Flames | NCT

Chapter 40

"Come here." Haechan's mother said, opening her arms to embrace her son. Haechan couldn't believe his eyes.

"Why are you here? The Cha Twins-"

"Eunjung and Jungmo don't know anything." Haechan's mother said, giving Renjun a small smile.

"Now both of you come inside, there's more of us in here."

...

Haechan and Renjun were settled on the floor, phoenixes surrounding them. Haechan recognized most of them as his mother's friends and their families.

"I thought the phoenixes that weren't joining Hwayoung's army were wiped out?" Renjun asked, breaking the awkward silence. Haechan's mother let our a deep sigh.

"That's half true." The woman confessed. "Many of us were wiped out, including the Cha family. But many of us also were relocated during that battle, and that's all thanks to one person."

"No way." Haechan exclaimed. "There's no way!"

Haechan's mother gave her son a back rub, trying to soothe the boy.

"Wait." Renjun said, glancing around the room to see the reactions of the other phoenixes but they were all blank. "You don't mean Dongwook, right?"

Haechan's mother shook her head. "No, you're right. It was Dongwook, my eldest son."

"Eomma, you can't possibly call him that after all that he's done!" Haechan said, staring at the woman. "He literally tried to kill us all so many times!"

"That's true." Haechan's mother replied. "But I think the reason why he had a change of heart is because we face a common enemy."

"A common enermy?" Haechan asked.

"She's talking about Sora." Renjun said, Haechan's mother nodding to confirm his words.

"Sora?"

"That girl is powerful. Way too powerful. Powerful enough to scare Dongwook. He's on our side, Donghyuck, he wants to get rid of her as much as we do." The woman said to her son, gently running her fingers through his hair.

"What is he going to do to help us, he's literally helping them?" Haechan said with a pout.

From the corner of his eye, Renjun said the phoenixes move aside to reveal a shadowed figure, one that Renjun immediately recognize.

Renjun didn't have enough time to warn his best friend though, as the figure began to speak.

"Gosh Donghyuck, I thought you were smart enough to know that having someone on the inside is an asset."

Renjun watched as Haechan froze at the sound of Dongwook's voice before slowly turning around. He narrowed his eyes at his older brother.

"Lee Dongwook."

...

"Excuse me, what?" Johnny exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

Johnny was sitting across from Chanwoo, inside the Town Hall building. Chanwoo had called him for a meeting, but the news he had received was completely unexpected.

"The werewolves voted you to be the representative." Chanwoo restated. "I don't know why you're so surprised, both me and Jinsol expected it."

"Maybe because I'm the son of the pack's Omega." Johnny mumbled. His father was the misfit, the odd one out. His family lived on the edge of the town, far away from the others.

"Your father's the Omega, not you." Chanwoo said, giving the male a small grin. "Plus, I think this pack knows me well enough to know that I hate these council things too. If it weren't for Jinsol, I wouldn't even be here."