The wolves near the border [SKZ fanfiction] | HanJisung

Chapter 10

"No."
"But Chan! You say no every time! I'm bored to death and we haven't found a mangled dead animal since we've killed that bear. There's no danger, so why can't I go?"
Jisung is pleading for dear life with his pack alpha who keeps denying his every request. He's bored and while the others have been able to go out without a guard, he wants to go too! He misses the pond where he picks up clay. He misses the fields where he could go for a run and pick up grasses for weaving. He misses the dunes, the hills and the fruit tree groves. He misses being independent.
"No," Chan repeats. "Even though it may look safe, doesn't mean it is. Until we've cleared all the borders for at least a week, you can't go out alone."
Jisung pouts and sits down on the ground near the fire outside.
"The others are free to go, but stupid Jisung must stay at home," he mocks, crossing his arms and avoiding Chan's eyes.
Still, he can hear his pack leader giggling and crouching down next to him.
"You know damn well why stupid Ji can't go out. He's too cute and needs to be protected at all costs."
Jisung turns a quarter away on his butt. "You mean I'm a helpless, weak omega. It's not fair. Changbin can go out, but you're still thinking I'm not strong enough."
Chan lays a hand on his shoulder and gives him a soft squeeze to make sure the younger is heard.
"Being strong and being mated are two different things. You know that, Sungi. Now stop pouting and tell me if you need something. I promise you to bring whatever your heart desires."
Jisung scoffs and mumbles something about a strong pair of muscles but eventually asks Chan to bring him a basket of clay from the pond so he can make some pottery tomorrow.
"Got it," Chan smiles at him. "Shall I ask Felix to chop some extra wood tomorrow to heat up the kiln?"
"Can you ask Changbin? I'm annoyed at his muscles and want to see them put to use now," Jisung nags.
With that Chan laughs out loud and leaves him alone.

A few hours pass by in which Jisung occupies himself with small tasks. The sun is already lowering when Chan returns with Seungmin and Hyunjin not far behind him and he greets Jisung by showing him the filled basket with the requested item inside.
"Freshly scooped and still wet, like you asked. I put some wet cloth around it." The alpha rolls his shoulder muscles and Jisung curiously inspects the clay before thanking his pack leader.
Chan walks off to Minho who is busy sharpening some sticks to use as spit roast sticks for dinner and greets his mate with a soft peck on the lip and a gentle nuzzle against Chan's neck to scent him lightly.
"How was the patrol?" Minho asks and Chan tells him what he had seen today.
"Oh, before I forget, the girls asked me to say hi," he relays their message.
Minho perks up hearing that and asks how they are faring. Chan chuckles and tells him he met the girls near the pond where he scooped up clay.
"They were gathering as well and asked me if there was a limit on what they could use. I was curious and asked them why and apparently, they're building a house, Min. A house out of clay! Can you believe that?!"
Jisung's ears perk up hearing about the weird statement, but he tries to remain indifferent. Felix and Jeongin walk outside to greet Chan and Felix takes over the sticks Minho carved to take them to their kitchen. Jeongin also kisses his two mates and Chan tells him again about what the girls told him.
"Well, you told us they built a shelter out of snow as well this winter, right, Minho?"
The pack Luna nods and tries to convey what he had seen with his hands.
"It was big enough for three small people. And it kept out the cold wind pretty good. It even had a smoke canal!"
The three of them talk some more and eventually go on to other topics while Jisung looks around for someone to help him carry the basket of clay.
"Seungmin?!" he eventually yells and the alpha quickly comes over to see the omega struggling with the basket.
"More pottery?" he asks without showing any problems with picking up the same basket Jisung struggled to even lift off the ground.
Jisung is somewhat frustrated as impressed with the strength the alpha shows so casually but simply nods and points where he wants the basket to be put down.
"I broke Minho's favorite serving plate yesterday. Don't tell him yet! I'll tell him myself tomorrow."
Seungmin chuckles and shakes his head, hearing Jisung's reason. Jisung gives him a pleading stare and the alpha crosses his fingers in front of his mouth to show him he will keep it a secret while he walks backwards away from him.
Jisung stares at the basket when the alpha is gone and mumbles something to himself about hiding the evidence before getting called by Jeongin who needs his help inside.

