A little surprise update because I found out that I'd completely forgotten about this chapter being fully written and edited in my folders! Rest is going well and I'm taking care of myself! I hope you enjoy~
---

"I see. Job hunting hasn't been going too well, then" Bora murmurs with a frown after hearing my story in more details.

She was free today and offered to meet me at a coffee near where I was so we could talk about my problem. Needless to say, she was fuming when she heard of all the comments I've been told since I first started this morning. I'm also pretty sure In-yeop and Dal would have gone back to every shops I went to just to give them a piece of their mind. I'm glad they didn't in the end.

"How are you feeling, now?" the gentle beta asks, eyes taking in the glow in my eyes, like she's looking for any signs of a hidden pain.

"Honestly? Not too bad. Hobi found me in the park earlier and... we had a talk. Not entirely fun, but needed. I felt a lot better once he left, though. He encouraged me and made me laugh before going back to work. Had I not met him, you would have found me in a worse mood".

She nods her head slowly, relieved to know that I was found by one of my mates when I needed one the most. "That's good. How did last night go, by the way? You said you were going to talk to them... did you?"

My smile wavers a little at her question. "Right. Erm... it didn't go well. I mean, I spoke my mind alright, but we were both emotional, Namjoon and I, so it was like talking to a wall. I said things I shouldn't have, and he left after saying things he shouldn't have. Hoseok clarified things for me, but... I'm nervous about seeing the others again".

"I understand. Despite it not going as well as you hoped for, Y/N, I'm still very proud of you for not giving up and for saying what was needed to be said" she starts, sincerity and pride making her eyes shine.

"The fact that you said things you didn't mean... it doesn't matter. That's for your alpha mates to deal with, seeing as they brought you to that breaking point themselves. What matters is that you did something for yourself. You needed to speak up about something you found unfair, and you did. That's a huge achievement for an omega in a pack full of alphas. My omegas always come to me when they need to make something known to In-yeop, but you only have yourself".

Her praise has my eyes widening in surprise, I admit I didn't expect that today.

"It was very hard" I confirm softly. "My legs were like jelly, it felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest from how strong it was beating. Their heavy pheromones were seeping out in waves, and I swear I would've curled up on the floor and cried if it wasn't for my anger holding me straight. It was scary".

"I bet" she nods. "Alphas are made to be intimidating, it's in their nature. That's how they protect their pack, how they keep danger afar. The downside to this trait is when it turns against the pack, though they don't do it on purpose, mind you. From what you told me, they really did their best to hold back because you should have curled up on the floor and cried. Seven alphas versus one omega? That's a lot of pheromones".

Oh... I'm glad they did because crying in front of them would have been a hundred times worse than what ended up happening in the end. She drinks her tea, a hum past her lips as she puts the cup back on the table.

"You have good mates, Y/N. Clumsy, but good. I don't think you should be afraid of reaching out to them, you saw as much with Hoseok today. Of course, if you need time on your own, respect that for yourself, but if you need their company, don't keep to yourself unnecessarily. Fights happen, what's important is how you all learn from them. As In-yeop likes to say, never fight about the same thing twice. Once is a lesson, twice is a problem".

"Wise words from a wise alpha" I muse with a chuckle that she echoes, eyes filled with love for her pack alpha.

"He wasn't always so wise, you know? At first... goodness, he and I would fight all the time, and sometimes for the most ridiculous things. You got the wrong coffee beans, you stupid brained alpha! Did you eat the cupcakes I made for the omegas we're courting? You finished the milk and didn't think to tell me? I just got back from the grocery store, you dimwit!" she mimics the tones that she must have used back then, and I find myself laughing at her every sentences.

"All things considered, I did start most of those fights" she eventually observes before chuckling too. "But we would always talk the next day, about what happened and why it happened. Some would go well while others would go less than well, but the result was always that we would fix at least one thing. It wasn't always the solutions that I hoped for, but when is it always exactly as we want?"

She's right... the guys are doing their best for me. The solutions they're trying to come up with aren't perfect, but they're trying for my sake. In that sense, I too need to think of what they need from me, even if it's not easy for me to do. How can we achieve balance in a way that is good for everyone?

I ponder over that question as I sip my iced tea, eyes lost in a daze. Should I make the first step in seeking my mates, then? Or maybe I could offer some peace offering? It's a tough situation, if only because it's unfamiliar.

"What are you thinking about, hun?" Bora asks softly as she observes me.

"What do you normally do after a fight, Bora? To make peace, I mean" I ask back, eyes looking up to meet her gaze intently. "I'm not particularly seeking to apologize. I don't think what I told them yesterday was that out of line, though it was said with anger. But I do think I should show them that I'm willing to try, that I want this to work between us".

