A Shift in Everything
The Howling - Part V: Restless
Even if Kai couldn't speak, couldn't communicate through anything but looks and whines and nudges, Joonmyun still understood. The wolf didn't want much, just a little time to run, to burn off the energy itching in his muscles, and then he'd be back; nothing more, nothing less. For Kai -- and for Jongin -- Joonmyun would do anything, and so he could spend an hour by himself so that the boy could be at peace.
Once Kai was gone Joonmyun closed the door, not bothering to lock it; no one would be able to get in, because as far as he was concerned the door was as solid as a brick wall. He shuffled back into bed and curled up under the top blanket, resting but no where as near to sleep as he had been earlier. Relaxing would be impossibly until Kai returned, but for now he'd have to keep himself as calm as possible.
It was easier said than done, especially when that heavy weight returned to his chest and he found more reason to worry. Joonmyun forced it down though, because he needed to give Kai some time to himself, time to run; he wouldn't have him coming back so soon on his part, not just because he was scared of something that wasn't even there.
As Kai's paws touched down on grass, he felt the elder's worry briefly hit him like a wave of nausea, and he almost turned around to go back to the bedroom - running be damned - but he relaxed a little when the worry faded. He hesitated for a few minutes, but when the feeling didn't return, he continued through the garden.
--
Byunghun sniffed once, a pleased growl in his throat when he noticed that Kai's scent was getting further away, not closer, and turned his attention back to the boy's bedroom door. Not as impervious as one might think, especially not for the alpha and his line - that was part of the reason that Jongin had been able to break through the door when Yoochun had hurt Taemin and had tried on Joonmyun - the Alpha knew the door's weak spots, and nosed one area carefully before he reached out with a paw and scratched a long line down the centre of the wood.
He knew Joonmyun would be able to hear it. That was what he thrived on, striking fear into others. And right now, the human boy stunk of fear. The third time he scratched, his nails dug into the wood, and the fourth time, splinters came off at the action. If wolves could chuckle, he'd be laughing to himself as he growled loud enough for Joonmyun to hear, paw still scratching at the door.
Joonmyun wasn't positive how long he lay there, curled up under the covers, but it was nowhere near an hour when he was startled by a scratching at the door. For a moment, he wondered if perhaps Kai did feel his worry, but the elder didn't move from the bed as he waited for the signal to be let in.
The second and third scratch came and Joonmyun shifted on the bed, making to get up, but a fourth came and he froze, fear momentarily seizing his chest. A low growl came through the small crack between the bottom of the door and the tile, a growl that was very much not Kai and Joonmyun pushed himself off the end of the bed, eyes not leaving the door as he stood there, trying to think of what he could do.
There was no time for panic, no time for fear; he had to think fast and act faster. Joonmyun knew who was on the other side, there was no doubt about it: the alpha. He wanted in and Joonmyun knew he'd get just that, one way or another; what he wanted, however, was a different story.
Joonmyun glanced at the balcony door and quickly remembered the vines that crawled up the side of the manor, lacing themselves with the structure. He could use those to escape and call out for Kai once he'd reached the ground; the alpha wouldn't have time to hurt him. That was, if Joonmyun could make it out and down before the alpha could figure out what he was doing.
As quickly and quietly as he could, Joonmyun slid over to the door, fingers blindly searching for the handle as he kept his eye on the other side of the room. He pulled the door open gently, just enough for him to slip out. Upon reaching the edge of the balcony nearest to the wall Joonmyun hesitated, but only for a moment because this was his only option if he wanted to stay alive. So, he climbed up onto the bannister and grabbed hold of the vines, trusting that they would hold him.
And they did, for the most part. Joonmyun was probably fifteen feet from the ground when the vines in his hands and the ones beneath his feet gave way. The air rushed from his lungs as he landed on his side and he felt a sharp pain in his arm as his shoulder popped out of place; soon after, he was aware of a sticky warm that was making its way down the side of his face. He rolled onto his back, biting his tongue to keep himself together, but his attempts weren't going to last long.
Finally, he managed to call out Jongin's name, his voice hoarse and strangled as pain continued shooting through his entire body. Joonmyun could only hope that Jongin -- or, rather, Kai -- would find him before the alpha did; all he could do now was pray that he was going to survive whatever was to come, because he knew the alpha wasn't going to give up.
