(Y/N) POV:

The burning sear is merciless, consuming as I grip the sheets weakly, hands splayed across the bottom of my back, body completely limp and splayed across the sheets as the weight above me continues to bore down, sharp rough thrusts that make broken sounds slip past my lips, head buried against the pillow, lips lax.

The slew of cries are torn out my throat, chest tight and stomach clenching tightly, hips boneless, not able to buck back to rock my hips to him, but his hands pin. Refuse to let me move back.

Making me take even as my body goes limp with pleasure, sobs wracking my body, unintelligible half-words that are more sound than coherent pleas.

"Look at how well you beg... how needy you sound." Jimin growls against my nape, lips raking feverish trails between my shoulders, fingers entangling in my hair to grip tightly and tug, head tilting back in a forced arch, the bite of pain at the forced pronounced curve displaying my scent glands, before ecstasy pulses through every inch of my body. When the curve of my throat invites the sharp rippling growl, the brush of fangs scraping against my jaw before ducking to suck another mark into my throat, fingers brushing through hot feverish tears; overwhelmed and mind hazed over with everything but them.

The sheets are abrasive against hypersensitive skin, but I'm able to do nothing but writhe on the sheets, twisting helplessly, throat raw and the blooming bite makes my skin throb and pulse with electric desire; scent spurting out rich, staining air.

"Can you hold yourself up sweet fawn? Or too jittery?" voice rough and dark with arousal and rut, eyes swimming with a hot wetness that pools in my waterline, stings as my body is worked mercilessly to another peak, to an endless slam of pleasure that I crave and chase after, body wracked with tremors as overstimulated bliss captures and drags me further into its abyss.

I cry out at the rougher slam of hips sheathing his length inside me, the relentless pressure of each snap of his hips driving himself deeper, filling me over and over even as I feel my body go lax; boneless and unable to get my hands to coordinate, to will strength in them to push myself upright, to tilt my hips up. And his hands tighten, splayed across the low of my back and pushing down, the weight and strength of his body keeps mine stilled, body jolted and pushed further into the mattress, shaking as the coil of pleasure only lessens slightly to build back up in a stronger, drowning wave of it.

Body compelled and easily acquiescing to the growled command. Take.

"Too shaky... look how much you're making her thrash Jimin~ she can't get enough." Joon's rasped growl shudders with pleasured approval, the rough timbre of his voice a caress grazing the dip of my spine, the brush of his lips accompanying the low praises that spill and sink into my lax limbs bringing my mind to a floatier reprieve; drowning in the possessive brand of their scents.

The resounding growl that shatters the air is triumphant and proud and pleased, the next thrust is deeper somehow, melding his body with mine with a rough snap of his hips sheathing his thick length inside, swelling where his knot's begun to form.

"Going to be writhing on my knot..." he groans with delirious pleasure, hands tightening as he continues to drive his hips deeper, the wide lax splay of my thighs inviting... surrendering to the carnal rough pleasure my body is pliant with.

The words that bubble past my lips are slurred and broken, too muffled to be anything more than sound but the begging want in them rings clear even in the dense fog of my mind.

Knot me. Mate me. Pup me.

As if he can sense the thoughts, or rather smell how honeyed and sticky sweet anise pulses off in cloying rivulets his body bears down impossibly harder, rendering me entirely useless to move even the slightest, body manoeuvred and pinned into place, the sharp bite of fangs at skin mercilessly colouring me with blooming rich vibrant claims that spark an aching sting, ebbing into waves of pleasure, throat tilted and made to present the already marked and swollen gland, fingers curling to entangle in hair and draw it to the side, the pressure of his tongue and teeth relentless as they close around the gland.

A harsh suck that has my body bucking helplessly under the full sprawled weight of his, arms winding tight around my abdomen to grip me to him as he continues to thrust deep, lips closed around my gland to stimulate the tissue to secrete scent directly to his tongue.

Tasting the arousal and desire and mindless ecstasy that has my vision hazing, breaths ragged and sharp, the cry taut and desperate when his knot pushes and grinds against my centre and a sharper rock of his hips sends it pushing through. Locking us together. The aching fullness dizzying.

Desperate for even a modicum of relief, of rest from the overwhelming fullness that even through the weighted pulse of breeding instincts makes me keen, sobs muffled against the pillow, the tang of salt from overstimulated tears trickling against swollen, bitten and tingling lips.

The low grunt against my ear is carnal, lost in the breeding haze as his hips rut erratically, pushing and dragging against where our bodies are locked together, the pressure making me whimper against the pillow, sinking into skin where a broad muscled figure lies stretched out across the sheets, hand working itself hard and fast, rough pressure and slick thrusts, bucking into his own touch; eyes blazing as they hold my hazy ones.

Holding them captive, refusing to break the searing contact, daring me to look away from the predatory gleam in my wolf's eyes.

"My mate... my fawn... my prey." He growls at my nape, thrusts and grinds dragging against where he's sheathed deep, where I feel dizzyingly filled, where his knot tugs at my swollen, centre, the slick heated press of his limbs against my own, the tang of exertion piercing through the scent of bred, fertile anise slammed into by his thick powering scent.

Yours.

Your prey.

Yours.

Body submitting to the relentless pressure of his knot grinding deep, sparks of pleasure searing across my spine, the haze of their scents turning every limb pliant, even as the deeper grinds and constant scrape of fangs across skin make me jolt. A broken quiet whimper when a dark, deep groan ripples through the air and the hot spill of release across my side has my hips jerking, eyes sluggishly focusing on a panting figure, throat arched as he groans, milking the endless peak as it stains our skin; leaves a primal mark smeared across it.

Hips bucking back once when the tight swell of the knot seems to grow impossibly wider, aching and stretching me open for him before I feel him buck as he begins to spill one of countless releases inside; body twitching with sensitivity, throat raw and body pinned helplessly.

Take.

And I go mindless from the consuming waves of it.

-------

A keening, pitiful whimper slips out my lips when the fangs withdraw and the aching fullness abates as Jimin's knot slips free, the needy whine muffled against Joon's throat has my body burning, feeling the weight of both their eyes on me even as he slowly coaxes himself out, a shuddering growl reverberating against my nape.

"What a pretty mess... ruined the sheets." He coos, voice a low rumbly rasp that has my back arching, pushing forward towards Joon's touch, body feeling strung up and coiled tight, pleasure still wracking electric jolts up my spine, sunk deep in my hips, centre throbbing where I can feel spilled release trickle out, staining my thighs, jittering and shaking as I shudder for breath that's not imbued with rich earthy musk and mint.

"Sweet, sweet mate." Joon murmurs, voice a low growl rumbling with pleasure and approval, hand dragging across the inside of my thigh, pressure hard enough to ache where he presses against purpled fingerprints, eyes flickering darkly, hand trailing to trace nonsensical lines and shapes onto the swollen taut skin of my abdomen, fangs pooling over as he focuses on the sight.

Ears flickering as his scent blooms with appreciation and heady approval, dragging his fingers lower to smear the mess against skin.

Another more carnal scent claim of their mixed releases against my thighs, staining and soiling the sheets, an emptiness that my body tries to avoid, clenching tight, a shaky restless whimpered press of my thighs trying to keep his hand trapped between them.

But the heat has snapped, the feverish spike in temperature and primal wants abated and satiated... several, several times over a blurred mess of night and day and hours bleeding into each other, unsure what time it was right now and what was happening beyond the four walls of my bedroom; saturated with their pheromones, thick with breeding intent.

The scent alone is enough to have my throat bobbing, unsure whether to rock into the touch or away, coherency curling through the weighted fog in my mind, the pulsing pressure of both mating bites on either gland on either side of my throat seeping out our entangled scents.

"So beautifully sensitive... so shaky." Minnie murmurs, hand skimming across my spine, lips brushing against the slope of my shoulder, his fingers digging in tight across my hip, body lines and curves of heat settled against mine even if our bodies aren't locked together.

"If you knot so much... so many times... what'd you expect?" I shudder out, voice breathless, shaky and trembling and chasing the grounding comfort of Joon's fingers brushing across my cheek, palm grazing and cupping my jaw, body tilting to him, eyes fluttering with an aching exhaustion that sinks more than bone deep.

"You made us knot this much." Minnie murmurs, lips brushing across my nape, teeth sinking into the bite indents, the pressure enough to coax an immediate laxness to my limbs, sinking pliantly onto the sheets, shuddering under the combined touch of the two predators; mind fuzzy around the edges even if I slowly become acutely aware of just how spent my body is, limbs weary with a relentless ache and throbbing, body sticky and uncomfortably and the slightest twists on the sheets is uncomfortable, sparks of prickling restlessness as I turn onto my back.

Hissing at the ache making the low of my back and hips cramp, slowly lucidity washes in and coaxes away the biological unrest of having my mates anything but pressed to me.

The tease flickers into something quieter, warmer and protective, carefully assessing and the twin press of noses snuffling at skin, scenting away the discomfort has a bubble of laughter slipping past my lips, tired and content with their arms entangling together over my torso as they settle on either side of me.

Hand slipping down to knead at the side of my hip and though the comfort, the drag of skin against skin and their noses skimming across my jaw, cheek rubbing against my shoulder, ears brushing against skin is instinctual satisfaction, the longer lucidness settles in my body, the more the torn desires to fall asleep and to wash away the mess of exertion and fluids off me war internally.

"M tired." I admit, voice a quiet murmur, eyes fluttering open and shut sporadically, pleasure quietened to a hazy lull as their scents weigh down, their bodies blanketing mine.

Head turning to the quiet rough rasp; carrying the undercurrents of a growl still, eyes drifting over full lips swollen, from the bitten commands against them from Joon, curved wide in a playful preening smirk.

"Wore you out? I'll admit you took our knotting and breeding well. You still smell as if you're pupped." His voice is a rasp, dangerously veering to a growl, threatening to flare the weak flickering embers.

A keening noise slips past my lips unbidden and his eyes darken, flashing with primal response, ears perked and flickering as he catches the slightly stifled sound.

"Let her rest. Heathen." Joon teases, voice light as his fingers brush gently across my side, body sore and throbbing; as if every bitten and sucked bruise pulses as awareness and lucidity settles, so consciously aware of the aches and the sticky mess of the sheets drenched in scent and release.

