The Day of the Chase
Park Chanyeol
16 March 20XX

For centuries the supernatural calendar was filled with festivals and celebrations that were devoted specifically to the werewolf community. It highlighted significant key dates such as anniversaries of powerful wolf leaders, as well as specific lunar rituals which were celebrated by all wolf-kind.

Of course, there were also mentions of smaller occurrences celebrated by individual packs, however those were typically never mentioned to any outsiders. However, perhaps the most important celebration which was practiced by all, was the famed Red Moon Festival. Due to the scope of this narrative, particular interest has been placed on the most well-known ritual of the week-long celebration; The Day of the Chase.

Having now been reduced to a mere fairytale, the day of the chase once played an important role in our community. Having fallen amidst the red moon festival, which in of itself occurs once every twenty-four years, the day of the chase was a prime social event that promoted fertility and the strengthening of the werewolf bloodlines. Traditionally, this saw packs from all over the globe gather together in central Europe to celebrate the coming of a brand new lunar cycle.

In order to gain a better understanding of the Day of the Chase, some information regarding the festival in which it operates within, needs to be discussed. The week-long celebration began with a two-day ceremony that invites the leading Alphas of all attending packs to perform a series of rituals meant to bless not only their pack with continued protection, but also those wishing to find a mate.

Once every pack had arrived and the ceremonial rites had been conducted by each individual leading Alpha, everyone was encouraged to check out the festivities. In a more traditional era this would have typically been displayed through the erection of several colourful stalls with patrons selling traditional crafts and homemade delicacies. Demand would often extend these markets into the remaining days of the celebration, but oftentimes sellers were fresh out of their products not long after opening. The conclusion of the first two days of the festival was highlighted by the portrayal of classic werewolf stories which were brought to life from the talented minds of the pack's youth.

The following two days started the settling period of the festival. Over the previous two days, packs had arrived and set up their lodgings. These two days were allocated so people could settle into the festivities, by enjoying displays of pack unity through the form of various games.

One such example is explained in depth by Professor Armstrong (1976, pg. 78) who devotes an entire chapter in his book Werewolf Calendar Customs about the strong presence of baseball in the Red Moon Festival. Apparently, the sport, though made popular in America, is a fun pastime of many of the packs attending the festival in the previous installations of these games.

On the fourth day of the festival, the packs are brought together to break bread. Members are encouraged to sit amongst wolves they had never met before, to share stories and memories about previous festivals. Food played a strong staple at this event, with many people bringing along their best dishes, though there have been such cases where food brought from the stalls have been included in the banquet. Packs were encouraged to broaden not only their social circles, but also their palates as it was likely that many would be entering into political, societal, or familial ties with others.

The fifth day was spent in preparation for the bringing of dusk. Families often spent their day making final preparations to the ceremonial robes adorned by their young people involved in the full moon ritual. Ages often varied, but the prominent feature of these young people was the fact that they were unmated. These unmated young wolves would gather at twilight alongside the treeline of the forest, a thrilling whistle signaled the first group of betas and omegas to make a break for the forest. From there, they would hide amongst the foliage and lie in wait for the appearance of their mate.

Roughly ten minutes after the first whistle, a second, higher pitched shrill is released to indicate the release of the final participants. Alphas and betas alike are encouraged to chase after the most prominent scent noticed by their wolf. Hence the name of the ritual; The Chase.

It is important to mention here that there have been many cases over the course of the centuries, where wolves have come away empty-handed. However, the select few who were successful in their mating were met with loud cheers and congratulations. Of course, there have also been a few cases -though they are very limited in authenticity- where wolves have proclaimed themselves mates without partaking in the ritual. It should be stressed again that this is an extremely rare occurrence, and not much scholarship has made reference to explicit examples.

Following the tragedy of the 2000 Red Moon festival, it is likely that wolves will refrain from continuing this tradition into the future. With the dawning of the post-millennium era, it is likely that these traditional customs will be left behind in favour of ensuring the continued existence of wolf-kind. With more and more wolves leaving their packs behind for life in the cities and other human dominant habitats, this author wonders if even more wolf traditions will be reduced to mere fairytales -

"What are you reading?"

Baekhyun tries not to jump when there is a sudden weight against his shoulder, but his heart starts thundering for another reason when plush pink lips come to press against his cheek.

Chanyeol's arms come up to gently wrap themselves around Baekhyun's frame, his body shifting to accommodate the back of Baekhyun's seat. He giggles when Chanyeol's nose gently rubs against his scent gland.

Baekhyun's head falls back against Chanyeol's shoulder, allowing the taller to have better access to the length of his neck. Baekhyun tries to hold back the moan that is threatening to slip free, but Chanyeol's skilled lips were enough to have it ripping itself from Baekhyun's chest regardless of his attempts of concealing it.

