Aerodynamic (3/5)

[berryboys]

The time slides out of their hands, wasted hours, consumed optimist. Minseok's bedroom becomes a forbidden zone for Jongin. Not only because they agree not to meet so privately anymore, but because when Jongin has a moment of weakness, he discovers the guards have received orders to not allow him in. He cries in front of the two astonished alphas, one of whom hesitates for a second if they should let him just to console him.

Minseok is giving more importance to his soldiers than to a chance with Jongin, and he understands and knows it's the right choice. It doesn't mean Jongin doesn't feel alone, and jealous, and lost. Baekhyun, being the the second-in-command, spends an awful amount of time with Minseok, while Jongin meets him if he forces the occasion; he sits with him at lunch, smiles to fool both Minseok and himself that he's okay, and pretends he can wait.

The thought that he's a horrible person is corroborated, thankfully just inside Jongin's head. There is no trace of the missing pilots, and while everyone is stressed about it - they're afraid to receive the order to stop looking for them - Jongin would rather have Minseok by his side than patrolling to help. This, he thinks, this should be a signal for him to recognize Minseok as his mate; right now, he can't even confirm if Minseok is carrying one, two or more scents.

“You need to meet other wolves,” Kyungsoo concludes during one of the omega meetings, a specially quiet, cold night. Half of the omegas are in their wolf form, but several growls and a howl are the way they show support for Kyungsoo's idea.

Jongin glares at him, eyes shining bright with rage under the moonlight. “No.”

“I'm not saying you have to mate with them, or kiss, or even flirt.” Kyungsoo curls up beside him, teeth draping across Jongin's bicep as an scold. He doesn't flinch at all. “You need to have friends from other ranks. They can give you things that we can't, and no, I'm not talking about sex.”

Friendships with other ranks aren't strange to Jongin, although his closest examples ended in conflict. He considers Chanyeol a friend, but they were having sex, and the rest of the alpha and beta friends he has had weren't definitive or honest. He wonders if this is the problem, if his inability to have a friendship with Minseok, and not exclusively a romantic bond, is what keeps them apart.

“Who could I-?” Jongin begins, cooperative.

Kyungsoo is jumping on him before he can finish, clearly proud that Jongin welcomes his idea. “Yifan.”

“Yifan? Isn't he recovering?”

“Exactly,” the other omega corroborates, a little smile emerging in the corner of his mouth. “You won't see him as a threat, though the guy is ridiculously kind either way, but...”

With a scowl on his face, Jongin contemplates his possibilities. Taking advantage of an injured, potentially traumatized alpha shouldn't be added to his guilt list, less to improve his own mood, but Kyungsoo is right. On the other hand, he's risking his career and his life with this behaviour, and he has come a long way to give up now.

“He's lonely,” Kyungsoo says, as though he's reading him. Maybe he is, having into account he has great skills to anticipate people's moves. “He will be grateful, especially knowing you aren't there because you pity him.”

“You need it,” Luhan agrees, meeting eyes with a graveness that is improper of him. A round of pressing growls follows, and Jongin detests that his family knows what's best for him.

Jongin shakes his head to consent whatever they have planned.

Due to the capacity of wolves to regenerate their own cells, Jongin has never been in the infirmary before. It’s reserved for serious cases, like diseases or badly cured injuries - Kyungsoo told him that once he had to break his leg because it had melded the wrong way - or when they have so many wounds that their bodies can’t keep up with all of them. That’s why the infirmary is almost empty, just a ground soldier that slipped down a cliff days ago, and a few pilots whose planes failed. Plane crashes are terrifyingly common, and like Kyungsoo has repeated a thousand times, his planes aren’t the best version they could be; they’re rushed, good enough to be effective, but not built to bear with complications.

Kyungsoo brings him past midnight because there is only one nurse on guard. They know each other, apparently, since they exchange greetings and the boy opens the door for them with a smile. It still amazes Jongin how Kyungsoo has so many contacts and tricks that he can jump over the rules without effort.

Even laying down, Yifan is one the biggest guys Jongin has seen in the army, which is odd because he must have trouble fitting in the planes. Jongin can’t help but think his wolf is probably enormous too, a unrepeatable specimen, and it results shocking that he was kidnapped by another pack.

“You're Jongin, aren't you?” he asks when they reach his bed, Kyungsoo sitting on it with a half smile.

Yifan is almost fully covered by the blankets, but Jongin can still observe the wounds on his face, neck and arms. He constrains a shiver at the sight of the bites, realizing that if Yifan isn’t in his wolf form to cure faster, is because he’s too weak to even transform.

The omega nods, choosing the other free bed to occupy. Kyungsoo gives him a pleased look, curling up next to the alpha, as Jongin says, “How do you know?”

“I’ve smelled you before.” He seems to cheer up when his words light Jongin’s cheeks red. Kyungsoo laughs softly, burrowing his head in Yifan’s side although he groans about that hurting. “On another person, obviously. I've also heard a lot about you.”

This is a way of showing he knows about Minseok and him, which is both troubling and gratifying. Kyungsoo could have told him too, yet the tone suggests he isn’t talking about that kind of conversation. Jongin doesn’t want to think about Minseok though, and he won’t allude to him by his own will.

“Good or bad?”

Yifan cracks a smirk. “You would be surprised.”

In less of an hour, it’s evident that Kyungsoo was right. Yifan is in such a state that Jongin wouldn’t ever consider him a menace; on the contrary, his instinct urges him to take care of him, which is funny because Jongin has refused to even talk to alphas for the last month. Furthermore, Yifan treats him with a delicacy that, after being ordered around all day, makes Jongin beyond happy.

The visits become regular, also during the day, although Jongin prefers at night because he avoids questions and prying looks. Kyungsoo accompanies him during the first week, but soon their patrol schedules don’t coincide. Yifan and Jongin don’t talk about Minseok. They do about themselves and the army; about how Kyungsoo doesn’t care about anyone but has adopted Jongin as his pupil, and about how he used to be Yifan’s pupil when he entered the air force. And the omega is satisfied to verify that there are other things besides being a mate, that his life doesn’t have to revolve around about Minseok, less when Minseok’s doesn’t revolve around him.

He watches Yifan recover bit by bit, as he teaches him that it isn’t about needing people, but about wanting them. Yifan reveals how it worked with his last mate: it didn’t. The other was an omega and both of them had imprinted on each other, but while they were together, neither of them were comfortable. At first the imprinting deluded them, but their relationship deteriorated until they nearly hated each other. Yifan left him months ago despite being biologically meant for him; the imprinting doesn’t control him, not even when he meets his perfect mate almost every day.

