Love Unexpected [10/11]

[london9calling]

Title: Love Unexpected
Pairing: Xiumin/Luhan
Warning: Unbetaed
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Seoul is a dangerous place for wolf human hybrids, extermination orders have been carried out on their species for over a decade. Amidst this life and death reality exist two hybrid pack leaders- one from the streets and the other hidden among the highest rungs of society. When they are forced to work together their lives will change forever – for better or for worse.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

Sehun had been hauling the latest armful of rubbish from the kitchen to the garbage pile at the edge of the clearing when it hit him. It was a familiar feeling, the coursing warmth that was almost painful. And it had to hit now of all times. Now, when the pack was far away from the city and their usual grounds. Far away from the hotel and the method So Ra dictated to protect the omegas from the alphas.

Sehun collapsed to the ground as the first wave hit him. He felt the warmth in his core, he could smell it, he could feel the liquid pooling. Groaning, he managed to prop himself up. Damn, why now. Why?

When the heat hit him he could not think straight, he could not reason out his next move. He didn’t plan, he just did. Which is exactly what happened. He shifted, his clothing being torn to shreds with his transformation.

In wolf form he had more strength, more mobility, even in his heat. He began to slink towards the cover of the forest, as far away from the house as he could get. It would only be a matter of minutes before the alphas – before Tao, knew he was in heat.

The forest was thick around the house, disappearing should not be that much of a problem. At least disappearing from sight. His scent that was the problem. It would lure any hybrids from a few miles around – the alphas at least.

Sehun whined, continuing to make his way through the forest slowly.

***

To say the living room of the stone house was in chaos was an understatement. Heat had hit the pack and every alpha and omega had lost their mind. Well, other than So Ra. Jongdae and Suho had thankfully made it for the nearest room in which they could mate, and were taken out of the equation. But as for the rest of them – suddenly everything turned to pure lust and violence.

Jongin pushed Kyungsoo behind him, just as Chanyeol had picked up Kyungsoo’s scent. It mattered little to Chanyeol that Kyungsoo was already mated to someone previously, because the scent was all that mattered. The desire, fulfilling that need. Chanyeol shifted and lunged, just as Jongin did the same.

Luhan was quick to push Minseok behind him as well, but that did little. The pregnant pack leader was not about to see Chanyeol accost their youngest Omega, so he shifted too. The heat had yet to hit Minseok, he was pregnant so he wasn’t exactly sure that it would. He had no experience with how this worked, but he was damned sure that he would put Chanyeol in his place for going after Kyungsoo.

Luhan had no choice but to shift, which ended up with the rest of them shifting. A room full of wolves was a sight indeed, especially wolves fighting.

Minseok latched onto Chanyeol’s hind leg, biting hard to yank him away from a cowering Kyungsoo and a furious Jongin. Luhan had enough sense to tell the both of them to get the hell out of the room while Chanyeol was preoccupied with a raging Minseok holding him in place. Jongin and Kyungsoo did just that, rushing out of the living area and up the steps to whatever secluded corner they could find to be alone.

Chanyeol turned on Minseok then, his mind hazy with the prize he had just lost. That was a big mistake, because Luhan was on him in a second. The instinct to protect his mate was strong, and he was ready to do it at all cost.

Luckily for Chanyeol he didn’t need to. Chanyeol let out a yelp but backed off – largely because something else caught his interest. Minseok and Luhan looked over to the far corner of the room to see Baekhyun cowering behind So Ra, who was even more formidable in wolf form. Standing, hackles low, growling, was Yixing. Baekhyun was in heat too, and So Ra was resolute to protect the omega even if she had to fight to do so.

Chanyeol went for Yixing, and the older hybrid returned the favor. Luhan and Minseok considered their options, which involved getting in the middle of the fight over Baekhyun- largely so Yixing and Chanyeol wouldn’t kill each other. But they found another slice of luck in the middle of the chaos- So Ra leapt on Yixing, pushing him down. Yixing yelped, but a decision had been made. So Ra would always protect an omega from being taken against their will, but if their mind was made she would back off.

