ETY | MW [✔]

10.

Wonwoo kept Mingyu's integration into the pack slow. He introduced him to people in ones and twos, and showed him new rooms one at a time. The kitchen seemed to be the alpha's favorite place and gradually they moved to eat there or in the dining room.

He knew they were really making progress when the alpha started to get bored and a little frustrated. Watching Wonwoo do paperwork wasn't very stimulating.

"Taehyun has offered to do some training with you while I'm training with Beomgyu," Wonwoo mentioned, looking up from his papers to find Mingyu staring at the ceiling.

"Not safe," Mingyu replied.

"We can make it safe. Taehyun can hold his own, and we'll have people around to help if something goes wrong."

Mingyu had come to watch him and Beomgyu train once. Anticipating a problem, they'd got Taehyun to sit in too. The first time Beomgyu and he had grappled, Mingyu had tried to intervene. After that, he got Taehyun or Jay to sit with Mingyu in the kitchen while they trained.

"I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You have to get the energy out somehow. If it's not through something positive, it'll come out in other ways."

Mingyu moved to sit in the chair across from him, leaning his arms on Wonwoo's desk.

"I could help out with guard duty," the alpha suggested.

It wasn't the first time Mingyu had brought up doing something to help out. Wonwoo had been trying to hold him back, not wanting to put pressure on him. But maybe some purpose was exactly what the alpha needed.

"I'll talk to Taehyun about it and see if we can fit you into the schedule if you start training with him. Agreed?"

Mingyu stared down at his hands for a long moment before he looked up again. "Agreed."

He got to his feet. "I'm gonna go lie down in the lounge for a bit."

The alpha had slept poorly that night, waking twice with nightmares. He could probably do with the rest.

"Sure. I'll come in and join you when I'm finished here."

A few minutes later, Wonwoo's cell phone rang. The number was unfamiliar and, puzzled, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Wonwoo?"

"Joshua?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry to call out of the blue."

Joshua was an omega they'd rescued from a bad situation. He couldn't join the pack, given his unbonded status, but he had kept in touch.

"No problem, Joshua. You know you can call us anytime. What's up?"

"I'm having alpha trouble. I could use some advice." Joshua sounded nervous.

"Do you want to talk over the phone or do you want me to come to you?"

"Could... could you come here? It's a long story, and I... I really don't know what to do." Joshua broke down in tears.

"Where are you?" Wonwoo asked.

The omega gave the same address he'd been at when they last spoke.

"I can be there this afternoon," he told him.

"Thanks, Wonwoo. I owe you."

He ended the call and went to find Mingyu. The alpha was asleep in the lounge by the window. Wonwoo knelt next to him.

"Hey."

Mingyu rolled over, giving him a sleepy smile. "Hi. Finished already?"

"No. I got a call, I have to head out for the afternoon. Do you feel like spending some time with Darcy? Or maybe Mark?" Mark was working outside, fixing some of the shed roofs that had been damaged during a recent storm.