____________________

Lee Sunny looked out of the window. Below on an adjacent building was a rooftop party, a celebration for CEO Wu’s very pregnant secretary. It was a small gathering, nothing too flamboyant or loud. She smiled when someone ran up the stairs holding a balloon and a large teddy bear. Ah, Sunny thought as she stared at the blue balloon. Nara is having a little boy.

She heard the security lock for her office opening but didn’t move or turn around. Only two other people had the code, one of them being her sister and the other–

The scent invaded her sense before two strong arms wrapped themselves around her middle. He placed a kiss to her neck and Sunny sank into the embrace for a moment before she pushed away.

“I thought we discussed we weren’t going to do that at work?” she said, a brow raised, as she made her way back to her desk.

“That was before you approved the HallowS4 prototype behind my back,” Sejun replied with a smirk. “I knew you were but if you get to break the rules, I get to feel my mate up in her office.”

“Aren’t you a little too old to still behaving like a teenager in heat?”

“When it comes to you? No.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and tapped on her computer a few times to bring it back from hibernation. “If you knew I was going to approve the prototype, why didn’t you stop me?”

“Because when it blows up in your face, which it might literally do, you’ll only have to blame yourself,” he murmured as he looked out the window. “Oh! Nara is having a boy! What a pitiful party. Kris Wu could have done better. He’s a 3rd gen’er. Yixing would have a fit if he were alive.”

“That’s the philosophical difference between me and you and apparently Uncle Yixing. Just because you can do better doesn’t mean you should. Nara doesn’t like people making a big fuss over her. I’m surprised she even consented.”

Sejun waved down at them like they could actually see him before he spun around, his arms crossed as he leaned against the window. “Big day, huh?”

“Very big day.” She nodded before pulling out a small decanter and pouring a little of its contents into her tea. “We’ll do great,” she said, taking along sip. “We’ve done the research, we’ve got the numbers to support it and all we need is the investors to hand over the money. They’d be foolish –” She paused and cocked her head to the side. “Where’s Min Soo?” She checked her watch. “We only have an hour before the meeting.”

When Sejun didn’t answer, she looked up at him pointedly. “She’s not at August’s grave again is she? I told her that wasn’t healthy.” Sejun continued his silence, staring around her office at nothing in particular. They stayed like that for a few seconds, Sunny glaring at him and Sejun looking as if he didn’t care she was staring at him. Fine, she thought. She yanked open her desk drawer and pulled out her personal cell phone.

“She’s not here,” Sejun relented before she could dial the first number. He knew who she was going to call. Xania was the head of their security and Morocco Song through and through. She had a reputation to uphold as the last living granddaughter of Nichkhun and Victoria and she wouldn’t just look for Min Soo, she’d send out half of their security force. “She…” he sighed. “She’s with Minhyuk.”

Sunny wanted to bang her head against her desk until it popped off and rolled away. Instead she downed the rest of her tea, unplugged her laptop and stood. “I can’t deal with that bull today. Come on. We have a meeting to prepare for.”

 

 

 

“Minnew Corporation is one of the largest, if not the largest of Prae Enterprises, a company owned by sisters Lee Min Soo, Lee Min Sun and her husband, Kim Sejun, to consider this sort of deal. If this merger with NiHil and Third Clan Corporation is successful, Prae Enterprises will become the sole private security firm offering specialized weapon access to those with mage abilities in the world.”

Min Soo blinked at the television screen watching the news talk about her company with a frown. She glanced at her watch. “That….That isn’t today is it?”

Minhyuk readjusted the cannula in his nose. “Yep,” he offered before turning back to his food.

Min Soo groaned and slapped her forehead. “Sunny is going to kill me! Why didn’t Sejun tell me that over the phone?”

“Because,” Minhyuk said between slurps of noodles, “he understands how important this meeting is. Sejun is fine. Sunny is especially fine.. Concentrate on this.”

She reached over and cleared the condensation from Minhyuk’s glasses. She didn’t like his glasses. They were an indication that his powers were fading. That he was dying. That they were growing old.

“Stop looking at me like that girl. I’m old–ancient! It happens. Not sure how I survived this long without my BongBong anyways. I know you don’t like the thought of people dying but it happens.”

Min Soo sat back, her lips downturned. She pushed the noodles around in her bowl, her appetite suddenly gone.

When she was a child, Flora, her nanny, told her that shifters could live forever. It was a wonderful bedtime story and she, as a child, believed it. She believed every one she loved and everyone she held dear would always be alive and always be with her. It was a lie. It was always a lie. No one lived forever. They lived a long time, yes, especially compared to humans. Six hundred, seven hundred years felt like eternity to them. To shifters, if wasn’t long enough.

The night her parents died, Min Soo’s heart shattered. She’d never felt pain like that. Min Sun was her Dad’s child and Min Soo was her Papa’s child. She’d imprinted on him before she even knew what that was. But they were both the world to her. The two strongest wolves she’d ever know. She could still see their smiles and hear their laughter. Shifters live forever but some of them don’t.

So many more shifters died. Aunt Na Eun in childbirth, Grandma Aerum from old age and Grandma Iseul from a heart problem–a result of the red magic she’d used centuries before. Grandpa Xiah died from heartsickness following her death. Taemin a wasting disease. They’d got the letter when Min Soo was in her twenties, that Taeyeon and Jackson’s house burnt down and they’d died saving their children. As she got older and older, more and more people that she loved died. Kibum died a few days after her and Sunny’s fiftieth birthday celebration. Jonghyun not a day after, following him to the grave.

She was an old woman now. Six hundred years old and she was finally starting to feel her age. But as she and her sister and Sejun solidified their legacy through Prae Enterprises, she knew there was a chance to see what had gone away from her, come back.

