A warm hand that softly caresses my cheek is the first thing I grow aware of upon waking up hours after the midnight incident, and though my mind feels a bit foggy because of the night I had to go through, I feel much more rested than I would have thought possible considering the circumstances.

Opening my eyes to find Seokjin staring at me feels like some deja-vu, and having Yoongi's cheek squished between my shoulder blades brings a kind of comfort that I wouldn't find anywhere else as I smile at the alpha who looks wide awake already.

"You can sleep more if you want, babydoll, it's still early" is what he says as he begins to caress underneath my eye with his thumb, as if to tempt me back into a restful daze, but I find myself grunting in disapproval while pushing my face into his hand to nose at his wrist, I didn't even scent them and yet here they are, drenched in my rosemary.

It feels good to have my scent on my mates like this, it's potent enough to let everyone know that the two alphas have one more wolf by their side even when I can't be with them, it's enough to put my instincts to rest.

"My pretty baby, such a soft little pup you are during cuddles, it's adorable" Seokjin murmurs with a smile in his eyes when I melt further between him and Yoongi, he would have this morning last forever if only that was possible.

He's thankful that it's still too early to get out of bed - he doesn't have to get ready for work just yet so he can fully absorb this moment into his heart just like he wants and needs.

"It's only because you make me feel safe, pack alpha" I reply sleepily and a deep, pleased rumble resonates from his chest and into the small space between us in response, to hear those words so early in the morning waking up something within him that he knows will never fall asleep ever again.

We have yet to talk about making him our pack alpha in more details but to me, it was already decided and confirmed earlier that it would be Seokjin, and indeed, to be called pack alpha so naturally by his baby alpha is something special that he wants to keep hearing until the end of times.

Seokjin almost forgets himself for a moment when he suddenly leans in for an impulsive kiss that he stops just in time, his jaw clenched harshly because he needs to use all of his strength to not close the remaining distance between our lips.

He exhales sharply before inhaling more of my scent to calm himself, and when he closes his eyes with his jaw relaxing slightly, I admire his beauty for a few seconds longer before deciding to soothe his starved instincts by leaning in for the kiss that he so visibly wanted.

Seeing him struggle for something that I also want feels like a waste of time and energy for the both of us, and indeed, as the warmth of our lips merges together to become this soft, tender embrace of two souls seeking each other, the only other thing that felt as right as this moment currently does was my kiss with Yoongi yesterday.

The soon-to-be pack alpha feels his next exhale come from much deeper than his lungs physically allow as he finally gets to feel me the way he desired, and when he gently pushes me into Yoongi to keep me from moving away as he deepens the kiss, I welcome everything he has to offer with an eagerness that feels refreshing to the two alphas, a sweet awakening for the one who was still asleep just a minute ago.

Coffee fills every inhales that I take from Seokjin's slow pace, for there is no hurry to be had when the sun is only just barely peeking out from beneath the horizon to begin its daily morning painting session, one that will decorate the sky for a precious hour before having the colours fade until the next day.

Yoongi basks in the mix that our scents create, content to simply be here while his older mate gives me a taste of a gentle but strong love, because Seokjin's kisses are grounding in a way that no one else can ever hope to achieve - it only confirms for him that the alpha was always meant to lead this pack from the very beginning.

I have no idea how long we lose ourselves into this dance that makes my every senses tingle pleasantly, all I know is that just as everything must come to an end some day, so does this kiss eventually melt away to leave us not quite breathless, but instead the slightest bit panting as our eyes slowly open again.

Seokjin nuzzles his nose against my own with sweet pink ears peaking out from under his hair, can he not hide me within his heart for the day so that he can keep me near always? Parting ways today is going to be the hardest thing he'll have done in years.

"Thank you, baby, you have no idea how deeply soothing this kiss was for me" Seokjin muses softly before caressing his knuckles over my hairline to push the baby hair back, and he relishes in the lovely tint that gains space across my face, which is also when he notices the open eyes from behind me.

"Before you apologize, yes, you did wake me up when you pushed her against me, but it was more of a blessing than it was a problem, I assure you" Yoongi's husky voice speaks up so suddenly that it startles me with a jump, it hadn't even crossed my mind that he might wake up while I was kissing Seokjin!

