We Are Just Meant To Be

Chapter Thirty-Nine

SIwon yawned widely and rubbed his tired eyes.

He had been looking up research in the journals that had been archived into his family library  for centuries. It had taken him a while to convince his father to allow him to even touch the damn books. They were incredibly fragile, making them a bit harder to read and decipher, but so far he had no luck in what he was searching for.

There was nothing that could explain what had happened with Seung Hyun and Ji Yong. There were journals that made no sense and seemed to speak in riddles. He wanted answers, but he found himself full of more questions than before.

He was about ready to give up.

“Siwon?” Hee Chul startled awake when he felt his mate suddenly stand up. Hee Chul had done nothing but stand beside Siwon’s side, offering his silent support. Siwon hadn’t moved much since they had entered the library about a day or so ago, and even as Hee Chul came back with food and drinks, his mate didn’t seem like he was moving anytime soon and had started to worry about him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just going to place this back,” he motioned to the journal in his hand, and then softly smiled at his mate. “We should go get some fresh air. We’ve been here for longer than we should have been,” he ran his thumb across his mate’s soft cheek, and then offered his hand for him to take.

Hee Chul nodded, closing the journal that had been forgotten in front of himself and followed his mate so they could slot the books back into place. “We still have so many of them to go.” He absently muttered, his eyes moving to trace the spine of several other books in a dusty corner. Siwon blinked, and followed his mates gaze, only to gasp when he saw that there was still a whole other selection of journals that they had not touched.

How had he missed that? He really needed a break.

He made his way over, his eyes roving over the covers. The few volumes here covered a whole other side of their family, their mother’s side to be precise, but they looked incomplete. The volumes here looked like they had been taken or selected at random. His fingers sliced through the thick layer of dust and felt renewed hope grow. There was no doubt that this was a contribution from those who entered the family instead of their immediate family. This might have some answers to all of his questions.

“Later,” he promised to himself.

“Siwon?” Hee Chul was giving him a confused look, but Siwon simply smiled at him, reaching his hand out.

“Let’s get out of here for a while,” he said, not wanting to repeat what he had said. Hee Chul returned the soft smile and the both of them left the dinky little library that had become their current residence.

“There is still no change in their condition,” Young Bae sighed, sitting back and watching as Seungri and Dae Sung both zoned out, their eyes barring in on JI Yong as if willing him to wake up. On the other side, asleep, and looking completely exhausted was their mother, Ae Chung. Sighing softly, Young Bae closed his own eyes, and hoped for a miracle. He didn’t like the thought that anything bad could happen to his mate’s family.

A soft knock at the door had all three males turning their head towards it. The door silently opened to Dong Wook and his mate, Han Byul. The two smiled solemnly as they entered and closed the door just as silently as they had entered. Young Bae stood up to greet them and let them know that nothing had changed; it saved Daesung and Seungri from having to say it themselves.

 “What did Ji Yiong mother say about all of this?” Dong Wook asked, pulling up a seat for his mate, and then he himself sat on the floor.

“She hasn’t said anything, to be honest; she’s just been there sleeping and holding Ji Yong’s hand,” Young Bae silently answered him.

Dong Wook nodded in understanding. “I’m just glad that I was able to get mom out of here to go and see Minki and Dong Ho, she’s still not completely sure how to feel about Seung Hyun, but has expressed that she wants to be around for when he wakes up.”  Dong Wook sighed.

“I would be confused too if there was suddenly a child that I had forgotten,” Han Byul softly whispered, her eyes looking distant. She really didn’t want to imagine such a thing. It was so heartbreaking. Part of her was mad for her mother in law having to find out such a thing this way. She couldn’t really fully imagine what the woman was feeling right now.

“It is, but we are all here now. I just hope that everything turns out all right, but overall that Ji Yong and Seung Hyun wake up soon.” That was something that all of them could easily agree too.

Time seemed to slow crawl around them with the chatter of the television in the background being the only thing that offered a semblance that grounded everyone. Hope always surged in their chest when a nurse or a doctor walked in to check in on Seung Hyun and Ji Yong. Eventually, the doctor that came in told them that they had to at least leave for the night.

HE tried his best to get everyone to go home, eat, rest, and return early in the morning. They were really not doing themselves a favor by being exhausted this way. Daesung finally said that he would return later in the night after he ate and shower, and that he would check on Ji Yong and Seung Hyun when he came back to see Minzy.

Everyone agreed to shifts, Daesung’s would be first, since he and Minzy were due to leave tomorrow in the afternoon for home. Their little ones and Minzy were all ready to go to home after all. Ae Chung decided that while Daesung was gone she would stay; she didn’t want to leave Ji Yong alone for even a moment.

