A/N: I've decideI ud to do things a little differently going forward. I've noticed going back and forth and such is a little...confusing, so any backstory will be a lovely little interlude, while full chapters will be plot-forward only (mostly...kinda?)

A:N: Interludes are not in any kind of chronological order in regards to the previous chapter or interlude. Just...backstory.

Jonghyun looked at his mother blandly in an extreme attempt to keep the annoyance off of his face. Why? Because she’d smack the snot out of him if she could read his thoughts. But his mother was his mother and he loved her for it, even if her frequent outrageous requests worked his last nerve like he only had one.

“I spoke with your father, dear, so it shouldn’t be that big of a shift from your daily activities…routine…or whatever you military people do.”

“Mother,” Jongyun huffed. He sat across from her at the kitchen table. Usually it was the four of them, including his father and his sister, but with his sister off and mated–Jonghyun scowled at that–and his father was at the Blood Forged Lake handling yet another border dispute, so that left him and his mother, Malamarme, alone. Not that he didn’t enjoy his mother’s company, he adored her. She alone was the most entertaining person he’d ever encountered in his life. She was fragrant and intriguing and told the best stories in Dinfire. It’s just that when his mother got an idea in her head, there wasn’t a man alive who could stop her. Not even his father.

“It’s already been arranged, Jjongie.”

Jonghyun dropped his spoon into his bowl, listening to the silver clink against the fancy ceramic. His mother made good use of their wealth, make no mistake. “By asking me to do this, you are also asking some pup wet behind his ears to handle some high level stuff. And if he messes up, guess who gets blamed? Me!”

His mother scoffed. “No son of mine will ever take the blame for some other wolf’s shortcomings. Plus, you’ve trained those whelps better than any other Captain I’ve ever seen. There’s nothing to fear, my love! Just make sure his paperwork is rushed through so that I can get my hands on that facial cream. Banta keeps bringing it up during our meetings and I’ll be damned if some butcher’s wife gets to hold her bag of brags over my head. I will have that cream and I will have it today! Understood?”

Jonghyun picked up his spoon and begrudgingly brought another spoonful of cold soup to his lips. “Yes, Mother.”




Being a Captain in the Dinfire army was supposed to be full of action and bravery. At eighteen, all he dreamed of were daring escapades into feral woods to protect their territorial lines, clashes with thieves and bandits, the chance to stop an uprising should one ever occur. However, none of that ever occurred. Ever. At least not where he could be involved.

For him, for now, a Captain’s duties included infantry training–boring–security checks–boring!–and worst of all, vendor compliance–BORING!

On a normal day, Jonghyun was in charge of overseeing all gold level vendors. The big names; the exotic fruit merchants from Mott Argan, the silver merchants from Morroco Song, stuff like that. He was able to meet dignitaries and nobelese–old clans who deemed themselves of noble blood…like that was an actual thing–people who could actually help his career.

Today, he was stuck in the bronze level department. Nobody of any significant importance came through the bronze department. Nobody. By noon he’d seen enough carts of potatoes and barrels of cheaply made nickel that he was going to lose it.

“Where is this jackass anyways!” Jonghyun said as he stamped the papers of a cloth dealer and ushered her through to the inspection line. “If I have to sit here waiting all day for some apothecarist, the least he could do is be on time.”

“Considering there wasn’t a specific time I was told to be here, I wonder what imaginary timeline you are working with?”

Jonghyun whipped around on his stool to the door of the bronze inspection station. Standing there was a young man, tall, maybe his age, who could tell, dressed in a purple tunic, pale brown tights and some kind of quirky winged boots that Jonghyun had never seen before…on anyone…ever. He glanced at the man’s face.

He was very…pretty.

“You would be an apothecarist,” he said as he rolled his eyes.

The young man put a hand on his hip and cocked his head. “And that is supposed to mean what?”

Jonghyun waved his question off. “Nothing. Please step forward.”

