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Friday night. Somewhere in the forest.
There was something behind him. Something chasing him. And Mark was running.
Running, and running, and running.
Running for his life. He didn’t even know how he knew that it was at stake; all he knew was bone-deep fear. This was a race for their lives, and they were fighting for them, Mark and Jeno both. They tore through the forest, down the Fall Creek path like the devil was at their heels. Maybe he was.
Snarling. Every hair on Mark’s body stood on end, and still, he ran. Loud panting – was it his? Or Jeno’s? Or someone – some thing – else’s? Something catching at the back of his shirt – the heel of his shoe coming loose –
“MARK!”
And then Mark was pushed very, very hard; and he fell very, very fast; and he landed very, very painfully. His head hurt. Every bone in his body ached. Mark tasted iron in his mouth. He felt warmth trickle down his temple, past the corner of his eye.
Everything else was so very, very cold.
Mark couldn’t move. His limbs felt impossibly heavy. He tried to blink, but his eyes wouldn’t open. He tried to open his fist, but his fingers refused to unlock. Mark exhaled. Something felt funny about it, like bubbles. Like wet. He couldn’t understand why. It didn’t matter. It was time to sleep.
And then Jeno screamed.
Two days later. A dorm room in Mews Hall.
Mark stared critically at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Looking past all the water marks and toothpaste stains, the scab on his left temple looked much improved. Probably two more days until it fell off, as long as he kept from picking at it. He’d been really good about not touching it so far, despite the itchiness and his perpetual need to be fidgeting with something.
The same couldn’t be said for his best friend. Mark emerged from the bathroom, full cup of water in hand. Said best friend was currently existing as a sad lump beneath his blue comforter.
“C’mon, man,” Mark poked at roughly where Jeno’s shoulder should be. “Brought you water. Drink up.”
Like a turtle emerging from its shell, Jeno’s head popped out from his cocoon. His hair was an absolute disaster, and his eyes were bleary. His hand was steady when it took the cup from Mark though, and his face had good color. It could’ve been worse, Mark reminded himself. It could’ve been a lot worse.
Mark had only just recovered from his nasty hangover that morning. By the time they’d gotten back from the Lambda party on Friday night, the first rays of Saturday’s dawn were beginning to peek out on the horizon. Mark couldn’t quite remember what had taken them so long to get home, but they must have drank a shit ton more than usual. They’d both taken a nasty tumble on Fall Creek path, at the very least. By the time Mark had swiped open their door, they barely even had the energy to shower. Mark had almost fallen asleep in it, only saved by Jeno stumbling loudly into the doorframe as he went to take a piss.
Mark watched as Jeno drained the cup in one gulp. He gnawed at his lip. “Maybe you should take it slow, I think I heard somewhere that drinking too fast can upset your stomach–”
“I’m thirsty,” Jeno replied beseechingly. Mark sighed, taking the cup back.
“`kay, buddy. I’ll get you more.”
When Mark stepped back out of the bathroom, Jeno was standing strangely at the center of the room, head tilted to the side. Something about him looked…off, in the morning light. He shuddered violently, muscles visibly rippling under his skin. Mark blinked hard.
“You cold, man?” Mark asked, concerned. Jeno flinched at the question. After a long second, he shook his head.
“No. Not cold.” He looked down at his hands, expression peculiar. “Hot, actually.” He tugged his shirt off one-handed over the back of his head. Mark looked on jealously. Any time he tried that, he got tangled in the shirt. The midmorning sun washed over Jeno’s bare torso, throwing the lines of his muscles in sharp relief. Mark took the moment to platonically appreciate his best friend’s form. Mans was jacked. Actually…Mark squinted. More jacked than usual, even. He shook his head. Must be the dehydration. That was a thing actors did to make their muscles look more prominent, right?
Mark shoved the water cup Jeno’s way again. This time, he bothered to take it in two sips. “Thanks Markie. There’s Luna bars in my desk, if you want one.” Mark nodded as if this was new information to him. He knew exactly where Jeno’s Luna bars were, and might have liberated one or two on rare occasion. He helped himself while Jeno grabbed his Blender Bottle off the window ledge, bringing it to the kitchen to refill it from the Brita. Mark hopped onto his bed, curling up under his blanket as he gnawed at the bar. For the first time since Saturday morning, his head was starting to feel clear. The headache that’d been plaguing him for 36 hours had finally receded, and his back wasn’t sore.
Jeno came back into the room, shutting the door firmly behind him. He squinted at the sunlight hitting him directly in the face, and shuffled forward to close the blinds Mark had just opened.
“Still hungover?”
“Maybe?” Jeno made a face. “Definitely don’t feel back to normal yet.”
Mark winced sympathetically. “Yo, anything come back from Friday night for you? I’ve been trying to remember, but I browned out after doing body shots with Gigi and Jaemin. Pretty sure I was blacked for most of the walk home.”
Jeno sighed heavily, leaning back against the bed. “Same as I told you yesterday. Running down the path, and then getting tackled by a giant wolf. I don’t even remember crossing the bridge.”
They’d either blacked out or suffered some kind of alcohol-induced hallucination – or both. Jeno’s shoulder had been covered in blood, shirt ripped to shreds. When Mark asked about it, Jeno said he’d been attacked by some huge wolf, which was absolutely wild. Mark suspected Jeno might’ve microdosed at the frat and forgotten it with how much they drank. Either way, there was no bite on Jeno, wolf or otherwise, or any sign of broken skin at all. It was an utter mystery as to where the blood had come from. As for Mark’s forehead, there was a jagged scrape that had clotted by the time he was bundled into his sweats, and he knew exactly how he got that. Rock to the head. His party clothes were fucking soaked though, which was weird. Mark must have fallen into water at some point, but he couldn’t remember when.
“I told you, man. There’s no wolves in New York. And you’re not even scraped up.”
Jeno’s face contorted. Mark had known Jeno since he was six years old – but he’d never known Jeno to look like that. For a moment, he’d been snarling, and his eyes…They had glowed yellow. Bright yellow.
By the time Mark got his mouth working, the color in his irises had receded back to their normal brown. It didn’t help Mark’s heart rate go down.
“I don’t feel well,” Jeno said, which seemed an understatement.
“Dude, I think your eyes just turned yellow,” Mark informed him seriously. Jeno’s face dropped comically, and he rushed to the mirror propped up between their closets.
“No they’re not!” He spun around and pouted at Mark. “Seriously, Mark, I don’t feel right. Don’t mess with me.”
Not the kicked-puppy face. Anything but that. “No, really Jeno! They flashed yellow for a second! Like, glowing yellow. I swear.”
“Whatever,” Jeno waved him off, sitting down heavily in his desk chair. He folded his arms and laid his head down with a muffled groan. “I feel weird.”
“Lemme take your temperature.”
Mark ran to the bathroom and rummaged through their medicine cabinet, cursing as he knocked over two bottles of Advil and several tubes of Neosporin. He finally managed to dig out the aural thermometer his mom had forced him to pack both years, suddenly grateful for her foresight. Shit, he should give her a call today. At the last minute, Mark grabbed some Tylenol Extra Strength as well. Just in case.
“Gimme that ear,” Mark told Jeno, popping a new cap on the sensor. Jeno tipped his head to the side, not moving it up from his desk. It took a moment to figure out the weird angle, but after some uncomfortable squirming, Mark was able to dig it in good. He checked the reading. “Alright, we got… oh, shit. One hundred three point seven. That is… not good. Shit.”
“I guess that’s why I feel…strange,” Jeno said, sighing and nestling further into the cradle of his forearms. “S’weird. I’ve never had a fever feel like this before.”
Mark wasn’t listening, focused on prying off the child-safe lid and shaking out three pills. He couldn’t remember if the dose for the extra-strength was one or two pills, but either way – Jeno was a big guy, so he probably needed a little more, right? “Here, Jeno, have some Tylenol.” Mark grabbed Jeno’s Blender Bottle and offered it to him, but Jeno had already dry-swallowed. Mark gave him his stern cat-face, shaking the bottle and making the water slosh around. Jeno sheepishly took it and gulped half down. “You gotta stay hydrated, man. You have a fever.”
“You’re right.” Jeno wiped his chin messily on his sweatshirt sleeve. He slumped back in his bed, sighing heavily as he stared up at the ceiling. His leg twitched. “Man, I am so fucking achy. Markie, can I have one of your heating pads for your tummy problems? My joints are really sore.”
“No, sorry dude. I used ‘em up last time, haven’t restocked.”
Jeno pouted fiercely, dropping the water bottle and rolling over onto his stomach. He leveled Mark with watery puppy-eyes. “How about a massage?”
“You are,” Mark said, trying not to sound too fond as he climbed on the bed behind Jeno, “such a baby.”
“Yeah,” Jeno sighed, wiggling back against Mark in contentment. “I’m baby.”
Mark started Jeno off easy, getting in that good spot right between the shoulder blades with both his thumbs, and then his knuckles once the muscles had warmed up a bit. Jeno sighed happily, melting into the mattress. Mark took it as his signal to move up. He placed his hands at the top of Jeno’s shoulders, beginning to rub gently. The second he applied pressure, he felt Jeno tense. Mark halted the massage.
“Okay there, buddy?”
“Yeah, yeah, just… not there.” Jeno’s voice sounded off, but it was being muffled by his pillow. Mark shrugged it off, and moved back down to the safe spot between the shoulder blades. Once he had Jeno turning into liquid contentment again, Mark judged it as good to continue. Neck this time. Mark was always careful here, but Jeno loved it afterwards. Lacrosse did terrible things to his neck.
The second Mark’s hands touched the nape of Jeno’s neck, his best friend went rigid. Mark saw the veins in his forearm bulge out, and on the back of his hands. His hands….
“Holy shit!” Mark yelped. Where Jeno’s fingernails should be, there were giant, thick black claws.
“What?” Jeno’s voice was low, nearly a growl. Mark missed the underlying vexation in the words, too caught up in his panic.
“There’s…”
Just as suddenly as they had appeared, the claws were gone. Mark blinked at the normal, human, neatly-filed nails at the end of Jeno’s fingers. A second ago those had been two-inch claws, he was sure of it. Or maybe he wasn’t sure of it. Fuck, maybe Mark had microdosed Friday night. Maybe he’d taken LSD. Those trips could last for days, right?
Mark removed his hands from Jeno’s back. He needed a moment. Deep breath, hold it for seven seconds, exhale for seven seconds. He rubbed his eyes hard, knuckles digging in. White spots filled his vision. He blinked them away dazedly. Christ. What the hell was in the air this morning? Jeno tilted his head back, confused by the sudden cessation of his message. He looked like a confused puppy, an expression so quintessentially Jeno that it immediately put Mark at ease. That was Mark’s best friend right there, no doubt about it.
“What is it?” Jeno asked, brow furrowing. Mark blinked a few more times. He shook his head dumbly.
“N-nothing! Just thought I saw something.” Jeno looked doubtful. Mark forced a smile. “Don’t worry about it. Eyes playing tricks, you know how it is.”
He continued the back rub, carefully keeping his hands away from Jeno’s neck and shoulders. He was really getting into a knot in the lower lumbar region when Jeno went rigid under his hands. As if struck by sudden realization, Jeno shot up straight in bed. The sudden movement tipped Mark off the twin mattress. He landed in a heap on the floor, shooting a disgruntled look at Jeno as he tried to untangle his limbs. His best friend failed to notice Mark’s plight. Jeno’s eyelids fluttered with dismay as he groaned loudly. “Fuck. I need to go to practice.”
Mark snorted, panic rising in him as he finally straightened up. It was sick and twisted that the lacrosse team even had Sunday practices, thank you so much, but there was no way Jeno could play sports in this state. “You’re not going anywhere like this.”
“I know!” Jeno cried, hands bunching up his sweatshirt in stress. “But I can’t skip practice, dude! Coach will kick me off the team! It’s like, the biggest rule. We can’t skip.”
“But you’re not skipping, you’re sick.”
Jeno waved his hand. “It’s the same thing for college sports.”
Mark was once again glad he opted not to get recruited for swimming. “Well, what if you got a doctor’s note?”
“From where?”
“I don’t know, the infirmary?”
Jeno’s eyebrows shot up. He nodded, and bounced off the bed. “You’re so right. Let’s go!”
Mark’s eyebrows raised. “Okay, dude, you’re gonna have to try to look a little more sick than that if you want them to write an excuse note.”
Jeno deflated, nodding sheepishly. “Right, right. It’s weird. I feel really off, but I’m not tired, you know? Or, I am tired, but walking to the health center doesn’t seem exhausting right now.”
Mark cast him a doubtful look. “Dude, maybe your fever is higher than that thermometer picked up, ‘cuz you’re not making any sense right now.”
Jeno sighed, balancing on one foot as he pulled on sneakers. “Let’s just go.”
Mark grabbed his keys off his desk, shoving his socked feet into crocs. “And what’s this about walking to the health center? I’m not letting you walk a mile, you’re sick. We’re taking Roscoe!”
“Isn’t Roscoe in the shop?” Jeno asked, trailing after Mark. Mark didn’t see the crossed fingers Jeno held behind his back.
“Nah, man, he got out on Thursday!” Mark chirped, slipping out the door. Jeno whimpered under his breath.
***
It was a Sunday afternoon, so the health center was fairly deserted. Not many classes to skip at that time, apparently. Jeno only had to wait five minutes before his name was called to be seen. Mark made to trail after Jeno into the exam room, only to be halted by an odd look from the nurse.
“Patients only, I’m afraid.”
Mark startled, flushing tomato red. “Oh, yeah, right, right. Right, haha, yeah. Of course. Um… good luck, buddy.”
“Thanks man,” Jeno told him sincerely, stepping over the threshold. The nurse spared the two of them one more flabbergasted look before shutting the door in Mark’s face.
With a sigh, Mark slunk back to the waiting room. He tried to pretend the desk person hadn’t heard that go down, but his ears stubbornly remained red. He took out his phone and checked his email. Then he checked Instagram. He crossed his legs, and uncrossed them. He unzipped his hoodie halfway. Mark was contemplating getting up and flicking through the informational pamphlets ( Whether it’s a fling or a serious thing: GET TESTED! was calling to him in particular) when Jeno finally emerged from the exam room.
Mark jumped to his feet. “Jeno! What’s the verdict?”
“Fever,” Jeno informed him. “But lower than before, it’s only one-oh-one point five. I’m not going to practice today though.”
“Plenty of fluids and rest,” the nurse reminded him, checking something off on her clipboard. “Come back if the fever doesn’t go away after several days, but you should be fine soon.”
***
Jeno went back to practice Monday, despite his fever still not dropping below 101º Fahrenheit. Nothing Mark said would dissuade him. Jeno was like that, sometimes; famously stubborn. He was convinced he couldn’t miss a second day of practice, anxious that he’d be considered a flake and booted from the team. Division I sports were disgustingly cutthroat. Mark would’ve liked to strap Jeno to his bed, but he resisted the temptation. He had to trust Jeno’s judgment.
The bottle of Tylenol remained on Jeno’s desk. Mark suppressed the urge to check in with Jeno that he was taking it, or to shake out the doses every six hours and give them to Jeno himself, or shove the thermometer in his ear every time he saw him. Jeno was an adult; he could take care of himself. He didn’t need Mark smothering him.
But it was hard to let go of the instinct, sometimes. Mark had known Jeno since elementary school, when he moved into a suburb of NYC on the same block as Jeno’s family. Mark had been a year older, and it was always his job to be the responsible one: to look after Jeno, keep him protected at school, to take the fall when they got in trouble with their parents… And now, it felt like Mark’s job to show Jeno the ropes at Cornell. After all, Mark had already got all the experience of freshman year, right? Why not insulate Jeno from all the mistakes Mark had made? What else were the benefits of having an older friend going to the same school? They were even roommates, because of course they were. Mark had figured out like, the one situation where they could dorm together as a freshman and a sophomore – much to the gratitude of Jeno’s parents. They asked Mark to take care of their baby at university, the same way Mark had taken care of Jeno his whole life.
Mark had taken his role of guide very seriously. But then he and Jeno had a blow-out fight just before Thanksgiving break – the worst ever seen in their friendship. For all that Mark adored taking care of Jeno, it turned out Jeno didn’t exactly feel the same way. He was an adult, and wanted to be treated as such. He wanted to strike out on his own, make his own mistakes. He felt like Mark was holding him back from new experiences. There hadn’t been bad intentions on either side, but still. After screaming at each other for twenty minutes straight, it had felt like something had fractured. Ultimately it was nothing that couldn’t be healed and made even stronger, but that didn’t take away the hurt. After spending a week being withdrawn and sulky, Mark got the message and shaped up. Jeno was his best friend, not a baby brother, and he deserved to have Mark treat him like that.
And so the bottle of Tylenol on the desk loomed large. It kept drawing Mark’s eye, but he kept his mouth shut. Jeno knew how to take Tylenol, for fuck’s sake. He didn’t need Mark’s hovering now that he was feeling a bit better.
But Mark had new Jeno-things to worry about that weren’t health-related, it would seem.
“How was practice?” Mark asked, all faux-casual. He deliberately did not glance at the bottle of Tylenol.
“It was good!” Jeno chirped, but there was something odd in his tone. Mark raised his eyebrows, eyes narrowing. Jeno rolled his eyes slightly. “No, seriously, I was fine at practice. Actually, I kind of did better than usual?”
“Say what?”
“Yeah! Like, I don’t know. No one was getting past me today. Our goalie thanked me after practice for basically giving him the day off.” A faint glow seemed to radiate from Jeno as he remembered the praise. Mark smiled at him fondly.
But Jeno didn’t strip to hit the shower, or collapse onto his bed, or go to Donghyuck’s bedroom to bother him. He just stood in the middle of the room, rocking slightly on his feet. Mark had known him too long. Jeno was uneasy.
“Anything else, bud?” Mark asked knowingly. “Something on your mind?”
“Okay, well.” Jeno looked relieved to have the opening, posture opening up as he turned to face Mark. “These guys on the team…” he trailed off, gnawing his lower lip. Bad habit he never managed to break. Mark huffed, chucking a tube of Aquaphor his way. Jeno took it gratefully, smearing it on his mouth without looking. “Thanks, man. But there’s these guys on the team.”
“…Yeah?” Mark would assume so. It was the men’s lacrosse team, after all.
“I don’t know. They’re just kinda. Weird.”
“Weird how?” Mark asked cautiously. “Like, white guys with dreads weird? Never take a shower weird? Steal your organs weird?”
“Well, they’re not weird,” Jeno waffled. Mark rolled his eyes. “They’re just acting weird.”
“Thanks, that really clears things up–”
“They’re popular upperclassmen on the team,” Jeno clarified. “Johnny’s the captain, actually.” Well, this was starting to make a drop of sense, at least. “But they just kept looking at me today. Their eyes were on me all of practice, it was so creepy. Every time I turned around, one of them was staring at me. Or all three.”
Mark’s brow furrowed, concerned. “Looking at you how? Are they being weird about you being Korean? Or did they find out you’re gay? ‘Cause I swear to God, I’ll beat them up – or, like, I know a guy who’ll beat them up–”
“No, they’re Asian! And they all have rainbow stickers in their lockers!” Jeno cried, sounding even more frustrated. “That’s the thing. It’s so weird. I like, really look up to them, man. I don’t know. And they were so normal, except today. I don’t know what’s up, but it just. It felt off. Really off, Markie.”
“Well, they should fuck off. Can you ask any of your teammates to help you out? The coach, maybe? Get them to talk to those guys, tell them to back off.” He paused for a moment, tilting his head. “Do you want me to tell them to fuck off?” Mark had been called many things in his life, but blunt tended to come up quite often. He preferred to use the word direct. Jeno shook his head despondently, looking on the verge of tears. Mark frowned sympathetically, opening up his arms. Jeno practically dove onto the bed, climbing on top of Mark and flopping down heavily. Mark took his weight with a grunt, not even complaining about the sweat transferring on all his clothes.
“I really don’t wanna piss them off.” Jeno sniffed pathetically. He burrowed his face into Mark’s sweatshirt, muffling his voice. “Johnny’s captain, everyone loves him. And Yuta is like, the best attack on the team, and Jaehyun is a fucking insane midfielder and he’s only a junior. I want them to like me!”
“I’m sure they do,” Mark soothed him, petting over Jeno’s soft hair gently. He squeezed Jeno’s hips with his knees. “Maybe they woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Everyone likes you, Jenjen. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“You think?” Jeno looked up at Mark, eyes wobbly. Mark cupped his cheek protectively.
“Yeah, bud.” Jeno sighed in relief, letting his heavy head slump into Mark’s hand. But for all the confidence Mark was projecting, something lurked at the back of his mind. An itch he couldn’t shake. It felt like a predator, like a beast with yellow eyes and sharp claws, just waiting for Mark to let his guard down. “But… how about I take Roscoe and pick you up from practice tomorrow.”
“Would you?” Jeno’s eyes lit up, and he squeezed Mark tighter in his arms. Mark felt his ribs fuckin’ bruise , and he yelped, slapping at Jeno’s shoulder until he loosened his grip. “Hyung, you’re the best!”
Mark thought about how he’d have to sprint the entire mile home from his three-hour afternoon lecture on Wednesday to pick Jeno up on time. “I know, dude.”
***
“Hey baby, whassup?” Mark called out to Jeno, grinning as his best friend rolled his eyes. Jeno hiked up his gym bag and trotted over to Mark immediately, anyways. He went in for the high-five hug. Mark swerved, wrinkling his nose. “Dude. You are dripping sweat.”
“Sorry, didn’t shower,” Jeno apologized, grabbing Mark’s arm and steering him away from the entrance of Bartels. “Wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, see if it would shake off…” He trailed off, breath hitching. His shoulders hiked up around his ears, and his mouth pressed into a flat line. Mark looked at him, concerned.
“That’s them,” Jeno muttered under his breath, shooting a painfully unsubtle glance over his shoulder. The whites of his eyes showed. He reminded Mark of a balking horse. Or an anxious dog.
Jeno had already thrown subtlety to the wind, so Mark felt no shame in turning his head to get a better look at his best friend’s newfound admirers. He nearly stopped in his tracks.
He whistled through his teeth. “I gotta say, dude. You probably managed to snag the hottest group of stalkers on campus,” Mark told him frankly, throwing his arm over Jeno’s shoulder and pulling him tightly to his side. Louder, Mark asked, “So how was conditioning, Jeno-yah?”
“Easy enough,” Jeno muttered, pleased little smile quirking his lips. His eyes sparkled as he elbowed Mark in the side. “It’s still holding up dude, the insane stamina and strength. It wasn’t some freak accident on Monday and Tuesday, Mark. I think it’s like… for real.”
“You’re just built different now, huh?” Mark replied, a little doubtful. Jeno was the furthest thing from a liar, but Mark was having trouble believing that Jeno’s perception of newfound stamina and strength wasn’t actually just a month of college sports conditioning paying off.
They walked hip to hip, trying to find that sweet spot of walking quickly before it became awkward speed-walking. The retinue of stalkers continued to trail behind them, all the way through the back of the lot where Mark had parked Roscoe in hopes of avoiding a ticket.
“Hey, do you think if I grab your ass, they’ll think I’m your boyfriend and back the hell off?”
In lieu of responding, Jeno’s hand slid down to the back pocket of Mark’s jeans. He squeezed firmly. Too firmly. He kept it up until Mark began whining and squirming, actually gasping in pain. Jeno released him immediately, jumping away from Mark’s side to boot.
“Dude,” he wheezed, clutching his own backside protectively. Mark shot a reproachful look at Jeno, whose eyes had gone wide. “Watch it. Maybe you really do have freak strength now, Jesus. Dang. That’s gonna bruise.”
“Oh my God, I am so sorry, Mark.” Nobody could remain upset in the face of Jeno’s puppy eyes. Mark resigned himself to icing his ass when he got home.
“Don’t worry about it.” Mark waved him off. “What’s a little grope between friends?”
“I’m still really–”
“I know you didn’t mean to, Jeno,” Mark said warmly. He threw his arm back over Jeno’s shoulder, where it belonged, and walked them faster. Mark hadn’t bothered to feed the meter (like he was gonna pay a full dollar to spend ten minutes picking up a friend. Mark already paid Cornell fucking tens of thousands in tuition, and now they want his cupholder change to boot? Hilarious, truly) and he really didn’t want another parking ticket. Roscoe came into full view – windshield clear. “Yo!” Mark cheered, pumping his fist. “No ticket, baby! That’s what I’m talking ‘bout.”
Jeno cheered as well, slapping Mark five. Mark could have sworn he heard snickers behind them, but it was too faint to tell. The line of Jeno’s shoulders went tense for a moment; then relaxed, as he shook his head slightly. Mark gave him a questioning look.
“My ears have just been too sensitive lately,” Jeno muttered, tilting his neck to the side and rubbing one of said ears against his hiked-up shoulder. “Annoying as fuck.”
Although he tried to play it off, Mark winced as he slid into the driver's seat. Jeno stared at him with huge, concerned puppy eyes. If Mark checked, he was pretty sure Jeno’s tail would’ve been tucked between his legs.
“Seriously, Jeno,” Mark reminded him, turning the key in the ignition and checking his back mirror. The retinue of hotties were in sight, gathered around a black Range Rover and staring down Roscoe with fiery intensity. Mark jumped slightly, blinking hard. When he opened his eyes again, they’d disappeared. Suppressing a shiver, Mark looked at Jeno once more, granting him a reassuring smile. “Not a big deal. I’ve gotten harder spanks from Donghyuck, for real.” It was a lie, but Mark would happily fib to make Jeno happy. “Besides, if ass bruises are what it takes to get those guys to back off, then I’ll take ‘em gladly.”
“If you’re sure.” Jeno still looked doubtful, but he buckled his seatbelt obediently.
“I’m sure,” Mark said confidently, pulling out of the space and jerkily navigating out of the crowded lot. “Besties for the resties, man.”
Jeno’s hand squeezed Mark’s shoulder, very carefully. “Besties for the resties.”
***
“Any better today?” Mark asked, looking up from his tablet as Jeno finally emerged from the shower. Jeno grunted as he hopped on one foot, shoving his legs into his sweats.
“I played really well. Nakamoto, Suh and Jeong were still staring me down,” he reported. The names sounded slightly reverent, despite the paranoia surrounding them that had been plaguing Jeno since Monday.
“Honestly, they looked kind of familiar. Had you ever mentioned them before now?” Mark said thoughtfully, locking his tablet and tossing it onto his desk. It scattered across, sliding straight off the edge. Mark preemptively winced – only to not hear the dreaded noise of it clattering on the floor.
Jeno straightened up, Mark’s tablet in hand. Mark stared at him wide-eyed as Jeno carefully placed it on the center of his desk, grabbing the pen and lining it up neatly beside it. “Yo! Thanks, dude. But how…?”
Jeno shrugged, although something in his face looked a bit doubtful. Almost an edge of panic. “I don’t know. I just. Caught it?”
“Mad good reflexes, bro.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Anyways, those guys?”
“Oh, yeah!” Jeno perked up, vaulting himself onto Mark’s lofted bed and squirming around until he was pressed up against the wall. Mark got shoved precariously close to the edge of his own mattress. He grumbled, but readjusted his pillows and allowed Jeno to wrap himself around his back like a particularly warm limpet.
“Can’t lie, kinda still feels like you’re running a fever, J,” Mark informed him, huffing under the weight of Jeno’s muscular arm settling over his waist.
“Whiner.” Jeno brushed him off, nosing into the nape of Mark’s neck. “Anyways, maybe you’ve heard of them? They’re all starting line, and really popular. That’s what’s so weird about it. They never gave me a second glance until Monday.”
Mark felt that he should attempt to play devil’s advocate. “Well, you’ve only been on the team a month,” Mark pointed out. “Maybe they don’t get to know the walk-ons until you’ve stuck around for a while?”
Jeno shook his head, chin digging into the top of Mark’s spine. “It’s not that. They don’t stare at anyone else like that. And they kept picking me for drills and shit today, over people they’ve known on the team way longer. And, well, I think they might have followed me home, Monday.”
Mark bolt upright, turning around to stare down at Jeno. He smacked his friend’s chest. “What do you mean, you think? You either know or you don’t. And I hope you don’t, because that would be fucking scary. Why didn’t you say anything until now?”
“I don’t know,” Jeno said evasively. Mark had the feeling he was holding something back. “I mean… I did hear them. I’m pretty sure it was them, at least. That’s why I didn’t want to say anything, I just sound paranoid.”
“You heard them?”
“Well, I heard footsteps following me. I couldn’t really tell how many, but it wasn’t just one person. By the time I was crossing Beebe Lake they were gone, though.”
“Holy shit, your ears are that good? How?” Jeno had no answer but a shrug. Mark blinked, shaking his head. “We gotta figure out what the hell is going on with you man. But the footsteps could be a coincidence. Was there anything else?”
For a moment, Mark swore that Jeno’s eyes flashed yellow. “They smell funny.”
Mark rolled over so he could stare at Jeno. “Say what?”
“They smell funny,” Jeno repeated simply. Mark stared at him until Jeno finally got the hint. “I don’t know what else to tell you, man. They just smell funny.”
“You were at lacrosse practice?” Mark was truly flummoxed by this one, couldn’t lie. “You all smell disgusting?”
“It wasn’t that,” Jeno dismissed Mark, pursing his lips and scrunching his nose. He hauled himself out of Mark’s bed, shuffling over to his desk. “I know what B.O. smells like. And they smelled like that too, for sure. But there was something else. I don’t know, it’s just weird. They don’t smell like you, or Donghyuck, or anyone else on the team.”
“Good for them,” Mark said, at a loss. “Maybe they all use the same shampoo or something? They live together, right?”
“Yeah. Maybe that’s it.” Jeno still looked doubtful, but he let it drop. He opened his laptop and pulled up EBSCO. “I gotta get started on this paper.” Mark hummed sympathetically, then went back to sorting out who would pick up coffee before the next meeting in the Oasis group chat. Dejun was protesting that he’d done it the last three times in a row, and Felix was abusing the pleading eyes emoji. He’d just manipulated Dejun into agreeing to pick up the order again – and pay for it to boot – when Mark remembered that he had a fucking Physio of Human Health and Disease quiz due at 11:59 p.m. He contemplated walking out into the parking lot and laying down in front of a car. It was really cold out, though. He sighed and opened Blackboard instead.
Twenty-four minutes later, he submitted the quiz and instantaneously got his grade back. 95%. Not too shabby, really. It hadn’t even been that bad. Mark really liked Physio, now that he thought about it.
It wasn’t even 11 yet. Mark deserved a break. He glanced over at Jeno, who was chewing at the pad of his thumb while he stared at his laptop. Mark cracked his knuckles “Okay, time to do a little light stalking. As a treat.” Jeno looked alarmed. Mark smiled angelically at him. “I’m joking, Jen. I just wanna go through those guys’ social media.”
Jeno visibly relaxed, turning back to his paper. “I’m following all of them on instagram.”
“Holy shit, these usernames are busted.” Mark stared at Jeno’s following list, astonished. He pursed his lips, tilting his head. “Actually, Johnny’s is good. And Jaehyun’s is fine. But what the fuck was Yuta doing?”
Jeno only shrugged. Mark sighed, shaking his head. He began his methodical stalk with Johnny, considering he was team captain. His profile picture was clearly from Halloween – unless Johnny was a furry. It was too soon to rule anything out, really. Mark marked it down as a possibility, then started scrolling. Johnny was a frequent poster. A lot of outfit pictures, mostly taken outside in front of an array of walls, a fair amount of selfies (usually grinning widely or making a kissy face, cuteness a stark contrast to the slinky sulking he did in his OOTDs), quite a few pictures with friends, and goofy photos that actually made Mark want to smile. Johnny’s captions were usually just a single emoji. Very revealing. Revealing of what, Mark wasn’t sure. But revealing all the same.
Jaehyun had an absurd number of followers despite only having eleven posts. Pretty privilege. Five of the posts were long-distance shots of him framed by various sunsets, three were mirror selfies, and the the other three were seemingly random objects. Only two of the photos had captions, which were extremely dry. As someone who agonized over crafting captions, Mark was a bit disgruntled at the distinct lack of effort.
Mark saved Yuta and his jacked username for last, rolling his eyes at it as he clicked into the profile. He immediately wanted to shrivel up, or perhaps shed a tear.
Yuta was one of the most photogenic people Mark had ever laid eyes on. He was transfixed as he scrolled down, and down, and down. He watched as Yuta cycled through three different hair colors, and even more lengths and styles. He watched Yuta pose artfully in chairs, in front of buildings, in museums, on tables, in suits and hats and hoodies and tie-dye. Every time Yuta was snapped looking directly into the camera, Mark felt that shit in his soul. He’d never seen such an intense pair of eyes, ones that felt all-consuming even through the stasis of a photograph.
Before Mark knew it, he had reached the bottom of Yuta’s feed. All 127 photos of it. He took a deep breath, blinking hard. His eyes had gone dry from being glued open too long. He stared at the screen for another long moment, then snorted derisively, tossing his phone down to his desk.
The stalk had not yielded the results Mark had been hoping for. He’d learned nothing of note, except that the three men were extremely photogenic and had very attractive friends. Maybe that was why they were after Jeno. They had to collect all the hot people on campus into their squad.
“I’ve got nothing,” he announced, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Either they’re trying to recruit you into their cult of beautiful people or they’re trying to kidnap you and steal your organs. Or both at the same time.”
“But why?” Jeno groaned. “What do they want me for?”
“You are really hot,” Mark pointed out, and he wasn’t just saying that as Jeno’s BFF and designated hype man for life. Jeno was uncommonly beautiful, the type of person that turned heads. Mark had literally seen people stop in their tracks to stare at Jeno as he walked by – in New York fucking City. “And if you really got so good at lacrosse over the weekend…maybe they’re jealous? If they’re the best and suddenly a freshman is rocking up to take their spot…”
Jeno looked sick. “Don’t say that.”
“Maybe they want you as part of their little lax cult,” Mark teased, trying to bring a smile to Jeno’s face.
“No they don’t! And I don’t want to be! I don’t want to join any cults!”
“I’ll die before I let them take you, Jen,” Mark promised solemnly, crossing his heart. Jeno made an odd moaning noise.
“Don’t say that,” he begged again, words sounding oddly slurred. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“Why not?” Mark asked, slightly affronted. “What, you don’t think I could take ‘em?”
“You can’t,” Jeno said with no small measure of distress. He’d begun to shake his head. He was acting bizarre. Mark was getting worried about him. He tried to inject some humor into the situation, wanting Jeno to stop looking so worried.
“I totally could,” Mark boasted playfully, climbing off his bed and raising his hands. “I used to beat you all the time, right? I can still take you now!”
And with that, Mark pounced. He jumped on Jeno, grabbing at his shoulders with enough force to send them both stumbling backwards. He expected Jeno to react like he’d done the hundreds of times they’d play-wrestled as kids – hug Mark to his body, kick out his legs from beneath him and send them both tumbling to the ground.
That was not what Jeno did.
Jeno tackled Mark forward, pummeling him to the ground like a rag doll. The wind was knocked out of him. Mark’s back ached, ribs straining as he struggled to heave in a breath. Usually, Jeno would be frantically apologizing, helping Mark sit up and rubbing at his back. This time, Jeno was not letting up. He kept Mark pinned to the floor by his biceps, growling as Mark weakly attempted to struggle away.
But it wasn’t Jeno on top of Mark. At least, it wasn’t the Jeno Mark had known since he was six years old, the face that was more familiar than Mark’s own. Mark had never seen the face of the man on top of him right now before.
For a long moment, Mark stopped breathing all together, mouth hanging open in a silent scream. He was about to die. His throat was going to be ripped out by razor-sharp fangs, he was sure of it. He sucked in a rattling breath. The… creature on top of him tilted his head. Like a confused dog. It was something Jeno had done a million times, and with that gesture, Mark realized. It was still Jeno lying on top of him, pressing him to the carpet with inhuman strength. This was Jeno, and Mark could reason with him.
“Dude,” Mark said slowly, lifting his eyes from Jeno’s hands (claws), to his mouth (fangs), to his cheeks (covered in fur), to his eyes (glowing yellow), to his forehead (terribly scrunched up, affecting a horrible snarl). “I think you’re a werewolf.”
Jeno scrambled away from Mark, face contorting in terror. He gazed down at his own hands, unblinking. They came up to touch at his face. Those yellow eyes widened as Jeno brushed over the bushy sideburns that had sprouted on his smooth skin, on the deeply wrinkled muscles of his forehead. Mark remained frozen in place, half-sprawled out on the bedroom floor, looking up at Jeno in horror.
When Jeno spoke, his voice was lower than usual. It was a growl, deep and rough enough to send cold shivers down Mark’s spine. “I think I’m a werewolf.”
“Well, fuck.”
“Fuck.”
***
Werewolf or not – it was decided that from there on out, Mark would be picking up Jeno from practice whenever he could. There were a few that conflicted with his classes and his Oasis and Lotus meetings, but everything else – Mark was gonna be there. Anything to make his best friend feel a little safer was worth it. But that didn’t stop it from being a pain in the ass. Particularly since Roscoe was in the shop ( again. One day, Mark would figure out what was up with the transmission, for real) and Mark was stuck without a convenient vehicle to lurk within.
Mark tried to not look like a loitering lax groupie, hanging back a couple dozen yards from the gates. At least there was a bench for him to lounge on not too far away. Mark pretended to be playing on his phone while he watched the entrance like a hawk.
The second he saw vaguely-male shaped figures approach the gate, he sprang into action. Mark jogged up to the sidewalk, bouncing on his toes as he strained his neck for a glimpse of Jeno. He nodded and smiled at various teammates who gave him curious glances and cursory greetings, but it was strained. Finally, he caught Jeno at the back of the pack. Johnny and the guy with silver hair – Yuta, he now knew from his instagram deep-dive – were on either side of him. Mark could see their mouths moving. Jeno’s was not.
“Jeno!” Mark cheered, throwing himself at his best friend, excess sweat be damned. Jeno caught him easily, bundling Mark in a hug and spinning him around for good measure. Mark could feel the relief radiating off his best friend. “Yooo! Good practice, bro?”
“Yep.” Jeno set him down, and Mark began walking away rapidly without any regard for the two guys that had been trying to carry on a conversation with Jeno. Out of the corner of his eye, Mark caught Johnny’s face. He looked mildly amused. It just pissed Mark off more. He walked faster.
They had nearly escaped the lot when they were caught.
“Hey, Jeno! My man!” The friendly call was from Jaehyun, who had appeared from somewhere to flank Yuta on the left. Johnny was still smirking. Even Yuta’s eyes glinted with amusement, although his mouth was stony. Jaehyun was the only one positively radiating friendliness – but it seemed unnatural. Like a person shrugging on a coat that didn’t quite fit.
Jeno’s steps slowed, then came to a complete halt. With an impatient huff, Mark stopped as well. He whirled around, glaring openly at the three men. Jeno had a much more diplomatic awkward half-smile pasted on.
“What’s up, dude?” Jeno asked stiltedly. Jaehyun grinned at him, showing off deep dimples. For a moment, Mark was bamboozled. How could someone with such adorable dimples be anything but completely sincere and precious?
“Not too much. Hey, we’re just heading back to the house, but we got room in the car.” Immediately, the illusion shattered. Mark arched an eyebrow at Jaehyun. Yuta looked pained for a moment, before smoothing out his expression again. That had been about as subtle as a sledgehammer. “Wanna come with?”
“Oh, you don’t have to,” Jeno laughed self-deprecatingly, like who? Lil ol’ me? “This is my roommate, Mark, he’s walking me home. He had class close by, so we like to buddy up. Super convenient.”
“For sure, for sure,” Johnny nodded, granting Mark a crooked smile. Despite himself, he felt his heart flutter. Damn. That man had no right to be as attractive as he was. “But we’d like to get to know you, bro. You know, team bonding and shit. It’s good for morale.”
Mark snorted. Very convenient that this sudden desire for “team bonding” struck now, a month and a half after Jeno joined the team. He was roundly ignored.
“It feels like we’ve hardly gotten to know you at all,” Yuta interjected smoothly. It was the first time Mark had heard him speak. His voice was unexpectedly low. “Or you, us. I sense we have a lot in common, Jeno. Some very important things.”
“Uh…Yeah, the team is important to me too,” Jeno replied. “Bonding, and…stuff. That’s important. Definitely.”
Mark itched to save him, but he had no idea what to say. He had never encountered three people so set on talking to someone who didn’t want to speak with them. Was this how women felt, like, every day? Dang. Mark was gonna donate all the change in his wallet to N.O.W. the second he got home.
“The team isn’t quite what I meant,” Yuta’s nose wrinkled slightly, the first sign of his facade cracking. “Although yes, it’s very important to me – to us – as well. I think there are other things we share. Things you might be confused by. We have the answers, Jeno. We can help you.”
“Okay, cult recruiter much?” Mark muttered under his breath, too quiet for anyone to hear. Jaehyun’s eyes flicked to his face anyways. Mark swallowed heavily. The smile there was beginning to look less and less charming, and more and more like a dog showing his teeth.
“You don’t have to go it alone, dude,” Johnny jumped in, staring earnestly at Jeno. His hair was pulled into a tiny ponytail, tied off with a bright yellow elastic. Deceptively cute for a grown man who was trying to lure a freshman back to his home. Mark glared at it. “We can help. Seriously.”
“Um, what do you think I need help with, exactly?” Jeno’s voice climbed up an octave. “I appreciate you guys looking out for me, honestly. But I don’t think I’ve been putting out distress signals. If you know what I mean.”
“You have been,” Jaehyun informed him. Okay, rude. Jeno must have looked offended, because his teammate quickly backtracked. “If you know what to look for, that is. And we do. We’re sharper than most. Have better hearing, smelling, than most…But you know all about that.”
“I’m really not sure–”
Yuta interrupted him. “It must be confusing for you, but –”
“I’m not really confused, thanks! I’ve been having an awesome freshman year. I mean, everyone talks about how stressful the Ivies are, but I don’t think it’s been too bad so far,” Jeno lied badly. Mark winced. Yuta’s brow arched. “Been adjusting super well and everything. And, um, you know. Got my best friend at my side. We live together actually, so you know, twenty-four seven support.”
“Yeah,” Mark said flatly, looking at each of the men in turn. “Jeno’s got me. Always. He doesn’t have to ‘go at’ anything alone.”
Once again, Mark’s interjection was ignored. Yuta continued to stare at Jeno, as if by boring his eyes into his skull hard enough he could telepathically transmit understanding into Jeno’s mind. “We don’t want to rush you, but the situation is becoming urgent. There is information we have that you need.”
“Okay?” Jeno sounded genuinely confused. He looked between all three of them. None of them moved to offer any of said information. “So could you…tell me?”
“This isn’t really the place for this chat,” Yuta said smoothly, eyes cutting cleanly on Jeno. They were oddly intense. It was probably a trick of the setting sun, but it looked like they were glowing. “Jeno, come back to our place. We can talk properly there.”
Jeno started beside Mark. Swallowing heavily, he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Uh…Um, well, actually…”
Mark was tired of being ignored, tired of Jeno’s teammates acting like there wasn’t a whole other person standing there. He was sick of their weird eyes, and posture, and cryptic-ass words. Most of all, Mark was done letting them make Jeno uncomfortable.
“Well, this has been great, but we actually have a thing in like half an hour so we gotta bounce. Nice to meet you.”
Mark didn’t wait for the trio to say their goodbyes before he was gripping Jeno’s elbow and steering him away, back towards their dorm. Jeno yelped out a farewell, tripping slightly as he caught up with Mark’s rapid pace. Mark’s heart pounded in his chest. His head ached. He could feel eyes burning into his back. Mark lengthened his strides, trying to put as much distance between them and that little posse as quickly as he possibly could.
“I appreciate the save, bro, but that was a little rude.” Jeno’s tone was torn between grateful and reproachful. They’d both been raised to be polite to a fault, but Mark had always had a slightly shorter fuse. He was older; he was meant to look out for Jeno. That didn’t end just because they grew up.
“You know how when mafiosos say, ‘let’s go take a walk down by the river’ they don’t actually mean they want to take a walk by the river?” Mark hissed, glowering into the distance as they crested the hill.
“No?” Jeno wasn’t being sarcastic. Mark groaned. He laid his confused-puppy eyes on Mark. “Wait, what does it mean?”
“Oh my God, Jeno!” Mark wheezed in distress, a stitch beginning to cut in his ribs. He finally allowed their pace to slow. They were probably well clear of the weirdos. He glanced over his shoulder for good measure. “It means they’re gonna murder you and dump your body in the river, dumbass. We grew up less than an hour from the Bronx, how do you not know this?”
Jeno shrugged. He wasn’t even breathing hard, the bastard.
Mark sighed. “Whatever. I just meant that the way they said you should ‘go back to their place’ sounded mad sketch if it was really just about, you know. Going back to their place. And nothing nefarious.”
“They have a really nice house, actually,” Jeno informed Mark, missing the point by a mile. “The guys on the team talk about it. Apparently it’s the best pasta suppers of the season.” He tilted his head, taking an odd half-step to crunch a leaf in the middle of the paved path. “Best parties, too.”
“Well, isn’t that nice,” Mark muttered. “Jeno, they sounded like they wanted to drink your blood or something. Tell me that wasn’t weird.”
“No, it was weird,” Jeno admitted. His lips twisted, and his shoulders hunched uncomfortably. “I don’t know, Markie. They’re really popular on the team, you know? And I’m only a freshman, and just a walk-on… I don’t wanna start beef with them.”
“You’re not the one starting it,” Mark pointed out.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean everyone wouldn’t blame me,” Jeno said simply. Mark exhaled heavily, and bumped his shoulder against Jeno’s. Any platitudes he could offer would be worthless. Jeno had a point, and he wouldn’t appreciate Mark waffling on. Seniority and talent could make people turn a blind eye like no other. They walked in silence for a long while, until they were nearly across the Thurston Avenue bridge. So close to home.
“Markie…” Jeno spoke into the quiet night air. His breath puffed out misty white. It had gotten cold, now that the sun had set. “Do you really think it’s possible? That I’m… you know.”
Jeno voice was half-terror, half-hope. A cautious kind of hope. The kind that craved some kind of explanation, no matter how terrible it might be. Mark tangled their fingers together, squeezing tight. “Yeah, Jeno. I do. I don’t know how the fuck it’s possible, or what the hell we’re gonna do, but nothing else makes sense. You’re a werewolf.”
Jeno squeezed Mark’s fingers back, so carefully. So mindful of that new strength. When he spoke, his voice shook. “I would think I was going crazy, if it weren’t for you.”
Mark’s throat felt prickly, all of a sudden. He coughed. “I - yeah, I feel that, dude. Kind of a see-it-to-believe it deal, isn’t it.”
Jeno choked out a watery laugh, and nodded. They made the rest of their trek in silence, and Mark was left to his own thoughts. This had never been a good thing, because Mark’s thoughts tended to be twisty and treacherous, following down a dozen different paths at once, frantically envisioning hypotheticals and weighing outcomes and making plans. It was just that usually those concerns were about his courses, or some subtle tension in the friend group. Not potentially supernatural stalkers.
Yuta, Johnny and Jaehyun had clearly been aiming for cryptic, and trying to get under Jeno’s skin. That was the whole point. Lure him in, so he’d take the bait and they could get him alone. Mark recognized the tactic for what it was. Which was why it was annoying that they’d succeeded in getting under Mark’s skin.
