The wolves near the border [SKZ fanfiction] | HanJisung

Chapter 13

Autumn arrives and with that the time of foraging like crazy. Jisung's shoulders ache from walking with heavy baskets on his back for days on end. Yesterday they gathered bay leaves and apples, the day before they had to gather grains and separate them from their stems and today they'll travel to different nut trees.
Jeongin and Changbin promised Hyunjin to gather as much Hazelnuts as possible and Jisung told them he knew of some trees a bit further away from their usual route. Thus, the three of them are walking around in search of the trees.
"The trees aren't that big," Jisung tells them. "Look out for round leaves. There should be spiked soft leaves around the nuts. You know which ones I mean?" he asks and only Changbin nods.
"You mean the same leaves as the small three near the river?" Jeongin asks.
Jisung nods and holds his hand up. "The nuts should be around this big. Bigger than those of the beech trees. And not as spikey."
They walk around until they find the trees and Changbin lets out an elated scream when they find a large amount of ear mushrooms not far away from them.
"Yes! This spot is amazing! We can ask Minho to roast them!" he yips happily whilst picking them off a piece of bark and placing them in a satchel.
"Don't take all," Jisung warns him. "If you leave a few, we can come back later and harvest some more."
Jeongin chuckles when he sees his pack members bicker and points at another spot with mushrooms.
"Bin, if you gather those there, we'll pluck the hazels."
They all work swiftly and Jisung is happy with the mundane task. His thoughts are far away when Jeongin nudges him.
"Hey, what are you thinking about? You're looking a little off these days."
He asks it at a quiet volume, glancing over to the older omega who's busy plucking mushrooms. Jisung is surprised his beta leader picked up on his mood. He has been moody or absentminded lately. He contemplates if he should confide in his leader or keep things to himself, but seeing the soft and caring glance Jeongin gives him, he can't help but sigh deeply.
"It's just— I know you love your mates dearly. But— Have you ever wondered, what it would be like— how it would be to-to start your own family? Like— have pups?"
He doesn't dare to look up to his beta leader and continues whilst plucking nuts. "I know we can't biologically get them. I mean, we're a male pack. Duh. But still, have you ever wondered?"
Jeongin stays silent for a moment before speaking. He seems to weigh his words carefully. "I... can't say I haven't," he starts off. "But I'm also incredibly content with what I have right now. I don't want to sound boastful or mean in any way, but finding your mates— it makes you feel complete. I'm sorry Ji, I can't speak for an omega. I personally never had the urges to reproduce as a beta."
Jisung bites his lower lip. He could've guessed his answer as the three of his leaders indeed seem like they have the whole world when they're together.
"Is it because of the girls that your curiosity peaked up?" Jeongin asks carefully.
Jisung scoffs and denies it. "Nah. It doesn't have to do with them. Even if I wanted to, we biologically can't. One is an omega like myself. Our pheromones are too weak to bond and we won't be fertile enough to conceive."
"And Heikin is an alpha," Jeongin fills him in with a mumbling voice. "Your genes won't be powerful enough to start a pregnancy. I get where you come from." He sighs and drops a handful of nuts in his basket. "But on the bright side, it seems Lix and Nelaya are kicking it off pretty great. Wouldn't that be the closest for now? I mean, if they really become mates, there's a big chance we'll be having pups in the pack. You could help raise them!"
He sounds opportunistic and Jisung can't help but feel a little bit misunderstood. Yes, of course he would love helping raise pups if there would be any. But it's not the same. He longs for his own and caring for others isn't quite what he invisions.
Jeongin seems to pick up on the lack of shared enthusiasm. He scrapes his throat.
"You don't have to, of course. I can understand it might be uncomfortable with Felix right now."
Jisung now looks up with a frown to his beta leader. Jeongin smiles awkwardly and avoids his stare.
"It isn't? Huh, I thought... Well, with you two so close— Am I reading it wrong?"
