Chapter 22

The two wolves fell to the ground in a ball of fur and teeth. Luhan had the upper hand, having caught Changmin by surprise, but soon the other boy's superior strength tipped the odds in his favour. He tore at the fur of Luhan's shoulder but with a fierce kick of his hind paws Luhan scrambled out from underneath. He barely paused before throwing himself back into the fight.

With his muzzle wrinkled and his teeth bared he snapped and clawed at Changmin's face. He forced him back against the lockers with the ferocity of his attack but his slashes and bites were uncontrolled. Changmin ducked and lunged, grabbing Luhan by the throat. They tumbled back onto the ground tangled together.

Luhan yelped as he tried to twist away and Changmin's paw jammed into his eye for a moment. He felt teeth meet in the scruff of his neck and scrambled wildly against the smooth floor. Changmin growled and shook him. With a huge effort Luhan tore himself away. He bucked his body upwards and knocked Changmin aside.

He leapt at him, aiming for his throat, too angry to hold back or think of the consequences. All he knew was that this other wolf had touched Xiumin, kissed him, done God knows what to his body. The idea of it made him so frantic with anger that he barely even noticed when teeth met around his leg.

Changmin let go and him away. His fur was bloody, ruffled and torn in places. His breath was coming fast. Luhan leapt forward again, barely pausing, but Changmin was up and ready for him. He barged him aside, his greater weight and stronger build making it hard for Luhan to knock him over.

He tried again but Changmin snapped at his face and barrelled into him when he tried to dodge aside. He hit the lockers hard, the breath knocked from him and found himself pinned beneath Changmin's body.

He yelped and squirmed as claws raked through his fur but Changmin only stopped when he went limp. Growling a warning he ever so slowly eased off him. Luhan gasped as the weight left his body and he tried to get up. He snarled but had barely moved before Changmin had slammed him back to the ground again.

He stepped back and shifted back into his human form. His lip was bleeding and there were scratch marks all over his arms.

“You're pathetic.” He looked down at Luhan with a frown and a little shake of his head.

He his heel and grabbed his bag from the floor on the way out. Luhan tried to pull himself up, not wanting to be beaten yet, but his leg buckled under him and he collapsed back to the floor.

“Thank you for helping out again. Kyungsoo would have killed me if I ruined the kitchen.”

Xiumin shook his head, smiling as he finished wiping down the counter. The damage Kai's kitchen experiment had caused was mostly superficial. He was sure he could have fixed it himself.

“You don't need to keep thanking me.” He flashed him a smile over his shoulder. “I did it for the kitchen, not you.”

Kai whipped a towel at him and they were both still laughing when Luhan appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. One of his eyes was black already, his lip split and angry red wounds all over his neck. He favoured one leg to stop the other one hurting too much.

“Luhan!” Xiumin rushed towards him with a gasp. “What happened? Who did this to you?”

Luhan shied away from his boyfriend's hands. His eyes were dark and cold.

“Let me get the first aid kit.” Xiumin turned away but Luhan stopped him before he had even taken a step, his grip tight around his wrist.

“Come with me,” he said in a low voice. He hadn't once even looked at Kai who was left behind as Luhan limped to the bedroom with his boyfriend in tow.

“Luhan, what happened?” Xiumin asked as soon as they were alone. His voice was tight with worry. “Who did this?”

His lover him with a tense expression. “Changmin,” he growled.

Xiumin's heart stopped. How had this happened? Changmin wouldn't do something like this. He was gentle and kind and he would never do anything to hurt him.

“Did you cheat on me?”

The question caught Xiumin by surprise. His body flushed hot and cold at the same time. He knew his answer came too late for Luhan to believe him.

“N-no, of course not.”

Luhan stepped in closer, his eyes colder than Xiumin had ever seen them. He felt his hands begin to tremble.

“He said he already had you.”

Xiumin's head shook automatically. He was caught in Luhan's gaze like he thought he was about to pounce.

“Lu, I would never cheat on you, I swear. I love you.”

The other boy swallowed and then he asked a little more softly. “So you didn't sleep with him?”

Xiumin opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out. If he said no it would be a lie but how could he explain things now?

“Xiumin,” said Luhan desperately when he saw him pause.

“It was a long time ago,” Xiumin blurted. “Before I even knew you.”

His partner's eyes went wide, unable to hide his pain. He took a step back unconsciously.

“I'm sorry.” Tears had begun to well in Xiumin's eyes. “We were together but it was a long time ago. Nothing's happened since he came back, I promise.”

“You were with him?” Luhan asked, stunned.

Xiumin gave a reluctant nod.

“You were a couple? And you didn't tell me?”

He flinched at the sudden anger returning to Luhan's tone, more explosive this time than before. He had every right to be angry but Xiumin wished he wasn't.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered unable to think of anything else to say.

“You're sorry!? Why didn't you tell me? You said you were just friends with him and now I find out you slept with him.”

Xiumin swayed. The way Luhan said it made it sound like something dirty. If he really knew the truth what would he think of him? The things he had done for Changmin, how much he has enjoyed every damn second of it and now hated himself for it.

“Lu, please...”

“No, you're a liar! There was no reason for you to keep this from me.” He stormed towards the door and knocked Xiumin's hand away when he tried to reach for him.

“Don't touch me!”

The door slammed behind him hard enough to shake the frame and Xiumin was left alone, shaking with tears.