JIMIN POV:

It hurts to see (Y/N) and not know. Not know for certain whether or not she's mated. If she is then it means we've been unknowingly denying her biological and instinctual need to be close to her mate. We've been denying her of that wholeness, that fulfilment that came with being with mates. If she was mated then the situation was a lot worse then we'd thought, because even if she was under protective detail, separated from her pack- we needed to find a way, needed to arrange something that would allow her to meet them, allow her instincts to be settled and soothed.

And it would make me a terrible friend if I thought that just being there for her was enough, if I thought that our company could ease away that gnawing feeling of mate separation. I couldn't compensate for that emptiness even if I wished to do something about it, I couldn't fill that hollowness, couldn't substitute for that need for someone her body and mind craved the closeness to.

And yet. And yet a part of me clung onto that miniscule possibility, hope that she wasn't mated. Though it sounded selfish even to myself but I clung onto that small probability because it would make things a lot easier, it would ease the burden that bore down even more heavily on Joon hyung's shoulders. It would make the pack who were looking so dejected and morose at the prospect of a separated mate cheer up and not seem so wounded at the mere mention of her the next few days following Yoongi hyung's revelation.

What was worse that I couldn't bring myself to ask. Couldn't bring myself to just slot it in to our early morning walks and late evening car talks. Felt selfish for wanting to keep those moments to myself, for wanting to cherish those moments of unguarded happiness, of her talking to me without those walls she'd once enforced around her. I couldn't see the way she smiled at me, voice soft as she asked about my day, seeming so content and satisfied after work and then ask her how she was coping without her mate. It felt wrong to. Wrong to ask. And wrong to think that if I didn't ask, the issue wouldn't be real, her mate couldn't be manifested into something we'd have to deal with.

But deep down I knew it had to be done. That the potential possibility had to be either confirmed or denied. I needed an answer. Needed to know whether the lack of claiming marks and scent on her was because she wasn't mated or because of her profession, because she didn't carry her own scent let alone her mate's.

I had to ask her. I had to know.

And yet as I see her stepping out of the care centre, wrapped up in a coat and thick scarf, see the way her doe eyes light up and know that even if I can't see her lips from where her face is burrowed into, I know they're turned up by the way her cheeks shift and bunch, I can't ask.

Can't dampen that smile.

"How's your day been Jiminie?" she asks as she settles into the passenger seat, buckling up before turning to look at me. I see her hands hidden by the sleeves of a large sweater move to push the scarf down, revealing that she had been smiling.

I smile back.

"We've been running surveillance and I was interviewing some of the people who live around the area Min-Jun was found." I say, watching as her ears twitch and flicker, see the way she leans in, eyes wide as she looks expectantly at me.

"Did you find out anything that could help Min-Junnie?" she asks.

This close and I should be able to detect her scent, should be able to detect the tell-tale signs that pheromones silently gave off.

But nothing. A blank wall.

Nothing that screamed (Y/N). Just the usual mixture of something I'd grown to recognise as clingy, cuddly bear hybrid and the mixture of scents her glands must've picked up during the day. That and the fruity floral smell of the products she used. But nothing that was her natural scent, nothing that was intrinsically her.

I wish I knew what her scent was. Wish that I could tell exactly how she was doing before I even asked.

But we didn't always get what we wish for.

And I sigh as I twist to face the front.

"That bad then?" (Y/N)'s subdued voice breaks me out of my thoughts, and belatedly I realise what my sigh must've sounded like to her question.

My head jerks to the side.

"No...it's not that, it's just..." I begin but her smile's drooped downwards into a dejected frown. Hands fiddling with the edge of the large sleeves. Sleeves that belonged to a jumper far too big for her, the size and fit for a broader size.

Her mate's?

"Your mintiness has gone a bit sharp. Guess it's bad enough." She murmurs.

But the eyes that meet mine are fiery and determined.

I knew if I could smell her scent it would be strong and heavy in this moment.

"But we'll get there. Min-Junnie will have a happy ending if it's the last thing I do." She says, tone strong and unrelenting.

I smile at her.

Ears perking up and tail shifting at how assured she sounds.

"We will. Everyone deserves a happy ending." I say, bolstered by her words.

Even you.

Especially you.

She smiles at me, nodding along in agreement.

And as we begin the drive back, I see that smile fade, see her face shutter and turn silently thoughtful, dwelling over something.

Her head turns to face out the window and when I glance at her, her expression is longing and pained, eyes unable to tear away from the sight of the world passing us by, of the vibrantly lit shops and the crowds of people wandering around.

A normalcy that was taken from her.

"Something on your mind (Y/N)?" I ask, tail restlessly moving, ears drooping as I look at her, read her emotions and the way that her hurts seem to be bottled up, always contained within herself.

Did she feel as if she couldn't express herself? Did she not feel comfortable enough in sharing?

Her eyes turn away from the window, seem to hold the lights of the city in them, a soft warm glow in the depths of them as she faces me, her own ears curved inwards and drooped.

Her leg which perhaps she hadn't even realised had been restlessly shifting and bouncing.

Restlessness.