Something Yuta said kept worrying at the back of his mind. “We don’t want to rush you, but the situation is becoming urgent. There’s information we have that you need.”
It had rang true. That was the thing. That was what was really bothering Mark. He didn’t actually believe Yuta was lying. Yuta had been creepy as fuck, but there was something he legitimately wanted to warn Jeno about. Something important; something dire.
Christ. Why couldn’t the man just come out and say it? Mark hated cryptic people. Call him blunt, but direct communication had yet to fail him.
Mark sighed, letting his head tilt back in exhaustion. He should’ve caught a nap today, but he’d been too stressed with everything happening with Jeno. He had channeled his slightly-elevated heart rate into writing three pages of a paper not due until next month instead, but now his heavy lids were making him regret it. It was barely 7:30, and Mark was ready to conk out. He rubbed his eyes, yawning widely. The motion jostled his contacts around, but gave them a bit more moisture. Once Mark had blinked hard a few times, he was seeing clearer than he had for a couple hours. He stared up at the sky, admiring the now-sharpened visage. It was like staring at black glass, dotted with brilliant diamonds. It was cloudless tonight; even though it had gone completely dark halfway through their walk, Mark and Jeno’s trek had been fairly well-lit. The moon was nearly full, after all.
The moon…
Jeno kept walking, but Mark was frozen. When Jeno turned around, confused, he found Mark’s legs locked in place, his head tilted back as he stared at the sky with wide eyes. Even more baffled, Jeno tilted his head, looking up to see what could have possibly caught Mark’s attention. There were more stars here than in the NYC suburbs they’d grown up in. Jeno had always admired the array when upstate, how dazzling they could be when not masked by light pollution, and he knew Mark felt the same. But never to this level. Mark looked like he was stuck in a trance.
“Markie?” he asked cautiously. “What are you looking at?”
“Jeno…” Mark said, horror creeping up his throat. He lowered his chin, looking Jeno in the face. For a second, the moonlight hit his eyes just right, and they looked nearly white from the reflection. “Tomorrow is the full moon.”
***
“Well, shit.”
Neither of them had slept well the night before. They’d been silent the rest of the walk home and crawled into bed without another word, in unspoken mutual agreement to not open that can of worms until the morning. Mark wasn’t sure if he’d slept at all, actually, or if the brief dozes he had managed to snatch between staring at the glowing red numbers on his clock had been some sort of fevered waking dream. He’d heard Jeno tossing and turning well beyond when the numbers ticked past 3:45 a.m., at which point Mark had shoved his head under his pillow in hopes it might knock him out.
The all-nighter probably wasn’t helping the hysteria edging into Mark’s voice.
“The fuck is gonna happen tonight?” he asked Jeno, rubbing his palms hard over his face. “Something has to happen on the full moon. It’s like, the one consistent piece of werewolf mythology. The full moon is always important.”
“I have no idea.” Jeno went to bite his nails, but they popped into claws suddenly and punctured his lip. Mark winced as Jeno ran his tongue over the blood, the pinprick wounds healing almost instantaneously. Jeno got a constipated look on his face as he stared at the wall with great focus. The claws retracted, leaving his normal human nails behind. Mark shivered. “Fuck. Maybe nothing else will happen? Like, this is already maximum weirdness, right?”
Mark blinked at neat, filed fingernails which had been razor-sharp claws not a moment before. “I don’t know, man. I think there’s plenty of room for things to get weirder.”
“I’m already having so much trouble controlling these…these… half-shifts, or whatever. The claws and fangs,” Jeno moaned, throwing himself back on Mark’s bed and clutching his pillow to his chest. “It’s like they’re constantly on the verge of popping out, and I have no clue how to stop it. How can it get worse than this?”
“I don’t know,” Mark’s voice went high-pitched. “What if you turn into a full-on fucking wolf, Jeno?”
“Why would you even say that!” Jeno shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath, broad shoulders moving visibly. Fuck, he had gotten even more jacked the past week. Mark didn’t know how the rest of their friends hadn’t noticed. Only Yuta and his little posse seemed to have caught on that something was up with Jeno. As if reading Mark’s mind, Jeno tentatively opened his eyes and suggested, “You know, maybe we should have gone with Yuta? It kind of sounded like he was trying to tell us something…”
“It sounded like he was threatening you,” Mark said shortly, remembering the dark look in Yuta’s eyes. Johnny and Jaehyun had been more edgy than Mark had ever seen them before – granted, he usually saw them from a distance, but Mark was pretty sure Jaehyun had bared his teeth at him. They had been acting unhinged. “And trying to get you isolated, for some reason.”
“It really seemed like he knew about the werewolf thing, Mark.”
Jeno had a point. Unfortunately, it was a point Mark had stewed on at 4 a.m., with his head shoved under his pillow and his thoughts racing a mile a minute, hurtling down every treacherous path his mind could twist up. “Yeah, it did,” Mark admitted, looking at Jeno solemnly. “And we still don’t know who it was that bit you.”
“Are you saying… Mark!” Jeno chastised him. Mark flushed slightly, but shrugged defensively, crossing his arms. “C’mon, Mark. I’ve been on the team with the guy for a month now. He’s a bit aloof, and yeah, he’s been acting strange, but he’s not evil. We don’t even know if that thing that attacked me was a werewolf!”
“I’m not saying Yuta is evil,” Mark sighed, rubbing his temple. “I don’t know, man. But I am pretty sure the thing that bit you and turned you into a werewolf is, you know. Also a werewolf.”
“Okay, fair.”
“And it’s mad sus that the first time Yuta ever bothers to talk to you he’s like, dropping hints about knowing you’re a werewolf, two days after you got attacked by a fucking werewolf. How many could possibly be roaming around Cornell?”
“The timing is kind of weird, but I’m sure there’s an explanation for it,” Jeno insisted stubbornly. “Maybe we have a sense for each other. I’m telling you – Yuta, Johnny and Jaehyun smelled funny.”
“Jeno, you had just finished lacrosse practice,” Mark reminded him. Jeno rolled his eyes.
“It wasn’t just sweat, Mark.”
“Okay, super smeller,” Mark teased him, ruffling Jeno’s hair. “I believe you.”
“You should,” Jeno grumbled. But his chest deflated, and he snuggled his face into Mark’s pillow. “But you’re right. We don’t even know if Yuta is a werewolf. He’s kind of a weird dude, maybe he was just being himself. If we’re wrong and I text him and ask him for advice on the full moon he’s gonna think I’m crazy. He’ll have to report me to coach, and then I’ll have to go for a psych eval, and then I’ll get pla–”
“Wait, text him? When the hell did you get his number?”
Jeno looked vaguely guilty. Mark narrowed his eyes, lifting his brows. Jeno cracked like an egg. “Um. I got everyone on the team’s, at the beginning of the season.”
“Jesus Christ.” Mark pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. “But he hasn’t been texting you weird shit, right?” That would have been so much easier for Yuta than tracking Jeno down in person.
Jeno looked even guiltier, sinking his chin further into Mark’s pillow. “…Nooo.”
“Shut up.” Mark rolled his eyes, leveling Jeno with a glare. “You look just like you did that time Mrs. Whitcomb wanted to know who ate one of the cupcakes before we all sang to Sadie at her birthday party. Take out your phone and show me.”
Jeno wilted, sliding his phone out of his deep sweats pocket. He passed it to Mark, who swiped it open easily (Jeno’s passcode was still his mother’s birthday. As was Mark’s, to be fair). He tapped into messages, trying his best not to read any previews until he found the one he was searching for. Luckily, it was right on top. Yuta had texted Jeno this morning. Thirty minutes ago.
Mark glared at Jeno anew. Jeno studiously picked at the loose thread on the pillowcase corner. Mark huffed, shaking his head as he tapped into the messages. He scrolled up to the top. It didn’t take very long – tellingly, the first one had been sent on Monday.
2/8/2022
Hey Jeno, what’s up?
Nm! :)
Everything been going okay?
Yeah!! The team is awesome, man. Love it
👍
2/8/2022
We should catch up some time.
Sounds good!
2/9/2022
Do you need a ride after practice?
Jeno hadn’t responded to that one. That had been Wednesday, and he’d been properly anxious by then.
2/10/2022
Is there a good time for you to talk soon?
Idk I’m pretty busy, profs are really picking it up before midterms 😣😣
I feel you on that. But really, I’d love to talk to you soon. When are you free?
Not really any time this week tbh 😖
🙁
Sorry man
It’s fine. I’ll catch you after practice tomorrow
“Why were you being so nice to him?” Mark moaned, rubbing his cheek on his own shoulder in distress. The soft fleece lining his hoodie felt nice, at least.
Jeno buried his face in the pillow with a whimper. “I don’t know! It would have been really rude to ghost him!”
“It’s really rude of him to be so pushy!” Mark dreaded to see what the most recent messages were. Nonetheless, he read them; pit in his stomach anchoring him to the floor.
2/11/2022
Hey Jeno. I get you had your friend with you tonight, but we really need to talk ASAP. It’s important.
I wouldn’t be pushing like this if it wasn’t important.
Can you meet up later tonight? Or tomorrow morning?
Give me a call.
Seriously. Call.
2/12/2022
Jeno, I hate to double text like this, but please respond.
Did you listen to my voicemail?
Please, call me back. I’m not joking around, I’m worried. This is about safety. Call me stat
“Christ,” Mark exhaled, sliding Jeno’s phone back to him. “He sounds…”
“Worried?”
“Obsessive,” Mark replied. He tilted his head. “Worried, too. Yeah, he sounds… really worried. Did you listen to the voicemail?” Mark didn’t know which answer would be worse. Jeno shook his head slightly. Mark’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay, okay. Wow, as much as I hate to say it, I think we’re gonna have to listen, dude.” Jeno made a face as he pulled up his voicemails. Mark squeezed his shoulder. “Hey, I’m right here with you.”
Jeno swallowed hard, nodding as he hit play.
“Hi, Jeno. This is Yuta. Which I’m sure you knew, and is probably why you didn’t answer. Look, I’m really sorry to bother you like this. Really. I hate to do this, but it’s vital you call me back. Something will happen tonight, and you are not prepared for it. Please, I don’t want to scare you, but there is a lot at stake. Call me back immediately. I’m going to keep trying to get in contact with you.”
Yuta hung up without saying goodbye. Mark shivered. Jeno stared down at his phone blankly.
“Fuck,” he said, succinctly. “I think that just confirmed that the full moon is a problem.”
For all Mark had been the #1 Yuta Nakamoto Hater ten minutes ago, his message had sparked panic in Mark’s blood. Adrenaline raced down his veins and got stuck in his limbs with nowhere else to go, practically making him vibrate. Yuta’s voice had been clear, direct. It had almost been neutral, but there was a real edge of desperation there. It sounded wrong, hanging around the edges of his tone. Discordant. Yuta was clearly not a man inclined towards panic, or accustomed to begging. That was what scared Mark the most. Desperation could drive people to a lot of things. His chest shuddered.
“Okay, okay. Fuck. Fuck. Full moon tonight, it’s gonna be a shitstorm. Where the fuck are we gonna put you?” Mark hissed, pacing the length of his bedroom. It only took him four steps to clear it, which served to make him more stressed. This place was tiny. They lived in a fucking box. “In here? There’s no where I’ll be out of reach from you! In the living room so Donghyuck and Yangyang find you? In the basement? Dude, does Mews even have a fucking basement?”
“I don’t know!” Jeno moaned, hugging a pillow to his stomach in great distress. Claws once more popped from his fingers, absolutely shredding open the lining. Polyester fluff spilled out all over the bed. Tears welled in Jeno’s eyes.
Mark took a deep breath, crossing his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling. A whimpered apology from Jeno put a hairline crack down Mark’s heart. He looked down, dropping his arms to his sides. Jeno was curled up on Mark’s bed, trying to make himself look as small as possible, voice tiny as he cried into his knees.
“Don’t cry, Jeno,” Mark said, heaving himself onto the lofted mattress. He sat behind Jeno, pulling him into his chest. He hugged Jeno tightly, legs crossing to fold Jeno in even more thoroughly. Mark buried his face in Jeno’s hair and rocked him, until he felt the shudder of Jeno’s muscles slow, and finally, stop. Mark suppressed a shiver. What did the shudder of those muscles mean? Was Jeno going to go full-wolf when the moon came out tonight? Was he just going to be forced into the weird half-shift that had scared the bejeezus out of Mark yesterday?
“Jeno! Mark!” Donghyuck’s high voice cut through the heavy air of the room easily, startling Jeno into a jump. He knocked his hard-ass skull against Mark’s chin, sending him rolling across the bed, groaning in pain and clutching his face. Donghyuck swung open the bedroom door, and stopped immediately.
Hands on his hips, he pursed his lips as he watched Jeno frantically try to crawl up to Mark, hands fluttering fretfully over his face as he apologized and tried to check him for injuries. “It’s always something with you two,” Donghyuck muttered, rolling his eyes. Mark forced himself to sit up, glaring at Donghyuck as he cupped his own jaw. He batted Jeno’s worried hands away.
“What is it, Hyuck?”
“There’s people at the door for you,” Donghyuck informed them, eyes glinting. Foreboding flooded Mark’s stomach. Donghyuck looked far too mischievous for Mark’s liking. Jeno hopped down from the bed gracefully, eyes wide as he made to book it for the front door.
“Who, Donghyuck?” Mark asked, stopping Jeno in his tracks. He looked over his friend’s head, narrowing his eyes at their other roommate. “Who is at the door?”
“Oh, you know,” Donghyuck said airily, waving his hand. “Just Yuta Nakamoto and Jaehyun Jeong.” Jeno took a step back. He looked over his shoulder at Mark, eyes comically wide. Mark swore under his breath, hopping off his bed and shouldering past Donghyuck. Donghyuck didn’t even bother to pinch him, just cackled as he sauntered behind them into the living room. Probably wanted to grab popcorn and watch this go down.
“How the fuck did they find out where we live?” Mark hissed under his breath at Jeno, trying frantically to smooth down his hair. Jeno glanced at him sideways, looking a little guilty.
“Oh, I, um. Might have told them on Monday when they asked,” he admitted, trying to shrink himself down.
“Our room number, though?”
Mark heard chuckling from behind the front door. Belatedly, he remembered. Jeno had freaky good hearing now. And if they were running with this werewolf theory – whatever Jeno had, Nakamoto and Jeong probably had too.
Well, there was no use putting it off any longer if they were just going to hear everything Mark and Jeno said to each other anyways. Mark took a deep breath and flung open the door.
Jaehyun blinked in surprise at least, taken aback by the drama. Or maybe by the fact that Mark stood square in the doorway, blocking the entrance, while Jeno cowered behind him. Yuta looked infuriatingly unfazed. He didn’t even look up from checking his cuticles.
“I like your nails,” Mark blurted out, humiliatingly. Jesus fuck. If he was a cartoon character, he’d be reaching out to shove those words back down his throat. Yuta glanced up at that, arching a singular, slitted eyebrow. He smirked at Mark. And of course, that just jolted Mark’s mouth into opening again. “The blue, it’s um… really pretty. Yeah.”
“Thanks,” Yuta said simply. His eyes moved from Mark’s face, looking past his shoulder. He pinned Jeno down with his stare. For several long moments, they all stood silently like that. Yuta didn’t blink.
Mark fought down the temptation to wave a hand in front of his eyes just to see if he could get him to.
“We wanted to catch up with Jeno,” Jaehyun finally broke the stare-down helpfully, looking hopefully over Mark’s shoulder at said man. Mark felt Jeno shrink back behind him even more. His fingers caught at the bottom edge of Mark’s hoodie. Mark wished it wouldn’t be so obvious if he reached behind himself to hold Jeno’s hand. “You know. Finish up that conversation we were having after practice.”
“Cool,” Mark said shortly. He reached his foot out sideways, not moving his torso from dead-center of the doorway. He managed to kick his sneakers close enough to shove both feet in. “Let’s talk. Jeno, put on your shoes.”
Jaehyun looked between Mark and Jeno uncertainly, then at Yuta. Yuta’s expression was blank, offering his pal no help. Jaehyun tried again. “Um… it was kind of, just Jeno–”
“Great!” Mark interrupted, stepping through the door decisively. Jeno stumbled along behind him, tugged through by Mark’s grip on his wrist. His left foot was still only half in his sneaker. “Wow, what a beautiful day! Such a great one to walk and talk.”
“It is,” Yuta agreed mildly. Mark thought he saw a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, but it was gone before he could blink. When he checked again, Yuta’s face was that annoyingly impassive, attractive, unreadable mask. “I know a lovely little trail we could take, actually. Shall we?”
***
It became clear as they walked that Yuta and Jaehyun had a specific destination in mind. Yuta set the pace, striding one step ahead with a loping grace, as the rest trooped behind – although with significantly more tree-root stumbling and quiet swearing from Mark than anyone else. Mark didn’t know what Yuta’s plan was, but the destination soon became apparent.
Mark didn’t know how, but Yuta had led them unerringly to the footpath Jeno and Mark had taken back from that shit party last week. The senior hummed under his breath, unbothered by Jeno’s visibly growing agitation. Mark glanced over his shoulder as they left the clear lawns of campus behind and stepped into the trees, swallowing heavily.
The temperature dropped a few degrees the second they stepped foot in the forest, all the sunlight stolen away by the canopy; just beginning to thicken with the green leaves of spring. They walked on, Mark taking care to avoid exposed roots and muddy patches. The other three seemed to avoid them instinctually, side-stepping them easily without ever looking down. Mark shivered as he picked his way through behind them, walking quickly to keep from lagging. The shade of the woods made it much chillier here than out on the quad.
Unease rose in Mark with every step forward. They must have walked nearly half a mile in by now. They were getting far too close to where they had been that night. Sweat began to drip down his cool spine. Another shiver wracked his body. Mark opened his mouth, ready to ask Yuta where the hell he was taking them –
“It was here, wasn’t it,” Yuta asked out of the blue, coming to a sudden halt. Mark didn’t stop fast enough, tripping over the back of Yuta’s shoe and face-planting into a very warm, very hard back. He felt more than heard Yuta’s irritated huff of breath. The man still reached out behind him to easily steady Mark, though. Mark’s face burned red, and he shuffled back, out of Yuta’s sure hold. He cleared his throat awkwardly, scuffing his toe against the dirt.
Yuta continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “The bite. It happened here, didn’t it.” It wasn’t a question. Everything in the forest seemed to still. No leaves rustling, or birds chirping, or branches quaking – just four people, breathing in silence. Yuta turned and leveled Jeno with that imperturbable, lion-like gaze. Jeno stood frozen in the middle of the path. After a moment, he blinked, and it was like the pillar of his spine crumbled. His shoulders curled in, and he looked so small, standing there.
“Yeah,” Jeno breathed, eyes flickering around the trees surrounding them. “Yeah, it was – it was here.”
“I’m so sorry,” Yuta said suddenly, and his voice welled with so much sincerity it put a lump in Mark’s own throat. Tears threatened to spill over Jeno’s eyelids, and he looked at Yuta with something akin to desperation. “That must have been terrifying. I am so, so sorry you had to go through that.”
“It’s… it’s…”
“It’s not okay,” Jaehyun said firmly, also regarding Jeno with overwhelming compassion. “You’ve been really strong, Jeno.”
Jeno crumpled. “I haven’t – I haven’t, I’ve been so confused, and anxious. I haven’t been strong.”
“Yes, you have,” Mark interjected vehemently. Yuta nodded, eyes not straying from Jeno.
“Mark is right. You have been strong,” Yuta told him evenly. His tone left no room for doubt. “You were attacked. Violently. And things began to change in you, and you could suddenly do things you didn’t think were possible. And you had no explanation for it.”
“Well, Mark and I figured out I was a werewolf,” Jeno told him helpfully, voice sounding rough. Yuta blinked.
“Did you.”
“Yeah, man.” Mark nodded eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “The claws and sideburns were kind of a dead giveaway.”
“You weren’t wrong,” Yuta said slowly. “You are a werewolf.”
“And so are you two.” It wasn’t a question. Yuta nodded.
“Yes, we are.”
“I knew it. I knew you smelled weird,” Jeno whispered, vindicated. His eyes were shining. Yuta looked at him compassionately, hand reaching out to brush Jeno’s wrist.
“A deep enough bite from a werewolf can trigger a transformation,” Yuta told him quietly. “In the best of cases, it makes you a werewolf as well.” Best? Mark narrowed his eyes at Yuta. For once, Yuta seemed to catch the expression. For a moment, he looked sorrowful. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to trivialize what happened to you. But there can be very dangerous outcomes if the person bitten is in a bad state of mind. In bad transformations, people can become a mindless monster, subject to the total control of another. Or, in the worst cases… death.”
Jeno’s breath rattled when he inhaled. He sniffed hard. Mark moved to engulf him in a hug, but Yuta got there first. Carefully, he stepped forward, and held out his arms to Jeno. Mark held his breath, but there was no need to worry; Jeno fell into Yuta’s embrace easily. He tipped forward, head landing heavy on Yuta’s shoulder. The man didn’t even sway, taking Jeno’s weight easy as breathing. Gingerly, Yuta wrapped his arms around Jeno. The motion of Jeno’s ribs was visible even through his layers, nearly hyperventilating trying to calm himself down.
“Shh,” Yuta murmured. His arms closed firmly around Jeno, anchoring him. “Shh, it’s alright, now. You got through, and you’re okay. The worst of it is over. It will be better from here.”
A garbled noise got lost in Yuta’s shoulder. It might have been, Really? Yuta nodded. He swayed them gently, like twined branches in a breeze.
“You must have felt so afraid, that night,” Yuta murmured, breath stirring Jeno’s hair. His eyes had fallen shut, his hand resting sure and steady between Jeno’s shoulder blades. Mark watched on with Jaehyun, feeling like he was watching something very important happen. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be here, if he was an intruder in this moment; but here he would stay.
“I did,” Jeno croaked, voice raw. He pressed his face painfully deeper into Yuta’s shoulder, but Yuta didn’t flinch. “I did, I was so scared. It hurt so bad.”
“You don't need to be afraid anymore. You’re not alone anymore,” Yuta said firmly, and his hand slid up to grip the back of Jeno’s neck. He pulled Jeno’s head out of its hiding place, leaning back slightly to look Jeno directly in the eye. They were nearly nose-to-nose. “You’re not alone. I’m here for you. We’re all here for you.”
Jeno sucked in a deep, rattling breath. Then, he nodded.
Mark didn’t realize he had stopped breathing until Jaehyun’s warm hand settled gently on his shoulder.
“You have a pack, now,” Yuta murmured, unblinking as he stared into Jeno’s eyes.
“There’s more of you – of us?”
Jaehyun’s cheeks dimpled. “Yes. There’s twelve of us. Well, there were twelve of us.” He tilted his head, smiling at Jeno. “Thirteen now.”
Jeno squirmed slightly, in that way he did when he was pleased but didn’t want to show it. Yuta released him immediately, taking a step back. Fondness welled in Mark’s chest. He felt about a million degrees warmer to Jaehyun now than he had yesterday afternoon. And Yuta, for that matter.
“Wow. Twelve,” Jeno whispered, nodding to himself. He beamed at Jaehyun and Yuta in turn, smiling hard enough that his eyes disappeared in adorable crescents.
“Baker’s dozen now,” Mark added, thumping Jeno on the shoulder. “Jeno Lee, lucky number thirteen. Noice.”
Yuta looked slightly pained, but he nodded in confirmation. “Eleven wolves, including you, and our emissary and her wife.”
“Emissary? What’s that?”
“Similar to a druid, but one who has dedicated their service to a pack in exchange for the increased power such bonds grant,” Yuta explained, extremely unhelpfully. Jeno blinked.
“What’s a druid?”
“Nature witch,” Jaehyun told him wisely. Yuta sighed, pinching his nose.
“Don’t let Irene hear you saying that,” he warned, trying to sound serious. But Mark had caught the amused twitch of his mouth behind his hand.
“Does the pack all live together?” Jeno’s brow furrowed, looking suddenly anxious. “Do I have to live with you?”
Mark’s stomach dropped. No, he couldn’t – Jeno couldn’t move out! They couldn’t steal his roommate!
Three wolves stared at Mark. Too late, Mark realized he had spoken aloud. Jaehyun looked like he was about to laugh, and even Yuta had cracked a smile. He had very white, very straight teeth. Only Jeno took Mark seriously, shooting him a grateful look.
“Relax, Mark Lee. We’re not going to steal your roommate,” Yuta told him drolly. “We’re about out of room in the house, anyways. To answer your question, Jeno, most of the pack live together in my house. A few live on campus, however, and Irene and her wife have their own house.” Jeno nodded, shoulders slumping in relief. “Is that all for right now? There’s plenty more to discuss, but we should be getting back now. You need to come to the house tonight, for the full moon. I’ll explain more in the car.”
Mark wasn’t finished, though. There was one question still on his mind. The one that was still worrying at the back of his head, the last vestiges of his wall towards Yuta that had yet to crumble.
“How did you know this was where…” Mark trailed off, unable to finish. Yuta tilted his head, looking directly in Mark’s eyes. His propensity for eye contact was nearly unsettling.
“We tracked the scent,” Yuta said simply, like that was a thing people did. Apparently it was something werewolves did, though, because Jeno nodded like that made a great deal of sense. Fuck, Jeno had been telling Mark about scents all week, and Mark had just been blowing him off. “We went out for a pack run Saturday morning, and about three miles in smelled something just… off. Human blood, and the stench of terror. Most of the pack hung back, but our best tracker led me, Johnny and Jaehyun to the source of the scent. Sicheng was surprised when we got there, though. There had been another human there, one who hadn’t been turned. The rest of us couldn’t even smell it.” Yuta stared evenly at Mark. It felt like a challenge. It felt like Yuta had known just what suspicions were in Mark’s mind, and was daring him to question him.
“It was me,” Mark admitted, chin lifting. Being here, standing in this place, breathing this air, had made memories float to the forefront of Mark’s mind; one’s that had been crushed down, suppressed by his subconscious to protect him. But now, they were coming back, muddy and defined more by sensation than coherence. “I remember…The… the creature, it was chasing us. It nearly got me, but Jeno pushed me out of the way. Hard. I fell into the creek. I think I hit my head on a rock or something, and nearly passed out. It was so fucking cold, I couldn’t…But then I heard…Well, I heard this scream, and I knew it was Jeno–” Mark swallowed, trying not to remember how terrible a sound it had been, sheer pain ripped out of Jeno’s throat. “And I had to get to him. I just had to.” Yuta’s eyes were unfathomable. Mark met them, and he didn’t feel afraid. “So I did.”
“The water must have dampened your scent,” Jaehyun said, looking at Mark with poorly-disguised interest. “It probably saved your life, getting pushed in that creek.”
“Of course you did,” Mark muttered, bumping against Jeno’s side affectionately. Jeno’s hand shot out to wrap around Mark, squeezing his fingers too tight, the way he always had. “Of course you saved me.”
“I’d never let anything happen to you, bro,” Jeno informed him seriously. “And you saved me too. I think I was in shock, or something. I was just laying there, until you found me. It was like I couldn’t move. I think I would’ve stayed out there all night if you hadn’t pulled me up and walked us home. With that thing in the woods…who knows. Maybe it would’ve wanted to come back and finish me off.”
“Wow, thanks. Something new for me to have nightmares about,” Mark aimed for dry, but a nervous giggle escaped him. Jaehyun and Yuta looked at them sympathetically, Yuta’s lips pursed in concern. And to think Mark had been so frightened of them, just an hour ago.
“It was obvious enough that there had been a werewolf attack,” Yuta continued his story, saving Mark from thinking any more about that nightmare of an evening. “And there was no body, so probably not fatal. But we had no idea where the victim was, or what had happened to them. We assumed they were probably turned, which meant there was a baby werewolf running around campus unchecked. A disaster waiting to happen. We were doing everything to figure out who it might have been. Sicheng spent all day trying to track the scent, and Irene tried to do some scrying, but no luck.”
“Imagine our surprise when we stepped into the locker room Monday morning, and one of our new teammates suddenly smelled like a werewolf,” Jaehyun added, amused. He grinned at Jeno, cheeks dimpling. “All that stress all weekend about who the victim was, and how to find them and reach out to them and make sure they were okay, and then we dragged ourselves to practice and had the answer right under our nose. Oh, it’s the new freshie on the defensive line. Johnny was shitting himself, he thought it was so funny.”
Yuta rolled his eyes slightly, but he also looked amused. “It was a relief,” he admitted. “Although our first approach didn’t go as well as hoped.”
“You were acting mad sketch, dude,” Mark informed him, feeling like he needed to defend himself and Jeno. “All shifty and shit. Menacing.”
“We weren’t trying to freak you out!” Jaehyun laughed, clapping Jeno on the shoulder and giving him a light shake. “We knew we’d been really weird, but we couldn’t figure out what else to do.”
“Sorry.” Yuta grinned, eyes glinting playfully. “I’ve never had to approach someone like that before. I’ve never met a werewolf who didn’t know they were a werewolf.”
“It’s not common?” Jeno asked nervously. Yuta folded his lips, looking a bit like he wished he hadn’t spoken. He tilted his head, measuring his words.
“Well, no,” he admitted. Jeno’s face fell. Jaehyun rushed to reassure him.
“It’s not a bad thing to be turned!” he promised, throwing his arm around Jeno’s shoulders and steering them around, back down the path in the direction of campus. “It was just how it happened that was bad. We have a lot of rules surrounding turning people into werewolves, and councils and hunters that enforce them. So that the kind of attack you went through doesn’t happen often.”
“It was a crime,” Yuta cut in, voice solemn. Mark quickened his pace to fall into step beside him, not wanting to be bobbing along behind the werewolves like some child. “What happened to you was against all of our rules. It was a complete violation of your autonomy, and you could have been seriously injured. Not to mention how frightening it must have been.”
“This council, these rules… Do they, like, have some sort of court, or…?” Mark tried to ask, but Yuta cut him off.
“What happened to you was a crime, Jeno,” Yuta said once more. His blazing eyes were fixed forward, staring into the distance at something that no one else could see. “And we will get to the bottom of it. I promise you.”
The wind whistled through the trees. Mark took one look at the set of Yuta’s face, the fire in his eyes, and believed him with all his soul.
***
“So something does happen with the full moon?” Jeno asked anxiously. Jaehyun nodded, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
“Yep. I bet you’re already having a hard time controlling your shift, but with the full moon you’ll feel compelled to do it. Angrier than usual, too.”
“When you say ‘shift’, you mean…” Mark trailed off significantly, wiggling his fingers approximately where whacky sideburns would sprout. “Like, just the weird face and claws, right? Or will Jeno go full wolf?”
Jaehyun giggled, smiling at Mark. Yuta didn’t seem very amused by the question. “It will just be a half-shift, yes,” he confirmed. Mark nodded, and tried to keep walking. After a few steps, he couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“Okay, so you called it a half- shift,” he checked. “Which means there’s a full shift too, right?” Jeno was looking expectantly at Yuta now too. He nodded slowly. Mark yelped, hopping slightly as he clapped with excitement. “Yo! Oh my God, dude, holy shit. Jeno, you gotta figure out how to do the full shift. I wanna pet a wolf so bad.”
“Only alphas can do the full shift,” Jaehyun clarified. He looked slyly at his friend. “Which means that only Yuta can turn into a wolf.”
Mark gazed at him, mouth agape. “Dang. That is so fucking cool, man.”
“It’s getting late.” Yuta ignored Mark’s comment in favor of checking his watch. Mark couldn’t really agree. Two in the afternoon wasn’t really late, particularly considering how productive they’ve been so far. Mark often didn’t emerge from bed until after two on Saturdays. “We need to get you over to the house and make sure you’re all set.” The words were addressed to Jeno, but Mark responded.
“What does that mean, exactly? Like, is there a process, or…”
Yuta glanced at Mark. “It means Jeno needs to be inside the house.”
“Wait, inside the house?” Jeno gnawed at his lower lip, picking at one of his belt loops. “Does everyone stay inside the house? Does it get crowded?”
“No, not everyone.” Yuta softened slightly, resting a hand on Jeno’s shoulder. “I’ll stay with you, and Jaehyun. There’s a couple other people in the pack I think will be good to keep you company tonight, but we’ll see how you feel after you meet them. Everyone else will be out in the woods. I think they’re going to play freeze tag tonight.”
“That sounds so fun,” Jeno’s voice took on a plaintive note. Yuta smirked.
“All in good time. Once you get used to full moons, you can go out and play with everyone else.” Somewhat placated, Jeno nodded. “We’ll still have fun tonight! The basement is totally reinforced, but we’ve got games and shit.”
“Besides, don’t you think Yuta and I will be fun?” Jaehyun asked, pouting slightly. Jeno nodded quickly, hair flopping in his eagerness.
They had reached the parking lot of Mews. Yuta looked at the sky, mouth setting in a straight line. “The moon will be up by five thirty, and the sun sets quarter after six.” He informed them, not even checking his phone for the times. Mark was impressed. “Jeno, you should really be inside the house by four. You’re going to get more and more agitated the closer to moonrise it gets, and by sundown you won’t be able to control the shift anymore.”
“Got it.” Jeno rocked on his feet nervously, casting the sky his own anxious glance.
“Pack an overnight bag. We have extras of basically everything at the house so don’t stress, but bring clothes for tomorrow. We usually go out to brunch, and then someone will drop you off back here.”
“Alright, we’ll go get packed.”
Yuta and Jaehyun both turned in unison to stare at Mark, although the expressions they bore differed vastly. “We?”
“Um, yeah?” Mark looked back at them, eyebrows raising. Yuta looked incredibly irritated, and Jaehyun torn between horror and amusement. “What?”
“You’re not coming,” Yuta said shortly. Mark made a noise of protest. “Don’t argue.”
“Why can’t he?” Jeno asked quietly, wrapping his hand around Mark’s. “I’d feel better if he came with me.”
“I totally get it, but he can’t,” Jaehyun reiterated, although much more kindly. “It’s not safe.”
“Didn’t you say the basement was reinforced? I’ll just stay upstairs, then. And if anything happens to Jeno I’ll be right there.” Mark crossed his arms over his chest.
“If anything happens to Jeno, it won’t be anything safe for a human to deal with,” Yuta replied. “And even if it was, you don’t know anything about werewolves. You wouldn’t be helpful.”
“I know Jeno.”
“We appreciate that,” Jaehyun cut in, although from the set of Yuta’s face it was clear that the royal ‘We’ was carrying a lot of weight there. “But you really, really can’t be in the house tonight, Mark. It’s nothing against you. There’ll be a dozen shifted werewolves around. Even though we all have really good control, you never know what might happen. Any arguments that break out get ten times worse with the moon. We don’t want you to be collateral damage.”
Mark’s mouth twisted. He just barely resisted the urge to growl himself. So he was collateral damage, now. Lovely. Mark opened his mouth to argue again, but a squeeze to his arm cut him short.
Mark turned. Jeno was giving him a pleading look. His own puppy eyes were nothing to shake a stick at, but Jeno’s were truly next level. Or maybe Mark was just particularly susceptible to them. Either way, Jeno’s face was begging Mark to let this drop. He exhaled heavily through his nose, but granted him a slight nod. His best friend’s face cleared, and he squeezed Mark’s arm again.
“Alright, fine!” Mark threw his hands up, only barely resisting the urge to stomp his foot. “Fine. I will be a good little human and stay home tonight.”
“Thank you,” Yuta said mildly. Jaehyun had the courtesy to grimace sympathetically at Mark.
“But.” Mark paused, looking hard at both werewolves. “I will drive Jeno over, thank you.”
“Okay,” Yuta agreed, sounding as if he was offering some great concession. Mark rolled his eyes and clamped both his arms around Jeno’s left, steering him through the parking lot.
“Where did you guys park, we’ll drop you off at your car.” Mark thought it was a very magnanimous peace offering on his part.
“Oh, we didn’t drive,” Jaehyun informed him. He smirked at Mark and Jeno’s matching befuddled expressions. “We ran.”
“You. You ran,” Mark repeated, eyebrows furrowing. “Uh, I thought you said you lived off campus?”
“We do,” Yuta confirmed serenely. “Six miles off campus. I own a house on the outskirts of town.”
“That doesn’t sound creepy at all,” Mark muttered, remembering too late that they were able to hear him. A muffled sound came from Jaehyun, like a suppressed cough. He straightened up, clearing his throat and avoiding their eyes. “Well, just wait out here for a sec. I’ll drive you guys back too.”
“Thanks, but you really don’t have to.”
Mark waved off Jaehyun’s protests, dragging Jeno up the steps to Mews’ entrance. “It’s no trouble dude! I’m going there anyway!”
***
Of course, when Mark was making his generous offer to assuage his guilt over his snarky comment, he hadn’t been thinking of just how awkward that car ride would be. And it was. Painfully so.
Jeno took shotty, obviously. But Jaehyun had taken the seat directly behind Mark, leaving Yuta to sit kitty-corner and have the perfect line of sight to stare down Mark. Every time he tried to glance in the rearview mirror, Yuta’s face was there, eyes boring holes into Mark. He pulled out of the lot carefully, resisting the urge to floor the gas pedal and trying not to swallow too loudly. Mark was directed off campus, northwest towards Monkey Run. He’d been this way a few times before, going hiking. It was much prettier in autumn, with all the leaves in bloom. Right now, the hills rising up on either side of the road were coated in depressing, barren brown.
“Take this left,” Yuta directed him. The houses were getting bigger and farther apart. The hills loomed large around them, casting the corridor in shadow as the afternoon sun began to set behind them. “One more up… the white one, on the left.”
“Woah,” Mark breathed out before he could stop himself. He pulled into the drive carefully, just barely managing to squeeze in behind a beat-up Outback.
Jeno couldn’t contain his reaction either. His mouth hung ajar as they climbed out of the front seat. “Holy shit.”
Jaehyun looked smug, stopping at Mark and Jeno’s side to gaze up at the house with them. “Nice place, right?”
“What the hell?” Mark asked weakly. This wasn’t a student house that got rented out every year. The thing was fucking massive, sprawling out into the huge yard. There was a three car garage, and nicely painted shutters. There was a bay window. With nice curtains. “You guys…live here?”
“Yep.”
“Do you live with someone’s parents?”
“Nope.” Jaehyun grinned, and started up the walk. Yuta had already disappeared through the warm red front door. “Just with seven werewolves.”
“Oh, okay.” Mark muttered, following Jaehyun up the porch steps (there was a wrap-around porch, complete with a swing and hanging planters, because of course there was). “Well, in that case.”
“It’s perfectly safe,” Jaehyun assured him, blinding Mark with the power of his dimples. He suddenly paused, tilting his head in thought as he shouldered open the door. “Well, except for on the full moon.”
Mark took one last look behind him, at the weak February sun that was already beginning it’s descent. “Reassuring.”
“Put your shoes on the guest rack. It’s the black one.”
Mark tried his best not to gawk at the house as he put on guest slippers and followed them into the house, but he was several steps behind everyone else by the time they got to the living room. It wasn’t that the house was ostentatious or anything; it was just so big. The decor was fairly sparse, but it was bright and clean in a way Mark had never associated with student housing. There were huge windows everywhere, making the space feel lighter and larger even though the sun was weak.
Yuta, Jaehyun and Jeno were waiting in front of an enormous fireplace. Jeno had set his duffle down on the end of the sectional. Mark walked up to him and gave him a long hug. When he released him, he nervously patted at his shoulders, brushing away imaginary lint.
“You sure you’re gonna be alright dude?”
Jeno smiled reassuringly. It was probably a trick of the light, but his eyes seemed to gleam golden. “Yeah, Markie. I’m gonna be fine.”
He didn’t sound completely confident, Mark thought. He fisted his hands in his shirt, examining Jeno’s face carefully. Jeno’s smile remained, lines around his eyes relaxed. “Well, okay. Alright then. Love you, Jenjen.”
“Love you too, Mark.”
Mark still couldn’t force himself to step away. How could he leave Jeno behind? He’d never left Jeno behind in his life. Mark didn’t know how to walk away from him.
He’d nearly forgotten the other two werewolves were there when Yuta cut in.
“Go home, Mark,” Yuta sighed. Mark couldn’t tell if he sounded exasperated or just exhausted. He cast a look over Mark’s anxiously lingering form. Then, much to Mark’s surprise, he laid a hand on Mark’s shoulder. It was warm, and the pressure grounding. “Get some rest. Jeno will be fine.”
Like the good little human he was, Mark went home – but he didn’t sleep a wink. The blinds stayed open. Mark laid on his right side, staring pensively up at the moon. It hung low and heavy on the horizon; seeming nearer than usual. He prayed.
It was only when Jeno finally returned at 11 a.m., bags under his eyes but otherwise no worse for the wear, that Mark finally let sleep take him under.
***
The first full moon had been a rousing success, apparently. Jeno had only ripped apart five of the considerately-provided pillows with his fangs, he cheerfully informed Mark. Then he’d made a face, tongue poking at his back molars. Apparently, they were down pillows. He’d then escaped to brush his teeth.
Upon his return, teeth now feather-free, he informed Mark that the pack was going to have a barbecue to welcome him to the fold.
“A barbecue?” Mark had asked, incredulous. “In February?”
It sounded ridiculous, and mostly very cold. Mark had no intentions of going.
He should’ve known better than to think he could withstand the force of Jeno’s begging puppy face. Because here he was now, standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a hot dog on a paper plate. It was a good dog. Jaehyun was manning the grill wearing a kiss-the-cook apron and a prideful look on his face (Hot. Mark had to resist the urge to follow the directions.) passing off burgers, hot dogs and grilled corn to everyone here. He had to admit, this whole February barbecue in upstate New York idea wasn’t as terrible as he thought it’d be.
“Mark!” Johnny appeared out of nowhere, cheerfully ruffling Mark’s hair. He flinched so bad he nearly dropped his hot dog. Johnny just laughed. “Woah there, bud! Sorry to startle you. `M just excited.”
“Haha, yeah?” Mark said, very eloquently. Johnny didn’t seem to mind, shoving a huge bite of burger into his mouth and speaking casually as he chewed.
“For sure. Been ages since anyone new joined the pack. No one since Shotaro last year, really.”
“Shotaro was turned?” Mark’s eyes sought out the boy with round cheeks he’d been introduced to not an hour earlier, looking extremely cute as he wrapped Doyoung in a back-hug. He remembered Jaehyun and Yuta mentioning that a few people in the pack were bitten wolves, not born, but never got any clarification as to who. “Who else?”
“Sicheng was turned by his family years ago, so him, and then there’s Yeeun. She and Shotaro are the only wolves Yuta has made. And now there’s Jeno! Bit different with them, though. They actually asked Yuta to bite them, of course.”
“They asked to be turned?” Mark said curiously, looking around the room at each of them in turn. “Why?”
“That’s pretty personal question, don’t you think?” Johnny said, arching a brow. “Not really your business.”
Mark flushed furiously. “O-oh, of course, yeah-“
Johnny threw his head back and laughed. “I’m just messing with you, Markie,” he said cheerfully, jostling Mark’s shoulder. “I’m the nosiest person alive. But seriously, ask them.”
Despite Johnny’s reassurance, Mark’s face remained red with embarrassment. He took another bite of his hotdog, trying to hide it. He racked his brains, trying to think of something to say that would make Johnny think he was like, a normal human being. ”So, like, how’s everyone feel about Jeno joining up? Did they like him on the full moon?” Mark winced at the bluntness of his own questions, but he didn’t want to take them back. They were honest. At his core, Mark was still worried about Jeno. He always would be, and if that meant sounding like a concerned mother worried about her son’s social life after transferring to a new school, so be it.
“Jeno’s great,” Johnny said sincerely. He pursed his lips slightly, turning slightly to look directly at Mark. “This might sound kind of shitty, but I’m almost relieved it was Jeno who that fuckhead alpha went after. It could’ve been any random asshole, but instead it was someone really awesome. He’s a great fit for the pack.”
It did sound kind of shitty, but Mark appreciated the sentiment. Although… “What do you mean, the ‘alpha that went after’ Jeno? I thought it was just a werewolf, and we didn’t know who,” Mark said, confused. For a long moment, Johnny remained silent.
Seeming to decide on something, he sighed. “Well, technically, we don’t know for sure,” he hedged. “But… Do you know how werewolves are made, Mark?”
“They’re either born or bitten, right?” Mark replied, remembering that much from the talk with Yuta and Jaehyun in the preserve.
“Yeah, basically. Not just any werewolf bite will turn someone, though. If I were to bite you right now, I mean, it would hurt for sure.” Mark shot him a glare. Johnny continued unfazed. “But you wouldn’t become a werewolf. Only a bite from an alpha can turn a human into a werewolf.'“ Johnny looked at him significantly. “And Jeno became a werewolf.”
“So… the thing that attacked us…” Mark breathed, eyes going wide. “It was… an alpha werewolf? Like Yuta?”
Johnny’s gaze darted from side to side. “Don’t go shouting it, but yeah. That’s basically the only thing it could be.”
“What even are alphas, anyways?” Mark queried. “Like, how are they different from the rest of you?”
“Their eyes turn red,” Johnny replied promptly. He made no move to elaborate until Mark scowled. He broke into a teasing grin, poking at Mark’s ribs. “Ah, you got me! Okay, it’s more than that. Alphas have even more enhanced speed and strength. It’s really difficult for a non-alpha to take one down solo.”
“How does someone become an alpha?” Mark hoped Johnny would answer the question hiding within that one. Specifically, how did Yuta become an alpha?
“Traditionally, the last alpha dies and the power transfers. That could be natural death, or a fight where a beta challenges the alpha for control of the pack.” Noticing Mark’s alarmed expression, Johnny squeezed his bicep reassuringly. “Usually it’s a natural death though! And a peaceful transfer of power. It’s pretty clear who the next alpha will be, generally, so there’s not much drama. Alphas can also gain the power more organically though. When a new pack forms, bonds are created. The person looked to as leader will eventually gain the status of alpha as those bonds solidify.” Johnny’s eyes went distant for a moment. “And I’ve heard some stories about True Alphas, but those are bullshit.”
Unsatisfied, but knowing that was all he was going to get out of Johnny tonight, Mark held his peace. He finished off his hot dog, deep in contemplation. If what had attacked Jeno and him that night had been an alpha werewolf, then… where were they now? Were they still out there?
The idea sent a shiver down Mark’s spine. He shuddered and stuffed his paper plate into the trash can. He made his way over to Jeno and Yeri, determined to put the whole thing out of his mind.
***
It was a truth universally acknowledged that the liquor stores of Ithaca were shit. It didn’t make any sense, in Mark’s opinion, because there was nothing to do around here in the damn winter but drink, but alas. The facts remained. Not that Mark could even go into a liquor store and buy alcohol yet, but it was really the principle of the matter. It was a lot easier to get ahold of the Svedka and Fireball and Barefoot that occupied an entire cabinet in their dorm room than any good shit, even without a fake.
If Mark wanted to have soju, he had to wait for someone to make a trip down to the city and stock up their trunk, then get the hook-up text on where and when to meet up with the guy selling it out of his frat house. It was a whole rigmarole that had taken Mark nearly an entire semester freshman year to sort out. Sort it out he had though, much to the benefit of Jeno and Donghyuck. The freshmen would never know the pain and trials Mark had suffered to get them to this point.
“Alright, Ten texted.” Ten was a junior, and he’d been in Mark’s Introduction to Visual Studies discussion group his first ever semester at Cornell. Mark had latched onto him like a lost puppy, and Ten had only been too happy to adopt. He’d gotten Mark into the dance classes offered at the gym, and even taught a bunch. “His friend spent the weekend in the city, and got a big stock while he was there. We gotta get over to Lambda by two if we want the good flavors before they sell out.”
