"Youngie, stop!" San hissed even as he allowed his mate to drag him through the trees. "We don't have time for this!"

"Oh, please! They won't notice!" Wooyoung giggled and pulled harder. "Keep up!"

His alpha groaned and ran a little faster. "We need to get back for the party!"

"Really?" Wooyoung slowed to a stop and frowned, "You'd rather be back there than here with me?"

"Youngie, you know that's not what I meant. But-"

San was cut off when Wooyoung advanced forward and pressed their lips together in a needy kiss.

And he could never resist his omega, even when he should at least try.

Which Wooyoung knew all too well.

He gave a little whine as he nipped at San's lips, trying to egg him on.

Hands moved to grip his waist, squeezing harshly, just how he liked it.

"Alpha..."

San growled at the title, then shook his head. "We can't."

"We can." Wooyoung murmured against his lips, kissing him again and again. "We can. Please, Sannie, n-need you." He lifted his hands to fist the front of San's shirt and started backing up, pulling the barely reluctant alpha with him.

Their lips hardly separated, even with San's poor attempts at his continued protests.

"Baby-" He breathed, "Baby- the par-"

Wooyoung nipped at his lower lip, then sucked it into his mouth. He wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted.

And right now, that was his alpha.

With four new little pups to help take care of, and their pack settling into place, they'd hardly had any time for themselves.

And oh, did Wooyoung miss everything about his alpha.

His voice, his touch, his kiss, his knot...

The omega whined with need and tugged harder on San's shirt.

"Youngie-" San gave one more weak protest.

Then Wooyoung's back met a tree, and it was like having him trapped flipped a switch in his alpha.

San slammed his hands against the trunk and an almost vicious growl rumbled deep in his chest as he claimed Wooyoung's lips.

Arousal shot straight through the omega. He thrived under the sudden change from him trying to take charge to San absolutely dominating him.

"No real prep today, baby." San hissed, then forced Wooyoung to spin around. "Consider that your punishment for mushing me and potentially ruining the party." He yanked Wooyoung's ants down and smacked his ass a few times.

Wooyoung arched his back and moaned. The way his slick was dribbling down his thighs told hm he wouldn't need much prep anyway, so he pushed his hips back to present himself for his alpha.

"Fucking minx." The alpha snarled.

Mere seconds later, he pushed his length deep into his omega and beg snapping his hips at a rapid pace.

The younger had to brace himself on the tree very carefully so the bark didn't try to shred his arms.

That's when he realized what tree they had ended up at.

There, right next to his hand, was the hearts he and San had carved all those years ago.

Pure love erupted from the omega, and he slid his hand over so it was on top of the carving.

San responded as well, his own love mixing in their link as he too moved so he could place his hand over Wooyoung's and lace their fingers together.

Such a tender action compared to the harsh snaps of his alpha's hips.

The younger whimpered, heat building quickly in his stomach, especially when San used his other and to start stroking him.

He was brought to a climax much faster than he had anticipated, completely at the mercy of his alpha.

When San's knot looked them together, he groaned into Wooyoung's shoulder and helped both of them sink to the forest floor.

"Joong is going to kill us..."

"No, he's not." Wooyoung giggled, then twisted around to steal another kiss. "You know you loved it."

"That's beside the point, Youngie." He murmured, almost like he was trying to scold him, before continuing the kiss.

They stayed like that for several long, perfect minutes, simply kissing and enjoying the way their bodies felt pressed together.

There was nowhere else Wooyoung would rather be than here in San's arms.

"I love you." He whispered, nuzzling against San's mating mark.

His alpha mirrored the action. A low, satisfied hum came from deep within his chest.

He could feel San's love through their bod, and he knew San could feel it too, but something deep within made him feel like he needed to speak out loud.

"I'm so glad you swam into our cave."

San pulled back so he out look at his omega. "Where's this coming from?"

Wooyoung blushed and hid his face back in San's neck. "Nowhere... I just want you to know. No matter what, you are my one and only, Sannie. I'd be nothing without you."

A gentle smile tugged at San's lips, and he pressed a kiss to his omega's temple. "I know. I've never doubted you. I don't care what others may say. I know the truth in your heart, my love."

The omega's chest vibrated with a happy purr, and he held onto is alpha even tighter.

A few minutes later, they worked to clean themselves up, then shared one more passionate kiss with their hands pressed against their tree.

With fingers twisted together, they hurried back toward their home. Yet even the urgency couldn't wipe the smiles from their face or the laughs coming from their hearts.

Voices could be heard a few seconds before they arrived, along with the happy cries and yells of children playing.

Today was a day of celebration they had all been looking forward to. It was months in the making, with hours spent crafting invitations, picking out food, and cleaning up their home to welcome all of the visitors they were expecting.

As the couple stepped into the clearing behind their house, they were surprised to see most of their guests had arrived and were helping themselves to food already.

San glared at Wooyoung and hissed, "I told you so."

"We don't know that they've noticed yet." Wooyoung whispered back while scanning the crowd.

