duality
h a l l o wA:N: The Character guide has been updated.
A|N: This one has a lot of moving parts. Necessary evil to make the "calamity" I've been talking about a THING; of course questions are always always welcome. There will be an more in-depth AN at the end! Lots of STUFF and SECRETS revealed. Every character is important. Enjoy!
Two Days Until The Mating Moon
Kibum reached into his pants to lazily scratch his leg as he moved from Minho’s old bedroom where he and Jonghyun were sleeping, to the master bedroom room where Minho and hopefully Jinki would be. He wasn’t worried as much as he thought he would be in this situation; where the last time he’d spoken to the supreme Alpha ruler of their lands was basically an unspoken conversation, begging him not to cast his friend aside. He hadn’t heard much yelling or screaming the night before so either they’d made up or he would find his friend alone and heartbroken. Or dead. That was always a possibility. Slim, but still a possibility. Then he remembered his own words:
But Onew he would. He would do anything to protect…” Kibum chuckled as if the thought had just dawned on him. “Onew would do anything to protect Minho.”
Even in the face of Jinki’s anger, he knew he could always count on Onew to protect his friend.
Sighing, he approached the door and knocked softly. They needed to get back to Prae immediately anyways, regardless of the situation. The sooner they did that, the quicker a solution could be thought of.
When he didn’t get an answer to his first knock, Kibum tried again, this time, a little harder. The door pushed open slightly, probably from not being barred the night before. Kibum didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing
Pushing it open further, Kibum peeked his head in. “Minho? Are you awake? I hope so. We need to–“
He rushed to cover his mouth before a yelp leaked from his lips.
What in the hell?
Just a few feet from the door Jinki had Minho pressed against the wall, just below Minho’s mural of Prae. Minho’s legs were wrapped around his waist and Jinki’s mouth firmly attached to Minho’s throat. The noises they were making were absolutely obscene.
Well! It looks like they made up!
Kibum was about to back pedal from the door and give them a few more moments of privacy when he notice a very peculiar smell. One he hadn’t smelled in years. Curiously, he sniffed once, twice before his eyes reared open and he gasped, the sound heavy and harsh, even in his ears.
Two heads, one with long black hair, the other, mussed brown locks, turned towards the crack in the door and Kibum raced out of their view. Not before he got a glimpse of their eyes. Gold and Silver.
! !
Kibum about faced to run back for his room when he ran right into Jonghyun. Standing back, he rubbed his chest and glared up at his mate.
Jonghyun yawned and scratched at his neck. “Are they up yet? We need to hurry back.”
Kibum didn’t say a word in answer. He grabbed Jonghyun by his wrist and dragged him back to their guest room, ignoring Jonghyun’s raised brow.
“What is your deal?” Jonghyun said as Kibum paced the width of their room, his hand rubbing his lips harshly.
“So, I went to wake Minho up and he and Jinki are…together…” He finished by making a weird vague gesture with his hands. Jonghyun picked up on it quickly.
“Oh. Oh!” Jonghyun said, his frown lifting. “Well….that’s good! That they are…together...right?”
“Yes…” Kibum nodded. “It is…it’s very good um…but uh…” Kibum stopped to rub the back of his neck. “Remember when I told you about the Savage Moon? About Minho’s family?”
Jonghyun nodded solemnly, but confused. “Yes. It was a very sad story.”
“Right. Very sad. But something happened that night and…I’ve never seen it happen again until about thirty seconds ago and I’m not exactly sure what to do.”
“Kibum,” Jonghyun said calmly before he stood and gathered Kibum’s hands in his. “Just tell me.”
Kibum twisted his lips, trying to decide just how to say what he needed to say when he saw something moving just over Jonghyun’s shoulder. He narrowed his eyes, blinked a few times before panic set in.
“! ! They are coming this way! We need to, um, hide or –“ Kibum grabbed Jonghyun by the wrist again, pulling them back into bed and yanking the covers over their heads. Moments later, the door to their room burst open to heavy panting and moans before the weight of two bodies fell onto the edge of the bed. The moans only got louder.
“Are they–“ Jonghyun narrowed his eyes and looked at Kibum. “Are they doing what I think they are doing?”
Kibum bit his lips. “I don’t think they’ve got to the “doing” it part yet, but they are quickly approaching it.”
“No, the hell they aren’t! Not on top of me!” Jonghyun made to grab the edge of their covers. “Jinki! Get yer –“
Kibum reached up and grabbed his hand. “That’s the problem! That’s not Jinki! And that’s not Minho!”
