As weeks faded quickly into months, most wounds began to heal for the pack.

Mingi's confidence slowly returned, mostly due to the constant support he received from his pack and especially from Theo.

The two of them had really solidified their communication so perfectly that Mingi had even started going on hunts again. With his now improved hearing and Theo's nose, they were the perfect scouts.

All Theo had to do was communicate with Mingi one on one to help direct him or let him know that an obstacle was approaching, and Mingi was able to avoid it or maneuver it with ease.

So even though he couldn't participate in the final kills anymore, Mingi was grateful he could at least help somehow.

His improved mood created a huge change for everyone, especially Wooyoung, who had spent hours upon hours upon hours pouring over his books to try and find a way to help the alpha regain his sight.

But time and time again, the only thing that stood a chance was the same cure he'd taken...

Wooyoung and Mingi spent several nights going over all the details, focusing mainly on the risks, and eventually included Seonghwa and the kids in the discussion as well.

In the end...

Mingi decided not to take the risk.

Yunho knew before anyone else, even Seonghwa, when Mingi had sought him out one night to ask his opinion.

They laid out in the grass behind their home in such a way that their heads could be next to each other while their long bodies stretched out in opposite directions.

"How many are there?" Mingi asked softly.

"Thousands." Yunho whispered back. "The north start seems extra bright tonight."

The alpha hummed, then let out a long, sad sigh. "What is it like for you, dealing with your back pain? How did you make your decision all those years ago?" He asked, voice softer than the breeze making the grass sway around them.

Yunho rolled onto his side so he could face his friend and frowned. "Is this about what Youngie has been saying?"

"Yes." Mingi admitted. "I... I don't think I can do it."

"It's a big decision to make... given what could happen." Yunho couldn't help but let out a small whine at the thought of losing his friend.

"It is." Mingi fell silent for a few seconds, then huffed a laugh. "We aren't all as strong as Wooyoung."

"No..." The beta agreed. "I would never risk taking it either. That's why I had Maria... but... part of me does regret it."

Mingi's forehead creased, and he rolled his head to the side to face Yunho. "Regret what?"

Or a moment, Yunho wished he hadn't said anything, but he could sense that Mingi needed some strength right now, and maybe if he shared a secret that he'd kept to himself for years now, it would give the alpha a little peace.

"I regret not being able to have more kids." Yunho's chest tightened as he spoke aloud the one secret that he hadn't even shared with Jongho, though he felt Jongho probably suspected it was there.

A small whine came from the alpha next to him and Mingi started to feel across the grass with one hand.

Yunho reached a hand up between their heads and closed his eyes as soon as he felt Mingi's fingers lace with his own. "I-I know I said I'm fine with it, and I am, I promise. But... there are times when I hear you joke with Seonghwa and it makes me wish I could do the same."

Mingi's frown deepened and he shook his head a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"

"I know you didn't, Min." Yunho silenced him quickly. "No one does."

"You should talk to Jongho about it. Maybe there something you can do?"

For a moment, Yunho was glad Mingi couldn't see the hopeless and defeated look on his face. It gave him time to collect himself before he spoke again. "I doubt there is, but it's the choice I made and I have to live with it. Which is the same for whatever choice you make, Mingi, but... if things go wrong, the rest of us will have to live with it too."

The alpha didn't say anything for a long while and all that could be heard was the sound of their soft breaths and the breeze still blowing around them.

"I don't want to do it." Mingi said after what felt like ages. "I... I can't do that to Seonghwa. I know I'm till weak after what N-... after what happened."

Yunho couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and moved forward to press his forehead to his friend's.

So, Mingi continued to work on improving, but he also started urging Yunho more and more to speak with Jongho.

It wasn't that simple for him, though, and Yunho put it off for several weeks, until one night when Jongho pulled him away from the house to go to their special spot.

The remnants of the hut Jongho had built during the winter was still there in the form of a ring of rocks and branches, plus now the crispness of fall had added a pile of leaves to cover the forest floor.