They walked over, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather. Fifty-five Fahrenheit felt like summer after two months in the teens with windchill. Mark relished the sparse rays of sun on his face as they wandered over. They headed up the long drive, joining the end of the small line that had formed. It seemed like the guy was taking advantage of the warm weather and selling outside, covered from being spotted from the road by the house and eight other parked cars before his. After a couple minutes, Mark was able to see the man taking cash. It was easy to spot him, because he was taller than everyone else. Because he was Johnny Suh.
Mark stopped in his tracks. The soju guy was Johnny Suh. Because of course it was. Because of course Johnny was Ten’s new soju hookup on campus. Who else would be? Mark felt vaguely hysterical. This was his life now. He knew the soju guy personally.
Johnny hadn’t even bothered to set up shop inside. Fair enough, considering Mark knew Johnny didn’t actually live in this frat. He supposed the pack didn’t want a ton of people streaming through their house, so Johnny liberated the driveway here instead. It felt oddly less shady to be doing this out in the open, as opposed to trekking through the dank hallways of Lambda to a room with mysterious rug stains that smelt like weed and stale B.O. Mark could dig.
When Johnny spotted Mark, his face lit up in a friendly grin. “Mark! Fancy seeing you here, bro.”
“Hey, Johnny.” Mark felt oddly sheepish, for reasons he couldn’t pinpoint.
Donghyuck narrowed his eyes, looking keenly between them. “You know each other?”
“Kind of,” Mark said out the side of his mouth. Johnny looked at him, clearly amused.
“Of course we do! Now, which ones?” Johnny asked, leaning against his bumper and gesturing like a game show host to the products in his trunk. To be fair, it was a Range Rover trunk, so there were a lot of goods.
Mark swallowed, fixing his eyes on the boxes of soju. He could feel Johnny’s eyes on the side of his face. His cheeks burned red, but Mark still refused to look at him. “Uhh…grape?”
“Sure thing.” Johnny grabbed three bottles in one hand and passed them off to Mark with a grin. Mark felt his breath whoosh out of him as he took the drinks, somehow managing to stammer out his thanks. Looking at a smiling Johnny, leaning impossibly long and lean against his car in tight jeans and an oversized t-shirt, was like looking directly into the sun. Inadvisable and painful.
Mark shoved the bottles into his backpack (stray hoodie cushioning them) and began fumbling around the front pocket for his wallet. “Um, how much you want, bro? Just – give me a sec –”
“Nah,” Johnny waved his hand lazily, still grinning at Mark. “It’s on the house, Markie.”
Mark froze for a second, staring in disbelief at Johnny’s amused face. He heard Donghyuck and Yangyang groan from where they stood behind him. “Huh…what?”
Johnny batted Mark’s hand away from his backpack pocket, nudging at the straps until it was sliding back down Mark’s arms. “Friend discount, baby. I don’t want your cash.”
“Yo – that’s so – I mean –” Mark cleared his throat, trying to summon up anything but more squeaks. “Thanks, man. You’re the realest, like, wow.”
“In that case…” Donghyuck said slyly, sidling up beside Mark. Johnny shot him a wry look.
“I do want your cash though.” His eyes were still crinkled with a smile, even as he held out his palm.
“Damn,” Donghyuck muttered, but he wasn’t too disappointed. He handed over his twenty easily, taking his peach and strawberry bottles and shoving them into Mark’s backpack without asking. Little shit. At least Yangyang had brought his own bag. His roommates finished up quick enough, slapping Johnny’s hand in a low-five shake and turning to go. Mark lingered an extra moment.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to pay?” he worried at his lower lip. “Like, not even for one of them?”
“Mark, Mark, Mark,” Johnny chastised, clicking his tongue. He sounded absolutely delighted. He clapped a large hand on Mark’s shoulder, giving him a friendly shake. “Get used to nice things happening for you, bro.” Mark looked at him doubtfully. Johnny grinned, cheeks pushing up and giving him mischievous eye whiskers. “If you really want, you can owe me a favor.”
“Okay, cool,” Mark breathed, somewhat relieved. The exchange alleviated some of the awkwardness weighing him down. He shuffled his feet, clutching at his backpack straps. “Well, uh. Later!”
And with that, Mark made his escape.
“Bye Markie!” Johnny called after him. Mark felt the back of his neck burn.
“So.” Donghyuck said the word like it contained multitudes. Mark was distracted, trying to sling his suddenly-heavy backpack on without making too loud a clinking noise.
“Yeah?”
“He’s hot,” Donghyuck said simply, wrapping both his arms around Mark’s left elbow, clinging off him like a limpet. “You trying to hit that?”
“Jesus Christ,” Mark whispered, acutely aware of Johnny’s super-hearing. “No, Donghyuck. Shut up.”
“Really?” Donghyuck’s voice carried high and clear. “Because he’s definitely your typ–”
“Donghyu- uck!” Mark whined, voice breaking mid-syllable and pitching up an octave.
Yangyang decided it was high time to jump in on Mark’s torment. “You were fluttering your eyelashes, bro. You were eye-fucking him so hard I nearly blushed.”
He furiously adjusted his beanie, trying to yank it down over his bright red ears. “You guys! Seriously, stop it!”
His roommates just cackled. Mark imagined he could hear Johnny laughing from up the drive, too. He sighed, resigning himself to his fate. To exist as Mark Lee was to embrace humiliation.
***
The door slammed open with a crack. Mark winced, mentally cataloguing the damage. There went another door – and going by the odd crunch, another hole in the wall. He didn’t know how he was gonna explain this one to the RA. The dramatic entry was followed by two loud clomps as boots were kicked off, and a grunt as Jeno slung his backpack off his shoulder.
“Did ya talk to coach?” Mark asked, not looking up from his Physiological Modeling assignment. The long, low growl from Jeno, a sound now-familiar to the apartment, was answer enough. “Went that well, huh.”
“I told him I was having issues with aggression.” Jeno looked forlorn, flopping heavily into the chair across from Mark, folding his arms and dropping his forehead down to rest on them. “And he just told me I should ‘play more lacrosse to get it out’.”
“Wow,” Mark snorted, eyebrows lifting as he tried to bite back a smirk. Jeno kicked at his ankle – again with the misjudged strength. Mark’s eyes watered in pain, hand shooting down to grab his bruising ankle. “Ow! Dude, I’ve told you! No more rough-housing the squishy human, alright? I’m not built for it. Use your words, man.”
Jeno’s groan was muffled into the table. Mark couldn’t help but reach across and pat the top of his head sympathetically.
“Did you try to explain that your concern was getting too aggressive with other players during lacrosse?” Mark asked rhetorically. Jeno’s whimper was answer enough. “Well, that’s rough, dude.”
“I’m gonna kill someone,” Jeno voice was small, and fixed with a kind of horror. “I’m gonna get too mad during a game because someone checked my helmet, and then I’m gonna go psycho and forget my own strength and absolutely obliterate the guy, and then I’ll be convicted of murder and go to prison at nineteen and oh my God his family, Mark! The guy’s poor family! I’ll have taken their son from them too soon!”
Jeno’s voice reached zeniths of pitch and stress hitherto unheard from him. Mark winced, shoulders drawing up to his ears.
“Jeno! Chill dude, relax. You gotta calm down bro, it’s gonna be fine. You’re not gonna kill anyone, Jeno. I know you. You’re not capable of it.”
Jeno lifted his head from his arms, wobbly eyes meeting Mark’s. “Promise?”
“I promise.” Mark reached across the table and grabbed Jeno’s hand, squeezing it hard. “We’re gonna figure this out, buddy. Together.”
“Okay.” Jeno took a deep breath and sat up straight, pushing his floppy bangs back out of his face. He nodded to himself. “Together.”
“That’s the spirit, bro!” Mark high-fived Jeno, their hands meeting in perfect synchronization with a satisfying slap. “We still on for that party tonight?”
“Yeah,” Jeno said. Mark looked at him suspiciously.
“You sure? Because it’s all good if you’re not feeling up to it.”
“No, no, I think…It’ll be good? It might help me relax.”
“There’s my best friend,” Mark said, relieved. “My optimist.” Jeno grinned toothily at him. “Pre-game in two hours?”
Jeno nodded in confirmation. “Yeah. You eat yet?”
Mark hid his grimace with a smile that hopefully looked innocent, widening his eyes at Jeno. “Nooo…” Jeno squinted at Mark. He folded his hands together, leaning forward across the table. “Welllll, I was wondering if for dinner, you would maybe…. cookforbothofusprettyplease?”
Jeno sighed heavily. “Yeah, fine.”
“You the best!”
***
Jeno’s tension had been building all week, the barely tamped aggression pushing at the inside of his skin. Mark was exhausted just watching him. They were both more than ready to drink their problems away.
Mark had made quick work of one of the bottles of grape soju Johnny had gifted him during the pregame, while Jeno poured out glasses from his oversized bottle of Barefoot chardonnay. He swore sometimes that Jeno had somehow managed to inherit Mark’s mother’s personality.
It was well past eleven when they walked into the pack’s house, immediately confronted with a wall of sound. Music blasted from multiple surround sound speakers placed around the ground floor, and the place was packed. Mark recognized most of the men’s lacrosse team drifting around, what he thought was about half of women’s field hockey and the entirety of the crew team, in addition to a ton of Lambda brothers and aKDPhi sisters milling about. They got pulled into a circle of student athletes nearly immediately, half-talking, half-dancing. By the time they managed to escape, Mark was sweaty, and the buzz from the pregame had firmly taken hold of him. It was then he realized that he, tragically, was not holding any alcohol.
“C’mon!” Mark spoke loudly into Jeno’s ear. “Let’s get drinks!”
They escaped to the kitchen, where it was significantly quieter and cooler. Better lit, too. Mark found a Solo cup and mixed the Captain Morgan’s sitting out on the counter with the last of a room-temperature 2-liter Coke. Jeno, far more comfortable in the house, made a beeline for a high cabinet in the corner of the kitchen, opening it confidently. He fished out a handle of Absolut Mandrin and a souvenir shotglass purporting to be from Quebec, filling it to the brim. Mark downed about half his own drink while Jeno screwed the cap back on the bottle, suddenly realizing how thirsty he was.
Jeno made a face after he swallowed the shot, scrunching his nose and sticking his tongue out fully, as if trying to wipe the taste off. Mark quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head curiously. Jeno had been downing Fireball without issue since they were sixteen; Absolut should have gone down like water.
“Bro?”
Jeno shook his head, still smacking his tongue ridiculously like he was trying to wipe it clean. “Nothing. Just tastes worse than usual.” He sighed deeply, looking down into his cup sadly. “Enhanced senses, I think. The wine earlier was okay at least.”
Mark whistled. “Dang, that blows.”
“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it, baby.” Yeri had sidled up behind them without Mark noticing, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when she threw an arm over his shoulder and plastered herself to his side. His own rum and coke nearly splashed over the rim of the solo cup, and he yelped in distress. Yeri bumped her hip into his companionably, giving Mark a squeeze. She smiled wickedly at Jeno, eyes full of exaggerated sympathy. “You can’t get drunk anymore.”
“What?” Mark and Jeno gasped in unison, with matching horror. Yeri flipped her high ponytail over her shoulder, looking absurdly pleased with herself for being the bearer of bad news. Scratch that – devastating news.
“Yep.” She popped her ‘p’ with relish. “Nasty surprise, isn’t it? Werewolves have an enhanced metabolism. That’s what gives us the fast healing, and the high body temp. We burn through calories like no one’s business. Your body processes the alcohol and flushes it out before you ever get the chance to be buzzed.”
“Wha– but – but…” Jeno trailed off, eyes going wide in distress. He looked like a kicked puppy. Mark lurched forward to pat him on the head, cooing soothingly.
“Nah, nah buddy, it’s alright. We’ll figure something out, Jenjen, promise.” Mark might have been starting to slur, but he couldn’t help it. His face just felt so relaxed. So chill. “Maybe if you just, like, chugged–”
“Someone mentioned chugging?” Johnny popped out of nowhere, suddenly towering over the trio with a wide grin. “Ah, my speciality. Keg’s out back, kiddos.”
Mark tried not to examine the bolt of heat the shot down his spine. It was just the shock of seeing a really hot guy while all his inhibitions were lowered – not being referred to as ‘kiddo’. Mark wrinkled his nose in distaste. Yeah, definitely not that.
“Jeno just learned that his days of getting wasted are behind him,” Yeri informed Johnny, stroking Jeno’s hair. Johnny made a face, grabbing Jeno’s shoulder and giving him a manly shake.
“Oof, yeah. Rest in peace, bro. It blows.”
“No,” Jeno gasped, looking at Johnny as if he had just swiped his last hope from beneath his nose. “It’s true?”
“Sure is, buddy.” To his credit, Johnny looked much more genuinely crushed by the fact than Yeri.
“There has to be something–”
“Technically, you can chug a handle of hard liquor in fifteen seconds and get drunk for about ten minutes.” This time, the voice was Yuta’s. Mark blinked hard enough to make his vision swim, boggling over where the fuck Yuta had just appeared from.
“Okay, seriously, where are you all coming from.”
Johnny winked. “Magician never gives up his secrets, Markles.”
Mark felt his stomach swoop. His cheeks felt hot. Yuta made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. On someone else, Mark might have called it amusement, but Yuta’s expression was far too flat.
“So yes, you can still get drunk. It’s just completely ineffectual and a waste of money,” he continued as if he’d never been interrupted. As if he just remembered something, he tilted his head to the side, wavy silver hair brushing against his shoulder. Mark’s eyes zeroed in on the skin exposed there, a reaction completely outside his control. Look, it wasn’t his fault that Yuta wore tank tops in February, and that he had such sharp collarbones and well-formed shoulders! “Well, there is…”
“Oh, no. Nah, bro.” Johnny shook his head, pursing his lips. “Don’t put the babies onto that.”
“Onto what?” Jeno asked eagerly. Even Yeri had straightened up, a keen gleam in her eyes as she stared the alpha down.
Yuta wet his lips, tongue dragging a devilishly slow line around his mouth. “There is technically alcohol made specifically for werewolves.”
“What?” Yeri gasped, affronted. “Why have I never heard of this?”
“Because it’s illegal,” Yuta told her dryly, one eyebrow arched. “The alcohol content is ridiculously high. It would literally kill a human who accidentally got ahold of it with a couple sips.”
“It also tastes like ass,” Johnny cut in, shuddering with a memory, eyes glazing over for a moment. He regarded the younger werewolves seriously. “For real, it’s poison. Like, literally, that high a percentage of alcohol is basically poison. Imagine drinking rubbing alcohol. Or hand sanitizer.”
Jeno and Yeri made matching faces of disgust. Mark looked on sympathetically as he surreptitiously took a sip of his rum and coke. It made his veins feel warm as soon as he swallowed. Mark sighed happily, swaying slightly into Yeri’s side.
The physical advantages humanity had over werewolves were few. Mark would be savoring the full pleasure of them, thanks.
“Just look on the bright side man.” Mark regarded Jeno with his best placating eyes, well-known for their devastating effect (Mark hadn’t spent hours practicing them in front of the mirror for nothing). “You can always be DD now!”
“How is that a bright side,” Jeno asked despairingly. Mark shrugged, slurping the last of his drink from his cup noisily.
“I meant like, for me,” he said obviously. He ducked out from under Yeri’s arm, attaching himself to Jeno’s side like a limpet. “Aren’t I your best friend, bro?”
“Yeah,” Jeno said grudgingly. Mark giggled, nosing into his collarbone.
“Then shouldn’t my happiness be your happiness, Jen? Like, when I win, you win, bro.”
“And when I lose, you lose,” Jeno responded dryly. Mark huffed, leveling Jeno with his best disappointed-cat face. This was the problem with sober people. They were always trying to logic their way through arguments, like absolute squares.
“You know,” Johnny drawled, that lazy amusement he seemed to perpetually rock curling around his tone. “We would’ve totally bought that the two of you were dating, if we hadn’t heard you talking about how you weren’t and you should just pretend to be to throw us off.”
Mark and Jeno gaped at Johnny, then at each other, before dissolving into giggles. Mark snorted, burying his face in Jeno’s armpit.
“Yo,” he gasped, clutching at his chest. “Yo, dude, oh my gosh. You’re so funny, Johnny.”
“Yeah?” Johnny asked dryly. He poked Mark under the ribs playfully, making him collapse even further into laughter. “You really think so?”
Mark glanced up from under the safety of Jeno’s arm, nodding shyly.
Johnny preened. “Well, I am a fun guy.”
Yuta and Yeri sighed deeply.
“This is the last thing he needed, really,” Yeri told Mark.
“If your head gets any bigger, you won’t be able to fit it in your helmet,” Yuta told Johnny seriously. Johnny flipped his longish hair dramatically, throwing out his hand and smacking the alpha on the chest.
“You’re just jealous that Markie thinks I’m funny–”
“So how’s Roscoe doing these days?” Yeri asked, determinedly cutting off Johnny’s instigating. Mark perked up with the chance to talk about his car.
“Good! He was a bit under the weather a couple weeks ago, but he’s really turned it around.” Mark preened, thinking about his beloved Jeep. Sure, Roscoe had some snags, but Mark would stand by him loyally. He’d bought him off a neighbor his senior year of high school for an absolute steal, and he was willing to roll with the punches and adjust to all the quirks of an 17-year-old car. Even when the wheels went out of alignment for the third time this year and Mark had to bring him to the shop yet again. On the bright side, the mechanics here were really fond of him.
“I feel like he’s always under the weather, though,” Yeri pointed out, sounding amused. She’d heard Mark complain when the transmission shitted out last September, and when he’d had to completely replace the battery in November (although that one really wasn’t Roscoe’s fault, or that big of a deal). “But you’re still hanging in there with him?”
“Always,” Mark said loyally, crossing his heart.
“Always?” Jeno repeated, cringing politely. Mark ignored him.
“My baby needs a lot of work,” he sighed wistfully. “He’s a project, for sure, but I love a project.”
“Oh?” Yuta’s tone was politely derisive. Mark didn’t notice, too consumed by memories of his beloved.
“Something about being the one to fix them up, you know? It’s satisfying. Like, he was such a piece of shit, but I’m making him better.”
Johnny looked mildly alarmed, brows lowering. “Mark, that doesn’t sound great. He’s a piece of shit? Are you sure you’re…safe?”
Mark glared at Johnny, affronted. “Excuse you! I know the safety ratings on Wranglers aren’t like, the best, but Roscoe is perfectly safe!” Jeno raised his eyebrows, exchanging a doubtful look at Yeri. Mark slapped his arm. “Shut up, he protected us just fine when Casey backed out into us in high school!”
“We were in the parking lot. Casey was only going three miles per hour!”
“Do you want to stop riding with me when we visit home?” Mark asked, setting his free hand on his hip. He used the other to take a sip of his rum and coke. “Is that what I’m hearing? You don’t want me to drive you home for Easter?”
Jeno pouted, folding his arms petulantly. “…No.”
“Okay, then apologize to Roscoe.”
“Roscoe isn’t here!”
“When we get home!”
“Excuse me,” Yuta interrupted. Mark and Jeno both whirled around on the alpha, who was wearing an incredulous expression. “Are you talking about…your car?”
“Yeah?” Mark looked at Yuta blankly. “Duh?”
“Holy shit,” Johnny breathed. Yeri was laughing so hard she’d nearly collapsed, resorting to clinging off Jeno’s arm to remain upright. “Dude, we totally thought you were talking about your boyfriend.”
“My… what? Oh my God.” Mark was horrified. “No. No! I don’t have a boyfriend!”
“Obviously,” Yeri drawled, finally coming up from air. She slugged Mark on the bicep lovingly. “No guy who talks about his car like that is getting any ass.”
Mark whined as everyone else began laughing. “Hey!”
There was one person standing in their little circle who wasn’t laughing, though. Mark would have preferred if he was. Yuta was standing across from him stone-faced. He looked at Mark as though he were dirt under his shoe. Mark attempted a weak smile. Yuta did not return it. His head snapped quickly to the side, turned as if he had heard something. Then, without a word, Yuta walked off.
“Um, bye?” Mark called after him. Johnny shook his head slightly, rolling his eyes.
“Don’t mind him. Now, tell me more about this car. Jeep Wrangler, you said? What year?”
“Yo, oh my gosh, yeah. He’s a 2006, and he’s only got 90,000 miles…”
Johnny listened to Mark gush about his car with great interest for nearly a quarter of an hour. Mark was pretty sure he’d fallen in love with him by the time Jeno began tugging at his arm, insisting he was too tired and sober to stay any longer. Johnny then won even more points by calling them an Uber (“Yooo, this is like, so nice of you! The nicest! Man, you really don’t gotta…”) and paying for it himself.
“Get home safe, boys,” he bid them, standing at the door as they made their exit. Mark turned around to wave at him. As he took a step backwards, his foot hit against something; he stumbled into a warm body, nearly taking them both off the porch. If the person he’d tripped over hadn’t been an alpha werewolf, he probably would have.
“Watch out,” Yuta chastised, setting Mark to rights. “You could’ve killed yourself walking like that!”
“Nah, it’s good, I’m fine!” Mark tried to reassure him. Yuta glared at him, sculpted eyebrows drawn down heavy over his perfectly-lined eyes.
“You would have fallen off this head-first and cracked your skull open,” he said darkly. He let go of Mark’s arms with something like disgust, taking a step back. “Be more careful.”
“I’ll watch him,” Jeno promised the alpha. Mark wanted to protest that he didn’t need watching, but the glare on Yuta’s face intimidated him into silence. “Let’s go, Markie.”
Mark followed Jeno out to their waiting Uber, the lingering stench of disapproval licking at his heels. He didn’t understand Yuta very much at all, but Mark was pretty sure about one thing. The alpha was not impressed by Mark. Not even a little bit.
***
Sometimes, the stroke of genius hits you when you’re least expecting it.
“Dude.” Mark said, a brilliant idea dawning on him. He didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to him sooner. There was just something about the pepperoni pizza at Okenshields, really. Mark did some of his best thinking chowing down on it. “Have you asked Yuta for help with controlling your…well, you know.”
“Rage?” Jeno supplied wryly, shoving half a grilled chicken breast in his mouth and chewing it loudly. He managed to swallow it down in about two seconds. Mark wondered if his human teeth were stronger now too, because speaking from experience – that was some rubbery-ass chicken. “No, I haven’t.”
“Maybe he’ll know something to help! Isn’t he supposed to be, like, your werewolf guide?”
“Can you stop calling it that?” Jeno whined. “It sounds really lame.”
“Well, what should I call it?”
“I don’t know! Not ‘werewolf guide’.”
“Okay, fine. Isn’t Yuta supposed to be your lupine mentor?” Mark amended, rolling his eyes. Jeno sat up straighter, looking satisfied. “Jeno, you never had any problems with anger before you got bit. Like, you were a chill guy to a fault, bro. It’s gotta be linked.”
“Maybe,” Jeno admitted morosely, shoving the other half of his chicken into his mouth. “What if he thinks I’m a liability to the team, though? He could tell Johnny to bench me.”
Mark looked at Jeno frankly. “Dude, if you don’t get help soon, you are gonna be a liability to the team.”
Jeno wilted. He cut his second chicken breast in half despondently. Mark had never seen someone look sadder while shoving 3 ounces of dry chicken in their mouth.
“Sorry, bud,” Mark apologized, feeling awful for putting that look on Jeno’s face – even if it was something that needed to be said. “It’s not your fault, but you gotta get the fangs under control.”
“Hey, Mark.”
Jeno and Mark whirled around in unison. His lab partner from Experimental Organic Chemistry was standing right beside their table, stir-fry in hand. Mark coughed, hoping that Renjun hadn’t caught anything they’d been saying.
“Hey, dude!” Mark’s voice squeaked. He cleared his throat again, holding his hand out for a high-five shake. Renjun’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he completed the gesture. “How’s it hanging? Wanna eat with us?”
“Oh, sure.” Renjun looked surprised by the invitation, but he slid in next to Mark. He looked across the table at Jeno – whose ears had gone suspiciously red. He also hadn’t managed to swallow his gargantuan bite of chicken yet, apparently. Mark made a face at him, trying to communicate, Dude, what are you doing? Act natural! via eyebrow.
“Hi, I’m Renjun. I’m Mark’s lab partner in Orgo this semester.”
Jeno’s face flushed even worse. He swallowed the chicken, finally. “Hi! Hey, nice to meet you. Mark talks about you a lot!”
Mark lowered his eyebrows, staring hard at Jeno. He’d mentioned Renjun in passing a few times, sure. He wasn’t sure that qualified as ‘a lot’.
Renjun seemed amused, thankfully, not creeped out. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah!” Jeno chirped eagerly. “He said you’re a great lab partner, way better than the guy he was stuck with last semester.”
“Thanks, Mark,” Renjun said, looking rather shy. The bridge of his nose blushed attractively. He pulled a pair of metal chopsticks out of nowhere, poking his rather lackluster stir fry suspiciously. “You’re a good lab partner too.”
Jeno seemed entranced. He was staring very intently at Renjun’s face, smiling slightly, dopey expression making his face look slack. Realization dawned on Mark.
“Oh,” he said aloud. Renjun turned to him in confusion. Jeno didn’t move. He hadn’t seemed to hear Mark speak.
“Hm?”
“Nothing!” Mark assured him, quickly raising his pizza to his mouth and tearing off a large bite. “Jus’ remem’ered an assignmen’ I hafta do.” He swallowed. Renjun nodded easily, going back to his food. Mark kicked Jeno’s shin under the table. Finally, Jeno looked at him again, wounded puppy eyes going 100. Mark gave him a significant look, then jerked his chin at Renjun – currently busy looking down at the limp vegetables in his bowl with mild despair – then mouthed, “Get it together”.
Jeno pouted, but he straightened up and speared an overcooked broccoli on his fork, swallowing it down without chewing. Probably for the best. He wouldn’t have to taste it as much.
“We gotta get going,” Mark apologized, but he couldn’t think of any conversational topics that weren’t werewolf-related right now. Also, his class started in twelve minutes. “I have class.”
“Have fun,” Renjun said wryly. Mark snorted, picking up his backpack and swinging it over his shoulder with a nod. He looked at Jeno, tapping his foot. Jeno stacked his dirty napkin and utensils on his plate, but didn’t move to stand. Renjun looked at him as well. “And, um, it was nice to meet you…” Renjun trailed off awkwardly. Jeno looked expectant, but after a long moment of silence, wilted. Mark wanted to slap himself.
“Oh my God, I forgot to introduce you,” he said, horrified. “I’m such an idiot, sorry. Renjun, this is my roommate and best friend, Jeno.”
“It was nice to meet you, Jeno,” Renjun finished, relieved smile spreading on his face. Jeno’s face shifted so fast it nearly gave Mark whiplash: from despondent to beatific.
“Actually…” Jeno began. Mark side-eyed him, but Jeno only had eyes for Renjun. “My next class isn’t for an hour. I was just gonna chill here and study, if that’s alright with you?”
Renjun blinked at Jeno. For a moment, Mark and Jeno held their breath. Then, Renjun smiled, showing off cute, small front teeth.
“Of course,” he said, and something about his voice sounded quietly pleased. “It was your table first. And I’d appreciate the company.”
“Cool,” Jeno grinned at Renjun, not making any move to get his books out of his bag. Or do anything but smile at him like a lovesick dope.
Mark clapped Jeno’s shoulder heartily, giving him a solid shake. “Well, J, study hard.” Jeno nodded, bangs flopping in his eyes. He reached down without looking away and fished a textbook out of his bag, followed by a notebook and pen. “See you tomorrow, Renjun. This was fun, yo. We gotta hang sometime.”
“That’d be nice,” Renjun turned the smile on Mark, then went back to picking at his stir-fry. Mark waved as he walked backwards, turned around just in time to swerve a girl trying to find a table.
“Sorry, sorry!” Mark apologized, but he stayed absent-minded the rest of his walk to class.
Jeno, struck down with a new crush. Adorable. It was absolutely precious every time it happened, although this case seemed more severe than usual. Fair enough, Mark supposed. Renjun was very pretty.
And going by the way he’d been grinning when Mark left, he had an inkling that Renjun might think Jeno was pretty, too. Seriously. The stir-fry from Okenshields never made anyone smile.
***
“I hope I’m not bothering you…” Jeno finished explaining his situation, including the unsuccessful talk with coach, before they even sat down. Yuta had shown them where to put their shoes – a well-organized rack – and given them guest slippers, taking their jackets and hanging them from the one free hook left in the entryway. “It’s just, I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to stop playing lacrosse, but I don’t want to accidentally hurt someone.”
“It’s absolutely no bother, Jeno. I should have offered,” Yuta said apologetically, fluffing up the pillows on the small sofa and gesturing at it. Mark sat down, impressed by the hosting skills. “My job as the alpha is to guide you, and keep everyone in check. I don’t want you to feel bad about asking me anything, okay? I’m here for you. That’s the whole point of having pack. You have other people you can rely on now.”
“Okay.” Jeno ducked his head shyly, playing with his fingers in his lap. Yuta smiled at him indulgently, settling into the La-Z-Boy lounger beside the sofa. “That’s what Mark said.”
Yuta glanced at Mark, one eyebrow raising. “Oh?” Mark nodded, trying not to flush under the weight of his attention. Yuta granted him a small smile. Mark tried very hard to breathe evenly. “Well, Mark is right.”
“So you can help me?” Jeno asked hopefully, leaning forward eagerly. Yuta nodded, tapping the arm of his chair contemplatively.
“Yes. This is a very common issue, practically universal for newly turned wolves. Even born wolves struggle with irritability and aggressive outbursts around the full moon, especially during puberty. It’s important for any werewolf to develop extremely good self-control. It’s less about this one issue, and more about adjusting your mindset entirely,” Yuta informed them. Mark thought that sounded like…well, a lot.
Jeno gulped. “How can I do that? Does it take a really long time? Because it sounds like a lot.”
“It will take time for you to really master it, but we can make good progress today. You’ll probably be able to tamp down the spontaneous shifting by the end of the week, if you set your mind to it.” Jeno looked relieved by this news, nodding determinedly. “Okay, where to start… Usually I’d ask if you’d ever heard of an ‘anchor’, but obviously the answer is no.” Yuta grinned at Jeno wryly, showing off his many gleaming teeth. Mark found himself fascinated by that smile, simultaneously joyful and mischievous.
“What’s an anchor?” Jeno asked, clearly eager to get to the part where Yuta delivered sage advice.
“It’s a word we use to describe the process of grounding ourselves, keeping ourselves tied closely to our humanity. An anchor helps you keep your emotions tempered by being a fixed point of calm, or at the very least stability.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that. Is it like, a person? An object? How do I know I found it?” Jeno’s voice was tinged with desperation. His hands pulled the hem of his sweater hard enough for a thread to come loose.
“What keeps you sane?” Yuta asked Jeno, a wry smile playing at his lips. He was serious, but not taking himself too seriously. It was a delicate balance to strike, and Mark watched in fascination as Yuta talked Jeno through this. Maybe he could absorb Yuta’s leadership skills through osmosis. God knows he could use them. “What keeps you grounded? What is the most human part of you? Where does your heart lay? What’s your constant? I know I’m just asking you the same question a dozen ways, but hopefully one of those hits for you.”
Jeno stared down at his wrung hands seriously, brows furrowing as his mind worked overtime.
“My friends,” he said suddenly. His voice was strong, and he looked up at Yuta with something solid locked in behind his eyes. “My heart is with my friends.”
“Good.” And Yuta sounded like he really meant that. “That’s a start. I can work with that. Which friends? You need to get specific. Ah, you don’t have to tell me!” He grinned at Jeno, holding up a hand as Jeno opened his mouth to speak. “Just think about it. Anchors can be tricky. It’s a relationship you’re using for stability, right? But relationships change. Try to pick a stable friendship. Not one where you’ve had a lot of rocky times, or you’re a bit unsure about your standing.”
“Mark,” Jeno said simply. He looked up at Yuta, eyes wide and guileless. “I don’t have to think on that. It’s Mark.”
“Yeah?” Yuta’s brow quirked slightly. He didn’t even glance at Mark. Mark tried not to bristle, swallowing down slightly bruised pride. This was about helping Jeno; of course Yuta’s laser-like focus would stay on Jeno.
“Yes.” There was no hesitancy in Jeno’s answer. He looked sideways at Mark and grinned. Mark grinned back, sidling forward for a hearty fist bump. “You’re my best friend. You have been since I was six, and it’s not gonna change.”
“Dude,” Mark said, deeply touched. He pressed his hand to his chest. “Bro, I love you so much. You’re my best friend. Till the end.”
“Till the end.”
“Well!” Yuta clapped his hands together, startling the hell out of Mark. He jumped about a foot in the air. Something that looked suspiciously like a smirk played out on Yuta’s mouth. “That was very touching. Now that you’ve identified an anchor, are you ready to move into more practical shit? Like, how the fuck to use it so you don’t rip someone’s head off for looking at you funny?”
“Oh my God, yes,” Jeno replied fervently, nodding. “I’ve never been so angry in my life. It’s been driving me insane.”
“Have you ever meditated?”
“No.”
“Okay.” Yuta poked his tongue out in his cheek, deep in thought. After a moment, he perked up. “Okay, so I’m gonna text you the name of an app a bunch of us use, it has guided meditations and shit and will help you understand mindfulness. That’s really helpful in regulating your emotions, especially because they’ll spike up so much around full moons.”
“Really?” Mark asked curiously, leaning forwards. “Your emotions are influenced by the lunar cycle? Yo, dude, that’s kinda cool. It’s almost like a period. A werewolf period.”
Yuta levied Mark with a dark glare. Mark shrank back, making a motion like he was zipping his lips. Staring at the ceiling for strength, Yuta continued. “Today, we’ll just practice focusing in on your anchor.” He shot Mark a doubtful look here. “Not just memories of them, though that might help. Try to sort out the emotion that rises in you when you contemplate them. Try to hold it in your chest, steady, for as long as you can.”
“Uh…” Jeno blinked up at Yuta, looking a bit like a lost puppy. “Um… sure?”
Yuta smiled kindly down at him. “I’ll do it with you.”
Yuta sank down to the floor, crossing his legs and settling in easily. He patted the spot beside him invitingly. Jeno slid from the squishy loveseat to the hardwood without question, folding up his lithe legs and sitting up very straight. Mark hovered awkwardly, unsure what to do. Should he join them on the floor? Or would that be, like, imposing on the werewolf-bro-bonding time that was clearly happening right now? Should Mark just stay on the loveseat? It was a bit weird being two feet higher than anyone else in the room. Ultimately, he decided to stay where he was, although that was based more on the merits of cushions versus cold, unforgiving wood than any respect for the sanctity of the werewolf bonds being forged. Mark tucked his knees up to become a bit less obtrusive, resting his cheek atop them. Sideways, he regarded Yuta and Jeno, hoping that his curious eyes weren’t distracting. Yuta seemed to be having Jeno sync up his breathing with his own, demonstratively holding his hands over his ribs to make the motion of them easier to observe. It also served to make Yuta’s nipples poke through his thin white tank top, making them painfully obvious for Mark to see. He was entranced for several long moments. Then, horrifyingly, Mark remembered that Yuta and Jeno were able to smell Mark’s arousal . A rush of panic jolted down his spine, making Mark curl up even tighter, the tips of his ears burning. Mark guiltily snapped his eyes up, determined to keep them above everyone’s neck from here on out. It helped, but also it didn’t, because Yuta’s face was endlessly fascinating.
Right now, it was a study in concentration: brows set seriously, eyes fixed on Jeno, full lips relaxed. His shoulders curled in slightly with the slouch of his spine, a contrast to Jeno’s rigid posture. Jeno’s eyes fluttered shut as they moved into the “focusing their energies” portion of the exercise; but Yuta’s remained open. As Mark looked on, the thing that’d been niggling at the back of his mind finally came to the forefront. Realization dawned on Mark, and he regarded Yuta even more keenly. Yuta had drawn the core of Jeno’s emotional stability out of him in a few minutes and given a surprisingly thorough lesson on the key aspects of a werewolf’s anchor – all while very effectively talking around his own anchor. He’d not dropped so much as a hint as to what, or whom, it may be.
And what is your anchor, Yuta? Who keeps you grounded? Mark wondered.
Yuta was still looking at Jeno, but his eyes were a million miles away. He was never going to volunteer the information, no badly how Mark yearned to know, no matter how badly Mark burned to fall deeper and deeper into him, learn everything about the mystery that was Nakamoto Yuta. And Mark knew he was too chicken to ever ask.
***
Jeno’s desperate plea for help seemed to have jumpstarted something in Yuta. The rest of his training kicked off quickly after that.
“It’s good to have a physical outlet,” Johnny informed Jeno, grunting as he lifted a fallen tree off the road and began carrying it to the backyard. There’d been a storm last night, one of those terrible things with gale force winds that always made Mark secretly a little scared. He’d slept in Jeno’s bed. “Honestly, just making sure you exercise enough can help a lot with the aggression. Team sports are a bit complicated, though.”
“Why?” Jeno picked up a large, unwieldy branch and began carting it back to the house, following closely on Johnny’s heels.
“Well, there’s other people fucking everything up.” Johnny laughed. Mark’s heart fluttered. He hoped that sitting on the porch kept him far enough away that Johnny hadn’t heard that. Going off the quick, amused look Johnny cast his way – no such luck. Mark sighed.
“It’s not just hitting the ground running and pounding out all your energy, you know? There’s strategy, and other people around you that you need to temper your strength for, and opponents talking shit, and even your teammates messing up plays,” Johnny continued. Jeno nodded seriously, looking like a bobble-head bouncing along in Johnny’s wake. Mark got up from the porch swing with a stretch, cracking his spine out and stepping down into the muddy grass with a sigh. He wandered around the side of the house, coming to the busy backyard.
It wasn’t a bad sight, that was for sure. Mark hugged the building, staying well clear of any axes or tree trunks. His eyes were so fixed on the werewolves – all shirtless, even though it was only 45 degrees out, because of course – that he nearly tripped on the deck stairs. He squeaked, hugging the railing to stay steady.
“Mark, are you alright?” Ryujin called out. She pushed her bangs out of her face, popping her hip out as she regarded Mark with a smug little smirk on her face, waggling her eyebrows. Mark glared at her, pushing himself up and trying to walk up the stairs with dignity. They were still kind of slippery from all the rain, though, so he kept a tight hold on the railing. Ryujin’s giggle followed him up.
Someone was already on the deck. Irene, going by Mark’s instagram-stalking of the pack. He stood still at the edge of the stairs. Holy fuck, he knew she was beautiful, but…seriously? She actually looked like that in real life?
Irene turned, leveling Mark with a sharp gaze. She regarded him for a long moment. Mark held his breath. Maybe he was just being dramatic, but it felt like she was staring into the depths of his soul and judging him.
She must have found him worthy, because after a second, she smiled brightly up at him. It softened her features, not making them any less striking, but far more approachable. “Hello, Mark,” she greeted him. “I’m Irene. It’s lovely to at last meet you. Come, sit.”
Mark was helpless but to obey. Not that he wouldn’t have anyways. Irene had laid out a tarp over the damp wood, then put a picnic blanket on top of that. She was also swaddled in what looked like three different thick fleece blankets, although she’d managed to wrap them around her shoulders like an elegant shawl.
Mark sat. Irene offered Mark a neatly folded blanket. Mark accepted it. He snuck glances at Irene, but couldn’t figure out how she’d wrapped herself up so thoroughly. He settled for just laying it over his lap, tucking in the edges under his thighs. The jacket and beanie were keeping his upper half warm enough, anyways.
None of the werewolves were wrapped in blankets, or even wearing jackets. Jeno’s high temperature that Mark had sent him to the infirmary over hadn’t been a fluke. Werewolves ran hotter than humans, apparently. Faster metabolisms to supply their faster speeds, their faster healing, made their base body temperature somewhere around 103 Fahrenheit.
This was to Mark’s benefit, because Jaehyun was currently chopping wood shirtless. Biceps bulging out for God and Mark and everyone to see. Mark sent up a quick prayer of thanks, eyes fixing hungrily on the junior.
“Good Lord,” Mark muttered. It startled a laugh out of Irene. Mark flushed, feeling his ears burn against the cold air. He shrunk down into his cocoon of blankets. “Sorry.”
“Understandable,” Irene said, patting Mark on the hand. “You should have seen my wife the first time she came by. You should see her now, actually. Shameless.”
Reassured by having his thirst validated, Mark relaxed and went back to observing Jaehyun. The muscles of his back were so lithe, well-sculpted but not excessively bulky. Mark watched droplets of sweat drip down his spine, gathering at the small of his back, and gulped. Jaehyun looked over his shoulder, eyes trailing across the yard before landing on the pair on the deck. He smiled, waving enthusiastically with the hand that wasn’t holding the axe. Mark suppressed a whimper, but his heart skipped a beat in his chest. Jaehyun’s dimples. Weapons of mass destruction – on Mark’s emotional stability, at least. Swallowing heavily, Mark waved back. So caught in the daze of Jaehyun’s sex appeal was he that he completely missed the approach of a new person on the deck.
“See something you like?” A sly voice asked. Mark tried not to jump, but Irene’s mouth twitched. He whipped his head up to see who was now looming over him.
To his relief, he knew her. “Oh, hi Yeeun.”
“Hey Mark.” She settled onto a blanket beside him. “How’ve you been?”
Mark hadn’t seen Yeeun much this semester, now that they were no longer in the same Phil1100 course. He’d ran into her at a few parties, but nothing much. “Pretty good, considering, you know.”
Yeeun hummed, eyes seeking out Jeno in the yard. He was currently ‘sparring’ with Johnny and a girl Mark recognized from Instagram as being named Jennie. Mostly, Jeno was trying clumsily to punch and kick at them while they effortlessly blocked him. Jennie almost lazily stuck her forearm out when Jeno went for a roundhouse kick, sending him sprawling on the yard again. He was covered in streaks of dirt and blades of dead grass. The crumbled remains of a leaf adorned his hair.
“You’re not getting back in Roscoe like that!” Mark shouted. Johnny laughed loudly, eyes dancing as he looked up at the deck. Jennie began giggling as well as she pulled Jeno off the ground, cheeks dimpling adorably.
“Don’t worry Mark! We’ll hose him off before we send him back to you!” She called. Mark grinned, shooting her a thumbs up.
“Hey, no,” Jeno pouted, bottom lip sticking out. “The hose will be cold!”
“Get used to it.” Yuta’s serious voice was simultaneously a shock and completely natural. Mark fully jumped this time, startling badly enough to get him tangled in his blankets. Yuta had walked out of the back doors onto the deck, and was observing the yard with his hands on his hips, head tilted. Mark got the odd sensation that he was watching a king survey his domain. “Withstanding unpleasant conditions is key to your training.”
“Always so dramatic,” Irene murmured. Yeeun rolled her eyes. Yuta ignored both of them, strolling down the deck and shrugging off his leather bomber casually. He hung it from the post of the stairs, and sauntered over to Jeno’s group.
“Here.” Yuta adjusted Jeno’s legs physically, then pushed down on his shoulders until he was squatting slightly. He moved his arms into a blocking position, and carefully checked each of Jeno’s fists, making sure they were curled right for a punch. The movements were almost clinical, but something about Yuta’s manner was so caring, it nearly seemed intimate. Mark averted his eyes, feeling like he was intruding just by watching.
There was an odd intensity about Yuta, one that Mark was transfixed by. He was quick to smile – a huge, gleaming thing, changing his entire face and making Mark’s stomach flutter – and laughed easily, loud and bright. But Yuta was just as quick to become solemn and serious, changing his entire manner to that of an arrow poised to fly with deadly aim. The weight of his focus was palpable, and Mark found himself sweating when it so much as glanced over him. He wondered when he would finally get used to it. Yuta didn’t even have to be doing anything to make Mark’s heart skip a beat. He thought about Yuta chopping wood shirtless like Jaehyun currently was, and nearly felt nauseated by the bolt of arousal that rocked through him. It was ridiculous, his consistent reaction to Yuta merely…existing. Maybe what Mark needed was more exposure. To build up a Yuta-tolerance.
Yuta barked out a laugh down on the lawn, scraping back his wavy silver hair into a small hair tie. The tiny ponytail looked absolutely artful, strands still framing Yuta’s face beautifully. Mark could see his entire expression clearly as he beamed at Johnny, bumping the taller man with his shoulder before reaching out to grab at Jennie, tickling her right beneath the ribs.
Mark sighed deeply. Yeah. He wasn’t getting that tolerance anytime soon.
***
Mark, being the best bro in the world, took on the mantle of wingman very seriously. That was why, without Jeno asking, he’d invited Renjun to eat lunch with them on Mondays from now on. Mark mostly just scrolled through twitter while those two stared into each other’s eyes or some shit, but that was okay. Jeno radiated happiness for hours after seeing Renjun, lovestruck grin plastered to his face adorably. Jeno deserved all the brightness he could get, and he was so relaxed after those Monday lunches. Mark supported his endeavors, especially because he knew Renjun was a good guy. He was fully rooting for them to make it happen.
He just wished they weren’t “making it happen” when Renjun was supposed to be writing a lab report with him.
“Um, Renjun, can I see your notebook? I think you recorded these results…”
At Mark’s awkward interjection, Renjun leapt away from Jeno. They’d been slowly drifting closer and closer on the couch, leaning in more and more as they got swept up in chatter. Mark had resigned himself to sitting on the floor and completing this lab report solo. The things he did for his best friend, seriously.
Said best friend didn’t even have the decency to look sheepish like Renjun did, instead staring at his flushed cheeks with a smug satisfaction.
“Sorry, sorry. Here!” Renjun flipped his notebook to the right page and practically shoved it in between them, yanking his computer back into his lap from where it had drifted in the far corner of the couch. “Um, I can write up this part of the results.”
Mark raised his eyebrows silently, but charitably did not voice his doubts. “Awesome.”
They managed about five minutes of actual work before Jeno managed to insinuate himself into conversation with Renjun again. Apparently, Renjun was a cat person, and greatly missed his family cat.
“Pork Chop?” Jeno gasped, eyes huge with interest. “What a cute name!”
“Yeah.” Renjun was suppressing a smile, clearly trying not to look too pleased and failing miserably. “I came up with it when I was ten, He’s really grumpy though.”
“That’s cute too,” Jeno cooed. “I love a grumpy cat!” Mark mimed retching. Neither of the men noticed. “I was wondering, Renjun.” Renjun nodded encouragingly, stars in his eyes as he stared into Jeno’s. “Would you like to get dinner after this?”
“Just go now,” Mark cut in. Jeno and Renjun whipped their heads towards him in shock, clearly having forgotten he was still in the room. Mark felt a little bad to cut the wind out of Jeno’s sails, but he couldn’t take it anymore. “I think we’re all set here, Renjun.”
“Are you sure?” Renjun worried at the hem of his cable-knit sweater. “There’s still a few sections left.”
“I’ll handle it,” Mark waved him off. Much quicker without having to listen to the two of you flirt, he added silently. “Have fun!”
“Oh, thank you,” Renjun smiled at Mark shyly. Jeno mouthed ‘I love you’ to Mark behind his head, giving him a hand-heart. Mark bit down at his lip to stop his smile.
“Bye, Markie! I’ll text you when I’m coming back.” Jeno leaned down to wrap Mark in a bone-crushing hug.
