Chapter Text
The first storm of the season had been approaching when Minho first met them.
The sky was cast over with rapidly thickening clouds, and there was a frigid, foreboding feeling in the air. This winter would be unforgiving. There were subtle signs, all throughout the fall. It was why the Stray pack worked relentlessly gathering wood, storing food, and securing their home before time ran out.
Once the storm started, there would be no leaving the den until it let up. That could take days, or even weeks if they were unlucky enough.
Nevertheless, as unforgiving as winter could be, the pack would survive.
They always did, no matter what challenges were unveiled. It was the only choice that they had, save for freezing or starving to death, and neither of those options were very appealing.
As a small pack who lived miles away from any sort of civilization, there was a lot of work to do between the six members. Chan and Changbin, who had returned yesterday with fresh kill, had spent the morning skinning, salting, and storing extra meat. Minho and Felix secured the inside of the den, tending to the fire and fixing any drafty walls and windows. Han and Hyunjin brought piles of firewood inside, and stacked an additional large pile close to the front door for easy access. They also secured the chicken coop and the small barn where their milking cow stayed, ensuring the hay was well stocked and the walls were draft-free.
As the rest of the pack finished preparing, Minho secured the last window in the den before he wrapped a knitted shawl tightly around his slender frame. He topped that with a heavy woolen coat, fur mittens, and a cap made of fine animal hide. Lastly, he tucked his feet into a pair of Changbin’s hearty boots.
Now protected from the harsh cold, Minho left the den with little regard for anything else aside from his destination. There was one last thing for him to do, before the storm made it too difficult to leave the den.
“I’ll be back,” he said to Chan in passing, tucking his chin down into the warmth of his coat as the cold hit him full force. The head alpha paused, laying his flaying knife to the side and wiping the mess from his hands.
“Let me go with you today, Min.”
“No.”
Jisung, not far away, gave Chan a look that had Minho tense, waiting for them to try and stop him. After the two alphas exchanged a silent conversation with one another, Chan came forward and rested a gentle hand on Minho’s shoulder.
“Please, sweetheart? The storm will be picking up soon…”
“I’ll be fine,” Minho shrugged off the alpha’s hand. “Let me go alone, please.”
Chan stared at him for a few long moments. Minho simply stared back, unyielding and unwilling to relent from his plans.
The leader seemed to understand. Nevertheless, he stated firmly, “If you’re not back by the time the sun begins to set, I’m going to come for you myself.”
“Fine.”
Despite the two alphas’ eyes tracking him as he walked away, they didn’t try to follow.
Minho’s destination wasn’t too far. It was about a mile from their den, just over the river.
Tucked next to a large oak tree, there laid a beautiful flat stone. Atop the stone were intricate little items; a woven bracelet, a lock of hair, the remains of dead flowers that had once been twisted into pretty flower crowns...
Minho crouched down, placing a mittened hand upon the stone.
“Hello, little one.”
Nothing but silence answered the forlorn omega.
“I won’t be able to come back for a bit,” he whispered, wringing his hands together. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice. Winter is coming…and it’s going to be a long one.”
Before he could get another word out, there was a sudden rustling from the thick brush behind the oak tree. It wasn’t from the steadily increasing wind; the noise was too sporadic to be a cause of the elements. It wasn’t something small, like a chipmunk or a bird, either - it was too loud.
If he were in his wolf form, Minho's nose might have helped him detect exactly whatever was lurking behind the bushes. As a human, he would have to be a bit closer to get a proper sense of things.
With no idea what could be on the prowl, he took on a defensive stance.
“Come out,” he ordered, voice hard. If it was a human, some curious camper or hunter, or perhaps a deer, then hopefully he could scare it off. If it was something more dangerous…well, hopefully it wasn’t. There was a reason Minho didn’t go hunting with the others.
A moment later, the fear of something threatening quickly diminished.
Out from behind the oak emerged a young wolf pup. His fur was black as the night, head bowed and ears flat as he regarded Minho with mirroring caution.
Immediately, Minho’s shoulders sagged with relief, especially as the breeze carried over the scent. It was the unique, pleasant smell of a pup. Fresh and sweet, yet currently tinged with the sourness of fear. There was also the underlying aura of his future presentation: alpha.