"Just wondering...how my pack is doing. There's only so much that video calls can show." She confesses, surprising me by not being silent but confiding in me.

My heart both warms and aches. Warms and softens because she trusts me to share this vulnerability, this hurt of feeling that disconnection, this separation from her pack. And aches because of how much it must be bothering her to finally say it, that ache because in that pack it includes her potential mate, that someone who means everything to her.

That someone I don't even know and yet I feel my instincts shift uneasily at the thought of.

"It might be a bit difficult, we'll have to sort through a bit of stuff. But let's try and get you to meet them, I know it's anything but easy to be parted from...pack." I hedge tentatively, losing resolve at the last moment to mention her mate.

The responding look she gives me is dazzling, soft and bright and radiant. Nodding eagerly, hair dislodged and falling around her face, ears twitching with excitement.

I know even if her scent is repressed because of the suppressants and scent blockers, that it's still pushing out in heavy waves at the moment, that it must be so potent and rich and strong, that it would undoubtedly filling the contained space of the car, seeping into the air.

"I'd love that! Thank you Jiminie, it would mean everything." She says.

Everything.

Maybe it really did.

-----

"Hyung what sort of measures would we have to take to organise a way for (Y/N) to meet her pack?" I ask as we're sorting out the dishes after dinner.

Jin hyung and Jungkookie are once again absent. Staying on the other side of the apartment.

Keeping (Y/N) company, like they had been for the past few nights, the three of them sitting down to dinner, I still remembered walking in to seeing them prepare for three, remembered hearing Jin hyung endearingly wonder aloud if she'd like the food before I'd gone to cling to Jungkookie.

And I knew that even tonight, on the other side, it was the three of them eating dinner together.

I couldn't help but feel pride flutter in my chest as I thought of them trying to make her comfortable, to ease her into feeling safe around them. It was incredibly thoughtful because their natural biology as prey hybrids meant she was instinctually more inclined to feel comfortable around them, their scents much gentler too.

But that didn't mean I didn't miss their presence, didn't long for the same chance to spend time eating with her, chatting and seeing her all relaxed and content as the day came to an end.

My words however has the others turning and stilling with what they'd been doing.

"You're going to unite her with her pack?" Yoongi hyung says, voice hopeful and pleased, eyes filled with pride as he looks at me.

I feel my tail shifting and moving under that soft warmth in his gaze, at the pride that a content chirp threatening to slip free.

"I think it would do her a world of good to meet them, spend some time with them." I say, continuing to sort out the leftovers.

For a pack with a voracious appetite, it was still surprising that we had leftovers, that we had enough to store and put away for whoever's appetite returned later on and came back in search of something to eat.

But maybe that was just Jin hyung rubbing off onto Yoongi hyung, his batch cooking habits were beginning to influence Yoongi hyung's own cooking style.

It was a mix of Jin hyung's style of work requiring the ability to produce food in large batches, their bakery never ran low on stock of all their baked goods, but also because he was very proud and satisfied when he'd mentioned that Jungkookie had a large appetite, turned to burn through a lot of the food he ate very quickly because of his bunny genes, all that energy made his frequent snacking not only adorable but made sense too. It was common to see him munching on something or the other, cheeks full and eyes bright, ears flopping as his head shook and hummed.

There was something so primally satisfied in Jin hyung's eyes whenever he saw Jungkookie eating, something that ran deep on a biological level of providing for his mate. But there was also a deep heat in those eyes at time when he mentioned Jungkookie's appetite, a flash of something that made Jungkookie's sweet cheeks go rosy and his nose to scrunch, eyes averting ours.

Something that always had a pheromonal spike in response, something else that Jin hyung preened at judging by Jungkookie's reaction alone, wings rustling and settling as he grinned unashamedly.

And now. Now that habit had rubbed off on our panther packmate. 

And he too looks satisfied as he sees the boxes being put away into the fridge, smiling at me as I turn.

"It'll take a little bit of planning to have a few extra eyes when they do meet just to be on the safe side. But why not? It seems ages since she's smiled properly." Joon hyung adds from where he's been drying dishes, setting the plate aside before he's meeting my eyes.

Hobi hyung's tail curls from beside him at the sink, ears shifting and twisting. He doesn't turn from where he's washing dishes but his hands scrubbing at the plates turn more forced and aggressive almost and when he speaks it's clear how much it bothers him to see her hurt.

"Too long since that smile's been natural. Do you know what it feels like to see her try to find her pack's scent in jumpers and how she wilts when she can't find it?" he says, voice aching and words so tormented.

And his eyes flash when he turns, hands covered in suds and eyes burning with determined resolve.

"I'm all for it. The earlier, the better."

And his words are eagerly backed up by Tae's quick nods.

"Fawn fairy doesn't deserve to be sad. She's too nice for that." He says.

Fawn fairy.

The energetic enthusiasm Tae had told us about her with before he even knew it was     (Y/N) was still fresh in my mind and the way that enthusiasm had amplified, how he'd been giddy and stunned and rushing around to tell us, ears fully perked up and fluffy was even more vivid.

Everyone it seemed was very eagerly in favour of (Y/N) meeting her pack.

Everyone. Because they still clung onto that notion of her being mated.

