Chapter Text
I notice it before anyone else — even before Channie.
My scent has changed. Sweeter now, softer. Cherry and mint, but warmer somehow, like sunlight through petals.
I wait until Channie's gone hunting before finding Hyunjin. My fingers tug nervously at his hoodie. "Hyunjin… can you give me a checkup, please?"
He pauses, immediately sensing the tremor in my voice. "Sure," he says gently, scanning the clearing before motioning me inside. "Come on."
The moment I settle onto the furs, my heartbeat starts racing. I know Channie can feel it through the bond, wherever he is.
Hyunjin kneels across from me, his tone light but eyes steady. "What's troubling you, little birdy?"
I swallow hard. "My scent… it's different."
He grins at first. "Of course it is. You and Channie-Hyung mated — your scents will start to mix now."
But I shake my head. "No, this is… sweeter. And some smells are too strong now. I think I might—" I stop, voice catching. "I think I might be pregnant."
The smile fades from his face. He takes a breath. "Okay," he says quietly. "We'll find out."
He reaches for a small jar and a wooden stick tipped with cotton. "Rub this over your scent glands," he instructs.
I do as he says, wincing at how sensitive the area feels, then hand it back. He seals the jar. "Now we wait a bit."
"How long?"
"Not long," he says, his voice softening. "If there's a milky tone in your scent, that means you're pregnant. If not, then no."
My fingers twist in my lap. "Okay…"
The minutes drag. Each heartbeat feels like a lifetime.
When Hyunjin finally opens the jar and holds it out, my hands tremble. I lean forward, inhale—
And there it is. The faintest creamy sweetness, soft and warm, threaded through the cherry and mint.
A new scent.
Life.
My breath stutters, the world narrowing to that single note.
"Hyunjin…" I whisper, tears burning my eyes. "I smell it."
His smile is quiet, understanding. "Then congratulations, little birdy."
I press a hand to my stomach, the bond humming faintly with new life.
Milky. Sweet. Alive.
I shoot to my feet, heart hammering. "I—I need to tell him! Hyunjin, I need to tell Channie!"
But halfway to the entrance, my knees buckle. I drop back onto the ground, breath catching in my throat. My hands hover over my stomach, trembling.
"Hyunjin…" My voice breaks. "There's a puppy—" I laugh, or maybe it's a sob. "There's a puppy inside me."
The words hang in the air, too huge to believe. My palms press to my belly, as if I might already feel the heartbeat there, tiny and hidden.
Hyunjin just watches me, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah," he murmurs. "There is."
A small, breathless laugh escapes me, half-sobs, half-wonder. "Mother Earth… there's really a puppy…"
Hyunjin steps closer, his hand settling gently on my knee. "Hey," he says softly. "Are you okay?"
I blink up at him, and the tears that had been waiting finally spill free. "There's a little life inside me," I whisper, my voice breaking around the words. "One that Channie and I created." A shaky laugh slips out, but it sounds more like a sob. "It's so small… and so real."
Hyunjin's eyes soften. "That's a beautiful thing, MaeRi."
I nod, but my throat closes, my breath catching. "I know. I just—" My voice falters. "I'm so scared, Hyunjin. What if I'm not strong enough? What if… what if something happens again?"
He crouches so we're eye level, his tone quiet but firm. "You've already come back from the edge once, MaeRi. You're stronger than you think. And you're not doing this alone — not this time."
His words break something in me. I nod, pressing my palms tighter to my stomach, as if I could protect the tiny warmth already forming there.
"I just… want it to be okay," I whisper.
"It will be," he says, and somehow I believe him.
~♡♡~
When Hyunjin leaves me alone, I slip outside without thinking.
The sunlight meets me like a whisper, soft and golden. I sink into the grass just beyond the cave, my knees pulled close, one hand resting over my stomach. The earth feels warm beneath me — steady, alive.
A breeze moves through the clearing, carrying the faint scent of lavender and pine. It smells like home.
There's a tiny pulse inside me now, invisible but real. The thought of it makes my chest ache — not with fear, not anymore, but with something so deep it almost hurts.
A life. Ours.
I trace slow circles over my belly with my thumb, as if I could reach the little heartbeat through skin and bone. You're safe, I think. You're loved already.
The bond hums softly in my chest — faint at first, then stronger, like a heartbeat answering my own. I close my eyes, smiling.
He's coming back.
I feel him through the bond before I hear him. His warmth brushing against mine, the thread between us vibrating with the rhythm of his steps — steady, familiar, beloved.
My heart starts to race.
I take a deep breath, sunlight washing over me, and whisper to myself, "Okay. You can do this."
When I finally lift my head toward the trees, I can already feel him getting closer.
The crunch of leaves warns me before he steps into the sunlight.