The young man walked to Jonghyun’s desk and Jonghyun wondered if it was by some magic that the man glided towards him. He’s a ing fairy or something!

“Papers,” Jonghyun droned lifelessly. The quicker got this over with, the quicker he could get to the woods for his sparring session with Jinki…or get his handed to him by Jinki. Whatever.

The young man reached in to the satchel on his hip and withdrew a folded sheet. He placed it on Jonghyun’s desk and crossed his arms. Jonghyun took the piece of paper, unfolded it and rolled his eyes again. “What is this?”

The young man’s brow rose. “My business licensure?”

“Yeah, but where is your import documents? I can’t do anything with this.”

The young man looked worried for a second before digging back into his satchel. “They didn’t say anything about needing my import paperwork.”

“Well, I need it. You’re going to have to go back and get it.”

The young man sputtered. “Go back? It’s a four day trek from here to Wheph! I can’t just go back! There has to be something you can do.”

Jonghyun placed his chin in his palm and glanced up at the wolf with a bored stare. “Nope. Import papers are specifically designed for importing stuff and you can’t import stuff without import papers.” Jonghyun shrugged. “Sorry…” he glanced at the paper again,” Kibum.”

He said the name with a hint of rancor, which in actuality wasn’t fair. It was a common mistake, however, Kibum had made him wait all day for this lousy interview and his didn’t feel like being accommodating.

However, instead of turning around and going back to whatever corner of Wheph that produced such…pleasant looking men, the young man snatched the paper back from Jonghyun and stood there. “I want to speak with Madam Malamarme. Or your boss. Or anyone other than you. It’s obvious that you don’t know what you are doing.”

Jonghyun sputtered. “Me? Look here, pal, I don’ know what kind of expectations you had or what you guys do in Wheph, but around here, proper paperwork is proper paperwork. And I AM the boss. So no, you can’t speak to Madam Malamarme and no you can’t speak to someone higher than me. Get lost and don’t come back until you have what’s required.”

Sen, the Beta who was usually in charge of the bronze inspection station watched from her desk with an amused grin.

“Hey, Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun was too busy staring fire at Kibum to hear him.

“I said, hey Jonghyun!” she said louder.

Jonghyun ripped his head to the side. “What!?”

“Why don’t you just give him the paperwork? The paperwork by your elbow. The paperwork that says “Import application pass.”

Jonghyun glanced down at his elbow to the stack of papers. Oh, right. Jonghyun winced when he heard a low growl. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a furious Kibum.

“You mean to tell me that you were going to make me go all the way back to Wheph when I could have filled out the paperwork here?”

Jonghyun had the good grace to look apologetic. “Opps?”

Kibum seethed. “Opps? Opps?! Do you know how hard that would have been on me? How expensive? It’s nice to know that you can afford such bull luxuries, but where I’m from, I have to work hard to put food on the table! And you were just going to turn me away because of what?!”

“Calm down, twinkle toes. It was a mistake. Give me back you papers. I’ll stamp them and you can be on your merry ridiculous way.”

Kibum gasped. “Twinkle toes?! How–how DARE you!”

“No, you really need to calm down. I have no problem locking you up for a night to cool off.”

“And then you threaten to imprison me? I have never in my life! I was invited here and you have the nerve, the gall to–“

Jonghyun yawned, reached over, and snatched the paperwork out of Kibum’s hand. Quickly, while Kibum was devising a way to harm him in some probably painful fashion, he poured a dollop of wax on the paper and stamped it with his seal. “Look. I signed it. You don’t even have to worry about the import papers. Go on and get out of my face before you piss yourself to death. Jesu, talk about a temper tantrum!”

Was Jonghyun wrong? Yep! Did he care? Not really. There was something satisfying about seeing Kibum’s pretty little face balled up in anger.

Kibum snatched the paper back, stuffed it into his satchel and with his nose turned in the air, pressed forward to the back of the station that would lead him into town. As he walked by Jonghyun, he threw his shoulder, checking him and laughed as Jonghyun tumbled from his stool.