Mating works with its own rules, Jongin supposes. For example, he doesn’t need Yifan, but he will keep him because he has a good, wise heart. And even though his body, his pheromones and his education assure him that Jongin needs a mate, needs Minseok, he knows that isn’t true. He loves Minseok, but that doesn’t mean he has to be miserable to have him. It mustn’t be that way.

“Why are you so distracted?”

Through the radio, Minseok’s voice sounds just as gentle. It would feel lonely inside Jongin’s cabin if they didn’t have the radio, it always does anyways, but Minseok isn’t his favorite pilot to patrol with. It’s their first time, in fact, and all this time Jongin has suspected that Minseok was pulling the strings so that they didn’t have to agonize for hours talking through the radio. Jongin wasn’t ready, and neither was Minseok.

Patrolling with a partner means you always have him very close, even if Minseok is several miles away from him right now. However, his voice runs through Jongin’s bones every time he whispers something through the microphone. The headset feels heavier tonight.

“I’m focused on flying.”

The alpha laughs a bit, not believing him. “My pilots say you’re usually very chatty though.”

To know that Minseok has discussed him in front of other people is new, bizarre. Luckily, Jongin never tells anything too personal despite the boredom of the long piloting hours, and therefore no one could have spilled any secret. Anyhow, Jongin’s only secret is Yifan, and that seems to belong more to Kyungsoo.

In a bad mood, his tongue burns as he replies, “Other pilots don’t want to mate with me.”

He regrets it as soon as it’s out, and the next silence is hurtful for both Minseok and him. He doesn’t intend to reduce what they have to that, to mating and sex, yet Minseok has been so cold lately that the insecurity takes over him. Jongin needs to be reminded that Minseok’s aim isn’t to get him to spread his legs.

“Not entirely true but,” Minseok begins with a sigh. “Okay.”

The alpha gives up then, allowing Jongin to stay silent if he prefers it. It unnerves Jongin though, because now he replays again and again the few words Minseok has spoken. It takes him almost half of an hour to gain the courage to murmur a simple, “Minseok.”

He understands this is the permission and, breathing in, exposes his real concerns. “The omega building’s guards say you’re coming back very late.”

Out of the blue, bile rises in his throat. He loses the control of the plane for a moment, destabilizing it, but he manages to regain the balance in the blink of an eye. He's thankful of being alone not to alarm anyone.

“This is starting to piss me off,” Jongin confesses at last. If Minseok notices his rushed breathing, he doesn't comment on it. “It's not normal that you’re spying me through your inferiors, you can ask me directly.”

To be honest, he isn’t mad about that. What stings inside of him is the fact that he has been pushing Minseok’s thoughts away, while Minseok has been worrying about him. Jongin is angry at himself.

“If you just knew,” Minseok starts then, before Jongin can add anything else. He sounds hoarse, raspy, as though he's muttering the words into Jongin's skin; he sounds like he did during the nights they were alone, when he dared to slip a hand under Jongin's clothes, or when Jongin breathed over his lips, “the things I want to do to you. I thought it would be easier if we were apart, but it’s not.”

Jongin loses all concentration then, stops inspecting the area. His fingers tremble over the toggle, yet that's the last of his problems: he's rubbing his legs against each other unconsciously, searching for a friction that isn't enough.

“Tell me what you want to do to me,” he whimpers desperately.

They are demolishing boundaries too fast, and perhaps because they both know it's dangerous, Minseok sends him a warning with a low, “Jongin.”

“Fuck, tell me.”

“I'm not going to,” Minseok refuses, faking a firmness that crumbles with the shaking of his voice. “You will know when I have you on my bed.”

The next second, the headset becomes mute, a background noise that signals Minseok isn't disposed to argue about this. However, Jongin's uniform is wet, so fast, so easy, with a simple insinuation through the radio, and he wishes he could be as solid as Minseok about his principles.

He opts for scanning the ground again, decreasing the height a bit, but the night is too deep to spot any wolf, lonely or in a pack, wandering in their territory. He's zoning out when the noise from the radio disappears, a clear silence emerging instead.

“Minseok?” he calls, confused.

“Wolves.”

“How many?”

“Four.”

“Give me your position,” Jongin demands, heart beating fast. If there is an uninvited pack occupying a zone marked as theirs, it's an explicit provocation. The problem is the rest of the patrols are far away, and that leaves them two to deal with this on their own. “Don't you even think about going there alone.”

It's evident Minseok was planning exactly that, but in the end he complies and reveals the position to Jongin. He flies in a rush, excited because of the adrenaline of an upcoming fight; he's a wolf, after all, and regardless of their rank, they all are made to fight. They land a couple of miles away from the intruders, because even if the planes are extremely silent, they prefer having time to smell for the wolves, to reconsider if they are in the right location.

Minseok steps out of his cabin as Jongin strips his uniform down to turn into a wolf. The alpha stops him and grips his jaw, forcing him to look into a pair of concerned, serious eyes. “Obey my orders. I swear I will expel you if you don't.”

There is no pilot and no general. Minseok is telling him mate to mate, and Jongin would defy a general if it was necessary, but it's harder when Minseok's feelings are on the table.

Jongin feels brave enough to say, “Promise me we will meet each other again.”

For the first time in months, Minseok smiles.

There are four wolves, remaining in the same location, not minding that Minseok and Jongin are seconds away from reaching them. It’s an invitation to battle, one for unknown reasons, but Jongin accepts that, even if Minseok has the duty to negotiate first, they won’t end in good terms.

While entering the clearing, they find them in formation, human form. Minseok converts and imitates them, not to provoke the fight by himself, though their stares already decide what it’s going to happen. Jongin smells three alphas and one beta, but they all might be alphas as well: they are quite bigger than anyone in Jongin’s pack, foreign wolves that come from another continent, probably an island. Minseok shared these ideas after they rescued Yifan, since they fought against abnormally built wolves, and a voice inside Jongin’s head warns him about the disadvantage.

“You're in our territory, forbidden territory,” are the first words that Minseok speaks, pacing forwards without fright. A subtle movement of his hands commands Jongin to stay behind, though the wolves are only looking at him right now. It isn’t strange, because his pheromones had been acting up just minutes ago, and if he would have drawn their attention before, now he must be the only interesting thing in miles around.

One of the alphas steps up, challenging. “We know where we are.”

“Omega,” the beta whistles, lips crooked in a delighted smile.

Seeing how Minseok’s shoulders tense up, Jongin shifts on his feet, prepared to transform and attack at any moment.

“Don’t put your eyes on him,” Minseok warns, though none of them seem inclined to do so. “Out of our territory.”

“You know,” the beta continues, gaze fixed on Jongin as though Minseok can’t intimidate him. He’s at least a head taller than both of them, yet it’s obvious they are untrained wolves. All they know about fighting, they learned without discipline, a lacking, dirty education, and Jongin feels confident. “We have some of your pilots, but no enough omegas yet.”

