Part 2: Latch

‘Cause we’re picture… perfect in a broken frame

– Alex & Sierra

Some time had passed. They didn’t have the same concept of time as the human race, or putting the same amount of importance as they did in it.

Siwon eyed the beautiful misty splash of orange, red, blue and purple of the sunset sky. He had just finished his patrol and he shifted into his two-legged form and sat on one of the many large stones where the ailures spent most of their time sun bathing in either form. He sat and gave into thinking about their current situation. More importantly, thinking about the matter with their Alpha.

It had been some time indeed after the death of his Alpha’s children. And for the first four months, they had grieved along with him and Yoona for their lost. It had been taken hard by Kris more as they all knew how much their leader wanted children of his own. He could relate. He had children and he couldn’t even begin to imagine the hurt of losing one’s litter.

But it’s almost seven months since then. And Kris had changed drastically. Gone was the gentle Alpha that cared too much for each and every ailure of their pride. The one that would let them nudge him getting reassuring pats in return when he would walk around their ground just to see that they were comfortable. Now, he barely showed his face much less let the children run around his legs asking to be entertained. Most days, Kris would sit on the rocks overlooking the pride ground all day. He was doing his duty as an Alpha all right but he was also uncharacteristically aloof that it was with hesitation that any ailure would approach him. He was purposely distancing himself from everybody and everybody realised it.

As the Alpha’s second in command, Siwon felt that it his responsibility to save the former from his heart-eating guilt. It was unhealthy to not let things go and allowing the pain to fester inside. Their Alpha wasn’t much of a sharing person and Siwon thought that Kris must stop his wallowing. It did not just affect him but the whole pride. Even the young teenaged ailures could feel the tension. Whispers here and there about Kris’ ever-growing wall that was hard to scale – impossible to break down.

“Hey.”

Siwon startled. His mate had sidled up to his side and automatically he opened his arm to accommodate a snuggling mass.

“Hey,” replied Siwon. His heart instantly swelled at the sight of his life’s love.

“You’re coming home any time soon?” asked Kyuhyun softly.

Siwon chuckled. “Why? Did the cubs give you that much trouble?”

Kyuhyun huffed, faking annoyance and hit Siwon softly on the chest. But he didn’t say anything. Siwon s his arms around the other ailure’s middle and embraced Kyuhyun with what he knew was a suffocating affection. He nuzzled Kyuhyun’s dark hair and planted random kisses on the curls that smelled like home, children and them combined. It was an intoxicatingly good scent. They spent some time watching the sun went down slowly dimming the surrounding trees with their legs tangled together.

Like any other ailures, Siwon felt a pang of longing watching the sun going away to make way for its sister the moon.

“Where are the children?” Siwon asked. Kyuhyun sighed before answering.

“Seohyun stayed at the den to look after them for me.”

“Oh?”

“I came out to look for you,” Kyuhyun confessed, lifting his head slightly and looking at Siwon with hooded eyes. “You haven’t been home a lot lately…”

Siwon instantly felt guilty. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know you’ve been patrolling the hunting grounds and I know you’ve been visiting the Dame’s lake. I don’t mind. How is she?”

Siwon took a moment to answer, getting distracted from Kyuhyun’s light caresses as he played with Siwon’s fingers, gently lifting them and putting his hand in his smaller one. Kyuhyun was a dame so it was only natural that his physique was more slender between them two.

“She’s better now. The other dames are with her, helping her with her loss. She’s strong, a hunter and in no time she would be back with the others running games to the ground.”

Yoona’s state was a lot better compared to their Alpha. If the dame could cope, why couldn’t their leader?    

-II-

He walked. Minding his own business. He walked for hours it felt like. His silence a stark contrast to the droning rustles of leaves, grass and the likes as he brushed against them. Sometimes, it took him awhile to realise he had gone further down than he intended, past his pride grounds, past the hunting area and went beyond.

He had been doing this lately. Going off alone and only his thoughts for company. It was a form of meditation. And mapping new areas was a preparation for the unforeseeable future, he convinced himself. It snuffed the spark of guilt when he felt he was abandoning his duties at times he wanted solidarity.

His ears flicked about, hearing the soothing rush of water. He was near the river then. The river that he gave his dreams up to. His children. This was another thing he’s been doing lately. Whenever his thoughts strayed to them, he felt compelled to stop by the river and just looked. Looking for what, he didn’t know. He would sit, sometimes silently lying down, and keep vigil by the waters. He would feel the random sprays of water and the roiling wind, dry but cold made by the steady gush of water.

