#truck mating behaviors

[loganbcrnes]

Mine

Logan Howlett/Wolverine x female!reader

Tags/Warnings: Smut, Fluff and Smut, Rough Sex, Dom/sub, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alpha Logan (X-Men), Feral Behavior, Rut Sex, mention of frank castle, Explicit Sexual Content, Breeding, Impregnation, Marking, Blow Jobs, Logan has a big cock, and hes very hairy yes, Reader-Insert Authors note: originally posted this on my ao3, but decided to just upload the full one-shot here as well. link. Not beta'ed and no description of reader Summary: Logan unexpectedly goes into rut and you're there to help him through it.

You had no idea what you were anticipating when Logan came home from work. Before he left in the morning, he was acting stranger than normal. His temper was short, his motions were labored, and he wasn’t himself. His scent was also stronger than normal. It didn’t take you long to realize something was wrong, the bond felt stronger between you two like it was during the war and before you even began to make lunch, you received a text from your Logan.

Logan: I don’t want you to be alarmed, but I think I’m in rut.

This caught you by surprise. Most alphas these days didn’t get ruts and omegas didn’t get heats either. Just like they’re becoming rarer as time goes by. it’s sad really, back before the war, before Hydra - you were able to go into heat. You always spent it alone back in the 30s, you even got time off from your part-time job as a nurse when you were temporarily staying in Ireland. Logan could go into ruts too before Project X. during the war you both would help each other out, which led to you both bonding until the train mission fucked all of that up.

But now it’s 2021, over 70 years have gone by and 3 years since The Snap. You are forever thankful that both you and Logan survived it. You don’t know what you would have done if your beloved alpha was taken away from you once again. Since then you both decided to get a nice cabin in the mountains to get away from everything. You both were done fighting, tired of constantly losing people you loved. 

Logan got a job in construction in town about an hour away. So he didn’t usually come home until around 6 pm. You were thankful when you got the news that Frank Castle and his pack of alphas were moving a few miles away from your cabin a few months ago. You know it can get isolated in this area, so to have friends that you consider family to come and visit was nice.

There was no time to think about the next course of action though, it was clear what you had to do and something you thought you wouldn’t ever do again. Logan would be back in about half an hour, which gave you time to set up the room and go for a nice shower. 

You immediately went into one of the cupboards in your walk-in wardrobe for blankets. Logan didn’t necessarily like making nests, he always said and his quote: “ya’ don’t need to make those things no more lady, you use your alpha.” in his deep gruff tone. So you resorted to cuddling at least 2 times a day instead and he would fuck you into the mattress just how like it every time. 

Once you got a mattress onto the floor with a ton of blankets and pillows littered onto it, you went into the bathroom and stripped down. You cleaned up and once you were done, you slipped on a white silky nightie that reached down to your thighs. After that you got some nice cold water bottles to put beside the nest. As you were done you heard the door click open.

Logan could smell you before he even got out of his truck. His heightened senses were even more sensitive and he could smell just how wet you already were. All he could think about was knot, breed, mate- over and over as he got closer to the door.

It was rather embarrassing when he started to sweat and get a hard-on on his lunch break. He didn’t understand at first, but then recognized the symptoms to be a rut. Thankfully Frank was there to get him to leave, but damn did that hurt his ego a little.

Once he entered he was hit again with your strong scent. It was so sweet, sweeter than usual that he was beginning to think that maybe his rut could trigger your heat. He sure hoped so. Your scent was a mixture of roses and strawberries, he used to hate strawberries before he met you, but now it’s one of his favourite fruits.

You looked up from your iPad as Logan walked in and put down his backpack. “Hey,” you said as you got up, but were cut off by a squeak when he immediately jumped you. He picked you up by your thighs, making his way to your bedroom, his lips never leaving your neck. He nipped and sucked little bruises into your soft flesh. He put you down gently onto the mattress and started groping your breasts. 

“Fuck, I’ve been thinkin’ about this all day, Darlin’”. Logan growls as he starts kissing down the valley between your breasts. He pulled back and slipped off your nightie, revealing your breasts and wet cunt. You blushed and looked away, but your alpha immediately notices. “Hey, no looking away from your alpha now,” Logan says as he grips your jaw to look back at him. 

“Sorry, Alpha” you shyly say. Logan only grunts back in reply as he stares down at you. You grip at his clothes, “off, please” you whine at him. Logan immediately starts to strip down, you stare at his glorious beefy body as he takes off his pleated shirt and jeans. Your eyes traveled the trail of hair down to his already hard cock. You lick your lips wanting to taste so badly. 

Logan notices as smirks, he leans back down to press his lips against yours, just as a whimper escapes through your lips, giving you a smoldering kiss which leaves you breathless within seconds, distracting you as he continues to run his hand up and down the curves of your body, getting closer to your sensitive parts.

You are gasping for breath when he pulls away, and in your complete haze, you watch him as he slowly climbs down your body, his lips never leaving your skin as he trails his hot kisses on you all the way down. He parts your legs further so he could get more comfortable between them, then when he presses a kiss at your nether lips, his fingers parting your folds so he could find your slick entrance and give a long, hungry lick right at where your desire is centered until you cry out. “Taste so fucking sweet ‘mega”. Logan growls as he licks your clit. You hear him moan and you open your eyes to look down at him, to see that his eyes are closed, totally blissed out as he sucks on your cunt, licking your entrance. You feel the hard tips of Logan’s fingers right at your opening, you moan when you feel two fingers parting your hot pussy, your walls instantly begin spasming around them, sucking them inside your depth.

“So hot, baby,” Logan growls, his warm breath falling on your sensitive folds as he whispers between the kisses he is giving you right at your heated core. “I’ve wanted to taste you since I could smell your sweet scent before I even got outta my car.”

You can’t think straight, you’re totally blissed out and your mind is filled with alphalphabreedmatealphabreed constantly, you reckon he has triggered your heat, but you don’t even realize and neither does he. His cock is stiff and swollen, you notice the center of his length has a bulge, showing that his knot is starting to form.  Your cheeks begin to heat up realizing that you’re doing this to your alpha. 

You go deeper and deeper into submission, surrendering yourself to your alpha, letting him know he can use you however he wants. Logan feels everything you feel, your bond is so strong that it’s overwhelming for the both of you. 

He continues to tease you with his fingers for a few more seconds and then the warm rasp of his tongue sends a series of shivers trembling through your body. He licks across your sensitive bud leisurely, biding his time with his eyes on you to take in every single reaction you are giving him through every lick, every swirl of his tongue. He has never seen anything so beautiful. He flicks his tongue from around your clit, down to your slit, moving back and forth as he continues to plunge his fingers into you. You begin to shake as you are nearing the edge.

He must have felt it, because he continues to lick at your cunt, slick pouring out as he slurps it all up, growls deeply against your pussy. “Come for me, little mate.”

You let out a whimper at his command but feel helpless to resist him. You can’t hold it in anymore as you come to your release. “Alpha!”. You moan out as you arch your back, Logan continues to milk through your orgasm and makes sure to gather every drop of cum.

Once you come down from your high, Logan pulls back and climbs up the bed kneeling right beside your head. Keeping one hand at your chin, he raises your head up as he uses the other hand to pump his cock, aiming the crown tip on your swollen lips. “Go and put your pretty mouth to use, Darlin’,” Logan says. A drop of pre-cum leaks from the slit, making you drool at the taste, while the heady scent of his cock fills your senses as you breathe him in.

You eagerly nod, barely catching a breath from your strong orgasm, he slips his cock through your open mouth, wanting to satisfy your alpha.

Groaning, Logan reaches down and squeezes your nipple as he thrust in and out of your mouth with almost the same force he would use if he is deep inside your pussy. 

“Love these tits of yours baby, love to see them jiggle when I fuck your tight cunt” Logan continues to grope your tits as he dirty talks. He thrusts into your mouth hard and you moan at his words, cheeks reddened at how dirty he’s making you feel.

You suck the entire length of him each time, loving the feel of the head of his cock at the back of your throat. Using his other hand, Logan grabs onto your hair, keeping you steady as he plunges deeper inside your mouth, pummelling deep into your throat each time he reaches to the brim.

His heavy balls filled with seed, slaps against your chin, loving the sensation and feeling dirty all at the same time. You dig your nails into his thigh with one hand and into the sheets with the other, holding on tightly as your lover uses your mouth for his pleasure. “So fucking good, baby. Always taking my fat cock so well. Look at you choking on it” Logan rambles as he thrusts into your mouth. He groans as you suck hard. You continue to choke as his knot is forming. 

Logan’s cock falls out of your mouth with a pop. The spasms of your climax remain. You close your eyes trying to catch your breath. You feel movement and blankets being moved on the mattress. After a few minutes, you feel a hand caress your cheek, tucking your hair behind your ears. You open your eyes to see Logan, his pupils are dilated to the point you only almost only see black. “You okay, Honey?” Logan asked. He leans down to press soft kisses to your cheeks and down to your neck. You hum as you lean into his touch, “Want you now Lo”. you said, “please knot me, need it so bad”. 

You’re a whimpering mess now, grinding your clit against Logan’s muscular thigh. Logan growls as he pulls back, he grabs a hold of your hips, flipping you over so that you're laying with your chest pushed flush against the mattress, legs bent, and the knees with your ass and pussy on full display. Your smell consumes him; all that he can think about is the taste of your arousal on his lips and how badly he needs to be inside you now.

His long fingers trace your slit as arousal floods from your entrance, coating your slick on his fingertips. Anticipation pangs at your chest as you wait for his next move. Everything in him wants to drive his hardened cock into you and knot you full of his seed.

Logan’s eyes screwed shut as he brings a finger up to his mouth, basking in the taste of you. A wanton moan erupts from his lips at the taste – so perfectly sweet he would never be able to get enough.

Dire thoughts rush through your mind as you rest on your elbows, face turned to the side to try and see Logan out of your peripheral vision. His pupils are completely blown, eyes focused only on your center as his chest heaves in anticipation. “Please Alpha, breed me, I’m ready,” you say to him. 

Logan is always less talkative during sex and now that he’s in his rut and possibly gone feral, his mind is screaming to him to knot and breed your tight cunt, to the point he can’t form words.

His hand is quick to line himself up with your entrance, grasping onto your hips with such pressure that it is sure to leave bruises tomorrow, even with your fast healing. Sharp fingernails dig into your skin as his tip meets your entrance. It’s fiery and red, inflamed and veins popping out alongside his length from how hard he is. The precum that leaks from his tip coat your slit, combining with the wetness dripping down your thighs to create a delicious mixture.

One last reassuring squeeze of your side is all he gives before pushing into you ruggedly. A sharp gasp leaves your lips as he makes his way into your core, feeling the familiar sensation you felt back during the war. His size is bigger, so much thicker and longer than his normal length when he is not in rut. It’s a lot to take in at once, and he’s trying his best to let you relax as your body adjusts to his size. 

“You can move,” you say, lip caught between your teeth as your walls stretch further around him.

With your fists grasping for the sheets, Logan begins thrusting his hips slowly into you– holding out a second each time he bottoms out to let you breathe. His nails only dig into your sides further, barely giving him a grip onto reality to hold back his animalistic instincts.

Deep grunts leave his mouth as he tries to hold himself back, but he can feel his humanity slipping further and further away with each clench of your pussy. His heavy balls slap against your clit.

“Can’t hold back much longer,” he bares his teeth, “need to breed you now.”

You moan out loud “please, please alpha, need you to fill me up with your pups” you continue to beg him. 

Quickly, his hips snap into yours, his thick muscles flexing as he holds your body steady, fucking into you deeply. Breath is sucked out of you as his pace increases; stars forming at the back of your eyelids as you squeeze them shut, mouth salivating at the increasing pleasure bestowing upon you. His length is a lot to get used to again, even though Logan tried to avoid knotting you back then because you both didn’t have enough time, there were times when he would sneak into your sleeping quarters to knot you in the middle of the night, his hand pressed against your mouth to reduce your loud moans as he thrusts his large cock into you; but the everlasting pressure against your g-spot was making the pain melt away.

Logan thrusts in and out of your pussy effortlessly, your slick coating his cock and making it easy for him to slide in and out of your velvety walls. With each thrust, he bottoms out, and it becomes difficult for you to remain upright. Limbs shaking from pleasure, your elbows begin to give way, landing you flat against the mattress.

Your mouth opens, but the only thing able to escape is a silent scream, too immersed in the feeling of him battering your walls and hitting your cervix to make a sound. A loud moan leaves your lips as he pulls you back up, his arms wrapping around your waist to use all his strength to hold you in position. His sweaty hairy chest is pressed flush against your back, the heat radiating off his body soothing you as his mouth meets your ear. A quick nip is placed on your earlobe as he catches it between his teeth.

“Taking me so well.”

He says in his deep voice. The praise quickly soothes your nerves, helping you relax into him as he holds your body close, closer than you had ever felt to him before. His tip is repeatedly hitting against the sensitive spot deep inside of you, you know he’s not ready to let up just yet, but you’re too on edge to hold on.

“Logan I-I’m gonna–”

“I can smell it,” he groans, mouth meeting your bond mark as he sucks harshly on it. 

A string of cuss words falls from your lips as your eyes clamp shut, relishing in your release as your pussy spasms around his cock. His movements don’t slow either – his pace is still erratic, plummeting into you at an ungodly rate.

Feeling your release over him only makes him thrust harder, deeper. It sends him into a full-blown frenzy, unable to keep himself from chasing his high. “Smells so sweet, gonna breed you, Baby, have you pumped up with my pups. Gonna look so sexy with your tits filled with milk and your pregnant belly.” he rambles, the more he talks dirty the closer you get to the edge. 

And you knew what this meant. You both finally have a chance to have children. Something you have always wanted when you first got together with Logan. Before meeting him, you never had high hopes to find a man and have a child or two. You were insecure and no one wanted a 26-year-old virgin omega. Especially since omegas were looked down upon back then.

But that time is over now, you're with the love of your life 70+ years into the future and everything you have ever wanted is here right now.

“God, do it, Logan, please knot me,” the words slip between cries, still shaking in the aftermath of your orgasm, “Breed me.”

So he does.

His eyes slam shut as his mouth finds the crook of your neck, breaking the flesh as his sharp teeth sink into your skin, reclaiming you once again. Screams blow past your lips as blood begins to trickle from the wound on your shoulder. Your chest tightens in pain, loving and hating the sensation all at once. Relief takes over once his tongue meets the small incisions made on your skin, his saliva filling the holes and alleviating the wounds as he licks up the blood.

“That’s it ‘mega. Doing so good for me. So perfect.”

Your heart flutters at his claim, have never felt as close to him as you do right now. Firecrackers lit through your veins, the connection between you and Logan binding stronger than ever and you couldn’t be happier. It felt like you were floating in thin air. Your body is unable to focus on any pain right now, you’re too blissed out from the shock of him reclaiming you to notice how his cock is beginning to swell inside of you.

Cum shoots out of his member, filling you up to the brim until your abdomen begins to feel heavy and swell. That floating feeling quickly begins to fade as his orgasm keeps coming and coming, no inch of your insides gone untouched by his seed. It seems like it's never going to end, and you can feel the pressure from his release building and building inside of you. Your sensitive walls stretch as his cock expands, your body doing the job it’s supposed to; knotting to plug you up and make sure none of his cum drips out.

“Logan,” you whine, tears spilling from your eyes as his cock continues to inflate inside of you, “Logan it kinda hurts.”

“Shhh It’s almost over, baby,” he comforts you, stroking your hair before guiding you onto your side, laying behind you. After such a rough round, his familiar touch eases your pain. The light kisses he places along your spine let you sink back into him, focusing on the feeling of his soft lips instead of the balloon-sized cock stretching your vagina. Gentle hands trace circles up and down your arms as you listen to the sound of his calming breath. His chest heaves as he tries to come down from the adrenaline rush.

Soft kisses soon turn into small licks running over the length of your back as you lay there, still speared on his cock. Now that his animalistic needs were met, it was all about you.

“What are you doing?” you frown slightly.

“Cleaning you up,” he answers calmly, his even more heightened senses finding nothing strange with this new method of aftercare. You’re too immersed in your thoughts to question him any further; if this is what his alpha side was telling him to do then so be it.

As Logan’s knot begins to subdue he doesn’t let go. His tongue soothes over the spot of his mark, all red, but could see the bond mark more visible than it was before. 

“Do you really think this will work?” you ask Logan. You don’t know what you will do with yourself if you aren’t able to get pregnant by this. “It will trust me, Darlin’. And if it doesn’t, we’ll try again and again until it does,” he says as he kisses your shoulder.

“You’re so beautiful, I’m so happy you’re mine after all these years.”

Butterflies flutter in your tummy as a smile stretches across your face. All you want to do right now is to turn around and kiss him, so you do. His face is just as bright as yours when you meet his eyes. His hair is messy and his skin is shining with perspiration, but he looks handsome as ever. He welcomes your kiss like he’s been waiting for it all day. Mouth chasing after your lips, capturing them in a quick kiss before pulling away.

It's the first time he’s seen your eyes since you’ve gotten home, and even then he couldn’t appreciate them as he could now. There's a different glow that he didn’t notice before. Maybe it's because he’s reclaimed you and knotted you after all these years, but he is willing to do anything and everything for you.

“I love you,” you sigh, pressing your palm to his cheek. He looks so innocent now, the blackness in his eyes now faded back to the hazel color you love so much. All the years and pain he’s been through, disappeared. 

“And I love that you’re mine.”

[novasintheroom]

aw aw building little comfy nests with Vash.

You notice he has this odd behavior of piling up any blankets, towels, clothing, etc. on his bed whenever you're in a motel room. Actually, now that you think about it, he does it whenever he's about to rest somewhere. On top of the car with all the luggage piled up around him, in the desert with his traveling sack, sleeping bag, and any item of soft clothing he has on hand - the whole thing.

When you ask him about it, he gets shy and admits he thinks its a Plant thing. He's usually good about hiding his quirks, but the nesting (his ears go bright red at the word) is something of a comfort he allows himself, and he's just gotten comfortable enough around you to start it up again.

You might make fun of him for a bit. It's a friend thing, making fun of each other's quirks. But you still help him pile up the towels and take out your extra day wear to add to the mess of fabric on motel beds. You even make an event of it - wrapping the bed's questionably clean blankets round and around and gilding it with the smaller fabrics, then pulling out a rented tablet to watch movies together.

He's awkward the first few times you do this. He's just not used to other people being in his space, you know? But you better bet Vash takes advantage of being able to snuggle with you once the newness wears off. This is upped ten times once you two start dating. He looooovveess being the little spoon, resting his head on your chest and letting out little content birdie chirps he doesn't realize he's doing half the time. Please run your hand through his hair while watching movies. It'll make him melt even more.

Seeing you start to build a nest on the bed (or campsite, or inside the truck) really gets his gears going too. It satisfies some primal urge in him to have his mate lover in this big nest you've built together, safe in the confines of a shelter and enjoying the trash movies you rent. He'll get all soft and chirpy in the nest, pulling you close and just looking at you with adoration. He'll try to shake it off - he's still getting used to letting whatever the heck his Plantness is doing happen - but when that warm, fuzzy feeling and the urge to preen you comes over, it's hard to ignore. Just let him smooth out your hair and get the granules of sand from your scalp. It'll calm him down.

Now, he practically vibrates with excitement whenever you rent a motel room together. He knows a good nesting is coming, and he can't wait for the cuddling and good naps he and you will get in.

[yandere-kokeshi]

Warnings: yandere behavior, naga AU, and slight NSFW.

A/N: tell me if you'd like more of this wild woman + other characters. Enjoy <3!

I can't stop thinking of Naga! Valeria.

She's a highly venomous Timber Rattlesnake, extremely territorial of her forest. Hisses at anyone, especially at Alejandro, who gets even close to the perimeter. She hates sharing, food is for her and her only; feasts on any animal, and humans she can find, and doesn't care about the wet or dried blood on her face, neck, and naked breasts. Her sharpen eyes only show beast, and loves a game of cat-and-mouse.

So, when she smelled you — a mere human — she smirked. It was yet another game again, which she greatly enjoyed. But when she slithered near you, finding a rather large branch, she watched you from afar for fun.

She admired you from above — looking at a map in your hands, clothes torn and covered in dirt, scrapes on your knees, she smelled different in the air. You weren't any intruder, simply lost. And whilst most were dumb, maybe you were too, but she almost felt… pity?

Her nose scrunched, it— you were different. And she hated it.

The aura of you was different. Her forked tongue came out, tasting the air. And when she did, it hit her like a truck.

You're hers. It was the taste, smell, and pheromone that you gave off. And you were in her pocket. You were Valeria's, her beloved mate, whom she was gonna wreck and keep. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and absolutely no one else to rely on. She can already imagine it — you, on the floor with her made-pelts as a bed, keeping still with her tail slithering around you and keeping tugged to her naked chest. And that's what she did. She took you, despite your biting and fighting frame — she began to like your feistiness. And now, you live with her, in a large cave who she calls home; keeping you close to her at all times.

Naga! Valeria, whose venom takes a turn on humans: becoming a highly addictive aphrodisiac. And she uses this to her advantage.

After keeping you in the luscious cave, trying to entertain you, you had run. And it angered her.

And now, it's left you being suffocated with her tongue and lips — her hands grasping at your neck to keep you in place. Her tongue goes deep, playing with yours, and purring when you gag. Right as she's done, rubbing her thick tail all around you, she licks her spit-covered lips with your sweet, sweet scent; she can't help but smirk and giggle at your obvious worried expression.

Of course, your lips sting — but not in a bad way. Your fingers graze at your almost-numb but puckered lips, before Valeria's fingers pull away your shaken fingers. When did you start shaking?

Oh boy, and when she touches you? Claws grazing right above your hips, bringing you closer to her warm embrace? You whimper. She purrs in your ear, rubbing her nose into the space between your neck and shoulder. "Someone excited?"

Even if you shake your head, denying it, the minute her claws go inside your pants and near your V-line, you collapse in her arms. Your arms tighten around her, head laying on her naked tits, breathing heavy now, and suddenly feel warm. Too warm for comfort.

She hisses a laugh — and before you know it, her pretty bottom-body is curled all around you like a log, looking down at you with pupils dilated; in a way of saying: "You're mine, whether you like it or not". She tightens her hold when you squirm, holding her claw underneath your chin to give you more kisses. Her tongue licking the salt on your mouth, and teeth gently nibbling your cheek when you heave in hot-breath.

It's only a matter of seconds when Valeria rips off your clothes, playfully biting your ears whilst grumbling on how, 'you don't need 'em clothes' and, 'I'm warm enough to keep you warm'.

By the end of the night — or dawn if you're good at staying up regardless of her relentless tongue, hands, and tail — you're sweaty, sticky, and heaving whilst Valeria snuggles herself into your hair. She draws shapes into your sides, easily threatening you with her silence.

[autumnywinter]

thoughts on yandere merman elliott. NOW /hj

FDAIURHFAUIHFUIAHFIAHEI

I forgot how much of a monsterfucker I am 😭 here's a lil scenario I made in my head. Also since these are all headcanons, I now headcanon Willy owns a truck for the sake of convenience. Just like I headcanon Elliott's cabin is bigger and has more furniture than it actually does lol.

Also I kinda imagine merman Elliott to be slightly different from regular Elliott. Less naturally charming and more comparable to an eager to please golden retriever.

You often fish at the dock by the sea, and Elliott curiously watches you from a distance. He's wary of any humans that aren't Willy, but something about you enraptures him.

He asks Willy about you, being the only human who knows of his existence. Willy tells him what he knows about you, thinking it's sweet he has an obvious lil crush on you.

The more Elliott learns, the more he becomes obsessed. Slowly but surely, he'll work up the courage to talk to you, when it's darker out and you're the only human at the beach. If you freak out, he'll apologize profusely and try to calm you down.

Once you start talking more regularly, Elliott starts begging for you to join him in the water. He'll take it as an opportunity to cuddle you and float around with you on him like a sea otter with its baby

But soon that won't become enough for him. When you start getting more busy, he'll become upset.

What are you doing instead of spending time with him?? Who are you talking to instead of him???

He starts begging you to take him to your home with you, but of course you shut down the idea pretty quickly. He's offended and hurt, but doesn't let it show.

Then he gets an idea. If he could convince Willy to put him in the bed of his truck and drive him to your house, then everything will work out! He could easily convince him that this was already something he talked out with you beforehand.