She tilts her head at my question. "Food made with love is usually my most liked method, but sometimes, a hug does the job just as well. You have to follow your heart, hun, only then will you find the way that speaks to you the most".

Follow my heart... I feel like this lunch break is giving me more questions than answers. "You're giving me much to think about, Bora" I sigh. That earns me a warm laugh and an amused crease of her eyes.

"That's a good thing, though. Part of finding the answer to those questions is by finding out more about who you are, so take your time. Don't give yourself a headache trying to figure everything out too fast. When the timing is right, the rest will follow" she muses. "In the meantime, I think I may have a solution to your job hunt".

My fingers clench around my cup as I look up at her in one quick move. She grins with mischief.

"Would you like to give working at a coffee shop a try? I actually have a human friend who owns one and she's been looking for someone for a while. I know she'd be willing to train you, and she's very kind and patient. I can give her a call if you want, set up a meeting for the two of you".

"Bora, I sincerely could never thank you enough. Please, I would love that" I say, hands reaching out to hold hers for a thankful squeeze that warms her heart.

"Please, I'm only doing what a friend should! She's usually busy around this time, but I'll give her a call when she's off work, alright? I'll message you after, to let you know how it went" she offers with a wink. "Expect some news from me before seven this evening".

"Thank you, thank you" I continue, going as far as to bow at the table, which her hands try to stop quickly. "If we weren't already with mates, I would have married you, Bora. Let's have a friendly wedding, hm? I'll treat you well, I swear".

"Oh, Y/N!" she giggles at my plea, cheeks blushing a pretty pink. "I didn't know I was going to find myself a wife today! The others are going to be jealous when I let them know, In-yeop will certainly want to have a word with you".

"He can say whatever he wants, he's not getting in between us. This wedding will happen, whether he wants to or not".

"Oh, I'm in good hands, then!"

---

I stroll through the street market after having parted ways with Bora, a smile still on my lips after our last giggles.

I was expecting today to leave me feeling bad, but in the end, I can safely say that I enjoyed myself. I observe the crowded tables on either sides of the street, the goodies they hold not really catching my attention. Why are the hats so expensive? They're not even that pretty.

Still, I take my time and stop a few minutes at each of them, if only because I have nothing better to do while I wait for Bora's call later tonight. It's slightly past lunch time, so I have quite the hours in front of me.

Sellers try to convince me to buy their stuff at every steps I make, and I almost decide to leave this place when my eyes catch a shiny glint coming from a calm corner where an older woman is sat on the grass in silence, her lips pressed tight in boredom.

She doesn't have a table, but rather a thin blanket on the ground where she showcases jewelry with precious gems, from earrings and necklaces to bracelets. I stop in front of her display for a moment, eyes taking in everything curiously.

The price... it's honestly something I could afford easily, which feels nice for once. I kneel down to have a better look at the bracelets displayed on one side of the blanket and find there a few different sets for wolf packs. Sets of three bracelets, all the way up to ten.

"They're all handmade" the woman speaks with a hard voice, almost cold as there's no smile in her tone and face expression. Her scent is soft though, inviting, safe. I look up to smile at her, finding there a warmth in her eyes as well.

"They're beautiful" I compliment her work, which earns me a tiny twitch in the corner of her lips. A tiny little smile that's gone just as fast.

"You're the first one who took the time to see what I have to sell, that means you have good taste. I'll take the compliment, thank you. Are you a wolf? You're looking at the bracelet sets, you must have a pack".

I purse my lips slightly. "I... I'm not part of the pack yet, but I do have mates who form one together. Seven alphas. I'm trying to find something to gift them after we fought yesterday" I explain softly, now seated properly in front of her, the blankets and the jewelry between us.

"Hm. Fights, boy do we like those" she grumbles before looking at all the things she made.

"Alphas, you say? They normally don't like bracelets as they get in the way of their wrists' scent glands. I can recommend the necklaces here, or the rings closer to you. Young wolves like to get them as promise rings, if that's something of interest to you. They're all adjustable and come in a set, it's less expensive that way".

I look down at a set of dainty little rings before me, gold with elegant engraving into the flat metal. They're simple, but not in a cheap way. I can easily imagine them wearing those on the daily. Picking one up, I try it on my right ring finger after adjusting it a little, just to see how it fits.

"I can add their initials, if you want. It won't take more than a couple minutes and I won't charge extra" she comments when she sees the rise of my brows at the snug fit. It's so comfortable that I can see myself forgetting that I'm even wearing it.

"I... I'd really like that" I mutter after a moment of reflection. "Can you do it on the inside of the ring?"