Their son came running to them instantly, as if he knew Wooyoung was looking for him. It caught the attention of Lizbeth and Lorelai, who both waved at their parents before turning back to Stephan and Serena. All four of them held one of their babies in their arms, and though they looked exhausted, they looked so happy as they conversed quietly among themselves.

Chan ran straight into Wooyoung's arms and nuzzled into his neck, though he had to tilt his head back a little to do so. The afternoon sun made the gold flecks in his eyes glisten beautifully.

"I keep forgetting you hit a growth spurt." Wooyoung laughed fondly. He gently ran his fingers through the young alpha's longer black hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Better get used to it." Chan stepped back and scrunched his nose, then flinched when San ruffled his hair. "Daaaaad." He whined, quickly flattening it down and fussing over it.

San laughed. "What? Did I ruin your look?"

His son glared at him, then began dusting himself off. "No."

Wooyoung and San exchanged a look, both trying to suppress their smiles. "Is he here yet?"

"No." Chan said again, looking toward the west and frowning a little.

Wooyoung placed a hand over his heart. "He will be soon, Sweetheart."

"I know." Chan's frown deepened and he glanced back at his parents. "Do... Do you think we have it?" He paused for a moment, looking at his parents with wide, hope-filled eyes. "I... I've always wanted to know what it feels like."

His parents exchange another look before they proceed to sandwich their son between them, earning a disgruntled groan, before Wooyoung said softly, "It's hard to say right now, my baby, so I don't want to get your hopes up. No one will ever know for sure until the mating bond happens." He feels Chan's shoulders sink a little, so he quickly added, "But, based on my limited knowledge and from watching you, I'd say there's a pretty good chance."

Chan tilted his head back to look at his mother like he's teetering on the edge of crying, though Wooyoung could tell it's from happiness.

The three of them exchange one more hug before moving to join the party.

It was so wonderful to see all their friends and loved ones gathered in one place, especially seeing them all at once and taking in just how many people had entered their lives.

Off to one side was Riley, Jade, their son Everest, and the rest of his pack. Yeosang was holding Everest, looking at him with so much love and wonder while the little boy waved an arm at him and cooed softly. Hongjoong stood over them, a crooked smile teasing his lips.

Nearby, Avayla was embracing Gahyeon as she and the rest of the Elite surrounded her, waiting for hugs of their own. Yoohyeon already Kendra in her arms and was swaying back and forth with the little girl sitting up in her arms.

Next to them, Theo laughed while watching Annabelle tell some kind of animated story with her arms. A few of the other betas from their little group had come as well, all of them staying huddled together with drinks in their hands.

"Hey," Yunho said, walking up to Wooyoung. His lower lip was swollen from how much he'd been chewing on it.

"You need to stop that!" Wooyoung scolded, tapping his friend's chin.

The beta blushed slightly and shrank a little. "I can't help it. I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"I don't know why you are either. Everything is going to be fine!"

"I know, I know... it's just..." Yunho looked to the west and sighed. "I don't want to mess it up."

Wooyoung reached out to take his hand and brought it to his chest. "You won't. And you have all of us to lean on if you need it. But I promise you won't."

His friend gave him a small, grateful smile before he turned to look at his alpha as Jongho walked over to them.

"I can feel you fretting." The alpha said, shaking his head a little. Although he too looked like his nerves were a bit on edge.

They were all a little nervous, but there was also air of excitement that buzzed all around them.

"Sorry, I can't help it." Yunho dragged his foot back and forth in the dirt, much like a child who was ashamed of his actions.

Jongho just smiled and looped an arm around his beta's waist. "I know, I can't either."

"They should be here soon, right?" Wooyoung glanced around the clearing again, looking for any new faces that may have joined them.

He noticed Seonghwa and Mingi sitting at one of the large wooden tables they'd set up talking quietly with the pack's old friends Tina and Marylou.

The couple had been so excited to receive their invitation, they'd shown up several days early to catch up and see what had been going on.

They had been horrified to hear everything that had happened over the last year and were quick to jump in and help with party preparations.

On Mingi's other side was Gunner, who had a possessive arm around Trenton while his other hand rubbed slow circles into the omega's rounding belly.

And finally, he saw Maria, Rhodey, and Trinity playing together off to the side with bright smiles and cheerful laughs.

"Yeah, any time now." Jongho confirmed before pressing a kiss to Yunho's mating mark.

As if his words spoke their wishes into reality, a howl came from the west and a hush fell over the clearing.

All eyes turned to watch, waiting patiently until the shadows moved and seven wolves emerged as one.

Hongjoong left his mate's side to greet the newcomers, bowing deeply. The rest of his pack followed suite, then all their guests, to give the seven a sign of respect as well as a moment to shift and dress in semi-privacy.

"Joongie!" Eunkwang said fondly, hurrying forward to hug the younger alpha. He laughed joyfully as he lifted Hongjoong off the ground.

Wooyoung laughed, loud and true, when he saw the disgruntled look on his alpha's face as he pretended to be happy with the greeting.

But Eunkwang wasn't bothered one bit. He set Hongjoong back down and the rest of his friends all moved forward to greet their friends.

Peniel approached San first, as he always did, and the two of them shared a quick hug.