And knew it was best for her to be able to meet them.

I knew it was best for her too to meet her pack, her mate too if she had one.

So why did the thought bother me so much?

Why did it make my tail bristle and instincts restlessly shift?

Why did I feel so torn?

JIN POV:

It's subtle at first. And then not. Subtle with the way that (Y/N) slowly begins to feel at ease, relaxes around me and Jungkook. It's subtle in the way her posture loosens, slowly uncurls and the way she doesn't seem so stiff anymore. Subtle in the way her face becomes more and more animated as she talks, subtle in the way how easy it seems to find common ground, to have that friendliness between us. it's subtle and then it's not.

Not subtle because a few days in and it seems as if there had never been any hesitance, any wariness or any distance. Not subtle because I can't help but notice and marvel how far we've come, how far (Y/N)'s come from the frightened, hurting doe hybrid she had been on her first day here.

But that's not the only thing I see, not the only thing I note.

From a few nights back I remembered an instant where (Y/N) had leaned in towards Jungkook, had instinctively jerked forward towards him, ears flicking and eyes shining with hope, disbelief. And just as quickly that hope had flickered out, extinguished as she'd leant away, pretended it had been nothing.

But there was only so far pretence could take her.

And only so far it could be called that. When it happened again the next day when we walked into (Y/N) being home earlier, saw her washing ingredients and she turned to greet us, taking in the sight of us tugging coats and scarves off, sweetly shy when she accepted the quick hug I gave her before she stiffened again.

When her ears perked up and doe-eyes snagged onto Kookie again, when she leaned forward despite herself. I saw the way Kookie's ears twitched, flopped as his head turned towards her movement before his lips twitched with a smile.

"Am I getting a hug too?" and he'd asked so excitedly, such a mixture of shyness and sweetness, tail twitching that she'd blinked out of whatever she had been thinking and nodding, stepping into his wide arms just as he moved close, wrapping her up in his embrace. And I knew it hadn't been only me to notice the way she'd sunk into his embrace, leant forward and that when they'd separated, she'd looked equally settled and equally restless.

As if she hadn't wanted to step out of the hug, hadn't wanted to move away.

And it repeated.

Repeated for the next few nights when Jungkookie's presence and the odd one or two times, my own, had caused her to raise her head, eyes filled with so much confusion and longing, had looked so overwhelmed that it had tugged at my protective instincts, had called for me to respond by soothing, by trying to make everything easier for her. Anything to get rid of the way her fingers curled into fists or her hands moved to clutch at herself, wrapped around her waist as if she was trying to compensate for something that wasn't here.

A presence of someone she was missing.

And more and more it felt like she was exhibiting mate separation anxiety. That restlessness. That increasingly tactile need. And that increasing way that she seemed to smile, seemed to be present but her eyes, her mind were somewhere else.

And I knew that the others had talked about getting her to meet her pack, knew that it had to be done so she didn't look so confused and didn't look so lost.

And today. Today as I manned the stove and (Y/N) and Kookie were walking around, helping each other, fixing up the table for dinner when it happens. And this time. This time it isn't momentary, it isn't a freezing or stiffening as Kookie walks past.

This time it has her hands trembling as she sets down the plates, with more force than intended, the rattling make her flinch and for Kookie to turn from sorting out the cutlery to look at her with alarm, brown glossy ears perking up and stiffening at the sound.

Her hands curl around the corner of the table, gripping hard and I see the way her legs shake slightly, see the flick of her tail before it settles.

"(Y/N) is everything okay?" Kookie asks, voice alarmed and concerned, turning towards her.

But his shift in position only has her head turning to face him with bewilderment, with disbelief and such tentative hope that it has my heart aching at the sight, at the vulnerability she looks at him with.

"You...your scent." She breathes.

I twist the dial low, putting the lid back on to let the soup simmer as I move towards them.

There's something so blatantly wrong with the way her eyes hold an agony, a torment in them as she looks at Kookie, as if he's the source of her pain and the relief too.

His scent?

Kookie tended to carry and absorb scents quickly, his active scent glands meant that by the end of the day, he held layers of scents, picked them up whether it was the scent of baking, the scent of the customers or even any of us working with him.

Right now, I didn't know what scent (Y/N) was referring to. Whether she was soothed or disturbed by it. Whether she recognised it or not.

"Ahh it's all layered up, is it making your nose tingle? I should've washed it off before dinner." Kookie begins, ears drooping and looking upset by the thought of causing her the slightest discomfort.

My sweet bunny.

But it didn't feel like she was uncomfortable. It felt like something else.

"Your scent reminds me of home. There's something that makes me miss...makes me miss my pack." She confesses, voice a whisper, hushed and quiet as she divulges the truth about his scent.

His face softens, turns open and gentle.

His eyes glance at me, at my closeness, silent but there for him, for her, and smiles at me. Something tender, understanding and something that was just him, was just his sweetness before his eyes are sliding away.

He takes a deep breath, bracing himself for something, but his words are so softly and carefully spoken.

"You can scent if you'd like. If the scent is something that'll comfort you." he offers.