That’s all the information they need to opt for violence. Minseok snaps with a wild growl, the wolf taking the control again, and Jongin forces his own without hesitation. It isn’t that easy when he spots their enemies though, wolves that are, definitely, from another kind; Jongin wishes he could convince Minseok to run away and ask for reinforcements, but it’s too late.

Unable to dodge the first, swift assault, Jongin falls back with one of the alphas on top of him. The hit of its paws is breathtaking, and as he rolls to liberate himself, he’s aware that if he wasn’t an omega, he would have died right away: for a single second, the alpha has him in the perfect position to snap his neck in two. He doesn’t, because they want Jongin alive. He manages to be free and respond, and then they are wheeling on the ground, down the hillside, throwing bites at each other. The pain is insufferable, teeth that sink mercilessly inside him, in his shoulders, paws and snout, and his responses become weaker each time, the alpha not faltering at them.

Much to Jongin’s horror, he distinguishes the beta chasing them down. During a moment of panic, he reasons that if Minseok was dead by now, everyone would be following him to the hillside, not only the beta. If Minseok was dead, he would know it, he would feel it. And that’s the last thought he has before they crash against a tree, one of his paws breaking in the process; a second later the beta catches up, joining the teeth fest, and Jongin’s body gives into them.

Jongin doesn’t want to howl for help. Minseok is dealing with two alphas and even the tiniest distraction would drive him to a mistake, to death. However, it’s not Jongin in control, but his instincts, and the wretched, urgent howl emerges on its own.

The wolves have won him, that's evident, and there is only frustration and acceptance in him, as if Jongin doesn't have another option. Even though he has trained for so long and he's better at fighting than them, it's two against one, and he has broken his paw. Besides, he's bleeding too much to get up, and his body is pushing him to become human again, not enough energy to maintain the wolf alive.

When he closes his eyes, he thinks the weight of the wolves fades away because he's falling into unconsciousness. That isn't the reason; Minseok's growl is what jerks him to reality again, and as he opens his eyes and tries to stand on four, Minseok kills the beta by crashing his head against a tree. Jongin hears his neck breaking, but he doesn't have time to be shocked, since the other alpha detects him moving and, as if he knows Jongin is the solution, plunges onto him.

Minseok is faster this time, but not enough. By the time he reaches them, the alpha is biting Jongin's neck, not forgiving him his life once more. Jongin doesn't even have strength to cry, or to feel relieved when Minseok sinks his teeth in the alpha and, with a brutality that is the last consolation to Jongin, pulls out half of the alpha's neck. Everything is stained with blood, and Jongin only sees red until all his senses are shut down.

The first time Jongin wakes up, the world is blurred. He is only able to move his neck, and separating his eyelids takes a terrible amount of effort; he hears the crying, perceives the warm body next to him, but his system is wrecked enough not to recognize the pheromones. The first time Jongin wakes up, Minseok is snuggling him, kissing him in the jaw, the neck and licking him as though Jongin is only dirty, not deadly wounded. His whines are more wolf than human, a type of crying that comes from the soul, a type that reaches souls. Jongin has never heard something similar, and among dreams and nightmares, a part of his brain murmurs that crying is reserved for mates.

Minseok is there the first time, and so is he the second, the third, and every little second that the meds allow Jongin to arise. Sometimes he lasts two seconds, a single blink to make sure the alpha is still accompanying him.

"Can you talk?"

The periods in which Jongin is awake grow longer, but recognizing Kyungsoo in the room is new for him. It's also then he notices he's not on the regular infirmary, because this one is smaller, more private and better equipped.

"He can't," Minseok answers for him, brushing Jongin's hair apart with a sweet smile. "But he will remember whatever you say."

Kyungsoo doesn't look excessively worried, but the point is Minseok doesn't behave like he's in constant emotional pain anymore, either. He just whimpers when Jongin cries because the painkillers don't work, and tortured, he hurries up to send him into the anesthesia again.

"Okay, then I'm going to say it," Kyungsoo begins, sending a significant look towards Minseok. Immediately, the alpha scowls, but Kyungsoo has never flinched at threats, subtle or not. "Minseok is neglecting his duties to be here with you. And it wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't because we have pilots out there that need help. Look at what they did to you, and that considering they wanted to keep you because you are an omega. What do you think they're doing to the rest? Alphas and betas?"

Jongin breathes out slowly, predicting where Kyungsoo is leading him. Even if he's not in his best state, and far from good, he isn't at risk of dying anymore; the doctor has assured him that his immunity will operate without assistance very soon, which will accelerate his recovery.

"Stop," Minseok orders him, hands resting on Jongin's chest as if he's expecting Kyungsoo will attack them. The defensiveness is extreme, but Jongin knows it's because Minseok is scared; he is too. "I'm not going to leave him."

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, yet he talks with comprehension. "You're not leaving anyone. He will always have company, and no one will hurt him."

Logic isn't one of Minseok's traits after what they have gone through. Jongin isn't sure how much time has passed since the fight, but it's clear it’s not enough for Minseok not to fear. No one else would understand it, and while Jongin knows Minseok has to focus on the air force, he wishes to have him laying in bed with him all day and night.

It must be obvious, because days later Kyungsoo is the one taking care of him instead. He laughs when Jongin stares at him with wondering, sad eyes, and explains, "He may be a general, but I have more friends, especially ones that owe me favors. So Minseok is now forbidden in the infirmary."

Unfortunately, Kyungsoo is very serious about it, although he's flabbergasted when Jongin cries in real distress. He is uncertain, too, of what's happening, but the mere thought of not having Minseok by his side rips him apart. It's a different kind of pain, worse than a thousand bites on his neck or broken bones, and Jongin doesn't want to feel anything except Minseok's calming hands on him.

It alarms Kyungsoo, who hurries to narcotize him into numbness with wide eyes. However, as the meds kick in, Jongin hears him announce in awe, "You have imprinted."

Without Minseok, the recovery is unexpectedly faster. Kyungsoo points out that this is because his body centers in the regeneration, not misusing energy for releasing and recognizing pheromones, and Jongin wishes he could drag Kyungsoo across the infirmary by his tail. He’s mentally better with Minseok around, however, and since he seems to have imprinted, he can smell his mate when he’s close to the building.

It’s unbelievable, because he has been expecting the imprinting to be an extraordinary event, something he would detect without trouble. A slap in the face, a kick in the guts, anything that would affect him physically; he knows a couple of omegas whose heat was triggered when they imprinted. But Jongin isn’t sure about the exact moment it happened. It could have been during the fight, for Minseok protected him and Jongin’s mind would have interpreted that as a perfect attribute for a mate. Or it could have been while Minseok cuddled him and cried on his bed, giving him a warmness that was helpful for his state. Even being drugged and in pain, Jongin remembers how peaceful he felt, how he would have accepted a hundred bites more just to share those moments with Minseok. It’s pure insanity, but imprinting is not the smartest part of their nature either way.

