Their POV

"How is Jin's wolf feeling?" Yoongi asks in a murmur as he comes to sit on the couch in the living room where Jimin is currently hugging a whimpering wolf in his arms, the fact that it was in the end unable to break down the door leaving it feeling terrible and useless.

Pack omega could not help scared omega, worthless wolf.

Jimin sighs and shakes his head before looking down at the poor creature, his hand rubbing its cheek softly to cheer it up a little, though it doesn't do much except for causing more sadness to fill its heart.

"Heartbroken, it hasn't stopped crying since earlier. We shouldn't have kept that lock on the door, hyung. I can't believe we kept such a stupid lock on this door, she's been in there for two hours and we have no way of reaching her until she unlocks it herself. That's so dangerous" he answers through clenched teeth, a sentiment that Yoongi shares.

They never bothered with changing the lock when they bought the house all those years ago because the room wasn't really used anyway, it didn't matter that it could be unlocked from the inside only, changing that wasn't a priority to them.

They made it a guest room but... who were they kidding? They never bring anyone that isn't pack over, Y/N was the odd little human out of the lot that had captivated them, the first outsider to ever step foot in their home.

And of course, it just had to end up making sense when her true nature was revealed, that she was not only a wolf but their true mate as well. The pack could have never foretold such a thing, her arrival was a surprise, a blessing, but also a nightmare, because now they have to tolerate such a fear whenever she's in pain.

And that lock, that stupid lock is something that needs to disappear as soon as possible.

When she opens that door, the entire doorknob is leaving, Yoongi already made sure to put his toolkit aside for when it happens, they're not taking such a risk ever again, their omega can't hide from them like this.

Jimin exhales tiredly and rests his head on the wolf's, his own heart weeping silently. He hates not being able to do anything, he hates knowing his true mate alone, he hates knowing her crying and lonely when she needs them.

Their heat has never been so chaotic and he honestly has no idea how they're even sitting like this right now.

After getting themselves nearly hurt while attacking her door when she shut it behind her, all of the wolves freaking out of their mind because they could hear her crying and an obstacle was keeping them from soothing her, Hoseok and Taehyung had to take big measures to calm the pack down and so, they used their rare gift, a particularity that is given only to betas in case of emergencies like this one.

They basically took over the pack from Namjoon.

Not forever, of course, but for now, their pack alpha is not the head of the pack anymore.

The betas have decided that he is currently not in an appropriate mindset anymore to guide over the six other wolves, which in all honesty, feels like a blessing to Namjoon, because he truly is not in a state to take any decisions anymore after being behind her running away.

Having your omega flee from you when you're trying to take care of her is one thing, but to have her be so audibly in panic because of you for nearly an hour? Namjoon did not take it well at all.

He's still not taking it well, he won't be until he gets to see her again, until she can explain what it is that he did wrong. Right now, he's no pack alpha, he's just a mate trying to look after his love, a confused man seeking answers, redemption.

"Y/N... please open the door, I... beg of you".

Jimin and Yoongi turn their gaze towards the source of the weak voice, the sight of Namjoon's body slumped in front of the door playing with their heart, they feel his pain as if their own, yet they know it's nowhere near the intensity he is currently experiencing.

He's been there ever since the pack was brought to the pack nest by the betas, just to help them relax. He could not bear to leave the door unattended, so he sat on the floor and has kept calling out to her up until now, and no one has been able to take him from that spot.

Namjoon hates the sight of the door at this moment, he never had any hate towards an inanimate thing before but now, he would rise hell, he would throw the world upside down just to have it disappear from sight, and the fact that he can't, because that door was made stronger on purpose when the house was built, it's making him regrets buying it in the first place.

She still hasn't eaten anything, she's barely had any water, she must be cold, weak, and while she was the one to lock the door, it must hurt her so much to be alone right now.

Namjoon can't handle it, he can't handle the worries he has for her, all he wants is to reach her side and take care of her like he's meant to do, and he can't, and it hurts.

