"I don't believe it. Is this... Is it really you?"

Yunho watched as the omega stepped forward slowly. He had a soft face, red-brown hair, and wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"Do you know this alpha?" Minhyung asked, stiffening a little as he watched the scene unfold.

"You should too." Wooseok couldn't take his eyes off Jongho. It was an action that would make any alpha bristle with possession.

For Yunho, it made him burn.

He snarled and leapt forward to stand next to his alpha, his hackles rising in defense. Then suddenly fell when Jongho placed a hand on his shoulder.

Jongho seemed to be under the same spell as the omega... He was staring with wide, now glistening eyes that never wavered. "Seokie?" He breathed, air curling around him in frozen tendrils.

"Yes. It's me. I can't believe this! You're alive!"

"Wait." Minhyung shook his head in disbelief. "This is that Jongho?" His mouth opened in his own form of shock. "How is this possible?"

Jongho. What's going on? Wooyoung whined from behind them. He inched forward until he could press his nose to Yunho's hip, sending a small wave of reassurance through a private link.

The beta whined softly, begging for his alpha to look at him and explain.

"Wooseok... if from my old pack. He-"Jongho swallowed and shook his head a little. "He was my closest- is- I don't..." Jongho's words faltered, and he brought a hand to his mouth. "I don't know what to say."

With a watery smile, Wooseok started to awkwardly run forward, his legs trying to force their way through the deep snow.

Jongho was quick to mirror the action, and soon the two of them were hugging each other in what seemed to be a long overdue reunion.

His... pack? Chan whispered in confusion. It was a feeling running through the rest of their pack as all the wolves turned their heads to exchange quick glances.

They all knew the story, or what Jongho had elected to tell them at least. He had done his best fighting Alpha Pack. His own pack relied on his brute strength and resourcefulness to lead the charge. And he had been very successful. Jongho never said how many, but he had implied that many were killed by his jaws.

That's how he had been so wounded. He was so enthralled in the fight that he hadn't noticed most of the wounds he'd taken himself.

Until he couldn't fight any more and his pack had regretfully decided to leave him behind. They had sensed he was dying, and Jongho had known it to be true. While it had stung, he had accepted he was on his way out...

Then Yunho found him, and he said his world changed.

Evidently, his pack really had thought he'd died...

Yunho whined again, yapping softly to try and gain his alpha's attention once more. Jongho...?

Finally, the younger relaxed his grip on the omega and turned around. He offered an apologetic look to his pack and said, "I'm sorry. I never expected- I'm... I'm speechless!" He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning a darker shade of red than they already were from the cold.

Jongho, do you really know him? Yeosang asked for the rest of the pack. The answer was clear, but it would put them at ease if he was able to clarify a few things.

"Yes." He answered aloud so Stephan and the twins could be a part of the conversation too. "I know him. Wooseok and I grew up together. He's a few years older than me and really helped when I presented, even though he had presented as an omega four years before me."

So, he was older. Yunho's ears fell back against his head and his looked down at the ground.

"What about everyone else?" Jongho asked suddenly, spinning back around.

Pain entered Wooseok's eyes, and his shoulders fell. "Not many of us are left. Changhyun and Jinhyuk are both strong and back home. Yiren and Eunji too, and a few others. But that's it..."

Before Jongho could ask anything else, Minhyung held up a hand so he could speak. "Why don't we head back? We can all get warm and celebrate this little reunion and get caught up."

Wooseok immediately brightened at the idea, and he bounced in place. "Yes please! Come! You can see what we've built!" He held out a hand for Jongho to take.

For a moment it looked like he would. Like he wanted to. But much to Yunho's overwhelming relief, Jongho motioned for them to go ahead. "We'll follow you." His tone held the authority of the head alpha he was for them.

The thought gave Yunho a small bit of hope, especially when his alpha finally returned to his side and ran his fingers through his fur. The connection has him reeling and he leaned into Jongho's chest, nearly knocking him over.

He could feel Wooseok watching them, and it made his fur stand on end again.

Thankfully Wooyoung moved to Jongho's other side to huff at him with narrowed eyes. The action made the alpha chuckle before looking over his pack. "It's alright. I trust him. Maybe someone at their pack has seen something."

Are you sure about this? Seonghwa stepped forward, his eyes flicking from Jongho to the two strangers still waiting for them to follow.

"Absolutely." Jongho said with so much conviction that Yunho felt he had no choice but to believe him. "Seokie would never harm me. And I would never let him, or anyone else hurt any of you. Trust me."

Once again, Jongho used his head alpha voice, and it had all of them nodding slowly. They all trusted him, almost more than Hongjoong. After what Jongho had sacrificed while imprisoned with the Hunters, they would never doubt his judgment or his word. He had given up so much to protect all of them.

He was a true alpha.

And they would follow him anywhere, even Stephan, who had only heard the stories.

Jongho held himself confidently after he shifted back into his wolf form, leading the way as they followed the two others through the snow-covered trees.

