When you were assigned to their pack three months ago, none of them knew what to expect.

New additions were always a gamble—even for a group as tightly bonded and instinct-stable as theirs. They weren’t sure if they would like you, if you’d clash with their rhythms, or if their instincts would push you away before you had a chance to settle in. They’d had so many smooth introductions in the past that, ironically, it only made this one feel more uncertain. A pack that functioned this well was naturally protective. Naturally anxious about disturbances. Naturally wary of letting a stranger too close.

If it had been anyone else assigned to them, maybe they would have been right to worry.

But it was you.

And from the moment you arrived, it was like the pack exhaled.

You slipped into their dynamic with a gentleness that didn’t demand space but earned it anyway. Your scent settled comfortably among theirs; your presence didn’t disrupt their instincts but steadied them. Even the first time your heat hit—or when their ruts flared—you didn’t throw the pack off. If anything, you seemed to make things easier. Calmer. More manageable.

The betas were the first to say it out loud: you were easier to regulate around than even their own long-term members. You didn’t spike their stress, didn’t trigger their need to over-manage, didn’t rub against their instincts the wrong way. You simply… fit.

And then the rest of the pack realized it too.

They loved you—not in a loud, overwhelming way, but in the steady, instinctive, you’re one of us now kind of way. Jiung’s quiet fondness, Theo’s subtle smiles, Intak’s soft teasing, Keeho’s gentle leadership… all of it wrapped around you before you could even fully process that you belonged to them now.

But no one clung to you more than Soul and Jongseob.

For whatever reason—instinct, chemistry, fate—those two attached themselves to you fast. They hovered near you, sought your scent for comfort, relaxed the moment you stepped into a room. The pack teased them about it constantly. The boys never denied it.

And now? This week?

It was worse.

—or sweeter, depending who you asked.

The two of them had synced up: Jongseob deep in his heat, Soul caught in his rut. Miserable, uncomfortable, touch-starved in that way only instinct could explain. The whole pack was pouring attention into them, pampering them, soothing them the best they could.

But the boys kept asking for only one thing.

You.

Keeho was the first to sigh and say, “We might as well let them see you. It’s not going to stop.” Theo, ever gentle, had agreed, steadying your shoulder with a reassuring squeeze. Jiung had offered a soft, “We’ll be right outside if you need anything.” Even Intak gave you an encouraging little grin as he opened the hallway door.

And now?

Keeho and Theo flank you as they guide you softly into the dimly lit shared room.

The air is warm—too warm—and thick with scent. Soul and Jongseob sit tangled in blankets on their bed, flushed, uncomfortable, instincts running high and raw. At the sound of the door, their heads snap up, eyes glassy but brightening the moment they see you.

As if you’re the missing piece their instincts have been screaming for.

As if your presence alone is enough to ease everything hurting in them.

Keeho steps aside, voice gentle. “Go on. They’ve been waiting for you.”