“I won’t wait up.”
With that, Jeno and Renjun were out the door in a flurry of boots and coats and gloves. Mark sighed and turned back to his laptop, cracking his neck. He settled in for another few hours of work to complete the report on his own. The things he did for Jeno.
The things he did for love.
***
The day of Cornell’s first men’s lacrosse game of the season dawned gray and frigid, because of course it did. It was at home in Ithaca. Mark didn’t know why he was surprised. Subconscious hope, he supposed. The Lee’s (Jeno’s branch, although Mark’s family had sent their best wishes to their honorary son in the form of a care package) had gotten to the field ridiculously early, hauling a cooler, what looked like five flannel blankets, and butt pads. Mark arrived a still-reasonable fifteen minutes before face-off, but the prime spots beside Jeno’s parents had filled up. He settled in the middle of the stands, slightly downfield from center. He adjusted his sign to lay on top of his feet, taking the chance to rest up his arms, and pulled his beanie firmly down over his ears. His nose had gone numb already. It was too cold to even take off his gloves and use his phone, so Mark resigned himself to some people-watching until the game started up. Luckily, a savior soon arrived in the form of Huang Renjun.
“Oh, hey Renjun!” Mark beamed at his friend, who was waddling down the narrow aisle like an overdressed penguin. It looked like he was wearing two down coats, plus a scarf, mittens (adorable) and one of those hats with the flaps over the ears. He looked like he was about to set off into the wilds of Canada to go ice fishing. Mark patted the open spot beside him, metal bleacher icy cold even through his own heavy-duty gloves. The thing would probably give bare skin freezer burn. “Glad you could make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Renjun smiled, awkwardly sitting down. It looked difficult to bend with all the layers. “It’s Jeno’s first game!”
Mark grinned at him, a happy warmth suffusing through his chest. This is exactly what Jeno deserved, the kind of boyfriend who got excited over his accomplishments. Who came out in 28 degree weather (plus windchill) to watch seventy-five minutes of lacrosse. Mark picked up his sign from the bleacher, bumping Renjun in the knee with it. “Wanna help me hold my sign?”
“Oh my gosh, this is so cute!” Renjun examined the – admittedly rough – red lettering. LET’S GO BOI!!! #23 HAS MY <3 JENO IS THE BEST
“Made a special trip to CVS for the occasion,” Mark smiled down at the foam board glowing with satisfaction. Sure, the letters might be crooked, and the last few letters of ‘BEST’ were perhaps a tad squished, but it was homemade with oodles of love poured in. And copious amounts of glitter glue.
“It certainly paid off.”
The game started shortly after that, Jaehyun winning the face-off with ease and flinging the ball near-casually upfield into Yuta’s waiting stick. From there it’s a short journey past the baffled goalie, firmly into the net. In less than thirty seconds, Cornell is up one. Yuta had only walked three steps. Mark was pretty sure he yawned.
It was all-out slaughter from there.
“GO CORNELL! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WOOT WOOT!”
“Oh, wow,” Renjun said, eyes wide as he turned to look at Mark. “You’re…loud.”
“Thanks!” Mark chirped, eyes intent on the field. “I have great lung capaci – FUCK YEAH, JENO! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ BOUT, BABY! WOOOO! YEAH! KILL HIM!”
Number 23 had checked the Albany attack player hard enough to send him sprawling – completely legal, clean as a whistle. Jeno’s shoulder pads shook with laughter, and he turned his head slightly towards the stands, superhearing zeroing him in on his fans easily, the opening of his visor trained on Mark and Renjun. Beneath the helmet, Mark was sure he was grinning, eyes shaped into happy crescents. Yuta scooped the loose ball off the frozen field and actually deigned to run the length of it, until he was close enough to the opposing goal to make a reasonably human shot. It soared past the reaching goalie into the top left corner of the goal, and Cornell was up five.
“Holy shit,” Renjun breathed, watching the field with a mix of fascination and horror. “It’s a massacre.”
“Yeah, dog. We’re the best!” But the words cut through the adrenaline rush and euphoria of watching his home team kill it. Sudden guilt twinged in Mark’s chest. He examined the field with a more critical eye. Renjun wasn’t exaggerating – Albany’s players were getting absolutely slaughtered. They were already down five points, and the second quarter had barely started. Their attack had already caught two red cards, growing impossibly frustrated with the impenetrable wall that was defense. Mark watched as Jeno effortlessly guarded the right attack, popping up at his every turn, seeming to anticipate his steps before he took them. Eventually, the guy tripped over Jeno’s feet, and the ball dropped from his stick. Quick as lightning, Jeno scooped it up and whipped it twenty yards upfield to Johnny’s waiting stick. Johnny shot it into the bottom of the goal, barely looking to aim. They hadn’t even broken a sweat.
Alright, maybe it was a bit unfair. Four players on Cornell’s side were rocking supernatural strength and reflexes, after all. It might have rankled Mark’s strong sense of justice more if it weren’t to Jeno’s benefit. Best friend privileges. Besides, he reasoned, it’s not like any of them were being paid for this. It’s not like the other team’s players were losing out on a holiday bonus because Cornell was absolutely whooping their ass out on the field. It was all the thankless grind of being a college athlete, for a sport that didn’t even get real ESPN airtime. And Jeno had gotten on the team fair and square without freaky werewolf powers, so there. All’s fair in love and lax, or whatever.
By half time, Cornell was up ten points and Mark’s butt had gone totally numb on the bleachers, despite his long underwear. Jeno was pulled onto the bench for the rest of the game, a sophomore and a junior in turn going out in his position for the third and fourth quarters. Mark and Renjun bitched and groaned, but good-naturedly. After all, Jeno had gotten unheard of game time for a green freshman – and a walk-on freshman, at that. It made sense the coach would pull him to give the more seasoned players time to shine. There was no chance of Cornell losing at this point, even if the other guys were asleep at the wheel. They played very well, going hard despite the massive lead, but lacked the same zeal that the Jeno-Yuta-Jaehyun triad had packed. Johnny was still on the field killing it, and Jaehyun went back on for the last quarter, but it didn’t have the same zest.
By the time it was all over, Cornell had sixteen points. Without Jeno on defense, the University of Albany had managed to scrounge up a barely-respectable four.
Jeno didn’t bother to strip his pads before jogging up the stands to greet his loyal fans, just shoved the helmet into his stick bag and stuffed his feet into beat-up Uggs to preserve his cleats.
“Hey guys! Thanks for coming out!”
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world, bro,” Mark clapped Jeno on the shoulder, giving him a firm shake.
Yuta, Johnny and Jaehyun trooped heavily up the rapidly-emptying stands behind Jeno, Johnny and Jaehyun having taken the time to don matching Canada Goose puffers. Yuta, the bastard, had stripped himself down to his thermal and not bothered to put anything over it. Smug-ass werewolf, running stupidly hot – looking stupidly hot –
Mark cleared his throat before his mind could run away from him any farther, cheeks burning red from more than just windburn. Luckily, Renjun saved him from speaking, surely incoherently.
“You were amazing, baby,” Renjun assured Jeno, going up on his tippy-toes to plant a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek. Jeno immediately turned bright red, smiling goofily as he stared down at his toes bashfully. Renjun rested his chin on a broad shoulder. “It was so hot watching you play like that. You’re so…capable.”
“Oh-kay,” Mark muttered, averting his eyes. He could’ve sworn he heard Yuta snort beside him. He coughed, looking around for something to divert Jeno before he dipped Renjun and began sucking face right there on the bleachers. “Your parents are around here somewhere – I saw them on the first row down to the right, but they might’ve snuck over to the snack bar by now.”
Jeno lit up like a golden retriever. “Great! C’mon babe, you have got to meet them – they’re so excited to see you.”
Renjun hesitated a moment, mittened hand clasped in Jeno’s huge, rough palm. He glanced to the side shyly. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, ‘course.” With a heart-melting beam, Jeno tugged Renjun off to meet the parents. Mark stared at their retreating backs, torn between amusement and betrayal.
“Is this what chopped liver feels like?” he mused. Johnny snickered, and Jaehyun even granted Mark a fond punch to the shoulder.
“Probably significantly better,” Yuta answered seriously. “Although I can arrange for some chopping to happen, if you’d like to test the theory.”
“No! Nope!” Mark yelped, taking half a step back. He couldn’t tell if Yuta was joking or not. His eyes were serious, face as dead-pan as ever. He chuckled nervously, shoving his hands into his deep coat pockets. “Um, I prefer life un-chopped, thanks.”
“Shame,” Yuta replied, and then stood silent. He seemed to have no problem standing there in complete quiet, simply staring at Mark’s face and not offering even a crumb of conversation. Despite the cold, Mark felt sweat on the back of his neck.
Jaehyun took pity on his soul. “Want a ride back, Mark? We got room in the car.”
Mark pounced on the lifeline. “Yo, really? Yeah, thanks.” He sighed in relief, rocking on the balls of his feet. “Pretty sure I lost feeling in my toes forty-five minutes ago.”
“Oh, word,” Johnny agreed, tucking back the hairs that had escaped his ponytail (very sexy) behind his ears. “My left nut is about to freeze off.”
“Wow, what a loss,” Yuta intoned, and his lips pursed into a frown. He tilted his head mockingly at Johnny. “How would the bisexuals of Ithaca ever find the strength to go on if Johnny Suh lost a nut?”
Oh. Oh. So that’s how it was. Yuta was just a dry kinda guy. Sarcastic. Deadpan sense of humor with a flawless delivery. It was all Mark could do not to audibly sigh in relief. Mark felt like, at least 38% better about all his interactions with Yuta in light of this information.
He also felt like Yuta might have just become 54% more attractive in light of the revelation that he had an actual sense of humor, but that was irrelevant. After all, he would never give Mark a second glance.
***
Mark was ostensibly doing homework in the living room of the pack house. Actually, Ryujin had put on Hunter x Hunter and Mark was entirely wrapped up in the show. So wrapped up that it took him a moment to realize Ryujin had spoken.
“You going to the pack bonding sesh?” Ryujin asked, snapping her gum as she carefully chose a photoset for instagram. Jeno tilted his head, puppyish.
“The what?”
“We do it every month,” she continued, seemingly satisfied with the five she’d selected. She moved on to filtering them. “We’re pretty busy, so it’s a chance for us all to get together. We go out and do something fun.”
“And this month that is…?” Mark was deeply curious as to what werewolf packs got up to for fun.
“Bowling Thursday after all the sports get out,” Ryujin informed them. “You in?”
Her tone made it clear that it wasn’t really an option to be ‘out’.
“Why bowling?” Mark asked, trying to envision a group of werewolves in striped shiny shirts and dirty flat shoes.
Ryujin flashed him a grin. “Why not?”
Well, fair enough.
***
Mark wasn’t entirely sure he should be here, but Jeno had begged him to come along. So there he was, standing in the entrance to the Helen Newman Bowling Center. It wasn’t the grubby, low-lit bowling alleys from the birthday parties of Mark and Jeno’s youth, but it wasn’t like, upscale either. It mostly reminded him of a gym.
“The ambiance here is like, seriously subpar,” he remarked to Jeno. His best friend’s nose wrinkled in agreement.
“Hey guys! Over here!” Doyoung and Jennie began waving at them enthusiastically from the large group gathered in front of the shoe exchange, as if they could have possibly missed the pack. Johnny began bouncing on his toes and waving at them with his eyes wide in clear mockery of Doyoung. Mark tried to stifle a snicker.
“Hi!” Jeno chirped, bouncing right into the center of the pack. Mark lingered somewhat awkwardly around the outer edges, shuffling up to the counter beside Yeeun. She smiled at him kindly, taking a small pair of shoes from the student worker and gesturing at him to go next. He got his grubby size 10s and stepped back, sticking beside Yeeun as Jeno and finally Yuta got their equally gross shoes.
“Alright, we reserved lane 7. We’ll pick teams over there,” Yuta gestured for everyone to head over.
“Wait, Jaehyun didn’t get anything,” Mark protested, noticing that he wasn’t carrying shoes like everyone else.
Yuta glanced behind him, mouth curling in a slight smirk as his eyes met Mark’s. “Oh, don’t worry. Jaehyunnie’s got that covered.”
Mark remained confused until they actually got over to lane 7, and instead of beelining to pick a ball and jostle elbows with everyone else around the dispenser, Jaehyun sat down on the bench. A large duffle bag was beside him, one that Mark hadn’t really registered him carrying until now, when Jaehyun carefully unzipped it. Mark watched in amazement as Jaehyun pulled his very own pair of bowling shoes from his duffle – matte black and visibly nicer than everyone else’s. It turned to astonishment when he proceeded to pull out a personal bowling ball from the bag. Shining red, white number 14. Mark blinked.
Shotaro noticed his confusion. “Jaehyun takes bowling very seriously.”
Yeri snorted. “Jaehyun takes everything very seriously.”
That certainly seemed to be true, going by the solemn set of Jaehyun’s face as he was named captain of Team Valentine. Yuta, of course, was the other captain, and he just input their name as ‘octopus emoji’, which must have been some inside joke obscure to Mark because no one else reacted.
“You can have first pick,” Yuta told Jaehyun generously. Anxiety spiked through Mark’s stomach, a cold sweat breaking out under his arms. Fuck. Fuck. Mark wasn’t even supposed to be here, really. He was just Jeno’s tag-along, and he was noticeably less athletic than literally everyone else in their posse. He was going to be last pick, and just let onto that team out of pity, and oh my God. Was Mark finally getting the traumatic gym class experience he had managed to avoid until the ripe old age of 20?
“Jeno!” Jaehyun dimpled at Jeno, throwing an arm over his shoulders as he joined him at his side. Jaehyun threw a smug look at Yuta. “Baby’s first pack outing. You wanna be on the winning team, bro, trust me.” Ooh’ s broke out around everyone gathered, goading looks tossed their alpha’s way, but Yuta merely smiled serenely.
“Mark,” he said calmly. Mark didn’t move. Yuta turned to look at him, raising his brows. “Mark?”
“Uh, yes?”
“You’re on my team,” Yuta said, staring at Mark. For another long moment, Mark’s limbs were locked. He couldn’t tell if it was the shock of being picked second, or the shock of Yuta picking him at all. Yuta’s eyes bored into his, as if to ask ‘what are you waiting for?’.
Mark flushed bright red, and darted over to Yuta’s side. He rammed his shin into the bench in his haste, and managed to finish his journey with a nice trip. Yuta’s strong hand shot out to steady him. Mark blushed even deeper.
“Thanks, man,” he muttered, staring determinedly at his smelly rented shoes.
“Mm-hmm.” Yuta let go of his shoulder, leaving it feeling oddly cold and bare.
The team picking went on. Johnny to Jaehyun’s team, Jennie to Yuta’s, then Ryujin and Yeri and Yeeun and Shotaro and Sicheng, until only Doyoung was remaining, looking increasingly more indignant with each turn he was passed over. Privately, Mark rather thought that was why Yuta and Jaehyun were passing him over. Certainly, Johnny looked increasingly delighted by Doyoung’s deepening scowl. Finally, Doyoung was called over to Yuta’s side, and the captains for each team stepped to the lane to take the first turns. Doyoung pouted over being chose last until Mark engulfed him in a celebratory hug, complete with hearty back thumps. Doyoung pet over his hair, looking somewhat appeased by the enthusiasm.
Mark couldn’t remember the last time he went bowling. Maybe his high school’s all-night grad party? But probably a birthday party in fifth grade, honestly. He was going to blame this long gap in experience for his performance.
Because Mark sucked. He sucked so hard.
After another turn of only knocking down three pins, Shotaro nudged his shoulder and looked at him with guileless eyes. “You’re doing great,” he said earnestly. Mark snorted. He tried to console himself with the fact that his performance was being directly pitted against supernaturally-enhanced beings, and therefore it wasn’t really a fair competition. It rang hollow, but Mark soothed himself with it nonetheless.
“Thanks, Taro,” he replied, nudging his shoulder back. Doyoung leaned around Shotaro to peer at him curiously.
“You’re so calm,” he said, with a note of disbelief. “Where’s the hyper-competitive Mark Lee I know and love?”
“Okay, hyper-competitive is going a bit far,” Mark protested. Doyoung regarded him doubtfully.
“You nearly punched Jake during our discussion group’s game of review Jeopardy last year.”
“That’s different!” Mark cried. Shotaro had leaned back from him slightly. Mark sighed. “I’m only competitive about things I’m good at, hyung.”
Doyoung considered it for a long moment. “You’re a Leo?” Mark nodded, eyebrows lowering. “Makes sense,” he concluded. A soft snort nearly startled Mark out of his skin. He whipped his head around only to find Yuta standing right behind him, looming over him on the bench.
“It’s your turn,” he remarked. He went to step away, then paused for a moment. He looked back down at Mark. “That’s a good philosophy to have.” And with that, Yuta circled around to sit at the end of the bench. Mark blinked, then remembered what Yuta had actually said to him. He hopped up, scrambling to pick up a ball and center himself in the lane. He caught a glimpse of his teammates as he was lining up the shot. The other four were idly chattering amongst themselves, but Yuta’s eyes were fixed on Mark.
Mark turned back to the ten pins, and swallowed hard.. He wound back his arm, and let the ball roll.
Five pins, this time. Mark would take what he could get.
Despite Mark’s dead weight, team ‘octopus emoji’ managed to come out victorious. Largely due to the immense accuracy of everyone else on his team, which eventually managed to outweigh the advantage of sheer raw power Team Valentine possessed.
Jaehyun immediately began protesting, flinging out accusations of cheating. Yuta quieted him with a flash of teeth, Cheshire Cat grin overtaking his face.
“I’m the alpha,” Yuta reminded them, eyes flashing red. Jaehyun shrank back, indignation subdued. Yuta smiled wider, tugging at an earring and looking immensely pleased with himself. Mark tried to tell himself it wasn’t hot.
He was really bad at lying to himself.
***
Donghyuck still wasn’t in the know about Jeno’s furry little problem, but he’d made it to the victory party Yuta had hosted at the pack house over the weekend for winning their first away game. It’d mainly just been a lacrosse team celebration – no claws required.
His and Yangyang’s bedroom door was wide open; a silent plea for interaction. He poked his head around the door, spotted Donghyuck laying listlessly on the carpet, and snorted. Extroverts. Mark would never understand them. He picked his way around the stray socks littering the floor on Yangyang’s side, and around the overflow of squishmallows on Donghyuck’s, to climb on the bed. He picked out his favorite panda from the mountain of plushies Donghyuck kept there, making its arms wave a friendly hello to himself.
“No Yangyang again?” Mark asked rhetorically. He hadn’t seen their fourth roommate since December, he swore to God. Granted, Mark had been a little busy, what with Jeno turning into a werewolf and all, but seriously. It was like Yangyang had become a ghost.
“He’s at Ten’s place,” Donghyuck sighed, rolling over to lie face-down. “Again.”
“Oh?” Mark asked curiously. Ten was Mark’s favorite instructor at the campus gym – he ran the best hot yoga and cardio dance classes. The upperclassman had even taken Mark out clothes shopping last year, and let him tag along on a few nights out. ”Ten’s the best! I didn’t realize they’d gotten so close.”
Donghyuck lifted his face from the ground to roll his eyes. “That’s one way to put it.”
Mark stared at him for a long moment, before what Donghyuck was saying clicked. “Wha– Yangyang and– but Ten’s with Kun?”
“Yeah,” Donghyuck snorted, finally heaving himself up enough to sit up, crossing his legs and cracking his neck loudly. “That doesn’t bother Yangyang. I think he’s into it, actually.” A pause. Donghyuck tilted his head. “Actually, I think he’s into Kun too.”
“…Good for him?” Mark tried to imagine Yangyang in between Ten and Kun. Oddly, the image seemed very right in his head. “Whatever floats their boats, dog.”
“No, not whatever floats their boats! He’s abandoned me.” Donghyuck pouted extensively, throwing his head back to moan at the ceiling. “My own roommate! My alleged best friend! My brother in all but blood! Leaving me out in the cold to chase dick!”
Mark nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I feel you. I don’t think I’ve seen Jeno for more than fifteen minutes combined since he and Renjun hooked up.”
“At least you’ve got that guy,” Donghyuck said nonsensically. Mark rolled onto his side, furrowing his brows.
“What guy? I don’t have a guy.”
“You know, the guy.” Donghyuck waved his hand. “Bleached hair, Cartier jewelry, leather jacket…”
“Oh, Yuta,” Mark said, understanding dawning. “Wait, what? What do you mean, I’ve ‘got’ him?”
“There’s a vibe,” Donghyuck said mysteriously.
“The vibe is confusion,” Mark snorted. He bundled the stuffed panda to his chest and huffed out a little sigh. He hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of Yuta this weekend like he had at that first party, but they hadn’t exactly chilled together either. Mark had awkwardly hovered around the edges of wherever Jeno or the other wolves on the lacrosse team were. There was a lot of people in the pack. Mark was still trying to break the ice with 80% of them, and clearly he could not be trusted not to make a fool of himself while drunk. Yuta had allowed the clinging, but hadn’t really spoke to Mark. It was clear that Mark was merely being tolerated. “We’re not even really friends. I have no idea what’s going on in his head.”
“But you think he’s hot.”
Mark blew right past that.
“I can never tell what he’s thinking,” Mark continued, staring pensively into the middle distance. “He’s just so… mysterious.”
Donghyuck snorted. “That’s a fancy way to say he has resting bitch face.”
“That’s not what I’m saying—”
“Bitch, that’s exactly what you’re saying.”
“There’s just… something about him,” Mark sighed, clutching the plush panda to his chest as he stared at the ceiling.
“A certain je ne sais quoi, perhaps?”
Mark shot Donghyuck an annoyed glance. “Dude, you know I took Spanish.”
Donghyuck snickered, a superior kind of noise that set Mark’s teeth on edge. “I think you just think Yuta is really sexy and you’re projecting mystique onto him to build him up even more in your head.”
“I don’t think that.”
Donghyuck arched a single brow. Mark deflated. “Okay, I mean, I do think that he’s sexy, but that’s an objective fact.”
“Notice how you didn’t deny that you’re projecting mystique onto Yuta,” Donghyuck countered, resting his chin in his hands. “Interesting.” Mark squawked, throwing the panda onto the mattress and sitting up straight.
“I’m not ‘projecting’ anything! Seriously, he is mysterious! I’ve spent hours around him yet I know, like, nothing about him. And that’s not the point anyways. My point was that he’s not ‘my guy’.”
“I think you’re just bad at asking people questions about themselves,” Donghyuck told him seriously. “You either ramble and forget to ask or bust out some super awkward ones that no one feels comfortable answering.”
Mark folded his arms over his chest. He was suddenly remembering why Donghyuck was his least favorite roommate. “Still doesn’t make Yuta my guy.”
“Sure it doesn’t.”
“It doesn’t!”
“Markeu, even before you and Jeno started spending all your free time hanging out with him –– abandoning your dear friend and roommate Donghyuck, by the way –– you were kind of obsessed with him.”
“No I wasn’t.” Mark was legitimately baffled by this one. The things Donghyuck pulled out of his ass, seriously.
“You spent literal hours instagram stalking him.” Okay, so that was true, but it was for investigative purposes. If only Mark could tell Donghyuck that. “You and Jeno had multiple whisper-shout conversations throwing around his name.” Okay, so Donghyuck was a slippery little eavesdropper. Mark knew this. “You almost had an aneurysm when he and his friend showed up at our door.” Which would totally make sense to Donghyuck, if only Mark could explain.
But he couldn’t. “I’m not obsessed with Yuta.”
“Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt,” Donghyuck said airily. Mark’s eye twitched. “You spent all night either standing near Yuta like a baby duckling or staring at him from across the room. You looked high. I know what that dumb look means, Mark. It means you have a crush.”
“I don’t have a crush on Yuta!” It sounded weak even to Mark’s own ears. “Yes, he’s very attractive, and I’ll admit I’m kind of fascinated, but that’s because he’s a very interesting person! There’s something about him. There’s something he’s holding back, I just know it. Maybe something in his past, or, I don’t know…maybe he’s a secret agent?”
“Absolutely wild the lengths you’re going to to deny your big fat crush on that man.”
“There is no crush.”
“Simply incredible.”
Mark picked up the stuffed panda and chucked it at Donghyuck’s face as hard as he could. It bounced harmlessly off his head. Donghyuck stifled a yawn behind his palm.
“Whatever, if you’re gonna insist on being boring, that’s fine. We can talk about more important things –– like how I finally got Yeri’s number this week, no thanks to you. You didn’t even tell me you were friends with her now!”
“Dude, what? You wanted Yeri’s number?” Mark stared at Donghyuck, baffled. Donghyuck rolled his eyes and flipped Mark off.
“Only since last Halloween. God, Mark. You’re useless.”
If only Donghyuck knew how Mark had been bending over backwards and half-killing himself trying to keep their newly wolfy roommate on the straight and narrow.
“I’ve had other things on my mind!”
“Yeah. These days you’re so wrapped up in your new little friends that you don’t have any time for me.”
Donghyuck tried to play the comment off lightly, but every word rang with a muted hurt. Mark’s heart sank. “Hyuckie…”
“I’m not trying to be needy or anything.” Donghyuck sniffed. “I know you and Jeno are the closest. But I feel like you’re leaving me out of everything.”
Mark couldn’t exactly deny it. He and Jeno were excluding Donghyuck from something very big. But he couldn’t fix that right now. “Donghyuck, I promise. We’re not trying to leave you out. It’s just…it’s complicated. I wanna do more roommate stuff together too. How about you come to lunch on Thursday? Me and Renjun eat together after our lab, and Jeno usually comes by to get coffee.”
“At one thirty, right?”
“Yeah.”
Donghyuck stood from the floor, stretching his arms luxuriously. “Well, I might just take you up on that. And I’ll get to see what Jeno and Renjun have to say about your crush on Mister Mysterious.”
Donghyuck was merciless once he got on something; a dog with a bone. Mark pouted, giving his roommate his best droopy seagull brows.
“There is no crush,” he grumbled petulantly. Donghyuck patted him on the head condescendingly.
“Whatever you say, baby bird.”
Mark got off the bed with a huff, stomping out of the room chased by Donghyuck’s obnoxious cackling. Fuck this. He was gonna toast a bagel and eat it in his room, with the door closed.
***
The pack house always had leftovers in the kitchen, which Mark shamefully took advantage of often. There was also a nice flatscreen and a couch that was actually comfortable, making it far superior to the dorm-issued furniture back at Mews. Jeno often went to the house after practice, when a few people could reliably be found making a meal. Mark liked to come by to eat then give him a ride home.
Mark had finished up the bowl of rice and grilled pork he’d liberated from the fridge and stretched out in a straddle on the floor, arching his back to try and coax out the stiffness gathering at the base of his spine. He didn’t hear the person approaching until their shadow fell over him.
Mark jumped out of the stretch, turning to look up at the lurker. Yuta. Of course. The man walked like a cat. He’d clearly just gotten out of the shower, hair damp and beginning to dry into messy waves around his neck. He was wearing a tank top and sweats. Mark felt cold just looking at him. He didn’t care that the house had central heating; it was February, and his sweatshirt was staying on.
“Hey man! Where’s Jeno?” Mark had assumed practice had gone long, or they’d gone out to eat after. Maybe Jeno had grabbed a shower while he was here though. There were dozens of spare towels, and a linen closet filled with extra clothes.
Yuta lifted his arms over his head, cracking his spine with a series of loud pops. “He’s not here.” Mark blinked. Yuta looked at him keenly. “He didn’t tell you? He got a ride with Renjun.”
“No, he didn’t tell me.” Mark pursed his lips slightly. He was pretty sure Jeno had asked for a ride home before he left for class this morning. To be fair, Mark had been half asleep. But he was pretty sure. It blew that Jeno had reached the phase of the honeymoon period where he began blowing his best friend off for the boyfriend.
Yuta seemed to read his mind. “Stay for dinner. I’m cooking with Johnny.”
Mark smiled up at him gratefully. “Yo, thanks. Sorry for mooching.” Without Jeno there to justify his presence, Mark felt like even more of a freeloader.
"No one minds,” Yuta told him, half-smile lifting his mouth and making his eyes look much friendlier. Mark was warmed by the reassurance. He wasn’t going to stop, because he couldn’t cook for shit and the pack members were fucking master chefs compared to him, but it was nice to be welcome.
Yuta tilted his head funny, hissing. Mark looked at him sympathetically. “Lacrosse neck?”
The alpha straightened immediately, face smoothing out. “It’s nothing.”
“Really? ‘Cause you look sore.”
“I’m fine,” Yuta brushed him off. “Enhanced healing. We don’t really get that sore, or injured.”
“Jeno gets sore all the time,” Mark told him. He wasn’t sure why Yuta seemed so intent on denying it. “Even if it goes away quicker, lacrosse still wreaks hell on your body, dude.”
“It will go away in an hour or two.” At least Yuta wasn’t trying to flat-out lie anymore.
Mark hesitated for a moment. It would probably be overstepping, but he’d seen that wince on Jeno too many times not to offer. He wanted to offer. “I can give you a back rub.” Yuta stared at him. In the face of that flat expression, Mark felt the need to justify himself. “I’m really good at them, I’ve been doing it for Jeno for years.”
Yuta stared at him for another long moment. Then he blinked slowly, and nodded. “That would be very nice of you.”
“Just… is the floor fine?” Yuta nodded. Mark kneeled down on the carpet. “Then lie down here.”
Yuta laid flat on his stomach, crossing his hands to rest beneath his face. It left his shoulders relaxed enough. Mark went to reach out, then hesitated. “I’m going to touch your back now.”
Yuta turned his head slightly, opening one eye. “Okay.”
Permission given, Mark nodded to himself, and took a deep breath. Then he laid his hands on the center of Yuta’s back, right between his shoulder blades. The good spot where he always started on Jeno. Yuta radiated unnatural heat through his tank top, just like Jeno did nowadays.
Mark swallowed against his suddenly dry throat, curling his hands into half fists and digging in. And damn, was there a lot to dig into. Superhealing or not, Yuta was carrying around some seriously gnarly knots in his muscles, and a boatload of tension to boot. It took Mark much longer than usual to work the length of his spine, and out slightly to the intercostals. He was a bit more delicate than he would be with Jeno on the muscles that wrapped around to Yuta’s hips. Finally, he’d done all that could be safely. He took a breath, bracing himself to ask.
“Can I touch your neck?”
For a long moment, Yuta said nothing. Mark was about to remove his hands when finally, he spoke. “Yeah.”
“You sure?” Mark checked. Yuta nodded. Apprehensively, Mark kneaded his way up to the top of Yuta’s spine. “I’m gonna touch it now, okay?”
“Seriously, Mark,” Yuta sighed, sounding exasperated. “It’s fine. Please, it’s sore.”
Mark rolled his eyes, but started in carefully on the tendons with his thumbs. Yuta felt very tense beneath him for the first minute. Clearly, he had the same trust issue surrounding his neck that plagued Jeno now. Mark kept going cautiously
“You know, this is how I began to think Jeno was a werewolf,” Mark said, trying to break the uneasy air in the room. Yuta startled slightly, almost lifting his head, before physically forcing himself to relax.
“Really?” his voice was muffled into his hands, but he sounded genuinely curious. Mark jumped on the chance to get Yuta distracted.
“Yeah. I was giving him a massage after practice, and when I went to rub his neck he popped his claws.”
“No,” Yuta gasped, appropriately shocked. He giggled slightly. It was infectious, immediately making Mark bite back his own laughs.
“Yeah! And he started growling and shit. It was fuckin’ wild, man. That was when I began to think, you know? Like, I knew something freaky was going on.”
“That’s really crazy,” Yuta murmured. He was starting to melt under Mark’s hands. He dug in deeper, finding a proper flow. “I had wondered, you know. About how you two figured it out.”
“Well, it was the wrestling that really did it, but yeah. He flipped when I touched his neck. Haven’t been able to do it since, actually.”
“He’ll get used to it.” It sounded like Yuta was yawning. “Weird wolf instinct.”
“I figured.” Mark worked in silence for a few minutes, humming an old song under his breath. He finished with Yuta’s neck – and holy shit, did he have a decade’s worth of knots up in there – and went to move to his shoulders. Jeno was sensitive about there too. It must have triggered some sort of submission instinct, because Yuta’s shoulder began to rise as Mark pressed into them. He tried to distract Yuta with another question.
“So, how’d you get to be the alpha in these parts?”
As always, Yuta obfuscated rather than answer directly. He turned his head slightly, resting his cheeks on his hands. “There was no formal pack here when we established ourselves. There’d been one for a few decades, the Hales, but they decided to move to California in the late nineties. Everything else at Cornell had been very transitional. That’s common on college campuses, but with all the woods around here…it’s a great place to establish a territory.”
That was fascinating, but contained absolutely nothing about Yuta specifically. He had relaxed again though, so Mark didn’t press. “Oh, cool.” After several minutes working on his shoulders, Mark judged Yuta as massaged as could be for one sitting. He gave Yuta a final pat on the spine for good luck, and sat back on his heels. “All set!”
Yuta rolled onto his back, stretching like a cat. He sat up slowly, sitting with his legs crossed. He rested his chin in his hand, looking directly at Mark.
“I’m not going to lie to you – I was glad Jeno immediately accepted me as his alpha.” For once, Yuta’s words were frank. He maintained that unnerving eye contact with Mark, staring into his eyes with a kind of burning earnestness that set his heart pounding. “More for his sake than mine.”
It might have been naïve, but Mark believed Yuta when he said that Jeno got more out of joining the pack than Yuta had. He cared about Jeno being in the pack more for Jeno’s well-being than his own. “Why?”
For a long moment, Yuta hesitated. He exhaled from his nose. He must have gauged Mark worthy of his trust, because he elaborated. “It’s dangerous to be an unbonded werewolf. To wander with no pack. Werewolves don’t do well on their own…” Yuta’s eyes went distant, staring at something Mark couldn’t see. “They turn feral. A hazard to themselves and others. We call them omegas.”
Mark had heard that word before, although he wasn’t sure it carried the same connotation on Twitter that Yuta was implying now. “And Jeno would have been an omega?”
“Not immediately,” Yuta hedged. Mark had never heard him sound so uncertain. “But eventually, yes. I’ll be honest though, even without omega status, Jeno was dangerous because he had no clue how to be a werewolf. I was willing for him to hate me if it meant keeping him under control.”
For once, Mark managed to bite back his first question. What would keeping Jeno under control have looked like? Instead, he rested his hand on Yuta’s bicep. “Well, you’ve done a good job. Not that I like, know anything about werewolves or packs. But Jeno likes you a lot, and he likes the pack, so. That’s all I need. You’re good people.” To Mark’s immense surprise, Yuta didn’t shrug his hand off. He seemed to sway into the pressure, if anything.
“Thank you, Mark.” Yuta’s voice was low, sincere. He stared intently at Mark for another long moment, and then – he smiled. Like the sun breaking over the horizon, a huge beam took over Yuta’s face. It changed all his features, making him suddenly unbearably cute instead of intimidatingly attractive. His grin was nearly too big for his face, showing off two rows of gleaming teeth. His eyes scrunched up, and his nose as well, making him look like he was laughing even though he wasn’t. Mark froze, transfixed by Yuta’s face. He felt his jaw slacken slightly, heart starting to rabbit in his chest.
Yuta was beautiful. Mark had known that. But Yuta was more than just that. Mark wanted to learn every single one of his micro-expressions, learn to read his face until it was more familiar than Mark’s own. He wanted to sit on the living room floor and talk to him until his voice went hoarse. He wanted to lean over and kiss that gorgeous smile on Yuta’s face, and he didn’t care if their teeth clacked together painfully because they would both giggle as Mark crawled into his lap.
Oh no. Mark’s stomach dropped.
“Something wrong?” Yuta shot him a concerned glance, brows lowering. Mark quickly pulled a smile to his face, shaking his head vigorously. Yuta’s expression turned suspicious. He knew it was because Yuta could hear Mark’s heartbeat, speeding up to thump out a frantic staccato rhythm against his ribs.
“No, no! Nothing at all.” Mark coughed. “I’m all good.”
Mark’s smile didn’t feel forced, even as he felt the tips of his ears begin to burn with embarrassment. How could he help but smile when Yuta was displaying such obvious concern for him? When Yuta was making it obvious that he cared about Mark? He felt his cheeks turn traitorously red. He wanted to crawl under the table, and he wanted to bask in the sensation of Yuta’s attention. He wanted to hide and he never wanted Yuta to look away from him.
Mark liked Yuta. Mark really liked Yuta. Somehow, without noticing, Mark had gone and grown a massive, ridiculous crush on him.
Fuck.
***
Shockingly, the newfound realization of his feelings towards Yuta did not make midterms season any easier. In fact, it was making them far more difficult than they had any right to. Mark’s focus was shot to shit. This whole having-a-real-crush thing was not very cash money of Mark’s heart. This called for an official roommate meeting.
“You guys,” Mark announced grimly, looking at each of his gathered roommates in turn. “There’s a problem.”
“What’s wrong, Markie?” Jeno asked worriedly. Even Donghyuck looked a hint concerned. Yangyang was getting Cheez-its out of the cabinet, but Mark imagined his expression was probably also worried.
“I have a crush on Yuta.”
Jeno blinked at him. Donghyuck tipped his head back and groaned.
“I thought we agreed we would only call roommate meetings for important things.”
“This is important!” Mark squawked. “You guys, what the hell am I supposed to do?”
“Wait, I thought you’d had a crush on Yuta,” Jeno asked, bemused. “For weeks now. But it’s new?”
“No it’s not,” Donghyuck cut in mercilessly before Mark could open his mouth. “Mark is just an emotionally constipated idiot who wouldn’t recognize love if Cupid himself rolled up in wings and shoved an arrow up his ass.”
“That makes no sense,” Mark said. “I’m extremely emotionally intelligent.” All three roommates snorted in unison. “Hey!” Mark folded his arms, pouting. “See if I help next time you come to me with your problems, asking me to fix them.”
“Noooo,” Donghyuck whined, folding his hands in supplication. “You’re so old and wise. Teach us your ways, Mark! And tell us more about this brand new crush on Yuta.”
Mark sniffed. “Thank you.” Donghyuck snorted. Jeno hid his mouth behind his hand. Mark squinted at them. “What?”
At that moment, Yangyang sat down at the kitchen table, ripping open the box of crackers. “Tell me more! I feel like I haven’t seen you in months, Mark-o. Tell papa about your troubles.”
“Okay, ew,” Mark began, scrunching his nose. “Never call yourself ‘papa’ again, thanks.”
“It’s against the terms of our roommate agreement,” Donghyuck chimed in. “I’ll call the RA. Do you really want to litigate this with Jisoo?”
Yangyang frowned, chastised. He chewed his Cheez-its with his mouth open in protest. Mark watched with mixed disgust and fascination. Yangyang had such a mobile tongue, truly.
“Anyways,” he continued doggedly. “I have a crush. On Yuta.” He looked around the table desperately, searching for some kind of sign. All he found was boredly unimpressed faces, or, in Yangyang’s case, a blank look. “What should I do?”
“Ask him out,” Jeno proposed. Mark snorted, rolling his eyes hard.
“Yeah, okay,” he replied sarcastically. “Anyone got real advice?”
“You’re terrible at flirting. If you won’t ask him out, then you should just accept that you have no chance and let the crush die,” Donghyuck responded mercilessly. Jesus, and people called Mark blunt.
“It’s just hard, ya know?” Mark continued as if Donghyuck hadn’t spoken. “He’s like, criminally hot. And I’m just expected to act normal around him? It’s so unrealistic. I mean, Johnny and Jaehyun were bad enough, but Yuta just has this thing–”
“A certain je ne sais quoi?” Donghyuck muttered. Mark glared fiercely.
“This thing about him,” he said doggedly. “Pretty sure I break out into a sweat every time he looks at me. It’s mad embarrassing, yo. And I think Yeri knows, she keeps making all these comments. What if she told him, guys? What if Yuta knows I’m mega-crushing and is trying to let me down easy?”
“Gonna be honest with you bro,” Yangyang admitted, shoving an entire handful of Cheez-its into his mouth at once. He spoke through a mouthful of crumbs. “I got no clue who any of these people are.”
“You know Yeri!” Donghyuck protested. Yangyang furrowed his brows, swallowing down his crackers. He still had orange flakes on his lips.
“Hot chick? Short? Kinda angry?” Donghyuck glared at his roommate. “The one you’ve been crushing on since orientation?”
This was new information to Mark. He leaned forwards on his elbows, eyebrows shooting up. “Yo, really? Hyuckie, you never told me!”
“Shut up,” Donghyuck hissed, smacking Yangyang on the shoulder. Yangyang sent him a betrayed look, downing another handful of Cheez-its. “I hate you.”
“If I’d known you’d liked Yeri for that long–”
“We’re not talking about me and Yeri!” Donghyuck yelped. “We are talking about Mark and Yuta!”
“Again, who?”
Donghyuck groaned in frustration, smacking his head down on the table. “I give up.”
Mark had been pulling up Yuta’s instagram on his phone. It didn’t sit right with him that there was someone in this apartment who had never been blessed with the sight of Yuta’s face. “Here, man. That’s him.”
Yangyang’s mouth hung ajar as he scrolled through the feed, Cheez-it box forgotten in his lap. “Yo… that’s… yo. Dude. Bro.”
“I know!”
“Holy fuck.” Yangyang shook his head in mild disbelief, sliding Mark’s phone back to him. “He’s super sexy.”
Jeno scrunched his nose. “Eh.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “At least someone else living here has taste,” he muttered, vindicated.
“You don’t have a chance.”
Ah, betrayal. A taste so bitter; yet so familiar. Mark turned to Yangyang, wounded. “Excuse me?”
“He’s way outta your league, man,” Yangyang informed him blithely. Mark gaped. Donghyuck, always the first to defend his exclusive rights to bully Mark, jumped in.
“Says the guy who hasn’t washed his bedding since Halloweekend managing to sleep with Ten Lee and his dilf boyfriend!”
Yangyang shrugged smugly, propping his feet on the table. “What can I say? I believe in miracles.”
“But not for me?” Mark asked dejectedly. Yangyang frowned sympathetically, leaning over to pat Mark on the shoulder.
“You gotta believe it for yourself man,” he said wisely. “But you know what? I’m rooting for you too. Dreams come true.” He tilted the nearly-empty box at Mark. “Cheez-it?”
Mark shoved his hand into the box. He came back with a fistful of crumbs. He sighed, but ate them anyways. He should probably just get used to mediocrity now.
***
Mark was utterly pathetic. He knew this was true, because his heart started pounding and his ears turned red whenever he got a text from Yuta. Even if that text was a dry invite to a study group.
yuta: we’re having study hours in mann library rn if you’re free. room 361
mark: yoooooo lit 🚀
mark: omw 😁😁
He couldn’t help but screenshot the messages and send them to Donghyuck.
melk: im going in !
hyuck: ffs ur a loser
hyuck: good luck tho
Warmed by the display of support, Mark armed himself with laptop, charger, the two physical textbooks he rented because he couldn’t get online versions, four class notebooks, pencil case (equipped with pens, expo markers and mechanical pencils), his TI-84, Hydroflask, and one of Jeno’s Luna bars. Mark liked to prepare.
He stared at the huge glass doors of Mann Library and took a deep breath. There wasn’t any way to prepare for Yuta Nakamoto, but Mark could at least prepare for midterms. Mark trooped up to the third floor and, after two wrong turns, finally found Room 361. He knocked hesitantly on the door, not wanting to disturb anyone.
Not half a second later, the door was wrenched open, and Ryujin was leveling him with an incredulous look. “Why are you knocking, Lee?”
“Because it’s polite?”
“Leave the kid alone, Ryujin,” Doyoung called from within the room. “He has manners.”
Ryujin arched her brow, but stepped back to allow Mark inside. Along with her and Doyoung, Yuta was the only other person in the room. Their stuff was jumbled across the table, leaving it unclear who was sitting where. Doyoung was standing at the whiteboard, frantically scribbling away at economics equations. Mark scrunched his nose. Ryujin sat down at one end of the table, and Mark couldn’t put it off any longer. He looked at Yuta.
Devastating. Yuta was wearing a beanie, bleached ends poking out messily from beneath the hem, and it made him look extremely cozy. Almost approachable. His oversized red sweatshirt made him stand out like a beacon against the exceedingly drab decor of the study room. Like a cardinal against snow, perhaps. Mark felt a bit dizzy. He cautiously set his backpack in the chair to Yuta’s left, lowering himself in the one beside that. A seat between them. That was reasonable, right? Sitting right next to him would’ve been weird, but this was a considerate distance. Not taking up too much space, in case other people came by. Yuta glanced up from the textbook he was hunched over, granting Mark a brief nod. Mark flushed bright red. By the time he managed to nod back, Yuta was already absorbed in the text again.
Mark suppressed the sigh that rose in his chest, tugging out his laptop and Experimental Orgo notebook reluctantly. He pulled up the first lab report he and Renjun had submitted, and opened to the corresponding pages in his notes. And thus, the grind began.
It was an indeterminable amount of time later that Mark looked up. He blinked hard against his dry eyes, knuckling at the corners to rub away some crust. He realized what had startled him out of his haze when Ryujin shoved in her chair loudly, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and blowing her bangs out of her face.
“Fuck this shit,” she mumbled. Her eyes were bloodshot. “I’m going home. I’ll just fail all my classes, who gives a fuck.”
Yuta looked up, mouth slanting almost indiscernibly in a way Mark had learned to recognize was amused. “Research paper going that well?”
“Literary Theory on the Edge was designed to crush my spirit,” Ryujin informed him seriously. “She wants Chicago style, Yuta. If I have to look at one more footnote I’m going to jump out the window.” She slumped over on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug that looked more like strangulation. Yuta grasped her wrists, rubbing at them oddly. Tension seemed to leak out of Ryujin, until she sighed and straightened up. “I’m gonna go nap. Bye.”
‘Nap’ was an interesting word choice for going to sleep at 12:30am, but one Mark felt deeply. Far more intriguing was Yuta’s beanie, which had been knocked askew by the hug. He didn’t bother to fix it as he returned to tapping away at his laptop. Mark stared at him for an inappropriate amount of time before turning back to his own computer, diving back into his custom-made study guide for The Physics of Life. It must have been an hour before he next emerged from his haze.
Doyoung, who’d been scribbling away on the whiteboard and muttering frantically under his breath for the past three hours, had finally given out. He collapsed into a chair, resting his head on his folded arms. “I need coffee or I’m going to die.”
Yuta gently kicked his shin beneath the table. “What do you want?”
Doyoung looked up blearily, eyes unfocused and bangs in utter disarray. “All of it.”
Mark choked. “What?” Doyoung fixed a dead-eyed stare on him.
“All the coffee.”
“Oh-kay…” Mark had the urge to back out of the room slowly, like you were supposed to when confronting a bear.
“I’ll get you all the coffee,” Yuta told Doyoung quietly. He stood from his chair, rolling out his neck and stretching his arms above his head. Mark could hear about five joints pop. He was inspired to do the same, although he looked much less graceful as he twisted at the waist and groaned in relief. Doyoung shot him a glare at the noise.
Yuta was already walking out the door. Mark’s eyes darted between him, and Doyoung, and back again. There was a high risk of Mark humiliating himself if he was alone with Yuta while sleep-deprived; on the other hand, there was a high risk of Doyoung murdering him if he breathed too loudly one more time. He had to make a split-second decision.
Mark scrambled after the alpha. “Hold up! I’ll come with.”