The two of them chuckle at my startled face before making a sad little sigh when a glance at the clock shows that time is not granting them any extra minutes this morning - they can't push back getting ready for work forever and they want to make sure I have eaten breakfast before leaving, which means that they must get out of bed now.

Or soon.

Yeah, they'll take just a few more minutes of warm snuggles before they brave the cold world, this moment is too precious to end just yet, not to forget that there are a few questions that must be asked for my sake.

"Morning, sweetheart, did you sleep well for what was left of the night?" Yoongi asks with a gentle peck over my shoulder, an apology for scaring me, and I roll in his direction so I can properly greet him with a soft kiss, it wouldn't be fair to let them get out of bed without receiving one each.

He offers me a delighted, boyish grin when my kiss ends up being several smooches over his lips, and his arms circle my waist to keep me close and warm against his chest, his gaze locked on my bashful but otherwise happy orbs when I consider myself done.

"Good morning, Yoongi. I think I slept well, or as much as it was possible for the night anyway, I'll probably end up needing a nap this afternoon. What about you? You stayed up late because of me even though you have work today, are you going to be okay?" I answer before sharing my concern for the both of them, and they smile while Seokjin's impressive torso moulds itself to my back with his chin resting over my head.

"We'll be fine, baby, we fell asleep pretty quickly once we got back home so we could get enough sleep, this won't keep us from doing a good job at work today. Do you want to talk about what happened before we get out of bed? Or would you rather wait until your brother gets here to talk about it with him?" my oldest mate inquires with a soft tone of voice, and I shrug a little in answer.

"I don't know, Seokjin... the night revealed that my parents actually hate me, that they probably wrecked my apartment and destroyed my art because they couldn't use me anymore and I also have to deal with the new knowledge that they had mates, but were kicked out of their pack because they couldn't give respect where it was due. I thought I had parents that meant well, and instead discovered that they only ever thought about themselves from the very beginning".

What do I do with all that? Do I pretend like nothing ever happened? Or do I simply accept that as the truth and then move on? There's so much to unpack and I don't know where to begin.

"What hurts you the most in what you just named?" Seokjin asks next, and I hide my head under Yoongi's chin to nose at his scent gland, instincts only settling down when his salty sea pushes out to calm me.

What hurts me the most?

Is it that instead of sinking on their own, they had to try and bring me down with them by destroying everything that I worked hard to build? Is it the feeling of betrayal that boils in my heart, because I was forged to satisfy the needs of such selfish omegas?

Or could it even be the fact that had they not been so arrogant, Bogum and I could've had a chance to grow up in a healthy pack instead of having to pick pieces of information here and there on our own? That would've made our life so different, and maybe even easier.

"It's hard to say... I think everything has its own weight in the way I feel right now. I'm disappointed, regretful, it feels like I have to mourn the life that could've been even though I have no idea what it would've looked like and it just... sucks. Everything that happened sucks" I mumble, and they both hug me tighter in response.

"I'm sure it does, sweetheart, and you're allowed to feel that way. Is there anything we can do for you this morning? Anything you need from us?" Yoongi asks gently while their pheromones begin to work to keep me grounded, and I make a soft noise before nodding my head sheepishly.

"Hug me for a little longer, please. I just need a little longer, then I'll be fine until my time with Bogum".

Seokjin kisses my head before rubbing his cheek tenderly over my hair.

"Of course, baby. We'll give you all the time you need".

---

Bogum and I nervously await at the meeting point a little earlier than the given time, the two of us terribly on edge because we don't really know what to expect out of what's about to take place very soon.

Being in front of this fancy restaurant wasn't really part of today's plans for Bogum and I, but when my big brother suddenly got a call on his phone that revealed itself to be from our parents' ex pack alpha asking if we could meet up today, we couldn't really find it in ourselves to deny his request.

Considering the current circumstances, it's fair to say that we would've met their mates at some point anyway, because while our parents were terrible wolves who had to be kicked out of the pack to protect everyone's mental health, we are still their mates' children and that is not something that can be simply ignored.

