“It's okay”, she told him. She sat next to him on the stairs and together they waited in silence for a while, letting their thoughts run wild. Sori couldn't stop herself from thinking if she would have been able to forgive BTS for all the things they had done to her if they ever were to recognize their mistakes. After a while Baekhyun leaned his head on Sori's shoulder and grabbed her hand.

“I'm really sorry, Sori. I can't believe I let my jealousy take control of me, I just- I'm truly sorry, it won't happen again”. There was no need for big words. Sori appreciated his effort and the sincerity in his voice. Baekhyun was known for his impulsiveness, but in the end he was a good person, and Sori had no doubt he genuinely felt sorry. Moreover, she could hear Junmyeon's car nearing, and she didn't want to put Baekhyun in a difficult position, especially now that he had apologized.

“It's okay, Baek, I know you learnt from your mistake. Let's not talk about this anymore”. Sori tightened her hold on his hand for a moment before she turned her head towards him and sent him a small, but honest smile.

“We caught his scent again”, Yoongi informed Namjoon.

“Where was it this time?”. He didn't need to ask who's scent it was, he already knew.

“He went from a cafe near Jungkookie's workplace to halfway along our driveway, then his scent disappeared. We think he's studying us”. Yoongi sat in front of Namjoon, as the alpha was rubbing his forehead with his hands. It had been a tough week for him. Actually, a tough month. Not to mention that Narae was still upset with him, and Jungkook was becoming difficult to control. His temper had worsened significantly and his level of concentration had lowered to the point no one even asked him to go on the border rounds because bringing him out was risky both for him and the wolf that was with him.

“And I agree with you”, Namjoon sighed. Yoongi thought a little about how to word his next sentence to avoid making Namjoon worry even more, but it wasn't easy and he wasn't good at saying things nicely. “The worst thing is that I don't understand how he manages to hide his scent like that. He could be anywhere near us, near Sori and we wouldn't even know”

“Uhm, about this, the cafe... I think you should also call Junmyeon and inform him, but tell him to keep the info to himself. Sori's scent was everywhere in the cafe, Joonie. He's after her for real, EXO weren't wrong”. The alpha eyed him carefully before he leaned back on his seat sighing again.

“Why do all these things have to happen now? As if our situation isn't difficult enough as it is”, he sounded extremely tired, and it made Yoongi feel as if he had to offer him words of comfort or give him a hug, but he had never been good with those. “I don't understand how he found her! She's been with us for a while and I'm sure she hasn't left the city in years, nor has she had the chance to meet wolves from other packs, how did he find her?”. Sori had in fact met with wolves from other packs, but Yoongi kept the info for himself, because saying it out loud would've meant directly accusing one of their parents or the members of the packs their were training with, and the situation was already sticky as it was, no need to add more drama. “What does he even want from her? She always keeps to herself!”

“Do you think it's safe to leave her with EXO? Shouldn't we force our hand a little to bring Sori back? It doesn't feel safe to leave her out of our sigh, to be honest”, Yoongi told him after a moment of silence.

“EXO has more members than us and there's always a couple of them at home. They're also very well trained, so I don't think Sori is in danger with them, we just feel that way because we don't trust them with her”. Namjoon stretched his arms and grabbed his phone from the desk. “About this, Narae told me Sori sort of agreed to meet you next week, but not Hobi. She also had a fight with Baekhyun and well... he told her some not-so-nice things Sori had shared with him about us, so you better talk with her about it before you just pop at EXO's house. Let's avoid adding fuel to fire. Can you tell Hobi about it? I'll call Junmyeon to inform him that we've found that bastard's scent in out lands”.Yoongi felt sorry for Namjoon, but he didn't hesitate to leave. Talking with Hoseok worried him more than he was interested in listening to Namjoon's phone conversation. Hoseok had always been a kind soul. He had his moment of harshness, but he usually regretted his actions as soon as he realized his mistake. He was one of those who always apologized first, and not having had the chance to talk with Sori about what happened was taking a toll on him. Yoongi got nervous just at the idea of breaking him the news that Sori didn't want to meet him yet. Not that he blamed Sori for her choice, he just hated that he had to be the one to face Hoseok.

He could hear the sound of muffled voices coming from Hoseok's room, so he didn't even have the chance to waste more time looking for him. Yoongi sighed in resignation and then knocked on the younger's door. He received a grunt in response, thus he assumed Hoseok was telling him to come in.

“What are you doing?”, Yoongi asked as he crawled next to Hoseok on his bed.

“Mmm, just watching social experiments and thinking about how much of a bad person I am, because I wouldn't have stopped for any of these interviews”, his voice was quite husky because he felt really sleepy. He had had a long day and he couldn't wait to go to sleep.

“I think I wouldn't have stopped either”. Hoseok hummed again before he stopped the video and turned to Yoongi, giving him his whole attention and snuggling closer to him.

“How was your day?”. He rested his head on his arm and stared at the dark circles around Yoongi's eyes, a telling sign of his tiredness.

“Tiring”, Yoongi fixed a lock of Hoseok's curly hair behind his ear and nodded in satisfaction. “We found that wolf's scent in our lands again. He followed Sori's scent from a cafe near Kookie's workplace till our driveway”

“Maybe we should inform Sori when we see her? This way we could show her we trust her with such import information? Also because it regards her, so it might be useful for her to-”, Hoseok's rambling faded as he glanced at Yoongi's gloom expression.

“About that...”, he sighed, then he turned his head to make his eyes stare at the ceiling, not wanting to see the disappointment and hurt in Hoseok's eye once the truth would hit him. “Have you had the chance to talk with Narae about today? You know she met Sori, right?”

“Yeah, I know, but I haven't seen her at dinner. Seokjin and Namjoon were talking about how much Sori improved in Narae' opinion while they were setting the table, but at dinner Narae wasn't there. Why?”. That put Yoongi in a very difficult position. This was exactly the reason why he was happy he wasn't an alpha: he hated it when he had to be the bad guy.

“Mmm, Narae fought with Baekhyun and he told her a lot of the things Sori shared with him about us”. Yoongi was tracing with his fingers the shape of the bracelet around Hoseok's wrist.

“Oh...”, for a moment Hoseok's expression showed annoyance, then it turned into sympathy. “Well, it bothers me a little, but I can't say I didn't expect it”, he shrugged. He leaned his head back down again, clearly not having caught up with what Yoongi was hinting at. “At some point we'll show them we're better than they think”

“Yeah, but it feels worse to know she actually bad mouthed us rather than just supposing it”, he took a deep breath, and quickly added: “also, Sori doesn't want to meet you yet”. Yoongi held his breath, but instead of the surprised gasp he was expecting, he heard a chuckle.

“What did you say, hyung? You mumbled it so low that I didn't catch it”.

“It's just that...ugh, I'm sorry, Hobi, but Sori doesn't want to meet you yet”. There it was, the surprised gasp he was waiting for.

“Oh”, was the only thing that came out from Hoseok's mouth for a while. “Then I guess you can tell her what's going on when you see her”, Hoseok sadly told him once he found his voice again.

“Come on, Hobi, there's nothing to be sad about! She said she's not ready yet, not that she doesn't want to see you even again”. Yoongi turned on his side, so that he could face Hoseok. He didn't need to see his face to know what he was feeling, but he felt the need to watch his reactions.

“I know, it's just that...”, Hoseok rubbed his face with his hands and sighed, “I had some expectations. I thought we were closer than that, and now, well, I was wrong. It just saddens me”. There really wasn't much Yoongi could tell him without being an hypocrite, thus he collected his thoughts before he said anything else.

“Look, we are... were close to her, but we ruined what we had. Can you imagine not being able to freely speak with your friends because you don't want to anger them? You, who are always so worried about what other people think of you, can you imagine being made fun of almost everyday? Having no where else to go while knowing you are not being treated right? Having people question your loyalty everyday? Can you imagine being kicked out from the only pack you know, knowing you're pregnant, with no money and having to find a new pack? Knowing that being a turned-were is going to expose you to all sorts of dangers? Knowing finding a good pack will be really hard? That choosing the wrong pack might put at risk your baby's life?”, Yoongi stopped there, as he didn't want to be too dramatic, he just wanted to make Hoseok understand his point of view. “I tried doing it for the last three weeks, and I can't honestly say I know how she felt. I tried to think of hearing some of the things she heard about herself almost everyday in the last months she spent here, and I could only think I didn't know why she decided to put up with us for so long. I would've left, because my pride is too important to me, even though I might have died. She put up with us, and I can't even imagine what she thought before she went to sleep at night, knowing the next day it was going to be the same. Try doing it too, Hobi. Imagine being her and being that scared. Now we also know that she was running away from someone when she got here. I try, but I can't understand what she went through all alone. What I realized is that we didn't help her most of the times, we weighed her down whenever she tried to change herself. We wanted her to be pliant and docile because it was better for us”. It felt like the longest discourse Yoongi had ever pronounced, but he was still afraid he hadn't said enough and Hoseok might not have understood what he meant. “We liked to think we were the best pack mates for her, that we were doing our best for Sori but that's not true”

“I think I get you what you want to say...still, I feel a little bit disappointed”, Hoseok spoke softly after a while.

“It's okay to feel disappointed as long as you know what Sori is doing isn't wrong”, Yoongi told just as softly while he ran his fingers through Hoseok's dark locks. Hoseok grabbed his free hand and brought it to his chest, holding it tightly. Yoongi didn't know how much time they spent like that, he just enjoyed the moment, and when Hoseok's body relaxed against his, Yoongi decided he didn't want to put a stop to that nice feeling. They held each other to sleep that night.

Jungkook kept pacing back and forth in his room. Jimin and Taehyung had just left to go cook, if so he could say, some instant ramen, but he hadn't followed them. It wasn't like he wasn't hungry, because he was, but it wasn't a proper kind of hunger. He didn't understand exactly what he wanted, but he needed something. He wanted to smash something with his jaws, he wanted to run, to jump, to scream, he was about to punch the wall just so that he could get rid of this energy and focus on something different from the need. He felt hot and irked, everything annoyed him, from clothes to people.

At some point, the previous week, Jungkook had been sure he was going crazy. There could be no other explanation for this madness. He had scratched his arm until the skin has come off because he felt a weird hitch, but he couldn't pinpoint where he felt it and how to scratch that deep inside him. It felt like something was tickling his bones and his organs. He was going crazy, Jungkook had no doubt about it. When Seokjin had found him, Jungkook had been screaming all his frustration in his pillow. The beta, worried about the youngest male of the pack, had called the clinic and they had given Jungkook an appointment as soon as the doctor had a pinch of free time to spare him. The next day Seokjin was driving him there in the morning. Jungkook had made him promise not to talk about it with the rest of the pack unless it was something serious.

He only had to wait until the next morning. He could do it. Or at least that was what he kept telling himself. Jungkook had never heard of a wolf in his condition, and judging from Jin's reaction, he hadn't either.

Not wanting to be disturbed, Jungkook proceeded to lock the door, and then he exercised until he felt so tired he couldn't think of anything aside from how much his muscles were sore. That was when he was finally able to fall asleep.

“Come on, Jungkook, get up”. The said guy had managed to ignore both his alarm and the loud sound of someone knocking on his door for a good while, and since Seokjin couldn't get in because Jungkook had locked the door the previous night, it was late. Very late. Jin had taken a day off from work since he didn't know how long the visit would take. Moreover, that way they could just drive Narae to uni in time, go to his appointment, go buy a present for Narae, pick her back up from uni and come home together. They had it all planned. Now Jungkook had around ten minutes before the whole plan went to hell. He shot up stumbling on the clothes he'd thrown on the floor the night before, grabbed the first clothes that looked decent enough and quickly showered. When he came out he just run downstairs where Seokjin and Narae were waiting for him in front of the door. Jungkook didn't bother to listen to Jin and Narae's cheerful chatter. He just focus on the weird way he was feeling once again, and he decided to keep to himself until he got to his appointment.

“We have only five minutes to reach the right floor and hand all your papers at the front desk, Jungkook, stop daydreaming”, Seokjin whined. For some reason the tone of Seokjin's whine always improved Jungkook's mood, thus he finally brightened and got out of the car. Even if he was feeling weirdly and he might be definitely going crazy, at least he knew his hyung cared about him.

“Jeon Jungkook-ssi?”, the nurse read his name from the papers Seokjin had handed her only a couple of minutes earlier. “Please, follow me, doctor Moon is waiting for you”. Jungkook and Seokjin followed the short nurse through two corridors, then she pointed at the room they had to go in and then to the left. The anxiety Jungkook felt before was nothing compared to what he was feeling at the moment. Could he really casually go on with his life if he were to discover there was something wrong with him?

“Good morning! Are you Jungkook?”, the man asked pointing at Seokjin.

“That would be me. This is Kim Seokjin, my hyung”, Jungkook told him quietly gesturing in Seokjin's direction. He had always been shy around new people, and the situation wasn't helping him. Sure, the doctor was an old, cheerful man, but the thing Jungkook wanted the most right now was to go home.

“Oh, I'm sorry”, he smiled kindly, “please, sit down”. The doctor quickly went through the papers the nurse had handed him while the two pack mates sat down in front of his desk. “So, would you like to tell me why you are here today?”. Honestly, Jungkook really hated that kind of questions. It wasn't like he could say “no” anyways.

“I have this feeling in my chest... like... uhm, as if I have to do something, but I cannot figure out what I should do?”, was there an actual way to express what he felt without sounding crazy?

“Perhaps you mean you feel restless?”, the doctor suggested calmly.

“Yes, in a way, but there is more to it. I used to think it was just anxiety, but lately I have experienced other symptoms too. I... it is a kind of... uhm, violent feeling at times. Especially at night. Sometimes I feel like my wolf is about to take over”. Jungkook felt his cheeks warming up, embarrassed to have to admit his lack of control, but with the corner of his eye he could see the doctor nodding, so maybe his symptoms weren't that weird after all. Seokjin was staring at him with surprise written all over his face, but he wasn't saying anything, so Jungkook just pretended he hadn't noticed.

“Are you comfortable with you wolf?”. What was he supposed to answer?

“Uhm, what do you mean?”. He cursed at himself in his mind for having stuttered a little. Stupid shyness always made him look weird.

“Do you change in your wolf form often? For example, changing twice a month can mean you are not comfortable with your wolf”, the doctor explained. There was something pacific in his expression that put Jungkook at ease despite the situation.

“Oh, I see. Yes, I change in my wolf form quite often”

“And did you ever experience difficulties in changing back to your human form?”. Jungkook saw Seokjin frowning and his own eyebrows raising. Was that even possible?

“No, I never had that kind of problem before”, then before the doctor could ask him more about his wolf, he added: “I do not think the problem regards my wolf exactly... It feels like a more general feeling? It seems to me that I always have to do something, that I have a lot of energy in me and everything bothers me”

“I think we quite disagree on that, but let me ask you when this problem started. When did you fist start feeling this way?”. Now, this was something the doctor shouldn't have said. Jungkook felt a shiver running down his spine and the violence of the wolf awakened again. That stupid man had to listen to him, he was nobody to say such things. Jungkook cracked his neck to let go of some tension, then he answered as nicely as he could manage when he felt like that.

“Maybe three or four weeks ago”, then Jin nudged him with his elbow, so he added: “I'm sorry, at times it gets hard to control my temper”. The doctor hummed and tapped some keys of his keyboard, then tapped away some more and finally looked at him.

“Can you tell me if something happened around a month ago, then? Maybe something that made bothered you?”. The glint in his eyes and the fact that the doctor kept staring him in the eyes were really irking Jungkook. Maybe if he ripped them out the doctor would finally stop staring. It really felt like he'd been sitting there for way too long already, and for some reason he wanted to growl. It was stupid and he'd been taught very well not to do it when ever since he was a child, and here he was, tightening his throat to keep himself from making a sound.

Seeing Jungkook was taking too long to answer, Seokjin decided to answer in his stead.

“Yes, two things happened around the same time: our alpha removed one member from our pack and, that same night, there was an aggression in our lands”, he waited a moment, then he looked at the doctor as if he had an idea. “Both instances involve the same wolf too. The wolf who was removed was attacked in our lands that night”.

“I see...then, may I ask you if that wolf survived the attack? Were there were other attacks?”, he asked while he was typing the information he found interesting.

“She survived without even a scratch, just a very big scare”, Jin looked pensive for a moment, carefully selecting what to say and how to put in words what was happening within their lands. It was not advisable to alert people of what was going on, as there was a chance they might alert the police too, and their pack would be sent away. Sure, no one cared particularly about where they had to leave, but having to leave at the moment wasn't what their pack needed, especially if they would have to leave without Sori. “There have been no other attack, just some lingering scents here and there”. He wrote that too, then he moved the keyboard to the side.

“I see”, he nodded, “May I ask you if this girl was allowed back in the pack afterwards?”. Jungkook listened passively, not daring to open his mouth in case he wasn't able to keep himself from growling.

“Not really. Actually, our alpha never really chased her away formally, he just spoke that way because he was angry”, the beta explain with a little shrug, “She is staying at our neighbor pack's house, since their alpha is a close friend of ours”. The doctor readjusted his glasses on his nose, a small smile giving away his satisfaction.

“I think I know what happened to this young man here. However, to confirm it, I need to take his blood pressure and temperature, is that okay with you?”, he turned to Jungkook, who once again was only able to nod. He felt absolutely dumb for not being able to master anything better than that, but since he was feeling his wolf pushing to take control, he didn't want to lose his concentration. He had noticed that lately it had happened more frequently and the power of the wolf was getting stronger and stronger, and Jungkook could only wonder for how long he was going to be able to resist it.

The next five minutes were spent mostly in silence, aside from Seokjin and the doctor making some small talk. Jungkook observed as the doctor nodded at the results he had obtain from taking Jungkook's temperature and blood pressure.

“From what you told me, I thought right away to the case of a wolf too strong to follow another alpha's lead, but then you told me that wolf did not die in the attack and I was slightly surprised. You see, in my life I have met many wolves and some of them happened to have lost their mate. Those wolves never lived for a long time afterwards. Some of them took their lives, others died in mysterious way. Your symptoms could have corresponded both to an unsettled wolf trying to improve his social status or those of a wolf who just lost his mate”, he spoke looking directly into Jungkook's eyes. “I took your blood pressure and temperature because the former tends to raise whenever a new wolf steps into your personal space, but when wolves want to become alphas they get very arrogant and their blood pressure raises to the sky. Your blood pressure is higher than it should be, but I consider it as a natural consequence of your restlessness. Your temperature is slightly higher than normal too, but it is not high as it could be if my suppositions are correct”. He waited for a moment for Jungkook to grasp the meaning of his words, then he added: “Was that wolf who was removed from the pack is your mate?”. There was a moment of silence, then Jungkook started chuckling. At least he could say the doctor had a good sense of humor.

