Faster update than usual right? 

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Five pearls. Just less pearls less and he wouldn’t have been chosen. Five members of the moon tribe had dropped their votes right into his basket, made it five pearls heavier.

There was fear in his eyes. Anxiety ready to erupt from his soul. Miyoung sees it from afar. She feels it in her own chest. It burns and turns, it’s tearing her insides apart.

Five pearls. And he was chosen. The Wolf Moon shined bright in the clear sky. Chilled air left his lips in soft white wisps. He was sullen, he always looked sullen. But this time he looked scared. And Miyoung wanted to run through the crowd, she wanted to break the laws of Ketua and beg for his life. She wanted to carry him away to safety. She wanted…

She wanted to kill the monster wolf. Before it could eat the man she loved.

Miyoung’s lips trembled as his eyes met hers from across the sea of people. He tried to smile, tried to reassure her with his calm eyes that it was alright. Was he thinking this was an honor? To die for their people? To offer himself to the monster wolf so that their people could live in peace?

No more.

“I will kill it.” She promises under her breath. And she knows that he’s understood what she said, because he looks alarmed suddenly. But it doesn’t matter.

“I will kill it. Before it kills you.”

They should stop now. It was already a great risk they took, it was something the entire moon tribe would never forgive them for. But they did it. They were lucky enough that the consequences of their actions turned out in their favor. But it should stop here and now.

Minseok has a grave feeling that if they pursue this, the future of their clan and the moon tribe will be unknown.

“We are partners in this dear cousin.” Miyoung reminds him. The male healer knows this. Since young ages the two had been attached at the hip. Although Minseok was a few years younger, Miyoung had always played with him, taught him, and become his ultimate partner in life.

When she had come to him with this proposal, this trickery to get their way, he thought it was just that, a trick. Then, as she had put it, “We’ll be free from the wolf’s clutches.”

If he had known then that her plan was more elaborate, that there was darkness at the end, then her dearest cousin might have backed out.

“We should stop now.” Minseok urges, “This path is dangerous Miyoung. It could mean the end of our people. What we did is unforgivable, if Candra Suku knew what we did, if the Doprajurit clan knew what we did they—“

“They will never know. We are the strongest dukuns, the best in our clan. Our act was untraceable and it worked Minseok, it worked! We need to continue. The new moon is our only chance!”

His gut screams at him in protest. This is not the right path and they need to stop.

“I helped you become the dukun you are today!” Ketua’s voice rises slightly as her patience wavers, “You are in charge of suci kado! A most respected position that you wouldn’t hold without me! You hold power in our clan because of me, I taught you everything you know! Give me this Minseok! Give me my revenge!”

The dukun cannot find any threat in her speech. For at his core he cares not for power, if he is left to be a plain healer like the rest then he is quite content. He only ever wanted to rise with Miyoung, to support his dearest cousin and friend. But her words are prickling his skin, making him frown as she spits nasty words at him.

Tense silence fills the air. Miyoung glares for a while before a small upturn at the corner of her lips bloom. Smugness. She has one last card, and Minseok readies his heart for what she is about to play.

“That sweet induk offered himself to me.” She sighs, “I thought about taking him for myself.”

It feels like ice water is dripped down his neck. Minseok’s back straightens immediately and his eyes ignite with fury. She knew. She’s known. Since they were young.

“I recognized him the second he stood before me, kneeled before me, asked to be my mate. I thought for a moment that he would be a wonderful lover, enthusiastic in pleasing me every night. Don’t you think?” she asks so gently but stabs Minseok’s heart so deeply.

His chest hurts, she knew. Is this what revenge did to her? Was the hate for this monster so deep?

“Don’t you dare.” His voice is coarse. If he starts to yell he might lose control.

“Help me dear cousin,” Miyoung smiles, “And I’ll arrange the marriage immediately. He will be all yours to cherish till the end of your days.”

Since they were young. She knew. And she had just used it against him. This hate had consumed her, that much was evident. He sighs heavily. The one thing he wanted, the one person he had secretly held in his heart for such a long time.

“Don’t arrange the marriage. I will help you, but leave him.” He whispers, “And we wait till the Harvest moon.”

Miyoung smiles brightly, “I can wait. Your promise is all I need.”

His heart feels heavy and his instincts are on high alert. They beg and cry but he cannot listen.

Sehun’s small smile is etched in his memory.

“I promise.” Minseok sighs.

The first thing he sees is bright blue. It expands forever, it’s clear and beautiful. And Kyungsoo almost smiles, because he thinks the wolf has finally brought him outside again, but then his heart skips a beat.

His spine shoots straight up and his head whips back and forth wildly. There was no wolf, no cave, and the yellow eyes are the last memory he has.

It takes a few glances back and forth and a few moments for his mind to register where he is. The earth is soft still, rough with thick leaves layered on top of one another, but soft underneath. Each breath he takes is easy, for the air is thinner around him. And despite the sun beating down from above Kyungsoo finds he is not feeling warm for he is under the shadow of a massive gather of trees. It’s quite a paradise where he is. He can still smell the freshness of the lake, feel the sun above and he’s protected by the cool shade. It almost makes the enormous piles of massive jaguars all around him unnerving.

Jaguars. Enormous beasts ranging from the brightest golds with spots down to pitch black coats. Their bodies are draped over one another, over and over again they multiply all around him. At least 50 of them. No more than 100. And they are giant, as giant as the wolf. Unnaturally large.