The melody seems to stroke a flame. Chanyeol's lips became insistent. They began to grow harsher against his gentle skin, lingering by his sweat-glands where he continued to press feather-light kisses. Baekhyun's grip is tight when his fingers come to rest in the hair covering the taller's nape. Chanyeol chuckled against his skin, teeth lightly touching the spot on his neck where Baekhyun had always imagined him to stake a claim.

"Stop trying to distract me." Chanyeol's words are hushed, reminding Baekhyun that they weren't exactly alone right now. "What have I caught you doing?"

"Reading stuff from your discard pile." The response came through a breathless huff.

"Find anything interesting?"

"This one is really good." Baekhyun gestures with his chin to the paper he had dropped on the table when Chanyeol first appeared. He watches as the taller leans over him to gain a better look at the corner, a small sad smile forming on his lips.

"The day of the chase..."

"Is it your first draft?"

"Yeah." Chanyeol's head moves back to his shoulder, innocently. "I've been too busy helping Donghae with patrolling the border that I haven't had time to visit Heecheul in the library to gather any more sources. I only referenced Anderson but even then his book only had a single page referencing the festival in the entire book."

"You could ask me." Baekhyun pulls him closer, sighing contently as Chanyeol comes willingly. "I wouldn't mind it... not really."

"Baby-"

"I know that it's unfortunate that my abuser shares the same name as the ritual, but I'm not triggered by it anymore. I can separate the two of them pretty easily. I'm not as emotional about it now. I've done the therapy, I've said all that I could on the matter... I think that I'm finally in the right frame of mind to talk about them now."

"But this isn't just about him sweetheart, baby." Chanyeol whispers against his pulse, his lips gently pressing against it. "It also involves memories of your family, the people he hurt. I know that they're still a really hard topic for you to talk about."

"They loved talking about the festival..." Baekhyun admits, smile growing broader as he reminisces. "It's where my grandparents on my father's side met. I remember how my dad always said that when we got to go to the next one, he'd bring me alongside so that maybe I would be able to find my mate."

"Baekhyun..." Chanyeol's grip grows tighter. "You don't have to do this."

"I want to." Baekhyun whispers back. "Talking about them when they were happy helps. I can't keep locking all of the memories I have with them away because they hurt, they never used to hurt, they didn't hurt when I made them. They shouldn't hurt so much now. "

"I want to." Baekhyun whispers back. "Talking about them when they were happy helps. I can't keep locking all of the memories I have with them away because they hurt. They didn't hurt when I made them. I shouldn't allow myself to erase their memory because I can't handle their absence, I should be able to talk about them. I have to realise that the memories I have don't have to be affected by their deaths. They should act as my anchor in keeping their memory alive. But," Baekhyun lets out a shaky breath. "can we get a little more comfortable?"

"Of course." Chanyeol seals his promise with a kiss to Baekhyun's forehead.

__________________________

That memory is almost 15 years old now.

The blissful experience of their shared youth was nothing but an age-worn fairytale that has long since become Chanyeol's inner sanctuary. More than once a day he has found himself slipping back into the memories of those brighter days, when the sun pierced through the clouds and his heart didn't feel so heavy.

He had never allowed himself to forget that memory, having spent hours tracing every line of Baekhyun's face as he reminisced the stories his grandparents told him of their own experience at the festival. He had burned the warmth of Baekhyun's body into his bones, forcing them to recall their positioning throughout the tales - Chanyeol laying comfortably on the couch in the library with Baekhyun draped lazily against his chest. His citrus scented shampoo still lingered against Chanyeol's nostrils, a stark contrast to the sweet strawberry that came from his wolf.

Chanyeol had cherished that memory. He held onto it with white knuckles, reminiscing on it everyday so that his mind would never forget a detail. While many other beautiful moments had slipped through the cracks over the years, this one was significant.

It wasn't one he could just let go.

This moment was the first ever time when Chanyeol realized that he would be able to love again.

For years he had built a wall around himself. He had learned how to pile the stones higher so that it grew alongside him. At its centre, at his core stood a gentle beating thing that had been pummeled so viciously through life. A thing that had dealt with the pain of his history, a thing that had braced the winter and welcomed the darkness.

His heart.

That day in the library, surrounded by books and sad memories, Chanyeol's wall crumbled. It didn't happen gradually like the books or the television shows often depict. This was a sudden and overwhelming revelation. That day in the library Chanyeol was forced to accept something that he hadn't even realised was happening. His body had already started to grow accustomed to Baekhyun's presence, it was simply his mind that was catching up at that moment.

When Baekhyun disappeared and got recaptured by Chase, Chanyeol didn't know what to do. Things had changed between them. Baekhyun went on the run and Chanyeol put down roots. He had people to protect, friends he couldn't neglect. As much as his wolf had cried and begged, Chanyeol had stayed focused on his duties as a protector. Then, word spread that Baekhyun had escaped with Chase's secret weapon in tow.