Jonghyun looked at him like he was crazy. “What do you mean that’s not–oh ,” Jonghyun gasped, his eyes widening. “Are you ing kidding me?”
“Wish I was! Whatever happened last night brought Minho’s wolf to the surface. You know as well I that you won’t be able to handle this reasonably.”
Another moan, this one sounding like Minho’s, broke into their conversation and Jonghyun rolled his eyes. “Well, they’ve got another thing coming if they think I’m just going to let them each other’s brains out on top of me.”
“Jonghyun.”
Kibum watched Jonghyun snatch the covers back his head canted to the side to avoid seeing something that would probably scar him from life. He rushed to the corner and picked up the bucket Kibum had requested him to bring earlier this morning. He balanced it on his hands and without much aim, because apparently he didn’t think it was necessary, the idiot, he tossed it.
The stopped.
“That was your bright idea?” Kibum said lowly as he pushed his wet bangs off his forehead. Two of the three shifters were drenched from head to toe. Sadly, Kibum was one of them.
“I panicked!” Jonghyun fired back, lowering the bucket to the ground and pouting.
Minho…or better yet, Caleo had moved out of the water’s way, resting demurely at the edge of the bed, completely dry. His silver eyes gazed back at Jonghyun, a smirk on his lips. Onew, on the other hand, laid on his back, blinking water out of his eyes…his brown eyes.
“It worked!” Jonghyun exclaimed. He glanced at Caleo one last time. “Kind of,” he muttered.
“Someone….anyone want to explain to me what’s going on?” Jinki said as he sluiced water off his face. “Like why I’m half dressed, or why I’m soaking wet? I’m willing to take any answer you give me.”
Caleo stretched out and draped himself over Jinki’s body, not seeming to care about the water. Jinki, most likely in shock, pulled his chin in as he stared back at his mate.
“Me and your wolf had a little fun,” Caleo said, giggling. “We were going to have sooo much more fun. I missed him so much.” Caleo’s hands slithered up Jinki’s thighs, before he palmed Jinki’s still present in his large hand. Jinki yelped, loudly. “Bring him back out, Jinki love. I still want to play with him.”
Kibum made a noise of disbelief. “I don’t remember you being this…minxy.”
Caleo delicately turned his head to the side, silver irises glancing him over. “I remember you, too,” Caleo said coquettishly. “We use to play as well. I remember those delicious cupid bow lips on mine and,” Caleo shivered before giggling. “Oh, how I miss all of you!”
Kibum’s mouth opened in shock. “Wait–you–I–but–“
“You never told me you and Minho fooled around, Kibum,” Jonghyun said, his eyes narrowed.
Kibum rolled his eyes. “I hardly think that’s important right now, Jonghyun.”
“Says the guy who had Minho’s tongue down his throat…and didn’t tell me,” Jonghyun shot back.
“Oh, give me a break! I was like…sixteen!”
“Wait…sixteen? Weren’t we–“
“I think,” Kibum said, cutting his mate off, “addressing Caleo reemergence two days before the Mating Moon is a bigger issue, don’t you think?”
“So…that’s who this is?” Jinki asked, still blinking at the celling. “It’s like I’m about to be mated to a bag of tricks or something,” he muttered.
Caleo giggled again. “I’ve got a few tricks I could show you, as well,” he whispered against Jinki’s ear. “Onew has already found a few of them quite enjoyable.”
Jinki sighed. “This is going to be a long day.”
The difference between Jinki and Onew, and presumably Minho was, that Jinki wasn’t as adventurous of a man as someone in his position should have encouraged him to be. He didn’t necessarily like surprises.
Caleo was a surprise.
Not that he disliked Caleo. He was playful, friendly, warm. Actually, Jinki liked him a lot.
He just didn’t have the energy for Caleo. It seemed no one did. Except for Onew, who was giggling–yes, giggling–in the back of his mind at anything Caleo said. It wasn’t like Caleo himself was exhausting; it was what he did. The constant questions, the flirting, my gods, the flirting, flowed from him like angry white rapids and although it seemed Caleo had a distinct insatiable longing for Onew, he didn’t mind directing that flirtation towards Jinki, Kibum or even Jonghyun. He’d grabbed a handful of the Dinfire Alpha’s while he was preparing the horses and Jonghyun had sputtered himself half mute. . Luckily Victoria, Tiffany and Nichkhun had rode ahead of them. Gods knows what would happen if all four to those succubus’ were all in the same place at the same time.
