Chapter Text
“So you’re sure you’re ready for this commitment?”
Jeonghan glanced up from the paperwork in front of him for just long enough to nod at the receptionist. Of course they were sure; months of planning and preparation had led them to this point, there was no way they’d back down now.
Seungcheol was talking with a doctor out of the corner of Jeonghan’s eye. He handed the finished paperwork back to the receptionist, bowing slightly as a goodbye before he walked to stand next to Seungcheol. He slid under his mate’s arm easily, waiting for the doctor to finish whatever he was talking about so Seungcheol could clue him in.
It had been almost six months since Choi Seungcheol’s pack household had gotten a call from Seoul’s premier rehabilitation center for lost wolves. Seungcheol’s pack was listed as a pack that previously fostered those in need of help, and the rehabilitation center had called to tell them about a feral omega in need of a bit of care and a lot of patience. Though Seungcheol and Jeonghan had previously agreed that their most recent pack addition was their last foster, Jeonghan couldn’t help his soft spot for feral omegas and their struggles. What was one more person, right?
Half a year later and the head alpha and head omega of the Choi-Hong-Yoon pack were following a doctor down the long hallways of the Seoul Center for Wolf Rehabilitation. The doctor – Dr. Kim, Jeonghan vaguely remembered – stopped at the end of a hallway just before a set of double doors, turning to Seungcheol and Jeonghan before speaking.
“Now,” Dr. Kim said, “the omega you’re about to meet is a very special case.” He looked between the pair, seemingly trying to gauge their reactions. “It is believed he had no contact with other humans for almost a year after leaving his last pack.”
Jeonghan watched as Seungcheol nodded along with Dr. Kim’s words. “And why did he leave?”
Dr. Kim frowned. “That, we’re not entirely sure of. He was found in a small town in South Gyeongsang-do, a few miles west of Yangsan. He didn’t talk for weeks, and he barely talks now.” Dr. Kim sighed, crossing his arms. “He hasn’t made much progress at all actually. I’m hoping your pack will be good for him.”
Jeonghan smiled sadly at the doctor. After nodding that yes, they’re ready to go in, Seungcheol and Jeonghan followed Dr. Kim through the double doors. Behind them was another hallway, this time with lines of metal doors on either side. Jeonghan winced; he had never seen the solitary rooms, and he couldn’t help but think it looked like a prison. Halfway down the hallway, Dr. Kim stopped at a door and turned back to the couple.
“Is there any specific way you want to do this?”
Jeonghan nodded. “We thought it would be best if I introduced myself to him first. Seungcheol and I hoped that meeting an omega first might ease him into settling in with the rest of the pack.”
Dr. Kim agreed, gesturing for Jeonghan to step towards the door. The doctor pressed several buttons Jeonghan couldn’t see on a touchpad against the wall. A series of clicking sounds echoed through the hallways before Dr. Kim opened the door, allowing Jeonghan to enter.
The state of the feral omega’s room was dismal. Only shallow claw marks decorated the white walls, and bars on the window cast cool slants of light across the otherwise dark room. The omega sat with his back to the door, the gray hospital clothes hanging loosely on his hunched over frame. Jeonghan stepped tentatively into the room, making sure his feet made noise so as not to surprise the omega before him. When he reached the other side of the bed, he was met with the exhausted face of the feral omega. His eyes were bloodshot with deep purple crescents under them, and his hair was flat and stringy, as if it hadn’t been washed for some time.
“Hi,” Jeonghan said, slowly squatting down to meet the omega’s eyes where he sat. “My name is Jeonghan. Can you tell me your name?”
The feral omega looked at Jeonghan with surprise, as if he hadn’t noticed anyone entering the room. He sat quietly for several moments, and Jeonghan wondered if he hadn’t heard the question. He was about to open his mouth to ask again when the omega spoke, his voice quiet and raspy.
“Wonwoo.”
Jeonghan smiled at the other omega. “Hello, Wonwoo. My mate and I foster lone wolves, and we were wondering if you would like to stay with us for a little while.”