As touching as the reunion was, it wasn't what everyone was gathered for.

They were there for the couple now kneeling in front of the seventh member to arrive.

Jaeyul was smiling shyly as he listened to whatever it was Jongho and Yunho were whispering to him. He nodded a couple of times and played with the hem of his shirt.

That's when Chan tried to move to join him, but Wooyoung was quick to stop him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Wait, sweetheart."

Before Chan could try to protest, Hongjoong walked up to the group of three with Eunkwang at his side. Both alphas had proud glints in their eyes as they turned to address the crowd.

"You all know why you are here, but I want to reiterate it anyway." Hongjoong placed a hand on Jongho's shoulder. "Today we are welcoming a new member to our pack, our family. With Eunkwang's blessing, Jongho and Yunho are officially adopting Jaeyul, taking him is as their son to raise, to care for, and to help grow into a fine young alpha."

A gigantic smile crossed Eunkwang's face and he beamed down at the boy. "I am so happy this blessing has been given to you. You will have so many more opportunities here, ones that I regret I wouldn't have been able to do for you. I can think of no better place for you to be than here with Hongjoong and his pack."

Jaeyul looked up at both alphas, swaying back and forth a little, then turned back to look at Yunho. "So... I'm your son now?"

Yunho nodded and reached out to gently cup his cheek. "Yes, if that's what you want to call yourself."

"We don't have any expectations." Jongho said, his own hand moving to hold his mate's waist. "We aren't trying to replace your mom and dad. We understand how important that bond is, and we want you to know that we never expect or want you to change it or forget about them. But Yunho, myself, and Theo are all so honored to welcome you to our family."

At the mention of his name, and a loving smile from Avayla, Theo left the other betas to go and join his parents.

"I..." An adorable blush appeared on Jaeyul's cheeks as he focused on Theo. "I've always wanted a brother."

Theo instantly picked him up and pulled him into a big hug.

"He says, 'So have I.'" Yunho's voice quivered as he spoke for his son. His oldest son.

Soon all of them were joined in a family hug and Jaeyul turned so he could hug Yunho, big tears running down his face and neck.

Chan finally managed to slip from Wooyoung's grasp and hurried toward his friend. He was respectful of the new family and stood next to Theo, but now he was close enough to place a hand on Jaeyul's leg.

A simple, yet powerful action from the young alpha to show his support, to show he was there.

And Jaeyul instantly took a deep breath and seemed to relax into Yunho's arms.

"Wow..." Wooyoung whispered. He placed a hand over his heart and tried to fight off his own tears.

Watching the small interaction was enough to solidify his theory that his son had found his Soulmate. Chan had been able to calm the other alpha down with just a touch.

Something San had always been able to do, and something he did in that moment as well by dragged a hand down Wooyoung's arm until they could twist their fingers together.

"Are you alright?" His alpha murmured.

Wooyoung sniffed and nodded. "Yes. I am. It's just hard watched our baby grow up so fast."

"Yeah, it is." San chuckled a little, then kissed the side of his omega's head. "But he's not going anywhere. He'll always be your little boy."

"Don't tease." Wooyoung whined.

He knew San was right, though, yet he still disliked the tightness in his chest that always came from the unique bond he had with his son. That extra love and protectiveness that had formed would never go away.

If anything, it would probably grow now that Jaeyul was joining the family.

All of their hearts would grow, for love was the foundation of their pack.

It was what kept them connected.

Love was what helped them flourish and grow and thrive.

And as everyone celebrated, they all knew that no matter what trials they may face in the future, they would always, always, come out on top and stronger than before.

They would always lean on each other, and the love they shared, passed on from their original group of eight, down to their children and growing friendships.

Endless and powerful like Hongjoong and Yeosang.

Passionate and fierce like Mingi and Seonghwa.

Patient and loyal like Jongho and Yunho.

Eternal and compassionate like San and Wooyoung.

So many forms of love that would continue to be the pillars of support their pack would always rely on.

Love, unyielding and strong, that would carry them through whatever challenges or obstacles Fate would throw their way.

Forever.

I know I've said this before with this series, but I actually mean it this time... I can't believe it's over...

Writing this final chapter was so hard for me and I feel like I could have done so much better, but I'm horrible with goodbyes.

I hope I did these characters justice. They have been such a big part of my life and I am so grateful for all they and this series has done for me.

And I'm even more thankful for all of you, my Flamies.

Thank you for your kindness and patience with me as I've gone through all of my life changes. Thank you to those of you who stayed and came back when I started writing again. Thank you for not leaving when I take too long to update. Thank you to those of you who are new Flamies for giving my writing a chance and supporting me.

Thank you for everything.

I know it hurts, but this truly is the end of this series. I have so many other ideas I want to be able to focus on. I may still post one shots occasionally in the one shot book, but for now I need to write elsewhere, like in Precious. I'm also incredibly excited to start Into the New World and delve into that adventure. I have lots of things planned for it, but I will warn you it will probably be my darkest book yet...

Thank you again, Flamies. I hope you loved the My Way series as much as I loved writing it!

Please stay happy, healthy, and safe.

As always, I'm forever yours <3

~~flamewhipper