Silver Lining

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(Also drawn by me; any fanart I put in the beginning of chapters, I'll make sure to give credit where credit is due lol)

There's a love sick smile on Chan's face as he leaves the flower shop, having just spent the day in the backroom helping Felix arrange flowers with the last of summer's harvest. True to his word, he had been collecting wildflowers for Lee and delivering them to the shop once a week; Felix usually did this task himself but since his arm was still in a sling, he is unable to transform into his wolf and hasn't since the incident. Sometimes, he and Felix will do a walk around the village so the omega has the chance to stretch his legs and breathe in some fresh air after being cooped for days on end (to say Felix was beginning to get a bit restless is an understatement; the sling doesn't stop him from pushing the limits of his capabilities, like tending the shop and baking and communicating. There isn't a day that goes by where the omega is not writing with his left hand in a hope to improve his penmanship and comfort with the nondominant limb).

Chan was elated to see that sparkle of passion ignite in the silvernette's eyes as he sorted through the different species of flowers and pointed towards which ones he wanted to put in the vase (and he also enjoyed being in such close proximity to the younger hybrid all day; his inner alpha was doing flips at the idea of Felix having an undertone of his scent clinging to him by the time Chan had to leave).

It's the sound of bike spokes as he closes the door to the shop that catches his attention. He looks to the side, seeing a teen with bleached blonde hair slowing at the sight of him. Chan tries to just turn around and leave, pretending that those mischievous brown eyes weren't locked on, but then the kid chooses to call out to him.

"I didn't know mutts were into flowers; do you smell them or eat them?"

Chan cracks his neck, jaw clenched in a bitter smile. So it's gonna be one of those interactions; alright.

"Don't humans smell and sometimes eat flowers too?" He points out, throwing a lazy and unamused look over his shoulder, "At least be a little creative with your jabs next time, kid; nothing you've said I haven't heard before."

The teen rolls his eyes. "Point taken, let me cut to the chase. Aren't you a bit far from your dog house? I don't know if you realized, but you're not exactly wanted here."

Chan shrugs his shoulders. "I'm privileged to be in this village just as much as you are; you don't make the laws, nor do you speak for the majority. I lived here before you were even born so I suggest you be on your way now, yeah?"

"Mutts like you don't tell me what to do," the kid says snobbishly, his face screwed up in disgust, "Besides, I was just wondering what you were doing at Lee-hyung's shop; can you fault me for being curious?"

Chan gives him a bored glare. "Not that it's any of your business, but I was visiting a friend. Now that you know, are we done here?"

The blonde boy's eyes widened almost comically. "You have friends here?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do," the werewolf hisses in annoyance.

"Who? Lee Felix? You're visiting Yongbok, aren't you?"

The brunette hesitates but the pause is an answer enough. The kid smiles.

"I knew it! He really is a dog! No wonder he stopped going to school: he's full wolf now!" The blonde laughs sardonically, casting a smirk at the window above the shop where Chan knew the omega could look through at any given time. His tone turns sly, "He's in your pack, ain't he? Silver fox finally found himself a wolf gang?"

Silver fox? Chan shakes his head to rid himself of the thought, anger bubbling over as he snaps defensively, "So what if he is? Just leave him the hell alone."

The blonde laughs, a wild glint to his eyes, "Well your pack has quite the reputation, you know; we don't quite like your lot. The Skz live far north for a reason; you think Felix is tough enough for your pack? He's too small and delicate to ever be a real wolf."

The alpha scowled. "Watch it, kid," he warns, "You may not like the outcome of your next words."

"Are you threatening me?" The blonde's brows raise, a cocky smile tugging his lips. "We're just talking about my buddy Lixie; calm down, mutt."

Chan's eyes narrow, "Well stop it; he's no buddy of yours so leave him out of this."

"Out of what? The talk about your pack Bang Chan-ssi?" His bottom lip juts out in faux disappointment, "I was just trying to include him in something for once."

"I mean it, runt: leave him out of this," the werewolf says lowly, hands clenching into his fists

The teen's expression brightens in sick enthusiasm. "Then let's talk about your pack in particular, then! How'd you get your name again? Skz stands for stray kids right?"

Chan growls.

"Ah that's right: it's called stray kids because all of your parents' eventually abandoned you after realizing the kind of monsters you are!" He props his face up on his hand, elbow leaning against the handlebar of the bike, "And you, their leader: the original outcast who now takes in strays just so you'll have someone to actually stay by your side no matter what you are."

Chan's lip curls, teeth bared.

The kid perks up on the bike, clapping his hand once. "Then nevermind, I take it back: freckled mutt is the perfect fit for you guys since his dad disappeared when he was born and his mom died so she wouldn't have to look at him anymore! Strays stick together, don't they?" Chan's hands shake in rage, "Then I have to wonder, where were you when Lix's hunting season started-"

That causes the breaking point, red clouding his vision; before Chan can even register that he's moving forward, he socks the blonde right in the face, his inner wolf rearing its head and adding a bit more strength than probably necessary. The kid topples off the bike and onto the ground with a cry, clutching his now broken nose.

The alpha stands over him, looking down in both shock at his own actions and then fear at the whispers and gasps that assail his ears from the store owners across the street who probably saw everything through their windows.

"You're everything they say you are, filthy dog! You're a menace to society along with the rest of your kind!" The kids spats loudly, drawing some attention from passersby further down the sidewalk, "Get out of our town and take your little mutt with you!"

Panic grips the gray and white hybrid at the small crowd forming to catch the cause of the commotion, daunting glares and deadly glints to sets of human orbs that look at him with nothing but scorn no matter who provoked the fight; even with all the time that has passed and the good behavior Chan has demonstrated, he is still nothing more than an untamable mutt in their eyes.

That will never change. Even when wolves are clearly in the right, they are still wrong. He'll never be an accepted member of society; he'll never be more than just a stray dog mooching off of a human's world. If we don't look after our own, nobody else will.

Instincts take over, clothes ripping as he transforms and a ferocious snarl is torn from his throat. The people fearfully part and Chan runs back home, so blinded by anger and spite and the pain of isolation that he doesn't consider all of the consequences that are sure to come.

(Ouch some angst! The story was a little too fluffy so I had to add some more plot hahaha)