The feral omega – Wonwoo – looked at Jeonghan silently. Jeonghan decided to continue.
“We have several omegas in our pack, and you’ll have your own room. No one will force you to do anything you don’t want to, though; if you want to stay here, that’s okay too.”
Wonwoo slowly shook his head, his hands coming up to move a stray piece of hair. It was then that Jeonghan realized his hands were chained together with handcuffs. He tried to ignore the taste of bile rising in his throat at the sight.
“So you want to come with us?”
Wonwoo nodded slowly, though his eyes stayed narrowed at Jeonghan like he was expecting him to admit it was all a trick.
Jeonghan looked past Wonwoo at Seungcheol, who sent a tight smile back to him. “That’s great, Wonwoo. We have all of the paperwork filled out, so we can leave whenever you’re ready. Do you have anything you need to pack?”
Dr. Kim spoke from the doorway. “He doesn’t have anythi–”
“Glasses,” Wonwoo said softly, “and a ring.”
Jeonghan sent a glare at Dr. Kim before turning back to Wonwoo. “Where are they, Wonwoo?”
“I don’t know.” Wonwoo looked down at his hands. “Haven’t had them since I got here.”
Jeonghan swallowed the anger he felt towards the staff before speaking again. “We’ll get them, don’t worry. For now, let’s get you out of this room. Dr. Kim, can you take these cuffs off of Wonwoo’s hands please?”
Dr. Kim hesitated by the door. “I’m not sure that’s the best idea…”
Jeonghan sent him a sickeningly sweet smile. “I didn’t ask for your opinion, Doctor. I asked you to remove Wonwoo’s cuffs.”
Jeonghan chose to ignore the way that Dr. Kim looked at his mate for the final approval. Seungcheol gave a quick nod before Dr. Kim stepped into the room, taking a ring of keys from his pocket. After searching for a moment, Dr. Kim reached down and unlocked the handcuffs around Wonwoo’s wrists. Jeonghan’s heart ached at the way Wonwoo flinched when the doctor came near him.
Wonwoo stood up slowly, shuffling slightly towards Jeonghan. “Your mate is an alpha,” he said. It was a statement rather than a question.
Jeonghan smiled softly. “Yes, he is. We have four alphas in our pack, but don’t worry, you don’t have to meet them right away. We told all of our alphas and betas to leave you alone until you’re ready to talk to them.”
Wonwoo gave a small nod of thanks. After asking for permission, Jeonghan guided Wonwoo gently out of the room with a hand on his elbow. The feral omega flinched as the heavy door shut behind them. Seungcheol walked with Dr. Kim in front of the omegas as they headed back to the lobby, making sure Wonwoo could see them so he didn’t get nervous. Once they reached the receptionist desk, Seungcheol asked the woman there to retrieve Wonwoo’s personal items. She nodded, heading towards an employees-only room behind her. She returned several moments later with a pair of glasses and a small silver ring. Jeonghan heard snippets of her conversation with Seungcheol, catching only the words “couldn’t save his clothes” and “too much blood.”
Seungcheol walked back to the pair of omegas before offering Wonwoo his items. He stared at the alpha for a moment before slowly taking them from Seungcheol’s hand. He slipped his glasses on first, blinking several times before sliding the ring onto his left pinky. Wonwoo squinted at the room around him, clearly unaccustomed to wearing his glasses after several months. Anger sat hot in Jeonghan’s chest. He stepped towards the doctor, who was returning to where the omegas stood with Seungcheol.
“ Six months? ” Jeonghan snapped at the doctor. “He went without glasses for six months? ”
Dr. Kim sputtered out an answer, embarrassment blooming on his face. “W-well, we didn’t…I wasn’t aware of–”
Jeonghan cut him off with a sigh, turning towards Wonwoo. “Let me know if your head starts hurting. I know it might take some time to get used to your vision changing again.”