“I'm completely sure she's not my mate. She's a turned-werewolf too”. The doctor gave him an unimpressed look, then he turned to Seokjin, as if talking with Jungkook was only going to be a loss of time.

“From what he told me, his wolf wants to take over, and the problem is only going to grow bigger unless we act quickly, otherwise his will start becoming violent soon. I would hate it if such a young man were to lose his life so miserably. Frankly speaking, your pack mate's condition is deteriorating quite quickly if this is the state he is only after a month without this girl. I have seen only a couple of cases like his, and all those people's wolves were very strong-willed. All of them had to be put down by the police”. Seokjin felt a shiver running down his spine, but kept quite. There wasn't much he could possibly say anyway. “It is not my place to say this, but you need to bring him to that girl, or to bring the girl back in the pack before it is too late. Being close to her, having her scent around him and skin contact can help him heal, but his wolf will not give up until he has his mate next to him again. It will be very dangerous both for you and for him if his temperature continues to raise. When the temperature raises, the wolf is closer to the surface”. Mate. Why the hell is this man still talking about mates? Hasn't he heard what Jungkook said? Maybe I should have brought it to a private doctor, this one seems a little...eh

“It is not my intention to offend you nor do I want to act like I know better, but I hardly think this is Jungkook's case, sir. The girl my alpha sent removed from the pack is a turned-werewolf”, Seokjin put a lot of emphasis on the last word, just in case the doctor hadn't realized what that meant. The doctor shook his head in disappointment before he stoop and went to turn on the A.C.

“This might help you to regain control of both your body and your emotions. Remember to always keep something cool next to you, because your body is too warm and the excessive warmth of your body and of the weather will only make it harder for you to keep your wolf under control”, then he turned his attention back on Jin, without leaving Jungkook any chance to reply, “This is a widely known fact, but it is also an incorrect belief. In the thirty years that I have been doing this job, I have met several wolves who found their mate in turned-werewolves. Many doctors ignore the reality or spread wrong information because it is easier to keep society like this, with born-werewolves at the top and turned-werewolves being basically our slaves”, Seokjin frowned but kept quiet. “You see, I am very happy to do this job, as it makes me feel like I can help our society to change for the better. It allows me to share the knowledge I have acquired through the years and debunk some widely held myths”, he adjusted his glasses on his nose as Seokjin took a moment to put his thoughts together.

“Even if what you say is true, nor Jungkook nor Sori has ever shown any signs of being mates”. Seokjin was a stubborn man. A really stubborn one, and he didn't want to change his mind in spite of what he had just heard, moreover Jungkook was still lost in his thoughts, so he had to be the one to do the talking.

“You might not have noticed, but I am sure there were some signs. Probably lighter on the girl, as turned-werewolf don't perceive the connection with their mates as much as born-werewolves, however I have no doubt Mr. Jeon felt it”, he took his sit behind his desk again. “Have you never felt an inexplicable pull towards that girl? Have you felt like you could be completely comfortable around her even though you had just met? Do you find her scent particularly addicting? Did you ever feel like just smelling her scent could help you calm down?”. Seokjin knew Jungkook was paying attention to the conversation again when he heard him gasping loudly. His eyes were wide open and his mouth slightly open, and if he wasn't so focused on what the words of the doctor meant, Jin would have laughed at the younger's face.

In the meanwhile, Jungkook kept having flashes of the moments he'd spent with Sori during the years she'd spent with BTS. He could almost taste her scent on his tongue if he focused on it, the sound of her voice still sounded so familiar even though he hadn't talked with her in a month...could it be that the doctor was right?

“You did?! Then why did you never say anything about it?!”, Seokjin spewed. He couldn't believe it. “So you are trying to tell us Jungkook and Sori are mates and they could share a normal relationship as mates?”. Jungkook distractedly noticed how the beta's face had turned red and how the veins of his neck were getting more and more evident.

“No, that is not what I am saying. My diagnosis is that Jungkook's wolf feels like they lost his mate and he wants to take over so that he can go look for her in order to keep her close, but Jungkook and his mate cannot share a normal relationship as mates, as Sori is not a born-werewolves. They will share a closer relationship than a normal couple, and if they keep on working on it, I am sure their bond will grow more and more similar to the one shared by born-werewolf mate couples, however the turned-werewolf will never feel and understand the bond as much as Jungkook will”. Jungkook didn't hear much after that, too shocked to pay proper attention to the doctor. He heard words here and there, but they didn't make much sense to him. He was barely able to follow Seokjin around.

“Jungkook, are you listening to me?”, Seokjin asked him quite annoyed. He had been talking alone for the whole way home. He understood Jungkook was shocked, but he was strongly convinced they needed to inform the rest of the pack soon, so that they could make move together to bring Sori back to the pack and follow the doctor's advice to help Jungkook to bring his wolf under control again. “Whatever, I'm calling a meeting as soon as me get home”.

In the end the meeting was postponed, because in the rush both Seokjin and Jungkook had forgotten they had to pick up Narae and by the time Seokjin arrived at the parking lot she was fuming, hence in no mood to focus on other people's problems.

“So you're telling me Jungkook and Sori are mates but no one realized it? And Jungkook could lose his mind if Sori doesn't come back?”, was the first thing Jimin said once Jin had told them the whole story. “But I was always told you can live without your mate and that most people doesn't even have a mate!”, he protested. That was what every wolf was taught from a young age or informed as soon as they woke up from the change.

“Sort of? I asked the doctor the same thing and he sort of told that he is making a research about this, and that basically wolves can live without their mates because there's so much people in the world that it's almost impossible to find your real mate. So, I guess it's not actually linked to the type of fur a wolf has? Or maybe there's that myth because wolves with a different or lighter fur are easier to spot and attract people's attention? I don't really know”, he shrugged. If they wanted to know more they could go talk with the doctor themselves, there were more important things to discuss in the meeting. “Apparently it's almost impossible for a wolf to give up on his mate once they find them, even if their relationship in only platonic, or so the doctor told me”. The beta looked around him to catch his pack mates reaction. He was especially interested in the reaction of one of them, thus he made sure to turn his eyes in that direction more than once. “As for Jungkook and Sori being mates, my guess is that Jungkook sort of suspected it? Or felt something anyways, if my assumptions from his earlier reaction are correct”, Jungkook shrank in his seat, trying to be as invisible as he could. “Sori, on the other hand, doesn't really have a clue, I think. The doctor told me that turned-werewolves feel the connection, but with less power, although their perception of the bond gets better as they spend more time with their mates. I guess that's where the prejudice about them being betrayers comes from”. Seokjin carefully took in the expressions on his pack mates' faces and assessed how they were taking the news.

“But Kookie, why didn't you say anything? It's been four years and, I mean, you didn't treat her...”, Taehyung let his voice drop down until his words couldn't be understood anymore, but the damage was already done. They had always carefully avoided the topic of how Jungkook treated Sori in front of him because he always got upset, even more so ever since Sori had been kicked out. No one actually said it, but they all knew Jungkook often mistreated her, and hearing the news of the two of them being mates had distracted Taehyung to the point he had spoken without thinking and he had only realized his words when Hoseok had kicked him on his shin under the table.

“Fuck this, you know what? You can think whatever you want I'm done with this conversation”, Jungkook's eyes were red, although he was shedding no tears, and his hands were shaking violently. From what Seokjin had told them before, his reactions were so exaggerated because of his wolf, thus no one said anything. They just watched him leave in silence.

Chapter Text

Jungkook knew painfully well why he treated Sori so rudely. The pull he felt towards her was an absolutely shame for him. He had denied the connection he felt because it was impossible for them to be together and since they couldn't be mates, thus that weird longing he felt towards her irked him. It made it hard for him to ignore her, to let her do whatever she pleased, to not satisfy her needs. The first time they had sex, Jungkook felt the connection between them deepening and while it felt amazing, it also scared him shitless. There was no way he was falling for Sori. No way. Jungkook didn't believe he had a mate, he wasn't even looking for one.  He wasn't even looking for a relationship in the first place, let alone with a turned-werewolf, thus he had left her as soon as she had fallen asleep. Unfortunately, it seemed like he couldn't just ignore her and carry on with his life. He kept looking at her, just in case something happened, but looking at Sori from afar didn't satisfy him. Jungkook literally couldn't ignore Sori. He needed to have her attention on him all the time. He needed Sori to care for him. It worried him how visceral the need he felt was, but he masked it well. That was also when Jungkook realized he was making the wrong decision, but albeit knowing it, Jungkook couldn't stop himself from wanting to be close to her. He could restrain himself during the day, but when everyone was asleep Jungkook let himself fall again in his sweet addiction and went into Sori's room.

At first, Jungkook had had a hard time when he realized he had accepted Narae as a member of the pack and also recognized that stood him over hierarchically, but the hardest moment for him came when Narae accepted Sori as a member of their pack without thinking of their reputation and without even really caring about their opinions. He had been taught that turned-weres were disgusting and inferior and it drove him crazy when Namjoon didn't even complain, especially because he never put Narae back on her place and expected his pack to accept the turned-were just because his mate said so. No words could possibly describe how ashamed Jungkook felt when he discovered he himself had accepted Sori in the pack and in his life so easily. Jungkook just couldn't accept that all the notions he had learnt thanks to fists and wooden sticks had become meaningless that quickly. He couldn't wrap him head around it. His father had made sure he knew right from wrong, and now he was ruining everything. That was how Jungkook had begyn punishing Sori whenever he could for the way she made him feel. A part of him knew it was wrong because Sori's had done nothing, but he mostly thought it wasn't that much of mistake on his part as it was Sori's fault he felt that way. Sori had to pay because she had dared to make him change his opinion.

As the time passed, Jungkook had lightened his punishments.  Everybody seemed to get along with her quite easily and he stood out negatively for his behavior, not to mention that he didn't feel any pleasure in it. In the end, he had reached the conclusion that if everyone had accepted Sori in the pack he had to do it too, otherwise he would only create tension in the pack, let alone that he felt less and less motivated to punish Sori. He hadn't forgotten she was a turned-were, but no one seemed to care that much. Sure, she had changed his morals, but as long as his parents didn't know it... 

It all had changed again when Minyoung joined the pack. She brought back all the things Jungkook had been taught by his parents and the shame finally hit him. While he couldn't completely erase Sori from his life because he craved her company and body, Jungkook had started punishing her again. He had to erase all the good times he had spent with her from his memory. Jungkook had to destroy her to destroy his mistakes, hide the embarrassing things he did and limit his contacts with Sori to a closed room, where no one could judge him. Nobody but himself. The problem was that this time Jungkook found it harder than the first time. His wolf had gotten used to Sori's presence and he appreciated her. Jungkook himself had grown fond of their late night talks, of the squishiness of her body. He had basked in happiness knowing Sori trusted him, and now he found himself missing her. Jungkook knew he was lucky Sori always forgave him easily. 

Seeing that he wasn't able to ignore Sori anymore, Jungkook decided to use Minyoung to show her what he wanted. Minyoung had the exact body type he preferred, not to mention that she was a born-werewolf from a rich family and daughter of a famous alpha, who shared the same beliefs as his old pack. She fit perfectly in the ideal daughter-in-law his parents wanted. The perfect woman he needed to display to demonstrate his position in the pack and dignity. Jungkook wanted Sori to improve her image, so that he could at least justify his attraction to her.
From time to time Jungkook thought that it was easier back then, when men could have more than a wife or when men could have as many affairs as the wanted without having to justify themselves, so they could take one woman to satisfy society and their parents, and one that made them feel comfortable and appreciated them for who they were. That would have sure been easier for him.

When Minyoung arrived and let everyone know she didn't feel too comfortable with a turned-were so close to her, since in her pack turned-werewolves could only serve in their public canteen, be on clean duties or works as prostitutes, Jungkook had realized he had changed too much, because for him it wasn't like that anymore. He didn't share the idea that turned-werewolves could only be servants or sex-slaves. At that point he knew he had to redeem and the only way he could think of to succeed was to act as rudely as he could and say hurtful things to Sori whenever he got the chance. The more people he saw and heard him the best it was, so that everyone would know he hadn't changed. Truth to be told, Jungkook wasn't sure anymore whether he was punishing Sori or himself. Sori was a turned-were who often forgot her status, but he was the one who made the mistake of getting close to her. Sori was hurt by him and his indifference, but he hurt himself in the meantime too. He found himself needing her like a dying man craves for air, and looking at the pain in her eyes whenever he acted up against her made him feel disgusted with himself. He couldn't be so stupid to actually fall for a turned-werewolf after all the things his father had taught him. He couldn't disappoint his parents like that. He couldn't. What would their pack even say if the rumor that Jungkook, the only child of his parents, ended up in love with a turned? He couldn't humiliate them like this.

Just when he thought things were going in the right way and he would finally be forced to let go of his feelings for Sori, this pack of lone, crazy wolves had appeared and his instinct of protection had resurfaced. He needed to know what Sori was doing, where she was, who was she with. His wolf needed to know why Sori preferred to spend time with other males rather that with him. Then she had suddenly been forced to leave the pack and he'd been left with nothing to hold on to. There was a big chance of Sori never coming back and whenever he thought about that possibility his wolf seemed to go crazy. Jungkook really wanted to stop thinking about it and stop caring, but he couldn't anymore.
He had barely managed to keep calm when he had discovered Sori was pregnant with his baby. In that moment he had been one step away from running to EXO's house, break in a bring Sori back because he needed it, no matter how egoist he sounded. His wolf had never craved her presence more than he did that day.

And now what? He stared at the ceiling of Sori's room as the sky turned darker and darker.

“Can you stop being so stubborn?”. Junmyeon had been fighting with Sehun for the whole morning about what they were going to eat for lunch. 

“Why don't you stop being stubborn, then? You're older than me, shouldn't you be wiser too?”, he whined again as rolled his eyes.

“We have to eat healthy food and it's also the kind of food Sori and the baby need. Yesterday we humored you, we ate hotdogs for dinner because you wanted them, but today we're eating healthy food, end of the discussion”. Junmyeon was holding the bridge of his nose with his fingers, begging all the gods from up above to give him the patience to put up with Sehun.

“But I don't want to eat that!”, Sehun crossed his arms on his chest, “It's not like you're the one who has to cook anyways”, he muttered pouting. Sori couldn't believe she had found him attractive. The more she got to know him, the more childish he acted. She used to believed that no one could be more childish than Taehyung when it came to food, but she was being proved wrong. It would have been an interesting social experiment to put Sehun and Taehyung in the same house to cook for their own meals, though.

“I heard that”.

“You were supposed to”.

“Can't we find a compromise? Like, Sehun can order pizza for himself and the rest of us will eat the soup?”, Chanyeol decided to speak up, fed up with that whole discussion.

“No. It stinks, I don't want to eat with that thing beside me”. Chanyeol rolled his eyes, and turned to look at his alpha, hoping that at least him would be reasonable.

“No. We are a pack, and we eat the same things. The soup is in Sori's diet plan, and we will eat it too. It would be unfair to her to have to watch us eat pizza while she eats vegetables, not to mention that it wouldn't hurt us if we had something different from the usual garbage for once”.

“Oh, please, spare me”, Kyungsoo muttered before he stood up, “I can't stand the two of you anymore. The soup is almost ready, and you will eat it whether you like it or not”. He pointed his finger at Sehun just a moment before the younger started complaining again. “Shut that trap, Sehun. I told you're going to eat it and I don't want to hear you complaining about my food ever again unless you're willing to be the one who cooks for the whole pack everyday”. Sehun chewed on his lower lip, but didn't raise his head nor talked back. “Did I make myself clear?”

“Yes”, Sehun's answer was barely more than a whisper.

“Perfect. Now bring your fine asses to the dining room and be quiet. You gave me a headache, for goodness sake”. Kyungsoo left the room still muttering under his breath about the stupidity of his whole pack.

To be honest, Sori didn't want to eat vegetables either. Actually, she didn't want to eat at all. As her belly swelled up, sitting down was becoming uncomfortable, and she hadn't had an appetite for the last couple of days. At first it wasn't that strong, and it only came every once in a while, but the more time she spent away from Jungkook, the more Sori felt nauseous. Not like she could do much about it, anyways. On the other hand she didn't want to stir any trouble and annoy Kyungsoo, since he was always extremely kind and supportive with her, thus she always tried to swallow as much food as she could before complaining about her back being too sore or being too full. She was slowly losing weight again, tho, thus she needed to do something about it quickly. It was crazy how she spent years trying to lose weight and now that she didn't need to anymore, her body wasn't able to maintain a stable weight.
She followed the rest of the guys silently and took her usual seat.

“I don't want to eat it either, but let's do it for Sori, okay?”, Sori heard Chanyeol whisper from the other side o the table. It was cute that they would sacrifice themselves for her. Sure, it was a little burdensome too, but it was cute nonetheless. She couldn't help but wonder if BTS would have ever gone that far for her.

It took Kyungsoo another couple of minutes to join them. The pot was huge, so Chen and Minseok helped him serve everyone and finally they got started with their lunch. It was actually very hot outside, which only made the soup less appetizing in spite of its heavenly smell. Fortunately for Sori, or unfortunately, she only had the time to eat a couple of spoonfuls of soup before the chatters suddenly stopped. 

“Do you hear that?”. Many spoons simultaneously thumped on the table as the guys left the dining room to search for the source of the suspicious sound. It only took Sori a moment to realize what that sound was. Her heart was pounding almost painfully as she reached Jongin and Chanyeol on the porch. Junmyeon looked quite uncomfortable but not really surprised, confirming Sori's suspicions. 

It took the car only a couple of minutes to reach their house. Sori balled her fists at the sight of its passengers.  She glared at Junmyeon and made her way inside the house.

“You won't solve anything by leaving...”, Junmyeon, who had follower her back inside the house, yelled before Sori even reached the stairs.

“You knew they were coming, didn't you?”. She hadn't felt this betrayed in a while. Her rage was blazing, and she felt as if she was about to lose control. She felt her canines becoming pointy, just like her nails. Why did no one ever respect her wishes?

“Not exactly. I... well, when Sehun told me about Narae's request last week, I suspected Namjoon was about to lose his patience and would come here soon, then I talked to him on the phone last week and I had a feeling he wouldn't wait too long to come and see you”, he shrugged, “I didn't know they were coming here today, though. I actually thought he would at least give me heads up before he popped here like this”. Sori eyed him, unsure she could trust his words, but his body language and voice seemed quite normal, which made her lean towards believing him and she managed to calm down a little. “You don't have to come out right away, but please, don't go to your room. They're already here, isn't it better to just fix the matter sooner rather than later?”. Was there actually something to fix? Sori didn't know, yet she went back to the dining room. She fixed her shirt to make it look looser around her belly and put her phone in front of her face. She wasn't actually doing anything, she just wanted an excuse to not have to face her ex pack mates.