That is my belief anyway, but the man decided that for today, it would be better for us if we met only the pack alpha and the pack beta, something that should have eased our nerves, except that instead it only made us feel even more stressed because they are the two strongest wolves of their pack and we can only imagine what they must be like.

This is our parents' old pack we're talking about. Will we be fine during the meeting? How will they react upon seeing us for the first time? Why ask for a meeting so suddenly when they only learned of our existence yesterday? What are they hoping to achieve by seeing us in person so soon?

"Do you think this is a good idea, Bommie? What if this meeting goes terribly wrong?" I can't help but ask in a whisper with my gaze trained on the parking lot, I'm so nervous that I can barely keep still, my heart is already thinking about ways to stop functioning before they get here.

My brother wraps a warm hand around my own before looking at me with a serious air on his face, like he too is contemplating his options, but he ultimately ends up being the braver one of us when he smiles softly.

"I'm not sure, bubs, but if we don't meet up with them at least once, we'll never know what could happen and I somehow find that even more uncomfortable than the alternative. I want to believe that everything will go well, they wouldn't have called us otherwise".

I sigh before nodding my head at his response, he's right.

I can't just leave without at least hearing what they have to say to the two of us, they can't be worse than our parents and that in itself is comforting enough, that's all I need to know for now.

I don't know why I keep feeling like they'll be angry at us when none of this was our fault but I just have to remind myself that it's going to be fine, and that no matter what happens here, I have loving mates waiting for me at the end of the day.

"Yeah, I want to believe that too. I hope they get here soon".

It takes a few more minutes of us waiting in silence until an expensive black sports car enters the parking lot after slowing down at the intersection, and while I want to be brave too, I still hold my breath in anticipation when I see it park near where we're standing in a clean and smooth maneuver.

Bogum's hands turn sweaty just like my own as we wait to see if these are the people we're waiting for, it would be so awkward if we make a move before we can confirm who they are. It's not practical at all, not knowing what they look like.

Two tall men soon step out of the vehicle at the same time before locking the doors, and when they come walking confidently in our direction with the stride of powerful men, we can only blink in awe at the two intimidating figures who stop in front of us with a dominant aura about them - they are definitely the two wolves we were waiting for.

"Park Bogum and Park Y/N?" the alpha asks us with a voice that sounds softer than I was expecting to hear from such a man, like he tried to sound harmless as much as possible to avoid scaring my brother and I, and being the alpha that I am, I nod my head first while holding myself as tall as I can despite the trembling of my knees, something that makes him smile gently.

"No need to be so nervous, we're nicer than we look, I promise. Why don't we get inside for now? It'll be more comfortable for us to talk" the beta speaks up this time, a warm, jovial tone of voice that instantly makes the man look less scary, and then he adds "We didn't make you wait for too long, did we? There was a bit of traffic when we left so we were worried we'd be late".

Bogum shakes his head hesitantly, and they both hum, pleased.

"That's good then. Come, let's not stand outside any longer, the sun is not going easy on us today and I wouldn't want any of us to get a heatstroke".

At those words, the alpha opens the door before inviting us to get in first and I pull on my brother's hand to get him to follow me so we don't make them wait unnecessarily. We enter the building with the two wolves behind us, their energy so strong that it's not surprising when many heads turn in our directions once inside the large open room.

The woman at the front desk smiles when she sees us and though she tries to catch the two men's attention with a pretty tilt of the head, they don't seem moved at all by the gesture - they must be used to this kind of behaviour by now given how handsome they are.

"Welcome, I must inform you that we only have space for reservations at the moment, may I know if you made one before coming here?".

"Ah, yes I did call earlier. Gong Ji-cheol, I requested one of the private rooms for four wolves, which I was told would be possible".

The lady behind the desk looks into the reservations book before tapping a finger on the name mentioned, and she motions for us to follow her after getting four menus, the path taken leading us to a side of the room that looks like a VIP lounge because of the partitions surrounding it.

She then opens one of the doors along the wall to reveal an elegant and moderate sized room, which is great since it'll keep the many smells from overwhelming us, nor will any eyes try to sneak glances at us every few seconds, I can already find some omegas staring and it's making me uncomfortable.

