[AN]

Hello!

How is everyone? Well, I hope! I have recently come home after finishing my exams and first year of college and I couldn't be more excited! I'm getting my scuba diving license with my boyfriend right now and its super fun hehe and then I start work next week :( but it's ok! I'll still have plenty of time to accomplish all the writing things I want to this summer!

I have, well, it's kind of a filler but also really not a filler chapter for you all today. Not a ton happens but there are some important discoveries made about Jisung. I am delivering and hopefully making up for the cliffhanger in the last chapter, but I will say this chapter is a bit shorter than others. I was struggling just a tad with writing this one.

But still! I hope you all enjoy!

~・✧・~

The entire pack seemed to make it to Minho's room at the same time, colliding against the door in a flurry of limbs and tails.

They could hear Jisung's muffled cries, his harsh breathing, and the unmistakable sound of Minho attempting to soothe him. Leading the pack, Chan raised a hand to silence the jittering hybrids behind him.

He turned a strict eye on the pack, "Alright listen," Chan started, his voice wound tight, "We are going to go in calmly. Do not make any sudden movements and we let Jisung decide if we approach him or not. Understood?"

When five heads nodded, Chan slowly opened the door, cringing when the hinges creaked loudly.

Minho's bedroom was a mess. Pillows were scattered across the floor, the duvet was hanging hazardously off the side of the bed, and Minho's lamp had been knocked off the bedside table, shattering the bulb. Sunlight filtered through the cracked window, offering just enough light in the absence of the bulb to illuminate Minho in the center of the bed.

He was sitting crisscrossed on the mattress, Jisung held tightly in his arms. The squirrel hybrid was shaking violently, babbling nonsense as he shoved his head farther into Minho's neck. Minho shushed him, running his fingers down Jisung's back as he kissed his head.

"I'm not sure what set him off," Minho said desperately, looking helplessly to Chan. "I didn't even know he was in here until he started screaming."

"I left early this morning," Felix grimaced, voice not yet clear of anger, "Sungie was having a nightmare and I didn't want to leave him along. So, I brought him in here and went out the window -"

Felix's words died in his throat and dodging Chan when he tried to swipe at him, moved to the window. The curtains blew innocently in the morning breeze as Felix ran a finger along the pane.

"I closed this," He murmured, shutting the window with more force than was necessary, "I am certain of it."

"Maybe it got stuck," Jeongin offered from where he was plastered to Chan's back, "That window likes to stick."

Felix shook his head, eyebrows furrowing deeply. Then as if a thought had occurred to him, Felix dove onto the bed, almost knocking Minho sideways. Jisung didn't move, only latched tighter onto Minho's shoulders.

Despite his urgency, however, Felix took Jisung's face into his hands with gentle fingers, smiling as the boy's red and tear-streaked face came into view.

"Sungie," Felix said lowly, and though he attempted to be gentle, his voice was ragged, "What happened?"

Jisung's bottom lip quivered, a fresh wave of tears spilling over his cheeks. Very slowly, he raised one shaking finger and pointed hesitantly to the rocking chair in the corner of Minho's room.

"He was here," Jisung cried, barely understandable through his tears. He'd taken to gripping Minho's hand so tightly his knuckles were white, and the panther hybrid winced, "Minhyuk."

Felix's blood ran cold.

He could hear a litany of gasps from the other members, but he didn't dare take his eyes off Jisung. Underneath the squirrel hybrid, Minho had gone deadly still, his body rigid and face stoney.

"In the chair," Jisung continued, his voice small and cracked as he began to panic, his breaths falling in uneven pants.

"Did he say anything to you, pup?" Chan asked from where he'd materialized at the side of the bed. He ran his fingers through Jisung's hair, attempting to soothe the distressed omega.

Jisung shook his head, grabbing onto the leader's hand in earnest as he said, "No. He just waved. Like we were long-lost friends. When I started screaming, he left through window."

Chan blew out a long, hard breath. He seemed almost unsure, and that, if anything, put the pack more on edge to see their usually rock-solid leader, lost and hesitant.

Seungmin took the cue for him, crawling into the bed and nudging Jisung's arm until he could lay his head in the boy's lap. He let Jisung fiddle absently with his ears, knowing the distraction would help him stay grounded, present.