The baby’s dark eyes glittered. As he focused on Minho, his hackles raised and he let out a small, unsure growl.
“It’s alright,” Minho called out to him softly. “I’m not going to hurt you. You only startled me, that’s all.”
The little one was clearly not okay. Shifter-puppies should be chubbed up with baby fat, especially in the winter months. This one was so skinny that his ribs poked out. In fact, the more Minho observed him, the more alarmed the omega grew.
“Where have you come from?” he asked, doing his best to emit calming, protective pheremones. If only Chan were here - he was much better at projecting.
The little alpha yipped, turning and disappearing behind the tree.
“Wait!” Minho called, immediately following. As he rounded the corner, the omega’s eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.
There wasn’t just one pup.
There were two.
The new pup stared at Minho with wide, fearful eyes from his hidden spot inside the thicket. The pup’s dark brown fur was messy and matted, and his front left leg was clotted with a mixture of blood and dirt. It looked like a painful injury - a vicious bite, or perhaps one of those gruesome hunting traps humans enjoyed using on the local wildlife.
The alpha pup moved to stand in front of him, trying to be protective despite his own clear uncertainty. It then became clear why; the second pup was - or would be, when he was a little more grown - an omega.
Much like the alpha pup, he was far too skinny, borderline emaciated.
On the inside, Minho was rheeling with panic. How long had these babies been by themselves? How did they get here, so far to the middle of nowhere?
On the outside, he stayed composed.
“Hi babies,” he whispered, reaching a hand out. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you - you’re safe. You’re safe with me…”
His gaze shifted to the omega, zeroing in on the nasty cut.
“That wound needs tending to,” Minho said, overcome with worry. “My pack’s den is very close. We have plenty of food, medicine, and a nice warm nest. Please, won’t you come with me?”
The two pups looked at one another.
Minho was growing desperate. “There is a very big storm headed this way. Without proper shelter, it could be dangerous.”
The omega gave a slight whine, slinking down further against the tree. The alpha pup nosed at his cheek, leaning down to lick at the other’s injured leg. Finally, he looked back at Minho and dipped his head as a gesture of consent.
Minho breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
“Okay,” he said, beckoning them with his hand. “Let’s go, it’s not too far.”
He held out his arms to the omega. “May I?”
The omega pup gave a small huff, and the baby alpha growled. He sounded more adorable than threatening, but the message was still quite clear.
“Understood. I’ll be very careful, I promise.”
With that, Minho carefully scooped up the injured pup and began walking hurriedly toward home. The alpha trotted closely behind, and Minho could feel the burning gaze on his back, watching his every breath.
The sharp wind was beginning to numb Minho’s cheeks, and flakes of snow were beginning to fall.
When Minho made it to the den with an injured pup in his arms, and a second one trailing behind him, Hyunjin was the first one to spot them. The pile of wood fell from the beta’s arms as he gaped in shock.
“Get Chan,” Minho ordered. “Quickly! The others, too!”
Hyunjin didn’t have to go far. Minho’s pack was attuned to him, and could naturally smell his distress now that he was within range. Chan and the others came rushing from all directions, on high alert and ready for anything.
“This puppy needs tending to. His front leg, see?”
“They’re both shifters?” Changbin noted, bewildered. “Where did they come from? The closest village is miles away!”
“No idea,” Minho answered. “But we need to get them inside - it’s freezing.”
While alphas had jurisdiction over the surrounding land of a den, it was the head omega who granted permission for non-pack members to enter the home itself. Therefore, nobody batted an eye as Minho rushed the pups inside, following closely behind.
He laid the new omega down on the wooden kitchen table.
“Lix, can you get me a bowl of warm water? A washcloth, too.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Sungie, go get the jar of healing salve.”
Minho himself began cutting a sheet of cotton into long, even strips for bandages.
“Hold him, Chan.”
Chan dutifully manovered the injured pup into his lap.
The pup let out a loud whimper as the hot cloth pressed against his injury, curling into Chan’s arms. It was encouraging that he didn’t nip or try to wriggle away; he at least understood that they were trying to help him.
“Shh…” he hushed. “I’ll go as quickly as I can. Stay still for me, little one.”