Fucking door. He hates it like he didn't know possible, a rage building in the pit of his stomach the more he stares at it.

That door is not staying, she can hide in the pack nest the next time she wants to be alone, because that door is not staying, he will make sure of it. It is not winning against him, not a second time.

Every doors now potential enemy, must be careful.

Taehyung steps out of the nest room after staring from the shadows for a moment and stops besides the pitiful alpha, his lips pursing softly at the sight in front of him before he kneels down to look into his mate's eyes face to face.

"We don't know what happened, hyung, as far as I know, I don't think it was your fault. There's something about this situation that we can't understand until she explains herself, so please don't be so hard on yourself, you did nothing wrong" the beta murmurs, and the whole pack listens in with a sunken heart when the response Taehyung gets is a trembling breath and a wobbling chin.

Namjoon is currently not leader of the pack, he's not responsible of his mates any longer, so all the strength that he normally forces himself to be for them - he doesn't have it right now.

Right now, Namjoon feels like his pretty garden was destroyed by worthless animals, he looked up to the sky for one second, and when he looked back down, everything was gone, his perfection ripped from his hold and shredded like paper in front of his eyes.

His roses have been taken from him and he just wants them back.

Taehyung takes in the first tears that cover the older man's cheeks and immediately kneels forward to hug him, and though Namjoon doesn't allow himself to cry the way he wants to, the way his soul needs, he still weeps silently in his mate's arms, because his true mate is right on the other side of that door, and she's all alone.

Your POV

If someone had told me sooner that I would be so easy to replace in this life, maybe everything would hurt less right now.

Mom and dad adopted another kid after they sent me away.

I was a failure, a project gone wrong, so they probably looked into adopting the perfect little girl for a bit longer before finding her, because getting another mistake would have cost them a lot. How many children could they be seen adopting one after the next without tainting their image?

I think back to the sight of them, to the way they smiled before seeing me. She really was pretty, she had a nice voice, she looked smart, obedient, gentle, elegant.

Everything that they wanted me to be.

She became their perfect little puppet while I became the bastard child, the living soul that you hide to the best of your abilities because you don't want others to know that your family is not as perfect as you try to pretend.

It explains now why mom wanted me to work in their chosen field so much. It was the last way I could keep them from losing face in front of those who still remember their first daughter, and I couldn't give them that safety, which then made me worse than a bastard child in their eyes.

Mom said that I should've died, and right now, I can only agree with her.

Things would be so much easier right now if I was gone. Why is being alive always so complicated? Why is it always so hard?

I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask for any of this - these emotions, this pain, this abandon.

I could not be the perfection that my parents needed, and now I also ruined everything with my true mates. What exactly did I do for them to break the nest that was made to welcome me into their life, I don't know, and maybe that's the problem.

I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe it's obvious and I'm too blind to see it, or maybe it's all that I am that's causing them to be this upset.

I'm a lot to handle, I know that. I tiptoed my way into their life after Yoongi found me in the park and the next thing I knew, I was barging in like a wrecking ball, and wrecking did I do, such a mess I caused, with no break in between.

Each and every one of them did their best to be patient with me, to adjust to me as I did to them, but I'm like a bomb with no timer, a threat that can cause damage when you least expect it, a joker who pulls random cards with random numbers to know how much damage will be done to the foe.

I stare at the window with furrowed brows, and I can't help but wonder how easy would it be to just... run away right now.

To open that window and leave.

I'd have to be homeless for a while. The rain, the scorching sun, the cold and the heat would all fight each other for the possibility to break me, to punish me for the pain my absence would cause to the seven men.

It would hurt for a while and then one day, they would be fine, because they have each other, they are not alone. They would simply go back to the perfection that they obviously had prior to my arrival.

I crawl back under the blanket and close my eyes as tears fall once more, each lines they trace over my skin mimicking the cracks appearing across my thrumming heart.