She heard the car stopping and the doors opening and closing. Her heart was beating crazily inside her chest, she could feel her pulse right in her ears. The chatters from outside were too soft for her to be able to distinguish every word when she was so distracted.

“Come in, we were just about to have lunch”, Junmyeon told them as he opened the door.

“I'm sorry for intruding like this, but seeing how things have been going, I thought it was best not to waste more time”, Namjoon apologized without really sounding that apologetic.

“What do you mean?”, Baekhyun asked. His body language was less aggressive than it had been only a week earlier when he'd met Narae, but his intention were still quite clear: they were not welcome. Namjoon smiled coldly and turned to Junmyeon.

“Do you mind if we talk about that after we will have cleared the air with Sori?”. At that point Sori could hear her ex-alpha's voice perfectly fine, and she couldn't help but wonder who “we” was.

“Sure, but please, don't forget that this is my pack's house, Namjoon. You are a dear friend of mine and I wish to keep our friendship intact, still I can't take back my word. I promised Sori protection and a peaceful environment. I'm allowing you to come in and meet her, don't make me regret it”. Junmyeon was staring Namjoon right in the eyes looking utterly serious, as he kept a hand on the other alpha's shoulder. Namjoon bowed his head to him once and put his hand on Junmyeons' shoulder too.

“Don't worry, hyung. I came here today with peaceful intentions, and the same goes for them”, he pointed at the members of his pack who had accompanied him, “we want to apologize to Sori. We all miss her dearly, but if she wants to stay here we will respect her wish. All we're asking for is a chance to explain ourselves”. It seemed like such a formal meeting in spite of the long term friendship that linked the two alphas together. Sori was quite moved by Junmyeon's words, and she made a mental note to thank him later.

“I respect that. However, Sori will not go back with you today, I'm sorry. Even in case she accepts your apologies, I want you all to slowly regain her trust and give Sori the time she needs to move on. If you are okay with this condition, I'll lead you to the dining room”. Baekhyun and Jongin were frowning, however no one dared to express their dissent. It was always hard for alphas to be told what to do, especially because they always felt like they were entitled to whatever they wanted, so it was quite interesting for Sori to hear Junmyeon talking like that. She had never ever heard someone giving Namjoon an order before, and Junmyeon was clearly giving him an order, no matter how Junmyeon's tone disguised it. Still, Namjoon recognized Junmyeon's authority in these lands and in his house, and their friendship was important to him, so he tightened his mouth for a moment before he nodded.

“I will follow your rules, hyung”.

“Come on, then. Would you like to eat with us? We're having soup, and there's plenty left”. The ever cheerful and welcoming alpha lead the new wolves into the house with a bright smile. 

“If you guys don't mind, why not?”. There was still some tension in his voice, but Sori couldn't assess much more without seeing his expression. She wasn't even sure if it was only because he still felt tense after having received an order or because he was about to enter in another pack's house. Namjoon wasn't really used to it as he preferred to invite people over rather than leave the security of his house.

Sori listened to the soft sound made by their bare feet on the ground as they got closer and closer to the dining room. Right before they entered, she brought her phone in front of her face once again. Her heart was thumping, but she had resolved not to look at them, thus when they stepped in the room she gave no sign of having noticed them. She could feel their eyes on her, still she stayed still like that.

“Hello, Sori”. Namjoon's deep voice resonated in the silent room and Sori couldn't deny the shiver it sent down her spine. It hadn't been that long since they had last spoken, if Namjoon yelling at her and kicking her out of the pack could even be called that.

“Hey”, Narae spoke next. Her voice sounded quite unsure, yet Sori wasn't worried about it. She knew Narae was probably feeling guilty because they hadn't respected her wishes. Too bad. She kept ignoring them. Or better, pretending to be ignoring them, because she was hyper-aware of their presence in the room, she could hear each and every single sound coming from them, be it the sound of their breathes or the rustling of their clothes.

“Did you turn deaf in the month I haven't seen you?”, came Yoongi's raspy voice. Surprised, Sori lifted her face to scrutinize his expression. She had smelled him when they had entered the room, but hearing his voice made her feel a little nostalgic. “Oh, I guess not”, a small smile stretched his mouth into a happier expression. That was when Sori knew she wouldn't be able to treat Yoongi the way she had planned. Yoongi who had always been nice to her, the one that had supported her in almost every occasion, who had always been there to comfort her when things turned bad with Jungkook, the one she could always trust to give her the best advice... no, Sori couldn't treat him coldly or ignore him. Sure, he had often preferred to defend her behind her back, but Sori always knew he didn't hate her nor mistrusted her just because she was a turned-werewolf. Narae had done pretty much the same thing, but Sori was angrier with her than she was with Yoongi. Maybe she was disappointed because she hadn't stopped her mate, maybe it was because she was Namjoon's mate, or whatever other reason. “I'm happy to see you looking so good, how are you?”. Sori took a moment more to find her voice, and then quietly answered.

“I'm doing fine”, smiling back at him, “how about you?”

“Just fine, you know, the usual”. He took the seat right next to her, the one where Baekhyun usually sat. Baekhyun started whining and glaring at him, but Junmyeon managed to make him shut up with just one side eye.

“Come on, guys, sit wherever you like”, Junmyeon invited them with a gesture of his hand as he took his seat. Namjoon sat next to him, and Narae took the chair beside her mate, thus they were basically sitting in front of Sori. To her it felt like they were stealing her air, as if they were crowding in her personal space, but she didn't have the courage to say anything about it. What could she possibly say? “Excuse me, could you move to the other end of the table? I don't want to see your face”. Yeah, that sounded pretty lame.

“We were having soup, would you like to taste it?”, Junmyeon offered. The wolves who had to move their dishes were muttering complaints under their breaths.

“Ah, yes, why not? I heard Kyungsoo is a very good cook, I might as well take advantage of your hospitality!”. Namjoon's voice still sounded quite tense and he was talking in a way that he usually reserved for his clients. Sori was feeling quite proud, because it meant he was uncomfortable. It might not be much, but it made her feel better. He probably wasn't the only one who felt uncomfortable, as the whole room was completely silent aside from the sounds coming from the kitchen, where Kyungsoo was filling the bowls for the three newcomers, and a couple of whispers here and there. Or maybe the whole EXO pack was trying to make Namjoon feel uncomfortable, because so far Sori had never been such a quiet lunch. Junmyeon looked like he didn't know what to say to disperse the tension and resolved to start with a little small talk.

“So, how are things going lately? I haven't seen your pack in a while”

“We are doing just fine. Some of us are experiencing some weird... new sides of themselves, but we are doing fine”. Sori gulped feeling the alpha's eyes on her, but she made it her mission to avoid Namjoon's eyes at all costs. He had decided to come even though she wasn't ready to see him, and she didn't want to face him or hear what he had to say.

“Have you heard from Jiho recently?”, Junmyeon decided to completely ignore Namjoon's reply. “I haven't had the chance to see him since we last trained together”

“Yes...actually it's the other reason why I decided to come here today”, Namjoon set his spoon down and cleared his voice. He shot Sori a quick glance, then he turned back to face the other alpha. “Earlier this morning we found that lone wolf's scent again along our confines. His scent seems to disappear into thin air every time we are tracking him down, and I thought it might be useful for you to check along your confines too at this point, for Sori's sake too, you know... we sort of think he's looking for a weakness and Jiho though it was better If I came here in person to figure out a plan”. Namjoon didn't need to say why he was looking for a weakness along their confines, then he was coming for her again. There was no getting rid of him again unless she moved away, but even then there would be a chance of him finding her again, just like he had found her even thought he hadn't seen her in the last four years. Sori couldn't pinpoint what he wanted from her from the very beginning and why he was so stuck on her. She was the emblem of the word “plain”.

“I haven't found any weird scent, did you?”, Junmyeon asked to the rest of his pack. He actually already knew no one had smelled him, since he always asked the wolves on the control patrol to report to him as soon as they came back from their run, thus Sori reasoned him might be trying to easy the tension in the room by involving the others in the conversation. Unfortunately for him the rest of his pack wasn't willing to open up to the guests, so the most of them just shook their heads and the rest muttered a simple “no” as they were chewing. “Well, uhm, there's not a chance for him to find Sori alone and my pack is very well trained, but if you have any suggestions feel free to voice them out, we want her to be as safe as possible”. Sori kind of tuned out from the conversations from the point on. She was lost in the memories of the night the lone wolf had found her. What would have happened if EXO hadn't arrived? Would she still be alive? She was so lost in her thoughts that when she felt something patting he thigh she jumped on her seat.

“Aren't you going to eat?”, Yoongi's low, raspy voice sounded slightly muffles because he was talking with the spoon still in his mouth. Sori grimace in disgust.

“Ya, don't talk with the spoon in your mouth, you're spitting on me”, she told him as she energetically rubbed her hand in distaste. Yoongi just shrugged before he picked up some more soup with his spoon. 

“So, aren't you eating?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking...”. Sori didn't add anything, choosing to just stuff her mouth and pray they would leave soon so she could go lie down in her room.

“How is the baby doing? Any news I should know about?”, he asked as he munched away his lunch. Disgusting. Really disgusting.

“Can you eat with your mouth closed? You're about to make me puke”, she groaned turning her head to spare herself the sight. He rolled his eyes but still complied. “As for the baby, so far there's no interesting news. He's growing well”. Yoongi was giving her a weird look that made her  uncomfortable. “What?”

“He?”, he asked as he held the spoon right in front of his mouth. “The baby is a boy?”. Sori felt her cheeks warming up at her little mishap.

“Uhm, I just... have a feeling”, she told him quietly bringing her hand to cover her lower belly.

“You want to keep the baby's sex a surprise?”

“No, it's just that the baby was still too small at her last appointment. In the next one the doctor should be able to tell us if it's a boy or a girl”. Baekhyun sounded very snarky and grumpy. Sori hadn't even noticed he was listening to their conversation, but she should have imagined it seeing how protective he was. While raising her head Sori noticed that Narae was listening to their conversation too, carefully watching her interaction with Yoongi.

Albeit Baekhyun hadn't said anything offensive, the tone he had used had set off Yoongi's competitiveness, and Sori knew he was going to act on it. He slowly chewed his food humming and nodding slowly in response to Baekhyun's statement, then he raised his eyebrows and turned his head in Sori's direction. 

“Us, uhm? So it's not a private visit, right?”, he put a heavy emphasis on the word “us, “Can I come too, then?”. The challenge was clear, but Sori couldn't pinpoint whether he was daring her to accept or Baekhyun to step in again. She waited a moment, then still unsure she proceeded to shrug, hoping Baekhyun wouldn't say anything else.

“Sure, if you'd like to...”, she scratched her arm, then added: “It's really boring, though, I don't think you will enjoy it”. Why would he want to be there anyways? They weren't pack mates anymore.

“Can I come too?”, Narae's cheerful voice overpowered the voices of the rest of the wolves in the room and suddenly everyone was staring at them. Sori didn't really have a reason to say no: she had been nice to her all along, they had been friends for year and Narae had cared for her. She had also been the only one to reach for her when the rest of BTS had let her go, but the fact that she had brought Namjoon with her today bothered Sori. More like it irked her, and had she not been such a coward, Sori would have confronted her.

“Yeah... if you want to”, Sori finally answered a little bit coldly. Then, as if taken by a weird surge of self-confidence, she added: “But only the two of you”. Narae nodded in understanding before she took a quick glance at her mate.

“Don't worry, I will make sure nobody else will tags along”. Sori shoot a glare in Namjoon's direction with the corner of her eyes, only to find out he was already looking at her with a saddened expression. 
Don't look at me like that, you made your bed now lay in it. Although she knew she was being petty, Sori didn't feel guilty at all. If anything she wanted to leave because she didn't want to have to face Namjoon. It was her right to state what she wanted and he wasn't wanted there. 

“Since you are already talking about those you want to meet and those you don't, I think I have tell you that Jungkook might need to see you soon”, Namjoon said softly after he cleared his voice, in great contrast with how tense his body was. There was a moment of pause in which everyone seemed to be holding their breaths. Somehow, Sori had believe she wouldn't  to face the alpha in the end. She had truly believed Namjoon wouldn't have dared to openly talk to her. Hearing him talk directly to her and drop Jungkook's name so easy was driving her up the wall. The fury she had been feeling towards him for the last couple of weeks suddenly exploded and she could barely stop herself from yelling right in his face that he could go fuck himself. What she couldn't hold back was the sarcastic response to his statement.

“Oh, really? Got some new insults? Might be pretty good if he's willing to see me”. Baekhyun started patting her thigh lightly, but Sori didn't want anyone touching her at the moment, thus she grabbed his hand and put it back on his thigh. Junmyeon sighed loudly and started rubbing his forehead. Oh, well, Sori guessed this wasn't what he wanted, but it was too late to take back her words. It wasn't like she was asking him to take her side, anyway. On the other hand it looked like Sehun and Jongin were having a blast, and the fun had only just started.

“Well, that's not nice, but I see where you're coming from”, Namjoon's brows raised too, “however, that's beside the point”. Sori could see his lawyer face surfacing, and it only served to annoy her more. What the heck did he have to hide that he couldn't just be himself? Why did he even bother to annoy her if he was just going to pretend she was one of his clients? “We recently discovered Jungkook is suffering from a particular pathology, and his doctor informed us that it might be good to let him contact you”. Pathology? Was it something dangerous? She had never noticed anything weird. Or better, weirder that usual. Sori had a thousand questions she wanted to ask, yet her pride didn't allow her to cower and ask the out loud. 

“Oh, nice. So you despise me, kick me out of the pack, but now that you need me I should do whatever you want”, she chuckled. “Guess what? I don't care if Jungkook has a problem, he will solve it by himself like the amazing born-werewolf he is. Wouldn't want a turned-were to betray him, would we? You know, you can never trust turned-weres”. Sori gifted him with the fakest smile she could manage. Her voice was pure saccharine and sarcasm.

“Sori”, Junmyeon admonished her. As if. 

“I'm sorry, Junmyeon, I understand they are your friends, but don't you think it is a little disrespectful to come and ask me for favor when I was kicked out because I couldn't be trusted? Not to mention that the very reason why I couldn't be trusted is because I'm a turned-were, and people like me are all backstabbers. I'm just reminding them they should not trust me. What if I kill Jungkook”, she span out his name as if it was a curse, “just because I feel like it? ”. She said the last part looking Namjoon right in the eyes. To hell with her previous ideas, she wanted to look him in the eyes when she challenged him. She wanted to see his reactions, see how annoyed he got when he realized he wasn't going to obtain what he wanted. 

“I understand your point of view, but can you please at least listen to what they have to say? It might be dangerous from what they're stating and I don't want you to regret it later on”, the alpha told her as calmly as he could. It was funny to see how easily alphas got riled up when you made it clear you didn't care about their opinion. Sori scoffed and chuckled again.

“Sure, I will regret it, because he was always so gentle and caring with me, I should not let this chance pass me by”,  she scoffed, then turned to Yoongi, ask asked him to speak instead. “You tell me what's going on. I don't want to hear the other one talking to me”. If someone where to ask her where this temper was coming from, Sori wouldn't have known what to answer. She was just so angry that she was spewing whatever came to mind and as long as it sounded derisive enough. 
Yoongi eyed her for a moment, than he turned his eyes to his plate for a moment before he looked in Namjoon's direction, probably looking for some kind of sign of approval. Only the he cleared his voice and started to talk again. His voice tense, but as raspy as usual.

“Jungkook isn't doing well, Sori. I understand where you're coming from, you know I'm always on your side”, he raised his hand to stop Sori from interrupting him, “but you have to understand that sometimes there are things that matter more than your pride. Think about it, you let way more serious things go, you forgave us so many times, and this one time you can't make an exception for such a serious situation?”. Sori felt Baekhyun's hand grabbing lightly squeezing her thigh again, but this time she let him do whatever he pleased.

“Exactly, Yoongi. Exactly. Do you know how many times I forgave you? Do you seriously think you always deserved it? Have you ever thought that maybe I was only forgiving you because I was too scared to be kicked out if I were to complain? Probably not, right? Have you ever thought that you all are the reason why I still am this lonely? I was called a whore just because I hanged out with them”, he gestured towards the rest of the boys sitting at the table, “and I repeat, we were just hanging out as friends”, by the end of her speech she was almost yelling, and in another moment she would have been embarrassed by her lack of proper behavior. A light gasp could be heard in the room, it sounded like Sehun or Chanyeol, but Sori didn't turn her head to make sure her suppositions were correct, because Yoongi wasn't lowering his eyes and she didn't want to lose the challenge.

“Look, I understand you don't want to see me, but I'd like to talk about what happened between us, and also what happened with the rest of the pack. This is the main reason why I'm here today, but Jungkook's health is very important too, and he isn't doing well, Sori”, Namjoon tried again. This time he looked less fake, less like his lawyer-self and more like the man she had learnt to appreciate as she spent time in his company. 

“Okay, then bring him to a doctor and leave me alone. Did you take me for a miracle worker?”, she scoffed.

“Maybe you should just explain shortly what's going on with Jungkook, otherwise this conversation will be going no where”, Junmyeon suggested. Sori couldn't pinpoint which side he was picking. Sure, she hadn't asked him to pick her side, but what the heck was he doing helping Namjoon like that? 

“You know I wouldn't do this to you if it wasn't necessary”, Narae spoke for the first time that day. She was staring at Sori, determination clear in her expression even though her voice sounded quieter than usual, almost shy. “We already brought Jungkook to a good doctor, but he said he needs you because his wolf feels like he lost his mate, and if he doesn't see you soon he might lose control of his wold and he will have to be executed. If doesn't see his mate soon his wolf will take control and who knows what he might end up doing. What if he kills himself? What if he kills humans? What if he tries to kill us? Sori, please, consider seeing him”. Narae took a deep breath before she continued her speech. The room had fallen in a dead silence as they all listened to her talking with their mouths wide open. “We didn't want to tell you this. We wanted Jungkook to have the chance to tell you all of this, because as much as I can try, I don't know what's going on inside his head. All we know is that he has taken up the habit of sleeping in your room and he always brings some of your clothes around with him, because lately he has had some... troubles with keeping his calm. From time to time his wolf gets closer to the surface and he starts changing. Only you scent seems to help him, and... I don't know, we think your scent had faded from your room and clothes since you haven't been there for a while, and the longer he stays away from you the worse it gets, so, please, think about it, because his health is worsening quickly. We don't know how much time he still has”. The silence stretched for a long moment as no one knew what to say.