Wonwoo answered with a slight nod. He was listening to the conversation but his eyes were…elsewhere. Jeonghan tried to ignore the sadness that flowed over him when he saw how deep Wonwoo’s dark circles looked in the harsh light of the care center. Seungcheol was saying goodbye to the doctor, promising to check up with him soon and to call if anything was wrong. The alpha looked at Jeonghan, and – after getting a nod of understanding – began leading the pair of omegas out of the building.
The soft seats of the alpha’s car were a world away from Wonwoo’s room at the wolf rehabilitation facility. The omega – Jeonghan , he said his name was Jeonghan – talked gently in the front seat. Wonwoo only half-followed the conversation. He heard something about dinner and laundry and some event coming up for one of the betas in their pack. He was just glad for the background noise.
Wonwoo was worried about joining an unfamiliar pack, even as a foster. Being a fostered wolf in itself felt…infantile. He didn’t like the idea of being treated like glass. He was strong; Wonwoo could take care of himself. He hadn’t asked to be taken in by the rehabilitation center. In Wonwoo’s opinion, he was doing just fine by himself. Well, at least up until an unmated alpha came a little too close to him during one of his nightly prowls into town; most people wouldn’t consider snapping your teeth and reaching for a pocket knife to be “doing just fine.”
Wonwoo had to admit at that point that he wasn’t doing as well as he believed. It had come on slowly, his ferality, so slowly that he hadn’t noticed until he was past the breaking point. It seemed logical at the time, living in the forest. No one would find him there if he kept moving around, and it was easier to hide his scent among the animals that lived there. Sure, it was cold, and sleeping on the ground or in a tree was painful, and the heats he spent alone all but killed him, but anything was better than before. Anything was better than there.
Wonwoo shook his head slightly, squeezing his eyes shut and willing himself to think of anything else. Not now, not when he’s trying to make a good first impression. Not when he knows this is his chance to get out.
The drive to the foster pack’s residence was longer than Wonwoo expected. Before he knew it, the alpha – Seungcheol , right – was driving them out of the city and towards Gangwan-do. It was only around 11am, but Wonwoo was tired. He was excited to get out of the facility, but he was also anxious, and that anxiety weighed down on his bones. As the drive went on, he let Jeonghan and Seungcheol’s soft voices and the gentle motion of the car lull him into a light slumber.
When Wonwoo woke up, the car was driving up an incline. Slowly decaying trees moved across the windows as Wonwoo rubbed his eyes. They were near the mountains; he vaguely recalled a nurse saying something about Pyeongchang. Seungcheol drove only a few minutes more, eventually pulling into a driveway that seemed to disappear into the forest. The driveway was fairly long, and they passed almost a full minute of trees before coming up to an open gate. Seungcheol drove them through, and Wonwoo could see a very large house come into view.
The house didn’t seem fancy, it was just… big. It seemed to be mostly one story – except for one part of the main building – but it was wide, with several smaller buildings surrounding the main house. The roof had the curve of a hanok, but the building itself was modern and simple. Wonwoo could see the edge of a garden off to the side, but it was mostly hidden by one of the smaller buildings.
He was too busy studying the house in front of him to realize that Seungcheol and Jeonghan had gotten out of the car. Wonwoo jumped slightly when one of the car doors opened next to him, Jeonghan looking at him patiently from the other side.
“This is it!” the omega said. Wonwoo thought he could smell something coming from him, likely calming pheromones, but he wasn’t sure. Wonwoo couldn’t smell much of anything anymore. He climbed out of the car silently to stand next to Jeonghan.
“There are twelve of us,” Jeonghan continued, “and with you there are thirteen. Things don’t get too cramped around here – honestly, we’re lucky to have so much space – but if you ever need more time alone, just let me know.”
Wonwoo nodded slightly, trying to keep himself focused on what Jeonghan was saying. This was a new place, not there. Here would be different. It had to be different; Wonwoo didn’t think he could survive a second broken pack. Jeonghan and Seungcheol seemed like nice people. Wonwoo wanted so badly to believe that they were.