Jongho laid out a large blanket and then pulled Yunho down to lay next to them. "Finally, some time for just us." He said before placing a kiss to his mate's cheek.

Yunho laughed fondly and shook his head. "We are alone every night."

"Mmm, but not like this." Jongho gripped Yunho's waist and slipped a hand under his shirt to caress his skin.

The beta shivered and closed his eyes. He had no argument now, not when he had the wonderful touch of his alpha dancing along his body.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss and Yunho let out a soft moan. "That's true." He whispered a few seconds later. A smile tugged at his lips and he wrapped his arms around his alpha's neck.

Jongho lifted his head up and smirked. "I knew you couldn't resist me."

"When did I ever say I was trying to?"

The younger chuckled fondly before dipping his head down to kiss his mate again.

Which soon turned into ripping each other's clothes off as fast as they could with the desire to be connected in every way.

Even with how nippy the autumn air was, the heat of their bodies kept them plenty warm enough as limbs tangled and tongues twisted.

"God, Yunho, I just can't get enough of you." Jongho breathed while licking a stripe of skin over Yunho's abs.

The beta arched off the blanket and dragged his nails down Jongho's back. Then he grabbed Jongho's chin to bring him back up so they could kiss once more.

It isn't long before he's flipped over onto his stomach and Jongho's thrusting into him at a quick pace. He loves the feeling of his alpha caging him in, towering over him as he's pressed into the ground.

When Jongho finally knotted him, his alpha surrounded him in his arms and they rolled onto their sides. Soft fingers danced over his stomach and chest, soothing them as they both floated for a bit, enjoying their highs.

After some time, Yunho bit his lip and closed his eyes, as if the darkness would hide him from what was about to happen.

"Jongho? Can I ask you something?"

His alpha lifted his head up to nuzzle into Yunho's neck, then pressed a kiss to his mating mark. "Always. What's troubling you, my love?"

Yunho's ears turned red under the gentle words. They make his stomach churn and love for his mate bloom in his heart, giving him the courage to continue. "Do you ever regret us not being able to have more kids?"

Jongho hummed and moved his arms to hug his beta. "I'm guessing you do?" He said instead of answering the question.

Which Yunho couldn't blame him for. "Sometimes, if I'm being completely honest... It's ever really bothered me before, but... all the talks about pups at Carnal Pack and then even the others joking about it and the twins are due any time now..."

"You don't have to explain." Jongho said softly. "Honestly I'm surprised you haven't said anything sooner."

Yunho shifted so he could tilt his head to the side and sort of see Jongho behind him. "You are?"

"Yes. You've always been so great with all the kids, you're a natural. Look at how much Theo has grown."

"I'm sorry I can't give you another pup..."

"Yunho, don't go there, please." Jongho whispered, nuzzling into his neck again. "I've never complained, I'm not upset, I'm not disappointed. This the path that we were put on, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to spend my life with you."

His alpha's words stuck with him after that, and Yunho was able to push aside his regret.

In the following months, their family welcomed five new pups, almost down to the same exact day.

Jade gave birth to a handsome little boy she and Riley named Everest after her grandfather.

Very early the next morning, both Lizbeth and Lorelai went into labor with the help of Wooyoung and Seonghwa.

Things progressed quickly for both of them, because it turned out both girls were carrying twins. With the stress of being separated from Serena, both girls hadn't fully been in tune with their senses, so they had only been able to tell the gender.

Lorelai had twin boys, both small but still very strong, that she and Serena named Leo and Luca.

Lizbeth ended up having twin girls, which she and Stephan named Arin and Ayun. They two were small but mighty.

Along with the tradition of twins, Wooyoung's Ultima bloodline was passed down to both sets of twins as well. But only one child from each set inherited his gold flicked eyes. That gift was passed to Arin and Luca.

With five new mouths to feed, even though Everest was taken care of by Jade's family, things became very busy for the pack as a whole.

They ended up visiting Eunkwang every few weeks while Hongjoong asked for advice on how to sustain his growling family.

