65 years earlier…

Choi Yunkyum was a proud man with a distinguished history to pad against anybody who had enough balls to say otherwise. He held his head up high when he walked through the circles of Wheph and when he spoke, his voice took on a stately tone, like gravel being laid flat over a road. His voice commanded attention, so much so that any shifter, wolf or otherwise, fought to give it to him. He was patient, kind, handsome for his age, and the most liberal leader in The Five.

And that’s what Choi Minho would say every time someone from outside the village would ask him about his father. He was proud. He was fair. He was just.

Choi Yunkyum took four hours out of every day to sit at the village fountain, just to hear complaints from the people of Wheph.

Why are so many outsiders are allowed into Wheph?

Who is going to help me rebuild my tavern after what those stupid fox shifters did to it?

Why won’t you take another mate?

It was always questions like that. Questions that tended to piss Minho off. Especially the ones about replacing his mother. But Minho was young and the villagers took his snarl–all teeth and lips pulled back over his gums–with amusement. They would pat him on the head, scratch behind his ears. Do anything other than what the young wolf wanted them to do.

A man would often show when his father held his town halls, enthusiastic and mouthy, like he had a say in the way Yunkyum led Wheph. Yunkyum would greet him warmly with a loud laugh, pull him into an hug and sit him to his left.

The man was older than Minho but not as old as his father. He had wide shoulders, so broad that Minho often wondered how he fit through doors. His face was different from the wolves of Wheph too–chiseled cheekbones, sturdy chin, broad forehead. His sister, Minjung, said it was because he was an Arctic white wolf shifter, that he was rare, and that’s why his face looked like that. It was beautiful because white wolves were beautiful.

Minho turned his lip up at that. The man didn’t look all that much to him. Plus, she only said stuff like that because she’d eyed him to be her potential mate. It was past Minjung’s mating year and since she was the Alpha heir–a tradition only found in Wheph–she had her choices of mates. Julien Kang of Fallow Forest, far far outside of Prae, ended up being that person. The townspeople said he was a frost Alpha, but Minjung’s raw prowess was ten–fold his.

Not like Julien cared. Not when he was staring at Minjung like he was lost without her. Julien was warming on him, he’d admit, however. It could be because he laughed harder and louder than Minho had ever heard a wolf laugh, or it could have been Julien’s Omega mother’s longbow Minho had his eyes on. He just had to beat the white wolf to get it.

One day.

Minjung and Julien held their mating ceremony at the large lake hidden on the eastern side of the village. Minjung wore a flower crown of sunflowers, something her mother had wanted to see her in. Julien wore white and gave her his mother’s ring. For Minho’s young eyes, it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. He wanted something like that.

One day.

When he was thirteen, Minho’s father introduced them as a part of the leadership of Wheph, right alongside the magistrates and the elders. Minjung and Julien took a more formal role while Minho acted as a steward of the village. Still, he soaked in all the information he could.

Although, if he were honest with himself, he would rather hang out with the Beta wolves of the village, because he loved to hunt–running through the woods, the soil under his paws, the wind howling past his ears. It stemmed from the idolization of his sister. She was the finest hunter in the village.

When she allowed him to, she would let him to run with the Alpha and Beta wolves on hunts, sometimes taking him aside to teach him what to do–how to stalk, how to approach and how to attack. Their father once tried to do the same thing years ago, but he liked Minjung’s fierce approach better. She was an open book of knowledge to him and she never hesitated to let him know all she knew.

At least that’s what he thought.

It was the eve of his sixteen birthday and Minho couldn’t get to sleep. He lied in his bed, tossing and turning, his body so full of excitement that his eyes wouldn’t close. The village games were tomorrow and he’d practiced his hunting skills for weeks. He was sure to win something, even against the older wolves of his village. He had something to prove as an Alpha of Wheph.

The excitement wouldn’t die down, not even when he tried counting backwards.

A drink. It’s my throat. It’s parched and I can’t concentrate on sleeping. That’s it.

Minho climbed out of his bed, his tall legs hitting the floor with a thump. He was getting taller. Soon he’d be as tall as Julien and then Julien wouldn’t be able to call him a puppy anymore.

He slugged down the hallway, feet dragging along the way, rounding a corner towards the kitchen door. He paused as a finger slid between the panels of the wooden door. A thin slice of light from the kitchen cut through the dark hallway and the brightness surprised him.

Everyone should be sleep…

He began to push the door open but hesitated when hushed voices on the other side seeped through the crack.


