As Mingi strolled through his territory to go and retrieve Yeosang's god forsaken pickles, he backtracked to the thought of his precious mate.

The night they mated, Mingi never felt a connection deeper then what he experienced with Yeosang. He never had a  good relationship with his parents, the constant pressure of being the oldest son and upholding the family name always a burden on him. But with Yeosang, he never once mentioned his heritage, he simply wanted to be close to him and be his friend when they were young.

But as the two of them grew older, and feelings started to surface with small acts of flirting, rumors started to bubble. Many people in the pack started to assume Yeosang was after the Song name, and Mingi snarled at anyone who he saw shooting Yeosang dirty looks when they would go into the market together.

Mingi hated his pack town with a passion, the fashion at what they treated omegas was disgusting, and every time Mingi went to bed and heard the cries of the abused omegas, he clenched his fist at the thought of his head alpha allowing and even encouraging this mistreatment.

And when the time finally came for Yeosang's parents to decide he would mate someone that wasn't Mingi, the pair went ballistic. Mingi begged his parents to let him court Yeosang, but the Songs were a family of strong alphas and betas, they'd never allow Mingi to mate a delicate omega like Yeosang.

Yeosang's chosen mate, a narcissistic alpha named Mino, was not thrilled about his future mate at all. The very first day they meet, Yeosang didn't 'address him probably' and smacked him across the room in anger.

So later that night, when Yeosang knocked on Mingi's window with a swollen cheek and tears streaming down his face, he did what he had too. They mated, and even though it was rushed and unexpected, Mingi never felt more complete then when he held Yeosang in his arms and cleaned the fresh mark on his neck.

When they soon realized the severity of their forbidden mating, Mingi packed everything in his room they thought they would need and stole money from his family safe. Yeosang said he didn't want to take a single thing from this pack, and they ran, their black and dark brown coats protecting them from alerting anyone that they were escaping in the night. Mingi entrusted the help of his trusted friend Daehyun, a gate guard, to let them pass and act as if he's never seen them leave.

They travelled for weeks, until Yeosang started to feel ill and they had to slow down, but his wolf quickly told him what was wrong.

He had fallen pregnant from their first time together, and they both agreed that it was a blessing from the moon goddess and a sign they were meant to be together.

Around Yeosang's third month, Mingi encountered unclaimed territory and sighed in relief. He has felt awful that he had to make his now pregnant mate travel so much, but they had to get as far away from that place as possible.

But Mingi jumped on top of Yeosang to protect him when two unknown wolves also entered the territory. It was a alpha, a little on the smaller side, and a larger beta.

Mingi's alpha instincts immediately went into overdrive, and him and the new alpha started to become territorial, Yeosang doubled over and gasped in pain, and Mingi immediately snapped out of it and attended to his mates needs.

Even after their rocky start, The four of them eventually learned of each other's past and become one pack, with Mingi leading and Hongjoong second in charge.

And even after all this time, their silly arguments and sleepless nights wondering if they'd be caught, Mingi still loves Yeosang just as much as the first day they mated.

As Mingi continues to walk through his territory, lost in thought of his precious Sangie, the hackles on the back of his neck stand and as his nostrils flare as he catches scent of someone close the border.

Soyeon.

There's no missing that strong smell of ginger, and Mingi growls as he sees the lioness walk from behind a tree. Even though she's alone, Mingi would never let his guard down around her.

They stare at each other for a few minutes before Soyeon finally shifts, pulling on a long dress as Mingi does the same, putting on shorts instead.

"What the hell do you want, I haven't touched your precious forest, so what made you decide to come onto my territory?" Mingi crosses his arms as he stares the lioness down, and Soyeon narrows her eyes as she places a hand on her hip.

"You may not have touched my forest, but others of your kind have. What's the reason of other wolves poking around my land?"

The realization dawns on Mingi that the Blue Star guards must be searching everywhere for Seonghwa and Wooyoung, he should have known they wouldn't just let their heir go.

"Regardless of what you think, they're not from my pack. They searched my territory as well, and I sent them away when they didn't find what they wanted."

Soyeon runs a hand through her blonde bob as she sighs, "I have cubs and a mate at home. An entire pride I have to protect. If they're in danger I need to know. You may hate me with earnest, and trust me I return the feelings, but are these wolves dangerous then I want to know what I'm up against."

Mingi's heart clenches at the thought of these wolves hurting anyone, especially children, no matter what race they are, and he sighs defeated as stares at the ground. "I have no idea what they're capable of. And I'd rather not know, so the only thing I can tell you to do is be careful."

