The news of the Council's summons spread quietly through Seoul Moon Park, like wind whispering through glass. But before any formal decisions could be made, Chan did something unexpected, he called for a retreat.
No business meetings.
No boardroom politics.
Just them the Alphas and their mates, away from the eyes of the world.
~~The Retreat - Moonridge Cabin~~
The cabin rested deep in the Silverpine Mountains, surrounded by old pine forests and a lake that mirrored the sky. The air was crisp, scented with earth and moonlight.
The four couples arrived one after another, the tension of the city melting as laughter echoed through the trees.
Hyunjin and Han were first to make noise as usual.
"Hyunjin, I told you to pack light!" Han shouted from the car, glaring at the pile of designer luggage.
Hyunjin flipped his hair. "This is light. I left half my skincare at home."
Han groaned. "We're staying three days, not three months."
Hyunjin winked. "I like to be prepared for anything."
"Anything like...?"
"Like you realizing you can't resist me."
Han threw a towel at him. "You're insufferable."
"And you love it."
Across the porch, Changbin and Seungmin were already unpacking groceries into the kitchen, their dynamic steady as ever.
"Did you bring coffee?" Seungmin asked.
"Two kinds," Changbin said, smirking. "Dark roast for me, something fancy for you."
Seungmin raised a brow. "You remembered my favorite blend?"
Changbin shrugged, though the corners of his lips softened. "Of course I did."
In the back garden, Felix and Jeongin were skipping stones across the small lake, the reflection of the moon shimmering over the ripples.
Felix grinned. "Bet I can get mine to bounce five times."
Jeongin laughed. "Bet you can't."
Felix threw one, two, three, four… five.
Jeongin's jaw dropped. "Show-off."
Felix giggled, looping his arm through Jeongin's. "You love it."
Jeongin smiled shyly. "Yeah. I really do."
And on the upper balcony, overlooking them all, Chan and Minho stood together in the soft chill of dusk.
The air between them was quiet but heavy with understanding.
It wasn't the first time they'd been alone since the bond, but this time there were no walls, no onlookers. Just the sound of crickets and the soft thrum of their wolves in sync.
Minho leaned on the railing, watching the light fade. "You really thought a retreat would calm everyone down?"
Chan's lips quirked. "Not everyone. Just you."
Minho arched a brow. "You think I need calming?"
Chan stepped closer, his presence wrapping around Minho like warmth. "I think you've been holding too much inside."
"I'm fine."
"You're not," Chan murmured, brushing his thumb over Minho's wrist where their bond mark pulsed faintly. "But you will be."
Minho's breath hitched, the sound soft against the wind. "You're too good at this."
Chan smiled not cocky, just gentle. "Only with you."
~~The Evening Fire~~
Later that night, all eight of them gathered by the campfire outside the cabin. The flames painted their faces gold, laughter echoing against the trees.
Han and Hyunjin bickered over marshmallows.
Seungmin was reading a book while Changbin kept interrupting him with jokes.
Felix braided Jeongin's hair under the moonlight.
Minho sat beside Chan, quietly content, their shoulders brushing in the flicker of firelight.
For a moment, it felt perfect as if fate had paused time for them.
"Feels like peace," Felix whispered.
Minho smiled faintly. "It is."
But Chan's gaze lifted toward the horizon and his eyes darkened.
"Not for long."
~~The Council's Arrival~~
Two days later, the peace ended.
The retreat hadn't even ended when word reached them, the Council had arrived early in Seoul Moon Park.
Their presence was impossible to ignore. Black cars. Ancient crests. Wolves in tailored suits carrying the weight of centuries.
The Council represented order, the balance between packs, families, and the Goddess's will. But behind their calm expressions lay something colder. Something that made even the most powerful Alphas lower their gaze.
When Chan and Minho returned to the city, the Mixtape Tower lobby was filled with whispers.
And waiting in the boardroom was Elder Seo Ryujin, the first and youngest Council envoy in history, sharp-eyed and deceptively composed.
She stood when they entered.
"Alpha Bang. Omega Lee," she greeted coolly. "The Council welcomes you back. We've… many questions."
Chan inclined his head. "Then ask."
Ryujin's gaze flicked toward Minho. "The flare seen at your gala, it broke centuries of silence. True-blood resonance hasn't been recorded since the Lunar War. You must understand why the Council is… concerned."
"Concerned," Minho repeated. "Or threatened?"
The faintest smile tugged at her lips. "Both, perhaps."
Chan's tone dropped, quiet but absolute. "Then they should learn the difference."
Ryujin studied him a moment longer then nodded slowly. "We intend to. There's an old prophecy tied to true-blood Alphas… and their chosen mates. The Council believes the flare might've awakened something long dormant."
Minho's stomach tightened. "Awakened what?"
Before she could answer, lightning cracked outside the tower, a flash splitting the sky. The power flickered, the scent of ozone thick in the air.
Ryujin's eyes gleamed silver. "You'll know soon enough. The Goddess doesn't bless without reason."
She turned to leave but paused at the door. "Oh, and Alpha Bang?"
Chan looked up.
Ryujin smiled faintly. "Congratulations on finding your mate. I just hope you're strong enough to keep him."
The door closed, leaving the silence sharp as glass.
Minho exhaled slowly. "So much for peace."
Chan looked toward the storm clouds gathering outside. "Let them come. We'll face whatever's next together."
And far beyond the tower, thunder rolled again not from weather, but from something older. Something waking.