He rode just ahead of Jinki, his horse trotting slowly as Caleo rode him , his body swaying lazily with each trot. He’d fashioned a crown of wild flowers from the field outside of Salamanders and it was perched on his head, almost drowning in the waves of his mussed hair. He’d draped some sort of shawl around him, a pretty lilac color that went well with the flowers. All in all, it was a pretty alluring site. Jinki caught himself grinning in appreciation from time to time. Minho looked like some kind of woodland creature who’d decided to flit around humans for a few hours because he found them curious.
However, considering they were on the open road and Caleo was completely under the shawl, no matter how enduring, it was completely indecent.
“You do know that eventually you will have to put on some clothes? I can’t allow you to enter Prae like that,” Jinki said, his voice even with authority.
“Clothes bore me,” Caleo said with a sniff. He turned and looked at Jinki from over his shoulder. “But you are my Alpha and I will do as you say. He dipped his head, a sign of submission and respect and it almost knocked Jinki right off his horse. He was used to Minho’s quiet but steady defiance. This…this…was refreshing!
“However until we get closer–“ Caleo grabbed the lilac shawl and tossed it over his shoulders, the thin fabric breezing through the air until it hit Jinki smack dab in the face.
He took that back. He would take Minho refined decorum and defiance over Caleo’s free spirit any day. He would find the time to tell him that… if he didn’t keep getting distracted by the sight of his mate from behind.
“Shouldn’t we be heading in the opposite direction,” Caleo asked, glancing over his shoulder, past Jinki to the open field behind them. “I’m sure you’re all just dying to get back to Prae, but adventure is better.”
Kibum looked behind him where Caleo rode with a raised brow. “Adventure?”
“Why, yes. Toleran,” Caleo said simply. “We’re not just going to let them keep the lizard, are we?”
“The lizard…you mean my father?” Kibum asked, his voice quiet.
“Yes. Your father. He was nice to Minho so that means he was nice to me. It isn’t like Toleran is the most sought after vacation spot in all of Prae. It hot and dry and…well he’s a captive of those nasty people. We should go get your father.”
“It’s not that simple, Caleo,” Jinki said.
“Who said anything about it being simple? Since when has adventure ever been simple?”
“Caleo,” Jinki started, but Kibum cut him off.
“Look. I want to ride hard for Toleran and get him back. I hate this but it’s best that we return to Prae,” Kibum said as he looked back further, his hands tightening around the reins of his horse. “In order for us to do something we have to–“
“Actually,” Jinki said, interrupting. “I’ve already done something.” Three heads turned to him. “I had a lot of contact with the people of Wheph and in turn I eventually learned a lot about the people of Wheph. I contacted someone who would know Jungsoo just as well as Minho and Kibum. Someone with enough power to do something about it but who has very loose ties to Prae. Diplomacy in this is of the utmost importance.”
It was Jongyun turn to look back. “Someone who knew Jungsoo?” he asked from the front of their riding party.
“Yes,” Jinki answered, nodding solemnly. “Also someone who has a long standing grudge with the Blue Crescents. Hopefully the words I’ve sent him about their abduction of Jungsoo as well as their recent declaration naming him and Jungsoo traitors as well will make his response quick. The Arctic Wolves are known for their quick reflexes.”
Jonghyun and Kibum blinked, their confusion evident, but Caleo’s smile was foxlike.
“Julien Kang.” Caleo giggled. “Oh, I came back at a wonderful time! This is about to get interesting isn’t it?"
Xiah turned the tap to the well reservoir, watching as the bucket filled with fresh water. For once he was glad for Lark’s Nest insistence of bringing their aqueduct system this far out. The dry air of the flatlands that always proceeded the rolling hills always made his throat scratchy these days and he knew that he and Iseul would enjoy the kiss of cool water should the want for some arise during the night.
As the water sloshed around the wooden bucket, slowly, dripping from the tape as leisurely pace, Xiah glanced back at his large but simple house. He liked living here. It was quiet––for the most part. One of their guards, Jackson, was loud and lively, which Xiah couldn’t complain too much about. Considering how loud the neighboring city Toleran got, and considering Jackson was from Toleran, it made perfect sense.
When they’d first moved here, it was Jackson, a non-mage, who gave them a run-down of the entire village. Mthunzi was a sister village to Toleran and by sisters it was a loose association. The two places were nothing alike; while Toleran was loud and colorful, Mthunzi was grey and muted. Jackson said he preferred the quietness of Mthunzi opposed to the clamor of Toleran. There was only so much of that village you could take.
