Don’t Mess with the Puppy!

Among them, the puppy chose all the clothes the personal shopper introduced just by the movement of his tail.
“How about this coat? Want to try it on?”
The puppy, secretly excited, completely forgot about the morning’s troubles and went into the changing room. There, he personally transformed into human form and tried on the new clothes. It was proof that his anger had mostly dissipated.

When he came out wearing the new coat, Yoon Chi-young, who had been waiting, smiled brightly with satisfaction. Hee-sung was rather short, but his pale skin and good body proportions made the long coat look adorably fitting. It was a different vibe from the tall, model-like Yoon Chi-young.
“Do you like it?”
“…Yeah.”

“Then let’s go wearing it.”
Yoon Chi-young smiled faintly and hugged Hee-sung from behind in front of the mirror. Chi-young seemed to enjoy the situation even more than the newly dressed Hee-sung.
Feeling a bit sorry, Hee-sung looked down at the expensive new clothes and asked,

“Why are you buying me clothes? It’s fine…”
“I’m buying them because I like it.”
Hee-sung’s mood improved, but he hesitated to apologize to him. He felt like he’d seem shallow if he apologized now.

‘It’s not the clothes that made me calm down, it was because he acted like usual…’
Instead of apologizing, Hee-sung tightly held Yoon Chi-young’s hand and walked with him. Even when Chi-young smiled and asked if he had calmed down, Hee-sung couldn’t meet his eyes, but thankfully, Chi-young seemed satisfied with just that.
After that, Yoon Chi-young acted kindly as usual when in a good mood. He kissed Hee-sung’s face and black hair several times, but Hee-sung was glad he didn’t bring up the marriage topic that unsettled him.

Instead, Chi-young brought up a more important topic in the car on the way back.
“Why did you suddenly disappear from the hospital?”
He must have been referring to when Hee-sung disappeared alone from the hospital last time. It was a serious issue in their relationship.

Though only the two of them were a pack, Hee-sung had left a sick kin behind. It still felt odd to say they were kin, but as a dog clan member with strong pack instincts, it was a regrettable act.
Hee-sung hesitated for a moment but then answered honestly out of remorse.
“The dog from the gambling den came looking for me at the hospital. He was my friend… He said he had something to say and called me outside.”
“So that’s why you followed him?”

“…Yeah.”
Hee-sung answered quietly and, since he had confessed, explained everything to Chi-young: how his kin from the gambling den found him, how he followed like in a trance, and how he met guards meant to handle him as a traitor.
At the end of the story, Hee-sung, unable to meet Chi-young’s eyes, managed to say the thing he was worst at.

“I’m sorry for leaving alone.”
“Sorry?”
At the apology, Chi-young chuckled softly and rested his head on Hee-sung’s shoulder. Thinking it was a tease, Hee-sung tried to push him away, but the broad and firm body didn’t budge. Nothing went as Hee-sung wanted. The puppy muttered angrily about being teased and stared out the opposite window. Chi-young, staring openly at Hee-sung, said in a relaxed voice,

“It’s okay. The puppy took care of me all night anyway.”
“……”
Hee-sung’s face flushed bright red. It was a fact he didn’t want to admit.

Anyway, it was also true that he was the one who first kissed to calm Chi-young, and that he slept and enjoyed himself swept up by Chi-young’s advances. Even now, recalling the intense sensations from last night, his white ears twitched in excitement. Still, he resented Chi-young teasing him.
Then Chi-young, resting his head on Hee-sung’s shoulder, whispered secretly,
“By the way… the puppy has to go to the formal meeting with me anyway.”

“Why’s that?”
At Hee-sung’s incredulous question, the wolf ears on Chi-young’s shoulder fluttered. The ears brushed Hee-sung’s cheek. The touch was soft, but the smile beneath was sly.
“If the dog from the gambling den knew we were at the hospital and came looking, it’s obvious who leaked the info…”

“…Yang Hye-chan?”
Chi-young smiled knowingly. His refined smile was beautiful, but his gray eyes felt chilling.
“Then if we dig into Park Geon-tae, our sister might come up. And vice versa.”