He smells of forest and earth — and blood, faint and distant, from the hunt. When his eyes find me sitting in the grass, his whole face softens. "There you are," he murmurs, smiling as he crouches in front of me. "Missed you, love."
My chest tightens. He looks so at peace, so completely here.
"Hi," I whisper, brushing the dirt from my palms. "You're back early."
He grins. "Didn't like being away. Brought something for you, though." He holds out a handful of wildflowers — tangled, imperfect, but still beautiful.
I take them, smiling through the sting of tears. "They're perfect."
He tilts his head, studying me. "Hey… you okay? You've been crying."
"I'm okay," I say softly, setting the flowers in my lap. My fingers tremble as I reach for his hand. "Actually… more than okay."
He goes still, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "MaeRi?"
I take a breath. The sunlight warms my skin; the bond hums steady in my chest. Now.
"Channie…" My voice shakes. "There's… there's life inside me."
He blinks, uncomprehending for a moment. Then the bond between us flares, a pulse of disbelief and hope rushing through it like lightning. His eyes widen. "What—?"
I nod, tears spilling freely now. "A puppy, Channie. Our puppy."
He stares — then he's laughing, choking on a sob all at once. His hands find my face, trembling, framing it like he's afraid I'll vanish if he lets go.
"MaeRi…" His voice breaks entirely. "You— Mother Earth— You're—"
"Pregnant," I whisper. "Hyunjin confirmed it."
The next sound that leaves him isn't quite a laugh or a cry. He pulls me into his arms so suddenly that the flowers spill from my lap. His whole body shakes around me, his scent flooding the air — warmth, relief, wild joy.
He's crying into my hair. "A puppy… ours… stars above, love, you did it… we did it…"
I cling to him, burying my face against his neck, both of us shaking with too much emotion to name.
"I was scared," I whisper, my hands trembling against his chest. "But when I felt you through the bond… I wasn't anymore."
He pulls back just enough to kiss me, tears still wet on his cheeks. "You're never alone again," he murmurs. "Neither of you."
The bond hums brighter, warmer — a second heartbeat joining the rhythm between us.
And when he presses his forehead to mine, both of us laughing and crying at once, I realize that this — this quiet miracle, this love, this bond — is what forever really means.
The laughter still trembles between us when I pull back, brushing my thumb across his damp cheek. "Channie?"
He hums, nose still buried in my hair.
"I want to tell them."
He stills. "The pack?"
I nod, a small, breathless smile breaking through. "They deserve to know. We all lost so much. I want them to have this joy too."
His throat bobs hard, and I feel it against my palm. "You're sure? It's still so new—"
"Then let them celebrate it while it's new," I whisper. "Before the world finds a way to make it complicated."
For a moment, he just looks at me — eyes bright, lips trembling between a smile and disbelief. Then he exhales shakily and nods. "Okay. Together."
He rises, his hand finding mine, fingers curling with a warmth that steadies me. "Come on, my sweet mate," he murmurs.
I melt at that, grinning through the nerves. "I'm coming, my handsome Alpha."
Together, we walk toward the table, hand in hand. The sunlight filters through the trees, dappling the wood and the faces gathered around it — our family.
Channie releases my hand only long enough to clap his palms together once. "Alright, kids," he calls, voice bright and warm. "Gather up!"
The pack moves fast — Minho with Jihae perched on his hip, Jisung practically tripping over himself, Seungmin and Jeongin wiping their hands on their aprons. Even Felix and Changbin emerge from the garden, curiosity written across their faces.
Hyunjin catches my eye across the table, already smiling — calm, knowing.
Channie squeezes my hand, his thumb brushing slow circles against my skin. I nod, swallowing hard.
"We have something to tell you," he says, his voice steadier than mine could ever be.
I draw in a breath. Every face I love is here — every heartbeat waiting.
"I…" My voice breaks. I laugh softly, blinking back the tears that rush in anyway. "I'm pregnant."
For one heartbeat, the clearing goes still. Even the wind seems to hush.
Then—
Jisung gasps so loudly Jihae squeals with laughter. Felix's hands fly to his mouth, his eyes already spilling tears. Minho lets out a shaky laugh, kissing the top of Jihae's head. Hyunjin whoops, pulling Changbin into a rough, tearful hug. Even Seungmin's eyes glisten as he murmurs, "About damn time."
And Channie — my Channie — looks at me like I'm everything at once: spring after an endless winter, sunlight after too many storms. His gaze holds awe, love, and something too deep to name.
The pack surges forward, voices overlapping — congratulations, laughter, disbelief — until I'm wrapped in arms and tears and warmth.
In the middle of it all, Channie's hand finds my waist again, grounding me.
Our pack's joy blurs around us, but all I can hear is his voice, low and reverent against my ear:
"You made us whole again."