"Of course. This set?"

"Please. The one with eight rings".

She nods and takes the rings before getting to work on the engraving. "Good choice. You have a good eye, young lady. Your mates are lucky to have someone like you at their side" she says it like it's obvious, and it makes my heart feel warm.

Are they? I would be tempted to say that I'm the lucky one, rather than them. I don't bring much to this relationship at the moment.

I tell her the initials I want, and she does one ring at a time, her work neat and precise. A smile blooms on my lips when I take one to see Jimin's initials inside. I really hope they like my gift, once I figure out how and when to give them to the pack.

"I wish you the best, young girl. Be safe on your way back home".

I bow respectfully as I hold the bag to my heart, then make my way to the bus stop feeling light like a cloud. I know I have materials to make some cute gift cards by myself at home, and it feels nice to have a reason to use them. Should I write something in them?

Even as I board the bus, my smile hasn't gone away. It earns me a few glances, but I can't even find it in me to care.

As soon as I'm home, I keep myself busy in the crafts room for the next few hours. Attempts are made and disliked until I finally manage something I like, and when it comes to writing inside, I decide to keep it simple.

From your omega, who loves you very much.

Should I add little hearts? ... Yeah, I think I'll add little hearts. Here... here and... here. And here. Here too. Yeah, just another one. There you go.

I raise the stack of gift cards in front of my eyes, proud of the final result when a knock on the door suddenly catches my attention. A quick look at the time lets me know that it's already past six, and I haven't even had anything to eat yet.

I quickly hide the cards and the rings in the desk's bottom drawer before running to the entrance, and when I open the door to find Taehyung and Jungkook standing on the porch with a bag of restaurant food in hands, I give a small sigh of relief, like my soul just took its first breath since I saw Hoseok this morning.

"We're bringing food as peace offering, if we may be allowed inside miss' abode" Jungkook speaks confidently, a proud grin on his lips.

He's wearing comfy clothes, his loose shirt with quirky game characters on it and his hair a similar, controlled kind of chaotic while Taehyung is wearing a neat outfit, his hair done skillfully like he put thoughts into every single details before coming here. Knowing him, he probably did.

Mimicking his energy, I purse my lips in uncertainty in a means to tease him. I can't possibly make things too easy, can I? "I don't know... I don't think I have space for two alphas, you know? This abode is very small".

"Oh, such a shame. Might I offer an alternative, then? The park near miss' abode might work well for a picnic, if miss would deign get one blanket for us".

I resist a smile as Taehyung looks back and forth between Jungkook and I, amusement flashing in our eyes. This feels nice, the ice that I was afraid of melted so fast that I didn't even have time to feel its sting.

"Well... I suppose fetching a blanket for a picnic shouldn't be too much work" I muse, a barely hidden smile finally poking through as I turn around to reach the closet where most of them are kept. I do think very briefly about grabbing their rings, but then decide against it.

It should be better to give them all at the same time.

When I come back, Taehyung smoothly takes the blanket from me, then offers me his other hand with a shy look on his face. "Can we hold hands on the way to the park? I miss feeling your warmth, it feels like forever ago since we last held each other".

His admission is so very soft, and how could I ever refuse him when he makes this face? "I would love to, Tae" is my answer as I slowly reach out to hold his hand, fingers intertwining under Jungkook's satisfied gaze.

Knowing him, he offered to come only because Taehyung was nervous, most likely a last minute decision that was done before they got dinner.

Taehyung's scent of violets flutters around me as we exit my house, door shut and locked behind me before we get on our way together, Jungkook and his scent of hazelnuts behind us and holding the two bags of food. It looks like they got a lot, but I don't recognize the restaurant's logo.

"Hobi hyung told us that you two talked earlier today" the younger alpha finally approaches the delicate subject. "He explained about the pack? What our decision means, and why we did it?"

Taehyung's fingers clench mine tighter as I nod my head with a light sound.

"Yeah, he did. I understand why you thought that would be for the best, and I appreciate the reasoning behind it. I really, really would love to be included in everything that concerns me from now on, but I know the seven of you have worked as a unit for longer than you've known me, so it's a habit that's hard to break".

"Yeah... we're not very inclusive when it comes to pack decisions and I'm very sorry, pup" Jungkook mutters. "It's hard to explain why we're like this, and maybe there is nothing that can be said without it being an excuse. Just know that we're aware of the problem, and that it needs a lot of work from us. How to make the pack a safe space for you without it being restraining, without keeping you out of what's important. It should be easy, but we're strangely stuck in a pattern".