The door to the small hole in the wall restaurant Minhyuk had them in jingled and the mage and the shifter looked up.

Her breath caught in . Her hands trembled.

“What did I tell you?” Minhyuk asked, his tone full of wonder. “It’s real, Soo. Everything moves in a circle. Including life…”

“Why don’t you want a mate, Min Soo?”

The twelve year old made a face. “Boys are gross.”

“Your mate doesn’t have to be a boy. You know Flora? Her mate is a girl.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Although you are too young to look for one, when you do, follow your heart. Love is beautiful. Love gave me you and your sister.”

“Why can’t I just stay with you? You’re the bestest man ever, Daddy.”

Minho laughed.

The young man sat down at the table and Min Soo blinked several times to clear the tears from her eyes.

The man smiled at her, brilliant and wide, and Min Soo felt the breath leave her chest in a loud rush. He held out his hand. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Choi Minho.” The smile waned as he looked back at her, confusion clear on his face at his tears. “I’m...uh, the developer that Minhyuk,” he said, shooting a glance at the elder shifter, “hopefully told you about?” he finished, unsure.

“Minho here,” Minhyuk tried, “as he mentioned is a software developer–”

“Video games,” he said proudly. “Specifically action adventure games. 12^th generation to be super exact.”

“And he would like a chance to work directly with your weapons development team to insert your mage source weapons into a game.”

“It’s called Blood Moon, you know, after the festival? The game is about this Alpha who was abandoned as a child but still managed the climb the ranks of a highly sophisticated noble backed military structure to become its leader. He does that by fighting the–hey are you okay?”

Min Soo shook her head to clear it and tried, for once in her life, to act professional. There was no way she was losing this chance. “I’m sold,” she said, wiping away her tears. She dug into her purse and pulled out a business card. “Come to my office tomorrow, very first thing in the morning. We’ll discuss the contract.”

Minho’s mouth dropped open before he reached across the table and shook her hand energetically. “You have no idea what this means to me ma’am. I really really admire your company and...wow! Wow! Wait until I tell my mom!”

Min Soo gasped at his energy and tried to get her hand back before he ripped it off. She had to do a double take as she look down. A purple triskelion tattoo was on the back of his hand outlined in gold. She reached out with the one he wasn’t trying to shake off her body and covered his with hers. “Your mom?”

Minho nodded. “You may have heard of her? She’s the department head of mage martial arts at Toleran University. Choi Danye? She’s spent the last few years obsessed with your mage source weapons. She and my sister are going to lose their minds!”

 

 

 

There were plenty of times when Sunny wanted to pick her twin sister up and toss her into the ocean. Or into space. Onto the surface of the sun. She deserved it. She always left Sunny with all of the work.

Min Soo was the dreamer and Min Sun was the worker, the thinker.

That’s how it always had been. And although both of them had put in a lot of sweat and tears to grow this company, Min Soo was the one who was dedicated to Minnew, completely absorbed with Prae Enterprises. She had to be.

As time went on, their way of life evolved. Prae, the clan collective slowly became Prae, the clan, as other clans dissolved and disappeared or were acquired and conquered by forces stronger than them. Then technology advanced and time turned Prae the clan into Prae the city and clan Alphas into business people. Free market and capitalism changed everything and clan life as they knew it all but disappeared.

So she had to be dedicated. She had to be obsessed with Prae and Minnew’s existence. This was how they would survive. This was their legacy.

Min Soo was the dreamer. Min Sun was the worker.

Her being missing today didn’t surprise Sunny nor was the reason for her absence. Her dreamer sister had come to her years ago, when they were still young and experiencing adulthood in a new world, with a dream she had. It was of their parents. They were sitting in the old Fortress and they spoke of everlasting love, of reincarnated love. Sunny humored her at first, but then it became an obsession with Min Soo. She chalked it up to trauma–a trauma they lived in different ways. Min Soo never got a chance to say goodbye to Daddy and Papa. She fell asleep with them alive and woke up to the bright glare of a spell. By the time she’d reached the bridge, they were gone.

Sunny...she witnessed what caused their deaths and although the visions of them always haunted her, seeing something traumatic like that was eventually the closure she needed. There were no what ifs. She knew. She’d caused it. She didn’t have the luxury to be fantastical about their deaths.

Min Soo’s obsession led her to seeking out Minhyuk, an old mage from their fathers’ fighting days. He filled her head with nonsense about tracking down their fathers and slowly conjuring up memories of the past. Min Soo just wanted to see them again and Sunny resented Minhyuk for feeding her delusions.

They weren’t coming back. She didn’t believe in fairy tales and happy endings.

That is until Choi Minho walked through the doors of Minnew.

“This is impossible,” she whispered as she stared at him from her desk. He was chatting it up with their secretary, Cloud, a great-nephew of Thunder and Gikwang, and Sejun. “He looks just like Dad…”

Min Soo skipped back to Sunny’s desk, her energy almost tangible. “That’s because he IS Dad.”

Sunny gave Min Soo a look that contained all her annoyance. “That’s impossible,” she hissed. “As hard as this is to hear, Soo, Dad died almost sixty years ago. He and Papa are gone.”

“It’s been four hundred years, Sunny. I know it felt like yesterday. It feels like yesterday to me, too but it’s been four hundred years since their deaths. It’s possible, Sunny. It’s possible! You don’t have to believe in all the mysticism and wonderment. I know you’ve abandoned magery and I know why–”

“You don’t know , Soo,” Sunny snarled.