The reason Xiah eventually settled on this place was of its close connection to Iseul’s birthplace. He had been happy to give her that at least.
Iseul was known by a different name now–Kifi. It was one she’d adopted as she and Kahi wandered around the borders of Prae, ducking Toleran mage bounty hunters and whoever Yoon had set on her trail. It was part of the reason why it took so long for him to find her after he’d faked his death in Durkhai. From city to city he went, a handkerchief drenched with an altered scent she’d prepared for him, the only thing he had to help identify her with as he went from shifter to person, looking for her. By the time he found her, she’d changed the color of her hair and had magically altered her appearance as a disguise. He didn’t even recognize her when he’d warily approached the Moroccan Song brothel she was hiding in.
However, her scent? He would recognize it without a nose. He’d know her scent anywhere.
From there Xiah sent out word through his connections that an anonymous benefactor would be willing to pay off Iseul bounty. The meeting place? A village called Mthunzi. Several golden dragons later, Iseul’s bounty was lifted and for the first time in years, the two of them felt safe. Kahi still acted as if they were being hunted, but he appreciated her regard from Iseul’s safety.
As if he’d conjured up her name, he heard Kahi shout for him from the other side of their house. Kahi never shouted, so Xiah was quick to turn off the tap and hurry to where she was at. What he found surprised him.
“The White Wolf Prince of Fallow Forrest.”
Julien chuckled from his position on his knees, Kahi’s blade pressed up against his throat and his arm twisted behind his back. “I haven’t been called something so proper outside of the Arctic in ages. But if it’s okay with you, Xiah, I would like to forgo the formalities…” his eyes jutted up towards his captor, “and the knife if possible.”
Xiah raised a hand and nodded, and Kahi moved the knife from his neck but kept his hand twisted behind his back.
“You said to drop the knife. I did,” Kahi said, nonplussed.
“Kahi,” Xiah admonished.
Rolling her eyes, she complied, releasing Julien and taking a step back. The look of distrust didn’t leave her eyes.
Xiah rushed forward to help the other Alpha to his feet but Julien waved if off. “She’s fun,” he said with a tight smile.
“She’s…protective. Years on the run will do that to you,” Xiah said. “What do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I have no business with the Arctic Wolves in any capacity and from what provisions I’ve set up, I was under the presumption that everyone thought I was dead.”
“Well, I’m not everyone. I have and will always have certain interest in the activities that happen in Prae. Your disappearance was one of them. Especially considering we are technically family now.”
Xiah’s eyes narrowed until he understood what Julien meant. “Ah.”
“I finally thought after all this time, it was my duty as the brother in law to the AlphaBeta of Prae to meet the adoptive father of the AlphaPrime of Prae.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“Well visiting you in the middle of the day wouldn’t have been the best maneuver to aid in my mission to be as clandestine as this situation calls for.”
Xiah nodded. “Understood. Let’s go inside and continue our chat there–”
Julien smiled. “No, I wouldn’t want to impose. As you say, it is the middle of the night and the last thing I would want to do is to wake your mate. Plus the news I’ve come to share would best be told to her from your mouth rather than the mouth of a stranger’s.”
Xiah brow lifted at Julien’s words. “News?”
“I understand your decision to not receive much news from Prae but there are suspicious things transpiring, deadly things, whispers of war that will embroil all of Prae.”
“War? In Prae?” Xiah shook his head. “I am no longer a wolf of Prae. Whatever war or talk of war that is happening, I am more than confident our Alpha leaders will be able to handle it. It is not something I can get involved in.”
“You’ll have no choice. This may cost Iseul her freedom…even her life.”
Xiah’s face hardened. “Explain your words.”
Julien inhaled a deep breath before he released it sharply through his nose. “I wish there was an easier way to tell you this but…it won’t be long before Toggo gives Yoon your location.”
“Here? I–impossible.”
“I’m afraid so, my friend. Toggo has known from the very start that you faked your death and it didn’t take him long to have his scouts track you down once you settled here. You absolving Iseul’s bounty meant nothing to him. He is using that information to bait Yoon into joining his cause. Which he has. He has also helped raise Yoon’s son to Alpha of Durkhai.”
Xiah’s eyes darted back and forth as he thought. “That whelp he would bring around… Thunder?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know this?”
Julien smiled. “I told you…I have an interest I need to protect. Namely, my deceased mate’s brother. A promise I instituted is null and void and now the only means I have of watching out for him is to protect Prae from those who wish to harm it. By doing that, I protect him.”
