Moving the Wrong Direction

            Within days, Kyuhyun looked visibly better.  He had better coloring, he’d gained some weight, and he had regained strength.  He was also no longer content just to lie in bed all day and either wandered around the quiet areas of the clinic or found a corner to read in.  The poor man hadn’t read a single book in over two years and kept picking out new books from the clinic library, which Ryeowook didn’t consider great books to begin with, but compared to nothing, it was probably a goldmine.  He asked his cousin if he wouldn’t mind bringing a few better ones over as well for the newcomer to read, when he had time to visit. 

            Of course, Kyuhyun assumed that no one would visit him at the clinic since no one technically knew him.  This was not the case.  The first to drop by—on the pretext of visiting his mate and his best friend at work—was Sungmin.  He’d brought over some leftover cake from lunch.  Enough for them and the new clan member.  Then he insisted that Ryeowook introduce him.  Sungmin, despite the fact that Kyuhyun seemed a little uncomfortable talking at length to anyone he didn’t know, still managed to stay for an hour and didn’t stop drilling the alpha about his past until he was satisfied he had enough news to keep the other clan members entertained for dinner. 

            Unfortunately for Kyuhyun, these drop-ins happened two or three times a day.  The only people that Kyuhyun seemed genuinely happy to walk into the room were the two doctors, Ryeowook, and Eunhyuk.  Since Eunhyuk had been on duty patrolling the area when Kyuhyun wandered into the territory, the alpha felt more endeared to him.  After initially getting to know each other through a few chats, it turned out that the pair actually got along well and Kyuhyun would often ask Ryeowook if his brother-in-law was on duty that day or free to visit, as Eunhyuk was mated to Ryeowook’s brother, Donghae. 

            Kyuhyun also did not seem upset to be visited by Leeteuk and Heechul, but he was clearly on edge around his new chief and kept very quiet.  Thankfully, after a week, the visits died down and peace settled over the clinic once again. 

            Ryeowook walked into the alpha’s room bright and early one morning, surprised to find him awake and dressed, reading in a chair by the window.  “You’re up early!”

            Kyuhyun grinned over at the little nurse, carrying in another large tray of food.  “I had a nightmare early in the morning and couldn’t fall back asleep afterwards.”

            The nurse set down the tray and then sat down on the bed, opposite the alpha.  “What kind of dream?”

            Kyuhyun set his book on his lap and glanced out the window at the falling snow, fluffy and white.  “My mother was an omega, as you are.  I don’t know if I told you that.  But she was unmated.  She was just a plaything for lustful alphas and was repeatedly by them, whenever they wanted her.  I walked in on them a few times by accident.  It isn’t the kind of memory you like to remember intentionally…but they come back to me in my dreams sometimes.”

            This wasn’t something unheard of.  Ryeowook had been warned of what some other clans were like.  That was why it was so important for him to stay within the boundary lines of their territory.  There was no telling what could happen to him, if some lone wolf or other clan got ahold of him. 

            Their previous conversation, on the day they’d met, made much more sense now.  Kyuhyun had seen the hurt and horror that alphas could cause, if they let themselves give in to their base needs and do as they wished without regard for how their actions affected others.  After seeing his own mother hurt by alphas in her own clan, Ryeowook knew that Kyuhyun would never allow himself to fall to their level. 

            “I’m sorry about your mother.”

            Kyuhyun nodded.

            “Is she still alive?”

            He shook his head.  “When I was old enough—when she figured I didn’t need her anymore—she attempted to escape.  She was captured, tortured, , and eventually killed as a result.  That was when I decided that I wanted to kill our chief and take over the clan.  I just didn’t wait until I was old enough or strong enough.  I was naïve, thinking I could defeat him.”

            Ryeowook reached out and grasped Kyuhyun’s hand, squeezing it.  “At least you tried.  Most men would lack the courage.”

            “Courage, I had.  Wisdom, I lacked.”

            “Hearing about your childhood makes me realize how privileged I’ve been all my life.  I have only ever lived here,” Ryeowook admitted, standing up and dragging the table over to Kyuhyun.  Then he brought over the food tray, encouraging the alpha to eat.  “Although I sometimes wonder what the rest of the world looks like.”

            “It looks a lot like me, when I first showed up here,” Kyuhyun grumbled, picking up his chopsticks. 

            Before Ryeowook could explain that he’d like to see some of the places other wolves talked about, there was a knock at the door and Kangin walked in.  “Hello?  Am I interrupting?”

            “Kangin!” Ryeowook exclaimed, rounding the bed to greet his cousin.  “No, of course not.  I’m just forcing food down my patient’s throat.”

            “He will if I don’t eat willingly,” Kyuhyun said between bites.

            “Mmm…nice to know I’m not the only one he tortures,” Kangin said, walking into the room and sitting down at the foot of the bed.

            Kyuhyun curiously looked from Kangin to Ryeowook.  “Thank you again, Kangin, for bringing me to see the chief,” he said.

            It was, in fact, the first time that Kangin had bothered coming to see the new member.  This was partly because he didn’t care as much about the gossip going around as most people did and figured he would eventually come to his own conclusions on what he thought of the new alpha and partly because he’d been out patrolling along the northern border, which was a long trek from the den. 

            Kangin waved off Kyuhyun’s thanks.  “I’d seen you around the northern line several times before and you never hassled us.  I figured, if you were brave enough to w