“It’ll be time soon is the only point I’m trying to make.”

“Don’t you think I know that, Julien? He reeks.”

“What are you going to do? Uncle will be after blood if he realizes…if he finds out what happened to Mother.”

Mother? His mother was dead. She died shortly when he was a child. Bandits.

A tired sigh. “I know, Minjung…I know. We’ll make sure he never finds out.”

Minho watched his father reach into a bag sitting at the center of the long wooden slab they used as a kitchen table. He poked around inside the bag a bit before he withdrew two smaller herb bags, tied closed with pieces of red string.

Yunkyum laid the two bags onto the table. “Jungsoo said it would mask the scent. Alter it. Change it.”

“Change it?” Julien asked.

“Yes. Undetectable, no different from any other Alpha.”

Minjung shook her head and looked into the fire burning on the other side of the room. “Is that safe to take?”

“Salamanders don’t lie. He would have told me. Although there are risk. We just have to follow his instructions.” Yunkyum paused. “I…I used it earlier tonight.”

Minjung looked horrified but Yunkyum held out his hand and laid it on top of hers. “It works, Minjung. It works.”

What are they talking about? Minho cocked his head to the side, confused and angry. I am a man already. My Presentation ceremony has already come and gone and I am an Alpha of Wheph. I should be included in the adult conversa–

Minho froze when three heads swung in his direction.

Oh!

As quickly as he could, Minho pivoted on his toes and tried to hurry back down the hall. He’d only made it a couple of steps before the doors slid open.

“Minho.”

Minho winced. He turned around and kept his head lowered. He stared at his feet until two larger ones came into view.

“How long have you been standing there? What did you hear?”

Minho mumbled the answer under his breath. His father’s growl vibrated across the floor and through his feet, and Minho wanted to shrink back into the shadows.

“Speak up,” Yunkyum commanded softly. He didn’t yell. Minho hated that his father never yelled. Yet it was a testament to Yunkyum’s power. He didn’t have to raise his voice. People just knew to obey.

“I heard all of it.”

“You should know how rude it is to eavesdrop. Had you done this around someone else, they may react differently than I am. Violently. Rashly. Don’t do it again.

Minho nodded before peeking up from under his long shaggy bangs. “Who are you guys talking about? Why does he stink?”

“Don’t worry about it, Minho.”

“But!” Minho started, “But what you said about mom? What does Uncl–“

“Minho!“ Yunkyum’s voice was stern, razor sharp. Minho dropped his head again, whining in the back of his throat and Yunkyum sighed. “These aren’t things you need to be worried about yet, son,” he said, a little softer. “I’ll explain everything to you soon. I promise.”

Yunkyum bent forward until he could look into his son’s eyes. “Tomorrow’s your birthday. Shouldn’t you be sleep? You’ll need all your strength if you want to beat old Julien there in rabbit hunt.”

Minho raised his head, his eyes bright and challenging. “I could beat Julien with a nap and a paw tied behind my back!”

Julien, who was leaning forward over the table and looking down the hall, rolled his eyes. He snorted when Minho puffed out his chest.

“Well, then you go get your nap and make it a long one. If you think I’m going to let a little puppy like you get the best of me, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“Oh, ho! Look here, Julien. I taught him everything. I’m putting my money on my brother!”

Julien’s head swung to his mate, mock surprised all over his face. He reached over, grabbed a dish rag and threw it at her. “Why you sneaky little!–“

Yunkyum stood, patting his son on the shoulder as his oldest bickered playfully with her mate behind him.

“Go to bed, son. I’ve got my money on you, too.”

Yunkyum winked and Minho knew everything was okay.

“Yes, Father.”

Still, as he retreated back to his room, he could see the concerned looks on his family’s faces playing in the back of his head.

__________
Present day

Minho sprang up in his bed with his shirt clutched in his hand. He in air like he’d somehow forgotten how to breathe in his sleep. His heartbeat slammed in his chest before it calmed down, easing out into a steady thump. Exhaling loudly, he pushed his short bangs off his forehead. His face was damp.

Wha…?

The room pitched back and forth before coming into focus and Minho narrowed his eyes. He was still groggy and he had no idea where he was at.

They were in a tent, a huge tent, with cowhide, tanned and soften, stretched over five large columns of white birch wood. Flames crackled over burning wood in a fire pit towards the center of the room. A long table sat on the other side topped with instruments the healers used. He sniffed and didn’t sense any danger or unfamiliarity, so he laid back down into the soft fur covers and closed his eyes.

