When Y/n woke up, a severe headache throbbed behind her eyes. She found herself lying on a barn floor, the cool scent of hay and earth filling her senses as she slowly took in her surroundings. The forest outside framed the rustic interior with dappled sunlight filtering through the gaps in the wooden walls.

"Ah, there you are," came a soft voice that broke through the haze clouding her mind. Y/n's gaze finally settled on Chan's face. He was sitting nearby with his hands resting casually on his knees despite his disheveled appearance—his shirt torn and hair wildly tousled.

"Chan!" she cried out, confusion and concern battling for dominance in her tone. "What happened?"

A small smile tugged at his lips as he met her worried eyes. "Oh, nothing much," he began lightly, though there was an edge to his words that hinted at more turmoil beneath the surface. "You just turned into your wolf form, that's all. And well... you didn't kill anyone this time—not us anyway—so don't worry."

Y/n groaned softly, pressing her head into her hands as if trying to contain the whirlwind of emotions and memories threatening to overwhelm her. "Are you sure about that, Chan? You don't exactly seem like the shining good boy right now."

Before Chan could respond, another deeper voice interrupted them from around the thatched door, where Felix, a familiar face, peeked through.

"Nice?" Felix stuttered mockingly before stepping fully into view with an almost predatory grin playing on his lips. "I think you've got hyung confused with me, princess.

Lixe," Y/n breathed as she stood up, but before she could take a step, a delicate hand grabbed her elbow. She turned around wildly, only to find the siren staring back at her with an unwavering gaze.

"You're not going anywhere until we've healed your wounds, Luna," he said firmly, his voice commanding and calm. "Listen to your alphas now, okay?" His eyes bore into hers with a red glow that promised both protection and danger.

Y/n sighed deeply as Luna calmed down within her, the feral part of her soul retreating in response to the siren's soothing yet authoritative presence. Her animal instincts settled into a more peaceful state.

Chan chuckled softly from his spot on the barn floor while Felix stood there in all his glory, even though he looked equally disheveled. There was something undeniably magnetic about him despite—or perhaps because of—his rough appearance.

"The Changbees are out with I.N hunting," Chan explained casually. "They should be back in this clearing before dark."

Y/n's mind whirled with confusion and dizziness. "Why... what?" she stammered, shaking her head slightly as if trying to clear it. The events of the night were still too jumbled for her to make sense of everything at once.

Felix stepped closer, concern flashing briefly across his face before being masked by his usual bravado. "We need you to rest and recover first," he said gently yet firmly. "Everything else can wait until you're better."

Y/n nodded numbly, too overwhelmed to argue further. For now, she would trust them—her alphas—to guide her through whatever came next.

Chan stood up and brushed off his wrinkled pants, a determined look settling on his face. "I'm going to go out and see if I can build some shelter. The rain will come soon enough if we're not careful."

Y/n's mind was still reeling, but one pressing question finally fought its way to the surface. "What happened to my friends?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly. "You said I didn't kill anyone, but is that really true?"

Before Chan could respond, Minho appeared beside her with a comforting presence. He gently pulled Y/n into his lap and leaned in close, inhaling deeply at her scent gland. His breath tickled her skin as he spoke.

"Yes, dear," Minho murmured reassuringly. "It's true that you had very good control over your animal." A low chuckle escaped him, vibrating along Y/n's spine and sending shivers all the way to her core. She clenched her legs instinctively at the sensation.

"And let me just say," he continued with a grin that held both admiration and curiosity, "I've never seen a wolf like that before."

Y/n could feel the warmth of Minho's body against hers as she tried to process his words. Relief washed over her at the confirmation that she hadn't harmed anyone she cared about—but it was mixed with an unsettling awareness of how profoundly different she had become.

Chan glanced back at them briefly before stepping outside into the clearing beyond the barn door, leaving Y/n in Minho's capable hands for now.

"We'll figure this out together," Minho whispered softly in her ear as he held her close. "You're not alone in this."

For now, Y/n allowed herself to take comfort in their presence and strength—her alphas guiding her through these uncertain times.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Later that night, the forest air was filled with the crackling warmth of a fire and the comforting sounds of camaraderie. Chan had managed to construct a rather nice and tidy hut to shelter them for the night, and Changbin, Jeongin, and Seungmin had returned from their hunting trip with a successful catch.

"Here you go," Seungmin said, handing over a bundle of freshly caught conyes to Chan. Chan sat down by the fire pit that Y/n had helped build earlier in the evening. The aroma of roasting meat began to fill the air as they skinned and cleaned their catch.