Weeks after Minseok’s absence, Jongin is strong enough to keep long conversations. He can deal with visits too, which means that a lot of nosy soldiers try to pretend they are friends of his. The omegas are the first to appear, filling almost all the available hours, and as days pass, people like Yixing, Junmyeon and Sehun manage to sneak into the infirmary. Yixing brings him raw, fresh meat and, with a smirk, assures him, “From Minseok.”

Kyungsoo coos at that, which makes Jongin coquettishly blush. “Courting. A bit late. And giving meat to the sick is the least romantic thing I’ve ever seen, but hunting for you is quite good.”

“It isn’t like he can come here,” Jongin protests, offended. He glimpses the meat, suppressing a silly smile. “Will you stop being dramatic and let him in?”

His complaints always reach deaf ears, so Kyungsoo just blinks at him, not bothering to give him a negative remark. Yixing doesn’t stay for long, but he looks impressed at the fact that Jongin is already able to walk - not to run yet - and insinuates, despite Kyungsoo’s glare, that Minseok will be very happy to be informed of that.

However, wolves need space, need the outside world and, from time to time, to sleep under a tree instead of on a bed. The doctor discusses it with him, and late at night, Kyungsoo begins to tour with him through the forest, always making sure it doesn’t coincide with Minseok being on duty. But, as Jongin improves, he decides to go on his own; of course, when overprotective Kyungsoo isn’t around. He doesn’t travel outside though, and studies that there is a long term patient in the other wing of the infirmary that must be still there: Yifan hasn’t visited yet, and that can only be explained by the fact that he’s not allowed to.

As soon as he exposes himself in Yifan’s section, wearing his uniform so that no one stops him, the alpha’s voice blooms across the room with a potency that Jongin ignored he had.

“What the fuck?!” he exclaims, altered. He throws off his blankets to the side, hurrying to disentangle himself from them, and Jongin would laugh at him if it wasn’t because he’s actually very alarmed. “What happened?”

Jongin steps back, watching him approach too quickly. “I'm okay. I had my first real fight, and turns out I’m not very good at it.”

That’s what he has prepared, easy explanations that don’t make him recall the truth. The fact that he saw his first murder, and a second one just seconds later, and that both of them meant he had the chance to live, isn’t that easy to dismiss. Sometimes, he still perceives the blood of the alpha on his face like it’s still there, his tongue hasn’t forgotten how it tastes; images of the alpha’s head, his muscles being uprooted from the neck, assault him every time he relaxes.

But Yifan doesn’t know that, neither does anyone.

“I was so worried, fuck,” he grumbles, arms enclosing Jongin in a choking hug. They haven’t hugged before, and Jongin thinks this is beyond nice: for months, he hasn’t touched any alpha besides Minseok if it wasn’t to fight. “You didn't come to visit me and no one would tell me why, or where you were! I knew something was up. I knew it.”

Jongin tries not to laugh when Yifan releases him, not to mock his worry. He's grateful Kyungsoo was discreet enough not to fill Yifan's mind with useless problems; he could have done nothing to help him, anyhow. The omega smiles instead, in order to show everything is okay, but then he notices that Yifan is standing on his legs. He gapes, because Yifan is indeed remarkably tall, so much that it's scary, impressive, even though he's still crouching as the hug comes to an end.

“You can walk now,” Jongin says, amazed.

Yifan has probably been able to do so for a while, because he only inspects Jongin in interest. He glances around as to check if the other patients are asleep, and then he turns his attention to Jongin with a mischievous expression. “Do you want to take a stroll?”

It's a quiet night, though Yifan is absurdly talkative. Yet Jongin doesn't mind, as they sit in the shore of the nearest lake, because soldiers are too withdrawn for his liking; Yifan has spent so much time separated from the army life that he behaves different. Minseok appears in his mind immediately, a boy whose life is consumed by battles, piloting and orders. Jongin isn't sure why he chose this path, but he ended walking alongside him and there isn't an exit. Defending your pack is a strangely satisfactory path, especially with one's mate having the same experiences.

"Kyungsoo says you have imprinted," Yifan comments during one of the few silences. He tilts his head to the side, like a father gazing at his child, and asks, "How do you feel about that?"

Jongin hums, bites his lower lip not to grin, curls his toes inside the water. "I feel like it was supposed to happen," he answers at last. "I guess that my childhood crush wasn't only that. It was my body recognizing my mate even if I couldn't feel anything sexual towards him yet. It was pure, back then. Now it's... overwhelming."

"First time someone says wanting to be knotted is overwhelming," Yifan laughs, catching the hidden suggestions in Jongin's words.

"Shut up."

Yifan pleases him for a few minutes, aware that getting into such an intimate conversation might make him uncomfortable. Jongin isn't ashamed of what he currently craves from Minseok, because they have been mature wolves for a long time; he lost his virginity to Chanyeol as soon as they started sharing a house as friends, and although he and Minseok have lived their sexualities on their own, Jongin doesn't think that's important. A mate is a mate, and right now, Jongin has eyes only for Minseok.

"Jongin," Yifan whispers then, and his lips pronounce his name in an odd way, as if there's something to fear. It pulls Jongin's intuition, one that is wrecked, that reminds him of bites all over his body. "You smell."

The omega gazes at him in confusion, a tickle that wanders from his chest and down, stomach lurking, legs shaking. "I smell of what?"

He doesn't need the answer, however, because his body is there to save Yifan from the embarrassment. The wetness between his legs feels extremely good, though it has just started, half hard cock that rubs against the tight uniform as a warning, as a plead for sex. It doesn't hurt yet, given that it's too soon for Jongin to lose his rationality over it, but it's undeniable that his heat is going to hit him in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

Jongin gulps, disoriented, as his thoughts wander more to finding ways to get sex than to have a conversation with Yifan. Still, he manages to croak, "How much do I smell?"

"You just... do." Yifan pales, round eyes, and Jongin's attention flicks towards his fists, which are gripping the mud under them. The alpha moves away bit by bit, trying to put distance between them. "Probably everyone who is outside can smell you right now."

Assuming his friend is afraid of confronting this type of situation, Jongin decides to fix it the sooner, the better, "Would you... call an omega? I-I don't know how this works in the army."

"I can't leave you alone here," he denies him, moving his head with too much eagerness. Clumsily, he stands on his feet, and hesitates before extending an arm for Jongin, who doesn't accept it. "I have to carry you to the infirmary."

It's the best solution, without a doubt. The problem is that Jongin isn't going to be able to even sit up, less to walk all the way back. At best, he will lay back and attempt to keep his legs closed, which becomes evident when Yifan approaches to get him up. Jongin flinches and whines, not receptive, and even if this alpha is someone who wouldn't put a finger on him, his instinct and the imprinting prevent him from trusting anyone who isn't an omega, or Minseok.