“You little !”

Kibum threw a twinkling wave over his shoulder. “Have fun being an idiot all day long, you tard.”

“Come back here!”

“Good thing is,” Sen mentioned as she began straightening up her section to leave. “Your day is almost over .”

“You shut it!”




Weeks later after his encounter with Kibum, it still played in his mind and he got upset every single time he thought about it. It wasn’t his fault the fairy boy had forgot his paperwork! He was doing his mom a favor! If Sen hadn’t brought it up, that pixie would have been hiking his back to Wheph!

Trying to forget about it for the umpteenth time that day, he walked through the front door of his house, his shoulders aching from Jinki’s unmitigated brand of teaching Jonghyun a new grappling technique. Sometimes Jonghyun rued the day he met the headstrong shifter from Durkhai. When they sparred, Jinki didn’t hold back his punches…or his kicks…or his bites. Jinki was a real .

Jonghyun lumbered into the kitchen and saw his mother sitting at the table. He distractedly kissed her on the crown of her head. He began making his way to the icebox for a cold slab of meat to place on his aching back when he noticed an unfamiliar crop of black hair sitting across from his mother at the table.

Slowly, he pulled back from the icebox and regretted it the moment he did. You’ve got to be kidding me!

“You,” Jonghyun said with all the venom his voice could muster.

Kibum barely graced him with a glance out of the corner of his eye before he returned to his client, Jonghyun’s mother. “This cream is for under your eyes. It’s a mint mixture so it will sting a little, but a tear or two are just better ingredients for a flawless complexion. Not that I understand why you wanted this in the first place. You can’t be a day over ninety,” Kibum said with a flirty grin.

“Kibum!” Malamarme squealed in delight and slapped Kibum’s arm playfully and Jonghyun wanted to climb to the top of his house and fling his body off of it.

Jonghyun decided to just ignore it, ignore his mother, ignore the weirdo in his house and tend to his bruises. He went back to his original task of getting something cold out of the icebox when he heard his mother gasp.

“Jonghyun! Honey! You’re all black and blue!”

He pulled a wolfish grin. “It’s because I beat Jinki’s . These are battle scars.”

“Jonghyun,” his mother frowned. “You can’t beat Jinki. You never have been able to.”

Jonghyun’s grin withered and his gaze darted from his mother to Kibum, who had the good grace to at least cover his snickering behind his hand.

“Mom,” Jonghyun whined.

His mother ignored him, turning to Kibum. “Last time he sparred with Jinki, he came home less a tooth and a black eye! You should have seen him!”

This time Kibum howled with laughter and Jonghyun glared at him. He really really did not like Kibum.

“Well! Glad you two are having a ripping good time laughing your heads off! If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go heal myself.”

“I have an idea!” his mother exclaimed, stopping Jonghyun in his tracks. She grabbed the slab of meat from Jonghyun and threw it back into the icebox. “Kibum, that wonderful smelling salve you made for me? For my sore ankles? I’ll buy another three jars if you’ll use your healing hands to fix my son up. I can’t have him walking around looking like a battered mate.”

“Mom!”

“Hush up now, Jjongie.” She turned to Kibum. “What do you say?”

“Three more jars you say?” Kibum stood from the table, pushed the chair back under it and smiled. “It would be my pleasure.

Before Jonghyun could get a word in edgewise, his mother dragged him into the back room and pulled his shirt from him, ignoring his shouts ‘to unhand me, woman!’. Next, she more or less shoved Kibum into the room with a “Fix him good as new!” and closed the door behind her.

The two of them stood on opposite sides of the room as awkward silence filled all four corners of it.

Jonghyun shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head. “You don’t have to really do this, you know. A little meditation and a meat slab would fix this.”

“Yeah, but then I don’t get my three extra jars so…” Kibum took a step forward, his eyes everywhere but on Jonghyun’s shirtless form. “Um, if you could lie down. I gotta,” he made a weird gesture with his hands, “rub it in and stuff.”