“You blamed yourself for not being able to heal Daddy. For not being able to heal Papa. You thought you weren’t a strong enough mage so you abandoned it. You blame yourself entirely too much, Sunny, and one day you’ll have to learn to forgive yourself but, today? Right now? I need you to look.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and pulled her from around her desk and to the door. “You can have a second chance with him. Look at him. Look at him and tell me that’s not our Dad.”

Sunny’s face was hard as granite because it was the only thing keeping her bottom lip from trembling. She turned towards the door and looked out through the pane of glass. This man was tall and beautiful with tanned skin and neatly trimmed brown hair with hints of burgundy. His eyes were big and expressive and when he laughed they crinkled and his mouth rounded with joy. He held himself with confidence but without the world weariness Dad had to. He looked so much like their father.

“How is this possible...I just don’t–” Sunny gasped when she saw it. On the back of his hand. “A triskelion.” The symbol of Wheph. Caleo’s symbol.

“There are a lot of coincidences in the world….but this isn’t one of them, Sun.”

Sunny pulled open the door slowly and stood in the doorway, her fancy pantsuit now making her feel...overdressed, too fancy. Her father didn’t bring her up in silks and satin. They wore the same cotton and linen as the common folk. He raised her up to be down to earth. To greet him again like this felt wrong.

“Minho,” Min Soo called softly.

He turned to them and smiled, polite and calm. “Hi! It’s so–”

Min Sun’s composure and restraint cracked and she practically ran across the hall and wrapped her arms around him. Minho’s mouth opened and he floundered, not sure of what to do with his hands. Sunny inhaled deeply and the heartbreakingly familiar scent, absent of her Papa’s layered scent, but all Minho’s just the same, caused the dam to break broke. She openly sobbed on his shoulder.

Panicked and still not sure of what to do, Minho hesitantly patted her back.

“She’s...she’s just really excited to see you...uhm, because of the opportunity?” Sejun tried.

Sunny realized what she was doing and took a step back, trying to discreetly wipe her eyes. She turned to Cloud. “Set him up with an office,” she instructed, her voice still shaking. “The unoccupied one down the hall from ours that used to be August’s. Also, get him the keys to The Fortress. Page Xania to discuss security detail. I want it round the clock.”

She turned and looked at him, her gaze steel. “Don’t let him out of our sight.”

 

 

 

Minho held the phone to his ear and he looked around at his new apartment, located in a downtown luxury complex called the Fortress. He was largely confused. Well, more than confused. He was downright confounded.

“Well, how big is the contract if they have you living in downtown Prae?” Danye conspiratorial whisper floated over the line. “Do you know how expensive downtown Prae is?” she hissed.

“I know it’s a lot,” Minho murmured. “They were a little weird, Mom. I know my work is good but it’s not that good. Not enough to make them cry.”

“They cried?” Minjung screeched in the background. “You made them cry? Even Sunny? I heard she was as cold as ice!”

“Melting ice, apparently. Don’t tell Dad yet. I’m not sure if I can take this job.”

“Don’t be a . Take the job! It’s your first big break! Unless you want to keep working at Julien’s IT company, which I mean, is great.” There was a grumble in the background. “It’s wonderful, honey. You do a fabulous job,” Minjung said, trying to appease her mate, “but this is YOUR big break, Ming! Blood Moon’s big break! If they are weird, deal with it. Not like you’re normal.”

“Hey!” Minho exclaimed.

“Well, you’re not.”

There was a knock at the door and Minho looked down at his watch. Oh. It was already eight. “They are here.”

“They are visiting you at eight at night?” Danye asked. “You sure they don’t expect something else from you? The size of your contract would make a little more sense if…you know,” she said, back to her conspiratorial whisper.

“They are two elderly ladies, mom! Jesus! Look I gotta go.” He swiftly hung up the phone and began fixing his clothing, making sure he didn’t look out of place. He glanced down at his shoes. His loafers were decent but scuffed and the hem of his pants could use a little work. He’d never felt self-conscious before but being put up in an uber fancy apartment and being visited by three uber-rich highly emotional people made him overly critical of his appearance.

He had a little trouble with the weird door and its weird handle. Frowning, he was finally able to get the knob to pop out. Because…why would a door knob pop out? He swung the door open...to someone else other than Lee Sunny, Lee Min Soo and Kim Sejun.

“Uh…”

He was tall. Not as tall as him, but close. He wore his hair coiffed, trimmed and professional, the color a warm chestnut brown. His clothing was very Alphaish, if the scent he was picking up from him was true. Suit, tie, cufflinks, the whole shebang. He looked nice. Very nice. Smelled great, too. It’d been a while since Minho had been around an Alpha this strong that wasn’t a member of his family. The man held his hand out and Minho shook it. A shiver ran up his arm and across his shoulder and down his back. “I’m Lee Jinki, CEO of Onyu Security Force. Ms. Xania Horvejkul sent me over? For the security detail meeting?”

Minho looked him up and down. “A little young to be a CEO?”

He shrugged, a smirk pulling at his lips. “I get that a lot. May I come in?”

“Oh, sure. Sorry, I’m not used to the place yet. Doesn’t feel like it’s mine, you know?” He led the man further into the apartment and offered him a seat on one of the bright gold couches. “If you don’t mind me asking...Minnew is a private security company. Why would they contract you out? And why do I need security at all? Oh, would you like something to drink? I saw a few beers in there.”

“That’d be great. The need,” he answered as Minho got up to fetch him the beer, “isn’t the most important right now but should be answered when we do an analysis of your detail. As far as me, Xania, the VP of Minnew’s Black Flame, often contracts me out from time to time, depending on the client and their connection to Minnew. Your connection to them must have warranted an external contract. It happens. I never know the details of it, I just answer the call. Thank you,” he finished, accepting the beer.