“I…I have to tell Iseul. I have to tell her now. We have to leave–“
“I agree. It would be best to torch this house as well. Her scent ades it. I will provide you with another place to stay, but it will be temporary. However…you’re forgetting something very important.”
“And that is?” Xiah asked, his brow raised.
“Your son, Jinki. Don’t you want to know how to help him as well? If Prae is ruined, he is ruined as well.”
Xiah looked down at his hands, sadly. “I am….powerless to help him, Julien. I am nothing but a wolf with no claim and no territory. How can I be anything but a hindrance to my son?”
“I will tell you but you must promise to hear me out. This may make you…uncomfortable, considering the peace you have now…”
Xiah hesitated for a moment before he nodded. “I am listening.”
“In the end you will need to return to Prae. From there I will help you challenge the new Alpha’s claim. It is weak and unstable due to his association with Yoon, yet I am unsure if it will work–”
Xiah held his hand up. “No. You’re insane. I faked my own death to relieve myself of my duties as Alpha. My word will be meaningless in Durkhai.”
“I’m not asking you to take up the seat again. I am asking you to help take the power out of the enemy’s hands.”
“This is madness–“
“Yes…yes it is, but it s a very necessary madness, and it is a journey you need to make,” Julien continued as if he hadn’t heard Xiah,” however, before we make that journey, there is something very important that needs to be…handled in Toleran.”
Xiah sighed. “Such as,” he said, tiredly.
“Espionage and a rescue mission. There is an apocrathist from Wheph being held there simply as a bartering chip to those who care about him in Prae. The High Steward and the AlphaBeta are sure to do anything to get him back. This apocrathist also has a bevy of secrets the enemy would love to squeeze out of him, one way or another. To relieve them of this pressure, it is crucial to rescue him from Toleran. This is why I said this would be better coming from your mouth than mine. In order for this to work, we need a mage, one familiar with Toleran and welcome in Toleran.”
Xiah snorted. “You can’t be serious. You think I’m going to send Iseul to Toleran to be a godforsaken spy? I’m sorry but she is not going to agree to that.”
“She will, Xiah.”
Xiah huffed. “And what makes you so damn certain?”
“Because without this apocrathist, and without Iseul returning to Prae, her daughter will die.”
“Excuse me?” Xiah said, his forehead pinched.
“So you see, you are nothing but powerless, Iseul is nothing but powerless. If you will help us, you will have the power to help all of Prae.”
One Day Until the Mating Moon
“You do understand he’s still here, right?”
“Clearly, Jonghyun. There is a giant rose mural painted on my damn ceiling. I don’t even know how he got up there to begin with! And–And!–while we were in the meeting discussing Toleran movement, the fool took an axe to my…well, our bedroom wall.”
Jonghyun blinked as he peeked deeper into Jinki’s suite. There was now a very large jagged hole between Jinki’s and Minho’s suites. Really, the only thing left from the wall were splinters from chopped wood and the solid stone column that supported the ceiling.
“Well, he did a good job,” Jonghyun murmured.
“That’s not the point! Tomorrow the Mating Festival starts, bright and early, before the sun comes up and my mate’s wolf is out on the Pavilion meditating on the bridge about world peace and .”
“Yeah. I know. It was kind of hard to get around him. He’s still wearing his flower crown which is weirding out the servants. Kibum is talking to him.”
“He’s literally like Heechul reborn,” Jinki groaned as he took a seat on the edge of his bed. He sighed. “Have we heard back from Julien yet?”
“Briefly. Taeyeon is receiving her mother’s messages even while unconscious. They plan on travelling to Toleran tomorrow. She hasn’t said whether they were able to retrieve Jungsoo yet, however they are looking for someone who can help.”
Jinki hummed and scratched his chin. “Has anyone tracked down my father’s whereabouts? Thunder speaks of him as if he’s in Durkhai but I hardly believe that even with the exilement lifted that he would be accepted there. So if he isn’t there, he has to be somewhere else.”
“Thunder,” Jonghyun murmured. He entered the room, closing the door behind him before he took a seat next to Jinki’s working desk. “I don’t mean to sound rude, Jinks but…do you trust him? I remember him from when we were younger. He laughed a lot, and he’s nice, sure, but what reason does he have to actually help us? Your mother kicked him out, where he, from his own words, was forced to live in the woods because of that. Is it…wise to trust someone who should hate you?”