He was pulled out of his momentary daze as they reached the front door. Seungcheol punched in a code, telling Wonwoo what it was as he hit the numbers. Wonwoo immediately forgot the combination, but he would ask for it again later. Walking into the house, they stepped into an entryway. It was smaller than Wonwoo expected, just a couple shoe racks full of shoes, some slippers scattered around, and a row of coat hooks against one of the walls. He slipped off his shoes quietly after seeing Seungcheol do the same, trying not to focus on how vulnerable he felt standing in the entryway of a house he’d never been in.
“Here you go.”
Wonwoo looked up to see Seungcheol holding out something for him to take. He froze.
‘This isn’t like before.’ Wonwoo thought to himself. ‘Seungcheol is not Doyoon. This isn’t the same, this isn’t the same, this isn’t the sa–’
“You don’t have to take them.” Seungcheol’s voice broke Wonwoo out of his thoughts. “It’s okay.”
Wonwoo finally looked down at Seungcheol’s outstretched hand. In them he held a pair of light blue house slippers. Wonwoo reached out his own hands, shakily taking the slippers and bowing.
“Thank you.”
Seungcheol smiled at him before turning to walk further into the house. Jeonghan waited while Wonwoo slowly placed the slippers on the floor and stepped into them. When Wonwoo stood back up, Jeonghan gave him a gentle smile.
“Are you hungry?” Jeonghan asked, slowly walking in the direction Seungcheol had taken. “I haven’t had lunch. We can eat together if you’d like.” Jeonghan paused for a moment. “Or you could eat alone, I could show you your room if you want to eat there.”
Wonwoo paused, weighing his options. He knew that declining a meal together was rude , Doyoon had made sure he remembered that. ‘But Jeonghan isn’t Doyoon, either,’ he thought to himself, fighting the wave of nausea that came with the thought of possibly disappointing the leaders of this new pack. Then again, if he didn’t force himself to interact with the pack, he would basically be living back in the rehabilitation center, just with more human contact – and, of course, his glasses. Eating alone would just delay the inevitable. “It’s fine, Jeonghan-ssi,” Wonwoo answered softly. “I…I can eat with you.” He was surprised to hear Jeonghan chuckle in response.
“You can call me hyung, Wonwoo. You don’t have to, of course, but I am only a year older than you.”
“Oh,” Wonwoo said. His throat was beginning to hurt; he hadn’t spoken more than a word or two in months. “Okay. Thank you Jeonghan-ss– um, Jeonghan hyung.” His hands shook slightly as he wiped his palms on the fabric of his shirt, following Jeonghan further into the house. “Um…is there anyone else home?”
They had finally reached the kitchen, Seungcheol coming back into view where he stood at a stove. The kitchen was light and clean, but it was clearly lived in. The sink was half-filled with dishes and the rice cooker on the counter was on. A few pot holders were scattered around the counter, and Wonwoo thought he saw a Snoopy pattern on one of them. Seungcheol was grilling something on the stove, and a pot boiled next to where he stood.
“Just Junhui,” Jeonghan answered. “He’s an omega. The rest of the boys are either at work or out for the day. We wanted to make sure you have some space and are able to see the house without all of the chaos.” Jeonghan crossed the kitchen, a hand moving across Seungcheol’s back when he passed him. He opened the rice cooker before turning back to Wonwoo. “Can you bring me four rice bowls, please, Wonwoo? They’re in the cabinet behind you, to the right.”
Wonwoo responded with a small nod, turning around to look at the cabinet. ‘ Cabinet to the right, four bowls, ’ he thought, slowly opening the door to look for the dishes. ‘ You’re not serving him; Seungcheol is cooking, you don’t have to. Jeonghan just wants to include you. He’s not forcing you to do things. He’s not Doyoon. He’s not Doyoon. He’s not Doyoo– ’
“Wonwoo?” Jeonghan’s voice snapped Wonwoo from the mantra repeating in his head. “Did you find the bowls?”
