When Jeno could finally drag himself from his bedroom and come down for breakfast, he wasn't all that surprised to find a Jaemin-sized hole at the table. His empty seat stuck out like a sore thumb, and the unused place settings made an uneasy feeling settle in his stomach.

He said it wasn't my fault.

Jeno tried to keep himself calm, reminding himself to smile politely to the others who acknowledged his sudden presence. He didn't stop to chat with Mark and ask him if he had slept well. He could barely offer back a genuine grin to Jisung who had visually brightened at his arrival. He just couldn't bring himself to sit down at the table without Jaemin, not after everything that had happened.

Not right now.

Instead, he continued deeper into the kitchen until he reached Kyungsoo who seemingly stood guard over the stove. The spatula in his hand was raised like a sword, ready to fight the pancakes into submission. He welcomed Jeno to his side with a knowing smile, gently bumping his shoulder against the taller man's arm.

"Sleep well?" He asked, brow raised.

Jeno could only nod his head.

Kyungsoo seemed to sense his reluctance to answer and the topic of conversation was dropped. Not entirely sure what to do with himself, Jeno remained by the stove watching the cooking batter. Kyungsoo continued to flip the pancakes and transfer them to four separate plates located on the remaining sections of the stove-top.

Mark was happily interacting with his new housemates, introducing himself and gaining their names and occupations in turn. Jeno had heard it all the previous night so he found it quite easy to phase them back out again.

Sensing that there was something amiss happening right next to him, Kyungsoo decided that it was probably for the best that he started speaking to the poor boy. At least it would give him something to do, since he was obviously avoiding sitting down at the table behind them.

"Jisung is excited about that football game later." Kyungsoo explained, pouring more of the batter into the pan. "He spent hours talking my ear off about it last night... I finally got him to go to bed before midnight."

Jeno's lips curl upward all on their own. He turns his head back around and gazes at the table, his eyes zeroing in on the young boy who is sitting on Mark's left. He's practically vibrating with muted excitement as he watches Mark interact with Haechan about the orange juice container on the other side of the table.

"He's a good kid." Jeno's cheeks pinken immediately when he realizes that his statement might have been heard despite the noise.

Thankfully, Jisung doesn't seem to have taken notice, instead joining in on the conversation happening around him. Confused, Jeno turns to ask Kyungsoo who already seems to know his concern.

"While us werewolves do possess a supernatural hearing ability," he flips another pancake. "That doesn't mean that we constantly use it. Think of us like a child with ADHD without any Adderall. With it we're focused and able to get on with our lives a little easier, without it we're distracted all the time. If we didn't control it, we would be overwhelmed by everything happening around us. We wouldn't be able to focus, we'd be too busy jumping from sound to sound and getting an incurable headache more often than you would think possible. For example, when Haechan over there first arrived, he had managed to hone it down so he could only hear things in the locality." Another pancake got flipped. "He was constantly complaining about this cricket in the woods which he could hear from miles away. Eventually, with time, he managed to hone it even closer. But eventually even Sehun's irregular heartbeat was getting on his nerves. It's difficult for the first few days, but eventually you learn and with practice it gets easier."

"When will Mark start developing these abilities?" Jeno wondered, taking a longer look at his best friend before returning his attention to Kyungsoo.

"Could be in the next few days, or it could be in the next few weeks. It really just depends on how quickly his wolf is growing accustomed to his new body. In most cases everything comes before the full moon, but that doesn't always happen."

"You said that it takes time?"

Kyungsoo nods his head and plates up the finished pancakes, he scraps the residue batter from the bowl's circumference before pouring the remaining liquid into the pan. It makes four small circles, just enough for the remaining plates.

"With the addition of the wolf, the body quickly learns to adjust to the new abilities and chooses to hone them itself. But oftentimes it's just not enough and new wolves need something a little stronger to help them adjust."

"Adderall?" Jeno questions, tilting his head.

Kyungsoo can't help but laugh.