Jisung blinks at him before connecting the dots. "No?" he starts off. "I mean, I had the thoughts before we both presented. Or, I had hopes as we're all a pack. But I never gave it a thought when both our subgenders presented. I mean, if I ever want pups, Felix would be a threat... I don't ever want to see him as my opponent."
Jeongin nods understandingly . It's mostly the truth Jisung told him. When they were younger, he had always gravitated towards Felix. At one point he also developed feelings, but he always thought those weren't the real deal. He was just copying what he saw happening around him with his pack members.
How his pack alpha had immediately grown close to Minho as soon as they found each other after the storm seven years ago. He had witnessed how the two bonded together to protect him.And Felix, who they found shortly after wandering around the beach with no people nearby, lost like a puppy and desperate in search for safety.
He had witnessed how Hyunjin fell for the grumpy Seungmin and how both got smitten with Changbin.
And when their youngest, Jeongin, presented as a beta and seemed attached to the hip of Chan, he had seen how the love of his pack leaders solidified like no other.
So yeah, with all of them falling in love around him, he had given it a thought or two how it would be for him and Felix to be together. But the desire for pups had always weighed his mind and with Felix's presentation, his hope got crushed and set aside. Buried with the longing of something he might never experience.
"Did you ever ask Felix—," Jeoning starts, but they get interrupted when they smell the distressed scent of Changbin. "Bin?" Jeongin asks worriedly. Searching for the other on high alert. "What's the matter?"
"Ah, N-nothing," the omega stutters, something abnormal for the normally calm man.
"Bin, don't lie, we can both smell you're in distress. Tell us, what's the matter?"
They both stop plucking when Changbin points a few feet away towards some bushes and they both see his finger tremble. "I—ah, Maybe I'm wrong. B-but I think I r-recognize that."
Jeongin lowers his basket and hands it to Jisung before stepping towards his mate. Jisung scoots over as well, struggling with both baskets in his hands whilst Jeongin walks over to the trees to inspect whatever Changbin pointed at.
They hear their beta leader mumble something before picking up what seems like a carcass of a dead animal. Jisung's neck hairs rise up seeing the mangled state the carcass is in and he hears Changbin hold his breath when Jeongin brings it closer.
"Are scavengers capable of doing something like that?" Jisung asks, but Jeongin shakes his head.
"Not that long dead yet. It hasn't even stiffened up that much."
They see Changbin swallow and stare at the mangled animal. "We saw those before the bear attack. I thought— with the bear dead, the mystery was solved."
"Could there be another bear?" Jisung guesses.
"Could be, but unlikely though. It gives me the shivers. I think we should go back to Chan and ask his opinion," Jeongin concludes. His face is alert and scanning our surroundings, but they don't smell anything concerning or threatening. Nothing shows danger except for the corpse which Jeongin carefully wraps in some cloth to take with them as evidence.
"Should we warn the others?" Changbin asks, but Jeongin shakes his head.
"If we do that, we'll alert whatever did this," he points at the bundles up carcass. "Let's run back as quickly as we can."

When they get back, Jeongin immediately rushes off to find his alpha mate. Changbin and Jisung get dropped off with Minho who asks Jisung to gather the others together. After that the three leaders talked and came back to share their decisions.
"No more venturing out alone," Chan states firmly.
Jisung's mood sinks drastically after hearing those words. He was finally getting some freedom back!
"Especially the omega's," Chan follows up and Jisung can't help but grunt out loud. Back to square one.
"We don't have to worry yet, but Changbin just had his heat and you—," he points at Jisung, "Are late this year. I don't want anything to happen to you if we're dealing with a rogue or something."
They all look at him and Jisung can't help but throw his hands in the air. "Not my fault! Tell that to my non existing ovaries!"
Some of them snicker, but Chan seems serious. Jisung crosses his arms and scoffs.
"Okay dad, I won't go out alone anymore."