Iseul was familiar with Toleran land. Overwhelmingly familiar. This was her home. She’s grown up right in the muck of it, it being The District. 

Most people never ventured into feral lands, Toleran or Ves. Mainly because the scary stories kept them at bay. Stories like Ves was full of feral vicious wolves who participated in cannibalism, rouge banditry, , pillage and plunder. Toleran, on the other hand was full of the mystics, the ones the other villages couldn’t control, black magic, mageism.

Most was false although there is some truth in every lie. Ves was…brutal. It wasn’t for the weak but it was tolerable. Toleran wasn’t a nation of evil mages who performed animal sacrifices and debauchery. Toleran was a tribe, they were a tribe of people were some were gifted with the use of magic. They had rules and laws they had to obey. They were different from Prae laws, but then again, no one in Toleran was like anyone in Prae. 

Iseul slowly walked down the red clay path that led from the top of the hills to the city. Toleran was a village made up of hills, not as tall as mountains but very close. Although Toleran was mostly dry and arid, once a year the waters from Lark, the body of water that surrounded Lark’s Nest, would overflow and flood the city. That is why most of the houses, stores and shops were built directly into the Toleran Hills. 

Most lived in The District but The Den, the enormous and extensive cave at the opposite side of the city, farthest from Lark, was another story. The tales about Toleran being a dark and mystical place were accurate, but they stemmed from that one place. While Toleran was filled with people who lived as normally as feral wolves did, The Den was filled with mages who were obsessed with the arts, the limits they could push, the power they could grab. Iseul hated The Den, yet it was the very same place she’d learned of Red Magic–the magic that had absolved her of her bond with Yoon.

“We have to make this quick,” she whispered under her breath as she, Xiah, and Julien traveled quickly through The District. Kahi and Jackson served as lookouts at the top of the hills and the three of them were constantly mindful of the signal Jackson would call out if trouble came their way. 

They made their way out of the market and out of the corner she eyed the path that would lead her to her childhood home. 

“You still know these lands so well, Iseul.”

Iseul looked back at her mate. “You never forget your home.” She glanced at the path one last time before they kept walking. 

“Does being here remind you of your past? It does for me. Every time I step foot in Wheph, its nothing but memories, good and bad. I’m sure you had an eventual time growing up here,” Julien said. 

Iseul twisted her lips in thought. “Eventful was an understatement. I was the daughter of a village elder named Sensi and his wife Ama. They were very old when they had me, but mage magic holds wonders that I cannot fathom sometimes. Because they were so old, I was raised by Ama’s younger sister, Flo’su. Now, Flo’su was an exceptionally powerful warrior mage, lived by Ntatsuvi or The Old Way. She spent her days with her fist bloodied and her teeth bared.” The path dipped into a valley and Iseul guided them towards the back alleys, Gambler’s Row, the harems and of the such. 

“She would try to teach me all that warrior fighting stuff and I would mostly ignore her. The spells though, those I liked and sometimes she would drag me far far away from the Den so we could practice.”

“There was a woman, one I was unfamiliar with, who would join in from time to time, usually in the summers. Her name was Akoko and she was an old packmate of Flo’su’s. Watching them fight was amazing!” Iseul exclaimed. ” I learned that Akoko use to live by the Old Way until she mated with a very powerful wolf in Wheph.” She turned to Julien. “You said you were mated to an Alpha of Wheph?”

“Yes, ma’am. The Alpha of Wheph. Her name was Minjung.”

Iseul hummed as they continued to walk. “Then maybe you recognize this name? Arasuvai? He was Akoko’s mate.”

Julien’s brow bunched as he thought. “Hmm. Arasuvai was…a village alderman, very wealthy. He was actually my mate’s grandfather.” 

“Ah!” Iseul said, turning to face him. “That’s why that name sounded familiar! Your mate was Danye’s daughter.”

Julien frowned. “You know who Danye is?”

“Of course I do! She was like my best friend! You see, after Arasuvai died, Akoko fled Wheph because of the law banning mage magic. You must know of it.”

“I do,” Julien answered. “It was overturned by Yunkyum, Danye’s mate after she was killed by bandits.”

“Bandits?” Iseul tilted her head to the side, confused. “Danye wasn’t killed by bandits. Danye…Danye’s not dead.”

Julien’s lips curved into a smirk. “I know.”

Iseul took a long moment to stare at Julien, her gaze leaving his only to stare at his mate. Xiah didn’t do much, the confusion on his face evident as he listened. Finally her gaze swept back to Julien. “So you know who we are looking for?”

“Absolutely. I figured either you, or Danye would have the most knowledge about The Den where they are most likely are holding Jungsoo captive. Seeing as Danye is mage herself, then having two mages working on Taeyeon would be the most effective and lend to her speedier recovery. Prae is on the brink of war, we will need the power of the Mageis,” Julien replied. “Only problem is, I have no idea how to find her.”