"Will this do?" she enquires with the pack alpha who nods in satisfaction, and she bows lowly before leaving us with a promise for some fresh water, something that I will not refuse given how dehydrated I am, a condition Bogum shares as well.

"Have a seat, don't be shy" the alpha named Ji-cheol assures us as he and his mate sit down on one side of the table, and we obey without a word, the two of us unsure of what to say since earlier, this is way out of our comfort zone after all.

The water gets to our table before anything can be said, and the beta chuckles when my brother and I both grab our glasses to drink with desperation, what happens now? What do we say to get this conversation started?

"Our request was pretty unexpected, right?" the softer looking of the two begins after we've settled our water on the table again.

"We thought maybe it would be better to wait a little longer before asking to meet in person like this, but after learning that some of our mates had children after leaving the pack... it was hard to think about anything else" he continues with a shy laugh that makes him look much more endearing, and I find myself relaxing slightly at this observation.

"Yes, I imagine it must have come as a shock when I called you yesterday, it was... hard figuring out the right thing to do given the situation with our parents, but yesterday night made everything look so clear all of a sudden.

Thank you for agreeing to answer my questions last night, Lee Dong-wook, Gong Ji-cheol, it must have been so uncomfortable for you" Bogum answers with an apologetic bow that I mimic even though I wasn't part of that process, it all happened because of me so I do carry some of the fault.

"Please don't apologize, you did the right thing by calling us, Bogum, truly. I'm rather the one who should apologize to the two of you" the alpha speaks up this time with guilt laced in his voice, and I stare at him with a confused frown, why would he have to apologize about anything?

"I should have tried to find out if those two omegas had children after they left the pack, but I thought they would at least be great parents so we voted against it in the end. That was clearly a terrible mistake on our part and I regret that we couldn't be by your side during your growth. I'm sorry".

Ji-cheol apologizes with a bow of his own that his mate mimics as well, and it's a sight that I just know I could never dare hope to see from my parents, they would never stoop that low in front of us, not unless they were forced to.

My heart clenches painfully as my mind processes what he just said and regret begins to drown me from within despite knowing that the past cannot be changed. I can't keep myself from thinking that everything would've been so much better if they'd known about us much sooner.

Packs have a right over their mates' children after all, especially when it comes to education. Even if it had come to going to the court to settle this matter, the judge would have granted the pack the right to come see us regularly, if only to allow Bogum and I to learn from another wolf with our respective second gender.

It's hard to not think about it, hard to not feel disappointed about how things turned out in the end. Exactly how much was taken from us because our parents were selfish and self entitled? I somehow know that it's a lot, a whole lot.

Bogum squeezes my hand gently when my scent shifts a little, something that the two older wolves notice as well, and he sighs deeply before starting to explain what happened in the middle of the night, if only to let them know that I'm not like... this because of them.

Hearing about the incident this way feels strange because I was so out of it then that I can barely remember what happened at all.

Seokjin, Yoongi and Bogum had to deal with everything in my stead and I'm beginning to feel kind of bad about it, but at the same time, I'm just glad that they were there to help because I don't know if I would've been any good on my own.

I don't even know what my home looked like when we got there because I didn't have a look inside. All I know is that Yoongi made me promise to not go back there alone, that he'd rather have one of them by my side just in case, and that tells me more than enough.

Dong-wook and Ji-cheol release a low growl when they hear that my apartment was destroyed last night and that I lost all of my belongings, and to know that my parents are primary suspects at the moment doesn't seem to surprise them in the least, a detail that both hurts and confirms to me that they were indeed behind the hateful act.

Reading the messages I was sent is but a cherry on top of the sundae, and the thickness of the pheromones in the room get almost suffocating before Dong-wook demands that his alpha calms down for our sake.

"I can't believe they would do such a thing to their own daughter... the way they raised an alpha was bad enough, but this? They pushed their luck, this is unacceptable" the alpha utters angrily before letting his eyes fall on my drooping figure, and the weakness of my pheromones makes his instincts stir uncomfortably.

Could he have prevented this from happening had he taken different decisions back then?

"You siblings went through a lot on your own... I'm ashamed of myself, we should've been there to help, we knew how they were and yet we assumed that they would at least change for their children... what a fool I was" he shares his regrets with his head bent down, and I lick my lips before searching for the right thing to say here.