But the bubbling lightness slips, shutters slightly when trying to raise myself off the sheets that cling uncomfortably to skin, body heated and discomforted has my lower back twinging and pain flaring in protest at the careful movement, the cramped ache in my hips bloom into something fiercer, the next sound that slips past my lips is agonised. Pained as I draw in a shallow rasped breath, eyes fluttering to shut against the pain lancing across my hips and thighs.

Two pairs of hands steady me immediately, scents softening even as they sear with protectiveness and concern, lips twisted with a pained grimace as I feel the pain throb, body uncooperating as I try to move.

"Careful... Jimin get the shower running. Rinse off first then get her into a bath." Joon's voice is low and grounding and even though I know he's just slipping away to the bathroom, that I'm not alone because Joon's arms curl around me in careful, protective embrace; cocooning me against him, the whimpered stay still slips out.

And his body stills, lingering and dithering, eyes softening at the wet stinging tell of my own as I peer back at him, fingers shaking as I reach out for him, try to draw him back.

"Jimin-ah, shower. I'll bring her through right after you." he promises, the rumble resonating against my limbs from where I'm closely tucked.

"But..."

The soft rumbled growl isn't on the offensive or commandeering authority, it's gentle, quieter.

Sends my limbs sinking laxly and soothes the disquiet behind me, quiet feet hurriedly padding away, strong arms bracketing my body as he carefully scoops me to his chest, every movement slight and painstakingly tender but the slightest shift of my body has a pained groan swallowed down, ears flickering as I turn to bury my face against his collar, breathing in his strong scent.

Finding reassurance and safety and security in them.

Leaving the respite of his arms makes unrest slip past my lips, in the curl of my hand gripping tighter at him before another pair of arms steady me, draw me against the cocooning embrace of muscle and sinew, warmth pressing to me as Jimin coaxes me under the warm spray of water, slowly beginning to sluice away the mess of countless rut and heat cycles.

And though my mind is coherent, free from the numbing haze of breeding instinct, of mindless biological urges, there's still an unfocused lull coaxed and triggered by the press of their bodies from either end, steadying me between them as their hands brush over slick skin with gentle ministrations.

It's Joon's chest my mouth muffles the shaky whimpers against, fingers brushing on slick skin for purchase as my legs part, fingers crooking deep to help clean the mess between aching thighs.

Two pair of hands that coax the trembles away, tender affection in the careful care of my body, the quiet murmurs of their voices and the shower running overhead, letting me sink into a mindless haze of comfort; entrusting myself to them. Barely startling when the water turns off and I'm cradled against an equally warm and slick body, chasing the gentle nuzzles and brush of damp skin pressing to mine as Jimin scents me.

It's easy to let the edges blur, to let vision and every other sense narrow down to just him, the sluggish haze of knowing that they're both there to look after me, senses distantly aware of water running and the quiet voices low and deep, the slosh of water as I'm lowered into the bath, the tender touch of two mates, their bodies gravitated close.

It's easy to let go when I know a fall doesn't await but a permanent safety net does.

It's easy to let a pseudo-heat melt away and the same full comfort of a post-heat sink in.

-------

The sheets are clean.

That's the first thing I notice, fingers loosely unravelling from around a nape, small unrest soothed by the brush of fingers against my cheek, a low hum as lips brush against mine, the heat of a body close to mine before it retreats slightly.

The sheets are clean, soft and gentle against skin, bar from the thick cloying scent of arousal; the air's heaviness diffused enough that the entangled scents of earthy dew and mint brings comfort rather than the rich heady burst of arousal that had saturated every fibre of the room, every particle of air.

And the scent clinging to them is fresh cotton and vanilla; the thought and knowledge the two had been in here, were helping in these small gestures during post-heat brings a deep contentment, fingers loosely curling into the smooth fabric, the clean blankets. Nose burrowing into them, breathing in the light scent, bare body curling gratefully against the soft material.

My ears flicker as I pick up their quiet movements, the soft rustles and two hands looping gently around my ankles before fabric; loose and light is guided upwards, drawn over my bruised, marked thighs, hips rising slightly, eyes fluttering open to see the quiet gentleness in soft brown eyes, cheeks dimpling as his fingers slip free of the waistband, clinging to my hips.

"Sore still?"

The question void of the same preening playfulness Minnie's voice had been steeped with earlier, fussy soothing wolf that hovers over me, body sinking against the sheets at the biological thrum of satisfaction at the unconscious posturing his body gives off as he half cages me.

A wolf caging in his prey. His mate.

My scent glands, proudly bearing the indents of their fangs, throb and pulse out scent, soft anise curling against his skin, lips tilting up in askance.

The brush of fingers against my waist are a featherlight touch, skimming across skin as his chest rumbles, the small reverberation felt against my lips where he tilts his head down to brush his own against them, soft and indulgent as his tongue traces the curve and dip of my mouth, slotted together with familiarity but an unhurriedness to it. The tilt of his body veers towards mine, gravitating closer, fingers curled loosely on my waist, nose brushing mine and lips warm and gentle. Slow as they curl deeper, tongue brushing across the seam, the low soft groan quieter, softer... a wolf at rest.

"Bearable." I murmur when his lips slip away, waiting the answer, curling closer at my small tug at his arm, trying to coax him back down, lips parting with silent plea, tongue brushing against his lips, chasing the welcomed intrusion as he smiles against me, his scent calmed. Tongue coaxing mine deeper into the open cavern of his mouth, curling and entangling, heady and slow against mine.

"Sorry..." he mumbles against skin when his lips slip away, featherlight brushes against my jaw, fangs scraping gently. The barest touch that still sends shudders to wrack my body, head tilting as his cheek rubs against mine.

"S okay..." I whisper, the aches and soreness of my body abated to a dull overall throb, pulsing through every limb and flaring more when I move, legs aching and the cramps in my hip making my back stiffen when my body shifts against the sheets. A whimpered sound, discomforted by the heated burst of pain licking up my spine.

It quietens the content rumble bubbling deep in Joon's chest, a frown marring his features and eyes flashing as he stills, ears folding slightly.

"M fine... haven't taken knot after knot before. Haven't had two predators rut so hard. A lot of new firsts." I mumble, hand wavering as I reach out to draw him close, frowning at the slight distance his arms give, propped up over me.

"I haven't seen Joon go feral like this. Never felt so out of control myself... but is that a surprise sweet mate?" a voice croons from the side, lips quirked wide and fangs peeking but it doesn't hide the flickering concern simmering in his eyes as he leans close, twisting off the lid of a large tub of salve, eyes scanning across my body.

And his nudge to Joon with a hand doesn't immediately have the wolf moving to shift away, to stop his half-straddled hover over my body, whining low in his throat until he acquiesces, taking the salve from Minnie.

Feel the curl of heat brush against me as Minnie lies down, nose nudging at my cheek and a small, rumbled chirp emanating from his throat as he mumbles an apology, lips brushing against my jaw.

The first brush of salve is cold and sticky; the sensation of fingers smearing the residue across my abdomen has my stomach clenching, shifting under the touch. Squirming slightly from the press of fingertips carefully rubbing it in, the familiar scentless medication warming as Joon's fingers carefully apply it.

"Stop wriggling pup." He huffs out, a smile curling at his lips, fingers painstakingly gentle as he continues to apply the salve to try soothe the aching cramps that make my abdomen taut. Breathing ragged as his hands drift lower, hands skimming across my hips, Jimin's own hand coaxing my legs open, the pained bitten groan not entirely stifled.

Their scents soften immediately, curling protectively and gently around me, a hand entangling with my own when unconsciously mine moves to brush Joon's hand away; the firm pressure of his hand applying the medicine and carefully massaging the knots and stiffness at my hip, keeping me tethered to him. Aching to shift away from the touch; craving the long-term relief but hating the way pain flares under his touch, as if rising to the surface before it can be leeched away.

"Keep still little fawn, just trying to help." Minnie's voice quiet but firm, coaxing and when my head turns to peer at him, his eyes hold nothing but gentle reassurance, lips ghosting sweetly and gently along mine.

But regardless, my body shifts, restless and torn between chasing comfort by just dragging Joon closer; by having their bodies sandwiching me, knowing though that the salve would help, that the firm press of hands so carefully skimming over my body were trying to help.

I don't realise just how restless the movements are, small sounds of pain or complaint slipping out quietened by a keening whimper when fangs sink in slightly to my scent gland; the inexplicable laxness that sinks immediately into my body has my limbs going pliant, still and splayed loosely across the sheets, scent pulsing out in a thick burst of honeyed anise as lips brush over the small bite, tongue flicking to soothe the sting immediately.

The chagrin apology is clear in dark eyes that hold mine from above me, nosing at skin before his hands continue to knead and coax stiffness away from the inside of my thighs working outwards; branding the scent glands on my legs with the gentle flux of rich earthy musk.

"Restless aren't you?" voice quiet and knowing, lips softening into a smile shot at me when my legs jolt under his touch, the pheromones seeping off him and Jimin coaxing my body to sink more laxly, the discomfort leeched away by the greater waves of comfort and protection that settles me on the bed.

"First shaky fawn, now restless little doe. Need to be pinned?" voice crooned and light, playful but imbued with the genuineness of the offer too.

My fingers twist, drawing our entangled hands forward, nosing at Jimin's wrist; slow uncoordinated drags of skin against skin, rubbing my scent onto the discrete glands.

Breathless exhales as the hands gripping my thighs are both possessive and baring me, drifting down to encircle my ankles; the pulsing pain settled to a weak distant throb that drifts in and out of conscious awareness.

Everything fades save for the drags of skin against skin, the pressure of hands and the curl of scents coaxing me into a hazier cocoon.

Rest.

Quiet low voices urge it, knowing hands guide it, body sinking loosely against the sheets, body teetering between heavy weighted sleep and slowly flickering consciousness.

The broad splay of hands encircling my ankles are bands of gentle warmth, the yank is a far cry from, tugging a startled yelp past my lips, eyes flaring wide, breath punctured out my lungs, fingers scrabbling uselessly for purchase at the sudden lurch of my body being tugged down.

A wider grin curls against Joon's face; eyes flickering with something silent and warm. Something primally possessive and indulgent, angling my legs open wider, drags of his nose against the inside of my calf, fingers slowly inching upwards and leaving a fresher mark of his scent on loose limbs.

The hand entangled with mine withdraws, disquiet soothed before it even gets to flare when hands draw my own up, arms stretched overhead, a firm press of a hand pinning my wrists to the sheets.

