Chapter 22: Snap Back To Reality

“AAAAAUUUUGGH!” Hoya screamed in agony as Seo In sank his teeth into his skin. Every inch of his being burned. He threw his head back. As he opened his eyes, burning with tears, he saw a blurry figure cowering in the corner.

Seo In clutched him tighter. ‘You are mine,’ Hoya heard. ‘Mine, and mine alone. And now no one can say differently.’ Hoya was speechless.

What could he say? What could he do? He was gripped by unworldly pain as his body burned with a fever that was beyond imaginable.

Seo In trailed his tongue along the red line back to Hoya’s neck wound. He nuzzled his neck as Onew watched on in horror.

Hoya felt himself being slowly put down. The hut was spinning and he couldn’t seem to find it in him to close his eyes. Seo In placed his hands over his wrists. Not so tight that Hoya felt like he was being pinned down, but enough that he knew it probably wasn’t wise to attempt to escape.

That was, if he could have even moved. He felt every pulse, heard his blood rushing through his veins, every sound sounded so much clearer. Color appeared crisp, almost too vivid.

His bones cracked and stretched, pulling at his muscles, causing an insurmountable amount of pain. He wanted to scream, to cry out, but no sound came. He could feel his hot tears being wiped away, and even in his blinding pain, he knew it was Seo In there.

‘There, there, it will be all over soon.’ He heard him whisper. A crash and a wisp of wind resounded. Hoya tried to turn his head, but Seo In stopped him, forcing Hoya to look at him.

‘It’s alright; we just scared him a little.’

‘He?’

‘Onew.’ He ran his hands through Hoya’s hair. ‘It’s been so long since I’ve seen you here, I missed you so much.’ He leaned down and gingerly kissed his lips.

‘If I weren’t in so much pain, it’d be a whole lot nicer.’ Seo In bit his lip and smiled sheepishly. ‘What was that for anyway, you jerk?’ he asked.

‘They can’t pull that ‘he’s not a Lycan’ line on me anymore.’

‘What?’ Hoya shook his head, clenching his fists. ‘What do you mean?’

‘When I asked for your hand in marriage, they told me, ‘he’s not one of us, you can’t marry a Wolf. Only a Lycan can marry another Lycan.’ He sweetly moved Hoya’s bangs out of his face. ‘And now they can’t do that anymore.’

Hoya felt his heartbeat race. Marriage? At 17? Well…cultural differences aside…wow. ‘You…want to marry me?’

Seo In smiled. ‘Of course I do. You’ve been with me through all of this, and…if it weren’t for you…surely, I wouldn’t be alive.’ He took Hoya into his arms and lifted him so that they came face to face. Hoya’s hands free, he lifted them to hold Seo In’s shoulders.

“I love you, Hoya.” Seo In said aloud.

“I, I love you too, Seo In.”

“Marry me.” He seemed to demand it more than ask for his hand.

“That’s not how humans do it.” Seo In smiled slyly.

“You’re not human, you never were. But, you can be mine. Forever.” Hoya shook his head.

“No,” Seo In’s face fell. “Forever isn’t long enough.” He placed his hands on Seo In’s face, and pulled him forward; kissing him deeply, sweetly, with a passion that had been burning for a year and a half.

*****

Onew had run out of that tent so fast that he could hear his heart beating in his throat. That was close. There was no need for him to see any of that. He looked up. And there was Key, holding a jar of water.

“What the hell are you doing out here? Aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on Hoya and Seo In?” Onew lifted his hand in protest, trying to catch his breath.

“About that…Hoya…Seo In…” Key sarcastically rolled his hand, trying to get whatever Onew was saying out of him. “Up.” Key dropped his jar, and it shattered at his feet.

“Hoya…and Seo In…are up? Is that what you’re saying? They’re up? He’s gonna be okay?” he looked around excitedly, jumping around like a small child. “We have to tell Siwon and Taemin, I-”

“NO!” Onew choked out. “Trust me, now is not the time,” he said, getting up onto one knee, finally breathing normally. “Trust me. Wait for Minho. Right now…” he shook his head. “I have to tell Minho so he can break it to everyone.” Key looked puzzled.

“What do you mean, ‘break it,’ what’s wrong? Are they hurt?” Onew shook his head. “I need Minho, go. Now.” His voice was commanding. Key nodded and ran off.

Onew turned and went for Siwon himself. Key would over exaggerate things if he let him go to Siwon. He had to tell him first.

*****

Siwon and Taemin were sitting over by the lake. Onew hated to interrupt at a time like this, but he didn’t know how it would blow over if they found out themselves.

“Leader Siwon,” he said, his voice assertive. Siwon looked back, not too pleased. Taemin stood up and ran to Onew.

“What’s wrong? What happened to the kids?” he said, his eyes filled with worry.

“The kids are fine, in fact, more than fine; they’re awake!” Taemin’s eyes were aglow with happiness. Siwon stood up, leaning against a tree, his mouth agape in awe.

“However;” Taemin and Siwon’s happiness faltered.

“However...” Siwon walked forward, looking down at Onew.

“When Seo In woke up, the first thing he did…was bite Hoya.” Taemin’s eyes grew wide.

“He bit him?” Onew nodded.

“What happened?” he asked.