Chanyeol found Baekhyun then, and there was no fight for what happened next. So Ra nodded at the leaders to go, she would see to Yixing. And by see, it was fully evident that she would drag him from the room (which probably wouldn’t be that hard given the fact once an omega was spoken for – in the middle of mating any way – the fight was no longer carried out. Yixing should go willingly, being the only one unmated this time).

Minseok and Luhan, not wishing to see Chanyeol and Baekhyun mate in the middle of the living room, decided it was best they go. Not bothering to shift back to human form, Luhan followed Minseok, who pushed open the front door and trotted to the forest.

***

Tao was not present for the brawl because as soon as he had picked up his boyfriend’s scent he was gone, on the hunt. He shifted, knowing full well Sehun was in wolf form as well just by his smell. He followed the trail Sehun left behind, the strong and alluring scent. Through the thick forest, the branches scraping against him he followed. But he didn’t care, he had tunnel vision. He had to find Sehun, and quickly.

It wasn’t long before the scent became overwhelming, Tao was already hard when he found Sehun lying on the ground in a small opening in the thick trees. Sehun was whining, the heat in full force he did not notice as Tao approached him.

Tao knew that Sehun had wanted their first time to be special, that he had said before he didn’t want the first time they slept together to be because of their instincts brought on by the heat. But Tao didn’t really give a shit at the moment, because Sehun looked so damn good lying there, waiting to be dominated. He wasn’t going to wait, he knew that much.

***

A painful bite pulled Sehun’s head up from the ground. Through his hazy vision he could see who it was. He could smell him, and he wanted it. He wanted Tao inside of him. Sehun was so far gone, so far overtaken by his need, he simply whined and pushed against the wolf who had pinned him down.

Tao responded with a low growl. Sehun rubbing against him made his dick grow harder, his desire increase. He wanted to take him like this, as wolves. As animals, caught up with their base instinct. Sehun made another move, rubbing against Tao’s erection again, teasing him.

Tao had enough – his mouth found the scruff of Sehun’s neck once again. He pushed his face down into the dirt, letting Sehun’s ass stick up in the air, dripping with heat. Asking to be taken.

Tao mounted Sehun without letting go of his neck. He felt how wet Sehun’s twitching hole was, the warmth inviting him, engulfing him as he pushed his dick in. Tao let out a low and husky growl, still holding onto Sehun’s scruff, as he seated himself balls deep.

Sehun jerked forward with the intrusion. He had never mated before – in human form or wolf form. And Tao was large, filling him, making him feel like he would split in two. Sehun whined, but instead of a whine of need it was a whine of pain.

Tao heard his mate, but he couldn’t’ stop if he wanted to. He was already too far gone – Sehun was so warm and tight, he felt too damn good. Tao began pumping at a furious pace, unable to control the speed even if he wanted to. His mate didn’t seem to mind. After the first whine of pain he felt Sehun pushing back on his dick, matching him thrust for thrust, pushing his dick in deeper.

Sehun liked it like this, he just had never known it before. He liked how rough Tao was being. He liked having his face shoved into the dirt while he was filled up, while his partner displayed no mercy in his thrusts. Sehun’s dick was rubbing on the ground, it was painful and pleasurable at the same time. He moved back, trying to take Tao in deeper. The end result was Tao fucking him harder, his cock being shoved into the ground with more force. His bundle of nerves being assaulted over and over again by Tao’s rough actions.

It was too much. Sehun threw his head back, coming in strings of white painted on the ground, rubbing down the length of his cock and ending up on his stomach as Tao became even more aggressive.

Tao felt Sehun’s walls clench on his dick, felt his mate come with a shuddering force. He was so close, so goddamn close. He bit down hard then, marking Sehun as his own. It was only a few more deep thrusts before he felt his knot taking form, with one last powerful motion he lodged it in his mate.

Sehun cried out as he was filled more, as the previous pain he had felt became nothing in the face of this new intrusion.

Tao, shaking through his orgasm, spilt his seed, white hot, in Sehun. He shifted then, and Sehun did almost immediately as well.