“Oh. Oh, that’s easy,” Iseul said easily, glancing at her mate and then at their tall shifter companion. “The question is, how well do you fight, Julien.”





Iseul reached for the sour ale in front of her and gulped it down nervously, worry pulling her back straight. 

“Oh my god, she’s going to kill them,” she muttered into her drink. 

The fighting hall was mostly full of Tameless, the feral wolves of Toleran. They surrounding the fighting pit, hissing, throwing money onto the pit floor, calling out their bets, acting like the savages they were. Iseul like the Tameless, they lived the Old Way, yet without the rules that had kept the Old Way alive for as long as did. They didn’t bathe much, which made relations with the Meek, the non-feral wolves, a bit strained, but nobody could deny their passion–for everything. 

Currently their passion was centered on the main bout. It featured a fighting pit favorite and Iseul was amazed the old biddy was still fighting like she was a pup. She still used her old fighting name–Akoko’s Pride and she still dressed as she did when she fought as a youth–a skintight black bodysuit and a cape made out of wolf hide that draped down her back. She looked almost regal–if killer warrior mage was a concept of regalness to you. 

Most would be surprised. Sweet but sarcastic soft-spoken Danye was a lethal bloodthirsty fighter. Iseul blamed it on her wolf, Winter. Winter was as unhinged as they come.  

She just hoped Danye didn’t kill her mate first. She’d handled Julien like an old rag dog two matched beforehand. 

“THROW THE FIGHT, XIAH!” she yelled from outside of the pit.

Xiah looked over to her, slightly annoyed. “I know I’m getting old, my love, and I’m not as fast as I used to be but you can’t possibly expect me to–“ 

Iseul winced as Danye tossed Xiah over her shoulder onto the hard packed earth, the air leaving his lungs in a pained grunt. After he landed, she hovered over him with a gleam in her eyes. 

“That’s not Danye.” Iseul could spit. “That’s Winter. “

Hm. She might actually kill him. 

As Winter raised her foot to kick Xiah while he was down, Iseul gathered her skirts and hopped over the fighting pit wall, using a little mage magic to hasten her steps. She thought about calling out to Winter, but if Danye was using Winter to fight, Winter would ignore her. Winter had always ignore Iseul’s suggestions. 

So instead, she dug her feet into the soil and sailed through the air, tackling Winter to the ground. The Tameless went wild, throwing more money and raising the stakes under the banner of a new challenger. Iseul would have rolled her eyes at their chants but the earth was hard and the impact was not kind to either of them. Iseul rolled over off of Winter and tried to catch her breath. Sighing, she turned to her old friend and–

Quickly rolled the hell out of the way, barely missing Winter’s elbow aimed for her face. Winter tried again, this time rolling, her fist extended. Iseul rolled again watching as Winter’s fist connected with the earth, dust flying from the impact. 

Iseul had never like fighting much, to Flo’su’s chagrin but that didn’t mean she wasn’t skilled enough to fight back. Or at least defend myself!

Winter jumped to her feet and began chasing Iseul, whereas Iseul was only missing her blows by continuing to roll away. Her escape was cut short when she hit the far wall of the pit. She looked up and on one side, the Tameless were screaming down at her in excitement. On the other, she saw the hard bottom of Winter’s shoe careering towards her head. She did the only thing she could think of. She pushed off the wall hard, colliding with Winter’s supporting leg and sending her sprawling to the ground.

Iseul reaction was quick. She jumped up from the ground only to drop back down to it, her elbow landing in Winter’s midsection. The air left Winter’s lungs with a grunt and Iseul took advantage. She was a decent fighter but the only reason she managed to get this far was because Winter was on her fourth fight. She straddled Winter and grabbed a hold of her arms, throwing them over her head.

“You dumb , snap out of it!” she yelled in Winter’s face. 

“Who the are you calling a dumb , you dumb old ?!”

“Yeah, and you’re a spring chicken!” Iseul rolled her eyes. “Winter. Let Danye out.” 

Winter chuckled. “I knew you’d be back one day, you old skag! Just one more second! Just one and you would have been permanently wearing my elbow!” Winter laughed, a look of joy in her icy blue eyes. 

“Well, almost doesn’t count. Let my friend out. This is important!”

“You are such a nag! Do this, don’t do that! Don’t kill this person! Jesu!” Eventually Winter sighed. “Whatever. Fight’s over anyways. Not like I want to stick around and talk to you anyways!” Winter closed her eyes and Iseul swore she saw her roll them before her eyes opened again and Iseul was greeted with warm hazel ones. 

Iseul’s frown morphed into a smile. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined our reunion would be like.”

Danye looked down in between them and back up with a flush. “Get off of me, you ninny!” she said the silvery tone Iseul recognized, so much easier to deal with than Winter’s harsh tones. 

Iseul grinned and stood up slowly, her muscles complaining as she did. She reached down and helped Danye up, pulling her into a tight hug that Danye returned happily, laughing in her ear. The Tameless began to shout even more bets. Ones of “Kiss her! Bed her!” 