And his plan works! He shows up on your doorstep.

Y/n:

Elliott: Hello!! :) Are you happy to see me, my love?

Y/n: You gotta be kidding me...

You reluctantly welcome him into your home, and Elliott is fascinated with everything, but most of all, you. He's clumsily crawling up the couch and pulling you into his arms, getting upset when you insist he sleeps in the bathtub.

He's also extremely fascinated with your anatomy. That's what he insists anyway, when he's being a little too touchy.

Most nights, you'll wake up with him holding you, tail wrapped around you as much as it can be, just to hold you close to him.

Whenever you leave, he either dramatically mopes or gets slightly accusatory, whether you're dating or not. As long as you reassure him, he'll let it go, but he'll always be a hater of whoever you choose to spend your time with when you both could be cuddling and watching tv with him instead.

Very fascinated with human media and inventions. Learns a lot of songs he views as romantic. 100% hums 'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire' to you.

When you do start dating, he becomes even MORE clingy and flirtatious. Praises you for the smallest things, giving you at least a 1000 kisses a day.

Since he learns how to use phones, he's often calling Willy. Tells him to collect some seashells and drop them off while you're gone. He totally makes a necklace out of them and gives it to you, a matching one for himself to show you're officially mates now!

He's not very dangerous as a yandere already, so as a merman he'd be even less so, but he still is just as possessive and obsessive.

He has a harder time masking his creepy behavior since he's never interacted with anyone to really tell him off, nor has he witnessed others doing the same. May ask Willy for more ideas on how to woo you.

Overall, he's still a romantic and possessive/obsessive as ever. Just has much less shame as he normally would.

[elix8r]

Rare and Pure (cbg)

PAIRING: choi beomgyu x fem!reader

GENRES: angst (it's really distressing at parts), smut, a teaspoon of fluff, werewolf!au, friends to lovers, mates, accidental lover

WARNINGS: this story contains some dark themes so pls beware! profanity, unrequited love, kidnapping, drugging, dubcon? its not sexual, abusive behavior, implications of murder, choking, descriptions of blood, violence, drinking, mates, talk of death/dying, IM SO SORRY RIIZE ARE WRITTEN AS THE EVIL GUYS ESP WONBIN RIP, sexual content: multiple sex scenes, unprotected sex, drunk sex, knotting, cumming inside, rough sex, biting, marking, oral (f receiving), fingering, handjob, bulging, breeding, choking

SUMMARY:

“But to love something despite. To know the flaws and love them too. That is rare and pure and perfect.“ - Patrick Rothfuss

Choi Yeonjun was the love of your life, the one you were unequivocally sure the Moon Goddess had chosen for you. His younger brother, Beomgyu, on the other hand, didn't even register on your radar as mate material. But fate, as it often does, had other plans. One night was all it took for your entire life to flip around as you found yourself accidentally mated to your childhood friend. Now, you're left grappling with the emotional wreckage of it all as you are not only struggling to feel the unbreakable connection that mates are supposed to share with Beomgyu, but you're also dealing with the harsh reality that your dreams of forever with Yeonjun will never come to fruition. It's a bitter pill to swallow, and it's forcing you to reevaluate your very sense of self. Your wolf clearly had some serious explaining to do.

WORD COUNT: 21.5k

AUTHOR’S NOTE: i know this story took so long but thank you to everyone for waiting! i really went through it writing this cause it was a rollercoaster of emotions but it's truly my baby and i adore this story so much so i hope you guys enjoy it and was worth the wait! beomgyu is a sexy lover here and an even sexier wolf (rawr xd) so hope that's exciting for you guys and i'm so sorry but i literally put names of groups into an auto generator machine to pick who was going to be the villain and it chose riize so i'm so sorry for their depictions cause they are despicable here but know i meant no harm and i adore them it's all just for the story! anyways hope you guys have fun reading it and please give me some feedback! Happy Holidays!!!

You felt conflicted coming to this conclusion because you genuinely loved the girl, but you couldn't help but blame your current predicament on Huh Yunjin and her family's recent move to your town.

New families were rare, especially as it meant they would become new members of the pack. However, an old and close friend of the Alpha had decided to relocate, prompting a warm welcome and an invitation to join the pack. When you heard that the new family had a daughter your age, you eagerly volunteered to give her a tour.

The family was to move into the vacant house on the other side of the neighborhood. And on that day, you excitedly watched the moving truck arrive from your window, clutching a box of cookies lovingly baked by your mother for the new family. 

Your family held a prominent position within the pack, with your father serving as the Beta and every bit of you exuded that high status. Being an only child furthermore assured you to grow up to be confident and bold, but you also tried to be welcoming to all which made it easy for you to make friends. It seemed though, that Yunjin was quite the opposite of you as she was quieter and less outwardly exuberant, but she still was quite friendly and happy that you were showing her around.

"So that's the pack house, and since your dad is close friends with the Alpha, I'm sure you’ll be over sometime soon.” You flashed her a wide smile, concluding the tour as you both headed back to your house. Yunjin appeared a bit overwhelmed, understandably so. She had just moved to a new town, knowing no one, and you had bombarded her with information about the pack and the town within an hour.

"Oh, and next door is my house! You're welcome anytime; just come over, and we can hang out. Right next door is my best friend Taehyun's house. He’s away right now, but he’ll be back soon, and I can introduce you two. I’m sure you'll get along!" A grin spread across your face, thinking about your best friend whom you hadn't seen in a while.

Taehyun had left for a trip with his father and a few pack elders a week ago, focusing on improving his tracking skills. However, he would return soon, and you were confident that he and Yunjin (along with the others in your friend group) would hit it off, so you were eagerly anticipating everyone meeting. From the hour you had spent with the girl, you could already tell that she was going to be a great addition to the pack. 

"Wow, thank you so much. I was honestly nervous about moving because I've never had an easy time making friends, but I feel really lucky to have met you. You seem to know everyone and everything." Yunjin smiled appreciatively at your kind offer, and you beamed back at her. However, before you could say anything else, the front door of the pack house swung open.

His scent reached you even before he came into view, instantly stirring up a swarm of butterflies in your stomach. Choi Yeonjun had captivated you since the moment you met him, and you were certain that you were in love. The word "perfect" was the only one that could adequately describe the oldest son of the Alpha. Your heart ached in his presence, and you knew that this was no fleeting crush like the ones you had experienced before. This was love, a profound and all-encompassing emotion unlike anything else.

"Hey, Y/N!" The combination of his voice and smirk threatened to make you weak in the knees, but you managed to maintain your composure as you smiled back at him.

"Hey, Yeonjun! This is Yunjin. She's the daughter of the new family in town, and I was just showing her around." Yunjin revealed earlier that espite their fathers being close, she had never never met the rest of the Alpha’s family. Yunjin greeted Yeonjun with a shy smile as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"Oh yeah, my dad mentioned that. He was pretty excited that his old friend and his family were joining our pack. Well, nice to meet you, Yunjin. I'm Yeonjun, the oldest and the only Choi kid important enough for you to meet. Don't worry about Soobin and Beomgyu, you're better off not even meeting them." You silently agreed with him, although your biased opinion was clearly influenced by your feelings for him. Yunjin seemed to relax further with his warm welcome and playful introduction.

"You're really lucky to have Y/N showing you around. She's like a celebrity in our pack. She knows everyone, so if you ever need anything, she's your best bet." He smiled at Yunjin and playfully nudged you. "Well, I have to go bring Beomgyu his clothes. That stupid bastard decided to go for a run without taking anything, and we're literally supposed to be going over to Elder Kwan's house for dinner in a couple of minutes. You know how my mom would kill him if he showed up in his wolf form. Anyways, it was nice meeting you, Yunjin. Y/N, I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting." With an affectionate ruffle of your hair, he waved goodbye and left.

Despite your efforts, Yeonjun seemed oblivious to your feelings, treating you more like a sister than a lover. Yet, you remained convinced in its belief that a deeper connection existed between you both. The inexplicable emotions that surfaced whenever he was near convinced you that destiny had intertwined your paths for a reason.

"Wow, he seems really nice," Yunjin commented, her tone subtly shifting. In retrospect, you should have picked up on the change, but you were too captivated by Yeonjun's presence to notice. Unfortunately, your obliviousness would soon come and bite you in the ass.

Several weeks had slipped by since your new friend, Yunjin, had made her entrance. Your hunch had proven right – she seamlessly melded with your well-established crew, like the missing puzzle piece you didn't know you needed. Initially quiet and reserved, she shed her timid shell bit by bit, especially as you all hung out more. Just yesterday, she had even joined in on a run in full wolf form with everyone which sure helped tighten the bond that had been growing stronger. 

If you could have it your way, you would currently be with them at the local movie theater where you knew everyone but you were. Yet, reality had you poking at your food, stealing subtle glances across the table at your crush, whom you had strategically sat down in front of.

Even before you were born, it had been a tradition for your family to go over to the pack house and have dinner with the Alpha’s family every first Tuesday of the month, and so here you were. 

"Ok well, I'll get the dishes, and if you kids could help clear the table for dessert, that would be helpful," your mother said, quick to get up and head towards the kitchen with a couple of plates in her hand, prompting everyone else to follow her directions.

"Dinner was amazing as usual," your dad kindly thanked the Luna. "We have a couple of things to talk about regarding the matter we discussed earlier, so we'll be in the office." Clearly, he was trying to make the conversation confidential, but your dad wasn't the best at keeping secrets, and you (and probably the boys) had already caught on to what he was referring to. It honestly wasn't that hard to figure out, considering it had been the only thing anyone in your pack had been discussing recently.

Rumors had been circulating around that an unfamiliar pack was closing in on the town your pack had been inhabiting for over a century. Sightings of rogue wolves have also been on the increase, which explained Taehyun's unexpected tracking trip. While this didn't necessarily mean that your pack was in immediate danger, it was crucial to remain cautious. Precautionary actions, such as doubling up security around the borders, had already been taken, and the pack's council was now prioritizing finding out who exactly was approaching their territory and their intentions.

As you watched your dad and the Alpha head towards the office, out of nowhere, a voice caught you off guard, forcing you to take your eyes off of them. "Hey, can you come to my room after this? I need to talk to you about something."

Beomgyu, despite being the same age, had always been the Choi boy you were the least close with. While you still had a strong bond with him from being raised as pups alongside one another, your relationship with Yeonjun and Soobin was undoubtedly stronger. So, hearing this request from Beomgyu surprised you.

"Why can't you just tell me here?" You questioned him while taking plates back into the kitchen where your mom and the Luna could be seen washing the dishes while engaging in an animated conversation.

Beomgyu followed closely behind you, also holding dishes in his hand. "I just can't. Just come upstairs with me, please."

You frowned a little, trying to figure out on your own what was so important that Beomgyu had to speak to you in private. However, you had to admit that you were a bit curious about what he had to say, so you gave him a small nod. "Ok, fine."

As the two of you made your way towards the staircase, Soobin must have noticed and halted you and Beomgyu. "Where do you two think you're going without even helping us finish cleaning up the table?"

"Ugh, fuck off Soobin, we already helped. We'll be back when Mom brings out the pie," Beomgyu retorted, rolling his eyes. But before he could take another step, another voice stopped him.

"Wait, seriously what are you guys up to?" Yeonjun's eyes sparkled with curiosity at the unusual sight of you two heading off on your own. Normally, he and Soobin were part of the group.

"It's none of your business," Beomgyu replied, clearly annoyed at all the questions.

"Hold on, I want in on whatever you two are doing. What's with all the secrecy?" You, too, grew increasingly curious about why Beomgyu wanted to speak to you privately, excluding his older brothers from the conversation.

"Oh my god, it's just between me and Y/N. Seriously, fuck off," Beomgyu's patience was wearing thin, which was no surprise considering his brothers often had that effect on him.

"Just you and Y/N? And you're going to your room? Hmm, sounds a little–" Soobin's insinuation was cut off by your swift response.

"Jesus, Soobin. It's nothing like that. We'll be back quickly," you assured him, not wanting to entertain any unnecessary assumptions being thrown, especially in front of Yeonjun. He could get the wrong idea. So with that, you swiftly turned around and headed to Beomgyu's room, leaving Soobin and Yeonjun behind.

"Fucking Soobin and his nosy ass," Beomgyu muttered in annoyance as he followed you into his room. You were familiar with every single room in the pack house, including his, and as always, it looked exactly as you remembered. Impeccably clean, which never failed to surprise you. It was also unsurprising that his warm and woodsy scent was intensified in his room. However, you sensed that this did trigger a strange reaction from your wolf, but you pushed her aside, ignoring her peculiar behavior (which she had been having more frequently recently) and without even asking for permission, you plopped onto his neatly made bed.

"Ok, now what was so important that you needed to talk to me alone?" you inquired, watching as Beomgyu closed the door and settled into his desk chair.

"I like your friend Yunjin, the new girl," Beomgyu stated plainly, and the random confession had you sitting up straight in surprise.

"What?" You gave him an incredulous look, still processing why he had brought you all the way up here to reveal this information.

"She’s hot and I’d like to get with her so I need help from you," he replied matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You continued to give him a confused look with a hint of disgust at his words, but you gathered up your thoughts to respond. "What the fuck, Beomgyu? Did you drag me all the way up here for that? I mean haven’t you already met her? And what would I even get out of helping you with this?"  

“Yeah, I’ve met her briefly a couple of times cause of our parents but like I need someone on the inside to you know, scope out her feelings and like maybe put in a couple of good words about me.” His persistent nonchalant expression and tone struck a nerve, aggravating you further, especially since he hadn't addressed how this would benefit you.

"Beomgyu, I’m not doing that for you. There are at least ten other guys I'd consider trying to set her up with before even considering you. If you're so interested in dating her, my suggestion is to just go and ask her out like any normal person would." Rolling your eyes, you stood up, intending to leave the conversation. However, his next words halted you in your tracks.

“I’ll help you with Yeonjun.” 

It was obvious that growing up together had given him an edge in understanding you too well. Those five simple words were all it took for you to reluctantly agree to assist your childhood friend in pursuing the new girl in town.

In the midst of blaring music and flashing lights that seemed determined to trigger a headache, you found yourself in an obnoxiously loud club on a Saturday night. This was the last place you would have willingly chosen to spend your evening, but circumstances had led you here. When you initially agreed to assist Beomgyu, you envisioned a more thoughtful and gradual approach to make Yunjin develop feelings for him. However, your expectations were shattered earlier when Beomgyu unexpectedly appeared at your doorstep, barging in without a second thought and heading straight for your room.

You were aware that some of your friends had plans to hit the nearby club tonight, an invitation you had initially declined. Your preference was to stay at home, engrossed in the pages of the new book you had recently acquired. But Beomgyu seemed to have other plans, disregarding your intentions the moment he stepped into your house. Apparently, he had caught wind of the possibility that Yunjin might be among those venturing out for the night.

"Sure, I knew she was going out," you shrugged, your attention split between applying makeup and addressing Beomgyu, who had made himself comfortable on your bed.

"You knew? And you didn't tell me? Come on, Y/N, I thought we had some kind of agreement!" His sigh carried a tinge of exasperation, clearly disappointed by your perceived negligence.

"Apologies for not realizing I was your designated Yunjin-schedule informant. That's bordering on creepy, by the way. And I thought that we were going to take things slow. Plus, why do I have to tag along? Since you're in the loop now, can't you just go by yourself?" Despite your rapid-fire inquiries, you continued meticulously applying your makeup. 

"Do you not remember? That's exactly why I came to you. I need help seamlessly integrating myself into her life, making it seem natural and subtle. Take tonight, for example! I'll play it cool, like I had no clue she'd be here. You'll join our conversation, kick-start it naturally, and then gracefully bow out, leaving us to continue. It's a flawless plan, trust me. Plus, seeing you actually putting in some effort to make this work will make me more motivated to help you with my brother." Beomgyu, as usual, carried on with his chatter. To be honest, you found the plan a bit nonsensical, but considering what was at stake for you, you ended up donning that cute new outfit you had been saving for a different night out. Before you knew it, you were in Beomgyu's car, en route to the club.

Normally, you wouldn't mind a night out at a club like this, and you would typically have agreed without a second thought. Lately, however, you had felt more inclined to stay home, and the odd behavior of your wolf throughout the week made you hesitant to introduce alcohol into the mix. Nonetheless, since you were already here, you decided it was a good opportunity to let loose a little.

Amid the deafening music, Beomgyu's voice rang out, "So, have you spotted them yet?" You leaned against the bar, waiting for your drink.

Surveying the crowd upon your arrival, you had even tried to identify them by scent, but the throng of people made it challenging. "Not yet, but let's move around. I'm sure we'll be able to find them soon." With one hand gripping your vodka lemonade, you and Beomgyu started moving around, staying close to make sure not to be separated within the bustling club. 

Out of the corner of your eye, a familiar face caught your attention, instantly recognizable. "C'mon, I found them!" You hurriedly exclaimed, gesturing in the direction of your best friend, dragging Beomgyu along.

Taehyun's eyes widened as he spotted you approaching. "Y/N, I thought you were staying in tonight? You should have texted!" Beomgyu emerged behind you, and Taehyun's surprise morphed into confusion. "Oh, and you brought Beomgyu along?"

It wasn't that you and Beomgyu weren't on good terms or weren't friends, but the sight of the two of you together wasn't a common occurrence unless it involved family matters. After all, you both had different sets of friends. So, your unexpected duo not only grabbed Taehyun's attention but also that of a few others in the group.

“Yeah uh I ended up changing my mind and he was heading out too so I just grabbed a ride from him.” You brushed off his question lightly before scanning your eyes around your group of friends, looking for a specific face. 

It appeared Beomgyu was on the same page, as you felt a gentle nudge from him. "Did Yunjin come out with you guys?"

"Yep, she did! She's just in the restroom and will probably be back soon." Kazhua, your other close friend, greeted you with a tipsy smile before she resumed engaging in lively conversation with her boyfriend, Kai who spared you two a wave.

Thanking her, you felt a sense of relaxation settling in as you basked in the company of your friends. The drink in your hand was starting to take effect, lifting your spirits and making you feel lighter. Observing Beomgyu from beside you, you could tell he was loosening up as well as he seemed to be engaging in friendly banter with Taehyun. Seeing them dab each other up as if they were best bros had you rolling your eyes.

"So spill the beans. What's the real deal here between the two of you? I’m obviously not buying your story and getting a ride from him wouldn't lead to you sticking together even when you found us. Are you guys seeing each other? I swear, I won't say a word to anyone if you are!" Chaewon slung her arm around you, her eyes playfully dancing as she gestured towards Beomgyu.

A puzzled expression creased your pretty face as you processed her question. Chaewon was probably your closest friend after Taehyun, and she had a knack for uncovering every detail about your life. However, her insinuation of a romantic connection between you and your neighbor had you almost freezing from surprise. You couldn't afford to give the impression that something was brewing between you and Beomgyu, especially when your mission tonight was to make Yunjin notice him. Plus, there really wasn’t anything happening between the two of you.

"Wait, hold on a second. Jesus, Chaewon. Seriously, it's not what you're thinking. I promise it was just a ride," you replied, attempting to brush off her inquiries. Yet, the skepticism in her expression told you she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Well, that's not what Soobin said." You inwardly cursed, momentarily forgetting that Soobin had been recently seeing Chaewon. It was clear that he had shared how he and Yeonjun had caught you and Beomgyu sneaking off alone upstairs to his room. 

"Jesus fucking Christ, Soobin. You need to tell him to mind his own business. And seriously, he's just trying to be a pain in the ass. I promise you, there's absolutely nothing going on between us. If there were, I would've been the one to tell you, and not leave it to Soobin to play messenger." Your fervent response finally seemed to ease Chaewon's suspicions, as she nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I believe you. But remember, even if there's a hint of something happening, you better let me know and give me the details. I don’t want to have to rely on Soobin of all people to get all my juicy gossip from," Chaewon's playful yet determined expression made you chuckle. Just before you could respond, a familiar voice caught your attention.

"Y/N! Oh my god, you're here! I thought you said you weren't coming out?" Yunjin's excitement spilled over through both her voice and her actions as she enveloped you in a warm hug.

Clearly, a few drinks had loosened Yunjin up; her eyes carried a playful glint, and her usually composed demeanor had given way to lively energy. Amidst her effervescence, you were also able to catch a glimpse of Beomgyu's eyes lighting up with eagerness upon spotting her. Lost in the thrill of finally locating your target for the night, both you and Beomgyu had failed to notice that Yunjin hadn't returned from the restroom alone.

"Hey, Y/N," a familiar voice greeted you from behind her presence, and a flurry of emotions erupted within you as your heart raced in response. Despite the time that had passed, you were still defenseless against the effect Yeonjun had on you.

"Hey, Yeonjun! I had no idea you were joining us tonight," You managed to regain your composure, your voice finally steadying as you exchanged greetings.

"Yeah, I mean I just came with Changbin and a couple of the other guys, but I stumbled upon her when she was wandering around lost, trying to find her way back to your group. Naturally, I couldn't resist lending a hand. You know me, I never leave a helpless pretty girl alone." A quick wink from Yeonjun, and you could see Yunjin's amused giggles in response.

Yeonjun's reputation as a major flirt wasn't a secret, but witnessing his overt flirting with your new friend right before you stung a little. Though you did your best to brush it off as his usual playfulness and quickly put on a wide smile in return.

"Well, thanks so much for returning her to us safely," you playfully retorted, echoing his tone. You then quickly downed the last of your drink, hoping to mask the twinge of anxiety that the sight of their interaction stirred within you.

As Yeonjun weaved his way through the group, your gaze remained fixed on him. Like always, you were unable to resist your attraction towards him, but this time, you were far from oblivious. Quickly noting the close proximity he maintained with Yunjin as they navigated around the table, a small frown formed on your face. When’d they get so close?

"Hey, when did you arrive? Changbin could've given you a ride along with me if you had mentioned you were coming," Yeonjun greeted his brother. However, it was evident that Beomgyu's attention remained steadfastly fixed on Yunjin, his focus unyielding even as his brother spoke. Maybe your initial assumptions of his interest in your friend were wrong. With the look he was giving your friend, it seemed that maybe there was more to the attraction than just physical.  

Recognizing the opportune moment to step in and work your magic, you decided to make your move. Yeonjun appeared engrossed in conversation with his brother and your best friend, giving you the chance you needed. Swiftly, you moved over to where Yunjin stood and linked arms with her. With a clear plan in mind, you guided her away to the bar, seeking both a private conversation and a refill.

Once at the bar, you ordered drinks for the two of you and then turned your attention to Yunjin. "So, how's the night treating you? Are you enjoying yourself?" you inquired with a friendly smile.

Yunjin accepted the drink gratefully, seemingly oblivious to your underlying motives. Her smile lit up as she responded, "Honestly, I'm having a blast, especially now that you're here!"

"Aww, that's great to hear! Is everyone being nice to you? How are you liking the club? Anyone catch your eye?" You smoothly slipped in the last question, hoping to naturally lead the conversation towards Beomgyu. 

Though a pang of guilt tugged at you for manipulating your friend, you reminded yourself of the agreement you'd made. The possibility of finally attaining your desires was too enticing to let pass, and after all, if Yunjin genuinely fell for Beomgyu, was it truly manipulation on your part?

Yunjin's laughter tinkled in response to your questions, and she leaned against the bar. "Everyone's been wonderful, and I really appreciate you welcoming me into your friend group. As for the club, it's incredible. Back in my previous town, we had nothing like this, so this is a whole new experience for me." After a sip of her drink, she looked at you, and you eagerly awaited her response to your previous question.

"I’m not going to lie; everyone in this pack is ridiculously good-looking, so naturally, they've all grabbed my attention in some way. But, I have to admit, there's someone who's been on my mind. It's still way too early to say, and I'm not in a rush to find a mate, but I've never felt such a strong connection with someone this quickly. I can't help but wonder if he might be the one the Goddess has in store for me." Her words instantly grabbed your attention. If there was a possibility that Yunjin had already discovered her mate within the pack, it could complicate your task of steering her towards Beomgyu. 

Eagerly, you pressed on, "Come on, you’ve gotta tell me! I know all the ins and outs of this pack. Depending on who it is, I could probably give you some insights—whether they're a catch or a red flag, especially if you feel they could be the one." Your enthusiasm prompted Yunjin to consider sharing, and as you leaned in, she relented.

