My Way ||| Ateez

56

The next day, the expecting couples when into town to find a midwife as well as to look for more parenting books and a few things to start a nursery for Yunho's baby. Yeosang worked on cleaning the room that would be needed, while Hongjoong went out on patrol. San was making a snack for himself and Wooyoung.

Which gave Wooyoung time to curl up in the corner of his room in a large bean bag chair Hongjoong had let him order. He loved the safe feeling he felt when he sank into it, and it was big enough that both he and San could sit comfortably.

Glancing at the door, he reached into his night stand and pulled out a worn leather book and a pearl bracelet.

He held the bracelet close to his chest, wishing he could talk to Lizbeth again. The fact that she was gone... He couldn't believe she had given up her life for his... He wasn't worth more than her life. Not with her gifts.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he slipped the bracelet onto his wrist and opened the book. It was all gibberish to him. The ancient text had stopped being taught to anyone outside of the council a long time ago, but Lizbeth had left some notes in the margins.

One page was the healing mixture she had used to heal Hongjoong and Jongho. Another listed ingredients for a sleeping tonic. There were a few spells for sickness, plant growth, tracking, and to make fire.

He had flipped through the book several times and always stopped at the same spot.

Near the back of the book was a section where several pages had been ripped out. It was just after a section that was talking about fertility...

Wooyoung ran his fingers over the stubs that had been left behind and felt his lower lip trembling. He quickly flipped the pack link off so the others didn't feel his emotions.

He was happy for Yunho, he really truly was. Family had always been so important to the beta, and that's why he had turned into Wooyoung's protector. He had no family, so Yunho had become his, along with Chan when he came along.

But there was always that looming pain of not being able to enjoy the feeling that both Seonghwa, Yunho, and eventually Yeosang would get to enjoy.

As he stared at the book, the tears came fully. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way. Everyone in his pack loved him for who he was, and he knew that. But that didn't stop him from feeling like a piece of him was missing.

If those pages were in here, maybe they were still out there somewhere.

No. He couldn't go down that route.

Lizbeth had spent years of her life searching for it. She must have been so happy to see this book, only to have that joy get ripped away with the missing pages...

Wooyoung sighed and wiped his eyes. He knew San would be back soon and he didn't want his alpha to walk in on him crying. He also tucked the book and the bracelet back into his nightstand.

So he did what he had been learning to do. He slipped behind a mask so that everyone would think he was ok.

Just as he predicted, San opened the door a few minutes later and came in carrying a plate of sandwiches. He had a bright smile on his face as Wooyoung wormed a few inches over so he could sit in the beanbag with him.

"Hey cutie." San said, leaning over to nibble on his omega's ear. Wooyoung giggled in response, and tried to move away, but San's strong arms held him close and he moved to nibbling on the younger's neck. "I think I found something better than the sandwich I made."

"S-Sannie!" Wooyoung cried out and squirmed even more. His alpha always knew what to do to cheer him up. Even if he could shut the others out, he could never fully shut San out. Their bond was too strong. But his alpha never said anything when he could sense that Wooyoung didn't want to talk about it.