Danye rolled her eyes at them but Danye was always an entertainer and she kissed Iseul on the cheek. They went nuts. “You’ve been gone so long I almost forgot what your face looked like!” 

“Well, Winter didn’t. She almost killed me and my mate. Julien, too. She was a little happy about it, too.”

Danye looked over her shoulder at Xiah’s body sprawled over the ground, his eyes staring at the ceiling like it contained the answer to his defeat. “Oi, that’s your mate?” She whistled in appraisal. “You always had a good eye, but…but what happened to Yoon?”

“Long story. One that will take some time,” Iseul looked over the crowd,” and some quiet. 

Danye looked at The Tameless with a sneer and a roll of her eyes before she turned to Iseul. “Quiet is something I can get you, honey.” She began to walk towards the exit of the pit. “Let’s get your mate and his friend and get somewhere quiet, then,” she said as she wiped a line of blood from the corner of . “The Tameless aren’t known for keeping a secret.”






“Their first mistake was failing to realize that as a former citizen of Wheph I would recognize Jungsoo instantly. He was my mate’s best friend. I would recognize him in a fog storm,” Danye explained.”

They were in one of the back rooms of the fighting hall, the ones reserved for the fighters who brought in enough money to the pit to be called a star attraction. The room was drab looking but Iseul could see Danye’s touches that made it seem more like a bedroom than a stale dressing room. A large portrait of Akoko, Danye’s mother, sat over her dresser, along with smaller portraits of her grandmother Rumaythah, and her great grandmother, Fanan, one of the Great Founders of the Old Way. Danye’s bloodline was rich with the fighting spirit and magic. 

Iseul glanced at the wall above Danye’s vanity. A bevy of Ntatsuvi tokens and blood paws hung there–indications of just how successful Danye was a fighter. 

Danye was always the more powerful fighter, the instinct to survive deep in her spirit. Iseul did edge her out in magery but only by a small margin. Both of them had had troubled pasts but it was good to know they’d survived it. Maybe not clutching onto each other as they had pledged as young women but they’d survived. 

“He’s in The Den?” Xiah asked. 

Danye nodded. “There has been a lot of strange activity lately. A dark mage has shown up and gods knows what he is doing in there. Recently I’ve seen more Blue Crescents show up. I haven’t seen any familiar faces, however. Only that of Jungsoo.”

“Jinki left me a very quick note during his time in Wheph. I wasn’t under the impression that he knew much about me, but I gather as the AlphaPrime of Prae he must. That is how I learned of the Blue Crescents involvement,” Julien replied. “My question is why, although I may never get an answer to that.” 

“I don’t understand anything about them! And I should!” Danye exclaimed between clenched teeth. “After what they’ve done to my family, you’d think the gods would curse them all to die but no…after everything I’ve done to protect the ones I love, I still have to suffer ignorance and blind hatred,” Danye finished softly. 

Iseul bit her lip. Ever since she’d left Toleran to mate with Yoon, her communications with her friend had been whittled down to nothing. She hadn’t been there to congratulate her on her mating, nor her children, nor console her after the death of her mate and child. She’s been a terrible friend. But it wouldn’t have mattered if she’d spent every day of her life with Danye. She could still see the pain in Danye’s eyes, no matter how she tried to cover it up with bravado.

Julien reached across the table and comforted Danye, his mother in law, with a hand on her shoulder. “She’d been able to tell right off the bat that Julien was Minjung’s mate. That’s why I kicked your ! It’s my show of affection.” Something about ‘she could smell her on him’. Everyone knew that was impossible, but then again, Danye had mage blood, there was no telling what she could and could not do. 

“If I may ask, Danye…you’ve been here since you’ve left Wheph, right? Yunkyum and Minjung tried to be as open with me as possible, but I understand there were things they didn’t tell me. Probably for my protection. But…what happened? By Minjung’s words, you were supposed to have come back by Minho’s 18^th birthday. I don’t know… maybe if you’d been there…had your power…we could have sav–“ Julien cut himself off and looked down at his hands, contrite. “I’m sorry. I have no right to ask you that. It’s just that…it’s hard thinking about her,” he frowned. “Forgive me.”

“Nonsense,” she said, taking Julien’s hand in hers. “I miss her too. I miss her every day. And it’s okay to blame me, Julien.  It’s okay. I may not have been the one to strike my mate and child down, but I might as well have been. If not me, then my mother. I feel we were both to blame.”

Julien’s hands slipped out of hers. “I–I wasn’t suggesting that,” he stressed, his voice panicked and remorseful. “Their deaths lie solely with the Blue Crescents. No one can blame you.”

“Toggo and Sunku.” Danye chuckled darkly. “Yet me brothers would have not joined the Blue Crescents if it wasn’t for my mother and eventually me.”

Iseul looked down at her hands. This was a story she’d heard many times during the summers Danye would visit. 

