Jaejoong was in pain.

That was the only thing he could think of – that is, in those rare moments when he could actually think somewhat clearly. The physical pain that he felt in his nether regions was endless, but the burning sensation spreading over his chest and throat every time he as much as moved a limb was something else. All he wanted was to fall unconscious again, or better yet, terminate it with whatever means possible.

He knew who was responsible for all of this. In his moments of clarity, he saw the face that loomed over his own, the body that embraced him and forced itself onto him. He had never hated anyone so much in his entire existence. He trusted Yunho with himself and the Alpha betrayed him.  

The hands. It was always the hands that came first. Oblivious to everything else, Jaejoong’s inner subconscious tried to pry those hands off himself, but he never won the battle of strength with the other, which at this point made him question whether the fight had taken place in his head only. After all, no matter how hard he tried, he kept being manhandled in the worst possible way.

Then, after Yunho was done with him, the pain subsided, until the next time that the Alpha came into sight. And the cycle would begin again.

The first thing that Yunho noticed when he entered Jaejoong’s room – their room – were the carelessly discarded sheets, with one edge of it hanging just above the floor. With the curtains tightly shut, the dim light entering the quarters was minimal and perhaps that was the reason why it took him a few seconds to locate Jaejoong. The younger was squeezed into the far corner of the room, , hugging his head and knees tightly to his chest as if he wanted to separate himself from any sound or touch that could possibly come.

But he was awake and breathing evenly. While his neck was still immensely pale and far from looking healthily, he was not shaking either. It meant that the heat finally stopped. Yunho sighed heavily, letting out the air he might have as well kept in his lungs since the whole ordeal started.

His young mate picked up on the sound and gingerly looked towards the door where Yunho was still standing with a small tray full of medicine. Although the beautiful blue eyes were partially hidden behind his long fringe, there was no mistaking of the alarm and fear that appeared in them, his body shrinking in even more. But what really broke the Alpha’s heart was the unmistaken note of disdain that coloured his gaze.

Jaejoong had come to both fear and hate Yunho; the older had become the synonym of his suffering, something that could not be helped under the circumstances they found themselves in. Still, the realisation hit him so suddenly that Yunho wished he had never let that air out, because his chest became impossibly tight and he found that he couldn’t catch a breath. It had never been so painful; not even when BoA left.

He put away the tray that he had been holding, his fingers numb, trying to approach Jaejoong as slowly as it was humanely possible but to no avail. The moment he made a move, the younger wolf let out a pathetic whimper. He was terrified.

Yunho lowered himself onto the floor carefully, levelling himself with the other’s line of vision, trying to catch his eye. It wasn’t a fully successful attempt, but at least his presence had been acknowledged. After making sure that Alpha remained in a safe distance, Jaejoong hid his face in between his knees once again.

‘Jaejoongie… Are you still in pain?’ Yunho whispered. After what felt like forever, the other man nodded lightly. Yunho had been expecting this, if he were to be completely honest. For a human body to be continuously enduring a ual act without any significant aftermath, it would have to one of a werewolf. Clearly, Jaejoong’s body did not withstand the consequences of his heat as well as it was predicted and Yunho did not really have to ask to know. It was him who had battled the younger’s resistance and agitation, with his blood and tears. He would not have, was he not aware that not touching Jaejoong meant bringing him even more pain.

‘Can I… Would you let me come closer? I brought you something to alleviate the pain…’ He trailed off after seeing the vehement shake of the blond head. He could not even pretend that it did not hurt like a hot steel through his soul. 

‘You can’t stay on the cold floor forever. Is there somebody else that you would let help you? Jaejoong, please.’ Yunho was not sure why he felt like this. Desperate, begging. Hurt. He had been physically attracted to the blond before, he could not deny that, but the bond seemed to have heighted all the other unspoken emotions hidden inside him, of which he was not yet fully aware. To be so directly rejected by his mate…. Hurt. While the voice inside him reasoned that it was only expected after what happened and he should not take it so personally, it still hurt more than he could take.

‘Changmin.’ Jaejoong finally rasped. Yunho looked up from the floor, not sure if the answer wasn’t just a figment of his own imagination, so much time passed in between. ‘I trust Changmin.’ He creaked again, his voice hoarse from the mindless screaming that involuntarily left his throat during the previous days. Jaejoong touched his own neck in wonder, as if not recognising his own voice anymore.

