Chapter Text
Felix is nervous, bouncing lightly on his toes. They’re tense and on edge, every single one of them. That’s not surprising, given what they’re getting ready to do. His pack is clustered together, their youngest in the center. They’re all facing different directions to keep themselves from being snuck up on, but Jeongin has most of their attention. Chan is standing next to Jeongin, wrapped around him with his face pressed to the Beta’s scent gland. Chan, as the pack Alpha, had gone for Jeongin first and none of them had argued. During their last phone call, when Felix had asked the Beta who he wanted to scent him first, Jeongin had asked for Chan with tears in his voice. So, of course, the rest of them are letting Jeongin have his moment with his Alpha and his pack leader. Jeongin has his head tilted to the side, exposing his throat, face finally relaxed. They’ve been apart for longer than any of them like, and it ached at everyone in a way they weren’t accustomed to.
Changbin is also wrapped around Jeongin’s back, scenting him thoroughly. They’d all missed Jeongin, of course, but…it was different for Chan and Changbin. They were the Alphas of their pack, and being protective and close to the members of their pack is wired into their instincts in a different way to the rest of them. Felix looks around at the rest of his pack, doing a head count. Jeongin, Chan, and Changbin make three. Felix himself makes four. Seungmin, who had brushed a quick hand over Jeongin’s hair and pressed close enough to press a kiss to the other Beta’s cheek, makes five. Seungmin is hunched over the computer propped up on the van. He’s typing away, cutting the cameras and getting rid of the alarms that are built into the Compound they’re currently breaking into. Lee Know, who is next to Seungmin and strapping his weapons to his body, makes six. The Beta is one of their hitters, and he always shows up prepared to fight for them. Although they should be walking into as peaceful of a situation as they can get—everyone should be knocked out—there’s no such thing as too careful in their line of work. No plan survives first contact with the enemy after all, and Felix is not going to give their enemy any more openings than they’ve already had. Felix is right next to Hyunjin, who makes seven. Felix relaxes slightly at the confirmation they’re all here and safe and together. Not that any of them would be so blasé if one of them were missing, but the confirmation is still nice and settles something inside of him. At last, after so many times of doing a head count and feeling it like a punch in the stomach when he counted six, they once again make seven.
Felix and Hyunjin are waiting for their turn to scent Jeongin. They’ve missed him as well, and Hyunjin is starting to get impatient. He’s been shifting from side to side the entire time, speeding up the longer Changbin and Chan keep Jeongin pinned between them. Felix laughs softly as Hyunjin gives up waiting and gently tugs at Chan’s arm. Chan turns, eyes glowing a bright red, and grins unabashedly.
“Sorry, loves. I missed my baby.”
Jeongin growls lightly in annoyance that they all know is fake, and lets Hyunjin pull him into a hug. Felix worms his way between Jeongin and Changbin, pressing right up against Jeongin’s back, shivering when Changbin simply pins him there. Oh. This is nice. Felix rubs his face along Jeongin’s back and shoulders and up to one of the scent glands on the side of his throat. That piece that’s been missing, that’s been making Felix and Hyunjin, the Omegas of the pack, nest restlessly as they looked for someone who wasn’t there and searched for a scent they couldn’t find, finally clicks back into place.
Felix pulls back just slightly, sighing and wrapping his arms around Jeongin’s waist. He meets Chan’s slightly worried eyes over Jeongin’s and Hyunjin’s shoulders. He nods slightly. He’s ready. They all are, even if they’re all jittery. It’s not hard to understand why. The Stray Kids pack has been waiting for the chance to have a chance to get at the Cobras for a long time, ever since they’d taken Hyunjin. Thankfully, they’d gotten him back before anything had happened, but Hyunjin had still suffered. He’d been threatened and slapped around before they’d managed to find him, and Hyunjin hadn’t been able to handle having the scents of Chan, Changbin, and Lee Know near him for longer than any of them had been comfortable with. Chan and Changbin, who had typical Alpha scents, and Lee Know, who had an unusually strong scent for a Beta, had been devastated. Hyunjin was only able to handle the scents of his Omega and two of his Betas, and it had messed with their pack for a long time, until gradually, they’d managed to work Hyunjin back up to welcoming their scents into his nest, and then welcoming each person into his nest. Now, things were back to normal for their pack, although Hyunjin still hated being around the scents of other Alphas.