I am not needed. No matter where I go, I am not a necessity in anyone's life.

Are they currently waiting on the other side of the door to scold me? Are they waiting for me to leave this room so they can ask me to get out of their house? Have I burned down any possible future with them?

If we had not discovered that I am in fact a wolf, if my being their true mate was never revealed, I would've left them after maybe a week of enjoying their gentleness, I would've found an apartment worthy of being lived in and maybe I would've given up finding a job on my own, the tattoo parlour left behind because I wouldn't belong there.

Maybe I would've relented and accepted to use my diploma after all, just to make mom and dad happy, and then I would've eventually found out that I actually have a sister who took my place and my life would go crumbling down with no one by my side to help me survive the pain.

I inhale deeply, and after hesitating for many long minutes, I eventually stand up from the bed, the blanket wrapped around my body before I make my way to the window.

Finding how to unlock it is a bit of a mystery until I finally manage to understand how it works, and after pushing it open, I walk to the desk to grab the chair before sitting in the soft sun's light to think about my next course of action.

I can't stay locked in this bedroom forever. I'm going to have to face the truth at some point, I know what has to be done, but I don't know if I'm ready for it, I'm... I'm really scared.

I don't want them to get rid of me, I have found a home in them, they treat me well, my heart feels full when I look at them, my soul feels complete when I melt in their warmth. I don't want to lose any of that, but I can't be selfish, I've done enough already.

If they ask me to leave... will I be able to go without resisting? Or will I beg like crazy for a second chance?

Grass suddenly begins to rustle from outside of my window and when the sound stops, I look up to find Taehyung smiling sadly at me as he stands outside, his bitter burnt sugar fighting with his normally sweet apple pie scent as he takes me in with gentle orbs.

A lump forms in my throat as soon as our gazes meet and I look down at my feet, blanket wrapped tighter around me for comfort and protection.

Of course he'd be keeping an eye out for my window, unicorns are able to read thoughts so maybe this one heard what went through my mind and decided to make sure I wouldn't be able to do anything behind their back.

"Hey there, baby rose... can we talk a little?" I hear him ask softly, his voice sprinkled with hesitation, and not finding it in me to refuse him, I nod my head slowly, which is met with relief on his side of the window.

Taehyung breathes in deeply before sitting on the grass, right underneath my window, and as his scent soon begins to enter my bedroom to keep me company, I can't find in me the strength required to fight the surge of tears that make my jaw tremble in shame.

"Hoseok and I... we've had to take big measures to keep the pack under control after you locked yourself in there, sweet rose. I know that to you, the word 'heat' is just that, a word, but... it's a lot more than that. It's something that we have to live with regularly, it's something that we have learned to merge into our lifestyle so that it can work for the seven of us, something that you too will have to learn to accept into your life, whether you want to or not" he begins, and while he's right that maybe I haven't really fully accepted everything that the word brings, I'm not... it wasn't my intention to make everything harder for them.

He sighs when I keep my mouth shut. "Our first heats together... they were absolutely terrible, one could even consider them a failure as a pack from an outside point of view, did you know that?".

I shake my head while wiping my cheeks, a soft sniffle echoing in the silence before Taehyung continues, a small smile lifting up the corners of his lips as he remembers the past, head resting against the wall behind him as he stares up at the sky.

"Namjoon was a control freak and so was Jimin, they just had to have a say on everything that was done. Yoongi, despite his intimidating appearance, hated having anything to do with making decisions and Jungkook was just making baby steps into adulthood, he had no idea what he was doing. Then there was Jin who could barely keep a straight mind, his wolf was a real piece of work because it wanted things one way and we were doing things the opposite way.

Hoseok and I... gosh, we were really wondering what the hell we were doing with such a messy pack. We'd try to keep an eye over the five of them but for every decisions we'd make to help them, we'd be met with confrontation and tears, because it was new for all of us. Heat as new mates is a big thing for wolves" he begins counting with a chuckle leaving him that confuses me, because that sounds terrible, I'm not sure I could find that funny.