"Alright, alright I guess it wouldn't hurt to get some female insight, but since the first time you introduced us, I think I've kind of felt something with Yeonjun." Her words hit you with unexpected force, instantly hardening your face. 

Despite witnessing their interactions with one another earlier, it was apparent that you had been more preoccupied with your own infatuations for the older boy that you hadn’t even had the chance to realize the possibility of her attraction towards him– the very person you had been secretly in love with for what felt like an eternity. 

She remained oblivious to the quick shift in your expression as she carried on. "Like I said, it's definitely too early to make any conclusions, but I genuinely believe there's something special with him. Even today, running into him had my wolf practically giddy, and that has to mean something, right? Every time we bump into each other, which seems to happen a lot lately, we just click effortlessly and I just feel like I could talk to him for hours. He's so cute, and I kind of sense he might be dropping hints of interest, so fingers crossed, right?" Her animated enthusiasm while discussing the boy tugged at your heartstrings, filling you with a sense of despair.

"Yeah, he's a great guy," you managed to mumble, though the green monster of jealousy began to rear its head within you. "Just be cautious, though. Yeonjun is a fantastic guy, but his reputation with girls isn't the best. He's known in the pack as a bit of a flirt, and he hasn't really had many long-term relationships. Honestly, there have been plenty of girls who've come and gone, so I just don't want to see you get hurt by him."

Your words weren't entirely false; Yeonjun did have a bit of a player reputation within your community, but it wasn't as extreme as you portrayed it. It had mostly been a phase during his high school and early college years. Now that he was out of school, he appeared to have matured and settled down. Nonetheless, it had been a while since you'd seen him seriously involved with anyone, so witnessing his connection with Yunjin had you wanting to go back home and cry. 

Her expression briefly faltered, but a determined smile soon replaced it. "Well, maybe he just hasn't met the right person yet! Thanks for the heads-up on his past, but I'm not easily discouraged. Honestly, it's better than hearing he's an asshole or mistreats girls. Who knows, maybe I'll be the one to change him!"

"Well, there are plenty of other great guys in the pack you might not have had a chance to get to know yet. Keeping your options open might not be a bad idea, especially since you mentioned you're not in a rush to mate. You know Beomgyu, right? He's an awesome guy, and I think you two would really hit it off. Actually, let’s go find him!" Without waiting for her response, you eagerly take her hand and lead her back to your group.

But as you returned to the group, your intentions to subtly steer her closer to Beomgyu were abruptly interrupted by Yeonjun's appearance. "Hey, I was looking for you. I found the guys I mentioned earlier and I want to introduce you to them," he said, his focus solely on Yunjin as he guided her away from you, towards his friends who were on the dance floor, making you feel invisible in the process. The way he looked towards Yunjin confirmed everything you needed to know.  

Beomgyu appeared engrossed in an animated conversation with Taehyun and Jeongin when you hurried back to the group. Without a moment's hesitation, you seized his hand and pulled him away from the others, heading back toward the bar with a sense of urgency in your steps.

"What the fu—" Beomgyu began, but he stopped short as he took in your distressed expression.

"I think Yeonjun is Yunjin's mate," was all you managed to say before tears you had been suppressing welled up and trickled down your cheeks.

To outsiders, it might seem overly dramatic to cry over a guy, but Yeonjun wasn't just any guy to you. He was the one you had been in love with for as long as you could remember, and now it felt like your world was crashing down. You might have been labeled naive or unrealistic, but that didn't change the fact that it hurt like hell. Witnessing Yeonjun's face light up in a way you'd never seen before, all because of a girl who wasn't you, was a heart-wrenching reality. Beomgyu seemed to grasp this as he reached out, pulling you into his arms.

"How do you know? Did she say something?" Beomgyu's usual teasing tone, often centered around your crush on his brother, disappeared. He now spoke with genuine concern, understanding the depth of your feelings for Yeonjun.

All you could manage was a nod against Beomgyu's warm chest. The two of you remained in that embrace for a minute, an unusual scene not just because it was unprecedented between you two but also because it was happening in the middle of a club.

Finally, you stepped away from the hug, your eyes, which were gradually drying, locked onto Beomgyu. "She mentioned feeling a connection with him since the first day they met. She even said she thinks he might be her mate. But I wasn't sure until I saw how he looked at her. He's never looked at me like that. I'm sorry, Beomgyu. I really tried to tell her about you, but it seems like she's only got Yeonjun on her mind."

Beomgyu's response was unexpectedly understanding. "No, no, don't apologize. It's totally fine. If anything, I'm the one who should say sorry. I dragged you here today, and it's clear that your feelings for Yeonjun are on a whole different level than the physical attraction I had with Yunjin. I'm sorry about all of this, Y/N," he added, shaking his head.

"Hey, let's grab a drink and talk about something else. We're already here, so we might as well make the most of it and distract ourselves from those two." The idea of shifting your focus away from what had just transpired was a welcomed one, and you didn't hesitate to nod your head to accept his offer.

It all began quite mildly with vodka lemonades, but it quickly escalated into a flurry of shots, with each one sliding down your throat. Before you knew it, you found yourself intoxicated beyond your usual limits, a sensation that didn't bother you in the least. Beomgyu was on the same wild ride, and it seemed that both of you were in a state of inebriation that you rarely reached.

The club's atmosphere was electric, with the deep bass of the music reverberating inside you. Your sweaty bodies drew nearer and nearer to each other, and soon, you felt as though you were moving as one. It was a level of closeness you had never experienced with Beomgyu as you had never seen him in a romantic light. Undeniably, he was one of the most attractive people you knew (the entire Choi family seemed blessed in that department), but your heart had always belonged to the eldest Choi brother. However, in this moment, with a shattered heart and a new perspective, your childhood friend had taken on an entirely different allure which definitely explained the position you were currently in.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” You were practically screaming as Beomgyu increased the speed of his thrusts. 

Having sex in a grimy club’s bathroom with your next-door neighbor was definitely the last thing you expected this night to take you, but here you were with your pants down panting into Beomgyu’s mouth as you felt all of him inside you. 

While you weren’t practically sure when you moved from dancing on the dance floor to fucking in the bathroom, you definitely didn’t mind though, as you were getting your mind absolutely fucked out. You weren’t sure if it was the multitude of alcohol you had consumed or the after-effects of finding out about Yunjin and Yeonjun’s connection with one another, but your body seemed to be at an extreme high with the way you were feeling Beomgyu everywhere on your body. It was different from any other sexual experience you’ve had with other wolves and the way your body responded to his was automatic, as if you were perfectly tailored for him and him only.  

With one hand on your breast, while the other was in your hair, pulling your head back to get easier access to your neck, Beomgyu also couldn’t help but feel a similar high. He’d never thought that seeing your fucked out expressions under him would give him this amount of pleasure, but now that he’s experienced it, he didn’t know if he would ever be able to stop thinking about it. You felt perfect around him and smelled so enticing, it was stirring his wolf to absolute madness. No matter how deeply he attempted to bury his nose in your throat, it was not enough. His wolf was screaming for something more. He needed to taste you and he knew exactly what he needed to do. 

Pain exploded within you while you reached your peak and the the dynamic between pleasure and pain was almost too much for you as you felt your knees buckling while you felt yourself sliding down the stall’s door before Beomgyu caught you. 

Without hesitation, Beomgyu had bit you right where your shoulders and neck met, ensuring his claim on you. And before you could process what was happening, your wolf took over to reciprocate the act, completing the mating process. 

A lingering pain held you both in place, your teeth still sunk into each other's skin. Then, like a sudden, undeniable realization, it hit you with the force of a freight train. You and Beomgyu had just marked each other, forging an irreversible connection that would permanently link your fates.

Beomgyu still seemed to be in a daze, his bite unrelenting, and panic coursed through your intoxicated body. With a sudden burst of force, you pushed him away, and at last, he released his grip. As he took in your disheveled appearance and the newly marked skin, the weight of his actions seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks, his eyes widening in realization.

"Fuck! What the hell did we just do?" you screamed at him, hastily pulling up your pants and bolting out of the stall. Beomgyu followed, his words stuttering in his panic. "I-I don't know, shit!"

You dashed to the mirror, inspecting your neck, and what you saw made your heart sink. The bite was deep, and you could make out every detail of his teeth. A trickle of blood ran down your shoulder, and you winced in pain as you carefully traced the mark. Turning around, you pulled his shirt to the side to examine his neck, finding an almost identical bite mark, mirroring your own. There was no denying that the two of you had permanently claimed each other.

Panic was overwhelming, and the alcohol only added to the haze that clouded your thoughts. You rushed out of the bathroom with Beomgyu hot on your heels, shouting your name as you weaved your way through the growing mass of dancing bodies, which seemed to have multiplied in the last hour.

Your desperate attempt to reach the front door came to an abrupt halt when you accidentally collided with the last thing you needed to see tonight. Before you could turn and find another route, you found yourself facing the one scene that would shatter your already fragile state.

Yeonjun and Yunjin were passionately entwined on the dance floor, their lips locked in a heated kiss. Before you could react, they both noticed your distressed presence. "Y/N?" Yunjin called out.

Overwhelmed by the whirlwind of emotions and events, you couldn't fully deduce on how to react, and you felt your eyes burning as tears blurred your vision. Beomgyu had finally caught up to you, but his arrival only served to intensify the situation. Yeonjun, with his keen senses, quickly picked up on the extremely potent mix of your and Beomgyu's scents that wafted in the air, which were a telltale sign of what the two of you had been up to. His eyes zeroed in on the glaringly obvious marks adorning your bodies, and it didn't take long for all hell to break loose.

The four of you, engulfed in a mix of panic and anxiety, made your way back to your house, with Yeonjun demanding answers (mostly from his brother) and Yunjin attempting to soothe your distress. The pack house soon descended into chaos as the news of the marked bonds and the events at the club spread like wildfire, rousing everyone from their beds. Elders were urgently summoned to the house, while your parents anxiously paced, demanding answers from you and Beomgyu.

The two of you sat on the living room couch, with Beomgyu providing a more coherent account of the events (with many details omitted), while you remained in a trance, barely able to respond to anyone. Yunjin stayed by your side, holding your hand in a gesture of comfort, though it provided little solace amid the overwhelming situation.

"It appears that what has been done cannot be undone, especially considering the mating ceremony appears to have been finalized. I am afraid that the two of you are now bound for life. I'm sorry, but I believe there's little if anything, we can do about the situation." Elder Kwan finally concluded after what felt like an interminable wait for the Elders and your parents to reach a resolution.

"In a way, it might be comforting to know that the Moon Goddess is never wrong in her pairings. So, regardless of the circumstances, it appears that the two of you were destined to be mated. I understand you're both quite young, and it's not typical for wolves your age to be mated, but it was inevitable. Congratulations," Elder Lim added, and with that, everyone except your parents began to make their way out of the house.

Five days had passed since that life-altering night. Five days since you had last seen Beomgyu and five days since you had left your room.

"Miserable" hardly covered the depths of despair you found yourself in. Countless people had come by your house since the news of your newly mated status had spread, but you remained invisible to them all.

Initially, after the elders had delivered their verdict, your father had nearly lost control. He had launched accusations and screams at Beomgyu, accusing him of coercing you into this situation. However, you had sternly explained to your father that you were equally responsible for what had occurred, and that had managed to calm him down. Still, he struggled to approach you. However, you couldn't really blame him, as he had received no warning that you had even found your mate before you arrived home fully mated and marked. Your mother, on the other hand, was more sympathetic to your plight and made efforts to coax you out of your depressive state.

"Honey, you have to go see him. I know you're hurting inside, and staying cooped up in your room isn't helping anyone," she urged, fully aware of your inner turmoil. Your wolf had been howling for its mate since you separated from Beomgyu, and she was beyond furious with you for keeping her away from her mate as she was now unresponsive.

"I can't," you muttered, shaking your head.

She sighed and ran her fingers through your hair, attempting to provide some comfort. "Well, at least go see Taehyun. He's been here every day, and I can't keep turning him away. He's worried sick about you."

You were aware that Taehyun had been coming over daily to check on you, and while you felt terrible for ignoring him and the rest of your friends, you hadn't had the courage to face anyone during the past few days.

“C’mon, he’s right next door. He’s your best friend, maybe you’ll feel better getting out of your room and seeing him. It’ll get your mind off of everything, Y/N, it’s not healthy bottling all of this in.” 

Your mother's persuasive words finally prompted you to reach for the front door of your house. As you stepped outside, a wave of regret washed over you. Beomgyu's scent was the first thing that hit you, an intoxicating blend of cinnamon and wood that made your body hyperaware, almost weakening your knees. 

Beomgyu was about to get into his car when he spotted you emerging from your house. Five days had felt like an eternity for his wolf, and just the sight of you had him jumping with excitement. An awkward silence settled as the two of you locked eyes, and your gaze was drawn to the very visible mark on his neck, an immediate reminder.

"Y/N..." Beomgyu began, but the words seemed to escape him, and he didn't know how to continue.

Your wolf, who had been avoiding you and resisting your attempts to connect, suddenly sensed Beomgyu's presence and started to stir, eager for you to reach out to him and reconnect her to his wolf.

"Hey, Beomgyu," you managed to say, your voice trembling with the tension between you and Beomgyu.

"I'm sorry," you both blurted out simultaneously, heightening the awkwardness. Beomgyu decided to bridge the gap between you by moving closer.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," Beomgyu's voice held a sincere tone, his eyebrows furrowing with concern.

You shake your head, knowing fully that none of this was his fault alone. “No, don’t be sorry, we both did this to us. If anything, I’m sorry for shutting you out, I just needed some time. I’m sure your wolf was losing his mind.” 

He nodded and offered a small smile. "I get it. Everything happened so fast. I don't blame you for needing some time away to process everything. Are you okay?"

This time, it was your turn to nod. "I guess. It's still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that you're my mate. But, like Elder Lim said, it was bound to happen anyway, so there’s no point in resisting it."

"I'm really sorry about Yeonjun," Beomgyu said, feeling a twinge, knowing his mate previously held deep feelings for his brother and hoped to be mated to him. "I know I probably wasn't the Choi brother you were hoping for, but I understand how much you liked him. You'll need time to get over that."

Seeing Beomgyu in such a mellowed-out state was odd. Since you were young, Beomgyu had been known as the mischievous pup of the pack. Most wolves typically outgrew that role, but he seemed to carry it with him even to this day, which was one of the reasons you had difficulty seeing him as mate material. To witness this more restrained side of him was almost unfamiliar.

"Yeah, thanks. I mean, seeing Yeonjun with Yunjin and then immediately getting with you definitely forced me to move on quick," you acknowledged. Still, a lingering question had been eating at you and had contributed to your recent depressive episode.

"Do you feel it?" you asked Beomgyu, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Feel what?" He was clearly puzzled.

"The connection. We've been told our whole lives that when we meet our mate and become mated, we'll experience this indescribable link that makes us feel complete. I don't know if knowing you my entire life has dulled that rush of feelings that most mates have. While I definitely feel my wolf yearning to be with you constantly, aside from that, I don't really feel anything. I'm sorry for being so upfront, but I need to know if I'm the only one feeling this way, and if it's my issue, or if you're going through the same thing?" Your candidness left Beomgyu quiet for a moment, and you instantly regretted it. Your wolf chastised you, and now you were panicking, worrying that you had been too blunt and might have hurt his feelings.

You’ve made him mad and now he’s not going to want us anymore. After five torturous days of not being able to be with him, the second we’re reunited, you’ve fucked it all up. 

Before you could react and apologize to rectify the situation, Beomgyu spoke up and you felt your heart drop. "I don't feel it either."

His admission cut deep, and you felt a pang of hurt. Even though you had admitted that you didn't feel a strong connection with him, it still stung to know that your mate, to whom you were now permanently bound, didn't desire you in the same way that most mates did. You wondered if the elders were wrong, and perhaps this union wasn't truly meant to be.

"Fuck," you muttered, letting out a deep sigh. You were at a loss for what to do now and wanted to crawl back into your bed.

"But I don't think that necessarily means we're doomed," Beomgyu continued. "I believe in what the elders said, and I don't think being mated to you was a mistake. My wolf was driving me insane because we were apart," he admitted, and you nodded in agreement. "While we personally might not feel it yet, I think it's a good sign that at least our wolves are sensing the connection. We probably need some time, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes for us to make this work."

His words instantly provided you with a sense of comfort. Knowing that he was taking the situation seriously and was willing to put in the effort gave you hope. But it was still a bit disheartening to realize that you had to work on developing the connection with him that other mates seemed to naturally have. 

Why couldn't things be easier for you like you were raised to believe they would be?

A month had passed, and you and Beomgyu had more or less fully accepted your situation. The pack had moved on from their initial curiosity and nosy questions, finding other topics to focus on. Gossips about your status and unconventional mating circumstances had faded away, allowing you a bit more peace.

Most days, you found yourself in the company of Beomgyu, attempting to forge some kind of bond. While the effort felt forced at times, you were determined to create a connection, if only to alleviate the persistent fear that you might never truly connect with him. Despite spending time together, it seemed that the two of you had yet to break through anything beyond the surface level.

“Take it, take it like the slut you are.” 

In truth, any attempts to cultivate a deeper, more complex relationship between you and Beomgyu, that extended beyond being family friends, often got derailed by your strong physical bond, or rather, just horniness (seriously you felt like a teenager again with the constant need to take each other’s clothes off). The irresistible need to be intimate often overshadowed the potential for emotional depth, leaving your efforts to form a more meaningful connection feeling like a constant struggle against the physical desires that seemed to take precedence. In other words, it was now really fucking getting on both of your nerves. 

Like, of course, you were aware and taught that mated wolves, especially newly mated ones, carried a need to be around one another and to breed as it was instinctual for your wolves to create offspring, you never would have guessed it’d come down to the constant need of being filled by him 24/7. 

“Shit!” You had been screaming in pleasure for a couple of hours by now and it seemed like there was no indication that you nor Beomgyu were ready to be stopping anytime soon. Stamina like this seemed to also be a gift that came with your newly mated status.

“Beomgyu please, please, please!” You chanted as you clawed at the sheets. 

Your once perfectly made face was now absolutely soiled as remnants of mascara, sweat, spit, cum, and tears were littered all across. Honestly, you couldn’t have been more grateful that your parents were away on an important trip outside of town with Beomgyu’s parents. There was no doubt in your mind that your poor mother (his too) would drop dead the second she got wind of how you had been spending the last few days.

“Keep fucking you yet you stay tight as a virgin like you were perfectly made for me and only me,” Beomgyu growled out as his hips snapped harder from behind you while his grip tightened. There were no doubt bruises in the shape of his fingers were forming around your waist.

You knew you were closing in on your third orgasm of the night as you felt the splintering sensation you were very well aware of reaching its boiling point. And as if he knew, a pinch to your clit was all it took for you to be crumbling down. Lightheadedness instantly came as everything around you seemed to turn white and you knew your body went limp, but that of course was no deterrent for Beomgyu as he continued to pound himself into you before finally reaching his peak. 

Pulsing inside of you, you felt the familiar ache of your walls expanding as Beomgyu came. His dick continued to swell past its normal size as ropes of his cum continued to paint your walls. Your soft whines and his deep pants were now all that filled the room.

“Fuck, sorry I don’t think it’s going down anytime soon, hold on.” Beomgyu adjusts you to where the two of you can comfortably lay on your sides whilst waiting for his knot to go down.

With how much he came (so much that even with the knot, his semen escaped down your thighs) and with how tightly he was plugging you, there was no doubt in mind that your wolves were making it their mission to have you bred as soon as possible.  

Suddenly bangs rained down Beomgyu’s door. Instantly you jolted at the unexpected intrusion which had you clenching around Beomgyu’s still rock-hard cock pulling a groan out of him. “Are you two fucking done now? Jesus Christ other people live here selfish bastards!” 

Clearly too occupied by your pleasures, the two of you must have not heard anyone else coming into the house. 

“Fuck off Soobin!” Beomgyu yells in response to his older brother as your face heats up at the realization that he’d probably heard everything.

“You think he heard everything?” You try to turn your head towards Beomgyu as you ask, but quickly realize the position the two of you were in wouldn’t allow you to face him.

His knot still felt like it wouldn’t be going down anytime soon which meant the two of you were stuck in a spooning position for a bit. 

"Probably, but I don't care. It's Soobin; I've caught him with Chaewon more times than I'd have wanted to, so he's in no position to bitch." His voice is muffled as he nuzzles his face deeper into your hair and neck.

After what seemed like an eternity, likely the longest it's ever taken for his knot to go down, the two of you finally managed to detach and clean yourselves up a bit before bracing yourselves and leaving the room.

Of course, the second your feet hit the bottom of the stairs, your embarrassment tripled as you realized it wasn’t just Soobin present in the house.

“Y/N!” Yunjin's excited voice greets you as she runs up to give you a hug.

You hadn't seen her since the night at the club, and while you hadn’t intentionally avoided her, the part of you that wasn’t quite ready to face her yet lingered beneath the surface. It wasn’t her fault for what had transpired; she had no inkling of your feelings for Yeonjun (which she still didn’t know) and had no say in choosing her mate, just like you. However, witnessing her with Yeonjun only solidified your own emotional hurt. 

Over the course of the month, you learned from Taehyun that she and Yeonjun had decided to get together, though taking it slow and not rushing into mating. But nevertheless, it seemed that they (along with everyone in the pack) were well aware that they were indeed true mates, confirmed by the elders just as you and Beomgyu had been.

“Hey, Yunjin how’s it been?” You reciprocated the hug nevertheless though as she was still your friend, but over her shoulder you got a glimpse of Yeonjun and the sadness in your heart that you’d been working hard to mend seemed to ached a little.

He looked good. Great even, which you decided to attribute to finding his mate. There was almost a bright glow around him and he just looked so happy. They hadn’t even been mated yet and Yunjin was already making him light up like that.

She responded to you, but your mind was elsewhere as you looked at Beomgyu, who was bickering with Soobin about something. He didn’t look any different. Where was his glow? Frowning at the realization that yet again there was another thing that you and Beomgyu’s relationship lacked in comparison to others.

Chaewon must have noticed how you had suddenly gotten upset as she interjected herself between you and Yunjin cutting the other girl off. “Hey, so sorry Yunjin, but I totally forgot I have to ask Y/N about something.” And she took your arm and dragged you away to the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door closed, Chaewon enveloped you in a hug, offering comfort. “You okay?”

You sighed deeply, sinking into her embrace. “I think something's wrong with me. Something’s not right with me and Beomgyu.”

This admission was the first time you vocalized your concerns. For a month, you’d kept it hidden, not disclosing it to anyone, not even Taehyun or your parents. It was a weight you carried, feeling like a failure—a broken wolf.

Chaewon pulled away slightly, a mix of concern and confusion on her face. “What do you mean? I thought things were going okay. I mean, we all heard you two upstairs.”

You shut your eyes tightly, fighting back tears, shaking your head with a sense of dejection. You were beyond feeling embarrassed at what they probably heard. “That's the issue. It’s purely physical between us. Every time we’re together, it’s just about that, but beyond fucking, there’s nothing. He’s still just the Beomgyu I grew up next door to, not my mate, not the love of my life.”

Her gaze softened, understanding the gravity of your words. Mates sharing a deep connection was foundational, and your experience seemed to deviate from that norm. No wolf was ever taught that there was a possibility of what you and Beomgyu currently had. 

“Oh sweetie,” Chaewon dragged you into a tight hug again. “Have you talked to Beomgyu about this?”

You affirmed with a nod, "Yes, we're both aware that something isn't right, and we're genuinely making an effort. We spend time together almost every day, trying to bridge the gap, but it's been a month and we haven't felt any change."

The two of you stayed in a comforting silence, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Oh, Y/N, I'm so sorry," Chaewon's words carried genuine empathy. "I'm sorry about Yeonjun too. I know how much you liked him. We all did, and it wasn’t in a childish crush way. We all saw your feelings were real. I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened in the past month."

You've felt like all you've done for the past month was cry, and you despised it. Yet, as Chaewon spoke, tears still found their way down your cheeks. While you appreciated everyone's sympathy, a part of you wished those words could make a difference.

"Thank you, really. I just feel terrible that Yunjin’s kept in the dark about everything. I'm not deliberately avoiding her or holding any anger toward her. It's just that I need some time. Seeing her with him hurts a lot and it adds to the strain I feel about everything with Beomgyu. It's nobody's fault." You sniffled, pulling back slightly to wipe away your tears. Yeonjun was never yours to begin with, yet why did his presence still hold such a grip on you, even after finding your mate?