He hadn't really known what he was expecting when he arrived at that hotel room. He had prepared for the rush of emotions, the thrilling of his wolf to be in close proximity to someone it loved. But, Chanyeol wasn't prepared for the look.

That look.

It sparkled in Baekhyun's eyes the night Chanyeol arrived at his hotel door, it had danced across his eyes that day in the library and it had bewitched him tonight at the restaurant. That look was a gaze so fierce that it drove away the voices, a gaze so heated that it burned his throat with unshed tears, a gaze so honest that it constantly made Chanyeol's breath hitch.

"Chase me." His voice had been so certain, that look unyielding in his eyes. "Catch me and I'll say whatever you want me to."

It had been a promise.

A declaration of something more than even words could articulate. A gesture of absolute certainty. A challenge if Chanyeol chose to accept it.

"You have to mean it Baekhyun."

"I will. I'll give you a reason to believe in me again." The 'in us again' goes unsaid, but it is implied. "All you have to do is catch me."

Baekhyun was giving him a challenge.

Chase after me, if you catch me, I'm yours.

"Chase me. Catch me. The rest is just instinct."

If you catch me, we will mate.

__________________________

15 minutes.

Baekhyun had been given a fifteen minute head-start. His boots had hindered his escape, but he had still put a decent amount of distance between himself and the restaurant. Though he didn't exactly have any particular place in mind, it felt right that he had landed exactly where he was supposed to.

The land he had unknowingly entered was right next to Chanyeol's property, it ran parallel to the boundary marker but was still far enough away that those on border patrol wouldn't be able to pick up on his breathing or his location.

It was the perfect place.

Baekhyun's breath danced in the air, swirling around trees and dispersing against branches. Above him the moon was not yet full, a mere crescent against an abundance of stars. Tall, dark branches stretched like fingers towards their twinkling glow. Beneath his feet, leaves crumbled and crunched, their remains lifting into the breeze by Baekhyun's footfall.

He lingers against a tree, taking a moment to calm both his breathing and his heart. His stomach was already twisted into a knot, terrified by having voiced out this challenge to begin with.

It wasn't a stupid decision, nor one that he would find himself regretting. In fact, Baekhyun's turmoil rested in the shock that came with his declaration. He wasn't surprised about the feelings that went along with the challenge, he was more surprised about the fact that he had the confidence to announce it so willingly.

It had been the right choice.

For years Baekhyun has been on the run, running away from his past, his trauma and a life he could have lived. He had claimed that it was for the benefit of everyone else, but in reality running had been his escape. It kept him away from Chase, sure. But it also allowed him to ignore the elephant in his chest and how it thundered whenever his mind slipped to a brown-eyed giant with a kind smile and even warmer embrace.

Chanyeol wasn't supposed to become permanent.

He was only meant to be someone that crossed his path when he wound up in Leeuteuk's territory. He was never meant to burrow his way any deeper than Baekhyun's thick skin. He wasn't supposed to make Baekhyun's thrill of running become unsatisfactory. He wasn't supposed to become home.

Home.

What a crazy word.

It wasn't one that he would have ever thought that he would use again after the death of his entire clan. And yet, Chanyeol was the one that he thought about when he got tortured. Chanyeol was the man he begged the moon to see again, Chanyeol was the one to keep him alive all those years that he had been taken. Chanyeol was the reason Baekhyun hadn't ended it by himself, and he was the reason Baekhyun had let Jaemin into his heart in the first place.

"You know in my dreams we're mated." Baekhyun had whispered one morning when the sun had yet to breach his bedroom's curtains. He hadn't expected Chanyeol to be awake, but he found himself smiling when a morning-heavy voice whispered back.

"Oh yeah? Where did I put the mark?"

"My neck."

"For everyone to see huh?" A gentle chuckle. "Tell me something..." Baekhyun's heart skipped a beat when Chanyeol's lips gently rested against his nape. "In this perfect life that you allow yourself to dream about, do we have any children?"

"Two. A son and a daughter. He would be born first so that when she arrives he'll look after her for her whole life. He'll protect her, nourish her, show her how to fight and how to love."

"It sounds beautiful."

"It is." Baekhyun had whispered, tears in his eyes. Chanyeol held him a little tighter that morning, pulling him flush against his chest. "They would be."

When he met Jaemin, Baekhyun couldn't help but see Chanyeol in him. The young boy had suffered just like they had and had been strong enough to get through everything that Chase had done to him. While Jaemin doesn't remember much about what happened in the days leading up to his death, Baekhyun can recall all of their conversations.

