COUNTDOWN: 26 DAYS TO FULL MOON #3

Kita was with Luhan and Xiumin, having a well deserved a lazy day after the exhaustion of the day before.

But Kai hadn’t been told where she was, or what she was doing. It was the pull he felt towards that section of the house, it was the way her magic was still threading through his own, all slow and languid and peaceful in a way that could only be reflective of the way she was feeling. He’d been feeling it ever since that incident with the vampires yesterday, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

So that led him to sitting in the middle of the back garden, in front of the frail little flower they’d created. It was spindly, its stem looking like it would uproot with the faintest breeze. The leaves were wrinkly and crumpled on the edges. But the petals, they were his blue, the only proof that his magic had played a part in creating it.

He stretched out a hand, brushing it along the petals, almost expecting to feel a spark of magic, whether his own or Kita’s. But it was just a flower, soft and delicate as any other.

His other arm was healed, but scarred. Two little circles were all that remained to show where the fangs had sunk into his forearm. He’d been feverish while the venom ran through his system, his body sweating out the poisonous substance that had him seeing hallucinations.

Hallucinations like wrapping his body around Kita as the lay on the kitchen floor.

Like Kita clinging to him, fingers his shirt like a child.

Like burying his face in her shoulder as they lay on his bed, sharing magic at so many contact points that it added to his confusion.

He wasn’t really sure what had happened yesterday, everything after the bite was a little hazy. Thankfully, his pack seemed to realise that he needed a few minutes to himself, and were content to watch him from the windows as he sat in the garden.

One such wolf was Sehun, whose face could be seen peeking from his attic window. Sehun had honestly been scared yesterday, he’d never seen his pack brother like that before. He was like a madman, delusional, slurring his words, murmuring gibberish as hot sweat prickled over his skin. Kai had somehow outrun them all yesterday, outrunning everyone else who were on dirt-bikes. That in itself was enough to cause concern, because what could have possessed Kai to give him abilities like that?

Sehun had been one of the first to get home and see the sight on the kitchen floor, and his heart had jumped in his throat. Kai’s body was sprawled over Kita as they both leaned against the cupboards. Their breathing was shallow and quick, like they were gasping. The pack had tried to separate them, but the painful whimpers had changed that plan, and they ended up carrying the pair to Kai’s bed, setting a watch over them wishing they could do more.

Kita didn’t remember much either, but she felt much more at ease now among Luhan and Xiumin who were doing an excellent job of distracting her. She just wanted a bit of normalcy, and they were perfect for it.

But even they couldn’t disguise the threads of blue magic running through her that reminded her that she was still connected to Kai. The strands were wobbly, confused, lost, and insistent as Kita eventually surrendered and excused herself to head to the garden where she knew Kai was. He was hunched over the little flower, it looking so much smaller next to his tall frame.

She sat next to him in silence, reaching out to trace a petal. She smiled softly, happy that the pain had been worth it, proof that her magic could do something.

“Hey.” Kai broke the silence first.

“Hi.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m well, how about you?”

Kai thumbed over the little circular scars, “I’m ok.” He paused, “what happened to us?”

She bit her lip, “I’m not sure. You, I can explain, but…”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Silence grew again, they both knew what the questions were.

“I still have your magic in me.” Kai said, making Kita turn her head.

“You can feel your magic?” When had that happened? Last Kita knew, Kai could only feel magic on a full moon. The next one was still practically a month away, Kai should be at his weakest.

He nodded, “since yesterday.” He hesitated again, “did you… did your vision… change?”

Kita confirmed that it had, “it was all dark and shadowy, and then colours were everywhere.” Kai breathed in relief, but it was too soon that she continued; “and then everything was super clear and focused, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Kai’s eyes closed and his head dropped forward. He’d realised that they’d shared his injury yesterday, he knew that as long as he’d been under the influence of the venom that she had shared everything with him. But he’d hoped that was it. He’d prayed that she’d missed his wolf senses, because that was something he still hadn’t tackled himself yet.

“Kai?” Kita broke him out of his thoughts, and he realised that of course, she could feel his magic in the same way he could feel hers. So just as he could feel her confusion, she would be able to feel this motley of fear and desperation he was feeling. But he couldn’t tell her, he couldn’t tell any of them.

“I’m sorry that you had to feel that.” The regret was clear in his voice, and the crease between Kita’s eyebrows lessened as she attributed his emotions to the guilt he felt for her feeling his pain with him.

“It’s ok.” She said softly, “we’ll figure this out.”

Kai felt her reassurance and it made him sick. “Yeah.”

She smiled at him, “don’t stay out here too long.” She stood and walked back in the house, letting him have space with his thoughts.

He was grateful. He needed time to figure out what was going on, he needed room to breathe without the pressure of watchful eyes. Only when he was sure he was alone did he cast another glance at the little flower and take deep breaths to calm himself.

And then he felt for his wolf.

Almost as if it was waiting, the wolf inside him began writhing and howling, making its presence known. Kai squeezed his eyes closed, as if that would rectify the situation, as if he would wake up and realise that his wolf wasn’t lurking just below the surface.

And it had things to say.

It was surrounded by a haze of raging fury. Fury at being repressed and ignored. Fury and being put in chains. Fury at the Fey for binding it. Kai shuddered at the intensity of it all, at the need to sink his jaws into every Fey he found and teach them what it meant to challenge a wolf. And there was a Fey right here-

The thought of Kita sent his wolf into a frenzy. The anger was still there, the rage, but there was a possessive need alongside it. The wolf was pulling at him, yanking at its leash to run to her, acting on that burning desire to be close to her.

Kai felt his senses peaking again, the wolf searching out for scent of her. It sent a jolt down Kai’s spine, was Kita feeling this? And if she was, what revulsion would she feel, what would she think of him when she found out about the beast inside him? He forced the wolf down, focusing his mind on his pack, the ones who had supported him for all this time.

He wouldn’t let them down.

He had beaten his wolf once, he would do it again.        

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Alright! The ball’s moving!!

There’s a fair set of new subscribers for this fic which makes me super happy, so I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!