Chapter 20 – Let’s Mate

We’re finally back at Yuri’s apartment which has become somewhat like a headquarters to us. Yuri is frozen by Hyoyeon to protect me and the rest of us are seated around her couch which Yoona claims is good for coming up with good ideas. I don’t really want to know what kind of ‘good’ ideas they have come up with whilst on this bed so I change the subject quickly.

“Hyoyeon, what’s the solution? You said you have it.”

For some reason, the look on Hyoyeon’s face far from comforts me and I can feel my heart pounding away as I await her answer.

“There are a few solutions but right now, there’s only one.”

Hyoyeon shifts and I know immediately that she’s nervous. Why is she nervous though? Is the solution undesirable? “What’s the solution?”

Hyoyeon coughs and stalls but my patience is running out. Was running out, I correct myself. It has already run out.

I shoot Hyoyeon my iciest glare and ask for the last time. “What is it?”

If she stalls just one more second…

“Yougottadoit.”

“What?”

“Yougottadoit.”

“You’re speaking too fast. Slow down.”

“Jessica unnie, I think she said ‘you gotta do it’,” Seohyun explained.

“Do it?”

By this time I’m grabbing Hyoyeon’s arms and shaking her.

“What do you mean ‘do it’? What do I have to do!”

“Sica! Calm down.”

“Okay, okay.” I release Hyoyeon’s arms and take a step back before folding my arms. “I’m sorry. Please. Explain clearly. I can’t take this anymore.”

“Seulji must have used this spell to get Yuri to mate with her because this spell will make Yuri mate with whoever she kisses and holds hands with.”

“Can you not use the word ‘mate’? It sounds so wrong. And what exactly are you trying to say right now?”

Hyoyeon takes a deep breath and begins to back away from me as she says, “Yuri held hands with you. She also kissed you. That means the spell has taken effect and cannot be reversed. The only way out of this is for Yuri to mate with you. Nobody else will satisfy her.”

I swear my eyes are as wide as the full moon on a dark, dark night. “M-Mate with m-me?” I instinctively wrap my arms around myself, protecting myself from ert Yuri. “No one else will do?”

By now, Hyoyeon is peeking out from behind Seohyun as she nods and says, “Yes. Yuri has to mate with you. And only you.”

I back away from Yuri and end up sitting on the couch as I stare at Hyoyeon.

“You can’t be serious. We aren’t…we aren’t ready to take that step yet!”

“I’m ready.”

I whip around to glare at Yuri and snap, “Oh shut up, Yuri. You’re under a freaking spell. Of course you’re ready. But I’m not. I’m not ready to mate with anybody.”

“Not even me?” Yuri asks with a pout and my mouth opens and shuts without a word.

Truth be told, I had enjoyed the kisses with Yuri and her touch had felt really good. But this is different! This is… Not when the whole world knows what we’re going to do! No! It’s supposed to be natural, spontaneous and most importantly, private!

“I don’t mean it like that, Yuri.”

“What do you mean, then?”

I cough and splutter and my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Do we really need to have this conversation in front of everyone?!

“Jessica, if you won’t do it with Yuri, she’s going to suffer. Her desires will only grow stronger and stronger and she may lose control of herself. You need to help her.”

“There has to be another way, Hyoyeon. Isn’t there another way?”

Hyoyeon shakes her head. “According to the e-book, this is the only way left.”

“Well, your magic !” I snap and flare up. “You’re fired! I refuse to listen to you anymore! Go back to wherever you come from and bring back somebody who knows magic better than you do!”

Hyoyeon’s mouth curves downwards into a sad pout and Yoona and Seohyun throw their arms around her immediately.

“Jessica unnie! That was such a mean thing to say to Hyoyeon unnie!” Seohyun chatises me with a disapproving frown.

“Yeah, that wasn’t very nice of you,” adds Yoona.

The way they look at me makes me feel incriminated and something in me snaps.

“Put yourselves in my shoes then!” I burst out angrily. “Try going out with someone like just once and have your bodies switched. Then after you go through 1001 obstacles and finally think that things are back to normal again, have some fairy tell you in front of all your friends, that you have to mate to break a spell. Yoona, will you mate with Seohyun if it were you?”

Yoona covers Seohyun’s ears immediately. “You didn’t hear that Seohyun. Jessica unnie is just ranting. Hear no evil. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“See! None of you would! And yes, I’m ranting. I’m ranting because I’m totally pissed with things. I mean, honestly, can you believe the situation?!”

There is a moment of awkward silence when everyone silently acknowledges that I’m right and I have the right to be angry. Yet, there is nothing they can do to help and they know that. But most unexpectedly, Seohyun speaks up.

“Jessica unnie, if that is the only way to help Yoona, I would mate with her.”

There is a series of loud gasps in the living room as everyone including Yoona turns to Seohyun in shock. Seohyun looks at us steadily with her eyebrows furrowed, eyes earnest and lips pressed determinedly.