“Shhhh…. Hun-ahhh” Tao tried to speak, but he was still in the throes of his orgasm, of his knot spreading Sehun further – filling him with his seed.

“Tao” Sehun whined, trying to move away. But he could not. Tao pulled him closer, nuzzling his neck, nuzzling the bleeding bite mark that would tell the world Sehun was his and his alone. Tao’s knot was so deeply lodged in him that he doubted he would be moving for a while. Now he knew why Jongdae had made a comment about mating being amazing, until the end. It hurt, it hurt so badly.

He was being filled, claimed, by his mate. He would not be going anywhere for a while. He had to bear the pain.

Tao, coming down from his high, began trailing light kisses down Sehun’s neck, as if to say he was sorry for the pain. Sehun felt a tear escape his eyes, but he started to relax into Tao’s affection. After all, this whole mating thing was kind of amazing. Okay, it was fucking amazing.

***

What started as Luhan following Minseok was soon turned around – Luhan took the lead. Minseok wasn’t sure that Luhan knew where they were going any more than he did (Sora had mentioned that Luhan had left here as a small pup) but he thought he would take his chances.

As they made their way through the woods they smelt Tao and Sehun, and steered far, far away from the area. The last thing either one of them wanted to see was their maknae’s mating. Finally, after about a half an hour of half walking, half running, the sound of water could be heard.

Luhan slowed, making his way through the underbrush, holding branches back for Minseok to pass. When Minseok struggled through the last ring of thick foliage his breath was taken away. Rock ledges jutted out, encasing a beautiful waterfall. The water fell into a pool of water, which narrowed into a stream. Moonlight played on the cascading water, tinging the landscape with a sort of magic.

The stars were clear here, trees did not block the view as they did in the woods. Buildings and pollution did not choke the view as it did in the city. It was the first time that Minseok had seen the night sky, as it should be seen, since he had been taken during the purge.

Luhan shifted to human form as he approached Minseok, his mate did the same. They were both naked, their sudden shift having been performed without care for their garments. But somehow it was fitting that they would both stand nude in this magical place, this place of nature that was likely long forgotten by humans and hybrids alike.

“It is beautiful” Minseok whispered, feeling Luhan’s hands snake around his waist, encircling him, resting on his growing stomach.

“Isn’t it.” Luhan took a deep breath, appreciating the clean air.

They stood that way for minutes, not speaking, not moving.

Minseok broke the silence first, jumping in surprise. “Lu- did you feel that!”

Luhan had tensed, because he had felt it.

“They kicked! Yunho and Sunhi kicked!” Minseok put both of his hands on his stomach. It was the strangest feeling, like he had butterflies in his stomach but stronger.

Luhan spun his mate around to face him, putting his hands over Minseok’s. In the last few weeks Minseok had begun to show more, his stomach protruding in a way that was far more noticeable.

“Do it again little ones.” Luhan smiled at Minseok and then down at Minseok’s stomach.

They waited, with baited breath, until they felt the movement again. Words were not really needed, they were insufficient for the situation. Tears were in both pack leader’s eyes as they marveled at their pups first movements, their family becoming a more solid reality every day.

***

Three days had passed since the heat had hit the pack, and the instability it brought had become a thing of the past.

Minseok had not gone through heat, which answered the big question of if it could happen when one was pregnant – apparently it did not. But Minseok had never had a regular set of hybrid characteristics, so in the end the jury was still out on this fact. So Ra told them it usually did not, but it could happen. Either way Luhan and Minseok had been busy, just not with a raging instinctual need driving them.

The big news came the evening of the third day. The members of both packs were back to normal, albeit some of them were celebrating a new relationship milestone. If Tao and Sehun had been clingy before it was nothing compared to how they acted post-copulation. Sehun was sporting a deep bite on his neck and a smug face – and he never left Tao’s side, not even for a minute. They even showered together.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were the odd couple that no one had seen coming. The two of them had fought more than they had gotten along in the weeks they had lived together, how they decided it was a good idea to mate was lost on almost everyone. Except Yixing, who was heard to tell many of his fellow pack members he saw it coming “I never stood a chance”.