“His body started reacting, changing. I don’t know the after effects, I ran out of there. I didn’t know what else he was planning on doing…” he looked up at Taemin sheepishly, who in turn made a face and turned to Siwon.

“Uh…we…it might be best if we get there before Kyungsoo and Kai.” He said. Siwon nodded.

“You think?????”

The three of them ran off.

*****

Kris, Minho, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, weary from their triumph, finally made it back to the Wolf village. Kai was waiting for them at the entrance, and practically pounced on Kyungsoo.

“You’re okay!” he smiled, ruffling Kyungsoo’s hair. “Does, does that mean, that Hoya is okay?” he asked. “And Seo In.” he added, stealing a glance over at Minho.

“Everything is fine now. We’ll never have to worry about The Undertaker ever again.” Kai sighed in relief.

Kris looked back and saw that Minho was leaving, and signaled for the others to follow. Kyungsoo smiled at Kai, reassuring him that he would return soon, and left with the others.

“You know, the Undertaker is dead, you can relax for a little bit.” Kris said, trying to calm Minho down. Minho shook his head.

“I had a bad feeling while I was watching over Seo In, so I left Onew in charge.” He turned to Kris. “I need to check and see what’s happened since I left.” Their eyes grew wide.

“.” Kyungsoo began to run. Onew was a sweetheart, but what if something had gone horribly wrong? He wasn’t a doctor, and Seo In could be disoriented from being asleep for over a year.

What had happened since they left?

*****

Hoya caressed Seo In’s face, gently moving his hair out of the way. “Your hair got long while you were sleeping.” He smiled. “I kinda like it. Makes you look mysterious and y.” Seo In rolled his eyes.

“I think I’ll be getting my hair cut.” Hoya stuck his tongue out at him. Seo In’s eyes grew wide.

“What?” Hoya asked, his hands flying to his face. “Did I develop acne while I was asleep?” Seo In chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, your eyes.” He said. “They’re…different. And beautiful.” Hoya slowly climbed from beneath him and crawled over to a jar in the corner. Lifting the lid, he peered in.

His eyes were yellow. Yellow, piercing eyes, like a wolf. He turned to Seo In. “My eyes are ING YELLOW!” he said. Seo In looked at him sweetly.

“Look at the top.” He said, pointing to his hair. He looked back down. He could see his hair going from dark to some lighter shade, but it was too dim to make out which color specifically.

“What color is it?” Seo In shook his head.

“I’ll leave this one as a surprise.”

“Seo In, you better tell me, right-” he turned his head in time to see Taemin looking at him wide eyed from the mouth of the tent.

“Your…your hair is purple.” Hoya turned to Seo In,

“I’m gonna kill you.” He lunged at Seo In, who rolled off the bed and crawled towards Taemin. Siwon jumped in front of him, grabbing Hoya and putting his hands behind his back.

“What did you do to him, Seo In?” he asked, looking back at Hoya.

“HE TURNED MY HAIR ING PURPLE, AND MY EYES ARE YELLOW, FOR CHRISTS’ SAKE!” he said, pulling at his lavender locks. Siwon looked over at Taemin, who just shrugged.

Just then, Minho literally slid into the picture, his jaw nearly dropping at the sight of Hoya. Minho turned to Seo In.

“Seo In you didn’t…” he couldn’t even finish. He knew what he had done. It was all too clear. “Oh my God…” he ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

“Kris, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo will be here any minute, how the hell do I explain this one!” he said, pointing at Hoya and scowling at Seo In.

Seo In sheepishly shrugged his shoulders.

“Hoya! Hoya we’re baaaaa…” Kyungsoo faltered. Taemin bit his lower lip nervously as Minho stepped aside. Kyungsoo stepped forward. He gingerly touched Hoya’s now bright purple hair. He slowly shook his head, confused and scared, that now his son had yellow eyes. He turned to Seo In, his temper flaring.

“What the hell did you do to my son?” he cried. Before he knew it, Kyungsoo was pinned against the wall by Minho and Taemin.

“Calm down, it’s a shock to everyone!” cried Minho, struggling to keep Kyungsoo’s hands away from his neck.

“Just, let them talk; it’s been a long while for all of us. There’s no need for any more violence,” reasoned Taemin. Kyungsoo shoved the other two off of him. Still glaring at Seo In,

“Talk.” He demanded. Seo In bit his lip.

“Hoya and I want to be together.” He said. “And I…bit him.” He said, as straightforward as he possibly could. Siwon closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.

“Seo In, how could you be so stupid?” he turned around. “You KNOW you’re not supposed to do that!”

“But Kai did it to Kyungsoo, and you did it to mom!” closing his eyes again, he tried to breath in order to calm down.

“That was different. Kyungsoo and your mother were human. Hoya is a Wolf, you don’t bite other people in our condition!” he said.

“Why?” he asked. “You kept telling me that we couldn’t be together because he wasn’t a Lycan. Well…now that’s not a problem anymore, is it?” he asked, his eyes burning with anger.

Kyungsoo covered his face. Oh wow. “We made that rule for a reason, Seo In.” Seo In turned to him.

“You’re husband’s jealousy wasn’t reason enough for me. Sorry that your mistake wasn’t warning enough.” Kyungsoo bit his lip, holding back his anger as best he could. They were young kids who thought they were in love after going through a traumatic event.