***
Manndibles was swarmed. No matter that it was after 1am, it was midterms season. There was always a line. Mark shuffled along awkwardly beside Yuta, not quite sure what to say. Yuta appeared unbothered by the lack of conversation.
By nature, Mark was someone who had to fill the air with chatter. “So, um… you’re a senior?”
Yuta side-eyed Mark. “Yes. Fifth year.”
“Oh, yeah,” Mark breathed, nodding eagerly. Yuta had thrown him a conversational bone. “Because of lacrosse, right. So you were recruited in high school?”
“Yes.”
Mark didn’t let one-word answers deter him. He’d gotten this far, hadn’t he? Weren’t he and Yuta kinda, sorta, on a coffee date right now? “When’d you start playing?”
For a long moment, Yuta didn’t reply. Mark began to wonder if he’d crossed some sort of line somewhere. Yuta didn’t talk about himself too much, but holy shit, being cagey about when he started lacrosse? His tongue ran obviously over his teeth, poking out the side of his cheek before he answered. “My junior year of high school.” Yuta’s words sounded oddly measured. Mark’s eyebrows shot up.
“Yo, you started that late and still got recruited for D-1? Holy shit.”
“How do you know I wasn’t a walk-on?” Yuta asked dryly, eyebrows raising. A sly smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Mark’s heart thumped loudly. Yuta was smiling. For him.
Mark snorted, elbowing Yuta’s side companionably. “Dude.” He lowered his voice, glancing around for eavesdroppers. “Werewolf.”
Yuta clutched at his arm in exaggerated pain, then bumped his hip into Mark’s. “Just shout it for the whole library to hear, why don’t you.”
“Literally no one is listening.”
Looking around, that was certainly true. Everyone looked visibly stressed, most had bloodshot eyes, and quite a few were reading JSTOR articles pulled up on their phones or frantically typing paper brainstorms into their notes apps. Yuta sighed slightly, nudging Mark up. They’d made it to the front of the line.
“Large iced Americano with three extra espresso shots, please, with a hazelnut flavor shot. And another a large iced Americano, black.” Yuta glanced at Mark. Mark stared blankly back at him. Yuta tilted his head. “What do you want, Markie?” he asked lowly.
Mark visibly startled. He fumbled over his words, acutely aware that he had put no thought into what he wanted to order the whole time they’d been waiting. “Oh! Oh, um, I can get it myself, dude. Thank you, though.”
“Shut up, I’m buying,” Yuta told him flatly. “What do you want.”
“…a hot chocolate?”
“Are you asking me?”
The cashier finally cut in, looking bored to death. “What size.”
“Um, medium. With oat milk, please.”
“You got it,” they replied dully. “Your total is $12.71. Card or Big Red Bucks?”
Yuta inserted his card before Mark could put up any more protests. He trailed awkwardly after him as they rounded to the pick-up counter.
“Yo, thanks Yuta. You really didn’t have to, this is so nice of you.”
Yuta looked at him strangely. “It’s no big deal. Really.”
Mark looked down at his feet, shuffling slightly. “Okay.”
The drinks were set out in a cardboard tray. Yuta swooped it up before Mark could intercede, examining each one closely. By the time Mark managed to pluck his out, they were walking up the stairs.
“You didn’t get whipped cream,” Yuta observed. Mark must have been sleep-deprived enough for delusion, because he swore Yuta sounded anxious. “Did you want whipped cream? I can go back and ask them to give you some if you don’t want to.”
Mark stared at him for a full three seconds before the words actually processed. He blinked. “No, no! This is fine.”
“Are you sure? I really don’t mind asking them for you.”
“No, really, I shouldn’t have whipped cream anyways. I’m lactose intolerant,” Mark explained, lifting his cup under the guise of taking a sip to hide his blush. The hot chocolate burnt his tongue. He sighed. The world was truly against him.
Yuta’s mouth twisted. “You should treat yourself. It’s midterms, you deserve it.”
Mark was oddly touched. He cradled his hot chocolate closer to his chest, relishing the warmth. “Thanks man. But really, we’re already on the third floor. Right now I just wanna drink this and finish one of my papers and like, stare into the abyss.”
“Be careful that it doesn’t stare back into you,” Yuta muttered.
Mark barked a laugh, earning glares from several students hunched over the open study tables. “Too late, dude. Too late.”
Yuta’s eyes gleamed. “I don’t think it’s ever too late,” he replied, oddly earnest. Mark didn’t have any time to think about how strange the response was, though. They’d arrived at the study room, and eighteen more hours of coursework awaited. Mark set his hot chocolate down beside his laptop, and dove back in. He found himself smiling a little every time he took a sip from it. That alone had to count for something. He’d managed to go for a coffee run with Yuta and not completely scare him off by acting like a total weirdo. Mark was going to chalk this one up as a win.
Crush on Yuta: totally under control. All that was left was conquering midterms.
Privately, Mark thought he’d already gotten the more difficult part over with.
***
jeno: how’s home!!
mark: it’s home, dude
mark: so pretty good 😁😁
mark: your mom says hi btw she was over last night for dinner
jeno: i know she called me this morning to tell me all about it
mark: of course
jeno: tell your mom i said hi!
mark: already did bro i gotchu
mark: so we still good for tomorrow at 3??
jeno: 😮
jeno: oh shit
mark: what?
mark: ……….
mark: dude
jeno: markieeeeee omg im SO sorry 🥺🥺
mark: dude why are u apologizing
mark: what did u do
jeno: i mightttttt have accidentally double booked 😬😬
mark: u forgot about ur own best friend.
jeno: im sorry!! but renjun invited me to the planetarium for a date!!!
jeno: the PLANETARIUM, mark!!!
jeno: isnt that so romantic omgggg he’s so cute cute CUTEEEE
mark: yeah sure
mark: would be even cuter if you’d suggested any other day this week to go besides the one where you’re supposed to pick me up!
mark: in my own car!
mark: which i have given u so many rides in. So Many Rides!
jeno: dw im not taking roscoe ㅋㅋ junnie is driving :D
mark: i wasnt even worried about that?????? until now?????????
mark: jeno have u been using roscoe to take renjun on dates
jeno: anyways i cant cancel on renjun :(( its early days I gotta let him know im serious about him :(( sorry markie
mark: its ok guess i’ll just take a $60 uber back to campus bc none of our other useless friends can drive
jeno: nooo mark i feel bad :( let me try to fix this
jeno: im sure someone can give you a ride!!
mark: who???? yangyang??? he doesnt have a license
mark: donghyuck failed his test four times
jeno: what about yuta!!!
jeno: he has a car!!! AND he can drive!
jeno: im sure he’s not doing anything important i bet he can pick you up from your train!
mark: i cant ask him
jeno: why not???? do u not have his number? bc i can ask him for you
mark: no jeno
mark: i have his number but that’s not the point
jeno: ohh hahaha then why not??
jeno: btw i just texted him asking for you so you dont have to worry about it!!
mark: JENO
mark: JENO NO
***
“I am,” Mark announced as he walked up to the car. “So sorry about this. For real. Thank you so much, oh my gosh.”
Yuta grinned at Mark through the rolled-down passenger window, leaning forward against his steering wheel. “No problem, Markie. Hop in.”
Mark hurriedly slung his bag in the back and scrambled up into the Rover, as if he’d be fined for any second spent dawdling. “Again, I’m really sorry about this, thank you so much–”
“Seriously, Mark.” Yuta was still slumped against the steering wheel, still smiling at Mark. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Anytime. It’s not a big deal.”
Mark side-eyed him doubtfully, buckling his seatbelt. “Okay…but really dude, you came in clutch.”
“Really ‘dude’, it’s no problem. Just text me, next time. No need to go through Jeno.” Yuta sat up straight and flicked his hair back, giving Mark a knowing grin. Mark flushed. He felt compelled to defend himself; because this really was all Jeno’s fault.
“I wasn’t even gonna ask, seriously, Jeno just–”
“Mark!” Yuta laughed. He still hadn’t put the car in drive. He got an angry honk from an Uber driver waiting behind him, itching to get out of the packed train station. Yuta gave him a cheery wave in the rearview mirror, and continued to not drive. “No need to get all puffed up, kitten. I’m not fucking with you, it’s seriously fine. I do way bigger favors for friends all the time. Just text me whenever you need a ride.”
“Okay,” Mark muttered reluctantly. Yuta’s beam made him sit up a bit straighter. After a long moment, Mark couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder out the back window. There was a long line of cars. “So, um, are you gonna…”
He trailed off awkwardly, making a gear-shifting motion with his hand and hoping Yuta would get the picture. He didn’t really want to demand he start driving, because Yuta was doing him a huge solid and Mark’s mother taught him not to be pushy with people doing you favors, but it was getting uncomfortable. Yuta blinked slowly at him, then flicked his gaze out the rear window as well.
“Yeah,” Yuta finally shifted the car into drive and eased his foot off the break, not even bothering to check for other cars as he pulled off the curb. Superior werewolf senses, Mark assumed.
He hoped.
Yuta didn’t make any moves to continue their conversation. He also didn’t turn on the radio. Mark sat on his fingers, tamping down the urge to reach forward and fiddle with the dials. That would be rude. Yuta was doing him a favor, and commandeering the aux without asking would be overstepping. But Mark couldn’t take it anymore. It had been at least two minutes, okay, and he’d been a very good boy and sat quietly but he couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, um…” Mark trailed off, racking his brains for any conversation topic. Which he probably should have done before starting to talk. Yuta hummed inquisitively, clearly waiting for Mark to continue. Mark cursed his big fucking mouth and anxious brain that couldn’t just sit in silence for fifteen minutes. Now he looked like a fucking dumbass.
As usual, then, with Yuta. Mark sighed, resigning himself to his fate. “Uh…new hair?” Mark demonstratively waved his hand around his own head, then immediately winced.
Yuta flicked a glance at Mark out of the side of his eyes. “Uh-huh. Dyed it.” Mark nodded weakly, trying to exhale normally and not make a sound like a deflating balloon.
“Right, right. Because it’s black now, and not silver. Yup.” Mark began to slide down in the passenger seat, wishing desperately the slippery leather would disappear and suck Mark into the void.
Yuta’s mouth twitched, his eyebrow lifting slightly. “You like?”
Mark made a sound like a deflating balloon.
Damnit. And he had been keeping it together so well! “I…Um…It looks nice?”
“Thanks.” Yuta sounded sincere, punctuating the statement with a nod. Mark swallowed agains this dry throat, hoping that the gulp that sounded deafening in his own ears wouldn’t be picked up by Yuta’s pesky enhanced ones.
Aaaaand they were back to silence.
Mark sighed and looked out the windshield. The trees zipping past were just barely starting to grow leaves again, a few tentative little green buds poking out on the branches bravely. They were probably gonna be frozen off next week. March in Ithica, man. A special kind of hell. Mark shifted in his seat, and snuck a glance over at Yuta. And then another. Maybe a few more. Okay, perhaps Mark was staring.
But who could blame him? The quiet might be a good thing, actually, because it gave Mark the chance to observe Yuta uninterrupted. He was wearing an assortment of rings – he always was, but Mark had never really looked at them. They were all different metals. It worked, on Yuta. It seemed intentional. For all Mark knew, Yuta just threw on whatever six rings his hand hit first in the morning, but that was how Yuta came across. Intentional. Deliberate, but breezy. Effortless, with purpose.
He was a study in contradictions, to Mark. He was kind of amazing.
The sun streaming in through the windshield was making the car heat up like a greenhouse, but Yuta didn’t bother to put the AC on. He and Mark’s grandmother would get along well. Instead, he just casually rolled the windows down halfway. Mark’s breath hitched. Yuta looked astonishing like that, to be honest. His hair rippled with the wind, and Mark checked to make sure his mouth wasn’t actually hanging open. He kind of couldn’t believe that Yuta was a real person, who existed in the physical world, who at the moment existed a mere sixteen inches away from Mark.
Sitting in the driver’s seat of his car, wearing a leather jacket that was laughably light for how chilly it was outside, Yuta looked so attractive that Mark’s chest ached. Want surged in Mark’s veins, making it impossible to think about anything except the primal need to be covered in Yuta. He needed to lean over and lick a line up the strong column of Yuta’s neck, thread his fingers through his freshly-dyed hair and pull, tug Yuta into him until his plush lips were surrounding Mark’s thinner ones, kiss him until their mouths were raw.
He didn’t though. Mark shoved his hands under his thighs, sitting on them so his body couldn’t betray him, couldn’t just reach out and touch. Yuta was driving. Besides, Mark wasn’t sure how welcome the advances would be. Yuta had never made any indication that he saw Mark that way. He had to know Mark wanted him. Did Yuta want Mark?
“How was home?” Yuta asked, completely oblivious to Mark’s inner turmoil. Apparently. Mark side-eyed him suspiciously, but Yuta’s expression hadn’t cracked. Mark settled back in his seat, sighing in relief. Maybe he finally managed to wrangle his body’s reaction to Yuta under control. Maybe Mark had reined in his pesky pheromones, the ones Jeno was always complaining about.
“Home was…home.” Mark coughed awkwardly, trying not to cringe as the back of his neck burned. God, could he be any more eloquent? “It was nice, I mean. It was good to see my parents. And the house, and neighborhood and all. I always forget how much I miss it until I’m back, you know?” Mark stole a glance at Yuta. His jaw seemed tight, and his knuckles had gone white on the steering wheel. Mark’s brow furrowed. He stared out the windshield, trying to see what had made Yuta go so tense all of a sudden. This was a twisty backroad. And it was spring. Maybe Yuta was just worried about hitting a deer.
“Yeah,” Yuta said roughly. He swallowed visibly, jaw working around nothing. After a moment, his shoulders visibly relaxed, fingers loosening around the wheel. He let go with his right hand, letting it drop to the gear shift. Mark eyed it jealously. He wished he could cover it with his own hand. His fingers twitched where they were still being crushed to the car seat. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Mark nodded, feeling a bit awkward. He loved Yuta’s intensity, but it still had a way of taking him aback. Especially when it was leveled on him in casual moments like this. Mark was getting more used to it every day, though. He wanted to be used to it. He wanted Yuta’s intensity to be a fact of his life, something he became accustomed to because he witnessed it every day. Mark wasn’t sure if even constant exposure would ever make it any less unnerving, any less thrilling.
God, this crush was getting out of hand. “We went into the city a few times,” he offered, feeling obligated to pick up the thread of small talk where Yuta had dropped it. Yuta was ambivalent towards small talk. Mark needed it to fill the quiet. If they weren’t talking, then Mark was just staring at Yuta, and thinking, and down that road only embarrassment lay. “Me and some friends from high school. Um, we saw a show.”
“Really?” Yuta sounded very intrigued, glancing at Mark for a moment before his eyes returned to the road. Just like that, Yuta’s mood shifted. He was playful, cheery. The weight of his attention still settled on Mark like a physical blanket, but Mark welcomed its warmth. Yuta rolled up the windows so that their conversation wouldn’t get drowned out by the road. “What show? Did you like it? Did you eat after?”
“Little Shop of Horrors. They’re having a revival in the Westside. It’s fuckin’ awesome, man, like so good. I mean, I love the movie, but seeing it live? Dang. Incredible.” Mark sighed happily. Yuta nodded enthusiastically, mouth opening in his wide smile, the one that showed too many teeth, the one that Mark adored. “And of course we ate after, who the hell do you think you’re talking to? We got dim sum.”
“That sounds lovely, Mark,” Yuta told him sincerely. He put his blinker on, turning left onto Tower Road. Almost back at campus, now. Mark wished they weren’t. He wished Yuta wouldn’t make the turn, wished he would just go straight on, keep driving, keep talking to Mark in this space where for once, it was truly just the two of them. Mark sighed slightly, resting his head on the cold window. He finally pried his right hand out from under his thigh, flexing it painfully. It was mottled white and red, impression marks from his jeans and the car seat etched into his skin. He propped his chin on it, and stole glances at Yuta the rest of the drive home.
***
“Kind of fucked up how we still get coursework even after midterms are over, when you think about it,” Mark commented idly, listlessly typing another bland line of the 8-page paper he had due for Physio next week. He would probably proofread it in two days and realize it was babbling nonsense, but that was a problem for future Mark. “Kind of evil, really.”
“Deranged,” Yuta agreed, humming under his breath as he highlighted another line. Mark glanced over at the thick textbook, lying open on the coffee table. It was more highlighter than not. Mark squinted against the force of the sea of neon yellow.
“Dude,” Mark couldn’t hold himself back from saying it. “That’s, like, not how you’re supposed to take notes.”
Yuta paused, turning his head to look at Mark dead-on. He raised an eyebrow, highlighter spinning between his fingers. “Oh, really?”
“Yeah.” Mark plowed on. It was too late to reel it back now. “You’re only supposed to highlight like, the really important stuff. The most important thing on the page. Otherwise everything gets highlighted and it all blends together and it’s like you might as well not have even bothered in the first place, because your page is all one color like it was at the start. Except now it’s bright-ass yellow and kind of harder to read.”
“Wow,” Yuta drawled, eyes widening as he blinked innocently at Mark. “Fascinating.”
Mark flushed, tucking his chin down into his hoodie and forcing his eyes back to his laptop screen. “Shuddup,” he muttered, tucking his head in and feeling rather like a turtle. “’M just trying to help.”
“I know,” Yuta sighed, something odd coloring his voice. Mark couldn’t put his finger on it. It wasn’t anger, or annoyance, at least. “It’s adorable.”
Mark’s blush went horribly deeper, ears flaming red. He shook his head a bit, hoping his hair would fall to cover them from view.
A snort from the other side of the room made Mark jump, nearly unseating his laptop from his knees. Yuta shot out a hand and caught it effortlessly, eyes not even leaving his textbook. Mark glanced up and saw Jennie staring at them from the armchair, eyes dancing with mirth and mouth curled up in a smirk. He curled deeper into his hoodie, mortified. Fuck. He had totally forgotten she was there.
“Some of us are trying to study,” she said sweetly, face going absolutely angelic. “So if you wouldn’t mind keeping the flirting down…”
“Ah, yeah. S-sorry, haha. Um, right. Right, yeah.” Mark bobbed his head, punctuating his babble by throwing up a quick peace sign. “Got it.”
Another hour passed like that, the only noise of the living room the soft flicking of pages, tapping of keys, marker running over paper. It was only broken when Jennie stood to make a cup of tea, the whistle of the steam coming in from the kitchen. On her way back, she stopped at the basket beside the couch, digging down with one arm until she emerged triumphant with a bright yellow blanket clutched in hand. Pikachu, Mark realized when it settled over her lap, swallowing up the dark green velvet of the armchair. He went back to staring at the pdf journal article he had found to support his thesis, staring at it blankly, willing the words to resemble something that made sense. He felt like his brain had become disconnected from his eyes. Mark rubbed his knuckles over his eyes. They’d gone dry from focusing on the screen too long. He gave himself a break, spacing out and staring out into the living room for a change as opposed to the Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering.
All of a sudden, Jennie perked up, tilting her head like she was listening to something. Yuta didn’t react at all, continuing to highlight way too much of his textbook. Catching Mark’s confused expression, she smiled warmly. “I hear people in the yard. Sicheng and Yeeun must be coming back from their run.”
“Run?”
Jennie’s smile widened, cheeks dimpling. “Through the woods. We all try to do it a couple times a week, to burn off some excess energy. Werewolves are harder to tire than humans.”
An image popped into Mark’s head, of the dog park back home. His neighbors greyhounds getting unclipped from their leashes and instantly going nuts, sprinting around the park in circles, spirals, zigzags, until they came back panting hard and wagging their tails harder to happily be clipped back onto their leads. He spoke before his brain could catch up with him. “So you guys have to, like, get out your zoomies?”
Jennie’s eyes went wide for a second, and Mark’s stomach dropped. But then Jennie threw her head back and laughed loudly, a giggling-snorting sound that made Mark smile shyly along with her. He was pretty sure he heard a quiet snort from the other end of the couch, but before Mark could turn his head to catch Yuta, the slam of the screen door cut through the laughter. Mark looked expectantly at the deck door, mouth still open in a smile.
When Sicheng and Yeeun burst through the door, their expressions were dark. The mood of the house instantly adjusted, like an oppressive raincloud had blown in with them, hanging down heavy from the ceiling. Yuta turned his head and stared at the two betas, expression impassive. But Mark had spent enough time around him now to notice the worry in the set of his mouth, the tension creeping at the edges of his shoulders, the way his knuckles went white around the cheery highlighter. Yuta tilted his head and examined the pair, eyes scanning for injury.
Jennie tightened her hands around her mug of tea, curling up tighter in the armchair as she turned to face her two packmates. “What happened?” Her voice was quiet with dread.
“Another dead deer,” Yeeun said grimly, toeing off her shoes and slipping them into the rack beside the back door. “Half-eaten.”
“Mangled,” Sicheng added somberly, mouth twitching down. “Scavengers will probably get to it soon, but that wasn’t the work of a coyote. It was a full-grown buck.”
“Maybe a bear?” Jennie suggested, but even to Mark it sounded half-hearted. Yeeun shook her head, tilting it thoughtfully.
“Most bears around here don’t eat deer. I guess they could, because they’re coming out of hibernation and hungrier than usual, but then it wouldn’t have left so much of the carcass. And it would have at least tried to hide the kill. This was… wasteful.”
Yuta’s eyes were keen on Sicheng’s face. “What is it, Sicheng. Tell me.”
Sicheng stared steadily back at his alpha. “The scent on the carcass. It was the same one I found where Jeno was attacked.”
Mark sucked in a breath sharply. The noise must have been loud to the werewolves, because they all jumped like a shot went off, whirling around to stare at him. Yeeun looked vaguely guilty, and Sicheng’s mouth closed into a flat line.
“Let’s wait until everyone is back from classes to get into it,” Yeeun said, smiling weakly at Mark. “So we can just tell the whole story at once, and everyone can weigh in.”
Yuta nodded slowly, hand unclenching around his marker. He visibly flexed his fingers twice, before dipping his head back into his textbook. “We’ll talk after dinner. I’ll send a text to let the pack know.” He highlighted another line of text.
Yeeun and Sicheng filtered out of the living room, presumably drifting back to their own rooms. They didn’t clomp noisily up the stairs like most of the wolves did, and Mark quickly lost the sound of their quiet, slippered footsteps. He shifted on the couch. Jennie sipped from her mug again, eyes going distant as she stared pensively out the window.
Mark turned his eyes to where Jennie’s were fixed. A gray, cloudy sky hung heavy over the tree line. It was beginning to fill in with green leaves again, but it was only early spring. For now, branches poked out menacingly, spindly and dark. The arms hung low and heavy, crossing over each other like a wrought, tortured gate at the end of the backyard.
Mark shivered, pushing himself deeper into the corner of the couch. The message from the forest seemed clear to him. Keep out.
***
The living room felt very full. Mark had seen it with more bodies, at the parties he’d come to here, but people were usually standing then. Right now everyone was sitting down, except for Yuta. It made the space feel oddly small. It could’ve been claustrophobic, but for some reason it mainly felt cozy. The closeness settled something in Mark, made him feel calm for the first time in three hours, since Sicheng and Yeeun had bust in the door.
He looked around the room. Everyone looked serious, and nobody was really talking. It was a such a contrast to how Mark usually saw the pack as a group. They were bursting with energy, with life, with laughter and jokes and fond teasing. They didn’t whisper softly to one another in worried undertones. It was clear that the emergency nature of the meeting had set everyone’s teeth on edge. It was kind of a shame, Mark reflected. He would’ve liked to see a normal pack meeting, when the air wasn’t so tense. There were werewolves here that he’d barely said three words to, who he basically only knew through their social media. Mark wanted to shoot a smile towards Shotaro and Doyoung, who were sharing an armchair, and show that he was friendly and chill and could definitely be a good hang, but now didn’t feel like the time.
Yuta stepped into the center of the room, and the whispers immediately quieted. Every face turned to their alpha. Mark’s did as well. It was time for the meeting to begin.
“I appreciate everyone being on time. I know how rare that is.” he smiled at them wryly. After a moment, he sighed, expression darkening. “I wish it could’ve happened under better circumstances. As you all know, there has been a threat lurking in the forest recently.” Yuta looked at each member of the pack in turn. Mark could have sworn his eyes lingered longer on Jeno and him. “Sicheng and Yeeun made a discovery this afternoon.”
He gestured at them. Neither stood from the couch – they were a bit shy Mark had noticed, or maybe just more reserved – but every eye fixed on them attentively.
“We found a mangled buck not far from one of the trails, only fifty yards off it. It wasn’t properly eaten. Whatever attacked it wasn’t that hungry, and they were vicious.”
Sicheng picked up Yeeun’s thread. “It smelled like the alpha that attacked Jeno.”
“Did you bring back the scent?” Jaehyun asked keenly, setting his elbows on his knees.
To Mark’s surprise, Sicheng nodded. “We took a few clumps of fur. I’m not sure how well you’ll be able to smell it at this point, but I’ll put it on the table for everyone.”
“Is there any chance we can just go back to the carcass and get it right from the source?” Ryujin asked hopefully. Sicheng shook his head.
“Scavengers will have set in by now, and more decomposition. And it’s raining.” Everyone shot the windows a glare. March in upstate New York was an exercise in miserable, cold rain. It seemed to be perpetually drizzling. “The alpha might want to return to their kill. I wouldn’t advise going back. The risk is too high.”
“On the subject of risks–” Yuta began. Johnny groaned loudly.
“Oh, here we go.”
Yuta continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “I know we all need a way to burn off our excess energy.” Yuta’s mouth twitched slightly, the ghost of a smirk curling up his lips. “God knows we’d go crazy without it.” Chuckles around the room as the wolves agreed. Yuta’s face smoothed into a solemn expression again, and he folded his arms. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to come up with another, safer way to exercise. Until the alpha has been dealt with, it’s not safe to spend much time in the forest. For the time being, I would appreciate it if we all avoided going into the woods.” The announcement was met by a cacophony of groans and whines. Doyoung half-stood from the armchair, mouth open to protest, while Johnny dramatically collapsed to the floor and wailed. Yuta held his hand up.
The noise in the room mysteriously cut out, every eye in the room fixed on the alpha’s face. Mark blinked in amazement. The only sound was the low hum of the central heating. “To be clear,” Yuta continued, voice pleasant. “What I mean by I would ‘appreciate’ us all staying out of the woods is, ‘stay out of the fucking woods or else.’ Got it?”
“Yeah, boss,” Johnny sighed from the ground, wrapping his arms around the leg of the coffee table and curling up piteously. “You got it.”
“Of course, Yuta,” Yeeun’s voice was softer, but carried a weight of sincerity. Shotaro nodded along beside her, round eyes wide. She turned slightly, eyes tired as she addressed the group. “The carcass Sicheng and I found… it wasn’t normal, that kind of killing. I know it sucks, but we need to stay safe until the threat is dealt with.”
“I agree,” Sicheng added quietly from the rug, leaning back against Shotaro’s shins. “We should do what Yuta said.”
Yuta smiled at the room, gleaming teeth bared. “Excellent.”
“Yuta,” Irene said quietly, her clear voice carrying easily through the room. “Do you think it might be time to call the Council?”
Yuta’s face darkened, eyes flashing red for a moment. “No.” The word was nearly a snarl. After a moment, Yuta took a visibly deep breath. He went on in more normal tones, “We can handle this. We don’t need outside interference.”
Irene looked doubtful, but she let the matter drop. Mark wanted to ask who this Council was, as this was the second time they’d been brought up without explanation, but even he could sense this wasn’t the moment. Yuta’s face was visibly stormy, looking one hair away from shifting into fangs and glowing red eyes.
Mark swallowed and inched closer to Jeno. He was secretly relieved when Jeno wrapped his arms around Mark without having to be asked, shoving his chin into Mark’s shoulder like he knew his best friend needed him as close as possible right now without being told.
***
It had been raining for three days straight.
“This is the apocalypse,” Johnny announced solemnly.
Doyoung snorted. “This is March in New York.”
“This is a tragedy, ” Ryujin moaned, hanging upside down off the couch. Her short hair made a little halo on the wood floor. “Is God flooding the world again? Has he realized that humanity is shit and decided to end it all?”
Mark looked out the window. The rain was falling in literal sheets, and every street was at least partially flooded. The backyard had become a muddy swimming pool. Mark couldn’t see more than two feet past the glass. It was rather Biblical.
Yeri rolled over on the area rug, stretching herself into downward dog, then seal pose, then back into child’s pose. Mark watched in fascination. He’d never seen a more fidgety group of people. They were like dogs who’d been denied a walk for a week, or hyper toddlers. He was pretty sure Johnny was going to start literally bouncing off the walls if the rain didn’t end soon – or he’d just take his chances getting drenched when it was only four degrees above freezing. Either way, Mark sensed destruction in the future if the heavens didn’t close up.
Even Mark was beginning to catch the cabin fever. His classes today had been canceled, roads too flooded for his professors or commuter students to get onto campus. He’d done a Crossfit workout with Jaehyun in the extensive home gym that took up the entirety of the basement, then a vigorous round of freestyle dancing with Ryujin until he was exhausted, but even that wasn’t enough for the wolves. They’d already been feeling constrained with the forest off-limits for their zoomies, but now they couldn’t even go for a sedate run around the neighborhood. The athletes were possibly the worst of the bunch, despite their extra training. They’d all been doing indoors conditioning instead of pummeling their teammates into the ground – or, in the girl’s case, pummeling the water with their oars. It was beginning to wear on everybody, even the more even-tempered members of the pack. It seemed like every time Mark looked up someone new was bickering.
Jennie stepped back into the living room holding a gallon-size carton of Goldfish. “We’re running out of groceries,” she informed the group, as if they needed any more bad news. Jaehyun groaned. Jennie gave him a sharp look. “Nah-uh. It was your turn to do the shopping on Sunday, but you blew it off to get brunch with Johnny and Rosie–”
“Hey! That is not what happened–”
“Spare me,” she sneered, nose scrunching cutely. Yuta sighed loudly from his recliner.
“Alright, leave it. I’ll just go tomorrow after conditioning. We can get takeout for dinner. What do you guys want?”
“Is anybody delivering in this weather?”
“Who fuckin’ cares? Yuta, I want pizza.”
Yuta snapped his fingers and pointed at Johnny. “You got it. We’re getting Ned’s for dinner.”
Jaehyun pouted. “But I wanted Indian.” Johnny shot him a smug glance, folding his arms over his chest.
“Ya snooze ya lose, buddy.”
Yuta must have seen Jaehyun’s dark scowl, because he jumped in to head off the argument that was about to erupt. “Jaehyun, you can order whatever toppings you want. I’m paying.”
Jaehyun brightened right up, hauling himself out of the corner of the couch he’d sunk into to sit up straight. “For real?”
Yuta nodded, already looking like he deeply regretted the offer.
“Pineapple, spinach and garlic please. Oh, shit, and can you do pesto base?” Yuta sighed deeply through his nose, but nodded. Jaehyun bounced on his couch cushion. “Thanks, alpha!”
Yuta rolled his eyes at the title being deployed so cutely. “You exhaust me. Okay, I’ll put in… that, four cheese and four pepperoni. Anything else?”
“Can you get one without cheese?” Mark asked quietly. Everyone in the room turned to stare at him incredulously. Drawing his knees up to his chest, Mark tried to resist the urge to hide his face. “Yo, I’m lactose intolerant. Trust, you don’t want me eating cheese.”
“Okay, sure, and one with no cheese.” Yuta’s tone brokered no argument. He pulled out his phone and put everything into the online ordering portal, pulling out his wallet to get his payment info.
Mrk shifted slightly on the couch, suddenly feeling uncomfortably like a freeloader. “Thanks, Yuta,” he said shyly. Good manners made him feel a bit less guilty. Yuta’s eyes flicked up from his phone screen, and he met Mark’s gaze with his own unfathomable one. He blinked once, then went back to tapping in his security code.
“There.” Yuta shoved his wallet back into his pocket dramatically. “Done. You will all be fed tonight, in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes.”
“Who’s going to get it?” Doyoung asked. Suddenly, everyone in the room was very interested in the ceiling, or their cuticles. Doyoung gave them all a flat look. “Come on. I don’t have my license.”
“How convenient,” Jaehyun muttered snidely. Doyoung shot him an irritated look, but Johnny spoke before he could snipe back.
“Not me,” Johnny said firmly, throwing his feet up on the coffee table as if to say ‘and just try to make me’. “I did the trip to the city and back this weekend solo, and I brought you all tons of alcohol. My ass is not moving.”
“Your ass never moves, you’re lazy as fuck.”
“Um, excuse you, did I not just say that I drove all the way to fucking New York City and back four days ago? What have you done recently, Yerim? Beat Shotaro in Super Smash Bros?”
Yeri snarled. Johnny growled right back, eyes flashing yellow.
Holy fuck. Werewolves got rude when they were hangry.
“I will pick up the pizza, and I will drive,” Yuta finally said, exasperated. He grabbed his keys out of the dish and swung them around his fingers, looking at the inhabitants of the living room. “Someone’s coming with me though. I’m not making two trips into the restaurant to carry out the boxes.”
“I’ll go!” Mark volunteered, trying not to sound too eager. Yuta raised his brows but smiled down at Mark. He launched himself off the couch, nearly stumbling into the coffee table in his haste.
“Woah there,” Yuta chuckled. Suddenly, he was all in Mark’s space. Superspeed. Warm hands gripped his biceps, steadying him. Mark looked up to find Yuta’s face much closer than he expected. “You good, Markie?”
Blood immediately rushed to his face at the nickname, and somewhere else that Mark was determinedly not thinking about at all right now. “Yep!” He squeaked. He was pretty sure that was Ryujin’s snicker behind him. His blush worsened. “Let’s hit the road, man. Like, with haste.”
“After you.” Yuta gestured grandly, inclining his head as Mark walked past him. They were so close that Mark’s arm brushed over Yuta’s side. Even through his clothes, Yuta radiated heat. Mark wondered how warm he would feel without them, if Mark were to touch Yuta’s bare skin with his own.
“You’re so warm, dude.” Mark said without thinking. He grabbed his coat and beanie off the hook, tugging it down over his stubbornly-red ears. Yuta quirked an eyebrow at Mark as he opened the front door and walked out of it backwards, the step-down and porch stairs giving him absolutely no trouble. Show-off. Mark had tripped on that door ledge several times facing forwards completely sober, even when they weren’t slick with rain. He threw up his hood and took a deep breath, bracing himself for the dash down the driveway. Yuta was already sitting safe and sound in the driver’s seat, turning on the ignition. Fucking superspeed.
Mark darted forward, watching his feet as they splashed up water. When he reached the Rover’s door, it was blessedly unlocked. He hauled himself into the passenger seat with a whimper, pulling his hood down. It made the rain droplets gathered there run down his neck, and Mark shivered violently. His jeans were soaked with rain, just from the thirty foot dash from the door to the car.
Yuta turned on Mark’s seat heater for him wordlessly, pushing all the vents on dash in Mark’s direction to blow warm air on his body. Mark shivered again, more pleasantly this time. “Oh, dude, I don’t wanna steal all the heat–”
“Like you said,” Yuta told him mildly, putting the car in reverse and slowly backing out of the driveway, onto the nearly-flooded road. “I’m warm.” The grin he shot at Mark made him shiver a third time, for reasons entirely unrelated to the rain.
It was a tense drive to Ned’s, Yuta keeping both hands on the steering wheel and eyes firmly fixed on the road. Mark was glad someone else was driving. The sun had set, and with how hard the rain was coming down the streetlights were barely visible. When Yuta pulled into a space, Mark understood why people clapped when planes landed. He had the sudden urge to give Yuta a hearty round of applause.
“Let’s just wait in here,” Yuta said, making no move to turn off the car. “Until they text me saying the order is ready.”
“Oh, good plan.” Mark nestled back into his artificially warm seat, relieved that he wouldn’t have to get out quite yet.
“How’s school been?” Yuta asked, breaking the companionable silence. “I know you were stressed about a paper last week.”
Mark blinked, surprised Yuta had remembered that. “Uh… yeah, it’s finished now. I think it’s pretty good. You know, courses are courses. Hell.” Yuta’s mouth lifted into a small smile. “At least it’ll be over soon. Just five more weeks.”
“Are you going home for the summer?” An odd tension crept into Yuta’s voice. Mark shot him a sidelong glance, but his face was as difficult to read as ever.
“Yeah, my mom would kill me if I tried to stay here,” Mark chuckled. Yuta did not. Mark cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward. “Jeno is going home too. I mean, we go home together, he lives across the street.”
“Really?” Yuta asked, sounding genuinely intrigued. “You’re neighbors?”
“Yeah! Since we were little kids. I’ve known him my whole life. He’s my brother.”
“You’re his anchor,” Yuta murmured. He suddenly seemed a million miles away. Mark wasn’t sure how to pull him back down to Earth, back into this car. Luckily, Yuta seemed to shake himself out of it. He pushed his damp hair back ( fuck, Yuta with his hair slicked back – Mark needed to see it expeditiously) and unbuckled his seatbelt, turning to face Mark.
“Are you working this summer?”
Mark’s eyebrows shot up, startled by the sudden subject change. There was an awkward pause as Mark took a moment too long to respond.
“Oh – y-yeah! I’m gonna lifeguard at our town pool, I’ve been doing it since I was fifteen.”
Yuta grinned, teeth gleaming in the dashboard light. “Mark Lee, lifeguard extraordinaire? That seems too good to be true.”
Mark wasn’t sure what Yuta meant, but he smiled back. “You better believe it. I’m a pro at putting bandaids on scraped knees and catching kids jumping off the diving board.”
“Adorable,” Yuta breathed.
“What do you do for work?” Mark asked, curiosity suddenly sparked. Now that he was thinking about it, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t before. Yuta owned that big house, that much was clear, he wasn’t renting it. How the hell did he pay for it? He must have a job, right?
“I’m a consultant,'“ was Yuta’s reply, which was predictably vague. Mark tried his best not to frown.
“And…” Yuta made no move to offer further information. Mark sighed. “What do you consult about?”
“Oh, this and that,” Yuta waved his hand. Mark blinked at him in disbelief. “I also do some photo editing for people.”
“Your instagram is really nice,” Mark replied, relieved at finally having concrete information to jump on. “Who takes your photos? They’re really, like, artistic.”
“Yeah?” Yuta rested his elbow on the center console and planted his chin in his palm. It brought his face unnervingly close to Mark’s. “Johnny takes them. You really like them?”
Mark shifted towards the door, trying not to make it obvious how much Yuta’s closeness made him nervous. But Yuta could hear his heartbeat speeding up. Mark sighed. He didn’t know why he even bothered to try. Not once had he ever been chill around Yuta, it was time to give up the gag.
“I mean, I know nothing about photos and shit, haha. But yeah man, they’re super cool. You have a bangin’ feed.”
Whatever Yuta was going to say was interrupted by the vibration of his phone, incredibly loud in the dampened quiet of the car. He grinned down at the screen, picking it up to dangle it in front of Mark’s face.
“Food’s ready.”
Mark grabbed the door handle with grim determination. “Let’s get this over with.”
Yuta giggled, as if Mark had performed a particularly cute trick. “I promise, I’ll blast the heat so high when we get back in.”
It was a mad dash inside, and Mark splashed through several puddles that soaked the legs of his jeans before they made it to shelter. Between them, Yuta and Mark did manage to carry out all the pizzas in one trip – Yuta holding about twice as many boxes as Mark, but it was only fair. Werewolf-ism, Mark explained. Yuta shot him a dry look.
“My arms aren’t any bigger than yours, Mark.”
Mark shrugged, and used his hip to push open the restaurant door. “I don’t know, man. Your biceps are no joke.”
By the time the pies had been shoved unceremoniously in the backseat, Mark was drenched so thoroughly that even cranking the heat up to 80º and blasting the fan couldn’t do anything to save him. Nothing short of a towel would have any effect. He shuddered uncontrollably, shooting a glance at the precariously stacked boxes in the backseat. They were all dark with rain, lids sagging in at the middle.
“We should’ve brought an umbrella for the pizza,” Mark said mournfully. He gazed sadly at Yuta. “The pie’s gonna be soggy.”
“A little waterlogged pizza never hurt anyone.”
“Dude, soggy crust?” Mark countered doubtfully. “I think it’s taken more than a few brave men out.”
Yuta’s hand shot out so fast Mark thought he might’ve imagined it – and then he pinched Mark’s cheek.
Mark swallowed hard, heart leaping into overdrive. He stared at Yuta in disbelief. Both his hands were on the wheel, and he was completely focused on checking over his shoulder as he backed out of the spot. Mark settled back in his seat, shellshocked. He would’ve written it off as a hallucination, his overactive imagination imposing desperately-wanted fantasy on reality. But the apple of his left cheek hurt. Mark lifted his fingers to brush over the skin there, trying to hide his grin. He also tried to hide the glances he shot Yuta the entire car ride home, but he probably wasn’t successful at that either.
***
The decision to have a party at the pack house so that technically, no one would be wandering about on any potential forest paths (this one felt directly targeted at Jeno and Mark, especially because Yuta had locked eyes with him while he said it) had been well-received by a pack of wolves starting to go stir crazy and desperate to burn off energy. Mark had already seen entirely too much. He tried to avert his eyes as he walked past Jennie and her girlfriend Rosie, but he was pretty sure he saw Jennie sneak her hand down the back of her jeans. As he looked away, Mark’s eyes settled on a new target. Someone who he desperately wanted to see. A happy smiled curled up his mouth, and Mark bounded over.
“So, what’s your type?”
Yuta looked up sharply from where he’d been staring off into the kitchen on the couch, eyes wide as he stared at Mark. “Aw, did I startle the big bad wolf?” Mark teased, snickering into his cup at his own joke. Yuta sighed through his nose, but he couldn’t bite back his smile. Mark wanted to crow in victory and crawl into his lap.
“Sure, Markie,” Yuta said patiently. He nodded his chin at the cup. “Whatcha got in there?”
It took Mark a long moment to respond, too consumed with processing how ‘Markie’ made the base of his spine tingle. “Oh – umm, well. Vodka, of course.”
“Obviously.”
“And some sprite. Oh, and the watermelon White Claw Jaehyun got me!” Mark bounced on the couch cushion, nearly sending the liquid in his cup sloshing over. He froze immediately, staring at the rim with wide eyes. He looked up at Yuta, who was watching him with a raised brow. “Woah, dude. That was a close one.” Yuta huffed out something that could have been either a laugh or a sigh. Mark took a big sip, draining it down so that he wasn’t in dire danger of spilling. He burped once, then continued. “Man, that slaps. It tastes so good, for real. Want some?” Mark was suddenly very cognizant that Yuta didn’t have a drink. He looked at him, concerned, and touched the back of his hand softly. “Oh my God, do you need me to get you a drink?”
“You’re the sweetest,” Yuta smiled at him, showing all his gorgeous teeth. “But no thank you. Werewolf, remember? I can’t get drunk.”
Mark nodded sagely, taking another sip. He smacked his lips, looking at Yuta beseechingly again. “But are you like, sure , because I get that you won’t get buzzed but this tastes reallyy good–”
“I somehow doubt that,” Yuta muttered. Mark pouted, shoving his shoulder into Yuta’s rock-solid side.
“Hey! Don’t disrespect my drink! After all the effort Jaehyun went through to get me my watermelon Claw special.” Mark sighed dreamily, pulling up one leg on the sofa to rest his chin on his knee. “It was so nice of him. And now this tastes…watermelon-y. Perfect.”
“I’m glad,” Yuta told him, patting his hand. Something about his voice seemed strained. But when Mark looked at him, his face was set in that relaxed expression that Mark had come to find so comforting. Steadfast. “So you’re settling in nicely? Everyone in the pack is treating you right?”
“Yeah, man! They’re awesome!” Mark bounced enthusiastically on the cushions again. This time, his drink didn’t slosh over the edge at all, not even a few drops! He waved it triumphantly in Yuta’s face. Yuta looked more bemused than impressed. Mark huffed.
“Heyyy,” Mark drew out the word, side-eyeing Yuta suspiciously. Yuta met the gaze dead-on, lifting his eyebrows. Mark scrunched his mouth into the moue that always got him compared to a grumpy cat. “You distracted me.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” Yuta said dryly. Mark continued his pout. Yuta pushed his pointer finger between Mark’s eyebrows. “No really, stop that. What could I have possibly distracted you from? Something very important happening right now, hmm?”
Mark rolled his eyes dramatically, head swaying with the motion. “You ignored my question!” Okay, that was a bit squeakier than intended. Mark cleared his throat and took another sip of his drink. “I asked you what your type was, and you never responded!”
“Oh?” Yuta said, voice amused. His mouth curled up at the corners in that small smile, the one that made him look like a lion about to pounce on his prey. “My apologies.” Mark nodded graciously. They sat in silence for a long moment. Well, not silence, because Johnny was still DJ-ing on his really sick home set-up, and Doyoung and Ryujin were fighting over possession of a karaoke microphone, and Yeri was passing by the couch and giving Mark a firm pat on the head.
“Well?” Mark asked, impatience getting the best of him. His knee jiggled unconsciously, knocking against Yuta’s strong thigh. Yuta tilted his head, leveling Mark with innocent eyes. Mark felt a sharp pain in his ribcage.
Oh, shit. He’d stopped breathing. He sucked in a massive breath of oxygen, nodding to himself. Yuta’s look became curious, and mildly concerned. Mark took another sip of his drink.
“My type of what?” Yuta had finally relented, but not really. His eyes were dancing in that familiar way that meant he was about to tease the hell out of Mark, even if his face remained set.
“C’mon man!” Mark whined, voice climbing up three octaves in one go. “You know what I mean!” Yuta began laughing at him, while Mark pouted even harder than before. He crossed his free arm over his chest, tucking his chin down discontentedly. He was annoyed with Yuta for not answering the question. But that was stupid, actually. Yuta was laughing. How could Mark be annoyed right now? Yuta’s laugh was like, the most healing noise. Why had Mark been annoyed?
“Well, what’s your type, angel?”
Mark had the distinct feeling that he was being played, but the six vodka-sprite-White-Claw infusions he’d had before grabbing this one had finally hit. He tried to swim towards that feeling of unfairness, but the root of it was getting hazier by the second. Yuta nudged his arm. Mark blinked hard, room going blurry than refocusing. That was right. Yuta had asked him a question. He needed to answer it. It would be so rude not to. What if Yuta thought Mark wasn’t interested in talking to him? And he’d asked about…
“Oh, I like muscles,” Mark stated simply. He looked significantly at Yuta’s biceps, conveniently left exposed by Yuta’s gaping muscle tank. Christ, what a blessing that Yuta loved those shirts. Mark sent up a quick thank you to Jesus. “Y’know, like, they’re really sexy.” Mark giggled. Yuta smiled at him, eyes crinkling up delightfully at the corners. “And I like funny people! I love laughing, so I think that’s mad attractive. And calmer people, does that make sense? I think I’m like, a rattling ball of nervous energy like ninety percent of the time, so I need someone chill to balance me out.” Mark wet his lips, looking at Yuta from beneath his lashes. Yuta wasn’t looking at Mark, eyes on something across the room. Mark sighed a little, settling back against the couch. Well, that had been a pretty good answer, by his books. It was honest. And it served as a pretty good description of Yuta, to boot. Man, Mark was a pro at this ‘dropping hints’ stuff.