It feels good to know that someone would've cared enough to step in when it mattered the most, and that it's now too late to do so is, in my eyes, not the end of the world.

The future might not be set in stone anymore, my parents will probably never make it back into my life now that the performance is done and over, but what matters is that I surround myself with good people from now on, and I feel like Ji-cheol and Dong-wook deserve to be given a chance to be in our life, if that's what they want.

"You still held respect for two wolves who you once cared for, I don't think this is something you should feel ashamed about. Our parents made their own decisions, and that I was born an alpha was but an added equation in a problem that none of us could ever begin to comprehend.

Even I, for some reason, find myself wondering if things could get better with them now that I know everything, if a healthy relationship could be possible between us. I don't think you were a fool, Ji-cheol ssi, nor was I one. We simply love too much, even when loving brings more pain than it brings good".

I smile softly when he looks up to meet my gaze, and it's almost fascinating, the amount of emotions that seem to spill into his eyes before he manages to gain control over them again.

"You're a very kind alpha, Y/N, I think the world has a lot to learn from someone like you. I only wish that you would not put yourself in danger for the sake of others who do not deserve your love, you overused your pheromones because of that, did you not?".

Having three pairs of eyes on me as the alpha asks me that question makes me purse my lips sheepishly before I nod my head, there's no hiding it from them at this point. I really need to be careful so that this doesn't happen again because having everyone point it out so easily makes me feel like a failure as someone who's meant to defend my pack.

The alpha and the beta share a silent glance before coming to an agreement, and Dong-wook is the one to speak up this time when he stares at Bogum and I with a gentle expression on his face.

"We would like to officially become your birth pack, if you would allow it. It would mean the world to us to be able to teach you all that we know, just like we would've done in a better world. I'm sure you already have a home and people who you love around you, but you're family to us and we want to stay in contact. The rest of the pack would love meeting you as well once you're ready for that step".

While Bogum and I were both expecting that outcome after getting to talk to them like this, it still comes as a shock to hear how genuine they are with their wish to treat us as family.

To have a birth pack... it's finally having a place to belong, a place to return to when life gets hard and confusing.

My brother squeezes my hand with both of his hands, and we too glance at one another to make sure that we're both thinking the same, we're in this together after all.

It's so easy to see the stars in his orbs as he searches my own, and the way his citrus scent turns all sweet on me is enough to let me know that he would love nothing more than to accept their offer, as would I.

"My sister and I... we've never spoken about this much in the past but I know that we've always been very similar on a lot of things, and to have a birth pack was one of those things that we would continually long for in silence. It was hard to not have the guidance of an adult of our second gender to help us adapt to a world that keeps changing, and while we're both adults now... I do believe that we still need that guidance, especially now".

I rest my cheek on his shoulder while bringing my other hand on top of his, the best I can do at the moment to comfort him since my pheromones are pretty much useless right now. It's not often that I get to hear his voice tremble like that, and I know that this opportunity means a lot to him, more than I could imagine.

Betas have their own struggles to deal with and I can't say that I've ever really taken the time to see how my own brother was doing since I always had so much to deal with myself. Seeing Woozi strive made me believe that Bogum would be the same, but I guess I was just lying to myself to get some peace of mind.

The two older wolves breathe out in relief before smiling at us, and the safety that I get out of their woodsy scents is enough to fully put me at ease in front of them.

Accepting this meeting was a good thing, I'm glad Bogum and I came here.

"Thank you, truly. Why don't we eat something while we're here then, to celebrate the reunion of a long lost family? The food is delicious and definitely worth trying at least once. It's going to be on us so eat whatever you want, and don't worry about the prices".

My stomach, as if summoned by the mention of food, takes that exact moment to grumble loudly and I blush when Dong-wook bursts into laughter while Bogum and Ji-cheol grin at me, this is so embarrassing!

My brother pats my knee before settling one of the menus in front of me, a soft coo past his lips when he moves in to nudge against my temple with his nose, the mere sight of my red cheeks doing wonders to his mood, for this is how I should always look.

No tears, no sickly paleness, only these pretty colours and this vibrant scent of mine.