“I don’t trust him. He has a former connection with the Blue Crescents and is entirely too fond of Yoon. However, I can’t bar his presence in our meetings. Especially now with the rest of the new Alphas arriving here any minute for the Mating Moon.”
“Ah! That’s reminds me why I came here in the first place. Hwasa, the new Alpha from Dinfire is here. You’ll like her,” Jonghyun said with a wide grin. “Sungmin will be here by nightfall, while Morocco Song’s Alpha, Jungmyung and her mate, Kangjong have been since yesterday. That leaves Mott Argan’s Alpha. That may be a little delayed due to how they chose. Leehom will be here as a representative instead. Which…um…” Jonghyun scratched his head. “How are you going to handle the whole love square that’s going on? Leehom will probably see red.”
“I’ve known Leehom ever since I was a small pup and he was the mighty elder of Mott Argan. If this…affair between Yifan and Yixing is true, as well as the one between Sehun and Tao, then that means the alliance between Mott Argan and Old Se’hai is on fragile thin ice. That in the end affects us, however, Leehom is a smart wolf. He’ll savage it. If he can’t, we’ll need to stay on Leehom’s good side. It is his power we’ll need.”
Jonghyun nodded, then stretched. When he was done he plopped his head on his fist and stared at Jinki. “Enough of this political talk. That’s all we did this morning. You ready? This is your last night as a free man.” Jonghyun grinned at him, a touch wolfish and roused. “How are you going to spend your last night unmated?”
“Me? What are you going to do?” Jinki answered roughly, blushing. He ducked his head but lifted it at Jonghyun’s laughter.
“I’ve been preparing for this day for years, Jinki. Kibum and I are practically joined at the hip. You? I just want to see what the honeymoon phase is going to do to the rough and gruff Jinki I know. You think Minho has you wrapped around his finger now, just you wait.”
“Yeah, I’ve actually got to get Minho back first, don’t you think?”
Kibum sat patiently as Caleo mixed some kind of concoction in his bowl, a mixture of weeds, wildflowers from the Pavilion, dirt and water. When he was done he scooped out a handful of it and held it up. When Kibum figured out what he planned on doing with it, he recoiled.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?!”
“I’m preparing you for your mating,” Caleo said, innocently. “You’ve been stressed out all day. You’re breaking out.”
Kibum’s fingers flew to his face, feeling for any bumps. He groaned when he felt one on his chin. Caleo nodded and dabbed a mud covered finger to it. “Wildflower mud helps.”
Kibum tilted his head. “I’m an apocrathist. I think I can take care of my own blemishes, thank you very much,” he murmured but continued to let Caleo work.
“Of course, you can, friend,” Caleo placatingly as he smeared more of his concoction onto Kibum’s face. “But you shouldn’t have to. You’re going to be a mated wolf tomorrow. You’re supposed to be relaxing and being pampered by your mate. That is until the sun goes down. Then there is that whole separation thing until the hunt. You’ve been working so hard trying to get everything prepared that you haven’t had the time.”
“I still don’t have the time, Caleo, but someone has to talk some sense into you.”
“Ah. You’re worried that I’m still here?”
Kibum nodded. “I know it’s been a while since you’ve been to the surface but your timing is terrible. The Mating Bond cannot be done incorrectly. If you don’t leave, then Jinki either has to forfeit the prophecy, which means they both die,” Kibum stressed,” or he bonds to you and Minho dies…”
“That isn’t my problem,” Caleo replied as he continued to spread the mud across Kibum’s nose.
Kibum reacted by reaching up and grabbing Caleo’s wrist harshly. “That’s my best friend you’ve got held hostage in there. You’re not going to punish him for pushing you away so that the both of you could survive.”
Caleo pulled his hand towards him, which in turn pulled Kibum’s forward, close enough that Caleo could kiss the inside of his wrist. “I never said that I was going to punish him.”
Kibum clutched his wrist to his chest. “What are you saying, then?”
“I’m saying that I know Minho better than you think you do. Unlike Onew and Jonghyun’s wolf, Lufti and yours, Ngalaan, I have been sitting in a deep dark black hole for years, watching everything from afar. Do you honestly think that Minho can bond with Jinki without me being at my best?” Caleo resumed spreading mud across Kibum’s face. “I needed to breathe and heal, on the surface, in the light, to become strong for him. So his bond is strong. If I am weak, so will their pairing. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m doing what I’m doing for Minho and for Prae.”
“Caleo,” Kibum whispered.