“You’ve been through a lot, I know, but this isn’t how you should act. You need some time alone,”

“I HAVE SPENT ENOUGH time alone, thank you very much.” Seo In was standing not even a foot away from Kyungsoo now.

“Just because there were people out here,” he signaled to the tent. “Doesn’t mean there was anyone here.” He said, pointing to his head.

“Look, I know you were lonely, but that doesn’t mean” Kyungsoo started looking around. There was a chirping noise, almost like a cricket. Seo In turned his head and began to growl.

Siwon looked at Hoya, who looked back at him, his eyes wide, chirping. “Nooooo, no, no, no, no, no.” He quite literally tossed Kyungsoo his son. “Run.” He took Seo In by the arms and pinned him to the ground. He snarled, trying to bite at Siwon.

Minho ran forward while Taemin ushered them out.

Taemin walked beside them. All the while, wearing a bemused smile upon his face. “What’s so damn funny?” Kyungsoo asked, struggling to carry his 17 year old son, who was still quietly chirping away.

“A long time ago, when Lycans were less civilized and we didn’t bother to mark or bond with our partners…we used chirping to signal….you know…” he rolled his hands in a way, waiting for Kyungsoo to understand.

“Wha…oh God no.” he looked at his son, who’s eyes were searching behind him as he continued to chirp softly. “Is that why Siwon threw him at me.” Taemin giggled.

“Not necessarily…” he turned to Kyungsoo with the stupidest grin on his face. “Hoya chirped at him. His instinct was telling him to mate with the Leader.” He explained. The horror on Kyungsoo’s face sent Taemin into a fit of laughter. “Of course, Seo In wouldn’t be having any of that; hence him becoming defensive and growling at Siwon, it’s a good thing you got him out when you did.” He turned to Hoya.

“Because my instinct was telling me to kill him to defend what was mine.” Kyungsoo stopped.

“Taemin, I-”

“Whether anyone likes it or not, Hoya is half Lycan now, and let me tell you, the Lycan mating instinct is pretty strong. You know what time of year it is, don’t you?”

Kyungsoo figured he’d have to be pretty stupid not to know, his children back home were going through a similar phase.

“Seo In and Hoya chose to be with each other, regardless of our agreement or what we wanted, and rust me, their instincts and desires are no match for our wits.” Said Taemin. “They’ll be together, just you wait.” He said, patting Hoya’s head.

Hoya turned to him, his little yellow eyes hopeful as he chirped away. “No, no Hoya. Seo In isn’t here.” Hoya threw his head down onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“Will he act like this once we head back into Wolf territory?” asked Kyungsoo. Taemin shook his head in confusion.

“I don’t know. He’s got his heart set on Seo In, and since he’s not here, the desire might weaken, but until mating season is over, you can’t be entirely sure.”

They soon came to the log separating their territories. “I’ll go with you through the river, if you try to cross with him, I’m afraid you’ll fall.” Taemin rationalized. Kyungsoo nodded as they climbed down the slope, wading through the river. Taemin steadied Kyungsoo as he tried to carry a wriggling Hoya through the river.

They climbed up the embankment, greeted by Tao and Kris. “What happened?” asked Kris. Hoya turned and chirped, but quickly turned back, disappointed. Tao cocked his head.

“What the hell?” Kyungsoo shook his head.

“Later.” Tao nodded as they followed suit.

Kyungsoo finally put Hoya down when they were far enough in to their territory to be surrounded by others.

“I’ll be seeing you soon…sooner than later probably.” Taemin said, giving Hoya a side eye before turning to leave.

“What was all that about?” asked Tao.

“Uh…long story short, my son is now half Lycan and he tried making moves on his boyfriend’s dad.” Tao’s eyes widened.

“What the hell happened over there?” Kyungsoo shook his head.

“Later.” He said, walking off to find Kai.

*****

Kris put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing as he watched Kai’s reaction to Kyungsoo’s story.

“Then why didn’t you leave him there?” he asked, looking up at him, dumbfounded.

“LEAVE HIM? I did not spend 16 years waiting for him and then another year struggling to keep him to lose him.”

“Lose him? He’d be right over the river, and he’s a Lycan, no Wolf is going to want him as a spouse.” He said, standing up. Kai glared intently at Kyungsoo, who glared right back at him.

“He’d be fine.” He put his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “He’s old enough now that you have to let him go.”

“I’ve only known him for a year, and he’s our son.” Said Kyungsoo, visibly hurt.

“Well you certainly can’t keep him away from Seo In now,” said Kai, looking back at Hoya, who sat alone, softly chirping, and looking about.

“As much as it hurts me to say this…he no longer belongs here.”

“Leave him, for a little while…please, for me?” asked Kyungsoo, putting a hand on Kai’s shoulder. He looked over at him, sitting alone, sadly calling out.

“Three days. And then you let him and Seo In be. You and Siwon both.” He said. “Understood?” Kyungsoo nodded as Kai went off. “I’m going to find Siwon and talk to him. Stay here and keep him put.” Kyungsoo nodded once again.

*****

Hoya tossed and turned that night. A feeling inside his chest weighed on him, and at times, felt like it was on fire. He wanted to run to Seo In and have him hold him in his arms. What he wouldn’t do to feel him caress his skin just one more time.