Most of his pack members have called in the night and wandered off to their sleeping chambers. Jisung is still awake and tries to ignore the obvious 'we're definitely sleeping, not doing funny mate business for sure' noises. He could retreat to his room to block out all the noises, but he knows his mind is awake. Too awake to sleep anyways.
He doesn't particularly mind the noises of lovemaking. Not as much as Felix does anyways. If he just doesn't try to pay attention to it, he won't hear it! The only time the noises are too much for him is when one of his pack members is having a heat or rut. That's when it doesn't matter which day or time it is, they will be loud. Too loud to block out. Luckily - since there are two mated groups of them- their ruts and heats have synced pretty much up. And with their pack only having males, the beta's of the group don't have any problems to deal with other than caring for their mates.
Jisung is curious how it would be for a female beta being in a full relationship. He never met one, but knows they - instead of having a rut or heat twice or thrice a year - have something called a moon cycle. A period where they bleed because their uterus prepares for the possibility of a pregnancy. Would it be the same as the cramps and fevers he experiences when he goes into heat? It seems excessive, going through something like that almost every moon cycle. Male beta's have it easy, he thinks.
Thinking females, his mind wanders off to the chat Chan had this late afternoon. Maybe... He could... No, Chan will murder him if he finds out.
If he finds out, Jisung thinks. He glances back into the cave towards the door of his pack leaders and scrunches his nose hearing a muffled moan probably from Jeongin or the alpha himself. He could... If he's quick... It's just a little dash and peek.
Jisung makes up his mind and softly sneaks out of the cave. He looks over his shoulder multiple times and when he's sure his pack members are overly occupied and will probably sleep after they've worn themselves out, he takes the gamble and strips himself of his clothes. He bundles them up and swifts into his wolf to grab the bundle gently in his mouth. One last glance and then he runs off.

When he nears the plum trees he slows down and decides it's better to shift back. In his wolf form his scent can be picked up quicker and the last thing he wants is stumbling upon the girls with the possibility of them ratting him out to his pack.
Jisung hurriedly clothes himself and crouches down to observe his surroundings. Chan told him the girls were still in the same spot as where they were before and it didn't take long for Jisung to see lights shine at the end of the border. He hides himself behind the bushes and sneaks closer to inspect their camp. He can't help mumble a little 'wow' when he finally sees the construction Chan was talking about.
No small snow dome, but not a shabby tent either. No, this is a full blown outside cave! He sees they've built a base with strong logs which seem to be dug deep into the ground and hold up the construction. Within the frame are different kinds of materials propped up ranging from twigs weaved through to fluffy stuff he recognizes from different kinds of plants growing near the pond. But what catches his attention the most is that parts of the twigs and fluff are covered in... clay. Or mud? For as far as he can see it seems to be dried like stone, but it isn't smooth like the clay he uses for his pottery. It has a grovelish texture. Outside he sees a small wall has been built around the supposed 'house' made up of the same kind of materials. Broad baskets stand outside filled with clay and dried grass and probably other ingredients they use to build everything. Jisung can't keep his eyes off the weird looking construction and his jaw isn't functioning anymore. With an open mouth he stares at it. It's a cave, a real cave but not one made by nature. A placeable cave you can make wherever you want. No need to search to no end for a place to stay. Jisung wonders if - when the construction is finished- if it would withstand rain and snow like a cave and his curiosity makes him jitter from excitement.
He shrieks up when he hears a twig break behind him and almost yells out his lunges when two hands cover his mouth.
"Shht!"
Jisung stares with big eyes into eyes as surprised as his when he turns around and removes Felix's hands from his mouth.
"Felix?! What are you doing here?" he whispers yells at the young alpha who places a finger in front of his lips to shut him up.
"Shush. I could ask you the same! Why are you out on your own?" Felix whispers back at him and Jisung almost scoffs out loud hearing the reprimanding tone the alpha uses.
"I was curious, duh! Chan wouldn't let me go, so I had to check it out for myself. I mean, look at it! It's a whole self-built-cave!"
Felix glances over Jisung's shoulder to the building before looking back at him without saying anything. Jisung grunts as he doesn't understand how the alpha isn't as impressed as he is with the discovery. When Felix stays silent and keeps staring over his shoulder, Jisung decides to turn around to see what Felix is seeing.
"Oh my gosh. You perv," he chuckles when he sees one of the two girls moving inside the building and sees how Felix's eyes follow the movements from the shadows casted on the walls inside.
Felix snaps his eyes back to Jisung and frowns angrily at him. Jisung chuckles and with that he gets a soft push against his shoulder from the glaring alpha.
"What?" Jisung says. "Don't try to deny it. Why else would you be out here?"
"'M not," Felix mumbles in denial.
"Pff, sure. Then I'm not out here as well," Jisung rolls his eyes. "We are both safe and sound in our rooms and definitely not sneaking out at night."
The alpha ignores him, but doesn't seem to disagree with him. They both stay crouched to the ground, watching at whatever they came here for, staying silent beside each other.

After a good amount of time Jisung starts yawning and decides he has seen enough. His brain is filled with ideas and questions and his ankles are becoming sore from the crouching position. His bed is calling and he feels tired enough to go.
Without saying anything he turns around to sneak away, back to the plum trees to be at a decent distance to transform. When he stretches his limbs he sees Felix has followed him. Both don't say a word to each other and although Jisung goes home without the intention of waiting for the other, he feels a little bit relieved knowing his alpha pack member is running close behind him.
It's early in the morning when they arrive back home. The first rays of sunlight are rising through the trees and Jisung already knows he's gonna be dead tired for the whole day.
Felix and him don't say a word to each other. A curd nod and they're off to their respectable rooms. It doesn't take a second for Jisung to fall asleep when his head falls on his makeshift pillow.