The true problem was the other pup, who was straining to escape Changbin’s hold at the sound of his friend in such pain. Hyunjin and Felix were trying their best to distract him with soothing words and reassurances.
“How about some food?” Minho could hear Hyunjin suggesting in the background. It was a good call. They had leftover chicken and dumpling stew - a hearty and delicious meal that would surely quell some of the pups’ anxiety.
Sure enough, the stew worked its magic.
While Jisung finished bandaging the now clean wound, Minho spoon-fed the omega pup. He looked so small and frail in Chan’s arms, but he opened his mouth obediently, eyes lighting up at the taste.
The alpha pup was eating his stew with vigor, seemingly more relaxed now that things had grown calmer and his partner was no longer making sounds of distress. Regardless, neither puppy had shifted to human form yet, which meant they were still on guard.
That didn’t stop the little omega from yawning widely, eyes beginning to droop before the bowl was even halfway finished. Eating such a hearty meal, as expected, snuffed out the remaining energy of their newest guests.
“Time to rest,” Minho said softly. “Help me get them into the nest, please.”
Minho had always been very proud of his nest. It was layered with warm furs, tucked cozily into the furthest corner of the den and parallel to the indoor fireplace. He nudged both pups into the nest. Once they were at the very back corner of the nest, the safest place for pups, he settled down close by, staying vigil as they settled into much needed sleep.
It was then that Minho filled the others in on how he’d acquired the babies, and what little information he knew.
“They can’t have come from the Southward village,” said Jisung, who traveled there regularly in the spring. “I would have seen them before.”
“The next closest village is over twenty miles,” Chan noted. “And the city is twice that distance.”
Felix held onto Minho’s hand. “If you hadn’t found them, Min, they’d have likely frozen to death. The storm is in full effect now.”
“Yeah…”
“One thing is for sure,” said Hyunjun. “Someone hurt those puppies. The little alpha’s ribs are showing, Min!”
“Same with the omega.”
Chan, always the reasonable leader, eventually cut off the pack’s urgent conversation.
“It’s very late. The best thing we can do now is sleep, and find out more in the morning.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
When Minho eventually woke up, he opened his eyes and found himself face to face with one of his new puppies - who was, notably, no longer in puppy form.
The pup twas a mess of gangly human limbs and dirt-encrusted skin. Still, he looked at the other omega with bright eyes and a sweet smile.
“I’m Seungmin,” the omega introduced himself. It seemed that Minho and the others had gained his trust with the simple act of feeding him and providing wound care. “Thanks for feeding us. That stew was so good - I’ve never had anything like it!”
Minho smiled, his heart fluttering at how sweet the baby was.
“You’re most welcome, little pup. How’s your arm?”
Seungmin traced his fingers over the bandage. Now that his form had changed, they would need to redress it to fit the limb better. “It still hurts, but it’s a lot better.”
“Good. It will take time, but you will heal.”
Their conversation had roused the rest of the pack, who had been observing their conversation silently. Everyone else was in human form as well, including their other newest addition.
“That’s Innie,” the puppy said, pointing to the other boy who sat in the corner of the nest, knobby knees tucked against his chest. The baby alpha looked far more wary than his counterpart. In his human form, he was slightly shorter than Seungmin, but his fierce eyes made up for the lack of height.
“Thanks for your hospitality. We’re only staying here for a little bit,” Jeongin said matter-of-factly. “Just until the storm stops.”
“It’s going to take a few days,” Chan told him, smiling. “Get comfortable, pup. Our hearth is yours to share for as long as you’d like.”
“Just for a little bit,” Jeongin repeated himself, looking taken aback by the leader’s warm-reception. As if he thought they’d just kick two sickly puppies back into the snow!
“Of course,” said Minho placatingly. “Now, who’s hungry for some breakfast?”
“We get to have more food?” Seungmin asked, eyes wide with wonder.
Minho decided right then and there that these pups would never go hungry for another moment of their lives - not with him around.
Having pups around quickly turned the previously sullen den into one of pleasant chaos. All it took was a few more meals and sweet-talk before the babies settled into their new environment and took to exploring.
