Chapter Three:

The time was now.

The week had just flown by, and it was already mating time. People were buzzing with uncontrolled excitement about this being their year for love, or something mushy like that.

But not Ji Yong, no he was panicking on the inside.

Ji Yong fidgeted nervously as he clawed at the hem of his plain looking gray and black stripped, long sleeved shirt, feeling like he wanted to run away. It would be so easy to turn around and leave just now. There were way too many people here and he had not anticipated it to be so crowded. Maybe he could put this off until next year! The thought calmed him down for a second, and he nearly fled home, before something deep within him talked to him.

All of the time, you really want to spend your whole life alone?

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath. No, he didn’t want to.

“Ji Yong!”

Ji Yong’s large black kitty ear flicked up, and he turned around wide eyed, only to find his family and some of his co workers there. They all grinned at him supportively and gave him thumbs up- Daesung, Seungri, Minzy, Young Bae, CL, Dara, Bom, Dong Wook, and Han Byul. All people that he knew and were close to him. “You can do it, Ji, we believe in you!” they happily cheered for him.

Ji Yong smiled at them, nodding his head. He wished he could share in their enthusiasm, but the reality was that he was still very nervous.

Suddenly, he noted that a few males and females had already rushed to the forestry area that was conserved for regular hunting. A neko usually picked a mate by scent and power status. So far no one that had passed by had caught Ji Yong’s attention, but he knew that as soon as he entered, someone might. “I’m going to go,” he said, no longer willing to put it off. His nerves were eating him up alive, and he just wanted to get thing over with.

Everyone nodded, and waved him goodbye, wishing him the best of luck. They knew that they might not see Ji Yong in the next three days, depending on what happened.   

“He really dressed himself down for this,” Dara commented.

“Yeah, he doesn’t want to find a mate based on looks,” Seungri said.

“Oh,” The girls said. They didn’t understand it much. For them when it came to searching for a mate, the first thing they used was their charm to catch their eyes so they could get them to sniff around them.

They really hoped that Ji Yong knew what he was doing.

Three hours later, and Ji Yong found himself atop of a tree, looking around. Either way he looked he found two dominant males or females, fighting for a submissive pray that they were both interested in. So far he had managed to keep away from anyone, so he had luck that he was not being fought over.

That would feel a little awkward. Although what he also found intriguing was two submissive male, female, or mixed, fighting to impress a strong dominant that won’t look their way.

Narrowing his brown eyes, Ji Yong began looking around.

No, no one interesting to the left, no one interesting to the right, and no one interesting straight ahead. Maybe he needed to go deeper than the heart of the forest. Sighing to himself he was about to jump off his tree to another when a small sound caught his attention and he looked up. His eyes widened and he took a step back when he saw a white haired  male with deep black chilling eyes looking down at him with full interest.

His heart jumped in his chest, and it felt like it was about to squeeze itself up his throat and escape as it started to beat erratically. Tilting his head to the side, he made his move and jumped to the tree beside the one he was standing on, intending on losing this male that made him feel funny but the moment he was on the other side, he found the other male in his path, blocking him from getting away. Ji Yong felt a pleasured induced shiver run down his spine at the feel of power that this dominant held.

The Dominant smirked. “What’s the rush?” he asked in his deep voice that seemed to curl at the R, and send thrill shivers down Ji Yong’s spine. For one second Ji Yong’s eyes flicked down to lock with the white haired males lips.

Remembering that he was facing a dominant, he was about to retort when suddenly someone else landed near them.

It was a pretty, little male, submissive. It flicked its white tail around, and dropped his ears submissively as he started to loudly purr when it noticed the strong aura the dominant before them was emitting.  The dominant dark expressive eyes flicked over to the new submissive, and Ji Yong felt jealousy flare in his chest as he no longer had the attention he had first been given.

He then frowned at himself, surprised at the feeling. It was like suddenly his brain and his body was giving him mixed signals. Well, this dominant was the most powerful he had felt since he had entered into this forest as well as the most beautiful. He also caught his attention with his unusual look. White silvery hair that was messy around his head, deep black eyes, and what looked to be black ears and a tail, only softly tinted with a blue or purple hue. His body was also covered in a black coat looking thing, with complicated buckles going across his chest, and he seemed to be wearing deep black jeans, and black shoes.

When the other submissive took a step towards the dominant, swaying its hips invitingly, Ji Yong’s deep black ears became flat and he turned to it with a hiss at his lips. His tail jerked back and forth, agitated, puffy with fury, and feeling challenged.

The dominant was not impressed.

He jumped down and started to look at other submissive. Ji Yong and his rival’s eyes widened and they both glowered at each other before, blaming the other for the dominants disinterest, and rushing towards the dominant that had caught their attention. Ji Yong was bold enough to block the white haired male’s path, and hiss. “What’s the rush?” He smirked, throwing the dominant’s words at him.

The dominant shot him an annoyed look, “I’m not interested,” he hissed back. Both submissive and Dominant glared at each other.

“Tch, I don’t have time for this then,” the other submissive said, and left.

“But I am,” Ji Yong spat, growling at the back of his throat.