As his head hit the pillow, a scent–although not unfamiliar or dangerous–sifted its way through all of the other ones to ping off his senses. It was near. So very near to him. Hesitantly, he turned his head like he was recounting a dream, like he was recounting an impossibility. Recounting the fact that…

Lee Jinki, Alpha of Durkhai was his mate. No… not Durkhai. Prae. Alpha Prime of Prae.

And he was…

Dear gods, what have I done?

Minho panicked as he looked at the slumbering Alpha. He could feel his heart pounding out of control–in his chest, against his wrist, thumping up against his neck.

I need to get out of here!

He was needed in Wheph, surely! If he could escape before the bonding ceremony then they could pretend this never happened.

“Could you…” Minho’s horror escalated when Jinki’s eyes flutter open, “calm down? You’re driving me nuts. My hearts going crazy in my chest.”

“What are you talkin–“

“I’m beginning to imprint on you. I can…”

Minho stopped moving. “You can what?”

“…feel your heartbeat in my chest. Do some deep breathing, meditate, go back to sleep–anything so you can calm down. That can’t be healthy.”

Minho didn’t calm down. He couldn’t calm down.

Jinki wasn’t exactly a stranger to Minho. As the leader of Wheph, and Jinki, the leader of Durkhai, communication between the two villages was unavoidable. In addition, Prae held a quinquennial summit on the other side of the Salt Kys Mountains, where the elders of each village, their council and their leaders came together with the elders, council and leaders of Prae to vote and make decisions. Political things: announcing mating ceremonies, arranging marriages between Toleran, a feral camp of wolves east of Prae and their Omega tributes, setting dates for the next quinquiennial. Boring political things.

They’d sat side by side in some of these sessions that would go on all hours of night, share food and drink with him, pass a joke, use each other’s backs for a quick nap in between meetings. Yet, even after all of that, he didn’t know know Jinki. But if what Jinki was saying was true, he was going to find out a wealth more and very soon.

Imprinting? .

Whereas a soul bound was spiritual, imprinting was physical. A physical need to be connected to someone, near them. Sometimes it took months...sometimes days…sometimes hours…minutes. Sometimes it was instantaneous. Still, no matter how long it took, it always began with...

“You’re not calming down.”

You’re ing right I’m not!

“I…think this was a mistake.” Minho scrambled around in the bed, looking for his clothes. They’d undressed him. , did they think we would be bonding tonight? We had a full month before that should happen.

“It was. I was hoping for Yifan,” Jinki grumbled as he tried to wipe the sleep out of his eyes.

Minho’s lip curled. Well, you don’t have to be so blunt about it.

“However the Oracle never makes mistakes and if they do, it’s not a mistake. It’s not like I dislike you.” Jinki sat up in his bed and the fur coverings fell. Minho’s eyes dropped to his lap and he quickly turned away.

Jinki glanced down. “At least my body responds well to you.” He turned to look at Minho, shuffling until he was leaning on a forearm. “I think I’m looking forward to our bonding.”

Minho rolled his eyes at the wolf’s leer. “I’m going to pretend I never heard that.” He turned away, looking for his clothes, hoping they would be on the floor. He heard rustling in the bed next to him but he didn’t care. Him. Alpha Beta of Prae? Ridiculous. He needed to get dressed and find those damn Oracles.

Aha! Minho located a pair of pants folded neatly beside the bed and snatched them up. No sooner than he had, did he feel heat on his neck; warm breath in an already warm tent.

“You smell…weird. It’s good though. Like nothing I’ve ever smelled before.”

Minho flew back in the bed, hitting his head against the wall. “Damn it!”

Jinki was practically on top of him, kneeling with one knee balanced on the bed. Like a shot of lightening, Jinki’s hand was buried in Minho’s mahogany layers, yanking his head back by his hair. Immediately Minho bared his neck. It was instinctive, despite the fact that Minho was startled. It was instinctive to bend to the will of an Alpha. It was instinctive to bend to the will of his mate.

He is not your mate.

He is not your mate.

Get up and find someone who can fix this before he eats you alive!

Jinki’s lips hovered over Minho’s neck, breath gushing out in heated puffs that washed over Minho’s pulse. He felt it. He felt it, so hard that he would have staggered if he wasn’t sitting down. Minho felt Jinki’s desire. It was faint, barely noticeable, but it was there, right under the surface of his skin, heating Minho’s face and body. A tongue slid between Jinki’s lips and Minho shuddered as the wet appendage ran up his neck towards his ear.

