Second Encounters
Nani sat cross-legged on the grass, his eyes half-lidded as he listened to the lazy afternoon hum of campus life. Around him, his friends occupied their usual positions—Pond sprawled out with his drink, Dew absorbed in his tablet, and Win sitting with an almost regal stillness.
"Remind me again," Pond drawled, stretching, "why we subject ourselves to this early morning torture?"
Dew barely looked up. "Because unlike you, some of us actually engage with academics."
Win sipped his tea. Silent, unimpressed.
Nani smirked. "You can leave, you know."
"And miss watching you suffer?" Pond smirked back. "Never."
Before Nani could throw something at him, a familiar voice cut through their banter.
"Well, well. Look who we found."
They turned to see Bright and Phuwin approaching.
Bright grinned, hands in his pockets, radiating casual confidence. "We were just talking about you."
Phuwin, more composed but still relaxed, dipped his head in acknowledgment. "Good to see you all again."
Nani studied them. It had only been a few days since their last encounter—since they'd saved Phuwin from a rogue attack. And yet, there was no hesitation in the way they approached now.
Still, there was something instinctual in Phuwin's posture. His shoulders remained squared, his expression steady, but his fingers twitched slightly—aware of the dominance in the air.
A natural Omega reaction.
But there was no fear.
Dew tapped his screen without looking up. "Recovered well enough?"
Phuwin smirked. "Takes more than a few rogues to put me down."
Pond leaned in, eyes amused. "That confidence. I like it."
Phuwin gave him a dry look. "Don't make me regret this conversation."
Bright chuckled, already making himself comfortable. "I like this group. Feels like we belong here."
"Debatable," Dew muttered.
Win, ever the observer, finally spoke. "What brings you two here?"
Bright stretched. "Stormveil's expanding its reach. Figured we should get to know our surroundings."
Phuwin nodded. "And since our last meeting wasn't exactly under ideal circumstances, we thought we'd properly introduce ourselves this time."
Pond smirked. "You mean you wanted to come back and see me."
Phuwin gave him an unimpressed stare. "Sure. Let's go with that."
The group fell into a surprisingly easy rhythm—banter flowing naturally, tension from their past encounters settling into something... less hostile.
But then—
The shift.
It was subtle.
The kind of quiet that wasn't truly quiet.
A presence.
Nani's wolf bristled before his mind even registered why.
The others felt it too.
Pond's shoulders straightened. Dew's fingers stilled on his tablet. Win slowly placed his cup down.
And then—
He walked in.
Effortless. Unhurried. As if he belonged anywhere he chose to be.
Dark hair. Broad shoulders. A stride that didn't need force to be noticed.
Those eyes.
Sharp. Steady. Sweeping over them with the quiet confidence of someone who never needed to demand attention to get it.
Sky.
Bright exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Took you long enough."
Phuwin, though still holding himself with dignity, instinctively dipped his head—just a fraction—acknowledging what couldn't be ignored.
"Sky," he murmured.
The name settled in the air.
The one who had scattered a group of dominant wolves with a single command.
Nani's breath hitched before he could stop it.
Because this time—
There was no grand display of power.
No territorial posturing.
Just his presence.
And yet—it still filled the space.
And finally—
Sky's gaze landed on Nani.
Direct. No pretense.
Nani's fingers twitched against his knee.
The air pressed into the space between them, stretched thin over something unspoken.
Recognition.
Nani's breath came slower.
This wasn't just an Alpha.
Not just another dominant wolf in a sea of them.
There was something in Sky. Something ancient. Something instinctive.
A pull—so subtle, so quiet—that it made Nani's skin prickle.
His wolf, usually indifferent to things like this, stirred.
Not because of force.
Not because of fear.
Because of him.
Sky tilted his head, just slightly. "You're the heir."
Nani exhaled, steady. "You're the Alpha who thinks he can command people he doesn't know."
Silence.
Then—
A flicker.
Not a smirk, not quite amusement—
Something else.
Sky's lips barely twitched. "And you're the Omega who doesn't listen."
Pond made a low, amused sound. "Oh, this is going to be fun."
Dew sighed, rubbing his temple. "We're never going to get peace again, are we?"
Win, watching closely, merely murmured, "No."
And Nani?
He wasn't sure what to make of the look in Sky's eyes.
