Okay, well, it was hard to believe what was happening, but it was actually happening.

It was only three days ago in the afternoon, except for Jungkook who was at the barracks, the six of them sitting on the bed together with Yoongi in the center, a plushie scented by Jungkook was placed on the omega's lap. The yellow-orange afternoon sunlight gently flowed through the space from the window. They were holding hands, crying and laughing together while Yoongi, after telling his youngest mate the previous day, confessed to the others that he was in menopause.

"Who cares if you're in menopause or not, because nothing has changed, we still love you the same," Yoongi remembered Seokjin laughed but he sniffled after. The oldest did care but was trying to act like he didn't. Menopause did not just affect omegas, it gave the alphas an instinctive feeling of downfall.

"But it means I have no more hope to have children." Yoongi lowered his face, trying to hold back the tears. Taehyung put his arm around his shoulders and Hoseok held his hand as if to give him some courage. He continued, stroking the hem of his shirt.

"Me and Taehyung discussed that you all can mate with another omega. We don't mind, as long as we have a baby."

"We don't want to have children with another omega. We just want you two." Jimin quickly said back, his face red.

"Jimin is right," Namjoon spoke. He patted the younger alpha's back to calm him down, the other hand reaching out to Yoongi's inner thigh. He continued, looking so calm.

"We won't mate with anyone else. We want only seven of us."

Namjoon's words were firm and trustworthy, just like his true essence. They were not only a consolation for the omega, but also an oath of the Commander, an alpha's honorary promise, and a faithful vow of a mate. They were like floating logs that came to him as he was about to be swallowed alive by a vortex. Like a warm blanket wrapping around his shape while the winter storm was pouring outside. Like a hurricane lamp shining in the middle of a deep, dark night when he lost the way home. We want only seven of us, those words put Yoongi at ease.

However, maybe now, it was not just seven of them anymore.

Even though he didn't want to raise their hopes up, Yoongi connected the dots. The mood swing, nausea, and the heat delay, he might not be in menopause but expecting. Fortunately, the pack decided to not talk about the baby until it was confirmed by healer Kang because it must be pressure for Yoongi, who went through a little too much these days.

All seven of them were in healer Kang's cottage on the outskirts of town, which was surrounded by a bamboo forest and filled with the comforting smell of herbs. Yoongi lay on the single bed against the wall, his mates stood around. Kang Seobi was an elderly omega woman with gray hair and honey skin. Despite her age, her eyes were still sharp and clear, as if she could see through life and read people like a book.

With his shirt up showing his flat, pale belly but covering his chest, Yoongi was heaving in anxiety. He closed his eyes shut and bit his lips when healer Kang touched his abdomen. The omega heard Jungkook growl, his youngest mate's instinct probably assumed that Kang Seobi was hurting his omega. Luckily, Taehyung did calm him down. After checking his belly, the healer grabbed his wrist, pulling it closer to her nose. He still didn't open his eyes, hand clutching his shirt tightly. Yoongi wished his mates would hold his hand and scent him right now, but Kang Seobi was strict. She did not allow anyone to come near the patient while she was examining.

When healer Kang asked Yoongi a few questions about his heat, he could barely speak so Taehyung on his behalf of him answered. Yoongi felt like his breath was stuck in his throat. He was about to sob but his omega mate quickly crouched down to rub his ankle.

"No, he didn't take the herbs or something," he vaguely heard Taehyung reply. His eyes remained closed, waiting for the panic to go away. He had slowly come to accept the fact that he was in menopause, but the hope of carrying a baby was rekindled from the pain that had burned into charcoal. He didn't want that hope to be extinguished, to leave his heart cold again like the winter of December. If you said he was cowardly and weak, he'd accept it without discussing, even though he had used to be on the battlefield facing death. He was not afraid to carry his gun to fight again, he was not scared to sacrifice himself as a bulletproof for his mates against the enemies. However, he feared disappointing the ones he truly loved with all of his body, spirit, and soul, that he was ringing in them with a delusion of a completed family and then destroyed their hearts.

He was hardly aware of what Kang Seobi had said to his mates, his mind buzzing with apprehension. Until he opened his eyes, instead of the healer's face, he found his mates looking at him.

Jungkook was sobbing, his starry eyes red with tears. Namjoon hugged Jimin and kissed his hair, both of their eyes were watery too. Hoseok stared at Yoongi, but his eyes were lost as if his soul was somewhere else. Taehyung sat down on the bed next to him, placing a warm hand on his stomach while Seokjin lifted his wrist and gave him a kiss.

Why were his mates crying? Was he about to die?

"Hey, please say something," Yoongi pleaded, bewildered.

At the moment both Jungkook and Hoseok suddenly cried out loud, Seokjin flashed an extremely beaming smile. He took a deep breath before proudly announcing.

"Congratulations, we're going to become parents."

Without hesitating, Yoongi sat up to wrap his arms around Seokjin's neck, burying his face in the alpha's scent gland, feeling his soothing summer rain aroma fill his chest. In all his life, Yoongi had never felt happier.