“……”
Come to think of it, it was strange that the dog from the gambling den even found such a high-end hospital. Also, it was only the second time Hee-sung had been there, yet he met an acquaintance. Hee-sung’s white ears twitched at the oddity.
Originally, Park Geon-tae was sneaky and well-connected. But maybe the strong wolf leader had asked for information about him first and offered help, so Park Geon-tae complied. It was easy to guess the opponent’s nature.

And if Yang Hye-chan investigated him even a little, Park Geon-tae would have come up. Since he had directly told Yang Hye-chan his name last time, it would be easy to get information.
So it was obvious. Hee-sung muttered blankly,
“Then… the wolf leader and Park Geon-tae might be connected.”

“Right.”
Chi-young said slyly, eyes shining. Sitting properly now, he lightly pulled thoughtful Hee-sung onto his lap. Hee-sung flinched at first but then sat comfortably like a puppy.
Hee-sung zoned out in that embrace. If Park Geon-tae and the leader were united, he’d take revenge with Chi-young. Even if not, Chi-young would be with him.

But if it was the former, Hee-sung wanted sure revenge.
“If your sister and Yang Hye-chan are really connected with Park Geon-tae… will you take care of it?”
It was a cruel question. Asking if he could kill his own kin. Hee-sung regretted it, thinking it might hurt watcher Chi-young.

But Chi-young smiled widely with satisfaction. Laughing long, he bowed his head, kissed Hee-sung’s hair, and said,
“Ha, of course…”
“……”

“Someone tried to mess with my puppy.”
Hearing such a clear answer, Hee-sung couldn’t shake the chilling feeling. Though his tone was matter-of-fact, it made him strangely excited.
Right now, besides revenge, what felt sweetest to Hee-sung was the trust and affection of a reliable kin.

And it was the first time he found kin with such similar nature and purpose. The small puppy who had always fought alone or endured curled up feelings was naturally filled with warmth.
“Then let’s go see your sister. …Not the formal meeting though.”
Hee-sung said resolutely. Chi-young happily agreed to set the schedule to visit the wolf clan’s main base — tomorrow.

The wolf clan’s main house was a huge traditional Korean-style mansion.
Behind it was a mountain and the yard was very wide. From afar, it looked like a village, but up close, it was the wolf clan’s main base all within one fence. Its scale was like a fortress.
The strange thing was that several wild wolves ran around even with low stone walls. At least ten scouting wolves appeared in front of Hee-sung. He curiously watched the wolves constantly circling near him.

“Is it okay to let them roam free like this…?”
“It’s fine.”
“The walls here are low. What if they run off into the mountain and cause trouble?”

The answer was unexpected. Yoon Chi-young gestured towards the mountain behind and said confidently,
“That mountain is also this house’s yard. It’s fine.”
“……”

“And as long as the leader’s here, they never leave their territory. They’ll attack if there’s an intruder.”
“…Your wolf clan is really strange…”
Nervous, Hee-sung clung slightly to Chi-young. The wolves closing in looked at Hee-sung suspiciously, but thankfully only with curiosity, no hostility.

Instead, Chi-young suddenly acted.
“What, what are you doing!”
Suddenly, Chi-young gently bit Hee-sung’s hand back. It didn’t hurt, but Hee-sung was still scared of being bitten.

But Chi-young grabbed Hee-sung’s bitten hand and held it out toward the closest approaching wolf.
“When a high-ranking wolf comes near, let them smell your hand. Then they won’t attack.”
“Uh…”

The biggest wolf sniffed Hee-sung’s hand back. Its wary expression gradually softened and it no longer met Hee-sung’s eyes, lowering its tail and head. Then it led the way as if showing the path. Hee-sung was secretly excited by this new form of communication.
The wolves were less fierce than he expected and rather surrounded Hee-sung protectively. Surrounded by the strong wolf pack’s protection, Hee-sung happily headed with Chi-young toward the annex.
The annex was located by a scenic riverfront, a nice spot where the winter mountain’s charm stretched beautifully. Yoon Chi-young hugged Hee-sung, who wagged his tail repeatedly, and said,

“The leader is coming tomorrow, so we’ll stay here one day. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine, but are we the only ones using the whole house?”
 