“Huh. S’weird. I just met them yesterday and I’m just a game developer. I think this is,” he said, looking around the apartment, “overkill.”

“You develop games?” Jinki said, his interest suddenly looking piqued. “Like...board games? I was a chess champion in high school so I kind of gravitate towards them. There is this one called Dead of Winter. It’s really obscene and ridiculous. They give you this set of people and this weakened colony, and you have to figure out how to survive…against zombies. Zombies!”

Minho pulled his beer away from his lips when he felt them twitching. He composed himself before he answered. “Oh, no. Like, um, video games. Sons of Valor and When Legacy Calls: Mott Argan. Video games.” Jinki’s mouth rounded and he took another sip of his drink. “I graduated with a bachelor’s of advanced technology from Toleran University. My mom wanted me to take up Mage Science but...video games.”

“Sounds fancy,” Jinki said, making a face.

Minho chuckled. “Which part? The games or the school.”

“The degree. I have a Masters of Art with a concentration in music. It really had nothing to do with what I do but…see, you remember you said I looked too young to be a CEO? Well, it’s because I started early. Security, protection...it’s always been sort of my thing. Started in high school–nerds like you,” and Minho laughed, “would hire me out to protect them from bullies. It’s the Alpha in me. Literally. Me and my father took it from that to full fledge business. I’ve got a mean right hook and he has the right connections. My step mom thought it was an insane idea but going to college for music gave me a break from it. Advanced technology sounds like rocket science.”

“It’s not all that difficult if you like numbers.”

“I hate numbers,” Jinki moaned. “Especially when they turn into letters.”

Minho liked his smile. And his voice. He really liked looking at Jinki’s mouth when he talked. Wait, he thought, his lips twisting. He quickly calculated what day of the month it was. His heat was weeks away...so it wasn’t that. “So,” he said clearing his voice and trying to dispel the sudden heat at the pit of his stomach. “Maybe I should call them. Sunny and Min Soo, that is. I know you didn’t drag yourself out of the bed in the middle of the week for beers.”

Jinki took another sip. “No,” he said, “but it’s a nice surprise,” he finished with a small smile.

Minho thought he was blushing. Yeah, he was probably blushing.

You forgetting about your boyfriend, Ming?

Minho scoffed. You’re conveniently forgetting about his boyfriend, Caleo.

I am. But he bought us nice things. I so happen to like nice things. CEO or not, I’m sure he’s not as rich as Minwoo.

Pretty boy chaebols are boing and look at his thighs, Caleo. Imagine them as ear muffs. You think he’d be offended if I asked?

Caleo laughed. You’re a mess but slow down. Something feels…different about him.

I hope so! The last thing I want is someone like these others.

“So, Jinki–”

They were interrupted by knocking at the door. Minho stood. “That must be them.” Minho excused himself with a shy smile and went to the door to let them. They were dressed as nicely as he imagined and when he considered what Jinki was wearing, he knew he was severely underdressed. Oh well. They were courting him, didn’t matter that he looked like the most casual man in the world.  Sighing, he guided them down the hall and towards the living room. “Mr. Lee is already here so I guess we can get started?”

Sejun stuffed his hands in his pocket. “Oh, the infamous Mr. Lee? That’s who Xania got? About time we met him! He is one of our most expensive–” Sunny elbowed him in his side and Sejun held his hands up in surrender. “Most valued contractors.”

“Ignore him, he’s just mad he failed at acquiring Mr. Lee’s business. The man wouldn’t even meet with him.” Min Soo gave him a pointed look. “And no funny questions or contract talk tonight either!”

‘That’s what you think,” Sejun muttered under his breath. “And no one thinks it’s weird that people only address him as Mr. Lee? What is he? Three hundred?

“Behave yourself!” Min Sun hissed and Sejun rolled his eyes in response. They rounded into the living room and Sejun held his hand out. “Mr. Lee! It’s a–”

All three skid to a stop behind Minho and when he turned to look at them in response, Minho noticed they had the same look in their eyes from yesterday, a look fueled of emotion and lost words and confusion. Maybe they got really emotional over strangers?

“Mr… Lee?” asked, his lip hitched.

Jinki looked at Sejun and then at Minho, who could only shrug. The Alpha stood and took Sejun’s limp hand, shaking it. “Mr. Lee, yes? And you must be Mr. Kim Sejun?”

“No way this is happening,” Minho heard Lee Sunny breathe.

 

 

“No way this is happening,” Min Soo heard Sunny whisper. She was in agreement! Papa! It was Papa! Right here! Right with them! She thought she was going to burst! Instead… “Um! Could you two excuse us for a moment?”

Before either of them could answer, she grabbed her sister and her best friend and dragged them up the hallway, taking a sharp turn in the stairwell cove that led to Minho’s second floor bed room. She rounded on them with big wide eyes. “Okay, what the …”

“We’re dreaming, Soo. We’re dreaming. You and your crazy talk about reincarnations and evid–evad–whatever! has spurred up these dreams! First Dad, now Papa! Impossible!”

“Stop saying that! So we’re having the exact same dream at the exact same time, Sunny? Yeah, right! This is fate. This is fate!”

“How so? This is madness!”

“No, think about it,” she hissed under her breath. “Remember the stories Na Eun used to tell us about the 2nd Great War? About Dad’s true status and how it caused so much ? Remember?”

“Yes, but what does that–”

“Remember how everything came together in the end because of us? Because we were born? How we were the final piece of the prophecy? Don’t you think that could still apply to today? That because we’ve been looking for them and because we’ve created this...opportunity–our company–that it would one day cause the stars to align?” she whispered harshly. “They did give us permission to start it! It was one of the last things they did!”