Now, after weeks of planning, they’re finally about to make a move. Chan and Lee Know had come up with a plan to infiltrate the stronghold of the Cobras. The Cobras were run by and protected by Jaeyoon, the leader of the Cobras and an Alpha with a contempt for Omegas that bordered on insane, and which led Felix’s gang to wonder—often loudly and within earshot of as many people as he could manage—what the Alpha was compensating for. That probably didn’t help the Cobras and the Stray Kids relationship, but Felix wasn’t all that fussed about. Jaeyoon had started it, and it’s not Felix’s fault they’re finishing it.
Jeongin, who was the only one that Jaeyoon wouldn’t know, had spent weeks working for the Cobras, weeks away from his pack, earning Jaeyoon’s trust. He’d managed to be made into one of the Alpha’s bodyguards, which made Felix weirdly proud because Jeongin was so good at what he did. However, the separation hadn’t been good for any of them. The pack had hated sending Jeongin into the grasp of a man who hated them without backup, but they had no choice. Jeongin was the only one of them that Jaeyoon hadn’t seen. He’d been laid up in the hospital and unconscious with a gunshot wound when Hyunjin had been kidnapped, which was the only reason that Jeongin had stayed in the hospital and not broken out to find Hyunjin. He would have absolutely had to be pinned down to keep him from climbing out the window to get to Hyunjin if he was awake. One of them had stayed with Jeongin at all times, but the rest of them had been on the move, trying to track Hyunjin through the city, and were easily observed by Jaeyoon and the Cobras. They were too frantic with worry to hide who they were affiliated with, and so Jaeyoon would be expecting them to come after him. But Jeongin? Jeongin could be unassuming, and meek, and blank when he wanted to be. Jeongin was a grifter, and a damn good one, too. But he was also the youngest, and a Beta. While that meant that while Jaeyoon wouldn’t go after Jeongin like he went after Omegas, Jeongin would still be treated more as disposable cannon fodder than anything else. Still, being treated like cannon fodder rather than a person was less dangerous than being treated like nothing but a toy. It still prickles at Felix, though, the idea of Jeongin being treated as any less than the blessing he is.
They didn’t like Jeongin leaving the house without their scents on him on the best of days, and now? Having him out there alone pricked along their nerves like nails on a chalkboard. It wasn’t even just him being alone, it was him being surrounded by their enemies without them that drove them crazy. None of the pack could even scent him to give him some modicum of protection, because Jaeyoon would have recognized their scents. But…Jeongin had insisted, knowing that one of the quickest ways to get to Jaeyoon was for him to do it, and…well. Jeongin could be just as protective as the rest of them. No one hurt his pack and got away with it.
Jeongin had waited until he’d finally been trusted enough to be sent to patrol the grounds alone, which had taken around two weeks. The Cobras were desperate for more men—shockingly, a gang in which Alphas were the only ones that mattered, and even then, it was only the Alphas who could force others to submit, didn’t exactly make for very good retention of staff. He’d reported this back, during one of the very sparce phone calls, and Hyunjin had said that it meant one of two things: either Jaeyoon was confident that his hold on his territory was unchallenged, which meant he was too stupid to realize how many packs loathed him and would gladly eradicate him if given the chance, or it meant that Jaeyoon thought he had impenetrable defenses. Felix was betting on the first option.
After managing to get himself alone on the grounds, he’d snuck around back, as per the plan. He’d laid the solution that Felix had made in the air vents, which Felix was very proud of. It had been a little tricky, using something that would knock out Jaeyoon’s pack that could also be spread through the air vents. He’d managed it eventually, though. They’d only managed to pass the mixture to Jeongin through a series of deceptions, drops, double backing, and disguises that left Felix slightly dizzy trying to keep track of all the moving pieces. Still, having something so odd and convoluted was one of the best ways to keep Jeongin safe, and Felix wasn’t willing to risk Jeongin so that he could fully understand the plan. Someone in the pack—Hyunjin—understood, and so did Jeongin, and that was all that mattered. When they’d given Jeongin Felix’s knock-out gas, Jeongin had given them the blueprints for Jaeyoon’s pack house. They’d managed to make a plan with those, tracing routes and marking places they’ll need to look at.