Lips brush across my temple, eyes warm and heavy as they hold mine.

"We've got you little fawn." Low heavy promise in the thick slow drawl of his words.

The unrelenting pin of his hand across my glands sear them with the thick strength of mint, wrists twisting futilely, knowing and testing, sinking laxly when they don't give, legs jolting at the brush of lips trailing upwards, the combined pressure of soft open-mouthed kisses and knuckles grazing across the inside of my thigh, slowly marking a steady trail across my limbs.

Heavy grogginess settles in every crevice of my body, pinned between the tight grip around my wrists and the two hands keeping my legs splayed open as invite for his body to cage mine, to hover in the open space and settle there, head tilting as Joon drags his teeth across the marks, hands slowly working the barest stiffness left, head swimming under the weight of their pheromones.

The quiet slurred mumble that slips past my lips is incoherent, even to my own ears, head turning in silent search, rewarded by the press of lips against my own, slow and gentle, a content rumble reverberating against me, spare hand tilting my face up, presenting the line of my throat; both glands swollen and bitten, marked and steadily seeping off scent, pulsing thicker with the presence of the two mated predators hovering close.

The hands keeping my legs splayed are a pinning gesture even without the weight or pressure, the hovering presence of his broad towering limbs caging me in, biology submitting to the dominant pheromones of two predators caging in a prey, throat tilted in invite to present the marked gland, indulgently scented by the brush of lips, cheek against skin, content exhales of quiet rumbles against my body.

A disconnection hovers, lines between awareness and complete haze blurring, eyes fluttering shut as I sink gladly, safely in the protection of my mates near me, encasing me with their scents and hold and keeping me caged under them.

A weighted stupor that brings with it sleep, dark and consuming and heavy and irresistible.

And coaxed by the deep rumbles I fall prey to it.

HOBI POV:

It's quiet footsteps that have my ears twirling curiously, eyes drifting away from the sprawled bun on my lap, fingers stilling in his hair as I peer towards the doorway.

Waiting to see Joon emerge, as if his scent isn't a loud broadcast in itself alerting his presence, the thick scent of a forest in rich leafy bloom and rainfall; fresh and clear, entangled with mint and anise.

But Joon doesn't emerge alone, hands cradling carefully to him, the small, circled form of a fawn, ears still and eyes shut, face tilted to bury against the crook of his arm, sleeping in his arms. She looks impossibly smaller in comparison to the broad curl of his arms holding her, tucked against his chest. There's contentment in every line of his body, muscles loosened and no longer coiled up ready to attack. A far, far cry from the raging feral wolf that'd stormed in two nights ago.

The sound that follows his entrance is slightly louder, the drag of something across the carpet and the rumbled discontent chirp is muffled around the mouthful of the duvet he's dragging along. Dark beady eyes balefully glaring at his mate before he continues to tug the large duvet along, sprawled across the carpet.

The soft huff of breath that leaves me is more relieved than either of them could imagine and the quick rustle of the body first settled on the sofa as Kook straightens.

Hurries forward, ears perked and eyes alert, the calm haze I'd slowly been working him towards over hours vanishing as he scurries to them, nose and cotton tail twitching as he scents the air, eyes drifting quickly before bending down.

A small smile on his face as he peers at Jimin, holding his gaze with the attentive fox peering back at him, chirping when Kook gives a small tug to the duvet. Fangs tightening before loosening, letting the duvet fall away, pawing at it and chirping, encouraging him to help him take it inside. Nudging and bonking the side of Kook's leg to encourage him to be quicker, trotting dutifully behind him, slow swishes of his tail, tracking and observing the duvet being spread out neatly across the floor. But it's clear the sofa needs to be nudged and moved aside, the space cleared so the duvet can be unfolded, so it can be added to if the staring prompting gaze of Jimin is anything to go by, pawing at Kook, chirping as he raises himself on his haunches to paw at the sofa cushions.

A nest.

"I think (Y/N) will like waking up with the entire pack." Joon says, voice a low gentle hum, head ducking to nose along the back of her head, drooped against his arm; breathing his scent in directly, cradled against his bare chest.

The impressive display of mottled purples and reds colouring his shoulders and neck, the bite at his gland that without fang indents give away it's (Y/N)'s claim on him.

"Tire her out alpha~?" I say with a small smile, smell the burst of pleased countenance, the wave of mint hitting me stronger, closer. Curling with the earthy musk and the chirp in assent as he paws and pushes the proffered cushions onto the duvet, scooping another to trot across the thick padding with.

"She shifted after a pheromone high, fell asleep after shifting."

"But she's okay? Everything's okay? You're both okay?" I ask quietly, eyes drifting over how Kook drags cushions off, silently scenting and handing them over to the watchful eyes of the foxy carefully lathering his mint into the others, rolling around the duvet to drag his mint across them.

"We're okay. It... the... the case triggered it. But... that's a mess for another day." Voice quiet but infinitely calmer than the raging wolf who'd thrashed and bucked in my arms, the stinging trails of nails and fangs that had left the flare of his rage behind.

His eyes are quiet but speaking masses, carefully walking around the space the duvet occupies to get to me, nosing apologetically at my cheek, words contrite and chagrined.

"Sorry for fighting you Hob-ah... I know you saved it from getting a lot worse. But I'm sorry that at the time I didn't see that."

My head tilts to bonk back against his cheek, fingers tilting his face to me to brush a kiss across his downcast lips. Feel them soften and quirk up, tilting to me.

"You're forgiven alpha pup. How could I ever be anything but hopelessly smitten by you... especially when you give such big puppy eyes." I murmur, nose brushing against his, soft pecks pressed to his slightly swollen lips.

"I'm going to round up the pack... and some nesting materials. I know Tae will whine if he's not part of the nest building." I murmur.

Though not only him.

This is something the entire pack should be a part of. An entire pack should have.

I knew the hell the past day and so had been, knew how different it'd felt to be walking on eggshells in a nest with two in-rut officers and a restless, bubbling itch gnawing away at me from the inside, rising pulses of heat and growling instincts stifled under a thin veil of suppressants slowly disintegrating under the thick pulse of entangled scents.

I knew how cagey Yoongi had been, alert and heightened instincts, silently swishing tail cutting back and forth and ears perked and alert.

Knew how much the pack dynamics were shifting and settling and trying to adapt. Knew how much pack dynamics were silently pining and restless for more..

"Be right back sweetheart." I murmur, ducking down to brush my lips between her ears, finger rubbing gently across the bridge of her nose, leaning to peck gently before straightening.

Fur brushes against my ankle, a quiet chirp has my eyes lowering, the slow content swish as Jiminie peers up at me, nuzzling against my calf in slow drags; rubbing his scent across.

Pawing at my leg, stretching up on his hindlegs to be scooped, chirping and rumbling happily. He nuzzles close in greeting, immediately ducking to nuzzle against my gland, chirping against skin. His paw tugs at the shirt, affronted by it as he tries to worm closer, swishing and wriggling against me.

"Scenty foxy coming along or guarding the fort?" I ask, hand cradling his head, fingers rubbing up and down, scratching lightly at the base of his ears. Feel them fold under my touch, encouraging the petting.

His fur, soft and warm, under the touch is a soft weighted comfort shifts and wriggles under my touch, fangs scraping lightly against skin, head bonking against my jaw before he leans back.

Wriggles with purpose to be let down.

Trots dutifully to the others to briefly bonk and rub scent against, a snuffled nuzzle, tongue flicking against Kook's jaw in chirped thanks before he hurries to continue to paw and knead the cushions into shape. Nose ducking to snuffle at the soft plushness. Helping him make the beginnings of the large, padded nest.

"Guess it's a one man job. Get comfy Joon." I murmur, nudging him towards the centre of the nest, eyes catching the sight of Joon bending towards Kook, soft hushed whispers as he nuzzles indulgently; rumbling with contentment at our two prey mates drenched in his scent claim, mouthing briefly at one of the marks impressively bruising his gland before he carefully lowers himself down.

Setting our sleeping fawn in the centre, letting Minnie to continue to slowly begin building it around her. His hands hover, before one settles lightly, brushing over her gleaming coat, gentle rubs and trails of his fingers, coaxing her into a deeper sleep, pushing that haze further; undoubtedly thrashing with the thought of even being away from her for an instance.

I slip out into the hallway, heart and steps feeling lighter than it'd been over the past 36 hours, an endless ache bearing down on my shoulders, eating away at me from the inside slowly unravelling.

Three safe, content mates accounted for. And there.

In front of my eyes.

Soothed by it more than even I'd have thought; limbs uncoiling and tension seeping away, drained by just spending those long minutes watching them, observing.

Change was scary but this change was thrilling and new and daunting and intoxicating in the way it reeled us all towards it.

It makes my pace hasten quicker as I hurry down to track down the rest of the pack, nose chasing the rich fresh curl of their scents-ears twirling and picking up the voices drifting down from the spare kitchen on the other end, steps light and noiseless.

Peeking into hyung's studio first and finding him curled up on the beanbags, half-hearted focus on his laptop because his eyes snap up to me almost immediately, ears perking upright at the sound of the door being nudged open.

"Rut's over. Nest time~" I call, watching him straighten as he perks; a rich burst of citrus pulsing off him.

Strong and sweet and fresh.

"Shifted fawn." I add as I leave, lips curving in a wide, giddy grin, a bubbling exuberance that makes my own scent sweeten, the rich honeyed thickness of caramel tangible to my own nose as I track down the final two- enamoured by the sight of Tae tucked between Jin hyung's wings, trapped against the counter, squirming and chuffing as hyung continues to press quick fleeting pecks to his shoulders and surprising him with sudden kisses on his cheek.

Watch how giddily he squirms, turning in the circle of his arms, wings flapping with intent to bracket him further when a flushed face settles on me; already swishy tail picking up speed, curling and swaying quicker, eyes flashing as his ears perk.

Undoubtedly smelling the other two on me straight away.

Jin's eyes track his diverted attention and follows them to me, lips curving in a generous, wide smile, feathers rustling as his wings flap from where they're tucked against his back.

I don't even need to say because Tae's already wriggling against Jin hyung's hold before tugging him along with a curl of his hand wrapped around his wrist, a louder chuff that rumbles through the air as he chases the scent himself, a happy prowling tiger on the hunt for the fawn out of her pseudo-heat and for the smell of soft, soft vulnerable anise that curls through the air.