"Shit, Jongin, what do I have to do?"

Gasping, he groans a pitiful, "Minseok."

"The moment I leave, another wolf is going to jump on you," Yifan warns him, reticent. "And you are... still wounded. You-"

He never gets to hear whatever Yifan wants to add, because out of the blue he perceives Minseok, and not only his scent, but also his urgency, his protection, his aggressiveness. The relief soaks into him, and it’s a strange reaction, because that type of emotion is supposed to stress him out, not to settle him back.

Therefore, he’s not taken by surprise when he spots Minseok among the trees, but the fact that he’s in his human form is indeed a shock. His pheromones are so active that it would have been impossible to guess, and his eyes shine in the darkness, drawn and lingering towards Jongin. It’s just a second, and Minseok isn’t staring at him anymore, but at Yifan, who hurries to pull his offered arm back, realization materializing on his face.

“General, calm down,” he pleads, adopting an inoffensive, defensive position. However, Minseok keeps advancing, slowly, measuring the situation as if he needed a strategy to reach Jongin, so Yifan insists. “We're not together.”

“Why is my omega outside,” Minseok grunts, baring his teeth. “Why is my omega with you. Why did my omega enter his heat in your presence.”

With the heat waving inside him, Jongin is no way conscious of the danger Yifan is under at the moment. He’s trying to escape without having to show his back to Minseok; that would automatically convert him into a prey, having into account the other alpha would eliminate any possible threat for Jongin.

“Please, look at Jongin,” Yifan tries. It’s a smart move to redirect Minseok’s interests, indeed.

The mere mention of his name works, for Minseok glances at him with an enchanted glint in his eyes. Jongin is huddled, cheeks flushed and expecting, parted lips, and his right hand has already found its way into the front of his uniform pants. That’s not something he would disregard, especially when the tiniest nerve of his nature is programmed to pleasure Jongin, to lift the load for him and stroke him until he’s appeased.

“Please,” Jongin mewls as a confirmation, and that is enough to beat down Minseok’s combative attitude. There’s nothing shameful in how he can’t help but to grip his own dick under the clothes, it’s just frantic, private but correct to show to his alpha. It’s just the way it has to be. “Please.”

There is impatience in the way Minseok licks his lips, lacking of coordination in how he squats and imprudence in how he doesn’t even notice Yifan vanishing. But Jongin understands, and when Minseok reaches for him, fingers grazing over his waist, everything clicks right into its place.

“To my room?” he questions in a murmur, entranced, eyes cast down where Jongin’s hand has disappeared.

As a response, Jongin holds onto him, arm around his neck. Minseok carries him on his back, probably to avoid looking at each other, but the journey is complicated anyway. Touching the alpha whom he has imprinted on worsens his heat in a matter of seconds, and he hops off his back when they’re close to the building, not able to bear with it anymore.

He makes things harder for Minseok, for he refuses to keep walking and, on the contrary, moans against his chest, naughty hands that tug at the alpha’s pants. On the edge of giving into the seduction, Minseok’s breath hitches as he carries Jongin again, and he must have a terrible expression, because the guards don't ask for his ID card to let him into the dorm. Jongin barely notices that there are some people in the halls, and they hurry to disappear into their rooms, doors slammed as if the omega is a menace. And perhaps he isn't, but Minseok will surely be if someone dares to sniff him.

Sharpened senses due to the heat, Jongin doesn't have trouble recognizing the perfumes inside Minseok's room. With his skin burning and his cock swollen, he still feels the excitement washing over him: it smells like Minseok, and nothing more. It's an intense, hormone-filled atmosphere, free from intrusions from another wolf, and his lips stretch in a momentary smile of contentment.

Minseok leaves him on the bed, surviving the provocation of Jongin's hands touching everywhere, and turns around to close the door. However, by the time he puts his eyes back on the bed, Jongin has stood up, feet dragging on the floor towards him. The glint of uncertainty on Minseok's face lasts a single second, and then he's grasping Jongin's thighs, lifting and smashing him against a door that trembles at the collision.

Even though the room spins in Jongin's vision, the contact against Minseok's erection is the only thing he can focus on; his legs, draped around the alpha's waist, waver for the impression, a soft cry that betrays how much it affects him. And then Minseok's stare is on his lips, fleetingly traveling up to his eyes as if wondering if he should, and Jongin breathes out a desperate, "Do it."

There isn't any delay for Minseok to kiss him, and Jongin meets him halfway, just as impatient. Their first kiss isn't perfect, it's messy and hungry; it isn't a complete kiss, but dozens of half kisses, because neither of them can wait for the next one, don't want to finish any of them either. They are kissing against the door one moment, and then they are on the floor, hands among strands of messy hair and clothes that are in excess. The uniform has never been so heavy, so uncomfortable, and as Jongin manages to straddle Minseok, enclosed in his arms, he automatically hauls the alpha's pants, asking to remove his clothes.

Minseok stops him, though, smiling in the kiss, smiling at Jongin's stubbornness and longing. When they need a few seconds to breath properly, he whispers, "You're still too weak for a knot."

That's a nightmare for Jongin to hear. His heat screams at him that he has to be knotted, that there's no alternative, and he agrees. It’s been so long since he last had sex, or since he last had his heat, and sharing a dorm with other omegas translated into rushed handjobs to alleviate himself.

"No," he protests, dodging Minseok's lips. He doesn't sound mad, just pitiful; pushing his hips forwards to grind against Minseok's crotch, legs spreading further so that he can sense his uniform is painfully wet. This time, Minseok's jaw goes slack for a moment, and his arms keep Jongin pressed against his knot, speechless. The omega insists, "No, fuck, I'm not."

His words make Minseok snap, bring his logic back. Lips pressed in a thin line, he carries a confused Jongin back to the bed, but he doesn't give any sign of taking off his clothes.

"We're doing this like I want, or I will leave and call an omega," he announces then. His graveness isn't firm, less when Jongin whines, going back to touch himself over the uniform. "No knotting. I can't, I-"

"Minseok."

He doesn't answer, and although Minseok climbs onto the bed with him, Jongin is certain he is subdued to the older's wishes. Lips meet again, craving, and Jongin senses Minseok's hands undoing his pants, catching both his underwear and his uniform and pulling down. He collaborates to be left naked, just surrounded by Minseok's smell and pheromones, while the alpha needs a moment to calm down at the view in front of him.

"So perfect to fuck," he grunts, inspecting every inch of Jongin's bare body. He stops at his cock, places his hands on his inner thighs and pushes them apart, avid. "You must feel so good."

