JOON POV:

Ji Sung.

The name turns itself countless times through my head, turned over more times than I can count, hushed and quiet and not dared to be uttered at home for fear and worry that it'd draw (Y/N)'s mind to the name she'd begrudgingly and uncomfortably divulged in the first place.

She'd given us a name to help with legal representation and counsel; both for the victims and against the perpetrators we had locked up in holding cells, awaiting punishment and sentences.

But the perpetrators came from mixed backgrounds, enough of them with power and affluent family connections and wealth that should they fight against the crimes stated for them; there was the possibility though minute, that they'd walk.

And that was a possibility I refused to even entertain in the depths and dark corners of my mind.

But booking a meeting with Ji Sung is harder than anticipated; an affluent name in the legal world despite seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.

There wasn't sufficient details on his personnel file and even putting Jaebum's informants on the case, of finding out exactly who Ji Sung was, was procuring fruitless nothings. A man whose reputation preceded him, a man who'd seemingly entered the legal field out of thin air and dominated the courts, a shining record.

He worked pro-bono, was particularly selective with who he represented and even the richest names hadn't been able to buy his morality, hadn't been able to pin a price to get him to fight on their sides, to get spoilt children, dirty businessmen and corporate heads out of messy cases.

He wasn't afraid of their backlash either, of the response it might procure if he opposed them so strongly, so unwaveringly.

Didn't care for the series of incidents his files had been scattered occasionally with.

Working to your own morals often came with a price, came at a cost.

And Ji Sung seemingly unflappably paid it without care.

But to meet the man was seemingly becoming impossible, calls gone unanswered and when they had they'd been forwarded through to reception, to tedious long queues that had left my body restlessly cagey, had triggered snarls and impatient swishes of Jimin's tail, eyes glaring vehemently at the offending device as we heard yet again, he was busy.

But then... but then luck, fate, desperation seems to win out.

And a week of hounding the provided number finally bore fruit, finally gives us a man's voice warm and harried and extremely apologetic but a fixed date.

That Ji Sung will drop by at the station.

And the relief is felt by both of us, a small weight dropping off our shoulders when the phone cuts but there's a definiteness lingering.

One thing done right.

One thing resolved momentarily.

"Ji Sung is a busy man, who knew we'd be chasing after him for a single meeting." Jiminie murmurs, scent losing its sharpening edge as moments dwindle by, the almost meagre contents of the background search not bringing enlightening intel but a lack of it.

But it's something easily brushed aside, something easily smoothened over because we'd see for ourselves what sort of man Ji Sung was and whether he would be the right fit to add for the legal aspects of the case.

"Hopefully he's useful, I don't think I can stand another interrogation without tearing my claws through their faces." I groan out, the agitated, angry growl rumbling in the back of my throat.

Feel fingers skim across my forearm before squeezing lightly.

Nose nudging at my cheek gently and lips following; a gentle skimming touch all too fleeting as I turn to face him.

Still surprised when I see the rich pink of his hair and fur, see where the briefest frustration and insecurity had lingered the first night, it's dissolved into preening pride and ownership of the pinkness, unperturbed at meetings, when eyes linger, when the bubblegum pink makes his scent bloom rich and strong and unflappable rather than tinge sharper and sting.

My mate did this, isn't it pretty?

You'll be surprised how much a pink fox can easily wheedle out of people.

I almost, almost think (Y/N) might prefer this, she can't stop grooming my tail.

The last had been confided with a loose grin to Jaebum and Jinyoung, preening as his fingers absently brushed through his hair, pushed it away from his face. Watched with a grin as their scents bloomed at the mention of her, easy grins tugged to their lips. Agreement murmured and echoed.

"(Y/N) has a weakness for her entire pack, even more so for a pink mate." Jaebum teased good-naturedly, tail swishing back and forth, posture tall and proud as he flanked his mate's chair, their scents rich with affection for our fawn.

The same bright pink catches my eyes immediately, fingers automatically drifting to card through them, feel his smile curve against my jaw before he draws back slightly.

"I'll be visiting Amina tomorrow—I'm pretty sure she has cabin fever, ready to climb the walls at this point."

I nod, sympathy curling through my scent.

I knew all too well, had seen all too well in (Y/N) how much being confined to a space, circumstances drawing her ability to go outside into something constrained and restricted. Hated the dejected, sad tinge her scent took when the others could come and go freely but she couldn't.

Knew that to some extent she didn't push too much either because of Jimin, because of me. Even though both of us were more than willing and ready to take her, she'd said it time and time again it wasn't worth the fuss of gathering surveillance officers.

So she settled for the greenery behind the complex, settled for runs and walks with us or one of the others joining occasionally. She settled for rare, sparsely occurring bakery visits; separated enough between that anyone watching couldn't connect the bakery to both her mates and her packmate. That it wouldn't draw too much attention.

Whether or not she knew it, her thinking, her decisions were slowly influenced by the officer mindset the two of us tended towards whenever it came to her safety and protection beyond the apartment.

It was a mixture of pride and miserableness that her habits outside were echoing ours. Because it didn't deserve to happen because of circumstance, because of the threat on her that the letters steadily streaming in patterns to the station kept warning.

She was ours.

Not whoever was penning the letters.

Whoever had gotten it sickeningly twisted in their mind that she was theirs to court.

Establishing a tie, a connection, a bond where none existed. And the last thing I'd let happen was for the person to feel bolstered or encouraged to think they could still keep going.

"You're thinking about (Y/N) aren't you?"

My eyes flash to his, see the loosely curved fond lilt to his lips.

"Your scent always goes puddle. Warm and heavy like a blanket."

And though his tone is teasing, there's a warmth that belies how much he likes it and the words make my instincts rumble with satisfaction at blanketing our mate, at curling close to her, feel my gums ache where my fangs pool slightly over my lip, scent blooming stronger at the large mating bite on her throat.

My fawn.

"You know if you just pad over to her shifted and just blanket her—"

My chest rumbles with happy content before I can even suppress it, warmth pooling into every crevice of my body at the thought, scent perking up and strengthening. And in return, mint sweetens and curls around me.

"One step at a time alpha... we take this case and every person we need to take down one step at a time."

Voice quiet and gentle and understanding.

One step at a time.

Just in the same way he'd coaxed my scent to calm, to not be riled by thought and memories and letters that mockingly jeered at me anytime I saw them in the locked drawer.

One step at a time.

I'd hunt down the person one letter at a time and tear them to shreds for it.

"So why don't you come with me tomorrow? To visit Amina?"

I nod.

One step at a time.

Even if the pace rankled me, one step at a time... because there wasn't the freedom to rush and overlook something or let something fall through our grasp.

Not baby steps.

But one by one.

First step was meeting Ji Sung, the next was going to meet Amina.

The third... maybe the third needed to be finally getting our hands on the case files and documents she'd had hidden away.

That only Jangmi was privy to.

And tying loose ends and untangling the intricate web woven around us.

That or tearing it all to the ground.

"Let's start with Ji Sung."

-----------

In a police station, countless filter through it by the hundreds. Officers changing rotations, desk officers and active-duty ones, informants, citizens, visitors, legal representatives and who knew how many more. The air therefore always remains an amalgamation of the scents of officers, the betraying scents of citizens all entangled and diffused slightly by scent-cleansers, that regularly pumped neutralisers throughout the station. Softening what would otherwise be a headache of pheromones battering at the senses, overwhelming the nose; human or hybrid and triggering biological snaps within predators and preys.

It was why when situations escalates, fights or disputes or biologies warring and batting each other head on; the scent diffusers never allowed for them to reach breaking points, always softening the blow, leaving the impact of words ringing in the air and not pheromones.

It was why when a new scent first registers to me, strong and steady and unwavering in the lightly diffused cloud of scents, and a scent entirely new and foreign from the team I'm working with (their scents long since familiarised to my nose), it draws my gaze away from the screen distractedly. Searching for who it is.

The sight of a lion hybrid slowly approaching and navigating the enclosed sectioned off space, weaving past officers and desks has curiosity tugging at me. Eyes narrowing automatically as I track his movements, unsure and unaware of who the man is. His head dipping in both greeting and apology as he stops at a desk, voice a low murmur that my ears don't pick up across from the other side of the space.

See his head lift and eyes flicker to me, stilling there before he moves forward. Moves toward where I'm standing, purpose and an assuredness now that he knows who he's approaching.

Silently having picked me apart from the rest as he approaches the desk I'm currently hovering at, leaning over Jinyoung's chair, my eyes drifting to watch the deft movement of the beagle hybrid's hands still at the keyboard, immediately making the intel vanish as he senses the closeness of another person moving close. Watch with suppressed, startled surprise when his ears perk and his posture stiffens slightly, the loose coil of limbs tensing minutely even as a gentle, welcoming smile curves across his face. Recognition flickering in his gaze but nothing revealing or giving about the lion, though for a moment, brief and fleeting something falters or pauses. The tiniest flicker of something too muddled to decipher as he turns his gaze back to me, head inclined into a bow. But I could swear it was tenderness he beheld Jinyoung with, something warm and proud before the professionalism smoothens over it and his attention turns to me.

My head dips in return, nose immediately chasing the pulse of scent that's the lion's, surprised at how the apex predator's scent has a softer undertone where the usual sharp dominant tinge would be. That would Immediately distinguish him as predator not prey. For a lion, there's a surprising softness dampening his scent and whether that's through years of targeted practice to pheromone control or a disguising element, whether his scent is layered with something else to make him disarming I don't know. But it speaks volumes that the lion is a very thoughtful, perceptive man. That he knows the influence scent holds.

And still I'm to know who the man is.

Eyes taking him in curiously.

"Officer Kim Namjoon?"

I nod easily.

A smile curves at his face, warm and gentle, hand held out towards me.

"Ji Sung, I'm sorry it took me so long to finally come here. I've been busy with a case."

I take his proffered hand easily, silently approving of the firm steadiness of his hold, silently observing the man, taking him in with fresher eyes now that there's a face to put to a name. An ID card that quickly verifies who he is.

Ji Sung.

For all that he seems elusive... my immediate first impression is he's not. There's not a distinctive air or manner he carries himself with, there's nothing about his scent, his aura, his body language that mildly suggests that he holds himself above and seperate from others.

But curiosity lingers as I take in the man.

I hadn't known he was a lion, that intel hadn't been picked up by background searches. Until he walked in, until he introduced himself, I didn't even know Ji Sung was human or hybrid.

And contrary to the usual distinctive qualities of lion biology presenting into physical traits, his hair and ears and tail are dark, a rich brown that belies the usual sandy, warm tones.

A powerful lion then. Because the darker the fur, the more powerful a lion was.

And whether that rich warmth to his fur and hair had been a result of his success as a lawyer, his assuredness and victories; further solidifying his hold and repute as the top predator of his field or whether it spoke more about his hold amongst a herd, his herd I didn't know. But it was a surprising detail I note anyways.

"You're a hard man to get a hold of." My lips curve upwards, biology immediately trying to assess and gauge his. Wolf rumbling inside.

But there's no threat, no challenge and no competition. Because this is my turf, my territory, my officers. This is my space, and the lion hybrid is here to potentially become another, to hopefully become legal counsel and help quickly close the cases against the perpetrators tied to the barn raid. To make sure they got their sentences swiftly and without fail.

Though the lion hybrid is powerful and older, he's playing for the ball to be in my court. And unfailingly so.

I turn to tilt my head towards the shut office, hand gesturing towards it.

"I'd like to talk privately Ji Sung-ssi. There's a lot of briefing to be done before you make your decision."

He falls into step easily, glancing briefly towards Jinyoung, who in turn is already watching, the usual warmth and mellowed scent sharper and pricklier around the edges.

Something unspoken and briefly, faintly passed between them. A quiet unspoken almost agreement. To talk later... and the moment is lost before I can comment on it.

But if they share anything that remains their business alone.

And when the door closes behind us, there's already something observing and knowing as he takes a seat opposite me, a flickering curiosity as he watches me.

"Who recommended me to you?"

My mind immediately flits to my mate, remember how unwilling she was to share more than the name she'd given. Remember how uncomfortable she'd been but resolute in sharing regardless. Remember her plea, her softly implored request to not be entangled any further with this man than the knowledge she must've known him.

Even if she hadn't asked there was no way I'd have surrendered or handed over the information, would have let her name slip, would share anything about the mate under my protection, her or any of the others.

My pack stayed as far away as possible from this, dissociated from it as much as I could allow.

"A caregiver we've worked with before did. They clearly think high of your repute because they think you could help with this case."

"The caregiver must've worked with me before or come by me." He muses objectively, shrugging loosely as he stares expectantly.

"It's likely given both your fields."

Never surrender more than you need to never surrender anything willingly.

And I know the man in front of me must know this full well.

"I don't need to remind you that whatever we discuss stays between us?"

"You don't. Presuming you did your research you'll have answers but more questions."

Unflappable and at ease, posture loose enough to be unthreatening but it's the eyes; astute and watchful as he waits for me to speak.

Instead, I slide over the debrief file me and Jimin had collated for him, watch him take it, attention drawing away from me and towards the details of the file. Over the list of names and crimes, the breaches in law, the decided actions and sentences waiting to be executed.

Silently, he tugs out a pen, marking the file, circling clauses and making notes, brow furrowed with concentration, ears flickering and tail still.

Something about his stillness demands attention, something about the loosely uncoiled posture contains his intrinsic predatory nature in it; a sharper tinge to his pheromones as he focuses, silent and sharp eyed, making countless brief notes to the file.

And when his eyes drift to me, there's agony and firm strength and resolve in dark eyes.

There's a hardness to his jaw and whatever softness he'd entered with has dissolved and vanished.

"I'll do it. Be legal representative for these cases, for all the legal formalities for this case. It seems that you've touched one base but given how these patterns run you should be aware there's more."

I nod, leaning forward as he slides the file back, stilling when the door opens, posture straightening, sharpening because he doesn't know who enters.

Head turning to face Jimin, greeted back with the same naturally guarded but polite dip of his head.

Eyes drifting to me in silent question.

"This is Ji Sung and that is my second-in-command for this case, our specialist in undercover surveillance Officer Park Jimin."

The posture softens.

A man highly alert of his surroundings then. And wary of them too... that'd serve him well.

"Pleased to meet you sir, we wanted the best for this case, someone who's know by repute to not buckle or be sold out." Jimin says, door closing behind him before he approaches the table, tugging out the adjacent chair beside him rather than slipping to flank my side as usual, sinking down beside him, head propped up as he watches the lion's face turn to him.

Brow quirked in amusement and the corner of his lips turned up.

"I'm trying to figure whether you're intentionally buttering me up or whether you truly mean it."

His fangs peek out as Jimin returns the smile, pure fox as he unabashedly holds Ji Sung's gaze.

"A man insecure of his talents will find it flattery, a lion sure of his power will find it truth."

The amusement morphs his face into something warmer, lighter as he appraises my pink fox, eyes raking over the fangy grin he's given in return.

"And what is the fox sure of? What else does he make of my repute?"

"You want justice for mistreated hybrids. You take the most difficult cases where even the tiniest possibility in favour of the victim doesn't seem likely. And you turn them around. Whatever drives you—whatever makes the lion snap it's the way people think they can get away with anything."

I stare at the two of them, silently preening and proud of how easily Jimin slots himself in, gauges the depths of Ji Sung's personality from the little we'd managed to get from our scouring.

But the fact still remains that for some reason his background detail is limited.

"Is that going to be a problem? The little we found was good news but is there something that'll come back to bite us by trusting you to take these cases?"

The lion's demeanour doesn't change, neither does his scent as he takes the two of us in, taps the modified file with the tip of his finger before sliding it forwards to me.

"My personal life, my secrecy as you call it has nothing to do with my job. And this case... this wonderfully complex, horrid nightmare... I'll do it pro-bono."

I start.

For the entirety of the case. Without financial gain?

My eyes narrow and Jimin's flash. Mistrust.

But one that's read and gauged so transparently.

"For whatever cost that goes beyond the governmental rate provided. I have to say I'm more impressed and admiring of your cautiousness than I am at all bothered by it. Being extra wary never goes amiss officers, especially in such cases. But the team of lawyers I'll handpick to work with me for this come from my own office, from my own thorough checks you're more than welcome to verify."

I lean back in the chair.

I can work with that.

"We'll need names before we start. And the first round of court hearings will be just past the new year."

He nods easily.

"I wouldn't expect otherwise. I have a feeling Officers, that both of you truly understand the depth of what's happening here. Your eyes are open. Don't make the mistake of letting them shut for any aspect of it."

Standing as he pushes himself away from the desk, leaves Jimin and me seated there.

Age, experience and a maturity lines his eyes, expressed in the way he carries himself, strong and certain. Not only is there an unflappable air to him but a dependable one too.

I don't know what he'll be like to work with.

But I know and trust what I can gather, what my instincts and biology can gauge and know the glint in Jimin's eyes are approval. And beyond it all, (Y/N) recommended him, suggested him because of the work he did, because of his previous work for the centre.

I was going to take the step.

I was going to take the first step forward

Reach over with my hand held out.

"Ji Sung-ssi, I'll look forward to that list."

His hand is warm and firm in mine, rough and calloused slightly.

But the promise in it unwavering.

Eyes dark and serious.

Tail swishing silently behind him.

"Within days Officers."

----------

"The pink really suits you." I murmur, eyeing Minnie as he rummages through the drawers, rifling for shorts to drag on across his legs, body bare save for the boxers clinging tightly to his hips and thighs, body corded with muscle. All lithe.

His tail swishes with response, the pink sway of it enticing and drawing my gaze to the slow movement, his ears flickering as he turns to face me. A creased grin as he pads over, torso bare, the inked curl of letters around his ribs so starkly different with the bright pink with his hair and the small light flush of heat on his cheeks.

"Sweet-talking me whilst I'm undressed? One might think you were trying to seduce me into bed not work on the comms." He laughs, though his arms wind around my neck loosely, dragging me closer to close the distance until my head's bent towards his. His lips pressing a smatter of kisses, short sweet swift pecks as his lips skim across my cheeks and lips, press to my jaw as he nuzzles, a quiet chirp pressed to skin.

"What's to say we can't do both? Find me something in those comms and I'll gladly do what you want in bed."

Laughing at the huffed laughter against my cheek, his fingers loosely playing with hair as my own wind around his waist to draw him closer, hand resting on the low of his back, fingers toying with the waistband.

"A bribe?"

The words drawled with amusement and wicked tease as his fangs scrape lower, head dipping down to briefly mouth at my gland. All tongue, teeth and fangs, lips closing briefly around the tissue to coax my scent out strong and rich for him, tongue chasing it as if to swallow the taste of it.