“You taste good. You taste so good.”

“Jinki, wait,” Minho said weakly, “ I don’t–“ he managed as his hands began to wrap about Jinki’s waist to tug him closer.


Suddenly, early morning light filtered into the tent as the flaps were drawn back. Both wolves paused and shielded their eyes. Squinting, Minho could just barely see the shadow of a figure. The brightness ebbed as the flaps closed together with a slap of hide and the figure came into focus.

“K-Kibum?”

The older wolf swaggered in, decked out in a pair of linen harem pants, a triskelion embroidered floor sweeping vest and heavy leather boots. He stood next to the fire, grinning. “Surprised to see me? You shouldn’t be. You nominated me for this position three years ago. I had the distinct pleasure of being reminded of that last night.” Kibum frowned. “I had plans.”

“I nominated you for what?” Minho asked, confused.

Kibum raised a brow. “Prelate of Bonds. I’m to oversee the two of you from now until the Mate Bond on the next full moon.”

Minho groaned. “That seemed like such a good idea when the process didn’t involve me.”

“Awww, don’t say that!” he said with a pout. He glanced at Jinki out of the corner of his eye. “And please don’t give me that look. As Alphas, you probably only know how to stab-stab-stab with your little wolves down there. I’m going to teach you the finer things about getting to know your mate. Especially considering neither of you are Omegas.” Kibum smirked at Minho. Minho rolled his eyes.

“Rule #1,” Kibum started as he paced around the room with his hands behind his back. He looked at Jinki’s proximity to Minho with a frown. “No touching. Think of this as your courtship.”

“Really, do you think all of this is necessary?” Jinki said, pushing from the bed and moving to his side. He hadn’t bothered with clothes yet. “And I don’t think it’s all ‘stab stab stab’. I’ll have you know that I’ve never had a complaint in the world. ” He made a sweeping gesture towards his groin.

Kibum’s eyes dipped to Jinki’s straining . “Well as endowed, size and ego wise, you claim to be, I hardly doubt that Minho has been on the receiving end of your good pleasures so if you could just bear with me. Trust me, please. This is going to be a wonderful experience.”

Kibum turned and tapped on the flap. It opened again with another flash of bright light. Two Beta wolves lugged in a heavy chest and dropped it by the fire in a flurry of dirt and leaves. One was from Dinfire–Minho could tell from the Celtic flame knot embroidered on his spear gauntlets. The other was from Mott Argan. An embroidered tree.

“What are those?” Minho asked.

“Clothes.” Kibum went to the chest and opened it. He began pulling out thick heavy layers of linen and cotton, laying them across his arms. One of the Beta wolves followed up behind him and pulled out a large golden jewelry box. Inside was a huge and garish set of bracelets.

“Are you ing kidding me?” Jinki growled as one of the Beta wolves approached him with the jewelry. ”I’m not wearing that.”

Kibum looked scandalized. “But you must, my lord. You have a meeting with the Elders this morning. And then after that it’s a meeting with the Mothers of the Prae, and then the Wives of Prae. After that. Then a tour around the village. Then a tour of the fortress.”

“What? Why? WHY?” Jinki all but screamed.

Kibum looked at him like he was simple. “The Blood Moon has not happened for centuries. Did you not think there would be some ridiculous pomp and circumstance before things returned to normal? Look, appease these old fools and before you know it, you’ll be hunting and commanding people and putting your Alpha foot down and best of all,” Kibum paused, looking entirely pleased with himself, “enjoying Minho’s .”

“Kibum.” It was Minho’s turn to growl.

“What? It’s the nature of the beast. Hold your paws, gentlemen. I’ll have food brought in.”

__________
61 years ago…

“You ever consider it weird that your father is a Salamander?”

“You ever consider it weird that your face looks like an ?”

“You ever consider it weird that you smell like an ?”

“You ever consider it weird that you–“

A book slammed against the counter and the jars that lined the shelves against the wall rattled.

“Boys! Peace. And. Quiet. That’s all I asked from you in return for hiding out here and I am getting everything but peace and quiet!”

“But Dad! Minho started it.”

“’But Dad, Minho started it!” Jungsoo parroted. “Kibum, you and Minho are not four years old. You’re young men, adults,” he stressed, “and because someone starts something doesn’t mean you have the right to finish it.”

“But Dad!”