It had been heartbreaking when the boy had woken up and completely forgotten all about him, a side-effect of the transition that had made him a hybrid. Baekhyun had made the decision to re-introduce himself and add Jaemin along to his escape plan.

When Chanyeol showed up at his hotel door that day, Baekhyun wasn't sure what to think.

He felt like he had been hiding Jaemin his whole life and now the father of the child had finally learned about his existence. Chanyeol hadn't said anything, other than a factual remark about Chase's obsession with kidnapping youths to fuel his experiments. Baekhyun knew that he had asked for too much, he shouldn't have been expecting anything but Chanyeol had stayed.

He lay on the couch with his head positioned against the armrest, his eyes in a direct-line with the door. Baekhyun had offered him a blanket, too afraid to ask him to come to bed. Chanyeol had kindly refused, encouraging him to get back to bed while he still could. Baekhyun didn't sleep a wink that night.

Instead he observed.

He watched as Chanyeol shifted his head every hour to get comfortable, his eyes never once leaving the front door. Later that morning, just before Jaemin stirred from his dreamworld, Chanyeol stood up from his perch and crossed the room.

He didn't say anything.

Baekhyun pretended to be asleep. A gentle nudge had woken him up, a gentle whisper of goodbye before he disappeared through the door.

When they both arrived at Chanyeol's house in the woods later that evening, Baekhyun hated himself for leaving. His entire life had been built into this house. Chanyeol was here, now Jaemin was too.

But, instead in his own fearful mind, he allowed the voices to creep back in. You're doing this for them. Chase won't rest until he finds you, it keeps them safe.

Well, now Baekhyun doesn't want to be safe anymore. Baekhyun wants to come home.

"My scent has started to wear off." A deep voice pierces through the trees, snatching Baekhyun's attention. "You'll start smelling like yourself soon."

"Oh no..." Baekhyun whispers, lips ghosting into a smile. "Whatever will I do?"

"Don't move." Chanyeol growls, teeth snapping. "Let me shift back first-"

"Why? I told you that I don't mind seeing you. Don't you think it's about time? How different could you possibly be since the last time we've seen each other?"

"That was years ago," Chanyeol huffs. "things change. You'll freak out if you see me like this."

"Well people change too. You don't know how I'm going to react. You can't know how I'm going to react to you-"

"I'm not ready to show you."

"Well tough shit, you're about to become my mate." Baekhyun pulls himself away from the tree, his boots crunching against the foliage beneath.

There was no wolf standing in front of him, no man either.

Baekhyun's brow raises in surprise. Chanyeol had grown faster in their time apart. He barely had time to yell out to the scaredy cat before he's been forced to the ground with a heavy load pressing against his legs.

He scoffs against the dirt as Chanyeol's wolf huffs against his waist. The wolf barely lets any of his body weight transfer over to Baekhyun. He even leaves just enough room for Baekhyun to escape if he so chooses. Baekhyun stays on the ground, submitting.

"Funny, you're a comedian." Baekhyun huffs, blowing away a lead that he had fallen too close to. "I don't remember explaining this submission part to you."

"You didn't have to. You said it yourself, the whole mating ritual is just instinct."

A strong odor of strawberry leaps from Baekhyun's frame, making the wolf above him pause momentarily. His hesitation gives Baekhyun the perfect opportunity to flip himself around. His back collides against the ground with a soft thud, but neither of them take notice of it or the related pain as Baekhyun's eyes finally take in Chanyeol's wolf.

It seems larger than Baekhyun remembers. Chanyeol's winter coat had come in full force making everything look larger than it probably was, but it didn't cut into the height and physical strength that the wolf now possessed. His shoulders stood taller, his neck tighter, legs steadier. But those eyes, those beautiful red orbs had remained the same since their youth.

A breath of air leaves Baekhyun's lips, not from fright or fear, but a recognition. A moment of reflection that has his lips curling upward and his eyes crinkle as his fingers gently thread themselves through Chanyeol's fur. He pulls the wolf closer, gentle in his touch so as to avoid injury. The wolf comes willingly, snout coming to rest against Baekhyun's chest as Chanyeol allows himself to lay down. His body fits perfectly between Baekhyun's legs, his presence a welcome warmth against the chilled ground.

"You look different from when I last saw you." He admits in a whisper, afraid to say the wrong thing and spook the wolf. Chanyeol doesn't reply. "Your coat has gotten darker, you've gotten bigger too... you've grown into it really well Park." Chanyeol's nose twitches at the compliment, Baekhyun tries to muffle a giggle. "Your eyes..." Chanyeol goes still against him, air pausing in his lungs. "are so beautiful."

"Stop."

Baekhyun's lips curl, his fingers growing tighter against the wolf's head. "Why? Can't take a compliment?"

"From you? No." The wolf gently licks against Baekhyun's wrist, gaining a gleeful giggle in return. "I don't know how to."