"Kind of." He admits. "Technically we call it an anchor because it does what a physical anchor would do-"

"Keep you anchored to the earth." Jeno interrupts, but he doesn't receive a scolding. Instead, Kyungsoo simply smiles at him.

"Exactly. The anchor keeps you weighed down in your surroundings, but it also dulls the overwhelming urge of distraction. It quite literally makes everything around you go quiet, so you react as if you never have supernatural hearing to begin with. Obviously our ability is helpful for our wolf when it's hunting, but it can be a bit of a nuisance for our human sides, hence the anchor helps to solidify your human side when you're not the wolf."

"What can act like an anchor?"

Kyungsoo takes a moment to delicately flip all four of the remaining pancakes. The gentle sizzle of the batter against the heated metal makes Jeno's stomach ache in hunger, but his curiosity outweighs his appetite.

"Anything." Kyungsoo announces, much to Jeno's surprise. "As long as it has a significant attachment to the person. It can be a physical talisman that they've had all their lives, or a memory."

Mark wasn't very sentimental and he had the memory of a gold-fish, so neither of those two options seemed plausible.

"It could be a person," Kyungsoo continues, gently teasing the edge of a pancake with his spatula. "Or it could also be an emotion. It differs for everyone and it can change as the person grows and learns more about themselves and the wolf. An anchor doesn't have to be a consistent thing, it can flow like water and shape itself into whatever form is necessary for you to survive."

"So it can change with time?"

Kyungsoo's lips curl up as he dares to turn his attention away from the pancakes long enough to hold Jeno's gaze. "You'll come to find that there are many instances in this world that can change with time."

Jeno wants to ask more questions, the fire of curiosity burning deep in his belly. Unfortunately so do the pangs of his hunger, which makes him shift his entire attention.

Kyungsoo smiles warmly at him as he hands him his plate of pancakes, his eyes twinkling with acknowledgement. Even though Jeno didn't have to say anything, it was like the elder knew what to do to keep his mind ticking away from his worries.

For a few minutes, Jeno had completely forgotten about his morning with Jaemin in his bed and then the strange occurrences that happened afterwards. Kyungsoo's ease of shifting the conversation away from a touchy subject, to stroking Jeno's curiosity radar was incredible and a feat that he would definitely file away for future reference.

Taking his plate, he stumbled away from the stove and back over to the table that he had passed by earlier. Mark's smile grew wider as he welcomed him back to his side, Jisung happily waving at him from his friend's opposite arm.

He could faintly register that everyone had fallen into the same seating arrangement as they had the previous night, except of course with Jisung falling one seat over to accommodate Mark's presence. And of course, the elephant in Jeno's mind; Jaemin's obvious absence.

Ever since the pink haired boy had completely disappeared from his bedroom, Jeno has spent that time wondering what had happened and why Jaemin had reacted in the way that he had. He had told Jeno countless times that his reaction wasn't based on anything that Jeno did, and yet Jeno couldn't help but think otherwise.

He had grabbed Jaemin's wrists and almost immediately the latter seemed to grow haunted with memories so deep in his mind that Jeno couldn't easily penetrate it.

This was crazy. Why was he so worried about a guy who he had met less than twenty-four hours ago? This didn't make any sense! If Jeno didn't do anything wrong, then why wasn't Jaemin here? Why wasn't he sitting in front of him right now, trying to get a reaction out of him with carefully picked words?

Mark interrupted his thoughts as he handed over the syrup. Jeno took it with trembling hands and tried to pour the sticky liquid all over his pancakes. A slightly larger than normal dollop pooled on the edge of the plate and in the absence of any of the pastry. Jeno figured he could use it as a dip.

-x-

"When you told me that he was a terrible player, I had no idea that you meant he was this bad..." Jisung whispered quietly into the air separating the two of them.

Jeno tries so hard to keep his laughter contained, especially since Jisung's stunned facial expression just made the situation far more hilarious.

"Like he can't even make a goal."