Jeongin wandered over to where Y/n was sitting, with Minho still cradling her gently in his lap. Felix had also reached out to her, his presence a soothing balm as the Luna's hands combed through his blonde hair, making him smile contentedly.

The youngest of the alphas approached cautiously. "Sorry," he murmured softly to Felix before jumping slightly when Felix playfully startled him. Despite this, Jeongin didn't hesitate; instead, he found his way onto Y/n's lap alongside Minho.

Y/n smiled warmly at both boys as she treated her fingers through their hair—one hand gently stroking Minho's dark locks while the other tangled affectionately in Jeongin's softer strands. There was something profoundly peaceful about these moments shared around the fire: an unspoken bond that connected them all despite their individual struggles and uncertainties.

Chan glanced up from tending to dinner preparations and saw how Y/n effortlessly balanced caring for multiple members of their group—a sight that brought him comfort amidst chaos.

"We'll get through this together," Chan said quietly but firmly as he looked around at everyone gathered there. The flickering flames reflected off determined faces full of hope and resilience despite everything they had faced so far.

With bellies soon filled with warm food and hearts buoyed by each other's presence, they settled into another night under nature's watchful eye—united by trust, loyalty, and an unbreakable pack bond.

Soon enough, dinner was served, and Felix and Jeongin moved out of Y/n's grasp to settle on either side of her and Minho, each with their own steaming bowl of harefoot stew. The nine of them ate happily together under the stars and the moon that shone down on them through the branches of the pines.

"Tell us a story," pleaded Jisung, his eyes sparkling like small muddy jewels as he looked at Y/n. She flinched slightly but couldn't help smiling at the chipmunk alpha's eager expression.

"I—are you sure?" she asked shyly, glancing around at the expectant faces. Jisung nodded happily in response.

"Oh, fine," she agreed with a giggle, leaning back against Minho, who wrapped one arm around her waist while taking her discarded bowl with his other hand. "How about I tell you all how my parents met?"

The boys nodded enthusiastically, curiosity piqued.

Y/n began her tale: "My mother was what humans call a dragon—a magnificent creature feared by many but misunderstood by most." She paused for effect before continuing. "My father belonged to a wolf pack that shared territory with my mother's kind. Over time, they fell in love despite their differences."

As she spoke, Y/n felt herself relax into Minho's embrace. The warmth from his body seeped into hers as she recounted how her parents' packs had learned to share not just territory but also their hardships and happiness.

"So you're a hybrid?" Jeongin asked tentatively when she paused for breath.

"Somewhat yes," Y/n confirmed with a nod. To illustrate her point further, she twisted her fingers until they briefly took on the shape of dragon claws before returning to normal.

"I haven't seen my mom and dad in a while, though," she continued wistfully. "I live alone now, but Arulai and Jade visit me occasionally to keep me company."

At the mention of Jade—a male friend—all the boys tensed up slightly as if on high alert.

She chuckled softly at their reaction. "Don't worry; he's not an alpha," she assured them gently. "He's just a beta, so he doesn't have that kind of pull on me or my beast anyway."

Her words seemed to ease some tension among them as they exchanged relieved glances before turning back toward Y/n with renewed interest in hearing more about her life and adventures—each moment spent together strengthening their bond under nature's watchful eye.

Suddenly, a crack of light split the sky so wide it looked as if the heavens themselves had been torn in two. The sharp sound of thunder followed almost immediately, causing all of them to yelp and huddle closer together in the hut. Through the carefully threaded tendrils and few gaps in their shelter, they could see the sky being torn apart by jagged streaks of lightning.

Claws of electricity crackled along the edge of a massive storm cloud that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"That's strange," Hyunjin muttered, his voice barely audible over the roaring winds and thunder. "It wasn't supposed to rain for another whole week."

Chan frowned deeply as he glanced toward the sky outside their makeshift shelter. "Something's not right," he said with a hint of concern lacing his words.

Minho tightened his grip around Y/n protectively while Felix and Jeongin pressed closer on either side of her for warmth and reassurance. The sudden shift in weather had everyone on edge, their instincts screaming that this was no ordinary storm.

"We need to stay alert," Chan continued firmly. "This might be more than just bad weather."

Changbin nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily. "We should take turns keeping watch tonight," he suggested. "Make sure nothing catches us off guard."

Y/n felt a shiver run down her spine—not just from the cold but from an unsettling feeling deep within her gut that something ominous was approaching.

"I'll take first watch," Seungmin volunteered quietly, standing up and grabbing his cloak to head outside into the stormy night.

The others shuffled closer together for warmth and comfort as they settled back down around Y/n once more—each knowing that whatever came next, they would face it together as one united pack under nature's unpredictable skies.