Or why his heartbeat had shifted.
But he knew one thing.
This wasn't the end.
----
The silence stretched for a beat too long.
Nani's sharp gaze flickered between Sky and Bright, then to Phuwin—who, despite his composed demeanor, still had the faintest trace of deference in his posture.
Stormveil wolves.
That much, they already knew. But who exactly?
F4 had always understood the Stormveil Pack as an isolated, traditional group—powerful, yes, but uninterested in the human world. They ruled the wilderness, far removed from the intricate, political ties F4 maintained.
And yet—
Here they were.
Sitting on a university lawn, blending in with humans as if this was normal.
It wasn't.
Not for Stormveil.
Dew was the first to break the silence, his voice measured. "So, which branch of Stormveil are you from?"
Sky didn't even blink. "Does it matter?"
Dew's fingers tapped against his tablet, unimpressed. "It does when you show up in our world."
Bright smirked, stretching his arms over his head. "Your world? What, you own the human realm now?"
Pond scoffed. "Might as well. We're the only pack that actually integrates into it."
Phuwin tilted his head slightly. "And you think that makes you superior?"
Pond gave him a sharp grin. "Nah. Just unique."
Nani leaned back on his hands, eyes narrowing. "Stormveil wolves don't venture out like this. You keep to your own land. So what exactly are you doing here?"
Sky met his gaze head-on. "Because not everything is as simple as you think."
That response didn't answer anything.
Dew frowned, shifting slightly. "The Stormveil Pack follows traditional hierarchy, right? Strongest rules. No need for external ties."
Bright shrugged. "Something like that."
Win, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was calm, unreadable. "Then why are you here?"
The question hung in the air, weighty.
Sky remained unreadable, but it was Phuwin who answered.
"Because staying in our land doesn't mean we're cut off from the world," he said smoothly. "You assume we live like wild wolves. That we don't have modern infrastructure, education, or influence."
He tilted his chin slightly, just enough to challenge but not provoke. "But the truth is, we simply don't need human society the way you do."
Nani's brows furrowed.
F4 had always seen themselves as the bridge between werewolves and humans. They thrived in both worlds, believing that progress meant adapting to modern society.
But Stormveil—
They weren't isolated because they were uncivilized.
They were isolated because they didn't have to rely on anything but their own strength.
Dew exhaled, processing. "So, you're saying you live just as well as we do—just in your own way."
Bright grinned. "Now you're getting it."
Pond made a thoughtful sound. "Then why step into our world now?"
Sky's gaze flickered, sharp but unreadable.
Nani's instincts prickled again.
Something told him—
They weren't here by accident.
And whatever their reason was—
It was bigger than just a casual visit.
----
A brief silence settled between them, charged but not hostile.
Nani could sense that Sky and his group weren't here just to make small talk. There was an underlying purpose—one they weren't sharing. And that made him restless.
Dew, ever perceptive, leaned back against the bench, exhaling slowly. "Alright. Let's say we believe that Stormveil isn't as disconnected as we thought. That still doesn't explain why now?."
Bright grinned lazily, stretching. "Maybe we just wanted a change of scenery."
Pond snorted. "Yeah, right. And I'm the Omega Queen of the East."
Phuwin chuckled under his breath. "You do bark like a guard dog."
Pond shot him a glare. "And you sound suspiciously comfortable mouthing off to Alphas."
Phuwin tilted his head, unfazed. "Maybe because I know which ones to respect."
Bright let out a low whistle. "Damn. He got you there."
Dew shook his head, but even he was biting back a smirk. The playful exchange eased some of the tension, but Nani's sharp gaze never left Sky.
The way Sky sat, perfectly at ease but undeniably aware of everything around him. The way his green eyes—so unlike any werewolf Nani had ever seen—seemed to cut through layers, as if he wasn't just watching, but reading him.
And the worst part?
Nani felt the pull.
That same unspoken force from before. That quiet, unshakable awareness of Sky's presence.
It pissed him off.
Not because it was unpleasant—no, that would be easier to fight.
But because it felt too natural.
Like an instinct buried deep inside him, waking up after years of silence.
Sky didn't smirk. Didn't gloat. He just watched, unreadable as ever.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"We have our reasons." His voice was steady, carrying a quiet weight that sent something cold down Nani's spine. "And when the time comes, you'll know."