"You need to start getting used to it," Baekhyun whispers, his fingers gently curling around the wolf's fur. "I plan on giving you them every day from now on."

"You really meant it..." The wolf staggers away from Baekhyun's legs, eyes wide open.

Baekhyun rushes to follow him, surprised to find Chanyeol react in such a way. He can feel leaves in his hair and a chill against his back, but panic rattles his heart. He launches himself up onto his feet, hands stretched out in surrender. The rush makes him dizzy. His heart hammering against his chest as he watches Chanyeol's wolf stare up at him.

"Chanyeol-"

"You meant it when you said that if I caught you that we would..."

"Yeah." Baekhyun smiles, drawing his arms close to fight away the cold. "Yeah I meant every word of it. You caught me-"

"You should think about this." Chanyeol's wolf starts to pace, eyes drifting to the forest floor below. "This isn't something you should take lightly. This is committing to one person for the rest of your life, to me for the rest of your life. I understand that you want me to start trusting you again but if this is the only reason you want to be mated to me, I can assure you that you have my attention-"

"No." Baekhyun takes a cautious step forward. He can feel the tears of quiet frustration start to form beneath his waterline. Chanyeol's wolf stops pacing, surprised by the interruption. Baekhyun takes a deep breath before continuing. "I know that our past has left you cautious of trusting me, I get that. I haven't been very trustworthy when it comes to giving people my word, but this is different. I can't lie or manipulate about this. I can't let you think that this is something that I'm only doing to get you to trust me, we both know that even I wouldn't stoop to that level. I don't mess around when it comes to mating, I don't joke about having that kind of connection to someone. Not when it's the one thing that I hold to the utmost importance in my life, it's the one thing that I can pick for myself... the one thing that I get to choose and hope that they choose me in return."

"You want to choose me?"

Baekhyun couldn't help but let a gentle scoff slip past his lips, the tears trickling over his waterline now. "I've known that I've wanted no one but you for a long time now. I was just afraid of something happening to you, being linked to me usually means that people end up dead and I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. So, when I heard that Chase was on the move again I had to leave, I couldn't let him see me by your side all those years ago. It killed me to leave Leetuek's property that time. I had to delude myself into thinking that I was doing the right thing, something that I did again, when I put Jaemin into your care."

"You were mentioning that at the restaurant..."

"Running was the only way I knew to protect you." Baekhyun takes another step forward, breathing a sigh of relief when the wolf meets him in the middle. He chokes back a sob. "But I am so tired of running..."

Overwhelmed and frankly exhausted, Baekhyun lets himself fall to his knees. A sob rattles from his chest as the tears stream down his cheeks now. He stares up at Chanyeol's bright red orbs which blink right back at him.

"Then stop running." the wolf whispers and Baekhyun closes his eyes to swipe at his cheeks. He lets out a gasp when he opens them again and sees Chanyeol's human face so impossibly close to him. "Stop running and come home. Come home to me."

"I'm scared." Baekhyun hiccups, his hands forming fists against his knees. "I'm terrified, I can't lose you."

"You won't." Chanyeol whispers, finally reaching out to gently caress Baekhyun's cheeks. "I'm stubborn like you, I don't die easily."

"Don't joke about dying right now!" Baekhyun hisses, slapping across Chanyeol's bare chest. The taller chuckles and Baekhyun's tears stop. He wallows in the heat of Chanyeol's hand, nuzzling his cheek deeper into his palm. "...Okay."

"Hmm?" Chanyeol's thumb continues to swipe against his cheek.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay," Baekhyun sniffles, blinking up at those beautiful brown eyes. "I'll come home to you."

There is silence in the air. Baekhyun thought he had said the wrong thing, but the air hadn't taken a heated turn. Instead the cool breeze continued to blow against his hair and hum with the sound of the forest.

There was no earthquake, no giant balls of fire falling from the sky, no wolves howling or danger looming. The world simply kept turning and the stars still shimmered. The only difference now was that the weight on Baekhyun's shoulders finally lifted, his heart no longer filled with dread and sorrow of another premature departure.

Chanyeol didn't look any different. He didn't pull his hand back, he kept it anchored against Baekhyun's cheek, his thumb still tracing lines against his cheekbone. He didn't look hurt, he didn't look unsure. He looked convinced, like he was finally beginning to believe the words coming out of Baekhyun's mouth.

After another moment of continued silence, Baekhyun watched completely starstruck as Chanyeol's lips finally curled into a genuine happy smile. His lips pulled back to reveal full sets of teeth, pearly white like the winter snow. Using the hold that he had on Baekhyun's cheek, he draws him closer. Baekhyun falls forward willingly.

The kiss was unlike anything they had ever shared before.