The sweet girl looks so bewildered, so taken aback by the offer but then hope is shining through, has her rising to stand away from the table with legs that hold the barest tremor.

"You wouldn't mind? You wouldn't think it's weird?" she asks but her eyes turn to me too, silently trying to see if I'm bothered by the offer my packmate, my bun makes her.

As if I could mind.

As if I could ever begrudge her this.

I give her a reassuring smile and nod, mouthing 'it's okay' and holding her gaze, making sure she knows that she doesn't need to hesitate, that she doesn't need to reject her instincts.

It's okay if it soothes her, it's okay because I knew she needed this, knew she was clinging on to her frazzled instincts and trying to keep herself together.

And because sometimes scenting did what words couldn't.

Scenting gave both that instinctual comfort but also helped when words couldn't, helped in a way that transcended explanation.

And the way her ears flick when she turns back makes me wish and yearn that when she scented, she was comfortable too.

She leans forward and then stops.

"How should I...?" she hedges carefully.

"However you feel comfortable (Y/N). Though let me sit down, make it easier for you." Kookie says, drawing out one of the kitchen chairs to settle onto, legs parted in invitation and there's a gentleness with the way his hands curl around her wrists and draws her forward, rubbing at the inner skin as she takes small steps forward.

Guiding her into it. Gentle light brushes of his thumb over her wrist until their knees are bumping and she's peering down at him.

"Get comfy." He says softly, drawing her closer until she's slowly clambering onto his lap, slightly stiff and uncertain but Kookie guides her through it, murmurs softly to her.

And I watch with an aching proud heart, wings rustling as I watch the two of them.

I watch as his hands uncurl from around her wrist, lightly settling on her waist, cheeks pink but gaze determined and relaxes for her. Relaxes for her and tilts his head to the side, brown ears flopping with the movement as he bares his neck for her.

Unconsciously I can't help take it as a sign of submission, of trust as he bares the side of his throat, bares that slightly raised, tender bump under his skin where his scent gland is. 

Knew that what scent reminded her of home would be at its strongest there. Would cling to his skin around the gland too.

And see her hand, swallowed by another large sweater, reach out slowly for his gland, fingers brushing slowly over the gland, both their eyes fluttering when the scent thickens undoubtedly, pours off his skin in slow trails.

Her fingers become more certain and assured when her body relaxes, leaning into the embrace that Kookie holds her in, head bent towards his throat as she lightly scents, the stiffness from her body leaving and the curve of her back relaxed.

And I watch the different reasons their eyes flutter. (Y/N) because she's finally, finally getting that comfort and reassurance. For finally having those instincts settle at the tactile touch. And Kookie, eyes fluttering as his limbs relax into the chair, nose twitching adorably, ears drooping with contentment. See the way his tail twitches, the white underside of his tail flicking and showing before the brown of it covered it once more.

My heart longs for that sharp heightened sense of smell, most hybrids had, once more, wishing I could smell how content Kookie was, how   (Y/N)'s scent shifted and changed when she was soothed, rather than when she was hurting and suffering.

And watch with proud eyes as Kookie's embrace invitingly remains open, remains sweetly coaxing, peering at her through lowered lashes to mumble at her.

"Take as much as you need." He says, eyes tender as they look at her.

And when she ever so slightly leans her face in, her nose lightly brushes against his neck, against the scent gland and turns boneless in his lap at whatever scent she's chasing after, a muffled whimper escaping her mouth through tightly clamped lips.

I feel my own wings restlessly shuffle and move behind me, flapping and feathers ruffling as I watch her scent, as I watch Kookie hold her through it. Wings moving and flapping with the need and longing to want to wrap her up, to cocoon her between my wings and keep her safe.

And her hands shake as they hover over his shoulders before coming to settle, breaths shaky and trembling, Kookie's own hands gently rubbing up and down her back, leaning in to hug him back, murmuring a soft 'thank you'.

"You're always welcome (Y/N)." and when she slowly unwinds from him, slowly curls away there's a wobbliness to her lips and a glossy sheen to her doe eyes, those doe eyes that turn to me and express silent gratitude.

"You look cosy. Fancy having dinner from there?" I ask teasingly, lips curving up in a smile, slightly disappointed when she flushes, shaking her head and clambers off his lap, legs slightly wobbly as she moves back.

A shame really.

"No it's okay." She says, head ducked down and her hand goes to scrub at her eyes, to wipe away the emotional tears. Gentle thanks in her gaze.

Kookie's ears are perked up, giddy from having helped her watches with a smile as she slides into her usual seat instead before he's bouncing up.

"You had a long shift today at the centre. Tae and Hobi weren't even there today, did you eat properly?" I ask, stepping forward, fretting as I turn to get the food off the stove, move to bring the dishes over. 

She smiles slightly at my words.

"I did. I do eat you know Jin." She says with quirked up lips. Slightly teasing and fond.

Much more cheered up, much more settled now that she's scented. It's as if a switch has been turned.

And as we eat dinner she remains calm, something I pick up on even if I can't tell if her pheromones are saying otherwise. But the same way the others trust scent, I trust my instincts, trust my eyes and know if there was something wrong after scenting, I'd pick up on it.