The Alpha heard the balcony door slide open, but he made no move to investigate. It was only when he heard the distant rustle of vines, then the sound of a body hitting the ground - and then finally a voice strangled with pain and accented by the scent of blood - that he lifted his head and cast one last look towards the door before he made his way down the hallway. Seemed his little prize had climbed down the balcony and gotten himself hurt.
With the knowledge that Joonmyun was indeed injured, Byunghun took his time, mulling through his thoughts as he nudged open the back door with his shoulder and stood on the top of the stair for just a moment, head lifted and eyes closed as he basked in the light and energy from the full moon. Why should Jongin be allowed to be happy? Why should he find happiness in something the Alpha had lost? It was an immature way of thinking, but since the death of Jongin and Taemin's mother - his beloved mate - his sense of reasoning and grasp on reality had weakened, leaving him angry at everything and spiteful towards the two people who reminded him so much of his dead mate.
By the time he'd descended the stairs, his eyes were near glowing in the light, and he followed the scent of blood to where he knew he'd find Joonmyun. As he drew closer, he tipped his head back and howled - whether it was a warning for Joonmyun or a taunt for Kai, he didn't know.
Kai wasn't coming. Why wasn't Kai coming? Why wasn't he here already? The longer Joonmyun lay there unable and unwilling to move the more worried he became that the male had met up with the alpha somewhere and had gotten hurt. No. That couldn't be it, because Joonmyun would feel it, and right now all he felt was pain, everywhere pain.
Eventually, the pain faded from his arm and into his skull and soon he was dizzy and lightheaded. Now Joonmyun was fighting to stay away, because staying awake meant staying alive. But the darkness was there, holding him, slowly pulling him in, and it was oh-so hard to fight.
Seconds seemed like hours so Joonmyun wasn't sure how long it was before something hot and heavy pressed against his chest, then there was a sharp pain, the inability to breathe, and nothing. Everything was falling away the darkness winning over and claiming him quickly.
Maybe because of how Joonmyun had felt, or maybe because he was worried in his own way, Kai hadn't strayed too far from the mansion, where it would be easy for him to race back if something happened. As it was, when he felt the elder's fear, it stunned him, shooting a nauseous pain through his body and it took him a few moments to recognise that it was indeed the elder boy.
Almost at once he turned to head back to the mansion, cursing silently as he lost track of his senses and actually ran into a dead end. Digging his nails into the grass, Kai tried to focus on Joonmyun's scent, and his body went into overdrive as soon as he caught the scent of blood in the air - his mate's blood.
But it wasn't until he heard the strangled shout of Jongin's name - and then a howl that made his blood run cold - that he dove straight through the hedges, thorns pulling at his fur and scratching his nose and face, running blindly to get back to his mate. When he was close enough to hear the Alpha's pants, he stopped, unable to continue as he felt the sudden rush of painpainpain and then nothing. For a moment things were still, and Kai's body was wound so tight that he could feel the pressure of the bond as it pulledpulledpulled and then snapped.
As that snap occured, Kai leapt forward, knocking the Alpha away from Joonmyun's near lifeless body. He'd seen the way the Alpha had pressed a paw into his chest, the way his ribs had cracked and probably pierced a lung or something. Consumed by pent up rage at the man he'd once called father, and the need to protect his mate, Kai fought back the elder male with newfound strength, nails digging into muscle and fur, teeth sinking into shoulder and leg and stomach.
Finally, after the Alpha had fought back and rendered one of Kai's front legs useless, the younger male pinned Byunghun to the ground and sank his teeth into the elder's throat. When the first rush of blood hit him, he fought back the urge to drink, and let it soak into his fur as he bit down harder and then ripped away half of the elder's throat. As the body beneath his struggled and then finally went limp, Kai stepped back and wiped his jaw on the Alpha's still warm calf. When he got off as much blood as he could, he turned to face Joonmyun and whined as he limped over to him.