“Those are all good things,” Yuta replied, lifting Mark from his reverie. His voice was steady. He watched Mark from the corner of his eyes. Mark stared at his face, probably looking a bit lovesick. Or high, according to Donghyuck, who had seen the expression on Mark one too many times apparently. “Good reasons to like someone. You really know what you like.”
Mark wiggled against the couch, huffing out a little breath. “Yeah, but I’m really open, to be honest. There’s so many people like that!”
Yuta laughed slightly, patting Mark’s leg. “More for you, then.”
“For real. But, I mean, seriously, I get crushes so easily. Like, really.” Mark widened his eyes, nodding so that Yuta would know that he really meant it. “Baby crushes constantly. All over the place. My friends tease me about it.” Mark frowned, trying to make his eyes go watery in that way that got him compared to a shivering puppy. It must have worked, because Yuta cooed, patting the back of his head. Mark wanted to close his eyes and nuzzle back into the touch, but that would probably be weird.
“How mean!”
“Yeah!” Mark said, scootching closer to Yuta. He pulled his other leg up onto the sofa, so he could really curl up and face Yuta. “It is mean! I just, like, meet so many great people, you know?” Mark tried to wink at Yuta, because that would be a really good way to signal his interest, for sure. Yuta looked at him strangely. Mark scowled, disheartened. Shit, he probably tried to wink with his left eye. That one didn’t work right for winking. “I met a really great person recently, though.”
“Yeah?”
Mark nodded, pressing in closer to Yuta, until his knee was partly over his thigh. He batted his eyelashes. In his drunken haze, it looked like Yuta’s pupils dilated, and the painfully attractive smirk adorning his face took on a fonder edge. Mark giggled into his solo cup, feeling very pleased with himself. He nudged his shoulder against Yuta’s, looking up at him through his eyelashes. “I have a real crush now, not just a micro-crush.”
Yuta blinked, looking very confused. “Not just a what now?”
“You know, like, a micro-crush. Happens all the time.”
“No.”
“Like when you see a stranger and fall in love for thirty seconds and plan your whole life together and then forget about it the next morning. Or you catch feelings, but only for like, three days. You know?”
“No? I’ve never…” Yuta looked genuinely baffled, eyebrows drawing down and furrowing his expression. He looked adorable. It took an undue amount of concentration for Mark to stop focusing on the lines between Yuta’s brow and pull himself together enough to deliver an enthralling explanation. After all, it was so rare for Mark to get to teach Yuta about anything new.
He straightened up, waving his cup enthusiastically. Yuta leaned back slightly. “Oh my God, okay, lemme explain… So like, when I ran into Johnny selling soju out the back of his trunk and he gave me a bunch for free, which was like, so clutch of him.” Mark raised his eyebrows and gestured his cup towards Yuta, nodding slightly, trying to signal his chillness. Yuta’s expression did not clear. “Micro-crush.”
“On Johnny?”
“Hey!” Mark protested, offended. He cradled his cup protectively to his chest. “What’s wrong with Johnny? He’s very crush-able. And he’s one of your best friends, and he’s your right hand beta, so there.” Mark lifted his chin triumphantly, and took another long sip of the vodka-White Claw-Sprite infusion.
Yuta seemed frozen. “You have a crush on Johnny?”
“It was a micro-crush! He gave me soju for free and he winked at me! I had no choice but to be in love for two days!” Mark cried, wilting. He felt like he wasn’t doing a very good job explaining. Or maybe Yuta was just a terrible student. Yeah, that must be it. Mark frowned emphatically at the werewolf, trying to convey his disappointment in his pupil. “I had one on Jaehyun, too. Those dimples, man, whew. Like, who can resist, y’know? Dang, he’s got a face. And a body, holy shit.” Mark’s eyes went hazy for a second, lost in the memory of Jaehyun chopping wood shirtless in the backyard.
Yuta snapped him back to reality – quite literally; he snapped his fingers in front of Mark’s nose. Mark blinked hard, the room swimming back into focus. He went nearly cross-eyed looking at Yuta’s fingers, still hovering just in front of Mark’s nose. He dipped his head forward, bumping his nose against Yuta’s thumb pad. “Boop.”
Mark smiled dopily at Yuta, tilting his head cutely. Unfortunately, the rest of his body decided to list right as well, like a swaying ship. Yuta took Mark’s crash landing with grace, moving just slightly as Mark collapsed into his side to cushion his weight. Mark sighed happily, snuggling into Yuta’s flank. Even with a leather bomber jacket on, Yuta radiated heat. It felt so nice. Before Mark even realized what his body was doing, his cheek was already on Yuta’s chest, rubbing against his pec. His eyes fluttered closed, soaking up the heat on his face. Yuta was really the perfect cuddling temperature.
“So you like Jaehyun too?” Yuta’s pecs suddenly became much less comfortable as he tensed, straightening up. His voice sounded rather flat, but then again, every sound was echoing in Mark’s skull.
Mark frowned. Yuta moving had knocked Mark out of his perfect cuddling position on his chest. “Of course I like him. Who couldn’t? Those dimples… Like, even when I thought you guys were trying to lure Jeno into a cult to steal his kidneys, I thought Jaehyun’s dimples were trustworthy. Very crush-able. Don’t you think?”
“Sure.” There was no mistaking it, Yuta was being short with Mark. That was no fun. Mark pouted, poking him in the ribs.
“Hey.” Mark tried again, when the first attempt went ignored. “Heyyyyyy.” He widened his eyes, staring up at Yuta with every ounce of cuteness he could muster. “Yuta. Yutaaaaaa. Guess what?”
“What?”
Mark dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning up to Yuta’s ear. “I have a new crush, now. A real crush. Not a mini one.” Yuta didn’t respond for a long moment. Mark nudged his ribs.
“Is that so?” The line of Yuta’s jaw was so achingly tense. Mark longed to kiss it.
“Yeah,” he breathed. His bottom lip brushed against Yuta’s earlobe. “I like him a lot.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Mark slurred, letting his head rest in the crook of Yuta’s neck. He smelled so nice, like expensive perfume. Like the department stores in Manhattan Mark used to spend hours with his mom in when he was a little kid. He snuffled, trying to chase more of the comforting scent. “Me too.”
“Mark?”
The voice was new, but just as familiar as the warm memories of Mark’s childhood. “Jeno!” he cheered, lifting his head from Yuta’s shoulder with great effort, arms outstretched. Jeno grinned at him, eyes squinched into crescents and perfect teeth on display. Not as many teeth as Yuta, of course, but a nice showing all the same.
“Time to go home, Markie,” Jeno told him warmly, clasping a hand around Mark’s and pulling him off the couch with no effort. Standing up, the alcohol hit Mark harder. He swayed, fingers slackening around his cup. Luckily, Yuta caught it for him before it could crash on the floor.
“Thanks!” Mark craned his head around to flutter his eyelashes at Yuta again. He reached his hand out to brush over Yuta’s shoulder and beamed at him, trying to convey his gratitude. And sneak in a little feel of the muscles there. “You’re so fast with that. Gosh, your reflexes are incredible.”
“Werewolf,” Yuta reminded him dryly, slight smile curving his lips. His eyes didn’t have the little crow’s feet next to them anymore – or maybe they did, and Mark’s vision was just too blurry to tell.
“Right, right. See you later!” Mark waved enthusiastically over his shoulder as Jeno dragged him through the living room, rather emptier now than it had been when Mark arrived. He barely made out Yuta’s reply as he tried not to crash into Jennie and Rosie, still making out in the center of the room.
“Yeah. Later.”
***
It took Mark a while to notice.
It wasn’t until Tuesday, in fact. He saw a cute little toy poodle sleeping under someone’s chair in the dining hall and snapped a pic to send to Yuta, only to realize their chat log had gone dusty. Nothing since Friday, when Mark had confirmed he’d be at the house the next night. Weird. Mark felt his stomach drop slightly. He scrolled back up the chat log. He hadn’t realized how frequently he and Yuta had texted.
Mark himself wasn’t a great texter. He was better at replying than initiating. He knew that was his own fault. He sent off the poodle picture.
mark: look at this little guy i found 😻😻
mark: wait idk if dogs are even allowed in okenshields
mark: i mean im not gonna snitch. i wish they were
There he was, initiating! He stared at his phone expectantly for a long moment, eyebrows raised slightly. Then he realized he was being ridiculous. Yuta probably wasn’t planted next to his phone, eagerly waiting to text Mark back. Mark decisively switched back over to YouTube and put his airpods in, going back to eating.
He never ended up getting a response from Yuta. Not that night, or Wednesday either.
***
But it hadn’t really been an important text, had it. Yuta had probably just read it and forgot to reply. It was kind of weird that Mark was going on five days without seeing or hearing from him, but surely this had happened before during the time since they’d struck up a real friendship. He sent over a meme he’d found scrolling an anime subreddit Wednesday afternoon, trying not to feel insecure over the double text. The message was delivered. Mark got nothing else.
On Thursday, Mark began to get worried.
It was strange to realize, but talking to Yuta had become part of Mark’s daily routine. Hanging out with him had become regular. Without Mark noticing, Yuta had up and become one of his friends. He remembered a time, just a couple months ago really, when he couldn’t withstand Yuta’s presence for more than a few minutes before wanting to shrivel up and melt through the ground. Mark remembered thinking he would have to build up a tolerance.
Without noticing, he had. And now he was going through withdrawals, or something. The metaphor had gotten away from him. But Mark missed hanging out with Yuta, and receiving his alternately extremely dry or emoji-laden texts (Yuta seemed to have no in-between), and even just going for rides in his car.
Mark couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Yuta was definitely avoiding him, so he must be doing it for a reason. Yuta wasn’t the type to just drop friends on a whim. Maybe something else was going on, consuming all his attention.
“What the hell is up with Yuta?”
“What do you mean?” Jeno asked through a mouthful of chips, shoving his hand back into the Pringles can. Mark sighed deeply, spinning mournfully in his chair.
“He’s been avoiding me all week. Is there some pack business or something? Has he been kidnapped? Has anyone seen him this week. Seriously, has anyone?”
“Yeah,” Jeno said obviously, oblivious to Mark’s increasing distress. “I saw him yesterday for lunch. And at practice every day. He seems fine.”
“Okay, well, has he mentioned something I did?” Mark asked, starting to feel desperate. “Because he’s been avoiding me, and I can’t figure out what his deal is. I figured he might be going through some shit, but I guess not.”
“Are you sure he’s avoiding you bro?” Jeno asked, puppy-like face scrunching in concern. “Because you were all over each other at that party last weekend. Maybe he’s just busy?”
Mark’s stomach dropped. Oh, shit. The party last weekend. Mark had done an excellent job not thinking about it to avoid the crushing embarrassment that accompanied every memory of that night. But he thought hard on what he remembered, before it went completely hazy and then gone altogether. He didn’t remember leaving the house, but he had woke up in his own bed the next morning, so he had to have gotten home somehow. He’d shown off his (kinda-gross) mixed drink to Yuta. Mark had been flirting with Yuta on the couch.
He had told Yuta he had a crush on him.
“Yeah. I’m sure,” Mark managed to croak.
Fuck. He sighed, flopping back on his pillows and yanking his blanket over his face. The burning in his eyes definitely weren’t tears, but he wanted his face hidden. He’d confessed to Yuta while he was fucking wasted.
And now Yuta wasn’t answering Mark’s texts, or bumping into him on campus, or hanging out with him at the house.
Mark swallowed, throat suddenly feeling sore. The corners of his eyes teared against pinpricks of pain. Well. That explained Yuta’s radio silence, at least.
Message received.
***
When Jeno dragged Mark to a pack meeting Saturday evening, he jumped on the opportunity to clear things up with Yuta. This was his chance. He ditched Yangyang and Donghyuck on their pre-game plans, promising to meet up with them after if it wasn’t too late.
“Fat chance,” Donghyuck had muttered, regarding Mark with suspicion even as he tugged Yangyang out the door. He knew something was up, but Mark wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Hopefully, there wouldn’t really be anything to tell. He just needed to talk to Yuta, set the record straight, and it would all be chill.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. This was not a nice chill pack meeting, with ample time for small talk. Not that Mark had ever gotten to go to one of those, but he was sure they existed sometimes.
The alpha had mangled another animal. A mother black bear, this time. Sicheng and Doyoung had found the cubs crying and alone around their mother’s body. They brought them to animal control, who were going to work with the DEC to find them a placement at some sanctuary or reserve, at least. Mark still felt sick to his stomach. Everyone else seemed similarly upset, faces looking queasy and anxious and angry in turn. Only Yuta remained stone-faced, unreadable.
“If you’re going around campus, take a buddy. Just because this alpha has stayed in the forest so far doesn’t mean he’s always going to. He’s without a pack, but he’s still stronger or faster than you. He seems to be deteriorating, getting more erratic, and that makes him dangerous. I don’t want any of you to be without backup. Got it?”
The pack’s echoed “Got it.” was terribly subdued.
They began to filter out of the living room after that, a heavy cloud settling over all of them. Those that lived in the house retreated up to their rooms, and everyone else began to leave. Mark was no longer in any mood to party. He was going to hide his head under his blanket and not get up until Sunday morning.
“C’mon,” Jeno muttered, tugging at Mark’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Mark followed him numbly. It was only catching sight of a head of wavy black hair that made him recall his original mission. He shook Jeno’s hold off his arm.
Mark lengthened his stride, taking quick steps forward in an effort to catch up to the alpha. “Hey, Yuta, can we–”
Yuta had disappeared out the door with Doyoung. Mark came to a stop, hands hanging uselessly at his sides. “–talk.”
He sighed and rubbed the corner of his eyes, gazing out the door, feeling the small kernel of hope he had left drain out of him.
Well. That was that. Yuta didn’t want Mark. He’d made that clear enough.
***
When Jeno returned from practice Monday afternoon, he found Mark in the exact same position he’d left him in at noon – swaddled in a blanket burrito on his bed. Only the tips of his hair poked out.
“You’re going to suffocate in there.”
“Leave me alone.” Mark’s groan was muffled. “I’ve been rejected. Let me wallow.”
“You gotta get out of here, man.” Mark made a disagreeing noise. Who was Jeno to tell him that? When Jeno confessed to the cute guy he’d been crushing on, Renjun became his boyfriend. When Mark confessed to Yuta, he got the cold shoulder. What did Jeno know?
“C’mon, you’ve wallowed enough. I’m going to Renjun’s for dinner. Come with me!”
“No,” Mark said petulantly, burrowing further down in his cocoon.
A warm hand crept up under the blanket, settling on his ankle. “Markie,” Jeno coaxed.
“I don’t want to third-wheel with your gross ass,” Mark grumbled, staying stubbornly under his blanket. “I see you and Renjun making out too much as it is.”
“You won’t be a third-wheel!” Mark snorted disbelievingly. Jeno made a little noise in the back of his throat. “Okay, you usually would be, I won’t lie. But Renjun has a guest this week! I’m nervous to meet him, actually.”
Mark poked one eye suspiciously out above the edge of the blanket. “You just want me to distract this guy so you and Renjun can run off and bone.”
Jeno smiled winningly at Mark. “So you’re coming?”
Mark sighed, kicking off his blanket cocoon. “Gimme five.”
***
They went out for hotpot. Apparently, Renjun loved hotpot. Mark thought they should set him up with Yangyang to be dinner buddies, but Jeno got oddly shifty at the suggestion, avoiding Mark’s eyes.
“Oh, look! There they are.”
A tall man who’d Mark had never seen was waving enthusiastically at them. It took him a moment to realize that Renjun was sitting at the table beside him, nearly a head shorter. They approached, Jeno leaning down to give his boyfriend a very lingering hello kiss. Mark determinedly looked away from them, admiring the hair on Renjun’s guest instead. He had hot pink streaks through his bangs, neon against his black hair. It was very Monster High. Mark loved the vibe.
“Hey, man,” Mark greeted. Renjun and Jeno finally remembered two other people were at the table with them, at last breaking apart. Renjun sheepishly began introductions while Jeno sat his ass down, grinning like a dope.
“This is my cousin,” Renjun explained, flicking his hand towards the taller guest.
“Zhong Chenle,” the boy said, grinning widely at Mark as he leaned over the table and stuck his hand out. He had a great, firm handshake. Mark was impressed.
“Cousin?” Mark repeated, glancing between them and their vastly different heights.
“My dad is his mom’s little bro,” Chenle said cheerfully, ruffling Renjun’s hair excessively. “We grew up like brothers!” Renjun batted his hands away, trying to fix the strands with a huff. Jeno cooed, reaching over to smooth it out himself. Renjun pecked his cheek in thanks.
“It’s nice of you to visit him. Are you on break this week?” Mark was trying to suss out Chenle’s age. He was that weird stage of teenager that could either be high school or college age.
“Chenle’s taking a gap year,” Renjun explained, taking pity on Mark. “He’s staying at my place for a few weeks.”
“Your roommates are so chill,” Mark marveled. He’d kill Jeno if he offered to let a cousin bunk with them for a few weeks.
Renjun smiled, looking somewhat sheepish. “Oh, I don’t have roommates. I live off campus.”
“You’ve never been to his house?” Chenle asked curiously. Mark was quickly coming to realize that Chenle was just kind of nosy. “That’s so rude of you Renjun! Come over, Mark.”
Mark found himself nodding automatically to the imperious demand. “Sure.”
“You can’t just invite people to my house,” Renjun said crossly. Jeno nodded along supportively. Chenle pursed his lips.
“I really like to think of it more as our house, Injun. Don’t you?” Chenle shot a glance at Mark, tilting his head at Renjun like, get a load of this guy! “After all the times I’ve let him crash my apartment in New York. And Shanghai. And LA.”
“Those are family homes–”
“And so’s this one! So glad we could settle that,” Chenle chirped, chucking an increasingly irate Renjun under the chin. Mark blinked at them. He looked at Jeno, but his best friend provided no answers. He was simply gazing at Renjun, clearly finding his annoyed face adorable.
“Um…” Mark was rapidly becoming aware of something. Namely, the fact that he and Chenle lived in vastly different worlds. He and Renjun too, apparently. “So, is your family, like, rich?”
Renjun pinched the bridge of his nose. Chenle, on the other hand, looked delighted. “Yes!”
“Oh. Cool.” Mark nodded, somewhat baffled. He was unsure how this introduction went so off the rails.
“Are you doing anything else tonight?”
Mark glanced at Jeno. Jeno finally deigned to tear his gaze away from Renjun, only to shrug. Mark sighed. “Uh, I guess not.”
“Excellent.” Chenle kicked companionably at Mark’s ankle under the table. “You’re coming over.”
Mark thought about his previous plans for tonight. Go back into his blanket cocoon, listen to his ‘boys cry 2’ playlist and use said blanket as a tissue, make Swiss Miss at two a.m. when no one else would be in the kitchen to see him look like death.
“Sure. Why not.”
***
Mark liked Wednesday afternoons.
They were quiet, quiet in a way he very rarely got to experience. He didn’t think he’d enjoy life being like this too often – after all, Mark had always been go, go, go, since he was two years old and forcing his mom to run after him in the park like an Olympic sprinter – but once a week, it was nice. From 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., Mark hung out alone in the Student Union. There was no point making the trek all the way back to Mews between his classes, and all his friends either had lecture at this time or were taking naps at the dorm. Mark had an entire hour and forty-five minutes to take his sweet ass time eating lunch, get a bit of coursework done while he ate slowly, fuck around on his phone a bit, get coffee from Dunkin’ without worrying about how long the line was – and Mark ate it up gladly, luxuriating in all the spare time bestowed upon him by the Mark of last semester during course registration (what a guy!). Something about that block on a Wednesday afternoon just felt suspended in time, pressureless. He had somewhere to be, but he had plenty of time to get there. No deadlines could feel too pressing at 1:30 on a Wednesday, not for Mark Lee.
He sucked gladly on his smoothie, eyes fixed on the JSTOR article pulled up on his laptop while he blindly nudged the straw around with his mouth. Occasionally, it hit a pocket of yet-undiscovered blended fruit, and Mark drank it up delightedly. The smoothie wasn’t half-bad, strawberry banana from the knockoff Jamba Juice housed on the first floor. Nothing fancy, but Mark didn’t need it to be. He was basic, at heart. And it was the perfect smoothie to vibe with his perfect chill time.
And in one fell swoop, all the peace and tranquility of his Wednesday afternoon was unceremoniously shattered.
“And what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Mark didn’t even register the statement as being directed at him. At first, all he did was blink in annoyance at the JSTOR article, irritated that someone was harshing his mellow yelling at their friend at a table near his. It wasn’t until the grating squeak of a chair being yanked out hit his ears that Mark realized that the person had been talking to him.
Fingers snapped rudely in his face. “Um, hello? Mark Lee, explain yourself.”
“Wha’?” Mark spoke stupidly around his straw, eyes darting between the two women who had suddenly appeared at his table. “Yeri? Ryujin? What are you doing here?”
Both girls glared at him. Mark hastened to add. “Not that it’s not awesome to see you, haha! Hi. Hey.”
“Hello,” Yeri granted him. Ryujin did not return the greeting.
“Why are you alone?” she demanded, eyes narrowing.
“Because…” Mark struggled to put into words the ritual of his Wednesday mid-afternoons. He failed to do so. That was really a rather existential question anyways, wasn’t it? “Because I am…?”
“Terrible excuse,” Yeri informed him dryly. “Try harder.”
Mark stared blankly at her, baffled. “I don’t have an excuse. I just…eat lunch alone on Wednesdays, dude.”
“Not anymore you don’t. I know you were at that pack meeting, Mark. Are your ears broken or something?” Ryujin sounded exasperated, which was a touch scary, actually. “Partners! Every time you leave the house! Very annoying, but necessary! You’re not above the rules, Lee.”
“And what does Yuta have to say about this?” Yeri asked archly, tapping her acrylic loudly on the table. “I’m sure he’d be flipping his shit if he knew the baby was wandering around alone. I would’ve thought he’d be breathing down your neck to make sure you had two of us on you at all times. How’d you slip the leash?”
Mark glanced mournfully down at his smoothie, resigning himself to the sacred tranquility of his Wednesday afternoon being officially dead. Rest in peace. Mark gave the straw a final nibble, for strength, and spoke. “Look, I’m sorry, but I thought that buddy-system thing was for the pack. I didn’t bother mapping out every moment of my week to make sure I had constant accompaniment, okay? I’m always alone at this time. It’s like… my me-time. My self-care. Isn’t self care, like, important?” Ryujin and Yeri stared him down, deadpan. Mark tried not to shrink back in his seat. “Okay, not self care fans. Noted,” he muttered, poking his straw viciously into his nearly-empty cup. Fighting a twist of his mouth, Mark struggled to think of a reply to Yeri’s question that wouldn’t make him sound abjectly pathetic. Despite his best efforts, something petulant crept into his voice. “And Yuta hasn’t said shit to me about eating lunch alone because Yuta hasn’t said anything to me, at all, for two weeks. So.”
Ryujin exhaled very heavily through her nose, and Yeri’s lips pursed in judgment. Mark sank deeper into the shitty plastic chair, cowed. “Alright, putting aside how dumb everything you just said is–”
“Hey,” Mark tried to interject, but it was weak. Ryujin blew right past it.
“I’m sorry Yuta’s being such a weirdo right now. I don’t know what’s up with that, but just give it some time. He’s a freak, but you’ll both adjust,” Ryujin waved her hand, as if the two weeks of silence between Yuta and Mark was no more than a pesky but easily dealt with fruit fly. Yeri took the chance to jump in.
“But just because you’re having a lover’s spat with the alpha doesn’t mean you’re above the rules.” She wagged a finger in Mark’s face, nearly poking him in the nose. Mark scrunched it violently on instinct, furrowing his eyebrows.
“What rules?”
“Oh my God,” Yeri sighed, flopping herself down across the table dramatically. “I know you’re not as dense as you look Mark, what the fuck. The buddy system, darling. You’re required to have someone with you when you’re walking around campus, in case the psycho alpha jumps out of the woods and attacks.”
“Buddy system?” Mark repeated, confusion only growing. They were back to that? “Yeri, what are you – We just covered this. I’m not doing the buddy system. That’s for pack. ”
“Yeah,” Yeri said, tone obvious. She clearly thought that made her argument. Mark blinked at her.
“Soo… yeah.” Mark rather felt like that made his.
Ryujin moved to the seat to Mark’s left. Mark’s back tensed, shoulders inching up. He felt oddly caged in, like he’d accidentally stumbled into a surprise intervention. “So, you’re pack. You need a buddy. Looks like you don’t have one for this time, and you never uploaded your schedule to the google calendar – get on that by the way, you’ve had, like, five days – so the pack couldn’t link you up with someone who has this time free to hang with you. Lucky that Yers and I found you. We’ll take this shift, from now on.”
“I’m…” Mark trailed off, licking his lips. His thumb dug into the edge of the table, taking in the imprint of the ridged laminate. Ryujin had said a lot, but Mark’s brain was stuck. “I’m pack?”
“Duh.” Yeri looked well and truly exasperated with Mark, now. A single eyebrow arched as she planted her chin on her palm. “Did you hit your head or something, Lee?”
Mark didn’t have a reply to that. He didn’t have anything to say at all. He shook his head numbly, hands clutching at the tops of his jeans, fingernails scrabbling into the denim. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. His shoulders came up to his ears, and he hunched over his laptop defensively. Yeri looked at him for a long moment, tilting her head to the side. Then, unexpectedly, she softened.
“Oh,” she sighed, gentle and low. Gone was the arched brow, the nails clacking an impatient beat on the table. Yeri practically melted, posture relaxing as she leaned forward. Her eyes had gone warm and wide, boring into Mark’s with disarming sincerity. “Mark, you are pack.”
“I’m–” Mark’s voice cracked horribly on the word. He cleared his throat, shaking his head aggressively. He felt a bit dizzy. “No, no, I’m – I’m just, you know. Me. Jeno’s friend. The annoying human, haha. But it’s like, nice of you to say that or whatever, for real. Um. Yeah.”
“Mark, do you really think we would lie to you to make you feel better or something?” Ryujin sounded legitimately aghast, although when Mark twisted to face her, she was also looking alarmingly affectionate. “Us?”
“I mean, okay, point. But still –”
“Jesus, what is going on with you and Yuta, seriously?” Yeri cut him off, face screwing up in disbelief. “How’d he screw it up this bad? Damn.”
“I know, right? Like, I’m almost impressed–”
“He didn’t screw it up,” Mark interrupted Ryujin, his voice tiny. He picked up a chunk of pages in his textbook, letting them rush past his thumb in a flutter. He kept picking at it, hating that he could never stop fidgeting, that he could never hide his nervous energy, that he was so easy to read when he couldn’t read other people worth a damn, apparently. “He didn’t do anything. I just…” Mark licked his lips again, ducking his head. He took a steadying breath. “Yuta didn’t do anything.”
And wasn’t that the problem, really. Yuta hadn’t done anything. And he wasn’t going to do anything. Not anything to do with Mark, at least. Mark wasn’t good enough to even be dealt with. He was just an annoyance. Not even enough of one to warrant a proper rejection.
No, Yuta didn’t do anything. And it was clear he didn’t want anything more to do with Mark. So that was that.
“Well,” Ryujin paused awkwardly, looking visibly uncomfortable, which just made Mark feel worse. She chewed her bottom lip and looked off to the side for a moment, before shaking her head and straightening her shoulders. “Well! You are pack, Mark.”
“Don’t know how you missed the memo,” Yeri rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against Mark’s affectionately. Mark winced. It would probably bruise. “You’re over the house twenty-four seven, babe. You’re invited to all our parties. You come to our pack meetings.”
“But that stuff was just me tagging along with Jeno,” Mark pointed out, shifting in his chair. He wished he hadn’t finished his smoothie so fast, so he would’ve had something to put in his mouth and stop his mouth running. Like a food gag. “I thought I was friends with you guys, but, you know. Not pack. Like, I’m a human.”
“You keep saying that,” Ryujin groaned, starting to sound exasperated. “But why? It’s not only werewolves who can be pack.”
“…Really?” The idea had never occurred to Mark before.
Yeri rolled her eyes, poking Mark’s bicep. “Yes, really. Jeez, what do you think Irene is? Chopped liver? She’s a druid, and she’s part of the pack.” Mark felt his mouth open in an ‘oh’, feeling rather stupid as realization began to dawn. “And her wife Seulgi is pack too, and she’s completely human!”
“Oh, yeah. You’re right. I mean, I just hadn’t really considered…”
“Hey Mark.”
The three of them jumped in their chairs, Mark startling so badly he fell halfway out of his seat and nearly collapsed to the floor. A small hand possessing surprising strength clamped around his bicep, pulling him back up. Mark looked up at one of the girls to thank them for the save, only to realize neither one had grabbed him.
Mark twisted his neck and saw Renjun standing behind him, still holding Mark up by the arm. Mark smiled at him weakly, settling back into his chair. Renjun’s grip loosened, but it took a long moment before he let go. “Hey man. Thanks for the save, haha.”
“Of course,” Renjun smiled down at Mark, voice as even and face as pretty as ever. “Are you having lunch?”
“Just finished, actually,” Mark told him, then looked uncertainly at Yeri and Ryujin. “And they, umm, well…”
Ryujin jumped in seamlessly with a save. “We were grabbing Subway, but we saw Mark sitting over here and had to say hi.”
“I’m Renjun, I’m Mark’s Experimental Orgo lab partner,” Renjun introduced himself, smiling politely at the girls. He had such nice little teeth, really. Jeno lucked out, having such a cute guy who actually liked him back. “Mind if I sit?”
“Oh my gosh, of course dude,” Mark gasped, pulling his empty smoothie cup into his body as if that would really help clear the table and give Renjun space. “Please!”
“Thanks,” Renjun sat down carefully, methodically unwrapping his own sandwich and arranging his napkin just-so. He looked curiously at Yeri and Ryujin. “How do you guys know Mark?”
“Oh, you know,” Yeri shifted uncomfortably. “Friends of friends.”
“Jeno brought him to a party, and we just had to snap him up,” Ryujin said smoothly. She grinned at Mark, shark-like. “He’s just too cute!”
Renjun chuckled softly. “He is.”
“Well, I’m starved. We’re gonna grab our food now.” Yeri stood up from the table, making significant eye contact with Mark. She jerked her chin towards a table closer to the door, one that had a direct view of Mark’s seat. He got the memo. They’d sit there and watch him until he left the student union, like stalker body guards. Mark nodded, eyes too wide, and finally the girls wandered off.
Mark felt bad about it, but he didn’t engage Renjun in conversation once the other boy sat down. Luckily, Renjun didn’t seem to mind that Mark was spaced out to another planet, and he got his own textbooks out and read as he ate. Mark’s mind was whirling with everything the girls had said. Pack. Huh. Well, it was a nice thought. But the thought of uploading his schedule to a google calendar, where Yuta could see it, made his skin crawl. Maybe Ryujin and Yeri considered Mark pack, but how weird and desperate would Mark look when he uploaded his schedule a week late? Wouldn’t it look like he was trying to get Yuta’s attention? Like, Hey, it’s me, Mark, here! That sophomore who has a massive, humiliating crush on you! Look at all the times I’m available for you to not speak to me!
Yeah, no. Mark was done looking pathetic in front of Yuta. He’d deal with this the same way he’d been dealing with it since Yuta had blown him off in front of everyone last week: Ignore it.
***
Mark tolerated the newly-imposed buddy system for 48 hours before he cracked. In his opinion, he had held out admirably.
“This buddy system is so fuckin’ stupid,” Mark grumbled, Doyoung faithfully keeping pace beside him. His lecture was in the same building as Mark’s and now he was walking Mark back to Mews, where they would wait until after lacrosse practice was done so that Mark could grab Jeno from Jaehyun and drive to drop Doyoung back at his apartment he shared with Shotaro and Yeeun. Only then would Mark and Jeno return home, traversing the dangers of the parking lot arm-in-arm so they could key in safely to the dorm. It was horrendously inconvenient; it’d been a pain in the ass yesterday after Yeri had tattled to Jeno, and it was only going to be more of the same.
Doyoung gave Mark a look of stern reproach. Mark withered slightly under its raw power. “Don’t be like that,” he admonished, pursing his lips. “It’s keeping us safe. That alpha has been threading closer and closer to campus. Sicheng and Yuta found his scent only a half mile behind the house, too. He’s clearly aware that there’s a pack here, and we don’t know what he’s after. Snatching us alone would be much easier. We wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t necessary.”
Mark ground to a halt. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice distant to his own ears. “What happened?”
Doyoung realized Mark had stopped, and turned around to give him a puzzled look. “The alpha is circling in on us.”
“And why did nobody tell me this?” Mark’s voice began to raise, threading into hysterical. Doyoung looked alarmed.
“Nobody told you?” He repeated in abject disbelief. “But… do you not check the group chat?”
“I’m not in the fucking group chat!” Mark hissed, throwing his arms out wildly. “I’m so fucking sick of hearing about the fucking group chat! I’m so fucking sick of being left out of the loop!” Doyoung just stared at him, eyes wide. Mark fumed, nearly stamping his foot. “We’re going to the house right now.”
“But–” Doyoung protested weakly, shaken in the face of Mark’s anger. “The plan was–”
“Fuck the plan,” Mark hissed. “We are going to the house. Now.”
***
Mark stormed into the house like an avenging angel on a mission. Doyoung disappeared into the basement the moment they entered, but Mark hardly noticed. He stomped into the living room.
“Yuta!” he called, crossing his arms. “Get in here right now!”
“What?” Yuta stepped out of the hallway to the kitchen, looking supremely unsurprised to see a raging Mark standing in front of him. “Are you alright?”
“I don’t know, am I?”
Yuta raised his eyebrows. “…Yes?”
Mark huffed. He was letting himself get distracted. Yuta was finally speaking to him (monosyllabically, but Mark would take it) and not fleeing the room. He had to focus in.
“Can you stop avoiding me? Because it’s causing a lot of problems.” Maybe it was too blunt, but Mark was a blunt person. And clearly tiptoeing around the issue and giving Yuta space wasn’t helping anything. It was time for the direct approach.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Yuta wasn’t even looking at him.
“Cut the bullshit,” Mark snapped, more and more irritated. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. You’ve been leaving me on read. You manage to disappear every time I come to the house. You blew me off after the pack meeting! You know you’re ignoring me. At least own up to it, Yuta.”
“Okay, fine.” Yuta whirled around on Mark. For the first time in weeks, his eyes met Mark’s. He’d forgotten how intense they were. Yuta’s gaze was enough to pin him in place. “I’ve been ignoring you. Happy?”
“No!” cried Mark, wanting to rip his hair out. “Why the fuck would I be happy?”
Yuta stood stoic; silent. Mark had never met anyone so good at masking their emotions. Mark had forgotten how infuriating he was.
“Seriously, did I do something wrong? Did I…” Mark trailed off, swallowing against a lump in his throat. Yuta’s eyes shuttered further.
“No,” he mumbled. At least there was that.
“Then why.”
“I needed some space.” Yuta looked oddly shifty. Mark was pretty sure he wasn’t making eye contact anymore – staring at a point on Mark’s forehead instead. Jesus Christ. They’d been friends for months. Would it kill Yuta to give Mark an ounce of honesty? “I’m sure you had other people to keep you entertained.”
What the hell did that even mean? Mark was too frazzled to parse it. He was on his last nerve, feeling like a live wire emitting sparks.
“You know what?” Mark’s nostrils flared. He clenched his fists, then carefully relaxed them. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’ve been doing this buddy system for a week, and nobody will tell me what the hell is going on. Apparently the alpha is stalking us now? Have you made any progress on tracking them?”
“Maybe, and no,” Yuta said shortly. Mark huffed, frustrated.
“Come on man. I know I made things awkward or whatever, but can we please be adults about this? Like, I’m sorry for having a crush on you. I promise I’ll get over it, but you have to keep me in the loop on these things. I had no idea I was supposed to have a buddy until Yeri and Ryujin told me, or about the Google calendar shit. You won’t even put me in the group chat, which apparently everyone thinks I’m in!”
By the end of Mark’s speech, it was clear that Yuta had stopped listening. His face had gone white.
“What the fuck?” His voice was flat, brusque. His eyes bored into Mark’s, brows lowering. “You have a crush on me?”
Mark huffed out a breath, anger beginning to overtake his annoyance. God, why was Yuta being such a dick about this? Surely other people had confessed to him before, other friends even. Was he always this mean about it?
“Why are you making me say it again?” Mark glared at Yuta, but the other man offered no response. Mark huffed, righteous fury overtaking him, making his tongue sharp. “Fine, if that’s what you want. I have a crush on you, Yuta.” Mark’s mouth twisted, the words leaving a bitter taste behind. “There. Was it funnier hearing it the second time around?”
“I just…” For the first time since Mark had met him, Yuta was at a loss for words. He stood there speechless, mouth agape (unfortunately, even that could not make him unattractive), staring at Mark. Something about his posture seemed… lost, almost. Mark shifted uncomfortably, thumb fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. It felt wrong, like there was some off energy in the air. It wasn’t right for an alpha to look so uncertain, so confused, so unmoored.
It wasn’t right for Yuta to look that way. Yuta was brash confidence, and winking innuendo, and shameless about living his truth, and honest but so, so kind about it. Mark didn’t like seeing Yuta like this, and he didn’t like that he had sparked it.
“I didn’t know, Mark.”
The words took a moment to process through Mark’s brain, neurons going overtime. “What do you mean?”
“I mean I didn’t know you liked me.” Yuta’s face was starting to regain some color, no longer quite so ashen. Two spots of color were appearing high on his cheeks.
“How? Dude, I climbed all over you at that party talking about how I had a crush on someone.” Mark cringed just remembering it. Truly, he had used the flirting tactics of a middle-schooler. Fucking humiliating. “I literally described you as my ideal type. I kissed your ear. I was as subtle as a thirteen-year-old, Jesus.”
Yuta wasn’t laughing though. “I thought…” He trailed off, fingers twitching uselessly at his sides. Mark had never seen him look so lost. “I thought you had a crush on Johnny. Or Jaehyun. Or both of them. That’s what — that’s what you said.”
“That — No, I didn’t, I —” Mark swallowed, wetting his lips as his mind raced. Fuck, what had he said, exactly? It was all kind of a blur. The things that held strongest in his memory were the feeling of Yuta’s earlobe on his lips, the steady and slow beat of his heart beneath Mark’s cheek, his unnatural warmth suffusing into Mark so comfortably he could have melted. “I didn’t say that. Because I don’t. Like, I know I was drunk, but I wouldn’t have suddenly lied.”
“But — you… All that stuff, about how you like guys with muscles, and microcrushes and falling in love with Johnny in two days…”
Mark’s heart stopped. His stomach dropped like he was plummeting down a very steep hill on a rollercoaster. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
“I believe you,” Yuta’s voice was gentle. Mark felt his skin getting clammy, anxious sweat beginning to coat him in a disgusting film. “But that’s what I thought you meant. I wasn’t avoiding you because you confessed feelings for me, Mark. I wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh.”
Mark felt monumentally stupid. He’d felt like a loser for weeks — but somehow, he had managed to dig the hole deeper and make an even bigger idiot of himself. Typical.
“I’m sorry,” Yuta continued, as if he had something to even apologize for. And he did look genuinely sorry too, was the thing. It made Mark want to die; melt through the ground and never be seen again.
“What for?” Mark’s voice was strangled. His face felt hot, and it took everything in him to plant his feet in place and continue looking Yuta in the eye, despite every instinct that told him to turn tail and run. “You haven’t done anything… I mean, I’m the one who — who…” Mark’s throat closed up, and he swallowed down the end of a sentence that was never going to be spoken. Mark couldn’t bear it any longer. He couldn’t stand here in front of Yuta for another second.
“I’m sorry.” The words fell out of him in a rush, tumbling one over the other. “I should — I should go.”
“Mark…”
“Sorry again,” he blurted, and he turned on his heel, booking it out of the living room. Mark clipped his thigh on the coffee table, but it didn’t slow him down. Blood was pounding in his skull, a panicked rush that reverberated in his head, telling him get out, get out, get out. Yuta’s voice trailed after him, blowing down the hallway and nipping at his heels.
“Mark!”
But for all Yuta’s super speed, he didn’t catch Mark. Which meant he didn’t even bother to try.
A small part of Mark wanted to stop at the threshold. Somewhere deep in his chest, a tiny piece of Mark was begging him not to leave, to be brave and turn around and face Yuta and stay.
But it was only a small part. He fumbled the doorknob open and escaped into the bright spring afternoon.
Mark was running away.
Just like he always did.
***
Avoiding Yuta was difficult. Avoiding him while trying to hang out with the pack was nearly impossible. Mark was beginning to appreciate what a task Yuta had accomplished the past couple weeks.
He took refuge in Donghyuck. He hadn’t seen much of his indirect roommates the entirety of the semester, and with Donghyuck absence always made the heart grow fonder.
It also helped that when it really came down to it, Donghyuck was an excellent study partner. Mark had never met someone so obsessively driven – who could then flip a switch during his regularly-scheduled study breaks and become a maniac burning off all his excess energy before settling right back down to the books. Mark tended to lose himself in a haze of academia and emerge four hours later, finding he’d typed utter nonsense for the last hour of it and barely remembered what he’d been doing. Donghyuck kept him on track.
Missing out on all the new friends he made kinda sucked, but Mark had never been so well-prepared for finals in his life. One of his final papers was already done, and sent to the Writing Center for revision. Yeah, Mark was using the goddamn Writing Center this semester. If he didn’t get a 4.0 he was going to jump off the roof of Mann. God knew he’d been spending enough time there lately.
There was only one problem with using Donghyuck’s company to avoid Yuta’s: apparently, when Mark wasn’t looking, he’d gone and become best friends with Yeri.
And Yeri was ruthless.
She and Ryujin were still relentless about making sure Mark followed the buddy system, although even they’d loosened the reins a tad. He was allowed to drive places alone now, as long as he was going directly into a building after. Such luxury.
Mark and Donghyuck had picked up scones and coffee at Manndibles when they were ambushed by Yeri. Or, well, Mark was ambushed at least. Donghyuck had clearly invited her. Dang, in hindsight, that second coffee Donghyuck ordered had been significant.
“Hi honey!” She squeezed Donghyuck in a side hug and took the iced coffee from him gratefully, swishing around the cubes against the cup. She pinched a piece off his scone and shoved it in her mouth, hip-checking him fondly. Mark resisted the urge to snort. Donghyuck had a lot of nerve making fun of Mark’s face when he was staring at someone he liked, because his was just as pathetic.
“Hey,” he breathed. Mark rolled his eyes, taking a loud sip of coffee. He nodded at Yeri when she looked over.
“Whassup.”
“Not much.” She fell into step beside Mark, letting Donghyuck lead them back up the stairs to the study room. It wasn’t as big as the one Yuta had booked during midterms. Mark wondered whether Yuta was booking one for finals now. He forced himself to stop wondering about it. Not his concern. “Hey, have you spoken to Yuta lately?”
Mark sent Yeri a fierce glare out of the corner of his eyes. She knew damn well he had not. “No,” he responded shortly. Yeri made a humming noise under her breath. It sounded oddly anxious.
“Well, not to get all in your business, but I really think you should.”
“I did,” Mark hissed, glancing at Donghyuck to make sure he was still oblivious to the conversation. “It did not go well.”
“I heard,” Yeri said, which was terrifying.
“What–”
Yeri cut him off before he could ask who exactly was talking shit. “But I really think you should give Yuta a chance to hear him out.”
“It’s all fine,” Mark whispered, readjusting his backpack on his shoulders. “We heard each other just fine.”
“No, because I really think–”
Luckily for Mark, they’d reached the study room. Yeri fell silent as they headed inside, placing their food carefully around textbooks and laptops. Mark began to pick at his scone. Donghyuck was insistent that Yeri sit beside him, and Mak retreated to the far side of the table. He felt her sending him significant glances, but stubbornly ignored them. He had an Experimental Orgo exam to study for.
***
His first mistake: getting coffee.
The thing about drinking coffee was that it went straight to Mark’s bladder. He didn’t understand how everyone else was so nonchalant about it. After an hour, he needed to pee so bad.
“Bathroom,” he said shortly, pushing back from the table. Donghyuck hummed in acknowledgment, eyes not leaving the sheet music he was studying intently. Yeri looked up, worried eyes meeting Mark’s. He shook his head sharply and speed-walked out before she could decide he needed an escort to the bathroom.
That was his second mistake.
His third mistake had actually been made hours ago, when he let Donghyuck book a room in Mann instead of insisting on going to Uris or Olin library. Because Mark knew this was where the pack studied, because it was the closest to the fields.
“Oh.”
Mark stopped dead in his tracks. Yuta was standing in the middle of the hallway, holding two trays of coffees. Mark bit back the ‘hi’ that had instinctively risen to his lips. His heart began to race, nervous sweat instantly beading on his scalp.
Yuta’s gaze flicked up for a moment. He didn’t meet Mark’s eyes. He looked past him, over his shoulder. Mark surreptitiously checked behind him. Nothing there. He looked back. Yuta was still staring blankly, frozen in space, one elbow stuck out to open the door handle to the study room he had clearly booked.
Mark lowered his head and kept walking. Yuta didn’t stop him.
***
Sometime in the past week, Mark had been added to the pack groupchat. He didn’t know why whoever the admin was had even bothered. Mark couldn’t bear to read any of the texts that were piling up, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to put the chat on do not disturb. He had over a hundred unread messages now, the red notif mocking him every time he unlocked his phone.
It was getting dark on a Friday evening when both Mark and Jeno’s phones vibrated at the exact same time. Yuta had sent a message in ‘raccoon posse 🦝’. Mark bit the inside of his cheek, fighting back the pang that strung in his chest every time Yuta’s name appeared on his phone recently – never actually for him. Mark went to swipe the notification away, but Jeno’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Mark.” His voice was oddly serious. “Read this.”
yuta~ 💖 : Get to the house NOW.
Mark stared down at it in disbelief. Not two seconds later, their phones went off in sync again. This time, it was a separate group message; just Jeno, Mark and Irene. Her text wasn’t any more reassuring.
Irene: Come to the house immediately. Someone will pick you up if Mark’s car is not working.
Mark looked up from the screen, locking eyes with Jeno. He could see his own worried reflection in Jeno’s eyes.
“What do you think’s going on?”
“I don’t know, Jen.” Mark swallowed, gnawing at his lip. “But I think we better go over.”
“Are you sure? I know you haven’t been since…Well, not for a few weeks.”
Mark inhaled deeply. He looked at the text from Irene.
mark lee: on our way.
***
Mark came to a halt on the walk, stopping just before the porch steps. He stared at the red door in trepidation. Was it really only a few weeks ago that the sight had been friendly, inviting? It just filled Mark with dread now.
Jeno stepped ahead of him, pulling a key ring out of his pocket. Mark had never gotten a set of keys. He knew where the spare was – in the second planter to the left on the south end of the porch – but no one had ever bothered to copy a key for him. A gentle clearing of a throat jerked Mark from his reverie. He looked sheepishly to where Jeno was waiting, door cracked open. Mark hopped up the steps and followed his best friend through. At least Jeno was at his side.
The house was suspiciously quiet. It sent a prickle down Mark’s spine, his eyes darting around the hall nervously as he exchanged his shoes for slippers. Seven college students lived here. It was never quiet. Mark trailed after Jeno towards the living room, dreading what they might find there.
It wasn’t quite what Mark expected. The entire pack was crammed into the room, each body looking more tense than the next, but the real surprise was the stranger at the center of it all. A woman with a friendly, round face was sitting in the center of the sofa, thighs brushing against Irene’s. Mark had never seen her before, and going by the look on Jeno’s face, neither had he.