His mother had promised: just three more days, and he could go to Seo In. Three days seemed like an eternity. But if that’s all it took, he would wait it out.

*****

Seo In lie in Minho’s hut, glaring at the ceiling. He didn’t like the feeling of it. Spending a year in that exact spot had made him loathe the place. He his side. He wanted Hoya. He was tired of being alone.

*****

Hoya walked around the village the next day, silent. This feeling inside him wouldn’t subside. He didn’t know if he just felt lonely, being ripped away from Seo In like that, or if it were something else.

He made his way down to the river, and sat on the bank, tossing rocks in, sometimes managing to make one skip.

“Hey, Hoya!” his head popped up. It was Leo. Hoya smiled. Leo waded through the river and sat next to him, picking loose grass off of his feet.

“How have you been?” he said, turning to him. He looked a little surprised, but his reaction seemed underwhelming. Perhaps he had heard the news already.

“My neck hurts a little, but other than that, I’m pretty okay,” he lied, as the anxious feeling in his stomach began to rise.

“Eh, from what my mom said, it’s been a whirlwind.” He smiled. “But you’re coming over to our side soon, right?” he asked, a big smiled crossed his face. “You get to hang out with us every day now! That’s so cool.” He said, looking into the river.

“Yeah…” his voice trailed off. Chirp, chirp chirp. Leo’s eyes narrowed, slowly looking over at Hoya. Hoya could feel his cheeks turning red.

‘I did NOT mean to do that, nope, nope, nope,’ Chirp, chirp, chirp. A low growl emitted from beside him. He could feel Leo’s breath on his neck. ‘. . , , damn, piss all to hell, what have I done?’ he asked himself.

“LEO, NO!” Leo fell back as a sharp pain filled the left side of his face. Hoya was taken aback as Onew slapped his son across the face. He seemed to come out of nowhere. He turned to Hoya. “It’s okay, just…go home. Probably not the best thing to come over here for the next few days.” He turned to Leo.

“I can give you one very good reason that’s not a good idea, but right now we need to go. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Leo gave Hoya one last glance before he tread the water, following Onew back to the Lycan village.

Hoya, now more confused than ever, set off for home.

*****

“Mom,” said Leo, now rubbing the sore side of his face. “Why…why couldn’t I ever be with Hoya?” he asked. Onew sighed heavily. He knew he'd have to answer this question someday.

“Because,” he said turning around. They stood just outside their village. He turned around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. He lowered his voice and continued, “You know that your grandfather was the leader of the clan that I was originally from, right?” Leo nodded his head.

“Well…when Hoya was a baby, he stole him away from his family. For 16 years, he raised him as his own son. In a way…Hoya is your uncle, and my little brother. I can’t let you be with him. Besides, I’d rather Seo In not murder you for mating with his boyfriend.” Leo’s eyes were wide, his jaw agape.

“H…..Hoya is my…uncle???” his face showed all the horror Onew needed. He patted his son’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I’m sorry. I know you two have become really close, but I can’t let you be together.” Leo finally managed to close his mouth and nodded.

“I understand.” Onew put a hand onto Leo’s other shoulder. “You’ll find your soul mate one day. It might take a while, but it’ll be that much more special when they do come into your life.” Onew smiled at him. Leo half smiled back at him.

“So…until Seo In and Hoya can be together, I need you two to stay away from each other, okay?” Leo nodded. Onew smiled and patted his head.

“That’s my boy. Now, go on and help Hakyeon with gathering wood.” He said. Leo ran off. Onew bit his lower lip in frustration, shaking his head. That was a close one. He couldn’t imagine the backlash if Siwon or someone else had seen that. He looked around, finding Key, and signaled to him. Key nodded, and ran off.

Onew headed over to Minho’s hut. He knocked, and stuck his head in. Only Minho sat there, in the middle of the room. He seemed to be deep in a meditative state. He sat in front of him in silence.

A few moments passed before Jonghyun, Key and Taemin came in.

“What happened?” asked Taemin. Onew sighed.

“I think…it’s time to tell them.” Taemin cocked his head.

“But…Heejun let it slip when we parted in Delfia, if they don’t know, well then…” he shrugged.

“They’re idiots?” Key rolled his eyes. “Of course, but you know the Wolf clan, they’re too busy with their own to bother with us unless it deals with the kids.” Jonghyun rolled his eyes.

“That’s not the only thing.” Minho said, slowly opening his eyes, taking one last relaxing breath. “I…haven’t been honest with them myself.” Taemin’s eyes widened.

“Nobody saw you with him at the well, right?” he said. Minho shook his head.

“No. It was a close call though. They came back just as we stopped.” He looked right at Onew. “They’re going to kick themselves once they realize, you know that right?” he said, smirking.

Onew shook his head in laughter. “I think it’s funny.” He said, turning to the others. “Would’ve solved this whole thing sooner if they’d have let them be.”

“What made you come to this decision?” the usually quiet Jonghyun piped up. Onew shook his head, biting his lip.

“My son…almost tried to mate with Hoya.” Minho’s eyes grew wide, and they all tried to stifle their laughter.