Smirk pressed against my throat.

"Sold~"

Eyes glittering and dark and pink ears flickering as he tugs my lips to his for a kiss; searing and heated and fingers tugging hard enough at my hair to yank out a groan.

"I'll be back to collect officer when I've given you something from the comms. Now there's a panther looking for you. Why don't you go?" teasy and drawly, fangs nipping at my cheek lightly with a smug expression when my skin heats slightly, flushing.

"Yoongi hyung? Where is he?" voice brightening, tail wagging quicker, betraying me for the giddy rapid heartbeat that I can hear hammering away; that I know he can too as he grins wider.

Teasing and fond and knowing.

"Why don't you hunt him down Joon~ big bad wolf going to become Yoongi hyung's little alpha pup~" crooning sweet and dulcet.

Fingers tugging as he draws me closer, lips skimming across mine.

"Maybe... maybe I want my Joon to be my alpha pup today. Guess we'll find out."

My smile curves deep.

"Will I ever deny my mate anything? Take your fun... your indulgence before Spring starts and rut season begins—then we'll see." Voice dropping lower, heavier.

The spark of fiery amusement mirrored in his eyes, fangs flashing with a playful taunt.

Knowing full well that when it came to ruts—anything was game.

And though spring is yet to arrive, the frosty chill yet to thaw, the heat that simmers in the unspoken crackling air is cloying enough.

When spring comes, you'll beg for your alpha's knot just as much as you'll fight otherwise.

But this time round... this time round we're a pack, with a bonded, claimed fawn mate that his eyes already promise to try steal away.

There's predators in our pack and a sweet prey bun that my fangs ache to sink a mating bite into.

"You should go..." he croons.

My lips nudge against his.

"Get me something from those comms baby."

And as he slips away, pink tail swishing enticingly and soft curved lilt to his full lips when he turns in the doorway, face framed by pink, I realise that more than anything... more than anything the pink only adds to the sweet pouts and soft cheeks, to the plaintive stares and the way he curls all small and soft.

As if it softens the predator.

If anything it draws people to believe that.

And I'd already seen it happen at the station; seen it in cutting glacial eyes and venom dripping from his lips, letting the barn leader, the one heading the breeding training goad and taunt. Drop snide comments and jeer at the hair.

I'd seen him push the same bright coloured hair out of his face after he'd slammed the man's face down into the table; every jeer quietened, and every word swallowed.

Seen his fangs bared and close to tearing out the man's throat.

On a shorter restraint, that quickly dissolved, especially since he'd learnt that the traffickers, one of them for definite, was deluded, believed they were courting (Y/N), our bonded mate, our claimed mate, our fawn. And if he had to use his fangs to tear open throats to get answers—his eyes burned with the furious promise that he would do so.

----------

"You mean to tell me... that whoever has access to the hybrid centre, to (Y/N) believes they're courting her?" fangs bared at the threat, eyes glowing with the echo of the fox itching under his skin, never dormant, but at this moment battering at the barrier of skin to escape, to hunt down the threat.

The words ripple with growls, and he stares me down as he leans over the desk, fangs pooled and body thrumming with a cagey restlessness.

"It seems like it. The drinks were courting gifts and the rancid scent—that might well be our clue at actually identifying them.

"It might be their scent." He growls, eyes flashing with understanding, with sinking realisation that sharpens his scent until it prickles my lungs, makes every inhale sharp.

"And that means we have a concrete way of finding them... that's how we know who it is." Even if my wolf claws and thrashes and howls at the bubbling rage that spills over with the thick burst of my pheromones clogging the air.

"But that also means we have to find one scent out of the masses."

His scent, sharp and suffocating winds around me, fills the office as his body thrums with a cagey energy.

My hand reaches out to skim across his shoulder, avoiding the tight tension in his neck, fingers bypassing his throat and curling around his bicep. Squeezing tight enough that the next growl is snapped at me but his eyes hold mine this time; lose only the tiniest flicker of rage.

Body stiffening.

"It means if they're at the station... we can hunt them down. And end this."

We can narrow the pool down further. Because that scent had been pheromone claims left behind with the drinks, an indirect scenting inadvertently done every time (Y/N) threw the cups away. But though... though she habitually scrubbed her body free of the scents that'd gathered in the day, the thought that even one particle of scent had transferred to her skin for even the briefest moment has my skin crawling, has claws itching under my fingernails, aching to slip out and slash the throat of whoever it is.

And when I find them... when I find the person whose scent it is, I will tear them apart and relish every shred of pain and agony I'll bring on them.

The animalistic feral raw anger dims, soothed briefly, as he lets his eyes drift to where my hand curls against his arm.

"I want to evoke the Hybrid Act rights as her mate. I want a punishment for the traffickers by law after I've done what the law allows me to do. And that means every single one of them are our hunt first."

My chest rumbles in agreement, lips twisting, fangs bared and fingers tugging him closer.

"That's a given."

----------

"Joonie? Not sleeping?"

My head turns away from the book, tugging out the earbuds, to turn to her. Ears perking and flickering in recognition at the soft, quiet voice. Eyes easily adjusted to the dimness of the room, setting on the curved figure still hidden largely by shadows as she peers past the doorway. Tail wagging quicker, Yoongi hyung's voice still filtering through the speakers, slightly tinny but my ears can pick up the deep cadence of it easily, regardless that the buds now sit in my lap.

"Just like you." I reply with a smile, eyes quickly scanning her, nose immediately hit with the strong scent dousing her skin. Watch as she pads forward (Y/N)'s cheeks pink and the scent of berries clinging to her as she steps through at my eager gaze, already shuffling impatiently on the couch.

"A tiger get to you little fawn?" I tease.

Her scent trickles sweeter as she nods, a very visible reddening mark at her throat, colouring it so prettily. I just know the fang indents and mark will cloyingly smell of saccharine sweet, berried pheromones; Tae's satisfaction left behind on the curve of her neck.

"Maybe... busy alpha? Or was busy before Yoongi left for his show?" she retorts with a fond, knowing lilt to her lips. The scent of citrus clinging to my swiped clothes, cling to my glands with the gentle scents he'd lathered into skin over an extended period. I can still feel his fingers scratching across my scalp, the fond amusement of his lips pressed to mine, and the book pressed to me when he'd seen I was too awake to sleep. To be roped in by the others to nest and sleep. My stomach was still full for the snacks he'd called me away from, Jiminie's teases largely exaggerated and insinuated. Even though my panther hyung had been happy to spot me, tail curling around my calf when I bounded towards him, his hand steadying me then drawing me in against his side as he steadied my small stumble.

I hadn't been busy in the way she had. And when I say it, her cheeks pinken as she's about to sink next to me, drawn easily towards my lap instead when my fingers loop around her wrist and tug her to me. Book and earbuds set aside, hands banding around her as she straddles my lap.

Curls closer at the invitation, at my hand drawing her to me, nose nudging against a pink cheek with a soft rumble; trying to find under all the sweet sticky berries, whether her scent was broadcasting even the slightest modicum of distress or hurt or anything amiss.

Trying to figure if anything in her pheromones betray why she's up even if sleepy fatigue and rumpled clothes suggest she had been asleep. At least for a little while, for a few hours.

"Was busy... though nothing like how Tae's marked you prettily pup." I murmur, lips curving into a smile against her cheek, scenting lightly, her body curved against mine, sinking into me as her head settles against my shoulder.

"It's been a while since alpha's marked me up pretty." She mumbles, echoing the thought, a soft hitch of breath when my arm around her tightens, tugs her closer a bit more, a growl rippling past my lips, rumbling in my chest, eyes flashing as her ears flicker, head tilting to peer at me.

Tail thumping against the sofa, fingers drifting to curl loosely against the side of her throat, thumb sweeping up and down across the line of her neck, rubbing slow circles into her gland.

"Oh darling... you only needed to ask... but maybe alpha shouldn't have waited... maybe alpha shouldn't let his fawn be unmarked."

Her lips curve up even if her scent pierces through in the slightest through the fog of Tae's pheromones, sweetened and honeyed at the words, head tilting to arch her throat, where my fingers curl tighter at the invitation, thumb pressing to her gland; coaxing her scent out for me, nose skimming across her cheek as I breathe her in.

"Always want my mate's mark." She murmurs quietly, fingers curling around my waist, squeezing gently, a small, startled sound when I move, twist so that my legs can stretch out across the sofa, keeping her body securely settled on mine, soft, curvy weight straddling my hips.

One hand slips away from her waist, brushing the loose tendrils of hair back, fingers skimming across her nape before gently coaxing her face to mine, lips brushing against hers. Warm and soft and unrushed, her doe eyes shining and reflecting my face back to me. Her hands coming up to cup my face.

Lips soft as they press to mine, nose brushing against mine and hair tickling my throat where it falls forward, weight shifting slightly as she moves, a muffled quiet noise of contentment when my hand squeezes her thigh, skims to brush against her calf.

"We got really lucky you know... with you. We found you at the right time... found you as our pack grew from just each other. With you... with you I know we were always meant to be eight." I whisper, eyes raking over her, chest rumbling happily when her scent and eyes soften, when her lips chase mine.

Soft pecks pressed to them over and over.

"I was waiting for the longest time... I waited because I wanted to find someone to call solely mine, to be selfish with them, to love them wholly, to be loved just as wholly. And I didn't find one or two... I found seven mates." She confides, a hushed whisper that trembles with joy and exultation, that's reflected back in the gleam of her eyes in the dim lighting.

All shadows and soft angles and curves, light casting a weak, dim glow about us.

All I can see; all I choose to see is her.

"I'm glad you waited. I'm glad you're mine."

Her lips press firmer, fiercer against mine and I can feel her smile.

"I'm glad you're my alpha, I'm glad I found my pack."

------------

A steady stream of rumbles spill past my lips as my nose nudges gently at her jaw, scenting lightly over where my fangs have nipped, indulgently layering up my pheromones into her skin, body caging hers, arms holding myself upright over her and bracketing her between them. Long since having turned to set her on her back, to bracket her body, a rightness in how my instincts rumbled at holding my prey under me.

Her fingers skim across my back, light, soft trailing touches that has my tail wagging quicker at the soft affection, rumbles pressed to skin as I let my head dip lower to nuzzle against the underside of her jaw, lips slowly trailing down the slender curve of her throat.

Soft presses of my lips mapping out the curve, fingers gripping her jaw gently to tilt it up, back towards the pillows to bare her throat to me, a possessive growl at the sight of my mating mark, large and panning across her throat in a clear show of primal claim. When the snap had happened, wolf burning full force and biology rearing its head, pushing away coherency and common sense, my fangs had raked across the column of her throat and sunk my fangs in deep. A pinned weight of my teeth clamping against the tender, giving skin, the whimpered cry reverberating against where my hand had pinned her throat into a presenting arch and my teeth had sunk in, predator winning his prey. Now, my fangs are gentle, nipping across skin slightly playful, nose skimming across as I breathe her in; the steady pulse of anise sweet and giving and honeyed around the edges. Mouthing at her throat as my head dips lower, ears perked and sharply attuned to the soft breathy exhales, the rustle of the sheets as she shifts under me and the thrumming pulse that accelerates as her fingers drag across my back with slight force, clutching at me as her throat arches. Presents her neck, the mating bite to me, eyes fluttering as my growl ripples louder and heavier, body hunkering more heavily over her, posturing instinctively in response to her sweet prey biology submitting to my predatory wolf.

My biology preens and rumbles at the display of my bite at her throat, at how despite the saccharine stickiness of berries clinging to her, dousing her, my own scent is settling too. Forest dew on greenery, rain and an earthiness entangled as it seeps into her skin, the light scents slowly transferring my pheromones to her.

My fingers keep her jaw tilted back, the rumbled growl stilling her body further, keeping it presented as she lies splayed and tucked under the cage of my body, thighs pressing tighter around hers, a soft quiet whimpered sound and the slightest dilation to her pupils as she looks up at me, ears flickering.

"Going to keep still for me pup?"

Nose nudging against her scent gland, coaxing out scent, lips brushing against the swollen bump of tissue, pressing open-mouthed kisses to it, tongue flicking once, twice against it.

Between the pinned cage of my thighs, I feel her own slightly tremble.

"Yes alpha."

I groan at the words slipping past her lips, eyes peering to see they come with the parted inviting curve of her lips aching for kisses, to make them more swollen and kiss-bitten red. To tug at the abused bottom lip between my fangs and let them sink in, until a cry tumbles past to be swallowed eagerly by my mouth melding to hers again.

"Good girl."

Tongue flicking against her gland to taste the sweetness of her pheromones spilling for me, teeth closing around and sinking in with enough pressure that she does cry out, fingers digging in tighter and back arching, pushing her curves to brush against my chest, my weight sinking down to push hers down, pinning her slightly. The dragged, slow buck of my hips pushing down against hers, the friction of clothes barring us from each other, the rough grind making a small shudder slip past her lips and a quiet groan from mine.

Mouth closing around her gland and sucking harshly, fingers tightening around her jaw, body pushing down against the small thrash, her nails dragging across skin, a small stinging ache that has my teeth nipping at her gland. Nose greedily chasing her scent, biology growling for it as it spills readily onto my tongue, stains it with its honeyed floral sweetness.

"Alpha..."

The title spirals the growing instincts to pin her, hips pushing down, deep grinding circles that drag my hips against hers, hers bucking and shifting up to push into the touch, to chase it, vacant hand skimming across her side to grip tightly at the curve of her hip, fingers curling tightly into the soft flesh, hand skimming under fabric, under the waistband of sleep shorts to settle directly against skin.

The thought of leaving bruises in the shape of my fingertips curled there, for her to see, to know, for the others to find... for a claim to remain sends my scent spiking, fangs sinking in slightly, the cry slipping past her lips as she swallows heavily.

I can feel the bob of her throat where my knuckles rest against the column of her neck, feel the swallow press against where my knuckles graze lightly, fingers curling tighter, more possessive at her jaw. Keeping her presented for me, as I suck a mark into her gland, rumbling with pride at how slick and puffy it looks when I draw back. Reddened from stimulation and so sensitive, the skim of my pinkie against it causes a sputter of scent. The slight dig of it coaxes a thick trickle.
And then my eyes drag to my mating bite. Hyperfocus on it, on the size of it, on the ache my gums feel, fangs pooling over my lip as I stare at it, scent rich as I ache to sink my teeth right into it again. Ache to feel her writhe under me when I do... so receptive to my scent that even now her pupils dilate further, breaths shuddering as she clings tighter, nails pressing to my shoulder blades, digging into skin. Leaving a claim of her own behind.

Hand dragging her hips upwards even as my own buck down, groaning against her at how readily her thighs part for me to settle more heavily in the space between them, inviting my weight to pin her more fully.

The book is long since forgotten, thudding against the carpet when my hand reaches out to grip the arm rest of the couch, body still half-hovering over her, eyes raking over the arched presented line of her throat, gland puffy and stimulated, mating bite tugging me to seal my lips over it once more. To leave my own scent drenched there.

Eyes half-lidded as she peers up at me, one hand slipping away from my back to slip to my chest, dragging across skin, fingers leaving a trail of heat behind, nose drunk on her scent.

And when my head dips its to drag my lips across the bite, teeth raking slightly, intent on scenting her, skin rubbing against skin, a stream of rumbled growls muffled against her throat, teasing at her gland, feeling her fingers dig tighter, trailing up to settle against my nape. To encourage the indulgent scenting with her fingers coaxing me closer, lips brushing against my jaw, teeth nipping far gentler than she realises. Lips curving against her throat, body lowering to bracket hers more, mouthing at the bite, fangs nipping in reminiscence of the sharper, primal claim I'd originally sunk into skin.

The gentle nuzzles, the unhurried press of kisses to the mark softer, every brush of my mouth against the soft, sensitive curve of her neck, scent turning heavier, weighted as my limbs settle over hers, as her scent softens, pupils slightly dilated.

"What woke you baby?" I murmur, mind still drifting back to it.

Uncomplaining of the fawn in my arms, but still unable to quell the same seed of worry that'd taken root.

"Had a dream. Wanted to find you." She mumbles, voice going breathy when my teeth sink into the juncture of her neck, tugging and sucking hard enough that she stills, back arching slightly before her limbs go loose. Sinking into the sofa.

"Good dream?"

"Mhm... had a picnic with everyone." She shares. Nose skimming across my jaw, head dipping to press pecks to my throat.

"We can do that." I offer, nipping softly, tongue lathing over the sting.

"One day." She agrees, voice softer, lighter.

Growing content and fingers resting loosely against my chest.

My heart aches fiercely for her, knowing that what she imagines, what she dreams, the freedom of having her normal life back isn't here yet. And she'll wait for it.

But I don't want that for her. Don't want it to be a future thing she won't know for certain when.

She deserves normalcy, as much of it as I can fight for, now.

She deserves to be courted properly, courted beyond the walls of the apartment she's gotten accustomed to.

But maybe... maybe these four walls can become something more.

My hand grips tighter at her hip, thumb sweeping over the soft curve, fingers squeezing lightly before loosening.

"And right now?" I murmur, lips drifting up, teeth lightly catching her earlobe.

Eyes hazy when I peer at her but not with a pheromone high, not dilated with pheromones seeping into her skin.

Limbs going pliant, whatever had awoken her, whatever had caused her to sleepily stumble out, the same heaviness returns, her eyes fluttering with a mixture of drowsiness and contentment, lips pressing soft pecks to my jaw, nuzzling sluggishly.

The small simmering heat quietening to flickering embers of warmth instead, bodies entangled as she draws me closer, hand cupping my jaw as she tilts her face in askance to mine.

Lips slotting together with a soft exhale.

Chasing the soft familiarity of her lips slotting to mine, parting readily when my tongue flicks against the seam of her mouth, slow and unrushed as my tongue curls and chases hers.

Groaning against her.

Hands drifting from her hip to her waist, cupping warm skin.

"You. Want to make you feel good. Want to hold you afterwards."

I shake my head, fingers slipping into her hair, entangling into strands, body drawn closer by her leg wounding around mine.

"You sound sleepy." I tease.

She hums, fingers slipping to rest on the low of my back.

Toying with the waistband of my pyjama pants.

Smiling loosely at the hitch of breath when her pinkie slips under, sparking heat.

"Want to make you feel good and then cuddles?" she bargains, scent curling sweeter with amusement and tease, eyes fluttering slightly.