Luhan felt a little sorry for Yixing, since he was now the only unmated member of the pack, but Yixing assured him all was well. He had, after all, found some time to wander out to the forest where he found an injured rabbit, which he promptly brought back to the house and was busy nursing back to health.

“I think I found my calling hyung! It isn’t even afraid of me when I shift!” Yixing exclaimed, confusing Luhan as to why he had shifted in front of the bunny (but he decided that question was best answered another day). Yixing had named the tiny furry creature Kris, which no one bothered to question.

As the moon rose on the third day after the heat had taken hold, a new scent was introduced to the mix, putting everyone on edge. Well, more than on edge, they were fully ready to fight to the death.

Through the open window it drifted.

“It is a female” Minseok remarked, perking up. The rest of the pack had followed him, their alarm raised.

“It is Victoria” Luhan calmed his mate after picking up the scent himself “I left instructions for her”

Minseok knew Luhan trusted the hybrid, Changmin’s girlfriend, implicitly, if he had given her an idea of where they would be. He was a little hurt Luhan had not confided this detail to him, but at the same time he understood how it could happen given the way they had to escape Seoul.

Victoria followed the scent of the packs, arriving at the house a short time later. So Ra was at the door, welcoming her in.

Victoria was given the most comfortable chair in the living room (which was not saying much) as the rest of the packs gathered around, filling the small space completely.

“What is going on in Seoul?” Minseok asked, his tone full of worry.

“There was another attack, this time in front of the Eastern Dawn mansion” The news had all of them looking around the room, trying to gauge how insane all of this was, “There is no way you guys can return there.”

“What about Ahn?” Luhan questioned.

“He has been everywhere on the news - espousing his campaign platform of finding all of the hidden hybrids and eradicating them.” Victoria looked sad as she reported the latest, as she should be. She had as much to lose as the rest of them, “Sung Woo….”

Minseok swallowed, waiting to hear what he knew would be tough news, “Has disappeared. The day after you guys left.”

“Disappeared?” Minseok was trying to digest the words. He assumed his Father had done something wrong, not disappeared.

“I have every reason to think he was taken to a lab. He served his usefulness for Ahn, who knew a lot more than he let on. I am sorry Minseok.” Victoria gave Minseok a sorrowful look, reaching out her hand to pat his knee in sympathy, “He thought he was playing Ahn, but Ahn has had someone in the inside for a while.”

“Who?”

“Do you remember the hybrids who took your youngest?” Victoria shot a look at Sehun and Tao, who frowned at her, “Sung Woo trusted them with too much, and Ahn had them in his pocket the whole time. They were let go from the lab for that purpose, but your Father never saw it coming. Ahn played Sung Woo – until he was more of a liability than an asset. Once you guys left he knew Sung Woo could do nothing to keep you guys in check. So he had him captured.”

Minseok felt sick. His father wasn’t a good man, he wasn’t a compassionate man. But he was still his father, and now he was back where he had come from.

“What about you?” Minseok raised an eyebrow, questioning how Victoria, an associate of Sung Woo, could still be free.

“Changmin and Professor Jung were tipped off, I got away. And before I did –“Victoria took a packet of photographs from the bag she was carrying, throwing them on the beat up table in front of her, “I managed to get this.”

Minseok and Luhan looked at the pictures in interest, the rest of their pack mates leaning over to get a peek too. The pictures were of an older man frolicking in a room salon, at a casino too.

“We have what we need to blackmail the scientist at the hybrid lab. Changmin is meeting with him tonight. After he gives us the sign we need to infiltrate the lab – and this may be our only chance. Whatever we find there we need to document.”

The hybrids were silent, only nodding in agreement. This was their chance, maybe their only chance.

“If we can’t get any evidence of what the government is doing to our kind…the fight is probably lost. I doubt any of us can show our face in the city again…” Victoria looked sad as she spoke the words.

“We understand.” Luhan spoke up, “We are going to do whatever it takes.”

A retching sound was suddenly heard, causing all eyes dart to where Sehun was standing next to Tao.

Sehun had felt a bit nauseous earlier, but he had ignored it. But now, it was too much. He doubled over, Tao’s hand on his back as he began throwing up all over the wooden plank floor.