Still, I stare at the sky as I process what he just said. Isn't that what's happening to us too? I'm the new one in their pack this time, so while they have found peace and harmony between the seven of them, that doesn't immediately include me, I'm just like how they were in the beginning, new to all of this.

"It took us a long time to finally understand how to make things work within the pack. No keeping doors locked, regular cuddles and always eating together, where every wolves can see. Those things might sound weird said like this, but they've really managed to lower the tension amongst us, because there's nothing worse than not knowing where your mate is, or knowing your mate hurting and yet being unable to soothe because of a locked door".

I bite on my bottom lip before eyeing behind me the door that remains locked, one that is beginning to scare me, because what is awaiting me on the other side? I don't want to invite in their anger, I don't want to be scolded, I don't want them to kick me out.

"What happened, little rose? Why did you refuse to eat the peach that Hoseok cut for you?".

I tense up at the mention of the cursed fruit and Taehyung smells the change in my scent before I even get to speak, something that worries him.

I curl in on myself on the chair, chin resting on my knees with my brows furrowing in dislike. Are we still going on about this? Refusing to eat it already cost me breakfast, I don't want to keep having to think about it, I hate peaches, can't we stop at that?

"Why is my nest broken? What did I do that was so bad for you to tear it apart?" I ask back instead of answering him, and silence welcomes my words for many long seconds as Taehyung tries to understand what I'm talking about.

"What are you- oh".

Taehyung suddenly remembers the phone call that happened while I was trying on the clothes, and of course, Jin, Jimin and Namjoon must have messed up the nest when they were trying to find which blankets they needed to get rid of.

"Oh rose, no, the nest wasn't destroyed because of you, sweet thing, it wasn't meant to remain like this" he hurries to say and I turn my gaze to the window in uncertainty, what does he mean? What happened then?

"Do you remember our outing at the clothing store? When you left to try on the outfits you had chosen, we called Jin, Jimin and Namjoon who were still at home and we told them about your skin condition. They immediately went to your nest to test each blankets because they wanted to take out those that weren't good for you.

We were told to buy more at the shop so that they could remake it properly, that's what the blankets were for, we simply didn't have time to work on it because of the... restaurant incident, and then we stayed in the pack nest the entire time so there was no need to remake it that soon" he explains in more details and I feel myself droop on my chair at the information.

So... it wasn't because I did something bad? It was only like this because of the circumstances? If that's true... then I can understand my nest's current state, they just wanted to make it better for me.

What happened with my parents... their rushed heat makes sense now, it was all my fault, of course.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Taehyung... I should've told you that I didn't want to eat at the restaurant when I was asked, but I didn't know that they would be there that night, I didn't know they were still going there even after all these years" I find myself apologizing softly with a lump in my throat as it hits me once more that I again caused them troubles, that's all I'm good at doing, problems after problems.

Yoongi said that he didn't want me to remember, he said it was good that I had forgotten, I wish I could've remained oblivious to this as well. Knowing what I now know... it doesn't feel good.

Taehyung gasps at my words and struggles rising to his feet when he loses his balance in the process, yet it doesn't keep him from standing in front of my window to stare at me with wide panicked eyes, his dark orbs taking in the drying trails of tears on my skin as I guiltily look up at him.

"You... you remember?" he asks weakly, and when I sigh deeply before nodding my head, his heart crumbles as he grips onto the window's border tightly, the events of the night flashing back to mind and causing his heart to twist painfully.

"And you didn't- you hurt all on your own? Why didn't you- oh baby rose, you should've opened the door, you should've let us know, we were all waiting for you to let us in again" he utters with a trembling voice, because that night traumatized him, and knowing how he handled it, knowing his experience a shadow of my own, he can't accept that I had to remember all on my own.

"I couldn't" I retort quickly before looking down to avoid his confused eyes, the blanket tightened around me, it's like the sun isn't enough anymore to keep me warm, the air feels colder now.

