If anyone would like to check out:
Kyuhyun's Birthday Fic (Wonkyu) → What are Friends for...
Jikook Fic → Love Happen
Sekai Fic → The Wild Wolf

CHAPTER 16

“What the…?” A shopkeeper mumbled under his breath once two blurs went pass his shop.

The merchants, shopkeepers and random citizens of Wolvotaria paused in their task to see two humungous werewolves running the length of towns and settlements. The rumor of such abnormality spread over Wolvotaria in matter of hours. It’s true that all Wolvotarian are bounded by wolf-spirit but that doesn’t mean they flaunt their wolf form just like that. It’s an unspoken law to keep your wolf-form for fights or other serious situation where one might need its defense. Moreover, it is rather easy to distinguish the kind of wolf-spirit one might possess, if said werewolf is in his wolf-form… something that doesn’t play well in the corrupted and Alpha-dominant world of Wolvotaria.

But the gigantic werewolves, who were excluding the aura of high and mighty Iota and Upsilon, couldn’t care less at being exposed like that. They had a mission to tackle and running in wolf-form assured the speed they needed to reach the desired place. The midnight blackish wolf came to a skidding stop at the outskirt of town Felin, waiting for slightly short peach blonde she-wolf to catch up with him. The wolf pointed toward the far corner of Forest- that lay before them- growling as mean of revealing his thoughts. The smaller she-wolf took a deep sniff from that direction before howling in affirmative. Determined, both werewolves started running toward that certain point, knowing well the werewolves they seek entered from that trail.

Approximate two minutes of plodding in that route and they found two soundly sleeping figures on the ground.

The Upsilon, Flare, was first to change back to her normal form before her mate an Iota, Yuta, followed.

“Seriously?” Flare exclaimed in outrage. “They are sleeping here like babies?!”

“The better thing to take notice of is… the Zeta isn’t here,” Yuta commented which roughly palming his face. “Should we wake them up or look for the Zeta, further inside the forest?”

“You are not welcomed in the Immortal forest, whelp,” A soft voice sounded from the mid of darkness filled forest before a petite and pretty girl with blue eyes stepped from the shadow into their vision.

“Who are you?” Flare muttered even if she had an inkling of who that pretty thing with pointy ears actually is.

“The Prime Half-Elf asked me to convey you a message,” The docile half-elf carried on with her words as her hand swept over the two sleeping figures. “He said, “Take these Guardians with you… you might need them. The fight is inevitable. I would make sure the Zeta learns the truth but at the end, he would do as he pleases”.”

“Where is the Zeta?” Yuta demanded angrily.

“He is safe,” The half-elf answered while taking a few steps back in the trees shadow.

“We can wait for him to come out of Immortal Forest,” Flare retorted. “We can him back to castle.”

“The Prince needs you,” The elf whispered. “Go back before it’s too late.”

With that said the Half-Elf disappeared, leaving behind a wisp of glittery air. As soon as she vanished, the sleeping boys on the ground started to stir up. Yuta made to chase after the Half-Elf but his mate stopped him with a short shake of her head.

“I know the depth of magic in this place, Yuta,” The Upsilon slurred. “You would fall under the charm of drowsiness as well if you tried to trail her.”

“Then what do we do?” The Iota necessitated. “Donghae won’t be happy if we return back empty handed.”

“Technically, we are not empty handed,” Flare joked as she moved forward to help a groaning Jaehyun off of the floor. “And I have a feeling Donghae would understand the cons in our case.”

“What is going on here?” Myungsoo grated before putting a hand on his spinning head.

“We- that is to say, Grey Canines and Guardians- are becoming best friend for greater good,” Yuta said sarcastically. “So up you get grumpy because we have miles to travel before reaching the Golden Palace.”

O-o-o-o-O

The clock chimed loudly, unveiling the fact that midnight had drawn upon them.

When earlier, Yuta and Flare has returned back to Castle with two Guardians in the tow, Donghae had not been happy to learn that neither of those wolves were the Zeta. But after hearing ’s side of story and bits of what Guardians could recall before they were forced under the sleeping charm… Donghae knew they couldn’t have done anything to retrieve Hyukjae, once he had stepped in the shelter of Immortal Forest.

The message from the Prime Half-Elf was unclear… Donghae, unfortunately, could come up with hundreds of scenarios Hyukjae might react to the truth and hazardously enough none of those scenarios ended well. He has admitted his defeat before he had a chance to fight… Donghae never pitied his own self as much as he did then.