And any discomfort that I was slightly apprehensive of lingering once they'd separated, once shyness sunk in didn't exist. There was perhaps an even bigger sense of contentedness, a bigger sense of eased, settled doe hybrid that serves the food, pushes our plates gently towards us before moving to serve herself.

Scenting had been the right thing to do.

And the fact that it was endearingly sweet to see made it even more special.

Of her trusting us, instinctually as well.

I just hoped that there was more we could do for her than this.

Wished that we could offer her more comfort than this small act.

------

"Of to work then?" a voice comes from behind us in the hallway.

Has the two of us turning to face the owner of the voice.

And I smile at the sight of (Y/N)'s face poking out around the corner, hair open and tumbling around her shoulders and ears flicking from where they poke out. I see her fingers, peeping through a large sleepshirt, clutch at the corner of the wall, stepping into view, her smile loose and relaxed as her eyes drift over the two of us.

I nod, feeling Kookie's head rest on my shoulder as he peers over at her. I don't even need to turn to know his ears are perked up, feel the side of one brush against my side and know his nose is scrunched too.

"Do you not have work today? Is it one of those rare days off?" he asks, voice intrigued.

We watch her nod, fiddling with her sleeves.

"I was going to head into town for some things for Min-Junnie too. Jiminie said he'd come with me after breakfast." She says, voice still slightly groggy, heavy with drowsiness.

"Didn't sleep well? Or still sleepy?" I ask, eyes fond at the way her hand goes to muffle the yawn.

But her smile is bright, a sleepy stretch of her lips.

"Slept late, I was on call." She says with such tenderness, such happiness it doesn't take even a second to figure out to who.

It doesn't even strike me to even consider my words when they're spilling out, unconsciously prompted by the need, the want to keep that smile there, to keep her happy.

"Why don't you drop by? You haven't been to our workplace and I think you'd like it." I offer.

Her smile widens, sleepy eyes widening as she looks at the two of us.

"Really?" voice bright and energetic. Fatigue melting away.

I nod, feel Kookie's ear bounce and flop as he energetically nods over my shoulder.

"Take your time, sleep again if you need to. Have breakfast, you and Jiminie come at your own leisure." I encourage, not having missed the nickname, or the fondness she spoke with.

She nods.

Hands fiddling with the sleepshirt.

Visible mating marks and claims or not, wearing clothes belonging to them was a very visible level of claiming anyways.

Maybe visiting the bakery would get her mind off things.

Allow her to clear her mind, get a new scenery, be able to stretch her legs and not feel so cooped up.

Small changes could make all the difference.

And this was just another chance to feed her, to ply her with snacks and baked goods and feel my wings come to settle at the sight of her being out and about, not shut away from the world.

"We'll be waiting then for you two. Don't let Jiminie hyung hog you." Kookie pipes up.

Her expression turns soft and eager, nodding.

"I won't." she promises.

I'll hold her to it. 

(Y/N) POV:

I smile at the sight of Jiminie padding into the kitchen, rumpled pyjamas and tail fluffy and poofy, a ball of orange that trails behind him, across the ground and watch as he hisses at the cold tiles brushing against it, shifting slightly. Sleepy, bleary eyes that scan around the kitchen and land on me, a tired smile stretching at his lips.

"Morning (Y/N).", his morning voice deep and rumbly, a low quality to it that was never present whenever we started our day together. This was sleepy Jiminie, slowly waking up still, voice still rough and hoarse with disuse.

An unguarded sight.

But refreshing all the same.

Refreshing because it gave me a glimpse to the less put together Jimin, the one that look adorably rumpled at the lie-in he got.

"Ready for breakfast?" I ask, turning away from the stove, watching as he nods, yawning- a flash of sharp fangs as he slumps in the nearest chair, tucking his head onto his arms as he watches me. Sleepy slits that track my movements across the kitchen as I pick up the filled plates, setting down the more laden one in front of him.

He raises his head, staring at the two plates.

"You mixed up our plates." He states matter-of-factly.

I laugh, shaking my head and sitting down.

"No I didn't. You have a habit of giving more food to me, though as the fox hybrid, active officer, it's you who needs it more." I retort.

The twitch of his lips are telling and he doesn't comment on being called out, silently beginning to dig in.

It's comforting sharing a meal with him, having grown accustomed to his company during breakfast, during those early hours of the day when it was just the two of us.

This was slightly new, never having sat down for breakfast at the apartment with him, but the ease, the familiarity of his watchful eyes was the same. Even if his questions and morning chatter came more slowly, gravellier and in a deeper tone than it usually did.

The same just slightly different.

"The clothes store first?" Jiminie asks as we're clearing up breakfast, smiling when he waves me away from the sink, ears perked up with the attention and focus he gives the dishes, scrubbing meticulously at them, tail softly moving behind him.

I hum in answer, smiling at the thought of buying Min-Jun clothes.

"It's pleasantly surprising that he won't fit into any of the clothes he's been wearing, his cute little tummy keeps peeping out." I say, eyes bright at the thought.