Nani clenched his jaw. He hated cryptic answers.
Dew sighed. "Of course. Because why give a straight answer when you can be mysterious?"
Sky didn't deny it.
Bright grinned. "It's more fun this way."
Phuwin rolled his eyes. "Only for you."
Nani exhaled sharply. Enough. They weren't getting anything more out of this conversation.
"Fine," he said, standing up. "Keep your secrets. But don't expect us to sit back and pretend we're not watching."
Sky's lips curled slightly—not quite a smirk, but close. "Wouldn't expect anything less."
And just like that, the conversation reached its natural end.
The tension remained, but the battle of words was over—for now.
-----
Sky Wongravee
The ride back to Stormveil was quiet. Not because there was nothing to say—but because there was too much to think about.
Sky leaned back in his seat, one hand resting against his temple as the city lights faded into the distance. The meeting with Nani's group had gone… better than expected. They hadn't been dismissed outright. If anything, the Four Fang Alliance was curious about them now. Watching them.
And Nani…
Sky's jaw tensed slightly. He hadn't missed the way Nani kept glancing at him when he thought no one would notice. That lingering pull between them—it wasn't one-sided. Sky knew what it was, even if Nani was still resisting.
Bright, sprawled across the seat opposite him, stretched lazily. "Well, that was fun. F4 isn't as stiff as I thought they'd be."
Phuwin gave him a look. "You mean Nani's group isn't. That doesn't mean their elders feel the same way."
Sky hummed in agreement but didn't say more.
By the time they reached Stormveil territory, the sky had darkened, the cool mountain air cutting through the lingering warmth of the city. The Stormveil mansion loomed ahead, its stone and wood structure blending into the wilderness, a stark contrast to the human world they had just left behind.
As soon as they entered, Fort was already waiting. The beta's sharp eyes flickered over them before he spoke. "You're back."
Sky arched a brow. "Obviously."
Fort ignored the sarcasm. "The elders of the Four Fang Alliance have requested a private meeting with Stormveil."
Bright let out a low whistle. "Damn. That was fast."
Phuwin frowned, adjusting his glasses. "Did they say why?"
"No." Fort's gaze was steady. "But they didn't need to. We already know."
A beat of silence.
They weren't called because F4 felt threatened by Stormveil. They were called because they wanted something.
Sky leaned against the staircase railing, arms crossed. "Interesting."
Phuwin's brows knitted together. "Are they worried about us? Or something else?"
"Both," Fort said without hesitation. "They assumed we were just another isolated pack, detached from human affairs. But now, they're realizing the truth—Stormveil isn't just some hidden force lurking in the shadows."
Bright smirked. "Yeah, but they probably thought we were running around in caves or something. Not, you know, civilized."
Sky's lips twitched slightly. "Let them think that if it makes them feel better."
Phuwin exhaled. "Still, if they're reaching out, it means they're starting to see us differently. And if they see us differently…" He hesitated.
"They'll start wondering just how much they don't know about us," Sky finished for him.
A heavy silence settled over them.
Fort stepped closer, voice lowering. "That's why we need to control this meeting. If F4 is reaching out, it's because they either see us as a potential ally…" He paused deliberately. "Or a problem they don't yet understand."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Phuwin glanced at Sky. "Then what's our next move?"
Sky exhaled, gaze steady. "We give them what they want."
Bright raised a brow. "Which is?"
Sky's lips curled slightly, just enough to be unsettling. "A reason to keep watching us."
But, then-
Fort glanced at Sky, hesitating.
"There's one more thing."
Sky arched a brow. "Go on."
"The Grand Gathering." Fort's tone was unreadable. "You've been invited."
Bright let out a low laugh. "Wait, what? Since when does Stormveil get invitations to F4's elite parties?"
Fort exhaled. "Since I put your name down."
Sky's gaze sharpened, but he didn't look surprised. "You decided this without telling me?"
"You would've rejected it." Fort's voice was steady. "But after this, there's no avoiding it. You need to be there, Sky. If we're being watched, then it's better we step into their world on our own terms."
Phuwin adjusted his glasses. "So we're walking straight into the lion's den."
Sky's smirk deepened, something almost predatory flickering in his gaze.
"Good." He turned toward the grand windows, looking out toward the city skyline. "Let's see if they can handle it. Tell them they will see me at the event"