“But I’ve known Mr. Lee. His office is...–” Sejun gasped. “Well, me with a corndog. His office is in the Durkhai district. And I’ve never met him! He refused to meet me until he was offered this contract in particular!”

“It’s them, Sunny. It’s them. And now they are together!”

“You both are forgetting one very important fact! Those might be,” and she paused to flap her arms wildly, “reincarnations or whatever of our parents but they aren’t our parents.”

“It doesn’t matter!”

“Yes it does! What can we hope to accomplish from this? What? Invite them over for dinner? Regale them with stories of their past selves?” Sunny asked, tears springing to her eyes. “They are young enough to be our grandkids!”

“Are you all...okay?”

All three of them jumped when Minho appeared behind them in the hallway. “Oh, Da–“ she paused when Sejun elbowed her. “…I mean, Minho, you scared us!.”

“I apologize you just kind of disappeared on us and you’re whispering really hard. If you guys need a moment, me and Jinki–”

“Like my GOD, Sejun,” Sunny interrupted, exasperated. “Jinki,” she hissed. “You didn’t even know his first name all this time? How the hell are we going to acquire anything?”

Sejun threw his hands up in the air. “I admit that was a huge oversight!”

“– can go to get a bite to eat.”

Sunny rubbed her forehead. “We can go with you,” Sunny started, reaching for her bag at her feed. “We can hold the meeting ther–”

Min Soo’s eyes narrowed as her mind started to work in double time. “No!” she yelled. Sunny and Sejun looked at her like she was crazy. But they never paid attention to signs. She paid attention to all of the signs. “No. We’re fine. We ate before we came here. You two enjoy yourself! Matter of fact, let’s postpone the meeting till tomorrow?” Before her sister or Sejun could say a word, she pushed past them and towards the living room. She grabbed her Papa’s arm and stood him up, ignoring his startled look. She wanted to hug him and cry into his chest but Sunny had shown her yesterday that was absolutely the worst thing you could do to strangers. No matter who they were. “Mr. Lee, take Minho somewhere nice. Oh!” she said, snapping. “Jessica’s spot is to die for!”

“What?”

She reached into her purse and withdrew a company credit card. “Our driver will take you there.”

Min Soo ushered him towards the door, grabbing Minho on the way. “Have so much fun! Have all the fun in the world!” she yelled before pushing them out the door. ‘Don’t come back until late. Like really, really late.”

She slammed the door behind them and whirled around to face her sister and her best friend.

“You want to explain what just happened?” they both said at the same time.

Min Soo leaned against the wall, her smirk devious. “You ever seen Parent Trap?”

 

 

 

“Tonight was really...unexpected,” Minho said at the front entrance of the Fortress. The doorman stood there on the other side of the rotating doors, patiently waiting for Minho to come in.

Feeling like he didn’t have much of a choice, Jinki had taken Minho to Jessica’s, an upscale restaurant that also moonlighted as a Cathouse–if you knew the signs.

It was strange. He felt instantly comfortable with Minho and that was a hard thing for Jinki to do. But with Minho it was effortless.  If going by their conversation, Minho felt the same. They talked about everything over drinks, sharing stories about their families–Jinki telling Minho about his two families, about how he was adopted but discovered his birth mother at a young age so he had twice the love.

Minho was surprised to learn he had so many siblings. Seven! Minho only had one, Minjung, but her mate was like an older brother to him, so he guessed that counted as well.

Jinki liked the way Minho’s lips moved when he talked. Like he was thinking about what he wanted to say and was very deliberate with his words. When he got excited, he talked with his hands, making a story about a competition between him and his brother in law over a prized longbow sound like life or death. His eyes were so expressive and his smell, gods, was nothing like Jinki had ever smelled before. It was so earthy and light. Jinki could lose himself in it.

They talked and they drank, drank and they talked until they both remembered they had a rescheduled meeting with Minnew early in the morning. Now Jinki stood at Minho’s front door, enamored. He didn’t understand his attraction to the stranger but he’d felt it as soon as he’d opened the door. Something about Minho felt heart-achingly familiar and he really wanted nothing more than to explore that feeling.

“Yeah. I had fun.” He took a step closer. “It’s going to strange guarding you, now though. Now that I know you sing children’s songs when you work.”

“I told you that in the strictest of confidences, Mr. Lee,” Minho pouted. He playfully hit Jinki’s arm. “Are you’re going to use it tease me?”

“I don’t know.? You blush when you’re embarrassed. It’s kind of cute.” Minho blushed and Jinki poked his cheek. “See. Look at you, blushing.”

“I’m drunk. There is a difference,” Minho said, petulant. “Do you...um...want to come up for a drink?”

“You just said you were drunk,” Jinki laughed. Minho blushed again and Jinki thought he was going to melt. He waited until Minho let his guard down enough to laugh before he curled his hands around the Omega’s neck, leaned forward and pressed his lips to Minho’s. It was impulsive and probably an action spurred by his state of inebriation but he didn’t care. Minho hesitated for a moment, too long in Jinki’s opinion, before he kissed back, timid and shy.

Jinki pulled back and looked at him. “Why do I feel so…at home with you?”

Onew groaned in the back of his head. You are such a sap. It’s obvious he wants you. Throw him over your shoulder and claim him.

Shut up.

He doesn’t feel different to you? There’s…I can feel something about him, right on the edge of my mind. Doesn’t matter. Just take him before someone else does.

He isn’t property!

“Yeah,” Minho answered, biting his lip and interrupting Jinki’s dialogue with his wolf. “Home is a good word. You feel...like a glove I wear everyday or...my favorite jacket. But I don’t know you…”

“You’re a stranger practically.”