After dropping the mixture by the vents, Jeongin had waited for it to take effect. Then he’d circled back and let the rest of the Stray Kids pack in the gate. Right now, all the people in Jaeyoon’s Pack House—which was nearly empty anyway, given Jaeyoon’s treatment of his members—would be asleep. They can’t move in just yet though. They’re still waiting for Seungmin to finish hacking the house and taking control of the exits, entrances, and alarms. There’s no sense in leaving anything up to chance. If Jaeyoon managed to get word out and now has allies coming to help him, they want to know about it.
“Done.”
Felix sees Chan look up from where he’s been pacing. He bares his teeth, smiling wolfishly.
“Good.” It’s a purr more than a snarl, but Felix can still sense the animalistic rage behind that word. Chan hasn’t aimed it at them—he never would—but a shiver still runs down Felix’s spine.
Chan hands out gas masks, double checking that the pack has the masks on correctly. Another preventable disaster that has hopefully been prevented by Chan’s diligence—passing out because of the gas Felix had made. Changbin, checks Chan’s, giving him a look that screams include yourself in the check’s you idiot, and leans in to press their foreheads together, seeking a little assurance from his Alpha. Felix waits, as do the reset of them. Chan is the leader; they move when he says. Except if he’s being an idiot.
Chan pulls back and nods at them. “Be careful.”
They move quickly and silently through the house, grabbing people and moving them into rooms that they lock behind them. Chan and Lee Know head to Jaeyoon’s office, taking Jeongin along with them. He’ll want to stay next to Chan for a while, since he’s been separated from his Alpha for so long. Seungmin, Changbin, Hyunjin, and Felix head to Jaeyoon’s suite. Seungmin wants to see if there’s anything on his personal computer before he goes after the one in Jaeyoon’s office. Hyunjin and Felix are just curious, and Changbin doesn’t want to believe them alone in a strange Alpha’s den. They open windows and doors to the outside along the way. The gas masks, although necessary, don’t look very intimidating. Intimidating is the image they’re going for right now. Anything less would be an invitation for retaliation, and Felix will not allow that. By the time they reach Jaeyoon’s suite, Felix feels confident enough to tell his pack they can take the masks off. He uses the walkie talkie clipped to his belt to pass that message to the rest of the pack as well.
Jaeyoon’s rooms are about what Felix expected, honestly. Gaudy, filled with gold and expensive things that Felix wants to break on principle Felix tilts his head just slightly, not enough to bare his throat to the room. He wouldn’t stoop to baring his throat to anything or anyone even remotely involved with Jaeyoon. It’s not like he can’t smash things. He picks up the ugly vase—and really, Jaeyoon had such poor taste—from the table right next to him and throws it at the floor. Hyunjin flinches at the sound, whipping around to face him, and Felix feels a pang of regret. That wasn’t his intention. Hyunjin relaxes when he realizes it’s only Felix. Changbin also swings around, ready to fight, only to give Felix a baleful look when he realizes what Felix is doing. Felix grins at him. Seungmin darts a glance at them, rolls his eyes with a fond grin playing at the corners of his mouth, and goes back to Jaeyoon’s computer. Hyunjin, having realized what Felix is doing, grins and starts smashing things as well. They ignore the way that Changbin grins and shakes his head at them. He’s more concerned with watching the rest of the room for any threats that may approach his pack while they’re distracted ruining Jaeyoon’s life in any way they can.
“Felix. Hyunjin.”
Felix’s eyes immediately snap to Changbin. His voice has gone deep and threatening, in that way that means he’s sense something the rest of them have not. Felix grabs Hyunjin by the hand and moves them both behind Changbin. Seungmin is already behind him, having deemed Jaeyoon’s computer uninteresting and abandoned it. Changbin moves forward slowly, approaching a door that Felix hadn’t clocked as anything interesting. There was no scent emanating from it, nothing that had caught his eye when there were much more interesting things to be destroyed. He’d simply thought the room was a bathroom, or a closet, or perhaps a rarely used storage area. However, it was locked from the outside, which is probably what Changbin had noticed. Changbin carefully picks the lock and cracks the door, shrugging his shoulders to make himself look bigger. Felix recoils at the scent that comes flooding out—the salty scent of the ocean. An Alpha. But…why is that scent here, in Jaeyoon’s private suite? Maybe there’s an Alpha in there? But…why? Jaeyoon wasn’t attracted to Alphas, he’d made that disgustingly clear. Maybe it was some sort of intimidating tactic? Or a failsafe? Having an Alpha who knew how to fight waiting in Jaeyoon’s rooms just in case? But then, why had the room been locked from the outside? How was the Alpha supposed to protect Jaeyoon’s pack if he couldn’t even leave the room? Changbin moves forward, motioning for the others to stay where they are. Felix does, but he leans around Changbin as much as he can, letting Hyunjin hold up his weight. What’s in that room? What had Changbin noticed? What has Changbin saved them from?
