There is a thin layer of frost on the brittle grass in the early moments of the morning. I breathe in the cold air and allow it to fill and refresh my lungs. My breath turns to fog and dissipates in the breeze. The horizon of spear-like pine trees is beginning to turn deep shades of green as the sun begins to rise. Sleep clings to my mind like a warm embrace but I know I have to bring myself out of it soon. My eyelids are heavy as I soak in the cold breeze and allow the heat coloring my cheeks to fade.

I lean back into the house, silently closing the front door, and locking it again. I wait for a moment, standing barefoot in the darkness of the living room, and listen to the sound of the boys sleeping in the bedroom.

Namjoon's snores have quieted over the years, yet Jungkook's is becoming louder and louder. Sometimes they will snore in harmony, other nights they will be slightly off-beat and drive everybody crazy. Even so, I am not sure if I could sleep without the sound of their snores and heavy breathing. I've grown so accustomed to it. The sound of them is a comfort to my senses. It reminds me that we're together, and we're safe.

True safety in this new, foreign world is rare to come across. Ever since the fall of the packs, various types of danger have been waiting for us at every turn. Everything from violent storms and strange weather patterns, to threats from nearby packs who are hungry for power, or starving for meat.

It's been four years since Namjoon formed his own pack and over time, we've grown into a larger pack of eight members. I can't believe how fast time has flown since then. It's hard to wrap my head around. It feels as if it were only days ago when we left our pack and families behind.

During the fall, many packs were split or completely disbanded due to in-fighting and territory wars. At the same time, humanity itself was tearing itself apart with war and nature decided to end humans first. The weather was the first sign of disaster, and the entire world fell into chaos. Somewhere in that time, werewolves were revealed to humans but that was the least of their problems.

It took two years for the world to set aside their grief and move on.

The world has changed so much, adapted quickly to the prior events in hopes of rebuilding a new and safer future for everybody. At least, those who favor peace over their desire to rule over others. There are packs who believe they have the right to rule over humans and werewolves alike; they're violent and greedy.

There are good packs out there, somewhere. I know this because Yoongi communicates with some through radio channels and in coded messages. They pass along information to each other like currency. Everything from the whereabouts of dangerous roaming packs to weather alerts is exchanged through complex phrases, masqueraded as random commentary about life or common phrases.

There are also some groups of humans who have proven useful in the world of messages and signals. There is a human colony south of us, and during the summertime, we go down to trade with them. Despite this alliance, there are underlying tensions between us. We never see children on our trips; they always are just barely out of sight, hiding away in their mother's arms or sneaking a peek at us through shattered windows. I can't say that I blame them for being afraid of werewolves. Their first meeting with a pack didn't end well; they had every right to fear them.

My only wish is for those evil packs to finally disband or set their eyes on the greater good. To change their ways and start acting like a real pack, instead of a dysfunctional mess with an immature Alpha with a bad attitude.

But for now, we have to keep ourselves safe and protect the borders of our land with diligence. We will continue repeating our routine and playing our roles because that's how we can move forward. A stable pack is one that can survive.

"Lottie... you're awake."

I turn in the direction of the bedroom door, lingering in the center of the living room. "I'm surprised you're awake this early," I comment lightly, taking in the sight of an extremely sleepy Seokjin.

His full lips are pushed out and his eyes are barely visible under his drooping eyelids. His black hair is plastered to his head and some strands stick out in odd directions. His pajamas are wrinkled with one pant leg bunched at his knee. He's a messy sleeper and yet he remains handsome as ever with those soft cheeks and dark eyebrows. He staggers forward and studies me with a dazed look, "What are you doing?" he asks, his voice raspy from a deep sleep.

I shrug and glance at the curtains shielding our main window. "I'm just getting some fresh air. It can get hot in the room."

Jin makes a soft pouting noise in the back of his throat. He comes closer to me and reaches out his arm, "Why did you go?" he complains and shows his palm, inviting me to take his hand. "I can't sleep without my little Lottie..." The scent of soft rose and blackcurrant rolls off his body and perfumes the air around.

A soft pulse of heat moves through my body, responding to his cuteness and inviting smell. I study his open hand for a beat and promptly decide that waking up early is overrated. "Oh alright," I relent in a playful tone. I take his hand and allow him to guide me back into the bedroom.

