Kai tried so damn hard to dispel of the image of his mate, but it wouldn’t disappear. The image only pounded in his head, insistent that he should always remember. Kai was sure that there was no way that he would forget such perfectness, even if he wanted to.

Maneuvering to the kitchen in quick paces, so he could return to his mate hastily, he grabbed a steel tray and began filling it up. He realised this wasn’t the first time he’d done this. He grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with red cordial, and then pinched slices of banana, pears, mangoes and apples into a dish. He reached for a nutrition bar-

“Who are you trying to feed with that?” Sehun sauntered into the kitchen. His hair was disheveled, and he was donned in nothing but his boxers and a white fluffy robe which was undone in the middle. Sehun looked at the tray, before he grabbed the cordial and drunk it down.

“Hey!” Kai slapped his chest.

Sehun spluttered and choked on the drink. “W-What the hell?”

“That’s mine.” He pilfered the cup from his hand, washed it thoroughly and re-filled it again to the brim.

Sehun eyed him suspiciously while he wiped his cheeks where some of the drink caught, “Are we really going to fight over this?”

Kai looked away with an annoyed blush. He wasn’t supposed to do that to Sehun- heck, he was the King and the father of her mate! He had the authority to get his whipped if he wanted.

Immediately, the thought sobered him from his rising irritancy. When he inspected Sehun closer, he almost resembled a zombie. His skin was pallid with worry, and his eyes shadowed with tired bruises. His weight was more slight too. Kai would bet that no one paid attention, because of the relaxed facade Sehun portrayed. Right then, Kai felt like a traitor to his close friend. Whilst he was worrying like death over his missing daughter, little did he know that the very person he was frenetically searching for was upstairs, and tangled in his bed sheets. He loathed himself for it, but he knew if he told Sehun, he wouldn’t see his mate again. He couldn’t risk it. Too many years had been wasted.

“Sorry, I’m just out of it lately.”

“Tell me about it.” Sehun trailed to the pantry, and examined its items. “Have you got any reports from Taemin about the search? He told me that you would be informed if they caught any lead on my baby girl.”

Kai considered himself lucky that Sehun’s back faced him. If the King stared him right in the eye, he would see the engraved guilt in his eyes. Before Kai answered, he cursed himself a million deaths for lying, “No, I haven’t heard anything.”

Sehun’s shoulders slumped in dejection, and Kai noted how the man’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the pantry handle tightly. “. I should be used to bad news being delivered over and over, but I feel like a failure. Chaeyoung is suffering over this, and it’s my fault that I wasn’t there to protect my daughter during the raid. I miss my baby so much. Just the other day I went to a special Oracle. She placed me in a deep sleep where I was able to contact Yoon for a few minutes…” His voice turned hoarse with emotion, “You should’ve seen her Kai. She’s so beautiful like her mum and sister. So headstrong and courageous…So Yoon. The moment I saw her, I wanted to embrace her and return her home. It really messes with my head that I can’t get her back or even find her for goodness sakes! I’m her father! Her papa!”

Kai felt his lips part to confess. The guilt was pouring out of him, and he couldn’t stand the devastation in Sehun. Every time he encountered the man, he was always solemn and a bit playful. Now, he truly saw Sehun. He was utterly wrecked.

Sehun abruptly cleared his throat and straightened up but he still remained with his back facing Kai. “Atleast I have good friends I can rely on to find my baby girl.”

Kai dropped the tray, letting everything crumble to pieces and spill. Sehun began towards him, but he held his palms out, “Clumsy me. I’ll fix it up.” Kai fell to his knees, and began placing things onto the tray.

“Don’t worry. What are friends for?” Sehun picked up the sharp fragmented glasses.

Kai backed up, and Sehun glanced up at him in bafflement, “Are you okay Kai? You need the physician? I’ll call her.”

“No. I’m fine. Perfectly fine.” Kai assured.

“Jongin, you don’t look good.”

Cringing at the soft-spoken words, Kai knew he had to get out of there. He thought he would never find himself in this position, but here he was- fighting where his loyalty lay.  Wolves were extremely loyal to the point death was something that would be compromised if loyalty was the prime reason. His loyalty was already blurry attributable to the fact that he was omitting important things Sehun would want to hear about Yoon. He’d known Sehun for years, and he was family to him. Nevertheless, here he was betraying S