Irene, at least, seemed to notice Jeno and Mark’s confusion. “This is my wife, Seulgi,” she explained, lacing her fingers through Seulgi’s. “She’s an ER nurse at Cayuga Medical.”
“Nice to meet you–” Mark’s introduction was cut off by Yuta. The alpha was actually pacing back and forth in front of the giant fireplace, and apparently had no patience for manners.
“Seulgi, tell them what you told me.” After a moment, Yuta seemed to realize how commanding his tone had been. Everyone in the pack had snapped to attention. Even Mark found himself sitting up straighter, but he didn’t know why. Yuta stopped pacing, turning to face everyone in the room, and took a long inhale. “Please. Share what happened.”
The woman squeezed Irene’s fingers, moving their joined hands to rest in her lap. Her round face was solemn. “This afternoon, a girl was brought into the ER by park rangers. Her roommates called when she wasn’t home hours after she’d said she would be, and her Find My Friends was stuck in the middle of the woods.” Mark’s heart sank. Jennie went extremely pale, and Yeri looked like she might be sick. He felt Jeno’s hand bump against his side, and clasped at his fingers like a lifeline. Seulgi’s eyes widened. “She’s fine! She’s going to be fine, at least. We got her stable.”
The room let out a collective exhale. Seulgi looked slightly sheepish. “Sorry.”
“No, it is extremely serious.” Yuta was the only one who hadn’t relaxed at all. His mouth cut a harsh line across his face. “Go on.”
“The rangers said it looked like she’d been the victim of an animal attack, and that’s what we logged it as. Only problem was, they had no idea which animal. Her right arm and abdomen had been clawed up pretty badly, but the scratches were too large to be a coyote or fox. Pretty small for a bear, and besides, bears almost never attack humans.” Seulgi looked up from the couch, staring Yuta dead in the eye. “But I know what a werewolf attack looks like.”
“You said they weren’t very deep.”
“Not deep enough to turn her, no.” Seulgi shook her head. She looked at Jeno thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to Yuta. “Well, I don’t think so. From what I’ve heard, a scratch would need to be incredibly deep to trigger a transformation. Obviously I’ll be keeping an eye on her. I can’t tell you her identity, but I’ll let you know if anything changes.” She hesitated for a long moment, then looked at Jeno. “You were actually bit, right? It wasn’t only claws?”
Jeno’s eyes shuttered. Mark squeezed his hand tighter. “Yeah. Yeah, I was definitely bit.” His left hand drifted up, almost unconsciously. It brushed over a spot on his left shoulder. “Here.”
“Okay.” Seulgi seemed to relax slightly with the confirmation. “A bite is far more likely to cause a werewolf transformation. There are only a few documented cases with a turn being triggered with claws, but it’s worth taking into consideration.”
“Did everyone else believe it was a wild animal attack? No suspicions?” Doyoung asked, rubbing his hand over his mouth. He was hunched over in an armchair, practically curled on top of Shotaro sitting on the floor.
“Well, black bears are just starting to come out of their winter dens,” Seulgi said doubtfully. “And the cubs will be properly out with their mothers for the first time since they were born. The moms can get pretty aggressive if they think a human is getting near their cubs, so they’re assuming that’s what happened. One of the other nurses brought up badgers or bobcats, but the rangers said they basically never attack humans.” Seulgi sighed. “But black bears hardly ever attack either.”
“They really have no other choice but to believe it was a wild animal,” Irene added. “What else could it be? Werewolves? It would never even cross their minds.” The dry humor that usually would’ve colored the words was gone, leaving only grim truth.
“They’re putting out an alert on bears now. They think this one was either an aggravated mom, or one that’s gone crazy. Maybe gotten too comfortable with humans to run away from them, you know how many go through trash cans around here.” Seulgi slumped into her wife, head tipping onto her shoulder. She looked utterly exhausted.
“Do we know for sure it wasn’t a bear?” Shotaro proposed cautiously. He looked up at Yuta hopefully. “Maybe it was a freak bear attack.”
Sicheng sat up straighter. “I can go out and check. If the attack left blood, the scent should still be on the ground. It’s only been a few hours, and no rain.”
“No. Stay where you are.”
Yuta’s voice cut through the room, making everyone freeze. It was bizarre. Mark felt his muscles lock in place. He looked towards the fireplace, fear prickling the back of his neck. Yuta’s eyes were glowing red.
“Nobody is going anywhere until this alpha is caught. Unless I tell you otherwise, you are staying in this house.” Yuta looked at every person in the room in turn. Red eyes met Mark’s; inhuman eyes. A shudder wracked down Mark’s spine. Slowly, the red began to drain from Yuta’s irises, until only the usual deep brown remained. He continued staring at Mark for another long moment. Mark blinked, and Yuta’s gaze flicked back to Sicheng. “I will take out a small force to survey the woods. This alpha won’t be caught without a fight. I can only take people who are strongest in combat.”
Sicheng made a frustrated sound. “Yuta, you can’t–”
Yuta cut him off, but his tone had gentled. “You’ve been a great help, Sicheng. I value all the work you’ve done to protect us. But this isn’t the time for you to come out. Like you said, the amount of blood will make tracking easier. I know you’re the best, but all our noses are pretty good.”
Sicheng’s mouth worked, but after a tense moment, he nodded, submitting to his alpha’s will. “Fine.” He sat for a moment, clearly turning something over in his head. Narrowing his eyes, he turned to Jeno. “Weren’t you in Fall Creek gorge when you got attacked?” He directed the question at Jeno, but it was Mark who answered.
“Yeah, just before the north end of the bridge.” Mark’s voice came out shaky. This time, Jeno squeezed his hand. The pressure was enough to grind Mark’s bones, but it grounded him.
Yuta looked sharply at Seulgi. “Did she say where’d she’d been hiking?”
Her eyes creased with worry, looking out of place on her friendly face. “They found her half a mile from the Cayuga Trail head.”
He cursed under his breath. Mark had never heard him sound so furious. “They must have moved from North Fall Creek into Monkey Run.”
“Less traffic here. Less humans around to bother them.”
“So are they trying to avoid humans, or attack them?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Yuta’s voice cut through all the chatter in the room. “They must be stopped. This has gone on too long.” He leveled Jeno with a sorrowful look, apologetic. It looked out of place on his features. “I should have made it priority weeks ago. And now someone else has gotten hurt.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that, Yuta,” Irene said softly. Yuta appeared to have not heard her.
“Johnny, Jennie, Ryujin, you’re with me,” Yuta said shortly. He hesitated for a second. “And Jaehyun. Get changed, we’re heading out in five.” They silently rose from their scattered positions around the room, taking off in a blur to gear up. Mark wasn’t sure what that looked like, exactly, but it probably wasn’t the Vetements hoodie Johnny had on or the cashmere cardigan warming Jennie’s shoulders.
“Yuta–” Yeri’s voice was frustrated, but even she fell silent with a shake of Yuta’s head.
“Stay here,” he repeated, scanning the room once more. He locked eyes with Irene. “We’ll be back in three hours. If the patrol doesn’t find anything by then, we’ll continue in the morning.”
Irene’s response was measured. “And if you find the alpha?”
Yuta stared at her, eyes fathomless. She met his gaze fiercely, not backing down. It was Yuta who broke the stand-off. “I’ll call you to help contain him.”
Irene nodded; and with that, Yuta slipped away.
There was a few minutes of muffled shuffling from the second floor of the house. When the five came back down, they were all in black athletic gear, wearing hiking boots. Yuta looked over his pack one more time, and then they disappeared out the back doors into the dark of the night. There was a long silence. No one left behind seemed to know what to say. Irritated expressions mixed with fear and anxiety. Mark couldn’t smell pheromones, but he was sure the room absolutely reeked of bad vibes.
“Well.” Seulgi was the first to speak. Mark jumped slightly. Jeno squeezed his hand again. “I guess I’ll make dinner.”
“Thanks, Seul,” Yeri said dejectedly. Seulgi pursed her lips and stroked over the younger girl’s hair, before heaving herself off the couch. Irene looked at her wife in concern.
“Honey, you’ve been on your feet all day…”
“I’ll help,” Mark volunteered. Every pack member who’d ever seen him in the kitchen simultaneously snorted. Mark pouted, eyes brimming with betrayal as he scowled at all of them. “Hey. I can stand there and chop things.”
“Debatable,” Jeno muttered. Mark slapped his arm.
Seulgi ignored everyone’s reactions, granting him a warm smile. “I would love your help, Mark.”
Mark gave Jeno’s hand a final squeeze before detaching himself, scurrying after Seulgi into the kitchen on shaky legs. He’d stood with his knees locked for too long.
Mark chopped the cucumbers mechanically, only tuning in enough to ensure he didn’t slice off a finger. Despite his eager volunteering, there was no love lost between Mark and cooking. He’d really just wanted to speak with Seulgi. As soon as he’d heard Irene say her name, he’d remembered – this was the human pack member Yeri had mentioned, that day she and Ryujin had accosted Mark in the dining hall. He’d moved onto tomatoes by the time he gathered up the courage to speak.
“If you don’t mind me asking… how’d you get involved in all this?” Seulgi hummed, raising her eyebrows as she began turning the chicken in the pan. Mark made a gesture with his head that he hoped conveyed ‘freaky-deaky werewolves and shit’. “You know. The supernatural. Did you always know? Was it in your family, or like. Was it a surprise?”
Seulgi flipped the last piece of chicken and set the tongs down, turning to face Mark. He flushed, tucking his face down to focus on the tomatoes. She didn’t seem to mind, a soft smile settling on her mouth. She had the kind of face that was made to smile, Mark thought.
“No, there’s nothing supernatural about my family. I suppose I was always a bit more…aware, growing up. Attuned to certain things.” Mark had no idea what that meant. His befuddlement must have been clear on his face, because Seulgi giggled. “Ah, it’s hard to explain. But I think that part of why Irene and I were so drawn to each other. To answer your question though, no, it wasn’t a surprise to learn that my girlfriend was a druid, and that she was close with a pack of werewolves. Irene eased me into the knowledge slowly.” A small hand came to settle on Mark’s shoulder. He stopped slicing the tomato he’d been battling with, swallowing as the corners of his eyes prickled. “I know you didn’t have the luxury of time. I’m sorry.”
“S’okay,” Mark muttered, throat burning. He wished he were cutting onions right now. “Not your fault. Obviously.”
“I’m still sorry.” Seulgi looked at him carefully, then turned back to the stove. She began removing pieces of chicken from the pan, placing them on a paper-towel covered plate to drain. “You and Jeno have handled this all remarkably well, from what I’ve heard. Irene speaks very highly of both of you.“
“Yo, really?” The revelation came as a genuine shock to Mark, who never thought Irene had held much of an opinion about him either way. He cleared his throat, scraping the tomatoes off the cutting board and into the salad bowl. “Wow, that’s…that’s nice of her.”
Seulgi bumped her shoulder into Mark’s bicep. “From what I saw tonight, it seems true. You have a level head, Mark Lee, and a good heart. Now, would you mind putting that bowl on the table? Do you know where the serving tongs are?”
The pan-fried chicken Seulgi had thrown together quickly was good, especially when Mark put kimchi on it. His salad wasn’t half-bad either, he’d like to think.
“This is nice,” Doyoung, ever polite, smiled tensely at Seulgi and Mark. “Thank you for making dinner.”
“Of course.”
“What’s your method for the chicken? It’s so crisp.”
Doyoung and Seulgi valiantly led the table in excruciating small talk. Mark tried his best to contribute. After a few exceedingly dry comments, he retreated into grunting ‘yeah’ s and ‘ uh-huh’ s. Jeno bumped his knee worriedly against Mark’s under the kitchen table, but Mark didn’t have the energy to give him anything reassuring back. Despite how good Seulgi’s cooking was, Mark couldn’t bring himself to finish his plate. He pushed it over in front of Jeno instead, stomach roiling as he thought about where Yuta might be right now, what he might be doing at this exact moment. Who he might be facing.
For the rest of the meal, Mark found himself glancing out the kitchen window. Staring at the tree line, waiting. He wasn’t the only one. Yeri didn’t even pretend to be paying attention to the conversation, gaze fixed firmly on the preserve. Despite the act of normalcy they had all shrugged on, tension vibrated in the air. Every person in the room knew it was only the calm before the storm – and they were just waiting for it to arrive.
***
By the time the group returned, it was past dawn. Those left behind had all tried to keep watch for them, but one by one had dropped off to sleep. Some sort of commotion at the front door, the werewolves beginning to blink themselves awake. Mark stayed just under the verge of consciousness, unwilling to be shook out of sleep’s grasp quite yet. It was the soft, shicking glide of a glass door sliding open that finally jolted him awake. He blinked hard, trying to clear his muzzy eyes. The back door, that was the back door. Everyone around him had sat up, rubbing their eyes and yawning while they looked to the returning group expectantly.
Yuta was stone-faced. Meeting Irene’s eyes, he shook his head grimly.
“Is everyone accounted for?” he asked urgently. Mark glanced around, finding other confused faces. They nodded uncertainly. Yuta’s shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. “Did anyone hear anything?”
“Hear what?” Doyoung asked, trying to hide a yawn behind his hand. “I heard you at the front door just now.”
Yuta looked at all of them, deadly serious. “We’ve been left a warning.”
***
Mark stumbled out onto the deck behind everyone else, nearly crashing into Yeeun’s back as the pack came to a dead halt. They had all gone tense, muscles locked and ready to explode in deadly anger. They were all looking at something. Mark squeezed through gaps and ducked under arms to push to the front.
It was a plant. Everyone was glaring at a plant. A mere cutting of purple flowers.
“What’s going on?” Mark had enough tact not to voice his first thought, for once. “What is that?”
“Wolfsbane,” Johnny growled, fangs coming out in a snarl. Mark reflexively took a step back. This was not the friendly, genial man he knew. Johnny was transformed in his anger.
“And that’s…bad,” Mark said, already sure of the answer. The name was rather telling.
“Yes,” Irene spoke measuredly. She seemed the only person to have a fraction of calm in their body, although worry lines around her mouth had appeared. “Wolfsbane, or aconite, is very poisonous to werewolves. It’s one of the only things that can kill them quickly. It prevents healing.”
“Well, let’s get rid of it!” Mark looked around, uncertain as to why nobody had done this yet.
“We can’t,” Yuta ground out, jaw locked. Mark tilted his head.
“Um.” What an odd statement. The wolfsbane cutting was just lying there in a circle of some dust. Easy enough to grab it. Unless… “Oh, is it poisonous to the touch for you guys? I’ll grab it, then.” With that, Mark leaned forward and plucked it off the deck. “Where do you want me to put this?”
Everyone was staring at him, looking slightly gobsmacked. Only Jeno looked normal, smiling slightly at Mark and shooting him a thumbs-up over Jennie’s head.
Irene sighed, something almost amused pulling at her lips. “Give it to me. I can find some use for it.” Mark handed it off to their emissary, and she tucked it away in a very nice satchel. She must have noticed that Mark still seemed a little thrown-off by everyone’s reactions. “It’s not a good idea for werewolves to even touch aconite, no, but they couldn’t have even if they wanted to. This cutting was in a ring of mountain ash.”
“A ring of what now?”
“Mountain ash,” Irene repeated, nudging at the dust with the toe of her slipper. Now that Mark focused on it, he realized the dust was laid in a perfect circle. She broke it open with her foot. “It serves as a barrier. Werewolves, and most other supernatural beings, can’t get past it.”
“Why not?”
Mark’s curiosity was ignored. Yuta had another grim pronouncement. “Come to the front. There’s more.”
The wolves took off like a flash, circling around the house. Mark had not put on any outdoor footwear, and decided cutting through the house would be faster and save his feet from the morning dew besides. Irene and Seulgi seemed to share the sentiment, and trailed after him. When he got to the entryway, the door remained closed. He could hear voices behind it.
Mark pulled open the door to find the grim faces of a dozen werewolves staring back at him. He yet again felt like he was missing something very obvious. “Okay, what’s going on here?”
“We can’t get in,” Ryujin gritted out. “Look.” She pointed at the threshold. There was that black dust again, laid in a precise line across the front of the door.
Remembering what Irene had done with the circle on the deck, Mark edged his foot forward, pushing a gap through the line. Oddly, the black ash didn’t stick to his sock at all. Irene stepped to his side, pushing Mark back slightly. She pulled an unmarked canister out of her satchel, and did something weird with her hands. Mark watched, mouth agape, as the dust lifted from the ground and gathered in the air, twisting like a snake. Irene closed her fist. The ash fell neatly into the canister. All of the wolves visibly relaxed. What the hell was in that dust, Mark wondered, that they couldn’t even step over it? He hadn’t noticed anything visibly magical about it. No force field had popped up. It just seemed like, well – ash.
“Should we get inside?” Shotaro asked, eyes anxiously darting around the yard and road. “What if they’re still here?”
“It’s not an ambush. We’d know by now if it were,” Yuta replied grimly as he stepped over the now-broken line of ash. “But you’re right, Taro, we should get inside regardless.” The rest of the pack followed, until they were all huddled in the entryway. Johnny shut the door behind him, the soft thud seeming to echo through the house.
“What does all this mean?” Mark asked, voice too-loud in the silence that had consumed them.
Yuta was stone-faced. Something shuttered behind his eyes, closing off all the warmth from them. “Hunters.”
“Werewolf hunters?”
Yuta’s jaw was locked. Irene answered when it became clear he wasn’t going to speak. “Yes. And good ones, too, if they were stealthy enough not to wake anyone up.”
“They’ve likely been stalking us for weeks,” Jaehyun added, eyes flinty. “And we didn’t notice.”
A pit settled in Mark’s stomach. All this time, he and everyone else had been focused on finding the threat in the woods. They hadn’t even realized they were being watched themselves.
“What are they going to do?” Jeno asked, voice shaking with what Mark knew was fear.
“It was a warning.” Yuta did not sound happy about it. Something shifted in his face, twisting his mouth. “If they wanted to hurt us, they would’ve waited until we were all inside and closed the whole house in mountain ash. Trapped us. They wanted us to know they’re here, and they’re watching.”
The nebulous word hunters was calling up the worst kinds of images to Mark’s mind. Shadowy figures, luring around the corners of every wall, sharp knives glinting as they lunged at the pack. Mark shuddered, mouth going dry.
“We might be able to identify them, though,” Jennie finally spoke, her voice hoarse but unwavering. “I saw a car taking off down the road just as we rounded the house, before we woke you all. A black Mazda. I didn’t get the full plates, but they were New York and started with 323.”
Seulgi stepped forward, tucking her arm through Jennie’s. “That’s good, Nini. I know someone who can run the plates–”
Far from being reassuring, the words made the pit in Mark’s stomach heavier. He felt like he might be sick. He knew – But it couldn’t be – Still, though, it was too much of a coincidence to be ignored…
Mark waited for Jeno to speak up, but his friend remained silent. His face had gone distant. Mark swallowed.
“You don’t need to run the plates.” Mark’s voice sounded fuzzy in his own ears, like he was listening to this conversation from underwater. “I know that car. It’s Renjun’s. Jeno’s boyfriend.”
The pack looked at him, heads turning as one. Their expressions were blank, wiped clean by shock. Until Johnny blinked, eyebrows raising high on his forehead. He bit out a curse, encapsulating the crux of the issue succinctly. “Well, shit.”
Yeah, Mark thought hysterically, fighting down the desperate laugh bubbling in his chest. He looked at each face, faces that were always so kind to him; watching as they sank into a solemn anger, jaws tightening and eyes hardening. That about summed it up.
***
It all devolved from there. The pack exploded into an overlapping mess of speculation, accusation, and panic.
“Renjun must be a hunter,” Doyoung was saying. “That’s the only explanation.”
“What did you say his last name was again?” Sicheng asked. Mark hadn’t, but it felt useless to point that out. He felt helpless, buffeted in a dozen directions by all the different voices, by the warring loyalties within him. Renjun was his friend; Renjun had threatened the pack. Renjun was coming for them.
“Huang.” It wasn’t Mark who answered, but Jeno. His voice was quiet, laced with something Mark couldn’t place. It didn’t matter that he’d spoken in a whisper. Everyone heard him. It set off a new round of speculation.
“Is that an established hunting family? Or is it some kid gone rogue?” Yeeun’s brow furrowed. “If it’s just the one, that we can handle.”
“I mean, if it were the Zhongs or something, it’d be obvious, but I’ve never heard the name Huang before. I guess that doesn’t mean they aren’t a new family of hunters–” Johnny muttered to Yuta, who nodded seriously. Yuta was still regarding Jeno with a hard stare, eyes narrowed. It wasn’t malicious; more like Yuta was so lost in his head he’d forgotten Jeno was even there, in the path of his glare. Or maybe like he was just trying really hard not to look at Mark.
Something Johnny said finally registered in Mark’s mind. Never heard the name… Name… Zhongs…
“Wait,” Mark interjected, before the thought had finished percolating in his mind. Suddenly, the intent gazes of 12 fully-grown werewolves locked on him. Mark gulped, eyes darting between them. Now that he had all eyes on him, what he wanted to say sounded incredibly stupid. Nothing to do about it but push ahead, though. “U-Um, well, what Johnny said about names… uh, it just reminded me of something. Renjun said his mom’s maiden name is Zhong.”
“Zhong?” Johnny’s eyebrows flew up, mouth open like he was about to say something else. Yuta silenced him with the raise of his hand. He silenced the entire room. It went eerily quiet; everyone’s focus split between their alpha and Mark.
“Mark,” he said seriously. And then, for the first time in weeks, Yuta looked Mark in the eye. Mark’s heart twisted in his chest, but he set his jaw and met Yuta’s gaze head-on. The alpha was more intense than Mark had ever seen him – which was truly saying something. “Mark, are you sure.”
Jeno shifted uncomfortably, looking a bit uncertain. “Hey now, maybe we should all –”
Mark disregarded the interjection. He only had eyes for Yuta. “Yes, I’m sure,” and to his own surprise, his voice came out steady and clear. “I remember because his cousin Chenle came out last week to visit, and his last name is definitely Zhong, and Chenle said Renjun is his dad’s sister’s son. Apparently, that’s the side of the family that controls the main branch of their business, and has a shit ton of money. Chenle is loaded.”
“Holy shit,” Jaehyun breathed. “Holy shit.” Mark finally tore his eyes away from Yuta, only to see the rest of the pack looking… scared. He tilted his head, brow furrowing in confusion.
Only Jeno didn’t look afraid. He looked bemused, and the set of his mouth was annoyed.
“If it’s the Zhongs, we’re fucked,” Johnny said plainly. “This will be all-out war. Should we call the Kim pack up to help?”
“Can you guys just stop?” The words rung out like a shot. Jeno’s frustration bubbled over, every pent up sentence he’d been forced to hold in spilling out. “Just… just shut up!” Every head turned to him in utter shock. Jeno’s brows hung heavy over his eyes, and he was nearly panting. “Stop talking about Renjun like he’s a threat! You’re acting like he’s some kind of bad person. He’s not! And his family’s not bad either! None of you know anything about him, so just… stop.”
“Jeno, dude, c’mon,” Mark said, trying to affect the soothing tone that had always worked on Jeno, but it just seemed to agitate him more.
“Even you?” Jeno whispered, eyes welling with betrayal. Mark flinched. “I thought you of all people would have my back. You’re my best friend, Mark. But I guess you just think I’m still a baby who can’t think for himself. Even you don’t trust me.”
“I do trust you!” Mark insisted, panic swirling in his gut. “But Jeno, please, be reasonable. I’m not saying Renjun’s a bad person, but you have to admit, things are suspicious. Please, just let Yuta look into it.”
“No,” Jeno said firmly. Mark’s heart sank to his feet. Mark knew that tone. And he had never known Jeno to give in once he reached that degree of stubbornness. Mark could feel Jeno slipping through his fingers, and he hated it. He couldn’t let him go. Mark reached out to hold him.
Jeno snarled. His fangs popped out, gleaming white and wet. Mark’s fingers closed around thin air, and he retracted his hand. It fell uselessly to his side.
“Jeno…” Jaehyun tried to interject, tone placating, but Jeno shook his head. He took one step backwards, then another.
“I actually know Renjun, which is more than any of you can say. Nobody wants to listen to me, though. My opinion doesn’t mean shit to any of you. I don’t know why I even bother with this fucking pack. You all think just because I’m newly turned I’m an idiot who doesn’t know anything. You act like I’m dumb, and I should keep my mouth shut and listen to my betters because I’m just a stupid little baby wolf.” Jeno’s chest heaved, fists clenching at his side. His lip curled as he leveled each pack member with a narrow-eyed glare. Mark’s heart went cold in his chest. He knew Jeno like the back of his hand, but he had never, never seen Jeno look like that. Icy. Furious. Betrayed. “God. You’re all such assholes.”
Jeno turned on his heel and walked out, each thundering footfall shaking the walls as he went. By the time he hit the front entryway, the pace of them had picked up – Jeno was running. Mark’s heart was in his throat.
He knew exactly where Jeno was running to. Who he was running to.
And going by the hard look on Yuta’s face – his alpha did, too.
***
For a suspended moment, everyone in the house stood still. It was like they were afraid to move or speak and start time ticking on again. Mark tried to clench his fingers, but his hands felt oddly numb. It was too long before he reached his breaking point. Jeno had just run headlong into possible danger, and someone needed to do something about it.
“Johnny, Jennie,” Yuta’s voice was deafening in the oppressive silence that hung over the house. He stared intently at his betas. “You know what to do.”
With a short nod, the two exhausted wolves straightened their shoulders and headed out through the front door, so fast they were blurs to Mark’s human eyes.
“What’s happening? Are they getting Jeno?”
“Don’t worry about it.” It sounded like Yuta was grinding his teeth. Mark sucked in a sharp breath.
“What’s happening? Please.”
Johnny took pity on him. “We need eyes on Huang. If what you said is true, he’s probably planning an attack.”
Mark nodded, dazed, although his eyebrows furrowed. Okay…That made sense. But what did that have to do with bringing Jeno home?
“Everyone get some rest. We’re all going to need it,” Yuta instructed grimly, eyes dark and mouth turned down. Mark’s heart beat unevenly.
“What are you doing?” Mark asked, voice sounding strange. It was like his head was underwater, sound coming through his ears distorted. “Shouldn’t we… shouldn’t we be going after Jeno? Bringing him back?”
“How do you suggest we do that,” Yuta asked flatly. From the corner of his eye, Mark saw members of the pack creeping off the sofa, slipping out of the living room. He resisted the urge to stamp his foot. Why were they all leaving? Couldn’t they see how serious this was? “He left of his own free will.”
Mark felt like everyone was missing the point. “Jeno’s gone! We have to get him back!”
“You think I don’t know that?” Yuta snarled, lip curling as he glared at Mark. “You think I’m not aware that he just ran off to our enemy? You think I don’t know the danger he’s in?”
Yuta felt dangerous right now. Mark felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff grappling with him, and one wrong move would send them both hurtling over the edge. “Well, you don’t seem to be doing anything about it–”
“What do you want me to do?” Yuta’s eyes flashed. “Aren’t you supposed to be Jeno’s anchor, Mark Lee? What are you doing? Shouldn’t you have been able to keep him here?”
Mark flinched. His voice cracked. “That’s – that’s not fair–”
“You know what’s not fair? One of my fucking betas just ran off to a hunter in the middle of our pack meeting, and is probably telling him a bunch of sensitive information as we speak!” Yuta shouted, hands thrown out to his sides. He looked wild. Mark fought the urge to shrink back, calling up every ounce of stubbornness in him to not shoot a glance at the door. He had never seen Yuta this out of control. Mark felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck. Yuta was perpetually in control. This was so wrong. “There’s a feral alpha on the loose, and anyone might be attacked at any moment, and instead of helping us Jeno is giving information to people who would love to kill us!”
“That’s not true,” Mark protested, voice sounding weak in his own ears. “Renjun wouldn’t – he wouldn’t kill us. He’s a good person. He wouldn’t kill anybody.”
“You don’t know that,” Yuta growled, eyes glowing red. “You have no idea the kind of threats that are out there.”
“Because you refuse to tell me!” Mark shouted, gripping his own hair in a desperate attempt to ground himself. “You don’t tell us anything! That’s why Jeno left, because you don’t trust people enough to make their own decisions!”
“That’s not true,” Yuta countered hotly, taking a step towards Mark. It took everything in him to stay rooted to the ground, when every primal instinct in his lizard brain was screaming at him to run. “I trust all of you. But you don’t need to know everything all the time. It’s not your concern.”
“Kinda seems like it is, dude!” Mark’s voice was shrill. He stared at Yuta in disbelief. “How can you say this isn’t my concern? This is my life and my best friend’s life, of course it’s my concern! I need to know what’s going on, exactly what is going on, so that I can help–”
“I don’t need your help–”
“Yes you do–”
“Why don’t you understand? This is about your safety, keeping you all protected–”
“Who said I needed your protection?” Mark asked viciously. “Since when were you even concerned about protecting me?”
“I would do ANYTHING to keep you safe!” Yuta yelled, voice loud enough to make the walls shake. Mark glared at him, and refused to step back. He was standing his ground this time. Mark was done running away.
“So would I!” Mark screamed, throwing his arms out wide. “You’re not the only one trying to protect people!”
“It is my job!” There was something frenzied in the corners of Yuta’s eyes, something like desperation. He looked crazed, hair wavy and tousled every which way, eyes bloodshot and too wide, tank top dirty and rumpled. With a jolt, Mark realized why he felt so ill. Yuta was in pain, and Mark hated seeing him in pain. But he didn’t know how to help him. Yuta was still shouting, voice hoarse. “It is my job to protect you, Mark! To keep everyone safe! And I need… I need…”
“What.” Mark begged. To his frustration, he felt the tell-tale prickle of tears pinch at his nose. He curled his hands into fists, trying to force them back. “What do you need, Yuta? Tell me. Just… tell me, and I’ll do it. Anything.”
“I need you to be on my side,” Yuta said, and his face crumpled. He collapsed down to the floor, burying his head in his hands. “I need you to stand by me. Please.” He’d stopped shouting. His voice was a mere croak, and it sounded painful; each word ripped raw from his throat.
Mark inhaled sharply. His hands shook as he carefully went to his knees, settling himself bare inches in front of Yuta. The wood floors were cold and unforgiving on his shins, but Mark didn’t care. He reached out, and slowly, slowly, placed his hand on Yuta’s shoulder. He gripped it too tight, too shaken to control his strength.
No amount of Mark’s strength was enough to hurt an alpha werewolf, anyways. Yuta was durable. He was dependable; he was steel. He was everyone’s anchor, their home base, their defender. And right now, Yuta was curled in a ball on his living room floor, shoulders shaking with silent sobs, and he needed Mark’s help. He needed Mark to be on his side.
“I’m here.” Mark’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper. “I’m right here, Yuta. I’m not going anywhere.”
Yuta reached blindly up to his own shoulder, clasping his hand over Mark’s and squeezing. Yuta held on tight to Mark’s hand, and he cried. And Mark’s knees went numb, and the sun set behind the trees in the backyard, and Mark’s throat ached with unshed tears, and he didn’t leave.
Saturday afternoon. A house on Willow Lane.
Chenle popped his third Red Bull of the afternoon and leaned an elbow against the sink, casually looking out the window. As he took a sip of rancid caffeine, a content smile spread over his face.
“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” He posed the question rhetorically, but Renjun caught Jeno nodding in agreement. In fairness, it was a gorgeous day out – even Renjun could admit it.
It was a shame they couldn’t use their yard, though. It felt a bit strange to read a book in his favorite lawn chair knowing two fully grown werewolves were lurking beneath his hedges, staking him out.
Renjun raised an eyebrow at Chenle, who smirked and nodded back, gulping more of the Red Bull noisily. So the idiot brigade was still camped out in his yard. Renjun sighed, sidling up to Jeno and letting his forehead fall heavily against a sculpted bicep.
“I’m so fucking tired,” he whined, the end of the sentence overtaken by a yawn. Jeno chuckled fondly, indulgently running a hand through Renjun’s hair. Jeno’s hands were always so warm, and Renjun ran so cold. A perfect balance. Renjun pushed up into the contact, like a cat approving of being pet. Jeno was so careful carding his fingers through the grown-out strands, mindful of the bleach damage causing fairy knots on the bottom half of Renjun’s head. Jeno was considerate like that.
It was terrible to turn anyone against their will, but Jeno? Jeno was a walking saint. Whoever gave him the bite without his informed consent was evil, plain and simple.
Nakamoto Yuta had never come across as evil to Renjun before. Now, the mere thought of the alpha made his mouth twist up in displeasure. Jeno noticed his grimace, and made a soft noise of inquiry. Renjun bent his neck to look up at Jeno, shooting him a fake smile. Jeno smiled back down at him, soft but bright. He went back to petting Renjun’s hair, worries so easily assuaged. Renjun wished he could be so handily reassured, but it was in his nature to be suspicious.
Just because keeping secrets from Jeno was easy, didn’t mean Renjun enjoyed it. He hated it.
A text from Chenle came through, sent in Mandarin just in case Jeno’s trusting eyes were to wander. Renjun didn’t know what ears lurked outside their house, and which sets of them might understand Chinese. He was fairly certain Dong Sicheng ran with Nakamoto’s pack. It was too risky.
It seems like Nakamoto is above board, and there’s never been any issues with this territory before. He’s been running a tight ship for years, pretty weird that he’d suddenly snap in his senior spring. Something’s fishy about Jeno’s transformation though, you were right to call me. And that’s not the only thing that stinks in this town. Did you hear about the attack last night?
What attack?
Cornell student. Female. Hospitalized yesterday afternoon, they put out warnings about animal attacks. Sound familiar?
Unfortunately.
And I don’t like the tails they’ve put on us. I’m calling in mom and dad + Councilwoman Boa. I flagged it urgent.
The text made Renjun slump even further into Jeno’s body, tension melting out of him until he felt like clingy jello. His super-strong boyfriend didn’t even pretend to shift to accommodate the extra weight. Renjun hid a smile in Jeno’s chest. He shouldn’t find it so endearing, but it was. It was kinda adorable, how clueless Jeno was about being a werewolf.
Even if that cluelessness signaled a grave breach of treaty by Nakamoto and his pack. It was a total failure of informed consent, and it grated at him. Renjun took a deep breath in, not allowing his heart rate to increase. Jeno had to remain clueless. Jeno was innocent; he was going to have no part in this. Renjun was going to keep him protected, the way he wished he could have protected him two months ago. But it was impossible to change the past. What mattered was the here and now. Renjun had done his duty. Now it was time for the professionals to come in and rectify the wrongs that had been done to this sweet, sweet boy.
Nakamoto’s pack was strong, but they had nothing on the Zhong’s. Let them try to fight.
They had no idea the fire Renjun’s family would rain down upon them.
“I feel like I owe you an explanation.”
Yuta leaned against the kitchen counter, fingers tapping against the granite as he regarded Mark. His voice was still a bit hoarse from crying, but his bloodshot eyes were clear. Werewolf healing benefits, Mark swore to God, most convenient shit in the world.
Mark rushed to reassure Yuta, nearly banging his knee against the table in his haste. “You don’t! I mean… you don’t owe me anything. That’s what friends are for, right? They’re there for each other.” Yuta hummed. Mark was very determinedly avoiding his gaze. “So, yeah. Don’t feel like you have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”
“I want to tell you.”
“Oh.” Mark stared at a cabinet just to the left of Yuta’s face. He felt his lips twist into his polite cat moue, unsure what to say.
Yuta sighed and walked over to the table, pulling a chair out silently and sitting down heavily. “I guess… I guess I’ll start at the beginning. I was born a werewolf.”
“Oh, so you mean the beginning -beginning,” Mark muttered, eyebrows lifting slightly. Yuta shot him a fond look, rolling his eyes even as he poked a finger at Mark.
“Yes, Mark. Now don’t interrupt.” Mark nodded, suitably chastised. “I was born a werewolf, because both my parents were werewolves. They were born, as well. It’s been a long line in my family. A strong line, for generations. We were well known in Japan for centuries. A leading pack…” Yuta’s voice trailed off, eyes fixed on something Mark couldn’t see. A vision of his past, playing out on the kitchen window. “That all changed the year I turned fifteen.”
Yuta exhaled through his nose, finger tracing circles over the table.
“There was a hunter. A bad hunter. One who didn’t follow their Code. There’s no Council in Japan, not like there is here. They just self-govern. There’s no one to keep them in check.” Mark’s heart rose into his throat, skin going clammy with foreboding. He had an inkling of where this story was going, and suddenly, he wished Yuta would stop telling it. He kept silent though, and Yuta was too lost in his memory to notice the rapid rise and fall of Mark’s chest. “He enrolled at my school. I…I took him in.” Yuta’s voice cracked for the first time. He took a shaky breath. “I took him in. I felt bad for him, coming into school so late. It was hard to make friends. So I became his friend. I invited him to sit at my lunch table, and come study after school. He was a pretty cool guy, I thought. For weeks, he did that. Sat at my table, came to my home. My parents adored him. They always loved a stray. My mother, she…she was a great pack leader. The best. She wanted to give everyone a family.”
Yuta went silent for a long moment. Like you, Mark’s mind whispered. She wanted to give everyone a family, like you do now. Tentatively, Mark reached out his hand. Yuta caught it between both his own, clasping tightly. He sighed and dropped his head, long fringe falling over his face, obscuring his eyes. “And then the hunter executed his plan, the one he’d been following all along. The whole reason he had transferred to my school, and sought me out, and pretended to need a friend.” Yuta’s lips pressed together, a thin, hard line. He glared at the ground, enough cold hatred to ice over the tile. Mark’s heart thumped rapidly behind his ribs. He squeezed Yuta’s fingers tightly. “He made a mistake, though. I wasn’t home that night. I snuck out, to meet a boy. I was still too afraid to tell my parents that I liked men, so I was very careful. But I think… I think they knew. They definitely knew I was sneaking out, but they never said anything to me about it. They were waiting for me to come to them.”
They sat in silence for a minute. Mark blinked, and felt a tear roll down the side of his nose. He pushed his chair closer to Yuta’s, until their knees bumped. When Yuta continued, his voice was so quiet Mark could barely hear him.
“I came back to the ashes of my home. They were still trying to put out the fire, but it was clear… it was just a husk. There would be no survivors. My whole family, three generations living there as a pack, just wiped out in two hours.” Mark’s stomach rolled. He thought he might be sick. Yuta looked like he was, nostrils flared and cheeks very pale. “The hunter had surrounded our house with a border of mountain ash, so none of them could escape. They were completely trapped. Stuck inside there.”
“Yuta…”
“I found him,” Yuta cut Mark off abruptly, inhaling sharply. He lifted his head, eyes piercing through Mark. “I found him. He tried to run, but he didn’t get far. Not from me.” Mark looked at the set of Yuta’s jaw, and he understood. He nodded, squeezing Yuta’s fingers again. “I had distant family in America, on my father’s side. That’s when I moved here. I finished high school an hour north of the city, and when I got into Cornell I decided it was time for a fresh start. For a new pack, one of my own making. I found others like me on campus. Some who wanted a pack to take them in when they were away from home for so long, and some who were like me. Alone. Looking for connection. And I was able to provide that. We’re a family here.”
“Eventually, our bonds solidified into pack. Enough of the people I gathered looked to me as the leader to grant me the power of being the alpha. After that, I was able to turn people. I’ve only done it a few times – twice. And with the proper paperwork submitted to the Council each time.” Yuta looked sharply at Mark. “That’s why I was so surprised when Jeno popped up halfway through the semester, freshly turned. I knew he hadn’t been a wolf in January, and I know every werewolf around here. The only person who should have been able to change him was me. And yet…”
“And yet,” Mark breathed, staring into Yuta’s eyes.
“It worries me,” Yuta admitted, head turning to stare out the window once more. “More than I’ve tried to let on, actually. There is someone out there, and they’re a threat. They need to be taken care of.”
“They will be,” Mark promised him. The words felt like they had weight as they left his lips, even though Mark had absolutely nothing to back them up. “They will be.”
“I hope so.” Yuta stared out the window passively for another long moment. Then, he abruptly stood up. The quiet that had hung in the air shattered. Yuta patted the top of Mark’s head, ruffling his hair just like he’d done dozens of times before this past month, before they both started being stupid and stubborn and ignoring each other. “C’mon, let’s order take-out. My treat. What do you want, Markie?”
The warm rush of the nickname settled something in Mark. He still kind of felt like he wanted to cry, but he took a deep breath and tried to set the wobbliness in his chest aside, for the moment. Mark stood from the table, and hovered in indecision for a moment. Yuta watched him curiously.
With a nod to himself, Mark stepped forward. He wound his arms around Yuta’s waist, pulling him tightly into his body. Mark buried his head in the crook of Yuta’s neck, feeling more than hearing the surprised exhale Yuta let out. It took a moment, but then Yuta’s hands settled tentatively on Mark’s waist. Mark squeezed tighter. He felt Yuta’s chest expand and contract with each breath, and then, at long last, Yuta tightened his arms around Mark and held him close. They swayed together in the middle of the kitchen, the only thing holding each other up.
Mark didn’t know how long they stood like that, but the stars had come out by the time his voice felt ready to work again. “I’m kinda in the mood for Thai,” Mark muttered into Yuta’s ear.
Yuta barked out a laugh, startled. After a moment, he pulled back slightly. He smiled down at Mark, shaking his head. “Sure, Mark. We can get Thai.”
***
Johnny and Jennie had brought back the Thai food after a long, fruitless stakeout at Renjun’s house, switching out positions with Ryujin and Jaehyun. It didn’t taste as good as it usually did. Nobody tried to go to sleep until long after the sun had set, and the moon was high in the sky. Nobody said it, but Mark could tell they were watching the door as closely as he was.
Jeno never came home.
They all slept together in the living room again, a bit tighter than the night previous. It was then that Mark felt Yuta’s presence for what it truly was – an anchor for the rest of the pack. He slept in the middle of the floor, and people contorted themselves to fit as many around him as possible, desperate for the comfort of contact with their alpha. Despite the high tensions, the room was filled with a cacophony of snoring and steady breathing within minutes. Mark barely slept, eyes adjusting to the dark as he lay awake for hours, dozing off occasionally only to jolt awake sweating with an intense feeling of wrongness ringing in his bones. He felt Jeno’s absence like a physical ache. Watching the clump of werewolves tangled together in sleep nearly soothed it, but not quite.
Sunday dawned bright and cool, chilly for this time in April. Yuta called the lookouts back to the house, determined to keep everyone close by. Jeno’s phone went straight to voicemail when Mark called.
“They’re here.” Irene’s pronouncement rang throughout the house. She was sitting on the floor with her eyes closed. They opened to look clearly at Yuta. “In the backyard. There’s five.” She stood from her blankets and cracked her neck from side to side.
Mark glanced nervously at the curtained windows. The living room was far darker than it should’ve been at mid-morning. They’d shuttered the house in a weak attempt to shield themselves, but preventing hunters from looking in also meant that they couldn’t look out. Mark didn’t know how Irene had been keeping watch, but she was certain in her knowledge.
“Irene.” Yuta looked at his emissary, who nodded grimly. “Johnny and Jennie.”
They stepped forward, eyes flashing yellow. Jennie looked tiny next to Johnny, but Mark knew she packed twice the punch of someone a foot taller. Jaehyun growled slightly, earning a sharp look from the alpha. “No arguments. There’s five of them, there will be five of us.”
Mark was too worried to be doing any math. He was looking intently at Yuta. For once, Yuta was looking back at him. Something in his face seemed hesitant. It felt wrong. Yuta was decisive. And he was still looking at Mark.
“What do you want me to do?” Mark asked, expecting to be instructed to lock himself away in the coat closet to protect his fragile human body. He was already gearing up for the argument when Yuta looked him dead in the eyes.
“I want you by my side.”
Mark nearly choked. His brain scrambled trying to articulate a response, to reorient himself to this new reality where Yuta wanted Mark near him. “Uh – oh – y-yeah! Of course. I’ll be right next to you, bro.”
Mark could’ve sworn the ghost of a smile crossed over Yuta’s lips, but it was gone in a moment, Yuta’s face solemn and set once more. “No use putting it off. Let’s go.”
They went out the front door, Yuta leading the way around the house. Mark and Irene were at the back of the group, the werewolves forming a physical barrier.
Just like Irene said, there were five people waiting in the backyard. Two muscular people who looked to be the same age as Mark’s parents, a short woman who stood with her chin held high, and two teenage boys. Mark’s stomach dropped. Renjun and Chenle. So it was true. Mark realized that somewhere in the back of his mind, he’d still been holding out hope that the pack was mistaken about Renjun. But no, here he was. A hunter.
The intruding posse were standing in a line close to the trees. Yuta led them to stand before them, about thirty feet away. Well within range of the crossbows Mark could see poking up behind the hunter’s backs. He swallowed against a dry throat.
“Councilwoman Boa.” Yuta nodded tersely at someone in the group. “Yimo and Muchen.” He didn’t grant them the courtesy of a nod. His eyes narrowed as he regarded the two teenagers standing alongside the hunters, also decked out in tactical gear and weapons. “And this must be Chenle and Renjun.” Chenle nodded, looking almost bored, while Renjun just glared daggers at Yuta. “What are you doing on my property.”
“This is not an attack,” the short woman declared, voice steady and confident. “The Council requires a conversation with the pack here. I’m assuming you’re Alpha Nakamoto?”
“Yes, I am the alpha,” Yuta replied through gritted teeth. “You wanted to talk? Talk.”Yuta reached out, grasping at Mark’s wrist gently. He whispered out the side of his mouth, words barely audible over the wind. “Stay close to me. I want you on my right.”
Mark positioned himself a step from Yuta’s right shoulder, a few inches back. The shift didn’t go unnoticed.
“I don’t appreciate that you’ve sent a human out in your party,” the older woman said, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “It doesn’t seem a good-faith gesture.”
“Mooom,” Chenle whined, sounding for all the world like a petulant six-year-old. It was extremely at odds with the literal gun Mark could see holstered at his hip. “Mark’s super cool, I told you. He’s close with the alpha, he’s part of the pack! He’s not just a human shield.”
“Excuse me?” Mark couldn’t help but interrupt. It reminded him of when he’d first met Yuta, Jaehyun and Johnny and they’d tried to have conversations over his head, pretending he wasn’t there. The same anger began to simmer in his chest. “If you have a problem with me being here, just say that to me. I can speak for myself.” Mark shot a glance at Yuta, standing to his left, and Jennie, firmly planted on his right. “And I’m not a meat shield.”
“We did not mean to imply that you were,” the short woman – who must’ve been councilwoman Boa – placated. Mark barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the blatant lie.
“Speaking of good faith,” Mark said, eyeing the crossbows conspicuously strapped to the Zhong’s backs, and the thigh holsters obviously containing daggers of some sort, “Showing up armed to the teeth doesn’t particularly scream ‘good faith’ to me. Just sayin’.”
The man who must have been Chenle’s dad arched an eyebrow. “Werewolves can shift to have deadly claws and fangs in a matter of moments, not to mention their unnatural strength and speed. Their bodies are their weapons. If a fight were to break out, would you expect us to run back to our vehicles to arm ourselves? We’d be dead before we took ten steps.”
Mark stared at him for a long second, eyebrows raised in contemplation, then nodded. “Yeah, you got me there. Fair enough.”
Johnny made a faint rumbling sound behind Mark, although it sounded more amused than growl-y. “Who’s side are you on again?”