“I'm sorry, what?”, Baekhyun finally exclaimed. Sori mentally thanked him, because she was so stunned she didn't know what to say. Had she heard Narae correctly?

“It was confirmed by the doctor. Jungkook has shown all the symptoms of a wolf who lost his mate. We tried giving Sori the space she needs, but Jungkook's condition is serious and we don't want anything bad to happen to him”, Namjoon answered him this time. He sounded quite tired, but his posture was still that of an alpha in full control of the situation.

Sori was listening to them, but nothing they were saying made sense. How could she be Jungkook's mate? A turned-were with a mate. It didn't make sense. He had never acted the way a wolf should act towards its mate. It wasn't like she had met that many mated couples, but taking Namjoon and Narae as a touchstone, their relationship was nothing like the one Jungkook and her shared. Namjoon would have never had sex with another woman, he wouldn't have insulted Narae, made her feel disgusted with herself, Namjoon would have never humiliated her in front of the rest of the pack. Narae had even told her she had had a bad fight with Namjoon over the way he had kicked her out and she had explained her that she was still angry and she still felt disappointed by him, but she was sitting right there in front of Sori holding his hand anyways, because Namjoon needed her support. How could Jungkook be her mate after all the things he had done and said to her? It was impossible. Sori was confusedly going over each and every possible explanation for what they were saying, but then she understood it. She felt so hurt for a moment, than she chuckled and raised her head to the ceiling.

“Oh, God, I can't believe it. Are you proud of yourself? Am I a joke to you?”, Sori shook her head and turned to Narae, who was staring at her with confusion written all over her face, “I gave you another chance, I told you what I was going through and you still decided to pull this kind of prank on me? Who do you think you are? Who needs enemies with friends like this?”. She pushed her chair back, but before she even had the chance to properly stand up Yoongi grabbed her arm and pulled, forcing her to sit down again. Sori was seeing red and she recognized the telltales of her wolf getting closer to the surface. It was all so stupid, why was she even losing control over something like this? She should have know they would play her again. She really should have foreseen it. 

“Stop it with the yelling. You are not a four years old throwing a tantrum and you're getting on my nerves. We are trying to explain you something important, and I don't care how much you think you are entitled to do whatever you want, you will shut up and listen to what we have to say”. That was when she knew Yoongi wasn't kidding anymore. Sori was about to retaliate, because who did he think he was coming for her like that after all the things she had put up with in their stupid pack? She wasn't part of the pack anymore, and he had no control over her. Sure, Yoongi had helped her before, but that didn't mean he had any control over her. Unfortunately for her, Sori didn't even manage to spew a word before Yoongi shushed her loudly. “I told you to shut up. Do you want Jungkook to die?”, he waited for a moment just to see if Sori had the courage to answer, and then he started speaking again, “Exactly, so shut up and listen to what we have to say, also because from what I see, it might help you as well since you are showing the same symptoms as Jungkook”. Sori was speechless, and so was everyone else, apparently, because no one uttered a single word after Yoongi's outburst. The members of EXO were throwing glaces at each other, as if they were trying to decide whether to intervene or not, but seeing their that their alpha wasn't doing anything, they didn't know how to help Sori without causing a mess. 

“I don't know what kind of person you think I am, Sori, but clearly you have quite a low opinion of me if you think I would do something that horrible to you. I would never joke about such a serious matter so carelessly, especially after everything that happened between you and Jungkook. Wasn't I the one who always told you to find someone better? Didn't I stand up for you whenever he talked shit about you?”. Narae was talking slowly, but her emotions were clear as her voice was shaking in disappointment. Namjoon patted her knee to comfort her, and then he turned to Junmyeon. “I swear, we are telling the truth, hyung, we are not trying to deceive you or make fun of Sori”. Junmyeon kept staring at the table absently and then nodded. 

“Uhm-uh”, he finally consented, “go on and tell us more about Jungkook's symptoms. I don't want to doubt you, but I see where Sori is coming from after all she told us. Maybe if you give us more details about what Jungkook is going through we will be able to verify if Sori is showing the same symptoms”. He concluded his speech giving Namjoon a glance and then turning back to look at Sori. Sori didn't even know what to say. Why were they making her look like the bad guy? She was the victim of the whole thing, Junmyeon had promised her he would defend her, and now he was siding with Namjoon...

“Yes, okay. So, uhm, well, we noticed Jungkook was acting a little bit strange even before Sori was... suspended from the pack. Sori was spending a lot of time on her own in her room in the last months with us, while before that they used to sleep together almost every night, so we thought that was why he was kind of annoyed, or that maybe they were having another fight and they hadn't spoken about what was going on between them yet”. Sori snapped her head towards Namjoon at those words. She couldn't believe they all knew Jungkook slept in her room that often. Why hadn't they said anything? 

“But then his mood turned even worse after Sori left, and while at first it looked like he could control his anger by taking Sori's clothes with him”, Namjoon glanced in Sori's direction to give her a small, sad smile, “Then he started sleeping in Sori's room every night, he got fired after he almost punched the restaurant's manager. He became irascible and he started avoiding us, even by taking his wolf form to stop us from asking him questions about his behavior. Now that Sori's scent is fading, we can see how it affects him: the wolf is always ready to take over if Jungkook's control were to snap. We managed to make him confess what was going on and he said he has been feeling this kind of hunger, like the need to chew or bite something, but he without really been hungry. He just feels the need to bite something. He said he often felt the need to just shout or punch something, like he really wanted to destroy something, but when we asked him about it he told us he doesn't know where the anger comes from. He basically said he felt some kind of flow of energy and violence, but he didn't know how to stop it because no matter how much he exercised and tires his body out, his mind keeps going. At times we can see Jungkook's canines elongating too”. Junmyeon heard the concern in Namjoon's voice just as much as everyone else in the room. He patter his old friend in the back and shared with him a sad smile. He didn't know what he would have done if one of his wolves were to lose control like that. He selfishly felt overjoyed that nothing like that had ever happened in his pack.

“The doctor told us that all the wolves he had met that had shown those symptoms were werewolves who had lost their mate. Once their wolves took over, all of them had to be put down by the police”. Against her own will, Sori started believing Namjoon. Some of the things he was describing that Jungkook had told him about were things she was experiencing too. What was going on between them? Was that was going to happen to Jungkook? Sori's heart started pounding again in her chest, but for a completely different reason than before.

“I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but Sori is a turned-werewolf, how can she possibly have a mate?”, Chanyeol asked quietly.

“We said the same thing, but the doctor told us that the only reason why we all think turned-weres can't have mates is because they feel a weaker connection than born-werewolves, but he said it isn't the first time he sees a born-werewolf with a turned-were as a mate”, Yoongi shrugged. They didn't know enough to clear EXO's doubts, thus he didn't say anything else. Sori was still listening in silence, not sure of what to think of the whole situation.

“If that's the case, shouldn't Jungkook have felt the pull, tho? From what Sori told us, it doesn't really look like he cared about her that much”. Sori pretended it didn't hurt her to hear those words spoken so bluntly. It was the truth anyway. 

“We suspect Jungkook felt the pull, but he didn't recognize it. Jungkook's old pack... is very old-fashioned, they don't explain those things and they don't believe in mates. To put it simple, they marry off their children to the highest bidder, to the ones who ensure their pack stability and advantages. Jungkook was let off only because his father didn't have a high opinion of him, but he still received the same education as the rest of the wolves of that pack”, Yoongi explained. There were a couple of gasps when they heard that Jungkook's old pack still used arranged marriages and sold their pups to take advantage of the situation, and finally some hums of understanding. Now so many of the things Sori had told them made sense. “Did you ever feel some kind of inexplicable pull towards him? Have you ever wondered why you always forgave him after what he did to you? Did his scent affect you? As in helping you calm down, and things like that”, Yoongi asked Sori. Sori actually took a moment to think carefully about his words. Wasn't it just attraction? However, it was true that her attention was always on Jungkook from the very first moment she had joined the pack, and the fact that he had glared at her had hurt her more than it should have since they didn't even know each other.  She had wondered why she felt intrigued by him even though he had explicitly told her again and again that he didn't like to have turned-weres around him. And yeah...maybe his scent had helped her sleep a couple of times and also to settle her nausea. Was this enough to say he was her mate? Yoongi had also asked her about the fact that she kept forgiving him despite everything that happened between them. Perhaps it was because of that? Wasn't it just because of her weak personality? Then, suddenly a terrifying idea crossed her mind. She had forgiven Jungkook every time he hurt her. Every single time he brought a girl home without even trying to hide it, only to go back to her the night after. She had forgiven him for the insults and the humiliation he put her through... if Jungkook was really her mate, was that how her life was going to be? 

“Hey, Sori, take deep breaths. Calm down and look at me. Breath with me”. Sori hadn't even realized she had started hyperventilating until Narae called her name. She made her way to Sori and crouched down beside her. She stayed there, crouched down in that uncomfortable position until Sori's breathing pace slowed down to a more normal one. Albeit Sori hadn't treated her best friend the way she should have, Narae was still there for her. Even though Sori's words had hurt her, Narae was helping her. For the first time after Namjoon had kicked her out Sori felt like she hadn't actually lost everything: she still had her best friend, she wasn't alone. With that thought in mind Sori hugged Narae as tightly as she could, trying not to cry. Maybe it was because of the mood swings or maybe she was just a fool, but she really wanted to show Narae how she felt, because there no words could express how thankful she was and how much she loved her in spite of the rough patch their friendship had hit recently.  Sori had never had a real friend before. Or better, she never had a friend like Narae, and she was so glad Narae was her best friend. 

“So, uhm, I'm assuming you felt the same way?”, Namjoon asked after a while. Sori still felt her eyes wet, but she could swear she had not cried. Yet.

“I'm not sure, honestly. I think there might be something, but it doesn't seem enough to prove he's my mate”, she shrugged. As much as she loved Narae and she had let go of the little grudge she was holding, Sori wasn't ready to forgive Namjoon too and interacting with him was uncomfortable. “Can't it be that he found his mate somewhere else?”. It was a painful possibility, but her brain just couldn't accept that Jungkook was her mate.

“Uhm, nope. I'm sorry, but from what the doctor told us, our knowledge about your relationship and Jungkook's reaction, we are pretty sure we hit the jackpot already. And, as we said before, you'll feel the bond in a lighter way than Jungkook because you're not a born-were. There aren't many other explanations as to why he would sleep in your room and need your clothes to stay calm”, Yoongi shrugged. “Look, we tried to give you as much space and time as we could, but Jungkook really needs you right now, and I'm sure you need it too”, he eyed her up and down, then took a sip from his glass and went on. “I did some researches on pregnant wolves and turned-werewolves and they all said the same things more or less: you need the father of the baby close, and I'm sure you already know it. I believe that even the doctor informed you about the risks of not having the baby's father close...”. Sori lowered her head in shame, but kept quiet. Not that there much she could say. It was true, the doctor had informed her, but she had also decided it was worse to have somebody who puts stress on you close, moreover the pregnancy could be brought to term without serious consequences for either her or the baby. Popular beliefs made it seem like a pregnant wolf without the baby's father near was going to miscarry the baby, while the truth was that she would only feel more discomfort and the baby would be more nervous at first, but it wasn't anything permanent. Sori hadn't put her baby to risk, she had just put herself and the baby through a little more discomfort and anxiousness by putting her dignity and pride first for once.

“Hyung!”, Namjoon hissed as he was glaring at his pack mate. Okay, maybe that was a low blow. In his defense Yoongi could only say he had never been too good with words and he never had that much patience to begin with, so after one hour and a half of repeating the same thing, he might have spewed something he shouldn't have. He raised his hands right away and pretended not to see all the glares he was receiving.

“Oops, I'm sorry. That was not what I meant to say, but you know it would be better if you had Jungkook close, both for you and the baby. And for Jungkook too”. He stuttered a little, embarrassed by the way he was still being glares at by the rest of the people in the room.

“I don't know if I want to be close to him again”, Sori muttered in the end. Was she selfish? Maybe, she wasn't denying it, but it was too soon to see him again, especially now that he knew they were going to have a baby.

“I don't want to push it, but don't you think that maybe you should give it a try if it's the best for both you and the baby? Letting him die seems a little too much”, Baekhyun gently asked her as he caressed Sori's back. 

“But how do I even see him? We are not part of the same pack anymore, I can't just enter in BTS lands. And if he has no control over his wolf, it's not safe to bring him here either”. Junmyeon coughed loudly at that, making Sori snap her head towards him. Sori scrutinized his expression carefully in suspicion, but she didn't have to wait much before Namjoon questioned her.

“What do you mean? Why wouldn't you be allowed into our lands?”, he looked perplexed. Sori glanced at Narae, who was sporting a sheepish smile, then eyed Yoongi, who looked as perplexed as Namjoon. Had she missed something? What was there to be confused about?

“I mean that you kicked me out the pack?”, she sarcastically replayed. Namjoon and Yoongi looked at each other and then back at her. 

“You were never really out of the pack, tho? I thought you knew it”, he still sounded weirded out. What the heck was going on? She had heard him loud and clear that night, he had kicked her out of the pack.

“Uhm... Namjoon, I don't think Sori realized it. Maybe you should explain her out being kicked out the pack works”, Junmyeon encouraged Namjoon with a huge gesture of his arm. Realized what? Like, hello, I was there when Namjoon kicked ME out of the pack...

“Listen, I have no words to tell you how sorry I am for what I said that night and I know that there's nothing I can say to excuse the way I acted, but trust me, Sori, I never kicked you out for real. I honestly thought you had realized it or that someone”, he moved his hands in the direction the people present in the room, “would have told you by now since you informed them about everything that went down that night! We were all kind of waiting for you to calm down and come back, but I now think we did the right think coming here today. We didn't know you thought you couldn't come back to us anymore, we just thought you were angry?”, it sounded like a question even though it wasn't, “I truly am sorry for having made you believe you had no pack to go back to. I have no idea of what thoughts might have crossed your mind if you really thought I had broken your bond with the pack... I am sorry, Sori”. Well, wasn't today a day full of surprises? Sori was almost sure something had broken inside her head, because out of nowhere she started laughing. Everyone was looking at her with a mix of confusion, anxiety and concern in their eyes, but Sori couldn't stop laughing. First she had a mate and now she was never kicked out. It was all too damn funny. 

“Come again?”, she wheezed out as soon as she was able to calm down enough to formulate a sentence. 

“I said you were not kicked out from the pack”, he deadpanned.

“Do you remember I was standing right in front of you while you yelled right in my face that you wanted me out of the pack? You don't, do you? But I do remember it perfectly well, because I was begging you to listen to what I had to say, yet you told me to leave without even giving me the chance to explain”, the humor was forgotten by the end of her speech and the hurt and anger were back. Sori didn't understand what they wanted from her, but they were crossing so many lines. Just remembering the way Namjoon had treated her pissed her off.

“Actually, she didn't tell us that much about that night, only that she had been kicked out”, Junmyeon's clarified. Namjoon winched at his words, but didn't add anything else. It was Yoongi who finally explained what Namjoon meant.

“Although Namjoon acted like an asshole that night, he is telling the truth. You were not officially removed from the pack albeit he told you to go away”, he smile a little before he spoke again. “When a wolf is removed from its pack, they'll feel a painful jolt. Some describe it like an electrocution or a painful shock that pervaded their body for a couple of minutes. The pain is caused by the bond being severed, and the whole pack feels the missing link inside their bonds. We were all convinced he had actually kicked you out because we were feeling grieving and loss through our pack bonds, but Namjoon insisted that you hadn't used his power to enforce his statement”. Sori felt confused. She waited in silence while she tried to put together all the pieces of information she was given in just a couple of hours. The only things anchoring her to the reality were Baekhyun, who was still holding her hand, and Narae's arms resting on her shoulders, otherwise she would have been sure it was all a dream.

“Sori, do you remember the questions I asked you about the night Namjoon told you to go away?”, Sori nodded lightly, still lost in her thoughts, “I was trying to understand if Namjoon had severed your bond. To be honest, I was actually trying to understand if I could make you part of EXO. You got used to us so easily and you got along with everyone from the very first moment, but when you never mentioned the pain-”, Junmyeon was cut off by Sori. 

“So you are telling me I was never kicked out of the pack and I misunderstood the whole situation?”

“No. Unfortunately Namjoon let his anger and stress talk and he sent you away from the pack house, but to cut off a bond there should have been the willing intention to definitely remove you from the pack. Namjoon told you to leave, but he didn't use his authority as an alpha to severe our bond”, Narae offered carefully. There a little bit of stinginess in her voice,  but Sori knew it wasn't directed to her.

“I'm sorry, but I don't get it. He kicked me out, and you just confirmed it yourself...”. Sori was extremely confused, and the fact that it was a touchy subject for her only made her feel more frustrated.

“To make it simple, he told you to go away, but he didn't actually mean it. To sever the bond there must be power in your words, the authority of the alpha, and a strong intention behind them, while in his words there was only idiocy. Ergo, Namjoon was an idiot and he hurt you, but from what he told me he was convinced you would have been back the next day”, Narae tolled her eyes at the stupidity of her mate, while Namjoon looked quite embarrassed.

“Okay, and so?”. Did they want her to go back with them? Were they going to order her to meet Jungkook?

“And so you are still part of BTS. If you want to, you can stay with us, Sori. We all miss you. You are a part of our pack and our wolves were grieving your absence, but if you want to leave us, we will understand. We are not planning to force you to do anything. We are only asking you to save Jungkook from certain death, because you are the only one who can do it”, Namjoon  told her in all seriousness.

“But I won't be able to leave on my own accord nor go far away from you all because Jungkook and me will always need to be close to each other”, Sori added her conclusion. Nobody denied it, and that was enough.

“See? Being a turned-were finally became a fortune. Now you have Jungkook's fate in you hands”, Yoongi joked, albeit there was some truth in his words. A moment of silence followed his words as Sori tried to take in the information she was given. There were some whispers going around the table, but Sori knew they were only discussing the situation between themselves because Junmyeon didn't want them meddling in her business.

“What do you say, Sori? Don't you miss us too? At least a little?”, Narae urged her anxiously after a couple of minutes spent in silence. The problem was that Sori really didn't know what to say.

“I... don't know. So many things happened lately and I'm afraid I let too many things pass before...”, Sori stopped herself before she said something she didn't want to. “Look, can you give me some time to think things through and make a plan?”, she asked as she eyed Narae and Yoongi carefully, then she turned her head to scrutinize Junmyeon's expression, but he was smiling at her genuinely.