Taehyung gazes down at me with concern in his brown eyes. "I swear it doesn't mean we're looking down on you, or we're at the very least not doing it on purpose. Namjoon had his first appointment with a therapist this morning, I say the timing couldn't have been any better. We all have one in the course of this week" he begins with a sigh, information that surprises me.

"He's been taking notes all day since then with a serious look on his face. I had a glance earlier while he wasn't looking and found details about the pack from since it was created. Most of the points he wrote down were berating himself, saying it was his fault things were such a mess now. He dis-constructed habits I didn't even know we had, trying to find a way to rebuild them so they don't work against you in the future. I just know we'll be sat in the living room tonight again to talk about his observations".

I wince silently at his words. "That doesn't sound very fun".

"It's needed, though" Jungkook continues as he gently directs us towards the park once we reach the little path reaching deeper between the big trees.

"We're used to things working a certain way and didn't find a need to adjust anything because it worked for alphas. It's not what an omega needs, so we're going to have to change a lot of things. Our therapist specializes in alphas with omega mates, so that ought to help a lot. Namjoon will probably ask you questions from time to time, once he finds the courage to talk to you. He feels very guilty about yesterday".

"Well... he should" I let out with a sulky grunt. "He told me to open up to you guys, no matter what it's about. When I saw a problem, I did it, I opened up to you. He shouldn't have reacted the way he did, and he most especially should not have come to the conclusion that keeping me out of the pack was the right thing to do. It was stupid".

The two alphas find themselves smiling at my reaction, the both of them nodding in agreement. Taehyung points at a corner of the field where the grass appears soft, which should be perfect for the unprompted picnic date.

"You're right, it was very stupid. Although, stupid ideas sometimes end up bringing good results, so I can't really go and dislike this one just yet. I kind of like this, the idea of courting you properly. Oh, this is why we decided to bring you dinner, by the way. We wanted to feed you, pamper you a little, to apologize for yesterday, but also to make up for all the lost time we didn't behave properly".

"Yeah, I had an inkling".

I help Taehyung in settling the blanket on the grass while Jungkook adds little rocks he found on the way on every corners to keep them from rising with the wind. After that, we remove our shoes before sitting in a triangle, the bags of food by their sides so they can get everything out and placed between us.

"Here, we got you this drink. I hope it's to your liking" Taehyung murmurs softly as he hands me a bottle of strawberry lemonade, which pulls a delighted hum from me, much to their relief. "We didn't really know what to get, so we went with sandwiches and a few different pasta salads, since it's hot today. Here, let me fill your plate for you".

I observe with a sentiment of peace as Taehyung and Jungkook work together to add spoons of the delicious looking salads on my plate, along with one of the impressive sandwiches. They look freshly made and very well garnished, the smell to die for.

"That looks delicious, thank you" I muse, content to just be here with them right now. Yesterday obviously impacted them, and I'm honestly really glad to see that they're taking everything so seriously instead of brushing it off as nothing.

"Did Hoseok tell you a bit about what we talked about? Other than the pack, I mean".

"He did. About you wanting to learn to cook, and that it was more serious than we thought. He said that you wanted to learn many things, not because you have to but because that's what you want for yourself" Jungkook answers with a tight frown. "I'm sorry that we kept you from the kitchen, sweet pup. You made us nervous with that knife, but that was no reason to fully shut the door on you".

"I just hope that Bora is teaching you how to hold things properly before you get hurt" Taehyung adds with a worried tone that honestly feels quite insulting. I huff and puff enough that Jungkook grins with a hand rubbing my knee.

"I'm not that bad" I complain with a frown. "I was having fun that night, it's not like I always handle knives like a katana. That was a one time occurrence".

"Ehhh, I'm not convinced. You looked pretty serious about holding that knife like a weapon".

I brandish my spoon in his direction. "Everything can be a weapon with the right intentions. I don't need a knife to be dangerous. This is good enough".

"Then I shall use this one to defend myself" Jungkook says as he brandishes his own fork against my spoon, all while Taehyung slowly eats his first half of the sandwich in silence, eyes wide as he observes the show with interest.

"War has come, beware the omega knight" I declare before making noises as I slam my utensil against his to fake attack him.

Jungkook fails to defend himself fast enough once, and when my spoon accidentally touches his arm, he drops to the side with a groan of defeat. "Oh no, my arm has been pierced! Oh, the pain! I'm suffering! My omega has won against me! How terrible! She's too strong for me! Too pretty!"

Taehyung and I fall into a giggle fit at the youngest alpha's dramatic acting, and thus, dinner continues with a comfortable ambiance that I do wish could be the same forever. If everyday could be like this... I would have nothing to complain about.

But the fact that we're all willing to learn and better ourselves... maybe there is a chance after all, for our future to be a happy one.