“But Dad, nothing! If you two can’t be quiet then you can leave.”

“No,” they screeched in unison. “No. We’ll be quiet.”

The two young men were hiding. It was Mating Solstice–a day where all of the young men and women of the village strutted around flirting and making googly eyes at each other. It was absolutely ridiculous to Kibum. It would be another fifty years before they would be required to mate, so this annual day of utter bull was just a silly tradition the villages loved to keep up.

Ever since they’d been required to attend mating events, both Kibum and Minho had found elaborate was to get out of it. This year’s escape was his dad’s shop. Minho snuck into his bedroom window before the sun rose this morning and they hadn’t left the shop since. Which worked–only the odd and kooky visited Salamander’s, so nobody would come sniffing up their asses. The downside? It was so boring. They’d played all the games, sang all the songs, and his dad had given them an eye so evil when they started to wrestle after breakfast that he knew that option was out of the question.

Kibum sighed loudly. I wish the sun would go down on this infernal ridiculous day already!

“Kibum,” Minho whined. “Don’t you have a book or something I can read?”

Kibum sniffed, not looking up from the piece of wood he was whittling into a knife. “No. You borrowed them all and as a matter of fact, I haven’t received any of them back.”

“Oh, come off it. I couldn’t have borrowed all of them.”

“Yes. You did. Forty-seven books, if I’m being exact. You know, I’m really starting to reconsider this whole best friends thing. A real friend would return things that he borrowed.”

“This coming from someone who is wearing my shirt.”

Kibum looked down and blinked. “Oh.”

“Oh, he says,” Minho murmured as he thunked Kibum on the head. “But still, there has to be something.”

“We could always go outside if you’re just dying to do something.”

Minho pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now you’re just being stupid.”

“Your face is stupid,” Kibum quipped, his knife dropping to his lap.

“YOUR face is stupid.”

“No, your face is stupid–“

“BOYS!”

Both heads flew up to face Jungsoo’s furrowed brows and thin pinched lips. “Out! Both of you! Out! I don’t have the time to deal wit–“

Before the salamander could get his next words out, heavy footsteps stomped through the doorway and into Jungsoo’s store.

A man stood at the ingress, fuming, red in the face. He was short with stumpy thick thighs and large feet. He had a broad shoulders leading down to a barrel chest that looked cramped in the fur vest and leather straps. His head was small, making him appear lopsided.

Behind him was a young woman girl, timid, stooped stature and green eyes that avoided everyone in the shop. She winced as the man dragged her further in the shop.

He approached Jungsoo’s counter and pulled up close, practically breathing down the salamander’s neck. “You told me it would work, lizard. You told me it would work! Look at her!”

A fit of rage hit the man and with his large, hairy forearm, he swept across the counter, knocking down jars, containers and books. A large mortar and pestle slammed against the floor and split in half. Large blue green sized rocks spilled out of the broken ceramic and across the floor. “How do you expect her to mate if she won’t even open up her bloody mouth to speak?!”

Kibum glanced at his father, his eyes lined with worry. He clutched the woodwork knife in his hand and watched. Kibum was good with knives, sharp things, swords. As wolves, some considered it more artistic than instinct as most Omegas took weapons. But despite what they said, he could use it to fight. He may be just an Omega wolf, but he was the ranking wolf in this house. No one would threaten him or his father under this roof. Kibum heard his snarl before he felt it.

Jungsoo, however, stood calm in front of the man’s anger “I said it might work. Might. And my instructions were she was to chew the bark twice a day, every day. Has she been doing that? From how slender she looks, I highly doubt it.”

“She missed a few days! So what! The point is your stupid herbs didn’t work. Not a wolf glanced her way today!”

Jungsoo rolled his eyes as he placed down a jar he’d managed to save and moved from behind the counter. He walked up to the man, then past him, choosing to stand beside the young woman, calm and unthreatening. Slowly he showed her his hand in greeting.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

She looked at him for a long moment before she answered.“L-Luna,” she whispered.

“That’s a very pretty name for a very pretty girl.” The back of her hand flew to her lips and green eyes darted to the floor. She giggled.

Kibum watched as his father reached into his pocket to withdraw a jagged piece of red bark. “Do you know what this is?”

She chewed her lip but shook her head no.

“It’s called Lunest. Sort of like your name, huh?”

The young woman giggled again.

“We all smell a certain funny way, Luna. Yours is dulled, maybe because you’re so precious and shy, I don’t know. But this Lunest, here? It brings out all of you, especially your unique scent. “He placed the piece of bark in her hand. “Is there perchance a wolfling that you fancy?”

