Monday. The morning of Ash's pack tribunal had arrived more quickly than she would have liked.

She'd stayed up far too late texting with Chan while he was waiting around at a music video shoot, but she felt it was worth it. Long late night chats had always been her favorite way to spend some time, and the best way to get to know someone.

After her shower, she threw on a fitted pair of tan pants and a pastel mint chiffon top, and cream heels.

She'd been paying it off like she wasn't nervous, but she was. Her sister knew how to hold a grudge. While Ash had always tried to follow the pack rules, she broke them all when she left.

She had never felt more out of place. Everyone in her pack being well settled adults, young children, and young adults who found mates. She didn't fit in and she had never felt more alone. She felt suffocated in Korea and needed to get away. Her mother had supported her decision to leave, but her sister and new pack leader wasn't as agreeable.

Her sister had always believed that whatever you needed, your pack could give you. Food, shelter, love, advice, it all came from the pack. She felt there was never any need to leave. Probably because that's how things always worked for Asha. Men fell all over her, begging to be her mate. She could give puppy dog eyes and they'd give her whatever she wanted. She never NEEDED to go outside the pack, not when they all worshipped the ground she walked on.

Ashina walked up to her sisters luxury apartment building and the doorman nodded at her as she entered the lobby, another member of her pack.

"Hey, Jun" she said waving and smiling as she entered the elevator. The older man nodded and smiled as the elevator doors closed. Chan had offered to come with her, but because he wasn't officially part of the pack, he wasn't allowed or welcome.

She just tried to focus on the fact that she'd get to see him later that afternoon to officially meet the rest of his coven. Finally.

The doors opened again when she'd reached her sister's penthouse apartment. Members of the pack milled about the room and nodded as Ash walked by.

"Oh, you're here!" Her mother said pulling her close.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Ash said sarcastically. She just had to get through this and then she's able to go back to her life and her mate.

"Everyone! If you could make your way into the trial room now please." One of the butlers asked as everyone started to migrate.

The trial room was fairly large, a wide open room with seats at one end and an enormous desk on the other. A single solitary chair sat in the center of the room.

Ash took a seat on the chair and stared at her hands as everyone else came in and sat down. A silence fell over the room as their leader took her place at the desk.

"Official tribunal of the Seoul Equinox Wolf Pack, Gangnam Chapter begins now. Lee Jungwoo will be taking notes for this trial." Her sister began, as she centered her focus on Ashina.

"We are here regarding several counts. Abandonment lasting three years, Failure to communicate intentions, and a new charge of Mating outside of the pack. Do you agree that you've broken the rules I've mentioned to you, Lee Ashina?" Her sister said coldly.

"I do." Ash said quietly still looking at her hands.

"Now, you left the pack in November of 2020. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And when you left did you notify your pack leader that you'd be gone for an extended period of time?" Asha asked looking down her nose and her younger sister.

"Not immediately, I sent a formal letter stating—"

"Yes or no." Her sister interrupted.

"Not immedia—"

"And when you were gone, did you ever notify your pack leader that you had no intention of returning within the 30 days that you're allowed?"

"No, but—"

"And in that time, did you find a mate that is not only outside of this pack, but also a high profile kpop idol and vampire?" Her sister continued.

"Yes, but it wasn't—"

"Then as the leader of this—"

"JUST LET ME TALK!" Ash screamed as she stood, shaking and tears welling in her eyes. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. Her sister looked up from her papers unamused by her outburst.

"As the leader of this pack, I hereby condemn you to exile."

"what....no...." Ashina looked around the room as everyone held their heads low as to show respect for their Alpha. "No...Asha...please"

"You have 12 hours to pack your belongings and remove them from any communal living spaces and remove yourself from pack provided housing. That's all for today." Her sister said as she smirked at Ash and left the room.

Ash stood there in shock as everyone filed out of the room. No one said a word, even her mother, her brother, and those she grew up with as they were now forbidden to.

Ashina sniffed one more time and left the room, they all stared at her as she tried to hold her head high and refused to let them see her break down.

Once she made it out to the street she walked at a fast pace, not knowing where she was going until she saw a familiar apartment building across the street.

She ran across traffic, almost being hit by a taxi as she rushed inside and up the elevator to the 8th floor. She made her way down the hall to the apartment she'd only been to once before. Without thinking she knocked loudly. She heard shuffling inside as she tried to hold it all in as long as she could.

Eventually, her mate finally opened the door and looked at her, worry instantly spreading over his face.

"What happened?" He asked carefully, able to tell she was on the verge on losing it. Her bottom lip began to tremble as he pulled her inside gently and she began to pace in the small room.

"They....." she began, unable to force the words from her mouth. Part of her was hoping this was some kind of bad dream.

Chan could smell something about her scent change when her eyes flared bright gold. "They..." she mumbled as she stopped awkwardly and dropped to floor.

"SHIT!" Chan yelled as he ran to her and put her head in his lap patting her cheeks to get her to wake up.

"Who the fuck is that?" Jisung asked confused as he came in the room quickly followed by Minho.

"What happened?" Minho asked as he pushed past Jisung and knelt down next to Chan.

"I don't know, she was really upset and then just passed out."

"Alpha...exile......" she mumbled as her eyes opened but didn't focus on anything.

"She's in a drop." Minho said as he pulled out his phone.

"What the fuck is that? How do you even know that?" Chan asked worried.

"I had Jihoon help me with some research on wolves. Apparently, he has an old friend from childhood that's a wolf." Minho said as dialed Jihoon's number.

"It's like a—Jihoon, please tell me you're in town. We have a problem...What? No, Bada's fine. What?...Will you shut up and let me talk?" Minho said as he rolled his eyes.

Felix walked down the hall and straight into Jisung who was still frozen in place as he stared at what was going on, "Why is there a random girl on the floor?" Felix said confused.

"No, I think she dropped...." Minho continued on the phone, "...then get your ancient ass over here!!" Minho said hanging up.

"Take her to your room. She needs you and she needs to feel safe." Minho said as Chan stood and carried the girl to his room, pushing past the other members standing confused in the hallway.

****

"So.....he.....is...." Hyunjin trailed off not fully understanding what Minho was telling them.

"A wolf. Yes." He finished.

"But he's also...." Jisung started.

"A vampire." Minho finished again. "The girl is his mate....his wolf's mate."

The seven remaining members sat spread out throughout the living room in shock. Jihoon quietly closed Chan's door behind him as he walked into the room.

"Did you tell them what happened?" Jihoon asked quietly.

"Not yet" Bada spoke up as she sat down next to Minho.

Jihoon took a deep breath before he explained, "basically, Ashina is a wolf, an omega to be exact. What happened is called a drop. It's like a self induced coma that protects her from something traumatic. She'll come out of it soon. She just needs to feel safe and cared for first."

"How long has he known?" Changbin asked.

"About a week. It's why he was gone all night Saturday. He was...uh...wolfing out" Minho explained.

"Is she ok?" Bada asked Jihoon concerned.

"She just needs some time."

"So, we're doing this 'mate' thing all over again?" Jeongin asked quietly.

"Yep." Minho said as they all sat back and let the situation sink in. A silence fell over them for a few minutes.

"I'm hungry." Changbin said.

"You're always hungry." Seungmin said laughing as they all got up and headed to the kitchen.