“Let me teach a little something about Toleran and my family….your family, Julien.” Danye stood from her chair and walked to the window. She laid a hand on Iseul’s shoulder as she stared out over the Toleran Hills. 

“I was born to Arasuvai and his third mate, Akoko, a Toleran Omega Magi Tribute. It was a loveless political mating, Akoko’s mage status another piece to fortify and secure my father’s greed for more and more money. His two former mates, Tamron and Brollo–the mother of Toggo and Sunku– were nowhere to be found. Some say that Arasuvai had them killed. Who knows? Everything was disposable to him. As my mother was an Omega Magi, shortly after they mated, she became pregnant…with twins.”

“Toleran Omega Magi can only bear twins,” Iseul explained to Xiah and Julian. 

“My mother said she named my sister Nysa, but she was stillborn. She died from a magi affliction called akwusighi–an imbalance of life-force in mages in the womb. The imbalance shifted Nysa’s life-force sustenance to me while starving her at the same time. Because Nysa was stillborn, it was highly unlikely that I would manifest any mage powers. My father Arasuvai was pleased with that.” She looked over her shoulder. “Do you know anything about the mage ban in Wheph, Julian?” 

“Yes. He helped convince Reza, Minjung’s paternal grandfather, Alpha at the time, to implement it.”

Danye nodded. “He didn’t do it without a reason. Arasuvai was not only repulsed by my mother’s inherent magical powers, he was deathly afraid of them. For a man who’d quite possibly had his two previous mates murdered, the thought that Akoko was stronger than him, this lowly Omega female, scared him. So thus the magic disappeared in Wheph. When it was discovered that powers had manifested in me as well, my father threatened to have me drowned. It also was also where my brothers’…curiosity for the Blue Crescents came from. Toggo and Sunku were poisoned by my father’s bigotry.”

Julie frowned. “I still don’t see where you are to blame. Your father introduced mages into his family.”

“My father was an idiot. But he was wealthy and influential. That is until he died. With his death, the power should have transferred to my mother but with Toggo and Sunku rallying against this “mage ” as they would call her, most of Wheph paid my mother no mind. Still she tried. She wanted me to be able to flourish in my gifts. So she tried to convince Reza to overturn the ban. Reza was kind but Reza also wanted peace in his village. Overturning the mage law in those times would have caused panic. So…my mother, Akoko, left. By that time I was being courted by Yunkyum and I refused to leave. I visited my mother in Toleran often, though. It’s how I met my dear dear friend,” Danye said, squeezing Iseul shoulder.

“You eventually mated with Yunkyum,” Julien stated. 

Danye turned around, a small smile on her face. “He was so incorrigible,” she said fondly. “But yes. We mated and I had Minjung shortly after. You see, I am a Toleran Alpha Magi. It was amazing enough that power’s manifested in me after my twin’s death but it was highly unlikely that I had enough in me to pass on to my children. Minjung proved that. She never showed any signs of being a welder. I had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t a carrier of Magi powers. I was wrong. I was so very wrong.”

“Wrong?” Xiah said from the back of the room.

Danye nodded. “Minho. Minho…he inherited my magi powers. Minho is also an Alpha Magi,” Danye whispered, a fearful look in her eyes. “That was the reason I had to leave. It is one thing to discover you have mage powers, it’s another thing to be born with them…in a town that hated mages. So I had to make a decision. Pack my boy up and flee the city, bring him to Toleran where he could learn to control his power or…bind his powers and allow him a normal childhood, free of the Tameless and the Meek, of Toleran’s Old and New ways. Give him a childhood with his father and sister in a town that for the most part was peaceful and loving. The second option sounded so much better than a life here.

“So that’s what I did. I binded my son’s mage powers with the hope that one day I would be able to come back and teach how to control and conceal his powers. But I would have to leave him. The longer a binded magi stays around another magi of any strength, the weaker the bind gets. So I left…always knowing one day I could come back to my family. That’s what Yunkyum always told me. ‘One day, you’ll be back in my arms.” Danye wiped the corner of her eyes. “Some good that did.”

“Danye…Minho may not know it, but you still have to fulfill that promise.”

Danye shook her head hard. “No, I couldn’t possibly do that.” She laughed weakly. “I listen to what people are saying, how he’s now the AlphaBeta of all of Prae. He doesn’t need me…his past showing up. He’s doing fine without me.” 

“But,” Julien started. 

“It’s fine, Julien. It’s fine.” Silence lingered over the room until Danye put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly. “Okay! Enough of that sad stuff! Let’s go over this plan to free my friend Jungsoo!” She took a seat at the table and looked around at everyone eagerly. 

“Um…Danye?” Julien said, a strange look on his face. Iseul wondered what he was going to say. After everything Danye had told them, she figured they’d all be speechless.

“Hm?”

“There is something I have to tell you,” Julien said. “About Minho. I didn’t want to interrupt you earlier to do so but…”

Danye pulled her chin in. “He…he’s okay, right?”

Julien waved his hangs. “He’s fine. Perfectly fine…for now. However…there is a common denominator to these problems we are having–the Blue Crescents.”