Because he wasn't malnourished anymore. He wasn't hoarding meals and treats and blankets as if they'd be torn away from him at any given moment. And because he ate with gusto, with a fascination for every new food and it was staying on him, it wasn't being lost. And the softness his cheeks and tummy held were proof, were a testament that I was doing well at taking care of him.

Something that made my instincts preen at looking after the vulnerable boy, at being able to provide safety, shelter and food for him.

I feel a gaze on me and turn to see Jimin's eyes, soft and tender looking at me, a smile curving at his lips.

"You really care for him. He's lucky to have you as his caregiver." He says softly.

His words make my cheeks warm, makes my instincts settle with delight at my caring, at my nurturing being noticed, being praised.

"I'm just glad he wasn't in a state pushed beyond immediate attention, that he was found before things could've been even worse." I say, fingers drumming across the counter, slightly restless and anxious at the thought.

Jimin makes a small, surprised sound. Like a muffled discontent chirp.

"Worse? You've seen worse than what Min-Jun's gone through?" he asks, disbelieving and hurt at the notion.

I nod, fingers lacing together.

"There's cases where the children reject every sort of help, where their bodies are so badly broken, where their minds are silenced that they don't even know what it is they want. Don't even know that they're safe. Like...like mindless puppets." I add with a wince.

Being a caregiver satiated my instincts to nurture and protect.

But it also tore at them. It was also challenging and exhausting on them too.

I see his ears twitch, unconsciously pinned back in a defensive position. Affected by the words.

And I take a deep breath, pushing back the waves of memories, of all those lost children that had passed through the centre. Children that I'd tried my best to help and hadn't been able to, hadn't been able to help them get back to a new normal.

I remember several pair of lost eyes looking at me, clouded with pain and agony, with confusion and rage, with a numbness that I hadn't quite erased completely.

I remembered them in predator hybrids, in prey hybrids, remembered them in feline eyes, owlish eyes, doe eyes. Remembered them and felt a pang of helplessness for them.

The doe eyes in particular always haunted me. Reminded me of where I was and where they were. Reminded me that at times people existed in an entirely different world to another.

Maybe because in doe eyes I saw what could've been, saw that I could've been doomed to become, doomed to be if I didn't have the support system, the love and the family that I did.

An elbow nudges my arm, the light brush of a tail against my calf. A soft light touch

See soft, observing eyes focused on me.

"You try as much as you can (Y/N). No-one could blame you for any child you couldn't help fully." He says, somehow sensing what was going through my mind, somehow being able to tell without asking, without prompting.

My smile doesn't feel genuine even to myself when I nod. So it definitely doesn't seem to either to him, I watch as he sighs, drawing off the rubber gloves.

"Enough sadness for today. (Y/N) you're an amazing caregiver and Min-Jun's happiness, his growing sense of security, his development...all of them are proofs of that, and I won't have you thinking otherwise. Now come on, get ready. After all, Jin hyungie and Jungkookie will be waiting for us, let's meet up for lunch." He says, ushering me out of the kitchen with a sweep of his arm, hand coming to settle on my shoulder as the two of us walk out.

But before he steps away, before he moves to head back and change, he gives my shoulder a light comforting squeeze.

"You're stronger than you know, we all know it."  He says, words holding more depth, more meaning than what he's saying.

And his hand slips away, soft light steps as he pads away, calling over his shoulder that he'll meet me outside.

But his words linger, swirl around my mind as if trying to make sense of them. His look had been knowing and pained, a flicker of hurt in them.

And it felt like I should know what he was talking about, should know what he meant.

But I couldn't figure it out. Couldn't understand what the deeper meaning had been suggesting.

------

"I wish I could've brought him that other set of dungarees too." I lament, peering at the bags I'm carrying with dismay.

Besides me Jimin laughs, a bright vibrant bubble of sound and when I turn to stare at him, his head is tilted back, fangs glinting and ears twitching with amusement.

"I'm sure he'll survive with the handful other ones you got him, and the shorts and jumpers and all those tops too." He says with an easy grin, fangs still on display, pricking his bottom lip as he looks at me, tease clear in his eyes.

I huff, sighing before looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you making fun of me enjoying picking out clothes for Min-Junnie?" I ask.

He shakes his head, hands raised in defence, bag swinging from his right, but the humour's clear as day on his face.

"Wouldn't dream of it. Just find it...cute how seriously you took it all." He says nonchalantly.

He doesn't need to say it out loud but I know he's amused, see it in the flash of his eyes and the curve of his lips that twitch when I keep staring at him.

My eyes fall away with a smile, unable to deny it. I had taken Min-Jun's shopping very seriously, the baby bear deserved the best and I hadn't forgotten how endeared he'd been at the sight of the children illustrations, wistful eyes at the outfits.

Of course I was going to do everything to keep him smiling and happy, even if some of the outfits had to come out of my own pocket. Anything for the sweet boy.

"So where do Jin and Jungkook work? That they invited us over?" I ask curiously as we continue to walk once more.

"Where you'll get the best service for lunch. Really sweet and friendly staff where they work." Jimin says guiding me down a street, stride assured and confident, not sparing a glance to the row of shops that we move past.

Did Jin and Jungkook work in a restaurant?

But I get my answer mere moments later when he comes to a stop in front of a shop. A bakery and café. 