“Oh, oh, right. Sure.” Jonghyun walked over to the bed and took at seat before shuffling around to lie down. He cushioned his head on his arms. “Like this?”

“Uh, yeah. I’m…um,” Kibum cleared his throat. “I’ve got to kind of…climb on you to reach your back. So…”

Jonghyun lifted his head. “You’ve got to do what?”

“The have to be upward. Trust me, you won’t notice anything when the salve starts to work.”

Jonghyun frowned but nodded and laid his head back down. Kibum awkwardly climbed up onto the bed and straddled Jonghyun’s back. Jonghyun heard him mutter ‘this is so embarrassing,’ and Jonghyun had to agree. The positioning was very…yeah. And also considering the fact that he didn’t like Kibum all that well, then…

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he jumped when he felt the first cool touch of Kibum’s fingers on his back.

“Sorry. It starts off really cold, then it heats up.”

“That’s fine. I can take it.”

Jonghyun shivered as Kibum scooped out another handful of the salve and rubbed it onto his back and he quickly, quickly realized that Kibum was right. Whatever was in that salve was sent directly from the gods. In minutes he felt the pain in his shoulder melt away as the salve heated up and groaned as Kibum’s soft hands dug into his muscles, targeting places Jonghyun didn’t even know existed. Jonghyun’s eyes fluttered closed and he groaned again.

Kibum chuckled. “Feeling good yet?”

Jonghyun couldn’t lie even if he wanted to. “It feels amazing.” He was a little embarrassed at how throaty he sounded but this was by far one of the best experiences of his young life.

“Hey, Kibum?”

Kibum answered with a hum as he switched from one shoulder to the next. Jonghyun bit his lip as Kibum’s hands worked their magic.

“About the whole paperwork thing…”

Kibum snorted. “If you’re going to apologize, then don’t. I don’t really care if you were in a bad mood that day, or if you’re like that all the time. I got through and that’s all that matters to me.”

Jonghyun opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He didn’t want to admit that it bothered him that their encounter wasn’t as bothersome to Kibum as it had been to him. Well… actually he did want to admit it. “Well, just so you know, I’m not like that every, oh god that feels so good, day. I’m a pretty decent person once you get to know me.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen, so I don’t know why we need to have this conversation.”

Jonghyun frowned. “That’s a jerk thing to say.”

“No, it’s not. I’m just being honest. Your mother is my client and you were just an unfortunate happenstance that I quickly dismissed. No foul, no harm.”

Okay, now Jonghyun was not only bothered, he was angry. “An unfortunate happenstance? You say that like I’m some fly that was buzzing around your head or something. I was just doing my job.”

“Poorly, might I add.”

“Hey!”

Kibum huffed, sounding annoyed,and pulled his hands away and Jonghyun missed the warmth the moment that he did. “Okay, I think you’re pretty much cured.” Quicker than Jonghyun would of liked, Kibum hopped up and began collecting his things. Jonghyun sat up and rotated his shoulders. Not one pull of pain or stretch of discomfit. Well, would you look at that!

“I’m leaving an extra jar with your mother. Have her slap it on your back the next time you feel like playing ninja games in the forest. “

“Yeah, okay but–“

The door slammed close before Jonghyun could finish.




“He’s been to my house seven times. Seven! And he’s been to all of my mother’s balls and important meetings and she even had him come to a training session to show off that voodoo salve he used on me. I think it’s voodoo, honest to god, like he put a root on me or something.”

Jinki snorted. “Why? Because you can’t shut up talking about him?”

Jonghyun rolled his eyes at the older shifter. “I can to stop talking about him, okay? Watch. Hey, how’s growing up in that terribly boing hellhole you call a village? Ha! See! Something not Kibum.”

Jinki rolled his eyes and continued to practice his spear on an innocent tree. “Just avoid him if he gets under your skin so much.”