Quietly beckoning and tugging at protective instincts and pleading in an unconscious pheromonal plea for pack.

Jin detaches away, a quiet fondness and giddiness as he slips to his room, murmuring softly he'll be right behind us.

Tae doesn't need further encouragement, bounding forward with quick light treads, rushing forward towards the scent of pack that the apartment slowly becomes steeped with; entangled scents that curled and intertwined protectively with the soft, soft floral anise that corded through the air.

Light and gentle but there. Tugging at every packmate's instincts.

And when I pass through the doorway, mere moments after Tae, a bubble of quiet laughter slips out when I see that in the few seconds momentum he's already discarded his shirt and sprawled across the open space, indulgently rolling around; a sure-fire quick way to spread the sweet saccharine berry.

That and as I watch as he tackles Kook without preamble, knocking the pillows out of his hand as he growls playfully, quiet puffs of breath against the pinned bun's nape, rumbling happily as his tail swishes; assessing how much of the nest has been made, eyes softening into warm inviting pools, tender and enamoured as he spots (Y/N).

Watches the now shifted wolf curled beside her, a paw tucking her close, sprawled over her circled form. A constant stream of quiet rumbles from where he nuzzles at her ears, curled around her small form protectively.

Tail quietly thumping against the padded duvet, scenting our sleeping fawn mate, head bent close and watching the rest of the pack continue to build the nest.

Delighted when I spot the quiet prowling form of a lithe panther, tail curling and swishing as he drags cushions and blankets with his paws, quiet rumbly purrs that bring with it soft waves of citrus, discarded clothes lying outside the barriers of the nest.

Only Tae and Kook remain as the only unshifted in that instance, the others all padding about quietly. There's quiet huffs as Kookie tries to wriggle free from the ecstatic bonking tiger nuzzling at his cheeks and mouthing playfully at the colourful marks of deep purple Joon left behind, their scents spluttering out thick and heavy; entangling and settling in the fibres of the soft materials.

Wings and crossed arms brush against me from behind, gently nudging me forward before Jin reveals the cluster of cushions and blankets he clutches too, large hoodies and jumpers haphazardly thrown on top, eyes shining and his vanilla scent seems to pulse sweet; his own subtler quiet scent making the vanilla be broadcasted as sweet and warm.

Home.

Not just pack or nests... Jin hyung smells like home.

Preening with giddy satisfaction as he slots past me, lips brushing against my ear before he bends over to smoothen out wrinkles, materials deposited onto the duvet, wings flapping when Yoongi slots close and rumbles, pawing at the blanket saturated with the scent of cotton and vanilla.

Fangs gently plucking the corner of it and dragging it to make the corner barrier, pawing it into shape, tugging impatiently at the hem of Tae's shorts to drag him off, immediately crowding against Kookie the moment he rolls off. Snuffling and scenting before tugging at his shirt too.

Encouraging them to move and continue to help.

Tae's eager, shucking off clothes, uncaring of the sight he makes of golden limbs stretching across the duvet, clad in only boxers as he helps Jin hyung, eyes peering and searching before with a disgruntled chirp a fox emerges from a pile of blankets, fur rumpled, clambering out, batting at the fabric he'd been unceremoniously swamped under, paws scrabbling as he wriggles out and over.

Chirping louder as he paws at Jin for apologetic rubs, head tilting and tail swishing before he turns to paw through the fabrics, dragging a large hoodie by the drawstrings, fumbling paws over the fabric once he's settled it close; nose burrowed into the hood to scent and snuffle about.

Jimin is. Everywhere.

Constantly flitting about pawing and scenting and drifting back to the centre, to nose along (Y/N)'s curved form, quiet rumbles as he soothes her already deeply sleeping form; unable to help but gravitate closer.

Joon's already abandoned all hope of helping, attached and curled close to his newly mated fawn. Scenting and curved in a protective embrace, the closest to her. Body a half-moon around her, rumbling as his paw stays curled close, quiet thumps against the duvet.

The others are going to vie for the other spots closest to her. I already know it.

Lips curving with amusement at the paw swiping at Tae, brushing across his bare waist in a fumbled, swiping pet, Yoongi nudging him along to cluster towards the centre. Watch as he arches his hips, wriggling as his tail swishes; teasing and taunting and laughing at the paw swatting the back of his thigh.

See the quick way he discards the final scrap of fabric, enticingly stretched out before mere moments later his body ripples slightly as he shifts. A large tiger chuffing as he trots forward, quick padding paws slipping to where (Y/N)'s curled up, a pleased rumble as he noses at her. A loud chuff as he stuffs his nose close to scent her, tongue brushing between her ears to press a grooming smooch to her curled head.

The quiet hops drag my eyes away from the sight, laughing as a glossy brown bunny comes whizzing across, hopping over the rumpled clothes and fabrics, scooped up before he can whizz to the forming pack pile.

Fangy scooped by the scruff of his neck, wriggling his paws as his ears flop immediately at the dominant grip; at the instinctual pin of fangs at his nape.

Quietly scented with a paw settling on brown fur, nosing at his stomach, tongue flicking across the fur, the gesture making him squirm, paws waving as Yoongi scents him.

Quiet soft rumbles against his fur, indulgently rubbing his citrus scent onto him.

"Not going to shift my little kit?" Jin hyung asks, smoothening out the final part of the nest, a soft-walled enclosed space saturated with our scents.

Warm and safe and perfect.

"I will... just, taking it in." I admit quietly, eyes tracking the curved stripe form hunkered over Joon and (Y/N).

Watch as Jimin slips close, lying down behind (Y/N), his and Joon's body making an entire complete circle around her, flanking her in from all ends. Nosing at her, tail swishing softly as he paws gently.

Two mates curling around her.

"Go shift... I'm sure there'll be an ambush for space, you want to get in quicker little caramel."

I laugh.

"And you?"

"After this nest is swan stamped I'll be right there." he laughs, head tilting as he looks on at the sight, warm and indulgent and pleased.

"Well~ if you're sure swan prince." I tease, tugging off clothes, watching his hands move but eyes track, familiar and heady and dark as he tracks every item of clothing discarded, thrown beyond the limits of the nest.

Feel the shift sink in seamlessly and feel the entire room feel bigger from the smaller perspective, the nest seems infinitely larger, encompassing the living room, the others sprawled across it but all close.

I slip over towards Jin, fangs sinking into his shirt to tug, tug him further in, tug to get the shirt off, ridiculous that he remains the only dressed, the only unshifted, hear a rumbled assent echoed by Yoongi from somewhere behind me.

Ears twirling to rub against the proffered palm that reaches over to let his fingers sink into fur and rub, a purr rumbling past my lips, paws settling on his thigh, body stretched towards him, yowling as I continue to paw at fabric.

Off. Off. Off.

Hear his laugh before he scoops me, lips brushing along fur and eyes warm as he nods, wings flapping and fluttering behind his back.

"You've always been impatient to get my clothes off haven't you kit?" teasing and lilting before he's calling out for Tae, grinning when a big paw fumbles to swipe at me, nose burrowed against my back as he rumbles, chuffing and trying to scoop.

My eyes narrow, fangs bared as I hiss at him, yowling and trying to bat at the dual touch, torn whether to turn to the rumbled chuffs of my large cub or the gentle rub of knuckles drifting across my stomach; yowl louder and affronted at being torn for choice.

Jin's laugh is warm, shushing me with a finger pressed to pouty full lips.

"Going to wake our little fawn at this rate." He whispers hushed.

And my head turns, trying to peer past the stripey mountain of thick fur blocking my sight, paws fumbling as I feel myself be lowered onto Tae, clambering and slipping across his glossy fur to hurry towards the others.

Feel his protesting rumble and the fumbling swipes of his paws, delighted at the impromptu chase before he stills, careful as he watches me approach the snug trio.

Feel fur brush against my paws and Koo; doused in citrus scents finally hop forward, nose twitching against my leg as he peers up at me with wide eyes and floppy ears.

The purr that slips past my lips is fond, head ducking to nose between his ears before my paws nudge him forward first, watch his cotton tail twitch and shake with excitement and giddiness as he dashes forward, entrance given by the wolf whose head lifts; clearing a space for him.

He rushes forward, nose twitching as it boops against (Y/N)'s, snuffling at her drooped head, quiet and shiny eyed, ears perking with surprise when his gesture coaxes a sleepy flutter of lashes, hazy doe eyes peering at him quietly.

Tilting her face forward slightly, nose brushing against his again..

Sleepy droopy eyes blinking sluggishly at him, drooping when his head tucks over hers to chin, rubbing soft cotton, ears flopped and body tucked close.

And when he moves, just the slightest shuffled hop to the side, a wobbly leg reaches out for him, a soft bleating sound; imploring and quiet as she tries to tuck Koo back to her, the message clear.

Stay.

And clustering close to her, invited by the quiet, tired sound he burrows close, tail twitching as he tucks under the curve of her head, settling underneath, her body curling into a smaller circle as she keeps him close to her.

The smallest prey.

One of the biggest unshifted... but smallest now and snagging the best spot.

The complaining rumble is huffy, distinctly so and the petulant droop to our biggest kit, our big cub is recognisable, ears flickering as he paws at the duvet, longing and aching. Wishing to be small enough to clamber over and tuck tiny next to the two preys too. Instead, he makes do with padding forward and snuffling around for scents, big fluffy head dipping to rumble against fur, looking giddy at the nudge of a wolf scenting his thick fur, the drag of dark brown fur against orange and black.

His head dips, searching around for the two preys clustered together, nuzzling affectionately against (Y/N) first, slow slathered rubs of berry across her drooped head, eyes fluttering as she peers blearily at him. The soft quiet sound of contentment swallowed whole by the bodily rumbled chuff of happiness as he bonks her gently, head tilting to indulgently rub his fur against her.

The slow drag of fur against her before he ducks his head lower, nose chasing out an even smaller bun tucked under her, trying to burrow closer from where his towering form stretches over Mimi's splayed form, eyes watching with fondness gleaming in a dark beady gaze. Snuffling about until Koo's head pops out. Floppy ears wriggling out alongside a twitching nose, scrunching at the immediate lap of tongue, the kitty grooming his fur; rumpled as he peeks out and up at our tiger.

Bonking happily, eager to douse the saccharine sweet scent across his ears too, nuzzling at the flopped soft fur before chasing to do the same to Jimin, nosing along his side and tilting eagerly to scrape fangs across orange fur, tail swishing as he chirps back.

