Part IX

                “Where were you?” his voice was barely a whisper. The lump in his throat was growing by the second, slowly choking him. Tears cascaded down his face as he sank to his knees. “Where were you?” Taemin’s lips quivered, trying not to scream. “I thought you were dead. I waited, and waited. I thought everyone else was gone. We all did. Where were you?” Kangta rose onto his elbows and wriggled to sit up.

                With the blankets down to his waist, Taemin could see the scars. An everlasting reminder of the attack. There wasn’t an inch of his abdomen that was free of the reminder. Taemin managed to walk forward, coming face to face with him.

He cupped Taemin’s face in his hands. “Taemin,” he said softly, drawing his face nearer. “Taemin, I’m sorry.” He brought Taemin’s face straight to his own. Their foreheads touched, eye to eye, so that he couldn’t break away.

                “After you left I lied there for hours. There were several times I thought I would perish, and then, I thought of you. So I kept fighting.” Taemin gripped Kangta’s wrists. “Heejun crawled to me. We were both on the verge of death when she found us.” Taemin’s face contorted in confusion.

                “Who?” he asked.

                “The fortune teller. She said she could heal us, but we would have to leave the forest. We, would no longer be Lycans.” Taemin examined Kangta thoroughly. He seemed much weaker, but he thought that was because of the attack.

                “How?” he asked. “You seem fine, how could she…?”

                “She made it so that once we turned human, we couldn’t turn back.” His hands traveled down to Taemin’s shoulders. He brought him up and sat him on the bed next to him.

                “Why?” he asked, as Kangta softly wiped the tears from his eyes.

                “She said, ‘There is enough bloodshed here. The two of you will never survive, not without your tribe. And your fledglings have already gone so far off, not even I know where they are now. It will be better this way. You’ll live, and right now, that should be all that matters.’” He swallowed hard. “You don’t know how badly I wanted to find you. But I knew you’d be better off without me.” Taemin vigorously shook his head.

                “No,” he turned Kangta’s face towards him. “No. Kangta, I loved you. I, I still love you.” Images of Hangeng and Siwon passed through his mind. But he was quite sure of himself. He shook those thoughts away. He brought Kangta closer to him, wrapping his arms around his neck, resting his forehead upon his. “I don’t want anyone but you.”

                Kangta softly his face and smiled. “I’ve missed you, my pet.” He whispered, kissing his forehead. “I’d have thought that you had forgotten me by now.”

                “Never.” He whispered, cuddling into Kangta’s arms. They were as strong as he remembered. The warmth and the feeling were the same. But something kept prickling at him. Was it Siwon? Hangeng? But for the moment, he pushed those thoughts back. All he wanted, was to stay there in Kangta’s loving embrace, just like he used to.

*****

                Several blocks away, the rag-tag group of wolves, Lycans and Heechul made their way to the annex, in search of Taemin.

                “There it is.” Heechul pointed. Behind an old bookstore, was a plain door. “That is the door that leads to the man’s home.” He turned back.

                “What if he says he won’t come back with you?” asked Heechul. Siwon sighed exasperatedly. This boy just wouldn’t drop it.

                “You don’t know Taemin-”

                “And by the sound of it, neither do you.” Heechul shot back. Siwon glared at him. Kyungsoo and Onew looked at the ground. Heechul had asked questions, and they were wondering if it had been smart to give him answers. 

                “You know nothing!” he snarled.

                “I know enough to know you don’t know anything about him.” Heechul’s eyebrows furrowed as he pouted. “You couldn’t even see that he was in love with you! You’re as blind now as you were then!” Siwon stopped. He looked over at Heechul. As much as he tried to maintain his composure, his eyes betrayed him. They were filled with longing. Siwon shook his head.

                “No. You don’t know me.”

                “You won’t let me!” Kyungsoo and the others awkwardly turned around. This was getting a bit heavy for them to be in on.

                Siwon walked forward and grabbed Heechul by his shoulders. “You don’t know me. You don’t want to know me. You’d hate me, if you really knew.” Before he could say another word, Heechul held his face in his hands, kissing him.

                Siwon’s eyes grew wide. He pulled away, covering his mouth in shock. Heechul had stuck his tongue in his mouth. Heechul stood there, adjusting his hair.

                Kyungsoo and the others were peeking over their shoulders, mouths dropped in awe.

                Siwon didn’t know what to say, Heechul had stolen his first kiss. Heechul walked up to him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look him in the eye. “I don’t care. I don’t care if you think I’ll hate you. I just want to be with you. And you telling me that it’s not what I want is just making me feel that way more and more. Taemin hasn’t come looking for you. What if he’s happy here? Why not me?” his eyes pleaded, but Siwon stood firm.

                “You are not of my kind.” He said, gently taking Heechul’s hand away from his face, and walking towards the building. Heechul looked back at him.

                “And in two days, Taemin won’t be either.”

END OF PART IX