“Have you talked to anyone else about this?” Chaewon inquired, and you shook your head in response.

“I think it’ll really help to talk to Taehyun. He always knows how to make you feel better,” she suggested, her understanding evident. Taehyun was your best friend, and at this point, you felt unable to keep everything bottled up. You longed for the comfort only your best friend could offer.

With a nod at her suggestion, you decided, “You’re right, I think I’m gonna go there right now.”

With that, you attempted to compose yourself, ensuring you didn’t look like you'd been crying, and together, you both headed back out to rejoin the group.

"Hey guys, I think I’m going to head back. I need to do something," you announced to the group, who seemed engrossed in watching something on TV.

“Are you sure? We just put something on. We were thinking of maybe a movie night?” Yeonjun’s voice almost tempted you to stay, but you resolutely shook your head.

“I’m sorry, guys, maybe next time?” You hoped this would appease them as you exchanged another hug with Yunjin who genuinely seemed disappointed that you had to leave so soon before bidding them goodbye.

“I’ll walk you to the door,” Beomgyu offered, rising from the couch, and together, you both began heading towards the front door.

“Are you okay?” His voice was filled with concern as you started putting your shoes on, he could tell that you'd been crying.

“Yeah, I just need to talk to Taehyun about something,” you responded. 

He noded, but before you could turn the handle, he reached out, taking your hand. As you turned to face him, he gently cupped your face in his hands and gave you a small kiss.

“Just call me if you need anything, okay? I don’t want to pry or anything, but I can feel how heavy your heart is,” he said softly. Your eyes widened slightly at the confession, but you decided against saying anything and just gave him a single nod before opening the door.

Chaewon's advice definitely seemed to help, as confiding in Taehyun turned out to be exactly what you needed. He attentively absorbed every detail as you poured your heart out to him. Initially, he was upset that you hadn't sought his support earlier, leaving you to face everything alone. Yet, he swiftly took it upon himself to lift your spirits. The next day, he suggested a trip downtown, which was only just outside of your pack’s territory. This seemed to work wonders, as genuine laughter bubbled up from within you—something that had been rare lately. Sharing an ice cream with Taehyun, you both joyfully wandered around, enjoying each other's company.

The weather was scorching hot, and even in your minimal attire of a thin tube top and shorts, sweat was trickling down your neck. It was the first time you hadn't felt self-conscious about displaying your mark, and you were glad you'd decided to change into what you were wearing now instead of the thicker and longer shirt that would have covered it.

"Hey, let's head over there. Didn't you mention you still needed to get something for Chaewon’s birthday?" you suggested, tossing out your empty ice cream cups before leading Taehyun towards a small shop. However, as you reached for the door, it swung open abruptly, knocking you down with force.

"Fuck," you groaned as pain shot through your bottom from landing on it. Taehyun rushed over to help you up, but before he could reach you, a hand extended in front of you. Looking up, you met the gaze of a good-looking boy about your age. You decided to take his hand, allowing him to assist you to your feet.

"I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize someone was behind the door. Are you alright?" His voice was filled with genuine concern, but his unfamiliar scent put your wolf on edge.

As you're about to respond, Taehyun interrupted, examining you to ensure you were not seriously hurt. "You good?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine," you assured him. Turning back to the stranger, you offered a smile. "You're good, it's not your fault. You couldn't have known someone was behind the door." Your smile aimed to reassure him.

"I still feel terrible. Can I do something to make it up to you?" His offer seemed polite, but something about his demeanor raised your guard, and you quickly declined with a shake of your head.

“No, I’m fine, seriously. Don’t worry about it!” You forced another smile, eager to leave the situation and enter the store.

“Can I at least get your name? I’m Wonbin. I’m new around town, so maybe I’ll see you again?” His insistence was making you more uncomfortable, and your wolf was now screaming at you to distance yourself from this stranger.

Taehyun from the side could see the lingering looks that Wonbin was giving you that was obviously making you increasingly uncomfortable so he stepped in, creating space between you and Wonbin. “Back off, man. Can’t you see she’s already claimed?” He pointed to your neck, where your mark was visibly displayed. 

Though Wonbin's eyebrows twitched at Taehyun’s assertive comment, he quickly returned to a friendly demeanor. “Sorry about that. I didn’t realize you were her mate.”

“We’re just friends, but her mate wouldn’t be pleased to know you were hitting on her like that.” Taehyun's tone lacked warmth, and although you and Beomgyu were dealing with your issues, Taehyun was right—Beomgyu definitely wouldn’t appreciate someone else showing interest in you.

Despite Taehyun's words, Wonbin remained unaffected, shamelessly continuing to look you over, making you regret your choice of clothing. His previously friendly smile now twisted into more of a smirk, worsening your anxiety. It was clear that even knowing you were already claimed didn't deter his interest in you.

 “Well, just so you know, If I were her mate, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight. You never know what dangers are lurking around, waiting for the right chance.” Wonbin gave you one last look before walking away, leaving you with a chill running down your back.

You hadn’t felt this type of fear in a while and one thing was for sure— there was nothing friendly about him, and you sensed that you’d now been singled out as a target.

The moment you returned from your trip to town with Taehyun, an urgency drove you straight to Beomgyu's doorstep. Your body acted before your mind, taking you to his house and knocking before you even registered your actions. Your wolf, still reeling from the unsettling encounter with the stranger, sought comfort and solace from Beomgyu's wolf.

"Hey, I didn’t know you were coming over–" Beomgyu's greeting faltered as he observed your distressed state. His concern was evident as he furrowed his brows. "What’s wrong? Did something happen?"

Without uttering a word, you sought refuge in his embrace, initiating a deep hug that immediately brought a sense of relief. The whole experience had left you deeply unsettled. In the past, such attention from a stranger might have been flattering or easily dismissed. However, everything had changed since discovering your mate. The incident made you feel queasy, and the only solace you sought was from your mate's comforting presence.

Your voice muffled against his chest as you responded, "There was a wolf."

Beomgyu's body tensed in response. "What? Who was it? What did they do? You’re not hurt, are you?" He gently pulled away from the hug to check for any signs of injury.

“No, he didn’t hurt me, but I've never felt this uncomfortable before. He claimed to be new in town so I didn’t recognize his scent, but beyond that he just seemed off. Even with Taehyun there, I felt unsafe. It’s like something was off, and it’s making my wolf extremely uneasy. I don’t know if it’s because I’m mated to you now that any unfamiliar wolves set her on edge, but it wasn’t a good feeling,” you explained truthfully. You knew Beomgyu would eventually pry it out of you or find out from Taehyun so hiding it would serve no purpose.

As Beomgyu's body emanated more heat, you sensed a surge of anger brewing within him. It was as if your own emotions were mirroring his, an unfamiliar sensation.

“Fucking hell, I should’ve been there with you,” Beomgyu's wolf angrily chastised him, irritated at not being there to protect you.

Shaking your head, you replied, “He didn’t actually do anything. Taehyun made sure of it, and I don’t think he had violent intentions, but he made me extremely uneasy.”

“Who was it? He should've known you're already mine, your mark’s on full display and there’s no way he couldn’t smell me all over you. Fucking douche,” Beomgyu's readiness to confront the situation was palpable, but you swiftly placed your hand on his chest, urging him to stop.

“Hey, it’s fine. I’m here in your arms right now, and I already feel better. All I need is you to be here with me,” you assured him. 

The unease had dissolved from within you, and you had a feeling it vanished the moment you were enveloped in his embrace. Your wolf found solace in knowing that safety lay where your other half resided. For the past month, you hadn't entirely found relief in Beomgyu despite knowing he was your mate. However, in this time of distress, you felt a sense of safety in him.

“Are you sure?” Beomgyu was still upset that an unknown wolf had made you so uncomfortable, but your reassuring gaze calmed him.

“I promise. All I want is you right now,” you tenderly said, leaning in to connect your lips before he could respond.

You could still feel his anger but as he slowly moved his lips against yours, reciprocating your action, it seemed to be overtaken by a stronger emotion that indicated that he wanted you just as much as you did. 

Quickly, the two of you wasted no time going up to his room and the second his door slammed, you were stripping out of your clothes. 

“Shit, baby everytime I see you I can’t believe how fucking perfect you are,” he cupped one of your breasts in his hands pinching at your bud releasing a moan out of you. 

“Says you.” You responded before reconnecting your lips together. 

As the two of you fought for dominance with your tongues clashing against each other, you helped him undress. Hands quickly reached down to his pants and with one swift motion you push his pants along with his undwear down while he swiftly took his shirt off. Lips attached again and your hand reached down to touch his hardened cock. Swiping your thumb against his head and spreading his pre-cum around the shaft as you wrapped your hand around his member, before giving it a good jerk. He hissed.

“Fuck, your hands are so soft.” As your hands tugged at his dick at a faster pace his lips attatched to your neck kissing over the mark that he was responsible for. It was a spot that was much more sensitive than anywhere else and you shuddered.

“I need you so bad,” you whimpered as he lapped over and over at your mark, making you pant. You knew he was making an emphasis on covering you with his scent due to what happened today. 

With your whine you were pushed back into his bed and Beomgyu’s hands grabbed ahold of your thighs keeping them open. You knew you were incredibly wet and the sight of Beomgyu before you had you growing even more inceasingly so. He started slow on your thighs, kissing the insides of them, but it wasn’t enough.

“Beomgyu, please.” You begged wanting more than what he was teasing. 

“Use your words princess, what do you need?” You knew he was dragging this on as he loved seeing you beg. 

“Please, I need your mouth,” you begged again. At this point, you knew you had to be dripping and you were growing increasingly frustrated. He was kissing and lapping at everywhere but where you needed him most.

His hot breath ghosted over your core and you shuddered. “I think you’re going to need to be more specific than that.” He was toying with you and you couldn’t take it anymore.

“Please, I need your mouth on my clit,” you finally gave in and you could see him smirk in satisfaction before diving in. 

Like a starved man, Beomgyu doesn’t hold back as he devoured your pussy. Your back arched as all sound from you seems to have been dissipated due to the overwhelming pleasure you were instantaneously given. His tongue gracefully lapped at your slit, parting your lips as his nose buried itself into your clit. 

“Fuck,” is all you could manage as your hands reached for his hair, pushing him deeper into your core.

As he continued to make out with your pussy, his finger made its way inside of you and slowly started puming in and out. The sounds you were making were music to his ears, encouraging him to continue adding another finger and slowly start increasing the speed of which his fingers were fucking you. His lips were now wrapped around your clit and you knew you were so close to reaching your peak. 

“I’m so close,” you mewled out as you felt the familiar feeling rippling within you. And before you knew it the hot blinding light exploded as you loudly moaned his name. 

You could see even in the dim light Beomgyu’s lower face glistening, covered in your release as he gave you a smile. Climbing up the bed he hovered over you and leaned in for a kiss and despite just having an orgasm, your body was screaming for another as your tongues clashed with each other. His hardened dick was felt against your stomach before he reached down to line himself with your drenched pussy. 

He rubbed himself against your slit, covering his length in your juices before fully inserting himself in you. 

“Fuck,” he hissed and without giving you a second to adjust, he pummeled himself in and out of you. 

You were sensitive from your previous orgasm, but you couldn’t care less when the pleasure you were experiencing was the only important thing in your mind. His thick cock was bruising your cervix as he wasn’t holding back, using the strength of his wolf to his advantage. 

“Shit, Beomgyu! You’re so deep right now,” you wailed out as you held tight to his shoulders. His headboard was banging into his walls as Beomgyu moved at an unstoppable pace. 

“Yeah, feel me here?” He gave you an almost smug look before pressing a hand down on your stomach, right where his cock was slightly bulging out from. 

“Yes, yes, yes!” You screamed out, raking your fingernail deep into his back. 

He grabbed one of your legs and pulled it up, hooking it on his shoulders and as if it was possible, you felt him even deeper within you. Tears were forming in your eyes at the overwhelming pleasure you were feeling and with the change of position, he seemed to be thrusting even harder and faster in you. 

“My pretty cock hungry mate. No one can fuck you like I can, can they?” You shook your head.

“No, only you!” You cried out. You could feel yourself once again getting close to reaching that peak.

“Fuck, you feel so good, should just breed you full of my pups.” Beomgyu panted out as one of his hands made its way around your neck. “Maybe then all these other wolves will know you’re mine and mine alone.”

“Please, Beomgyu! Please breed me!” The fingers wrapped around your throat squeezed just the right amount and you knew you had just reached your peak. As if someone had cut out all noise, a ringing in your ears was all you could hear while your eyes rolled to the back of your head while you let out a sob. 

Beomgyu panted above you as he animalisticly snapped his hips into yours and before you knew it, you felt warm spurts of his cum coating your insides as the familiar swell of his cock started to expand your walls. “Fuck!”

His body collapsed on top of yours, sweat mixing with one another's as the two of you attempted to catch your breath. 

"You're fucking incredible," Beomgyu panted out before planting a kiss on your forehead.

His compliment made your face hot, and for the first time in your relationship, warmth spread through your heart. The flutter of butterflies in your stomach made you break into a smile, it was something you could easily get used to.

"Y/N, you gotta wake up right now," your eyes fluttered open at the your mom’s voice. It couldn’t possibly be morning already.

"What’s happening?" You asked, still half-asleep and trying to process.

"It's serious. Y/N, hurry up and get dressed," the urgency in your mom's tone jolted you awake; you could sense something had happened.

“What’s wrong?” You tore the covers off, scrambling out of bed. Though still drowsy, you were more alert, grasping the urgency once you caught a better look at your mom's furrowed brows and the scent of her almost panicked state.

You hastily threw on whatever clothes were within reach, disregarding your appearance, as you hurriedly followed your mom. She hadn’t explained the urgency behind dragging you out of bed in what still appeared to be the dead of night, judging by the darkness outside your windows.

“Come on, everyone’s at the pack house.” Her statement heightened your worry.

Upon entering the grand house, your senses were immediately assaulted by a wave of intense emotions. It seemed every significant pack member had gathered, their expressions lacking the usual hope. Your eyes sought out Beomgyu, and without hearing a word, you sensed his seething anger. It felt as though the heat of his fury was emanating through your body, causing your wolf to whimper in concern, fearful of what might have happened. 

“Apologies for summoning you in the middle of the night, but an urgent matter has arisen that allows us no time,” the Alpha addressed you, attempting to maintain his customary warmth. Yet, even he, never known for a quick temper, struggled to contain his anger.

“What’s happening?” Confusion and concern intensified within you.

“Did you happen to come into contact with a wolf not familiar to our pack recently?” Your body tensed, a sinking feeling dawning upon you.

You nodded, prompting a heavy sigh from your father and a deeper furrow of anger in Beomgyu’s brows. You could feel he was inches away from snapping. 

“He's the son of the Alpha from the pack we've been having border issues with. As you know, their aggressive advances toward our territory have caused us much trouble. Tonight, their Alpha visited me. The wolf you met has claimed you as his mate and is challenging Beomgyu for you.” Your wolf, previously attempting to stave off full panic, was now in a state of distress at the Alpha’s revelation.

Scanning the room, you sought confirmation from the others, hoping the Alpha's words were a joke, but the serious expressions mirrored the gravity of the situation. Even Yeonjun and Soobin, typically lighthearted, wore stern expressions that also seemed to showcase anger, affirming the truth in the Alpha's words.

“That bastard is trying to rip you away from me, daring to claim you as his true mate despite knowing he’s absolutely irrelevant to you,” Beomgyu's rage surged, an overwhelming force that felt utterly foreign and shocking. It was so intense, you were sure you could almost feel your body resonating with his, flames of anger igniting within.

“I’m going to fucking kill him. How dare he even think he has a chance with a wolf already claimed. He's just sealed his own fucking fate.” Fiery fury blazed in his eyes, each word seething with intense emotion.

His father attempted to calm him, reaching out, but Beomgyu shrugged off the gesture. “Son, calm down. We need to approach this wisely.”

But Elder Kwon's voice cut in before Beomgyu could respond. “The young wolf's anger is justified. Their claim on Y/N not only threatens him but our entire pack. If they can take Y/N from us, it’s an affront to our pack's strength and unity.” 

“How is his claim even valid? He probably just saw Y/N and felt attracted. There is no way there's any substance to what he’s saying. If anything, they’re probably using this as a pretext to declare their official threats to us, especially after learning that Y/N is from our pack,” Yeonjun's voice sliced through the tension.

The foreign pack’s aggressive moves had put everyone on guard. Your pack hadn't faced conflict or been attacked for decades, so the mere possibility made you feel queasy, especially since you were now at the center of it.

“She’s our Beta’s only child and the mate of one of our Alpha’s sons. She’s an integral part of our pack. This is practically a declaration of war,” Soobin's words resonated with the weight of truth. The fear gripping you was entirely justified.

“Is there a chance they could take me?” The question trembled in your voice, your anxiety reaching its peak. The thought of being taken away from everything you knew and loved was terrifying.

Instantly, Beomgyu shook his head, “No.”

The looming threat of losing you, his true mate, to an undeserving wolf ignited a tempest of emotions within Beomgyu's wolf. Despite the initial hurdles that shadowed your relationship, the irrefutable truth stood firm—you both were irrevocably bound as mates and just the thought of being torn away from you sent tremors of despair through his every fiber. Even if the path towards love was veiled in uncertainty and required time to blossom, Beomgyu was resolute in dedicating himself wholeheartedly to nurturing that sacred connection. He grasped the significance of the invisible yet unbreakable tether that bound you both, a connection he was willing to fight for, no matter the cost.

Instances of mates being torn apart from their true mates only heightened the gravity of the situation. You knew, with absolute certainty, that you'd rather face death than endure that fate. Love or not, Beomgyu was still your familiar comfort, far more meaningful to you than Wonbin could ever be. 

In a moment that felt like an eternity, for the first time, your heart didn't ache for Yeonjun as it usually did. Instead, it was a yearning so profound, so raw, that it cut through your soul. It wasn't Yeonjun’s face, which you had been for all your life so used to searching for; it was Beomgyu's. The tug of longing, the deep yearning for him, was an unfamiliar yet undeniable ache in your chest. For the first time in your existence, it wasn't the past or the ghost of an unattainable love that haunted you, but the urgent, desperate need for Beomgyu's reassuring embrace. 

The undeniable truth etched itself into your very being, Choi Beomgyu was your true mate.

The tension in town escalated following the indirect declaration of war against your pack. Border patrols were heightened to unprecedented levels, and Taehyun's father took extra precautions, stationing wolves around your house each night for added protection. However, their presence seemed somewhat redundant, as Beomgyu hadn't left your side since the threat emerged. Initially, it was a bit awkward for both your father and Beomgyu to essentially cohabit, but your parents understood the necessity for you both to be together, especially given the looming danger. They found solace in knowing that Beomgyu would go to any length to safeguard you, choosing that assurance over the fear of losing you indefinitely. However, this didn't mean there weren't moments of awkwardness amidst this tense situation, especially as you and Beomgyu had a hard time resisting each other. 

The concerns about the struggles you and Beomgyu faced in establishing a solid connection seemed trivial now that the undeniable bond had finally revealed itself. It was an unfamiliar sensation, trying to adapt to the newfound ability to sense almost every emotion and vibration of his wolf. It was as though the two of you operated as a singular entity, connected on a level that transcended the ordinary. Love, however, didn't feel like the right term to define what you shared with him at that moment. Though you were sure you were going to get there one day. 

"So, any plans to move in together?" Taehyun's casual inquiry hung in the air as you and Beomgyu nestled together on the couch. From his spot on the opposite sectional, Taehyun hinted at the subtly crowded atmosphere, though the vast expanse of your home made the idea of it being cramped somewhat absurd.

Across from you, Yunjin and Yeonjun were absorbed in their own world yet half-attentive, mirroring your cozy scene. A few months ago, witnessing such a scene would have been torturous and utterly heartbreaking, but as if by some enchantment, the love you once held for the older boy seemed almost erased, leaving you indifferent to their current affectionate bond. Your wolf, usually alert and sensitive to such moments, was preoccupied with Beomgyu's wolf, showing little interest in Yunjin and Yeonjun. 

Surprisingly, you found yourself content that Yeonjun's mate was someone you genuinely approved of. Yunjin had seamlessly integrated into the pack, not solely as Yeonjun's unconfirmed mate but also because she was genuinely cherished by everyone. Any previous hesitance toward her had vanished, allowing you to interact comfortably like you had previously done with her without any lingering heartache. She was back to being a cherished friend of yours. Now, you could say with no hesitation that the only person occupying that part of your heart was Beomgyu.

Kai had also joined in tonight since his girlfriend was away, and Chaewon was also present but without Soobin as he was on border patrol. The gathering at your house started as a game night but quickly turned into a casual chat where discussions veered towards anything and everything. Though, the topic of Wonbin and his pack remained untouched throughout the evening. It wasn't just to avoid irritating Beomgyu; it was a sensitive matter that threatened the pack's stability. With the pack being the core of their lives, everyone was cautious not to stir up a topic that could bring tension. Moreover, you were Wonbin’s primary target, a valued member of the pack, making it an uncomfortably sensitive subject.

“I mean, we've definitely thought about it, and our parents are certainly more enthusiastic about it than us. But I don't think we're quite ready to take such a big step in our relationship just yet. Maybe soon, but not at this moment.” While you were growing more comfortable with everything, neither of you felt an urgent need to rush your relationship. If it were up to your wolves, though, you'd probably already be living together and starting a family.

“Your poor dad, Y/N. Having to witness his only child being taken away by Beomgyu of all people...” Kai's sympathy for your dad was evident, and everyone seemed to nod in agreement. It was no secret that Beomgyu had always had the reputation of being a bit of a naughty boy since he was young and wouldn’t be the first pick of mate for any parent. Even Beomgyu seemed to be aware and acknowledging his reputation as he nodded along.

“No, seriously, your parents are much stronger than me. You two have no self-control around each other. The number of times I’ve heard or even walked in on you getting your back blown—” Chaewon's candidness left you shrieking in embarrassment. Her lack of filter was well-known, but it was still mortifying. Beomgyu, on the other hand, found it more amusing than shameful, chuckling along with the rest of the group at your reaction.

“Ah ah, harder Beomgyu harder!” Taehyun joined in on furthering you humiliation and you were burning up with embarrassment.

"Oh my fucking God, cut it out!" You practically screamed, setting off an even more exaggerated response from the group, clearly relishing your reaction. "You're all absolutely horrible!”

"Hey babe, it's alright, they're just joking and I mean they’re not wrong," Beomgyu chimed in, unintentionally worsening the situation. The feeling of betrayal stung, and you gasped, pulling yourself away from his comforting embrace. Marching across the room, you headed straight for where Huening Kai was seated, letting out an audible hmph.

"Wait, no, come back! Fuck, I'm sorry!" Beomgyu rushed to apologize, attempting to coax you back into his arms, but you were resolute, settled in your place beside Huening Kai.

"Whu psh," Yunjin mimicked the sound of a whip cracking. "Beomgyu, you're so whipped! You should see your face right now, like a puppy who just lost its favorite toy."

Beomgyu shrugged dismissively at her comment, though he knew it held a grain of truth. "Well, I don't think you're in a position to judge, considering you're practically glued to my brother like a koala."

Just as their banter threatened to escalate, Yeonjun intervened, offering reassurance to soothe the embarrassment festering within you.

"Hey, hey, Y/N, it’s totally fine. I mean, that’s expected of mates, especially newly mated ones. Plus, you guys are young, so it's no surprise the hormones are raging," Yeonjun smiled warmly, trying to ease the tension. But even with his attempts, you remained visibly flustered, arms tightly crossed in a self-defensive gesture.

“Yeah, Yeonjun’s right, they're just as bad as you guys, and they haven’t even claimed each other yet!” Taehyun gestured towards the other couple in the room, diverting attention to them.

“Yup, you two are equally disgusting. I mean, where’s the decorum? Shit, the kitchen is literally where people cook!” Yunjin's embarrassed outburst broke the tension, finally eliciting a chuckle from you amidst the teasing.

Riiing Riing

Amidst the loud laughter, the unmistakable sound of a phone ringing caught everyone’s attention.

“Hello?” Yeonjun answered, but his previously lighthearted expression turned dark as a scowl appeared on his face. “Okay, we’ll be right there.”