“You know, I’ve been trying to figure this out ever since I saw Jungsoo brought here by that Blue Crescent mage. What could they possibly want with Jungsoo? Their primary concern is with the Choi bloodline. Jungsoo is not a Choi. And there are no issues with Minho’s Alpha status! They have no real reason to go after him. It’s like they are running wild, with no direct–“

“Minho is an Omega, Danye,” Julien said, firmly.

Iseul almost choked on her tongue.  “Excuse me?”  Julien shot her a look like “I’ll explain” but that didn’t keep from dropping open.

Danye had an opposite reaction–more laughter. “I know I haven’t seen my son since he was a child, but I would know my son was an Omega, Julien,” she said, her grin, incredulous. “He wouldn’t have rose to Alpha of Wheph as an Omega…nor AlphaBeta of Prae.”

“Your son is an Omega, Danye,” Julien said patiently. “It is the reason the Blue Crescents kidnapped Jungsoo. They were trying to punish Minho through his best friend and his father. Trying to punish Jungsoo for helping Yunkyum, Minjung and I conceal his true nature. We’ve known since he was sixteen. The Blue Crescents have known since he was sixteen. Their attacks on Minho was the reason why Yunkyum and my mate died. To protect him from them.”

Danye looked at Julien like he’d grown another head. Iseul was sure her face mirrored her friend’s. 

Julien sighed. “Minho is not an Alpha Magi…he is an Omega Magi and he and everyone in Prae is in grave danger.” 

Danye stood abruptly, her chair knocking against the floor as she turned for the door and began walking towards it.

“Where–where are you going?” Iseul asked.

“To rescue Jungsoo,” she said, simply. “Then we are all going to have a long talk about what the you just said to me.” She opened the door and turned back to them. “Hurry up. This shouldn’t take long.”





“Jinki…we have to leave this cave sometimes this lifetime,” Minho murmured before he turned over and snuggled deeper into Jinki’s embrace.

Jinki scoffed and buried his noise in Minho’s hair relishing in their new scents. Layers. Jinki’s scent, which had been described to him as something akin to wet dirt, still smelled like wet dirt, but now he could smell Minho’s scent layering over it, creating a new smell altogether. The same with Minho- that smell, still completely unique to him, almost indescribable, was layered with his scent. 

He could have spent five days alone letting the smell wash over him alone. But there had been other plans. Mostly designed with the two of them in mind…then there was that one night with Jonghyun and Key.

“You’re one to talk. I’m not sure if you know the definition of insatiable but that’s been you for five entire days.”

Minho pulled back from his mate’s neck and stared up at him, lids lowered but his eyes now a crisp dark brown, instead of the hazy lust riddled gold he’d been gazing into for an entire week. “Sounds like you’re blaming me,” Minho challenged, his voice light with amusement.

Jinki chuckled deeply. “Blame you? Oh, no, my love. We are one now; I blame you, I blame myself.” Jinki twisted until he was hovering over his bond-mate, a sly grin on his face. “And how can I blame you for sharing this beautiful body with me?” Jinki said as he lowered his lips to Minho’s collarbone. “Or blame you for how loud you are when I take you. Or how sweet,” he pecked Minho across the lips, “your mouth is when it’s wrapped ar–“

“Okay! Okay!” Minho cried out when Jinki’s hands feathered between his legs, caressing him. “You’re insufferable!”

“Am I?” Jinki said softly, curving his hands down Minho’s hips, before taking his time and kissing down Minho’s body. 

“Yes,” Minho whispered, his capacity for talking short circuiting as Jinki blew hot breath over the tip of his rapidly hardening . “Impossi–ah!” 

Jinki hummed around the head of Minho’s , having swallowed him whole just to see Minho’s reaction. It was well worth it, seeing his bond-mate push his head back into the furs, watching his eyes slide shut, his teeth grit. 

Earlier as Minho fell deeper and deeper into heat-craze, even the slightest touch would have him curling forward in an , his seed splattered across his chest and Jinki’s name on his lips. As his high came down, his sensitivity to touch relaxed but still it didn’t take much for Minho to fall into the delicious throes of his . Jinki loved the way Minho responded to his touch, his tongue, the dirty words he would whisper in Minho’s ear as he took him over and over again. There was something addicting watching how Minho’s body reacted to .

As Jinki used his mouth to bring him to another one, he watched, unblinking as Minho’s legs shook, how his fingers dived into his hair, how his words were reduced to moans and mewls as he ed in Jinki’s mouth. He would never get over how delicious Minho tasted either.

He waited a long moment for Minho to recover from his before he climbed up his body, hiked a leg over his shoulder and in one smooth movement, entered his mate. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever tired of being inside of you like,” Jinki sighed into Minho’s neck as he ed him, sliding in and out of him with ease helped by Minho’s slickness. 

“I hope you don’t,” Minho whimpered, “please don’t, please–oh .”