Wonwoo looked at the shelf; the bowls were right in front of him. “Mn,” Wonwoo hummed in response. He grabbed four of the bowls and brought them to Jeonghan, standing next to him quietly as he scooped rice into the bowls.
Wonwoo followed Jeonghan into a dining room that branched off from the kitchen. It matched the kitchen’s brightness, big windows pouring light into the room. The table was big and well-used, the light brown wood scuffed in many places across its surface. Mismatched chairs crowded around the room, as if a new and unique chair was added with every addition to the pack. It made Wonwoo smile; it was the complete opposite of his strict past life, and there was something comforting in the chaos.
“You can sit down while I go get Junhui,” Jeonghan said as he placed the bowls of rice down on the table. He paused for a moment. “Are you okay if Junhui joins us? It’s okay if you want to keep the group small for now.” When Wonwoo confirmed it was okay with him, Jeonghan slipped out of the room and further into the house.
Wonwoo tried not to tense as he was left alone. He wasn’t sure where to sit – did they have designated seats? – so he chose a seat at the corner of the long table, knowing that spot would make it easier to stand up and leave if something bad happened. Jeonghan came back into the dining room through the kitchen with Seungcheol in tow. Seungcheol busied himself setting out the dishes he had made for the group – tofu stew, a plate of bulgogi, and several banchan – while Jeonghan passed out utensils. Just as the two were sitting down, Wonwoo heard a door open a little further into the house. Seconds later, a man walked into the room.
“Hi!” the man said, flashing a gentle smile at Wonwoo. He walked the short distance to his seat across from Wonwoo with a light bounce before plopping down into his seat with a small sigh. The man looked back up, and Wonwoo found himself with the distinct feeling one gets when they see a friendly stray cat. The man was pretty and lean, and moles dotted across his face in a way that reminded Wonwoo of whiskers. “I’m Junhui, or just Jun,” the man continued, “and you must be Wonwoo. It’s nice to meet you.”
Wonwoo nodded curtly. He chose to ignore, for now, the idea that the members of this pack knew anything about him or his past. He would confront that fear later.
Seungcheol mentioned something about finishing leftovers as he began piling meat onto his rice. Wonwoo followed suit, eating slowly as he listened to the others talk.
“Yeah,” Junhui said, responding to something Wonwoo had tuned out. “Hao’s picking me up later. There’s a new exhibit at the art museum he’s been wanting to see.”
Wonwoo glanced at Jeonghan, finding the omega already looking back at him. “Hao,” he said, “is Minghao, one of the alphas. Myungho, Xiao Ba, Eisa, that’s all Minghao.”
Wonwoo gave a small nod before pausing. “Eisa?”
Seungcheol huffed a small laugh. “He was the eighth to join the pack. Somehow the nickname stuck. Sorry in advance; you’re gonna have to learn a lot of names.”
“Myungho is Junnie’s mate,” Jeonghan added, eating another spoonful of stew.
Wonwoo’s eyebrows furrowed. “Mate?”
Junhui blushed, eyes widening like a child caught misbehaving. “Well, not…not officially , but we…we’re almost there.” Junhui sighed, his shoulders sagging while Jeonghan silently added more meat to his rice bowl. “We have…plans, but…it’s…it’s hard to explain. Mostly we just want to wait until we can do the ceremony back in China.” Wonwoo watched as Junhui picked up a piece of bulgogi before setting it back down. “Hao and I have both always wanted a traditional wedding, but we have to make sure everything is stable here before we can make a long trip like that.” Junhui quietly thanked Jeonghan for the extra food, Jeonghan responding by tucking a stray piece of hair behind Junhui’s ear.
“Regardless,” Jeonghan said, “Myungho is Jun’s promised mate. Don’t worry about remembering everything right away, though. You’ll have plenty of time, and no one will hold it against you if you need any reminders of names or anything.”
Wonwoo nodded curtly. Despite Jeonghan’s reassurance, he added the new information to the ongoing list in his head.