“As for me, you can take all the time you need. If you want to stay, you can stay, if you want to leave, I'll let you leave. Not right away, but I will not try to undermine your decision”, the alpha gave a pat to the other alpha's back and added: “If you want to leave BTS, you can stay here too. We are more than willing to take you in”. Namjoon visibly tensed, but he didn't say anything about his friend's words.

“We-”, Namjoon sighed, then shook his head and finished his sentence. “we are leaving the door open for you. Any moment, any day you want to come see us or even hangout, just remember we are there for you. I know we didn't always treat you right and we didn't fully understand your pain, but I promise you we can improve. This past month taught us a lot, probably more than we realize, and I can assure you we are willing to learn from our mistakes. I can only apologize for my words and my behavior. I know it's not enough to fix what I did, but believe me when I say we all know we did you wrong and we would like to have the chance to make it up to you”. For the first time since they had arrived, Sori saw Narae smiling at her mate. Sori would have never imagined that receiving a sincere apology from the person who hurt you felt that good. Her heart was more than a little moved by Namjoon's words, but she still found it hard to trust him at the moment.

“I'll think about it”, she paused for a moment, only to say the only think she was sure about at the moment. “I don't think I'm ready to face Jungkook right away, tho”. There were some light sighs coming from the three members of BTS, but no one looked too surprised.

“I see. We knew it was highly likely that you wouldn't want to see him, I am actually surprised you remained in the same room with us until now”, Namjoon told her as a small smile made his dimples show. “Me and Jin hyung had the idea that maybe you could give us your clothes. You know, your fresh scent might help Jungkook for now. It's not a long term solutions, but it's the best we can do for the two of you for now”.  

“Okay”, was the only thing Sori could mutter. 

Distractedly she heard Junmyeon asking someone to put some of Sori's shirts inside a bag and bring them down. There were too many things she had to reflect upon and too many options that had to be weighed out for her to pay attention to what was going on around her. She sort of remembered Narae telling her she would come back in a couple of days to bring her Jungkook's clothes, so that they could swap clothes periodically until they finally managed to meet up in person. She didn't even go out with the others to wave the three members of BTS goodbye, she just went in her room and laid down on the bed to slowly assimilate all the information that was dumped on her.

Chapter Text

"Oh my God, I think I have to pee again"

"Can't you just sit down and be quiet?"

"No, I'm too excited, and when I get too excited I pee a lot". Sori rolled her eyes at the embarrassing conversation going on right beside her, but didn't add anything. They had gotten up really early since she had to be at the clinic half an hour before the time of her appointment, so she could get her blood and urine tested too. Ever since they had arrived Baekhyun had been pacing back and forth down the corridor. Sori saw the way the nurse was eyeing him, but it wasn't like she could tie him to the chair and make him calm down. It was already hard enough to keep Yoongi from making snarky comments to the other wolf. In the meanwhile, Narae was chewing her lower lip as her leg was bouncing up and down frenetically, looking like she was one second away from standing up and start pacing with Baekhyun. Sori was really regretting the moment she had agreed to let them tag along.

"Shin Sori?", the nurse called.

"That would be me", Sori stood up awkwardly raising her hand, blushing as soon as she realized she had just acted weirdly once again. As the other three stood up everyone turned their heads in their direction with curiosity, and Sori felt her cheeks warming up. She followed the nurse with her head bowed, hoping that at least no one would be able to see face. "Make yourself comfortable, the doctor will be here in a couple of minutes", she smiled politely before she went back to her desk.

Yoongi and Narae whispered softly to each other while Baekhyun seemed to be trying to keep his composure, all while fidgeting continuously, unsure if he should sit down with them or just do what he usually did. He looked at Sori for a moment, and seeing her sitting alone in from of the desk helped him make up his mind.

"I can't wait to see the baby", he whispered in her hear as he sat down. Sure, it might give the doctor the idea that he was the baby's father, but he had taken that seat even during the previous appointment, so it was too late to worry about giving the wrong impression.

"Me too", Sori smiled softly as she looked at the small bump in her lower belly.

"Do you think they'll be a boy or a girl?", Yoongi asked from behind them. He and Narae had quieted down and had been observing her and Baekhyun interact. Yoongi had the impression Sori had come out of her shell a little more lately, and it saddened him that they had lost the chance to be the ones she opened up to like that, but maybe it was better this way. Sori didn't need them, she should've always know it, and now she was slowly learning it on her own. It was sad, but it was the necessary to let her self-confidence grow and make them understand their mistakes.

"I don't know, I don't really have a preference", Sori shrugged. Actually, she had a feeling the baby was boy, but since she had no evidence to prove it she felt too embarrassed to say such a thing. Moreover, it felt like something too intimate to share so openly.

"I hope it's a girl, I see way too many boys on a daily basis", Baekhyun was almost bouncing on the chair. "I already eyed two or three dresses I will buy for her as soon as the doctor will confirm I'm right". Sori couldn't help but chuckle at his excited behavior. It was funny how an adult could be that cute. He honestly seemed more excited then the real father of the baby, and more than her ex-packmates had ever been for any matter regarding her, to be honest. Not that she had had the chance to see their reactions, but she couldn't image anyone of them being at genuinely happy for her or excited for something that didn't involve them personally.

"Good morning!", the doctor said cheerfully as she made her way to her desk. "I see you've brought some guests today!"

"Ah, yes, this in Baekhyun, you already met him the last time, and those are my friends Yoongi and Narae". Sori introduced them quite quickly and keeping it short, not to raise the doctor's interest

about the whole situation.

"Nice to meet you, and welcome back", the doctor smiled at the two newcomers before she let her eyes set on Baekhyun, then she turned back to Sori. "So, let's start with some more general questions and leave the ultrasound for last. How have you been? Any new pains? Some new symptoms I should know about?", she asked. The doctor ad her hands on the keyboard, waiting for Sori to answer to write down her words.

"Uhm, no, I don't think I felt any kind of pain so far. Just some discomfort in my lower back if I sit down or stand for too long, and at times it feels like there is some stretching in my lower belly, but nothing more than that. The nausea only happened sporadically in the last few weeks, so I would say I feel okay, surely better than a month ago". The doctor had noted that down as she nodded at Sori's words. They had seen each other multiple times and now they were friendly with each other, leaving the formal speech behind them.

"That's good to hear! You might feel some stomach cramping at some point, don't get scared, it's normal, because you uterus is stretching out to make more room for the baby", she smiled sweetly at Sori, then added: "Also, constipation could happen, but that could be cause both by the way your hormones are changing and because of the prenatal vitamins you are taking. There are other symptoms you might encounter in the coming weeks, like feeling gassy and sour breasts, so don't worry if that happens. You can always call me and ask in case you are feeling anxious, anyway". Sori couldn't feel her face anymore. It wasn't just flushed anymore, her face was burning. Sure, pregnancy was amazing, bring life to the world and whatever else they always tell pregnant women, but did it really have to be this embarrassing? This was exactly why she didn't want to bring anyone with her at these appointments. The doctor was just smiling at her, as if there was nothing weird or embarrassing in what she just said, waiting for Sori to say something.

"I will keep it in mind", Sori barely managed to say. The doctor blinked as she waited for a moment, then went on with the questions.

"Any spotting?". The visit had started barely five minutes ago and Sori was already regretting her life choices.

"So far everything has been pretty much okay", she let out a fake chuckle. Sori was really hoping that answer would be enough to answer all the remaining questions. The doctor eyed her, a knowing look in her eyes, then wrote a short note on her laptop.

"Okay, then, if there are no questions you would like to ask me or any other symptom you experienced since we last saw each other, we can move to you blood and urine tests", she clicked something on her laptop and then took a moment to read the results. "So far everything seems good. You are still lacking a little folic acid, but it's nothing too serious, we will fix it right away". She wrote something and then printed it. "Okay, now, this should be the seventeenth week of pregnancy, right?", Sori nodded in response, "If you haven't felt the baby moving already, you will start perceiving some movements soon”, she smiled both in Sori's and then Baekhyun's direction. Maybe they should have mentioned he wasn't the baby's father at some point during the previous visit. Oh, well. It wasn't like Jungkook would have ever attended an appointment with her. “If you don't mind, now I will proceed with the measuring of your weight and blood pressure”.

“Can we... keep them private?”, Sori gulped. She wanted to say she didn't care at all, that she was over the mean comments she had heard about her weight, but it wasn't true. She couldn't even look at herself in the mirror anymore. Given the choice, Sori herself would have chosen not to know how many pounds she had gained in the last couple of weeks.

The whole process was done in a very awkward and tense silence, during which Sori felt the constant pressure of the eyes and the attention of the other three wolves completely focused on her and her movements. Sori knew they were just curious, she knew they weren't judging her, still she wanted to hide herself. It was a huge relief when the doctor allowed her to go back to the changing room to wear her clothes.

“This is the right kind of weight gain, Sori, you are doing a nice job! It's very important that you keep your weight gain around this amount every month”, the doctor nodded in satisfaction when Sori took her seat again. Sori looked at the little note the doctor had scribbled on piece of paper and then raised for only her to see. She had gained two pounds. Sori wondered if it was enough, although to her it seemed a lot, she had heard many stories of women who gained more than thirty pounds during their pregnancy... was she really doing her best for her baby? Maybe she should cut down a little on exercising? She had only gained four pounds ever since Kyungsoo had gotten a hold of her diet plan, maybe it was time she stopped being selfish. Sori was so focus on her thoughts she completely missed the worried look Yoongi and Narae shared. Even Baekhyun was eyeing her attentively.

The doctor took a moment to write down all the measurements she had taken and the results of the exams, then pointed at the exam table.

“Can you please lie down there and lift your shirt? I'll be there in a moment”. Sori gulped once again. The stirrups weren't positioned like the previous time and the doctor hadn't asked her to lift her skirt, but it still felt like she was exposing her body too much. Bringing that many people with her hadn't been the best choice for her after all, albeit she had done it for a good reason.

“Now, let me check your hands and ankles for a moment”, the doctor demanded as she smiled gently. Well, that was a weird request and Sori was still laying there with her tummy exposed, but whatever. “Did you notice any swelling already? Was there a time you felt particularly bloated?”, she was massaging Sori's hand and checking her wrists.

“Yes, my ankles are often swollen in the evening, while my hands are getting more and more swollen, so I stopped wearing rings because they got stuck in my fingers”, Sori tried to joke, hoping it would at least break the constant, silent tension than had been raising in the room from the moment she was asked to lay down on the examination bed. At least the doctor giggle in response.

“Well, I would say that you took a good decision”, she proceeded to check her ankles too for a moment, and Sori really hoped with all her might that she had shaved properly this time, “On a more serious note, even thought I see no particularly signs that would indicate an abnormal kind of swelling, I would still recommend you to cut down on salt and sugar. Drinking a lot of water during pregnancy is essential, especially now that the weather is getting even hotter”, she turned around to press some buttons on the ultrasound machine, “If you were to notice any anomalous swelling, please call me and go to hospital to have a check. Edemas can be the cause of that swelling, so please, be very careful with the amount of salt you use and take long walks or exercise a little everyday. Nothing excessive or too demanding, but enough to keep you muscles working and getting rid of excessive liquids”. The doctor rolled the scan machine closer to the bed and turned on the monitor. “This procedure is painless. I might press around a little on your stomach, which might be a little uncomfortable, but not painful”

“Will we be able to find out the sex of the baby today?”, Baekhyun asked as he took the seat next to Sori.

“I guess we can try, if Sori agrees with you”. The doctor waited for Sori to confirm she was on the same page as Baekhyun before she grabbed the gel bottle. It wasn't like Sori could deny Baekhyun's request when he was looking at her with shiny puppy eyes, anyway. “Personally, I try to inform the parents about the baby's sex when they ask me, as long as it's possible, but I always make sure to warn them that the gender of the baby is not sure until the baby is born. Ultrasounds are not always as clear as we like to think, unfortunately, so I will do my best, if the baby is in a position that allows me the see its genitals, but even then, remember that the baby's sex won't be certain for sure until the day they are born. It's quite common for the baby to have a different gender from the one announced to the parents during the ultrasound scan, so don't sue me”, she chuckled nervously. It was clear that even thought she was joking, her concern was real, and there was some reluctance in her her voice and stance too. It really made Sori wonder what kind of episodes and drama went down in the clinic to make the doctor react like that.

“Don't worry, we won't cause you any annoyance”, Baekhyun tipped in. It seemed like he was enjoying playing the part of the baby's father, because he was now holding Sori's hand as he chatted away with the doctor. Sori didn't really mind it, so she let him do however he pleased, yet she didn't miss the anger that appeared in Yoongi's eyes for a moment before he managed to put on his poker face once again. Oh, well, he could be mad all he wanted, Sori didn't care and didn't want to care about it. Both him and Narae were there because they had asked to, and they had lost all rights to dictate her life and express their opinion when she was kicked out of the pack, because she was kicked out no matter what Yoongi and Namjoon said. Moreover, it wasn't like Baekhyun was hurting anyone or stealing anyone's spotlight. He was enjoying himself and cheering Sori up, otherwise she would have been facing such an important moment completely alone.

“Here we go. This is going to be a little bit cold”, the doctor warned Sori. She spread the gel around using the transducer and after a moment the little monitor started showing... something. Sori couldn't really make out much out of it, but she was sure the doctor would've pointed it out for her if there was something wrong. ”Look, this is your bladder and these are you ovaries”, she circled around the points she was referring to, and Sori nodded, pretending she could perfectly see whatever the doctor said. It was a little bit weird to see her organs on a monitor, and to have other people literally staring at them. “Here, this is the lining of your uterus and this is your baby”, she pointed at the light blob in the middle of a dark circle. The more she looked at the screen the more it became clear that the little blob was moving around and it also had tiny arms and legs. Her baby was so tiny, and as soon as she realized the doctor was measuring the baby and she held her breath, waiting and hoping to hear only good news. The doctor was taking the measurements again and again from various parts that she vaguely pointed out while she focused on her job. “There seem to be no problem with the development of the baby. Comparing his measurements to the ones of your previous appointment, the growth is steady...”, she read the measurements again, and while Sori really wanted to sigh in relief, something in the voice and expression of the doctor didn't allow her to relax just yet. Baekhyhun grabbed her hand and tightened his grip for a moment, reassuring her a little. Yoongi and Narae had left their chairs and were now standing closer to the examination bed leaning on each other.

“Yes, I would say everything seems to be okay with the baby, however they still seem to be slightly small for this stage of pregnancy”, she finally stated. “Although it would be preferable for the baby to grow a little bit bigger, I have seen plenty tiny babies in my career, and they grew up perfectly fine even thought they were on the smaller side”, she smiled reassuringly, “Nonetheless, I would like you to take a different prenatal vitamins that I will prescribe you in a moment”. She pointed at the monitor again. “See these numbers? These are the standard measurements for a baby at the 17^th week of pregnancy. These ones instead”, she pointed at some other numbers, “are the actual measurements of you baby. They are slightly falling behind the preferable measurements, however we have to take in consideration the the baby has made great progress in weight gain and growth ever since last month, so this could simply mean that the baby will need a little more time to reach those numbers. Also, as you two seem to be on the smaller size, no offense, so it could also be the baby's genes”, she smiled politely and she looked at Sori and Baekhyun. “Babies are all different, don't worry too much about it!”. Sori bit her lip, trying to decide whether to confess that Baekhyun was not the baby's father. It could be a dangerous situation for the baby and maybe if she were to admit it the doctor could give her a better advice, find a better solution to make the baby grow better... still, Sori didn't want to tell her the truth. She didn't want to give away that little piece of information too. She said it wasn't a problem if the baby was a little smaller than the standard measurements, and she wanted to believe it. Baekhyun was eyeing her carefully, not sure if he could speak up, and then Yoongi loudly cleared his voice from behind them, waking up Sori from her reverie.

“Right”, she muttered a little awkwardly. She hadn't made up her mind yet and with that simple answer she could still tell her the truth later on if she were to change her mind. Maybe it was a little selfish to keep that information for herself, but the doctor had stated multiple times the baby was going to be okay either way, thus she had no reasons to feel guilty.

She could feel Yoongi's burning, judgmental eyes on her face, but she pretended not to have notice and pointed her head to the monitor.

“There doesn't seem to be an excess of amniotic fluid and the baby's heartbeat rate is perfect. On this note, I'll let you listen to it while I take some further measurements and then we can check the gender and print your scans”, she smiled again. The next moment a palpitation could be heard loud and clear. Had Sori not felt so overwhelmed already, she would have teared up a little at the beautiful sound. The baby's heart was pounding quickly as she stared at his tiny, and grayish image swimming around in her belly. From right beside her, Baekhyun coed at the baby. Sori also caught Narae tearing up, but she wiped her eye as soon as she realized she'd been caught. Narae had never been too fond of being seen in her emotional moments, and it was this minuscule detail that made Sori smile again. Despite everything that went down between them, some things never changed.

“From what I can see, I would say there is nothing wrong with the baby, still, I would ask you to come here again in two weeks. I don't want to alarm you, as I said before, the exact date of the conception is very hard to establish when you have a stable partner as in you case”, Sori knew she was blushing and she could feel Yoongi look of reproach right on her face, which was why she made sure to never turn her head in his direction. “There is the possibility that the baby is around a week younger than we suppose he is, which is why I would like you to come here again in two weeks after having started taking the new vitamins, okay? Just to check how he's progressing”. Sori wanted to formulate a better response, to look clever for once, but she had only caught one word of her long statement.

“He?”, she muttered, lost and overwhelmed by the surprise.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot I had yet to tell you the baby's gender”, the doctor apologized both to Sori and to Baekhyun. Nobody was paying attention to her anymore, tho.

“We're having a baby boy”, Baekhyun singsonged as her shook Sori's whole arm. Sori knew she should feel at least a little embarrassed by his childish reaction, however she couldn't find it in her to care. At least someone was happy for her, right? Her smile was splitting her face just as Baekhyun's was. In a couple of months she was going to hold a tiny baby boy in her arms!

The doctor let them talk for a moment while she printed some scans for them. She then proceeded to print some more papers and cleared her voice lightly to catch their attention. She handed Sori some swipes to clean her belly and handed the paper to Baekhyun before she excused herself and left the room.

An uncomfortable silence took over, and Sori did her best to ignore it. Probably trying to speed up the moment shit would hit the fan, Baekhyun grabbed Sori's purse while Narae made sure she was

steady on her feet when she stood up from the examination table. From the moment they left the room to when they reached the car, Sori could clearly perceive Yoongi burning a hole in the back of her head from how strongly he was glaring at her. Sori knew why he was annoyed, but she didn't want to submit to him nor talk about it. It was none of his business, and she had only invited him out of politeness, but that was the end of it. She was so done with people always having opinions about her choices.

