𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐋 || 𝐉𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐋

33.

When Seungcheol said they were going to the packhouse for the first time since Jeonghan 's return, he wanted to say no. He came very close to begging Seungcheol to let him stay home, in their house, where he could hide from the world. But Mingyu was so excited, and Seungcheol kept smiling at him, and he didn't want to disappoint them. So he showered and dressed and tried to look his best even though he felt like he was headed for his execution.

The pack must hate him, now that they knew the truth. All the time he'd been there, he'd been lying to them. Lying about who he was, about where he came from, about who he and Mingyu belonged to. He'd put their pack at risk and forced Seungcheol to risk his life to save them. However things had been between them before, they were irrevocably changed by all the terrible things he'd done.

"Ready?" Seungcheol asked, helping Mingyu put his coat on.

"Sure," Jeonghan said lightly, trying to hide his fears.

"Then let's go."

Mingyu ran on ahead of them, and they had to hurry to catch up, Seungcheol taking the cub's hand as they trudged along the forest path. The closer they got to the packhouse, the more nervous Jeonghan felt. Even though he'd been home for days, he wasn't ready for this.

They went in through the front door instead of the back door, which was the first inkling that something wasn't quite right. Maybe the pack didn't want them acting like they were part of the family anymore? Jeonghan had certainly proved that he wasn't.

"I think everyone is in the living room," Seungcheol said as they hung their coats up in the quiet hallway.

He gestured for Jeonghan to lead the way but Mingyu hurried on ahead, eager to play with his friends.

The closer Jeonghan got to the living room, the more his stomach churned with nervousness. There was no getting away from the pack now. He was Seungcheol's mate, his true mate, for life. He just had to get this over with.

He pushed open the door to follow Mingyu, Seungcheol right behind him, and slammed to a stop.

"Welcome home, Jeonghan !"

He stared into the room in shock, the whole pack looking back at him. Taking a step back, he walked into Seungcheol, who wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him.

"What's going on?" he asked the alpha, taking in the banner and balloons and all the people smiling at them.

"It's part welcome-home party, part baby shower," Joshua said, rushing over. "I knew a surprise party was a bad idea. You look terrified."

He tugged Jeonghan into a hug, squeezing him tightly. "We're so glad to have you back, safe and sound. And we're excited for you and Seungcheol to have a family of your own."

Jeonghan glanced over his shoulder at Seungcheol, but the alpha looked as surprised by the party as he did.

"Come on," Joshua coaxed. "Come inside. There's food and cake and presents."

He let himself be guided over to a couch, sitting down and looking around again in disbelief.

"I don't get it," he said finally. "Aren't you angry?"

There was a collective hush in the room as all eyes turned to Seokmin.

The alpha stepped forward, crouching down in front of Jeonghan .

"We were upset at first, but then we understood. The only people we're angry at now are Hyungwon and his pack. None of this was your fault, Jeonghan . It wasn't a situation of your making."

"But I lied, to all of you."

"Because you were scared," Joshua said kindly. "Not because you were trying to cheat us or betray us. You just wanted to keep Mingyu safe."

Jeonghan nodded slowly. "And you'll let us stay now, because I'm Seungcheol's mate."

If things had been different, if their relationship hadn't progressed to the point of mating, he doubted they'd still have him here.

"You are far more than just Seungcheol's mate," Seokmin said. "You are part of this pack."

Jeonghan shook his head. "I'm not like the others. Joshua's a Defender and Seungkwan is your Keeper but I'm..." It was on the tip of his tongue to say 'nothing' but Seokmin got there first.

"You're Seungcheol's Anchor. Every Sentinel needs one eventually. You are the bridge between him and the pack. Without you, Seungcheol would just be pulling further and further away from us. And a pack without a Sentinel is a pack that's vulnerable. You, and your love for Seungcheol, keeps us safe."

Jeonghan glanced at Seungcheol in disbelief. It couldn't be true, could it? That he was a part of this pack. A real part, like the other omegas?

Seungcheol squeezed his hand. "That's exactly what you are. Before you got here, I was miserable and alone, weeks or months away from cutting ties with the pack and setting off on my own. Then you and Mingyu turned up and... the pack became a home for me again. You did that, Jeonghan . Things changed for the better because of you."

"You brought Seungcheol home to us," Seokmin added. "That means more than you know. You will always be welcome here, you will always have a place here. You are part of our pack."

"You're home, Jeonghan ," Joshua added softly. "You're home."

The first tears fell, and Jeonghan did his best to wipe them away.

"Don't be sad, Daddy," Mingyu said, climbing into his lap.

"I'm not sad," Jeonghan told him, hugging Mingyu tightly to him. "I'm happy."

The pack crowded around them, everyone wanting to welcome Jeonghan home in their own way. He got hugs, kisses, hands patting his shoulder.

"I think this calls for cake," Seungkwan said, handing him a piece.

That seemed to be the cue for everyone to go in search of food and soon every chair in the room was filled as people chatted and laughed and ate.

There was a sense of happiness in the air, of completeness. It wasn't the awkwardness or anger Jeonghan had been expecting.

He leaned into Seungcheol, resting his head on the alpha's shoulder.

"I didn't understand before."

"Understand what?"

"What a pack really is. It's like a family only... bigger. Better."

"It is a family," Seungcheol agreed. "And a community and a society, all wrapped up in one."

"If everyone lived in a pack... the world would be very different, wouldn't it?"

People wouldn't be so self-absorbed, so interested in looking after themselves if they lived together like a pack did.

"It would be. Maybe someday, it will be," Seungcheol mused.

It was a happy thought. A world of packs like theirs. Where they took care of each other, where their place in the pack had meaning, fulfilled a need of the pack and wasn't just something used to keep them down.

"That would be something to see, wouldn't it?" Maybe that would be the world their kids got to live in.