“But…”

“But…”

Jinki jumped when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Apologizing, he fished it out and THUNDER flashed across his screen. He quickly read the text. ‘It’s my brother. Sanghyun. He locked himself out of our apartment. I,” Jinki looked down at the ground. “I have to go…”

Minho offered him an easy going smile. “Its fine, Jinki. Family first. I’ll see you in tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” Impulsively, Jinki pecked Minho across the lips one more time before he jogged back to the driver waiting for him.

 

 

 

“Thanks man!” I don’t know how I did that!”

Jinki gave his brother a look before he pulled out his key and unlocked the door. “You probably left them at GiGi’s house. Call her next time. I was...in the middle of something,” he muttered.

Sanghyun looked down at his watch. “At two-thirty in the morning? I thought you said your next contract didn’t start till Monday?”

Jinki didn’t answer him, instead heading for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

“So...if it wasn’t work…” Sanghyun gasped. “Were you getting laid?”

Jinki looked up, knowing he was blushing but he didn’t know why.

“Bro. I’m so happy for you. I literally thought you were never getting laid ever again! What’s her name? Wait. You go both ways. What’s his name?” Sanghyun leaned far across the counter, his smile annoyingly huge and cute.

“Minho,” he said under his breath. He might as well get it over with. Sanghyun wouldn’t leave him alone until he got a name.

“Minho sounds y. Was he? You know? y?”

Jinki groaned. “I’m not having this conversation with you!” he yelled as he slugged off to this room.

“You don’t have to! Your body language tells me everything I need to know! Hope you two live happily ever after! That way I don’t have to worry about you dying of blue balls before the wedding!”

“Eat a , Thunder!”

“Love you, too bro!

 

 

 

“Come here,” he said, raggedly, his voice raw. A man crawled over to him and into his arms. “That was…that was amazing.”

Jinki knew he was dreaming. He always knew when he was dreaming. His dreams were full of color and life and amazing things he’d never dreamed of experiencing. It was so very different from his life now. Dull, drab. It had its moments, but he always knew there was something missing...someone missing.

This dream was his favorite dream. The face he could never make out but this dream was his favorite.

“For your patience. For not giving up on me.”

Jinki kissed his temple. “Nothing to thank me for. I never ever plan on giving up on you. No matter what.”

The face was always muted and blank. Through all of the people he’d dated, no one’s face had every appeared in his dreams, no matter how he felt about them.

Minho’s face appearing in a dream he’d had a million times didn’t make sense. Suddenly the blurry face of the man of Jinki’s dreams was clear and beautiful. It was Minho’s lips, his hands, his words.

Jinki contemplated his question as he glanced at the rings. “The words on the box these rings came in say evidag su kærlighedu. Olde Toleran for “Eternal Love. It’s campy and silly but it was important to my mother’s people. They believe in reincarnated love. Cycles and cycles of it, eternally.

Evidag su kærlighedu was a phrase he’d heard enough in his dreams. Even through his stepmother was a descendant of Toleran, she didn’t speak the language, so he never learned. He didn’t understand what it meant for him. Who were these people in his dreams? One had his face, the other had Minho’s but he didn’t know these people. He’d never lived this life.

Jinki sighed loudly and touched the ring. “I’ve had these rings with me since I was a child. I gather they are from my people before Durkhai; I don’t know how I know the words but I do. The rings say “ama’il etandula ama’il etudala”. It means “I am yours. You are mine.”

“Both are very beautiful and I’m honored to wear it.”

Jinki let the silence settle between them. He lowered his nose into Minho’s hair and inhaled his scent, savoring it. He loved the way Minho smelled because it calmed him. It calmed him and it centered him and he just loved it. He wanted to smell it forever. “Can I ask you a question, Minho,” he said his nose still against the crown of Minho’s head.

Jinki yearned for the feeling these two obviously in love people invoked in each other. Minho was practically a stranger to him but this feeling in his chest? The notion that he could fall into Minho’s heart and stay there forever? It haunted and troubled him that he might have already reserved a spot in his heart for Minho already. The thought made him feel alive.

Minho nodded, pushing himself back further into Jinki’s arms.

“Are you mine?” he whispered softly.

Minho slowly extracted himself from Jinki, spun in place until he was looking him deeply in his eyes. Flakes of gold seem to radiate in his eyes and Jinki inhaled, holding his breath, waiting for Minho’s answer. Minho’s gaze drifted from his face, to his chest, to his hand. He reached for it and brought it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across his knuckles.

“I am yours.”

Are you going to go get what is yours already?

Jinki turned over and ignored him

Fine. You will once I’m through with you.

 

 

Minho rummaged around the fridge for some food but there wasn’t much. What was there had hard to pronounce names and he wasn’t sure he wanted to eat something he couldn’t say. He should just go home. They hadn’t even discussed anything last night. Nothing was keeping him here and from the delicious breakfast he knew his mother was making.

The meeting wasn’t until eleven. Maybe he could run by there, grab whatever was left and still make it back uptown to Minnew. Figuring he could, he grabbed his jacket and his keys and left his apartment, heading straight for the elevator. He pushed the button and waited, humming a tune in his head about red walls. He should also stop by Jungsoo’s on the way. He could feel his head wanting to hurt. Minho wasn’t too susceptible to hangovers. Maybe it was exasperated by how hard his heart had been pounding last night.

That kiss had been everything. Everything. It had also sparked some very embarrassing dreams. He had no idea why they were in a very nicely decorated cave surrounded by sunflowers or why he’d been so loud! (He wasn’t loud in bed, he just knew he wasn’t) but it had led to a lot of tossing and turning. Even his cold shower this morning hadn’t calmed down his hormones. Maybe he needed to check the calendar again for he sure felt like a damn dog in heat. And then there were the words Jinki said to him that had a million butterflies in his stomach. Oh, this was the last thing he needed. To be infatuated with a stranger.