Neither pup had willingly given much information about their past so far, but Minho had seen the scars, along with the malnourishment that must have taken months, if not years, to accumulate. Pups were always the lowest in a pack hierarchy, of course, but also the most treasured and looked after. Knowing these two had endured such horrific treatment was infuriating.
Minho’s instincts were driven wild. Feed, feed, feed the pups! Snuggle the pups. Bathe the pups. Scruff the pups when they became too mischievous. Minho wasn’t the only one feeling parental; the pups had brought out similar behavior with all of the pack.
Jeongin managed to get into everything whether he was in human or wolf form. He liked to push buttons and test boundaries whenever possible. It was normal for an alpha pup to behave in such a way - but a new experience for the pack.
The alpha pup often needed a good scruffing when he tried to nip or antagonize the other alphas. Chan, of course, was quick to put him in his place with a firm scruff followed by a long cuddle and grooming session. Changbin sometimes humored the pup with a bit of play wrestling, but he never let it go too far before showing him who the true ‘alpha’ was of the pair.
Seungmin wasn’t as much of a challenge, but sometimes he tried to leave the nest too early in the morning, or after the sun had set. Pups shouldn’t ever leave the nest unless they were accompanied by an elder - it was pure common sense.
If their newly acquired omega didn’t adhere to the warning growls, one of the pack members was always quick to drag him back by the scruff and snuggle him down into the warm furs until the time for waking was proper.
Felix, the youngest in the pack but not quite a pup anymore, saw the littles ones more as playmates than anything else. He was often caught pulling a grumbling Seungmin close to himself, snuffling his sweet smelling skin and offering to comb his hair. He enjoyed having an omega who was younger than himself to dote on.
Betas were vital in creating a peaceful transition for new pack members, so naturally Hyunjin embraced the pups without a second thought. He spent time drawing and making crafts with the little ones. He scented them carefully, emitting a sense of calmness and safety.
As for Jisung…his attention stayed mostly on Minho. The pups were clearly making the omega happy, and so in return Jisung was happy to have the pups around.
“I’m going to make the pups some winter clothes,” Minho told Jisung one night, when just the two of them were sitting by the kitchen hearth. “Would…would you like to help me, Sungie?”
The alpha froze for a moment as he processed the request. His reaction was fair; Minho hadn’t asked Jisung to help him with needlework for a long time.
“I- yes, of course, baby. I’d love to.”
“Great,” Minho smiled. “We can probably alter some of Changbin’s old shirts into long-sleeved tunics. What do you think?”
“That’ll tide them over for now, but I have a feeling in a few winters’ time they’ll be much taller.”
As was the proper custom, pups typically didn’t wear pants. They wore tunics down to the knees, flowing and easily played in. Puppies grew too fast for pants, and they would rip the knees in their play. The fine animal hide was for hunters, who went venturing through the thick brush of the woods in search of game. Someday his alpha puppy might wear pants, but his baby omega would likely stick to soft tunics and perhaps a gown when he reached adulthood.
So far, the pups had been content going bare around the den. It was plenty warm with the multiple fireplaces roaring, and neither seemed to have much modesty. Minho liked clothes for their looks, as did Hyunjin and Jisung. The others could care less, only wearing clothes when outside for necessity. Besides, it was easy to damage clothes if one forgot to take them off before shifting. The amount of breeches Minho had to repair thanks to Changbin…
“Thanks darling,” Minho said when they had finished basting and then properly stitching the pups' new tunics. He pressed a featherlight kiss to his alpha’s cheek.
“No need for thanks,” Jisung said, looking a little starry eyed. “They’re really starting to settle in, aren’t they?”
They looked over at the rest of the pack, all of whom were sleeping. Seungmin was tucked securely under Changbin’s arm, and Jeongin was snuggled between Chan and Felix. Hyunjin was curled at the foot of the nest, his inner-beta clearly unsettled at not yet having all of the pack members in the nest for the night.
Minho allowed Jisung to put away the sewing supplies while he slipped into the nest, tugging the beta to his chest and holding him tightly.
The last thing Minho felt before sleep overcame him was Jisung’s warm hand caressing his face, the alpha’s scent of sweet prairie grass pulling him all the way under.
