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Against the Nature

Summary:

Having wolves around was not well seen among witches and warlocks, although a contract between them is not uncommon. When the Kim family brought a werewolf child to raise side by side with their only son. What misfortune they were expecting them to go trought?

Notes:

Hi, i'm kind nervous because its my first work in a long time and first overall here in this platform. I started writing this and wanted to share. It's my first fic in this fantasy theme and i'm really excited with the history, so i hope everyone who stop to read, like it.

This chapter is more like a background for the story. That's why some characters in the tags will not appear in this one but they will appear in the ones to come.

Also, english is not my first language and there's no beta for this. I'm sorry for any mistakes, i've revised this many many times before posting, i did my best to avoid them with what i know.

Chapter 1: The Preface to Misfortune

Chapter Text

The Kim family was once one of the most prestigious families among witches and warlocks; they were devoted to the council and laws of the three elders, but over the years, their descendants were born weaker and weaker in regard to witchcraft, which resulted in the loss of their prestige and admirers. Stories about the family and their future generations being cursed spread, others say that the Kim’s exchanged their power over success in the mundane matters. After all, if a family wants to keep their witch lineage strong, their generations must come from both magical parents. However, they did not seem to mind these details at first, it was only when the witch society began to exclude the family from their affairs that the big mistake was noticed.

Though rich, the Kim’s have failed to reverse their magical decay, witches now frown upon the family that was once one of the pillars of the council, but their desire to return to their glory days have never been forgotten, on the other side, it was tradition to keep that flame lit in their descendants.

In their continuous search for the return of their power, dozens of years passed until the moment when, for the first time in a long time, a child with both magical parents were born in the family, during a storm that started in the first contraction.

Since his birth, Kim Jungwoo's parents knew he would be exceptional, after all, a warlock who brings climate change at birth is a warlock of incredible potential, something that hasn't been seen in a few years and that didn't surprise his parents when a representative from the council knocked on their door the next day.

 

“Impressive” said the representative of the council when seeing the baby with blond hair in Mrs. Kim's hands. “It has been so long since I saw an extraordinary child like that.” It was possible to feel the excitement in his voice.

“I'm flattered with the visit dear... What's your name?”

“Changmin. The pleasure is all mine.”

Mrs. Kim laughs.

“Oh, if we were in the old days I would believe in you. Could you tell me the meaning of this visit?”

“Oh so fierce. I like that attitude.” Changmin smiles at the corner of his lips. “I'm just here to bring a small gift from the three elders, they are very excited about the little one.”  He said taking a small box from inside his jacket and placing it on the table in front of Mrs. Kim.

“We know they are.” Said Mr. Kim approaching his wife and son. “In fact, we are very surprised they're still alive.” He teased making Changmin's expression become more serious.

“Watch your m…” The representative broke off with a cough and adjusted his posture in the chair.  “It is interesting that the Kim family still has the chance to grant a child like that, given its peculiar history.”

Mr. Kim opened his mouth to respond back, but was immediately interrupted by his wife.

“I'm sure Mr. Changmin doesn’t want any trouble here.”  She said, staring at the representative. “Am I right?”

“Indeed. I just came to check on the baby and to bring this little gift like I said earlier... and oh, I almost forgot.” He said taking a blue envelope with a red seal from his pocket.  “This is for you too, I suppose.”

Mr. Kim took the envelope and looked at it for a few seconds.

“I believe it's been a long time since the last invitation to dinner at the Lee family's house.” He said in a suspicious tone.

“Consider this as a unique chance to get yourselves reintegrated in our society.” Changmin said getting up and adjusting his jacket button. “I need to go now, there are other places I need to be.”  He said smiling. “I believe I will see you both at dinner.”

After saying goodbye, the butler guided Changmin to the exit while the couple watched him.

“That's so humiliating.”

“It was expected, dear.” Mrs. Kim took the letter and read it briefly. “But we should take this chance.”

“Do you really want to go?” He asked, raising his eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes, let the council believe that we are happy with this kind of invitation.” She stared at the letter seriously and then smiled. “It can be fun. After all, who knows how informative this dinner can be?

“I like your way of thinking, dear.”

 

The Kims gradually received attention from other witch families over time. When Jungwoo turned three, his parents brought in a foreign boy from one of their trips to Japan, a werewolf two years older than him, named Yuta. Having wolves around was not well seen among witches and warlocks, although a contract between them is not uncommon, as alphas have a certain resistance against witchcraft, contracts to protect or kill witches were eventually made. They got the boy through a black market in Osaka, Japan, his salesman claimed that the boy came from a lineage that only spawned alphas, the Kims then took their word and made the deal.