The first five minutes in the car were wrapped in a painfully awkward silence as Baekhyun kept sending worried glances in Sori's direction, Yoongi glared at Sori while Sori pretended to be staring out of the car's window, and Narae sighed because of the uncomfortable situation. It took Baekhyun another couple of minutes to find the courage to break the silence.

“I can't believe we're having a boy!”, he said after he had cleared his voice. His shoulders were as tense as his voice, still Sori appreciated the effort, although she would have preferred to stay silent until they reached the pack house. At least he wasn't disappointed even though he had wished he baby to be a girl. “Do you have a name in mind?”

Sori bit her lip, wondering if she should keep the conversation going and revealing such information already, but in the end she thought it would have looked strange if she just ignored Baekhyun.“Yes, I told you I thought the baby was going to be a boy, so I made a short list of names I liked”.

“And?”, Baekhyun urged her with curiosity. And she would have like it better to have such a conversation without the huge amount if negative vibes from Yoongi.

“I like the names Seojung and Minhoon for the baby. I think I'll make a final decision the day he comes and I'll see his face”, she shrugged.

“So you're not recognizing Jungkook as the baby's father and you don't even want to ask his opinion about the baby's name? Do you remember the baby is his too, right?”, came Yoongi's bitter voice. Albeit Sori knew Yoongi was only waiting for the right moment to speak his mind, it still hurt her to hear him talk like that. She hadn't heard Jungkook's name in a while, and it came as a bit of shock to Sori. Why couldn't she just have a moment of happiness without having it ruined?

“Yoongi!”, Narae hissed her disapproval.

“What? Am I lying?! She left the pack without telling him about the baby, now she wants to name the baby without even giving him the chance to express his preferences, what's next? She's going to raise the baby without letting Jungkook meet his son?”, he spit out sarcastically. Sori gasped as Yoongi his the nail right on its head. She could see Baekhyun's expression becoming darker and darker from his reflection on the glass, however she didn't trust herself to move even an inch from her actual position. Yoongi let out a sarcastic chuckle and scoffed in disbelief. “I'm right, Sori, am I not?”. Sori opted to stay silent again. “You are unbelievable. You... I can't believe you would do something like that to him”, he stuttered before he turned his head towards the car's window. Oh, yeah, he got so many reasons to be disappointed. It wasn't like Sori had to face everything on her own and had never been given the chance to trust Jungkook without regretting it a moment later.

Sori caught Baekhyun's reflection in the window's glass and he finally reproached. “You really should mind your business, Yoongi. It's not your decision to make, stop ruining this day for her”.

“Well, it's not your business either, so shut that trap. Having a little too much fun impersonating the father of the baby, are you?”, the venom was dripping in Yoongi's voice, and Sori hated it. Sori really hated it when Yoongi spoke like that.

“Who do you think-”, before Beakhyun had the chance to finish the sentence Narae's loud growl filled the car.

“Enough. Both of you, mind your own business”, she spat. “Sori is doing what she is doing for a reason, and that reason doesn't concern you, so stop running your mouths for nothing”.

It was a very uncomfortable trip back home. The silence stretched until they were almost there. It was Sori who decided to finally speak up.

“You know... I'm not doing this to hurt my baby. I love him, and I guess you wouldn't understand how I feel, but for me it's like I'm finally doing something right in my life. And I know, trust me, I do, that I shouldn't have this baby because he won't have a father and because I will force other people to take care of him and pay for his stuff. I know I'm selfish, but I can't give up on him”, a lone tear slid down her cheek, and Sori dried it up quickly, making sure no one knew she was tearing up. Nonetheless, Baekhyun was bound to have noticed, because a moment later he put his hand on her tight and tightened his grip a little, giving her his support without using words. “You talk like I'm taking a chance away from Jungkook, but what am I really taking away from him? It's sad to think that... well, I always thought you were on my side and that you knew me, but now I know it's not like that. Jungkook wouldn't want a child, especially not with me. He, a lover of blood purity and a supporter of the abuse on turned-werewolves, having a child with a lowlife turned. Did you never notice he actually despises me? What do you think he would see in this child? Did you ever think about that? No, right? Wolves take the side of their packmates, I know, but for once I'm standing up for myself and for my child. He will not live the life of a prisoner, segregated in a room because his father is ashamed of him. I will not allow him to feel the pain of knowing your father doesn't care about you. I will not allow Jungkook to treat him the way he did with me. I gave him so many chances, and he never redeemed. That's just who he is, and I will definitely not allow Jungkook or anyone else to treat my child like trash. My baby will only know love and he'll have a good life, and if Baekhyun is happy for me and loves my baby then I'm grateful for that selflessness. I'm grateful my baby will know what it feels like to be loved, cared for and appreciated. I told Junmyeon I will start working as soon as I can to take care of our needs without his help, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I will be independent even if I won't be able to leave on my own. So no, I will not ask Jungkook his opinion about the baby's name nor about anything else. And you will mind your own business and stay in your line”. The uncomfortable silence settle right back in the car, only disturbed by Yoongi's annoyed scoff.

As soon as the car stopped in front of EXO's mansion Yoongi opened the car's door and jumped out, then walked to Narae's car right away. Baekhyun, who was still annoyed by Yoongi's words, did almost the same thing as he walked towards the house.

“I'm sorry it ended up like this”, Narae sighed. “It was supposed to be a happy moment for you, and we ruined everything”. Sori didn't even feel like denying Narae's statement, still she didn't want to make her feel bad, so she just kept quiet. “Look, uhm, I don't want to defend Yoongi, but don't be too angry at him. I know Jungkook has done you wrong for so long, but... I think he has changed. Or better, he is trying to change. No, wait!”, Narae grabbed Sori's wrist when she tried to walk away, “Please, give us a chance. Give Jungkook a chance as a father. You don't have to be together, and that's fine, it's your choice, but the baby will need his father and Jungkook will love him with all his heart. I know you don't believe me, but why don't you come over and check on Jungkook yourself? He is been reflecting on his behavior, and I know it doesn't mean that's enough for you to forgive him, but he is changing, Sori. He's trying to become a better person for you”. There was hope written all over Narae's face, which made it very hard for Sori to just tell her a straight “no” to her face, yet she didn't want to give Jungkook a chance. Jungkook didn't deserve it, and there was no way he had changed as much as they said in such a short period of time.

“I don't know...”.

“Please, Sori, really, everyone misses you so much and they would love to see you again. Just... why don't you come home for a day, or maybe just an afternoon”, she corrected quickly when Sori tensed up at her words, “You won't even have to stay there if you want to leave”. Sori was helplessly chewing her lower lip, thinking of an excuse to free herself from that uncomfortable situation. “Please! You can also bring Baekhyun or, I don't know, some of the EXO guys”, Narae added, trying to find the key to make Sori give in.

“Look, honestly I'm not comfortable with that yet. I tried giving you a chance and it didn't go well. Let's take some moment to think things through”, was the best Sori could come up without yelling she was done with everyone.

“So, how did it go?”, Hoseok asked once Narae let her back rest on the cushions of the sofa. He was stuffing his face with pop corn, making a mess of both his shirt and the sofa.

“Could have been better”, was her short reply. Narae knew Hoseok was staring, studying her expression to interpret the meaning of her words, so she stayed still, not finding it in her to explain herself better. Somehow, it really felt like bringing back Sori was going to be a war she had to fight on her own. Sure everyone loved her, but they always seemed to be messing up the progresses she made with great effort, trying to convince Sori she could be happy in BTS too if she only gave them another chance. There was no understanding why they always ruined the mood, and she was starting to wonder whether bringing back Sori would really benefit her.

“Is the baby okay?”, Hoseok asked after a moment, a deep frown marring his forehead.

“Yes, it seems he is growing at a steady pace now that Sori is eating correctly, but he's still a bit too tiny for a seventeen weeks baby. It's complicated, let me rest my brain for a while, then I'll explain it better at dinner”, Narae sighed as she slid down the cushions to rest her back on the sofa. She hated it when she had to break the news about Sori to everyone else. It would have been so much easier if they hadn't messed her up that badly, still Narae didn't want to openly face another fight about this matter just yet.

“He?”

“Yep! The baby is boy!”, she smirked.

“Yaaaaaa! I'm so happy for them! I can't wait to see his cute face”, Hoseok was now moving in a weird way and making weird voices, confirming that at least his happiness was genuine and untarnished.

“Both Sori and Jungkook will be happy, at least”, she muttered as her smile deemed a little. She hurt for Jungkook at the idea she had to be the one to break him the news about his own child, but she couldn't defend his previous behavior, nor justify them. That didn't mean she didn't see the effort he was putting in bettering himself and reflecting on his hurtful words and actions, however it didn't matter that she noticed his commitment to the case, she wasn't the one who had to forgive him, nor the one who had to appreciate the improvement in his attitude.

“Ah, right, they both wanted a boy, but as of now, I think Jungkook would have been happy even if the baby was a girl”, he said as he proceeded to stand up and stretch. “Now, if you don't mind, I'll go ask Yoongi hyung what happened since you don't want to tell me. I have enough time to make him spill the beans before he goes to the club”.

“Good luck with that”, she chuckled. Yoongi was hardly going to admit he had spoken too harshly out of his own will, but Narae knew Hoseok was going to listen to him as Yoongi realized how wrong his attitude towards Sori had been. Not that Yoongi hadn't realized it already, quite the opposite in fact. Chances were he was beating himself up for having hurt Sori once again.

Sori was reading lying down on her stomach in the softest sofa BTS owned. She had spent quite some time there, enough that both her back and her neck was starting to hurt. Since she had been feeling quite tired lately, she had decided to light some candles and put some soft music while she read the new book she had bought. The book had been so interesting she hadn't realized how much time she had spent that way. Just one more page, she promised herself.

Suddenly there was a change in the room's mood, and a weigh pressed her down on the sofa. It was quite pleasurable in all honesty, yet Sori couldn't avoid groaning as it made it hard to breath. She was very thankful her smile was hidden by her book.

“What are you reading?”, Jungkook asked her, giving her a kiss on the check, resting his head against her neck. Sori loved it when he was affectionate with her. It didn't happen often, but it always lifted her spirit when he did little things like that, it made her feel like she was cared for and wanted. Maybe even loved.

“Just something new from this author”, she pointed at his picture on the back of he book to show Jungkook whom she meant, but Jungkook seemed to be quite distacted. His lips had slowly started travelling back and forth on her neck and his grip on her torso was getting tighter as he made his intentions clear, and Sori wasn't opposed to the idea of having a little fun. At all. The room almost seemed to be setting the perfect mood for the situation, too, and the rest of the pack was asleep already, thus no one would have find out about their little misdeed.

“So... how about you pay me a little attention?”. Jungkook leaned down to whisper right in her hear, letting his weight rest on her and allowing Sori to feel the erection in his pants. Sori could only gasp at the realization, feeling herself getting wet right away as her interest spiked up. Instinctively, Sori rolled her hips up against Jungkook, who let out a low moan in response. That little noise was enough to make her pussy clench in desire.

It only took Jungkook a moment to grab Sori's hips and lift them from the sofa, before he shoved his hand down her pants. Sori moaned lowly as Jungkook slid his fingers around her entrance without actually giving her the satisfaction of feeling his fingers inside her. She couldn't wait for the moment her panties would be moved to the side. His hard cock was rubbing so deliciously against her ass cheeks. While Sori knew things were escalating once again too quickly and maybe they should have taken a little time to talk about themselves rather than skipping directly to the good part, she couldn't seem to focus on anything aside from Jungkook's scent and the feeling of having his body pressing her down on the sofa. If anything, she wished they were in her room, so that they could have taken their time without having to worry about being discovered.

“Fuck, it's been too long, I'm not going to last”, Jungkook groaned. In all honesty, Sori couldn't agree more, however she couldn't find it in her to reply using words, opting to just groan. Maybe it was how Jungkook was speaking lowly and sensually in her hear that was making her that excited and wet, because some part of her realized she was too wet for it be normal. A moment later Jungkook added more pressure to her clit, and her groan turned into a full blown moan.

“Shit, just put it inside”, she managed to say when she couldn't take his teasing anymore. This time it was Jungkook who wasn't able to reply using his voice. He moaned at her words as he slid Sori's pants down her tights, as low as he could manage in that position. It wasn't going to be comfortable, but it would have still been enough to ease that itch deep inside her.

“Fuck, you're so wet”, he grunted in Sori's neck as he left kisses on her shoulder. Rather than kisses, Sori wanted him to bite down on the back of her neck, and had she not been this reluctant about expressing her fantasies, she would have told him to just shut up and bite her.

“Just put it in”, Sori complained when Jungkook started fingering her. She loved to feel him inside her, but what she needed at the moment was something bigger than his fingers, and with how wet she was she had no doubt Jungkook would have slipped in with no pain on her part.

“Okay, okay, give me a second”. Sori felt Jungkook's weight lifting up from her body and the cushion's of the sofa shifting as Jungkook moved to free his legs from his shorts. “Lift your hips”, he commanded, and proceeded to grab and hold Sori's hips where he wanted them. “Shit, why did we even wait this long?”, he murmured as he pumped his erection.

“Sori”

“Shit, I need you to come quickly”, Jungkook groaned as he rubbed his member against Sori's entrance. To Sori's displeasure, he didn't seem to be as much in a rush as she was, and all the ass-grabbing and slapping he was doing was starting to get on her nerves.

“Sori”.

Sori could feel the tip of Jungkook's dick on her entrance, just a second and she would finally be satisfied and that scratch inside her would finally be sated too. Shit, it had really been too long.

“Sori”. This time the “i” was dragged, which was quite weird considering the situation and that Jungkook was still Jungkook, but she decided to pay it no mind. She was finally about to be fucked right.

“Oh, shit, it smells awful in here, what the hell?”, came the loud complaint. Sori didn't even have the time to be surprised or hurt before a pillow hit her straight in the face. In a moment the furniture around her changed completely. Gone were the sofa and the big window, and in their place a bed and a her wardrobe came in Sori's sight line. Somehow, in spite of realizing she was only dreaming, Sori felt extremely confused and frustrated. Why did Baekhyun have to wake up her right at that moment? Couldn't he have waited five minutes more, for God's sake?! “Geez, girl, I get it, you need some dick, but damn it smells like shit in here”, Baekhyun proceeded to complain again as he made his way to open the window. Sori didn't even have to smell the air in her room to know it smelled like slick and sexual excitement in there. Lots and lots of happy pheromones everywhere. It was embarrassing to the point she was left speechless, not to mention that the fresh image of Jungkook ready to trust in her was painfully beautiful, and as reality started to sink in more and more, Sori found she was quite annoyed with Baekhyun too. Was it really too much for her to ask that they gave her the space she needed and deserved?

“You could have knocked, you know?”, she snapped while she was lifting her tired body from the bed. “What do you want?”. She combed the mess her hair had turned into with her fingers, hoping her appearance hadn't ruined her credibility.

“In fact I did knock, but you didn't answer me, and that's why I came in”, he justified himself, raising his hands in defense, “Don't look at me like that, I thought you were just sleeping! On that note, I just wanted to tell you dinner's ready, so maybe... wash yourself and come down, we're waiting for you to start eating”, and with a pained grimace, Baekhyun left the room.

Among all the things Sori really wanted to do at the moment, eating dinner was quite low in the list. Yes, sure, if she focused on her appetite, maybe a tiny bit of her felt like it, but the main thing in her mind was the distinctive feeling of Jungkook's hands on her hips and his erection rubbing against her ass. Oh, how much better it would have been had Baekhyun not woken her up.

In the past couple of days she had felt increasingly horny, but she hadn't gone this far yet, and honestly she didn't know if she liked where this was going. One side of her didn't really care if she was still lusting after Jungkook, in the end it was just a dream, her dream, and she didn't plan on informing anyone about it, so no one could judge her besides herself. Sure, Jungkook had hurt her so many times she had lost count, but if she was only seeing him in her dream and the man in her dreams was a sweet, caring man, did it really hurt to let herself go? It wasn't like she could control it anyways. On the other hand it surely felt like she was betraying herself. Hadn't she promised she would get over him? Hadn't she sworn not to allow herself to be bewitched by Jungkook? So why was she thinking about him again, wishing they could still be that intimate? Why couldn't she dream on another man? What did this say about her? It only made it worse that no matter how much she tried to slip away from the side effects of her dream, the thoughts were all pointing towards Jungkook once again. Both the sexual and the hurtful ones at that.

With a groan Sori finally decided she would have thought more about this later in the night, when no one could interrupt her speculations. And maybe she would have also checked out the sex shop online Narae had recommended her and praised shamelessly when she was still in the pack.

Chapter Text

"So, did you make up your mind?", Jongin, always the annoying one, asked for the ninth time.

"No"

"I don't get it, what's taking you so long?! You either go or you don't, it's not rocket science". It was a way too hot afternoon for Sori's liking, and Jongin was hell bent into annoying whomever had enough patience to stand his rambling for more than thirty seconds. Now it was Sori's turn. She had seen a murderous glare coming from Kyungsoo, but what could she do to stop him? If Jongin wanted to risk his life just for the sake of acting like a toddler, it was fine by her.

"Jongin, stop it", Minseok whined. He had been asking Sori the same question for the last two days, and in the last two hours he had decided to drive everyone insane by repeating the same question every five minutes. Ever since Sori had hinted about Narae's invite to visit her previous pack house, Jongin had been pushing Sori's patience like an hydraulic press, and he was just about to get a good beating from Kyungsoo.

"It's not my fault Sori is taking years just to make up her mind. It's not like there's a million different options. She either goes or she doesn't", Jongin shrugged, not in the slightest bothered by the mood of the rest of the pack. Sori couldn't really hold him accountable for his stupid behavior. She just couldn't phantom what it was like to be a baby in an old man's body. She stared at him as he played with his feet, that were resting an inch away from Sehun's face just to annoy him more.

"Lord save me", Sehun muttered under his breath before he turned to Sori. "Do you really have no idea? Have you thought about any possible scenarios? Because I've been thinking about inviting the members of BTS you haven't had the chance to meet ever since you joined us here, but I don't see that ending well". Sehun had been quite reserved as long as Sori had been in EXO, quite a drastic difference from the Sehun Sori had first met in the club. Still, it wasn't unpleasant spending time with him, and he could be quite funny although he was mostly a quiet person. He was a little bit weird aloof, but in a good way. From time to time he liked to flirt a little, but that was it.