When I reach the doorway, I am greeted with a rush of various scents and with a solid wall of heat.

The bedroom is almost pitch-black but my eyes have already adjusted to the darkness, allowing me a gray-hued view of the room. The majority of the pack has settled on the three beds that have been pushed together to make one massive bed. I clearly make out the shape of Jungkook being held tightly in Hobi's arms, and notice Taehyung has taken wolf form in his sleep. Jimin's head rests on top of Taehyung, his arms wrapped around Taehyung's large body, and sleeps peacefully on top of his brother. The four sleep on the center bed, covered with thick blankets and little pillows.

Namjoon sleeps near the edge of the bed and his snores continue to provide background noise. His mouth agape as he sleeps and his arms are wrapped tightly around a stray pillow he latched onto. He is on the right side of the bed and the shape of Jin's body remains imprinted on the left side.

Yoongi sleeps on the bed that is pushed against the wall, the one on the left side, and has an entire bed to himself since the other four have clumped together. He is facing towards the wall with his arms still tucked between his legs. He is curled up into a ball and sleeps silently as the grave.

Jin leads me towards his spot on the bed and sits down, still facing me. He pulls me forward and up onto his lap. My legs press together as he lifts me up, adjusting me to be closer, my body pushing against his. Jin's hands place themselves on my waist before he moves back further, bringing us to the center of the bed.

I wrap my arms around his neck and curl myself against his body, balancing my feet on his thighs. Then he flops backward and I end up laying on top of his lean body. I quickly reposition myself, placing my hands on both sides of his head, and lean above him, pinning him underneath me.

He smiles sleepily up at me and gently brushes the side of my face. I lean into his touch, closing my eyes in a dreamy expression, and allow him to run his fingers across my cheek and jaw, tracing lines and making small circles.

Namjoon makes a snorting noise and his snores fall silent. I pay him no mind and focus on memorizing the detail of Jin's face, wishing we could return to that full moon night. Just the two of us, bathing in the lake together and watching the cold moon rise above the horizon. The heat of his skin contrasted by the goosebumps covering his body and spreading across his wide-set shoulders, the trembling of adrenaline as we held each other, basking in the moonlight. It was a magical moment for us.

There are many moments I treasure and hold dear to myself. All of which involve the seven boys sleeping in this room. Each memory carries a unique quality and emotion, just as beautiful and different as the boys themselves. They are the ones I choose to love and choose to take care of. My duties of a Luna fall into this category, and I couldn't be happier being theirs

Just as I am theirs, they are mine. A Luna isn't bound to whatever werewolf she comes across. She chooses who to spend her heats with, who she decides to care for and love as an Alpha chooses the members of their pack.

Contrary to my younger self's beliefs, Lunas are nobody's slaves, nor are they meant to be used or taken advantage of.

"You're so beautiful, Lottie..." Jin comments as he arches his neck, exposing his throat.

I lower my head down and brush my lips against the vulnerable skin of his neck. I press a light kiss and feel his pulse leap at my feathery touch, teasing him. On command, activated by my kisses, the scent of sweet roses and unique spiciness floods from his body and creates a hazy cloud around us. It's dizzying, exhilarating, and I can feel it coaxing out my yearning for him.

He'll send me into a heat if he keeps this up.

"Jin..." I croon as I sit up from his body. I keep my knees placed on the outside of his legs and move my hips, side-to-side, and shift my weight around. The smell of him turns sticky, clinging to the inside of my nose and on my tongue like thick honey. A small laugh escapes my mouth, genuinely surprised by his intense reaction to me, "The sun hasn't even risen and you're already sending me into a heat, babe."

Jin's eyes flutter open and a crooked smile appears on his pretty lips. "What?" he teases in a deep tone, "Am I too sexy for you?"

I roll my eyes and shrug one shoulder, still trapping him beneath me. "You're too obvious, Jinnie, your scent is giving you away."

He's drowning me with it. It's taking every ounce of my self-control to remain calm as his scent begins to burn through my coherent thoughts.

"You're the only one that gets me like this," his demeanor changed and a false innocence flashes in his eyes. "Messing with my sleepy head, that's hardly fair," he pouts.