"If you're negotiating with me Miss (Y/N) you should know an officer is trained in it.... How about I get to pleasure you first, I get to taste you spill with release and then if you're... coherent you can help me with my problem."

Hips lowering down and hands drifting to drag her top up.

Hair mussed and doe eyes glittering, lips curved up.

She shifts under me, movement enough that I draw back slightly, propping myself up on my hands as she winds one hand around my nape and the other slipping under my waistband.

"Just one thing Officer Kim... I've been taught negotiation too."

------------

Whatever pleasured haze had tugged the two of us under, bodies curled together and breathing in each other's scent was disrupted by a loud, disgruntled, offended chirp. Betrayed and dark eyes pinning us when I turn to it, sleepily blinking open to see a fox looming close in my vision, pink fur bristling and pawing at our sides, at our entangled limbs, tail swishing away. The sound of his affront loud and uncaring of disturbing rest, fangs snapping at air.

"...min 's too early. Sleep." I mumble, arm tightening around (Y/N)'s waist, burrowing closer, sleepily scenting her, coaxing the small stirrings away immediately. Feel her sink against me, back pressed to my front, body stilling once more.

He chirps louder, the sound making my ears perk, groaning low when his paw bats at my cheek, head dipping to nip against my jaw, sharper at my cheek when I don't stir immediately, his nose dipping to snuffle at skin; a stream of affronted rumbled chirps reverberating against my throat before his fangs sink in. A chiding bite that startles my eyes open, body jolting at the suddenness of pressure at my gland.

"...Min...Minnie." (Y/N) mumbles from the circle of my arms, ears flickering as she turns, sleepy doe eyes blinking hazed and disoriented, registering the scent instinctively, drawn out of sleep towards the sharp mint. Ears and tail flickering at the sharp sting of it, fingers reaching towards the bristling pink fur; her own scent in comparison inexplicably soft. Soft enough that my arms tighten around her, burrowing closer in order to keep her scent sleepy soft and gentle, to keep it from stirring and with slowly awakening—to lose the heavy weighted comfort of it. But it's so soft that Minnie's own scent has no choice but to soften, his bristling fur softening, tilting towards the touch with a quiet chirp rumbling low in the back of his throat. All softness and pink fur soft against her, rubbing his cheek and ears against her fingers that reaches for him, whining softly, ears flickering and folding and the sharpness of his eyes fading away.

He chirps gentler in response to her sleepy mumble of his name, nose nudging against the proffered palm, nuzzling into skin with a gentleness in his eyes and ears drooping, paws still scrabbling to get closer but less offended and harried. Impatient still. But just softer as he tries to slip closer to her, to worm into the space between our bodies, blankets shifting and falling around my waist. Feeling the warmth of the blankets leave, fingers fumbling to drag it upright as paws slip and scamper across skin, tail swishing eagerly as (Y/N) turns, drawing back for him with sluggish blinks an invitation as she lifts her arm to draw him against her side. To tuck him in the middle with his body pressed to her.

He chirps softer, nose nudging at her jaw before dipping to snuffle against her throat, burrowing his head there, tail swishing and paws settling as he curls as much as he can to leave no distance between the two of them, tail swishing happier.

Mint softening into something sweeter, easier to breathe.

And when dark eyes turn to peer at me, it's with something still grumbling and petulant but chirping until I bracket closer.

Until he's securely tucked between the two of us, pink fur curling smaller and scent softening. Settling between us. Chirp quieter as he burrows against her, paws gripping at my shirt on her, nose settling against her gland.

Mint sweeter and seeping out to entangle with our sleepy scents.

It's only as I nose along the back of his ears, nuzzling gently, do I realise his scent is still heavy with sleep too. And that scent deepens as he settles to sleep again.

Their two scents coaxing me down once more.

(Y/N) POV:

At some point the soft fur under my hand has slipped away, burrowed against skin directly, a soft weight settled on top of my torso, at some point during the night, Minnie joined the entangled huddle of our bodies and wormed as close as he could to tuck himself to me. Cradled by a hand resting against my torso. There's another arm banded around me, a body pressed against my back, nose burrowed against my nape.

At some point sleepy fatigue and drowsiness begins to ebb away, stirring in the circle of arms still banding around me, the bundled foxy under Joon's borrowed shirt, wriggling, soft snuffles against skin when I tilt my head back.

Get rewarded with a sleepy rumble against my nape and drowsy eyes blinking at me, a loose smile curled against his lips and leaning forward to rub his nose against mine in greeting.

"When did Minnie come in?" I mumble, so sure that when we'd finally gone to bed, there'd been only Joon's warmth curled to mine under blankets that smelled in the faintest of hazelnut and woodsy musk.

"Few hours ago. Must've realised I never came back to bed. Wasn't too happy that he wasn't invited." Voice warm and teasing, the band of his arms slung low on my hips loosening slightly, hand drifting to entangle with where mine rests on the lump under my t-shirt, wriggling slightly as his ears flicker against my skin.

Words rumbling with the timbre of a growl that makes my body shudder under his touch, drooping as I lean back against him, nose dipping to nudge at his jaw, to burrow against his throat with a pleased soft sound pressed to skin as I scent slowly.

Feel my lips quirk against his throat at the words.

"He was asleep. And I had been too... Jinnie scooped him away for his nest. He's pink and soft—Jinnie was never going to resist." Lips curving up.

The bundled figure under my t-shirt wriggles slightly, a soft sleepy rumbled chirp as he shuffles about, settling when my hand settles over where his head is, rubbing over the fabric.

"He just likes hogging you. For all that it took him to finally confess, he wants to monopolise your time, wants to steal away our fawn. Foxy forgets to share."

The curved fluffy fox under my shirt wriggles, quiet chirp against skin—not quite awake but not fully asleep either and when Joon's hand brushes gently across the peeking tail, skimming across the thick pink fur, the tail wriggles.

I eye the swaddled lump with a curving smile, hand resting lightly even as my head tilts to rest against Joon's shoulder, to nuzzle against his collarbone, mouthing slowly and lazily at skin. Torso bare and unmarked; the heat of his body seeping through the shirt he'd dragged off and drawn over me instead.

There's still the underlying richness to his scent, the entangled merge of our pheromones settled on the both of us, nose rubbing against skin, cheek tilting to press against his chest. Feel the rumbles reverberate against me.

"It's why Tae turned him pink." I smile against Joon's collarbone when his hand curves tighter, nose nudging at my hair and rumbling softly.

"I can't really blame him." a hushed teasy admission.

And that seems to make the bundled fox stir. A disgruntled rumbled chirp before he shuffles about.

"Are you awake Minnie? Comfy?"

His nose nudges against skin, snuffles as he chirps, rubbing fur against skin, ears flickering and tail swishing.

The sleepy scent of mint steeped into the shirt, curling around the two of us as he shuffles about, content to scent and settle against me, wriggling happily under Joon's hand settling over the shirt, teasing at the hem to tease his tail; watching it swish eagerly.

"Not coming out today pup? Want to stay there all day?" Joon laughs, rumbles happy and content as he peers over my shoulder, watches the foxy-shaped lump under fabric wriggle about. A louder, eager chirp before his nose continues its snuffles and scents across skin, the softer rumbles of his giddiness seeping into me.

"Going to leave Joon to work at the station alone? And make me stay at home all day cuddling like this?"

Chirp-chirp­-chirp.

Assent echoed in increasingly louder chirps, scent blooming sweet before he wriggles and his head pops out of the neckline, fur rumpled and eyes wide and eager, mouth parted and fangs bared as he wriggles, pawing at me, nose nudging eagerly against skin.

My smile deepens, nose nudging against his smaller one, squirming when his fangs nip playfully, pawing at my neck and jaw as he wriggles about.

"Hi baby." Hand reaching to smoothen the fur, cooing when he leans into the touch, chases it when my fingers trail to his ears rubbing gently, his nose nudging at my wrist, chasing my hand, fangs scraping.

Fur tickling skin where he wriggles, head tilting down to encourage the light scritches at the back of his ears, drooping against me with softer, eager chirps coaxing the petting, indulgently scenting as he rubs fur to skin, nuzzling against my cheek and jaw. Ducking to rest his head against the hollow of my throat, chirping into skin and scenting with light fangy scrapes that his nose immediately nuzzles over.

Layering me up in mint as if his sleepy scent hasn't sunken in, as if the t-shirt doesn't now carry both their scents, as if my skin doesn't carry it too with how he's been settled directly against my torso for the better part of hours.

"Sleep well pup?" Joon murmurs, voice tender and soft and oh-so-low, rumbling with a deep timbre, a natural rich huskiness that presses against my backs. Unaware of how pure alpha wolf his tone alone is as he brushes a hand over fur, rubs a line up and down his nose and watches Minnie's eyes flutter and droop, head tilting forward, wriggling to get closer.

Enjoying the light scents before his fangs catch a finger and nip, nuzzling at his palm with his nose, snuffling at the proffered skin Joon offers when he stretches his hand out. Scenting him indulgently slow.

Dark eyes hold mine, watching and waiting, chirp prompting as he nudges at my jaw.

Seemingly asking the question in turn.

"I slept good baby... Joonie gets very cuddly." Smile curving up, squirming at the playful nip to my nape at the words, at the unspoken depth behind them.

He got very tactile, face flushed with pleasure, pupils dilated and scent a rich, strong, battering wave, body winding around mine, limbs loose and uncoiled, breathing ragged against my skin, his shirt adorning my skin, legs entangled.

But the meaning doesn't go amiss by the sharp-eyed fox whose fangs nip my cheek, chirp rumbling and tail swishing, wriggling.

Body turning over to sprawl onto my back, Joon's body curving close to my side, smiling against my shoulder at the wriggling fox squirming under the shirt, pawing at skin, snuffling at my throat.

A small sound bubbles in my throat, muffled when his paw presses to a mark; coloured deep and rich where Joon had sunk his teeth in. The sudden pressure unexpected and the wave of mint that seeps out is strong and consuming; heavy in the same way his eyes turn assessing.

There's nothing to escape the sharp heaviness that entangles with the amusement curling off Joon, mild forest dew unperturbed against the pulsing thickness of sharp, crisp mint.

And the light weight on me suddenly disappears, vanishes as I turn to the satisfied rumble emanating against my side, replaced with a heavier sprawl of limbs, the neckline of the shirt stretched out and pink hair, sharp eyes and full lips filling my vision. The lightness turning into a heavy pinning sprawl.

"Really? First you don't invite me, now you're rubbing it in vixen?" voice drawling and heavy, dripping low and eyes flashing dangerously, hungrily as he pins me with the weight of his body suddenly entirely flush with mine.

My body instinctively pushes back but it all serves to do is drive his weight to sink onto mine, skin against skin, hands clamping onto my waist tightly and eyes dark and narrowing, pink strands of hair falling forward and nose brushing against mine.

"And where do you think you're going? Can't even let me hold you when you're drenched in Joon's scent?" voice a raspy drawl, sharper and rougher from disuse, heavy with how each word rolls off his tongue with a dripping thickness to it.

"You shifted back!" I accuse, feeling his hands squeeze my waist in silent agreement, lips curling wicked, the smirk stretching across his face.

"So you can share a shirt with my shifted self but not me? We're one and the same baby... besides... sharing body heat is a biological means of survival in such harsh winters." All low drawls and false-pouts and predatory eyes.

"You abandoned Jin hyung's nest so you could body-pin my fawn to tell us you wanted to be woken for fun?"

"I left because I wanted to get some cuddles in before waking up our fawn for work. Before someone swiped her but it seems I was too late." Hips rocking down when I squirm, thighs spreading to pin me between them as he half-straddles me, the loose, oversized shirt pulled taut over his back where he lifts himself up a bit.

"No wriggling vixen. I didn't intend to start something but you're the one trying to seduce a fox already in your clothes."

"Too bad~ I didn't intend to... she woke up." Joon mumbles, lips brushing over the curve of my shoulder, the movement slightly distracting even with the barrier of the shirt preventing it from the words being pressed to my lips.

The sharpness of the gaze softens, eyes searching me; a heavy intensity that sinks into skin.

"Everything okay?"

I nod, body twisting slightly when his fingers skim up, knuckles skimming skin, rough palms just shy of the underside of my chest.

Watch his eyes crease with amusement and tease, nose nudging my temple.

"Just wanted some alpha time."

His lips quirk against skin, trail lower to nip my cheek gently.

"Next time... next time get me. It's never going to be that I'll turn down seeing my two mates together."

My breath hitches when his fingers drag slowly against my side, curving possessively over my hips. There was only one layer of fabric barring me from him, there was only the shared shirt he was caging me within that was giving a semblance of something covering his bare body.

"Next time..."

"Next time maybe I'll steal a fawn away to nest." A voice interrupts, sweet and lilting and when I turn my head, my lips curve up at the figure in the doorway, in the way his wings flap and rustle as they tuck against his back.

"Hyung! Missing a pink furry addition to your nest?" Joon grins, dimples peeking as he turns onto his back to face him, hand stretched out to tug him closer when Jin steps through the room.

Fingers slipping to curl around his wrist. Stepping close as he hovers near the bed, knees sinking down as he leans forward, fingers brushing over ears in gentle, tactile greeting to the three of us. Toying with the stretched neckline, thumb brushing over the fabric.

"All that effort for you Minnie... can't a swan try court a pretty pink sweetheart without him dashing before I wake?" faux-sigh and lashes fluttering as he shakes his head, fingers trailing to settle on his nape, watching his head droop, tilt to the touch of fingers carding through his bubblegum hair.

"Your nest is beautiful hyung, I just wanted to check on (Y/N)..." he admits, voice quieter, still deep and rumbling but quietly submitting to the gentle pressure of fingers at his nape, gently scratching at his scalp.

"Well shame... a very snuggly caramel got scooped instead." Teasing and fond, leaning forward to press his lips to a flickering pink ear, nosing at skin and hair before ducking down to press a kiss to the tip of my nose, briefly to my lips.

"Hobi's shifted?"

He hums, nose brushing against my cheek, eyes dropping to my gland, lips curving deep before he brushes a thumb across it.

Eyes sparkling when it coaxes a burst of scent that has Jimin's body instinctively bucking down with a groaned hiss and a rumbled happy whine building in Joon's throat.

"Busy night I see. Even I can smell a wolf's claim." He teases, fingers continuing to work through pink strands even as Joon leans closer, the three of us cocooned under the hovering presence of our swan; his wings flapping and flaring, eyes soft and tender.

On top of me, Jimin's body goes taut with petulance again, eyes flashing as his gaze drops to my gland, drifts lower, eyes raking over where the fabric stretches, where his hands drift and grip where eyes can't see. Relishing in the small squirms as his body sinks against mine.

Sprawling heavier when Jin mentions breakfast, pinning me fully with his weight, arms wound around me and head ducking to burrow his nose against my gland.

"You can take Joon... we'll follow through when she's minty again."

Words muffled but heard where they press against my skin, fangs catching at my gland, hips pinning mine.

Making it very clear that he's far from leaving the caged cocoon of Joon's shirt and far from done with this, smile curving against my throat.

Very far from it.

-------------

My legs wobble slightly as I sit down at the table, gland still seeping out sticky sweet anise, still feeling the ache of fangs sunk deep and hands clamping down on my hips, the deep rumbled satisfaction as Minnie thoroughly scented me. An amused curl of lips, fangs peeking and ears flickering as Yoongi tugs my chair closer to his, ankle hooked around mine and tail curling around my calf as he nudges my cheek with his nose and pecks lightly.

A tell-tale knowing gleam to his eyes as he and the others all smell the layered scents of earthy dew and mint clinging to my skin.

There was only so much body wash and lotion could hide, there was only so much that could be taken away... but what was seeped into skin, what had merged with my own pheromones lay settled there.

"Morning sweet girl."

The nickname never fails to make my heart flutter, the gummy smile never fails to tug a smile at my own lips and my scent to sputter betrayingly with how viscerally my very cells respond to his presence, to the softest and quietest of words, to the faintest sweet scent of citrus.

I lean towards him, fingers gently drawing his face to mine, lips brushing his, breath trembling when his fingers loop around my wrist and draw me closer, letting his lips linger, chasing mine with a soft unrushed indulgence.

"Morning panther."

Tongue flicking gently against the seam of my lips, thumb rubbing circles into my gland as he draws me closer, a rumbled content sound muffled against my lips. Tongue already withdrawing when mine slips against his lips. A smile curved against my mouth before he presses a final peck and leans away, hand still looped around my wrist still.

"You taste so happy kit." He murmurs.

"I am."

"No bad dreams? No trouble sleeping?" he whispers, voice hushed and quiet. A gentle low murmur.

I shake my head.

Eyes fluttering when his fingers continue rubbing circles and his other hand comes to gently brush against my ears, petting them.

Legs trembling at the light scents; body still so worked up from the thorough scenting, biology so responsive to Yoongi's gentle, almost featherlight ministrations.

"Aren't you a pretty sight? So worked up from just this." He murmurs, voice dipping lower and quieter, the thrum of words solely meant for me as I tilt to the touch, body gravitating closer to his.

"Prettiest." A voice echoes, bright and warm and when my head tilts it's to see Kookie, lips stretched wide with a grin and leaning over to set down a teapot.

Nose scrunching when Yoongi leans out to draw him in, when my lips peck his and my nose rubs against his in soft tactile greeting.

"Wooing her already little prince?" Yoongi asks, voice low and warm, eyes narrowed playfully with gentle tease, tail curling and swishing behind him.

Kookie's cheeks pinken slightly, ears perking as he wriggles to draw back, still half-angled over us, leaning over the table.

"My fawn? Always."

Grinning at me bright-eyed and happy.

"Been my mate first. Before even Minnie hyungie." Teasing and light.

His cotton scent turns softer, seeps off him as he draws away. A bubble of laughter slipping past when Minnie makes a swipe for him, having caught the tail-end of the conversation, eyes bright and sharp and lunging for the bun that dodges away and rushes back to the kitchen. Weaves past Jin's fluttering wings and ducks behind Joon for refuge. Bright shiny eyes peeking with amusement from behind the barrier of broad muscle.

"You know I pined after her bun!" laughing and trying to swerve past to tug him out from his hiding spot; content to curl behind Joon, gripping at his pressed shirt, nose scrunching as his ears perk.

"Pining is no good hyung... actions speak louder than words." A loud infectious stream of giggles and squirming laughter when Jimin manages to tug him out, hands mercilessly and indulgently slipping under the loose t-shirt to poke and prod and tickle him, tail swishing.