The elevator dinged and Minho took a step forward to load the car with the other passenger. There was only one. Minho gulped and his first step stalled.

“J–Jinki…”

Jinki prowled towards him, a look in his eyes that dropped heat straight to Minho’s groin.

“Evidag su kærlighedu,” was the only thing Jinki said as he forced Minho’s back against the wall. “I know you.” His hands slammed against the wall on either side of Minho’s head. “Tell me why I know you.”

“What, what are you talking about?”

“The first dream where your face showed up, I attributed it to my attraction to you because I am very attracted to you, Minho. Yet, the seventh and eighth and ninth dreams weren’t a coincidence. It showed me a life we lived together. Loved...and died together.”

Minho huffed. “They were just dreams, Jinki.”

Jinki pressed closer. “You’ve had no strange dreams then?”

Minho began to lie but he couldn’t. He couldn’t lie about this. “It was just one dream.” Minho’s brain short circuited when he felt Jinki’s breath on his throat, right at his pulse point. “We–we were together...but it was….it was just a dream!”

Jinki chuckled. “In my dreams you were stubborn. And I had to be patient and tear down your walls one by one.” His hands slipped under his coat, his finger trailing along his sides and Minho shuddered. “I’m prepared to do that again, Minho.”

“I–I’m not saying you don’t have a valid reason to be worried about these dreams but you’re taking dreams literal and–”

“I am. It’s because I’ve made a decision, a decision that feels right to me. And I know it feels right to you too. We belong together, Minho.”

Minho frowned deeply. “You’re out of your ing mind,” he said, trying to push Jinki’s hands away. He hissed when a thumb caressed his skin under his shirt.

“Maybe.”

Minho blinked at his answer before Jinki rushed forward, closing the space in between them and bringing their lips together. Minho pressed his lips together, not giving Jinki access. Not because he didn’t want this–gods he wanted this, he couldn’t even explain it. He just thought maybe a conversation, a rational conversation was necessary.

Jinki growled softly and something in his eyes glinted gold. Instead of continuing his assault on Minho’s lips, he placed soft kisses along the side of his face, across his jaw and down his neck, laving at his pulse point. “You smell so good, Minho,” he divulged against his skin. Minho was having a very hard time keeping his wits about him.

“Uh, thank–thank you?”

The Alpha made his way back up to Minho’s ear and began whispering something. Some kind of foreign language that rolled off of his tongue. “Dosi fæm’tu pass. Amai’ll tu nefesé. Dehn mâ.”

It was honestly the iest thing Minho had ever heard in his life. “What–what does that mean?”

“You can’t escape fate. You are my fate.”

He groaned. “Jinki, please, I think–”

He pulled back from Minho’s neck to look him deep in his eyes. “Why are you thinking so much? What do you feel?”

Minho pushed at him. “That doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter because it doesn’t make sense! I just met you!”

“Tell me,” Jinki demanded.” He pressed even closer and Minho could feel a very obvious, very...girthy against his thigh. Jinki saw his gaped mouth expression and grinned. “You feel that? It’s yours. It belongs to you.”

Oh, wow.

“Now tell me...”

“I…”

Minho. He’s...he’s right. I can feel it. He has a wolf. Caleo laughed. His name is Onew, he is showing me things! I’ve–I’ve never felt anything like this before in my life. Here. Take this. Take what I see.

Whatever Caleo did caused a flood of visions to flash in front of his eyes, an entire lifetime of events, from his birth, to losing his father and sister, to his medication and becoming Alpha to...to the Blood Moon Festival and to...meeting Jinki. Really, really meeting him and knowing him and...loving him.

The emotion was overwhelming. He felt the connection. It was so pure and full bodied. He felt it in every part of him. He felt the bond, one so powerful that it survived death. The whispers of a bond told him everything he needed to know.

Minho. He is …

“You are…”

“Say it,” Jinki demanded. “What do you feel?” He kissed Minho’s chin. “What am I to you?”

Minho gasped and tears filled his eyes. “...My mate.”

“Minho,” Jinki sighed, the determined scowl on his face melting.

“I…” Minho’s hands flew to his face and he covered them because one tear turned into ten then turned into a million and he sobbed, embarrassingly loud. “What is going on?” he wailed. Jinki gathered him in his arms and Minho laid his head against his shoulder and tried to ride out the wave of volatile emotions and memories overwhelming him. “I just met you, why am I in love with you? Why do I know all of these things about you? Why do I have these memories? I was–was wearing period clothing and I had a bow and arrow! That doesn’t make any damn sense! I don’t actually know how to use one of those!”

A look crossed Jinki’s face. “I know who can explain it...but I don’t want to worry about that right now. Minho...put your arms around my neck.”

Like Jinki had him on some kind of command control, Minho did it, wrapping his arms around his neck, tightly, like he was afraid if he let go, Jinki would disappear. He was hoisted up in Jinki’s arms and carried to his apartment. Minho fumbled around they key code, not really able to see clearly through his tears. Jinki placed soft, comforting kissing to his cheek as they made their way through the apartment and to Minho’s couch.

Jinki gave him a minute to compose himself before he asked a quiet. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “Except for I’m all splotchy and my eyes are all red.”

A thumb came to Minho’s cheek. “You’re beautiful…”

“Well, yeah. Good looks run in my family,” Minho said before he could stop himself. He looked up, embarrassed, his cheeks warm and found Jinki staring at him, a lopsided grin on his face. ”I didn’t mean it like that, I just–I’m not good at this. Dating is one thing but mating? My sister would tell me all about this mating stuff and it went in one ear and out the other. They’re all Alphas, mated to Alphas. Things are different for them. So I ignored it. I ignored all the mating stuff. It never crossed my mind.” He looked over at Jinki, his eyes downcast. “I don’t know what to do with you. I just know I feel things.”