"No, I just... I don't really want to think about it. I don't think I'm ready yet", Sori replied, barely moving her eyes from the screen of her phone. She had spent the whole afternoon reading Hoseok's texts from the day after she had been forced to leave the pack. It was a quite an interesting balance between apologizing and guilty tripping her at first, then it turned into a long complain about being him the only one she was ignoring, which wasn't even true, and then the messages merged towards telling her about his daily stuff and wondering about how and when they will meat again. At this point, Sori couldn't really say she was surprised by his behavior. More like she felt the stung of betrayal, but not enough to cause a reaction, or the will to text him back. So what if he thought she was wrong for trying to move one without clearing the air with them? Sori thought they were wrong too, just as much as they were convinced of the opposite. He was entitled to have his own opinion, and albeit she wanted to defend herself, she also strongly believe she owed him, or BTS in general, no explanation for her decisions. She had no obligation to explain what she felt and why, or even just to sit there and listen to their excuses. A part of her brain told her it was normal for her old pack to try and explain themselves, and that maybe if she were one of those who were left behind she would have liked to have the chance to apologize. Still, hadn't Namjoon always insisted she was free to do as she pleased? How come now they were trying to force their morals on her then?

"Why don't you meet in a cafe? That way you won't be stuck between a rock and hard place. Also, that way you would not feel threatened by having to stay in the pack house to talk with them, right?", Jongdae gave his two cents. Jongdae was quite perceptive, and if at first Sori had had the impression of a polite but silent man, she had then learnt, scream after scream, that he was a very passionate, clever and loud man, who enjoyed playing around even though he needed his alone time every now and then.

"Uhm, honestly, I don't know. I don't... like to eat in front of him", Sori carefully put down her phone, pretending not to notice the perplexed glances thrown in her direction. "Maybe... I could meet someone else before I try talking things out with him", she muttered. Actually, after the way Yoongi had behaved himself around her, Sori wasn't really sure she wanted to meet the rest of her ex-pack so soon. They weren't exactly bettering their image with their behavior.

"Then why don't we try and organize something with Narae, at least?", Chen asked, "I'm sure she will be able to give you an advice on whom or, eventually, if inviting another member of BTS to your little date might be useful". He was always calm, never speaking harshly or nonsensically, which made it quite hard for Sori to just refuse his suggestion again by making up some kind of bullshit. "If you organize it at time those you don't want to meet are busy, then you won't have to offer them any kind of explanation as to why you don't want to see them and they won't get the chance to act all offended", he shrugged.

"Yes, maybe...", she said absentmindedly. This one was absolutely a good idea, had it not been for how tired she was on a mental level she would have given it some thought right away.

"Come on, we are not sending you there alone, stop pouting!", Chanyeol whined, always the impatient one. "Pick a couple of us you want there, and let's get over with this". Albeit he had been kind of intimidating at the beginning, now Sori seemed to be able to get along with him quite easily. He was always very easygoing and gentle, not to mention that the intimidating appearance granted by his height was quickly ruined by his goofiness and clumsiness.

"It's just that, uhm, I don't really want to pick anyone over anyone else, honestly. If any of you are particularly curious about a BTS member, than... maybe I can ask Narae to bring them", Sori asked more than stated. Despite the awkward conversation, Sori wasn't really that bothered by EXO. It was quite difficult to phantom a good reason why a male wolf adult would be so openly interested into getting to know another male adult wolf they only, or mostly, only hear bad things about.

Honestly, Sori was actually finding it quite hard to focus on this whole discussion when she could feel the weirdest pressure on her lower belly. She had read about it, she had looked up other people's experiences too, just to make sure she had more points of view to analyze and understand her situation, yet now that she was experiencing this. It just felt weird and uncomfortable. Thank God she had read about it earlier on, otherwise she would have just believed there was something wrong with the baby. Heck, if this was what her uterus expanding felt like now, Sori really couldn't imagine what it would be like in the last weeks of pregnancy. Was there actually going to be a moment this pregnancy wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable?

The uncomfortable silence was stretching for more than Sori liked. It was getting painfully awkward, yet she couldn't manage to say anything to start a conversation and the others had finished all the possible small talk. They had assessed the weather a couple of times too.

How had Narae managed to convince her that meeting both Namjoon and Hoseok wouldn't be too bad? They had nothing to say, nor did she. They all just sat there in silence, which attracted the attention of the waiter, who could easy be seen scrutinizing their table from time to time. Who wouldn't find it weird if a bunch of people sat in a bar in complete silence for half an hour?

"So...", Junmyeon cleared his throat, trying to get the conversation going once again. Sori really wanted to help him, after all this whole situation was her problem to fix and handle, but she couldn't find it in her to say more than monosyllabic words every now and then to prove she was keeping a collaborative attitude. She was squeezed between Junmyeon and Baekhyun, and she was painfully aware of Hoseok's inquiring eyes fixed on her. She just wasn't brave enough to stare right back at him, moreover she was distracted by Jungkook's scent that seemed lo linger around the members of BTS. Had they purposefully kept close to him to make her smell his lingering scent? "Have you heard anything about the rogues?". Sori knew there hadn't been big attacks like the one on the Block B pack, but that didn't mean much. Chanyeol and Minseok had given her a brief explanation on how wolf wars happened in the last centuries or so, and it was a quite used tactic to hire a bunch of brainless rogues with the promise of giving them a good pay or a spot in the pack, and then let them to get destroyed by the packs they were ordered to attack, who were often ended up destroyed or heavily damaged themselves by the attacks. To Sori's knowledge, Minseok was the one who had fought the most wars between the members of EXO, as his family was part of a military group in a very old pack, and he basically told her he suspected someone had recruited those rogues, maybe by turning humans and have them attack other packs by following the good, old war style of wolves, and then they had lost control over the rogues which ended up in a series of uncoordinated attacks. Chanyeol had agreed with him and had added that the first few attacks were stronger because the group of rogues was still big and they were fighting together. Their hunch was that after having understood they wouldn't get what they had been promised, the rogues had made smaller alliances between themselves to get rid of the other rogues, and the latest attacks were the result of this situation. It was worrisome that the rogues had reached their lands, but at the same time they weren't as worried as they were before, because the groups of rogues were smaller, hence there wasn't going to be that much of a fight to kill them.

"Not much really, how about you?". It was all so formal and stiff. In the end she reckoned it was her fault such a big group had to meet up in a public place, because she had acted like a coward, but the others had no reason to act so stuffy, hence it wasn't totally her fault. Moreover, as long as Namjoon and Junmyeon kept talking no one was going to bother her with uncomfortable questions.

"Pretty much the same. We're going to meet with Jiho and some of his guys around next week and then he'll tell me if he knows more than we do. I think the government wasn't really happy about the attack and that whole mess. Jiho was worried they would get moved soon, and I have to say I agree with him, although I haven't seen him in a while...". It had been such an unfortunate episode for Block B. Not only were they attacked and lost some of the members of their pack so horribly, but the government had officially admonished them too. Kyungsoo had explained her that the government didn't like people who stepped out of their lines. An admonishment was already bad enough, because it meant they had caught the attention of the humans with their actions, and thus the government's. In their world people wasn't given many chances to clear their name. If the government decided you cause more problems than you were worth, you were going to die, one way or another. So, for the most part, people just complied when they were told to nicely. If Block B had, in fact, been admonished there were little chances for them to stay in their lands much longer. Not that it was necessarily something bad, but to move such a big pack without attracting too much attention, the procedure would have to be long and very well scheduled. They were probably going to be moved in some far away town and all their houses were going to be sold, so that the government could get rid of the houses that clearly had hosted weres and buy new ones in different areas of the town where people would have no suspects about their new neighbors.

"Did you go and try to track down those scents in the end?", Namjoon spoke directly to Sori for the first time ever since they had arrived. In BTS her ability to track preys had been highly considered, despite the poor training she had received. She had only improved her skills thanks to EXO who let her explore her capabilities and took the time to explain her the various and different techniques she could use to discover scents, along with having helped understanding and catalog each and every scent she could perceive. Thanks to the pregnancy her ability to track scents had received a big booster too, and now that she was training in better conditions and with the guidance of Jiho, together with the members of EXO, she felt more confident in her skills. Sure, she could agree with Junmyeon that BTS weren't necessarily acting against her or trying to make her feel useless, she could also somewhat agree that they were trying to protect her by not forcing any training on her, but she couldn't deny she felt way more satisfied with herself and her new, refined skills now than she had ever felt in BTS. She almost felt brave and independent, although Sori reckoned she still had a lot to do before she could define herself as an independent person.

"No, it had already been too long for her to be of any help to Jiho's pack, but Jiho promised he'll take her with him the next time he hears about one of the rogues so that she'll try and track him down", Junmyeon proudly answered in her stead. Was it too childish to keep letting, more like silently begging, Junmyeon to answer all the question asked to her so far?

"Good, I'm sure Sori will do a good job. Her capability of following scents is well known in our pack", Namjoon confidently stated, trying to make it clear that he still knew Sori better and he was still her alpha. To Sori in was both a pleasant and an unpleasant feeling. If on one hand he was still acting quite arrogantly, refusing to reckon Sori didn't belong to his pack anymore, on the other hand he was also silently stating his pack was not giving up on her. He looked a little too convinced Sori was going to go back to them, way more than Sori herself, in all honesty.

Hoseok looked a little bewildered, his mouth slightly curving downwards and his eyebrows raising in displeasure. He glanced at both Junmyeon and Namjoon before he spit out his opinion on the matter. "And you both agree this is a good idea?", he questioned, still clearly showing his uneasiness on the matter, "No one cares that she's pregnant?"

"And why would they decide anything that doesn't concern them in the first place? She's an adult, she gets to decide what she wants to do", Sehun sarcastically stepped in. This was unexpected. Sehun wasn't one to get involved in matters he could avoid. It was already surprising enough that he had decided to come along to the cafe!

“Do you realize they are the alphas for a reason, right? They get to make the calls on those beneath them and they have to think about the well being of the members of their packs even when the members themselves don't feel like taking care of themselves”, Hoseok's hostility was badly hidden. Probably because he didn't actually feel like hiding it. He had never shown much sympathy for them anyway, so Sori wasn't really surprised by this outburst. What she couldn't pinpoint was why he was there if he found EXO so annoying.

“Yes, yes, we've gone over this already. Your alpha, actually your whole pack, cared about Sori's health so much you decided to kick her out of the pack in the night, knowing there could be rogues around in you lands, who were probably planning an attack one of our packs, and without letting her take any of her belongings. Amazing choice, by the way. Now Sori gets to decide what she wants to do”, Sehun sassed again. Wow, that was hot. Okay, maybe the Sehun she had met that night was still there somewhere in the body of this manchild!

“We made a big mistake, but that doesn't change the fact that she will have to run under the sun and covered in fur. You know that's not good for her nor the baby, don't you?”, Hoseok tried again, gritting his teeth, doing his best to hold his ground without openly starting a fight. Surprisingly, Hoseok was putting more effort to keep the conversation going without make it escalate into an argument. At least she could appreciate his effort, and on this note, this was probably a good time to start speaking up for herself. Despite the undeniable fact that she didn't feel comfortable around BTS and she was still feeling betrayed and angry, she didn't want Sehun to ruin BTS and EXO's relationship just to defend her.

“Are you implying I would hurt my baby on purpose, Hoseok?”. Okay, maybe this wasn't the most peaceful way to add her two cents to the conversation, but it came out like that.

“What? No!”, Hoseok screeched outraged. “Why would I say that?! I'm just saying it's not good for the both of you to stay under the sun for a long time! It takes a while to track scents! You could be there for hours, what if you get dehydrated? I know you want to prove yourself, I'm just saying it could be dangerous!”, he ranted, shaking his head, “Man, why would you say something like that about me? I'm not perfect, but I'm not that much of a dick”.

“Okay, fine. It's just that Yoongi didn't seem to care that much about not acting like a dick, I'm sure he told you about it”. This was a total provocation. She was baiting his, waiting for him to make a mistake as she stared at him, eyebrows raised and judging expression full on. Okay, maybe she wasn't dealing with this the right way and hitting Hoseok where it hurt wasn't fair. How was he supposed to control another person's behavior when he wasn't even there in the first place? She knew she shouldn't have said it, she truly did, because Yoongi was always Hoseok's sore point, but now it was too late and the shock in her ex-pack mate's eyes was making it more that clear for her. Fine, she had messed up.

There was a long moment of silence in which, no doubt about it, Hoseok was carefully weighting his words to avoid detonating the bomb that sat at his table. Sori should have probably done the same thing, but alas...

“Yes, he told me about that, and he is very sorry, I have no doubt he will make it up to you soon”, Hoseok raised his hand to stop her from interrupting his speech, “You know how much I care about him and it saddens me to think you would use such arguments against me, but let me tell you that I am not hyung and as much as it pains me, I won't defend him. Today I came here because I wanted to see you with my own to eyes to make sure you are okay. I wanted to see if you were showing. I came here because I wanted to apologize for my behavior when, erm, you were sent away from the pack”, he stumbled on his words a little, “Today I absolutely wanted to come here and see you because you're not answering any of my texts and I wanted to know what you were up to. I wanted to know if you miss me as much as I miss you”. He ended his annoyingly formal speech in such a sweet way Sori was stunned. She needed more time to digest his words.

“What happened with Yoongi?”, whispered Sehun. Junmyeon elbowed him in the ribs, trying to get him to shut up.

“Actually, I would like to apologize in Yoongi's stead, Sori”, Namjoon directly addressed her for the first time ever since their little conversation at lunch in EXO's pack house. It was definitely weird to have this mixed up relationship with Namjoon, yet Sori didn't know how to mend it or even if they would ever be at peace again. It was undoubtedly sad, but also undeniably true.

“It's fine, you don't have to apologize for him”, Sori dismissed him right away, however they didn't seemed to be ready to just move on to the next topic yet.

“No, seriously, I'm so sorry he ruined such an important moment for you”. For the first time ever since the night before he kicked her out of the pack, Namjoon hesitantly moved his arm towards Sori with the obvious intention of touching her. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but the way he was slowly moving towards her made him look like someone who had to deal with a lunatic. Sure, at times she had acted like one, but was she really so aggressive they needed to move carefully around her not to trigger any reaction from her? “He briefly explained me why he said those things, and albeit I do understand where he was coming from, I also think he should have chosen a better moment to tell you his opinion and above everything else, he should have chosen a better approach to such a personal topic that doesn't involve him personally. I won't go further than this, because he told me he will talk with you in person as soon as he feels ready and you'll grant him another meeting, but I'm really sorry for what happened”. His warm hand on her shoulder felt weird. It was a completely new feeling, not because he had never touched her on her shoulders because, but because she had never experienced another situation in her life in which she held a position of power over someone else and she could decide where the conversation was going to go. They wanted her forgiveness and they were publicly humiliating themselves apologizing to a turned-were. They were the ones who had to hesitate to touch her in front of everyone. The were the ones admitting to missing her. For once it seemed like they really cared about her, and maybe she was just being delusional, but it was really satisfying. “About everything that happened between us all, I mean”. Dang it, he was going to make her cry. Was he being so open about his emotions because they didn't meet up in EXO's pack house?

“I also wanted to apologize for the way I behaved in the last days you spent with us. I had a lot of time to think it through and I... I'm ashamed of some of the things I told you”, Hoseok lowered his head, “I reckon I was jealous because you had new friends and I was afraid you would like them better than us. You looked like you were having a good time without us and it was easy for you to make friends and... yeah, I was annoyed because you clearly didn't need to lean on us anymore, or at least you didn't need us”. There was a shininess in his eyes that gave away how emotional he felt in that moment, and that image together with his words lifted some of the weight from Sori's chest. She had been feeling this huge pressure on herself ever since she had kissed Sehun, because she had noticed the way BTS looked at her afterwards, like somehow she had betrayed them and because of this she constantly felt like she had to make it up to them, to show them she was still loyal to the pack, no matter what happened with EXO. Hoseok had been one of those who had surprised her in a negative way during those last few days. He had always had a lot friends and he found it easy to see the good in people and get close to them. After having received his advice many time, Sori had finally decided to follow it and managed to get herself new friends and new support, but the one person who always encouraged her to give people a chance, to think about meeting new people in a positive way, was now mad at her exactly because of that. At last, she could finally take a deep breath and let herself relax a little. They knew now she had not been in the wrong for having made new friends. Or at least some of them did. “I know you can't forgive me yet, but I would like to meet you more often just... you know, I don't want to lose you. You are my friend, and I know I didn't treat you right, but I would like to make it up to you”, added Hoseok. Despite everything that happened between them, some things never changed. One of those was her admiration for Hoseok's ability to open up about his feelings without shame. She would have never found the courage to be as brave as he was being at the moment. Was Hoseok completely forgiven? No, obviously not, she couldn't just forget everything in a moment, however she could feeling deep in her heart that she would be able to forgive him as long as he didn't go back to his old ways. There had been a lot of positive moments with Hoseok before shit his the fan, and once again she was going to strive for positive energy. Hoseok had made an effort to reach out for her without giving up on her, albeit he had also said some pretty mean things at first, and he hadn't given up on her. He had insisted to get a chance to meet her in person again and Sori saw all this. She appreciated his efforts.

“Thank you”, was all she could say without giving in to her emotions. She didn't want to cry in public again, thus she had to keep herself together, but she wanted him to know she wasn't mad at him anymore. Perhaps Namjoon deserved some positive feedback too, however Sori didn't know how to reply to his apology. It wasn't like she hated him, because she didn't. She hadn't forgotten he had given her a home when nobody else had wanted her, without even asking that much from her. He had blindly trusted his mate and saved her from certain death. He had been there for her many times before, however she couldn't deny it still hurt her to remember the way he had looked at her that night. His words still haunted her from time to time, especially in the night. In spite of his effort, which she deeply appreciated, she couldn't grant him forgiveness the same way she did with Hoseok. Why? She didn't know, but she was going to follow her instinct.

Hoseok grabbed her hand above the table and squeezed her fingers a little, then he let go of her hand to dab at his wet eyes. Junmyeon gently leaned on her shoulder and smiled at her. It would have been comforting had it not been for the smug smirk on his face. She could almost hear him saying “see? I was right! I knew you were going to feel better after having a nice chat with them!”. Sehun rolled his eyes lightly before he went back to his bubble tea.

“So, uhm... since we were talking about the rogues, in two weeks we're meeting up with BlockB and iKon to catch up and train. We would like you to come!”, Narae finally took it on herself to get the conversation going again. “I mean, both you and EXO obviously”, she specified when Namjoon kicked her on her shin under the table.

“I will take you up on you offer”, Junmyeon answered right away. As he sipped his coffee, Sori had the distinct impression he was trying to make this informal meeting last a little longer. “I haven't seen iKon in a while and I'm really curious of your reaction once you'll see how much Sori has improved ever since she joined us”. Bragging once again. This man was always bragging. Why was he so sure Sori was going to the training session? She hadn't even given it a thought!