“He–keeps–showing–up–at–my–house! How am I supposed to “avoid” him?”

“Okay, ignore him then.”

Jonghyun started to dispute that, but then, in actuality, it wouldn’t be that hard for him to ignore Kibum, considering Kibum liked to pretend that Jonghyun didn’t exist. He didn’t speak when spoken to; he wouldn’t look Jonghyun’s way when they were in a room together. He completely disregarded Jonghyun’s existence. In totality. But that wasn’t the point. The point was he noticed Kibum’s existence.

A lot. There. He said it. Sort of.

“You can say that because you’ve never met him before.”

Jinki scoffed. “Everyone has met Kibum before. How can you not? We’ve even written each other back and forth a few times. “

That peaked Jonghyun’s interest more than he cared to admit. “And talked about what? His devilry? His sorcery? His complete disdain for the entire population of Earth?”

Jinki laughed “No, we talked about normal things like–wait. You’ve never had a normal conversation with him? Not even one?”

Jonghyun sneered in disgust. “Why should I?”

“Because you’re half in love with–you know what? Nevermind. Pick up your spear and let’s spar. At this rate we won’t be done until after sun fall.”




“Poppy milk? Check. Cinnamon bark? Check. Toasted hemp–why do I have to do this!?”

Jonghyun looked down at the list his mother had provided him and wanted to ball it up and throw it away. They had a servant for this! But currently their servant was pregnant and not even he had the heart to make her shop for them in her condition. Jonghyun sighed and looked over his shoulder to his sister, Sodam, and her mate Byunghee, with a serious roll of his eyes.

He didn’t understand why that insufferable wolf had to follow his sister everywhere she went. Especially when she was back in Dinfire. They never got to see Sodam as it was and every time she visited she brought along him. Jonghyun had hated all of Sodam’s boyfriends in the past but he especially hated Byunghee. Considering the fact that Byunghee outranked him really made him mad.

“Whatever.” He took a sharp right–not like they were paying him any attention to begin with–and followed the alley way down to the hemp dealer. Hemp was fun and cheap so after he’d bought a bushel for his mother, he grabbed a small one for himself. He eyed a pipe he liked, and was reaching over to purchase it too, when another hand, pale with thin fingers, reached over and snatched it off the table.

“I’d like to purchase this, sir.”

Jonghyun’s mouth dropped open in indignation. “Hey! I was going to–Might Jesu! Why? Why are you everywhere that I am?! Why are you always here? Don’t you have your own village?”

In faithful Kibum fashion, he ignored Jonghyun, instead dropping coins in the merchant’s hand for his purchase before walking away. That was the last straw. Jonghyun had had enough. He’d apologized, he’d been courteous and respectful, he’d even tried to be nice a time or two and Kibum spat his attempts back in his face time after time. It was getting to be absolutely ridiculous!

“You know what? That’s it!”

Jonghyun chased Kibum up the long alleyway, catching up to him on the open fairside of the market. He grabbed Kibum’s shoulder and whipped him around.

Kibum snarled when he saw who it was. “Get your stupid dirty hands off of me!”

Jonghyun rolled his eyes but let go. “At least now I know you can actually see me seeing as how you ignore me every single ing time I speak to you.”

“Well lucky you!”

Jonghyun’s mouth dropped open. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say after my bending over backwards to be nice to you?”

“Absolutely.” Kibum shrugged. “Look. You tend to over complicate things. My life is complicated as it is, I don’t need a person like you in it. So consider it me doing you a favor. Now if you’ll excuse me–“

“Wait a minute,” Jonghyun said as he stepped to the right, cutting Kibum’s exit off. “I complicate things?” he sputtered. “Okay, so, yeah, alright, maybe I do but that doesn’t give you the right to dismiss me every time you see me! I am a Captain in the Dinfire Army! I am important around here!”

“And fortunately for me, I am a citizen of Wheph, so your ridiculous titles mean nothing to me.”