“Oh God…no.” Key sniggered. “Bet that was awkward.” Onew rolled his eyes.

“You have no idea...however; I stopped them before anything happened.” Taemin nodded, covering his mouth, his shoulders shaking.

“Well…it’s a good thing YOU caught them.” He said between giggles.

“I know, right?” said Onew, smiling.

Minho sighed. “I have to come clean. This whole thing with Kyungsoo is…technically, my fault.” He said, shaking his head. “If I hadn’t come here…” 

“Then your father would have slaughtered our kind until we became extinct.” Said Jonghyun, crossing his arms. “Your original intentions were clearly forgivable. Even Leader Heejun thought so.” Minho looked at floor.

“But still…”

“It’s not your fault that my father did that.” Said Onew, placing a hand on his shoulder. “He knew what was going to happen; he made a rational; albeit stupid, but rational decision. He knew the consequences. Your father used you like a tool.” Onew closed his eyes, having a hard time even wanting to recall his previous memories.

“He told me to protect you, all of you,” he said, turning to the others. “He never said anything about revealing the past. If that’s what you feel needs to be done, then I’ll stand by you, 100%.” Jonghyun nodded.

“As will I.”

“I suppose I’ll do that too.” Said Key, in his snarky reply. However, Minho could sense his sincerity.

“I too will stand by you.” Said Taemin.

“Taemin, that could be dangerous,” said Minho. Taemin put up a hand to silence him.

“I’ve made up my mind to stand by you. We’re all that’s left of our original clan, we have to stick together.” Minho bowed his head.

“Thank you, all.” Onew turned around, and his eyes widened.

Kris stood there, flabbergasted. He swallowed. “So…what…what do you need to say?” he asked. He had come over to ask about Seo In. Hoya seemed in a daze and unwilling to socialize with his peers. Instead, he seemed to have stumbled into a possibly dangerous discussion.

“Go get Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Kai. I have something to tell you.” Said Minho, averting his gaze from Kris. He nodded, and slowly turning, walked away.

“.” He shook his head. “This is not how I wanted him to find out.” He said, punching himself in the head. Key got up and smacked his hand.

“Hitting yourself isn’t going to help. Let’s just wait for them to come.” Minho raised his gaze to Taemin.

“Get Siwon.” Taemin shook his head, eyes wide.

“Minho, no.” Onew turned to look at him.

“Do as he says. Now.” Taemin bowed his head obediently.

“Yes, Leader Onew.”

*****

A little while later, Taemin entered the tent with Siwon by his side. Kris soon followed with Kai, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

The group adjusted to a circle, with Kai and Siwon sitting side by side at the ‘head’ of the circle. “What is this?” Siwon asked.

“I, have something to tell everyone,” Minho piped up.

“Me first.” Said Onew, looking straight at Kai and Siwon. “You were all there, when I asked my father if I’d ever see him again.”

Kyungsoo thought back. “Well,” Onew piped up. “Not you, Leader Kai. But everyone else was there.” Kris nodded. At least someone seemed to remember. “Heejun, and Tony were my parents. Heejun, was the leader of our clan, before the hunters attacked.”

Kyungsoo glanced over at Siwon. His face was placid. His heart beat in his chest. He hoped Onew wasn’t going to do what he thought he was…

“What are you trying to say?” asked Siwon. He looked over at him. “Are you trying to tell me that you, want to be Leader?” he asked. Onew shook his head calmly.

“No. But you’ve all been sitting here fretting over the children, when all you needed to do, was leave it be.” He looked over at Kyungsoo.

“Even though…it’s not technically by blood, since Heejun was Hoya’s father-”

“I, am Hoya’s father.” Kai’s face contorted with rage. “How dare you say that about my children; I am their ONLY father,”

At that point, Kris’s face became pale. “That’s…not quite true.” Kyungsoo’s eyes grew wide. Kai looked over at Kris.

“What?”

“Stop.” Onew stood up. “I am speaking right now. I realize that since I’m not a shaman or a Leader that my opinion seems less than yours, but you’re all acting like a bunch of morons when it comes to the children, who are, for arguments sake, not quite children anymore.” He sighed.

“Heejun raised Hoya as his own son. Therefore,” he said, looking directly at Kai. “He would be a Lycan prince, fit enough,” he said, looking over at Siwon. “To wed Seo In.” he dropped his hands and sat back down. “If you all had bothered to remember that, we wouldn’t have had to wait so long, and half the damn drama that happened wouldn’t have and they’d already be together.” Siwon turned to him.

“He is my only son.” He said. “Who will be my heir?” he asked. Onew took a deep breath.

“I have no wish for power. To be quite honest,” he looked over at the others. “I know that Seo In doesn’t wish to be leader.” He shook his head. “At all, or he wouldn’t have run off so much when he was younger.” He took a deep breath. “I assumed that the eldest of my brothers, Jonghyun, or Minho would be chosen.” He shook his head. “But that wasn’t so. And Heejun chose me, who, as everyone knows, was completely and utterly unprepared to take on the responsibilities of leader.” He turned to Siwon.

“Which is why when you and the others approached us, I had no problem denying leadership.” He bit his lip. “However, as far as an heir goes,” he looked at Siwon. “Pick one of my sons. Any of them. Train whichever son you choose as you see fit, but leave Seo In be.” Siwon closed his eyes.