Two weeks after Minho had acquired his pups, the pack sat in a circle for a meeting that Chan had called for. It was late in the night, and both pups were sleeping in the nest soundly.
“We’re going to have to ask more questions eventually,” Chan pointed out. “What if someone comes looking for them?”
“Yes,” Changbin agreed solemnly. “It could put our pack in danger.”
Minho felt hot-white answer sear through his veins. As if he would ever allow whoever starved and beat his babies to come back and take them!
“They’re mine!” he snapped. “My puppies! Nobody is touching them!”
Chan rested a placating hand on his lower back. “Nobody is going to take them, sweetheart. But we still need to know in order to be prepared for any potential ambushes.”
The omega calmed down slightly at the pack alpha’s reassurance.
“I’ll talk to them. I’ll-”
“Nobody’s looking for us.”
Everyone jolted, turning around to see Jeongin sitting at the edge of the nest, looking very small and unsure.
“Come here, baby.” Chan said, beckoning the puppy over and pulling him into his lap. “Can you explain a little more to us, love?”
“I’m a foundling. I was adopted a few years ago, when I started to smell like an alpha. They wanted an alpha son to help around the farm, but…I wasn’t a strong enough worker. Logging is very hard.”
“You’re a puppy,” Changbin said, hands clenched into fists. “You shouldn’t have been doing that kind of labor at all!”
“Punishments didn’t work on me, so they eventually said I should leave and stop wasting resources. So…so I took Minnie and l-left.”
“Minnie was there too?” Chan asked sharply.
“Uh-huh. He was taken in by them a year or so before me. They thought he’d be an alpha, but then he wasn’t, so they got me and began arranging for Minnie to be married off. They found an older alpha, a very mean one who lived over the hill. Minnie hasn’t even had a heat yet, and…and they were going to- to...”
“Shhh,” Minho leaned forward and pressed kisses onto his puppy’s cheek. “It’s alright. You and Minnie are never going back there. Never. You’re here now, you’re safe.”
“That’s right,” Chan agreed. “You aren’t going back. Never.”
It was horrifying. They’d expected the puppies had been through a terrible ordeal, but having it confirmed made everything all the more infuriating. Jeongin hadn’t even gone into much detail, but there was no need to. These poor pups had been beaten hard enough to leave scars, and clearly underfed and malnourished.
The fact that the abusers were going to marry off an omega-baby was quite serious. Most regions forbid such a barbaric action. These people must live in outbound territory, where shifters lived by the ‘old ways,’ treating omegas as though they were good for nothing but having a womb.
These outbounders must have lied on the adoption forms, as any competent orphanage wouldn’t allow pups to live in such an environment.
From then on, it was decided unanimously that the pups would stay, no question about it. And if for some reason those horrible people ever tried coming for them, the alphas would kill them without a second thought.
One particular morning, Minho carefully supervised Felix and Jeongin as they made griddle cakes. He and Hyunjin stayed close by, slicing the golden potatoes that Changbin had brought up from the root cellar. Seungmin had been helping initially, but wandered off in search of something more entertaining.
Jisung was clearly more entertaining than potatoes.
“What are you doing, Alpha Sungie?”
“I’m sorting through some old lesson plans.”
“Lesson plans?”
“That’s right. When I still lived in the city, I used to be a professor,” Jisung told the pup. “I taught humans and shifters alike. Now I teach those who live a bit more rurally. There is a small village, eight miles south of here. In the fall, I utilize the village schoolhouse a few days a week.”
Jisung hadn’t taught formally in over a year. He’d wanted to stay near Minho instead, although it was clear that he’d missed his work.
“I used to go to school,” Seungmin said. “Before Mama got sick and I had to go live with the mean people. It was a lot of fun!”
Jisung perked up.
“Would you like to come with me when school starts again?” he asked. “Both of you? Felix comes, too.”
“Oh!” Seungmin smiled in delight, and said that he would like that very much. Jeongin’s cute nose scrunched up in distaste as he carefully flipped one of the cakes.
“I guess I’ll go if Minnie is,” he relented.
That night, Jisung pulled out his chest of books, and from then on, every evening he began to help the pups prepare for school.