Soyeon frowns as she turns her back to Mingi. "Fine then. I'll take my leave." Mingi watches her back as she shifts, and with a flick of her tail the lioness disappears into the trees.

Mingi sighs, undressing and shifting as well as he continues his mission to get Yeosang his pickles.

•••

"Everyone, we have something we want to announce." Hongjoong gleams with pride as him and Yunho stand in the living room in front of the pack, everyone listening closely to what they have to say.

A few months after Mingi's encounter with Soyeon, nothing drastic has affected the pack house lately. At nine months, Yeosang can pop any day now, and Mingi's instincts have been in overdrive everyday.

Wooyoung and Seonghwa have quietly taken over the duties of caring for the house to keep Yeosang off his feet, and San and Jongho go on more patrols around the territory to give Mingi time to tend to his mate.

But Yunho hasn't been feeling well the past few weeks, so everyone listens closely as they sit and wait for their speak.

Yunho clears his throat, and reaches down to grab Hongjoong's hand as he looks at his six pack members.

"Well..Me and Hongjoong just find out something exciting today. It turns out I've been feeling sick because..I'm pregnant."

There's a beat of silence, and then the house erupts into a frenzy of congratulating and happy squealing from the omegas.

Wooyoung throws himself into Yunho's arms, congratulating the expecting couple as Seonghwa tries to pull the screeching omega off Yunho.

Even the alphas start happily giving out hugs and congratulations, but Mingi immediately senses when Yeosang strays away from the group and goes to check on his mate.

"Sangie? What's wrong? Another Braxton Hick?"

Yeosang goes to shake his head yes, but he gasp and grabs onto Mingi for support when he feels liquid gush out of him. The group behind them had caught onto Yeosang's distressed scent, and Seonghwa covers his mouth as he sees the pregnant omega's now soaked pants.

"M-My water just broke..M-Min.." Yeosang gasp as Mingi picks the startled omega up, carrying him to their room as he talks to his pack to get supplies for the baby.

As Mingi lays his mate on the nest Yeosang made especially for this moment, the omega cries out as a contraction hits him full force.

"Start timing his contractions, the closer they start back to back means he's gonna be ready to push." Wooyoung says to Mingi as he tells the alphas what to get for the birth.

"Have you done this before, Woo?" Mingi hesitantly ask the busy omega.

"I have actually, but only once." Wooyoung says as he places a cold washcloth on Yeosang's forehead.

Soon, the contraction dissipates, and Yeosang sighs as he relaxes into the pillows behind him.

An entire day passes before Yeosang's contractions become five minutes apart, and the poor omega is behind exhausted.

Mingi stays by his mates side the entire time, switching out his clothes and giving him belly and back rubs to try and help with the pain.

"Alright, Sangie you need to start pushing." The words cut through Yeosang like a knife, and he sobs as he tries to push but falls back with a huff.
"I-I can't.."

Wooyoung yells for Seonghwa, and Mingi starts to whisper words of encouragement into his omegas ear as Yeosang catches his breathe.

"Mingi, hold one of his knees back, Seonghwa you hold the other." Both do as instructed, and Wooyoung tells Yeosang to push again.

"You can do it Sangie, Push!"

Yeosang cries out as he pushes with all his strength, his insides feeling like they were being pushed out of his body.

"I can see the head, don't stop now!" Wooyoung places his hands to catch the baby's head as Yeosang pushes again, the head popping out shortly after.

"Give me one good push to get the shoulders out and I can do the rest for you, Yeosang!"

Yeosang screws his eyes shut and screams as he gives the final push, the shoulders popping out and Wooyoung grabbing the baby to pull him out.

Mingi and Seonghwa let go of his knees to let the omega rest, Yeosang panting and feeling his slightly smaller tummy. A smile crosses his face when he hears his baby cry, and Mingi gives him a kiss on his cheek as he praises him.

Once Wooyoung gets the baby cleaned and has Mingi cut the cord, he guides Yeosang through the afterbirth, and the exhausted new mother finally gets to hold his son.

"He's perfect, Min.." Yeosang can feel tears in his eyes as he studies the tiny human in his arms. He looks like an exact copy of Yeosang, but he inherited Mingi's eyes, nose and lips. He even has a birthmark underneath his eye, but on his right eye instead of the left.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung smile at the new parents from the corner of the room, the two shortly leaving to give them time alone with their new baby.

Mingi leans down to shove his nose in his son's black hair, muttering to Yeosang and his child.

"Welcome to the pack, little Archer."

***
Written by sueoku