"Why? Baby rose, why couldn't you? Haven't we shown you that you can trust us? Haven't we shown you that you can lean on us?" he asks with a raised voice, which he can't help, because while he's a beta, he's still a wolf in heat, and to know that his true mate still can't see that they're here to help, his mind can barely process it.

His words tear a hole inside my chest, they have shown me that, they have done much more, but that's exactly the problem. I don't deserve any of this, I don't deserve them or what they're offering me, I am not worthy of these wolves.

"I didn't open the door because I didn't want you to scold me, I- I didn't want to give you a chance to kick me out, I caused a lot of problems, I refused to eat the fruit and I even broke the plate, and then the broken nest, I- I couldn't open the door, Taehyung. I can't" I answer him shakily, words stumbling out of my mouth one after the other without any pause to breathe, because if I stop, I don't know if I'll be able to speak again.

Taehyung feels shocked by what he's hearing, that I would believe them able to kick me out, he has no idea where that's coming from. The plate was an accident, I was overwhelmed, I obviously felt threatened, but never was it their goal to get rid of me because of that, they could never even think of such a thing without getting distressed by the thought.

"Rose-" Taehyung tries to speak up again but I stop him with a shake of the head as I stand up to my feet and away from the window, legs trembling and unsteady as I inch back towards the bed, thoughts all jumbling together and causing that panic to crawl within my soul again, my wolf growing unstable, everything dangerous, everything hurting, everything scary.

"The peach, that was a fruit of punishment, it was the peach or the breakfast, couldn't have both, always one or the other. I wanted the breakfast but Namjoon kept insisting and- I didn't want to be kept aside during breakfast but he wouldn't stop, mom and dad abandoned me because I wasn't good enough and now it's the same here, you're going to be bored of me, you'll want me gone and I don't want that, I don't want to go" I whimper out before climbing on the bed where I hide within the pile of pillows, can't lose home again, don't want to be alone.

The wolves standing on the other side of the door and listening in feel sick, they feel revolted, here's another thing that my parents did that made things more complicated for them, it just had to be a fucking peach of all things, they just had to make me link a simple fruit snacks with abuse, and they just had to take part into that without being aware of the sickening truth.

The doorknob turns loudly, a hit against the door when it doesn't open and Taehyung quickly slips in through the opened window to enter my bedroom, much to my horror, and when I find Namjoon walking inside with long strides once the door unlocked, I hug the closest pillow with a scared whimper, my body shaking despite the comforting scents they try to push out, it's all fake, it can't hide their anger, pack alpha is really mad at us, everyone mad at us.

The entire pack makes it within my room to reach my bed where I am because they cannot leave this way of thinking exist any longer when suddenly, a low growl resonates against the walls before a sweet mint takes place between us and time freezes, tension spreading through every bodies as the alphas and betas try to understand the pack omega's sudden aggressive reaction.

Out, scaring omega, get out, calm. Pack omega take care of omega. Alone.

Yoongi is first to react as he pulls Taehyung and Namjoon out of the bedroom, and it takes him and the beta everything to keep the alpha from barging back into the bedroom with despair coursing through his veins, because door now open, yet he still can't go?

Jungkook hesitates in the doorway, but when the wolf shows its teeth, he closes the door softly with a pained frown, it's so hard to stay away, this morning is one of the worsts of his life and he really wants things to get better soon for everyone.

I shake my head against the pillow, legs pulled to my chest and blanket loose around me, I hate this, I hate everything, I just want to be happy but it feels like everything keeps getting in the way, I keep getting in the way, why am I like this? I hate myself so much.

How do I recover from the past when I keep letting it control my future? It feels like there's no hope of getting better for me and it makes me feel hopeless, heartbroken as I try to make myself small within the pillows, invisible.

Can't I just stay here if they can't see me? I'll be nice from now on, I won't cause anymore problems, I'll be good, they won't even know that I'm still around and everyone will be happy, wouldn't that be good for everyone?