“If someone I love is in need of help, I will help, no matter the act, so long as it doesn’t harm another. In my opinion, mating with someone you love isn’t the worst thing to do to save someone. Unless you don’t actually love Yuri…?”

What…? I’m stunned by Seohyun’s question. Do I love Yuri? What? How did it end up like this?

“Uh…” I stutter but Seohyun seems to be determined to resolve our issues as she turns to Yuri who is still frozen stiff (literally).

“Yuri unnie, do you love Jessica unnie?”

Yuri blinks and I protest.

“Yuri is under a spell. Her answer wouldn’t be reliable.”

“Yuri unnie is under a spell of desire, if I understand it correctly. It wouldn’t affect her judgement of feelings,” Seohyun rebuts. “Am I right, Hyoyeon unnie?”

Hyoyeon blinks rapidly for a moment before pulling her phone back out. “Just a minute. Let me consult the e-book.” She taps it a few times before reading what she finds out loud, “Libidinis is a powerful spell that should be used with caution. It will evoke intense urges of desire—thus one of the seven deadly sins—and bring forth chaos if harnessed in the improper. The body is affected but not the soul. The mind remains clear but will be unable to withstand the temptation that their partner brings. This spell is strengthened by physical touch. The more intimate, the stronger and will lead to a powerful that will end it all.”

Everyone is still and silent, shaken by the description of the spell that was cast on Yuri. It certainly sounds ominous.

“I had to use my father’s password to access this spell. It isn’t open to everyone because of it’s hazardous nature and such spells are usually hard to undo. Even my father wouldn’t be able to break this spell,” explains Hyoyeon and I soften my stance, feeling a little sorry for blowing up at her earlier.

“So it doesn’t affect one’s true feelings, which means Yuri unnie can tell if she loves Jessica unnie or not.”

All eyes are on Yuri as soon as Seohyun speaks, including me. And I find myself a little nervous to find out if Yuri has feelings for me or not. I mean, after all this time and all that we’ve gone through…surely…

“I don’t want Sica to have to do it if she doesn’t want to.”

I can’t even blink as Yuri stares straight into my eyes, and our souls connect. I can feel her, her emotions, desires, intentions, and most importantly, something that feels remarkably like…

“I may not be able to control my body but Sica comes first. I will not want it if she doesn’t.”

Just looking at Yuri makes my toes curl. And the words that come from her send a lightning streak of shivers down my spine and I can feel my hairs standing on end. I am warm. I am whole. And never have I felt the little tingles that are dancing around in my tummy. My eyes are growing wet and I have to blink to clear my vision. Yuri, I want my Yuri back.

“Everyone, get out,” I state calmly, my eyes never leaving Yuri’s. “Only Yuri remains.”

Everyone turns to me and stares. It takes a while for them to process what I’ve just said but they eventually begin to walk towards the door. Hyoyeon taps Yuri’s head as she passes by and Yuri slumps onto the couch behind her. I close the distance between us and take her hand in mine, our eyes still connnected as though afraid to part.

The sound of the door opening and closing reverberates throughout Yuri’s now empty apartment and only the sounds of our quickened breaths remain. Now, it’s just the two of us. Yuri and I. And suddenly, nothing else matters anymore. Yuri would do the same for me, I’m sure. She would.

Silently, I tug at her hand and she stands. I lead her into the bedroom and she follows. Her fingers are already caressing my hand but I know that that is the magic within her. She is holding up very well indeed for she has yet to jump on me and devour me. I don’t know how much willpower it is taking her but I can see the veins popping up in her neck as she fights to restrain herself. Oh, Yuri…

“Don’t force yourself,” she says, her words minced hard. Anyone else would think that she doesn’t mean what she says but I know better. So I smile and shake my head.

“I’m not.” I lay my hand on her other arm and step even closer. “I want this.”

“Are…you…sure…?” Yuri is trembling from head to toe and I know that she can’t hold on much longer.

My fingers trail down to my jeans and it. Then, I bring her hand to the zip and whisper, “Let’s mate.”

An animalistic growl rips from Yuri’s throat as her wall of restraint collapses and her hands are all over me. My arms, my waist, my behind, my back, my neck…not a spot is left untouched. Then, her lips are burning a trail up and down my neck as her hands tug at my jeans, eager to get in touch with some skin.

I’m not a passive participant in this either. My hands are pulling at her top and I think I hear the ripping of fabric. Soon, our tops are off and we’re topless, toppling onto the bed behind us. She crawls over me and melts my insides with her intense gaze.

“Sica…” she tries to speak, “…thank you…”

I shake my head and clasp her face in my hands. “It should be three words…”

Yuri blinks and freezes for a nanosecond before crushing her lips to mine. Then, she lifts her head and says in the huskiest voice I’ve ever heard, “I love you.”

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