Jongin is mildly satisfied at the compliment, though that doesn't matter when Minseok starts caressing him, feels his thighs and draws his hands between his cheeks, a single finger tracing the way up to his little cock. He isn't sure about what Minseok likes the most, considering each alpha is different; some like omegas and their tiny cocks, some tend to appreciate more wide hips and round legs, and some just don't care. Whatever Minseok prefers, anyhow, he obviously finds it in Jongin.

"What are you going to do?" the omega asks, gasping when Minseok's goes back to stroke his cheeks. He clenches at the contact, needy, and Minseok sends him a look full of raw lust. Perhaps that's why he dares to whine next, "It really hurts, please."

Even asking for it, Jongin doesn't expect it so soon. Minseok sinks two fingers inside him, only two, yet enough to make Jongin arch in delight, eyes closed. He's aware of how wet he is, how easily Minseok fits into him, and how good it would feel to have his knot stretching him. And Minseok seems to read him well, because he pins Jongin's hips down with one hand, and then a third finger finds his way; this time, Jongin is indeed at bliss when Minseok touches the right spot, legs shaking and crumbling. He lets out the first moan of pleasure, almost in a choke.

"It doesn't hurt now, does it?" the alpha teases, but when Jongin opens his eyes, Minseok seems just as wrecked as him. He isn't smiling, only biting his lips while he observes how Jongin shivers before him.

Jongin isn't able to respond immediately; every time he tries to, Minseok touches him the right way, as deep as possible, and he ends croaking a single, "More."

Hovering over him, the alpha lowly laughs before leaning for a kiss. His fingers slip out, yet he rubs Jongin's cock against his stomach, and that's enough pleasure for him to moan into the kiss, to bite Minseok in order to plead for more.

"My beautiful wolf," he purrs against Jongin’s lips, serious. His mouth lingers on his jaw for a few seconds before continuing to the neck. It's inevitable that memories of Minseok licking his neck surface, and when the alpha sucks on his skin, lips in a smile right after, Jongin knows he's thinking the same. "I've waited so much to have you."

"Yes."

Covering his collarbones with kisses, Minseok asks, "Yes, what?"

"Have me," Jongin pleads, seizing the alpha's head against him. That doesn't stop him though from going on downwards, an itinerary that drags unexpected gasps from Jongin. "Wanted... this for s-so long too."

However, it's useless, and for some reason Minseok isn't disposed to remove his uniform at all. Having Jongin like this, naked, spreading for him, while he's fully clothed is obviously a torture for him too, if his tight pants aren't enough proof of it. Jongin yearns to satisfy him as well, but all those thoughts are gone in the exact moment Minseok's tongue licks the tip of his swelled dick.

Jongin releases a yelp of both surprise and delight, "W-wait."

As though Minseok reads his mind, he speaks to dissolve doubts that haven't been exposed. "I want to. You have such a pretty cock."

If his body is already burning, that's nothing compared to when Minseok praises him. Alphas usually ignore omegas' dicks, since they're not functional except in some weird cases; alphas like looking at them, sometimes, but they find more endearing pleasing their omegas with their own cock.

That's why, when Minseok wraps his lips around his dick, Jongin drowns into an unfamiliar kind of delight. Throwing his head back, he holds onto Minseok's hair, accompanying his bobbing head by raising his hips, completely losing track of time. He just knows that, when he's about to come deep inside Minseok's mouth, the alpha sets his cock free, lips swollen.

"Don't stop," Jongin groans, keen, feeling how his whole length pulses for more.

Minseok doesn’t stop, yet Jongin’s cock is left unattended anyway. The alpha concedes a farewell lick and then keeps descending, tongue running over testicles and sensitive skin, and Jongin finds himself flinching in surprise. His lips are even warmer than Jongin’s own skin, caring but smart, prudent but skillful; Minseok masters what he’s doing and what Jongin needs, if it’s not a knot.

Jongin is certain of what Minseok plans to do, yet it’s still shocking. No one has gone down on him before, which he’s barely conscious of until Minseok envelopes his thighs and shoves them upwards, forcing Jongin to be fully open to view. He lets out a coy hum, while Minseok is already laying on his chest, elbows on the bed and hands keeping Jongin’s legs still.

At first it’s just a kiss, entrance wet with lubrication, but Minseok’s plush lips are far from timid. Jongin stops breathing, a stammering moan leaving his throat, and has a fleeting thought about how fast Minseok is going to finish him. But then he senses his mouth parting, tongue peeking bit by bit until it’s coating his hole. The way Minseok licks without intruding, the way he sucks, making him clench with arousal, has something animal in it; it’s more appropriate for a wolf than for a human, but Jongin’s heat has little of the latter, so he can’t contain the canine whimpers, the response Minseok aches to obtain.

“T-too much,” he warns, petrified on his back.

Minseok doesn’t care, or perhaps he imagines that’s a challenge, Jongin provoking him, because then he puts his tongue to good use, the vibrations of his laughter spreading inside Jongin. Tongue swirling into him, Jongin is sure he won’t last, whether it’s because he has never been treated this way or whether it’s because Minseok tongue fucks him with a single aim. He doesn’t know if it’s possible to cum just thanks to his tongue, but he soon confirms it; Minseok builds up the stress until it’s unbearable, until it explodes and dissolves, Jongin coming untouched on his own stomach.

With a gasp, Minseok sits up to observe him, shining lips and evident panting. His eyes flash with both arousal and pride. “Too much?”

The heat wakes him up again in the middle of the night. Minseok isn’t with him anymore, though he would have never realized because the environment is charged with him. However, there is a shadow sitting on the bed, one that strokes his leg to reduce Jongin’s anxiety, and another figure at the desk, observing them. Quickly inhaling, Jongin recognizes them as Kyungsoo and Luhan, and the anger tickles his skin from head to toe, irrationality being born from his hormones.

“You can pass the heat alone,” Kyungsoo proposes then, a faint whisper in the night. “Or we will get you a beta or an omega. You know that your body isn’t ready for an alpha.”

Jongin differs, yet with the warmth that spreads between his legs he’s unable to argue. He relies on nature being smarter than that, on the chance that his body can bear with the heat is because he can perfectly take a knot. However, Minseok has faded away, allowing others to occupy his role. Perhaps he is oblivious at the fact that Jongin will be offered another person to help him, but if Jongin was in his situation, he would get crazily mad. He already suffers for the mere thought of another wolf leaving his scent on Minseok.

“Alone,” he grunts at last.

Alone implicates another type of consent. It means that sometimes Jongin is in such a state that he can’t even touch himself, it means that sometimes Kyungsoo has to help him by wrapping his hands around his cock, though there is nothing emotional or sexual in the way he does it. Sometimes he hates Minseok for not being there, thinks that his mate is cruel and doesn’t care about him at all. And over all, he hates Baekhyun, him and his fake smiles and the way he tricked Jongin into trusting him at first. He hates that he’s the second-in-command after Minseok, always by his side, usually sharing the tiny space inside a plane, and how he’s way more skilled than Jongin, better at piloting, at fighting, at charming people.