Something humid brushes against the back of my neck and I startle with a gasp before instinctively moving away from the touch, who's this? Who stayed behind?

I crawl deeper within the mountain of pillows and then look behind me through the blur of my tears, and when I find only a gentle looking wolf that looks a lot smaller than Namjoon's alpha, I pause, now unsure of how to feel about this familiar yet unknown presence on my bed.

This wolf of a beautiful caramel coat that nears on the red stares at me without making a single movement, its body sat outside of the messed up nest, and I use the blanket to wipe my face as I try to slow down my erratic breathing, this is Jin, right? It smells like him, this is his wolf.

While part of me really wants to have Jin, the tall man, near so I can feel his warmth as he hugs me tightly, to have his wolf omega here brings forth another type of reassurance, and when I hiccup tearily with the blanket opening to invite it in my immediate cocoon, the wolf doesn't let me ask twice when it dives in before I change my mind, fluffiness crawling against my stomach before I lower the blanket again to hug it with a sob getting lost in its fur.

The pack omega whimpers when my body begins shaking against its own, my sobs many and loud to his ears, the storm that my scent is letting him know just how upset I am, and at seeing the nest that doesn't look like one anymore, it feels pain for me, because if only nest had been intact and pretty, I would've felt better.

It does its best to crawl upwards without getting the blanket to fall off me, and when its head is higher than mine, the wolf curls around my shoulders while pushing me into the wall of pillows, tail covering my legs and hence closing the circle.

It will be the nest instead, it will be the comfort that I need, and when I feel better, its human can take care of the nest so misunderstandings don't happen again.

I grip a handful of the wolf's fur in my fists as I cry heartily at the safe feeling it brings me, and it doesn't move away from me, its head weighing heavy over my own as it cries softly with me, its omega in pain, always so much pain.

There's so much fear that's filling my heart now that Jin's wolf is with me, because I don't want it to leave me alone, I don't want to be left on my own, I'm so scared of losing everything that I've been given, a pack and a family that I've begun to love, and it's taking away my ability to think and leaving me with only my weak heart and soul, two things that get lost in darkness way too easily.

The pack omega closes its eyes as it kisses my cheek with a tiny lick, the salty tears staining its tongue making its heart split in half, my rain so heavy on the nose, a storm of loneliness that it doesn't know how to bring to an end even though it's with me right now, how can it help?

The animal begins grunting and barking to get my attention and I lift my head up with a teary sob before startling when the whole of its tongue just swipes over my face to get rid of the tears, and while the intention behind the act is gentle, it leaves behind sticky saliva all over my face and...

"That's gross" I complain weakly with a mix of disgust that quickly becomes annoyance when it goes in for a second lick, one that I cannot stop even when I try to push its body away, because smaller it might be, strong it still is.

"S-stop, you're disgusting" I whine at the third lick, face hiding in the fur to protect myself from the shower of saliva that it attacks me with when it doesn't listen to me, unaware that it gives it access to my ear instead, and when the warm and ticklish feeling covers the sensitive shell, I yelp, body pushing onto the wolf to keep it from licking me again, which begins a scuffle between the two of us because it won't stop, why won't it stop?!

I push its face into the pillow with a groan, but it might as well serve no goal when the wolf easily forces me onto my back before climbing over me to resume licking my face and neck, and my disgust splits into a mix of laughter and angry tears, because it's fucking annoying, but at the same time, this is exactly what I needed, something to distract me from the rising darkness.

"You need to st-urgh!" I begin talking only to roar in disgust the next second, because the wolf just licked my mouth!

I was talking with the intent of reaching peace and it licked my opened mouth! The audacity! The crime! How dare it make me suffer that way! Disgusting!

"That's enough, pack omega! Pack ome- p- pack alpha!" I scream when I end up pushed off the bed by mistake when the war becomes more intense, and when the door slams open without a second of waiting, it's to show Namjoon frozen in his tracks as he takes in the way I slide off the bed because of a proud wolf, my legs still on the mattress but the rest of my body just hanging off pitifully, the one-piece pyjama thankfully preserving my dignity.