Hear the flutter of wings and the quiet honked greeting before Jin enters my sight of vision, head turning to focus on the fluttering swan that carefully pads forward, wings flapping and tucked securely on either side. Something entirely majestic at the surefooted pad across the duvet, eyes dark and preening as he moves over to the cluster the three of us make; near to the circled cluster but not quite broaching.

See Yoongi's eyes narrow. Fixate onto the sight, stilling as his lithe form remains stretched out, eyes tracking the quiet pad and the soft rustle of feathers as he plops down in the centre.

Inviting the attention of three felines and something unabashedly proud of the cluster we make, the other two slipping forward with eagerness.

I clamber over Joon, paws slipping on soft brown fur, a paw steadying my tumble before I go sprawling across (Y/N), yowling softly in thanks, ears twirling and rubbing affectionately against her. Sensing the approaching scents before they brush against my own, a fluffier sleek panther on one side and the quiet rustle of wings before Jin leans over. The graceful arch of his neck curling over Minnie to first brush over the bridge of her nose; her eyes fluttering open and shut, dazed by the flux of scents crowding her, encasing her in the constant warmth of protect, protect, protect. Hazy dilated pupils that struggle to focus, head turning slightly to take us all in, soft quiet gentle bleats that tug me closer, Yoongi's head dipping as he purrs, deep soothing rumbles that has her ears flickering.

The soft sweet haze of anise pulsing gentle as Jin rubs his beak across her soft down, intently seeing the hazy blinks, the unconscious tilt to him, feathers rustling before he ducks under to peer at his bun. Quiet as his body settles, leaning close as he chins, rubbing his fur across Jin's beak. The two blurs of feathers and fur as the eldest packmates cluster close to quietly give affection and warmth and the radiating sense of safety as they move close.

Slowly withdrawing to let the mated three sink into the haze, reminding them that they can be vulnerable because the whole pack is here.

To protect and guard and be part of the nest as much as the soft comforted barriers are.

Yoongi's fumbling paw to tuck Jin hyung close is endearing, watching as they slip back but Yoongi's unwilling to let go of our fluttery mate; a rumbled chuff as Tae watches before fangs suddenly graze against my fur, scraping before he scoops.

Airborne and twisting, yowl slightly louder as I twist in the hold he has, a scruff that my instincts rumble with playfulness at, pawing and trying to twist away before his paws trap me when he lowers me between them.

Nose immediately stuffed against the fur of my stomach; a rumbled delighted purr slipping past my jowl. Pawing at his face, trying to clutch at the thick fur as he rumbles, fangs scraping against me; the gesture sparking trust and affection, squirming at the sprawl of his tongue grooming; trying to keep me still.

Huffs of breaths and chuffs that sound like laughter as he continues to burrow close.

There's a weighted disconnection even if every instinct and sense is alert; a loose floaty haze that doesn't usually accompany shifting... never to this extent. This deep, deep haze of contentment; triggered by the happy pulse of scents, the weighted cosiness in them, by the nest that we'd all built together and the pack pile of everyone shifted and close.

The frazzled nerves soothed away immediately and the immense satisfaction of knowing everything was okay, everything was okay.

That our pack was here.

And the hitch in the road had been smoothened over.

And that pack dynamics had adjusted and settled.

And on top, a heavy fluffy weight settles; sprawls over me with a happy bone-deep chuff.

Agreeing with me entirely.

--------

The weight of the thick fur is the same when I wake, roused from the deep nap by quiet murmurs, body shifting from the hazy slumber to the quiet murmurs of voices. Instinctually roused to alertness by the protective instinct of three newly mated packmates in the nest. By the need to make sure everything was okay; eyes blinking away sleepiness, head turning from where it was pillowed against a paw and hear a quiet rumble pressed against me, reverberating against bare skin. Alerting me that Tae's awake too.

My eyes drift around, scanning the perimeters of the nest, silently cataloguing everyone; watch fluttering feathers as Jin peeks out from between Yoongi's paws; both of their eyes quietly alert, both comfort and protectiveness in their gaze.

Not them.

Eyes searching across and settling on the entangled limbs of Kook and (Y/N); both officers still shifted, curled and sprawled sleepily near them, a blanket tugged somewhat askew across their bare bodies.

Quiet chirps as Minnie lets go of the blanket hem once it's draped across their waists and clambers onto them; head dipping to nuzzle against her hip; soft scents as his tail swishes before settling half-sprawled on the both of them.

Joon's eyes are watchful but his posture relaxed; but there's attentiveness even in the deceptive loose coil of his body.

Tail thumping as he tucks the blankets around them, nosing along Koo's nape; buried against the loose locks, snuffling affectionately at him.

It was Koo and (Y/N).

Moreso Koo as he tucks (Y/N) against him, arm banded around her to keep her wrapped close, his voice a quiet murmur as her eyes flutter open and shut; still hazed as she sinks against him.

Hand curled loosely around his waist.

Quiet whispers and soft nothings murmured to her as he holds her close, fingers tracing gently the path the wolf and fox had taken time to colour her skin with, soft featherlight brushes that slowly coax her to sink hazily, eyes fluttering as she mumbles out his name, the soft curves and dips of her torso highlighted by the purpled marks staining love and mate across her body.

Lost in their own world; the sight of them soothes the pack instinct immediately, the watchfulness losing its fuss to indulgence and attentiveness; drinking in their comfort and realising that I'm the only other unshifted one left in the pack.

"Hey tiger~ reckon you can give me a little wriggle room?" I murmur, head turning and seeing him peer at me, nose nudging against my cheek, rumbling.

"And maybe grab my shorts... or anything?" I ask with a laugh, the ticklish brush of fur warm and blanketing but when he moves back slightly, his eyes hold mine piercingly.

Enjoying the sight before he obliges with a huffed exhale; padding over dutifully to scoop clothes, nudging forward with a delighted expression; shorts that carry the tell-tale sweet vanilla scent.

Watches me slide the loose fabric over my thighs, feel more than one set of eyes track the movement.

Move closer, rolling away from Tae's swiping paw before he trots... as if chasing me, following along before I prop up beside them, shuffling forward the last stretch of distance, hand brushing over fluffy orange ears and see his head rise, perking from where it had settled to rest on (Y/N)'s waist.

Chirping quietly as his fangs and tongue scrape and brush against my petting fingers, paw trying to still my drifting hand and trap it under his touch to scent away at.

"Feel okay sweetheart?" I murmur, vacant hand brushing against her cheek, silently checking for a lingering fever from her pseudo-heat, knuckles grazing gently against pink flushed skin, still holding that dewy gleam to it, voice still slightly slurred as she nods.

"M fine... jus hazy..." voice quiet, tilting to my palm that curves around her cheek, thumb brushing under the delicate skin under her eyes, sweeping across, head tilting to brush my lips across her cheekbone.

"Not sore?" voice quiet as I tilt forward, nose nudging against hers, chasing the soft floral pulse of scent, see the affront in dark wolf eyes starting at me as he rumbles, pawing gently at her and Koo.

"No... took care of me.... first they roughen me up... then they soothe..." a smile in her words though the fluttering drag of her lashes against skin, the slow sluggish blinks give away that she's still half asleep, still drained. That the shift back was unconsciously done; instincts flitting from biological comfort of a fawn tucked in a pack-pile and the unconscious tug to shift back.

"Did they feed you? Need to get water for all three of you... some protein bars too." I muse, lips brushing over her cheek, smiling when her face tilts to brush slow and uncoordinated against mine in scent, cheek rubbing against mine before her lips chase mine out.

Slow and unhurried, soft exhales against skin where Kook continues to work out lingering stiffness, a steady gliding path his knuckles take across her back, her hips, still wound protectively around her.

The chirp and rumble simultaneously entangling together is telling as it is encouraging.

Hurry then.

But the quiet rustle behind, the deep preening chuff as Tae drops a bottle of water next to me, followed by the flutter of wings as Jin nudges forward bars with his beak makes me realise whether he'd kept them on the outskirts of the nest or whether he had the knack of rustling through a kitchen with proficiency even shifted. Taking them gratefully and unscrewing the top, moving to reciprocate the nudge at my side before a rumpled unshifted fox appears.

Lean and bare and giddily welcoming the brunt of furry bonks and chuffs against his skin, full lips curved wide and the scatter of marks, rougher and messy and uncoordinated giving away how desperate (Y/N) had been, nails raking thin red lines down his back, scattered marks sucked frantically into skin and the smaller bite mark sans fangs colouring his collarbones.

It's almost a phantom vision of the ruts and pseudo-heat illustrated by the marks, by the lingering touches left behind on each other's bodies, the tenderness burning in Jimin's eyes as he slowly disentangles, coaxing Tae close even as he slots (Y/N) up; him and Koo helping draw her upright, tucked between them, sheets dipping to reveal the path trails to the soft curve of her thigh, branded with scent even now.

Slowly coaxes the bottle to her lips, eyes flashing with gratitude and affection before they slip away from mine, voice quiet that her ears flicker at before he nudges it against her mouth, a rumbly plea when she takes it for herself.

Fussy and attentive as he watches her drink and opens a bar, ready to help his newly mated fawn in every way.

Shifted immediately to tend to her properly and though Joon's eyes are equally attentive; he compensates by scrabbling across the two, a settling weight sprawling on Koo and (Y/N)'s laps while nudging at Jimin's arm with his nose.

Silently communicative and at ease, rumbled encouragement for her to eat, scooping a bar to hold out towards Koo, eyes wide and tail thumping when it gets a toothy grin and scrunch as he takes the proffered snack.

"You two too. Need to rehydrate, need to replenish." My words are backed up by deep rumbles, panther looming over my shoulder whilst Tae cosies against Jiminie. Bonking enthusiastically.

Feathers rustle as Jin wriggles past the blanket of stripey fur, hopping neatly onto Jimin's lap with a blanket dragged between his beak, settling comfortably on it once it's sprawled decently enough across his lap.

Nudges his beak against Joon's nose, watches the wolf perk up, a happy low whine as he spots our swan, leans to nuzzle along glossy feathers, across the pretty arch of his neck.

Now that (Y/N)'s awake, enamoured eyes tracking Minnie's movements as he slots an arm around her, her head tilting to rest against his shoulder, fingers loosely curled around the bottle, breathing in sweet, soft mint.