Jonghyun’s face balled up. “Take it back.”

Kibum sighed. “Take what back?”

“My title isn’t ridiculous. It is an honor for my family to serve. We are proud of our professions, our contributions to society! You don’t get to step on that!”

“I already did. Good day, Jonghyuk.”

Jonghyun almost turned red in anger. “My name is Jonghyun!”

“Whatever.”

Kibum his heels and began walking in the opposite direction, the tail of his long coat fluttering behind him but Jonghyun wasn’t done with him, not even in the least bit. He reached for Kibum’s shoulder again and missed but his hand landed on the satchel on his hip. He yanked it and the loud sound of the satchel ripping caused everyone in the market to freeze. A few of Kibum’s purchases flew out, including the pipe he’d stole right from up under Jonghyun. His temper made him irrational and Kibum’s indifference made him stupid, so in hindsight, he could see how stomping on the pipe until it broke into a few million small pieces could be a faux pas in building a friendship.

Kibum glanced down at his satchel with wide eyes and then at the broken pipe under Jonghyun’s boot.

“That pipe cost me 4 golden Lycans…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I was there remember? I was going to buy it first!”

“That’s–that’s 10 bottles of salve. I saved up all month for that pipe.”

Jonghyun sniffed. “Well, that’s what you get for being an insufferable !”

“No, you don’t understand. That pipe was for my father. And you just…you…”

Before Jonghyun could get a full scope of the situation, including just how wrong he was, Kibum had launched himself at Jonghyun, claws extended. People in the market gasped, some woman screamed, and it was enough of a distraction for Kibum’s slash to land across his face, his claws digging into Jonghyun’s skin.

“Goddamnit! That hurt!” he said as he cradled his face. Kibum apparently didn’t care as he scooped low and swooped his feet under him, watching as Jonghyun’s body flew into the air and landed on the hard packed dirt with a loud painful grunt. Still surprised by what was going on, Jonghyun could only whimper as Kibum brought his foot down to his midsection, knocking the air out of him.

He finished by kicking a cloud of dirt towards him.

“If I ever see your stupid face again, I will kill you,” Kibum called over his shoulder as he marched away.

So much for having a good day.




“So…?”

Jonghyun sighed and avoided Jinki gaze with every ounce of his being.

“Heard you got into a small little scuffle at the market…”

“Yeah what about it?” Jonghyun said as he polished the blade of another sword. This was his punishment from his father, cleaning all the swords in the armory. And if that wasn’t enough, now he had to listen to Jinki rub it in.

“And I heard he won…”

Jonghyun sighed louder.

“And he was an omega…who…sells makeup. Heard he really whooped your .”

Jonghyun scrubbed harder. “He was strong.”

“You must have really pissed him off. Kibum’s a pacifist, you know? What did you do to him?”

Jonghyun looked up, finally annoyed enough to defend himself. “To him? What did I do to him?! Look at my face! It’s been two weeks and you can still see the scars!”

“Jjong,”Jinki replied as he hung upside down from a tree. “I know you. What did you do?”

“Not enough to look like tiger!”

“Kim Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun threw the sword down and crossed him arms sullenly. “I stomped on his pipe he bought for his father,” he said quietly.

“You did what?”

“I stomped on a pipe he bought for his father!”

Jonghyun groaned. He’d tried to pretend that he had only reacted to Kibum, but hearing it out loud made him feel terrible. Like scum. So what if Kibum didn’t want to be his friend? Did he have to act like a puppy and throw a temper tantrum for the entire village to see? Did he have to take it out on Kibum, ruining his present?

God, he was an .

“Ah,” Jinki smiled. “I can see the reflective goodness shining in those big stupid eyes of yours.” Jinki swung down from the tree to land in a handstand before righting himself up. “You know, you’ll never get him to like you back if you keep acting like a brat around him.”