My eyes rove over the outside, the glass displays and homely scent of baking that pours out onto the street, warm and inviting. Welcoming.

I relax at the familiar scent of baking, reminded of the way Binnie always filled the apartment with the smell of baking on weekends.

It was a scent I associated with home, with comfort, with pack.

And when I step through after Jimin, the tinkling chime gentle on my ears, the scent grows thicker, heavier, washes over me in strong waves, makes my shoulders droop and relax further, fingers loosely curved around the bag handles.

"Ahh hyung you're here!" a bright voice calls, excited and eager and when I peep out from behind Jiminie, head scanning around it's to see Jungkook beaming at him, his hand waving at me when he spots me, ears perked up and another cute apron on, his name embroidered across the chest.

"You're empty...it's always the busiest during lunch though." Jimin remarks, clearly having frequented the shop often given how he walks in further with a relaxed expression, tail swishing and moving and eyes roving over the empty tables, polished to a shine and the chairs neatly tucked in.

I follow his gaze, brows furrowed as I try to make sense of it.

Just a bad day?

"And doesn't it look just amazing? All empty, perfect to have lunch without being disturbed. I hope the two of you worked up an appetite." Jin says as he enters through one of the backdoors, revealing gleaming surfaces and large ovens; the kitchen that produced all the food. 

He smiles as he moves to step out from behind the counters, wings rustling and settling as he takes the two of us in and the bags we're holding.

"Ahh...I do have quite the eye for shopping, shame." He sighs.

I smile at his gentle voice, lulling and easing in that comfort straight away.

Watch as Jungkook follows suit and steps out too, leaning against the counter as he watches the interaction.

"Next time you should come then. You'll be better than Jimin's commentary." I say with a dig, lightly brushing past him to step further inside, marvelling at the décor and welcoming vibes the café had, eyes trailing over the filled glass displays.

"Deal." Jin says as I continue to walk around, taking in the seating, eyes wide as I take in the little personal touches, take in the certificates awarding their creativity, their talent as bakers. They've really built themselves a reputation.

But there's something at the back of my mind that begins to ring bells at the name of the awards, feeling as if I'd heard them before.

The others are talking softly when I turn back, Jungkook is leaning into Jiminie's embrace and looking at Jin with a worried expression.

"...he's stacking the rejected cookies again. Something's wrong." I catch on as I move forward, sensing the sadder spike in Jungkook's scent, sense Jiminie's pheromones seep out protectively, with the intent to soothe and calm.

"Is everything okay?" I ask, but at the same time there's the sound of a door pushing open, footsteps coming to a stuttered close.

"'m sorry hyungs, you closed the café for lunch, I'll be..." the sound of a dejected, downcast voice but so achingly familiar, so painfully recognisable to my ears has my head darting up, flying to the doors through which Jin had entered.

This time bringing the sight of a squirrel hybrid to come slowly moving through out to the front, words trailing off and eyes wide, of two fluffy ears straightening up and tail drooping.

And then, all of a sudden there's a blur of movement, a wounded noise coming out of my throat, feet shaking as I rush forward, responding to the high distressed growl that comes out of his throat. A flurry of shaking hurried steps forward, hearing distantly the crash of the counter being moved aside, latch raised hastily and my eyes filled with the sight of Binnie, with the sight of pack as he moves towards me.

And then two strong hands coming to support me, squeezing tight and crushing me forward into a solid chest, hands tight and unyielding on the back of my thighs, lifting me off the ground, drawing me to be impossibly closer, a guttural sobbing breath exhaled as he presses his forehead to mine.

My hands tremble as I grip at his shoulders, yank him closer, breath shaky and wavering, nose and head full of his sweet hazelnut scent, rich and overwhelming but I can't get enough of it, can't get enough of the way the strong familiarity of it makes my head swim, makes my eyes prick with hot, sudden tears and my lungs burn with how they're drowning in that rich scent.

"Noona...noona it's really you." Binnie sobs out, voice low and hoarse and trembling and when he leans in further I feel the wetness of his cheek brush against mine, a slow nuzzle as I clutch at him, shake at finally, finally feeling home, finally being with him.

"Binnie...I missed you." I gasp out, lungs constricting and feeling as if they were going to cave, as if they were going to collapse under the way his scent filled every crevice of me, filled me until it was all I knew.

My breath shakes comes out thin and wet with tears and my fingers ache from how tightly I grip his shirt, fingers winding into the fabric and knuckles brushing against skin and when it causes a small burst of pheromones to seep out, I crumble. Crumble as my head slumps forward, seeking out his scent gland and furiously dragging my nose over the raised, sensitive bump and applying pressure. Hasty, messy scent marking as I coax out more and more of his scent, lips and nose rubbing against his gland, tearstained cheeks brushing against his throat, desperation and need fuelling me, pushing me to scent harder, to leave his scent print on me.

"Noona...noona." Binnie mumbles, voice trembling and head tucked over mine, hands tight as they grip my thighs, hoist me against him and tug me closer and my tears spill out thicker at the trembling nature to his voice, at hearing 'noona' after so long.