An uneasy hush fell over everyone as they looked to Yeonjun, waiting for an explanation.

“Dad just called. There’s something happening at the border, and they need backup,” Yeonjun announced, his words instantly casting a shadow of concern over the room. Instantly, a frown etched across your face, the mirth from moments ago evaporating in an instant.

There hadn’t been any recent issues, but the news of trouble at the border stirred an unsettling feeling in your heart, shared by everyone in the room. It could be nothing more than a rogue stray, but the possibility that it might involve Wonbin's pack left a heavy weight in your chest. You could sense Beomgyu's heartbeat quickening, mirroring your own unease.

“I’ll go with you,” Taehyun volunteered immediately with no surprise as this was exactly what he had been training all summer long with his dad for.

Before Beomgyu could voice his offer, a surge of dread enveloped you, prompting an immediate response. You shook your head in refusal. 

“I’ll go too.” The words escaped your mate's lips, causing your heart to plummet. Meeting Beomgyu's gaze, you silently begged him to remain by  your side.

“It’s okay, it’s probably nothing. We’ll be back by tonight, I promise.” Beomgyu assured you, though his wolf howled within him at the thought of being away from you. He understood that if this situation extended beyond a rogue threat, his absence would be his way of ensuring your safety.

“I’m going with you guys too,” Chaewon chimed in and you quickly whipped your head to face her.

“Okay, then I’m going too,” you insisted firmly, but instantly you saw everyone shaking their heads at you. Everyone understood the potential risk if you were near the border.

“No, you're not,” Beomgyu countered firmly, his concern evident in his furrowed brows. His tone left no room for negotiation.

“Yeah, Y/N, he’s right. It’s probably nothing, but it’s better not to risk anything,” Huening Kai added, his expression showing traces of unease.

But they needed to understand that staying within the confines of your home didn't offer solace while everyone you cherished, including your mate, ventured out, putting themselves at risk for your safety.

“Seriously, Y/N, Dad didn’t sound too concerned, so it’s probably nothing serious. Just stay here with Yunjin and Kai. We'll return soon,” Yeonjun offered a small smile, hoping to reassure you, but your expression remained tense.

You scanned the room, seeking reassurance, until your gaze locked with your mate's. Through that silent connection, his presence offered solace. “It's alright, I'll come back.”

With that, he held you tightly in his arms, and your wolf instinctively sought comfort from him, silently pleading for him to stay. The reality of your friends not allowing you to join them weighed down on you. So, with a heavy heart, you reluctantly let Beomgyu go, sharing a deep kiss before he departed. Your eyes followed him until he vanished behind the closing door, leaving a lingering unease within you.

“Hey, it’s gonna be fine,” Yunjin offered a tight smile, trying to reassure you, though you sensed her own unease. You nodded, attempting to brush off the worry. Your wolf was probably being dramatic at the fact that she had to part with her mate. 

“How about we put on a movie or something to pass the time while we wait for them to get back?” Huening Kai's suggestion sounded like a good distraction, and you nodded, eager for anything to take your mind off the constant worrying about Beomgyu and the others.

“Okay, you guys can pick something. I’ll go make some popcorn then,” you decided, heading towards the kitchen pantry to grab popcorn and a few other snacks for Kai and Yunjin.

From the living room, you could faintly hear your friends discussing which movie to pick for the night as the popcorn started to pop in the microwave.

Beep Beep 

The microwave's alert signified that your popcorn was ready, but as you reached to open it, a surge of raw fear seized your body, sending shivers down your spine. Your wolf was all of a sudden howling at you to flee, a visceral warning that someone who shouldn't be there had somehow made their way inside your house.

"Kai? Yunjin?" Your voice trembled with audible panic, but your calls went unanswered. Their noisy chatter from earlier seemed to have dissolved into an eerie silence that gripped the air.

Then, without warning, an ominous white mist began to seep into the living room, thick and suffocating. The acrid smell stung your nostrils, and your eyes stung as tears welled up. Your wolf's urgency to escape pulsed through you, but a chilling sense of paralysis rooted you to the spot. Your body refused to respond, leaving you helpless as you collapsed, feeling every second in excruciatingly slow motion.

The thickening smoke enveloped you, obscuring your vision and suffocating your senses. Panic seized your chest, your heart pounding in sync with the rapid beeping of the microwave. Then everything went dark.

Your dry mouth was the first thing you noticed upon waking up. The unfamiliar brown-walled room raised alarm bells in your head. Memories of what occurred before being knocked out rushed back, triggering a surge of panic as you surveyed your surroundings. You had no idea where you were.

Ignoring the ache in your bones, you threw off the covers and dashed towards the door. It was locked tight, the doorknob refusing to budge. The room, while not overly small, contained nothing except a bed. Above it, a window beckoned, and you hurriedly made your way there. Yanking back the curtains, your optimism crumbled at the sight of metal bars barricading any chance of freedom through the window.

“Fuck,” you cursed in realization of your entrapment. Where the fuck were you?

The room offered nothing that could be use to your situation, leaving you frustrated and eager to try the door again, hoping against hope for a miracle. As you approached, the doorknob began to jiggle, sending a rush of fear through you. It was an unsettling feeling, not knowing who might be on the other side. And unfortunately, your suspicions were confirmed as the door swung open to reveal the last person you ever wanted to see.

Wonbin strolled in, a smug grin adorning his face as he met your startled gaze. “Took you long enough to wake up. I asked them to go easy on the wolfsbane, but clearly, those fucking idiots didn't listen.”

Wolfsbane. It all clicked into place—how you'd been incapacitated so swiftly.

“Wonbin, where the fuck am I?” Your voice held an edge, reflecting the anger brewing within you at the precarious situation.

“What do you mean? You’re at our pack house. We rescued you,” Wonbin retorted with an overtone that seemed patronizing, further fueling your fury.

“Rescue me? From my pack, my home, my friends, and my mate?” Your tone sharpened as you mentioned Beomgyu, causing Wonbin's grin to vanish, replaced by a scowl.

“Don’t fucking talk about him. He’s not your mate. You’ve been brainwashed by your pack,” he spat, visibly agitated by your defense of Beomgyu.

“You're fucking insane! I don’t even know you! Beomgyu is my mate, not you stop being delusional. I want to go back to my pack!” Your voice rose in indignation. The audacity of Wonbin to make such baseless claims incensed you beyond measure.

“No,” Wonbin growled as he lunged at you, wrapping his hand around your neck tightly as he pushed you against the wall. “You belong with me so stop resisting it, I know you feel it too. It wasn’t fucking easy getting you here so stop being an ungrateful bitch and be thankful that we saved you.” 

The grip he had on your throat was tight and choking you as you felt your eyes water while your air was constricted. You clawed at his arm in hopes for him to release you. “Stop, please.”

As if he was in a trance, the angered glaze over his eyes snapped back to reality and once he realized what he was doing to you, Wonbin instantly let go, making you fall to the floor gasping for air.

“Oh shit, fuck. I’m sorry I didn’t mean that,” he leaned down to check if you were okay but you quickly took this chance to head butt him on his face and bolt out of the room without even sparing him a second. 

“Fuck!” Wonbin screamed out, no doubt you had atleast done some damage to his face. 

With adrenaline surging through your veins, you dashed out of the room and bolted down the stairs. But any attempt to strategize your escape was cut short as, upon reaching the staircase's base, you were confronted by a cluster of young men—undoubtedly members of Wonbin's pack.

“Don’t let her escape!” Wonbin’s enraged shout echoed behind you, his fury palpable.

Taking advantage of your head start and their initial surprise, you made a beeline for the door. The only thought in your mind was to reach the outside and change into your wolf, but the exit seemed impossibly far. The pack members, larger and swifter than you, quickly closed in from both sides, effectively blocking any route of escape.

“No, get your fucking hands off me!” You screeched, clawing at them to release you, but to no avail, their hold on you was unrelenting as they carried you back upstairs. 

“Fucking bitch got me good,” Wonbin raged, the fire in his eyes blazing fiercely. Blood streamed down his face, evidence of your attack that had left his nose crooked to one side.

They forcefully escorted you back to the room, hurling you inside and slamming the door shut, leaving you alone with Wonbin. Fear gripped your entire being, realizing the extent of his anger from your attempted escape.

“Please, I just want to go home,” you pleaded desperately, tears brimming in your eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings and the presence of strangers sent a shiver down your spine. All you wanted was the familiar warmth and safety of your home.

“I told you, this is your home now. You’re being fucking ungrateful, I saved you!” his voice seethed with frustration. His agitation was palpable, and you sensed he was on the brink of losing control.

How had everything spiraled into this nightmare? How could a chance encounter with someone lead to being kidnapped?

“Wonbin, I know there's nothing between us. You can't keep me here; I'm not your mate. You need to let me go,” you pleaded, but it seemed like your words fell on deaf ears. Wonbin was fixated on the idea that you belonged to him, despite the fleeting and insignificant nature of your prior interaction.

“Stop denying it! The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were meant for me. My wolf connected with yours in a way I've never experienced before!” His voice resonated with fury and desperation.

Your tears flowed freely, a mix of frustration and fear consuming you as you felt utterly powerless in the situation. “You can't force feelings that aren't there! My pack is going to find me, and when they do, Beomgyu is going fucking kill you, you sick bastard!”

The next few moments unfolded in a surreal, almost cinematic manner, as if you were a mere spectator to your own life rather than an active participant. Wonbin lunged at you once more, his hand aiming for your neck. However, instead of tightening his grip, he swiftly turned your head to the side and sank his teeth into the exact spot where Beomgyu's mark rested on your neck.

A searing, blinding sensation shot through every nerve of your body, rendering you immobile. The agony you experienced was a stark contrast to the previous marking by Beomgyu; this pain wasn't the sweet, intimate agony you had felt with his mark. No, this was an excruciating torment, as though molten metal had been poured onto your skin, scorching it raw. The agony consumed you, leaving you helpless to do anything but unleash piercing screams, tears cascading down your hauntingly contorted face. Each moment felt like an eternity as the intensity of the pain grew, until finally, darkness engulfed you, mercifully offering respite from the overwhelming agony.

You couldn’t determine the length of your imprisonment in this grim place. It felt like days had passed, though it might have stretched into weeks or even months, but you had lost track. Your state resembled catatonia; Wonbin entered your cell multiple times a day, urging you to eat and talk, but your responses were nonexistent. Your weakened body struggled even to sit up, let alone engage with Wonbin's twisted fantasies.

Wonbin's bite had inflicted a devastating toll on you, seemingly killing you both physically and mentally. Once filled with the vibrant energy of your wolf, you now felt a void. Every attempt to connect with your wolf ended in pitch-black emptiness, as if she was never even there in the first place. You were convinced that Wonbin's bite had killed her, leaving you on the brink of succumbing to a similar fate. The wound from his bite festered, refusing to heal and instead spreading its infection throughout your body. Pus oozed from the site, signaling your deteriorating condition. Your body showed signs of impending demise, resembling a shadow of your former self, and the loss of appetite only exacerbated your bleak situation. Desperation for survival eluded you; your spirit had dwindled to a mere spark in the face of such overwhelming torment.

“Y/N, please, you have to eat,” Sungchan pleaded, his voice laced with concern. He had been tasked with delivering your meals every day, but his efforts to persuade you to eat felt futile, a recurring conversation that had lost its impact.

You turned your head to face the tall boy. Sungchan was kind, and in a different circumstance, you might have found friendship in him. Yet, in this grim reality, he was undeniably tied to Wonbin and his pack, making it impossible to separate the two in your mind.

Shaking your head weakly, you whispered, “I don’t want to die here.”

His brows furrowed in genuine worry, “You’re not going to die.”

With a bitter laugh that drained you further, you retorted, “Yesterday, one of your elders and your Alpha were here to check on me. I heard them talking outside. They said I was dying. It won’t be long now, I suppose.”

“We’re not going to let you die. Just eat, it’ll make you feel better,” Sungchan persisted, his tone tinged with helplessness. He attempted to convince you, although deep down, he knew their efforts might be hollow at this point.

“You know that’s not true.” Your voice was barely a whisper, filled with a longing to see your pack one last time, to find solace in Beomgyu's warm embrace before dying.

Sungchan grappled with conflicting thoughts. He had no firsthand experience of having a mate, but seeing your deteriorating condition made him question everything. In the beginning, he believed his friend's claims, but the more he witnessed your decline, the more he realized the falsehoods in Wonbin's assertions. How could you possibly be Wonbin's mate when you only got worse ened the longer you were under his control?

“Can I ask you for a favor?” Your question interrupted his thoughts, causing Sungchan to startle slightly. He nodded slowly, his expression reflecting uncertainty about your request. “When I die, can you tell Beomgyu that this wasn’t his fault and that I love him?” With that, you turned away, settling back onto your bed.

Sungchan’s eyes filled with tears at your words, feeling the weight of your words settle heavily upon him. 

You were sure it isn't time for breakfast yet when you're awakened, and from what you can see through the crack between the curtains, it's still the middle of the night.

"What's happening?" You croaked, your eyes adjusting to the light. Before you stood Sungchan, accompanied by Anton, another one of Wonbin’s pack mates, though you haven't been as acquainted with him as you were with Sungchan.

"You have to be quiet. Here, wear this," Sungchan instructed, handing you dark clothes. He and Anton turn around, offering you privacy to change. You hesitated, but complied.

"What's going on?" You repeated once you were changed, utterly confused by the unexpected turn of events.

“We’re getting you out.” Anton revealed. 

The words seemed surreal, and your disbelief was evident on your face, prompting Sungchan to reaffirm what the younger boy just said. "Yeah, we're going to help you return to your pack. Back to your mate," Sungchan whispered to you.

Your eyes widened, but you were not entirely convinced. Just hours earlier, there was no sign that Sungchan would fulfill your wish to return home, so you remained cautious.

“We have to be really quiet, though. The Alpha and Wonbin are both on patrol duty alongside a couple of the others, but Eunseok is still next door, so we have to be careful.” You were still reeling with the fact that this seemed to be happening, but you didn’t hesitate to nod.

The three of you then quickly made your way out, moving stealthily down the stairs, holding your breaths, hoping there were no creaks to wake up Eunseok. It felt surreal when you reached the back door, and when Anton opened it, fresh air greeted you, bringing tears to your eyes. 

“Through the back part of the woods, there are only two patrols tonight, so that’s the route we’re going to take. It’s going to take a little longer, but we can’t risk getting caught at all,” Sungchan informed you of the plan as the three of you navigated through the woods, staying vigilant, taking in your surroundings in case anyone was out in these areas. 

“You’re wearing Sungchan’s clothes, so hopefully his smell masks you enough to not stick out to anyone. Sorry if it’s stinky,” Anton chuckled a little, attempting to lighten the situation. However, you frowned, realizing you couldn’t detect his scent or any scent at all, even when you pressed your nose firmly against the sweatshirt. It dawned on you that your wolf might have truly perished, leaving you unsure if you could even transform anymore.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” After a somber silence, Sungchan broke the quietness. “I really thought you were Wonbin’s mate. The way he came to us after meeting you had everyone convinced that he really had found his mate.”

Anton nodded, a pained expression on his face. “Yeah, we were blinded by our loyalty, too caught up to realize he might’ve been mistaken. We thought you had been stolen from your true mate when, in reality, we were the ones stealing you from yours.”

Your heart ached with the realization of the damage Wonbin had caused, dragging innocent people into the turmoil created by his misguided infatuation. “I can’t say that I can fully come to forgive you guys, but thank you for saying that. I know that ultimately, Wonbin is to blame, and you were acting in response to your loyalty towards him, but I think there are irreversible consequences due to what happened. I can’t feel my wolf.”

Anton gasped, turning towards you in disbelief. “What do you mean?”

“She’s been gone since Wonbin bit me, and no matter how much I’ve called out for her, I’m just left with coldness. I think that’s why I’m dying. I can’t smell anything, and I’m not even sure I have the strength to turn, if I can even do that,” you explained, feeling the despair of being stripped of the essence of your being.

“Maybe she’ll come back once we get you back. I’m sure of it,” Sungchan offered in a faint attempt to provide hope.

You offered back a tight smile, but you weren’t as optimistic as they seemed to be. 

"Okay, once we pass this tree, we'll likely be in range for the patrol guys to hear or catch our scent. Anton and I will handle them; while we're distracting them, you need to circle around through those trees and start running. This is as far as we can take you without raising suspicion," Sungchan explained the plan, making your heart race knowing how close you were to making it back home.

"Thank you both for doing this, and I'm sorry Wonbin dragged you into this mess." Even though you knew they weren't entirely innocent in your capture, you couldn't shake the guilt over how Wonbin's selfish desires had caused such chaos. Returning to your pack, you knew they wouldn't let Wonbin's pack get away with what they'd done. There was likely going to be war waged between the packs, especially once they see Wonbin’s mark on your skin. 

"I am genuinely so sorry for everything, Y/N and there’s probably no chance we'll meet again, but I hope you get better," Anton said, offering you a final smile before they leave, heading towards the patrolled area.

From behind a large tree, you could faintly hear Sungchan and Anton making noises, signaling your cue to start running along the path they'd instructed.

You were exhausted, each step feeling like your last as fatigue weighed heavily on your body. However, the thought of reuniting with your pack pushed you to take one more step until you seemed to have reached a main road. Keeping your pace, you kept going, not knowing exactly where you were, but you knew the further away you were from Wonbin, the safer you were. 

You didn’t know how long you had been running but you knew you had reached almost the end of what your body could withstand with hour your vision started to cloud with black spots, and breathing became harder and harder. Then, a flashing bright light caught your attention, sending a bolt of fear through your already exhausted frame. Had they finally caught up to you?

Instinctively, you swerved to flee, but unexpectedly collided with someone, the impact forcing the air from your lungs. “Oof!”

“Y/N?” The voice that uttered your name was tinged with astonishment and disbelief

Looking up, as you recognized the face, a strange mix of relief and exhaustion enveloped you. Your body, sensing safety, began to shut down, pushed beyond its limit.

"Hey, I need backup over here!" Taehyun's dad's urgent call resonated through the air, likely directed to the other members of the patrol. He turned back to you with reassurance. "Y/N, hey, I've got you. We've got you. You're safe now," were the last words you heard before everything went black.

A sliver of bright sunlight peeked through the curtain, momentarily blinding you as your eyes fluttered open. The events of the past few days flooded back into your hazy consciousness, almost convincing you that it had all been a terrible nightmare. But as you attempted to move, your body protested with searing pain, a stark reminder that Wonbin's kidnapping had been reality.

Beside you, a figure in the bedroom chair stirred, catching your attention. "Y/N," Beomgyu blinked rapidly, trying to fully awaken at the sight of you. Instantly, waves of emotion surged within you, and tears streamed down your face. You were home.

"Shh, baby, it's okay." Beomgyu hurried to your side, enfolding you in his comforting embrace. His hand gently smoothed your hair as you sobbed into his reassuring warmth.

"Is this real?" You managed to ask through your tears.

"Yes, it is. I'm here," Beomgyu reassured you, holding you close until your emotions began to settle. "I'll go let everyone know you're awake. I'll be back."

Sniffling, you nodded, watching him leave the room. Yet, as you waited for Beomgyu's return, you couldn't shake the realization that your wolf had not returned. Sungchan's hopeful assumption that she would come back once you were reunited with your mate seemed to be disproved, leaving you feeling the absence of your essential part.

As Beomgyu re-entered the room, your parents followed closely behind, their emotions palpable as they laid eyes on your awakened state. Your mother dissolved into inconsolable sobs, her hands shielding her tear-streaked face, while your father, fighting back his own emotions, enveloped you in a tight embrace.

“Honey, I'm so sorry,” your father murmured, his embrace filled with both relief and regret. “We searched everywhere for you. They covered their tracks meticulously, even masking their scents with wolfsbane. It was impossible to trace.”

Beomgyu nodded in agreement, his expression tinged with restrained anger. “Every lead was a dead end. We knew their pack was nearby, with the way they had been causing trouble with us regarding the borders, but they hid you well. We did everything to find you, but they were one step ahead. It was well-planned, and I'm sorry we couldn't rescue you sooner.”

You observed the simmering fury behind the controlled facades of your father and Beomgyu. You knew they were suppressing their rage for your sake, but now that you were returned, they wouldn't hold back against Wonbin's pack.

“Sweetheart, what have they done to you?” Your mother's heart-wrenching words pierced the air as she took in your weakened state. The contrast from your healthy and vibrant self before your capture to your current frail appearance was stark. You looked drained and sickly, hollowed out by the ordeal. Despite the bandages concealing Wonbin’s bite, you felt the continuous deterioration within your body, an unrelenting decay.

“Wonbin, he-” You choked on the memory of the abuse inflicted upon you. “He marked me, tried to claim me, but my wolf rejected it. In the midst of it, I think... I think it killed her.”

Your mother's gasp reverberated through the room upon your revelation. “I can’t reach her. I can’t smell, hear, and I don’t think I can shift right now.”

Beomgyu huffed with suppressed anger, visible veins bulging in his neck as he struggled to contain his rage. His wolf seethed, enraged at the state his mate had been returned in. Despite your reunion, his wolf remained unable to feel yours. His desperate howls for her went unanswered.

“We’ll call the Elders; they’ll know what to do. Don’t worry about that now, focus on getting better,” your father attempted to reassure you, though uncertainty lingered in his voice.

“Yes, later we’ll discuss this with the Alpha and the Elders. But rest for now; you need it. Beomgyu will stay with you, he’ll make you feel better” your mother addressed your mate, receiving a nod confirming his intention to remain by your side. Beomgyu had made it clear he would never let you out of his sight again.

You nodded at your parents as they hugged you tightly, your mother holding back sobs before leaving you to rest. The room fell into a solemn quiet, only disrupted by the sound of Beomgyu's stifled sniffles. As you turned to him, you noticed tears streaming down his face. The once fiery anger in his expression had given way to an overwhelming sense of devastation.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m so sorry, I couldn’t do anything,” he said, kneeling beside your bed. A closer look revealed how much he had been affected. His vibrant features were now pale and worn out, the usual sparkle in his eyes replaced with a hollow emptiness. He seemed sleep-deprived, his exhaustion etched into every line of his face. Your heart ached at the sight of him.

“Oh, Beomgyu, it’s not your fault,” you reassured him, reaching out to cup his face and wiping away a tear.

“But you are my responsibility. Mine to cherish and mine to keep safe, but I failed you in every way a mate can. Now you're bearing the consequences. I feel like a part of me was ripped away and I ache, longing to feel you again, but I can’t. I can’t imagine what you went through, what you’re going through right now,” Beomgyu's words were heavy with guilt, taking on responsibility for your suffering even though it wasn't his fault.

"Baby, it’s not your fault. Wonbin’s the only one to blame for everything, you can’t put that on yourself," you reassured him, gently urging him to come up onto the bed. "Come on, let’s sleep. I think we both need it."

As the days slipped by in a blur since your awakening, the constant stream of visitors revealed a spectrum of emotions, from guilt to sadness, from your friends. Meetings with the Elders and the Alpha became routine, although you struggled to remain engaged for long as fatigue often overcame you, urging you back to rest. Despite everyone’s best efforts, you didn’t seem to be getting better.

"We know where they are, why can't we just go after them?" Beomgyu's frustration echoed in his raised voice, pacing the room in agitation. With each passing day, his impatience grew regarding the lack of decisive action.

"We can't risk a war," his father stated with an exhausted sigh, understanding his son's sentiments all too well. As much as he empathized with his son's anger and the injustice done to the family, his role as Alpha demanded a broader perspective. You were now part of his family, and the assault on his loved ones evoked a deep sense of anger and distress, but his responsibilities to the pack weighed heavily in decision-making.

“She's your fucking daughter-in-law, my mate, and you're just going to let them get away with what they did to her?” Beomgyu's anger surged, directed at his father, causing Yeonjun to stand and attempt to calm his younger brother.

His father, burdened by the weight of leadership, sighed deeply, trying to maintain composure amidst the escalating emotions. "They will face consequences, but we must proceed with caution. We can't rush into a conflict," he tried to reason, his tone strained with the gravity of the situation.

Beomgyu, consumed by fear and anger, felt a surge of despair. "Clearly not! Stop being a fucking pussy and hiding behind diplomacy! She's dying, and if she goes, I know I will too. So I hope you don’t regret not acting then," he raged before storming out, leaving behind a stunned silence.