“Hun-ah, are you okay?!” Tao asked, ignoring the concerned looks.

Sehun held a hand up as if to say he was, but in all honesty he felt like shit.

So Ra took a deep breath before delivering the news calmly, decisively “Sehun is pregnant.”

Tao looked like he was about to faint while Sehun, still throwing up, threw a disgusted look at So Ra.

“How cute!” Minseok exclaimed, putting all of his cheesiness into the statement just to annoy Sehun, who subsequently flipped him off while he was still vomiting.

Soon they would have more members in the Cloud Mountain pack, more members in the Eastern Dawn pack. It was more important than ever they suceed, for the pups that had yet to meet such an ugly world, a world where their kind was hunted. Minseok prayed they would succeed.

***

The warm night air hung over the landscape, signaling the coming summer. Minseok felt the heat, it bothered him. It contributed to his restlessness – it was another excuse for why he couldn’t seem to fall into effortless slumber. It was almost three in the morning and he had spent a few hours changing positions, throwing off his covers, pulling them back over himself and throwing them off again. Yet sleep eluded him, try as he might it would not come easily.

Minseok sighed. Luhan was next to him, snoring lightly, oblivious to his mate’s discomfort. Finally sick of his endless struggle to get comfortable, Minseok left their bedroom and made his way to the living room. Lately he had fallen asleep effortlessly, especially since he became pregnant. He was far more tired than he had been pre-pregnancy, his body worn out from carrying the pups. But tonight was different and he had no idea why.

He decided it must be intuition that drove his insomnia, a decision that was based off of a familiar scent carried on the warm night air. More than one scent actually, one of which he had not experienced in decades. One of which he dreaded, one of which he never believed he would ever experience again.

***

Tao had quickly discovered that a pregnant Sehun was ten times as demanding as normal Sehun. As in he had decided Tao was a very adequate butler, waiter, foot massager, and anything else he needed at the moment. Tao complied, because to be honest he was still scared shitless at the prospect of becoming a parent. So much so, he was at a loss for what to do next.

In a way he was happy Sehun knew what to do next – tell Tao what food he wanted, tell Tao that he felt sick, tell Tao to rub his tired feet. It was something, if not exactly a parenting guide, maybe a narrative through the first week of pregnancy at least. It was the middle of the night and Sehun wanted some of the leftover steamed potatoes, so Tao agreed readily to go get them for his mate. A rough guide to pregnancy.

Dressed in sweat pants, shirtless, Tao made his way to the kitchen. It was a much smaller room, well area- it couldn’t really be called a room – than what they had in the mansion, but it still had counter space and a sink. For Tao it was good enough, considering the Cloud Mountain pack had once called the streets home. Sehun complained there was no ice dispenser or water filter, but Tao just smiled. It was adequate.

As Tao walked into the living area he noticed Minseok, standing near the door.

“Hyung, what are you doing up?” Tao was used to late night orders as of late, but Minseok was usually fast asleep at this time.

When Minseok didn’t answer Tao approached his hyung, calling his name again. Still nothing.

Victoria, who had been sleeping in the small room off of the kitchen, was soundlessly behind Tao in a matter of seconds. Tao had jumped when she grabbed his arm, but at her motions towards silence he wisely complied. He understood why as soon as he picked up the scent. There were hybrids, unfamiliar hybrids, nearby.

***

The forest at night was a long forgotten memory, flooding back in waves. Clean air, the sky that revealed itself through the few openings in the thick brush. The sound of night, of animals, of insects, of a place where the complications were not manmade.

Her breath was raspy, pained even, as she sucked in the feeling of freedom. She was stumbling, her legs full of pain. Her legs had hurt for a long time, but she had not had the opportunity to walk more than ten feet and feel that pain – not for years. It was all cramped spaces, metal, antiseptic smell. Needles.

She began pulling away, the flashes in front of her bringing her back to that raw place that told her the only thing to do was try to run, try to drag herself to the furthest space she could find away from that horrible reality.