12 pack members. Four alphas, four betas, four omegas. Seungcheol – alpha. Jeonghan – omega. Junhui – omega. Minghao – alpha.
The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, Wonwoo only jumping slightly when Junhui’s phone started ringing in his pocket. He watched as the omega spoke a few words through the call before gathering his dishes and walking to the kitchen. He stuck his head back into the room to say goodbye to the group, ‘I love you’-s being exchanged between the three pack members before Junhui was off towards the front door and out of the house.
A few moments after Junhui left, Seungcheol cleared his throat before turning to Wonwoo. “About Myungho,” Seungcheol said, “there’s something you need to know.” He waited for Wonwoo to hum softly before continuing, exchanging a glance with Jeonghan before he spoke again. “Myungho was feral for a while, but…he wasn’t treated well. He was treated horribly, actually. I won’t tell you the details, because that’s not our story to tell, but we wanted to let you know: Myungho has scars across his face. He might tell you about them eventually, but…”
“He doesn’t like when people stare,” Jeonghan said. “He’s incredibly kind, and very strong, but it’s something he’s still working through. Junhui won’t talk about it either; it’s a sensitive topic for both of them.”
Wonwoo nodded. He could understand Minghao’s feelings; he didn’t want to talk about his past either. Not yet.
After the dishes had been cleaned from the table, Jeonghan offered to show Wonwoo his room. It was on the second floor, close to the stairs and two doors down from Jeonghan and Seungcheol’s room. With a comment about dinner later that night, Jeonghan left Wonwoo to explore the room – and the house – alone.
Wonwoo’s room was decently sized. There was a bed to the right side of the room and a wardrobe and drawers on the left. At the back wall a desk sat under a big window, light purple curtains draped on either side of the window frame. The curtains matched a blanket that laid across the bed’s white duvet; the rest of the room was blank. As he walked into the room, Wonwoo noticed something on the desk. A journal laid in the center, a pack of pens and a small hand-written note placed beside it.
Journaling can help us understand ourselves and the things we’ve been through. Most of us keep a diary, so I wanted to give you the opportunity, too.
- Jeonghan
Wonwoo picked up the black journal, the soft pleather shining against the light from the window. After opening it and flipping through the blank pages, Wonwoo put it back down on the desk and moved towards the drawers. Another sticky note caught his eye from the top of the dresser.
There are some basic clothes in the drawers and some new toiletries in the wardrobe. As soon as you’re comfortable, we can go get you more personal things. If you need anything we didn’t think of, just let me know!
- Jeonghan
Wonwoo opened the top drawer to see neatly folded underwear and socks. A few plain shirts – two t-shirts, two long sleeves – laid in the second drawer, a sweatshirt and jacket folded next to them. The third drawer had sweatpants, jeans, and pajama pants, two pairs of each. Wonwoo stepped to the wardrobe next. A black puffer jacket and a long black coat hung from the rack, and sitting below them was a shower caddy of toiletries. A pair of purple shower shoes were laid next to the caddy.
Closing the door, Wonwoo pulled out some of the clothes. He changed quietly, folding his old clothes and setting them on top of the dresser. His new clothes were soft, and he was happy to have some clothes that were truly his again, rather than the clothes all patients wore in the rehabilitation center. He looked down at the clothes he picked at random: a gray t-shirt with a cartoon of a black cat sleeping cutely in the center, light gray sweatpants, and plain white socks. Wonwoo reached back into one of the drawers, pulling the plain purple sweatshirt he had seen earlier out and over his head.
The house was quiet, and Wonwoo was tired. It was only around 2pm, but he felt like he had been awake for days. He had spent most of his time at the center staring into space or sleeping, and all of the day’s activity came as a shock to his system. Dragging himself over to the bed, he laid down on top of the covers, doing his best to keep the bed neat. Wonwoo listened to the quiet hum of the house’s heater, letting the sound lull him into the first real sleep he’d had in over a year.