When everything ends, and the silence replaces the noisy vibrations of his bursting body, those toxic feelings are still there.

“I’m telling you, this plane is about to crash.”

Jongin would swear it with his life. Within an hour of flying, the plane has manifested serious issues - it didn’t respond correctly to his orders, and the fuel seemed to extinguish way too fast - and he’s beyond grateful to put his feet on the ground again.

The base is relatively empty, but it’s logical considering he and Kyungsoo have arrived two hours earlier than it’s compulsory. Jongin couldn’t wait. A few days ago, the doctor gave him permission to rejoin his duties with normalcy, whereas the formal request took some time to be processed. In the moment he received the all-clear, this morning, he lured Kyungsoo out of the bed and into the base.

Now, with half of his body still inside the plane and his feet hanging off outside, he receives a threatening glare. “I’ll look into it,” Kyungsoo dismisses him.

It's a sensitive topic, because some pilots are having serious problems and are recovering from the crashes. They're quite lucky no one has died yet, but everyone is aware that as the job becomes more intense, the risk of suffering a fatal accident rises.

Jongin opens his mouth to console Kyungsoo, who has a indignant scowl on his face, but then he flicks his eyes to the entrance. There are strings that pull him to do it, and he's just getting accustomed to this sensation, to his body guiding him to Minseok wherever they are. Minseok gazes at him as soon as he steps into the base as well, and his serious grimace contrasts with the smile Jongin hurls at him. He's with a beta girl and Baekhyun, who don't spare a second glance towards them; the base is starting to fill and the pilots aren't very interested in Jongin's comeback, except Minseok.

"Who allowed you here?" he questions, demanding, when he's close enough to be heard. Kyungsoo seems a bit taken aback at the reaction, funny eyes observing both of them.

It startles Jongin too, because he has assumed that Minseok took this decision. And for a moment, he fears someone has deceived him, or that it was a cruel joke that ended with him flying and, therefore, breaking the rules.

However, before he finds the right words, Baekhyun interrupts. "I did."

Several pairs of eyes drop on him, mostly shocked ones. Jongin doesn't understand why Baekhyun would do him such a favor, in case he has good intentions towards him, and wonders if he should thank him. On the other hand, it's obvious Minseok disapproves, and when he turns to Baekhyun, the feelings on his face are new to Jongin. But they're connected now, and it isn't that hard to recognize what Minseok is so troubled about: he battles between scolding Baekhyun in front of the pilots or letting him get away with the defiance.

"We'll talk about this later," he states at the end, inspecting a Baekhyun who seems little apologetic.

The alpha nods, glances briefly at Jongin with a contained, obscure smirk, and then darts off without a word. Kyungsoo hesitates before following, uncomfortable to be left with Minseok and Jongin.

“Shit, you’re making me lose credit in front of my pilots,” Minseok protests right away, walking to a stoic Jongin.

He looks around to check if they're being watched, and once he feels safe, he leans for a kiss. It isn't the first time Minseok steals a quick kiss from him, though he claims the base is for work and they shouldn't mix intimate moments this way. Jongin learns very soon that Minseok is little faithful to his promises; he says they can't meet during breaks, yet he ends up knocking at Jongin's door; he claims they shouldn't be with each other as long as the scents remains on Minseok, but he doesn't remember that when Jongin presses against him.

“I’m not, you’re doing it by yourself,” Jongin teasingly replies. "You're so busy lately."

It's inutile to complain, too. After all, Jongin is about to discover what has them so occupied, what makes Kyungsoo not appear until the sunrise, or why Minseok skips a lot of lunches to get some sleep. Or why the alpha hasn't laid a finger on him since his heat, and not because he doesn't wish to, but because he's exhausted. Jongin has lost count of how many times he has cuddled Minseok to sleep, just a few kisses and tender good nights.

"I want you to know, I don't think it's okay for you to be piloting again." Minseok sighs and passes his hands over his hair, which immediately falls on his forehead again. The simple movement though, makes Jongin's insides turn, despite being a sign of stress. "You're perfectly capable, but if we have to fight, I-"

"I can do it."

"I know you can," he accepts, and his pupils tremble with real fear. "I know there isn't a reason why that would have to happen again. But then I remember, and..."

Minseok is unable to continue, words finishing in a strangled noise. Jongin lowers his gaze, and the remorse is heavy, so real that he doesn't think of it as something immaterial. What happened isn't his fault, even if it took some effort for him to finally admit it, but Minseok's feelings are too tangible to him. He senses his pain as if it belongs to him, and the last thing he would wish in this world is to harm his mate. Whatever kills Minseok, kills Jongin too, and until now, Minseok hasn't forgiven himself for bringing Jongin to the clearing with him, or for not calling reinforcements instead of venturing alone.

It isn't Minseok's fault either, yet they need someone to blame. That’s an inherent part of their nature, a trait that’s impossible to change.

"Every time," Jongin begins in a whisper. He fists the front of Minseok's uniform, fingers caressing over his chest, "we'll come back home. I promise you."

Being on duty is way harsher than it was months ago, and Jongin finds himself obeying orders that compromise his health. Minseok is always selfish, tries to change Jongin’s shifts so that he sleeps enough, but that wrecks the system for the rest: a too fatigued pilot risks his own life and others’ without realizing, so Jongin stops permitting the protection Minseok gives him.

There are exactly six pilots missing, four alphas, one beta and one omega. Jongin learns to suppress the thoughts about how the omega must be, if he’s still alive, but his hands still tremble while he’s piloting and he catches something out of the corner of his eye. It’s usually another mammal, different from a wolf, though Jongin’s hearts speeds up at the possibility of finding the omega. He cares about the rest, of course; he’s programmed to shield those more similar to him nonetheless, and the horror invades his brain at the memory of the big, foreign wolves, the idea of them touching a tiny omega.

Calls take place at any hour, yet most of them are false alarms. The sightings point that the wolves are hiding in the northern mountains, and while they scan the zone, there are aromas in the air that confirm it. However, they’re unable to find the exact spot, scents that come and go carried by the wind. One night that Minseok is especially anguished, he confesses to Jongin that he suspects the wolves are relocating all the time.

“They don’t want to attack us,” he explains in the darkness, stroking Jongin’s head on his stomach. “They want omegas. They’re not civilized wolves, so they think winning a fight gives them the right to take their adversary’s omegas.”