It wasn't rushed, or too heated or too innocent. It was just two pairs of lips that pressed against each other with the weight of the thousands of things that had gone unsaid between them. Baekhyun's arms came to wrap themselves around Chanyeol's shoulders, the taller one dragging him closer to sit on his lap against the cold.

Baekhyun hummed his appreciation, sliding his hands back into the hair that grew at the base of Chanyeol's head. His fingers dared to slip downward just enough to press against the spot he had always wished to see his own mark, the very idea of it bringing a moan to his lips.

Chanyeol pulled away, smirking knowingly as his own hands squeezed against Baekhyun's hips. "Relax," he whispers before delivering another kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not be fucking lying." Baekhyun huffs, pulling him back into the kiss. Chanyeol ruins it with a laugh that grows infectious as the seconds continue.

When they manage to calm themselves down and allow the silence of the forest to slip back into the foreground, they simply choose to stare at each other a little longer. Baekhyun hung onto him like a kola would its mother and Chanyeol's grip on his waist was bruising.

"You know I meant it when I said that you could rely on instinct if you caught me, right?" Baekhyun's brows wiggle and Chanyeol struggles to hold back a small playful groan. "Come on, I know exactly where I want my mark to be-"

"I'm not mating you."

Baekhyun pulls back, eyes wide. His blood grows cold and his hands slip from their place around Chanyeol's neck. He can feel his omega whine, disappointed to have been refused by the one he had thought of as his mate.

"Oh-"

"No." Chanyeol closes the gap that he had made, pressing another kiss to his lips. The wolf huffs beneath the affection. "That's not what I meant. I meant that I'm not going to mate you here, or tonight. Since we're both so interested in tradition, I figured why not wait until the full moon?"

Warmth immediately rushes through Baekhyun's veins, excitement bubbling in his stomach. "Oh?"

"It's in a few days time. Mark's transformation will occur when the sun goes down which leaves us perfectly free to attend to that when the moon reaches its peak. The extra time will give me a chance to fix the old hunting cabin at the back of the property, we'd have privacy there and maybe we could stay there for a few days to grow... accustomed?"

Baekhyun's cheeks burned, his gaze falling downward when he felt Chanyeol's attention become a little too much at that moment. He giggles, content to know that his future mate had given this some thought.

"While I love the idea of mating with you beneath a full moon, I don't want to do it in the old hunting cabin... I'd rather do it in the house, in my nest."

"You-" Chanyeol chokes on the air in his mouth. He shakes his head and begins again, Baekhyun hides a giggle. "You want me in your nest?"

"You do know that I want you to be my mate right? That means that I'm going to want you in my nest. I want to be comfortable and completely surrounded by you when we do get mated. I don't want it to be like teenagers doing it in the wilderness, we can save that for when we're already mated and wanting pups."

"Pups-" Despite the darkness, Baekhyun could easily see how Chanyeol's pupils dilate at the idea.

"We have our son already, so you're really going to have to do everything in your power to give me a girl. Once she's born and healthy, we can move onto raising that big family you always wanted. But for our first pup, I want a girl."

"I don't think that giving you a girl is something that I have much of a say in." Chanyeol's voice was hoarse, like he had just been to a three hour long concert where he had yelled through the entire thing.

Baekhyun's eyes flash an icy blue, his lips curling up in a smirk as he holds on tighter to Chanyeol's neck. "See that's where you're wrong. My pack grew up alongside a coven of witches, they might have shown me a thing or two to ensure that our first conceived child would be a girl."

"I'm not going to be sleeping much after our mating, will I?"

"It's probably for the best that we establish that now." Baekhyun teases, pulling him into a heated kiss.

__________________________

Dear Mister Lee,

This an automated email announcing that the following amount of 9,895 has been paid in full to your student profile. Please find the attached receipt complete with the finalised fee balance.

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"You're kidding me..." Mark's blurry eyes blinked at the laptop screen Jeno had sat in front of him. "Someone paid for it?"

"I thought you paid for it?" Jeno's brows furrow. Mark's head snaps up from his plate of waffles, whipped cream smudged against his upper lip.

"Eh, no."

"You're kidding me..." Mark's blurry eyes blink at the laptop screen that Jeno had sat down in front of him at the breakfast table. "Someone actually paid all that?"

Jeno stands by his side, arms crossed against his chest. He's wearing his glasses this morning, not wanting to strain them against the blue light. He had been up at least an hour before his best friend. Jeno usually gets excited to get started on reviewing the lecture materials needed for the coming teaching week, but he hadn't been expecting to see a bunch of emails taking up his college inbox.

"I thought you paid for it." Jeno admits, brows furrowing as he draws the laptop from the table.

Mark scoffs, almost choking on the waffle in his mouth. Instead it's the wiped cream that comes to settle in gentle blobs over the tabletop. Jeno cradles the laptop against his chest, thankful to have moved it when he did.