“You sound so pretty like this, Minho,” Jinki whispered. “You know what I liked? How you sounded when we were with Jonghyun and Kibum. Your voice was so pretty as I ed you in the same room as them.”

That had been fun. Something that happened as Kibum and Jonghyun had apparently grown tired of rutting in the woods–ing bugs Kibum muttered, his eye hazy from heat craze–and found themselves back in the Magnus Pavilion. How they’d wondered into Jinki and Minho’s love nest was a question he’d ask himself later but it ended up with the two newly bonded pairs covering every inch of the cave, sometimes the pair so close to one another that it was hard to tell where one couple started and the other ended. Then there were moments where Jonghyun and Kibum would simply watch them. Minho had been his most vocal then.

The very thought of that had Jinki picking up his pace, from a slow even tempo to ing into Minho staccato, the sound of skin on skin loud in the quiet cave. 

“I–I’m so close,” Minho groaned, his hips coming off the ground to meet Jinki’s. 

Jinki reached between them and grabbed Minho, jerking him off until Minho was jerking under him, splattering against his stomach. Minho’s mouth fell open, his faced a picture of ecstasy and it was all Jinki needed. He roared into his , filling Minho with his hot seed, before collapsing down on top of him.

There was nothing but heavy breathing for a long moment before Minho broke the silence, laughing so hard Jinki could feel him shaking under him.

Jinki lifted his head and frowned. “I know I’m a pretty funny guy when I want to be but I see no reason for you laughing at me right now.”
“I’m not laughing at you, silly. I’m just…I’m just laughing…I feel so giddy.”

“Well…I’ve never made anyone giddy with my but I can live with giddy.”

Minho rolled his eyes but still laced his hands behind Jinki’s neck. “Such a romantic.”

Jinki nipped his bottom lip. “I remember you saying that to me a while ago and you being a total sarcastic about it.”

“You deserved it.”

Jinki huffed, then smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

“You want to know why I’m laughing?” Minho said, his lips twisted in a smirk, mischievous and Jinki was half tempted to tell him he didn’t care what he was laughing at as long as he could continue looking at him, this close, whenever he wanted. But Minho was being entirely too minxy for Jinki to ignore. 

“Tell me, then,” Jinki replied, looking down at his bond-mate.

“I love you,” Minho said softly. “Like, I’m really in-ing-love with you. I just realized it. Well, I didn’t just realize it, I just recognized it…but…I love you, Jinki.”

Jinki’s heart thudded so hard that it hurt.  “W–wh–what?” Jinki stuttered.

“I met this shifter…and I’ll tell you all about her one day, but she told me about how mating wasn’t about love, it was about the bond. That the bond could create a connection but it couldn’t create love.” Minho paused. “Look at me Jinki.”

Jinki’s movements were slow because Minho’s confession was still ringing in his ears. “Wh–huh?” Minho grabbed his chin gently, forcing Jinki to concentrate on him. 

“This isn’t the bond speaking. It’s making me speak up, to be honest with you, tell you how I figured out what this confusing emotion inside of me all along meant. I love you because of you.” Minho paused again, this time looking down at Jinki’s chest. “I can feel you.”

Jinki’s hand fluttered to his chest. He felt it. They’re heartbeats were completely synced. His next breath came out shuddered. “I never–I wanted it, I wished and prayed for it but I never thought that I could have this, actually have this with you. Thank you, Minho.” 

His eyes closed and he lowered his face to Minho’s, nuzzling him affectionately. “Thank you.”

“You can thank me, by taking me again,” Minho answered back. He bit his bottom lip and rolled his hips, taking Jinki, who was still inside of him, deeper. 

‘You really are impossible,” Jinki shot back, as he slowly began to slide back into his mate.

“And you love it.”




“You like breaking rules don’t you, Jinki?” Kibum asked as he smacked Jonghyun’s hands away. His bond-mate was whispering something in his ears that had the tips of them red. 

“What,” he started, “by not having some big fancy feast to end the Mating Moon Festival? None of those old decrepit wolves have listened to one thing I’ve said about their pageantry at every turn and as many times as I’ve told them to stop, I’m starting to think they are doing it to piss me off.”

“And you decided to get back at them by holding a picnic?” Lower Lord Tiger added from his own blanket. His mate Mirae had her head in his lap and a book of poems in her hand. “And inviting us inside of the Magnus Pavilion? You are bold, my Lord.”

“Jinki,” Jinki stated warmly, firmly. “My name is Jinki. And you all shared a very important day with us. I think that called for a little more of an intimate setting than that draft and dusty Great Hall, don’t you think?” 

Just as the Lower Lord had said, there were six couples sprawled out across the garden in the Magnus Pavilion enjoying the late summer sun. Today marked the final day of the Mating Moon Festival and soon, the couples who did not live in The Fortress would be traveling back to their own lands. Instead of having some fancy feast that would pry propriety and manners out of those who were just hours from dragging themselves out of lust craziness, Jinki and Minho decided upon a picnic. For one it was, as he said, more relaxing and easy going, but again, political ties are born on intimate connections, not boasting as the feast would have done.