The further they traveled, the thicker the trees grew and the more the snow faded. Since they had no idea where to begin looking for their missing pack members, no one fretted about being led off course or traveling too far in the wrong direction. They could only put their faith in their alpha as they were led deeper into the mountains and further south.

A few other wolves joined the journey, other alphas and betas and even two other omegas who had all been part of the hunting party. They looked over their shoulders in confusion, but several stopped to stare at Jongho with amazement.

It all made Yunho's muzzle twitch and his stomach churn.

What would this mean for them...? Would Jongho feel the pull to return to his long-lost pack? He had been so hurt after they abandoned him, yet he was never hateful or angry. He'd always understood why they'd made the choice they did, often agreeing with them.

But his excitement rolled off him with each new wolf they met. Yunho could tell he recognized a few scents from long faded memories, or even the unique color of one female beta's brown and black swirled coat.

Are you ok? Wooyoung's gentle voice entered Yunho's head, filled with worry.

I... I don't know... This is a lot to take in.

Yeah. I never thought... He seems so excited. The omega sniffed and moved a little closer to Yunho, seeking to comfort and be comforted in return. Their tails twisted around each other, so they had some contact. It wasn't much, but it reminded Yunho how thankful he was to have his best friend always by his side.

Just like Wooseok was to Jongho all those years ago...

The beta lowered his head and tried to fight back the mournful howl begging to be set free.

Yunho cheer up. I'm sure everything will be alright. Wooyoung pressed his nose to the older's neck, licking him a couple of times. Jongho is still your-

I think we are almost there. Jongho's voice interrupted their conversation, speaking to the pack as a whole.

His ears were pointed in front of him, taking in all the new sounds and scents.

It looked like they had entered the area of a formidable pack. Just from glancing around, Yunho could pick out at least ten alphas, sixteen betas, and seven omegas. They had built cozy log homes and even a few tree houses to get off the ground, which was entirely doable because the trees here were huge. Yunho guessed it would take at least three of him to wrap entirely around some of the trunks he walked by.

How old was this forest?

It was like a hidden sanctuary. The perfect place for a lost and crumbling pack to take refuge and rebuild.

Once they were at what looked to be the center of the small village, they were directed to a larger cabin that already had lights on inside.

Jongho led the way, still perfectly confident, and opened the door with his teeth to let everyone inside. There were two bedrooms on either side of the open living room and kitchen combo, so after he and Stephan checked everywhere and determined it was safe, the pack split apart in order to shift and get dressed.

Yunho took note of how silent everyone was, but he didn't feel he was in a good place to speak first. There were too many fears flying around his relentless mind.

He did his best to hold in a whimper when Seonghwa, Yeosang, and Wooyoung all came to stand next to him, either taking his hand or placing a hand on his shoulder. Feeling his pack silently lending their comfort did worlds for his worried heart.

Especially when he watched Jongho hurry to get dressed so he could start looking around the cabin. "This is just like how we built them back home! We perfected smoothing down the logs and had a special formula for insulation to help keep both the heat and cold out. And see this?!" He pointed at the corner of the room where the logs looked to be interlaced. "This was how we kept the outside walls strong and sturdy. The logs are actually cut in thin, alternating lines and forced together. The pressure keeps them locked in place. Not even our strongest alpha could pull them apart!"

The alpha turned around and beamed at Yunho, then rushed forward to take his hands. The rest of their pack hurried to their kids, watching with wide eyes at how unusually excited their alpha was. "This exactly the kind of home I would have built for you."

Yunho felt his heart stop at the words. "You... You would?"

Jongho nodded several times and pulled his beta into the living room. "This design was meant to make sure the family would always be together if they wanted to be, while the bedrooms were on opposite ends for privacy. But see how even the support beams for the room are made of the thick logs?" He pointed each detail out as he continued to ramble on. "Alphas would build homes like this to present as a courting gift. After seeing it, their chosen mate would accept by returning in the following days with a blanket they would spend hours weaving from the wool collected from the sheep we kept. Many would also weave in strands of their own coat, and their alpha's, so their scent would always be together."

There was so much pride in Jongho's misty voice, and Yunho could tell that as his alpha surveyed the room, Jongho was imagining what it would have been like to build this for him.

It made his heart break and beat faster all at the same time. He brought his alpha into a bone crushing hug, scenting him furiously.

"Hey, hey, hey." Jongho's forehead creased with concern, and he hugged his beta back. "What's wrong?"

"This is just..." Yunho glanced at his pack for help. They looked just as lost as he felt...

His mind strayed to the snow dome Jongho had built for him not so long ago, and how happy Jongho had been to show it off.

This truly was how his old pack had operated. It was a whole different side that Yunho had yet to fully see.

It terrified him.

"I know. I'm sorry." Jongho whispered. "I never expected this. I thought-"

"I know." Yunho hugged him tighter.

A knock on the door made everyone turn to look at it. Stephan and the twins had joined them now, too, and were standing by the corner where Gunner was watching over Rhodey and Chan. They were the pack's top concern, along with their omegas.

Jongho looked at all of them, sending his reassurance through the link to let them know he would protect them.

Then he stepped forward to open the door.