“Oh, don’t get all weepy on me, beautiful. Plus, Onew made me jealous, with all of his pawing all over Minho and kissing him and–“ Caleo growled. “I mean, that’s okay if you’ve connected with each other’s wolf, but hello! I’ve been unreachable,” Caleo yelled. “Stupid mangy wolf.”
“You missed him…” Kibum said knowingly.
Caleo lifted and balanced his head between his hands, the mud smearing on his cheeks. “Do you know he imprinted on me within seconds of meeting him? He drew a picture of roses in my mind and I’ve loved them ever since. Maybe that’s why Minho hates them? They reminded him of me…” Caleo bit his lip, his face stormy and troubled for a moment before it lit back up in a big smile. “Sometimes I could feel him when Minho and Jinki were close. He’s really rough around the edges but…he’s really a sweetheart. He was so nice to me. It was nice having someone want me.”
Kibum caught Caleo’s meaning and frowned sadly. He reached across the space and ran a thumb across Caleo’s cheek. “Minho wanted you Caleo. You just…you emerged at a really rough time for him and then the medication and…just know he wanted you, Caleo. He always felt like he was missing something without you.”
“I know…” Caleo said softly. “I don’t blame him. I blame those who told him he wasn’t good enough. Who told him that because he was different he was inferior, an abomination. So that’s why I’m making sure that everything is in line for Minho. This mating means the world to me. I need for him to succeed in proving them all wrong. That he is worthy to live, he is worthy to rule. He is worth everything.”
Kibum grinned at him, lopsided and warm. “You are a wonderful wolf, Caleo.”
Caleo’s face brightened back up. “Of course I am! Now hold still. I want to get that spot on your forehead before it turns nasty!”
Tao had never been in a tenser situation in his life and that was saying a lot. Being the son of Edison, the Great Wolf of Old Se’hai put him in a lot of tough situations, most he had been unprepared to handle. But that didn’t matter. As the heir of Old Se’hai, his preparation for those sorts of matters was always secondary to how he handled them. But because of that, he was good, damned good of thinking his way out of tough spots.
Except for this. He had absolutely no idea what to do.
Across from him was his intended, Yifan. To Yifan’s immediate left was Yixing, the wolf Yifan was in love with. Across from Yixing was Sehun. The shifter that Tao loved.
Yifan had called the “meeting” for two reasons. One his father was on his way to Prae and as his son it would be up to him to greet his father with his intended at his side. The second reason was at sun fall, your declared intended was your intended.
You could not take it back, you could not change your mind.
The one thing Yifan and Tao had in common, besides their years of friendship, was their love for someone else and their desire for their betrothal to fail.
Yes, but how?
“We can elope,” Yifan blurted out.
Tao rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how you became one of the mightiest wolves in Prae. Elope? You want Mott Argan, Dinfire and Old Se’hai to go to war?”
“Aren’t they going to go to war anyways?” Sehun offered.
Everyone was silent after that.
“What…what about if you made a secondary alliance between the two of you?” Yixing said, his knees drawn up to his chest in his chair. “Maybe if you agreed to the alliance without the mating, Leehom and Edison would calm down?”
“A paper alliance is not as strong as an alliance by marriage. My father will never go for it.”
“Yeah, but it is not about what he will go for. Unless Edison really just wants to go to war with Mott Argan, it will give us all enough time to come up with something different. After the Mating Moon. Edison is not going to go to war with Mott Aragn unless he has a reason. He won’t. He also doesn’t have a reason to go to war with Dinfire,” Yixing explained. “It’s not like he’s losing anything. He will gain an alliance with Dinfire and keep his alliance with Mott Argan.”
Tao glanced outside at the late afternoon sun. Yixing had a point, but they didn’t have much time.
“Let’s do it. But we’ll need permission from the AlphaBeta–“
“You guys know you can’t have secret meetings if you’re going to keep the door open!” a voice sang from the doorway. Everyone jumped and turned towards the open door.
“Well, that wasn’t creepy at all” Sehun muttered.
“I don’t consider myself to be the creepy type,” said the figure as they entered. Tao stood and bowed at the AlphaBeta first. He smelled…different. From what he’d seen from the Minho, he was a calm, calculated man. The figure in the doorway had a Cheshire smile and he wore his clothes a tad bit weird, off his shoulder and lose with a belt. The flower crown was odd as well as the silvery tine to his eyes. But then again, he’d only met the man once. He didn’t have the firmest grasp on his personality traits.