Although he was brought to serve as Jungwoo's bodyguard, the boy was raised close to him, almost as if they were real brothers. Mrs. Kim convinced her husband that with the two creating a strong family relationship, Yuta would be even more willing to make a contract to protect Jungwoo as soon as they come of age. As they had discovered a few months ago that Mrs. Kim could no longer generate successors, Mr. Kim did not contradict her idea of Yuta, apparently, the birth of Jungwoo messed with Mrs. Kim's insides making her infertile. At first, the wolf was hesitant when he was around the younger, as he seemed to be so fragile and he knew that Mr. Kim would punish him if something happened to his son.

A warlock is ready to learn and improve its witchcraft the moment it's show’s affinity with any kind of element, which happened around his five years, sooner than any other witch or warlock of the family. That day the Kim’s threw a party in celebration, and that night, Yuta just sat under the table to hide from the people that rolled eyes when they saw him, reminding himself that he would never be home. He didn’t know why people stared at him like that. But he didn't expect  that Jungwoo would sit next to him to keep him company while the tears fell from his eyes. The youngest was silent, holding his hand while doing little tricks with his free hand. He wanted to comfort him and for the first time Yuta didn't feel alone.

Since then, the two became closer. Yuta loved the company of the youngest for the joy he exhaled, laughing was normal for him whenever they were together. Although the closeness between the two seemed to be something wanted by Jungwoo's parents. The Japanese didn't think about it, Yuta felt comfortable with him around and having someone to make him forget that his own family sold him for money, it was something that he needed, even though he knew his only role in that family would be to protect Jungwoo, he knew that he was worth protecting.

The only thing he didn't understand was Mrs. Kim's behavior towards him, she treated him with a certain kindness in her voice, unlike her husband who always had a more serious tone. Jungwoo’s mother somehow convinced Mr. Kim that he should go to school just like Jungwoo, a normal school, Mr. Kim rejected the idea at first because his only goal was for Jungwoo to master his power as quickly as possible and for Yuta to become strong enough, as a wolf should be. A school and 'Mundane' goals, according to him, were unnecessary because their family already wasted too much time thinking about that.

 

-

 

“Mother, what is this?” Jungwoo asked curiously while Mrs. Kim made a movement with her hands as if throwing something over his and Yuta's head.

“Oh it's nothing special.” She smiled. “Yuta.” She said turning to the older one. “We know you two won't be in the same class, right?”

“Right.” He replied with his head down.

“I want you to stay alert, but not too much.” She winked at him. “OK?”

“Okay.”

“Now, what is our main rule?”

“Do not talk about what we are with anyone.” The two said at the same time.

“Excellent!” She smiled. “Go get your things, the driver will take you two.”

“You said you were going to take us today!” Jungwoo muttered.

“I know dear, but I have something to... solve.”

Then she kissed both of their heads, which surprised Yuta, it was the first time she had shown any clear sign of affection, not that he didn't like it, it was just... weird.

That same day Jungwoo explained to Yuta that what Mrs. Kim did, she was throwing a veil over them and he just asked to see if she was going to tell him what it was.

“It hides our true nature.” Jungwoo said.

However, Jungwoo was quite popular when his classmates realized that he was Kim Jungwoo, the heir of the Luxury Jewels, the famous business of his family, and because of that, any witch would know who he is. But it was different for Yuta, no one knew exactly who he was, or even cared about it, it would be a surprise when they found out that Jungwoo had a werewolf so close to him.

School was the only 'normal' thing for them, as back at Kim's mansion, Jungwoo had started receiving private lessons from his own father to perfect his skills, while Yuta started training with a wolf hired by Mr. Kim. Even without being presented, he wanted the young wolf to have the best training for when he had to take on his task. They ended up getting a bit apart because of this, but the two always found ways to be together when they were free, Yuta often ended up in the library with Jungwoo as the younger loved to read and share what he learned with him.

 

-

 

"Yutaaaa!" Jungwoo was running down the corridor towards Yuta with a book that seemed to be too heavy for him.

“Hey, Woo, what is this?” He asked, pointing to the book.

“I found something really cool.” he said with a proud smile on his face.

"What is it?”