He made a beeline for the house next door and straight to your room, knowing your fragile state. Seeing you weakened and still without your wolf, his heart ached with a raw intensity. He wasn't just fighting for justice; he was fighting for your life, aware that losing you now would shatter him beyond repair. 

The atmosphere in the room was heavy with unspoken sorrow as Beomgyu settled next to you. His presence brought a fleeting comfort that momentarily eased the weight of your pain.

“How’re you feeling?” His voice was tender, his concern evident in the way he gazed at you.

You managed a faint smile, making room for him under the covers. “I’ve been okay, just the same. My shoulder hurts a lot, but I think I’m kind of used to the ache now.”

As he joined you in bed, you nestled into his embrace, seeking solace in his warmth. His arms enveloped you, offering a sense of security in this uncertain time. The quiet moments with Beomgyu were the highlights in your otherwise bleak days, and you cherished this closeness.

“I promise you’ll get better, I’ll do everything I can,” he murmured softly, his words filled with sincerity even as the harsh reality loomed over both of you. The hope for a recovery seemed dim, despite the Elders' efforts.

“It’s okay, Beomgyu,” you replied, your voice quivering with emotion. Tears threatened to spill, but you held them back, looking at him with a fragile smile. The weight of the situation hung in the air, and both of you knew the inevitable truth. Yet, in that moment, you found solace in each other’s presence, clinging to the love that bound you together.

In the quiet of the room, hearts heavy and minds burdened, you held onto each other, hoping against hope that love would somehow conquer the devastation. As sleep enveloped you, you both prayed for a miracle, for anything that could piece together the shattered fragments of your world.

The night laid still, marked only by distant owl hoots, yet you jolted awake, an unusual occurrence for you to rise before dawn. Reaching out beside you, your hand met nothing but cold sheets. Beomgyu was gone.

You scanned the room frantically, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but there was no trace. Fumbling for your lamp, you sought the solace of light to offer some clarity. His absence in the dead of night was unfamiliar and unsettling.

As you contemplated getting out of bed, the door creaked open. Your body tensed with uncertainty, until the form of a familiar, colossal beast emerged, its fur as dark as the night itself. Relief swept over you momentarily, recognizing the distinct wolf form to be none other than your mate. However, as the figure drew closer, a viscous liquid dripping from their fur became apparent, sparking fear in your eyes.

“What happened?” You instinctively reached for his fur, panic setting in as you saw your hands smeared in crimson. You inspected every inch of the wolf's body, but there's no clear source for such an amount of blood, easing your immediate concern yet deepening your confusion.

“Beomgyu, whose blood is this?” You implored, meeting his glowing blue eyes, yet you received no response. He ignored your inquiries, seeking solace in your embrace as his massive wolf form pressed against you, compelling you to encircle your arms around his colossal figure.

“Please, babe, what happened?” You pleaded once more, urging him to meet your gaze. He let out a faint huff before finally shifting back into his human form, standing bare before you, his body coated in blood that seemed inexplicably present, prompting a surge of concern. 

He pulled you into a tight embrace, unconcerned about the blood smearing everywhere, and you reciprocated, though his words sent a shiver down your spine. "Wonbin, we took care of him and his pack."

His revelation chilled you to the bone as the implications sank in. "What do you mean? Beomgyu, what did you do?"

“We couldn't just stand by after what he did to you. We went after him tonight. You don't need to worry about them anymore.” You felt a mix of relief and confusion, wanting more clarity.

"Who's 'we,' and what exactly happened?" You broke away from the hug, studying his eyes and blood-spattered face.

"Me, Taehyun, Chaewon, and Yeonjun went out tonight. Taehyun had been tracking Wonbin's every move and knew he was on patrol. We ambushed him, and he gave a good fight, but I think he underestimated me. He got what he deserved, left his head at his dad's doorstep. That should be a message to them. If they're smart, they'll know not to provoke us again, or they'll lose more than just him." His words filled you with both awe and dread, knowing your friends risked their lives to gain justice for you.

“Beomgyu, you shouldn't have risked it. Your dad is going to be furious. He doesn’t know, does he?” Your voice was fraught with concern, aware of his father's adamant stance against taking any action until he understood the situation completely.

He shook his head, seemingly unperturbed by his father's potential reaction. “He’s probably finding out now. Yeonjun said he’d handle him, but honestly, I don't care about the consequences. Wonbin needed to pay for what he did to you, and if I get punished for that, then so be it.”

“So it’s really over now?” you asked, feeling a surge of relief.

Beomgyu nodded, and a sob of relief escaped you. You surged toward him, wrapping him in a passionate kiss. Emotions from the tumultuous days surged through both of you, an overwhelming mix of love and relief, as if you were making up for the lost time. The kiss was intense, as if he had been deprived of you for an eternity.

His hands play with the hem of your shirt, the only thing you were wearing to sleep along with your underwear, and unable to stand his teasing, you to rip it off of you. Your bare body presses against his as you reconnect your lips. Both your hands roam all over each other’s bodies, unable to get enough of one another. 

"God, Y/N, I'm in love with you," his voice trembled with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat. It was a revelation, a confession, delivered with such raw emotion that it brought a swell of emotions flooding through you. Your eyes welled up with tears as you realized the depth of his feelings, and your heart soared at the sheer overwhelming love he was expressing. 

"I love you too," you managed to whisper back, your voice choked with emotion. 

You leaned in to connect your lips again. Unlike any other times where the two of you were just fucking, this felt different. This shared love between you changed the very dynamic that surged between the two of you. The way Beomgyu moved inside of you wasn’t just to chase the feeling of mere superficial pleasure, instead the slow pace and shared kisses brought on beyond anything you had previously felt. It was a true form of unadulterated love and as the two of you reached your peaks together, you knew all too well at that moment that this was rare, pure, and dare you say perfect love found between you and him. 

Still swept up in a euphoric rush that felt endless, Beomgyu sensed a deep understanding of his next move. Guided by his wolf’s instincts, but now with complete clarity unlike before, he acted with determination. His bite landed directly on your marred skin where Wonbin had forcefully marked you, signaling a symbolic reset in you and his connection.

Your breath hitched as his teeth grazed your skin. Although the previous marking had been excruciating and left you raw, Beomgyu's bite seemed to bring an unexpected sensation. It was as if his action was a remedy, a healing touch that started to mend the shattered pieces within you, making you feel whole once more.

And the next morning, the second you woke up, a radiant smile graced your face brighter than the morning sun at the realization. You turned towards your mate, excitement twinkling in your eyes, and exclaimed, "My wolf's back."

[boozenboze]

Merged Teams

Tf 141+Los Vaqueros+König x Male reader

Side note-Some oc’s that I’ve made are being included and they are known as Oi Sotíres(The Saviors). I will be giving further info on them in the future and I'll aldo be using them often throughout some other posts. Anyways hope you enjoy!

Females She/Her and She/They DNI

"How 'ya feeling right now L.T?" Archontas asked the h/c haired male, seeing how his feet thumped the ground. The male mentioned side eyed him and grunted. Ah yes, the typical behavior of a rabbit...or the behavior of a human that was given the DnA of a rabbit. For context the government ran a underground experiment which involved the use of a cute white bunny and 6 test subjects. The plan was simple, they would take the DnA of a rabbit and merge it in with the subjects. As expected, everyone had a different reaction to the sudden change in their bodies. Two of them died, another two experienced contractions from the transformation which later led to their demise. The two that remained took in the pain like champs but sadly one couldn't prevail, which leads us to where M/n is currently.

Falken, one of the sergeant's inside the vehicle was seated in the seat behind him. His large hands had been gently tucking the males ears under his beanie. It was a bit chilly inside the vehicle and knowing the sensitivity of M/n's ears he decided to be a good friend.

“How far are we from this place I gotta shit!” Rage complained as they tapped their foot impatiently. The others in the vehicle looked at the second lieutenant in disgust.

“You could’ve kept that to yourself you know?” Opal questioned as the person with the pixie responded with.

“Yeah I know, but I prefer to see your reactions.” The ravenette responded with a smirk on their face.

“Haha...funny..” Opal said as she glanced at the h/c haired males facial expression.

“How are you not nervous right now?” Opal asked the males ears twitched under the beanie.

“I don’t have a reason to be, it gonna be like any other mission. All we have to do is get the job done then we’ll go our separate ways.” M/n replied as Opal sighed at his answer. No wonder he was Oi Sotíres' Lieutenant. Hopps was a serious man when his code name was in use, but the other 4 members in the vehicle knew who he truly was under that facade.

Timeskip

The truck was being drove into the fences of a base. The sergeants within the vehicle were excited but also nervous. What would this team think of them, how would they treat M/n. Considering M/n’s....situation, they were unsure of how they’d treat their lieutenant. Falken was doing a little dance as he walked beside Rage who had been glaring at him. The blue eyed man stopped in response to his second lieutenants gaze. Opal giggled slightly at her teams antics as she sped up to catch up with Hopps and Archontas.

They were led inside the base by a random soldier, who led them to the room that the Task Force and Las Vaqueros were waiting in. The soldier bid their goodbye and left the premises as the group entered the room. Their arrival caught the attention of the men inside the room, to which they all stood up. The group of 6 walked through the door and stood in different places of the room. M/n was next to Opal, who was rocking back and forth on the heel of her foot and Pain stood next to her, playing with their gloves.

"Khalil, nice to finally meet you all." Price said as he and the dark skinned male shook hands.

"Just call me Archontas sir." The man responded as he turned to M/n who was now standing next him, his gaze being towards one of the walls of the room they were in.

"I'm guessing your the Lieutenant, M/n L/-"

"Hopps would be just fine." M/n cut the Captain off causing everyone to look at him strangely. How could you just cut off your superior like that?

"Aye mate, show some respect." Soap scolded the other male only to receive a heavy glare and a low growl. Archontas chuckled nervously before giving M/n, 'The Look'. The h/c haired male mumbled something as he shifted his gaze to the ground which showed signs of M/n being ashamed.

A few moments went by as everyone introduced themselves. M/n stood near a corner next to one of the taller guys in the room. He introduced himself as König. The man was suprised that M/n hadn't been startled at his presence, considering that he had the tendency to scare others because of his height. Although, his thoughts about that passed once he recalled how tall Falken, Archontas, and Rage were. Opal was talking to Alejandro, who was impressed at how well she spoke Spanish, as well as Rudy whose gaze kept shifting to the male whose gaze was on the wall.

"Whats up with him, he's acting strange." Rudy pointed out as Alejandro turned to him.

"I don't know amigo, el es bastante extraño." Alejandro replied as Opal looked at them in question.

"Didn't Laswell tell you all." Opal asked as the two men looked down at her.

"Tell us what hermana?" Alejandro questioned as Opal looked over to Archontas.

"Hey Capt! I thought you said that Laswell told them?" Opal asked as Gaz furrowed his brows. He had already been skeptical during and before the teams arrival, so that sudden outburst unnerved him.

"Tell us what?" Gaz asks in suspicion, what could they have possibly not known?

"I thought she had...-you know what its fine." Archontas murmered the last thing to himself. The group began to become more cautious than they already were, considering what they've been through with the betrayal of General Shepherd and Commander Graves.

"I can assure you that it's nothing bad, but it should be something that you should be aware of." Archontas started off as the other men in the room stared at him warily.

"M/n is a government experiment." The dark skinned male didn't sugar coat the words that had left his mouth, which caused the others to have looks of confusion and question.

"He's a-huh? A what?" Soap sputters in confusion as Rage rolled their eyes. Of course.....the typical reaction for the words that occasionally had to be said first hand. M/n looked over to the others, having heard what they had spoke about. He made his way towards the others and stood next to his Captain. He pulled the beanie he had been wearing off his head, allowing his ears to stretch from the pressure that had been put on his ears. The others stared at the h/c haired males fluffy hair and tall ears. All the attention that had been bestowed on him caused his ears to lower.

"Can ya'll quit the staring it's weird." M/n spoke while gluing his gaze to the floor. They all took one last moment to admire the mans full beauty before being serious again.

"I'm glad that you informed us...this is just, wow." Price spoke, having to eye the h/c haired male one last time as the others agreed. Rage and Opal both stood next to M/n as the same question ran through their heads.

"How are these next few days gonna go?"

It had been 2 days since Oi Sotíres arrived to the base, and things were going better than expected. Due to M/n's situation, he had a room to himself so that he could do whatever he needed to do. Someone who was constantly checking on him besides Archontas was Rudy. Believe it or not, but Rudy had taken quite a liking to the h/c haired male. The Lieutenant was quiet to say the least, he never made an effort to talk to anyone else besides his group. Every time someone tried to greet him he wouldn't acknowledge them at all, so how did Rudy manage to win the male over. Two words- Fruit Bowl.

After gaining some information from Archontas he learned about M/n's sweet tooth. He didn't eat candy often so as substitution to that he ate a lot of sweet fruits. A personal favorite of Rudy is the cantaloupe, its not to sweet, as well as bitter which automatically made it his favorite treat. Him and M/n would be in the kitchen together, a large bowl of fresh fruits that had been chopped up and placed inside there for them to share. The h/c haired male would constantly walk in and out the room, occasionally being still and standing next to Rudy who had been watching him closely. His expession would soften every time the males ears twitched when the sound of a door being shut was heard. It was something so simple, but also something that he began to love about him.

"M/n, quieres un poco de sandía?" Rudy asked as M/n turned to him with a puzzled expression. His head was tilted and his eyebrows were furrowed which caused the other mans heart to beat faster.

"Ah...sorry, I asked if you wanted some watermelon." Rudy said again in English to which he was able to understand. M/n nodded his head and smiled slightly at the offer. Rudy took one of the freshly chopped fruits and put his hand out for M/n to take it. So, imagine the look on his face when the male ate it out his hand. The e/c eyed male didn't think much about what he did, that's usually how he'd eat stuff that was offered to him. Rudy was flustered. Why exactly? Well the feeling of M/n's lips against his bare hand made him feel some things he hasn't felt in a while. It was almost time for them to head off to the training area, where they would be testing out the Oi Sotires' strength.

"I'm gonna go change, thanks for the fruits Rudy." M/n said with a smirk on his face as he hopped out of the room. Rudy only stood there with a stunned expression, being left with his own thoughts and feelings.

Part 2- in progress....

[blorbocedes]

resharing riddle of rosberg by Will Buxton, because OP who originally posted it deactivated, and it's a very interesting read. since WB recently talked about how he didn't like Nico until they had a breakthrough moment and he realised that's his German sense of humour, this contextualises how people perceived Nico. Buxton wrote on Nico back in 2014, which covers his early GP2 career, the 2014 F1 season and provides a fascinating insight into Nico’s character. Highlights below:

I can’t recall the first time I met Nico Rosberg. All I remember is that I despised him, everything he was and all he represented: the cock-sure, entitled, bolshy son of a world champion. No grace, no humility. Wafting in, a blur of blonde hair and arrogance. A Formula BMW champion yes, but only a few F3 wins and just three years in single seaters gave what I held to be little foundation for such seeming conceit. I disliked him intensely. It got to the point where I held such disdain for him that I would actively seek for our paths to not cross… which was fairly hard given I was PRing the championship in which he was racing. I’d simply ask someone else to grab his quotes for me. They always seemed to be able to pull more out of him anyway.

Nico Rosberg had been quick from the outset, and watching his racecraft develop as the season went on became a growing point of emotional turmoil for me. He was so impressive; seemingly effortlessly rapid and blessed with a precision that was metronomic. But I just couldn’t like him. I wished he’d been a good guy, one I could get excited about. But instead I felt huge sadness that such a wonderful talent had been given to a guy who was apparently such a Class A prat.

I recall the low point only too well. He was breezing past on his way to dinner. His team-mate Alexandre Premat had topped qualifying, and I’d used the staggeringly unoriginal press release headline of “Premat Powers to Pole.”

“Why don’t I ever “power” to anything?” he pointedly sneered as he walked past.

I looked up, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Then it hit, and I wondered why he was being so petty. The headline was simple alliteration. I had probably or would probably use “Rosberg Reigns” at some point of the season on the back of one of his wins. It was just Nico being typical Nico.

“Dick!” I whispered under my breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

Later that night, I needed to talk to his then-PR guy Karsten Streng and hopped into the ART truck to find him.

“Karsten, can we have a chat?”

Out from behind his race overalls jumped Nico.

“Oh, so you don’t want to speak to me then? Huh? What’s that all about? You’d rather speak to Karsten than to me?”

I turned on my heels and walked out.

Karsten ran after me.

“Will, man, you can’t let that get to you. You know he’s only joking, right? Just fire it straight back at him. He’ll love it. He’s really a fun guy… honestly. But if you don’t give it back to him he’ll think he’s got the high ground. He loves a challenge.”

The next day Nico sent some pithy comment my way, so I turned around, flipped him the bird and winked. “Fuck you Rosberg.”

He looked taken aback. I broke out in a cold sweat. This was not behavior becoming of the championship’s press officer. Had I just managed to ruin any relationship I might have had with the man destined to be our first champion?

A smile broke across his face, and we never had a cross word again. Indeed, we started to get on really well. At the end of the season I received a package to my home, from Monaco. In it was an ART team shirt, signed by Nico, thanking me for my support. I had it framed, and it remains one of my most treasured pieces of memorabilia from my career in racing.

Nico was the most savvy driver I ever worked with. Stepping down from the podium after winning the GP2 title, he spoke to the awaiting press in turn, each in their own language. I’d only ever seen him in individual language press briefings, and to see him utilise such cool and calm intelligence so soon after the elation of what was at the time the most meaningful moment of his career left me astounded.

But therein lies the deepest issue with Nico Rosberg. He isn’t just smart. He’s the sort of smart that makes the rest of us question if we’re quite as clever as we thought we were. And at times it can be his undoing.

I’d seen his intelligence and need for the high ground cause him trouble time and time again in interviews, even in the GP2 days. The interviewer would sit down, all smiles, ready to start the conversation. But Nico, fearful of being on the back foot, would fire retorts and wrestle control of the interview back into his own hands. He would put the interviewer at ill ease in order to make himself feel more comfortable with the situation. What resulted was a terrible interview, and the prevailing opinion of Rosberg being precisely the one I’d drawn when first we met: that he was cocky and arrogant. When I came back to journalism in 2008 I had booked a sit down with him at Williams and for the first 2 minutes of the interview, that’s exactly how he was: back against the wall, stand-offish, arrogant, unlikable. I switched off the Dictaphone and asked him if he was going to carry on being a prick or if we could do this properly. He looked sheepish, apologised, and we picked back up with what ended up being a great interview.

All of which led to a question often asked: is Nico Rosberg too smart for his own good?

It’s a question that has come back again this year.

Many will point to Monaco as a stand-out point of the season. I always felt Rosberg was smart enough to pull off that stunt in qualifying, but I never believed he was that cynical or cold. To be a world champion takes more than intelligence and speed. As I argued over Multi-21 last year, while we may hate to admit it, what marks the champions out from the also-rans is the ability to be a complete bastard when the moment arrives. In Monaco, Nico was the bastard and turned that qualifying controversy into a race win that had the ability to completely shift the tide of the season.

That it didn’t, however, is his own doing.

Lewis Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers in modern Formula 1. And yet, with a dominantly fast car at his disposal, he has lost the Pole Trophy to Nico Rosberg, the German amassing 10 poles to Hamilton’s seven. That metronomic precision has played into the Rosberg’s hands on many occasions this season, and more often than not it has given him the upper hand going into the race. On Saturdays at least, Rosberg has proved beyond doubt that he has the pace. But he hasn’t turned that Saturday pace on regularly enough in Sunday’s race.

Mentally, what happened in Budapest was also a tremendous shock. Hungary should never have affected him as much as it did. Perhaps it all comes down to how much brain capacity we consider Nico Rosberg as having, but that August break should have been used to move on from what he perceived as injustice, and start the second half of the season fresh and with total clarity of mind. Rosberg used all of that mindfulness, however, to focus on the negatives and came back to Spa with it still playing on his mind.

That incident on lap 2 of the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix has been poured over to frankly ridiculous degrees. To me, it was a nothing moment. Rosberg could have backed out, Hamilton could have given more room. That both went into it so pathetically ultimately resulted in the damage it did. If Rosberg had truly wanted to teach Hamilton a lesson then he should have gone in hard. That he didn’t is the only reason that Hamilton’s tyre was sliced. Any intent, and Rosberg would have snapped his front wing, bouncing it off the side of the Briton’s tyre. Hamilton would have stormed off into the distance while Rosberg was forced to switch his wing.

I argued at the time that Rosberg needed to embrace one side or the other. He needed to be a hero or a villain, because if he was neither, he risked becoming nothing. And so it emerged after the race that he had told Hamiton he had allowed the impact to happen. A step towards becoming that villain? Perhaps, but it wasn’t enough. And that’s the big sadness of his season. He has been so fast and so consistent, but his inability to pick a side and his attempts at being all things to all people has led to him being left wide open to attack from all sides.

The way he interacts with broadcast crews is an incredible illustration of this. In Monza, in speaking with me on American television he spoke in confident and unashamed tones despite his apparent dressing down by the team over Spa. With the Germans he was the same… almost bullish. And then to the British TV and radio crews, his shoulders slumped forward, his head bowed down, his tone was full of contrition and regret. What he was saying was no different to what he had told the German or international crews, but the way it was said was at total odds with how he had been just 10 seconds before.

Just as in Bahrain at that GP2 finale 10 years ago, I stood in awe. So savvy, so intelligent to his audience… but perhaps, in this instance, a reflection of him trying to be just that little bit too smart.

The thing is, he can be so charming too. He has a dry and sarcastic wit, which can sometimes be played out with a deft finesse. In America and Brazil, he started to have a very subtle jab at his championship rival by adopting Lewis Hamilton’s apparent mot du jour. In almost every interview, Rosberg would drop in a little comment about how “blessed” he felt. Shrewd. Subtle. At times, however, he can be a total child. In Hungary this year I was running from my commentary position to the GP3 podium to conduct the post race interviews. Time is tight at the best of times, but when I arrived at the swipe gates I felt an arm around my waist pulling me back. At first I thought it was an over-zealous security guard. But no. It was Nico, giggling away with a huge grin plastered across his face.

Should he be crowned 2014 Formula 1 world champion, be it through double points or, let’s hope, a barn-storming wheel-to-wheel thriller, some will still argue that Nico Rosberg does not deserve to be world champion. With them, however, I would disagree. Lest we forget, this is the only man who, over the course of a full Formula 1 season, finished ahead of Michael Schumacher as a team-mate. As if to reinforce the point, Rosberg achieved this giant toppling feat not once, but thrice.

His out-and-out pace in qualifying this year has been insurmountable. That he has won the inaugural Pole Trophy is evidence of that. So we know he has the pace, we know he has the temperament to win races, and we know that on occasion he can embrace his inner bastard and drive with the ruthlessness that sets world champions apart.

Nico Rosberg has shown repeatedly in 2014 that he possesses the attributes shared by the best of the best. We should not deny him his glory should he be confirmed as such on Sunday.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

“The Mighty Red,” the title of Louise Erdrich’s rambunctious new novel, definitely refers to North Dakota’s Red River, around which much of it is set, and probably refers to a large, red-headed character named Hugo.

A central event in “Mighty Red” is the marriage of a young woman named Kismet, but will she end up with brash Gary or gentle Hugo? Most of the characters have something to say about that, including Kismet’s mom Crystal, a truck driver who hauls sugar beets and whom Erdrich— a Pulitzer Prize winner for “The Night Watchman,” National Book Award winner for “The Round House” and owner of Birchbark Books in Minneapolis — says is something of a stand-in for her.

Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa who lives in Minneapolis, has written 20 books.

Q: What came first when you were dreaming up “The Mighty Red”?

A: The first character I really thought about was Hugo. He goes back about 10 years and just kept plodding back into my notebooks with his obsessions about geology and energy and with his hapless ardor. I guess a lot of this book is about hapless ardor. Here we are, wired to mate, yet relationships are so ridiculous and awkward and, if you are lucky, magical.

The goal in my books is never to get two people together and leave them marooned, but to explore the tension and idiocy in a relationship. I mean, love. When love gets to a critical madness, people get married to reduce the madness to manageable increments of madness — like who keeps track of the vacuum cleaner attachments? Who deals with the mice? Who mislabeled the electrical box? Forget nosegays and frothed milk. Dawn dish soap becomes the thing you can’t live without. Like Kismet, you may end up making three-egg breakfasts for your husband’s family and eating your own breakfast out in the garage.