"H-help?" I mumble out in a murmur, lips pouting as I struggle using my abs to lift myself up, the plop of my butt finally meeting the floor ending the omega wolf who falls on the bed in cackling laughter, a very particular sound that reminds me of Jin's laughter, and that also serves to send Namjoon into a snorting mess as he tries to keep in his amusement, which only makes me pout more in response.

"You can leave, I now see that I will need to help myself" I let out with a grunt as I try to save myself from the uncomfortable position, without success, and the man quickly releases a laugh before walking over to help me back on the bed, his arms gentle as they lift my upper body up until I get to sit properly in front of the terrible wolf who grins at me with sharp teeth.

I make the mistake of believing this fight over now that Namjoon is here, so when Jin's wolf teases me by licking my arm again, enough is enough! I mess up my hair in a raging fit before jumping on the wolf with a war cry, this is war!

I go from covering it with my body to being rolled over until it covers me with its body, and when it rubs its furry cheek all over my face, I start screaming bloody murder while Namjoon takes in the scene from his seat at the foot of the bed with a shake of the head.

He should've known that this is how Jin's wolf would fix this problem, what better way to stop me from crying if not by annoying the shit out of me? It sure is good at that, Namjoon would know.

"I will beat you up to a pulp! I will make curry with your meat! If you lick me once more, I swear, I will- NAMJOOOON" I roar when none of my threats work, and after enjoying the sight for a few more seconds with a smile on his lips, because this is a lot better than tears, the alpha eventually stands up and pulls the wolf off me to give me a much needed break.

Out of breath, I inhale audibly with a groan, a slap of the hand to the wolf's exposed stomach as it curls by my side, which earns me a grunt that I give back with more fervor, because that was deserved, now I stink and it's awful.

"You need to brush this wolf's teeth more often, it smells like crap" I let out after a while of exhausted silence and the creature huffs out, offended by my words but otherwise knowing that it's true, because I do smell bad now that it licked all over my exposed skin.

"That can be taken care of easily, Yoongi is good at handling bratty wolves" Namjoon finally speaks up with his deep comforting voice, and his words do NOT make the wolf happy, because when those words are said, Yoongi's head comes peeking into the room from the door like he was waiting for this opportunity forever.

"Did someone say that a wolf needs a good teeth brushing?" he lets out before showing a large toothbrush, and that is it, the pack omega has been betrayed!

It was helping omega feel better and this is how it's thanked? Is this all the love its allowed?

It's now my turn to burst into laughter when the wolf attempts to make a run for it only to be hunted down by a happy Yoongi, and it only registers after a minute of calming down that this means I am now alone with the pack alpha.

I go from being relaxed to tensed in a matter of seconds and Namjoon sighs softly before offering me a light smile that he wants reassuring.

He doesn't want to make me nervous, he just wants things to go back to how they were before the mess, he wants me back into the fluffiness that their pheromones kept me in, a state that endeared him so much because it meant more cuddles for him, he just wants the cuddles back.

"Would you like a bath, baby? I can make it filled with bubbles, we even have some bath bombs that Jimin got a while ago, they all smell very good and I'm sure they'd be good for taking away the bad breath smell that Jin's wolf washed you with, what do you think?" he offers with a soft tilt of the head that makes my cheeks heat up, and I find myself nodding at his offer even though I know that the chances that he sticks around during the bath are very high.

"I've always wanted to try a bath bomb at least once" I admit shyly and he hums deeply before reaching over to softly smooth my hair, his hands gentle as he takes his time, this being mostly an opportunity for him to soothe his instincts more than anything else.

He would have shifted into his wolf to cause a wreck around the house a long time ago if the betas hadn't done such a good job, so all in all, the pack is lucky that he can satisfy himself with this contact for now.