Yoongi's hand in mine tightens briefly, fingers curling closer before loosening, cheek brushing against mine in a light scent before he lets his head come to rest against my shoulder, amusement and fondness seeping into his scent.

Watching with a quiet affection at the steadily pinking cheeks and breathlessness as Kookie squirms and flails away, pinned against the counter, his breathy giggles and hyung only coaxing everyone's scents to a softer, happier lightness.

"Reckon we should rescue him?" I murmur, fingers entangling with Yoongi's, drawing our entwined hands onto my lap.

A rumbled purr emanates from the depth of his chest as he watches, tail curling to band loosely around my side.

"I reckon he'll have a very cute saviour stepping through any moment now."

But whether he means the dashing blur of caramel fur, yowling to announce his arrival and trailed after by a dishevelled tiger, whether he means the wolf that Jin purposely nudges with his hip and wing towards the two I don't know.

My lips curve up.

"Now which one did you mean?"

His eyes sparkle with mischief and tease, voice low and drawling as he leans in against me, bodies gravitated close as we watch the large cluster of mates all entangled and close.

"All. I can't choose." A peek of fangs from his gummy smile, fond and scent seeping strong and sweet.

I hum in agreement. Watch as flushed-cheeked, Kookie leans gratefully against the circle of Tae's arms, squirming happily when our tiger goes straight for the neck, burrowing his nose there and breathing in the happy pulse of his pheromones, rumbling against skin. Deep chuffs that filter through words and noise, stripey tail banding around a calf.

Watch Hobi's ears twirl, rubbing his cheek against bare calves, filtering through the entangled mess of limbs with soft yowls, looking so soft and small before he slips free to settle in front of Jinnie.

Yowling to be scooped, paws stretching upwards when Jin bends down with a fond grin, small form lithe and stretching and paws pressing to his shirt, head plopping onto a shoulder when he's tucked against him. Rubbing his cheek against the fabric, sharp eyes softening as they blink slower with content at the rubs and gentle scritches to the back of his ears, to the fingers brushing through his back. Quiet purrs rumbling as he makes his place by filtering past the chaos to snuggle against his swan.

Leaning into the reprieve of Tae's arms, Kookie looks content to be surrounded three-way by his predator hyungs, flushed cheeks nuzzled at by Joon, rumbling as he crowds him further against Tae, hands gripping his waist and scenting gently, tail wagging quicker at the spurt of scent it coaxes out. And Minnie, just as pink and giddy giggles, leaning over Joon to tilt close to pepper kisses across skin. The three of them effectively pinning and scenting my fellow prey mate with their pheromones. Clustered close.

"You might need to rescue him sweetheart." Yoongi teases, voice light, but perfectly content where his head rests against my shoulder, where his fingers continue to lazily trace circles onto my wrist, sending pleasant jolts and shivers down my arm, body warm where the heat of his seeps and entangles with mine.

"Doesn't seem like it~" I laugh, when his tail curls tighter when I shift in my seat a bit, actions belying his words.

His fingers curl around my waist, thumb pressed to my gland.

Scent seeping into my skin.

A pleased curl to his pheromones as he speaks.

"Maybe not. Maybe I'm capitalising on a fawn. On my sweet girl."

My scent sweetens and I can hear the smile in his words, in the deliberately slow drag of fingertips against my gland as he scents me.

"Possessive?"

His words are a half-growl, rumbling with the low timbre.

And when I tilt to peer at him, his eyes are dark and gleaming.

"You don't know the half of it. And you don't know how long." Eyes dropping to my lips, trailing lower to the mating bites at my throat.

Eyes darkening with a predatory hunger.

Smoothened out when Jin's voice cuts over the giggled mumbles.

"Try not to pounce on him all at once in the kitchen. Only I do the seducing here." Jin laughs as he moves to the table, sitting down with a hand still cradling the kit pressed to his chest, who's taken to nuzzling and rubbing a fluffy cheek to Jin's neck. Purring happily.

Paws gripping at the fabric of his shirt. Absently kneading and playing, rumbled purrs deepening at the continued petting, fingers sinking into thick fur and rubbing.

My lips curve up at the sight, at how Hobi droops entirely against Jin, curled and content and scent bursting with a rich sweetness that I can taste in the air from the other side of the table.

"Like you seduced me?" I tease, feeling Yoongi's fingers curl tighter, scent turning the slightest bit heavy with uncharged energy.

Jin's grin is bright and infectious; eyes sparkling as he nods, wings fluttering behind him.

"Exactly sweetheart. Though I haven't minded a certain someone seducing me in my kitchen either." Voice a quieter murmur, smooth and soft and eyes creasing when the scent of citrus turns sweet and equally heavy and pleased and flickering with quiet warmth.

Yoongi.

"And I thought it was a pack ban..." Tae laments as he moves towards the table, arms still encircled around Kookie, words drawled out but eyes gleaming with mischief and intent.

He had no intention of not taking an opportunity whenever it provided itself.

No-one did.

The pack filters out to sit at the table, all in varied arrays of dress or undress; some in pyjamas, my officers already suited and dressed.

And even as we all begin breakfast, Yoongi's hand remains loosely entangled with mine, he remains curled close until I slowly coax food forward, steering a mug of coffee towards him.

Lips brushing against his hair when I turn my head.

Slowly drawing away, unwillingly and unrushed as his free hand reaches for the mug.

Still endearingly half-drooped with sleep.

I knew that he didn't have to, but Yoongi made the effort of being awake, early as it was, to see the rest of us for work. That even though he'd barely slept hours, he was always there for breakfast.

Even if I knew he was going to be asleep again, potentially with a snagged mate, not long after most of us left.

So in comparison to the enthused eagerness Kookie eats with, cheeks puffy and full, nose scrunching happily when the predators flanking him and Tae who'd tugged him onto his lap, arm sprawled possessively across his stomach, curved close as they eat.

The scent of mint still seeps heavily off me, something the teasing, fleeting glances from my pink fox show he clearly relishes in, slowly gravitating towards Jin more, fingers reaching out to pet Hobi's thick caramel fur.

"How long has Hobi been shifted?"

"Probably all night." Yoongi murmurs, eyes fond as he watches Hobi's head arch and tilt with a pleased yowl to Jin's fingers scratching at the back of his head, scent pooling warm.

I stare with both longing and warmth; happiness and , a flickering want echoing similarly in myself. Watch as the kit curled up in Jin's hold slowly unfurls, paws having wrinkled and tugged the fabric and peers about, feline eyes blinking as he takes us all in. Eyes the table with contemplation before hopping off his lap and scurrying underneath, weaving past legs.

Soft fur rubbing against my ankles and paws gently pressing to my legs and when I peek down see his eyes bright under the table.

Waiting for me to draw my chair back far enough so he can hop onto my lap instead, rumbles felt against our fingers when both mine and Yoongi move to pet him.

Cooing softly over the soft thickness of his fur, lips tugged into a wide smile when his fangs nip and playfully chase my hand to try catch my fingers. Rolling about happily with the secure knowledge that Yoongi's hand is there to gently nudge him or shield him from a tumble.

"Coming to work like this pretty kit?" knowing full well he had a day off, having half a mind to bundle him up and whisk him away regardless.

He yowls, head butting at my palm, twirling ears tickling slightly as he rubs his cheek and ears against my hand.

"He's mine for today." Yoongi's voice rumbles, watching as Hobi twists and stretches across my lap, pawing absently at my denim-clad thigh.

Hobi yowls in loud, vocal agreement.

My fingers scratch lightly behind his ear, other hand holding a piece of fruit towards him in offering, posture unconsciously softening as he yowls happily, paws clutching at my hand to keep it from moving, tongue and fangs grazing skin before he gnaws at it, staining my fingertips with juice.

But he tends to my hand, tongue lapping up the beading droplets, fangs scraping and nipping gently. Keeping my hand under his paws as he nuzzles softly, quiet purrs and rumbled happiness as he grooms indulgently.

"I'm off too—might steal a bun." Tae's voice rumbles, deep and content, playfully nipping Kookie's throat, delightedly watching him squirm, body jolting and pressing back.

Eyes dark and mischievous as they slide to mine, narrowing playfully. Fangs peeking.

"Maybe I can steal a fawn too?"

The tail banded around my calf tightens, a possessive unseen touch to the rest of them.

I feel my lips twitch.

Joon's chest rumbles as he shakes his head, eyes bright and loose dimpled grin.

"I'd advise against that cub."

"Double theft..." Jiminie muses, amusement curling his full lips into a generous smile.

But Tae seems to glow with excitement at the prospect, fingers curling tighter around Kookie's waist, ears flickering and scent sweet.

"I'll take the risk."

"If I didn't have a playdate with two babies and some prospective carers for Min Junie today I would've." I say ruefully, shaking my head with a small smile.

The words pique warm interest and curiosity.

The entire pack was familiar with the baby bear, by name certainly and for most of them by face too.

"Jisoo vetted them down?" Tae asks, the kit in my arms quietening too, eyes sharper and alert as he settles, peering up at me.

I nod.

"We both did, spent hours over them."

And the elder wolf, the head caregiver had spent hours beyond the hours we'd spent together breaking down the details given on prospective families. On potential parents and primary caregivers.

He'd spent several of those hours cajoling away the sad misery that'd clung to my scent- seeping past scentblockers, voice a deep rumbled promise that Min Jun would only be going to a home, to someone we both agreed on. Reminded me that he didn't vanish from our lives, from our orbits, from our care the moment he was adopted. That it wasn't like that.

It didn't make the sting hurt any less, knowing full well that soon—so, so soon he wouldn't be mine anymore.

So moments with the two, moments with the two babies that'd long since become mine... was something I wasn't going to pass up.

"He's going to be okay sweet girl—you still have time with him." Yoongi murmurs, quietly picking up on the faint stirrings of distress beginning to filter through my scent.

Find comfort and grounding reassurance in Jin's eyes when I feel his gaze, lips curving gently at the corners in a soft smile.

But I should've never gotten so attached... I shouldn't have let myself, let my instincts, let my biology claim him as mine.

"What're you doing for your playdate?" Kookie asks.

"I think the two agreed on a handful. Picnic, nesting, hide and seek... why do one when you can do it all?" I share, amusement colouring my voice.

Pushing away the thin tendrils of upset.

Because I had time. I had them to me today.

Tae's expression dithers, torn and wanting as he looks at me, fingers curling and tightening over Kookie's waist.

Clearly warring with the two choices.

"But I like doing that too! I haven't gotten to play a lot with Ji yet." Plaintive and mournful of the fact, looking so downcast that Joon can't help the instinctive immediate response to snuffle and nuzzle gently at a cheek, a quiet whine to soothe away the pout.

On my lap Hobi yowls loudly and several times in vocal agreement, pawing at my wrist, tail swishing and eyes holding my gaze.

It coaxes a bubble of laughter out.

"You both play with them so much! I'm sure you won't hear any complaints if you wanted to do it all over again in a few days."

"And you've been missing out training little caramel... I haven't missed the fact." I laugh, fingers gently poking the squirming caracal on my lap.

He yowls loudly at the injustice, in disagreement, in plain rejection of my words. The vocal protests brings wide smiles and richer scents, fond amusement from the rest of the pack, Yoongi's fingers playfully teasing at snapping fangs, laughter warm and low when Hobi tries to chase the evading fingers, paws swiping and fangs trying to nip with little success.

"Have you been hogging fawn fairy this entire time?" Tae exclaims, eyes narrowed at the kit half-cradled by me, ears twirling and small tail swishing.

Something pleased secretes into the sugary caramel warmth of his scent, turns the sweetness richer and the nuttiness warmer and heavier.

I feel my lips twitch at the tell in his pheromones, at the way it makes Tae's own tail curl and sway quicker, arms curling tighter before he burrows his nose against Kookie's nape.

Rumbling with dissatisfaction and affront.

"Maybe..." I share.

Feeling inexplicably fond for the kit in my lap, unbothered by the betrayed tone, much more interested in burrowing his nose against my wrist; having caught Yoongi's fingers for a brief series of nips before turning his attention to scenting me. Snuffling at the inside of my hand, nose rubbing across the smaller glands, holding still and captured between two paws.

Fangs gently scraping over skin, nuzzling into my wrist and rubbing the fur of his cheeks and ears to it with soft, deep purrs.

The scents are light, gentle and more comfort and indulgent than anything but the simulated glands at my throat pulse out pheromones in ready response to Hobi's gentle nuzzles, to the closeness of the citrus curling around me, the tail still banded securely around my calf.

Minnie's eyes glow with a predatory satisfaction when the slight tightening of Yoongi's tail and his hand dropping to my thigh, squeezing gently makes my leg jolt; reacting far more sensitively as faint tremors still wrack them.

The scenting to my glands so heavy, so thorough that it was still coaxing a bodily response.

I could still feel his weight pinning me and his fangs at my throat, a rumbled growl that'd triggered a biological response to go lax to the predator mate caging me in, even if my legs had instinctively jerked with the bodily response of flight.

He watches across the table with an amused, pleased lilt to his full lips, raising the mug to his mouth in almost mock toast.

I narrow my eyes in turn.

Playing with his prey every step of the way.

"Joonie, are you dropping me off today?" I ask, all the while holding my fox's gaze, seeing it flash with a mixture of warning and amusement. See his fangs peek out before he takes a sip, ears flickering as he keeps my gaze too.

Keeps it there even whilst mine slips away to the alpha wolf, dimpled and eyes twinkling with knowledge as his own ears perk up.

A brief, quick wink and widening grin that tells me he's clearly aware of what I'm doing as he nods.

"Of course pup... Jiminie has paperwork to process."

Delighting in the dismay colouring his fellow officer's face, nudging forward the toast to me with a pleased rumble bubbling in his throat.

"Eat up pup, it's my turn to have you this morning."

But his scent gives away to a much deeper contentment, a biological instinct soothed and satiated at not having to part so easily, so quickly from the night spent entangled together, for waking up together fogged with each other's sleepy scent. And his dimples deepen as he holds my gaze, warm and fond and just a tad endearingly bashful when Yoongi's gaze flits tenderly to him.

"Maybe I can meet the babies too?" hopeful eyes all wide and endearing.

And if I wasn't tripping over myself to give anything to my sweet alpha pup then the entire pack undoubtedly would—the citrus scent curls sweet-soft in response and in direct line of view of the big puppy eyes.

"Of course."

------------

It's Yoongi who corners me in the hallway as Joon's grabbing a coat, the yowling kit from my lap having already thoroughly scented me, having hopped off to scramble towards Kookie and Jiminie, seeing them move to get ready.

His arm banding around my front, chest pressed to my back, citrus scent soft and gentle, cheek gently nudging against mine when I turn, scenting lightly.

"Do you mind if I drop by later?"

My nose nudges against his, smile curving wide at the soft rumbling timbre of his voice. Still slightly rough and groggy and eyes earnest.

I peck his lips gently.

"Never need to ask panther. Although maybe you're coming for my nest." I tease lightly.

His tail pokes me lightly on the side before winding around my thigh loosely, fingers absently straightening the lapels of my coat, smoothening over the scarf before he plucks it lightly.

"This one's Hobi's." He observes.

"Jinnie got it for me when Hobi kept getting tangled up in it." I smile, watching his fingers absently pet the soft green, twirling his fingers around the tassels before he turns me to face him, hands curling into my scarf to tug me forward towards him, lips warm and soft and unrushed against mine as he kisses me, holds me to him, I let my arm curl around his nape to tug him forward.

Lips brushing against the soft plushness of his, chasing the citrusy scent that seems to cling to every inch of him, light and sweet and fresh, feel his lips curve into a generous smile as he leans towards me. Gravitates forward, hands still clutching the scarf, tugging gently as he moves against me, brackets me against the wall with the bracket of his body settling against mine. A line of heat where his body, lithe muscles and corded strength pressing against me, mouth chasing mine with a soft rumble, pleased that when his tongue brushes against the seam of my lips he isn't given immediate compliance. Fangs nipping at my bottom lip, the faint sting where the weighted press of his fangs rest there, the predatory reminder of the panther caging me in. His lips are soft and gentle, the scrape of his fangs are not, a sharp contrast with the way his hand cradles my cheek, tilts my face to his, a rumbled growl against my lips when my fingers tug at the growing length of his hair, tug him closer, fingers sinking into the soft black silkiness, skimming across his nape.

His other hand still remains entangled in my scarf, fangs sinking into my bottom lip, tugging as his chest rumbles, hips pinning mine, chasing to memorise the shape of my mouth slotted to his, tongue flicking over the sting briefly. He groans impatiently against my mouth, tongue brushing in silent, coaxing invite, citrus scent blooming sweet and heavy when my mouth parts for his, his tongue curling against mine. His tongue sweeping through my mouth, claiming it with a deep, knowing possessiveness, swallowing the muted shudder as my head tilts up, tongue chasing his. Nails dragging across his nape, knuckles skimming across skin, delighted at the rough growled sound against my mouth, a shuddered exhale as his weight sinks to pin me, tail curling around my thigh and settling heavier at the sudden curl of rich earthy dew.

Joon.

But his lips seem to burn hotter, tongue thrusting and brushing deep, sweeping strokes, his touch, his mouth a branding scorch, his touch fiercely possessive and chasing the smallest gaps to close them, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone, nose nudging mine gently. The sharp contrast is dizzying, scent pooling richly in response to the strong weight of his own, entangling together, pheromones pulsing out because of my predator mate.

"Hyung she'll be late." Words amused and wry, distantly I can hear the grin in them, before Yoongi's teeth sink into my bottom lip, banishing thought from mind.

The rumbled discontent tugs a smile to my lips, fingers loosening even if I press into the kiss, lungs shuddering with Yoongi's scent when he finally draws away. Eyes dark and pupils dilated. Lips swollen and slick. Gaze a heavy pinning weight.

"Does she have to go?" stubborn and voice a low rasp. Eyes dark and holding mine, refusing to let my gaze drift away from anywhere but him.

"I have to go baby. In the meantime sleep, rest... try woo me with lunch." I murmur, eyes fond as I draw myself away from the wall, hands cupping his cheeks and pressing kisses to his lips between each word, nose rubbing against his lightly.

"I don't want you to go..." he grumbles, lips twisting unhappily, tail swishing and curling around my calf to anchor me to him even as his fingers smoothen down my scarf.

Fingers absently brushing over it as he draws me close by my coat lapels, cheek gently rubbing against mine, softer scenting as if his citrus claim hasn't been burned across my lips and branded itself across my lungs.

Lips brushing against my jaw, fangs scraping slightly.

Eyes glittering at the shudder as I instinctively tilt to the touch.