He was far from the pride grounds, but he wasn’t lost. He could easily trek his way back but the sun was still high in the sky albeit covered by thin layers of mist – clouds – and it was bright. He made his way to the river at a leisurely pace.

He really was further down. This part of the river was smattered with big rocks. Big enough that he could cross with no trouble at all. So he did.

He was curious enough about the other side of the river. There was never any need for him or the other ailures to go out of the pride. They were self-sufficient and if ever the need arise to get something from the human, they would go down the other side of their home to the small conservative town to trade their meat or trinkets that they could make out of the remains of their bigger games.

But never to this side of the forest.

Because there was never any need to venture out here. The pride ground was safe and accommodating enough for their population. Compared to others, his pride was small and still growing and he was a young Alpha – still learning and still establishing his territory. The previous Alpha might rule with old traditions and he was a well-respected leader but he was still conservative compared to Kris, hiding away from the humans but never forbidding them to go to the town as long as they were in their human form and never causing trouble. When Kris was younger, in his teen, he frequented the town and learned to read anything he could get his hands on. Their pride was still very well hidden in the forest but quite close to the human population and sometimes they would show themselves to curious hikers or campers and Kris was fine with that. He wanted to establish a good, symbiotic relationship with humans.

Kris was born right after the war between the ailures and the humans. Their population was greatly reduced then and although Kris’ pride was never a part of the war it still affected them and their ways of thinking. At least, the thinking of the elders, those who lived to see the war and had seen the loss.

The largest, strongest ailure pride, the Bonhwang Pride was entirely wiped out. The closest thing they got to royalty and the whole species of the ailure went extinct just like that – at the hands of humans and their technology. Kris could sympathise with the great tragedy, he understood the mistrust toward humans but he could also see that not all of them are bad. In his seven years of leadership, he had developed a good relationship with the town’s leader. That was the first thing he had done when he became Alpha. He went down to the humans and proposed a beneficial trade between their species. Kris prioritised education and most of his ailures are well-read since young, courtesy of the agreement. In exchange for allowing ailures to set foot protected into the town, Kris decreed that humans are given permission to enter his forest as long as his people were not harmed. In a short time although gradually, the town became popular for its good relationship with the ailures and they were the main attraction for tourists. The small town became economically progressive and the young ailures are given free reign to the town’s commodities. It was very fortune at times like this, when the weather became too cold too harsh and they had supplies of thick clothes to keep the younglings safe and warm.

He must have been so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t realise something had bumped into his legs and tumbled from Kris' bigger stature. A yowl of pain snapped him back into reality. A dull throb blossomed on his front leg from the impact.

Oh my, he said surprised at the sobbing mess at his feet.

It was an ailure cub. Its fur extremely fluffy and face so chubby – body so chubby. It was glaring at Kris with hatred – alternatively hissing defensively at Kris and whining pathetically, cradling its head as if Kris was to blame for knocking it to the ground and bruising the kit. Kris cooed in apology but he was dismissed. As soon as the cub was on its feet, it snarled before skedaddling frantically into the shrubs and was long gone.

Kris was perplexed. What a very strange encounter, never had he seen such strong scorn in a puny body.

And suddenly he was very, very interested.   

Author's note:

I have ADHD so it is very trying to focus on writing but when I'm in the zone this came out. So don't expect regular updates because Lord knows I can't have that.

Thank you very much to all that subscribed, voted and especially commented on this insignificant story o' mine.

To:

Kaynne: You lovely gorgeous Brazilian person whom I have never met. You've gone through some trouble translating your comments into English and it's touching. No one has ever done that and I applaud your effort. I'm grateful for your comments and really glad that you like my story.

ZacKris: Hey, you. I've become very well acquinted with your name and comments. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. I hope you'll like this chapter too like you've so eloquently told me on my other stories. I may not know you personally, but you've carved a spot on my mind and believe you me, that spot will not go away any time soon.

SaranghaeJaeJoong: You're another I've seen around. I may not talk to people personally but I recognise you. You're another person special to me and that I'd like to know more about. I thank you very much for your comment and subscription and I hope I won't lose you as a reader. Who knows how many I've lost with my unstable updates caused by ADD and insomnia lol.

Ayangyeng: I think you're new. Or that I don't recognise you and for that I'm sorry if you've subscribed or commented on other stories and I didn't know. I sincerely hope you'd like this chapter and find it interesting as the first one. I'm the type who likes to know what other people think of things, including the short comments. So once again, I hope you'll like this and happy reading and happy everything. (Cause I've run out of things to say and sorely exhausted lol way past me sleeping time).

Read, comment or subscribe and have a good night (day) to all. x