I relish in the feeling that comes with his touch on my head, every brushes of his fingers soft and loving as he caresses my hair, but though his scent is back to his musky tea, I can tell that he has a lot on his mind and it makes me a little nervous. What is he thinking about?

Namjoon inhales deeply before pursing his lips in uncertainty, brows furrowing before he exhales for many long seconds.

"If... is it only peaches? If we give you something else to snack on while in the bath, will you be fine?" he finally manages to ask what's been on his mind since earlier and I blink softly before looking down with a small shrug.

I guess anything else could be fine, though I'm still feeling sensitive about the matter, it doesn't help that I'm very hungry right now.

I think my brain will only be able to register that everything is fine when I've been able to have a complete meal, but in the meantime... I need to trust them. Taehyung's words from earlier... he was right, I need to believe in the truth that they have shown me until now.

"Honestly, I'm not sure, Namjoon, but I know that peaches are bad, to me anyway. Mom would always buy them and... it took me a while before understanding her tactic, that when she'd offer me to eat one while she was making breakfast, it wasn't to help me be patient but to gain a reason to not give me the food.

She'd send me to my room while making her own plate and... it felt... too similar this morning. The peach while Hoseok and Taehyung were making breakfast, I was afraid that if I did eat it... you would ask me to go to my room. I'm sorry Namjoon" I apologize shamefully, head bent down because I can't meet his gaze after the hell of a morning I made us go through.

I wish I could be simple to live with, anyone else would've accepted the fruit snack easily but I made such a big deal out of it. They've got to be so tired of those episodes by now, I really wish that could be different.

Instead of replying, Namjoon takes me in for a tight hug and I don't resist him, body instead melting in his hold as he shakes his head with a deep and long exhale, his exhaustion easily heard in the sound.

"Don't apologize, sweet love, it's not your fault. Your adoptive parents are terrible people and I'm sorry that you've had to suffer so much at their hands, what they've done... is not right. It pains me that you felt the same thing could happen with us, but I understand why your brain would've made that link. I'm sorry that I insisted so much, it's hard to resist the heat when it takes over my mind, I should've stopped when you started getting upset" he admits, and I too shake my head, because it's not his fault either.

"It's okay, Namjoon, you couldn't know" I assure him with a sincerity that helps him to relax a little, his cheek resting over the crown of my head as he tries to fight the urge to find my parents and rip them apart because they'll get what they deserve, he can't get in the way of the procedures.

"Okay... how about we go select which bath bomb you want while we fill the bath? I'll tell the betas to prepare you a safe snack while they heat up the breakfast, we've all been waiting for you to feel better before trying again, we didn't want to eat without you" Namjoon says after a while, and upon hearing that they waited for me even though I caused the mess, I can't help but tear up instantly.

"Y-you waited? You shouldn't- you should've had the food with the others, Namjoon, I-" I start with a trembling voice but he stops me with a gentle shushing noise and a hand to the back of my head.

"Remember what Taehyung said earlier? We always make sure to eat together, no wolves left behind. We will never keep you from a meal, omega, never. No matter how many snacks you've had before a meal, no matter what fight we've been in before serving the plates, you are always allowed to eat until you're satisfied.

There's no starving happening here with us, Hoseok would throw a fit if that were to happen, can you imagine us going against the beta? We would lose right away" he muses the end and I let out a small giggle that quickly melts into tears, and Namjoon hugs me tighter with a rumbling hum.

"I know it's hard, baby, but please explain to us when something hurts you, when we do something that scares you, when we say something that you don't like. We want to understand, we want to help, but we truly cannot guess anymore, Y/N, not for things like this" he requests softly while rubbing my back and I manage to nod my head a little before hiding in his neck for more comfort.

"I'll do my best, I really will, I- I don't like being behind so much chaos all the time, it's tiring and painful" I murmur weakly and Namjoon kisses my hair with a sad heart.

"I know, baby, I know. Things will get better, I promise they will".