They all freeze, shocked, when they see someone awake. That person also goes stock still, eyes wide and staring at them from his place halfway between the bed and the desk that is shoved against the wall. Felix resists the urge to laugh. He’s never dealt with tension very well, and this must look a little ridiculous—four men, staring at teach other. The man is covered in the marks that come from being claimed—hickeys and scratches, wrists ringed with red, and deep, painful looking bruises on his scent glands. Ah. That’s why he’s here. Felix smirks, leaning more around Changbin to see what kind of Alpha could have caught Jaeyoon’s attention in that way. He blinks when he catches sight of the strange Alpha. He's…quite pretty, for all that he’s wearing large, oversized clothing. It only makes him look smaller and almost…cute. He doesn’t really blame Jaeyoon for being attracted to this Alpha, and isn’t that just a disgusting thought? Felix grimaces.
Hyunjin must catch the scent after that, because he makes a sharp sound in the back of his throat and moves even more fully behind Felix, drawing Seungmin in front of him as well. Hyunjin—bold, vivacious, fierce, Hyunjin, is hiding. Jolted back to reality, Felix snarls, pressing more against Changbin. Had this Alpha been involved? Why isn’t he knocked out? Felix had tested that gas on his pack—every single one of them had been knocked out. Although…this room is bare of any other scents, has no decoration to speak of, and is shockingly small. It must be some kind of panic room. Who is this man to Jaeyoon? He’s obviously important, beyond being a simple hookup. He has access to a private panic room in Jaeyoon’s suite, which he must have fled to when he’d heard the Stray Kids pack coming. Felix winces internally, but ensures his face is kept an unmoving, emotionless mask. They hadn’t exactly been quiet, which must have given this Alpha the opportunity to flee to the panic room. Someone else—most likely Jaeyoon—had been in the bedroom with him, and had locked him in the panic room to try to keep him safe. It hadn’t worked, of course. Felix’s pack is brilliant.
This Alpha also bears Jaeyoon’s marks. That’s another indicator of a particular sort of bond, one that is much deeper than a simple hook up. Alphas don’t just let other Alphas leave marks all over them unless there’s a deep connection. Chan and Changbin mark each other all the time—had, in fact, left several marks on each other and the rest of the pack before coming here—but they’d had to work at it. Had to get used to submitting in front of and to each other, had to get used to having an Alpha at their throat without it being a challenge.
The man twitches, and that’s when Changbin moves. He lunges forward, toward the man, who yelps and tries to scramble back. He can’t quite move well enough to scramble anywhere. He’s limping and his legs won’t quite hold his weight. Felix reckons he must be in a lot of pain from a no doubt brutal claiming. Felix smirks slightly. This Alpha must like it rough—no shame, so do Felix and the rest of his pack, occasionally. Changbin catches the Alpha by the throat, just under his scent glands, resting high up on his neck, and shoves him toward the closes wall. He pushes until the man’s back hits the wall. Changbin moves in close, baring his teeth around a loud, threatening growl. The man chokes, clawing uselessly at Changbin’s hand. His scent sours with fear, turning more toward the rancid smell of saltwater left lying in the sun for too long. Felix moves forward, despite wanting to get away from that scent, because he knows Hyunjin will want to get closer. Felix wants to be in front of Hyunjin when he moves—he can be just as protective as his Alphas.
