RTY | MW [✔]

03.

Mingyu left Minghao in charge of their guest, warning him to keep his distance and telling the rest of the wolves hanging around to stay away. It wasn't a surprise to see that Hyeri looked unhappy about it, but she wouldn't defy him, just like she'd never defied his father.

He hadn't even gotten inside the packhouse when Soonyoung confronted him. He'd been expecting it from the moment he'd told the others to bring the fox back, but he'd thought the other alpha would have held off a bit longer. Then again, impulse control had never been Soonyoung's strong point.

Soonyoung barreled toward him, getting right up in Mingyu's face.

"What the hell are you thinking, letting that animal into our pack?"

His hands were balled into fists, the whites of his eyes bright as he squared up to Mingyu. More than anyone in the pack, Soonyoung's hatred for the foxes burned bright and deep.

Mingyu gave as good as he got, shoving Soonyoung backward. "Who are you to question me?"

"I'm your second. It's my job to speak up when you're losing your mind. You don't want to kill him, I get it. A pregnant omega, even a fox, tugs at some people's heartstrings. But bringing that wretch into our packhouse?"

"We've taken in shifters who've strayed into our territory before. That's what the secure room is for."

"Those were wolves. He is not a wolf, he's a—"

"I know exactly what he is. And he's not staying. As soon as those wolves have lost interest and he can leave on his own two— or four— feet, he'll be gone."

With the condition the fox was in right then, Mingyu doubted he'd get more than a few miles under his own steam. A little rest and some food would make a big difference.

His answer didn't satisfy Soonyoung, who still looked a hairsbreadth away from attacking him.

"Why wait? You don't want to throw him to those rogue wolves, I get that. So let's bring him to the other side of the pack and release him there."

"Think about how that would look to anyone else, Soonyoung. You might have the luxury of following your anger, but I have to think of our pack's reputation. If we let him go and those wolves catch him again— which they will, given the state he's in— they'll think we're fox sympathizers."

Soonyoung made as if to speak, but Mingyu didn't give him the chance. "If we wait until they lose interest and the fox recovers some strength, he'll be far away from them and us if he gets caught again, and no one will connect him to us. No questions will be asked of our pack."

That finally seemed to break through Soonyoung's anger.

"I don't like it," he snapped.

"Neither do I, but we don't have a lot of good choices here. I'm making the one that protects the pack."

"Fine," Soonyoung said finally. "I still think you're making a mistake."

"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears," Mingyu told him, folding his arms.

Soonyoung glared at him for a moment before turning and storming off. Mingyu blew out a breath and watched him go. It had gone better than he'd expected. Soonyoung was volatile at the best of times, but the topic of foxes always got him riled up and unwilling to see reason. Mingyu understood why— the scars the foxes had left on their pack ran deep. But this was one fox, here on a strict time limit. How much trouble could he be?

*****

He hadn't been rid of Soonyoung long before Hyeri cornered him.