“What else is there?” he said. He seemed to accept this as his fate, which made Taemin relieved.

“Yes.” Kai looked over at Kris. “What else is there to say?” he asked.

“You…are not the father of all of your children.” Kai’s eyes burned into him.

“Excuse me?” he looked over at Kyungsoo. “Do you hear the lies he’s spitting at me?” he said, waiting for Kyungsoo to defend him.

However, Kyungsoo refused to make direct eye contact, instead, looking straight ahead answered, “They aren’t lies. It’s the truth.”

The tent became dead silent.

“…What?” he looked from Kyungsoo to Kris. “What…you…cheated on me?” he clenched his hands into fists.

“If…if our…your last litter of children are not mine…whose?” he asked. “Who’s are they?!” he cried.

“Mine.” He looked over, flabbergasted. Kris looked back at him, undaunted. “They’re mine.”

Baekhyun looked over at the Lycans, who seemed just as scared and surprised as he was.

“You…filthy BASTARD!” he cried. Siwon jumped up and restrained him. He looked back and forth wildly between Kris and Kyungsoo. “HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME?” he cried. Tears of anger and frustration flowed freely now. “MY OWN BEST FRIEND, YOU ING PIECE OF ! HOW COULD YOU???” He looked over at Kyungsoo, throwing Siwon off of him.

As Taemin rushed over to help, Kai grabbed Kyungsoo by his chin and forced him to face him. “What is wrong with me? Why would you do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?”

“Kai, stop,” Kris stood up, only to be knocked down in one swift blow.

“That is Leader Kai, to you, traitor.”

“Kai, stop.” Kai turned around; Kyungsoo was looking up at him, holding back tears. “We…didn’t do this to hurt you.” He said. “I love you,” Kai scoffed, but Kyungsoo refused to listen. “and…it…”

“It was the only way to stop The Undertaker from succeeding in his plan to use Kyungsoo’s soul to destroy the world.” Kris finished. Kai looked over at him.

“What?” Minho looked over at him, extremely confused.

“Kyungsoo never did anything wrong in his entire life, he was, pure. Untainted by hatred, greed, sin.” He turned to Minho. “In order to make it so that The Undertaker’s plan was unsuccessful, I,” he turned to Kai. “I asked Mother Shiva what sin would cause the least bloodshed. And…this is what she told us.” He looked up at him.

“I only did it, because, selfishly, I suppose, didn’t want to die.” He shook his head. “So while the clan was asleep one night, Kyungsoo and I left the territory, and…committed adultery.” He looked up at Kai. “There are no words to express the regret we both hold because of our betrayal. But…it was the only way.” Kai, at a loss for words, looked back at the both of them, and stormed out of the tent.

Tears silently slid down Kyungsoo’s cheeks. Kris sat there, silent.

“Is there any other news that might shatter everything we know?” asked Siwon.

“My father was The Undertaker.” Minho blurted. Kyungsoo, Siwon, Baekhyun and Kris all turned to stare at Minho.

“Let me clarify something: I am not a spy. I was not here to destroy or take down anyone.” He looked Kyungsoo in the eyes. “I knew what he wanted to do, but after spending time with the last village shaman,” he turned to Onew. “I knew his plan wouldn’t work.” He turned back to the others. “So I came with Onew and the others. Deciding that if I ever had the chance, I’d take him down before he could succeed.”

Siwon turned to him. “How could Leader Heejun let you into the clan, knowing who you were. Or…” he rationalized, “did you trick your way in?” Minho pursed his lips.

“When I was…14.” He sighed. “I was 14 when he first decided to use me as bait. He knew of uncivilized Lycan tribes. He was certain that if he took out the one who could transcend worlds, he could eliminate the Healer, thus making it easier to obtain the Pure Soul.”

“Tribes…” Kyungsoo looked over at him. “So…what did you do…to the others?” he asked. Minho looked at the ground, recalling his darkest secrets.

“I went into the woods, into a Lycan territory near the mountains, and befriended one of them.” He sighed. “His name was Taecyeon.” He nodded. “He wanted me to stay in the woods, but I told him I had to go home. I wasn’t…his kind.” He shook his head. “He got mad at me, and bit me, here,” he put his hand on the back of his neck, beneath his hair. “It was so painful. I thought I was dying.” He took his hands down, wringing them together. “He took me to his clan, where there, there weren’t rules about biting humans. So they welcomed me, and there I stayed.”

He glued his eyes to the floor. “he…he wanted me to be his, but, once again, I refused his query. So then, one night, he…” Minho heaved a sigh. “He broke my arm and held it behind me, threatening to rip it off if I screamed or moved…and he…” he covered his mouth, trying not to cry out. Onew wrapped his arms around him.

“He forced himself on me. And, said that if I didn’t stay, or if I told anyone, he would kill me.” He looked up at Siwon. “I was 14, and I didn’t know what to do. The only thing my father told me to do was befriend them.”

“When I told him about what happened, he said, ‘good. He’ll trust you more this way.’” His shoulders shook violently as tears streamed down his face. “A week later, The Undertaker came into the village, and one by one, he slit their throats in their sleep.” He shook his head. “Everyone. Even him. And then he looked at me, and do you know what he said?” he turned back to Siwon. “On to the next one.” Kyungsoo’s eyes were wide with terror.