Jongin was a kid when the last war begun, barely a teenager when it ceased, but he remembers whom they were fighting against. They have been indoctrinated about how the west pack was a community of savages, with traditional ideas that violated certain people’s rights. He doesn’t need to ask to assume what part of their community lacked those rights. The west pack reproved them that omegas shouldn’t be hunting or fighting, that they shouldn’t have a say in not planning to breed; the tiniest of their threats meant the complete destruction of their pack, all dead regardless of the rank they had.

Pondering about it, Jongin guesses they should have claimed the west territory after demolishing it. They didn’t, and that implies that it’s a free territory, which attracts other undesired packs. Wherever the big intruders come from, they’re here to stay, and they don’t fear blood or death.

Given that Jongin is one of the few omegas with higher probabilities of being caught by their enemies, he sets his priorities straight. Dead before owned, even if there’s a chance of being rescued later on. He doesn’t express it out loud, for Minseok would ban him from joining any mission related, and Jongin would understand. One of the most terrible, egoistic things mates do is to keep their other halves alive, no matter the circumstance.

“They may be gone,” Kyungsoo comments on one of the few nights both of them are free. They’re enclosed in Yifan’s room, individual, which makes Jongin wonder if only alphas get this type of privacy. “It has been a few days since we can’t even smell them.”

“They won’t go,” Yifan disagrees, avoiding making eye contact. With his bright personality, it’s easy to forget that he has passed some time with them, subordinated to them. He has witnessed, heard and lived things the rest haven’t, and Minseok is the only one who knows them all. “They’re here to stay.”

Jongin shrugs, in part to shake the discomfort off his own shoulders. “We won’t let them.”

In that exact moment, like agreeing with Jongin, a thunderous alarm goes off. There is no time to be mistaken, because this building belongs to alphas of the air force, so the call is for Kyungsoo and Jongin too. They don’t waste a second before running out of the dorms, among a crowd that is putting their uniforms on meanwhile. By the time they arrive at the base, the area is congested with soldiers. Some are ground soldiers, and when Jongin spots Minseok and jogs to him, he hears the explanation he needs.

“Get a partner!” he’s shouting, unaware of Jongin. He stands next to his plane, in which Baekhyun seems to be adjusting the last preparations. “We’re going to share planes because we need as many people as possible.”

Then, he spins and faces Jongin, and his gaze changes for a moment, as though he doesn’t expect to find him here, as though he dreads it. But Jongin raises a brow at him, hinting that he better not try to hold him back, and Minseok’s expression hardens.

“Byun, get out,” he commands, drawing his copilot’s attention. Then he waves his arm to make Jongin approach, which he doubtfully does. “Kim, you’re coming with me.”

Baekhyun remains frozen for several seconds, staring at the panel like he hasn’t heard Minseok. He’s obligated to follow whatever his general decides, but he isn’t a simple soldier either; he holds more power, just not enough to contradict Minseok.

“What?” Baekhyun finally gazes at them, first at Jongin, slowly, and later at the other alpha. “Are you nuts? Is he using his pheromones to manipulate you?”

Minseok narrows his eyes, calculating if he’s being confronted or not. It’s not only that, Jongin notices, because he discreetly bares his teeth as a warning, and Jongin wouldn’t trust Minseok not to attack after being provoked. “I need you to lead the D13 squadron. Go, now.”

Baekhyun is about to burst, and Jongin recoils when he fixes his stare on him. It’s not a sign of debility, but almost of guilt, even if Jongin doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of. The man disappears before Minseok orders him to again, and then Jongin is bold enough to take his seat inside the plane. Minseok enters minutes later, after organizing the closest squadrons, heavily breathing that reminds Jongin of when he kisses him on a certain spot of his back. His strategy of sending Baekhyun away will be a smart move for the rest, because there are too many squadrons for them to be supervised by only one leader. Jongin and Baekhyun know, however, that Minseok hasn’t taken the decision by meditating about efficiency.

“I trust you,” Jongin muses though, when the door are hermetically sealed.

Minseok doesn’t respond, yet the muscles of his arms are tensed, prominent veins, and Jongin is conscious that words aren’t that helpful here. He starts the flight without building a conversation, only centered in the verifications he receives from Jongin, and when they stabilize in the air, he turns on the radio.

“We have received the call of Kim Kibum,” he explains under Jongin’s inspection. He puts his headset on, though Minseok has just enabled the radio to work one-way. His squadron can hear them, not talk to them. “The position has been introduced in your maps. He caught sight of what is, probably, the pack we’re searching for. We won’t attack from the planes. And I repeat this, I don’t care if you panic, I don’t care if you are fucking cowards, I don’t want any missile or bomb falling from your planes. Remember there are wolves there that could be our pilots.”

This is the first time Jongin is hearing about weapons inside the planes. He has been taught that flying is the way to be undetected until they attack their opponents, that it’s a disgrace for a wolf not to utilize his body to fight. At the moment of truth though, everything comes down to winning, it doesn’t matter the technique.

“How many?” Jongin asks without permission. All the squadron listens to his question, but he’s not regretful.

Minseok dedicates him a long, heartwarming gaze, as though he’s always discovering how to see Jongin in a new light. “Kim says they may be about two, three hundred. We can’t be sure if there are more hiding in the caves.”

The received position is quite far, in a zone not very suitable to live. Most of the pilots are forced to land forming a circle around the area and stay inside, while the superiors overfly to judge the situation.

“Are you scared?” Minseok asks him as soon as they spot the first wolf, a huge female specimen that would be able to break them in two just with the weight of her paw.

Jongin swings his head towards him, but the alpha is catering all his concentration to the panel. “I’m not,” the omega assures, loud and solid. “Why?”

Head down, clogged voice, Minseok whispers, “I want you to be the bait.”

All the past indications make sense all of a sudden: why Minseok brought him in his plane, why he seemed to be beyond nervous, why he eluded Jongin’s eyes and words. He could have been planning this for a long time, preserving it as a secret, maybe not to scare Jongin, or maybe not to terrify himself. But Jongin is proud of him. So proud.

“Of course,” he nods, even if his gestures aren’t important right now. “Tell me what to do.”

Jongin is the only soldier who leaves the plane. This is necessary to insure the pack smells and decides to hunt him, and because if they ignore they’re surrounded by a whole air force, they will be in an evident disadvantage. The fact that an omega appears in the middle of the mountains will be fishy, anyhow, but those wolves are beyond reckless. They will chase any omega. They will definitely chase the omega who has the same scent that was on the bodies of their dead brothers.

Minseok doesn’t let him go without bidding farewell. They kiss inside the plane for a couple of minutes, radio off, and Jongin parts in an absolute silence. It’s raining, and he releases as many pheromones as possible so that the plan works; he transforms into his wolf and sits, sniffing the air every two seconds.

It happens around a minute later, dozens of different scents when he inhales; it wakens him up, fibers clouded with energy, and Jongin does the only thing he can do to save his life: run.

Part 4