"Hyung." The term half-strangled and hoarse, the thick pulse of scent giving away just how much it's riling up Joon too.

"Work... gotta go to work." Yoongi murmurs, relenting his hold slowly, drawing away and hand steadying me, curled around my waist when my legs jitter.

Lips curving up with teasing smugness.

"Somehow I think the more possessive one is you." Voice slightly breathless, lips swollen and tingling, cheeks flushed as I draw up, patting my pockets to check my phone's there and drawing my bag over my shoulder.

Joon's half-petulant whine as he brushes past Yoongi, steers me towards the door is full of complaint, eyes doleful and agonised and lips pressed tight.

"Does (Y/N) need a protection detail inside too? To stop her from being pinned and mauled by her pack?" words muttered under his breath.

The heavy insinuation and drawled growl in Yoongi's words don't go unmissed by either of us as he leans to open the front door, scent still thick and strong, threaded through with pulses of arousal.

"Maybe."

And the promise in that one word carries with us even as we leave, his pheromones clinging to clothes as we move to the elevator.

Joon's body is a towering mass of barely contained energy, thrumming as he stands beside me, body half-curved around mine as he presses the button to call the lift up.

"You'd think the entire pack was gearing up for ruts the way you and Kookie seem to be getting cornered."

I turn to peer at him, feel his eyes drop down to my lips, see them darken, track the bob of his throat.

"Because we're prey. It's probably an offset of..." the fact someone else is trying to court me. Someone none of us know.

"I just think... no-one has patience. There's a whole curvy mate to sink their fangs into and it's a fight to be the next."

And his words aren't trying to brush off the knowledge of the ever-growing threat. There's none of the dangerous gleam in his eyes but rather genuine, fond amusement. Teasing and wry. Grinning wide when he sees the surprise on my face.

Stepping closer to me, fingers tilting my chin up, drawing my eyes to his.

"You're not oblivious to see how the pack dynamics are just itching to be defined."

Eyes dragging across my face down to my throat. To where two mating bites sit pride of place; immediately visible to the eye, hidden away momentarily by the scarf bundled around my neck.

"And I think~ that means it's only a matter of time." He adds.

Until control snaps.

His hand skims across my spine when we step out of the lift, voice warm and low.

"And I can't wait."

-------------

"(Y/N) hi—oh!" the intern working at reception today stills in his steps, lips parting as he takes a physical step back, posture turning less buoyant, head shaking slightly to try dispel whatever's stilled him in his tracks.

Maybe it's the wolf at my back, flanking unconsciously, hand curled around my waist, words petering off as he dips his head in greeting to the slightly flustered intern.

It's endearing, my lips curving up at the corners at his fluster, at the way he shrinks back at the authority radiating off Joon even without intending it to. Pheromones naturally broadcasting themselves as strong and heavy, posturing without realisation.

"You've seen him around a few times but never been introduced have you?" I suddenly realise, feeling the fingers curled at my waist squeeze gently.

"Hee Chul meet Officer Kim and my mate, Namjoonie meet Hee Chul, one of our long-term interns. He's training to work full-time at the centre one day."

The intern's cheeks pinken slightly, eyes appraising Joon and gaze quickly dipping away, nodding with his head bowed in the slightest.

He seemed more on edge since Yoongi's growling and hissing protectiveness, steering a step back at the moment even with barrier of the desks barring the perceived biological dominance. He didn't need to be hybrid to sense it.

"Nice to meet you Hee Chul-ssi."

Hee Chul's head dips again, eyes daring to glance up, looking painfully shy and flustered as he gathers papers, eyes briefly flickering to me.

Smile turning less intimidated when I smile back at him, nod encouragingly.

"He doesn't bite... he just gives off this aura as a wolf."

He ducks his head with a wry grin.

"I get that... an officer for a mate? Double protectiveness... I got the forms arranged and submitted for you (Y/N). Jisoo wants you to drop by his office before you start."

I nod, slowly beginning to draw myself away from Joon's flanked frame, feel the grumble reverberate against my back as he growls softly before relinquishing.

"Will do, I just need to grab Joon's pass, and we'll leave you to it Hee Chul."

"No rush (Y/N). I like working reception, so signing people in is part of my job."

"I think you like signing for parcels too much and all you're such a people person... you fit really well." I murmur, eyes absently scanning over the sign-in sheet, wondering silently if any of the recent unfamiliar names were 'visitors' for some of the other children or for Min-Junie.

His smile is bashful and pleased. The pink flush deepened slightly.

A small twist of worry flickers briefly. I didn't want to lead him on in the slightest. But I also hadn't.

A work crush was just that.

And yet Joon's eyes flicker with knowledge, something wry and resigned in his smile as he leans to peck me briefly, nudging me towards the other direction than Ji Ah and Min-Junie's room.

"I'll be with the babies, you go see Jisoo. No rush."

But Jisoo ends up taking the better part of over an hour talking over the potential adoptee parents for Min-Jun, just as cautious and nervous and wary, carefully scrutinising the small details, talking them over.

There's a sharp concern tinging his scent, strong enough that it seeps past the scent-blockers. It gives away just how much Jisoo was worried and careful. How much he'd carefully filtered through every possibility.

And his eyes are warm and understanding, fondness and knowledge lining his features.

"I know it's hard... but it just goes to show how much you've helped Min-Junie. He can get a family, a home and the love he's always deserved."

"I know..."

There isn't one name on the short-list for today, but I still have hope for it. There's a familiar nervousness reflected in the older caregiver's eyes and a fierce, aching protectiveness that doesn't just extend to the children I look after but for every child, every adult in this centre. And every person who falls under him, everyone under his guidance, his leadership... they're under his protection, recipients to his warm concern, his tender gentleness and safety.

A pseudo-pack dynamic of sorts within the centre.

Bonds that surpass the strict, cold detached labels of professionalism.

It's only more and more recently, since after knowing Joon more do I realise how similar the two wolves are, how much biology entangles with their sweet-natured personalities, how much they go above and beyond for the people that matter.

Min-Junie is the same.

He falls under the people Jisoo protects. And the focused, thorough, careful wolf is going to help ensure Min-Junie only gets the best home and fit for him.

And more and more... more and more, that seems to come in the form of sweetening honey and soft cheeks and thick-knit jumpers.

More and more, there seemed as if there was one true fit for him, for her.

And that with each other, they'd heal and grow.

"I'm heading back to the two..." I begin, taking the small file he's collated for me.

Turning towards the door once he's finished explaining the meetings.

"Are the officers any closer to narrowing down anyone involved in the case?"

"The ones arrested at the barn-raid are going to be sentenced soon. And I think... I think the scorpions who were used to poison Ji Ah are also being closed in on."

His face hardens, features turning stiff and eyes flashing angrily.

"If I ever see the ones who thought poisoning a child's body—" voice trembling with rage, biting back the hatred and venom, but its secreted into his tone, heavy and steeped with a rough snarl.

And rather than scare any part of my biology, it soothes it instead to see how much Jisoo cares, how much he doesn't always give away.

How much he protects and extends responsibility and care to every child that comes to the centre.

"You wouldn't be the only one." They had several debts to pay, several lives to answer for.

"I didn't want to separate Ji Ah and Min-Jun... I planned for them to be adopted together." He says in lieu of answering, fingers brushing his desk, lips twisted into a frown.

"But poison addiction is a hard thing to fully cleanse entirely, and Ji Ah's behavioural assessments—she's stifling something."

I pause. Dither for a few moments.

"I know... but I'm not going to rush her. Whatever she's hiding... whatever she won't share... I'll wait."

Whatever she hides away when she's with Min-Jun... whatever unspoken, hidden pains lay under the surface, whatever she writes and tucks away—she'll share when she's ready.

She'll share rather when Min-Jun's happy, when he's busy, when he's not there when it all comes spilling out.

------------

"Fawn noona!" the delighted yell is all the warning I get before a figure comes barrelling towards me, hands outstretched and smile giddy. The soft weight colliding against my legs, arms wound around to hug them to him, cheek pressed to my thigh as soft rumbles bubble up in his chest.

"Hi baby bear. You look pretty." I coo, bending to scoop him up, nose brushing against a pink, soft cheek, pecking the curved roundness with fondness welling up.

"Noona pretty!" he echoes, cheek butting against mine with more eagerness, messy, happy scent-marking, arms winding around me as he giggles in his thorough scenting, soft cheek squished to mine, delighting in my arms cradling him securely as I whirl around, loud pealing squeals as he clings tighter.

"Ji Ah is very pretty." I agree, eyes falling to the quiet sweetheart who watches with a bright smile, slipping over silently to take one of my hand in hers when I hold it out, pressing to my side, head nudging against me in acknowledgement and a half-hug.

Her eyes aren't as shadowed as they'd been when they'd arrived. But that doesn't mean the haunting shadows have gone, quietly resting in her eyes, dark circles where sleep still doesn't always come easy to her.

But she's slowly slipping away from the shadows too.

"Did you have fun with the other kids?" I ask, watching him squirm, nose scrunched purposely before he stills, leans in, butting his head against my jaw in his haste to burrow closer, snuffling at skin and clothes with unveiled curiosity.

"Oranges!" Yoongi.

I hear a small snort of amusement, let my eyes drift past the two babies who'd barrelled forward, eyes drifting to my wolf sitting abandoned on the beanbag he's still sitting in, his hands and lap bereft, ears flickering as his lips curve up. His dimples deepen when he catches my eyes, shaking his head with twinkling warmth and tease in his dark eyes, head tilting as he pats his lap in silent question and invite.

"What a smart mate..." he muses.

My head tilts to track the curved grin, eyes lingering on the deep grooves on either side of the amused slant to his lips.

"Why's that?"

Squirming slightly at the more eager press of Min-Junie's nose trying to track the citrus scent, burrowing at skin and snuffling. Displeased quiet baby growls when he can't seem to find it. Intently rubbing skin to skin to try catch the sweet fruitiness.

His brows raise, chin tilting towards the sight of Min-Junie's hand gripping my jumper, squirming in my arms, and letting out soft quiet rumbles, happy when he's located the citrus to my clothes and not my skin.

"He scented your clothes and not your throat knowing scentblockers would remove his claim. You can't very well take off your clothes though can you?" eyes dark and gleaming.

"Oranges! Noona eat oranges?"

Beside me, Ji Ah's hand in mine squeezes and when I turn to face her there's a look of childish glee at knowing more than Min-Junie where the scent has come from, especially since he's single-mindedly fixated on rubbing his cheek against my shoulder.

He looks at me with shiny eyes, eager and curious.

I lean forward, pretending to nip his cheek, watching his face scrunch with giggles at the gesture.

"My mate is the orange." The words already entangled with three people as I say it.

Feel my smile curve at the slightly puzzled expression he sports.

"Foxy!"

He's pink.

"Tiger hyungie!" he's orange.

So's Yoongi.

I nod along, feeling the weight of Joon's amused grin from across the distance, tilting my cheek towards Min-Junie, smiling at his nuzzles and eager kisses.

"Ahhh the hardest question it seems these days. Who's the orange?"

I hold up three fingers to Min-Junie, watch him grasp them eagerly, chubby fist closing around them as he counts them out.

"I have three oranges."

He beams at me.

"Three!"

Loudly echoing it for Ji Ah and radiant with joy and pride when she smiles at him, hands stretched out for the toddler as she carefully takes him from me, leaning against me and content with the baby bear in her arms. Eyes drifting to me for approval and silent support, clutching her cub close.

I don't think I could bear Ji Ah and Min-Junie being separated. I don't think either of them can.

Joon doesn't move from his beanbag, watching with a proud, warm smile that Ji Ah gravitates closer to him without encouragement, slipping back to the protective alpha who easily draws both of them onto his lap, hoisting them up and winding an arm around both of them loosely.

Tail thumping with pride and happiness and so much affection for the two babies settled happily on his lap, my sweet meerkat and baby bear.

"Are you happy to stay with us as they nest? Seems like the two have taken a shine to my sweet alpha." I murmur, closing the distance between us, lips pressing to each of their heads, nosing along their flickering ears in light scent.

A deep rumble grows from deep in his throat, arm tightening fractionally around them, head tilting up to peer at me. Deep, deep dark eyes holding my gaze and stilling me, curled over him as I cup his jaw.

Thumb brushing over his cheekbone, watching his eyes flutter in the slightest as he tilts into the touch.

Rubbing his cheek against my palm.

"Jimin will deal with whatever needs to be done from the station."

"And my alpha mate? Seems like maybe you want to nest too."

I hadn't missed the mix of endearing protectiveness and clinginess, the warmth to his scent as he takes in my words, the way he leans closer to my touch as his lips brush across my palm, down to my wrist, fangs nipping lightly.

Hadn't missed how much thoroughly he'd scented me in his sleep, how when I woke, I couldn't find a trace of my own scent.

My alpha wolf needed some downtime too.

Needed some time to satiate the herding, nesting, protectiveness of his instincts too.

Maybe it was the turning of the season, maybe it was because winter was slowly dwindling away, taking away my heat cycles and bringing with it the growing approach of ruts eventually.

Maybe Joon just wanted to stay here with the babies and have some time curled away with them in the same likeliness Jiminie liked scooping away KitKat.

"That'd be nice..." he murmurs quietly.

"Jiminie can handle everything a little while longer." I tease, leaning down to draw Min-Junie to me.

"We have a nest to make don't we baby?"

Lips stretching wide enough to hurt when two voices echo it and my sweet silent meerkat nods along.

All mine.

------------

The emergency button for Amina's room broadcasts a distress signal to the centre's doctors, pages my phone with an alert that promptly shatters the calm and contentment nesting and spending time with the two babies had brought.

Redirecting my steps into a hurried run towards the private, warded rooms, heart in my throat and biology urging me quicker, faster down the deserted hallways, rushing to her room.

Pulse thrumming wildly on my tongue, eyes hurriedly drinking in the sight that greets me, the loud, distressed yowls shattering the room's air, Joon's body stiff and alert, already hovering near the bed, drawing pillows around the writhing figure arched off the mattress, whimpers and half-broken words tumbling past a slack mouth.

"(Y/N), Amina's having a fit. I don't—I can't do anything to help her." Voice rough and hoarse, hands busy in drawing aside the bedside table, distance enough that if her arm will lash out, she won't injure herself.

I hurry forward, hands carefully outstretched to try scoop KitKat, whose yowls and distressed meowls grow louder in volume, fur standing on edge and pawing anxiously, frettingly at Amina's unresponsive body, limbs wrought and strained.

Her voice is half-strangled, eyes unfocused as Amina grasps futilely at the sheets and pillows, a pained cry torn past her lips.

"Stop stinging me!"

The words enraged and loud, fangs bared as her throat arches, wild blonde hair and ears pinned back, a threatened growl rumbling in the back of her throat.

The sound startles KitKat, her yowls falling silent. Glassy wide eyes and sad, whimpered meowls as her paws knead gentler at Amina's arm, fumbling and uncoordinated as she tries to get closer, part hesitant, part anxious.

"Oh sweetheart..." my hands carefully scoop KitKat up, heart aching when she curls into a ball, yowling soft and pained, ears folded to try shield herself against the venom vitriol of her tone.

But the glazed unfocused look in her eyes, the way her body shudders as she screams; the sound rough and raw and tearing past her lips, triggers a more subconsciously softer and quieter pulse of weak pheromones from the curled up kit in my arms.

Burrowing steadfastly away as much as she can, paws scrabbling as she stuffs her nose in the crook of my arm, meows muffled into fabric.

"Amina!"

The panicked yell of her name has my head snapping towards the bed and away from the distressed kit, tail flicking anxiously and the cradle of my hands unconsciously tighten.

Heart in my throat and a similar cry at the tip of my tongue when I see her body twist—close to falling off the bed, muscles locking and spasming, eyes blank and unseeing.

Every limb overwhelmed with the periodic shut-down response of her body trying to protect itself against drugs.

My eyes flash towards the time.

The timing was different to the last few ones I'd witnessed.

This wasn't one of her periodic dosages.

Which meant something else had triggered the seizures. Something else had caused this.

The thought pools anger and hatred and terror, hands cradling KitKat and drawing her protectively against me, breath shaking at the wavering meowled cries that press against my jumper, paws scrabbling to burrow herself entirely against me. To hide away from the tormented cries and hoarse protests and yells.

"Namjoon your scent—your scent..." I warn when sweeping, large waves of his pheromones, rich forest dew pulses out thickly.

Dominating the space, the air with the heavy protection and authority and dominance of his biology.

But rather than triggering a negative, adverse response to his pheromones, to the biological reminder of a bigger predator... it seems to do the opposite.

It's not immediate but it seems to steady the waves of distress and disorientation pouring off Amina in the overwhelmingly sharp stinging sea-salt of her scent. His scent batters against hers and softens the air enough that when I breathe, drawing in a ragged breath, it doesn't make my lungs ache with the force of it.

It quietens the cries, body still taut but muscles loosening slowly, sinking limply into the bed, eyes still dazed and unable to process.

Eyes glossy and staring at something only she can see.

"I thought I could trust you. You're one of us... how could—how could you hurt hybrids?"

Voice devastated and broken.

Near the bed, Joon's body stiffens, ears perked and fully alert.

She quietens, body sinking limply into the rucked sheets, skin gleaming with a flushed clamminess, hair wild and entangled and the next swipe of her arm hurling out almost catches Joon across the face.

"Careful!"

The warning almost comes too late, but he manages to rear his head back, his scent sharpening with surprise and misery that her hand had been curled inwards, as if she'd tried to swipe claws across his face. Across whoever's face she was confronted with.

"You deserve what happened to you. You'll get much worse when I—" and her back arches off the bed, the pain scoured deep into her features tugs a low, pained whine from Joon's throat and a bitten whimper from mine.

Fingers stilling in KitKat's fur, settling against the back of her head, body thrumming with anxiousness.

But she doesn't speak again, breaths turning ragged, quiet whimpered chirps at the back of her throat, neck arched and her pupils dilating, scent turning sharp enough that I can't breathe from the intensity of it, eyes stinging at its sharpness, watering under the overwhelming weight of the sea salt that pours off in her pheromones in an angry, thrashing defence.

Joon's scent doesn't soften, continues to try coax, and calm the bitterness, a safe distance away but every limb tightly coiled and alert.

And yet there's grief etched deep into his features when his head turns, briefly assessing my posture and KitKat curled tight in my arms, ears drooping and a sad lilt to his lips.

"This wasn't one of her regular fits." He murmurs, echoing the same connection I'd made myself, the hint of a growl underlying his words with a thick, rolling timbre that instinctively pushes for my instincts to both soothe and submit to the sharp wolf biology.