He could see and smell the blood, see the way his arm was twisted out of place and could see the way his chest sunk in where his ribs were broken. He whined even more, leaning down and pressing his nose into the side of Joonmyun's neck. He felt a pulse where he pressed, a glimmer of hope risnig in his chest as soon as he realized Joonmyun was still alive. With that recognition, the bond started to tug gently at his heart and at his body. Thinking fast, he whined an apology to his beloved mate, and nudged his head to one side. With his throat exposed, Kai had to be gentle, but he bit down into the soft skin, closer to the shoulder than the throat, and let the wound soak up any excess saliva he had to help the turning process.
It'd be difficult, and he had no way of offering comfort to the boy... unless.
He could feel Jongin fighting him, trying to overpower him, and for the first time... Kai let him. He let himself sink back in as Jongin clawed his way to the surface, and a moment later, Jongin had fought back the change and was standing panting beside Joonmyun. He was covered in blood, and his left arm was hanging limp at his side - huge gashes from the shoulder to elbow- but as soon as he focused, he dropped down to his knees beside Joonmyun and carefully lifted the boy into his arms.
Tears began to slip down his cheeks as he rocked the elder boy, fingers of his good hand drifting across the elder's cheek, and he held his breath, waiting for the turn to start. He didn't have to wait more than ten minutes, because whether it was because of the mate bond or because Jongin was an Alpha, he could start to see the change, see how his wounds started to heal slowly. The pain would come soon, when Joonmyun regained consciousness, and he'd spend the remaining two days of the full moon as a wolf, but at least Jongin hadn't lost him.
From the moment the darkness had claimed him Joonmyun knew he was gone, knew that there was no hope of going back. It hurt to breathe, every shallow intake of air sending a sharp jolt through his ribs until the pain faded all together and he was unsure if he was still alive. He didn't fight it, because he knew there was nothing he could do; even the bond's ache in his chest did nothing to pull him back. There was, indeed, nothing he could do.
In that time of darkness he worried about Jongin, what would become of him. Would the alpha get him, too? Surely Kai would make him pay for what he'd done, but then what? Jongin would be alone, miserable, moody and at a loss without his mate. Would he be just a cruel to the others as the alpha had been? Joonmyun could only hope he wouldn't.
A short time had passed and Joonmyun's heart had begun to slow, beating irregularly as he faded, but just as it seemed he would finally let go pain struck his chest and he was pulled back to reality. All he knew for the longest time was pain, because everything hurt, and he couldn't even cry out because, even when he could barely think, he was afraid of tearing his vocal chords.
His veins burned beneath his skin, searing his bones and muscles as blood coursed through his body. Joonmyun could feel it all, the blood rushing, bones popping back into place, open wounds healing, and it was odd; he had no complaints, because ever second that passed the pain faded until he could finally release the sound that had pent up in his throat. It was nothing more than a strangled whine now, his breath following in ragged pants.
Then Joonmyun was aware of a change in... everything. His bones and muscles stretched painfully, reshaping into something inhuman. He could feel the bond pulling at him now just as strong as it had been just a few weeks ago, but there was a new pull there, a force that he couldn't place, but he made no move to find out.
In fact, when everything finally stopped and all that hurt was his chest, Joonmyun didn't move at all, and if it weren't for the steady albeit shallow rise and fall of his chest he might have appeared dead. But he was very much alive; he was alive and in pain and confused. Though he couldn't move or speak, but he didn't want to, was afraid to. So, for now he'd just lay still and hope that everything would be okay come morning.
Jongin held his breath, and held Joonmyun gently, as the Change occured. He'd never witnessed a new wolf's Change, and so this was something new to him... and it scared him. He wasn't sure if Joonmyun's body would accept the Change or if it would reject it, but he hoped it did. It was only when the elder's body shifted completely - and then a low whine sounded- and he smiled a little as he ran his fingers through the elder's light red-brown fur.
Things would be okay now. Joonmyun would be okay; he'd be stronger and faster and he'd be at the same temperature as Jongin - and the bond would be stronger. He breathed out as he watched the biggest injuries - the broken ribs and his chest - start to heal, and carefully pulled away from the elder male as the moon started to call to him again. He couldn't stay human for long, and he knew that when Joonmyun woke... he'd need someone to guide him and to keep him safe.
He accepted the Change willingly, and when he lay back down, Kai whined and pressed his nose into the side of the elder's shoulder, waiting for him to wake up.
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