The alpha was more than happy to help and he started to teach them all how to farm, something none of them knew how to do on the level they needed now.

It was something Yunho ended up really enjoying and he went with Hongjoong every time. Avayla and Maria joined them almost every time as well, along with Yeosang, Rhodey, and Chan.

At first, Yunho wasn't quite sure why the young alpha continued to go with them after his parents decided to stay behind to help care for the new additions to the family, especially because of his still ever present attachment to his mom.

But one day he kept a closer eye on Chan and noticed the boy straying away from Rhodey to speak with another young alpha boy working the fields.

He motioned for Hongjoong to get his attention and the two of them, along with Minhyuk, watched the two boys.

"Who is that?" Hongjoong asked, looking up at Minhyuk.

A kind look crossed the beta's as he watched the boys. "That is Jaeyul, poor thing." Minhyuk sighed softly. "He's one of the 'orphans of Nova', as they have unfortunately been dubbed."

"Excuse me?" Hongjoong growled.

"Trust me, Eunkwang is fighting it, but it's a name that's stuck with the pack so far because there's no other way to summarize everything that happened due to her actions." The beta grimaced and rubbed his neck. "Jaeyul's father was one of the alphas who fought beside us early on when most of the females were still loyal to Nova. And his mother was a beta who sacrificed herself to save him during the fires."

Yunho gasped and placed a hand over his heart. "Did he...?"

"Yes." Minhyuk said softly. "He still has nightmares at night of her screams... I've done what I can to recruit others to help care for the other children, but there is only so much we can do with having to rebuild and get everything back on track."

"Can we do anything to help?" Hongjoong offered, now looking around their immediate are as if trying to find something to do.

Minhyuk gave him a kind smile and patted his shoulder. "No, my friend, you have your own pack to take care of. We are managing just fine, I promise."

Even so, Yunho couldn't help but continue to keep an eye on Chan and Jaeyul every time they returned to the pack for the next couple of weeks.

Chan had even started asking when they were going to return, so there was one day that Wooyoung, San, and Jongho joined them.

What they saw brought tears to Wooyoung's eyes.

As soon as they made it to the fields, Chan ran forward as soon as he saw his friend.

Jaeyul popped up from between the crops he was tending and a wide smile creased his eyes. "Channie!"

"That's him?" Wooyoung looked up at Yunho, who nodded.

"Yeah. Chan is inseparable from him whenever we are here." Yunho answered softly. His heart beat a little faster watching the sweet exchange as both boys sat and caught each other up on their lives.

San tilted his head a little. "No wonder he's been so anxious to come here. I think Jaeyul may be our son's first crush."

All four of them watched the two boys laugh about something, then Chan lifted a hand up to brush a little dirt from Jaeyul's cheek.

"I think it's more than a crush." Wooyoung breathed. "He's always been so mature for his age." He looked up at his mate with a sad but excited look in his eyes.

San pursed his lips a little and nodded, answering some unspoken question between them.

But Yunho understood too and he turned to his own mate. "I think Wooyoung and San are right. I think Chan really cares for him."

"It appears so." His alpha frowned a little, still watching the young alphas. "But I don't understand why you wanted me here so badly."

Yunho shifted his weight a couple of times and began to worry his lower lip with his teeth.

An idea had been forming in his mind, and his heart, for a few days now. An idea fueled by his hidden desires he had tried so to push aside.

"Baby, what is it?" Jongho asked, reaching out to take Yunho's hand.

"Well... I've been thinking... I-I know we'd n-need to talk to J-Joong about it first..." Yunho started to stutter and he could feel heat traveling quickly to his face under his alpha's concerned gaze. "B-But if Chan is this attached a-and Jaeyul is an orphan... what if..."

Jongho's eyes grew a little wider as he started to understand. But he still stayed quiet, waiting for Yunho to finish his thought.

The beta sighed harshly through his nose, then made direct eye contact with his alpha.

"What if we adopt him and take him home?"