And thus, the waiting continued.

Hyuna and Hyun Seung had decided that they would hold off mating. Even though they knew that it would give them the advantage, they also felt that it would be mating for all the wrong reasons. They had decided to wait for the next mating season and they were both sure that after they had made their plan that they will live to the next mating season.

“Thank you for not turning me in,” Hyuna whispered as the both of them made their way out of their town.

“I just can’t, you mean a lot to me but let’s fix this up,” Hyun Seaung reached for her hand, holding it warmly. “I’ll be so glad when this is over.”

“Me too.”

“So, where are they,”

“They live beyond the forest this way,” Hyuna pointed to the forest that was always used for the mating season. It was scary to think that those creatures were so close to a sacred place when Nekos became much more vulnerable. Hyuna kept her head down as she tightened her hand around Hyun Seug’s. “It’s all the way to the other side,” she muttered.

“What are they doing there?” he asked, swallowing the thick lump that had gathered around his throat.

“I don’t know, in fact, I only really found them by chance. I was following one of them, and I thought it would be great to study it.” Hyuna said, “I’m was a scientist before I gave it all up, I study environments for the animals around us and the plants as well, anyways not that it matters now, no one dares to study those creatures, but I had become curious, and that is how a small one led me to where they are,”

“That’s impressive,” Hyun Seung was looking at her with disbelief.

Hyuna grinned, “I am, aren’t I?” She giggled, but then all mirth left her as her solemn mood returned to her. “I had only just found it when the mating season started,” She couldn’t even bring herself to say the name of the man she had once loved, “It was probably all my fault, I just wanted to blame someone other than myself. I wanted to blame everyone or just anyone else.”

“How could it be your fault? That you found those creatures?”

“They scent you,” Hyuna snorted, “They actually recognized my scent and the fact that I had been around their territories. It is when I learned that they are not just mindless beings. They can communicate, telepathically, reading all our minds and they can tell us what they want. They told me what they want.”

Hyun Seung froze. Slight fear gripped him as he paused in his walking. IF he was hearing right then he was about to get himself into trouble. “What?” he whispered harshly. Hyuna wasn’t looking at him, she was looking far off into the distance, even as she was holding his hand, it seemed like she was miles away.

“They want our magic.”

“Magic?” he asked, confused.

“I was confused at first as well, but it seems that we are all blessed with magic, because” She took a deep breath, “Back in the past, we were fully human. These creatures, weren’t as lucky as us to just get kitty features, no they were rotted to the pit of their core, like tar set aflame,” She finally turned to look at him. “But if you ask me, I feel like the curse is all the same, after all we have to deal with these cat things, rules, mating,” she looked so angry about that. “Why does something so stupid as a curse has to tell us when to mate and then make us weak to the one that we are supposed to be with?” She snapped.

“Do you think that about us and our meeting?” Hyun Seung softly asked, his mind running a million thoughts a minute as he realized that there was a lot more about them that they didn’t know. What was their real history? School barely taught you anything past the first founders of their species, and never mentioned anything about once being fully human, just in theory maybe, but it had never been known.  

“About us?” Hyuna looked at Hyun Seung, allowing herself to calm down from her rant. “I… I don’t know, I just don’t want to think about what it could mean. I guess i was just mad that me and he weren’t meant to be,”

“What?”

Hyuna swallowed, “We planned to mate, just like you and me, but when it came down to it, we were rendered powerless, and we nearly got killed. He saved me. But we were no match for those creatures and at the end of the day, our mating was rejected? IT wasn’t even like it was death that tore us apart.”

“Why won’t you say his name?” Hyun Seung implored her, wanting to know more about Hyuna.

She gritted her teeth and looked away, “I’m not ready.” She stated.

Both of them stood there silently. Hyuna was thinking about the road ahead and Hyun Seung was thinking about his feelings for Hyuna once more. He was sure, blessing or curse, he knew what he felt. He knew he had once been in love with Kwon Ji Yong, but seeing him with someone else and then spending time with Hyuna--- time had healed things and his feelings had gradually changed.

And these feelings, they were warm and filled with something happy that if he really thought about it was missing from when he had liked Kwon Ji Yong. This was a feeling that he didn’t want to let go. Taking a deep breath he looked at the girl before him once more and smiled—deciding to put his thoughts into words. “Blessing or curse, there is no one else I rather be with than you,” he chuckled when she turned to him with a blush painting her cheeks.

She playfully shoved him away, and smiled for real for the first time since forever really. HE wished he could see her smile like that much more often. “Do you think that we will survive this?” Her fingers curled around his shirt, and she pulled herself close to him.