Feel the others settle close, a soft weight behind me as Yoongi sprawls behind, head drooped beside me, rumbles quiet. Everyone gravitated close, close, closer.

It's clear, blatant and there in pride of place, two sets of fang indents on her glands, one on either side embedded deep in permanent mark of two mates.

Tae's head dips to gently nuzzle at her side, nose trailing from her arm to her neck in gentle snuffles, paw settling on her lap as he rumbles, leaning to scent her with berry, chuffs against her skin when she tilts to him, fingers sinking into fur as she pets him, slow drags of fingers across thick, thick fur.

Pack.

A mix of shifted and unshifted packmates clustered together; a thick cloud of scents settled and sunk skin deep in everyone.

And silently sluggish but content, happy eyes meet mine.

JIMIN POV:

"The next time you get intel from the undercover officers, I want them directly reporting back to me." I murmur, hands nudging away the closed file as I look at the second-in-command for the Surveillance and Comms team, watch as she looks torn. Dithering between agreeing or speaking whatever's clearly on her mind.

"Sir, the comms are highly encrypted and relay back to Leader Min straight away, go through the decoding process and I get them to you... is the relay not... immediate enough?" voice tentative in the phrasing but eyes firm in their resoluteness.

Confused as she peers at me.

"I want intel kept as close to me and my chosen team as much as possible. I want every scrap of information... useless chatter or otherwise coming into this office." I speak, fingers tapping against the file before tilting back to look at her.

See her eyes flicker over me, falling to the bruised mark on my gland. Figuring out the sudden absence from the station. Mine and Joon's undoubtedly connected in her mind.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out. To match the bruised, bitten claims sucked into skin.

Flit back to my face.

Assessing and carefully gauging.

"Sir no information is leaked and it goes through our encrypted database before it comes Officer Kim." Choi's voice is firm, something suspecting... comprehending in her eyes.

I stare back unwaveringly.

"Every officer in your department, under your command when Min isn't here... every person who has access to those computers, to any digitalised file, to any shred of evidence or equipment... names and personnel files. I want them all." I say.

I wanted to scour and dig up every detail and every shred of information.

"Is something wrong Sir?"

I stare at her, already having vetted her, having already scoured through her personnel file several times, combed over every detail, every reference. I knew Choi, I'd worked with her for several cases... I trusted her... but given circumstances... even that was only 75 percent ascertained. With circumstances, with a mole, with intel being leaked... every close officer was viewed with scepticism, with careful consideration.

Even now it was a gamble to see.

To gauge loyalties.

"Depends. Who has access to the equipment?"

"Every officer who signs the equipment off."

"Who does inventory?"

"I do."

My head tilts. She may not broadcast a distinctive scent, but her pheromones even as a human, though slightly dampened are enough to give away whether she's lying or not. And to my nose broadcast clear as day every single shift of emotion indicated by the subtle flux of pheromones.

Monitoring every slight, every tell.

Her posture is far from defensive, far from proudly cocky too.

"I want the logs. How regularly do you take stock?"

"Every fortnight. There's none missing."

I nod, mulling the words over.

Silently filtering through them, connecting dots and fragments.

"You are aware we've had security positioned at the hybrid centre, you were there when we had extra surveillance fixed."

A nod.

"Are you aware of who does the shifts and rounds for plainclothes officers?"

"Sir... the shift is changed randomly and periodically... no-one knows."

Confident but not aggressive... assured and informed but not more than she should. Her pheromones are a steadily pulse; no discernible tang of sweat indicating fear or nerves. No tells to her body language. No nervousness.

Choi's innocent.

For now she's still unguilty, off the mental checklist of who it could be.

"Everything said here stays here. And I want those logs, the files and the Surveillance Department's CCTV too. The second the next batch of intel comes through, I want it in my hands... not left on the desk, not passed over... by you or Min personally. We need to close down on this."

She nods.

If news gets out about analysing the department, then I know for certain it'll have come from her.

And as I watch her leave, murmuring a promise to return with the requested data, my eyes track her movements, leaning forward and watching the path she takes as she weaves her way to the department office.

I didn't suspect Choi.

But the details that had incessantly buzzed about in my head... had occupied it since the rut had settled.

The photos were precise, sharp in definition and detail despite the distance they were taken at.

Someone with their hands on good technology.

The photos were also taken at different angles; one which had almost caught (Y/N)'s eyes in the camera lens, had almost caught her gaze through behind the camera. And yet her posture, her body language... nothing in the photos indicated had she was uncomfortable by the presence of the camera.

That meant the photographer was a common occurrence. Had seen them before in the park.

Or she knew the photographer. Could recognise them.

The messages burned into mind, seared into consciousness once I'd taken them from Joon, had sat at his table; numb with this crippling rage that had threatened to make claws sink out from underneath my nails and embed into the wood.

Won't be long until we're claws deep in her.

Not if I'm tearing your throat out first.

The message was a ticking time bomb, uncertain of when it'd explode. Whether that meant they had a plan, whether it was a threat meant to rouse panic and fear and consequently make us sloppy in our moves, in our interrogations and in our search... whether it was sent to stir the same fuelling mix of rage and nausea that they had eyes on her still I didn't know.

But we had cells full of criminals tied to the barn and countless victims going through cycles of rehab, counter-conditioning and psychotherapy. I had voices jumbled and entangled, testimonies clouded with panic and conditioned shut-down responses and now came the hard part.

Now I had to disentangle them all and follow the concrete threads of evidence.

Pull back the same file I'd brushed aside when Choi had entered. A cluster of files on gathered intel of every known criminal by the name Liz; the first concrete clue gotten in months and by Ji Ah.

Liz as someone Ji Ah identified as someone directly responsible for hurting her, for hurting other hybrids and for being part of the nightmare she'd escaped.

It meant Liz wasn't just a name, she was physically present during Ji Ah's entrapment.

And Jinyoung had run down criminal files, gathered them up for anyone with an alias of Liz, anyone with the recorded name with any affiliations to criminal activity especially in the trafficking business.

My eyes drift over countless profiles.

Humans and hybrids both.

Some with lesser convictions, some with more.

Some with backgrounds that fit the standard textbook criminal-impoverished backgrounds, harsh upbringings and the stereotype of childhood aggression consequentially resulting in criminal behaviour.

But there were some with pristine records; background information reminiscent of fairytales and happy families.

It was only going to show that no background was a concrete indication of criminal profiling. You could never expect where or what sort of criminal could be found or entangled in the most unlikely cases.

But none... nose struck as odd.

None struck as unsettling or made my instincts or gut scream that there was something about their profiles, thoroughly done, that could tie them to the case..

But regardless.

Regardless their whereabouts, their activity, their locations... all of them were going to be tracked.

And even as seek out Jaebum, have his small team assigned monitoring them, silently I can't help cross them out mentally.

None of them fit the hybrid species Min Jun had identified earlier on in the case and yet... yet Liz was an integral part of this.

She was a puzzle piece that'd make the obscure picture much, much clearer.

And to get to those puzzle pieces I'd have to go back through every past recorded interrogation and sit through as many as I could this week.

Gauge the differences in testimonies, the commonalities... figure out what was lie and what was truth.

Break them if I had to.

My eyes flit to the clock, still having a decent amount of time before I was going to head to the centre to check on the two little hybrid babies, the serpent, Ji Ah and Min Jun.

I had enough time to catch Joon in one interrogation.

I had enough time to see my wolf in action.

-------

There's not a single shred of the clinging, nuzzling alpha pup I'd seen at home this morning. None of the happy rumbles and muffled whines as he tried to bury incessantly against (Y/N), burrowing against her gland and lathering her in his scent. Rumbling sadly when she had to tug up the high-neck afterwards; baring the discomfort of fabric grating against skin with a bitten hiss that had my ears pinning back immediately, eyes narrowing at a threat that I couldn't even eliminate. At a discomfort I couldn't soothe.

There's nothing warm about the icy fury he pins the woman opposite.

I recognise her immediately.

Recognise her and feel my gums ache, fangs raw with the ache to sink them into her throat and tear it open, eyes raking over the splint in her shoulder; dislocated. Remember the howling rage, murderous venom seeping into my veins.

She'd kicked Joon in the stomach, had slammed her boot into his bone, she was the reason for the bruising across his ribs... the growl that shudders past my lips is guttural.

Staring at the bruising around her skin with a vicious pleased hunger but it's still unsatiated... it's still fierce with vengeance; roaring and searing hotter and hungrier; deprived of that justice that she hurt my mate so she had to pay for it.

"Kim So Hee. With all the evidence, with my testimony of assault and the child I pulled you off and the countless witnesses present, with any luck I'll get first row to see you get the death penalty or life imprisonment.... But I can't decide you see." Namjoon muses, voice a low, stretched out lazy drawl, every syllable weighted and heavy, posturing as alpha. The posture of someone who's won.

But my hands itch, the weighted press of claws stifled underneath my nails as I look at her.

See her eyes flicker as she stares back at him.

"Can't decide what?"

"If I ­want to give you the mercy of death, to die so easily after the years and years of torture you put countless hybrids through. Or..." he says, voice reaching a terrifying calm, words bludgeons of ice that even on the other side of the glass penetrate, chill my blood to hear him so... contained.

A wolf hidden in human skin, on the brink of snapping and tearing her throat open himself.

Did she know what line she was crossing? What blurred barrier there was for laws protecting hybrids?

"Or..."

Walking into the clutch of fangs ready to mercilessly tear her open.

"Or whether I want an eternity of your suffering that'll never amount to theirs but... but I could live with the knowledge of throwing you into the most aggressive ward in a hybrid prison and then letting them know. I can live with the knowledge that for the rest of your life I can make it hell for you to sleep even with one eye open. That every corner in the prison, you won't know how many enemies lurk... how easy it is to disguise a death as prison violence." Voice a guttural growl laced with vicious, violent promise.

Leaning forward as he slams a hand down on the photos, messily spreading them out.

Growling when her eyes slide away from them, commanding her to look. To see the suffering.

To see the grotesque, horrifying tableau of death and torment and captivity she helped enforce. Snaps as he growls out every name, every age, every injury, mutilation, assault that they victims had gone through. Skin sickly, bodies bruised and marked, eyes hollow and empty.

Forcing her to confront her actions. And though his back is to me, I know the glare piercing her. Know the rage in his eyes.