If the fear in his mate’s eyes hurt him deeply, his words sure felt like a knife right through his heart. I trust Changmin. Yunho had heard these words before, directed at himself, and so to be so suddenly and cruelly pushed away nearly blinded him with rage. He was ready to throw his sanity away and find the younger alpha, to tear him into pieces until there was nothing left.

But he could not. He was the pack’s Alpha. He could not take out his unreasonable aggression out on an innocent wolf. He knew that he should feel thankful instead, thankful that there was at least one friend that Jaejoong considered trustworthy enough to turn to, except that jealousy was a dangerous place that tended to turn its victims into monsters.

Yunho took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. It was not the time to be scaring his mate even further. He would have to deal with those unhealthy emotions later on his own.

‘I’ll get him for you. I-I’ll throw you the blanket, ok? I’m not coming closer. Just… cover yourself. You must be freezing.’ He replied shakily, repositioning himself as slowly as he could. He delicately picked up the quilt and threw it lightly, aiming for the patch of empty floor right next to his mate. After he made sure that the other timidly gathered it towards himself, he left the room and closed the door.

His legs felt like jelly, so he grabbed the back of the nearby standing chair for support. He gripped it tightly, thoughts going back to the situation witnessed just moments ago. Of all people… Jaejoong chose an unmated alpha. Not Yoochun, his closest friend or another equally harmless omega. Was this just a coincidence or was it supposed to be a hint from the universe of where Jaejoong’s loyalties really lied? Was Yunho getting riled up for nothing or was he going to be the last fool standing?

His mind was racing so fast that he did not realise when he broke the back of the chair in half with his strong grip, a big piece of the wooden desk left in his hand. He threw it aside, mentally noting to deal with the damages later. He should really calm down. Now.

Shim Changmin was a simple man. He always told it like it was and had no qualms about voicing out his opinions, however unpopular they might be. Due to his sharp tongue that rarely spared the undeserving, he was considered almost unapproachable by some. Nevertheless, despite his young age, he was a respected member of their community. A bit odd, perhaps, living by himself at the edge of the village, but wise and with a good heart.

Changmin always thought that the sky was his only limit and instead of worrying about what could be, he preferred to rationally weigh his chances of success and proceed confidently. However, for what seemed like the first time in his life, he was at a loss as to what to do. He was on a wood chopping duty that day, nothing out of ordinary. He could usually efficiently continue his work, while mentally sorting out the problems occupying his mind at the moment – except that the mater that he was so busy studying that day was not one he came by often.

He was turning 21 and as a young alpha wolf, he was expected to find a mate. In all honesty, he always thought he’d appreciate the companionship more than he would ever care for dominance over his partner, hence the reluctance with which he approached the topic of mating. The omegas from their pack were all docile, calm and most physically appealing, too – it’s not like they lacked anything and until recently, Changmin had embraced the possibility of mating with this or that girl, since quite a few of them were not so subtly seeking his approval over the Summer Festival.

But that was before Joohyun returned from her medical training in the city. In the year that he had not seen her, she had grown to become a fine young woman and most importantly – something about her being now gave off a vibe that tickled Changmin’s senses every time she as much as appeared in his immediate proximity. It was not intense or urgent – rather, the feeling simply got his wolf curious, curious enough to want to follow the lead. Changmin, however, was not as simple as his second nature’s instincts were and he quickly caught on what was going on.

He had to quickly find a solution to his intensifying interest towards Joohyun or he would be in a lot of trouble, because everyone knew that mating between two alphas usually brought nothing but chaos to the community. The balance of their domineering natures was not something that could be maintain so easily and Changmin was not so keen on experiencing it firsthand. Except that if the girl turned out to be his mate, there was hardly anything he could do about it.

He stilled, having spotted her walking with their Alpha, heads put together in a confident talk. As if sensing his gaze on her, Joohyun raised her head and confidently looked him in the eye. They maintained the contact for a few seconds before realising the awkwardness of their engagement and smiling lightly, he nodded towards her. She reciprocated the gesture, albeit a bit stiffly. 

Only then did Changmin notice his Alpha’s strange look that he was on the receiving end of. He promptly nodded towards him, too, but when the leader did not react, he frowned. He could not phantom what that could possibly be about. Changmin had always been cautious enough to never consciously get in anyone’s way without an adequate reason.