Q: Like “ The Sentence,” “The Mighty Red” is set in the recent past. Lots of “Sentence” readers were struck by your ability to evoke pandemic-era behaviors (like sanitizing the mail) that we engaged in, quit and then promptly forgot. Is it tricky to capture a past that most readers lived through?

A: You’re right. We forget the details of what we live through. This book is set in 2008-2009. The first hint I had of the mortgage crisis was running into someone I knew who was shaking and distraught over losing the house into which she’d sunk all she owned. It was devastating and it was happening everywhere.

Something like this happens to my somewhat alter-ego Crystal. There are other books about why and how this huge con game exploded, but I wanted to write about the way 2008-09 affected a few families. I thought about this a lot, how close we came to a serious economic depression, and how bad it was anyway. Part of my research was listening to the archived late night call-in shows with Art Bell, “Coast to Coast.”

Q: Which Crystal listens to, as well. Any more research?

A: Then I really lost my mind diving into how Roundup Ready seeds were developed, also at that time. I couldn’t think about anything but herbicides and pesticides. I became a known conversation killer. A lot of farming is degenerative as opposed to regenerative, and obviously that’s got to stop. Most of the farmers I know are doing their best to use few chemicals and do right by their land. They are some of the smartest people I know.

But they are running businesses. Sugar is a dirty business. However, sugar is delicious. At the end result of all those herbicides and petrochemicals and semi trucks and processing is pure, white, sparkly, granulated sugar. It is integral to our food chain now, it hits the pleasure centers in your brain like rocket fuel, and even having written this book I still love cake and ice cream.

Q: Many novels address climate crisis but I can’t recall one that makes it as easy to relate to as, for instance, the passage about the effort that goes into re-establishing prairie. Is it important to you to personalize for readers what we’ve done to our planet?

A: I wanted people to read this book, so to keep things cheerful I only sprinkled the dire stuff into the trauma of a wedding. You know — Absurd Proposal, Strange Vows, Violent Wedding Dinner, Questionable Marriage, Aftermarriage. Maybe the real bond is with the land and sky. The book is also a love letter to the Red River Valley, where I grew up. The valley along the river has changed drastically during my life and I wanted to know why. I wasn’t looking for simple answers or heroes and villains (except Hugo, hero). Nothing lines up that way.

Q: The title character of the book, or at least one of them, is a river, which you describe as “everything.” Can you talk about how living in a river valley shapes these people?

A: Are you asking whether there is a character trait that people who live along and depend on a river share? Or a lake? I don’t know — maybe love of walleye? Certain members of my family and I have been conducting a longitudinal study of who — aside from my brother Ralph — makes the best fried walleye in the Upper Midwest. We have a long way to go, but so far the Creekside Supper Club (Red Lake walleye) comes closest to the sine qua non of walleye (without which life is meaningless) on a good night at the Sky Dancer Casino (Lake Winnipeg walleye) in the Turtle Mountains. If people want to write to the Minnesota Star [Tribune] with the results of their own studies, that would be great. Just don’t contact me about this. I can’t let any extraneous information spoil the parameters of my own investigation.

Q: I can’t wait to see that striking cover in stores. I know it’s designed by your daughter, Aza Abe, who has done many of your covers. How important are covers to you, as both a writer and bookseller?

A: Covers tell the bookseller and the reader how much a publisher cares about the book. (An author usually doesn’t get much say.) I love how covers can be art that wasn’t created for the book and yet be all about the book. When I am bowled over by a new novel in manuscript, and then the final cover isn’t good enough for the book, I’m so upset.

I’m beyond lucky to have my daughter Aza Abe, a remarkable woman and tremendous artist, as the cover artist. I’m so grateful that she and I were able to start working together. Every one of her covers is stellar and says something about the book that can only be said visually. A reader should turn back and forth from the text to the cover and always find something to think about. That always happens with her images.

Take this particular cover. Aza’s image is about the origin of the Red River, where three rivers come together and flow north. The river is white because it’s sugar. The earth is deep black with gold flecks because good soil is the earth’s wealth. The letters are strong and bold because that’s the river, too.

Q: You never seem to judge your characters. Has that always been crucial to your work? Do you have other “rules” for writing?

A: A lot of being a writer is getting out of your own way. I try to simply report on what the characters are doing and thinking. If I make a judgment, it is in the voice of a character reflecting on what they’ve done. It’s not that I’m so high-minded, it’s more that it’s intrusive for a writer to make a judgment. And the reader is bound to wonder why, if you, the writer, have such a poor opinion about your character, why not just redeem them? I am opposed to redemption in a book. Maybe that’s a rule, but I break that rule if it needs breaking.

Q: What surprised you most in writing this novel?

A: The arrogant wealthy jock, Gary, surprised me. What a jackass. But then as I wrote him, I began to discover how vulnerable he was, how ridiculous, how haunted. He became my favorite character to write.

Q: Gary — and much of “The Mighty Red” itself — is really funny. Readers are going to get a bang out of these people (one line I’m thinking of is, “She loved Hugo with that superb kind of love a mother has for a male child, a love that is deeper and more pure for knowing that he’ll more than likely turn out a fool.”). Obviously, writing a novel is hard work, but was it fun to hang with these characters?

A: Yes, most days I’m lying on the floor, just wiped out, but it’s worth it on the days I’m laughing my head off.

Q:“The Mighty Red” is tough but hopeful. Do you find your way toward hope in the act of storytelling or is it in you already and that’s what pulls the story toward hope?

A: I don’t see the point of writing a book that doesn’t hold out hope. Things are getting so dire that, no matter how annoying and crazy-making we all are, we have to pull together. We need to work on a livable world. Nihilism just strikes me as lazy, and pretentious. Anyway, it’s the serious people who are leading with hope in these times.

Q: I don’t want to spoil it for readers but that last paragraph is such a knockout. What was the hardest part of “The Mighty Red” to get right? Or the easiest?

A: Chris, I’m so glad you liked the end! It was the one and only page in this whole book that was easy to write. I just wrote it down and didn’t change a word. And then I cried.

©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

[sailtomarina]

Dog walk

In any other scenario, Hermione would consider today the perfect fall day. The grass still retained dew from the past several days of rain. She breathed in air that was crisp in the sun’s light. Fresh fallen leaves crunched underfoot. She loved autumn. She loved walks, when she could be bothered to shrug off her blankets and books to take them. The season reminded her of carving pumpkins, apple cider, and bundling up next to a bonfire.

Today would be perfect, if not for Aspen.

Aspen was Harry’s dog, or, more precisely, Albus’ dog. As is the case with most children and pets, the responsibilities ended up falling on the parents, Albus only claiming the dog when convenient, which was never at the same time as walks or meals.

She cursed the Potters under her breath as she struggled with the leash and the 6-stone dog threatening to yank her off balance.

“I’m so sorry, please, just keep walking,” she gritted out with a pained smile, the couple walking by with their twin Staffordshire terriers looking at the pair of them like they were both hell dogs out to drag them to their deaths.

Aspen was inconsolable at not being allowed to run straight up to the other party as they scurried by. “Leash reactivity,” Harry had called it.

What a fat load of bollocks.

Oh, she believed there was a term for the way their super mutt rescue went completely ballistic every time he was on the leash and saw another dog, but it had been years now since they’d adopted him. Surely, by now, they should have trained the behavior out of him?

Now here she was, barmy to have accepted not only house sitting for her best mate and his family while they were on vacation, but dog sitting with all the activities it entailed.

Like walking. Three. Times. A day.

“Aspen, come! Aspen, look!” Her commands went straight over the fuzzy black head without eliciting any response. He continued to tug forward without looking to her for approval or permission.

This is why she preferred cats. Even owls, with their razor-sharp talons and grouchy nips were better. At least they delivered mail.

Giving up, she allowed herself to be pulled along their usual route along the gravel path around the pond. They took this walk every morning, then in the afternoon they went the opposite direction through the little Muggle subdivision of homes. One final evening walk to work off dinner cut partially through the same neighborhood into a cleared  path through the nearby forest.

She didn’t begrudge the multiple walks—they afforded her regular exercise and well-needed breaks from the tasks into which she often lost herself.

It was encounters with others that made her drag her feet in putting on the leash and harness.

Aspen would be a lovely companion if not for his loss of self at the sight of another dog, delivery truck, bicycle, and scooter. He draped himself over her every morning and she cuddled him for the next half hour as she slowly woke up. He kept her feet warm wherever she perched, book or pen in hand. He eagerly followed her to sleep at night, curling up at the foot of the bed with his head towards the door to guard their dreams.

“Oh! Finally.” She perked up as the dog curled into a familiar position.

It was as she settled down into a crouch, hand reaching out with a bright blue bag towards a steaming pile of shit that Malfoy found her.

“Hey, Aspen, and—Granger?”

Her stomach dropped at the voice she’d recognize anywhere. She might as well continue what she started. Without looking up, she proceeded to bag the poop and tie it off before standing to face the man jogging in place next to Aspen.

“Hello, Malfoy.”

She bobbed her head politely, hoping the stench from her hand didn’t reach him. If this area wasn’t Muggle she could vanish the bag. He didn’t give any indication of discomfort. In fact, he looked good.

Despite the cool weather, he wore a simple black vest and matching joggers, the prominent muscles of his arms revealed for all to see. He looked every inch the Auror that he was, one who rivaled Harry as his partner and featured far too often in Hermione’s fantasies.

He brushed back a fallen strand of hair, returning his platinum locks to their usual perfection. How could a man out for a run look so put together? Hermione wasn’t a slouch, even jogging on her own a few times a week, but her hair had a tendency to explode outward as if the steam from her head filled it to bursting with nowhere else to escape.

“Why are you walking Aspen?”

He didn’t say it with any disdain, but Hermione couldn’t help but bristle.

“Why can’t I walk him?”

He raised a slender brow and finally stilled his movements, hands moving up to rest on his hips. Her traitorous companion immediately butted up against his legs begging for attention, which, of course, was given.

Bent over, fingers digging into Aspen’s soft fur, Malfoy looked up with his mercurial eyes, famous smirk in place. “Of course you can; I asked why you were doing so. Where’s Potter?”

Hermione wanted to kick herself in her annoyance. Why was she being so prickly towards Malfoy? It wasn’t like she still harbored resentment towards him—it had been nearly a decade since Hogwarts and they’d bumped into each other often enough over the years. She could be civil.

She blamed Aspen and his reactivity.

“They’re on a family vacation and I agreed to house sit.” She bit her tongue before she could say anything more.

Malfoy had given into temptation and dropped down to spoil the mutt with both hands ruffling his ears and massaging his sides. That lucky fucker.

With a gasp, she realized she was jealous of Harry’s dog. 

The wizard looked at her once more at the sound, never ceasing his ministrations. “Everything alright?”

“Yes,” she cleared her throat, “I just realized I might have left the stove on. We should get going.”

His lips twitched almost like he was holding back a smile, like he knew she was lying. 

Was tonight a full moon? Is that why she was feeling so affected by the sight of his wide mouth, his full lashes rimming the prettiest grey eyes she’d ever seen that seemed to change with his emotions, and his visibly veined arms wrapping around Aspen? He could probably pick up the behemoth of a dog without breaking a sweat.

She blinked with surprise when he smoothly stood and approached her with a palm outstretched. Looking down at the hand, then back at him, she could do nothing but gape in confusion.

He snorted, thrusting his hand out even closer to her direction. “I’m not going to hex you, Granger. It’d be rude of me to not offer my farewell.”

“Yes, but must we shake on it?” she blurted out, still nonplussed.

A wrinkle formed between his eyes, and she realized she was being horribly rude. They might not be friends and she might harbor fantasies of riding him like a bull until she collapsed on top of him boneless and breathless, but it wouldn't do to ignore a friendly handshake.

The instant her hand slid into his and his eyes flashed silver, she remembered just who it was she was talking to. Smug satisfaction flickered across his face, and, with a wrenching twist to her gut, they disapparated.

Leaves fluttered into the air at the precise spot they’d left. A squirrel scampered across, nuts pocketed in cheeks meant for winter storage.

They reappeared at Harry’s front door, Hermione stumbling forward straight into Malfoy’s sturdy frame.

“What the bloody hell, Malfoy?” She smacked him with the end of the leash in rhythm to her yells. “You can’t just apparate people without notice!” He’d side-apparated not only her, but also Aspen, and the magical finesse behind such a feat turned her on even as it infuriated her. “You could have splinched us! Killed Aspen! What would I even say to Harry? Albus would be devastated—”

To her complete and utter shock, he shut her up with a kiss.

She stiffened for a couple of seconds, poop bag dropping forgotten onto the door mat behind her along with all pretenses of a stove left on, but as the realization hit her that this was not a dream and that none of them had lost limbs in their teleportation, she let herself feel.

His warm, very large arms wrapping around her to pull her flush against him.

His head tilting, lips slanting to meld against her own.

His tongue swiping at the seam then dipping in to taste her.

The scent of him, woodsy and spicy and rich, and she knew it to likely be from some stupidly expensive cologne in some foreign language and nearly impossible to find.

Aspen leaning against their legs, for once not being a brat and shoving them apart the way he did to Harry and Ginny.

By the time he pulled away, Hermione was breathless and even more befuddled than before he’d appeared in front of her and interrupted her walk.

“What—”

He dropped another kiss, this one chaste and sweet.

Words left her, and she simply stared up at him in wonder. This had to be a dream. Or perhaps a nightmare? Maybe she’d wake up in bed, smothered underneath dog hair, painfully alone again since her last relationship several months back.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said with a grin, leaning his forehead against her own.

“Stealth apparate a witch?” she asked, thoughts still moving sluggishly, her heart beating slow and loud in her ears.

“Shut you up with a snog.” His smile was so wide, it threatened to reach his ears.

“Since when?”

His smile dropped as he stared at her silently. She tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around her, keeping her in place.

“For longer than appropriate.”

Her eyes widened at the revelation. She had only been around him because of Harry—the two work partners had become friends enough to go out regularly for drinks. She’d been invited to many of them, her interactions with Malfoy short but always memorable. They usually argued, but occasionally they talked. Not the sort of meaningless chatter she loathed, like scrambling for Quidditch news or the weather. Heavy topics, like modern applications of runes. Variations on magical bonds. Merits of the Statute of Secrecy.

She’d always known he was smart, even since their school days, but these moments where she could stretch her mental muscles and find herself well and truly challenged by Malfoy’s views were liberating.

So, she fantasized.

Now, he revealed he’d wanted to kiss her for quite some time.

“Do you always jog around the pond in the morning? Why haven’t I seen you before?” She’d been here for the past five days and this was their first encounter. They were also nowhere near his ancestral home in Wiltshire. His being here today couldn’t be a coincidence.

“I might have been the one to show this neighborhood to Potter. My flat is nearby.”

Aspen had finally gotten bored and was now winding around their legs, the leash ribboning around them.

“And the timing?” she prompted.

For the first time, a faint pink blush tinged his cheeks.

He looked adorable.

“I did see you. You’re just usually so distracted that you don’t notice when I run by.”

Oh.

This time, it was her turn to blush. She didn’t doubt him. She had a habit of daydreaming, even when out for a walk. The solitude of nature and her presence in it induced her to disappear into her thoughts.

“Well,” she gathered up her courage to put her hope into words, “you are welcome to join me on my walks whenever you see me. If it doesn’t cut into your exercise, that is.”

His smirk was back, and she couldn’t help but breathe in deep to savor the delicious scent of him. It might be a new favorite for autumn.

“How much longer are you house sitting?”

“A little over a week.”

“Consider us a dog walking team until then.” With a snap of his fingers, arms still hugging her close, the leash was unwound and hanging loose down to where Aspen had stretched out on the ground.

She searched his eyes, for what, she wasn’t sure. Truth? Determination?

One hand came up to cup her cheek, his skin almost scalding against the coolness of her own, his thumb ghosting down to trace her lips.

She parted them just slightly to whisper, “And after?”

He twisted his hand to brush knuckles up her jaw, then push wayward curls over her shoulder. The simple touch shouldn’t have felt as sensual as it did, but the motion betrayed a desire for familiarity born from years spent together. A touch that meant more than just friendship, more than a fling.

“We can still go on walks without Aspen.”

The innocence of his suggestion encouraged one snort, then another, and before long, they giggled together at the idea.

Dog walks, but without the dog.

WC 2212

Cross posted on Tumblr  and AO3

Aspen is modeled after my own dog of a different name, including the physical description. 6 stone roughly approximates to my own dog's 85 pounds. The pond is also pulled from my own neighborhood where I frequently walk him. Yes, he has leash reactivity. No, I haven't been able to fix it ;_;

This was meant to be a short with my own self-prompt that I thought of on my walk this morning, but now I can't stop thinking about this setting and these characters.

Fall is undeniably the best season.

[theyareweird]

Kianna in Wonderland - Part 2

Tea Tangent

"Welcome to our tea party, Alice"! Queen Yuki greeted. She was smiling from her throne as she helped herself to some food. "I hope we will all become good friends". Yuki beamed, pinching a red macaroon in between her fingers.

Suddenly, a silver-haired young man stepped forward. He was dressed in black spade armor. "I present the Queen of Hearts, Yuki Kuran". The Spade Knight proudly announced, gesturing towards the woman beside him. "My name is Zero. I am Captain to the Queen's royal guard and her personal knight". He said, graciously bowing.

A young woman with wavy toffee-colored hair, which fell to her waist, stepped forward. She stood tall beside the king wearing red heart armor. "May I present the King of Hearts, Kaname Kuran". The beautiful woman said in a refined tone. "I am Ruka, Captain of the King's royal guard". Ruka said with honor as she curtsied. She then stretched out a hand to the woman who stood two feet behind her. "This is Seiren, the King's bodyguard". Ruka stated.

Seiren rigidly stood in silence wearing red diamond armor. Her lavender eyes were cold and she had a lilac chin-length hair. "We are some of the card guards". The dignified woman said flatly as she bowed.

"It's nice to met you all". Kianna greeted.

A young man then sloutched in his wobbly chair with a heavy sigh. He wore a navy blue waistcoat with a grey dress shirt. Acknowledging his droppy blonde ears with his matching scruffy hair, Kianna concluded he must be the March Hare. "The rest of us are their subjects..." He huffed. "Just do as your told and nothing bad will happen to you". The blonde hare warned.

"Hanabusa," Kaname called. "Mind your manners". He warned with narrowed eyes.

The March Hare then straighted his posture but kept his bright blue eyes cast down in his lap. "Yes, my King". He quickly responds.

"I'll keep that in mind". Kianna replied. Despite the warning, she didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, Kianna simply enjoyed the crazy, yet fun atmosphere. Her amber eyes scanned the crowed of people at the tea party from where she sat. Kianna's eyes then traveled up the truck of a tree and landed on a red cat figure. She concluded he must be the Cheshire Cat. However, instead of a wide grin, this guy was laying in the tree with a neutral expression. His blue-gray eyes were dull. It was clear he was bored.

Tearing her gaze away, Kianna redirected her attention onto the finely dressed tailor-like gentleman sitting across from her. His suit and large tophat were a pretty green, like his eyes. "I'm Takuma"! The blonde greeted. "Do you like tea, Alice"? Takuma asked. When Kianna opened her mouth to reply, her words were immediately shoved in the back of her throat. "Of course you do! Here, have a cup of rose tea". He smiled, pouring Kianna a cup and handing it to her.

"Thank you". Kianna smiled. Whatever was going on with these people made her decide it was best to go along with their crazy behavior. Kianna then politely took the teacup and saucer from Takuma's gloved hands and smelled the floral fragrance.

"We also have jasmine, green tea, white tea, peppermint, oolong, chamomile..." Takuma said, going off on tangent.

Rima suddenly popped her head out of her teapot. A tiny white tophat sat on the side of her head. She then clumbed out of it and darted to a tray of sugar cookies. Rima selected a thin clock cookie and rolled it on its side up to Kianna. "I'm Rima. Have a cookie, Alice"! She happily squeaked up at her. Rima was dressed in a white Lolita dress with black and white poka-dot tights and matching gloves. It was a stark contrast to her orange hair, round mouse ears and tail.

"Thank you". Kianna politely smiled. When she picked up the lightly frosted treat, the short girl inspected it and spotted tiny nibble marks on it. Rima must have snacked on it earlier and forgot.

"Black tea, rooibos, ginger, stinging nettle, yerba mate, hibiscus..." Takuma continued to ramble on from across the table.

Kianna brought the teacup up to her lips and took a sip. She enjoys tea, but she always needs a little sugar. "Rima, may I please have some sugar cubes"? Kianna asked.

Rima nodded. She then scurried across the table and up to the fancy china container of sugar. Pushing the lid off, Rima grabbed two sugar cubes. She then retrieved a silver spoon from one of the table settings and used it to bat the cubes on the back of the spoon and into Kianna's cup. Both sugar cubes splashed into Kianna's cup. The action was unexpected, but she didn't show it. Instead, Kianna smiled and thanked the mouse once more.

Up in the tree, the Cheshire Cat occasionally glanced at the five-foot-two Alice. Watching her bright smile caused a faint hue of red to grace his cheeks. "At least you like tea, Alice". Senri suddenly spoke.

"I do enjoy tea, but I don't have a favorite". Kianna smiled up at the cat in his tree.

Senri's blue-gray slit pupil eyes then narrowed at particularly no one. "The other Alices either didn't care for tea or pretended to like tea". He spat. Senri killed the Alices who pretended to enjoy tea because hates those who deceive him. Especially since an Alice must like tea to fit in with him and his twi closest friends: Takuma and Rima.

Rima then squeaked on top of the table. "They all liked sweets, though... Without fruit in them". She added.

Takuma was still going on about his one-sided conversation. "red clover, cinnamon, dandelion, red tea, matcha, milk tea, tart cherry tea, lavender tea..."

Kianna then raised her teacup to her lips. "Well, I guess they were taught wrong, or have poor table manners". She said, taking a sip of her tea. "I don't care for any tea or sweets that contain lemon, though". Kianna blurted. "They taste funny to me". She confessed. Kianna then set her cup back down onto its saucer. "But I don't mind if other people do. I mean, I can't control what other people like". She quickly said. Kianna didn't want to offend anyone. To avoid making anyone in this place angry, he tried to defuse the situation.

"That’s alright. We all have things we don't like". Yuki smiled in dismissal.

Senri's intense gaze then softened in response to Kianna's words. He could tell she was being genuine with him. "In that case, have as much tea as you want". Senri replied in a flat tone. Afterwards, the end of his tail began to flick in contentment. Senri took note of how this Alice likes tea, sweets and is well-mannered. It almost made him purr at how polite she is.

"Oh"! Takuma suddenly huffed. Based on how red his face had become, the obvious Mad Hatter figure hadn't taken a breath since he started listing off tea. "You must detest Lemon or Lemon Balm Tea, then". Takuma giggled.

Senri released a heavy sigh between his parted lips. Although Takuma was a close friend of his, the cat rolled his eyes at the Mad Hatter's obvious statement. It's no wonder Senri had to take frequent naps around Takuma because he was tiring.

Kaname then leaned into Yuki. "It seems our cousin likes this Alice". He said in a low voice.

Yuki followed her king's head and whispered, "Does this mean Senri will finally have a mate"?

"Good. I'm tired of killing them all". Zero suddenly blurted.

"Same". Seiren bluntly replied.

Despite the two card soldiers' outspoken behavior, Kianna's brow knit together. She was confused as to what they were talking about, but the little individual was also concerned for her life at their cold words. Now frowning, Kianna then began to question if she should be finding a means to escape this place.

Surprise: @nunezs-stuff

[fantasy-mixtapes]

Fantasy High: Junior year, Episode 1: Sunday Scaries Live Reaction

The energy in the dome is so chaotic right off of the bat this is what I live for

Lou’s dad got a job in cleiveland

LMAO NIGHT YORB CANON LOVE

My crops!

OOOOO RED WASTES!!!

Love getting into this in media res

Also LOVE THE NIGHT YORB ART AND MINI

THE LAZER THING FROM THE MUSIC VIDEO IS THE SOLAR LASSO THATS SO GOOD

This is such a wonderful way to reintroduce the party

Gorgug has his crystal in his mini <3

SQUEEEM?????