A strong hand kept her upright, pulling at her wrist painfully. She screamed – or at least tried to scream. It was more of a hoarse coughing. Did she know how to scream anymore?

Trying to fight now was as useless as it had always been, but she had to try. She always made an effort. Because she had a will to survive. Because she had to see her pup one more time before she died.

***

“Do you think this is the best way…”

Professor Jung answered confidently, because he truly believed it. “Yes, I do.”

Changmin nodded. He was not one to always follow after Yunho, but he trusted him. He trusted him, and only called bullshit if he had a better plan or deciphered a clear flaw in the Professor’s reasoning. He didn’t have a better plan at the moment. Victoria, the one woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, was as good as dead if she ever set foot in Seoul again. He needed a plan at the moment.

“They will be arriving soon if my calculations are correct.” Professor Jung commented a few minutes later. The headlights of the small, beat up car were the only man made illumination for miles. They had started the journey hours ago, on a hedged bet that the scientist would do exactly what he said he would do. What they told him to do, or else.

“What happens if they get there first?” Changmin asked quietly.

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.” Professor Jung whispered. If that happened there was no way to calculate the damage that would be done.

***

Luhan bolted upright. He had been deep in sleep, dreaming a fuzzy scenario that had him carrying his pups to soccer practice – Minseok behind him nagging the whole time about making sure their pups would be safe. Funny how he was the one scolding Minseok only a couple of months before for the same thing, safety during a rough soccer game. Funny how it worked.

He wasn’t sure at first what had driven him out of his slumber. Luhan was confused, even more so when he realized Minseok was not next to him. He stood, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to his darkness. It was a few seconds later before he registered the foreign scent. Someone was nearby, someone he didn’t recognize.

***

The dead leaves, left over from the autumn, thawed in spring and still coating the forest floor, rustled as she dragged her feet. It was a weak resistance in the face of such a powerful force dragging her. She tried, she tried.

He didn’t care. He couldn’t care. She was not in any more pain than she had been. No, she would be better now. They would be better now. If he could get her there, if he could move her. If he could ignore her small whines, her raspy moans of pain and displeasure and panic. She may not know him anymore, but he knew her. He knew her more than he had ever known anyone in his life. He knew her….and this was for the best.

***

Suho nudged Jongdae awake, putting a finger to his lips he beant down and whispered in Jongdae’s ear “Someone is coming”

Jongdae blinked rapidly, adjusting to the darkness. He could smell it too. When Suho grabbed his hand and helped him up from bed he followed, groggily. They made their way down the small hallway to the living room. Jongdae could make out Tao, Minseok, and Victoria’s silhouettes standing near the door. Their postures were stiff, evident even in the darkness.

Suho grabbed Jongdae’s hand tightly. They waited, breathing in the approaching unknown.

***

Professor Jung had made the decision easily, once he had considered all of the facts. If the Eastern Dawn and Cloud Mountain packs had infiltrated the lab – even with the help of an insider – there was a damn good chance at least one of them would not be coming back.

Was it an easy way out? Was it the right way? He hoped so.

“He said he would get them out….” He repeated over and over in his head. It had to be true. If it wasn’t true they were back to the beginning, their leverage gone. If it was a lie, which it could be, he had failed them all.

***

Luhan ran to the living room, hitting his shins on the door frame in the process. Ignoring the pain he found his mate in the living room, ready for what was coming.

“Who is it?” He asked, only to have Victoria loudly shush him.

He was quick to Minseok’s side.

“It is my Mother….” Minseok whispered, not moving.

Luhan felt cold, suddenly very cold. Wasn’t Minseok’s Mother dead?

“My mother…” Minseok repeated, never looking away from the door, from the open window.

***

She was crying, but it was guttural noises of frenzy not an expected sob. He didn’t care, he was so, so close. He dragged her into the clearing, seeing the stone house in front of him. He could sense their child was near.

It was adrenaline driving him, he turned and swept her into his arms. He carried her to the entryway, not bothering to knock or give a shit what would welcome him, he threw open the door.

It was an instant commotion as the door hit the wall with a thud, the falling of plaster.

“Minseok!, Min!” It was his son’s mate, his voice a chocked sob.