My eyes drift to the silent thrashing figure on the bed, the bitten whimpers and growls slipping past her lax lips, the green of her eyes pushed to a thin ring as her pupils dilate, ears pinned back and the fur of her tail standing on edge in prickly defence.

No medication to combat the seizures, not when her body was still trying to overcome the drug abuse it'd been subjected to.

And no medication... not when her entire instincts screamed against the threat, against the unknown substances pulsing through her bloodstream.

"This isn't... who was it? Who—" I begin, voice raw when her body suddenly goes still.

Sinks entirely against the bed, skin flushed and clammy and breaths ragged.

Long, tense, terse minutes stretch out where her breathing struggles to calm down, lungs shuddering for reprieve and eyes slowly, slowly gaining focus, pupils still largely dilated but fingers loosening in the curled claw hold on the sheets.

The tension bleeds out of her posture, slowly, painfully slowly, ebbs away.

Voice strangled and hoarse when she finally speaks.

"Kit—where's Kit?"

Slowly realising that the small kitten that'd been constantly with her wasn't there now.

Ears perking and twitching quickly, breaths shaky as she pushes herself upright, the exhausted sway to her body steadied by Joon quickly hurrying close.

Voice a quiet rumble.

"Take it easy Amina."

"Kit... where's KitKat?" panic and alarm bleeding into her tone sharply.

The kitten in my arms curls smaller, soft, distressed meowls muffled against me where she presses herself more firmly against me, the sharp tang of Amina's scent still overwhelmingly intense for the little kit.

"Amina she's fine..."

"Where is she?"

There's a mother protective rage, a fox's frazzled on-edge nerves and an officer's authority all laced together.

But I don't know whether bringing KitKat closer will bring the little kit's own distress to worsen or calm Amina's caginess. Don't know at this moment which is better; warring with instincts from either end, their own biologies tugging out a protective response from my own biology.

The distress mounting on her features decides for me, stepping close with KitKat still curled in my arms, brushing my hand across Joon's tense spine.

"I've got her... Mina she's right here... but just breathe, she's safe but you need to slowly breathe." I murmur, letting her eyes drift to the kit in my arms, see the panic slowly bleed out her features, fingers trembling as she pushes her hair away from her face, fingers curling tightly into curls and yanking harshly.

"Mina no don't do that." Hand reaching out towards her, falling short when she shakes her head and shrinks back, breathing ragged and hoarse.

My throat tightens at the despair and misery scoured deep into her features.

"I'm—"

"You're safe now. You're at the hybrid centre. You're in your room. It's late morning, around 11:26am. You've been seizing up for the past 23 minutes." Joon lists, voice level and low. Drawing a calmness from the entire room with the way his voice remains equally measured, with how the rumble of his wolf biology laces into the stated facts.

He's compartmentalising it for her, I realise, watching as Amina's gaze turns to him, body exhausted and limp, sluggishly letting him help shift her into the recovery position. Drawing her onto her side before he sinks down into a crouch near her bed.

Her ears fold, drooping heavily against her head when KitKat continues to fuss, louder and unsettled. Yowling cries as she paws at me.

Joon's gaze flickers over to me, understanding in his eyes and sad comfort in the gentle curve of his lips, head tilting to me with silent knowing.

"Take KitKat outside, I'll stay with Amina."

I dither.

Eyes fixed on the way her ears flinch and press flatter against her hair when KitKat fusses.

Nodding as I step back.

"Just call."

Stepping away from Amina's trembling, slumped figure and Joon's protective, alert one.

Slipping away with KitKat tucked close and heart aching.

What had triggered a seizure out of the blue?

YOONGI POV:

"Yoongi hyung, didn't you say you were meeting up with your friends? Go!" Hobi laughs, hand splaying around Tae's bare torso, dragging him back away from ,e, lips curving against Tae's shoulder when a rumbled, heavy growl shudders past my lips, fangs bared as I surge forward to chase his lips. Chase the swollen slick red of his mouth, my own pressing close, fierce and hungering. Growl rumbling against his eager lips, eyes fixed on the sight of his pupils dilated with raw desire and the scents clogging the air.

"But he tastes so good." I groan, fangs pooling past his bottom lip, hearing him groan as I chase Tae's mouth, happily rumbling when he tilts forward. My hand is possessive as It cups his jaw, slips to entangle in dark, mussed curls, coaxing out a soft groan when fingers tug at curls, arching his throat slightly, tongue sweeping and brushing through his mouth.

I can feel the knuckles of Hobi's fingers where they press tighter to Tae's stomach, slipping higher upwards, skimming, sweeping touches, feeling his body shift and press back against his chest. I feel the touches ghost against me, skimming across my own torso from how closely the three of us are pressed/ Feel his tail flick against my thigh, feel the taut muscles of his torso against my own, softly exhaling against my lips when Hobi's brush against his shoulder, fangs sinking in lightly.

"I know that." he murmurs against the curve of muscle, teeth sinking in harsher, lathing over the bite with his tongue, flicking against the indent in skin, mouthing slowly at it.

"So you're hogging him!" I grumble, head dipping to nose at the invitation, scenting indulgently, mouth brushing across his bite-littered throat. Lavishing attention to his scent gland, fangs scraping across the sensitive bump.

"Maybe... but you made plans kitty hyung." he reminds, laughter laced into his tone, continuing to nose at skin, mouthing at darkening marks, teeth dragging over them slowly, tugging out soft hisses and needy whimpered growls. Frustrated that when Tae pushes his hips back, a rough grind against Hobi, it draws him away from my body pressed close, the restless buck tugging out a sharp hissed warning from behind him, fingers curling against his bare hip, fingers digging in tight.

"Hyung you meanie!" Tae whines, breathless laughter and voice hoarse as his curls brush against Hobi's cheek, head tilting to mouth at Hobi's jaw, fangs scraping against skin.

My eyes drink in the messy, uncoordinated scent-marking. Fangs pooling at the strawberry-sweet thick pulse of his aroused scent seeping into skin, clinging to the air as he continues to pant against Hobi's jaw, lips trembling before his head falls back.

Throat arched directly to where my mouth moved to press against his skin, smile curving deep as I let my lips drag down his sternum, hand curled loosely around his thigh and dragging my fingers inwards.

In eager response Tae's legs part, hand curling around my wrist to tug me closer, rutting into my grip.

"And I thought you were going to lunch with Jiminie... but I guess I can keep you for myself." Hobi's voice is a rough murmur, voice gravelly, fingers entangling in curls to yank, the pronounced arch of his throat, the pretty submission in how his head goes lax, presenting the column of his neck to the both of us, dragging away rational thought from me.

"Actually... too bad. Say still cub." Teeth and fangs busy working the sensitive skin between them, nipping when he bucks, a needy moan bubbling past his lips, legs spreading at my low croon, sweet, pretty cub, praise mouthed into skin as my head drifts lower and lower. And by the time there's a dark red mark slick on Tae's throat, I've moved lower, dragging my lips down the soft planes of his stomach, teeth nipping playfully. So at odds with the brisk tugs of his hand curled around him and the fangs at his throat.

"Now whose being selfish hyung?" I tease, eyes glinting playfully, sharp and predatory, his scent rich and sweet, nutty and thick with caramel sweetness. My own sweet citrus bursting strong and fresh, the air pulsing with it.

"You started it by shifting back to tackle me naked!" I gripe, hand snaking back to press against Tae's abdomen, feeling his muscles clench and shift as he tries to rock forward, unsure whether to push back or buck into my grip.

"Are you really complaining hyung? When there's an oh-so-sweet cub begging for some attention?"

I watch his lips curve into a deep, wicked smile, gaze trailing indulgently over my body and Tae's, the three of us all littered with each other's bites and marks, red lines of nails dragged across skin, bruises left across hipbones and thighs and every inch of skin we could sink our fangs into.

I feel arousal curl tight in my gut at Tae's desperation, at his eyes glassy and hooded peering down at me as his tail winds around my thigh, tries to tug me closer to him.

Dragging my attention to the thickening sweetness of his scent, to the breathless shuddering exhales as he keens under Hobi's touch.

Under the taunting, cruel slowness of my touch as he bucks into my touch, rutting into my grip as he thrusts into the loose grip of my hand.

"How many more can you give cub?" I drawl, fangs pricking at my lips, words turning thicker with a growl, teeth sinking in sharp into his thigh, grip tight at the soft flesh when he suddenly jerks.

Body rutting forward and the shaky cry as he spills onto my hand and across my cheek, pleasure suddenly mounting and having snapped, the tremble of his muscles under my grip as I let my teeth sink in harsher, let the sting of it drag out his pleasured scent until he trembles under my lips.

Drawing my mouth away, lips dragging across it, the mark dark and vivid against honeyed skin, fingers skimming down to brush against my cheek.

Fingers stained with Tae's spilled release before Hobi draws them to his mouth, lips curving sharp and hungering as he draws them in, tongue flicking coyly against them.

"What a sweet mate... gives so easily for us." He croons, lips brushing a stripey ear, flickering against the rough gravel of his tongue, breath shaky as dilating eyes peer at me.

His body sinks limp and near pliant against Hobi, legs spreading in invite and presentation, giving up his whole pleasure to the two of us.

The sight of his easily given submission to the two of us makes something fond and proud entangle alongside the heady intoxicating weight of arousal that entangles our pheromones together into a hazing fog.

"Be good mates and fuck me already." Words hoarse and both instigating as much as they demand, hips rocking forward even as his hand reaches back to drag Hobi closer against him, wanting to be sandwiched entirely between the two of us.

"You heard him Yoongi. Give our cub what he wants."

His eyes glitter, dark and predatory, fangs pooling over his lips, grin wicked and promising.

"Anything for our tiger."

And at Tae's whined pleas, I tug his legs open wider, teeth dragging across skin, tasting the scent of his arousal pooling on my tongue and entangling with citrus and caramel.

And let my instincts snap.

-------------

By the time I finally manage to reach the threshold of the apartment, there's another smatter of bites littering my skin and the scent of caramel and berry embedded beyond skin deep. It's past lunch, the two kits entangled together on clean sheets, rumbling and purring into each other's skin.

It's the thought of (Y/N), of getting to see my fawn, and having that time with her—stolen and cherished and solely ours, that manages to draw me away from my two felines half-dozing, half lazily scenting, stripey tail draped over Hobi's hip, his ears twirling as they rub against the underside of Tae's jaw, snuffling at his throat.

And I leave the two of them entangled together, throat pulsing with their claims as I wrap a scarf around my throat, eyes drifting to the two as I tug on my coat.

"I want to go too." Tae complains, voice wheedling and groggy, body half-twisting and a hand fumbling at air.

"Sure about that cub?" I tease, eyes crinkling as he's easily tugged back, their limbs entangled, bodies bare save for the sheets they've messily dragged over themselves to curl together.

"Yeeees... I want to go on a date too." He mumbles, messily rubbing his cheek against Hobi's collarbone.

"You're going to leave your kitty hyung alone in bed? Without scents? Without snuggles?" Hobi asks, his ears drooping as he loosens his hold purposely, drawing away only for Tae to surge forward with a vocal protest, curling closer and dragging him into his arms.

"Noooo!" he protests, curls brushing against Hobi's jaw, lips pressing a smatter of open-mouthed kisses across purpling and deep red marks.

Nose nuzzling against skin.

I feel my lips curve into a grin.

"Poor cub..." I tease before moving towards the bed, fingers brushing over twirling ears and then dark curls.

"I think Hobi kit needs you here... you make him all twirly and extra scenty." Easily coaxing Tae to burrow against Hobi's scent gland, a deep rumbling purr at how gladly and hazily he scents. Mouthing at the swollen gland.

"Twirly hyungie needs me." He mumbles in agreement, tail swishing sluggish and slow.

"Make sure you eat afterwards." I murmur, content to draw back because I know they've hydrated and eaten, that after washing up, I'd made sure the platter of cut fruit had been finished, pressing pieces of fruit to both their mouths. The nip of fangs at my fingertips and the same gesture reciprocated with eager nuzzles and hands.

Hobi's eyes are more coherent and alert, nodding even as he tilts his head to press his cheek to curls, fingers carding through damp strands, scratching lightly at Tae's scalp.

"If you hadn't already mated us several times and weren't trying to mate and woo a fawn, you'd be under us both with no way of escape Yoongi~" he teases, fingers coming to brush against my cheek, knuckles skimming across my jaw.

"She's my mate too." Tae grumbles.

His words are half-slurred, hazed and slumped across Hobi, fingers lazily tracing the lines and angles of our caracal mate's torso.

"She is... but right now Hobi needs his stripey mate." Hobi coos, laughing warm and fond when in response Tae presses his cheek to his chest, pressing closer, half-draped over him, sheets rucked low, outlining the broad plane of his shoulders and back. A rumbled pleased sound slips past my lips at the bite mark at the back of his shoulder, my bite on his skin.

"If you stay I don't think I'll let you go hyung." Hobi laughs, head tilting to the door with mock tease, hand curled around Tae's waist with a possessive sprawl, a rumble to the low drawl of the words, head sinking back laxly to invite the nuzzling cub to crowd closer and scent, stripey tail swishing and curling slowly, body half-pinning Hobi's.

I feel my lips curve up, a part of me so unsettled at leaving two thoroughly bred mates behind, warring against the antsy restlessness of not seeing or being near my unmated fawn.

Displeasure rumbling through with a growl when I remember the blushing, crushing intern, mind made up, biology giving a veritable shove to get to the centre, displeased with the attention, threatened and unhappy about it even if (Y/N) was so easily able to brush it off.

I wasn't. The thought rankles my skin and tugs me away, eyes lingering on the sight of them, lips curving up, tail swishing at how settled both of them are.

"I'm going... I'm going." I laugh, drifting towards the door.

"Whisk her away hyung."

"Give her a kiss... kisses from me." Tae mumbles, head half-rising.

Curls mussed and eyes bleary, lips curved into a loose, satiated smile.

"I will cub—now get some rest. Let Hobi look after you."

He settles quickly, easily against him, nodding with sluggish blinks.

And I leave the two, entangled and curled together in a loose embrace, scenting and rumbling purrs entangling with deep, deepening chuffs.

I leave my felines dozing.

And go to see my fawn.

-----------

The same intern is working reception, a nervousness and hesitance colouring his features alongside recognition as he dips his head in a quick, short bow.

"Here to see (Y/N)?"

I nod, gravitating towards the front desk, the tightness to my posture unconsciously triggered because my biology knew he was a competitor, because though it was unreciprocated, though (Y/N) knew about the crush, even though it was entirely implausible—it didn't mean my instincts weren't rankled regardless. Claws itching under fingernails and a snarling baring of teeth prevented by my focus drifting to an older woman, whose eyes brighten at the mention of my mate.

Bustling forward with a quickness, eyes warm and presence welcoming in a way the intern's isn't to me.

Preening and tail swishing proudly when the woman's eyes gleam, excited and thrilled as she appraises me, curiosity in her dark eyes.

"Ever the scandal maker our (Y/N) is." She says, a mixture of pride and amusement, lips curving deeper when the intern mutters quieter, an almost incomprehensible mumble of words, introducing me as (Y/N)'s mate.

"Why's that?" I ask, lips curling up, fangs peeking as I sign the entry book, absently taking in the long, long list of visitors that pass through every day.

She takes the register to log my entry onto the computer once she's verified my id card.

Quick and efficient as she gets a badge ready for me.

"How long have you been courting? (Y/N)'s one of the sweetest people working here but she's never courted... not as long as I've known her or been here."

I don't know whether pride, satisfaction, warmth or pure affection radiates through me, a purr growing softly in my chest.

Cheeks pinking at the woman's inviting grin, eyes bright with happiness. She doesn't have a discernible scent as both human and one with mild blockers.. a clean absence of scent for the benefit for everyone who works here... but the lack of scent does nothing to dim her genuine joy.

"It's been a while. I wanted to take her out for a bit."

The intern, Hee Chul, smiles faintly, an attempt to be polite.

"She's spent so much time holed up this past half-year or so... it'll do her some good!"

She doesn't know about the case. Doesn't know about the police protection in place for (Y/N). That she can't wander as freely as she could. That with outings came risk.

She was under police protection, as was the centre.

It meant whatever officers Jimin and Namjoon had chosen, whatever selection of officers were working here were discrete and trained.

That the employees didn't know. And (Y/N) was safer this way.

My tail curls, eyes faintly narrowing before I turn to the woman.

Eyes drifting to her name tag, lips curved into a smile.

"Ara-ssi I'll be going... thank you for your help." Head dipping with thanks and she waves me off with a bright smile, nudging Hee Chul and muttering something that makes his expression shame-faced as he focuses back to work.

A small grin tugs at my lips.

At least for every Hee Chul, there'd be a no-nonsense human or hybrid like Ara to quell both the unease and gently nudge him away.

I could live with that.

It takes a little longer than I'd like to admit to track down (Y/N)'s office, far longer than it should. But there's no discerning scents that mark out trails and the layout of the space draws me in confusing circles for a while before I manage to reach the playroom; the sight of the half-painted mural dragging a smile to my face.

I knew that past the playroom it was the first left.

I also knew that the mural was Tae's pride and joy.

But (Y/N) when I finally reach her office isn't there.

And at first I think I've made a mistake, double-checking the name-plate before spotting the familiar elderly mother hen whose desk I approach slowly.

Watch eyes drag to me from her paperwork, something just as formidably authoritative in her eyes as there is a gentleness in her posture, in her inherent biological genetics that mark her as safe.

"Do you know where (Y/N)'s working right now?" I ask the hen hybrid, her wings flapping, eyes peering at me behind thin-wired glasses. Her eyes narrow slightly, fully abandoning the paperwork she'd been filling in to give me her undivided attention, scrutinising me over the top of her frames.

"And you would be?" Mistrust and protectiveness mixing together with professional cordiality.

"Min Yoongi, I'm one of her mates."

The mistrust doesn't vanish, and it only makes me feel assured. That she works with people who don't take words at face value.

"Do you have an access badge from reception?"

I hand it over, letting her scan it intently, the sharpness to her eyes receding slightly before she gives me a nod, tilting to the office door.

"She'll be coming back to her office in a bit, but I don't have the clearance to open her door to let you through."

"It's okay, I can wait."