“Yes, I would really like to see Sori's improvement”, Hoseok cheerily added himself to the conversation once again. “You'll come, right?”. Don't look at him. Don't look at him. One look at Hoseok's hopeful expression and Sori knew her resolution would have crumbled. She didn't want to be swayed towards any decision she hadn't thought through carefully. As of now, she didn't feel ready to meet anyone else from BTS so soon. She was going to take her time talking with Narae and Hoseok to get more comfortable with them and give herself time to forgive and forget. Ever since she had started swapping clothes with Jungkook she didn't feel that kind of anger or frenzy to just do whatever as long as it helped her release some tension, so she could earn herself more time to put off the meeting with Jungkook. She had had an idea about their meeting, and she pretty sure it would work better than any of the ideas the others had had so far, but she was going to stick to her plan as much as possible. Moreover, would it really be of any use to see them again if she wasn't going back to their pack? What for? She didn't say it out loud, but the thought crossed her mind.

“I'm not sure, Hoseok”. Sori spoke without lifting her eyes from the table, but she still managed to catch Hoseok's startled gasp at his full name. “I'll consider it, but don't take it as given”. For the first time that evening Sori swallowed her pride and added: “It gives me anxiety to meet you, and I can only say I will try not to hold what happened over your heads, but I will need time to get over it. So far I think I've made the right choice by only meeting up with a couple of you without having the others around. Since it's working I think I'll keep just... you know, doing the same thing and we'll see where it goes from here”. It was so scary to talk about her feelings so openly. If there was one thing Jungkook had in common with her was exactly that. They didn't talk about feelings, they didn't even mention feelings.

“Oh, okay then”, Hoseok sounded a little bit disappointed, but he hid it well with his next words, “can I call you tomorrow? I want to talk with you some more but I'm afraid I will overwhelm you”. He had always been clever. This Hoseok sounded more like her usual Hobi than the Hoseok she had faced around a month ago. She preferred the soft one so much better. He had chosen a new path to follow as soon as he saw one and it was also something Sori could go along with.

“Sure, why not?”. It was easy talking with this Hoseok. Somehow Sori couldn't help feeling nostalgic. She hadn't been treated right, but sometimes she missed the times before this whole mess, before Minyoung joined BTS. Back then things had been going so smoothly for her, even if she felt left out and there were some misunderstandings and a couple little disagreements now and then. How had everything gone wrong? She couldn't help but wonder whether she would have been able to fit in had her attitude had been more similar to the one she was having now, rather than the submissive one she had always had when she was in BTS.

“Come on, Hobi, let's bring Sori Kookie's clothes”, Namjoon patted Hoseok on the shoulder as he stood up from his chair. Sori knew their little meeting was over, and for the first time she felt a pang of longing for her room in BTS' house. She thought with nostalgy about the night spent commenting trash shows with Hoseok and Jin... what was Jin even up to these days? She missed the scent of that house and that pack, but she knew she was going back to EXO, who had given her protection and put a new roof over her head when she had nothing left. For the first time Sori felt like she had a lot of people that actually cared about her.

"I just don't get it", Minyoung finally spat out. She had spent half of the time she was supposed to be watching a movie with Jimin and Taehyung sighing and rolling around on the sofa and scoffing. The two had a hunch about what was bothering her, but preferred to let her be. The pack had finally calmed down and everyone admitted their wrong doings against Sori. Everyone but Minyoung. Somehow, she just couldn't get out of the optic of the superiority of born werewolves, and that made it hard to realize her mistakes. Not that they were insinuating Minyoung could have possibly hurt Sori that much in the few months the two girls had lived under the same roof, but saying she could have done better to get along with Sori would be an understatement.

"What?", Taehyung mumbled as he kept chewing on his popcorn, not bothering to face her. He was actually starting to get annoyed by her continuous noises and her fretting. The movie had some potential and he might even have enjoyed it had he had the chance to hear the dialogues over Minyoung's sighs. Moreover, lately he had begun blaming a big part of the mess with Sori on Minyoung. Perhaps he was being biased, but a good part of it could be pinned on her in his opinion. Jungkook had changed after her arrival and sure, there had been thing he needed to work out with Sori even before she joined the pack, but her constant comments about Sori being a turned-were and the general constant reminder about all the prejudices about turned-weres still quite share by a good part of in their society had done some pretty serious damage to the pack's relationships.

"Just... ugh, why are you all so interested in her?", she huffed, sitting up to stare at Taehyung, "Why do you allow her to do as she pleases?". She was back at it. Taehyung almost rolled his eyes at her words, but kept his composure, not even glancing in her general direction.

"Why wouldn't we?", he once again gave her the shortest answer he could master without being our-right rude. He was feeling moody and she was getting on his nerves. While he openly admitted he had his faults previously, he felt like blaming her today, so Minyoung only had one thing to do before hell broke lose: shut up. With the corner of his eye Taehyung caught the way Jimin glanced at him, yet he mentally shrugged. If Jimin wanted to be all friendly and shit with her all he had to do was speak in his stead. It was that easy, honestly.

“But why?", she put some strength behind those words, as if she was really trying to understand what was going on with this pack. "If you want her back that badly just order her to, also there are so many of them, is she even essential to the pack? You all are acting like the world is about to fall apart because she left when she couldn't even do anything to make herself useful to the pack!". Oh, man, why had this dumb girl decided to piss Taehyung off today of all days, when he was already upset because he didn't get to go to the meeting with their alpha and Hoseok. Just why.

"Because she's her own person", some more impatience flew in Taehyung's voice, and he knew he was about to say something he shouldn't.

“She doesn't need to be useful to be part of the pack”, Jimin muttered under his breath, not wanting to take part to the conversation, yet still feeling like correcting Minyoung.

"But she's a turned werewolf!", she insisted. At this point Taehyung was pretty sure she was trying to start a fight. Hadn't he been clear enough he didn't want to talk at the moment? Hadn't she understood that any remark about Sori's nature wasn't going to be accepted from the pack anymore? Maybe she was trolling him. She had to be.

"And?". Minyoung glared at him, scoffing openly in annoyance. To her it made no sense. If they wanted a turned-were they could have it! For god's sake, they could even make their own turned if they felt like it. They only had to go around a bit in the neat towns and bite an hobo outcast. Nobody was going to punish them for it.

"And if what Namjoon said it's true, she was never actually kicked out of the pack, then all he has to do is order her to come back. And maybe, finally, Jungkook will pull his head out his ass", she said, clearly annoyed and put out by the idea. "I swear, I never saw a born werewolf act like that for a turned. What would his family say if they were to discover this whole mess? He doesn't even try to hide it, it's pathetic". She genuinely sounded perplexed, like she actually believed in everything she said and none of that made sense to her. After all when you grow up in a pack in which he alpha has no problem to order a turned-werewolf to lick his shoes it must be hard to understand the concept of "free will". Or maybe she was annoyed because Jungkook hadn't reacted the way she had expected him to. After all she was interested in him, they all could see it, but to Taehyung it didn't seem like she was actually interested in Jungkook, not in the way Sori cared about him at least.

"He can't just order her to come back!", Jimin finally spoke up, his outrage was easy to understand for Taehyung. "That would only make her hate us more!"

"Okay, and?", she shrugged, "It's not like she can resist Namjoon's orders. Once she'll be back here she'll get over it, and if she won't then you can apologize or whatever and with time things will go back to how they were", Minyoung said in a very "duh" voice. Such an expert in pack boundaries.

"You do realize that you are a big part of the problem, right?", Taehyung firmly and very sarcastically asked her. He had reached his limit. He was done. For a moment Minyoung looked at him like he had suddenly grown two more heads, than she chuckled.

"I am the problem? Since when whatever happens in the pack is my fault?", disbelief was written all over her face.

"Since you made yourself comfortable in a new pack acting the same as you did before, probably", Taehyung deadpanned. Jimin elbowed him in the ribs, but Taehyung pretended not to notice. He was fed up with this whole bullshit and now Minyoung was going to get whatever came out of his mouth, because he had given her the chance to shut up and she hadn't taken it.

"That's not what he means", Jimin intervened, always the people pleaser, "He just wanted to say that the way you talk about her and refer to her are not correct". Jimin was already making some weird gestures with his hands, clearly letting everyone know he was uncomfortable with the situation. Jimin knew Taehyung well enough to be painfully aware shit was about to hit the fan, hence why he had taken it upon him to act mature and spare the pack some more drama.

"Yeah, sure, whatever”, she scoffed, “ I barely even spoke with her, don't try to push your shit on me. And since when saying the truth equals to being a problem?", she stood up from the sofa, giving him her full attention. "And what's wrong with calling her what she is? She's a turned, isn't she?". Minyoung was turning red, and Jimin was starting to realize they were about to see a side of her they hadn't seen yet. Damn, he was pretty sure he was about to stop liking Minyoung. "It your fault if she doesn't know her place, not mine for speaking the truth. Be real. Had she been in another pack she would have been a slave or a whore, that's the way it is, get over it. That's how things are, and you won't change the real word by pretending things are different here. Do you think I don't know what Jungkook uses her for? Do you think I didn't see how you all ignore her? And why do you do that? Because she is inferior, that's why. Stop acting all woke and open minded, and face the truth", she spat. And that was around when Taehyung had enough. Jimin eyed him with worry written all over his face, but... yeah, well, he couldn't blame him anymore. Whatever Minyoung got from that moment on was completely her fault and he was not going to defend her.

"You really need stop being a bitch. You are just a classist snob, we know it already, no need to highlight it even more. Also, being an asshole doesn't mean you're being honest, but I guess when your I.Q. is that low the easiest things can be quite tricky". And that was it. Boom. As of now, Jimin didn't know how he was going to fix this mess, still he was going to enjoy it as long as he could. "By the way, turned werewolves aren't used as slaves or prostitutes by any modern and intelligent pack, so you have to chose if you'd rather think your father's pack is old-fashioned or just full of ignorant dickheads. You talk a lot about Sori for someone who thinks she's so much better than her. Does it bother you that much that Jungkook likes her better?". There it was. Taehyung's fake innocent expression had come to life and now there was no controlling what came of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, what?". Minyoung's eyebrows were about to break her hairline and get stuck in the back of her head, but the most dangerous thing what the way her veins that were pulsating on her neck, clearly showing her rage.

"I said stop being a bitch and shut up. You are not Buddha, don't put yourself on the pedestal of wisdom. Stop acting morally superior when we both know you're just jealous", Taehyung repeated slowly, not even bothering to raise his voice. Than he turned his head towards her and went on with his speech, as if Jimin wasn't pinching the shit out of his hip. "Do you think we don't know all the bullshit you've been spewing to Jungkook ever since you arrived? Do you think I didn't notice you tried isolating Sori on purpose? Do you think I didn't notice you constantly planting the seed of doubt about Sori and her her being a turned wolf just because it would suit it better if we turned the pack in a carbon copy of your old pack? Tell me, do you have some hidden agenda? What's do you want from us? Because you clearly don't belong to our lifestyle and you're not making any effort to change your outdated views. Maybe you want to tie yourself to Jungkook to ensure some allies for you old pack? Or maybe you just want an ally to prove your way of thinking is right?". This time Taehyung spoke staring right at Minyoung's eyes, allowing himself to phrase each sentence in a more derisive way.

"You know what? Fuck you and fuck that turned bitch too. I will let Namjoon know that apparently I'm the reason behind all this pack's problems". Minyoung was trembling in rage. She didn't look like someone who was used to being openly confronted the hard way. She seemed more like the type of person who would just say whatever she was thinking and then blame it on anyone else. She kinda seemed like a backstabber too. Oh, well, Taehyung wasn't satisfied just yet.

"Thanks", he grinned, going back to watch the movie. The silence didn't last long, but whatever, at least he wouldn't have to hear Minyoung's annoying sighs again for a while.

"Why did you do that?", Jimin groaned, rubbing his face. "Fuck, Namjoon is going to kill us"

"Namjoon can suck my dick for all I care, if he steps up to defend her. She got what she asked for", Taehyung shrugged carelessly. Jimin groaned again and hit him on the chest. "Yah! I was warning her and she kept going, how is it my fault? It's not like he would have liked it if he heard her talking about Sori like that. He's putting all that effort to bring her back, and that bitch keeps badmouthing Sori for no reason. I don't care. She can leave if she doesn't want to adapt”

Jimin eyed him with an incredulous expression, and then stood up from the couch. He left the room right after having said: "Whatever. We were finally having some peace and quiet, and you had to go and ruin it. Useless drama just for the sake of it". He kept mumbling as he went to kitchen, too far and too lowly for Taehyung to catch his words. Finally Taehyung could enjoy his movie.

Jungkook opened the ninth blog about turned werewolves, and suddenly closed his laptop out of frustration. He had been looking for way to improve himself to be worthy of Sori's time to just let her... consider giving him another chance, and he was starting to lose his faith.

He had bought an air freshener that smelled just like Sori's favorite body soap, but it wasn't enough to help him calm down. Nothing was enough to help him calm down at this point.

First of all, he had no idea of how to work on himself on his own. All these blogs kept spewing shit about "recognizing we all have some internalized stereotypes", why we don't realize it, and how you should try and stop thinking whenever you realize you're judging something from the perspective of your prejudice, and bla, bla, bla, whatever. They were all wasting his time: he already knew he fit perfectly in the way they description of a person with a lot of prejudices. He read through all these blogs and all his attention had focus on the things that proved he was right about himself. There was nothing on how to eradicate those prejudices from your mind. Wasn't it stupid to keep wasting his time like that? What if after all of this Sori didn't want him back in her life? What if his improvement wasn't enough for her? What if she ended up giving him a second chance just to be disappointed in how little he had moved on from his original opinion?

It wasn't like he thought the way he was raised was right, but his education was still that and, despite his efforts, some of those beliefs now belonged to him and getting over them was hard. It was way easier to just step back into his comfort zone and pretend he wasn't the one in the wrong.

He had also tried reading blogs written by turned werewolves about their experiences, but he could only relate to them up to a certain point. He just couldn't completely sympathize with them, he couldn't understand their point of view and the more he read the more it felt like people like him were always the bad guy in these stories, always the one on the aggressor's side, the less he could bring himself to go on reading. Was he really like that? Hadn't he given Sori a lot of advices on how to behave to give people a better impression of herself? Sure, his advices had not been required, but he didn't necessarily mean them in a negative way like they always made it seem. From time to time he felt like leaving a comment saying that from his perspective many of those stories were just over analyzed and only taken from the perspective of a turned werewolf, but what was the point of doing that? Getting banned from those blogs too, so that he's lose his few chances to learn freely? Were they even actually fake? He couldn't be sure.

Moreover, reading those blogs had him feeling like he was suffocating. Albeit the blogs were mostly about the experiences of all these turned-weres, it felt like they were all directly accusing him. And if many of the stories narrated shortly about the toxic episodes they experienced as turned-weres, to Jungkook it felt like for him it was toxic to read them. Not all born-werewolves were like the ones they were describing. There was good people among them. A lot of good people who would never do any of the things they experienced.

However, from those author's point of view, the things he said were considered "abusive", but how could he control that? How could he take them back now that he had already said them? Was there a chance he would one day beat up Sori, the way some of those blogs described, because he had been taught she was inferior to him? On his mind, on his soul, Jungkook felt like he would never do that, especially not to Sori, but if he had said so many abusive things already, how could be sure he wouldn't end up becoming one of those people these blogs talked about?

The more he read them, the more he wanted to shout "I was raised like that, I just can't help it!", and then he felt like an hypocrite. He sure had been raised like that, but why had it been so easy to treat Sori normally before Minyoung arrived? What had changed afterwards? Jungkook knew the answer to that. He had felt the need to prove himself worthy of his "born-werewolf" status, and Sori was an obstacle. He needed to show Minyoung he was still on the "right" side, the side of the old, rich families of born-weres, the same ones who changed humans because they needed more slaves and sex slaves to make money easily and keep their power. Jungkook had wanted to prove her he was still one of them. Just realizing why he had changed towards Sori made him inwardly cringe and want to cry. His behavior reminded him so much of his father's and he didn't want to be like him. He never wanted to be like his father in any way, but he could see the similarities between them: they both enjoyed money and the idea of power, they love a specific type of women and faithfulness wasn't an habit of theirs, the were both verbally abusive... wasn't it too close to the bad wolves all those blogs were about? Jungkook didn't have to try too hard to imagine his father being one of those rapists or one of those brutes who left half dead turned-weres in middle of the street after having given them a good beating. He could imagine it as if it was an actual memory of his.

The idea of something like that happening to Sori angered him to the point he wanted to break something, but even then there wasn't much he could do. He couldn't even guarantee that he could be the best candidate to protect Sori.

Namjoon had suggested he booked a session with a psychologist to learn better how his mind worked, however Jungkook had strongly opposed. Psychologists weren't for him. The thing he needed the least was for Sori to learn he was seeking some kind of help from a psychologist and that she would just assume he was definitely losing his mind or that he was dangerous and cut him off. He was already cut off enough from her life, no need for more evidence against him served to Sori on a silver plate. He just needed to be strong. He had to show her he was able to protect her. No one liked weak, pathetic man, and he there was one things he didn't question about the way he was raised up was the fact that he should show any sign of weakness. People who know about your weakness can attack you and hurt you, weak people gets pushed around, and weak man are disgusting. He was told so enough times to have it burned in his brain for the rest of his days.

So now what? Jungkook couldn't imagine a way he could work his way back in Sori's life. He just didn't have the ability of worming himself back into her life. Not that anyone would allow him to get close to her in any kind of way. Both EXO and BTS seemed hell bent in keeping him as far from her as they could, and in the mean while he was losing his time ans well as the chance to see his baby grow too. He was losing the chance to see Sori's body change thanks to the baby he had put in her. He was losing the chance to help her with whatever she needed, the chance to be the one she leaned on, the chance to keep her company during the times she felt lonely... he was just losing her, while that Sehun was going to be there for her.

For a moment Jungkook forced his brain to stop working, and hid his face in his elbow He just wanted a moment of silence.

Soon. Narae had assured him he would get his turn to meet Sori soon, she just didn't know when, but she had insisted he had to get ready for that moment. He had to make a good impression on Sori, so that she would seriously take in consideration going back to their pack. Although Narae had also told him that it was possible that his child would have to grow up in a larger family than most kids, meaning Sori had no intention of coming back. At least Narae was pretty sure that Sori would have allowed him to meet up with his child even if she didn't allow him back in her life anymore.

With a groan Jungkook grabbed Sori's shirt and opened his laptop again and begun reading blogs again. His scent was enough to give him the energy he needed to proceed with his researched in spite of the rocky future he envisioned for the two of them.

In the meanwhile he also googled up some methods to get over his trauma.