“Now,” Changbin says, growling deeply and loudly in the way that is meant to threaten instead of getting his pack’s attention. The Alpha’s scent flares again, and Felix eyes him. He doesn’t blame the Alpha for being afraid—Felix is proud to say that his pack can be quite intimidating. But they haven’t even done anything to him. Someone involved in the gang scene would have seen much worse than this, so why is his reaction so strong? Oh. This Alpha must be some sort of kept Alpha. Maybe some type of sugar baby situation? That type of relationship isn’t uncommon in their kind of lifestyle. It makes sense. If Jaeyoon was letting this Alpha close enough to be marked, Jaeyoon must either trust the Alpha, or trust his own ability to overpower him. Felix eyes him. This Alpha is tiny beside Changbin’s bulk, all slender and lean. Jaeyoon, brute that he is, would probably have no problem overpowering him, even though this man is an Alpha.
Changbin continues. “This is going to go one of two ways. You cooperate and let me tie you up, or I make you submit and tie you up anyway.” Felix resists the urge to shiver. It’s not his fault Changbin is so hot when he’s angry, but this is most definitely not the time. Hyunjin, still pressed up against his back, is having the same reaction. Beside him, Seungmin tips toward Changbin before catching himself and straightening back up.
The Alpha isn’t doing anything. He’s not even really fighting anymore. He’s just clutching at Changbin’s arm. His eyes have gone glassy, his mouth is dropped open slightly, and his shoulders are as hunched around his ears as he can get them. Felix frowns. If Changbin had talked to him like that, he’d be dropping to his knees, not just…standing there. Changbin raises a fist threateningly, and the man flinches, trying to speak. All that he manages is a strained gurgle. Felix sees Changbin loosen his grip, but he doesn’t let go just yet. The man leans forward, retching and coughing, face red and eyes watery. Changbin shoves him back up, and the man nods, breath hitching. He doesn’t say anything, and Felix wonders if it’s because he can’t, or because he’s protesting in the only way left to him. Felix wants to make him talk on principle at that thought. How dare this Alpha resist in any way? Before he can, though, Hyunjin slides around Felix and completely ignores the way Felix and Seungmin grab for him. Hyunjin reaches for the man’s hands, and Changbin tightens his grip on the other Alpha’s throat immediately, rumbling deep in his chest to keep the man still. The man looks at Hyunjin, and Felix and Seungmin both growl. The Alpha drops his eyes immediately. Felix narrows his eyes. That’s rare—an Alpha who drops his eyes because a Beta and an Omega growled. It must be because Changbin is still there in front of him, throwing off the scent of a storm. Felix wants to bury his face in Changbin’s neck to get that scent on him, but he doesn’t. They have a job to do. He will not allow anyone to hurt his pack because he fell into his instincts and allowed himself to get lost in scenting his pack.
Hyunjin cuffs the man’s hands in front of him first, then wraps the collar connected to the cuffs around his neck. The man doesn’t protest or thrash or even try a roar. He just makes a quiet, pained sound when Hyunjin tightens the restraints. Felix doesn’t blame him—the way they’re digging into his already marked up skin must be uncomfortable. However, Felix is definitely not going to tell Hyunjin to go easier on this strange Alpha. He’s part of Jaeyoon’s pack and is clearly important to him. Even if he is a kept Alpha, he’s still choosing to be here. He’s still choosing Jaeyoon. Felix has no sympathy for him.
Changbin closes a hand around the small chain connecting the man’s cuffed hands to the collar around his throat, and drags him around the little cluster the rest of them are in. He heads for Jaeyoon’s office, where Chan is. The man gets a little woozy, likely from the remnants of the gas in the air, which Felix takes note of. It’s not affecting the Stray Kids pack as badly, which is interesting. Perhaps it’s because the Alpha had gotten used to a scentless environment while in the panic room?
The Alpha starts moving even slower than he already had been, and Changbin gets annoyed quickly. He stops going at the man’s speed and simply drags him along by the chain between his hands. Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Felix follow. They get to the office quickly, and Felix can tell from down the hallway that Chan, Lee Know, and Jeongin are all furious. The strong mixture of their scents, twisted by anger, are a dead giveaway. Chan’s foresty scent has turned into burned pine, Lee Know’s coffee scent has gone bitter, and Jeongin’s fresh baked bread scent has gone charred and cold. Felix meets Seungmin’s eyes and they both grimace. Clearly, this isn’t going like they’d hoped. Felix rolls his shoulders determinedly, loosening them up for a fight. Whatever is happening in that room, they’ll handle it together, as a pack.