She eyes my bundled figure, gaze turning slightly mortified at the hint of bruises colouring my throat where the scarf hasn't been able to hide the smaller, littered marks down the column of my throat. My head ducks away, cheeks heating slightly at the look the elderly woman looks at me with. Shaking her head good-naturedly though her blocked scent doesn't allow for me to know what she's thinking, masked away and hidden under a smile, both amused and flustered. I had to apply scent-blockers to mask the strongness of their scents but to my nose, to hers, it's clear not the entirety of the strong sweetness of their pheromones have been wiped away. Sweet saccharine warmth of berries and caramel; indulgent and heavy.

Her eyes track me as I move towards (Y/N)'s office, sinking down onto one of the chairs outside, head leaning to rest against the wall. Feel her gaze, curious and amused from across the distance as my tail swishes slow and lazily as I wait, eyes drifting across the open space.

The sight of the halls are only vaguely familiar, the heaviness of scents I expect from the sheer amount of people under one roof, regularly being softened and lightened by scent-diffusers, the air wonderfully neutral.

Body unconsciously shifting to sink further into the seat, comforted by the general neutrality that demands nothing of my instincts and doesn't prickle against my own scent.

It's an empty hazy drag of minutes stretching out, the sounds of the centre quiet and almost distant, ears flickering as I absently register them, tail curling and swishing slowly.

And it's to a familiar tread of steps, slightly agitated and harried that my eyes drift from the ceiling and the walls to the figure approaching her door, a faint pinch of distress colouring her features.

But her steps falter before a smile tugs at her lips, quickening her pace all the whilst cradling a small bundle to her that wriggles about, yowling and fussing.

"Yoongi! I'm so sorry... I had to push my lunch forward, have you been waiting long?"

I shake my head, hand loosely brushing hers, wrists rubbing in a light scent as I step out her way, a faint worry at the agitated flick of her tail and the restlessness in her legs as she unlocks her door and steps in, head tilting in invite as she steps aside. She tugs off the bag with a bit of difficulty, the kitten in her arms squirming when she tries to remove a hand.

I step forward to draw it off, setting it aside for her.

"Have you not had a break yet? I'm the one whose late."

Door closing softly behind us.

"Ah... no, I lost track of time. I've been all over the place since I've come to work. Ji Ah and Min-Junie settled but Amina had an episode." Voice miserable even as her fingers rub at flickering, tiny kit ears.

KitKat.

"Is that the baby kit Minnie's always gushing over?" stepping closer to peer at the bundle of two-tone fur, the yowling agitated and antsy.

It manages to drag a smile to her face.

"Amina's little kitten. She's usually more settled and playful but the seizure's thrown her off too." Frowning sadly, doe ears flickering as she tilts her head to the small kit, nose nudging gently between her ears, soft murmurs pressed to fur.

"Her scent's sour." I observe, nose scrunching, instincts recoiling at the wrongness of the baby's scent sharp with her fussing and her unease.

That for all that (Y/N) seems to be her safe space, she's still uncomfortable and fretting. That she needs something more, an instinct itching at her that she's too young, too distressed to figure what it is.

I watch (Y/N) try to distract her, walking back and forth, fingers petting fur gently and murmuring softly to flickering, drooped ears. Her tail swishing slow and sad.

"Yoongi can you pass me the bottle of milk from the bag?" (Y/N) asks, voice growing taut and posture and body language betraying her distress, her frazzled on-edge caginess as she tries to soothe the loudly yowling, crying kit in her arms, looking not too far from tears herself. The kit's distress mounting at an alarming rate, frantic as she aches for something.

Something that feels more like than just the need to get back to Amina, to be close to her mother.

I move to grab a bottle, lukewarm against my touch and when I hand it over, she checks the temperature quickly against her wrist before gently nudging the teat towards the yowling kit in attempt to soothe her. To feed her with increasing desperation if the kit's fitful thrashing and restlessness and (Y/N)'s own worry is any indication.

"She just won't settle." Voice spiked with hurt and alarm. And I can tell by the restless flickering of her ears, the jitteriness to her legs as they jostle with cagey energy, that something's triggered the kit's unease. And this isn't the first method she's tried.

"Have you scented her?" I ask curiously, hovering a short, safe distance from broaching too much into the little kit's space, already so loud in her painful wails and restless form, paws pushing at the bottle, eyes glassy and so sad. Her ears are folded, drooped with a mixture of exhaustion and restlessness and still she paws away the bottle, trying to curl to hide away.

But she doesn't push away from (Y/N)... rather she's trying to hide in her, pressing as close as she can and fussing when she makes the slightest movement. When (Y/N) tries to draw back to coax her to unfurl.

Little kit is a tiny ball of fur, small, baby claws and fangs nipping at fingertips and scratching at her palm and wrist to get (Y/N) to simply just hide her. And yet even as she curls closer, the kit's distress sours the soft baby-powder scent, her entire small form screams with an unknowing sense of something bothering her that the tiny kitten can't figure out. Torn between comfort and closeness and something much, much bigger.

In response, (Y/N) just tilts her throat, drawing my eyes to tiny pink scratch marks. They haven't done damage and broken the sensitive skin of her throat, but I still wince regardless, a small hiss slipping past my lips, tail curling and swishing with agitation.

Frustrated that I can do nothing for neither of them.

"KitKat please... little kit just some milk. You're tired sweetheart." Voice painstakingly soft and gentle, eyes heavy but her words light and soothing, brushing a thumb over folded ears, one grey and the other white, and gently down between her eyes, letting the kit gnaw and paw at the pad of her thumb. Yowling and fussing and meowling in protest, head turning from the teat as she squirms.

But she is hungry. The small growls from her stomach, (Y/N)'s soft fussing and the kit's torn. Aching for something more.

"I wish I could take her back to Amina... but Amina wanted to calm down first... for both of their sakes and KitKat just... little love's just fussing and worried for mama isn't she?" Cooing gently at the end towards the kit, expression and posture so, so soft. She's not broadcasting scent that can be detected but regardless, her pheromones pulse under blockers and her biology responds so readily to the kit. You don't need to rely on scent when behaviours and biology can do much more than just pump pheromonal tells out.

And right now her body is the image of nurturing gentleness, cradling the fussing, wriggling bundle of fur that just fusses. Twisting and scrabbling closer as if there's too much closeness between them.

"Does she need direct skin contact?" I ask, hovering uncertainly, fingers and instincts itching to do something as (Y/N) brings her towards her neck, cheek rubbing against soft fur, meowls softer in response, trying to press entirely against skin and ignoring the bottle of milk.

"She scents but then she fidgets again. But it might be worth a try." She murmurs, fingers rubbing at fur, the coat soft and smooth, splotches of different coloured fur under fingertips.

"Here I'll take her." I offer, hands carefully reaching out for the wriggling kit.

"I'll just take my jumper off and see if that helps. Maybe she'll nest in it." She murmurs, eyes watchful as she hands her over, smiling when my hands immediately cradle and steady the little kit.

I step away, eyes drifting from the kit who thrashes briefly, scrabbling for purchase to get back to (Y/N), briefly startled by the sudden change of hands.

But the soft coo and fingers brushing over flickering bent ears, across her wriggling form calms the kit slightly, paws still fumbling and scampering, pressing for purchase before a curious nose snuffles at my fingers and hands.

Nose skimming across skin to try assert whether I'm safe enough for her and even though her distress twists something inside at a sweet kitten fidgeting and being unsettled, a great part of me also is overjoyed at the small, sweet fellow feline. Albeit a tiny handful sized one.

Baby fangs nip and gum at my fingertips, trying to almost taste my scent on the rough, ticklish pad of her small tongue, meowling with confusion as she continues to paw me. Eyes drifting constantly to (Y/N) to check that I'm safe, continuing her curious, wary motions with the approval shining in doe eyes, in a curved smile as she tugs her jumper off, the movement dragging her t-shirt upwards. My eyes go to the curved dip of her waist, of the expanse of skin that flares to her hips. KitKat's eyes go to the jumper with a louder yowl.

And finally something's appeased in (Y/N)'s eyes, relieved as she steps away quickly.

"I'll just make a nest for her, but you're doing good Yoongi! You're a natural." Praise warm and thrilled as she turns away, moving to gather pillows and blankets sitting away from another small nest at the centre of the large floor mattress.

I smile at the kit curiously exploring my scent, her distress distracted momentarily as she snuffles about, pawing to try hold on as her scent softens.

"I think KitKat's the natural. She must've picked up I'm feline." Finger brushing over a folded ear, heart clenching at the wide, shiny eyes that peer at me, yowling softer as she tilts to the touch.

"She's very instinctual, sweet kitten baby." Words warm and affectionate, hands busy drawing together a small, nesting space for the little kit to settle in.

"Can you try feeding her? She might drink more easily at the moment from the bottle if it's a feline."

I pluck the bottle up, watching KitKat's eyes peer curiously, eyes drifting to the milk before she sinks her small fangs in with a bit more force, the pressure akin to gumming, more comfort for her than anything but she stubbornly bats a paw at the bottle when I brush the teat of it against her mouth.

"You're a good kitten aren't you~ come on KitKat... you're hungry." Letting my words deepen with a rumbling purr, letting it bleed into my tone entirely, the content rumbles of holding the sweet kitten turning my words heavier and thicker.

The purrs are something her instincts and biology recognise even if she hasn't a feline parent. Eyes blinking slowly at the purrs and gnawing turned softer, meowls muffled and quiet. Then the tiniest rumbling purr as she mimics me, trying to match me.

My heart feels fit to burst. Lips stretching wider at the way my purrs grow and hers try to sync with mine. She's the sweetest, warmest kit eagerly gauging me and deciding I'm safe. More than safe.

And when my lips part into a grin, fangs pricking my bottom lip, she meows loudly, her own mouth stretched wide, tiny fangs peeking through, reciprocating the smile.

"Oh sweet kitten." I coo and this time when I draw the bottle to her, her paws curl around it, eyes staring unblinkingly at me, tail swishing and ears unfolding. Perking up as she tries to draw the bottle closer.

"Just keep her slightly elevated, she's a tiny little kit and hungry too so she'll be suckling quicker."

I gently manoeuvre the kit in my arms, but the bottle goes clattering to the ground when she gives a sudden, stronger wriggle in my hands, focusing on steadying her that the milk bottle clatters onto the ground.

And instead, the yowl turns into a petulant, upset cry, the kitten wriggling and in the next moment, my hands cradle her more securely. Instinctively drawing her close to my chest, hands banding across to support the now shifted kitten baby in my arms.

Soft skin and narrow bones and so, so tiny still. A sweet little kitten girl in place of the small handful of fur that'd been wriggling uneasily.

She's shifted.

The next cry is utterly human. A fitful wail that startles (Y/N) who twists suddenly, eyes wide as she stares at the girl I cradle carefully. Sweet little baby kitten whose all soft cries and wriggles and then- oh! Shifted out of her kit form.

Shifted to a small baby girl, tail swishing against my hand and sniffling cries instead of the wailing yowls, distressed and squirming.

The brief surprise doesn't get to settle for longer than a few moments, body instinctively settling her, eyes widening as they stare at (Y/N), my shock mirrored in wide doe eyes, stumbling to her feet and hurrying closer.

"Oh baby."

It takes a moment to realise, scent softening in response, when I realise she's talking to both of us, her biology broadcasting the soft gentleness her scent doesn't at the moment.

"She's tiny." And I don't know instantly whether there's more fear or more astonishment and protectiveness lacing my words, hands almost fumbling and uncertain, unsure whether I'm holding her right, whether I'm supporting her properly.

(Y/N)'s hands flit gently, carefully making the smallest adjustments to my hold, hand steadying the back of her neck, the other at her back, her tail swishing and ears flickering, soft sniffling cries that painfully yank at everything in me as she burrows closer. Immediate instinct to find something simultaneously safe and comforting. Needing both reassurance and protection and care in that moment.

"I don't... I don't know what happened. Her bottle dropped." Eyes drifting to the floor, the wriggling girl in my arms so soft and so small, so tiny that I fear whether I'm holding her too tight, too firmly.

"She needed a nudge. Anything to push her body to shifting back. Oh little KitKat... that's why you were fussing so much. Just needed to get back into your body." Voice quiet and gentle, body hovering close and fingers brushing gently through dark, small strands of wispy hair, fingers skimming skin and a quiet, small frown at the thinness she finds in the young kit.

She's a baby. A physically small, tiny starved baby.

"Teeny little thing. Yoongi you angel." Lips quickly pressing to my jaw, smile fond and giddy and pressed against skin as she peers at me. Doe eyes shining with overwhelming happiness.

"I'm willing to bet it was being with a feline, being with a big, safe predator kit that coaxed our little baby KitKat to come say hi like this."

My tail curls and swishes, the motion giddy and exuberant, eyes trailing to flickering ears, fingers curling to rub my knuckles gently up and down her small spine, the curved hunch of her body and instincts rumbling when she leans closer, small fists trying to grapple for purchase.

"Maybe the purrs did it." I joke.

But she's nodding along, lips pressing a smatter of kisses to flickering ears, cooing softly as she tries to peer at the curled up kitten baby in my arms.

"I heard her trying to copy... oh sweet, sweet babies." nose nudging against my jaw in a brief scent before she quickly hurries away, plucking her jumper to no longer make a nest but quickly swaddle the bare baby. Lips twisted into a pout as she quickly manoeuvres her to draw the fabric over her, gushing at the excess fabric drowning the kit. Entirely swallowing her whole almost. She cradles KitKat with a fond tenderness, with a sweet indulgence.

Rewarded with eyes curiously peering up at her, lashes damp with tears and it's only then that I can truly take in the unshifted kitten, can take in the soft features of the sweet baby. It's then that I see that her eyes are different colours, one a light blue and the other a soft brown. Her eyes are striking, and I wonder if in her shifted form the others noticed. Or whether it's only something (Y/N) sees now.

"KitKat's an instinct driven baby. And purrs... purring, the safety and contentment she felt with you Yoongi must've nudged her enough to know she's safe to finally shift back. Who knows how long she's been in kitten form before Amina found her."

Months if the timeline Jimin and Joon were putting together was any indication.

Months being stuck in her shifted form because it was a life sentence if she shifted back.

Months at least.

Who knew how long she'd been taken, how long she'd shifted to protect herself and how long she'd spent hiding and surviving before Amina had found her.

"Do you think she'll feed now? If she was antsy from needing to shift." I ask, fingers brushing over her flickering ears, breath catching in my throat when her teary eyes peer up at me, mismatched beautiful eyes blinking and she wriggles slightly in (Y/N)'s arms, all bundled and tilting closer with curiosity.

"Guess a pretty kitty caught her eyes."

Gently holding her out to me with a soft smile, eyes crinkled with relief and giddiness as she holds out the swaddled baby.

My hands hover uncertainly for a few moments before carefully taking her.

She feels somehow even more fragile like this.

She'd been all fur and wriggles and yowls earlier.

But like this... like this with glassy, hurting, confused eyes and lips quivering with tears that splash against far too thin cheeks and so, so thin and small inside the jumper... she seems so painfully vulnerable, far too young and defenceless against the situation she's been thrust into unknowingly.

My head tilts to hers, nose rubbing gently across her temple, eyes drifting over the cloudy patches of lighter skin, the spotted pattern of her white and grey fur marking the same patterns on her skin, some parts lighter than the other, the difference barely noticeable but marking her as remarkably unique.

And she's a beautiful little kit, eyes blinking and soft skin and squirming as I hold her, purrs rumbling deep and protective as I gently cradle her to me, her tail wriggling under the jumper, tear tracks on thin cheeks.

"She is pretty... how could someone ever want to hurt her, or others just like her?" I whisper, heart aching as her tears quieten, sniffles shaky before weak, soft purrs start again. Quiet, baby rumbles as she begins to mimic my purrs again, her eyes blinking droopy and slower, ears flickering and folding, squirming until her head's settled on my shoulder. Slow swishes I can feel under my hand where her tail continues to move under the jumper, all curled up and purring.

"There are monsters in the world. And... so many lives their victims."

"I don't know KitKat or the other babies but... I can see exactly why Lieutenant Fang stayed. Why Amina willingly stayed despite what it cost her."

Anger simmers under the quiet rumbles, purrs growing louder in response to the little kit's settling, her head drooped, and ears drooped entirely.

(Y/N)'s gaze is both fierce and sad, aching and protective and yet her hand reaches out to me, cupping my jaw and brushing her fingers gently against my cheek.

"I would've done the same. It's terrifying to see what's happening to Amina... how her body and biology are struggling but for KitKat... for a baby... I would do the same."

My tail curls and swishes, restless and antsy as I reach a hand out for (Y/N), tugging her closer against my side, her head pressing to my chest, cheek absently rubbing against my scarf.

"Going to feed her now?" I ask, watching the soft fondness in her eyes, the ways her fingers drift to lips that part to gum at her, still hungry but infinitely more settled.

"Do you want to?" she offers softly.

I look at the way small teeth and baby fangs gum, the way there's trust burning strong between them and an inkling of that in the way KitKat allows me to hold her, soothed by purrs and the biological connection of recognising an older, bigger feline.

I don't have what (Y/N)'s built with KitKat and countless lives in the centre.

But the soft, weak, fragile tether that makes protectiveness surge as I tilt my head to the kit's head, nuzzling softly.

"I want to."

And in the back of my mind, a seed of thought sprouts as I take a new bottle from (Y/N), as I settle on the mattress with a curious kit peering at me with a slight warm flush to tearstained cheeks, lips parting for the teat I coax against her mouth.

I wanted to do something to help too.

I wanted to help.

My fingers brush against a strand of hair, white and starkly different to the dark brown, right where a patch of skin is considerably lighter than the rest.

She's so wonderfully different and sweet, hands wriggling as she paws curiously at my fingers and wrist with tiny fingers. She's so small and doesn't deserve this. This beginning to her life.

And I want to help change it. If not for her then for another kit, another baby like her.

----------

"I can't believe you hyung! On the rare off chance you visit (Y/N) at work and KitKat shifts in your arms!" Jimin moans and gripes, ears folded and drooping, lips twisted in the biggest pout as he approaches, pink tail limp with his disappointment, so disheartened and huffy. His cheeks puff as he exhales, eyeing the spot beside me and changing track, turning his nose up at me.

I feel my lips curve with amusement, eyes narrowing at the blatant huffiness as he drags himself step by step towards where Tae's still sprawled across the other couch, bare save for a pair of boxers Hobi must've dragged onto him at some point.

Knowing Tae he would've been fine ambling about naked and bare, would've gladly continued from earlier if the lazy predatory gleam in his eyes as he turns his head on Hobi's thigh to watch Jiminie gravitate closer. Tail swishing and curling with a slowness that's almost hypnotic to watch.