The youngest of the house had decided after breakfast that it would be the good idea to bring the newbies to the backyard, at least there they would have a wider placed to play without the possibility of damaging one of the many cars that littered the front driveway. The near-by tree-line would be perfect for their make-shift goal-posts so Jisung had pointed out two specific trees for them to use.

Jeno had gone first, demonstrating the small amount of football knowledge that he had. He had explained to Jisung from the very beginning that he considered himself rusty since he hadn't played football since middle school. Regardless, it appears that his skills seemed to satisfy the young werewolf who nodded his head approvingly after Jeno demonstrated his skill of keeping a ball in the air for longer than ten seconds with just his foot.

Mark on the other hand, had been a disappointment for the start. Not only did he almost end up in Yixing's clinic again for broken ankles, but he had also tripped over the ball every time the spherical object had landed by his feet.

Jisung thought that it would be best if they started off simple, by having Mark pass the ball to him in a short straight line. Instead, somehow, the ball completely flew over Jeno's head despite him being behind Mark at the time of the kick.

His best friend's capabilities were something that concerned Jeno greatly, especially since physics did not seem to operate at all when his best friend tried to kick a football. Apparently, each time Mark attempted to shoot the ball forward, it would change direction mid-air and fly in the complete opposite direction.

Even Jisung seemed stumped by the logic.

This time they set Mark up so he was right in front of their makeshift goal-posts. When his foot made contact, the ball propelled somehow changed direction and came flying towards Jisung and Jeno.

Jisung squealed as it approached, reaching his hands up to protect his face. Jeno with the far superior reflexes, managed to quite literally punch the ball out of the way. It then hit the ground a few paces to Jisung's left.

"Sorry!" Mark hollered over the wind, raising both of his hands up in a defensive pose. Jeno merely waved off the apology with his hand, while Jisung stared stupefied across the grass.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I don't know!" Mark huffed, bringing both of his hands down across his chest. Jeno went to retrieve the football. "I think there is something wrong with it!"

"It's not a magic football!" Jisung scoffed, beginning his march along the grass in Mark's direction. "I can't even begin to imagine what the hell is happening when you try to kick it! You're supposed to kick it just below the curve but above the ground."

"I have been!" Mark cried, pointing over to Jeno who was rolling the ball beneath his feet. "There is something wrong with it! This isn't what usually happens!"

"He's right," Jeno announces, balancing his left leg on the ball. "Usually he finds a way of breaking a window."

"You're not helping!" Mark yelled. His head lowers towards the ground when Jisung finally gets to him. "I'm sorry, but in my defense I really think there is something wrong with it."

Jeno rolled the ball out from under his foot, watching it slowly roll over the grass before coming to a complete stop a few steps away from him. He allows himself the opportunity to back up, before taking a running start at the ball. His foot collides along the edge and it gets sent flying in the air, right at Mark's head.

"Look out!" He screams but it's too late. His best friend gets hit in the head with the ball which goes bouncing off the ground on his right. Jisung is laughing hysterically as Mark winces at the pain.

"You did that on purpose!" Mark groans, his hand gently tending to the bump on his head.

"Yeah I was aiming for your head," Jeno admits with a nod as he jogs back over. "Just to show you that there is nothing wrong with the ball. Whatever the hell happened is because of your foot."

"Fine!" Mark hisses, glaring playfully. "I admit it! I'm terrible at football, there! Are you happy now?"

"I'm satisfied," Jeno shrugs his shoulders, turning to gaze at Jisung who is struggling to compose himself. "What about you Ji?"

"I kind of want to see if it keeps happening." Jisung admits, looking devilish. "Maybe this time we can have him face the house and this time get him to kick the ball, maybe then it will go backwards and into the goal."