Hate the squeem noise

INVISIBLE DOG MOGGIE THE DOGGIE

GORGUGS HUMUNCULUS

BABY’S MINI IM GONNA DIE

Look at his little tail <3 <3

SEATED MINIS OH MY GOD

This is so fucking crazy to see them just unloading all of their new stuff

WHO ARE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE

WHY THE FUCK IS FABIAN FUCKING A MIRROR

Did they do a mini campaign to get ready for this???

Gym butch kristen <3

Bloked to hell and back

Sun gun <3

THE PHOTOSYNTHA-KIDS

Sleven

Shout out to my yorbies

Spell caster rizz!

Riz driving the Hangvan vs the stotes driving Truck

Maybe the mirror is named Ecaf because it’s face backwards?

Shout out to the Nat one coming back right after they say they’re better since jumping on tables

Damn this sucks but it’s so funny

Kindly slide your mini UNDER the hangvan

Love ecaf love ecaf “this fucking kid”

What the fuck is up with fabian being friends with possessed objects

Gorg-geous

YORBIES! LET’S DO IT!

Emily and murph Silvery barbs couple <3

Not fig vaping in the Yorbs shit

Sound design is truly amazing

New season new Murph!

Dice bartering while Emily does math

SQUEEM NO

CINNAMON CHALLENGE BEHAVIOR

someone please draw Gorgug as a fisherman

God not the Yerba mate powder

Adaine down!

The dry guys

WHAT

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE

not the vulture again

NO BALTHAZAR

This whole fight feels like a fever dream

Jesus this mirror is playing him

NO BALTHAZAR

God the school email feels so real

Yassqueen?

Oh what the fuck that gulping noise sucks

Damn this circle of power is crazy

Return of the little beans - fuck those little beans

Dude what the fuck fig

GALEIR’S LEMON YOGURT WHAT THE FUC

lmao fig just has nyack from trinivale’s Jam parasite but it’s galeir’s yogurt

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Where does your opinion lie on the matter of sex and gender and the relationship between biological sex and gender roles/ gender prescriptions as a social construct.

We don't ask the same questions about tigers, peafowl or bees.

Sex-based behaviors (gender) are real. We can see them in other primates in a way that mirror ourselves.

Nobody wonders whether the peacock grows feathers and shows off for the females because of social expectations.

Nobody wonders whether the female mantis eats her mate because she's "fIgHtInG tEh PaTrIaRcHy!"

There are very real human sex-based averages that are derived from the evolution of our species, the pressures it has been under, the variations that have been most successful, and what each sex has needed of the other.

This means that, for example, boys are more inclined towards thing-based activities - careers, toys, pasttimes - while girls are more inclined towards people-oriented activities... on average. This is replicated cross-cultures.

Of course there are girls who want to fix trucks for a living, and boys who want to be kindergarten teachers. They are still girls and boys who will grow up to be women and men. And nobody should get in their way.

What you like doesn't define what you are. But what you are is still statistically significant, because it offers societal-wide information. The society-wide trend doesn't predict or define individuals, and individuals don't negate a society-wide trend. Which many people don't seem to understand.

Here's a good example. Average intelligence of women and men is the same.

While the means are the same, male intelligence is more variable, so you'll find more highly intelligent men at the higher end, and more really stupid men at the lower end. You possibly know at least one highly intelligent woman who is smarter than most of the men you know. That doesn't change the societal-wide trend.

This is simply a fact. You can get angry or offended, but it doesn't stop being true.

And in a similar way, men and women having different average interests, tendencies and behaviors - e.g. women tend to be more socially-oriented, men tend to be more action-oriented - makes sense in the light of evolution and the demands and pressures our primitive ancestors were subjected to by the natural world and the battle for success. And the demands males and females put upon each other.

Nobody gets angry when we mention that humans are prone to pareidolia - interpreting or perceiving meaning where it isn't there, such as a smiling or pouting "face" in the front end of a car. Evolutionarily, it makes sense. In the same way, noticing that sex-based differences are real might make people angry or offended, but that offence doesn't matter as far as what is real.

The idea that "gender is a social construct," then is nonsense. It's a denial of evolution itself, a denial of the way we came to be as a species. To suggest that the same tendencies we see in our primate ancestors - e.g. maternal instinct in female chimps carrying sticks - is some kind of social brainwashing requires believing that those tendencies disappeared from humanity's evolutionary line, then re-emerged, identically, as socially imposed roles.

That's creationism. Actually it's worse. Xian creationism simply asserts that everything is as it always was. Everything was created in its current form. Gender creationists must assert that humanity wound backwards to a blank slate state, then had the wherewithal to form a conspiracy of oppression to reinstitute the same vestigial traits back into society. Oh, and this happened either sufficiently far back in our development to precede or dispersal throughout the lands of Earth, or coincidentally every society on Earth came up with it more recently. Gender social constructivism is evolution-denying creationism.

This level of magical thinking makes me long for the days where Xians rambled about the laws of thermodynamics that they don't understand. The talking snake and donkey seem almost reasonable.

The domains that produce this kind of thinking are not science-based, they're political and ideological, such as Gender Studies. People in these fields don't study biology, they don't study demography, they don't study anthropology. They don't even study basic statistics.

Feminist theory, which is where "gender is a social construct" was really incubated as the justification for patriarchy theory, is not scientific, and is opinion (grievance)-based, not evidence based. One of the most tragic examples of this is the John/Joan case, where David Reimer was raised as a girl after a botched circumcision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer

Finally, on 14 March 1980, Reimer's parents told him the truth about his gender reassignment, following advice from Reimer's endocrinologist and psychiatrist. At 14, having been informed of his past by his father, Reimer decided to assume a male gender identity, calling himself David. He underwent treatment to reverse the reassignment, including testosterone injections, a double mastectomy, and phalloplasty operations.

[..]

His case came to international attention in 1997 when he told his story to Milton Diamond, an academic sexologist who persuaded Reimer to allow him to report the outcome in order to dissuade physicians from treating other infants similarly. Soon after, Reimer went public with his story and John Colapinto published a widely disseminated and influential account in Rolling Stone magazine in December 1997. The article won the National Magazine Award for Reporting.

This was later expanded into The New York Times best-selling biography As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl (2000), in which Colapinto described how—contrary to Money's reports—when living as Brenda, Reimer did not identify as a girl. He was ostracized and bullied by peers (who dubbed him "cavewoman"), and neither frilly dresses nor female hormones made him feel female.

Human nature is not as malleable as some people would like you to believe. You are a sexed being. How you "identify" can't change what you are. That doesn't mean you can't do what you want, express yourself how you want, but you are what you are.

This is only controversial to the people who want to push the story of humans being infinitely moldable, existing as divine gender thetans imprisoned in vulgar meat bodies.

Now, it is true that some of these tendencies and behaviors will tend to be limited or shaped by the culture of the society. But they're not constructed wholesale. For example, Japanese society is highly structured around honor. So male and female behaviors will tend to be expressed through those norms; male aggression and female agreeableness may take unique culturally influenced forms. But they're not created by them. Societies which have different pressures - e.g. in the freezing north regions of North America, vs the arid deserts of Africa - will unsurprisingly produce different cultural expectations upon men and women. Recognizing that isn't a form of bigotry, it's an acknowledgement of reality.

There's a reason stereotypes exist - because there is an element of truth in there, even if it's a tiny seed. If there wasn't, we wouldn't be able to recognize or apply them. They exist because humans are prone to cognitive shortcuts, as we have a lot of information to process and making choices or decisions doesn't always allow one to sit down and think things through methodically. Our ancestors wouldn't have had the time, and probably wouldn't have had the cognitive power.

"Girls like dolls, boys like trucks," is a very dirty shorthand. At its core is a demonstrable truth regarding societal-wide averages and tendencies that takes several paragraphs to explain more accurately (and some people will still be determined to be pissed off, no matter how you frame it). But stereotypes are not all we are, and there's no reason not to acknowledge them, but put them aside, or try to. And certainly no reason to use them to structure society itself, "fixing" girls who like trucks and boys who like dolls.

I don't know if that answers your question. Suffice to say that just as a scientific view of the world makes a god unnecessary, a scientific view of the world make social constructivism (postmodern creationism) unnecessary. We can explain the world without resorting to magic or conspiracies.

P.S. Reminder: social constructivism is a social construct.

[ghost-wolf34]

Twilight Torn between two worlds

Chapter two. Denial of having two mates

The next morning.

 Edward was getting ready to head to school with his siblings, but he couldn't stop thinking about Bella's sister scent. He didn't think any other scent besides Bella's could make him go this crazy, but boy was he wrong and he was trying not to get addicted to her scent since he already couldn't get enough of Bella's scent. 

Edward didn't say much on the way to school, he liked the fact that his siblings weren't asking while he was quiet because he was afraid of snapping at someone if he had opened his mouth. He hopped out of the car and headed straight into school, before any of his siblings could walk in with him. 

His siblings all looked at each other and knew that something was definitely were going on, but none of them had any idea of him being drawn to another girl besides Bella. They all stayed quiet during classes, and kept to themselves even though they knew that they had to figure out what the heck had gotten into their brother. 

At lunch time all of them sat there talking while Edward looked over at Bella just staring at her.

Jasper could of course since Edward's mood and anger, he could tell something was bothering him. "Im just gonna come out and say it. You have another mate." Alice said quietly, but loud enough for all of them to hear. 

Edward looked at Alice and narrowed his eyes a bit, he definitely was in a very bad mood and her saying that made it even more true.

“I don't believe that. Bella is my mate, I care about you and her only. Excuse me." Edward said, before getting up to leave the room leaving his siblings there to glance at each other knowing this behave from him wasn't exactly normal behavior from him. 

Edward walked out of the room not caring what his siblings thought or said right now. He just wanted to be alone and he didn't care if he missed class right now, he just wanted to clear his head. "There's no way I could have another mate. Bella is my blond singer, but why is her sister's scent stronger then. He wouldn't definitely have to see her again and figure out why he struggled so hard to ignore her scent. 

Shauna had a bit of a small argument with Bella, before she went to school and of course it was over Edward. And about their date last night that kinda got ruined because he couldn't stop staring at her, which wasn't her fault before she was working and wasn't at fault even though Bella was jealous about his eyes being on her sister instead of herself. 

Shauna sighed softly as she shook her head lightly and got out of her car after parking it, before walking into work. "Sorry I'm late again." Shauna said, as she got ready to take her shift. "It's okay, just try not to do it again." Her boss told her. 

Shauna smiled softly and nodded her head, before getting right to working doing her job but throughout the day she started to think about the scent that she smelled last night along with the cologne. She frowned a bit but still kept her smile, as she shook off those thoughts and worked til her shift was over. 

It of course was late when Shauna got off work, she pressed her car keys as she walked to her truck before stopping and looking around as she felt eyes on her. She got a bit uneasy but kept her guard up, as she got into her truck and drove home not knowing that there was a nomad vampire watching her named James. 

Later that night..

Edward snuck into Bella's house to watch her as she slept. He he watched Bella sleep, he felt himself fighting back a small growl as he clenched his jaw trying to ignore the scent that drove him more crazy then Bella.

He found himself glancing back at Bella one last time, before going to her sisters room and seeing that the door was once again cracked open a bit. 

He stood there watching her through the crack of the door, he started to wonder if Alice was right about him having two mates but even so he cared for Bella and was obsessed with her. He still wondered through if he should care since Bella's sister had a stronger scent then her that drove him crazy and made him want to just bite her. 

Edward shook his head and sighed quietly, before just deciding to leave for the night to go and talk to his sister Alice to see what she knew of this since he did read a bit of her mind at school. He needed to know if he actually did have two mates, he needed to know which one was his true mate and which one wasn't. But he didn't know if he could trust himself to make the right call, if he did have two mates one blood singer and the other one his true mate. He glanced at Bella’s sister one last time, before disappearing out of the house to head back home.

[beazt]

ive seen you mention some stuff about your thesis, so id like to ask what kinds of research were you doing before? and what was your favorite bird to work with?

still working on the thesis!! I was just about to post an update on it. :) heads up you’re getting more than you bargained for with this ask. lmao

but my thesis research is really my first (not only, see end of this post) foray into research, tbh. Technically didn’t start with a thesis, but everything I did worked towards giving me the data I needed for my eventual thesis. so I just refer to it all as my thesis research. so I’ll just give the rundown on my thesis since I have an excuse lmao

my thesis research only involved working with two species, but I’m only focusing on one for the thesis itself. we work with tree swallows and eastern bluebirds! this is because they’re both highly competitive obligate secondary cavity nesters. I’ll break that down. basically it’s fancy speak for “these birds will only nest in holes that were already made before they came along and they will not nest anywhere else.” researching birds is really hard, ask any ornithologist. they’re small, they’re fast, they fly, they’re smart enough to avoid most traps, they don’t really let you get close to them. you can do behavioral monitoring if you have a good enough population, population monitoring if you’re willing to use citizen science and some mist nets. maybe skein some data from point counts. but anything physiological or reproductive is really hard. unless you do a secondary cavity nester, which nests in boxes that you can open and monitor and trap birds in and even do behavioral trials!

(of course there’s also aviary kept birds, but not all species are well suited for that, it’s expensive, it takes a lot of space, and it’s hard to get approved.)

my research specifically focuses on eastern bluebirds. I did quite a bit of field work before ever coming up with a research question, and quite a bit of bench work. most of my bench work at that point was dissecting nests and quantifying parasites. the general reaction I get to this is “ew, I could never” but I loved it! I love insects and especially parasites. a clean nest with no parasites would only take maybe 2 minutes but a mossy, wet, muddy nest full of parasites could take 2 hours. and we get 300+ nests per year, most are parasitized. so I spent a lot of time doing this!

I was having a parasite quantifying party with the other guy in my lab who works with the parasites and our professor/research mentor, when I was just asking questions about the parasites and stuff. and I ended up asking “do the parasites affect the baby bluebirds color?” and boom, my thesis question was born. you see, no one has studied this question before, because not that many people in the US study bird color, my professor is one of few. but it’s also an interesting question because juvenile bluebirds will retain their flight plumage into their first breeding season. and my prof has shown that differences in colored ornamentation affect mate choice and sexual selection in the past. so essentially, an effect on color could affect their first breeding season as well as potentially affect parental care (not as much research is done on that, because fledglings are hard as fuck to study.)

so I went through as much literature as I could find, there’s very little on the effects of any parasites on bird color, but I went through other things that could affect coloration, especially structural coloration. quick tangent on structural coloration: essentially, blue and green birds do not have blue (or green, except in the case of the turacos) pigment. the blue is caused by some wacky keratin structures that reflect blue light. this is a very different mechanism than repurposing or producing pigments!

I also kept on trucking through those nests. I would arrive at uni (45-60 min drive) every morning by 6 am to dissect nests until my 9 am class.

And then I started doing another bit of bench work where I took the feather samples we collected (2 cm of the tip of the 5th primary wing feather on each side) from the nestlings and taping them to non-reflective black paper for color analysis. and then I measured them! we use a fancy machine called a spectrophotometer to objectively measure the reflectance of every wavelength of light between 300 and 630nm, so through the UV into near infrared. birds are tetrachromatic, which means they have 4 visual pigments in their eyes, so they can see UV! so it’s important we measure it objectively, since we can’t even see it.

not to mention that we have a ton of data we collect on each bird and I had to do a TON of database management to make sure the data was even useable. I won’t even go into that much cause it’s boring, but it’s a lot of reorganizing, hunting down missing data, and scanning for typos, in literal thousands of rows by over a hundred columns of data.

it’s worth noting that I’ve been working on this project for two years. I did all of this for the first year myself, and also caught up a lot of lagging work from previous years and collaborators projects (perks of being an undergraduate research assistant: I got paid to do this). I also measured adult bird feather samples and the tree swallow samples. and then the second year came around. I trained people to do the nest dissecting, feather taping, and adult feather spec work, and some parts of the database management (and wrote/developed detailed protocols for all of these.) I kept some of the work for myself because it’s difficult to do correctly and takes experience, like the advanced database management and spec’ing the baby bluebird feathers. I just recently finished all of the database management for my thesis the years 2019-2022, there’s still a bit more to be done but not super relevant to my thesis. This alone took over 50 hours, total.

and in 2022, in my preliminary data, we noticed a correlation between parasites and baby color, but only for the female babies. (I ended up presenting this preliminary data at a conference.) this is significant because most rearing environment conditions affect the males more than the females. so since I still had a year, we decided to do some more analysis. the other guy working with the parasites was doing molecular work to quantify immune response to the parasites in the nestlings and brooding adult females. so I hopped on that bandwagon and did a ton of work in collaboration with him, and I mean 12 hour days of molecular work, to quantify the immune response of a male and female nestling from each nest and their mother. we did this through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) which here’s the very basic premise (excluding a lot of detail, forgive me). you extract the proteins of the parasites. then you add the blood of the birds. the immune cells in the blood of the birds react to the parasite proteins. then you add another immune type enzyme that attaches to the active bird immune cells. then you add chemicals which make those enzymes change color. then you use a microspectrophotometer to measure the optical density (basically the inability of light to pass through the solution) of each sample, and it tells you how strong the bird immune response was. you of course run a bunch of controls and then calculations based on those controls too.

then I ran a bunch of fancy statistics and color analysis and visual modeling. :P the visual modeling essentially takes the photoreceptor qualities and quantities across the avian eye to determine what the birds can see, and then the differences between two colors in avian vision. I used it to determine if a bird could tell the difference between a parasitized and unparasitized bird by their color, allowing their plumage to act as a signal of parasitism.

and now I’m writing about all of it. I’ve just finished my methods and results sections today, im probably not going to post about final results until I’ve been peer reviewed and published. but yeah, that’s essentially my thesis.

I suppose you could say bluebirds were my favorite bird to work with. It was really fun weighing and measuring their babies and watching them grow. And measuring the adults too. And taking their blood and feather samples. All of it was so fun. The particularly aggressive parents will dive at you when you’re messing with their babies lol. Ever seen a bluebird aiming for your face? I have.

overall I’ve spent well over 400 hours on this project, and I’m a fast worker. More hours to come with writing and preparing for publication. :p

in the middle of this project (summer 2022) I also completed an REU (research experience for undergraduates) program in Cincinnati where I was studying jumper spiders. That’s where I learned the visual modeling, actually. I spent a little over 400 hours on that project as well, except over the course of 10 weeks. the major difference is that was a full time job just doing research. with my thesis research I’ve been a full time student (15-17 credit hour semesters) the entire time and had a part time job 18 hours per week with a 2 hour commute each day all at the same time. that’s why it’s taken me 2 years to get the same amount of hours dedicated. lol

[pascalls]

I'm answering ALL OF THESE IN ONE POST LOL because some of them are good questions! Check out my answers under the read-more!

Charlie's current living situation in the Simpsons Universe is either in Reverend Lovejoy's basement, somewhere under a table at Moe's, or in one of Sam's trucks. He'll bounce back and forth from place to place- if none of the three are available, he'll find sleep in a dumpster somewhere. He's not very picky. I wrote about him sleeping in the trash in Gazebo of Horrors.

In most AUs, Charlie can speak conversational French, but nothing else.

His mutation in the Simpsons universe was immediate and complete. He won't continue to mutate further. Any larger doses of whatever Burns gave him would probably just end up killing him. I would imagine that it was kind of a funny werewolf-style transformation in Simpsons universe. In other, more realistic universes, his transformation was gradual, painful, and not at all pleasant. His voice is the same before and after the transformation! In Simpsons universe, he is American- in most other universes, he is from North London and has a fairly heavy cockney accent.

The transformation changed a lot about how Charlie perceives the world. He relies a lot heavier on scent and hearing now, and he does occasionally shed scales. He's also highly sensitive to cold temperatures. Most medicines, however, will still work on him. He's just prone to addiction- but that was evident even before his transformation. The mutation has not affected his sexual health in any significant way in the Simpsons universe. In others, he is known to be very fertile and can produce a lot of offspring with both humans and individuals of other humanoid species (werewolves, aliens, dragons, etc.) It gets weird and muddy. But he's known to have a fairly high sex drive post-mutation.

Yes, as stated above, Charlie has developed more animalistic behaviors and instincts. He's known to be territorial over mates or potential mates (or partners, putting it more politely). He's aggressive when challenged and is prone to biting and clawing in a fight as opposed to punching and kicking.

Charlie has never spoken or talked to the Parson. If they were to meet, Charlie would not be a fan of him. He's too smooth talking and he seems way too snooty. Charlie would put super glue on his chair.

I HAVEN'T SEEN THE RECENT EPISODES so I'm probably just like unaware of this entirely lmao but I don't think Charlie would have much knowledge of the relationship between Homer and Chalmers either. In his mind, those are two separate people who he has individual relationships with. Rarely would they be seen together as a threesome.

Charlie's tail is prehensile, but it's pretty heavy. He doesn't utilize it much AS an extended appendage, but he can, in a pinch. The funnest thing he does is lean back on his tail and use it as a balance so he can kangaroo kick someone right in the gut.

Charlie's tail is probably tugged on a lot during sex... I can imagine that it might have posed an interesting dynamic when first introduced to Lovejoy and Sam- but I think Chalmers would've been like "OH COOL, LET ME PULL THIS UNTIL IT HURTS". Sam would get used to it. Lovejoy would continue to be horribly awkward about it every time.

Charlie's eyesight has never been phenomenal. It got better with the mutation, not worse. But in almost every universe, his eyesight will suffer in some way, shape, or form. In his main universe, he is now blind. In Simpson's universe, he just needs them to see detailed things from far away.

Post-transformation, Charlie probably stole a lot of food out of the trash. His first decent meal was probably not until he could steal MONEY and then go order take-out or something. But he's never really been in danger of starvation.

I'd like to think Mr. Burns forgot about Charlie like literally two days after he disappeared- he had other weird shit to do. Smithers is 100% aware of Charlie (considering they sort of have a friends with benefits thing going on), but isn't keen on reminding Mr. Burns about it UNLESS he feels particularly like a bitch or if Charlie does something to piss him off. So far, so good. Mr. Burns probably didn't say much about Charlie's disappearance. He wasn't a popular dude before the incident, so it's not like anyone really cared LOL.

YES, you may draw her. Her name is Carla!

Charlie can probably pick apart a few words in Spanish, but not much! The only words he'd be familiar with are any that also sound similar to French.

His parents are worse. He would prefer to be caught by Mr. Burns.

Pokemon!Charlie would be a normal human! But he'd specialize in lizard/dragon/dinosaur pokemon. He actually has a team that I've developed before! It consists of Krookodile, Archen, Goomy, Breloom, Heliolisk, and Cranidos! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE QUASTIONS!

[villanevehaus]

XI  — As ever, fantastic chapter. And so many words! Secretly love your brain worms bullying the extra scene out at the last minute. Highlights for me: 

“The water pressure is inadequate.” Felt that in my soul.

Every time Vil says “Tell me, Eve” I shout “the titular line!” at my screen. I know it’s happened before, but I love it every time.

Using the dressers in a hotel room? Peak psychopath behavior.

Vil’s little meltdown over the idea other people have cut and stitched Eve was adorable and unsettling.

Also, Dr. Astankova out here tricking Eve into exercise and proper meals? Murder wife material.

The ranch scene reminds me of this: https://www.tumblr.com/threi/691186349910491136/mayonnaise 

Loved the “I was there” dialogue trick Vil executed while discussing the stabbing and the fire. Clever, cute.

BILL, POOR MAN, I SEE YOU! (Also, if Vil feels like they are gore-mates now, wait ’til she figures this shit out. Phew.)

Lastly, and this is my weird one, the internal dynamic of Oksana and Villanelle reminds me of the antagonist from The Cell (2000). Specifically, the relationship between adult and child Stargher toward the end—“Me got boy, boy me got.” :(((

tme anon

P.S. — Regarding your document length and notes woes, I think Scrivener would work? Which I am happy to fund if you want to try it out.

i am the guy writing it and yet every time i write "Tell me, Eve." I feel like the Leo pointing meme- that's the name !!!

my father uses the dresser drawers in hotels thank you for agreeing that this is insane behaviour

THAT MAYO DRAWING IS EXACTLY THE RANCH SCENE

what does it say about me that i didn't even consciously use "I was there" as both the fire and the stabbing. king of [truck passes by].

ouh, new movie for me to watch!!!

ouh, maybe! i have a copy of it that i 100% legally acquired (no crimes here) but i can't remember if it's expired or not. ill poke around and see if it would work! that's a very kind offer regardless <3