From what Minho observed, the pups had quite a gap from one another when it came to their education. Seungmin knew how to read, write, and do some basic arithmetic. Jeongin knew the alphabet, but he lacked phonemic awareness and struggled with his handwriting. He could count to at least twenty, but sums were too difficult.
Jisung was patient. He could tell when the little alpha was getting too frustrated to continue, and he would change tactics. Jeongin loved listening to stories, mostly tales filled with mystery and adventure. He also loved hands-on work. They did little science experiments inside, and sometimes outdoors if the winds weren’t too brutal. Jisung used cooking as a way to teach Jeongin counting, measuring, and fractions.
“Thank you for teaching me, Alpha. I still don’t like writing, but sums are okay.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Not everyone likes writing, but I’ll do my best to teach you all that I know.”
Minho watched this interaction from afar. Jisung looked so tender as he spoke with the pup, reaching out to chuck his chin affectionately. Similarly, Seungmin was trying to get the upper hand on Changbin. The alpha was incredibly gentle in his play with the omega pup, letting the young one ‘win’ the scuffle.
Chan, sitting by the fire with Hyunjin and rubbing the beta’s cold feet. Felix dozing quietly nearby, gown riding up so that his belly was exposed to the comforting heat of the hearth.
It made the omega’s belly fill with desire. His alphas took such good care of them. They were so, so lucky to have them.
Minho was blessed with the best pack in existence.
How had this happened?
One night, when the winds were fierce and the hearth burning steadily, Minho pulled both of the pups close, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders.
“Two winters ago, I could feel my body beginning to change. I was going to have a pup.”
Seungmin perked up, always interested in a story. Jeongin’s nose scrunched curiously, looking closely at Minho’s face as the elder spoke. He was a smart, perceptive little alpha.
“Our whole pack was beyond excited. Nobody wanted me to lift a finger. I spent most of my time rearranging the nest, sewing new clothes, crafting toys…it was a beautiful time.”
As he told the story, Minho’s mind flashed to the long nights spent with Jisung, sewing baby clothes together and bickering back and forth about names. He thought of Changbin feeding him chunks of perfectly seasoned meat until his stomach felt ready to burst. He thought of Chan giving him foot rubs before bed, Felix routinely singing to his tummy, and of Hyunjin baking sweets. The pound cakes had been carefully drizzled with honey, and the fresh bread baked to perfection over the kitchen firepit.
“Summer was just emerging when everything went wrong. There was pain, and..well, I don’t remember much of the actual event. But in the end, I lost the pup. She didn’t even make it through the night.”
As Minho spoke, the scene came vividly before his eyes. Chan holding a blanketed bundle, his eyes full of tears. Han holding him tightly while Minho reached out in half-delerium, asking to see his baby. Where’s my baby, Channie? Why aren’t you giving her to me? Give me my baby!
Minho spared the pups from the details - how once he’d gotten his hands on his baby’s lifeless form, he refused to let her go for hours and hours, growling and snapping whenever anyone tried to enter the nest.
How he’d refused to shift back for days, howling mournfully and staying vigilant at her burial sight.
How the others cried along with him, but also begged him to talk to them, or to at least let them hold him and help ease the pain.
How he didn’t let them.
“I went to her grave every single day, rain or shine. Always alone…”
Jisung’s hand slid into his own, squeezing it tightly. Minho had treated him the worst through his grief, because she’d had his eyes…
Yet the alpha had stood by him, even when he was pushed away day after day.
“She’s buried right where I found the two of you.”
Seungmin, who had been listening attentively, had tears pouring down his cheeks. He snuffled into the crook of the older omega’s neck. Minho kissed the top of his fluffy head of hair.
“We were there because of the smell,” Jeongin said quietly. “The layers of honey and lavender, and just…warmth. I didn’t even realize it was the scent of a person. It just…it just felt safe. I knew that Minnie needed to be near that scent.”
Minho pressed his nose into his baby alpha’s hair.
“I know you’ve been shown unfathomable cruelty,” he said. “But I want you to know that nothing like that will ever happen here. You’re our pups now, and- and we’ll protect you. We’ll keep you safe. This is your home forever, if you want it to be.”
“We do,” Seungmin said earnestly.
“Yes,” Jeongin confirmed. “This is our home.”