And grip tighter, head pressed against the hollow of his throat, unable to stop brushing wet apologetic kisses to skin, mumbling against his warmth, fingers still brushing over skin.

My lungs ache as I breathe, filled with that sweet nuttiness that my instincts crave, chase after even if my senses are filled with it, consumed by his strong biological print.

And distantly, I realise something must happen, can't hear anything over the roaring in my ears and the numbness to my senses, dulled and pushed aside by the presence, by the way Binnie's scent and body demands it all, takes all my attention. But his chest rumbles, a sharp growling sound, warning and threatened that has my ears flicking, tail shifting at the way his scent turns sharp and bitter, grip tightening on him, shifting with the need to protect him, cover him.

But it quietens down, stops when whatever had triggered it stops.

"Mine. She's mine." Binnie growls out, voice heavy and steeped with protective anger, quietening into a soft apology mumbled into my hair when I shift uneasily against him.

"They're...they're safe Binnie." I murmur, belatedly realising that he was probably threatened by Jiminie, threatened by the other's closeness.

But his hands remain tight on me, gripping me close and my head swims too much with Binnie's sweet scent, so soothed and comforted by him, mind buzzing and instincts satiated that my words come out muffled and slurred.

"No...they'll take you away." he says, voice shaky and hurting, agonised and I can do nothing more but nose at his gland, trying to get him to settle.

And then.

Then the chime of the door in some far, distant part of my mind sinks in, a tinkling sound that has the sound of footsteps approaching and has voices, seeming far and disembodied, murmur, warning and surprised.

But what washes them away once more, what pushes away those voices to be swept under the fog is the strong, rich scent of fragrant pine and wood, subtle at first but suddenly pulses strongly, seeps into my skin and fills my nose with it, mingles with the hazelnut.

"(Y/N)...?" a deep tentative voice asks, painfully hopeful and vulnerable.

And then a sound of a scuffle, of rushing footsteps and low quiet murmurs before a sudden weight drapes itself around my back, two arms wrap around me and squeeze, caging me in between two familiar bodies.

"Woo..." I sob, hand uncurling with difficulty from Binnie's shirt, he makes a small, wounded sound at the loss settling for holding me tighter, as I reach for Eunwoo, fist into his shirt and try to draw him closer.

I feel his chest against my back, feel the deep breaths he exhales, trembling shudders, lips pressed to the back of my head, to the back of my ears- soft, warm, familiar.

"Your Woo." He confirms with a voice too thick and too clogged up.

My Woo.

My Binnie.

My pack.

And the tears that slip down, that are soaked into fabric when I burrow my head are grateful, relieved and overwhelmed tears.

That I got this.

That I got this instant where time felt like it had never passed. Felt like nothing else mattered, nothing else existed apart from the way the sweet woodsy scent merged with the nuttiness and wrapped around me as a second embrace. A second embrace that soothed my instincts, eased away the hurts and fears and feeling of being lost and helpless.

Embraces that made me feel like me.

An embrace that made me belong once more.

(WHEW. LET ME JUST...PROCESS I'VE WRITTEN OVER 8K WORDS FOR THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE SOMEONE KEPT DISTRACTING ME *COUGH Midiiplier COUGH* AND IT JUST KEPT GETTING WRITTEN LONGER AND LONGER BUT IT WAS ALSO...NEEDED? I FELT IT WAS NEEDED TO GIVE THE SCENES JUSTICE AND I HOPE SO, SO MUCH MY LOVE THAT I DID BUN SNUGS JUSTICE AND I DID THE BEGINNING OF THE PACK REUNION JUSTICE. EVERYONE PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER THE EMOTIONS CAME THROUGH AND WHETHER YOUR HEART ACHED AS MUCH AS MINE DID FOR AND WITH BABY FAWN. SHE KEPT THINKING SHE WAS SMELLING BINNIE ON KOOKIE BUT WASN'T SURE AND IN HIS LINE OF WORK, IT WOULDN'T BE OUT OF PLACE SO HE DIDN'T REALISE IT! AND JINNIE...WATCHING HIS BUNNY SCENT WITH THE MOST SATISFIED LOOK AND WANTING TO DO THE SAME TOO! AND HUGS ARE JUST MORE EASILY GIVEN AND TAKEN NOW! AHH...I HOPE YOU CAN SEE PACK DYNAMICS DEVELOP TOO IN UPCOMING CHAPTERS TOO! I AM JUST SO...EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK THAT I CAN'T EVEN EXPRESS IT IN WORDS ANYMORE, BUT JUST DYING WITH EAGERNESS! CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER ALREADY! TAKE CARE, ENJOY AND STAY SAFE MY LOVES!)

QUESTION...ONE OF THOSE 😳😂 MOMENTS?

Mine is...when in my theology groupchat for uni last year, the only boy (who was studying theology for his degree during a conversation about our essays and assignments suddenly declared he wanted to be a stripper, drop out of uni. It was so uncharacteristically him but the other girls egged him on and then an hour or so later he came back panicking and swearing he didn't want drop out of uni and strip, that his friend had been messaging the entire time. It made me laugh for a long while but at the same time...my mum happened to be there over my shoulder for that conversation.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3