Mark's eyes brighten at the possibility, his head wound long forgotten as he eagerly nods his head. "Oh that's a brilliant idea, let me go grab the ball-"

"Nope." Jeno grabs his best friend by the arm, preventing him from moving away. His eyes return to Jisung who seems surprised by his denial. "While I'm sure that your idea is a brilliant one, I am not taking the chances. Mark is a terrible shot, if he somehow manages to kick the ball this time, there is no way to say which way the ball will go. Knowing his luck it might actually go straight this time and hit into one of the kitchen windows. Do either of you want to feel Kyungsoo's wrath?"

A collective shiver seems to run down both of their backs. Immediately both of them shake their heads and Jeno feels confident to let go of Mark's arm. Both of them still look a little upset that their plan was denied, but before either of them could think of another activity, a shout echoes off the trees.

They all turn back to the house, surprised to find Chanyeol coming down the stairs with a small innocent smile on his lips. He's wearing the jeans that he wore the previous day and a long sleeved black shirt, his hair is peeking out from beneath a black cap and he's wearing pale brown Timberland boots. Everything about him screamed relaxed. Jeno's heartbeat eased and a small smile spread along his lips.

"Sorry for interrupting you guys." Chanyeol apologized, dipping his head in a slight bow.

"Oh don't apologize hyung we were just finishing up for the day!" Jisung chirped, bouncing excitedly on his toes. "Have you come to start their lessons?"

"I was hoping to get them started before dinner," Chanyeol admits with a nod. "I also figured that we might journey into town later to pick up any supplies that you both may need, since I'm still not sure how long it will be before you can return to campus for your stuff."

"I wasn't aware that you would do that," Mark sounded astonished, his head tipping downward at the gesture. "Thank you."

"What kind of host would I be if I couldn't provide the basic necessities for my new housemates?" Chanyeol chuckled, raising a perfect brow. His hands slipped into his jean pockets as he waited. "Jisung you are more than free to join us if you wish, you could still use some training yourself."

Jeno and Mark both turn to look at Jisung who politely smiles back at them. There is a small but noticeable blush across his cheeks, but he doesn't appear shy about it.

"I've only recently gained access to my wolf, so I'm still learning how to control myself."

"Wait," Mark states, holding up a finger. "Were you just recently bitten too?"

His question seemed to be funny to the other two wolves who shared a moment of eye contact before dissolving into faint laughter.

"No," Jisung explains. "I wasn't bitten. I was born a werewolf."

"Werewolves are born in their animal form," Chanyeol lectures, gesturing to the grass beneath them. Jeno instantly finds a comfortable patch and drapes himself over the ball which he uses as a prop to keep his torso up. Mark and Jisung quickly follow suit, getting comfortable on their own little patch. "They shift back to humans a few months in and for a time their wolves remain dormant. It isn't until they reach puberty that one feels their wolf awaken."

"Woah," Mark gapes, staring wide eyed at Chanyeol who finds his gaze the next moment. "So on top of getting a bunch of new hormones, you also have to deal with a wolf taking over? That doesn't seem like a fun time."

"Oh no, you mustn't understand, you and your wolf aren't two separate beings. You don't have another personality lingering in the depths of your subconscious, it's actually quite the opposite!" Jisung shifts into a more comfortable position before he continues. "We always have a connection with our wolf. They're a part of us, I like to think of my wolf as my Jiminy Cricket! Like my conscience telling me what to do. The wolf is you, because it knows all about you. It shares your memories, it shares your fears and your strengths, but above all it protects you and everything you hold dear."

"When you're young your wolf goes dormant but that doesn't mean that it's no longer there. It still experiences everything that the child does, still feels everything that the child feels, gets hungry when the child does, cries when it's in pain and whatnot. You just don't shift until later on in your life. Most times that is when puberty hits, but there are times where that also isn't the case." Chanyeol explains, looking over at Jisung who smiles at the inclusion.