“Hyung!” He recognized the voice as another member of his son’s pack, his voice full of distress.

The woman in his arms was struggling, but it was a weak fight. He ignored her, his eyes glued to the limp form on the floor, surrounded by four other hybrids. His son was not moving, he could make out a small pool of blood forming. The woman in his arms struggled still, but it didn’t’ matter. Did anything matter anymore?

***

“I should kill you.”

When So Ra was angry..well, she was angry. Chanyeol hid his face behind Baekhyun’s shoulder as he witnessed So Ra’s full wrath for the first time. He was just happy he wasn’t on the receiving end.

“Sorry.” Professor Jung spoke earnestly, his face pale and sickly. His sorrow was evident to anyone that just looked at the man.

“Why? Tell me fucking why this was a good idea?!” So Ra was only inches away from the Professor’s face, staring him down.

“Because it was the only way I knew one of them wouldn’t die.” Professor Jung answered solemnly.

“And one of them MIGHT die” So Ra shouted back. If there was one thing that could anger this woman more than anything else it was an injury paid to her pack. Or the future generation of her pack.

“I am so, so sorry.” Professor Jung hung his head low, the tears flowing.

***

The air on the mountain was clean, the night sky was clear. It was winter on Mount Halla – a time when all of the residents of the mountain became hungry foragers finding solidarity in the cold and brutal months.

As the cold hung over them, surrounded them, housed them, he couldn’t understand why the pups were sent to bed before the nighttime hunt. Why was he sent to bed before his Mother and Father joined the others to stalk the large game of the mountainside? In the summer the pups were alongside them – well a good enough space behind them – learning to hunt from afar.

He whined that night, nudging his cousins awake in his frustration.

But his Mother had stayed behind then, grabbing him by his scruff she had cuddled him into her warmth.

“You will grow up to be the mightiest wolf of all” She had sang to him in low, melodic tones that put his anxiety to rest. He had fallen asleep, his face buried in his Mother’s fur.

It had been the day before the humans had shown up. The day before the death of his innocence.

***

“I will kill you.” Luhan had Sung Woo against the wall, his eyes flashing a hint of his wolf form – of the anger coursing through him.

Sung Woo let the younger man back him up against the wall. He deserved it.

“Stop..” So Ra put a hand between the two, the only one that would dare to do so.

Luhan still had Sung Woo’s shirt in his grasp, but he leaned his weight back a bit, giving the older man room the breath.

“Luhan..”  A familiar voice spoke his name.

Luhan hadn’t even realized Professor Jung was there. Minseok had collapsed, hitting his head, bleeding from a nasty gash. It had happened as soon as Sung Woo had come bursting in, a crazy hybrid woman in his arms. Minseok’s Mother? Luhan didn’t care at the moment – what he cared about was his mate, his pups, and the way Sung Woo never failed to damage them at every turn.

“Professor?” Luhan let Sung Woo go, “Why?”

“Luhan, I can explain – “

“Please do.” Luhan directed his rage towards the new comer. When Victoria had arrived at the house she had confirmed exactly what Luhan knew to be true – they would be infiltrating the lab soon. They would record the experiments being performed on hybrids, they would gain evidence to bring to the populace.

Professor Jung took a deep breath, because he had known hybrids long enough to know that their anger should be sated quickly, “If you had gone to the lab, one of you would probably not have returned. It was a suicide mission, at least for one of you. After we analyze the site more…there was no hope for all of you to get out. We bribed the scientist to let Sung Woo go…along with Minseok’s Mother. He will help you now – Sung Woo knows how Ahn incited the hybrid attacks. And he has evidence from the lab.”

Luhan considered the words for a moment, knowing the honesty that the Professor abided by.

“I hope you are right, or I will kill both of you.” Luhan turned and stalked back into the bedroom where his mate was lying, unconscious.

***

Tao held a wet cloth to Minseok’s forehead. He had cleaned the blood away, the cut was not as deep as he had first suspected. Minseok had hit his head on the stone floor when he fell, he probably had a slight concussion, but he was not near death.