“Of course.”
“Wow…”
Hee-sung looked up admiringly at the quietly built hanok. An entire building was assigned just to Yoon Chi-young and Hee-sung. There was even an outdoor hot spring, which excited Hee-sung greatly. The wolf den, which he had only thought of as harsh and stern, looked luxurious up close. The puppy, seeing all this for the first time, busily explored the two-story nest with wonder.

Watching this, Yoon Chi-young said with an unwilling expression,
“I’ll just greet my mother and come back quickly.”
“If you’re going, hurry up.”

Without turning back, Hee-sung was busy taking out several high-end tea bags. He loved smelling new scents and was sniffing them carefully. His usual frowning expression was finally showing some variety, and the white tail under his back was wagging busily. Seeing this, Yoon Chi-young thought he should travel more often with Hee-sung. He wanted to show the puppy, who was amazed even by tea bags, a wider world.
After watching Hee-sung cutely and with some regret, Yoon Chi-young stationed his subordinates near the puppy and only stepped outside after a while. He truly seemed reluctant, as his expression turned cold when he was apart from Hee-sung.
Left alone in the beautiful annex, Hee-sung was simply thrilled.

Finally, he was alone.
He didn’t know how long it had been since he had such freedom. Hee-sung, who liked being alone, felt excited. Although a little lonely without Yoon Chi-young, he was happy to have some free time for once.
‘Maybe I’ll have a drink for the first time in a while?’

Looking around, Hee-sung happily approached the bar in the guest room to check out the alcohol. Two subordinates stayed within five steps of Hee-sung’s side. Ji Young-bae was closest as a bodyguard, while other clan members stood around the house alertly.
Used to strict protection, Hee-sung examined the drinks carefully first. His eye caught a dark bottle that looked fairly strong. He inspected the label carefully—it was a foreign liquor with elegant English lettering. Other bottles showed names and types he had never seen before. Even the snacks supplied were completely unfamiliar.
Unable to pick any drink confidently, Hee-sung felt confused. He thought he knew a lot about alcohol from working at gambling dens, but that wasn’t true at all. Suddenly, the reality that he had come to a different world hit him.

Besides, he was here for a formal meeting.
‘Not a real formal meeting, but still… seeing Yoon Chi-young’s family…’
He had somehow come to share a common enemy with Yoon Chi-young, but now something felt even more serious.

‘…Is Yoon Chi-young really trying to keep monogamy?’
He doubted whether purebred wolves’ strict monogamy rules would apply to him, a puppy. And if it were Yoon Chi-young, he imagined he might not follow the rules and live freely.
Still, Hee-sung was confused.

He met Yoon Chi-young first as a bad fate. The one who bit and chewed his body with his mouth. Then, after Hee-sung got injured in an accident, Chi-young took him in and cared for him devotedly. To Hee-sung, he was almost a savior, but there were many suspicious parts.
Even when he asked Chi-young why he raised him, the answer was incomprehensible.
〈I always raised you like a lover.〉

It sounded ridiculous to Hee-sung. Raising a fierce, wild puppy like a lover? It felt more plausible that Chi-young found him fascinating because of his pheromone-free special body.
‘…It all feels like a joke.’
Hee-sung just couldn’t understand Chi-young’s true intentions. He always wore a handsome face with a constant smile, watched him carefully, and sometimes rubbed his lips all over his body like crazy. That was it. Maybe because he only received such inexplicable affection, to Hee-sung, his actions felt like a joke.

Hee-sung soon laughed at his own strange thoughts.
‘What’s with being suspicious just because he only shows affection…’
The other party was expressing love, but Hee-sung was always doubting it. If his older brother or that bastard Park Geon-tae heard that, they’d have mocked him for acting like someone who never got love.