"Me pay for you? Yeah, I've learned not to talk about money with you after the last time you almost put me through a wall when I tried to pay for your bike repairs."

"I told you I was grateful..." Jeno pouts, gently closing over the device in his hands.

"Yeah only after you made sure that I would never do it again."

"Taught you a valuable lesson." Jeno smirks, sliding into the seat across from his best friend. "Your Dad always told you to save your money in case I caused bodily harm to someone, it was supposed to go towards my future lawyer."

"Well Sehun seems to like working pro-bono." Mark mumbles with a shrug. Jeno lets him get back to his breakfast, a small smile on his lips as he watches his best friend delight in the waffles he had coerced Kyungsoo to remake.

"Jeno, do you mind keeping an eye on my biscuits for me?" Kyungsoo wonders, struggling to take his apron off. "I just need to run upstairs and make a quick phone call, I'll be quick."

"They have a timer right?" Jeno glances over to the oven.

"Yeah, it will thrill twice before going off, nothing to worry about. Just make sure that you take them out of the oven at the right time, not a minute later."

"I can handle something like that." Jeno offers his best smile, crescent eyes and all.

"Thanks sweetheart, I'll be quick." He leaves the room in a flurry, his apron in a heap on the ground.

"Take your time!" Jeno shouts after him. He stands up from his seat and makes his way towards the oven, he's halfway there before he bends over to grab the apron from the floor. Not wanting any accidents to occur in the few minutes that it would take Kyungsoo to make a phone call, Jeno carefully folded the apron and placed it onto the cleaned countertop.

"Do you want to explain to me why you woke me up a whole hour earlier than the rest of the house?" Mark groans, pushing away his empty breakfast plate. "I find it hard to believe that it was to simply show me the receipt for someone's kind gesture."

"How can you tell?"

"You're vibrating."

"I am not."

"Okay then you're radiating anxiety, I can feel it swell off your body in waves. It's distracting and it's not like you- well, technically it is like you if we were doing something social, with people. But you actually like the people here so, I'm confused-"

"Okay." Jeno interrupts his best friend's ramble, much to Mark's evident relief. "Something happened last night..."

"After you two came home?" Mark immediately perks up, eyes sparkling in the glow of the kitchen lighting above him. "Did you two do the devil's tango? Why the hell are you down here if he's in your bed?!"

"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Jeno hisses, taking a cautious glance into the hallway just outside the kitchen's door. "We're not in human territory right now! People can actually hear what you're saying."

Mark's lower jaw drops. "I actually forgot all about that..."

Jeno quickly refills the seat that he had abandoned in favour of picking up Kyungsoo's apron. Mark looks wide awake now, his lips parted as he waits for Jeno to finish relaying the information he had been excited to learn about.

"Dude-"

"We kissed."

Mark falls back against his seat, a small knowing smirk on his lips. "Again?"

"It wasn't like the first time."

"Oh?" Mark's brows wiggle, his arms coming to rest against the tabletop. "That first kiss was quite a shocker... are you meaning to tell me that this next kiss was just as impactful?"

"No," Jeno glances down at his fingers, Mark gasps. "It was more... intimate."

"Dude!"

"Shush!"

"When you say intimate, do you mean that it was sweeter, or like there was a lot more heat behind it? Because when you laid one on him the last time you two kissed, the one that we all saw was pretty intense."

Jeno could feel his cheeks burn bright red. Mark's jaw dropped, his eyes widening.

"Oh my God-"

"Nothing happened." Jeno snaps. Mark didn't look convinced. "There might have been something that happened if Jisung hadn't interrupted."

"That baby cockblock." Mark hisses, pouting his lips. "Jeez man, I'm so sorry."

"What? No, I'm not looking for sympathy or anything like that. I'm glad that nothing happened between us last night, it wasn't exactly the right time. We still don't know each other that well."

"I've learned that instinct is a very real thing," Mark admits, looking coy. "You can't deny your heart what it wants most."

"My heart wants to wait until we're both comfortable and not drunk on the pleasant evening, my body on the other hand was very close to acting like an animal-"

"You dog!"

"Knock it off with the puppy shit!"

"Sorry man, I've been watching puppy videos too much lately. I keep thinking that when I do shift into my werewolf alter ego I'll look half as cute as those dogs."

"You're an average attractive human, that holds no stake in how you will look like as a wolf. By the way, there is a difference between a wolf and a dog."

"Is there?" Mark challenges. "Is there really? Aren't wolves just larger dogs?"

"I don't think I have enough caffeine for this conversation." Jeno mourns the emptiness of his mug.

"Me on the other hand, have had plenty to keep up with your early morning routine. Now I'm going to go and get dressed and ready for my early day. Thanks for that by the way."