"When one reaches puberty, the body is overwhelmed with new hormones and increased emotional receptors. Most of the time the human body will decide to push the wolf back into its dormant state so that it can go through these changes naturally without the additional stress that comes with the shift. However, there are other circumstances that might influence the wolf, itself, to remain dormant. Typically the transition into a wolf is triggered when you experience one consistent emotion, but when puberty is reached and one goes through heightened emotions that are always in a shifting and enveloping cycle, no one emotion is being felt and thus the wolf may find that it is not yet needed. Another example relates to if the wolf feels that it is threatened."

Jeno feels Chanyeol's burning gaze against his face though he quickly shifts his gaze before they make eye contact.

"How?" Mark wonders, now really intrigued by this new world.

"We no longer live in a society where we can truly live as we once did. Werewolves were a known supernatural creature who oftentimes lived in the forest away from humans. Now we live amongst them and as we have evolved into that, so has our wolf. It now knows that we can't simply shift whenever it deems necessary anymore, especially since shifting could cause a lot of problems and potentially awaken a long since forgotten trait amongst our counterparts; their hunting capabilities. Our wolves have learned to remain dormant in order to avoid drawing the eye of the hunters."

"But then how does one evoke the wolf?" Jeno questions, surprised to hear his own voice ask it.

Chanyeol turns back to him with a small knowing smile, though he doesn't mention what they're both thinking.

"Usually it's with an emotional response," Jisung explains. "Like hyung said earlier, one consistent emotion is enough to draw the wolf to the surface. Your wolf is always there, lingering, waiting to be unleashed. So, it's a two way street. The wolf has to understand that you need it and you need to allow it the opportunity to take control."

"So how did it break through for you?" Mark continues. "What consistent emotion did you have?"

"Oh that's just one of the many options," Jisung clarifies. "My body was holding my wolf back so that I could go through puberty without the additional stress, like hyung referenced. Now that I'm coming out on the other side of puberty now, my body allowed my wolf to slip through the cracks."

"We typically recommend that you hold onto one specific emotion when you shift." Chanyeol tries to answer Mark's question. "It makes the transition a little smoother while also providing you with an anchor to stabilize your human side throughout the ordeal."

"An anchor?"

"Oh..." Jeno gapes, turning to look at Mark when he speaks. "Kyungsoo told me about those this morning, he recommended that you would need one when you first shift into your wolf."

"Really?" Mark's brows furrow. "What else did he say?"

So Jeno told him. He explained everything as best as he could like Kyungsoo had for him earlier that morning. He references the anchor and the possibilities of it being an emotion connected to a memory, or a person. As Jeno continues to explain, he momentarily allows himself to wonder if Mark's current anchor would be the resentment or anger that he felt towards Renjun and that entire situation.

Instead, once again his best friend surprises him. Instead of asking any more questions or asking Chanyeol or Jisung to elaborate, he completely changes the course of the conversation.

"So, you're saying that I actually have superpowers?"

Jeno's shoulders sink into his chest cavity while Jisung's laughter rings in his ears. Chanyeol looks amused but he seems to accept the sudden change to the conversation without protest.

"In a way, yes." He explains.

They all watch as Mark's eyes widen and his lower jaw gently falls open. His arms start waving rapidly on either side of his torso and Jeno has to shift away before one of them hits him in the excitement.

"What can I do?" Mark demands, looking impatient as Jisung heaves for breath and Chanyeol seems too surprised by his reaction to form comprehendible words. Jeno sighs.

"Elevated senses." He concludes, watching through a pained scowl as Mark's neck swipes to look at him. "You have better hearing and sense of smell. I'm going out on a limb to say that you also have better eye-sight to see in the dark and you should also possess some sort of fast healing ability since there is no way your human form would be capable of shifting into a wolf without it." Jeno pauses for a moment, trying to recall any other piece of information that he had filed away into his 'werewolf' folder in his mind. "Oh yeah," he heaves when he recalls Jaemin's sudden and dramatic arrival and disappearance over the past two days. "You should also have the ability to move really fast, but apart from that I really have no idea."