But he was the kind to doubt even if the other didn’t treat him well. Two times being abandoned by the pack made Hee-sung constantly suspicious of others. He never wanted to be abandoned again. Now he trusted Yoon Chi-young, but in a corner of his heart, little doubts about him still grew.
Coming to ponder monogamy and attend a formal meeting while his feelings were unsettled — it made no sense. It would be better to start slowly as lovers from the beginning…
“……”

But Hee-sung was afraid of the end even before it began. Just {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} a few days ago, he was betrayed by someone he believed family for five years. And people who approached him soon changed their attitudes. They came with pretty appearances, then expected him to be affectionate; if not, they resorted to violence. Hee-sung even felt skepticism about forming a pack with anyone now.
Thud.
In frustration, Hee-sung just put a random bottle on the table and took out a smooth glass. Ji Young-bae hurriedly stopped him.

“That’s strong liquor. You shouldn’t drink that.”
“I know how to drink. I’ll have some.”
Ji Young-bae showed a rare surprised look then returned to a blank face. He wondered if Hee-sung looked like someone who couldn’t drink, but Hee-sung didn’t have the mood to care.

Ignoring the objection, Hee-sung poured himself a glass and took a big gulp. The sharp alcohol burned his insides. After one drink, his face flushed as he raised his head. His black eyes swirled with emotions amidst the confusion.
He resented Yoon Chi-young who had confused him, but at the same time missed him very much.
Yoon Chi-young finally met with his older brother and mother.

His mother welcomed Yoon Chi-young with his youngest son, who was always at her side. The bodyguards stood firmly behind their places. Everyone in the room looked at the watcher with fear as they had before.
As expected, the mother didn’t approach Yoon Chi-young, who was half-transformed. The family sat at opposite ends of the table, facing each other.
“Long time no see, Chi-young.”

“Yes.”
The mother, sitting far across, smiled stiffly as if meeting a difficult young master, not a youngest son. Next to her, the second eldest brother, Yoon Jin-young, glared at Chi-young with a wary, hateful expression. But Chi-young didn’t care and sat comfortably with legs crossed.
Still, it wasn’t all good. Chi-young was pained by how his mother, who forcibly separated from him as a child, was afraid of him. But he never showed that feeling. Even now, he just showed fatigue and avoided his mother’s eyes.

The silence was uncomfortable, so the mother spoke first.
“Chi-young, I heard the rumors.”
“Rumors?”

“As a watcher, I think you know the clan’s rules best.”
At her words, Yoon Chi-young twirled his fingers on his lap and waited silently. He had anticipated what would come and knew his mother just wanted to stop the fight between him and his sister, the leader. So he had little expectations.
“Stop it now. If you marry a hybrid, you’ll never have offspring.”

“Mother, rules are rules. I’ve already chosen my partner.”
His second brother chimed in. Their quarrel seemed scripted, as if rehearsed. The brother obviously intended to check the watcher, and the mother would obey the leader sister no matter what. Chi-young would have no chance to speak his mind.
Bored, Chi-young sipped the liquor in his glass. He wished he had brought the puppy with him. He knew the puppy was close by, but just being apart made his heart race and clenched his fangs. It was a sign his aggression was about to surface. His pheromones still unsettled his body.

With a sigh and controlled emotions, Chi-young spoke tiredly.
“I know the rules and all. But so what?”
This time he looked at his second brother next to their mother. The second brother, who had cared for him as a child, had grown into a stubborn handsome man. But now he was clearly afraid of his younger brother. When their eyes met, the brother’s expression hardened. It meant he was uneasy about his younger brother as the watcher.

Chi-young sneered without hiding his thoughts.
“You think I’m going to have offspring…”
He laughed bitterly, drinking the liquor. No family would welcome offspring from him anyway.

“When I go back to my original form, I won’t even be sane… how could I have offspring?”
“Chi-young…”
He had spoken lightly, but the mother and brother gave no comfort or alternatives. Their gaze was harsh and cold, like toward a strange and cruel being.

Chi-young was used to this familiar scene from growing up apart.
Beast-men valued bonding with family in their original forms. Entrusting their bodies to family in original form was the most accurate proof of kinship and trust. And they valued the pack deeply…