"Take it as karma for making me clean up the mess in our dormitory while you worked on figuring out what stuff you wanted to bring with you."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. I have a lot of stuff."

"You're a hoarder."

"I'm a collector."

Jeno laughs as he watches his best friend rise from his seat and bring his dishes to the sink. He places it down into the basin, figuring that he could run upstairs to get changed before coming back down to clean it. He accepts the middle finger that Mark throws his way before rushing out of the room.

Just as he's about to reach down and return to his reviewing, the opening of the backdoor makes Jeno raise his gaze from the sleek grey top of his laptop. What he sees has his lower jaw drop and a knowing smile on his lips.

Chanyeol and Baekhyun slip into the room with twigs and leaves in their hair, their lips are curled up in happy shy smiles, their cheeks the same shade of crimson. They notice him immediately, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot as they close the door behind them.

"Good morning."

"Good morning..." They choir together.

"Nice evening?"

"Shut up Sparky." Baekhyun groans, playfully rolling his eyes.

Jeno watches as he creeps around the counter until he gets to the fridge, his squeal of happiness bouncing off the tiles. He catches Chanyeol's bright smile before it too fades before turning to him.

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone." Jeno beats him to the punch, offering them both a small knowing smile. "But I will only do so if you answer one question for me."

"Let's hear it."

"Is he staying?" Jeno wonders, holding Baekhyun's surprised gaze.

Even Chanyeol seems unsure, his lower lip disappearing beneath his upper teeth as he turns his attention away from Jeno and onto Baekhyun.

"You have me up until the full moon," Baekhyun explains before he could think to pull his eyes away from the inside of the fridge. Chanyeol's shoulders drop from their tension. "I have to leave for a little while afterwards, I have a few loose things that I want to close up before making myself permanent here."

"You two should disappear more often." Jeno admits, glancing back at Chanyeol.

"Don't give me any ideas Sparky, otherwise you won't be seeing your mentor around as often as you're used to."

Jeno raises his hands in surrender. "Take him, the only thing we need from him is his teaching lessons, but I'm sure the others could get it covered."

"OooOoo teaching, you say?" Baekhyun slams the fridge door shut. Jeno jumps when he appears in front of him, taking Mark's former seat. "What are you looking into?"

"Mark and I want to talk about that whole soulmate and the mating thing. Mark is freaking out that he might be Renjun's but he's feeling conflicted because he also possesses some feelings for Haechan that he can't explain."

"Oh how I miss young adult romances." Baekhyun dramatically sighs, his forehead falling against the tabletop. "I have not been more glad to have accepted Chanyeol's proposal of staying here."

"I don't think that actually came out of my mouth. I told you to come home, which isn't really a proposal." Chanyeol defends himself with a scoff. He distracts himself by stopping at the fridge to grab the cartoon of orange juice.

"Technically it is a proposal when you want to play house."

"I'm pretty sure that you're getting us confused here."

"Hello? Please remember that you two are not alone in the room right now. I do not want to see what the forest obviously saw, thank you." Jeno claps his hands for maximum effort. Baekhyun cackles and Chanyeol blushes.

"I'll keep that in mind when you start simping over my child." Baekhyun bites back and Jeno relents on his teasing.

"Seriously though, if you don't want your house burning down because my best friend's brain short-circuited, you'll sit us down and start talking about the mates situation. For everyone's sake."

"He can't be that bad, right?" Chanyeol wonders, pulling a glass from the overhead cabinet. He sets it down on the table and misses Jeno's lazy glare.

Baekhyun on the other hand catches on immediately, giggling quietly to himself before turning around in his seat. "Sparky hasn't led us wrong before."

Chanyeol's head snapped to attention, eyes wide as he turned back to Jeno who was shyly nodding his head. "I'll talk to Yixing and Suho immediately."

"Tell them that they have one more student!" Baekhyun rushes to follow after him in his exit from the room. Chanyeol pauses in the doorframe, brow raised.

"Who?"

"Me!"

"You want to learn about mates?"

"If we're planning on being together then I have to learn the proper etiquette, besides those two have been married for decades, I need to learn their secrets so ours is even longer!"

Chanyeol's gaze falls to Jeno who smiles at the image of love, Chanyeol doesn't look regretful but he does appear hesitant.

"Twenty." he reveals with no added context. Chanyeol nods his head and pulls out his wallet from his back pocket. Jeno accepts the cash with a grin, winking at Baekhyun who blushes at his presence.

"Sorry," he mumbles from behind his palms. "I forgot that you were even here to begin with."

"No need to apologise, you keep doing this stuff in front of me and I'll have more than enough money to make the both of you proud." Jeno teases, pushing the cash into his back pocket. Chanyeol groans, Baekhyun laughs and Jeno is really starting to love his former self for agreeing to move in.