The air surrounding them is quiet, each of them look at him like he just told them he kicks puppies for a living. Jeno regards them with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I notice things." He concludes, though clearly that isn't what has bugged them out so much.

"Dude.. I don't think I've ever heard you talk that much before." Mark looked spooked, his eyes haunted. "Are you okay dude?" Mark's hand gently pressed against his forehead. "Blink twice if you need help-"

"Get off!" Jeno huffed, shoving his bed friend off of him. Mark tumbles to the ground and lets out a howl of a laugh. "I'm right though, right?"

Chanyeol tries to hide his smile but nods his head nonetheless. "You got it in one."

"Hyung, since they know about the new abilities maybe you could tell them about pack dynamics!" Jisung offered, his eyes flashing that familiar golden glow.

"Does that cover your freaky eyes?" Mark asked, earning another hit to the torso from Jeno who glared at his best friend. "I'm being honest, they're freaky as hell!"

Jisung giggles and nods his head. "Yeah pack dynamics basically means what position you have within the pack."

"So like Alpha, Beta, Omega?" Jeno wonders if being a werewolf is anything like actual wolf packs.

"Yeah," Jisung grins. "Almost exactly correct. Though you guys should probably know that it's a little different than what you might think."

"Alphas are a pretty rare breed." Chanyeol explains, taking over from Jisung. "Betas are the more common breed and omegas are smaller but definitely outnumber Alphas."

"Wait, I thought that Alphas were the leader of the pack. They're the protector, they provide what's best for the pack."

"Jeno's right." Chanyeol nods his head. "That is what Alphas do. Or rather what they're supposed to do. To put it plainly there isn't a large number of packs anymore since civilization has grown so vast that it almost outnumbers the amount of wilderness. You get a lot of lone wolf omegas in the cities now-a-days. People find that they're better off by themselves since a pack could just bring more unwanted attention."

"What does the eye colours mean?" Mark pipes up, looking at Jisung who allows himself the chance to flash those golden orbs again.

"Gold is for Betas!" He grins. "Blue are for omegas and red are for Alphas!"

A cold shiver travels down the length of Jeno's spine. He can feel his skin prickle with goosebumps. A flash of a memory bolts across his mind, taking him back twenty-four hours ago. The clearing. Mark's scream. A flash of red.

"That wolf that I killed in the forest," he says before he can even comprehend what he's saying, he looks up at Chanyeol. "He had red eyes."

"Caleb was an Alpha." Chanyeol admits. "Only an alpha-wolf has the capabilities to turn you into a werewolf if you weren't already born one."

"So I was bitten by an Alpha?" Mark's eyes are wide again. "Does that mean that I have to join his pack?"

"If he had survived, probably." Chanyeol explains, smiling awkwardly. "But since Jeno killed him, you're free to make your own decisions. You'll be a Beta when you shift, but if you don't have a pack you'll become what we call a lonesome omega. An omega without a pack. They're different from those who were born omegas, who would typically remain an omega even if they are part of a pack."

"So you're saying that I need to join a pack if I want to retain my Beta levels?" Mark wonders. Jeno sighs at the game-play terminology. He looks to Chanyeol who seems a little confused by the wordplay, but eventually he nods his head in confirmation. "Damn, I was starting to like the idea of my eyes being golden."

"There are packs located all around the country if you are interested."

"Don't want me to stick around anymore?" Mark snaps back much to Jeno's surprise.

Chanyeol smiles. "You're welcome to join us if that's what you want. I won't force you to do something you don't want to do. I meant it when I said that you're free to leave when the full moon is over. We're a small pack but we make it work, despite the fact that we don't have any Alphas."

Now it was Jeno's turn to act surprised. It was only for a second but he could still recall the red ring that formed in Chanyeol's eye the previous afternoon. According to Jisung, red equaled Alpha, therefore Chanyeol should be an Alpha. Why the hell was he saying that their pack didn't have one?

"Wait really?" Mark gapes. "You're not the Alpha?"

