Chapter 27

The next morning Chen awoke to the feeling of fingers up and down his back and gentle kisses being scattered over his face. He shifted, whining slightly and wriggling away.

“Good morning.” He could tell Kris was smiling. “Did you sleep well?”

He mumbled something that sounded like yes. For a while Kris didn't ask anything more but when Chen eventually gave in and opened his eyes Kris asked him why he had come home so early.

Chen grunted and to his back, his partner's arms still around him. “The usual. I just didn't want to hear it anymore. I realised being here felt like more of a home to me than being there.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I don't want to talk about it.”

They lapsed into silence for a while until Kris said, “Baekhyun told me what you said to him.”

Chen bit his lip slightly and turned his head away in embarrassment.

“He told me everything.”

“Everything?” he asked warily.

Kris's expression was serious and Chen began to feel worried. “Nothing happened,” he squeaked.

“I know nothing happened. He told me that you pushed him away. He was upset about it.”

“I didn't mean to make him feel bad.”

“He doesn't pity you, Chen. He was just trying to help.”

“You're not mad?” Chen was surprised and more than a little annoyed by Kris's apparent lack of jealousy.

“Of course I'm mad but better Baekhyun than someone else. At least I know he cares about you. I'm glad nothing happened though.”

Chen wriggled down under the covers, his stomach in knots. He had barely even thought of how Kris would feel about their brief kiss. He had just been focussing on his own hurt at the idea that Baekhyun felt sorry for him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a gentle finger trailing down his cheek to his jaw. Kris turned his head to look at him.

“I'm more worried that you think I don't want you.”

“Do you?”

Kris's heart broke a little at that.

“Of course I do. I know I pushed you away when I was in heat but I just don't want to hurt you. I told you that I would protect you.”

“You think I can't handle it,” Chen accused. “You don't see me that way. You think I'm not interested in that stuff.”

“In what stuff?”

“In… you know.” Chen growled at himself in frustration and sat up. Kris was quick to move too.

“Baby, talk to me.”

“No, I can't talk about it. You make me nervous and I don't know how to say it.”

Kris leant down to try and look him in the eye but Chen kept his head low, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

“You don't have to be nervous with me.”

“But I am. I don't know what I want, I just want you to lead me. I don't want you to hold back because of me, and how we met.” His voice dropped low and he focussed on his fingers which were studiously picking at the stitching on the bed covers.

“Because of how we met?”

“You always want to protect me and you think I can't cope with stuff, that I'm weak.”

“I don't think that.” He took hold of Chen's hands and made him look up. “I just don't want to be the one to hurt you. I promised I would make you feel safe.”

“I do,” Chen told him earnestly. “I'll try anything with you. Trust me, I'll tell you if it's too much.”

“Promise?”

He nodded. Kris sighed but a smile was forming on his face. “You don't know what you're letting yourself in for.”

Chen smiled and shuffled forward on his knees. He reached up to kiss his mate who caught him by the back of his neck and held him there until they were both breathless. Chen pulled away, panting.

“I've missed you,” Kris said, the sound half way between a growl and a sigh.

“I've missed you, too.”

“So maybe we could...” He trailed off to kiss him again.

Chen tensed slightly and pulled away. “What, r-right now?”

“You don't want to?” Kris asked worriedly.

“Of course I do, just I'm still sort of tired and… and sometimes just being with you is nice too.”

Kris's expression softened and he wrapped Chen up in his arms, kissing his forehead. He caught a glimpse of a little smile on his face and Chen giggled when he pulled him back down onto the bed.

“Alright, baby,” he said, pulling the covers back up over them. “If you want cuddles then you can have cuddles.”

Embarrassed but still smiling, Chen buried his face against Kris's neck and breathed in his familiar scent. Truthfully, as nice as just being with him was, Chen did want more. He wanted to push the memory of catching him in bed with Luhan out of his mind because he knew there was nothing between them and he knew how impossible it was to have any control when in heat. He wanted it to be good , not rushed in the morning when they were feeling lazy and affectionate.

He snuggled closer against Kris's side. He just hoped his partner could follow through on what he had agreed because he wanted so much more than they had been doing so far and he was just starting to realise that.

The tension in the air was so heavy that Xiumin was practically shaking. It had taken over a day for Luhan to calm down enough to talk to him but he still didn't look like he was happy about it. He sat on one couch while Xiumin sat on the other, a healthy distance between them.

“Xiumin if you're not going to say anything then you may as well just go.”

Xiumin swallowed hard, realising that he had been silent for too long. He had rehearsed the words a lot in his head but he seemed to have suddenly forgotten all of them.

“I… I wanted to try and explain.”