Jeongin is tucked right behind Chan, arms around his waist and nose pressed to one of the scent glands on his throat, and he’s refusing to move. Everyone should be knocked out—Jeongin trusts Felix. And if they’re not, Lee Know is here. He’s one of their hitters and is an absolutely brutal fighter. He won’t let anything or anyone near Jeongin or Chan, which means Jeongin can simply exist near Chan without having to worry about anything else. It’s so nice. He’s been a tightly wound ball of stress, rage, worry, and homesickness ever since he left his pack. And, really, thinking of his pack as his home is so cringy he might die if he keeps thinking it, so he stops. Doesn’t make it any less true, though.
They’re following the blueprints Jeongin had managed to sneak to them—he’s still proud of that, because it took longer than he’d wanted it to but he did get it done—to Jaeyoon’s office. They find it quickly. Strangely enough, going somewhere is much easier when they know what they’re looking for and how to get there. Who knew? Chan heads straight for Jaeyoon’s desk, dragging Jeongin with him. It’s possible, Jeongin reflects as he hangs over Chan’s shoulder and resists the urge to giggle at the sheer gaudiness of this room, that he’s a little tired. Sleepy sillies, his inner Felix coos. Jeongin narrows his eyes. It’s not his fault he’s been going without sleep. Jeongin huffs, rubbing his forehead back and forth over the back of Chan’s shirt. “You alright, Jeonginnie baby?” Jeongin nods. He is alright. He just likes the sensation of Chan’s shirt—slightly rough but also soft—against his face. Plus it smells like all of his pack members, and Jeongin has missed them.
Jeongin blinks fuzzily, making a disgruntled noise when Chan leans too far forward. Chan snorts softly. “Sorry, sweetheart. Just had to open a drawer.” Lee Know, on the opposite side of the room currently trying to crack the safe in the wall, shoots them a look.
“You tired, sweetheart?”
Jeongin hums. “Didn’t like my roommate. Creepy.” Chan’s scent dips briefly, and Jeongin whines before he can stop himself. Lee Know’s scent has changed as well, although Jeongin catches it less given the distance between them.
“Sorry, Innie-yah.” Chan takes several deep breaths, trying to regulate his scent. Lee Know helps, when he comes close enough to run his hand through Chan’s hair. He steps behind Jeongin, pressing close enough to wrap his arms around Chan’s waist and pinning Jeongin between them. Jeongin goes limp, letting Chan and Lee Know hold him up. He sniffles slightly, trying to blink tears out of his eyes. He’s missed his pack, and they’re here, but they’re not safe yet. They have to find proof that the Cobras had taken Hyunjin and had intended to keep him even after he went into heat, and then they can go.
“I know, pup.” Lee Know is whispering in his ear, flaring his scent and flooding the room with his coffee scent. “We’re almost done, and then we can go home. Felix and Hyunjin have made a nest for you.” A soft whine escapes Jeongin’s throat before he can stop it. He wants that nest, wants his pack, and he wants them now. “Easy, Innie-baby.” Lee Know rocks the three of them side to side, and Chan grips Jeongin’s wrists tightly. Jeongin takes several deep breaths, in through his nose and out through his mouth. He presses his eyes closed so tightly that he can see spots on the inside of his eyes. He’s fine. His pack is fine. They’re almost done, and then he can just exist with them.
“You’re slipping, pup. Can you stay up, or do I need to take you down all the way?” Lee Know’s voice is warm and comforting in his ear, and Jeongin wants to lean into it so badly. But he shakes his head, mustering his very thin reserves of determination and resolve. He can slip later. Right now, they have a job to do, and Jeongin will not jeopardize his pack when he has other options. And he does have other options—his urge to slip down into that calm and fuzzy headspace where nothing matters but his pack is pulling at him, yes. But it’s not irresistible. Not yet.
“I can stay up. Just…just stay close?” Jeongin can hear the begging tone of his voice, and he hates it because he never has to beg for closeness from his pack but he’s been gone from them for so long and it aches.
“Course we will, Innie-yah.” They both promise him, and they both do, and it’s what he’s been missing for so long. He goes blank, for a little bit, leaning his weight into Chan and trusting that the Alpha will be able to take his weight. Chan does, of course, without flinching. He’s so strong, Jeongin thinks quite dreamily, before mentally smacking himself upside the head and prying himself out of Chan’s throat.