“And so, the next village, there was a young man by the name of Junhyung. And, though more refined, they were still…monsters. And again, I endured it, until he came in, searching. For what, at the time, I didn’t know. So, again, he slit their throats. ‘On to the next one,’ he said.”

“And once again, this time, we were near Mieda, on the other side. There was a clan, and, another boy,” he shook his head. “Seunghyun.” He wiped tears from his face. “He was kind to me, and he’s the one, who told me about this clan,” he said, pointing over to Onew. “Past the empty town. And if I ever needed help, to go there.”

“I loved him, so much. And then one night…The Undertaker came. And when he came, to my home, I begged him on my knees, ‘Don’t hurt him, please, spare this one person.’ He said, ‘love is for the weak.’ And proceeded to pull him up by his hair.”

“He woke up,” he said, his hands over his face. “He woke up and looked right at me. He took a rock from behind him and threw it at The Undertaker. It sent him flying into the wall, where he was… I thought, dead.”

“So we ran. We ran for weeks. We ended up in a small clearing, where we dug a burrow, and slept there.” He held his hands out, looking at them. “That’s where I gave birth to my first son, Ji Won.” Tears began to run down his chin, collecting at the base of his neck until they spilled down his chest.

“One night, I slipped up. I stayed out too long. And I know, I know that my father saw me. I tried to convince Seunghyun to leave, but he didn’t believe me. The next night, he pulled me out of the burrow by my hair, and while Seunghyun was still trying to crawl out to get to me,” he covered his face again. “He took Ji Won, and stabbed him. Over, and over, and over again.” He bent over, uncontrollably sobbing.

Baekhyun covered his mouth. Siwon

, unable to say anything, didn’t move. Didn’t utter a sound. “By the time Seunghyun crawled out, my son was dead, and my father turned to me, and told me, ‘Love is for the weak. Don’t be weak. Don’t let these things be your weakness.’ And he slit Seunghyun’s throat.” He covered his mouth, rocking back and forth. “I made him drag me away. I didn’t want to leave them. I wanted to die. I just wanted to lie there and die next to them.” He clenched his hands together, holding them to his chest.

“’On to the next one, now.’ He dragged me away, and threw me outside, outside Heejun’s clan’s territory.” He looked up at Siwon. “I thought, that maybe, they might not accept me, and they’d kill me, and I wouldn’t have to suffer any more. That no one else would die.” He shook his head. “But Heejun found me. I tried to convince him that taking me in was a bad idea, that I wasn’t okay. That he’d only die.”

“He laughed and told me, ‘you’ll be safe here. You can be my son, and I, as your father, will protect you.’” He closed his eyes. “And so, I disowned my father, and lived there with them.” He turned to Onew. “But, The Undertaker found a weakness in Heejun, and used him instead. So that when I expected him to come in and kill everyone, I knew something was wrong.” He turned to the others.

“Mother Shiva was a regular around the Lycan tribes. She conversed with them, and taught them medicine and knowledge about the world surrounding them. She’s the one who told me how to stop him. She’s the one who foretold of our tribe’s downfall.” He looked at Onew.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but she told me that if I changed anything, he would never stop. The killing would never stop. I’m sorry,” he sobbed, holding onto Onew. “I’m so sorry.” Onew held him tightly.

“Don’t be sorry.” He said. “Just…finish.”

“I,” he held onto Onew, “I lived there, and, until the day the hunters came and destroyed our home, I feared that The Undertaker would return, and kill everyone. So I asked Mother Shiva to train me, as well as Tony, as a shaman, and to teach me about Black Magic, so that, if he really did get what he wanted, I could, at least, try to stop him.”

He looked at Kyungsoo. “Mother Shiva told me about you. About how your mother made a pact with the Wolves. How she promised you to them when you came of age. She told me what you were. She told me to find you, and tell you,

‘Nothing is as it seems.’”

“What does that even mean?” Asked Kyungsoo. “I’ve heard it so many times, or so I think…” he shook his head. “I don’t even know what I don’t know anymore.” He began to sob. “What does it mean?!” he cried, his eyes begging for an answer.

Minho shook his head. “That’s just it; I don’t know. She wouldn’t tell me.” Siwon looked back and forth between them.

“Is this all?” he asked, looking at Onew. Onew looked down, and Minho nodded. Siwon raised himself off the floor. “Then disperse.” He motioned for the Wolves to leave. He looked down at the others.

“Tell no one what was discussed here today. And leave when you are ready.” They nodded, and bowed their heads as he left.

*****

Kyungsoo tossed and turned that day. Everything he had learned that day swam around in his head, obstructing his thoughts.

‘Kyungsoo,’ a voice whispered. ‘Kyungsoo, can you hear me?’ it asked. ‘Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo, wake up!’ He nearly jumped out of his skin as he shot up. He covered his mouth, looking about. Everyone was asleep. Kai was in the back of the cave, sleeping next to Hoya, and both were sound asleep.

He lay back down and closed his eyes. He wanted the voices to stop. They came around, from time to time, but he had already spoken to Kris and Minho. No one knew why he was hearing things, and The Undertaker was dead, which ruled out the one viable guess that they had.