“Oh,” the taller male said, a smirk curling those perfect lips of his. Well, this little submissive was persistent, and very intriguing.  He was completely lying though, he was completely interested in this one since the first time he saw him. It had been his blond white head that had first caught his eyes, and then that lovely face of his.

“What’s that oh for?” Ji Yong demanded and flinched back when the taller male leaned in close to him, and nearly placed them face to face. Then he took a step forward and he took a step back, but he didn’t get far as soon his back was pressed to a tree. Ji Yong blushed an incredible red, making his face look like a tomato when he felt the dominant press his nose to the sweet dent in between his collar bones. That is where his scent was supposed to be the strongest.

“You do smell good,” the male commented, flicking his startling black eyes up and taking in the angelic features of the submissive before him. Ji Yong glanced down and saw the dominant’s eyes softly glowing with a ashen color, making his eyes almost seem hard to describe now.

It seemed to look like a ring, circled around his dark pupil. For a moment he forgot how to breathe.

Shivers ran down Ji Yong’s back, and he pushed away.

The dominant males gasped in shock as he felt the small petite submissive circle around him, tauntingly, and then flee in challenge. Apparently this submissive was not going to easily give himself to him like many others had tried. He had let him know he was available and interested, but he knew now he had to prove himself worthy of this submissive. This is what he was looking for, a challenge and he had finally found it.

Noticing that in his haste, his prey had riled up the attention of other dominants, he decided to hurry up and reach him before anyone else did.

He had to have him, and claim that boy and his intoxicatingly sweet scent. He smelled so innocent.

There weren’t many submissive that held such a scent anymore.

Running at a very high speed, the dominant reached the submissive and blocked his path. The small one gasped in shock and took two steps back. The dominant stood his ground and growled angrily when he found two other dominant walk into a very close proximity of the submissive he was trying to claim.

The growl was loud enough and resounding for the other dominant to hear as well as it managed to scare them to pause in their approach. The submissive before him narrowed his eyes, and let out his own displeased growl at being chased by other males he didn’t want.

That alone showed the white haired dominant that this submissive wasn’t weak. He was a strong one. A submissive like this one was meant to be treasured.

The dominant smirked and then let his own power show as he sent a strong shock of magic around, creating a sphere around him and the submissive.

The sudden rush of power shocked the other dominants and they instantly flinched back, and retreated in defeat. There was no way they were going to get their grabby paws on this little submissive.

Ji Yong on the other hand looked around him, feeling oddly safe and warm for one moment, and then looked back to the dominant before him. It reminded him that he couldn’t allow himself to be easily taken in by him! So, he took several steps back, ready to run again.

The dominant grinned at him. “You’re going to run again?” he teased.

Ji Yong growled, and vanished.

See if he can find him then! Ha!

000

“Where’s Ji Yong?” their mother asked when she came home to find only Daesung, Minzy, Seungri, and Young Bae.

“He’s trying to find himself a mate,” Seungri said, as he wrapped his fork around the saucy spaghetti and then motioned it towards Young Bae’s tightly closed lips, gently pressing it to his lips and trying to get him to open up. Young Bae seemed to give him a look that was not amused at being fed, and eventually opened his mouth for the offered food, causing his submissive to grin widely at him, obviously pleased.

“I see,” their mother said, and sighed. “Ah, let’s hope that boy doesn’t cause us any more trouble with bringing a mate home,”

“You mean if he brings a mate home, I think he’s going to be reluctant to find one,” Daesung said with a grin, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up right now pissed and claiming that it had been a waste of time.”

“That does sound like him.” Their mother agreed making the others sweat drop at the little fate their mother also had at Ji Yong ever finding a proper mate. Not like Ji Yong had given any other impression. “Ah, why couldn’t he mate with that pretty girl Dara? That boy is so backwards, I swear. Out of all of you he has always been the picky one. Nothing simple is ever enough for him.”

“Well, as much as you wish for him to do a simple decision for once, he wouldn’t be Ji Yong if he didn’t complicate things,” Daesung said with a nod of his head and Seungri agreed with him as he wiped Young Bae’s mouth softly with a napkin.

“Ji Yong is one of a kind if you ask me,” Seungri said.

“Well, I won’t argue with that,” their mother said as she finished with everything in the kitchen and shook her head at the young couples. “I’m going out, be good.”

She left getting agreeing sounds even though she knew they were all lies. These boys were prone to get themselves into some sort of trouble if they wanted.

“Do you guys think that Ji Yong will be okay?” Minzy asked, slight worry on her voice for her brother in law. Daesung and Seungri both nodded.

“That boy always lands on his feet, even if he’s flipped over backwards and in a bad position. I’ve never seen him fall either. I’m sure he knows how to take good care of himself.” Daesung said, but it sounded like he was also trying to convince a part of himself of it. Seungri seemed to be the same.

“He’ll be just fine,” they both said at the same time.

Both Minzy and Young Bae shared a look, knowing that their lovers were actually deeply worried about their brother.

The best thing to do was to distract them.

“Let’s watch a movie,” Young Bae offered, and Minzy agreed to it. Daesung and Seungri nodded in absent agreement.

In the back of their heads though, they kept praying that their brother was alright. They could not even begin to think about what he was going through out there, in the wild, searching for a mate where thousands of others were doing the same.

They just had to keep the hope alive that Ji Yong would come back to them safe and sound.