“There we go, honey.” Jeongin’s scent turns sweet at the pet name, and Lee Know rewards him for it by running a hand through his hair. Jeongin’s throat clicks like he wants to purr, but he’s not comfortable enough to purr here. He’ll have to purr when he gets home. Jeongin blows his breath out in a heaving sigh at that thought. He wants to go home. But the Cobras had hurt Hyunjin, and if they let the Cobras get away with hurting Hyunjin—one of their pack, one of their Omegas—it would be sending a message that other packs could hurt them and get away with it. Although there were likely to be some who went after the Alphas and the Betas, most people would go after Felix and Hyunjin. Jeongin would not be partly responsible for that happening.
“I’m okay, Hyungs.” With effort, he manages to take one step back, then another, then another, until he’s still within arm reach of both of them but he can breathe clearer air. Although they hadn’t passed many windows, doors, or other exits to the outside, Jaeyoon’s office was full of windows, which Lee Know had thrown open before Felix had radioed to relay that they could take off their masks. Jeongin breathes in the clear, cold air letting himself come back down. It’s unpleasant, being shoved back into his body, but it’s necessary and he can bear it.
He lets his eyes crack back open, and then he takes a very abrupt step back when Chan’s scent goes burnt and angry. Lee Know, where he’s still trying to crack the safe—and really, Jeongin should take over for him because he’s better at cracking safes than Lee Know, but he’s not feeling up to it right now, and he knows that his Hyungs would want him to stay focused on existing here in this moment. Besides, Felix will be here soon, and he’s the one who taught them both—whirls around, scent flaring, only to falter when there’s no other person there to fight.
“…Hyung?” Lee Know says hesitantly. Jeongin watches Chan’s jaw clench. He’s holding a file, oddly delicately, like if he lets himself tighten his grip the way he wants to, he’ll rip the papers.
“Remember when we were talking about how there must be another group involved in what happened with Hyunjin, Lee Know-yah?” Jeongin darts glances between Lee Know and Chan, rather like he’s watching a tennis match. Then he registers what Chan has said, and hurt lances through his heart before he can stop it. Don’t be ridiculous, he scolds himself. It’s not like they stopped existing because they weren’t with you. You didn’t stop existing because you weren’t with them. Although, a tiny, not so easily ignored voice whispers, he kind of did, didn’t he? Jeongin shakes that thought of like he’s shaking off a fly, leaning more towards the open windows and letting fresh air wash over him.
Lee Know answers, voice gone dark and dangerous, “Yes, Hyung.” Jeongin shivers.
“The Dragons have a son, apparently, and they traded him to the Cobras, apparently for territory here. In exchange, Jaeyoon got their son and some of their resources. Jaeyoon has access to the shipping lines.”
Jeongin inhales sharply. Jaeyoon has access to the shipping lines. That was how he’d managed to cover his tracks so well. It was how he’d managed to move his men around the city without Stray Kids noticing, and how he’d managed to send away the men who had been involved with Hyunjin.
This makes sense in a way that makes Jeongin nauseous. Chan draws himself up, shrugging the mantle of a formidable pack leader around him. Jeongin watches, his breath caught in his throat. It’s not like Chan is ever not their pack leader, but generally, he is easy going. He does not demand submission or make them debase themselves or make them beg and plead or grovel for his attention. He’s…Channie-Hyung. He takes care of them when they’re sick and cooks for them and does everything he can to try to take care of them. He protects them, and runs his gang in a way that brings loyalty from his employees. Even when he’s alpha-ing, as the maknaes tend to call it, he’s still Channie.
This, though, is Bang Chan, the kind of Alpha that people tend to fear. The kind of Alpha that Chan is wary of slipping into too often. The kind of Alpha he’d left his previous pack to avoid being forced to become. Lee Know draws closer to Jeongin, not because he’s afraid Chan is going to hurt Jeongin—Chan would never purposefully hurt one of his pack—but because both Betas are being drawn toward him like a moth to a flame.
“I’ve figured out how we’re going to get our leverage.” Chan’s voice is rich with promise, tongue curling around the syllables in that deliberate way he does when he’s parsing every word, thinking through every action. “First, though, we have to find Jaeyoon and this…Han person.”