"The important thing, Sungie," Seungmin started, gently easing Felix to tend to Minho. The elder seemed to be in a state of shock. "Minhyuk is gone now and you're safe. We'll upgrade the locks on the windows, make sure everything is sealed up nice and tight. He won't be able to get back in here again. And I am sure,"

Seungmin paused to look pointedly at Felix who had the decency to shrug bashfully, "No one will be wandering out again so late at night, regardless of how badly they want answers."

Chan looked up sharply, his eyebrows drawing neatly together.

"You heard us." He stated. It wasn't a question, but Seungmin nodded anyways.

"I did. As did Jinnie. You all weren't exactly subtle this morning."

"I'm sorry," Felix sighed heavily. He'd wrapped himself tightly around Minho, bracketing the elder's ribs with his arms and squeezing tightly. The pressure was sure to sting but Minho was breathing easier, steadier, able to reposition his hand loosely around Jisung's waist. "This is all my fault. I couldn't stand waiting around for the other shoe to drop, so I snuck into D.O.R.O.H. in my cat form and retrieved Sungie's file. I was hoping it would tell us why Minhyuk is so dead set on getting Jisung back. No one saw me, I swear."

Hyunjin came forward then, taking Felix into his arms and kissing his forehead.

"I'm sure they didn't," the Husky assured, "In your kitten form I'm pretty sure you could avoid tripping even the most advanced security measures. But even still, risking your life just to obtain some files, Lixie? It's just too dangerous, sweetheart."

Felix softened considerably, tension finally leaving his shoulders as he sunk into Hyunjin's embrace.

Jisung too seemed to be calming down, enough that he could scratch Minho's scalp and scent him until all he could smell was fresh fruits. Minho lips quirked at the corners as he peered down at Jisung.

"I'm alright now, Sungie. Just a bit shocked," Minho assured, twirling Jisung's tail as he turned to Chan, "Why would he come here just to sit? I don't understand."

"I don't know," Chan shrugged, still at a loss for words, "Minhyuk has always been unpredictable, but even this is outside his realm."

"At least we know why he's so determined to get Jisung back," Seungmin said easily from where he was still peacefully resting in Jisung's lap.

Seven heads turned to stare at him.

"We do?" Changbin asked, confusion clear in the lines of his face.

Jisung shifted uncomfortably, curling in on himself as Seungmin continued almost cheerily,

"Sure, we do, it's right there in the files." The beta nodded to himself, ignoring the stark confusion and curiosity curling off his members.

Jisung had withdrawn fully now, even pulled away from Minho as he wrapped his tail tightly around his waist.

"Lee Hangwon," Seungmin supplied as if he were reading straight out of a catalogue, "One of the richest CEOs in Seoul, debuted his acclaimed Hybrid Collection to the public last fall. The Collection, as he called it, stores only the rarest of hybrids, each more dashing and expensive than the last. It's anyone's guess what hybrid he'll obtain next."

"I still don't understand," Jeongin asked timidly, his mouth set in a firm line. "What does that have to do with Sungie?"

Jisung whimpered quietly. On the edge of the bed, curled into a tight ball, the boy looked impossibly small as he stared at the youngest member.

"Don't you see," Jisung whispered desperately, his voice threatening to crack, "I've been bought by one of the richest and most powerful men in all of Seoul."

~・✧・~

[AN]

Hmm, well, so now we know sort of why it's so important to Minhyuk he get Jisung back.

There will be more information in the next chapter why it's so important to Minhyuk so consider the ending of this chapter a teaser for what's to come lol.

What did you all think of the chapter? I'm curious so lemme know in the comments! And what did you think of Minhyuk just sitting in Minho's room, watching? He's pretty creepy right?

I'm hoping to get another chapter out soon, but I have some other story updates I need to write and some work stuff I have to do before I go on vacation in a few weeks. But! I don't want to take too long so I'll start the chapter as soon as I can!

Please remember that you are perfect just the way you are! No one has the ability to tell you who you should be, who you are, how you should be, or how you should look. You are the only person who gets to make decisions about yourself and if other people don't like it, then they don't deserve you anyways. You are amazing and wonderful and magnificent and all other adjectives that encapsulate AWESOME!

Until the next update!

With all my love,

- Megan <3