Chanyeol's smile is painful and his eyes look haunted. Jeno wants to ask what he's holding back, but he also understands why he could be holding back. There was information that Chanyeol was withholding for their own good and while they may have questions, it was probably best that they didn't push, or at least it would be best to wait until he was ready to share.

"No," he announces. "I'm not an Alpha."

"Is there any chance that we might be able to head shopping now?" Jeno questions, hoping that he sounds a little apologetic for changing the topic again.

Chanyeol seems to take his intrusion with ease. His shoulders slipped lower on either side of his head and his chest deflated as well. "Absolutely. I'll just go grab my wallet, can I meet you in the front yard?"

"Sure!" Jisung shouts, jumping up to scream. "Shotgun!"

"That's completely unfair!" Mark scrambles up after him. The pair of them immediately start racing each other back towards the house, muttering curses at each other.

Jeno drags himself up from the ground and dusts himself free of any of the loose leaves on his trousers. He feels his phone in his pocket and realizes that he left his wallet in his bedroom. It doesn't bother him that much since Chanyeol already indicated that he planned on paying for their new purchases.

He's about to start making his way around the side of the house, when the door to the kitchen opens and Minseok calls out his name. Jeno halts at the edge of the home and throws his head back to look at him. The werewolf comes rushing down the stairs with a bright smile on his lips.

"Jen! Lucky I caught you before you all left!" He huffs out a breath when he finally stops in front of him. "I wanted to let you know that Sehun and I found you guys some laptops and monitors. I was going to ask if I could go into your rooms to set both of them up."

"Oh," Jeno hadn't expected this so fast. "Thank you. Yeah sure, go right ahead. I can speak for Mark too, he won't mind you guys going in to set it up for him though he will probably ask you if he can play games on it or something."

"Thanks for the tip," Minseok whistles, saluting him in the process. "Enjoy shopping! Oh!" He halts in his steps back to the house. "If I was you.. I would get some clothes that you can train in."

"Training gear?" Jeno's eyes narrow. "I'm not a werewolf."

"No." Minseok laughs. "You're not. But it would still be a good idea for you to train alongside us, just in case. Now that you're aware of the supernatural world, it might come in handy for the future."

"You make a good point." Jeno groaned, realising that this new life his best friend had entered was getting more and more complicated as the days wore on. "Thank you for the tip."

"Catch you later!"

And just like that he was gone, disappearing right in front of Jeno's eyes like Jaemin had done earlier that morning. Jeno was suddenly aware of the fact that he hadn't actually seen Jaemin since. His final memory of him being his face covered in tear trails and his lips significantly more plump than normal from all his crying.

"No!" Jisung screamed from up ahead. "I called shotgun!"

"But you cheated!" Mark yelled right back. "You said it before there was even an agreement to talk about it!"

"That isn't how it works!"

"You don't play fair!"

"I'm a werewolf!"

"So am I!"

"Oh My God!" Jeno screamed right back at them, stopping right in front of them with his hands crossed against his chest. "Knock it off!"

"Dude you can't just use my Lord's name in vain-" Mark spoke in a far quieter voice than earlier.

"Stop acting like a five-year old!" Jeno hissed right back at him, he turned to look at Jisung who was smirking. "And you, stop trying to rile him up!"

"But I wasn't-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Jeno cut in before either of them could speak. "Neither of you are going in the shotgun so knock it off and take it into the back!" When none of them moved, Jeno scoffed and went to drag them, only for the both of them to squeal and rush into the car.

The collective sound of the doors shutting was probably the most peaceful the space had been all day. Jeno sighed as he slammed the passenger door closed, taking a few more moments to wallow in the quiet of the air around him. He could faintly hear Mark mocking him from inside the car but he didn't care all that much, especially since he knew his best friend's deepest fears and could pull it off without warning.

His only problem was that he might not be able to locate a plastic spider in a house filled with werewolves, though for some strange reason he suspected that Sehun might have one, yet he had no idea why.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and Jeno took a glance up to see Chanyeol closing it behind him. In his hand he was carrying his keys and his wallet. He trotted down the stairs with a smirk on his lips.