Each couple was important–it was the very reason they were chosen. The Lower Lord Tiger and Countess Mirae connections with Lark’s Nest while Jessica would be able to provide them intel from those who frequented her cathouse often. The only issue he foresaw was the group he’d labeled The Tetrad–Wu Yifan, his mate, Zhang Yixing and Old Se’haian heir, Huang Zitao and his mate Oh Sehun. 

Leehom, fortunately, hadn’t been as murderous as he’d anticipated. It was as if he knew before he got there. Luckily, for greetings sake, since Yixing was a Beta, there wasn’t a heat-craze that prevented it. Their mating site had been the open fields bordering on the outskirts of Prae and it had taken the couple no time to meet him back in his suite. The servants had been warned it might get ugly, but there was nothing but laughter that came from Leehom’s room. 

The next day, the five of them, Leehom, Yifan, Yixing, Jinki and Minho, were to meet, to discuss the new alliance and some other issues Leehom explained as urgent. They had a meeting the next day to discuss a pair of visitors he’d seen recently. 

Not that Leehom had ever been the issue. It had always been Edison, Zitao’s father. Old Se’hai relations with Prae, even outside of Mott Argan, had been precarious at best. Edison was wealthy, unimaginably so, and had managed to sequester Old Se’hai outside of the power of Prae. Currently, he’s stated that his loyalties did lie under the power of the Magnus Couple, but no one in Prae trusted Edison as easily as he wanted. His son was another matter. Maybe Zitao mating with a person belonging to Prae’s inner court, would help smooth over their relations.

Hopefully. 

Until then, they would work, furiously and swiftly, to strengthen what current relations they had. Starting with Julien Kang. He glanced at the sky. They should be here soon. The thought made Jinki giddy and he chuckled. 

“What are you laughing at?” Minho asked, softly, his words only for his mate. Jinki was worried about his mate. Minho had grown slightly lethargic and pale since they’d ventured out of the cave and into the Magnus Pavilion gardens. He was leaning against his back, using it as a brace as he worked a knife against a chunk of wood. Jinki didn’t know what he was carving but he appreciated his mate’s skill with a knife. He was just generally good with his hands. Heh. He smirked inwardly. 

“Nothing,” Jinki said, dismissing his train of thoughts. He needed to control his libido for his bond-mate because the minute this picnic was over, Minho was getting in the bed. And that was final. “However,” he started. He pulled Minho to his side and reached for his wine chalice sitting on a low table near their blanket, raising it in the air. “I propose a toast!”

There were some good nature grumbling from the far blankets where Yifan and Yixing were more concerned with making out than enjoying the picnic, but they complied and joined everyone else as they raised their glass. 

“A toast!” Jinki began, “To–“

And Minho promptly threw up all over his lap. 





“You can’t save my sister and now you can’t tell me what’s going on with my mate? What good are you?!” Jinki roared, staring the healer down.

The healer bowed his head, distressed and backed out of the room. Minho looked at him with pity before rolling his eyes at his mate. “You should calm down. I’m a just little sick to my stomach. It’s not the end of the world.”

Jinki grunted as if he didn’t hear him, pacing up and down the length of the healer room, glaring at the door. 

Minho frowned. Kibum had reminded him that newly mated Alphas were a bit…possessive, and by a bit, he meant overly, but this was downright ridiculous. That was the third healer Jinki had scared out of the room and he’d hate to think what would happen to the next if they came back in without a remedy.

It wasn’t like he was deathly ill but there was something strange about how it was taking him twice as long as the others to regain his energy after the mating bond.

The Mating Bond was something that affected them at the soul level. When the bond happens, it drained shifters of the energy currently residing in their body, fusing it with the energy of their mate and slowly refilling them a new energy, one that signifies the bond. Because it was so soul impacting and sapping, newly mated shifters slept for a day to regain their energy. Yet, it seem like Minho’s recovery was slower than normal. 

Taemin entered the room shortly after the healers left, looking just as drained of energy as Minho. He’d spent the majority of his time in his sister’s room interpreting messages from their mother on their journey here. Minho was happy for Jinki and Taemin, to finally be able to welcome their mother back home after so many years. Still the toll of their sister’s coma was wearing on them, Taemin especially, as he continued to lend her as much energy as possible to aid in her recovery. 

“I spoke with Xiah. Mother and her party are here. They should be announcing it any moment now, but I wanted to give you a heads up first,” Taemin said quietly. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, the bags under his eyes prominent in the afternoon sun. 

Jinki shifted his concern from his mate to his brother. “I would tell you to get some sleep but I doubt you would listen to me.”

Taemin rolled his eyes. “The mother I haven’t seen in decades is minutes away. Of course I’m not going to sleep.”

“How is Taeyeon?” Minho asked, concerned heavy in his voice. 