I flash my teeth at him in an aggressive smile. "I'm the only one for you. You're all mine and I don't care to share."

"I'm happy to be yours," he replies with a surprising amount of sincerity.

My eyes soften and my smile fades, replaced with curiosity. "You're oddly serious this morning."

Jin closes his eyes and his body goes lax. His hand falls from my face and rests on his chest. A gentle smile rests on his lips and he says, "Maybe I'm still dreaming."

"Maybe," I muse and give him a light kiss on the forehead.

"Why did you wake up early?"

"I wanted to see what would happen if I did. Maybe get some of my chores done early." I glance over my shoulder, towards the closed bedroom door, "I'd start with breakfast and do some hunting for lunchtime. The water is colder these days so I have to push the laundry back until the afternoon when the river warms up..."

"Do you know who's on patrol today?" he asks.

I shake my head and notice Jin's heavy scent waning as our conversation shifts towards more practical things. "Joon didn't say anything last night. Why do you ask?"

He opens his eyes again and stares distantly for a moment, losing himself to his thoughts. "I was just curious."

A sudden cough causes my body to jerk with surprise. Jin inhales sharply and his body goes rigid, his hands immediately clamping around my wrists.

Namjoon's body rises with great effort and he gives a half-asleep dirty look. "Why are you two awake?" he asks in a deep, slurred voice. He squints at us as if we weren't entirely there. "Your scent, hyung, it woke me up..."

Jin smiles half-apologetically, letting his fingers loosen around my wrists, "Ah. Sorry about that. I guess we got a little excited."

A tired grumble builds in his throat before he sighs, dropping his head in exhaustion. "It's too early to get excited."

Carefully, I move and sit between the bodies of the two boys. I stretch my legs out across the mattress and find the edge of one of the many blankets. I move it towards Namjoon, knowing he gets cold when he sleeps shirtless. "We got a little carried away, Joonie, we'll be calmer now. We were actually going back to sleep."

Namjoon nods slowly before laying back down, his back facing us. He always sleeps on the edge of the bed, usually turned away from everybody. I think he does it to protect us; to keep watch of the door and to be the first out of bed if something happens. That protective instinct influences him even as he sleeps. Though it might be simply Joon's nature to want to keep his pack safe. We're family to each other, and we take care of each other.

Jin turns his body to lay on his side, facing me. He smiles secretively and exchanges an amused look with me. "Grumpy, isn't he?"

I giggle quietly and lay down as well. I slip my legs underneath the blankets and draw close to Jin's body, seeking out his heat. As I work to entangle myself in him, my legs are cold against his. He wraps his arm around my waist and drags me closer until our bodies are touching. I duck my head and find my lips pressed against his collarbone. I am careful where I place my hands knowing they are also still cold from earlier.

"Good morning," I mumble quietly, my eyelashes fluttering against his exposed skin.

A happy rumble comes from his throat before he sighs, content with our positions. "Good morning, Lottie..."

And I find myself drifting off to sleep once more.

"Time to wake up, honey."

I take a deep breath as I drag myself from the depths of sleep. My arm is awkwardly tucked underneath my body and my head half-buried into my other arm. I mutter an incoherent response.

"Jin hyung is making bread, breakfast is almost ready."

My eyes open and stare distantly at the blankets obscuring my vision. "That's... he didn't have to..." I yawn until small tears come to my eyes.

I feel his hand rest on my shoulder and gently shake me. "He said you were up early. He wanted you to sleep."

I groan as the weight of deep sleep hits me, making it nearly impossible to wake up on command. "Chim, that's... breakfast is my thing... he already has to do--"

"Honey, relax, it's all taken care of."

"I'm the one supposed to be waking you up," I point out as another yawn comes over me. I force myself to sit up from the blanket and drag my legs out of the tangled blankets. "I must have been tired..."

"You and Taehyungie were chopping firewood for the longest time," Jimin guesses, watching me struggle to wake up. "You came to bed so late. Your muscles must be sore. Tae's sure are."

I roll my shoulders a few times as a test and feel a minor ache. "They usually start hurting in the afternoon."

"Do you need a massage?" he asks. He shows me his soft hands and smiles, "I'm getting better at it!"