“I’m not a brat,” Jonghyun muttered. His head shot up as the rest of Jinki’s implication hit him. “And what do you mean ‘get him to like me back’? I don’t like him. I just…he gets under my skin and I don’t like it and I figured the best way to make him stop is to find out why he does. That’s a far cry from ‘liking him.’

Jinki scoffed. “Whatever, friend. What do you plan on doing? Just going to let it go? Take your loss like a big wolf?”

“No,” Jonghyun said, picking up the sword again. “I’m going to do something about it.”




Jonghyun stood in front of the flaps that led into the apocarthy shop with dread. He held an offering in one hand and his travel bag in the other. Sighing, he walked into the shop and rounded the corner. Kibum was right, it was a four day trip, a long weary filled four day trip, one he’d been willing to let Kibum make over a stupid sheet of paper. Jonghyun growled at himself. The last thing Jonghyun needed was another thing to be apologetic about.

At the counter was a red headed man leaned over a mortal and pester, grinding something blue–green.

Jonghyun sniffed as he entered the room and realized that the man was not a wolf. A reptile shifter of some sort.

“Salamander. I’m a Salamander.”

Jonghyun quickly bowed in greeting and walked up to the desk. “You probably get that question a lot.”

“Daily.” The man smiled. ”How can I help you, young man?”

“Ah, yes. I, um. I’m looking for a wolf by the name of Kim Kibum? It said this was his address on his business licensure.”

“Kibum? My son?”

Jonghyun tilted his head to the side. Didn’t this man just say he was a Salamander?

“He’s adopted,” the Salamander said with a smirk, answering Jonghyun’s silent question. “Kibum showed up on my doorstep when he was two demanding a meal. Decades later, he hasn’t left.” He held out his hand. “I’m Park Jungsoo, Kibum’s father. He’s not here. He’s across town at his friend’s house. Minho.”

Jonghyun recognized the name. “Ah, your Alpha’s son?”

“That’s the one. It’s a straight shot if you have the time. If you follow the bend back to the main road, you can’t miss it. It has a yellow stripe painted on the bottom step.”




It was a quick trip, only an hour time to get across Wheph. When he found the house with the yellow stripe, he also found some lanky, shaggy haired young man sitting on its porch reading a book. The youth had a funny smell to him and Jonghyun scrunched up his nose. He wanted to ask why but his mother told him it was rude to ask a wolf about his scent. Eventually the young man raised his eyes from the book. His brows rose as he noticed Jonghyun for the first time.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise?”

Jonghyun looked around and behind him to see if the young man was talking to someone else because he didn’t understand how meeting a stranger could be a surprise. “You talking to me?”

The young man laughed, closed his book and sat forward, his fingers steepled under his chin. “You must be Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun nodded, although confused.

“Short with a lot of muscles. Just his type. It’s a wonder he can’t stand you.”

Jonghyun quickly realized what he’d stepped into. “You’re Minho,” he said, frowning.

Minho nodded.

“Is Kibum here?

Minho nodded again.

“Well, can I speak to him? I just traveled four days, by myself, to see him.”

“Impressive. He’ll like that. ” Minho stood, and Jonghyun was sickened with just how tall Minho was. A Salamander with a wolf for a son and this freak wolf giant! Man, this place is weird! Minho smirked down at him before he turned towards the door. “Stay right here. I’ll go get him for you.”

Jonghyun heard Minho yell towards the back of the house before the door snapped shut. There was a loud ‘Who?!” before Kibum came flying out of Minho’s house, pushing his sleeves up as he did.

“Did you come all the way out here to get your kicked again? I told you I’d kill you if I ever saw your stupid face again!”

Jonghyun had let Kibum get the upper hand on him twice, but he wasn’t about to let it happen again. He quickly dropped his travel bag and ducked when Kibum threw his first swing. He blocked the second swing easily by catching Kibum by the wrist, rolling his eyes as Kibum tried to pull away. Eventually, he twisted his arm until it was hiked high behind Kibum’s back. He tugged on it when Kibum refused to stop moving.