The girl’s face reddened and she ducked behind the man’s shoulder. He saw the crown of her head just over the shoulder, red hair shaking as she nodded.

“Follow my instructions more carefully, Luna. Chew on this bark at least twice a day. However, when you finally have the courage to approach this wolf, chew on it a few minutes before you see them. I promise, you’ll catch their attention, okay?”

The young woman bit her lip, a look of confidence in her eyes. She accepted the bark and smiled.

“This one is a bit stronger. Come by tomorrow, I’ll have more ready for you.” Jungsoo took a step back and regarded the man before him. “Trust me, Sooman. She still has time before she has to mate. The bark will do right by her if she does right by the bark, hmm?”

The anger drained from the man’s face and he sighed. His chest deflated and his shoulders sagged. “I just want for my daughter to taken care of.”

Jungsoo clapped him on his shoulder. “She will, old friend. She will.”

Kibum and Minho waited until the man and young woman left before they even dared to move. Minho eventually voiced what Kibum was thinking.

“I thought you were an herbalist, sir.”

Jungsoo looked over to his son’s friend with a smile. “I am.”

‘Herbs that change the way you smell? But Dad, isn’t that…illegal?” The last thing Kibum wanted was for his dad to be sent away from the village…or worse.

“No it’s not quite illegal, but highly unfavorable in Prae. It’s true that it would be a disaster if everyone hampered with nature’s law. It’s best to leave things lying where they lay. However, for those who sincerely need it, I make a way.”

Jungsoo took slow deliberate steps towards the two young men before plopping down in front of them. “You remember the story about the woman who lost her way in the woods between here and the lands the Ves claim? How she never came back?”

Both young men nodded.

“That was Sooman’s wife and Luna’s mother. Sooman is all Luna has left, but unfortunately he’s dying. Heartsickness.”

“Heartsickness,” Kibum repeated. “When your mate dies and you can’t…” Kibum said, eyes wide.

“Exactly. So he is scared and wants to make sure Luna is taken care of before he goes. And he came to me so I decided to help him. Help Luna find a mate. ”

Kibum frowned, as if he were making a decision. Finally, his face eased into a small smile. “I don’t…think it’s a such a bad thing.”

Jungsoo laughed. “It’s not. Not at all.”


Hours later, they were finally finishing piecing Jungsoo’s herb book back together. The jars were replaced and the mortar and pestle was thrown away. Kibum decided he would go out tomorrow and get his father a new one with the money he’d made selling his cosmetics around the village. If there was one thing he learned from his father, it was how to take the things the Earth gave you and turn a profit from them.

Minho was sweeping for a lack of anything else to do when Kibum noticed one of those blue green rocks from before jammed in between two boards.

“Minho.” His friend looked up. “By your foot. “

Minho’s brow rose and he bent over to pick it up. “Where should I put this?“ Minho motioned to his palm, however the rock crumbled into dust seconds after the shifter picked it up. “What the hell–“

“NO!”

The shout startled him and Kibum turned just in time to see his father sail through the air and tackle Minho. A cloud of blue green dust hung in the air where Minho was standing a moment ago, slowly falling to the floor in a whirl of powder. The specks smeared when Minho reached up to touch his face.

“Wha–Oh god, it burns!“

Jungsoo smacked his hand away. “Don’t touch it! It’s Celeste! It’s a–. Kibum! Grab my satchel! No, the other one with the green strap! Yes, that one!”

Kibum did as he was told and ran the satchel to his father’s side.

“Good boy. Okay. I need you to run for Yunkyum’s house as fast as you can. Don’t stop, you hear me? Don’t stop until you get there. They have to bring the mixture I made for him. They have to. The more they can bring the better.”

Minho was screaming at this point and Jungsoo had to grab his son to shake him out of his stupur.

“I–I don’t understand. What’s wrong with him?” Kibum said, panicked and scared.

“Minho’s different Kibum,” Jungsoo admitted in a rush. “He’s different and I’ve been helping his family. And now I need you to help him. Please hurry, son. He doesn’t have much time.”

Kibum stared at his best friend as he began to convulse. Blue foam began bubbling over his lips and down his face. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head. His face looked deathly pale.

Minho…what’s wrong with you?

Kibum was scared. He was so scared. He couldn’t lose Minho. He couldn’t.

Kibum didn’t hesitate after that. He ran.