"Maybe later," I reply as my eyelids droop. It takes real effort not to flop back onto the bed. "I tried to wake up early but Jin convinced me to come back to bed."

"So that's what I was smelling," Jimin comments, thoughtfully. "I suspected it was too strong for a dream."

I give him a small smile, closing my eyes. "Jin has a way with words. The silver voice."

"Poor Hobi hyung, he takes everything that silver voice says so seriously," Jimin giggles and crosses his legs. "You know, Jin almost convinced him that he had a mate."

I smirk at the memory, still staring into the darkness. "I remember that. He was so eager to know more..." But Jin had been messing with Hoseok the entire time. If Jin was anything, he was definitely a teaser. A sweetheart, but such a tease.

The door of the bedroom opens and I snap myself out of my sleepy daze. I open my eyes and find Hobi standing in the doorway. He looks over us, expressionless while he thinks, before nodding. "Good morning. Breakfast is almost ready."

"We'll be out in a second, she's still trying to wake up," Jimin replies.

I lightly press my fist against Jimin's shoulder, "No," I reprimand, "I'm awake now, no worries."

Jimin casts me a doubtful look and takes my fisted hand in his. He scoots closer to my body and moves his head to look directly into my eyes. "Why can't we just sleep?"

I raise an eyebrow at him and unclench my fist. I interlock my fingers in his. "Because we have work to do," I explained in an obvious tone. I smirk at him, "You and Jin, everybody thinks it's a holiday."

A small whine pulls from his pouty lips and it tugs at my heartstrings. His slender eyes sadden and I am attacked with his impossibly adorable puppy-dog eyes. I turn my gaze away, knowing the power they have on me. "No," I scold gently, "you won't get me this time, Park Jiminie."

I pull the blankets back and drag myself out of the empty bed. Jimin remains on the bed, still gazing at me, and holds his stare. I shield my eyes and add, "Come on, it's time to eat."

He lets out a defeated sigh and finally gets out of bed. "Ah maybe next time." He walks behind me as we head into the living room space.

The dimly lit living room is uncomfortably cold. A draft seeps through the wooden walls of the large cabin. The breath of the outdoors curls around my exposed ankles and sends shivers up my spine. I find Namjoon hunched beside the fireplace, balancing on the backs of his heels as he looks into the space.

"Good morning," I greet warmly and glance around the living room for everybody else. I listen intently for a moment before I hear the quiet giggling of the younger boys coming from the kitchen, paired with the quiet, lulling tone of Yoongi's voice.

Namjoon turns to look at me and has a fond look. "Morning, Lottie."

"Are you trying to light a fire?"

"Trying," he emphasizes and turns back to the fireplace.

I frown in concern. "Is there something wrong? Is the wood damp?" Mentally, I review where I put the wood last night and confirm that it was its usual dry place.

He shakes his head and gives me a bashful look. "No no, the wood is fine. I'm just having a little trouble getting the fire started." He holds up the match box and a match in his other hand.

Jimin strides up to Namjoon and squats beside him. He gingerly takes the matchbox from Namjoon and strikes the match with ease. "Don't worry about it, hyung, I'm a master at lighting these!" he claims and then tosses the lit match into the pile of firewood.

The fire catches on the dry wood and slowly ebbs to life. The dancing orange flames illuminate their faces and I realize Namjoon is grimacing with embarrassment.

My gaze softens, recognizing that look. "Joon, it's alright. Matches can be hard. They still give me trouble."

Namjoon forces a sigh through his nose and stands up. "Thanks, Jimin," he says quietly.

Jimin pauses and looks up at Namjoon with panicked worry. "Oh. I'm sorry," he apologized immediately, "I didn't know you wanted to do it."

Namjoon shakes his head and smiles with his eyes closed. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

It's fine, but you're not alright. I lock eyes with Namjoon briefly, and I wonder if he knows I can see through him. If he had any knowledge of it, he ignores it and walks back into the bedroom without another word.

Jimin winces and hangs his head. He plops back on his butt and wraps his arms around his knees. He stares into the burning fire for a moment, "I just did it without thinking... I didn't realize he was trying to do it."

"It's okay, Jimin, it's just..." my voice trails, and I look back towards the dark bedroom doorway.