“You didn’t think I was going to let that happen again did you?”

“Let go of me!”

“You swung at me buddy! Not the other way around! I’m just defending myself.”

“When you let me go, I’m going to rip your head from your body and wave it around town like it was a kite!”

Jonghyun laughed humorlessly. “Your vitriol is appreciated but come off of it. You’re trying to claw my face off again when all I did was come here to apologize!”

That must have shocked Kibum because he stopped moving. Jonghyun took that moment to shove him away just in case he changed his mind about redecorating his face again.

“Give me like, 30 seconds and then if you still feel like killing me after this, you can.”

Jonghyun inhaled, reached down and grabbed the second bag he’d carried with him and reluctantly fell to one knee. He sighed.

“As a wolf of Dinfire, I find my behavior towards you in the market to be deplorable and undignified. I apologize for tarnishing your honor…or whatever, and for ruining a very valuable gift.” Jonghyun held out his hands and offered the bag to Kibum.

“An olive tree.”

“A what?”

“An olive tree! For peace-making and such!”

“Do you mean an olive branch?”

“A what?” Jonghyun scratched his head. “Yeah, yeah, whatever!”

“What is that anyways?” Kibum said nastily.

“Take it.”

Kibum slowly took a few steps towards Jonghyun and plucked the bag from his hands. At this point, Minho had rejoined them on the steps and was looking out over them with more amusement than Jonghyun appreciated.

As Kibum opened the bag, Jonghyun heard him gasp and bit his bottom lip to refrain from smiling. He had to show completely humility. He figured it was the only way to get in the pretty man’s good graces.

“That is a pipe I had especially commission for you. It was rinsed in the water of the The Blood Forged Lake and inlaid with gold. I figured this would be a respectable replacement for the gift I ruined.” Jonghyun stood. “I hope this is enough to let you know how sorry I am,” Jonghyun said softly. “I kind of just wanted to be your friend but you kept throwing it back in my face and I got angry. I’m sorry.”

Jonghyun waited for a nasty retort but no, nothing. Kibum was quiet for a moment, eventually squeaking out a small, quiet “Thank you”. Jonghyun finally exhaled.

“And they both lived happily ever after!” Minho whistled from the porch. “How romantic. That’s the best flirting I’ve ever seen in my life!”

Both Jonghyun and Kibum pulled up short.

“Flirting?! Where you get a stupid idea like that from?” Jonghyun sputtered.

“I can barely stand him! Why would I flirt with him! “Kibum returned.

Jonghyun pointed back at him! “He’s not even that cute!

Kibum’s lip curled as he turned towards Jonghyun. “Oh, ho! You hold your tongue, not only am I cute, I am perfect.”

Jonghyun scoffed. “Get over yourself. You’re only pretty. Perfect is taking it a bit far there buddy.”

“Well have you seen anyone more gorgeous?” Kibum asked, his hands on his hips.

“Actually no!” Jonghyun yelled. “But that’s not the point! You’re not perfect!”

“So you’re admitting you think that I’m pretty. “ Kibum asked, smirking.

“Yes. I think you’re beautiful!“

Jonghyun blinked, realizing what he’d just said. Kibum realized it too and his mouth dropped open. There was then the longest stretch of silence Jonghyun had ever heard in his life. He was sure he was going to die of embarrassment.

“You honestly…think I’m beautiful?” Kibum asked, almost inaudible.

“Uh…”

Jonghyun panicked. Like his tail was on fire panicked. Like he’d broken his mother’s favorite vase panicked. Like he’d traveled four days to come out here to apologize only to end up confessing some he’d only just realized.

“Um…”

Jonghyun made up his mind. He his heels and not walked, not ran, but fled Wheph as fast as he could.

His only consolation prize for fleeing with his tail between his legs?

Before he could get out of earshot, he heard “Told you he liked me.”

Minho chuckled. “Doesn’t count because you didn’t tell him you liked him, too.”

Okay. That was worth the trip.