“We were just speaking about you. It’s…uncanny that you popped up just now.”
The AlphaBeta entered the small meeting room outside of Tao’s guest quarters and took a seat on the floor. “I wanted pie, and the kitchen has pie. And the kitchen is right there sooo,” AlphaBeta said as he pointed just outside into the hallway where the large door for the kitchen was.
“Everyone was supposed to be busy,” Yifan said, looking embarrassed.
“Hm, they sure are. So!” the AlphaBeta exclaimed. “What do you need my permission with? Did someone say elope?”
Yifan cleared his throat and held out his hands, waving the AlphaBeta’s suggestion off. “No. No, you heard wrong. No one is eloping. However…” Yifan cleared his throat again before he stood. “As with the…information passed along during our former Alpha meetings, I know you are familiar with the rumors about the four of us–“
The AlphaBeta snorted. “Rumors. Sure.”
Yifan cleared his throat again, obviously embarrassed before he continued. “–And I know this is a highly unspeakable request, considering the day and the fragility of the situation and our fathers however, I was wondering…if you would grant us permission to mate with…with whomever we want? I know that their alliances to think of but we have come up with a solut–“
The AlphaBeta held up his hand. “This isn’t hard. Your wolf wants to do it with his wolf,” he said as he pointed to Yixing, “and you want to do it a lot for like…all eternity? Right?”
Yixing choked on something, air, who knows and began coughing loudly. Sehun pat him on the back, cooing at him sympathetically.
“And his wolf,” the AlphaBeta continued pointing at Sehun,” wants to rut with tall, dark handsome over there,” he finished, his eyes roving over Tao’s figure for a moment. “Good choice.”
It was Sehun’s turn to choke.
The AlphaBeta stood, brushed off his pants and readjusted his flower crown. “Sure, do what you want. Who am I to stand in the way of true love?” The AlphaBeta paused and clutched at his shirt woefully. “I could never stand in the way of true love! I couldn’t live with myself!” he finished dramatically, his eyes misty.
“Are you…sure about this, Minho?” Yifan asked, his lip hitched.
The AlphaBeta giggled. “Of course. Here.” He sauntered over to the small desk nestled in the corner and opened the first draw. He withdrew a sheet of paper and a quill. Dabbing the end of the quill into the ink pad, he jotted out a few lines of words, blowing over the paper when was done to dry it quicker. When he was satisfied, he bit the end of his thumb with a fang, drawing blood.
“Holy , Minho! What are you doing? Blood marks aren’t necessary! They haven’t been done in decades!” Yifan exclaimed.
The AlphaBeta blinked, glanced down at his thumb, then at Yifan. “I–I knew that. But…well, no harm done! This will let ‘em know I’m serious, aye?” And then he jammed his thumb down on the parchment. “There.”
Yifan stood and walked over to him before gently taking the letter. Yifan looked over it for a second before looking up at the AlphaBeta with a raised brow. “Are you serious?”
The AlphaBeta smiled brightly, his entire face lighting up with it before he his heels and walked towards the door. “You can fill in the rest right?” And then he was gone.
All four watched him leave in dumbfounded silence.
“Did that just happen?” Sehun said, his brows drawn together.
“It did…” Yixing blinked at the door before he looked at the other three. ‘Is it me, or was he acting really really strange?”
Tao seriously thought that was an understatement. “Yifan, what does the letter say?”
Yifan rubbed the back of his neck before walking to join the others. “I’m…I…”
Yixing looked at Yifan before he plucked the paper out of his hands. He quickly adopted the Yifan’s reaction as he looked it over. “This…”
“Well,” Tao said, leaning forward, “what does it say.
“Uh…”
“Spit it out, Yixing!” Sehun said, frowning.
“It says…it says,” Yixing exhaled.
‘I, the AlphaBeta of Prae, would never get in the way of true love! Because true love is true and we would never want to be false! I allow–and then he drew four blank lines, Yixing explained– to mate who they want. This is binding as of sun fall.’
Tao frowned. “Say what?”
“And then there is a little drawing of a happy wolf in the corner with a congratulations.” Yixing finished and put the paper down for all to see.
Yifan plopped down in his seat. “I think he’s love drunk or something.”
Tao shrugged. “Doesn’t matter what type of drunk he is! Let’s draft up the alliance before sun fall!” he glanced at Sehun. “I need to get out of Sehun’s sight soon,” he finished with a smile.
The others looked at Tao for a long moment before they all fell into laughter.
That was so much better than eloping.
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