Mark resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yours. Always yours,” he said, shooting a sidelong glance at Yuta. The alpha’s chin lifted slightly higher. If Mark had to guess, he’d say Yuta seemed… proud. “But you have to admit they make a good point.”
“We won’t begrudge you your weapons,” Yuta said, voice carrying loud and clear to the tree line. “Like Muchen said, they serve as equalizers. But I would still like to know your purpose here.”
Renjun leveled Yuta with a look so dark Mark nearly shivered. “Jeno.”
“Yes?” Yuta asked patiently, but Mark could see the line of his shoulders go rigid.
“We received reports that there was an unauthorized transformation in the area,” Boa responded, hands folded neatly in front of her. “And that this newly made werewolf joined…your pack.”
Yuta’s jaw worked visibly. “That is true,” he ground out. He didn’t elaborate.
“And we received further reports of violent attacks in the woods surrounding Ithaca, ones that necessitated hospitalization.” Boa lifted her eyebrows, staring at Yuta dead-on. “Is that true, Alpha Nakamoto?”
“There have been attacks, one of which required a human to be hospitalized,” Yuta admitted. His voice was even, but Mark saw his hands clench into fists behind his back. “The attack that resulted in Jeno becoming a werewolf is the only other known attack on a human that we’re aware of.”
“How could you not be aware of it, considering you’re the one carrying out the attacks?” Renjun scoffed. “At least try to come up with a better excuse.”
“What the fuck?” Mark couldn’t help but speak, despite his common sense screaming at him to shut up. “You think Yuta is attacking people?”
Renjun finally looked Mark in the eye. “Who else could it be?” His voice sounded pained as he addressed his friend, standing on the other side of what was about to become a battlefield. “Mark, you don’t understand–”
Whatever Mark didn’t understand, he never got to find out, because Renjun was interrupted by a surprise arrival.
Jeno burst out of the forest, shirt torn and slightly dirty, panting visibly. He looked like he’d just lost a fight with a tree – or maybe ran through several branches. He lifted both his hands high in the air, gulping down breaths. “Wait!” he gasped.
He didn’t need to ask. Everybody in the yard had frozen upon his arrival; every eye fixed on him. Jeno was unfazed by the attention, walking heavily to the center of the yard with his hands still raised in the air. “Stop, stop it. All of you. This is wrong.”
“Jeno–” Renjun’s voice was soft. The look Jeno gave him was full of such unfiltered betrayal that Renjun stopped short.
“Yuta was not the alpha who turned me,” he announced, voice strong. Mark saw Renjun visibly flinch back. “He wasn't the one who attacked me and Mark. He hasn’t attacked anyone.”
“Then how do you explain your transformation?” Councilwoman Boa asked evenly, the only one who was not visibly shocked by Jeno’s sudden arrival and declaration. “And you do admit you were attacked?”
“Yes, Mark and I were attacked by an alpha werewolf off Fall Creek path in February. I was turned, he was not.” Jeno turned to face Boa and the hunters fully, hands finally dropping to his sides. He put the pack at his back, standing before all of them; shielding them. Mark felt Yuta’s sharp inhale at his side. “But it wasn’t Yuta. He’s done nothing but help me. The entire pack, they’ve done everything to help me.” Jeno looked over his shoulder, a mix of sorrow and shame on his face. “They took me in.”
“Then who is responsible for the attacks?” Chenle’s father asked impatiently, hand flexing on the holster of his crossbow.
“There’s another alpha in the woods,” Jeno told him. The Zhong’s eyebrows shot up impossibly high, skepticism etched into their features. “We’ve been trying to track them for weeks. They’re alone, and they mostly avoid people. But it seems like close to the full moon they lose their control.”
“Oh?” Boa sounded curious. Yuta stepped forward, walking until he was at Jeno’s side. He placed a hand high on the middle of his back, near the nape of his neck.
“They’re feral,” Yuta said simply. “We’re aware of the danger encroaching on our territory, and we’ve been taking steps to handle it.”
Mark thought he heard Chenle mutter, “Like what?”, but he was roundly ignored.
“When did this begin?” Chenle’s mother asked slowly, something strange coming over her eyes.
“The first we became aware of it was Jeno’s attack. Early February. At the time, we weren’t sure if a violent rogue alpha was passing through, and consistent rain made it difficult to track him. After finding a mangled buck with the same scent, we realized the alpha had remained in the area. Our efforts to find them heightened after that.”
“Early February…”
Mark was unsure why the fact seemed so significant to the hunters, but Councilwoman Boa seemed to know exactly what they were implying. She looked sharply at Yuta. “You’re aware of the attack on the Miller pack in January?”
Yuta’s teeth ground together as he glared down at the shorter woman. “If you mean the unprovoked massacre of an entire family by hunters, then yes. I am very aware.”
“The hunters responsible are in custody,” Boa informed him, voice somewhat cold. “But they did not manage to eliminate the entire pack. After the bodies were identified, there was one person missing.”
Irene took a deep breath, stepping forward to stand beside Yuta. “Their alpha.”
Boa nodded. “It is unclear how, but Alpha John Miller escaped the ambush. We suspect that he fully shifted into a wolf in his panic, and has been living in the forest since, unable to control himself enough to shift back. As far as we were aware, he was living quietly as a wolf in the forests of New Hampshire.”
“But he might have ran west,” Yimo cut in. “The grief and terror… it would be perfectly logical for him to run from his pack’s territory. And a fully shifted alpha consumed by grief, slowly losing touch with humanity…”
“It makes sense,” Councilwoman Boa agreed, nodding decisively. “It had to have been an alpha’s bite to trigger Jeno’s transformation, and he’s the only alpha in the Northeastern U.S. unaccounted for. We were remiss in not finding Alpha Miller sooner, but we wanted to give him space to grieve. He suffered an immense loss.”
“And now your laziness has put my pack at risk,” Yuta growled.
“Not laziness. Compassion,” Boa corrected. Mark felt more than heard Yuta’s scoff. “Regardless, now that we’re aware of the situation, it will be handled.”
Yuta shifted. He remained silent, but discomfort radiated from the lines of his body.
“Handled in what way?” Irene asked calmly. Her hand raised to clasp Yuta’s bicep gently. Some of the tension drained from him, as if Irene were absorbing his distress.
“We will capture him and bring him to a secure facility,” Muchen replied. “Our car is prepared to hold a werewolf. There is a base in Albany we can transport him to that has support staff on call, including an expert on crisis shifts. Once he’s in his human form, he can be interrogated, and appropriate consequences will be decided on by the Council members.”
Jeno made an uncertain sound. Chenle’s mother turned to look at him, face sympathetic.
“Yes, dear?”
“I know…I know what he did was wrong,” Jeno began uncomfortably, fidgeting with his fingers as his shoulders curled in. “But, with his family…I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”
“I agree.” Yuta had found his strength again. “That kind of grief can cause a man to act in ways he never would otherwise. I understand that better than most. He cannot be left to commit further assaults, but I wouldn’t see him harmed in any way.”
“No harm will come to him in our custody,” Boa replied. Yuta narrowed his eyes.
“Sure. Hunters slaughtered his entire pack a couple months ago, and I now should trust hunters to bring him in peacefully.” His voice was caustic. “I’m sure you’ll treat him very well.”
Renjun and Chenle puffed up indignantly, but the Zhong parents just looked very tired all of a sudden, and very sad.
“We understand your distrust,” Yimo sighed. “I know my community has acted in reprehensible ways. But we will capture the alpha humanely, and treat him well. I cannot promise he won’t be bruised or scraped, but we are not seeking to hurt him. We will take great measures to avoid doing so. Our objective is to bring him in in good condition, so we can conduct a trial as soon as possible.”
“I don’t want him to go to prison for the rest of his life,” Jeno said quietly.
“He might not,” Boa assured him. Mark blinked, surprised. “The supernatural community doesn’t operate by the same laws as human governments. We take all circumstances into account. John Miller has historically been a peace-loving man, very active in his community. It’s why his pack was targeted. Once he’s in a safe place where he can process his loss, he will lose his alpha status. After that, his potential to be a threat will be severely lessened. We’ll find a new pack for him to live with, and the new bonds will help keep him stable.” Boa paused. “Multiple packs will likely offer to take him in. I will admit, they will also be keeping a close eye on him for us, and at the first sign of violence the Council will take him into custody once more.”
“That seems… fair.” Yuta conceded. “But you have to catch him first.”
“It won’t be a problem,” Chenle said confidently. He caught Mark’s eyes, and gave him a sly grin. “We’ll have him by sundown.”
Jennie made a disbelieving noise. “We’ve had an excellent tracker on him for weeks. He’s not easy to find, and he’s going to put up a strong fight.”
“This is our job,” Muchen replied. “We’re professionals. I can’t promise sundown,” he shot his son a sharp look, which Chenle blissfully ignored, “but we should have him in custody within twenty-four hours. This is ultimately a fairly straightforward case for us.”
Mark had his own doubts about the Zhong’s ability to find the alpha who’d been escaping all the pack’s efforts for a month, but for once he managed to keep his mouth firmly shut.
“Go,” Boa ordered sharply. Without another word, the Zhongs departed into the woods, soundless over the dead leaves. Only Renjun and the councilwoman remained. “Now that the active threat is being neutralized, there is still the matter of your conduct these past months, Nakamoto.”
“Hey–” Mark’s interjection fell on deaf ears.
“If you wouldn’t mind coming with me,” Boa looked at Yuta. It was clearly not a request. Yuta nodded.
The words were out of Mark’s mouth before he could think about them. “I’m coming with you.”
“Mark–”
“I’m staying at your side,” Mark told Yuta firmly, meeting fathomless brown eyes, brimming with intensity. Mark refused to blink. “I’m standing by you.”
“That is fine,” Boa cut in. Mark nearly jumped, tearing his eyes from Yuta’s to look at her. “It will be beneficial to have a human sit in on the meeting who is unaffiliated with hunters.”
“Mark.” Yuta pretended to not have heard Boa. His eyes bored into Mark’s. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Mark breathed, wanting the words to be only Yuta’s. “I’m staying with you.”
Yuta looked at him for another long moment, expression unfathomable. Then, he turned, nodding at Boa. “Then let’s go.”
***
They went to Renjun’s house to wait, which made Yuta wrinkle his nose, but he conceded it was about as close to secure neutral ground as they could get on such short notice. The wait was tense. Renjun and Boa holed up in the kitchen, ‘asking’ the pack members to remain in the dining room. Mark was pretty sure they just didn’t want Yuta near any of the knives. A radio playing softly in the kitchen was the only sound as they sat there, for hours, and hours. Mark watched out the window as the sun cut a path across the sky, then sank down over the horizon. Gradually, darkness overtook the last vestiges of dusk, and the stars came out to shine unimpeded. A nearly full moon hung heavy and low.
It was nearing midnight when the Zhong’s returned.
“Not quite sundown,” Irene murmured. Chenle pouted, shooting her a wounded look. A hysterical urge to smile rose in Mark. He bit at the inside of his lips.
“It was John Miller, alright,” Yimo informed Boa grimly, the councilwoman and Renjun joining everyone else around the dining room table. “He’s in the van now, sedated. It won’t wear off for another six hours.” Her hair was sweaty and streaks of dirt smudged all her visible skin, but bar a few shallow scratches on the backs of her hands she looked no worse for wear. Chenle and Muchen were similarly unharmed. Mark’s eyebrows lifted. He tried not to be too visibly impressed, but he couldn’t help it.
“So quickly?” Mark couldn’t help but ask. “But the pack…” Chenle smiled at him, positively radiating smugness.
“Yep. No offense, but you guys are shit at tracking.”
Johnny sat up straighter, offended. “Sicheng–”
“I’m sure has an excellent nose, but that’s not the same as proper tracking. Which you would know, if you went through the extensive training which my family requires.”
“If your training is so extensive, then why was Renjun incapable of determining that it was a different alpha perpetuating the attacks?” Yuta asked sharply, barely suppressing the curl of his lip. Renjun stiffened, shoulders rising.
“Why would I go trawling through the woods when a viable alpha was right there? What else was I supposed to think?” Renjun asked curtly.
“You immediately assumed the worst,” Johnny countered, hands folded neatly in his lap. “We have years of good standing behind us. Yuta’s been the alpha here for four years with absolutely no issues, and we submitted all the proper paperwork for our two pack members who decided to take the bite from him. We even got them counseling from a supernatural provider. Our track record speaks for itself.”
“We deserved at least a courtesy call,” Yuta said simply. He was sitting much more casually than Johnny – elbow propped on the table, chin resting in his palm, legs crossed. He stared dead-on into Renjun’s eyes, then each of the Zhongs in turn. “We were owed a formal visit to discuss the matter, before an enforcement squadron arrived on our doorstep.”
“That was a misstep, and I’ll admit to that,” Boa said calmly, hands folded on the table. “But your behavior aroused suspicion. In not reporting the attacks to the Council, it appeared you had something to hide.”
“And if this is how you handle situations, why would we want to call you?” Yuta asked silkily, eyebrows arching. “You came onto my property fully armed with no prior warning, clearly looking for a fight. One of my betas might have been spooked into attacking, and you would have done them harm. It was our own care and preparation that kept the situation from escalating, not yours. That’s not a system that inspires trust from me.”
“You make fair points,” Boa acknowledged, voice just as even. “Be that as it may, no violence occurred. And we did secure the rogue alpha in a matter of hours, also without violence.”
Yuta’s mouth twisted slightly. He nodded tersely, conceding just slightly. Mark felt like a livewire watching him.
“If you had reported the initial incident immediately, this wouldn’t have escalated at all,” Boa continued. Yuta snarled, but she was unfazed. “You knew there was a rogue alpha wandering the woods near a college campus, and you failed to call in any reinforcements, even after multiple attacks.” Yuta stayed silent, looking at her stonily. “That was irresponsible, and you put the safety and lives of many people at risk.”
“We were handling it,” Johnny interjected.
“You shouldn’t have been.” Yimo’s tone was not unkind. Her eyes were gentle as she regarded Yuta, nowhere near the flint they’d been just two hours prior. “You don’t need to handle it. That’s not your responsibility. Your responsibility is to be a good student, a good athlete. Our responsibility is to take care of supernatural threats.” She paused for a moment, and looked at Yuta significantly. “Using the most peaceful means possible.”
“We’re trained for this, and we have more resources and time at our disposal,” Muchen added. “This is our profession.”
Mark looked hopefully at Yuta. Now that they weren’t carrying crossbows, the Zhongs seemed kind of nice. And he liked Chenle a lot, too. He knew it was different for him than Yuta, but he wanted Yuta to see it too.
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” Yuta offered, and it wasn’t even begrudging. He sat up straighter in the chair. “On behalf of the pack, thank you. You’ve done our community a great service. I do appreciate all you did to help tonight.” He glanced at each person sitting at the table, eyes coming to rest on Councilwoman Boa. “I now see the true purpose of this council. In the future, this will be the first call I make. I was blind to the benefits reaped by working in partnership, and I put many lives at risk. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“Thank you,” Boa said simply. “Your track record does speak for itself, Nakamoto. I appreciate your pledge for future cooperation. Hopefully another threat never arises in this area.” She looked at him so intensely that Mark shivered from two seats away. “But if it does, I expect a prompt report. We will not be lenient next time.”
“I understand.”
“Now, I would like to see John Miller.”
Yuta stood with Boa, eyes hard. “As would I.”
Boa gave him a considering look. “Yes, I expect you would want to check on his condition for himself, wouldn’t you? Come.”
They strode out the house, followed by the slightly less grim Zhong couple.
Mark, Johnny and Irene were left to sit in painfully awkward silence with the cousins.
“So,” Chenle said cheerfully, resting his chin on his palm. “Anyone up for brunch?” Johnny growled. Chenle rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a sour wolf. Come on! All’s well that ends well, right?”
Irene sighed so softly Mark could barely hear it. Nobody else dared try speaking. Mark had actually begun to consider the prospect of brunch, more out of sheer boredom than anything.
“You.” Five heads whipped around to look at the entrance to the dining room. Yuta had returned, apparently satisfied with the condition he’d found John Miller in. His eyes were locked on Renjun, dark and cold.
“What?” Renjun asked archly, equally cold.
“This mess could have been avoided if you had only bothered to talk to your boyfriend,” Yuta ground out. “I won’t be forgetting that.”
Twin spots of color appeared high on Renjun’s cheeks. “You know why that wasn’t feasible.”
“It didn’t even make sense,” Yuta groaned, rubbing his temples harshly as he closed his eyes for a moment. “If I was the one who attacked Jeno, why would he be friends with me? Why would he accept me as his alpha?”
“He might not have realized,” Renjun replied stiffly. “He might have felt coerced.”
Johnny rolled his eyes. “That makes no sense, which you would know if you knew anything about being a werewolf–”
“Okay, I will say,” Mark interjected. Four pairs of eyes swung to stare at him. Mark gulped, immediately regretting speaking. It was only a tiny nod from Yuta that gave him the courage to continue. He inhaled shakily. “Well, I mean. I have to admit. When Jeno was first turned, and I met Yuta and a couple other guys from the pack, I did think…I mean, just for a moment, like literally just a day! But at first I did think that maybe Yuta had been the one who attacked us and turned Jeno.”
“What.” Yuta had never sounded so flat. His face was expressionless, eyes boring holes into Mark’s, but somehow, Mark could tell that he was very deeply wounded, and trying hard to mask it. Mark scrambled to reassure him.
“It was literally just for like, an afternoon, Yuta, I swear! And you have to admit, it was a hell of a coincidence,” Mark pointed out. He felt terrible about what he’d assumed about Yuta back in February when suspicion had been his word to live by, but Mark felt like the pack members were being a smidge unfair. Irene, Johnny and Yuta were all leveling him with skeptical looks, varying shades of hurt on their faces. “You guys were acting really weird–”
“The full moon was in less than a week! We had to help Jeno control his shift!” Johnny protested. Mark soldiered on.
“And Jeno and I still had no idea what was going on, we’d barely figured out he was a werewolf. I get why you were being cryptic, and seriously. As soon as you explained yourselves we believed you and totally trusted you.”
“No, I understand,” Yuta said evenly. Despite his neutral tone, he looked more exhausted with each word that left his mouth. “I suppose it would have been foolish to not consider the possibility.”
“See?” Renjun muttered. Mark hated to feel like he was siding with him over Yuta, over the pack, but Renjun was his friend too.
“I’m just saying, I understand how Renjun came to the conclusion he did,” Mark finished. He looked at his friend, and even though Renjun’s face looked familiar, Mark couldn’t help the slight twinge of betrayal in his chest. “I just wished you had talked to me about it man. Or talked to Jeno. We would’ve explained everything, if we knew you knew.”
Renjun looked abashed by that, at least. His chin dipped slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.” Mark felt very tired, suddenly. “But I’m not really the one you should be apologizing to.”
Renjun fell silent. Even Chenle looked subdued on his cousin’s behalf, rubbing his back soothingly.
The Council thankfully chose this moment to make their return. “Miller will be brought to Albany now. I’ll keep you updated on what transpires,” Boa informed Yuta, shaking his hand firmly. Yuta regarded her with cautious respect. “A pack in North Carolina has already responded to my inquiries. They seem promising.”
“Good.”
“You’re free to go,” Boa announced magnanimously. Johnny rolled his eyes.
Under his breath, Renjun muttered, “Yes, get the hell out of my house.”
“Our house,” Chenle reminded him cheerfully, steering Renjun towards the door. “Now, what do you say about breakfast instead of brunch? It’s been ages since I went to a diner.”
Seulgi was idling her Subaru in front of the house, clearly having been alerted to the meeting’s ending by some method or another. Upon spotting them filtering out the door, she rolled down her window, honking cheerfully.
“Goodbye.” Irene gave each of them a tight hug, the smell of her perfume steadying Mark on his feet. “Sleep well.” With that, she hopped into the waiting Outback, and Seulgi took off down the road with a squeal. Mark winced thinking about how far over the speed limit she was going. He carefully circumvented the unmarked black van parked in the driveway, giving it a wide berth. He didn’t care what the Zhong’s said about sedatives. Mark had had enough encounters with John Miller to last a lifetime.
“C’mon Injunnie, I’ll drive!” Chenle cooed, throwing an arm around Renjun’s neck and leading him off. Renjun looked deeply skeptical.
“You think your parents are going to give you the keys to the Camaro?”
“Silly goose.” Chenle grinned mischievously and pulled a set of keys out of his pocket, swinging them around his index finger. “I already stole them!”
“Auntie is going to kill me,” Renjun muttered, but he let Chenle lead him in the direction of the car. Their rebellion was short-lived. As Chenle hit the ‘unlock’ button, his parents stepped out from behind the hydrangeas. In unison, they folded their arms, and gave him a disappointed look.
“Zhong Chenle. What do you think you’re doing?”
Mark couldn’t help a smile from twitching over his mouth as they left the family drama to play out behind them, turning out onto the road to begin the trek back to the Rover. Damn Yuta’s paranoid ass, parking half a mile away. Johnny’s long legs had already taken him several yards ahead of them, but Yuta kept a pace to match Mark’s own slower human gait. Mark tried to tell himself it didn’t mean anything that Yuta wanted to walk beside him, but the flutter in his stomach betrayed him.
“That went super well, all things considered,” Mark said brightly, nudging Yuta’s side with his elbow. He gauged Yuta’s reaction carefully, but the other man seemed to have his mind on other things.
“I still don’t trust him as far as I can throw him,” Yuta muttered, casting a dark look over at Renjun and his family.
Mark looked skeptically at Renjun’s small, delicate frame, then back at Yuta. “I think that’s pretty damn far, though.”
The bark of laughter Yuta allowed to escape his lips was a balm to Mark’s exhausted body, almost as much as the companionable arm he threw over Mark’s shoulders. He pulled him in close to his side, squeezing carefully. Mark tried not to inhale his deodorant too conspicuously. “You’ve got a point there, Mark Lee. You have got a point.”
***
By the time they got home, it was closer to dawn than midnight. The entire pack had been waiting in the living room, so wound up with tension Mark was surprised no one had popped a vein.
Jeno was there. Sitting hunched over in the corner of the sectional, as if he wasn’t sure anyone wanted him there anymore. Mark made a beeline over to him and collapsed half on the couch, half in his best friend’s lap.
“Renjun’s okay,” he muttered, uncaring that the entire pack could hear. Jeno made a distressed noise.
“Are you okay?”
Mark paused. He opened his eyes, staring up at Jeno’s concerned face. “I– yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”
Jeno grabbed at Mark’s hand, tangling their fingers together. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize.” Mark wanted to hide his face. He wanted to drink in the sight of Jeno, unharmed and back with them. He didn’t want to have this conversation. He wanted to talk for hours.
In the end, he settled for an exhausted groan, turning his face into Jeno’s chest. The steady, slow thump of his heart was more of a balm than anything else could be.
“What the hell happened?” Jaehyun asked loudly, breaking the silence in the room. Every eye turned expectantly to the alpha. “Yuta?”
“First of all – everything’s all right. We’re going to be left alone,” Yuta informed them. “And secondly the alpha was apprehended by the council’s hunters. He’s probably going to be reintegrated into a pack, potentially down in North Carolina. Everything is going back to normal.” He spoke with such confidence that Mark could visibly see the mood of the room shift. “Which means… We can go outside!”
“Oh, fuck yeah.” Ryujin and Johnny chorused in unison. Wide grins had spread to every face in the room, including Mark’s. The energy was infectious. Doyoung was already yanking up the blinds, letting the first rays of dawn flood into the living room. Yeri and Ryujin fought with Johnny and Jaehyun over the privilege to slide open the door, jostling each other joyfully and play-snapping at arms.
“Stop.”
The growl stopped all four in their tracks. Yuta stepped up behind them, tilting his head in that amused, sardonic way of his. They parted for him immediately. He placed his hand on the handle. “I’ll open it. After all, I am the alpha.”
***
“Hey.”
Mark snapped his gaze up from his phone, nearly fumbling it as he saw who was standing over him. Yuta was blocking the sunlight, shadow protecting Mark from the harsh spring rays. Mark scrambled to lock his phone, trying to shove it back into his pocket with shaking fingers.
“H-hey.”
“How… how are you doing? With, you know. Everything.” If Mark didn’t know any better, he would have said Yuta was nervous. But that was ridiculous. Yuta didn’t get nervous.
But then, why was he shuffling his feet? Why were his hands being awkwardly shoved into his pockets as he gazed uncertainly down at Mark?
Mark cleared his throat, trying to summon up the last vestiges of his energy and clarity to answer Yuta. Dawn had long since broken by the time they finished explaining what had happened with the Council, and then there’d been a dozen hungry werewolves to feed breakfast. “I’m doing good. Fine. You know, all things considered. Really well, actually. Mostly just tired to be honest.”
“Yeah.” Yuta coughed slightly, glancing off to the side, where Shotaro and Jennie were playfully wrestling in the expanse of the backyard. “It’s been a long night. You should get some sleep.”
“Yeah,” Mark agreed. He fell into silence after that. He couldn’t think of what to say. What was there to say, after the craziness of the past twenty-four hours?
“You can take one of the beds in the house. Free pick. I’m sure no one will mind.”
Mark smiled awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck. He wasn’t trying to avoid Yuta’s gaze, but his eyes were so intense, practically glowing even in the bright light of morning. “Yo, thanks. Haha.”
He shifted on the deck stairs, gnawing at his pointer finger slightly. As soon as he realized he was doing it, Mark wrenched it out of his mouth. Bad habit. He searched for something to say, but came up blank. He and Yuta had talked last night, for the first time in weeks, but Mark didn’t know what to do with everything they’d said. It had all been about the looming danger to the pack, and the trauma that was still digging its fingers sharply into Yuta’s heart, defining his reactions. Yeah, he and Yuta were on speaking terms again, technically. But after weeks of silence between them, Mark had forgotten how to talk to him. Suddenly, he couldn’t stand to be here with Yuta for a second longer, with the sun beating down on his back. He stood, brushing his palms off on the legs of his pants. It seemed to have startled Yuta, whose eyes widened as he took a step back. Something ached in Mark’s chest. He wished Yuta wouldn’t step away.
“Well, guess I should go… Find one of those beds. Catch some Z’s.”
“Actually,” Yuta said abruptly, then paused oddly. His eyes darted between Mark’s face, and the betas playing in the yard, and his feet. His tongue poked out to wet his lips. Mark gazed at him with astonishment. Holy shit. Yuta was nervous. “I know you need sleep, but I was hoping maybe we could talk, first.”
“Y-yeah.” Mark shook his head, wondering if he heard that right. The cotton cleared from his mind, and Yuta was still looking at him, something like hope on the edges of his expression. “Yeah, I mean, yes, I would love to talk.”
“Oh.” Yuta looked strangely relieved, as if he’d been sure Mark would say no. “Good.”
Mark nodded, searching for answers in Yuta’s face. As usual, he found none. “So…”
“Um, actually, would you mind if we…” Yuta jerked his head towards the tree line. “If we took a walk?”
“Yeah, sure. We can walk and talk. Talk and walk. Love a good walk, in the woods,” Mark chuckled nervously. He wished he could shove his fist in his mouth and plug up the stream of words.
“Great,” Yuta smiled at him, straight teeth on full display. Mark’s heart skipped a beat. With a jolt, he realized this was the first time he had seen that smile, open-mouthed and goofy, in three weeks. He blinked hard, an unstoppable grin of his own spreading on his lips. “I love a good walk and talk, too.”
“We have so much in common.”
Yuta met Mark’s eyes with an intensity that didn’t belong in the moment. “We do.”
Shotaro and Jennie’s eyes followed them curiously as they stepped into the woods, but they didn’t say anything. They went back to their play fight while Mark focused on picking carefully through the tree roots and stones. Yuta led him to the small path that the pack had cleared starting about ten feet in easily, and they started off down the packed dirt. Despite his promise of a walk and talk, Yuta wasn’t saying anything. Mark didn’t know where to look. He settled for admiring the trees, which were starting to come back to life in earnest now. There were signs of new life everywhere, actually. It was getting closer to the end of April than the beginning, and wildflowers were sprouting up in the gaps between the trees, their cheerful color complementing the dappled sunlight streaming in through the canopy beautifully. It was so different than the cold and forbidding forest Mark remembered from February. He could even hear the stream burbling away happily a few yards from the path, and took comfort in the sound. It was nothing like the half-frozen water Mark had fallen into while Jeno had been attacked; it was safe now. Funny how fast things could change.
“I wanted to thank you.” Yuta’s words jolted Mark from his reverie. He jumped, nearly tripping over a root in his surprise. Yuta caught him by the arm, holding Mark until he was steady. Mark chuckled nervously, but Yuta’s mouth wasn’t lifted in the half-smirk Mark had gotten so accustomed to. His brows furrowed, and he gazed at Mark’s face, concerned. “Are you alright?”
“Yep!” Mark’s voice cracked. He coughed. “Ha, you know me. Always…tripping, and shit.”
Yuta visibly relaxed, nodding seriously as he continued walking. “Well, like I was saying. I wanted to thank you, for all you did yesterday.”
“Ah, no need,” Mark shrugged, smiling shyly at his companion. “Anyone would have done it.”
“No, they would not,” Yuta disagreed, surprisingly vehement. His eyes fixed on Mark’s like burning embers. “Very few people would be as brave as you were, or as loyal. Please, Mark, accept my thanks.”
“Okay, well…sure. Thanks accepted.”
Yuta’s mouth twitched, His elbow brushed against Mark’s arm. He stared through the canopy at the dappled sunlight, as if considering something. After a long moment, he spoke. “And I wanted it to be you. Standing by me, I mean. I’m glad that it was you there with us.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” This was a Yuta who Mark hadn’t seen before, a Yuta who spoke in choppy sentences, who didn’t have the perfect thing to say. Who was stumbling over sentiments, nearly abrupt in his awkward honesty. Mark didn’t know how to respond in the face of it. For once, he let the silence lie. “Mark.”
Mark looked at Yuta curiously.
“I’m sorry I ignored you after that party. I never meant to make you feel like you weren’t important to me,” Yuta’s words left him in a rush. Mark wasn’t sure he’d ever heard Yuta like this, talking so fast his words tumbled over each other. Yuta was usually so deliberate with his words, so unlike Mark with all his babbling and rambling. “I’m so, so sorry that I did. I can’t apologize enough. I was hurt, and I was being stupid and selfish. I never meant to hurt you, please believe that.”
“Of course,” Mark murmured, feeling oddly shy. “I…I know.”
“Can you forgive me?”
His heart felt oddly light. “There’s nothing to forgive.” Yuta narrowed his eyes at Mark skeptically, making him huff out a laugh. “Okay, I was really pissed off for a little while, can’t lie. But I already forgave you.”
“Really?” Yuta’s voice was tinged with relief, a disbelieving little laugh bubbling from his chest. Mark couldn’t help but smile at the ground as he continued picking his way up the trail.
“For real. Cross my heart.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Mark hummed agreeably, stepping over a protruding tree root carefully. It took him a moment to realize Yuta had stopped walking. He turned around in question, only to find Yuta looking at him carefully.
“Why did you start avoiding me?” Yuta asked, eyes curious. Mark flushed.
“Well, I mean. I totally blew up on you for like, no reason,” Mark muttered, staring at the forest floor. A leaf fluttered over Yuta’s sneakers. “And managed to out myself as having a massive crush on you in the same conversation. I was, like, so embarrassed.” Actually, reliving it right now, Mark was still embarrassed. He felt his ears burn red.
And Yuta was laughing! Mark whined, barely resisting the urge to stamp his foot. “Cute,” Yuta whispered. It made Mark squirm.
“It was embarrassing!” Mark protested, folding his arms as if to protect his vulnerable heart. “Mortifying, for real.”
“Why?” Yuta was still giggling slightly, but his voice was kind. “You were right to call me out for avoiding you, you know. I knew I was being immature, but I did it anyway.”
“I don’t know. I had screamed at you and made an ass of myself over a misunderstanding, and then confessed after you’d just seen me act really mean and dumb. The thought of seeing you kinda made me want to die. I guess I prefer to ignore my problems.”
Yuta visibly softened, the corners of his eyes crinkling into crow’s feet. “I was being mean to you, too,” Yuta said softly. Mark scoffed, but Yuta cut him off. “No, really Mark. If you’re going to accuse yourself of being mean, then I was meaner. I iced you out because I misunderstood you. Because I misunderstood a very drunk person who was sitting in my lap, rambling away, and being so adorable I wanted to die.”
Mark’s head snapped up. “What?”
Yuta’s eyes glinted playfully. “Markie, I was being very silly. I’m sorry you felt embarrassed. You have no reason to be.” Yuta paused, and tilted his head at Mark. “You know why?”
Mark had an inkling, but he wanted to hear Yuta say it. A smile began to creep over his mouth. “Why?”
Yuta stepped closer, so close that he was all Mark could see. So close that his shirt brushed Mark’s, that their noses nearly touched, that Mark could smell his perfume on his neck. He tilted his head forward, resting his forehead against Mark’s so tenderly he felt his heart twang in his chest. “Because I really, really like you.”
“Yeah?” Mark couldn’t stop grinning if he tried, but Yuta was smiling even wider. He nodded against Mark’s face.
“Yeah. In fact, I have this massive, ridiculous crush on you.”
“Oh, well. In that case. You know, I happen to have some experience with that.” Mark felt like he was about to float off the forest floor, he was so giddy.
“No way.” Yuta angled his head, brushing his nose over Mark’s. “We have so much in common.”
He kissed Mark before he could voice his agreement. That was okay, though.
Mark much preferred this to talking.
***
They were curled up on Yuta’s bed, wrapped up in each other and luxuriating in the permission to finally touch. Mark was trying very hard to forget about the fact that six other people lived in this house who could hear his every noise. And Mark was making a lot of embarrassing noises.
Luckily, Yuta was good at making him forget that anyone else existed.
“You’re so fucking horny all the time,” Yuta groaned, burning his face in Mark’s neck. He nipped the tendons there, making Mark squeak. He licked up the length of his neck, breath hot on Mark’s ear. “Drives me insane.”
“Hey!” Mark yelped. “Not my fault that you’re – wha –” Mark sucked in a breath at the shock of Yuta mouth closing around his earlobe. He was torn between flinching away and trying to squirm closer as Yuta sucked loudly, wet and filthy. He wiggled in Yuta’s lap, feeling what might have been his navel piercing catch against the waist of his jeans. Yuta growled, clamping his hands on Mark’s hips. Instantly, Mark stilled. He tried to twist against the grip. He didn’t get a centimeter. Yuta was quietly unyielding, still doing noisy, nasty shit to Mark’s ear because keeping Mark completely immobilized was as easy as breathing for him.
Mark’s pants felt a bit tighter. He melted in Yuta’s hands, folding into his body and winding his fingers through Yuta’s silky, long hair. “Not my fault you’re walking around everywhere looking like that,” Mark finally continued, breathless. He squeezed his knees around Yuta’s narrow hips, trying to get his lips on any part of Yuta’s face in reach. “You’re so fucking sexy it like, literally hurts my soul sometimes, dude. What was I supposed to do? Become a nun?”
“I’m not complaining, baby,” Yuta murmured, sucking a bruise into the thin skin behind Mark’s ear. He pulled back and observed his work, a slight satisfied smile playing at his lips. Yuta took Mark’s chin between his fingers and tilted it down, tipping their foreheads together so he could stare into Mark’s eyes, the direct gaze he so greatly relished. The pad of his thumb brushed over Mark’s lower lip, soft as a whisper. “You just make it impossible for me to think straight. Your pheromones make me fucking dizzy, and I had to pretend like I didn’t notice. Drove me crazy when I had you in my car. It was like hotboxing your damn scent.” Mark giggled at the image, pressing a kiss to his thumb, then leaned back slightly.
“Why did you?” Mark asked, genuinely curious. “Why did you pretend not to notice? I was obviously into you.”
“You were embarrassed enough, I think, without me pointing out every time you popped a semi,” Yuta reminded him, mouth twitching. Mark pouted fiercely. Yuta cooed, leaning forward to kiss it away. “Besides, it’s an unfair advantage. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, thinking I was just smelling you obsessively, decoding every fluctuation in your hormones.” The words were muffled into Mark’s mouth, slurred by kiss after kiss being pressed to his lips.
“Even though you totally were,” Mark muttered, unable to stop a smile from spreading. It ruined their kiss, but Yuta kept trying his best. “Weirdo.”
“You smell good,” Yuta said unabashedly, shrugging against Mark’s elbows, which had made armrests out of Yuta’s shoulders. He dove down, digging his nose high into Mark’s neck, where his pulse pounded at the thin skin below his jaw. “I’m not sorry. I’d try so hard to keep anyone else from getting in my car after you so your scent would stick as long as possible. Fucking delicious.” Oddly touched, Mark hummed, trying to reattach himself to Yuta’s mouth. He pulled back, staying infuriatingly just out of reach. “Besides, you’re just as weird as me. Who was the one that couldn’t keep their big, sparkly eyes to themselves, hmm?”
“Yo, you think my eyes are sparkly?” Mark whispered, astonished. Yuta looked at him a bit bemusedly, thumb brushing up the plane of Mark’s cheekbones.
“Yes, Mark. I do. Everyone does.”
“No way.”
“Yes way.”
“For real?”
“Do you want to keep arguing, or do you want to make out?” Yuta asked, playing up his exasperation. He threw his head back and sighed loudly, fingers digging into the sides of Mark’s ribs. Mark collapsed in giggles, slapping fruitlessly at Yuta’s hand.
“Yo, hey, that tickles! Dude! Yuta, Yuta oh my God! Quit it, come on!”
“If you want me to stop, what will you give me?” Yuta asked, a mischievous glint in his eye as he continued to relentlessly tickle Mark. His thumbs were coming dangerously close to Mark’s nipples. Perhaps it was self-preservation that erased Mark’s brain-to-mouth filter.
“I don’t know, like, a blow job?”
Yuta’s hands stilled immediately, falling limply from Mark’s sides. He blinked up at his newly-minted boyfriend, astonished. Mark felt the back of his neck burn, but fought valiantly against the overwhelming urge to scramble off Yuta’s lap and right out the door.
“Wait, seriously?”
“Um, yeah,” Mark said, shifting in Yuta’s lap. “I mean, like, if you want.”
“If I… Mark. Of course I want.”
“Lit,” Mark said happily, hands fiddling with the collar of Yuta’s shirt. “Nice.”
“Maybe later, though.”
“Yeah, yeah, cool. Later. Later sounds good. Great. Awesome.”
“Splendid,” Yuta cut in wryly, arching a brow at Mark. Mark grinned at him sheepishly.
“Kiss me.”
“Happy to,” Yuta breathed, craning up to kiss Mark. And then they stopped talking for a long, long time.
***
When everything’s settled – when the rogue alpha has been tried and relocated down to Asheville, and Renjun and Yuta have apologized to each other (one more insincerely than the other, admittedly, but Mark felt like Yuta was being gracious enough in allowing the words “I was mistaken” to pass his lips at all), and the Zhongs have left town, and everyone went back to lacrosse practice because that was still a thing, apparently – when it’s all settled, the pack throws a house party to celebrate. Of course.
Mark had a watermelon White Claw in his hand, the 12-pack bought specially for him by Jaehyun in a gesture of friendship that made the cockles of Mark’s heart feel warm. Yuta curled himself around Mark’s back like a warm blanket, hanging off like a limpet. The second he and Mark had made it official, Yuta revealed himself to be an extremely touchy boyfriend, and a great enjoyer of PDA.
With him, Mark didn’t mind. Secretly, maybe, perhaps, allegedly, Mark kind of…liked it. The rush of everyone knowing that the hottest guy on this campus wanted Mark so bad might be going to his head a little, sue him. Mark tilted his head slightly to make room for Yuta’s chin to rest on his shoulder, enjoying the ticklish strands of hair brushing against the side of his jaw.
A high-pitched laugh from the kitchen made Mark’s eyes shut as he released a groan of frustration. New relationship energy only served to make Donghyuck even more annoying. Somehow, Donghyuck had convinced Yeri to go out with him. Mark was glad that it was her who ended up spilling the beans to the nosiest roommate alive, in the end. He couldn’t have withstood the pressure much longer, but now he didn’t have to take the blame for cracking.
“What’s good, Markie?” Donghyuck crooned, managing to hit Mark with a sneak attack kiss to the cheek as he made his way over to Yeri. He tried to steal the Claw out of Mark’s fist. Mark tightened his grip and glared at his friend. Donghyuck pouted ridiculously. “Come on! Should you even be drinking, mom? You’ve got all your kids here to look after.”
“You can keep trying to make the ‘pack mom’ thing happen. It’s not gonna happen,” Mark informed Donghyuck, bored. His head dropped back to Yuta’s shoulder, eyelids fluttering, as his boyfriend pressed a wet kiss to his neck. Mark took a long inhale, gathering his willpower to focus back on an unbearably smug Donghyuck. “Like, yo, you’ve seen me. What about me is giving ‘mom’ energy? I haven’t done laundry in two weeks. Yesterday, I burnt a Hot Pocket.”
“The microwave smells so fucking bad,” Yuta murmured, smirk pressed against Mark’s tendon. Mark pinched his hip half-heartedly.
Donghyuck pouted fiercely, jutting his hip out and poking at Mark’s chest. “But you’re always taking care of everyone!! You’re like, obsessed with keeping us together when we go out and you schedule one-on-one hang outs every month so no one feels neglected and you can check in on how we’re really doing. And any time we get into a fight, we go to you to settle it. That’s mom friend shit, Markles. And now you’re all shacked up with the pack alpha… Pack. Mom.”
His logic had so many holes. Mainly:
“That’s… that’s just… Donghyuck, usually you and I are the ones doing the fighting!” Mark cried, exasperated. Yuta snickered into his neck. Mark slapped blindly at his flank.
Donghyuck seemed unfazed. “Yeah, exactly. And you settle the fights by giving in to me. My point stands.”
“Yeah Markie, you know, I’m warming up to all this pack mom talk…” Yuta detached from Mark’s back only to tuck him right into his side, squeezing his arm around Mark’s waist tight enough to steal his breath. “It’s pretty hot, honestly. Wanna give me some werewolf babies, mama?”
“Oh, ew.” Donghyuck’s face scrunched, disgusted. Yuta smiled at him sharply, all teeth.
“You started this.” He reminded Donghyuck, rivaling the king himself in his smugness. Bony fingers kneaded at Mark’s hip, strong enough to make the taut flesh there give. Mark’s pulse fluttered, and Yuta sighed with a contented satisfaction. “C’mon, Markie. Let’s go put some pups in you.”
“GROSS!” Donghyuck retreated with a flounce, wrapping his arms around Yeri and burying his face between her shoulder blades, overtly distressed. “Yuta and Mark are being nasty again. Tell them to stop!”
“Okay, sweetie,” she told him absently, patting his hand. “They always are, honey.”
“Do something!” Donghyuck whined, trying to nuzzle deeper into her spine. Yeri roundly ignored him. Mark poked his tongue out at Donghyuck.
“Put that away, Markie,” Yuta breathed hotly into Mark’s ear. He nipped at the lobe, making Mark swallow heavily. “You don’t want to make me think about what your tongue does to me in front of all these people, do you?”
Mark turned in Yuta’s arms, resting his hands on either side of his long jaw. He brushed their noses together, drinking in the vanilla scent of Yuta’s shampoo, the strawberry of his lipgloss. “Maybe I do.”
“Okay, seriously guys, stop being nasty!” Jeno shouted from over by the fireplace, nose wrinkled sharply. Renjun rolled his eyes and hit him with a pointy elbow.
“They’re being romantic,” he informed Jeno loftily, tucking wispy hairs behind his ears. “It’s sweet.”
“You can’t hear them from over here!” Jeno protested, voice going high and whiny. “You can’t smell them!”
“So?”
“You don’t understand!” Jeno complained, giving his boyfriend puppy eyes. “It’s so terrible for me to listen to them!”
“That sounds like your personal problem,” Renjun told him with a shrug.
Chuckling, Mark pressed a kiss to Yuta’s chin, and to the tip of his nose, and just under his eye, and the ticklish spot right behind his ear.
“I’m so happy,” he whispered, barely above a breath. It was okay. Yuta could hear him loud and clear.
His chest rumbled happily against Mark, warm hands fitting perfectly against the small of Mark’s back, as if they were made to fit there. He twisted his head to rub his cheek against Mark’s, tipping their foreheads together to stare him right in the eye. Mark stared back at him, not an inch away, unblinking. He was used to Yuta’s eyes, now. He was used to Yuta’s eyes on him.
“I’m happy, too.” Yuta’s lips brushed against Mark’s, voice soft like a secret. “You make me happy.”
So Mark’s best friend is a werewolf now. And he’s dating a werewolf hunter, who happens to be Mark’s lab partner in Experimental Orgo, but it’s totally chill. Renjun’s a nice werewolf hunter, and a really great lab partner to boot. Mark goes to lacrosse games with home-made signs cheering on Jeno and watches him play 40 minutes every game, because his best friend is starting line now. And Jeno can’t get drunk on the weekends with Mark anymore, but that just means he’s always available as designated driver, so it balances out. Living with a werewolf pack has its challenges, sure – like when it’s the day before the full moon and everyone is growling at each other because someone drank the last of the milk but put the empty carton back in the fridge and no one is fessing up to the crime. But then, the day after the moon when everyone is exhausted from the shift and makes a huge cuddle pile in the middle of the living room, Mark gets dibs on the center spot as the token squishy human and all that moodiness pays off in apology snuggles. Really, Mark can’t complain. Life in a werewolf pack is pretty great, actually.
Plus, haven’t you heard?
The alpha is super hot.
Coda.
Running. Mark was running. He raced through the paths of the reserve, cutting across wild forest where it would save him time, weaving around trees. His way was well-lit by the dappled sunlight filtering in through the leaves. Mark heard rustling behind him; panting. Every hair on his neck stood on end. He didn’t dare look back.
Finally, he reached his destination. He stumbled out into the meadow, paying to catch his breath. He looked around in wonder at how peaceful it was, how beautifully untouched. Soft grass was matted down like a bed, wildflowers scattered throughout, sun streaming in through the gap in the trees.
Then, Mark was pushed. Gently. He’d been prepared for it, and caught himself with his hands. He rolled over onto his back and found himself pinned. Two great, giant paws were resting on his shoulders, keeping Mark beneath the hulking wolf that loomed above him, blotting out the sun. Mark smiled and wiggled his hand up to scratch behind his pointed ears, appreciating how downy the pitch-black fur there was. The wolf appreciated it too, judging by how his tongue lolled out and his lips pulled back into a smile that showed so many teeth.
Mark giggled and ceased his scratching. Carefully, he bopped the werewolf on the snout. He growled playfully, leaning down and pressing his own wet nose against Mark’s.
“Hey!” Mark protested. Suddenly, the weight on his chest lifted. Sunlight came back in, making him blink hard.
When he opened his eyes, it was a man on top of him, not a wolf.
“Hey,” Yuta mocked him, grinning widely. Mark pouted, making his eyes go wide.
“What was that for!”
Yuta just laughed. Mark began laughing too, looping his arms around Yuta’s neck and threading his fingers through the wavy black hair at the nape of his neck.
“I love this place,” Mark breathed, thumb pressing that place just behind Yuta’s ear where he could feel his heartbeat. “Thank you for showing it to me.”
“I love you,” Yuta said simply.
They were both smiling too wide to properly kiss, but they made it work.
fin.