"So you start becoming useful or your life is in my claws to tear apart. Start speaking or there's no need for that tongue."

Her posture in contrast to his shrinks.

Cowers under his posturing pheromones; slamming into her, merciless and unforgiving.

"You can't just.. I didn't kidnap them, I didn't start their training... I enforced it." voice a pitched defence, loud and grating, the stretched out silence deafening before it shatters.

Shatters under the weight of the icy rage that seeps off his body and the pheromones drowning her with the full unshielded force of his scent, of his anger, his venom, his resentment, his hatred.

"You enforced training. For what? We found breeding benches, injections, evidence of corporeal punishment." He hisses.

My veins run cold and hot simultaneously. Ice scorching through the searing blaze as my mind flashes with countless snippets; all sharp precise details. Snapshots and frames all in high definition that I'd never let myself forget... that I'd never be able to forget either.

"The... the barn specialises in training. In teaching hybrids from a young age how to take it. How to go through constant cycles of breeding from the most carnal primal urges to people who like to... take their time." voice a slight tremor, pupils dilated as she shrinks back from the demanding burn of his scent. Words spilling out.

My fangs prick my bottom lip, sinking in.

The metallic tang on my tongue is salty, eyes flicking to the red recording light.

I'd analyse it closely later.

Analyse every tic, every behaviour, every word, every shift in tone.

Then I'd send it to a behavioural psychologist.

My fingers curl tight, clenching into fists, nails biting with a slight sting, the weight of my claws still pulsing under skin to push outwards; to scour gashes into her skin.

Grind my teeth shut as my lips part to snap my fangs even if she can't see it.

"If the barn specialises in training where do they go once they're done?"

Her breath shudders, trembling as she shrinks back, hand unconsciously clutching her injured shoulder.

A vicious pulse of pride flares through me.

I'd done that.

After she'd kicked my mate, face twisted with carnal greed and bloodlust as she mercilessly struck him with her boot, knocked him down further... the feral rage that had sunk in, only the swell of panic and terror around me, the conscious awareness of others much, much more vulnerable children and barely adolescent teens. Of lust and greed thriving off the forced submission.

It'd been carnage that day.

She was lucky to only have her shoulder dislocated and forearm fractured. She was lucky that in that instant all I could do was get her off my mate and commanding officer.

She was lucky a one-way glass separated her from me.

She was unlucky that Namjoon wasn't.

I watch as he rounds the table, arms thick imposing bands that cage her.

Makes her stiffen as she shrinks back. Turns smaller, weak as she tries to lean away.

Flinches when a hand curls around her arm, resting loosely on the sling keeping her arm immobile.

Even from here I can see how light his touch is but the thought of a threat, of a danger has her body ducking small, unconsciously submitting to the dominant aggression his scent pours off.

A derisive snort slips past my lips.

How easily she's tamed. Cowed into trying to make herself non-threatening.

"I want procedures. I want the methods, the equipment. I want names of every instructor and every handler. I want the names of everyone involved."

She whimpers.

"They'll kill me."

"I don't think you understand Kim So Hee. You're a dead woman and every breath you take is debt."

And every other hybrid or human in holding cells await trials, concrete convictions cementing them to the cage they'd be forever trapped in now. And every one of them... with every exhale, with every moment passed on in silence or unquestioned... is another hybrid slipping out of our reach. Slipping further and further away from help.

-------

The distressed yowls hit me first. The overwhelmed scent of acrid fear second. And the eerie blankness third.

The keening loud sounds of terror that tremble and waver... shaky cries that ring out, terrified as the little kitten paws desperately at the violently trembling pup that writhes in the nest. Scent entirely swallowed whole somehow... blank and pheromones unable to broadcast the intense waves of shudders and tremors wracking her small form.

The air inside my lungs freeze, shards of ice that drive themselves inwards, smile slipping off my face as I hurry forward, legs breaking into a quick sprint, knees buckling hurriedly, slamming against the floor as I try to gauge the situation. Try to figure out what went wrong in the last 36 hours.

I don't know what to do first. Hand quickly smoothening over the kit's body, trembling under my touch, yowling as wide teary eyes peer up at me, pawing frantically at the pup. Trying to get a response, scent sharp enough its permeated every inch of the room and yowling, wavery teary sounds as she paws at the stiff, writhing form.

Quickly scooping her, feel paws bat as she twists and tries to get back, tucking her close to my chest whilst a hand hovers uncertainly.

Unsure whether any touch would make the sporadic jolts to her body turn violent and spiral worse with something that she'll unconsciously take as restraint.

Eyes searching frantically for any tell, any indication of what's triggered this. Leaning forward to hurriedly press the distress button, fingers frantically scrabbling against it, carefully cradling the distressed kit against me.

The little kit continues to yowl with keening fear, wide eyes peering up at me, small form turning and tiny mouth parting in a frantic, urgent yowl to help her. Small paws pressing to my chest, the pup's own scent burned away with an eerie emptiness that has my hand trembling as it hovers.

"I need a doctor here now! The pup's not responding!" Voice pitched with alarm, panic making my body itch, restless because the volume doesn't even make a drooped ear flicker with unconscious registration of the sound. Body jolting and trembling. Thrashing fitfully. And the yowls don't quieten, except the paws have turned to scrabble at me, soft paws turned harried as they imploringly clutch at my hand, twisting uneasily.

The message clear in the shaky yowls, the wavering trembled cry.

Help.

The random bursts of sporadic movement, tremors that make her small body twist and writhe with an agony that no-one can soothe brings a gnawing helplessness, trying to soothe the frazzled fur that bristles against my fingers with a feverish anxiousness.

Tremors and shudders random, full-bodily jerks that come with an emptiness, a hollow nothing as she jolts, twisting and turning and fitful.

A seizure.

A painful seizure that suddenly stops.

Makes her body stiffen before it slackens, goes limp, suddenly shutting down. Entirely unresponsive and unmoving. Still when the doctor rushes in, accompanied by an on-site nurse.

The doctor hurries forward, hand quickly and hastily nudging me aside, kit yowling in my hand as I cradle her to my chest, trembling and shuddering with fear and distress and uncertainty as she tries to scrabble closer even whilst twisting to find the elder baby.

Hands carefully rolling her onto her side, flashlight directed towards her pupils; blown wide and unfocused, fingers seeking out a pulse, the frown telling, voice confirming what I can already see.

"The pupils are too enlarged..."

"What happened?" I ask, voice a low contained growl, trembling with distress as I keep my eyes trained on her.

Silent as she assesses carefully. Touches both careful and precise.

Hand retreating immediately when the pup jerks, thrashing and twisting and shakes. Another wave of fitful movement as she silently arches, ears flickering and paws scrabbling, her bound leg stiff and lax... slack whilst the rest of her body twists and spasms.

Another wave of a seizure.

Eternity stretches out before she stills again, body going limp and the moment she goes unresponsive again the doctor is quick and careful to steady her, the nurse assisting in turning her to the side once more. Watch as hands check her mouth, gently peering at fangs, gums even her tongue. And when finding nothing carefully assess her body, searching for any injuries... for any visible indication of what could cause this. For any open injuries causing an infection, causing her to violently react... to check for anything to give the slightest clue.

Scrabbling for scraps of knowledge.

"We'll do some tests... we need to figure out what's triggering seizures, especially such violent ones." the doctor murmurs, signalling to the nurse who sinks back, eyes wide and worried but he rushes away.

Rushes and returns with another nurse, bearing a small stretcher between them, hands steady as the doctor carefully scoops her and settles her; hands gentle and delicately smoothening over drooped ears, eyes harried and worried even if her voice remains level as she turns to me.

"I'll be back to report Officer Park the moment we have results, if you can try to soothe the little kit." she murmurs.

I nod, hands carefully keeping her tucked against me, eyes tracking the pup being taken and breaths shuddering, lungs constricting painfully even as I duck my head.

Hands drawing the kit closer to my chest, nosing along soft fur, steadying and cradling her wriggling form, trying to soothe her desperation.

"Kit it's okay... you're safe." I murmur quieter, fingers rubbing along the back of her ears, her shaky yowls louder and more fragile in the emptiness of the room. Ringing out for a pup that doesn't answer... isn't here to.

She's safe but the pup isn't.

And we won't know until the tests come back.

I sink down onto the edge of the ruined nest, cradling little kit to me.

"KitKat you're okay... little pup is going to be okay too, I've got you KitKat." I murmur, nickname slipping out easily and naturally, like it always had done. And she yowls, snuffling tearfully against me, wide eyes peering up at me and ears flickering and folding with her distress.

And I sink down, legs crossed as I try to soothe KitKat, try to calm her frazzled scent going haywire, teary snuffles when I draw her up, guiding and coaxing her to my scent gland. Hear the soft trembled meowl as she burrows her nose close, snuffling at skin and pawing at me as she tries to find respite and comfort. Small body scrambling to burrow close, trying to bury her nose against me, ears folded and brushing against the underside of my jaw.

Quiet murmurs as I brush my fingers through her fur, gentle rubs as I cradle her against my shoulder, mind whirring and a crushing feeling of guilt and shame sinking in.

Silently wondering how much I'd missed, how much she might've been hurting and suffering after I left every day. How many seizures, how many fits, how many nights had KitKat pawed frantically at the pup for any reaction and yowled and got not one response?

How long had the seizures been happening and how blind had I been?

Mind racing back to grasp on fleeting memories and thoughts- passing thoughts wondering that she looked peaky, tired... less active or less alert.

Wonder how many times her quietness had been fatigue, how many days had we come back to see them extra close and attached to each other and quieter. Trying to filter through countless memories of the two babies since they'd been brought here and trying desperately to see what it was I had missed then.

The yowls turn from desperate and unsettled to shaky sniffles, teary against my gland, quietening down as she tires herself out fretting and worrying, fitful wails turning weaker. And she falls asleep burrowed against my gland, snuffling away her hurts by trying to chase mint and cocoon herself in it.

Leaving me with the quietened grating silence of the room and the roaring franticness of my mind, waiting anxiously for the doctors to return, hand cradling KitKat to me and fingers settled in her fur and trying, willing to summon the doctor and the pup back into vision; restored to perfect health.

Seconds stretch to minutes and minutes stretch to hours.

And everything beyond the door to this room continues to move, everyone's lives continue to flow save for the suspended uncertainty of what's wrong with the pup, a painful twisting as my stomach works itself into knots.