“I’m a patient guy, Minho.”

Minho’s brow rose. “Did you…did you just forget what you did out in the hallway?”

Jinki scratched the back of his head. “That–I needed–that was,” he stammered. Minho chuckled. He was cute like this. “The point is,” he stressed. “I am patient when it matters. I can wait. This is… a lot.”

Minho nodded. Jinki was right. It was a lot. And they had so many unanswered questions. Yet, the thing was…

Minho, moving a lot braver than he actually felt, leaned forward, his hands braced on the couch for balance and softly pressed his lips against Jinki’s. He pulled back enough to look Jinki in his eyes. Orange reflected back in the flecks in Jinki’s eyes. In his reflection, he could see purple in his own.

Jinki’s brows bunched for a moment before he closed the gap between them, slitting their mouths together. This time Minho responded, matching Jinki’s intensity, his hands wrapping under Jinki’s arms and around his back to pull him closer.

Jinki’s mouth was warm as he his way inside of Minho’s mouth, kissing Minho as if he is trying to make up for all the time they lost. Which was silly. They hadn’t lost any time. They’d died. Minho shifted his body along the couch and pulled Jinki down with him, their kiss briefly breaking apart.

He hovered over Minho, staring at him with a look Minho couldn’t translate until he slowly lowered himself down on top of him. Jinki’s kisses were patient now, belaboring all the things he said about his temperament. He rolled his hips down and Minho’s gasped in his mouth. He felt himself getting harder with every delicious roll. His hands landed at the hem of Minho’s Henley top, blue because blue looked really good on his tanned skin and he subconsciously wanted to impress Jinki at the meeting. Wanted Jinki to want him.

Inch by inch, Jinki pulled the shirt up Minho’s body. Minho did the same as his shirt hit the floor, undoing every button on Jinki’s crisp white business shirt, pushing it back and off his shoulders. Clothing began falling and Minho was warm and pliable under Jinki’s wandering hands.

Jinki reached into his pants slowly before he grabbed him, stiff, in his hands and Minho could have cursed. Jinki was patient, something Minho hadn’t experienced too often. Minho was almost embarrassed at how fast he came. Almost. It felt too good to be embarrassed.

Minho begun to feel warm all over, the familiar feeling like a fire in the pit of his belly and slickness even lower. He wanted this man, couldn’t deny him or the desire to have him even if he wanted to.

Minho winked at him. “You’re not going to think of me differently in the morning because I gave it up on the first date are you?”

Jinki laughed and gently fit himself between Minho’s legs. “It takes two to tango...or whatever idiom you need to hear to make you understand I don’t care. I’m just really glad we’re doing this. It feels like we’re supposed to be doing this.”

Minho’s hands slide around the curve of Jinki’s , squeezing. “You’re talking too much. Do I need to say something like “ me” or–”

“You’re the boss,” Jinki saluted. He ran his hand up Minho’s thigh and carefully placed it over his shoulder. He slid into him, little by little, a slick hot glide until he was seated in him to the hilt. Jinki hissed and Minho bit his lip so hard he thought he broke skin.

Jinki worked up a steady rhythm and it was hot, and passionate, and everything Minho had seen on television when people made love. He’d never done it. He’d had but Minwoo wasn’t patient and to be honest he was a tad bit selfish. Jinki was not selfish. His lovemaking was damn near selfless. He studied Minho’s face to learn what made him moan and what made him grimace. The hand wrapped around him was smooth and confident and the feeling of Jinki’s rough palm against his smooth skin was enough to make his eyes roll into the back of his head.

At some point, a look crossed on Jinki’s face, half-posed and he grabbed Minho’s other thigh, guided it over his shoulder and pressed both of them into Minho’s chest. Minho gasped because Jinki’s next knocked the air out of his lungs. Every was like that and Minho struggled between trying to catch his next breath and shaking and keening into Jinki’s mouth. Jinki did something, Minho couldn’t see but whatever he did slid against something deep in Minho and everything fell away as the edges of his vision darkened and his entire body quaked in time with the throbs of his .

When he came back down, Jinki was ing into him with absolute abandon, his whispers dipping into the language he’d said earlier. “Tu ama’il nefesé. Dehn mâ tu ama’ll.”

Minho watched in stark fascination as Jinki fell apart, feeling him with sticky warmth as he stuttered into his own . He collapsed, falling down on Minho, and Minho wrapped his arms around him, still blown away by what they’d done.

They laid there like that, Minho rubbing his back and cooing nonsense in his ear until the older shifter looked up. “ that was amazing. You’re amazing. You felt so amazing,” he breathed.

Minho shrugged. “You did a swell job yourself there, sport,” Minho teased.

Jinki nipped at his collarbones in retaliation and Minho giggled, trying to keep him away from his sensitive neck with his chin. “You’re in trouble now, Choi Minho.”

“Hm? How so?”

“I don’t think I’d ever get tired of being inside of you like this,” he whispered in his ear. “Being with you like this…”

Minho cradled Jinki’s face in his hands and brushed a thumb across his lips. “Well, then,” he said his voice rough with unexpected emotion, “I hope all your talk about destiny and fate are true. I don't think I can live without you now.”

Jinki laid his head down on Minho’s chest, his fingers drawing patterns across his collarbones. “So...are you mine?”

Minho thought about it. He smiled, placed a kiss to the crown of Jinki’s head and inhaled deeply.

“I am yours…”