Recently, Namjoon has been trying to do everything himself. We've caught him doing jobs that aren't his and volunteering to help with anything he can do. It's admirable, but the reason behind it makes me worry for him.

He and I spoke recently about his concerns and if he's doing his role as an Alpha. He worried if he wasn't enough for the pack, that he didn't deserve to be called Alpha. It may be his biological destiny, but he often fears he isn't doing all he can to become a worthy leader. He wants what's best for the pack, and he doubts his capabilities. He doesn't see the same Namjoon we see. The Namjoon that's humble, kind, brave, and worthy of the title and then some.

It's a learning experience for him. He's working through it which I have respect for. But he has been acting disheartened because of it. He believes he is helpless without us in mundane tasks and has been trying to do our jobs to make up for that insecurity. But he ends up frustrated if anybody catches him hesitating or struggling. He's trying so hard to become somebody else, and I hope he realizes that we love him sooner rather than later.

My nose twitches as Jimin's scent sharpens in the air. I come to his side and lay my hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "It's alright," I repeat with emphasis, "he's just going through something right now."

Jimin's sorrowful gaze is trained on the blazing fire. "I know," he replies softly. The smell of orange blossoms from him. Its citrusy tang turns sour and the faint floral notes wilt, giving away his true feelings.

"Come on, let's go eat something," I encouraged and nudged him. "Breakfast is almost ready."

Jimin looks back at the bedroom door, forlorn. "Namjoonie hyung needs to eat," he voices with worry. "He's been skipping meals again..."

"I know, I know, I'll talk to him," I say.

Jimin stands from the ground but he dithers at my side. Then he gives me a hug, pulling me close, and burying his face into my shoulder. He inhales deeply as he holds me tight, and I welcome his embrace. I close my eyes and inhale the scent of him, breathing deeply, and feel my scent being coaxed out as my instinct is activated.

I hold him for a moment, our bodies swaying for a moment.

Jimin must be stressed too. I need to talk to him soon, see what's bothering him.

I sincerely worry for our pack.

As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, there has been a shift in everybody's emotions. Small arguments spiral into larger issues, sadness has settled on our minds like the morning fog, and I pray the sun returns soon. In the meantime, the responsibility of keeping the pack stable and emotionally healthy falls onto me. It is one of the duties of being a Luna, and more importantly, it's my job as their packmate. I must keep my focus on them, and do all that I can to protect the pack.

"Charlotte, why can't we just sleep?" Jimin mumbles into my shoulder. His chest trembles as he takes a shaky breath. His arms tighten around me and his body pressed against mine, pushing me backward. "I'm so tired, I just want to sleep..."

I'm worried this is going to become a pattern.

"Give it time," I reply instead, "we'll wake up soon."

Jimin shakes his head firmly and pulls back briefly. His eyes are wide with sad, pleading. "I don't want to," he retorts in a lowered voice.

My heart lurches in my chest.

"Jiminie..."

You know we can't do that. We have too much to do.

The cold will kill the rest of our unharvested vegetables and we need that food for the winter. We are going to receive a message from the neighboring pack about coordinating a possible trade, meaning we have to prepare our supplies for a trip. We have to be diligent about our border patrols, especially with Alpha Grayson's pack moving in our direction. We can't afford to drop our guard when a violent pack is coming our way, and fast.

Yet the heart knows none of this, and the sleepiness remains rooted in his eyes.

"I know you're tired, we all are. We've been working hard but we have to push on for a little bit longer," I answered reluctantly. "We'll get a break soon, but we can't afford to stop now."

Jimin grumbles in response, avoiding eye contact.

I offer him a weak smile before giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Come on, maybe some food will help."

He nods slowly, and he drops his arms from my body. He heads into the kitchen, goes through the other open doorway, and disappears inside to join the others.

I linger in the living room and feel the slow warmth of the fireplace filling the space. I exhale sharply as the traces of Jimin's scent hang around me. I move out of the cloud of sadness and set my eyes on the bedroom door.

This is going to be a difficult day, I thought to myself. A long, difficult day for us all.

And I enter the bedroom to talk with Namjoon.

A/N: SEOKJIN WILL NOT BE SLEPT ON IN THIS STORY, PERIODT. Let me know what you think so far! Fun fact: this story was written mostly to the sound of Hozier and Civil Wars!