“Explain why you kept this secret from me?”

“Luhan, please.”

His mate sighed and sat back a little. He looked away but agreed to be silent while Xiumin talked.

Taking a deep breath and keeping his eyes down because he was too ashamed to look at Luhan while he spoke, Xiumin tried to explain his story. How scared he had been of his dorm mates and how that led to him meeting Changmin. How they had fallen in love so quickly but Yunho said he couldn't join the pack until they were more stable and had proven that it wasn't just a fling or sudden infatuation. Then, with a tight throat and tears in his eyes, he had explained how Minseok, the alpha in the dorm, had attacked him while he was in heat and how close he had come to giving in to him even though he was terrified.

Without looking up to see his reaction Xiumin continued to describe to Luhan how scared he had been when he had managed to escape. He didn't mention the bruises and marks that were left on his skin or how shameful he had felt for wanting it. He knew that was only because of the heat. Had it not been for his thoughts of Changmin he would have probably given in.

Changmin had confronted Minseok and warned him off after that but Minseok had said there was nothing he could do about it. He said other things as well, things to do with what he and his pack would do to Xiumin when they eventually got a hold of him. Xiumin didn't go to school for days. He was too scared.

That was when Changmin had made him his pet. He almost stopped then because he saw Luhan's hands tighten into little balls from the corner of his eye. This was the worst part. The part he had been scared of talking about.

He continued, stumbling over his words the whole time, to explain how there had been a huge fight between the two packs and Changmin had blamed Minseok's pack when Xiumin had been too scared to tell the truth about them cornering him and attacking him again. They were kicked out of the school and while they left with plenty of threats against Changmin's pack nobody had seen them since.

Finally, his throat dry from talking so much, Xiumin lifted his head. Luhan was staring wide eyed at the floor. For a long time he barely even seemed to breathe.

“Say something,” Xiumin prodded gently.

“What do you want me to say?” His voice was barely a whisper.

“I-I just wanted you to know everything. No more secrets.”

He tried to smile a little but the expression quickly dropped when Luhan looked up at him, his eyes burning. “You're his pet.”

Xiumin shrank. This is what he had been afraid of.

“Not anymore,” he squeaked. “I told him I didn't want to be.”

“Oh, well, I'm sure your master will respect that.” The way he practically spat the word 'master' made Xiumin cringe.

“It was never like that, Luhan. It was just to keep me safe.”

“And how well did that work? They still attacked you. He just wanted to make a claim on you.”

By this point Luhan was up on his feet, gesturing to emphasise his words. Xiumin shakily stood because sitting made him feel too vulnerable. He shook his head at Luhan's words. He knew it hadn't been like that. Changmin had never forced him to do anything.

“I can't believe this.” Luhan's lip, still split from his fight with Changmin, curled in distaste. “Who the hell volunteers to be someone's pet?”

“I was scared.”

“And you can't just quit,” he continued, ignoring his mate's words. “He owns you. Forever! You don't belong to me or our pack or anything and you knew that.” Tears began to form, making his eyes shine. “You knew that and you still never told me.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't think he would come back. I didn't think it would be like this.”

“You said you were mine but you've been lying to me this whole time.”

“No.” Xiumin tentatively stepped forward but Luhan moved out of reach.

“You're a liar.” Fiercely he swiped the tears from his eyes. “I feel like I don't even know you anymore.”

His words felt like a punch to the stomach and for a second Xiumin forgot how to breathe. “I'm still the same person.”

“No, you're not. The Xiumin I knew wasn't a e.”

Xiumin froze, his eyes going wide. It felt like cold water had just been poured over him. “No I'm not,” he said breathlessly.

“You exchanged for protection, didn't you? You let him do whatever he wanted to you and then you lied to us about it.”

“It wasn't like that.” A stray tear ran down his cheek, hot against his suddenly cold skin.

“Do you know what trouble this will cause when he comes to claim you?”

He was shouting now and Xiumin shrank back against the sound. “I'm sorry,” he sobbed.

“You're a liar,” Luhan spat. “I can't believe I ever touched you.” He was shaking now, his tears barely held in control at the sight of Xiumin crying.

“Get out,” he ordered.

“But-”

“Get out!”

Xiumin flinched as he shouted. His vision was blurry with tears as he ran towards the door.

Luhan stood stiffly as he watched him go but as soon as the door had shut behind him his legs buckled and it was only the arm of the couch that kept him from crumpling to the floor. His chest was too tight and he had to gasp for breath as he tried to keep himself upright.

Oh my god, teasers for the new album are out!!!

Ex'act is not a great name tbh but I'm excited!!!!!!