"Ji not in the front?"

"They both wanted it so now they're both in the back." Jeno explained, still comfortable against the curve of the car's side.

Chanyeol laughed. "Were they that bad?"

"Let's just say that they're both lucky they're not in the trunk right now."

Before either of them could move to join the two idiots in the backseat, the front door opened again and the sound of someone rushing down the stairs drew both of their attention. Jeno's heart stopped in his chest.

Jaemin's pink hair bellowed in the breeze as he jumped down the last three steps. He was wearing a pink sweater and some grey sweatpants. He hadn't bothered to throw on some shoes so he stood on the cobblestones in his white socks.

"Hyung!" His voice sounded soft, softer than when he spoke to Jeno that morning. "If you don't mind, would you pick some stuff up for me in town?"

Chanyeol's gaze turned soft as he nodded his head, reaching out to take the slip of paper that Jaemin was holding out for him to take. He grabs it and adds it to his pocket with his wallet.

"Anything else that isn't on there?" Chanyeol wonders, and Jeno has the opportunity to see Jaemin's lips curl into a small smile.

"Some chocolate if you wouldn't mind."

"You know I don't. We'll be back before dinner so we shouldn't be long."

"I'll let Kyungsoo-hyung know in case he decides to make dinner early again." Jaemin nods, his fingers playing together against his waist.

"If he decides to make Chili again, please send me a text message. I'll stop by McDonalds on the way home and snag you a Big-Mac meal." Chanyeol moves around the front of the car and pops open the driver's side door.

Jeno doesn't move.

It seems like Jaemin doesn't want to either.

"I'll linger in the kitchen just in case!" Jaemin grins back, standing on his tip-toes to look over the height of the car. Chanyeol laughs and climbs inside.

Jeno still stands outside the car.

Jaemin attempts to go back up the stairs.

Jeno grabs his arm and then drops the hold immediately. The last time he had taken Jaemin's arm it ended in tears. He didn't want that to happen again. Jaemin turns to look at him, but Jeno can't bring himself to look him in the eye. Not when the memory of his crying face was burned into his mind.

"Do you not want to come with us?" He wonders, watching as Jaemin's fingers resume the anxious maneuver by his waist.

"I.." Jaemin pauses. "I can't."

Jeno finally raises his gaze and finds those bright eyes. "Can't" he wonders. "Or won't?"

"Jeno, this morning it wasn't-"

"My fault." He nods. "I know. You kept trying to tell me that when you were struggling to breathe. But then I noticed in the past twenty-four hours you were everywhere I looked. Then, after this morning you were nowhere to be seen." Jaemin's head falls between his shoulders. "You've been avoiding me. So, that makes me think that I did something wrong-"

"You didn't."

"Right." Jeno nods his head, finding himself growing annoyed by the constant bobbing action. Maybe this was the way they were supposed to be? Maybe those first two major interactions were just a fluke. Jaemin hadn't been flirting, he had just been interested in something new and was just making that interest known. But now that Jeno had unlocked a hidden emotional reaction, that interest was no longer there. Their game was officially over.

Jeno couldn't understand why it was affecting him so much. Why did this one random guy he had met less than twenty-four hours ago make him feel so many emotions in the few short minutes of interactions they had? Nothing about this made sense. Maybe this was just his life now that his best friend was a werewolf.

He turns on his heel and begins walking back to Chanyeol's truck. He doesn't even look back or wait to hear an answer when he says "I suppose that I won't see you at dinner since you weren't at breakfast."

The car door doesn't get slammed and Jeno doesn't release a frustrated huff when he pulls on his seatbelt. He merely melts into the seat and gazes out through the windscreen. Chanyeol doesn't say anything when he starts the engine and pulls out of the drive. Mark and Jisung were far too occupied in their own world to even begin to process Jeno's.