Movement beside him makes Kyungsoo jump. And his mind racks a thousand miles a minute on what to do as the golden cat behind him shifts slightly. It moves its massive head and before Kyungsoo can swallow it lifts onto all fours. It’s definitely just as big as the wolf.

Yellow eyes blink at him. The same yellow eyes.

It moves close, until its whiskers tickle Kyungsoo’s shoulder. Warm puffs of breath fan over his face. Kyungsoo stays still. Maybe if he doesn’t move he stands a chance.

A strangled cry leaves his throat when the jaguar tucks its head under Kyungsoo’s chin. And it nuzzles.

Nuzzles.

It rubs its face right into his neck, its fur is incredibly soft and warm, and Kyungsoo is almost pushed backward by the force of it all. But his arms reach out to wind around the long neck as the cat begins to emit deep purring against his chest.

He hadn’t expected that.

And he doesn’t expect the cat to shimmer suddenly. Kyungsoo blinks. A man lays on top of him. Yellow eyes smile down at him and a head of golden hair is tilted to the side.

“I hope father lets me keep you.” The man chuckles before the tip of Kyungsoo’s nose. The induk feels his mind spinning. A wild cat had turned into a man, just as the wolf had done. Had the forest always held such magnificent creatures? How had the dukun and the pencari not discovered these animals with magic beyond their imaginations?

“Keep me?” Kyungsoo asks, unsure of what that means and if that implies danger for himself.

Yellow eyes scrunch up as the man smiles, “I found you, I keep you.” The creature announces proudly but then scowls after, “Unless you’re tainted. Then I must eat you.”

Eat him? Kyungsoo does not like the sound of that. He bites back a sound of discomfort as a warm tongue laps at his face and he’s embraced so tightly he feels all the air rush from his lungs. At least it’s not sharp teeth, he tries to assure himself, or cold glares from across a damp and cold cave.

“If you are not tainted, I will keep you and cherish you.” The man coos against his neck. Kyungsoo’s gut twists at that comment.

“W-what do you mean?” he asks breathlessly as the embrace seems to tighten further.

“You are what most of my pack looks for in a mate, small and beautiful, but strong and determined.” The golden haired man nibbles gently at the crook of his neck, thankfully not the side where his wolf bite still sits bruised. Kyungsoo tries to shift away slightly as silent alarms go off in his mind. The jaguar had simply dragged him away kicking and screaming, and now seemed to be claiming him.

And the hot and heavy weight rubbing against his thigh could not be ignored.

“I cannot wait to bury my seed in you, let my little kittens grow inside you.” the purr vibrates into his neck.

Kyungsoo seemed to be only good for producing children in this enchanted forest filled with beasts. The wolf told him he’d only receive shelter and food if a pup was provided, and this jaguar wanted kittens.

He didn’t know this animal’s name and he didn’t know this place. He didn’t know what his life was turning into.

A deep growl emits close to his left and Kyungsoo turns to come face to face with a new pair of yellow eyes. This man is slightly darker in skin tone with black hair, and he seems to be furious.

The caregiver’s mental alarms are blaring now. He shifts with more determination away from the man insistently grabbing at his waist, from the mouth mapping out unwelcomed paths along his chin, and definitely from the getting too close for comfort.

“S-stop please.” He tries.

“Father says he’s been tainted.” The black hair hisses. Kyungsoo’s protests are ignored completely and he cries out when sharp claws dig into his stomach. The blonde man on top of him is slightly beast now. His canines are sharp, and no doubt it is his own claws that have been unsheathed.

“He’s not even awake.” Golden hair scowls.

“He will say that. How did you miss the bite of a wolf?” Black hair’s hand reached out and roughly yanks Kyungsoo’s head to the side. His gasps of pain are ignored as the two jaguar’s inspected the wound.

A chorus of the blonde clicking his tongue is heard, and before Kyungsoo can blink the world is spinning. He’s hoisted over the blonde’s shoulder and carried through the bodies of giant cats. Well, the endearment had been short lived.

He wished they had been blue eyes. Neon blue eyes.

“Let me go, please.” He whispers.

“I told you,” the creature laughs easily, “You are tainted so I cannot keep you. I have to eat you.”

It should be the most terrifying thing he’s heard. But it’s not.

“We shall eat you.” The black haired man appears to Kyungsoo’s left, “After we hunt you.”

Hunt him?

It clicks into place quickly as Kyungsoo is tossed at the foot of forest where it grows thick. He stares at the dirt clenched in his hands. He feels the stares on his back.

He doesn’t think about it, doesn’t hesitate, Kyungsoo jumps up and runs. His muscles scream in protest, his lungs are struggling, but he runs. Even as he hears the chuckles of laughter behind him, he runs. He jumps over massive roots, he trips on rocks, and he dodges thick tree trunks. He runs.

It’s not until he has to gasps for air that he realizes he’s been screaming.

Kyungsoo has been screaming at the top of his lungs. He sounds desperate and scared. He’s weeping as he goes, and he’s definitely screaming one word. One unmistakable word. It’s not just a scream. It’s a cry for help.

Yifan.

Definitely a short chapter, but I felt like the point of view from Kyungsoo was important. Anywho! I ttook me a minute but I think I have a good feel for my characters and where they are going. So hopeuflly there's mor progression in the next chapter between these two!

Hope you all are enjoying the plot that's slowly unfolding!

Thank you for all the support!

Much love doves,

Porter