He nodded, not hesitating for even a second, “Yes, I do think we can do this. I want to be able to live for long enough to figure you out, to spend more time with you. This can’t be the end.”

“I Want the same, I hope so badly for the same.” She pressed a  kiss to his mouth. Hyun Seung pulled her close.

Getting their bearings, the two of them continued on.

The forest was large, and it felt like it went on forever, but just as the sun was rising, they had reached the clearing to the other side. Hyuna held out her arm to stop Hyun Seung from going to close. Everything had been so silent. The first time that she had come around here, she had heard weird chirping noises that bustled around like there was a village on the other side.

She didn’t like the ominous silence.

“Something isn’t right,” She whispered.  Hyun Seungs ears perked, and he turned his head when he heard a small squealing sound. Hyuna turned to follow the sound as well, and was the first to rush over.

The two of them came face to face with one of the creatures. This one was a small glob, that seemed to be writhing into itself, “What do we do?” he asked her.

“Uh, communicate,” she guessed, because really, she was not sure as to what was going on, The Creature snapped, reaching towards them and catching Hyuna’s leg, dropping her to the ground. Hyun Seung hissed, his class coming out to dig into the creature, but all that happened was that his hand got consumed, his fingers burned.

“Let go,” Hyuna hissed, her ears pulled back as the pain exploded through her leg.

“What?” Hyun Seung froze, along with her when they heard a small hissing sound that sounded like someone talking. Shutting up, they listened as closely as they could, until they realized that it was the creature the one that wanted to communicate with them,

‘You’re doomed….so doomed. They have all left’

It seemed to repeat that over and over again and laugh.

“What do you mean?” Hyuna asked, already getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her chest. Hyun Seung looked around as well, his ears flicking around and trying not to hear more of that gurgling voice. IT wasn’t pleasant at all.

“They have left…’ The creature ruptured, turning and twisting several times around itself, orange liquid spilling from its core.

Hyun Seung pulled his hand back, looking at his blackened fingers and flexing them as they suddenly felt ice cold. Hyuna reached to brush the dark creature from her leg, and turned as she vomited.

“Are you okay?” Hyun Seung reached for her, concerned for her wellbeing. His hand caressed her back as she dried heaved.

She nodded her head, tears falling down her face as she looked at the oozing looking creature convulse on the floor. “It’s dead, it’s dead,” she repeated over and over again. Hyun Seung turned back to it, and then looked around, once more feeling confused but as he glanced around, it was starting to slowly hit him.

It was too late.

The creatures were already heading over to their town, and they had foolishly made their way across the forest for no reason. They had to hurry up, they had to stop the attack,

Across the forest, near their home town, creatures were already breaking through. With the sun rushing and no one yet fully awake, the creatures invaded into the heart of the town. Many unsuspecting Neko’s were rudely awakened from their home as the creatures attacked the first buildings that happened to be apartments.

Hee Chul and Siwon whom had been out, taking a break from reading so many books were the first to notice the attack, and found themselves shocked at the amount of monsters invading them, “What’s going on!” Hee Chul fearfully asked.

“I don’t know, but we have to do something about this!” Siwon reached for Hee Chul, “Call our brothers, let everyone know what is going on, I’m going to go and attack head on,”

“What no! not without me, we work better as a team!” Hee Chul snapped.

“We do, I know, but I rather have everyone be aware, we go get them and come back to join me, but I can’t just let those things continue to come any closer!”

Hde CHul knew that SIwon made perfect sense! He knew but anxiety filled him at the thought of leaving his mate to face danger. SIwon grabbed his face, and kissed him hard. “My mate, let’s work efficiently and together here, trust me, please”

Hee Chul momentarily melted around him, gripping Siwon close and taking in his wonderful scent. “Okay, I understand. I won’t let you down. I’ll be back with our brothers and their mates before you know it!” he said.

“Thank you love, now hurry.” Hee Chul dashed off just as another creature threw itself at another building, tearing at the top of it. Siwon bared his fangs and claws, dashing off to rip the creatures face off. The thing let out a loud wail, so freaking horrifying that it nearly made Hee Chul turn back around and try to join his mate. But he knew what he had to do and went on his way, reaching for his cell phone to reach them faster.

Siwon flipped away from an attack, sighing in relief when he was that other nekos moved to join him in battle. Not that it mattered much, it seemed like they were still outnumbered—these creatures just kept coming. This was a problem, a big one!

Their town was under attack,

Wow, It's been a super long time guys...I feel like I need to reread all my stories and they aren't exactly short. But yes, I want to finish these.  

Hopefully some of you are still reading. :)