He thought about what Mother Shiva had said to him, and he turned over. He wanted to forget everything. Near late afternoon, he finally fell into a dreamless sleep, to where even the voices couldn’t reach him.

*****

‘CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!’ Kyungsoo woke up to a loud noise outside. He made his way out, only to find that Lay and Luhan were using large stones to pound in a post. He crossed over the clearing and headed over to Kris’s place. Kris saw him in the mouth of his case and gritted his teeth.

“You’re wondering what that is.” He nodded, and looked over at him. “It’s a punishment post.” He stood up and walked over to him. “I need you to promise me something,” he whispered. “Take care of Tao when I’m gone.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Kris, stop it,” he said, shaking his head.

“I told you, the first time around, the punishment for adultery.” He shrugged. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.” He looked back at him. “I told Tao.” Kyungsoo sighed, putting his head in his hands. “He was pretty upset with it, but he understood. I can’t guarantee that he won’t try to hit you or be angry with you, but he certainly won’t kill or maim you.”

“That...that’s reassuring.” Said Kyungsoo. It wasn’t, but he didn’t know how to lighten the situation. Kyungsoo thought for a moment.

“Will he really kill you? After all you’ve done for him, and for the tribe?” he asked. Kris shrugged.

“Rules are rules,” he said. “And he was angry enough, I suppose he might.” They both turned as a howl emitted through the village. Kris set his hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder; it was shaking violently.

“It’s time.” He exited, followed by Kyungsoo. 

*****

They made their way to the clearing, where the entire clan was standing around the pole. Kai stepped forward. Tao stood next to Kyungsoo, his face pale.

“Tao…” he turned to him.

“When we came back from the Lycan village, he promised that he’d never leave me.” Tears began streaming down his face. Kyungsoo turned to look at the spectacle before them.

“You have been charged with adultery,” Kai announced, looking directly at Kris. “What say you?”

“I did it, this, I won’t deny.”

“The charge for such a crime, is death.” A murmur spread across the clan. Tao reached for Kyungsoo’s hand and clenched tightly. “However, since there were other circumstances surrounding this, I will let you live.” Kyungsoo could see Kris’s face wash over with relief. “But,” continued Kai. “That does not mean you shall forgo punishment.” Kris’s face became expressionless.

“Chen, the whip.” Chen hesitantly came forward, holding a very old looking, ragged whip. It had seen better times, and looked as though it would snap any second.

“Don’t let it fool you,” said Tao, spotting the relief on Kyungsoo’s face. “It’s held up for over 150 years. It’s a tough whip.”

“How the hell did it last so long?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Each victim of the whip must clean and repair it after every use.” He turned to him. “The last time this whip was used, was before Kai was born. That’s before a lot of us, to be honest.”

Kai signaled for Lay to come forward. He held rope in his hands, and secured it to the pole, before securing Kris to face the pole, his back facing Kai.

“You shall endure 50 lashings.” He said, securing a small rock to the end of the frayed whip.

“Oh ,” Kyungsoo muttered under his breath.

Without warning, Kai threw back the whip, and proceeded with the punishment. At first, Kris kept quiet. They could hear muffled groaning. But around the 24^th hit, Kyungsoo heard him hiss in pain, and the groan grew into a whimper, and then a cry.

Around the 37^th lashing, the rock was cutting deep. Tao covered his eyes. After a few more, the rock flew off, smacking him in the back of the neck, while the whip hit his torn flesh.

“AHHH!” Now, with nothing weighing it down, the whip flew, while the loose ends attacked Kris’s tender open wounds.

“AAAAURGH!” he fell to his knees, and Tao turned to Kyungsoo’s shoulder, sobbing.

47, 48, 49, 50

As the last hit struck him, Kris collapsed, hanging from the pole by his hands, his head hung in misery. Kai approached him and tossed the bloody whip in his lap.

“Fix it within a week, or I will kill you.” He turned and walked away.

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Kyungsoo and Tao came forward.

“Kris,” Kyungsoo said, leaning forward to untie his hands.

“Leave.” He heard him whisper. Tao opened his mouth to speak, but Kris lifted his head and gave him a look. His eyes turned to Kyungsoo. “Leave. Now.”  Kyungsoo nodded to Tao and did as he was told.

*****

Kyungsoo couldn’t face Kai that morning. He trotted off into the woods and lie beneath a tree. He could hear Kai calling him four nearly half an hour before he seemed to give up. This was going to be Hoya’s last day with them in the Wolf territory, and he couldn’t bear to look his own family in the face.

He fell into a fitful sleep.

‘Kyungsoo, wake up! You gotta wake up!’ a familiar voice called out to him. He struggled hard, trying to open his eyes.

A blurry image appeared before him. White, and a face he couldn’t make out. But the voices, he knew them all too well.

‘Kyungsoo, can you hear me?’ one asked.

‘Leave him be,’ a stronger, older voice called out. He recognized this voice too. Who were they? What did they want? ‘He needs rest.’ Yes, rest. That’s what he needed. The images faded, slowly, and then all at once.

He shot up, looking about, dazed. It was almost dark now, and the sun was setting. Free of his nightmare, he trotted over to the mouth of the cave, waiting for the night to sweep over him. 

END OF CHAPTER 22