Now, Donghae, who was bent over the field map laid out over his large study table, with whole Grey Canines and the four Guardians around the table, looked up when the dull thuds of tower bell vibrated through the grounds of the Castle. It had taken no less than ten minutes for Ara to claim that she trusted Donghae before Myungsoo and Jaehyun had dropped all forms of hostility they held against the Silver Alpha. If Donghae didn’t know any better he would almost have thought that Ara was the leader of Guardians.

“I think it’s time to wrap up for today,” The Silver Alpha suggested while straightening his bent back and giving a once over to surrounding party. “Let’s rest for the night. We going over our plan multiple times wouldn’t change the outcome.”

“I agree,” Ara nodded before wrapping an arm around a tired looking Jaehyun. “Today had been rather hectic for me… too much to take in.  Also, Jae and Soo are still fighting the after effects of the sleeping spell.”

“Tomorrow might be even harder,” Donghae muttered seriously, earning a sharp glance from the Guardian Omicron. “I wish to introduce you to someone tomorrow.”

“Who?” Ara narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Our mutual cousin,” Donghae let fall from his thin lips, biting down a smile when he noticed the female Omicron’s sour expressions.

“You knew?” Ara queried instead of biting off the head of the Prince because she knew exactly who he was talking about. “You knew about us being cousins?”

“Cousins?” Kai wondered, nudging Donghae when the latter let out a deep laugh.

“Vinz told me about our rather interesting family tree,” Donghae enlightened Ara before turning to face his confused step brother. “Our father had two sisters, whom were hidden from our grandfather. They were both Omegas… mated in a family of Upsilons. Ara is daughter of one of them while our Flare and of course Saeun are daughters of other.”

“Back tract a little,” Flare exclaimed as she walked away from her mate’s embrace and came to stand before Donghae. “We are cousins? You knew and never bothered telling me? Moreover, when you say ‘our mutual cousin’ does that mean Saeun?”

“Ah, I forgot,” Donghae pinched the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance. “Ara might not be as shocked at meeting Saeun as you would be, Flare.”

“You bet I would,” The Upsilon growled. “I knew something was up when you got ‘someone’ to put the barrier charm around the Castle. Saeun is well-known for her protective little spells.”

“Yes, she is,” Donghae agreed. “And we need her as well as the whole Magic Maniacs in order to win against Guardians, wouldn’t you agree? Now be a dear and show your precious cousin Ara and her pretty friends the way to guest rooms, okay?”

Flare grumbled something under her breath, and knocked away her mate Yuta’s reaching hands as she gesture for Ara and Sehun to follow her. Just when a tired and yawning Sehun had gratefully started walking in the wake of the tall girl, he found a large hand against his forearm, before trailing down to grip his pale hand.

“You would be coming with me, Sehun,” Kai whispered hotly against his ear before tugging him toward the door. Even with face bright red and blood pounding in his ears, Sehun was able to hear the wolf whistles and jeering comments Kai’s subordinate let out behind them.

“You are such an idiot,” Sehun hissed angrily. “Now look what you made all of them think. I would never be able to look any of them in the eye ever again.”

Kai snorted loudly with a shake of his head before hollering the whining and complaining Sehun inside his chamber. He quickly bolted the door lock before turning to flash a wicked grin at the pale Guardian.

“Alone at last,” Kai whispered, taking a predatory step closer to Sehun, who out of instinct took a step back.

“So what?” Sehun mocked back, trying his best to keep his face blank of any expressions. “Just because I am siding with the Silver Alpha doesn’t make us best friends, like before Kai. Actions speak louder than words and your actions had been nothing but monstrous-”

Unexpectedly, the loud growl Kai let out shook Sehun to the very core of him, making the Kappa to jump slightly before ungraciously landing on the bed behind him when the enraged Beta took long strides toward him. Sehun composed himself enough to get in sitting position while glaring at the towering Beta.

“What?” Sehun provoke the angry Beta further. “Are you gonna mark me against my will, like the monster you are?”

“No,” The Beta muttered, noticing the slight shake in Sehun’s body as he reached to hold the Kappa’s ankle. “I would never mate you against your will… but I am gonna taint your little celibacy vows, like the monster, you just said I am.”

With eyes wide and adrenaline pumping through him, Sehun fisted the silky soft blanket beneath him when Kai caressed the white skin of his ankle.

O-o-o-o-O

Hyukjae tried matching his strides with the Elves, yet his mind kept getting distracted at the wonderment around him, making him to lag a few steps behind. The trail they were treading upon didn’t directly held any of those giant tulip flowers but when Hyukjae saw such a flower near him, he made to go and touch the beautiful thing and maybe peer inside to see what it holds.

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