RTY | MW [✔]

05.

Mingyu held tight to Wonwoo and waited out the worst of the shivers that coursed through his body. Wonwoo wasn't cold— he was in shock. And it wasn't Mingyu's warmth making things better. It was the simple fact that he was an alpha. While he anchored Wonwoo, he thought back over the previous few weeks, seeing things in a very different light. At the time, he'd believed that they were doing the right thing. He'd been sure keeping Wonwoo safe and cared for but separate from the pack was best for everyone. But all that time, Wonwoo had believed their every action was in preparation for the hunt. The stress had put his child in danger, and now Mingyu was left trying to undo the damage.

Wonwoo was far from the first omega he'd anchored. In the wake of the attack on their pack and the terrible losses they'd suffered, their surviving omegas had struggled. Sometimes, the only thing that worked was the embrace of an alpha. In this, Wonwoo was no different from any other shifter.

The omega fell into a light sleep, and Mingyu focused on keeping relaxed and letting his scent work to ease the strain of the omega's fear. Had they been complete strangers, this might not have worked. But in the weeks since his arrival, Wonwoo had grown accustomed to Mingyu's scent. Despite their different natures, he could still be the anchor that the fox needed.

He heard the muffled sound of footsteps near the door. It was Minghao, bringing food as promised. Mingyu didn't get up right away— he didn't want to disturb Wonwoo's rest. But it wasn't long before the omega jerked awake in his arms, his heart rate picking up the pace as he took in his surroundings.

Mingyu loosened his grip but didn't let Wonwoo go. "You're in the den. You're safe. Just fell asleep for a bit, that's all."

He was prepared to tighten his hold if the omega pulled away. It was too soon for them to separate, and it would undo any progress they'd made. He needn't have worried, because Wonwoo merely glanced at Mingyu over his shoulder before relaxing back into the nest of cushions and blankets.

Just when Mingyu thought the omega wasn't going to say anything at all, he spoke. His quiet voice held a hint of resignation.

"If this is some sort of game, I'd rather you just told me now."

"Game?" Mingyu could guess what the other man meant, but he wanted to hear it from Wonwoo. Neither he nor the pack had shown much aptitude for interpreting the omega's thoughts so far.

"A twisted mind game where you convince me that you're not going to hunt me, lure me into trusting you, and then pull the rug out from under me."

Ah, that game.

"I'm not toying with you."

"Right," Wonwoo said with a huff. "You just take in and care for pregnant foxes out of the goodness of your heart, not expecting anything in return."

Well, that was one notion Mingyu could dissuade him of.

"When you turned up on our land, I had two choices. Kick you back out into the waiting jaws of those wolves hunting you, or take you in." He tried to decide how best to word the rest. "I don't hold with sending people to their deaths, so you became our guest instead."

"But..." Wonwoo twisted around, trying to catch a glimpse of Mingyu's face. Mingyu loosened his hold so the omega could turn in his arms. "...why keep me? Those wolves are long gone. You could have sent me on my way weeks ago."

"Look at it from our perspective. Those wolves aren't a settled pack— they're roving hunters. Rogue wolves. Probably lost their lands during the war. They travel in one big group, but they've got a dozen scouts sniffing out prey. They haven't gotten as far from here as you might think. If we let you go, and they find you, they'll know we didn't kill you."