Silver Lining

☽~

One of Bang Chan's favorite parts about being an alpha leader is that he gets to lead every single hunt the pack partakes in. He likes the feeling of the wind whipping his fur, the whispers of life and rustling of trees that assails his swiveling ears when they take their short rest at the stream that runs through the Skz pack's neck of the woods, the grit of dirt and cushion of fauna and crunch of twigs beneath his large paws; but, most of all, he loves the rush that comes with absolute freedom and pure instinctual drive. Unleashing his inner wolf and being able to just run around the expanse of forest surrounding his home with two of his bestest friends at his sides makes all the rest of the hassle that comes with being an alpha pack leader worth it.

He loves his life; he loves his family. He wouldn't change it for the world... Or at least that's what he thought before meeting a silver omega on one fateful spring's day.

The snow had just fully thawed, the smell of rain starting to dissipate and new evergreens beginning to peak beneath the surface. The woods were vibrant and crisp and practically begging for the three hunters to go out and stretch their legs after the long and harsh winter (also to restock their food supply but if they didn't find something today in particular, it wasn't the end of the world).

Changbin, Jisung, and him were out scouring for about an hour already, the warm afternoon air making the youngest pant after going so long without some form of exercise, so they decided to start making their way towards the creek. It was as they broke into the clearing that the pitch black wolf's lips raised as he caught a whiff of something foreign.

Chan glanced at his companion, sensing that something was most certainly off even before Jisung's umber ears perked up and he darted towards the other side of the stream.

Changbin was quick to follow and the large white and gray alpha could only chase after his other pack mates in hopes that the sound of pained whimpers echoing through the clearing were his imagination.

It didn't take long for his own nose to pick up the smell of blood and he soon reached the large rock that Jisung was obediently waiting by; he and Changbin immediately came to a halt as a threatened growl ripped through the once vulnerable noises.

Curled up with their back against a large rock structure was a silver wolf, not quite as broad as Changbin but not exactly large like Chan; their size was only slightly bigger than Jisung's but with a more slender frame, small paws showcasing wicked black claws and sharp facial features meeting up to a rounded speckled snout. It's the grey nose with black freckles and the intense ice blue glare he receives that has the alpha instantly sitting and ducking his head a bit in a non-threatening manner, feeling slightly breathless as his heart does a weird flip in his chest.

Changbin stops his snarling at the silent cue from his leader but he does not hesitate to give a rumbling growl when the omega snaps at Jisung's wandering nose. The umber wolf gives a small yelp before retreating behind Chan and sitting as well.

The alpha can see that the silver tail is attempting to shield something on their back haunch; perhaps an injury of some kind? A thorn? A human trap? He doesn't pick up the scent of any other wolves, just the pleasant aroma of damp moss with an intriguing undertone of lavender from the omega, so it didn't seem like they were harmed by another wolf ( or that they have a pack or, more importantly, an alpha of their own which makes Chan more giddy than he would like to admit).

He slowly works his way into a lying down position, trying to coax the silver wolf into feeling comforted enough to reveal their injury but they aren't looking at him, just at Changbin who was still standing readily for the first signs of danger. Daringly, he nudges their paw with the wet tip of his snout and instantly the omega jumps away with a daunting snarl, pressing even further against the rock and only putting weight on three of their legs.

Changbin growls and snaps at the air close to the other's face before Chan gives a scolding bark in return that has the black wolf sitting with pouting ears.

The silver-furred canine eyes him warily, their tail having fallen away to reveal half of an arrow shaft protruding from the muscular upper half of their right leg.

He knew his next move probably wasn't the smartest, but he made up his mind right then and there about what he was going to do.

He transforms back into his human-self, crouching with his legs pressed tightly together to preserve some of his dignity (he has a nice body but that doesn't mean he wants to be showing it off at a time like this... to an omega like this... It is already embarrassing enough that he can't get his packmates to behave). "We're not going to hurt you," he says gently, holding his hands up in surrender, "Lemme just take a look at that arrow, yeah? I'm sure you would like it removed."

Blue eyes narrowed at him, giving Chan and then the others a look over and still clearly not inclined to trust his supposed good intentions. "I can see you already tried yourself; it must be hard reaching it and getting a good grip while in this form. Are you too weak to transform back?"

The wolf's head lifted a bit, jerking their chin in a subtle upwards motion like an affirmative but they continued to side-eye him.

"Okay, so the arrow might be laced with something. I can pull it out, but it may be best if you come back with us so we can clean and treat the wound-"

The omega bares their teeth, their injured leg pawing impatiently at the ground.

Chan ducks his head, making sure his hands were still up, "Fine, that's fine; if you think it's nothing to worry about, I can just pull the arrow out and you can be on your way."

They ease back down, extending the limb in question as an offering but watching Changbin like he was holding a knife to their throat (he sends a glare at the black canine and his companion wiggles his neck with wide eyes in a silent 'What the hell did I do?' ).

"This might pinch a little," Chan advises, shuffling forward and trying not to flush at the way the silver wolf flopped their head on the ground with a small grunt (they averted their gaze to give him some privacy but not until after they checked out his entire side profile). As soon as his shaky hands grab the shaft, the omega gives a low growl and the man quickly gets out, "Sorry, I've uh- I've never done this before- Just a quick yank, yeah? Um-"

The growl grows louder in exasperation.

"Alright, alright; sorry, I'm just gonna-" he plucks, "Yup, there you go. All better-"

He didn't get a chance to finish before the silver wolf was scrambling up and disappearing into the woods, the sudden movement startling him enough to knock him on his back side.

He blinks, looking down at the arrow piece in his hands before back up at where the omega had run off to. He can feel Jisung and Changbin waiting for some sort of response from him but he can only stand and try to sneakily break off the head of the arrow, mumbling out, "You guys can go... sniff around, I guess? We'll get back out there in twenty."

Jisung yips excitedly before prancing after some squirrel and he thinks Changbin rolls his eyes before stretching by the riverbank to sunbathe; alas, Chan was... preoccupied with rinsing himself off in the water (as well as the arrowhead that he carefully hid in his mouth while he transformed back into his wolf form. He was sad to wash away the smell of the omega but he didn't particularly agree with the idea of getting their blood on his tongue). And if his tail was wagging the entire run back home, the others didn't point it out.