"I didn't know! She's such a sweet baby though." I add, unable to help myself, the frustrated whined discontent as his tail sags, eyes flashing even as his ears droop, lips jutting out.

"Don't be mean! And Joonie went instead! So he got to nest, and you got to give KitKat her first feed! And I was stuck doing paperwork!" he grouses loudly, protesting as he lets Hobi tug him close, a grin pressed to his throat before Hobi nuzzles and nips fondly, tugging him closer towards him to mouth at his gland.

His body sags alongside the droop of his tail, curling closer with a grumbled whine, eyes crinkling when Tae tugs at a wrist to messily scent-mark across his glands, nipping at the sensitive skin of the inside of his wrist, chuffing happily when fingers slip into curls, scratching at his scalp.

"Such mean hyungs, but I wouldn't do that... pretty pink baby deserves everything." He coos, ears twirling when Jiminie leans in with a huffed nod, letting himself be drawn closer to the two, my lips twitching when Joon looks with a dimpled grin, content with Kookie sprawled over his lap.

He looks entirely unabashed and proud. He'd gotten to see KitKat still bundled and small when (Y/N) had taken her back to Amina, dozing and full and settled, quiet purrs as she remain curled up in the jumper. He'd been there as Amina's eyes had blinked in awe at the sight, big ears flopping and shaky hands reaching for her daughter, sniffling and smiling proudly, her eyes drifting to me and my proximity to (Y/N) before judging I was safe enough to be in the near vicinity of her unshifted kit.

"Really really wanted to see little kit. Even (Y/N) teased me." He grumbles, cheek rubbing against Hobi's cheek before Tae tugs him closer and closer until he's lying on top of him, hand rubbing up and down his spine with chuffy rumbles.

"Hobi hyung's really pretty too if you want to scoop." He offers with a curved boxy grin, nose rubbing against Jimin's jaw, hand fumbling between them to get to the buttons of his shirt, dragging it out of the waistband, uniform wrinkling under his ministrations and the way the two press closer on the sofa, half sprawled over Hobi.

"That'll be nice." He admits, letting Tae drag the shirt off him, a bubble of rich laughter, voice dropping deep with its natural rich low timbre. Words a rumbled coy thickness as he lets Tae distract him, ears perking with interest at the lips trailing appreciatively over his collarbones and sternum.

The shirt's discarded to the floor, lithe muscles rippling as the two of them curl closer, hands dragging slow and appreciative, a low groan rumbling past Hobi's lips as he tilts his head back, swallowing heavily; caramel scent rich and sweet, thick molten sweetness.

"Not tired out yet Hobi?" Jin asks as he enters, wings flapping and rustling, eyes bright with laughter and teasing knowledge, hand unconsciously steadying (Y/N)'s back as she moves in front of him.

Her eyes drift curiously, ears flickering as she takes in the sight, lips parting at the sight of the two entangled before a generous, deep smile stretches wide across her face.

"You know maybe better than anyone... it's their fault for getting handsy all over me." He accuses, ears twirling and scent pulsing sweet in response to their slow, indulgent intimacy, hands roving and tugging each other closer, noses brushing before their lips slot together.

"I think I'm the guilty one. Jiminie's jealous."

He whines against Tae's lips, hands tugging his tiger closer to have his disappointment kissed away thoroughly, their mouths soft and slick, breaths quiet and shared in the interested silence that rises at their little display.

"I think... Tae wants to berry his pink foxy." She remarks, eyes crinkling when her voice, a teasing lilt, makes Tae's chuff rumble deep against Jimin's mouth, tail curling with agreement.

"Hobi's stamina is... something else. But I've learnt it might just be a hybrid thing." Jin's eyes are wicked and fiery for a moment as they flicker to Kookie, wings fluttering as his feathers shuffle, preening as he winds an arm around (Y/N)'s waist and tugs her closer to him, the two of them settling beside me.

I feel his eyes drift to my throat, with the same heavy, quiet intensity that (Y/N) had given it once the two of us had left, once she'd walked with me back to her office and then countless times weaving in and out of the centre's gardens.

"Those are pretty kit."

Wings flapping and flaring out to their large span, shining and groomed and every feather in place, proudly rustling, his eyes on me as (Y/N) leans against his side, his arm wound loosely around her, low on her hip, fingers teasing at her top playfully, gaze drifting to see the way she squirms slightly at the touch.

I can smell the shift in my scent, the way it softens at the praise, his eyes lingering at my throat in a way that makes me want to bare my throat to him, to the heaviness of his gaze and to the quiet constancy of his neutral, light scent that somehow demands me to present myself to the soft vanilla.

In non-verbal response the scent of berries and caramel thickens, proudly claiming the marks colouring my throat. I feel fingers brush against my leg and the tip of my tail, unconsciously swishing and banding around them, peering at (Y/N)'s hand tail-wrapped and her eyes soft as she pats her thighs for me to sink down against.

"All for me?" I smile.

Her eyes sparkle with welcome and invite, hand patting her thigh again, fingers brushing over my ears when I lie down, head pillowed against the soft curves.

My nose brushes against the soft pyjamas, smelling of cotton and vanilla, lips curving against her thigh, cheek rubbing against the fabric and a rumbled content slipping past my lips when her fingers scratch at the base of my ears. One ear flickering and folding to her touch then the other.

Tail still wound around her other hand, drawing it closer to mine so I can lace our fingers together, holding her hand close to my chest as I curl against her, purrs rumbling in my throat and chest at the gentle scratches, her fingers trailing through my hair, brushing against my scalp, head tilting back with a soft sigh at her fingers brushing against my nape.

"Makes me want to leave a few." She confides with a soft hushed whisper, her words making my head tilt back further to look at her, eyes taking in the secretive smile, the playfulness in her features and the furtive hush she makes, finger pressing to her lips.

"But maybe later. I don't feel like sharing my panther when I do."

I feel my smile curve deep, turning in her lap to peer at the others, see the way Tae and Jimin have curled together, lips slightly swollen and smiles giddy and infectious, see the way they both in turn tilt to Hobi's touch; the heaviness of their scents softening and lightening, veering away from its heady thickness.

See the way a stripey tail bands across his muscled back, see the curve of Jimin's arm around Tae's waist.

See the way Kookie and Joon are curled close, heads tilted close and lazily scenting, voices quiet murmurs as Kookie angles his phone screen towards him, the scrunch of his nose more pronounced when Joon surges to peck it, rumbling whines and tail thumping happily as he praises him.

This is what was missing for years. This is what we were all missing. This is my pack. And I need to try do something to protect it. To help keep it safe.

My fingers squeeze gently, her hand in my hair stilling before she bends down, lips brushing a kiss to one flickering ear then the other.

"Sweet panther... you did well with KitKat today. And don't tell Minnie but I think Amina was the quickest to trust you. Anyone who gets KitKat's trust that quick gets hers too."

But the words aren't as quiet and hushed as she thinks because a loud affronted whine cuts the air and the giddy, comforting silence and closeness.

"I've waited weeks. It's not fair." He whines, tail swishing angrily, burrowing against Tae's throat, fangs nipping and biting to try quell the simmering frustration at the unfairness of it all.

"Minnie you know she'll probably shift in and out a bit more. It'll probably be unplanned shifts as she tries to control them but... you'll see her unshifted." (Y/N) soothes, eyes warm when he tilts his head to jut out kiss-slick lips at her, pouting and eyeing her hopefully, eyes trailing down to where my head is pillowed on her thighs. Eyes narrowing slightly.

"Really? Joon got to have all the fun today. He nested with the babies, and he got to meet KitKat."

Joon's tail wags quicker, earthy scent rich with protectiveness and pride but also a giddy exuberance that makes his dimples deepen. Deep grooves indenting the full curve of his lips, startling bashfully when Kook presses a kiss to both dimples and his lips in quick eager succession.

"And she'll be there for you to scoop and cuddle too. Sweet little kitten's going to have you smitten all over again."

His tail swishes, bubblegum pink tipped a softer, lighter shade, and Hobi grins, leaning down to press kisses and nips at perked pink ears.

"Me too!" Hobi echoes.

"Me three! I want to meet little kit, it's not fair that Jiminie gets free access to nearly all of the centre and we work there." He complains, fingers trailing absently over the curve of Jimin's shoulder, fingers squeezing appreciatively at his bicep.

"The ICU isn't somewhere you want to go. He's only going to the protected, guarded areas." She murmurs, voice a soothing lilt even if when I turn, it's to the rustle of feathers and Jin hyung's wings restlessly shuffling as his arm tightens around (Y/N). A brief frown marring his features before he leans forward to brush a kiss across her cheek, fingers crooking under her chin to tilt her face to his, to press soft pecks to her lips.

"I haven't visited but I rather like you at the café. You're our sweet muse." He coos, nose nudging against hers before kissing her soft and slow, fingers brushing against her jaw, wings flaring in a sign of possessiveness as he kisses her knowing full well that everyone's gaze, from where we're all scattered around the living room, is focused on them.

In the possessive curl of his fingers at her jaw and the presented tilt of her throat as she curves to him, body half-twisting to kiss back, fingers grasping his wrist before she tilts closer, lips curving against the fullness of his mouth and a soft, warm pleased sound slipping past his lips as her scent blooms softer.

"I rather like your bakery too. Two sweet, sweet mates there and Binnie. Herd and pack both." She murmurs, thumb absently brushing against his bottom lip, as if committing the feeling to skin as much as it is to the curve of her mouth.

"Have you talked to them recently?" I ask, peering up at her.

She gives a small shrug, the gesture more sad and subdued than she realises, than she expects.

"I have."

But she still missed them. It was natural to crave pack. Her family.

I wish I could do something for her, and I find the same burning resolve quietly flickering in Jin hyung's eyes even as he tilts his head to her, cheek pressed to hair where she tucks against him.

"We could go there during the day." Jiminie offers, voice softer, tender and gentle, turned in the circle of the entangled limbs to peer at her.

Kookie's eyes shine with both fierce want and affection, nodding eagerly. His ears flop and bounce as he leans from Joon.

"Do you want me to keep it a surprise? Binnie won't know~" a sparkly gleam of hushed conspiracy, body straightening up.

Her smile is bright, even as it trembles at the corners.

"I just miss them. Miss SJ sleeping over... miss the old normal at times." She admits, voice quiet and soft.

My nose brushes against her leg, pressing a kiss to her thigh, breathing in cotton and vanilla.

"I would too. But that doesn't mean we won't try everything to keep you connected as much as possible to your pack. We're courting you but they're your family in a way beyond family." Joon's voice is warm and rumbling, eyes observant and knowing.

Small moments where hurt and loneliness and ache slip through the growing bond of us as a courting pack. Because despite it all... the circumstances were isolating her from home, from her herd... and that hurt. It was something I couldn't even begin to understand how she was coping, with how hard it was for her to be unable to see them whenever she wanted... it's for her normalcy lost the need and want to do something to help burns stronger.

And quietly tendrils of thought begin linking up together. Threading together into a tentative idea.

­-------------

It's quiet when I finish the show, a ringing silence that settles after hearing my own voice, after hearing music and messages, after hearing calls.

After the show ends a quiet always settle.

A weighted quality to the air as it seeps into the room, taking away with it the final remnants of the night and time I'll be awake, tail sluggishly swaying and curling as I slowly get to my feet.

It's quick efficiency and blind motion-memory that guides me through the process of turning off the equipment and slipping out the room, ears flickering to register the silence and the sounds of the apartment, catching faint sounds from down the hallway.

And rather than turning back towards my room, towards where I know Tae and Jiminie have settled for the night, rather than drift towards Hobi and Joon in the other room, I turn to seek out the preys, chasing the softness of their scents, tail swishing at the thought.

Wondering if the sounds meant one of them were awake, ears perking at the thought.

But the sounds, no matter how close I gravitate to them, remain a constant quiet. Soft and gentle, a smile tugging at my lips when I realise the sounds are soft honks and trills. Jin hyung's shifted, pace hastening to see why the swan prince was awake still. Wondering even more if I could steal some time with just him, to groom his feathers.

The door to (Y/N)'s room is closed and when I peer inside, she's not there, the blankets void of a fawn shaped bundle under it.

The realisation of all the preys nesting together reels out my pheromones, instinctively softening in response to being able to be close to my mates, next to the natural softness

My pheromones instinctively soften in response to being able to be close to my prey mates nesting together, feet padding noiselessly towards Kookie and Jin hyung's bedroom, fingers curling around the handle to nudge it open silently.

Peering into the largely shadowed room, eyes easily adjusting to the darkness and stopping at the sight. The room is dark save for a faint glow on the bed and the moonlight filtering past the half-closed curtains.

My nose is immediately greeted with the inexplicable softness of cotton, vanilla and anise, their pheromones all entangled together. In turn my scent seeps out, rolling off me in rich waves to intertwine with their softness, to weave together in a pheromonal fog of something solely pack.

And when I slip into the room, closing the door quietly behind me, it's only then that I can take in the sight of the three of them curled up in bed. Entangled together and pressed close. At the centre of the bed, surrounded by blankets and pillows, in a beautifully made nest is a circled fawn, head resting on folded legs, eyes blinking sluggishly and hazy at the swan whose neck arches gracefully over her head to rest, trilling softly. Beak rubbing against soft down, honking as his feathers tuck against his sides and he continues to nuzzle gently at her cheek.

Her eyes droop, head settling over the cotton ball tucked against her, between folded legs, the protective circle of her body drawing Kookie closer, nose brushing over dark brown fur.

Their all shifted and Jin hyung nuzzles along fur, scenting indulgently, honks and trills soft as he coaxes her to sleep and nudges her to a semi-scented pheromone high.

And when I take a quiet step forward, regardless of it being noiseless, it lifts the slender arch of my swan's neck, eyes blinking at me, trilling softly in greeting, hazy doe eyes peering at me, head turning slowly.

The bundled cotton ball under her shuffles, flopped ears perking slightly and nose twitching.

"Not asleep? It's really late." I murmur as I approach.

A soft honk in response.

Their scents are weighted with drowsiness, and I realise they must've awoken only a while ago, their eyes hazy and tired, blinking slowly at me as I clamber carefully into bed.

He honks back in response, something amused in the sound as his beak nudges against my cheek and jaw when I lean over, fingers brushing over flickering ears, lips brushing between them, the softest, faintest bleat, quite and fatigued, body trying to unfurl from its circled huddle before Jin hyung honks, coaxing her back down with nuzzles, my fingers brushing over her down, rubbing gently.

"I finished the show, you all went to bed hours ago." I whisper, smiling when his wings rustle and his beak nudges at my jaw, nipping lightly.

My eyes drift to see doe eyes peering at me through heavily lidded eyes, sluggish and slow but still her nose fumbles to hazily scent-mark my palm when I cup her cheek, drooping heavily into the touch.

"Go back to sleep sweet girl." I whisper.

A twitchy nose snuffles at my wrist, from underneath her head and Kookie peers out, nuzzling at my wrist with a softness to his scent.

He snuffles at my fingertips when I let my hand drift lower, floppy ear rubbing against my hand, wriggling closer to both press against (Y/N) and to my hand.

"You need to sleep too little prince."

There's a loud honk in my ear, body startling at the sudden volume, the softer honks sounding like laughter as Jin hyung's feathers rustle, and he settles down again.

"And you too swan prince." I say with a laugh.

A wobbly leg unfurls to paw at me, hoof pressing to my forearm, a quiet bleat heavy with sleep and the scent of anise is thick with drowsiness.

Trying to coax me closer and to lie down.

I wonder what woke them.

I lie down, body twisting to curl around the circled nest, around the huddle of the trio, one curled over (Y/N)'s head, one tucked under.

Hand brushing over glossy feathers and soft down, skimming to brush against soft fur before drawing a blanket around me and settling it half around the circled nest, covering them up.

"Goodnight." I murmur, hand loosely settled over the circled trio, body curling protectively around them, tail brushing against the blanket, against my bundled prey mates.

And I fall asleep with the three of them in a nest, but I stir and wake sluggishly at some point, around dawn break to quiet shuffles to find the three have gravitated closer, a bunball curled beside me, twitchy nose burrowed against the crook of my neck. The rustle of feathers, quiet and soft padding steps before a swan ended up settled on my other side, beak rubbing softly at my gland and settling when a nose nudges him closer.

And soft clambering wobbliness before the circled fawn climbs on to settle on my torso, unfurling to press her nose to my jaw and lips, scenting hazy and soft before she allows my hand to coax her down, keeping my fingers trapped under her front legs and head, settling onto my palm.

A soft bleat against my jaw, doe eyes blinking up at me when I tilt my head to her, feel the brush of wings against my skin even more at the small movement.

"Pretty girl... my flower fawn." I mumble, eyes blinking open and shut, citrus heavy with the weight of sleep that drags me back.

And my eyes drag shut again.

Sleep dragging me back into its hold.

But not before the realisation forms somewhere in the fog of scent that they'd moved their nest to me, they'd made me into their nest.

And my hand settles over (Y/N) to keep her tucked close, reaching out to draw the blankets more heavily across us.

My preys.

My mates.

(AND SCENE! WOW THIS CHAPTER GOT SO LONG BUT NOT A SINGLE REGRET- I LOVED WRITING IT ALL AND HAD SO MUCH FUN!! AHHHH THIS IS ONE OF THE LONGER CHAPTERS BUT IT WAS MY FIRST CLAWS CHAPTER AFTER EVERYTHING BEING FINISHED THAT I WAS JUST ITCHING TO WRITE IT ALL!! SO MUCH! SOFTNESS AND FLUFF AND KITKAT SHIFTING!! AND YOONGI BEING THERE! AND LOTS OF PINK FOXY TIME AND MORE TO COME AS HE HOGS EVERYONE'S LOVE AND ATTENTION~ SOME MORE CASE BASED STUFF NEXT CHAPTER SO KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED!! IT FEELS LIKE FOREVER SINCE I WROTE AND I MISSED IT, CAN'T WAIT TO START THE NEXT AND SEE WHAT YOU ALL THOUGHT!! TAKE CARE AND ENJOY~ Midiiplier MY DARLING LOVE, ENJOY THIS FOR AAAAALL YOUR HARD WORK AND COS I KNOW YOU MISS OUR BABY JUST AS MUCH!)

QUESTION... theoretically in a Yoonjin scenario in Claws who do you expect to be the more dominant one and what do you expect the situation to be?

MINE is... I think Jin GENERALLY is just the head of the pack and Yoongi saying Jin hyungie MAKES ME SOFT so if it happened it'd be a very soft indulgent scenario.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3