Luhan entered the room. Tao didn’t even bother to look at Luhan’s face, he knew the man was angry. When Tao thought of the same thing happening to Sehun he understood how Luhan felt. If he was in Luhan’s place he would probably have ripped Sung Woo apart.

“I think he is going to be okay.” Tao tried to reassure Luhan.

“Thanks Tao.” Luhan sat on the edge of the bed, raising a hand to stroke Minseok’s cheek, “You can go now.”

Tao was not about to argue, he left quietly, snaking past the dramatic scene in the hallway. He found Sehun in their room, his face buried in a pillow.

“Can we just have a peaceful day?” Sehun mumbled into the pillow.

“Hopefully someday, Hun-ah.” Tao laid down next to his mate, pulling him close.

***

So Ra stared at the woman before her. No- the hybrid woman before her.

She was broken, crazy even. Skin and bones. She had bruises covering her pale skin, her eyes dull like the fire of consciousness had long gone from her body.

“Your son is here”

Professor Jung did not have to fill So Ra in that this was Minseok’s Mother. One look at the woman and you could see the uncanny resemblance.

So Ra had taken this confused soul to one of the upstairs rooms, trying to soothe her and calm her down. She was frantic but too weak to really put up any kind of resistance to any direction.

“You must have felt so much pain.” So Ra kneeled down, looking the scared creature in the eyes.

The woman darted her gaze to a corner of the room.

“Minseok is here. And he is going to have pups of his own.” So Ra said quietly, “You are going to be a grandmother.”

The woman looked at her then, a light firing behind those cold grey eyes, “M…mmm-iiinnn”

“Yes, Minseok. Your son.” So Ra smiled at the woman, “He is here.”

***

He regained consciousness slowly. It was the ceiling, all dark wooden beams and plaster that greeted him first. As his eyes adjusted he could make out a fuzzy form above him.

“Min?”

It was Luhan. Thank god it was Luhan.

Minseok tried to sit up, but Luhan shot an arm out to gently hold him back, “Rest.”

“My mom…”

“Yeah. Let me explain.”

***

It was a lot to piece together. Professor Jung had made an executive decision – picked plan B when they only had plan A. It was too risky to infiltrate the lab, especially after he learned the extent of the hybrids guarding the place.

The scientist that they had blackmailed had offered up a mutually beneficial scenario – he would let Sung Woo and Sun Hi escape. He had the ability to transport inmates to an outside medical building for experimentation. He ordered it for the couple, and loaded them up on a transport out of the facility.

The transport took the duo within fifty miles of the refuge place of the Cloud Mountain and Eastern dawn packs. From there Professor Jung had arranged directions to meet in place near the outskirts of the forest – a place that Sung Woo never appeared at. Professor Jung knew well enough that Sung Woo was going to find Minseok on his own, the Professor be damned.

"My  Mother…she is here?” Minseok asked the Professor. After telling an overprotective Luhan to back off and let the professor in, Minseok was full of questions.

“Yes, but she has been confined for a very, very long time Minseok.” Professor Jung explained, “She is not the same person that you remember.”

Minseok swallowed. He spent a few years in that hell himself, he wouldn’t expect her to be a whole person after spending far longer being tortured. He remembered how his Father had told him as much, that his Mom was still alive in a lab. Could he trust Sung Woo?! A little…

“What about Sung Woo? Why trust him now?”

“He knows what he did wrong” Jung shook his head, as if to show disappointment at Sung Woo’s previous actions “He isn’t going to make that mistake again.”

Minseok took it all in.  “Now what?”

“Your Father has evidence on the lab, and he knows how Ahn incited the hybrids into the attacks in Seoul. We have what we need.”

“So this is it?” Minseok asked, squeezing Luhan’s hand. Luhan had remained silent, staying at Minseok’s side, sitting on the bed next to his mate as he listened to the conversation.

“Maybe. We have more than we have ever had…we need to go back to Seoul.” Professor Jung looked from one man to the other, “If you are both ready for it”

They answered in unison, their resolve clear. If they were going to have a future, if their pups were going to have a future, the answer was clear. They had to go back to Seoul and fight

Part 11

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