The sound of the door opening has my ears snapping up, perking upright stiffly as my eyes flash to the doorway, watch the pinched expression on the doctor's face, her posture immediately screaming that something's wrong.

And she brings no pup back with her, hovering at the doorway with the curling pheromones of tart worry and anger.

"What happened?" I ask, slipping past my lips immediately, straightening up from my slump as I look at her, searching her body language, fretting because I can tell something's wrong... worse than what I walked into.

And yet the lack of an immediate answer, the silence is grating; wears at my fraught nerves.

"It's better if you come see for yourself Officer Park, I have no doubt it's crucial to your investigation." voice quiet, waiting as I scrabble upright, carefully keeping Kit scooped and tucked against me.

Her voice is quiet but firm as she walks with me down the corridor, directing me down towards the private ICU ward; a few rooms only. Sectioned off and hidden away.

One houses the serpent hybrid still recovering against sexual assault and bodily harm, still shut down and isolated; frantic and desperate and unhinged whenever female doctors or nurses tried to tend to him. Still refusing to see the clinical psychologist. And even though he was an essential clue, he was suffering. And in no condition to answer.

"We ran every possible test. There's no superficial injury, there's no internal bleeding and there's nothing abnormal in the brain scans, her leg injury isn't aggravated." she murmurs as we turn into a room; heart twisting at how weak and small the pup looks; lying limp on the bed. Resting now.

Drained and exhausted after her seizure.

"Then what was it? What caused the seizure?"

She moves towards the pup, protectiveness flaring when her hand reaches past to pick up a thicker medical file. More tests, more closer analysis, more than the preliminary check-up both babies had gone through when they had arrived at the centre just over a fortnight ago.

"We looked at scans, x-rays, external and internal injuries and found none... we didn't know what else to try... to look for so we looked at her blood work. Tested several samples to make sure."

I stare at her, hand keeping KitKat tucked against my gland, smoothening over her fur.

"And... what did you find?"

"There's traces of drugs still circling her system. The seizures are the aftermath of drug overdose. The reason why she was having fits, these cycles in her seizure even after we brought her in is her body reacting violently as it goes through withdrawal because of the sheer amount that was pumped into her. Her body's trying to clean it out of her system."

My blood runs cold.

Throat tightening, a noose closing around it.

No.

No it can't be.

Eyes falling to her, to the exhausted slump, to the flopped ears and the unmoving state... even in sleep I've never truly seen her still. Even asleep her tail's always twitched and swished slightly, ears flickering as she unconsciously registers sound, small yawns occasionally slipping past. Sometimes she'd silently seek out KitKat, unconsciously pawing for the small fluff and stilling when she found her burrowed against her.

She'd never been this still.

"And you can't treat it? You can't flush the drugs out her system quicker...? Especially if its triggering seizures?"

The expression the doctor sports is grim. Shaking her head as she holds out the files towards me, there for me to verify the painful truth she's stating. Backed with medical proof.

"If we medicate her it'll make it worse because her body will reject it and her mind already displays a hyper alertness to taking substances."

She never eats until she's seen me eat first, never takes anything without a cursory examination; pawing and sniffing and poking until she was satisfied. There would be no way to get her to agree to medications, especially when her body would reject the treatment.

"But I can say this... whoever did this wanted to make her disappear. The drug has the long term impact of deteriorating cognitive abilities and long term memory, it's been given in large doses- fatalistically still in her bloodstream. And... I don't know how she's still alive."

My veins turn to ice; a thick penetrating numbness that worms past the weak barriers of flesh and bone.

"And recovery? Will she recover fully? How... how long until the drugs..." voice struggling to get the words out.

"Because..." the doctor's breath shudders, expression pinched and distressed, her shoulders slumped and caved with defeat.

"Her body goes through seizures periodically... they're systematic and fits never are. They happen at the time of when she must've been administered the drug and so her body clock's adapted; it shuts down to try save herself from the pain but to naturally trigger this state of complete blankness..."

"It takes months of conditioning." I finish, words hollow.

And the pup was never meant to make it out alive.

---------

The exhausted pup lies back in the nest, immediately clustered and crowded by the kit who stirs from the quiet cocoon in (Y/N)'s arms, pawing frantically at the blankets the moment she hears a weak tired chirp.

And (Y/N)'s hands loosen immediately, drawing the blanket back as the sleepy kit paws and pads forward, immediately bonking against a folded leg that opens to tug and draw her kit forward.

Every protectiveness, every tenderness, every concern explained by the folder lying open between me and (Y/N). Every gesture, every wariness, every moment of alertness as she walked around the nest, slowly shuffling and poking about and checking... guarding.

All explained.

The pup had never been a pup. The small size of the fox had been misleading but that was her at full growth. She was on the smaller, slighter side and the particular species of fox meant that even fully grown they were barely bigger than young pups.

She was a mama fox. She was an adult fox who'd taken and protected and nurtured the kit as her own. She was still reaching for her KitKat now, paw drawing her kit close, nosing along flickering ears and a weak contentment as she burrows close, immediately delving to hide herself amongst the fur of the fox's neck, snuffling against someone she identifies as mum, as protector and not just an elder sibling.

All this time... all this time the fox had been an adult, was a fully-grown fox.

And the information of the drugging, the conditioning, the uncertainty of a full recovery... I look at the limp tired figure of the fox, weak chirps as (Y/N) leans over, snuffling at her hand; nosing at her wrist and trying to trap between two paws that move sluggishly.

I look at the duo and realise that the kit was rescued by the fox.

That the box was their haven, their home, their sanctuary that bordered on the constant threat of discovery in the hellhole of the barn.

That the kit was likely abducted. Missing. And the fox was someone the traffickers wanted to break.

It meant she was a survivor, she was a fighter.

And they had tortured her for it.

(Y/N)'s fingers smoothen over light fur, quiet as she tilts to try settle the duo, hands gentle as she draws over a blanket, her face shuttered with distress and pain. Eyes slightly glassy at the emptiness... the glaring lack of the fussy protective spirit, the sharpness we'd grown accustomed to.

Neither of us had expected this.

Neither of us had expected to find out that the fox was hurt because she was unwilling to bend.

So what they couldn't mould, couldn't compel they went to every extent to break, to end, to destroy.

And even now as I look at the two of them, see KitKat bonk her head against the fox to burrow close, close, closer until she's fully hidden and tucked away... I wonder with a breaking heart whether she'll ever recover enough to be the mother-daughter duo beyond the centre. Whether she'll heal enough to take care of her kit in the way she wanted to. Without the threat. And with nothing keeping them captive anymore.

---------

"I'll see you later, I'm taking Hobi to see the serpent hybrid." (Y/N)'s voice says softly through the phone, tone warm and gentle, the filtering sounds of other employee's, the general din of the centre picked up by the speaker.

I hum, ears flickering as I walk down the guarded hallway, eyes raking over the security personnel; examining and scrutinising them, mentally filtering through their faces. Verifying they're officers before I slip past towards the fox and kit's room.

"Be careful... I read the reports that he gets aggressive and distressed by females in close vicinity." I warn, voice steeped with concern.

Hear her begin to speak when the phone seems to be plucked away and the warm, rich sweetness of Hobi hyung's voice speaks instead.

A grin and promise both entangled in his words; felt even if I can't see him.

"She's not coming in pup, she'll be waiting outside. But I needed my strong fawn mate to walk me down for security reasons. Don't fret cub~ I'm in good hands." he teases playfully, the fluttering warmth and giddiness at hearing them bicker and laugh as they wrestle for control reaching my ears as I come to a stop at the door.

Laughing as I nudge open the door.

"Hyung-ah I have to go, but I'll meet you at the entrance and we can stop by at-" I say as I step through, eyes habitually scanning and falling to the nest.

Surprise jolting through me when its bare. Empty and bereft of the huddled two usually curled in it.

It's rare enough to see it empty of either that my ears pop up, eyes snapping to drift around the room, their voices blurring and barely processing them as my hand falls to my holster.

Panic and alarm and terror searing through my veins at the unidentifiable figure at the corner of the room, on the edge of the bed, features hidden from view.

Where were the pup and KitKat?

"Hands where I can see them." I snap, voice ringing out with authority, door nudged shut with the push of my heel against it.

Trapping them inside.

They'd gotten in somehow.

But the intruder wasn't getting out.

And yet... they don't move. Unresponsive and uncaring as I call out, phone hurriedly shoved into my pocket, drawing out the gun even as my eyes scan the room over and over.

Wondering and hoping that the two had managed to hide, finding no sight nor sound of them. Praying that they were out for examinations, for any reason than being anywhere near the indistinguishable figure who sits with their back to me.

"How did you get in? And I told you to lift your hands." I snap, growling out the words, frazzled instincts howling with the threat in the pup and kit's nest. That someone had managed to get in.

But they don't.

Instead they turn.

The growl rumbles past my lips, lungs shuddering with it, eyes narrowed and hand steady as I hold the gun up.

And quietens when it feels like the world from under my feet has been ripped away.

A blankness settling over every limb instead.

(WHOO! WOW! THE CHAPTER GOT WRITTEN MUCH QUICKER THAN I EXPECTED BUT GAHHHH!! I'M JUST SO SO IMPATIENT FOR SO, SO MUCH THAT I COULD DIE WITH THE WAIT... WITH THE AGONY OF HOLDING BACK!! BUT HERE YOU GO~ SO MUCH HAPPENING! SO MUCH TO COME!! AND THE LONG, LONG AWAITED PACKPILE!! I HOPE I DID IT JUSTICE AND I WAS JUST THE SOFTEST PUDDLE WRITING THE ENTIRE SHIFTED PACK CLUSTERED TOGETHER AND HUDDLED CLOSE IN THEIR SHIFTED FORM TO NEST TOGETHER!! AND THEY ALL MADE IT TOGETHER AND THEN NAPPED!! GAHHHH! I'VE WAITED MY ENTIRE LIFE FOR THE SHIFTED PACK AND I HOPE I DID IT JUSTICE!! @Midiiplier MY LOVE~ TA DA SURPRISE!! AND THOUGHTS?! THERE'S SO MUCH TO COME AND I AM ALREADY EXCITED TO GET WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER!! LET ME KNOW YOUR REACTIONS! TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE!)

QUESTION... theories on baby fawn~

Answer... why am I asking? WHO KNOWS 😉

Borahae!

PurpleQueenie <3