“She’s fine. She’s fine. When we get her back up and running, she’ll be complaining that we interrupted her beauty sleep. But you’re asking questions when you should be answering them. How was your mating,” the young mage said, his eyes eager.

“Taemin!” Jinki said, aghast.

Taemin waved him off. “It’s not like I want details because that would be terribly disgusting, but tell me about all the happy stuff. The gushy mushy stuff. Like,” and Taemin scooted his chair closer to Minho’s bed. “Did he cry? He cried didn’t he? He’s such a sap. You should have heard him going on and on and on about you while Yerim and I were helping him get dressed. “

“Taemin!” Jinki tried again, his voice deeper, full of authority. Minho giggled because that wasn’t going to work on Taemin and Jinki knew it. 

“Well, he didn’t cry,” Minho started. 

“Thank you!” Jinki exclaimed.

“…the first night. The third night he sobbed like a baby,” Minho whispered.

“This is mutiny,” Jinki mumbled, turning away from the both of them.

Minho looked up at him and grinned. “Yes. Yes it is.”

Taemin laughed at the both of them and for a moment, the weariness slid off of his face. Suddenly, his smile dropped and his mouth parted open as he looked towards the door. “Jinki…she’s here.”

Just as Taemin said that, the door opened and Seohyun, Kibum’s assistant, walked through. “My Lords Magnus. Your envoy has arrived.”
Six people filed into the room after Seohyun. Minho only recognized two of them–the former Alpha of Durkhai, Xiah, his face familiar from the time when his father would welcome Alphas from other villages into Wheph, and–

“Julien!” 

The tall Arctic Wolf grinned as he peeled back the hood from his traveling robes and crossed the room to stand by Minho’s bed. 
“Look at you, pup,” he said warmly, ruffling Minho’s hair like he was still sixteen. 

“I’m not a pup! I am a man, now,” Minho scowled trying to knock his hand away from his hair. 

“Yes. You are a man now,” Julien started as he put his hand on Minho’s shoulder and squeezed with a familiarity that he hadn’t felt in years. “Minjung and Yunkyum would be so proud of you.” 

Minho beamed and puffed out his chest in the sure way he always reacted when Julien recognized the wolf in him. He would always yearn for Julien’s recognition. It was like getting it from Minjung herself. 

“–But you’re still ugly,” Julien finished. 

Minho’s smile dropped and Julien tipped his head back, his laughter booming around the room. Minho tried to fight his own laughter but eventually he gave in, pulling his brother in law down for a hug. 

When Julien took a step back, Minho was greeted with Taemin sobbing into his mother’s hair. Jinki stood right behind him, rubbing his back while blinking back his own tears. Xiah looked over them fondly, trading a word with the other two shifters nearest him. The last figure stood in the back of the room, their head bowed.

Iseul was the first to speak, her face flush with emotions. “I would come over there and greet you properly, Minho but…my child, he’s…”
Minho smiled back at her. “It’s fine. Take your time, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I would hope not. You won’t be able to leave the bed for at least another week or so. There is a reason your body is taking so long to recuperate,” the voice, decidedly feminine, said from the back of the room. That caught Minho’s attention, along with everyone else’s, their heads swinging to her. 

Minho frowned. “What...what does that mean?” Minho bent his head lower trying to see under her hood to no avail. “You know why I am tired?”

The woman ignored him, instead giving Iseul a sharp look. “Four mages in the room and you mean to tell me I’m the only one who has figured it out?” She crossed her arms over her chest and exhaled slowly. “You were right. You were all right. Ole prevdack mimba,” she stated, her voice quivering with wonder. 

Taemin gasped sounded like he’d swallowed his tongue. Iseul gently detached herself from Taemin’s embrace and slowly made her way to the bed. “Honestly?” she asked, looking back at the woman. 

“Why are you asking me? See for yourself.” 

Iseul looked at Taemin and Taemin looked back at his mother before they closed their eyes, both reaching out to touch Minho. Taemin’s eyes popped back open, his face twisted with bewilderment. 

Slowly he turned to Jinki, who was looking at them as if they’d all lost their minds. “Jinki,” he said frowning.

“Tell me,” Jinki said firmly, his stance taught as if he were waiting for the worst news in the world. He reached out and slid his hand against Minho’s, intertwining their fingers. Minho was concerned too.  More than concerned. He was just nauseous and tired…it wasn’t like he was dying. 

Was he?

Taemin’s frown morphed into a smile. “No, you’re not dying, Minho.”

Minho would ask later how Taemin knew what he was thinking. But that wasn’t his concern. “If I’m not dying…then–“

“You’re…Jesu, Minho, you’re pregnant.”

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A|N: Okay! So! A lot of moving parts there! I'm building up to the "calamity" and the buildup might look like something out of Game of Thrones but it's going to be okay! I feel like I can at least see the end of this in my head. Which is good because it takes me SO long to update (Sorry guys, I'm literally writing a book along and I try to fit hallow in as quickly as I can. I'll do better!)

A couple of things.