Yunho turned towards the girl, and seemingly giving her instructions, motioned towards his house. Changmin sent Joohyun a last longing look before he realised that the Alpha was now directing his steps towards him. He tensed, which was weird because he was never scared on Yunho; he never had any reason to be. Today, however, the leader’s aura was extremely dark and the emotions running in their bond chilled Changmin to the bone.

‘You’re friends with Jaejoong.’ He skipped the greeting and stated in what sounded almost like an accusation. The younger would have deadpanned, had it not be for the gravity of the situation. But why exactly it felt so heavy, he had yet to understand.

‘You know that we keep company.’ He confirmed. ‘Is something the matter?’

‘He woke up.’ Yunho continued and Changmin felt scrutinised, feeling the Alpha fishing him for the smallest reaction.

‘Well, I’m glad that he did. Must have been hard on him. Plus his heat was kind of hard to ignore for everyone.’ He commented just to say something.

‘What do you mean?’ Yunho questioned with a straight face, still looking completely lifeless. Changmin sighed.

‘I mean just that. It’s not yet the season for mating so the scent was giving us all a whiplash. Alpha, are you ok? You’re worrying me. Is something the matter?’

That seemed to have done the trick because Yunho blinked several times, his hand raising to his head, massing his hair in frustration.

‘He asked to see you. He woke up and wouldn’t let me lay a finger on him. I-I… I don’t think I can be accountable for my actions for the time being.’ Yunho huffed, mumbling nonsensically, at least to Changmin.

‘Yunho.’ He tried again. ‘Why don’t you sit down? Are you sure you’re ok?’

Just then, the said man finally looked at him and Changmin had to take a step back. The other’s eyes looked dead and desperate at the same time.  

‘You’re scaring me.’ The younger finally admitted.

‘I have been mated four days and my mate cannot even look at me without fear in his eyes. And he’s asking you, an unmated alpha wolf of all friends, to help him pick himself up from the floor and get dressed. So I have no choice but to ask you to come with me and help him. Moon help me, because I’m trying to be understanding but I just really hate you right now. Don’t take it personally.’ Yunho hissed. He was being totally unfair but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Luckily, Changmin could always take everything in stride.

‘He’s asked for me? Why is that?’

He frowned, concentrating on the only point of this strange conversation that he had any control over. Yunho just shook his head, not saying anything. ‘Let’s go, then.’ He prompted without further delay, putting down the axe he did not even realise that he was still holding. He put his legs in motion, Yunho stalking just behind him. Changmin knew he would not get anything else out of the Alpha.

The door to the hut was open and they found Yoona sitting on the front stairs. She greeted them briefly.

‘Joohyun called me in case she needed help but Jaejoong refuses to even look at us, so I left to give him more privacy.’ She shrugged.

‘Joohyun is inside?’ Changmin asked, without any reason really. His thoughts immediately steered towards the original topic of his consideration.

‘I asked her to examine his body, now that he’s awake.’ Yunho’s voice came from behind Changmin; the younger wolf was quite sure that he would never hear a word directed towards himself, ever again. He understood the anguish of their leader – from the little pieces of their brief conversation, he managed to put together one clear message: jealousy. Yunho was jealous over his mate’s affection. Changmin was not sure what it was exactly that Yunho did to deserve such a cold treatment from Jae, but he did not even want to go into details.

‘If there is something I can do for him, I will do it. I’ll try not to touch him, unless completely necessary. I don’t know what’s going on but he is just a friend in need.’

‘I know it. I know all of this, yet in a few minutes I went from calm to completely berserk. I’m going crazy. Thank you. I still want to kill you, though.’ Yunho sat down on the porch heavily, something akin to a sob left his open mouth. Changmin decided right then that the Alpha needed some form of mental support or else he would really go mental, any sense long lost from his reasoning. He asked Yoona to fetch Junsu, instead.

‘I’ll go in.’ He announced to no one in particular and stepped through the threshold. 

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Changdeol says: ...hey.... Yes, I know, it took me ages to update and yet there is nothing really going on uh. I also don't understand it myself, this story is all planned until the end, it's not like I lack ideas but I guess the inspiration was just not there. I managed to finish some other stories, instead... 

Thank you for sticking around and waiting. If anyone wants to be friends on twitter, look me up @changdeol . I retwit DBSK and exo, and rumble a lot.