The younger one pulled him to the door closest to them, it seemed to be a service area, but as soon as Jungwoo opened the door and they entered, Yuta realized they were in the library.

"How?” He asked surprised reopening the door, but now the outside led to the hallway where the library entrance was.

“It's just my door crossing.” He held up a finger in front of his mouth in a sign of silence. “Don't tell my dad.”

“It's not like he wants to talk to me anyway.” Yuta shrugged. “But it's a cool trick.” He caressed the youngest head.

As soon as the two sat at the table, Jungwoo threw the big old book in front of Yuta and pointed to one of the illustrations.

"This is you!”

Yuta blinked, it was an image of a wolf with humanoid features. “Well, the last time I looked in the mirror I didn't see any of that.” He said jokingly.

“Noooo! You can be like that! ”

“Like, fully turning?”

"Yes.”

“Not right now at least, i'm not presented yet, woo”

"Presented?” Jungwoo asked with a curious gaze.

"Yeah, like... hmm" Yuta thought for a moment how to explain. “When I get older, I will go through a change, and after that change I will become a real werewolf.”

“Like when I learned to control water particles? They told me I was ready to learn witchcraft. ”

"Kinda? But I think for warlocks there is no fixed age, as far as I know, this change occurs at eighteen for wolves. That's what Yunho told me. ”

“So you're only four years away from it!” He said excitedly. “Will you show me your wolf form when you’re presented?”

"I guess it's fair.” The older one smiled. “After all, I was the first one you showed the water trick to.”

“Of course you are my big brother!”

"Yes I am.” The two laughed.

“But what will you be? Can you choose? ”

Yuta looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?”

"Here.” Jungwoo turned a few pages. “It says there are three types of werewolves, alpha, omega and beta.”

The young wolf looked at the old texts, he knew there was this difference, he even asked his trainer a few times but both Yunho and Mr. Kim insisted on saying he was an alpha and it was the only thing he needed to know. After all, that's why he was chosen, even though there’s no way they could know that, but he never thought much about it either, he truly believed that when he got presented he would be an alpha, because he needed to be.

“I don't really know the difference, Woo.”

"Really? Hmm but this book says, look.” He points to pieces of text on the page. “It says here that alphas are the dominant ones. That means they are the strongest, right? ”

“Yes Woo, they are the pack leaders.” Yuta said as he tried to read the rest of the texts. “This book is too old. I can't read it properly.”

“Me neither, only a few parts of the text are readable, I even tried some spells to make the book go back in time or purify the pages but nothing worked.” Jungwoo pouted. “Either this book is protected or I'm not strong enough.”

“Don't push yourself too hard. I'll ask Yunho later. ”

Jungwoo nodded then pointed to another page. “Look, here it says about omegas.”

Something inside Yuta trembled with what he was reading, maybe it was just an old perspective of how things were, right? The parts about omegas were in a good state to read, but Yuta didn’t like it. It was saying how the omegas are the most submissive and weak among wolves. That their function was only to bear children and satisfy their alphas. ‘How can a species live like this?’  Yuta questioned in his thoughts. When they started to read about the wolf’s cycle the eldest closed the book.

“Hey, we haven't finished reading everything!”

“I know…but we were going to a part that I believe was not appropriate for you to read.”

“I can't believe you're using my age against me.” Jungwoo pouted.

“You're only twelve, Woo.” He placed his hand on the youngest's head. “Not even I should read some of this stuff… How about we get something to eat? ”

He heard Jungwoo's stomach make a noise. “I don't think I can resist this offer.” Said the youngest laughing.

“Okay, go ahead and I'll put this back.” Jungwoo just nodded and ran out the door as he watched him. Yuta took a brief look at the texts written on the book once more before concluding that it was too early for him to learn about that sort of thing. However, he swore to himself that he would never treat an omega the way it was in the book.

 

-

 

Since that day, Yuta dedicated himself even more to his training. He was already used to that routine, Yunho always tested his reflexes and strength, although he didn't seem like it, he was very strong and the coach always praised him for it. Jungwoo continued to receive private lessons from his father most of the time. Whenever they met, the warlock showed something new that he learned, but Yuta didn't like the fact that the youngest started to wear long-sleeved clothes, he sometimes could see the marks on his forearms, but when he tried to bring it up, the youngest start to talk about something else. As Jungwoo was busy with his father, Yuta didn't really know what to do with his free time, sometimes he saw Mrs. Kim painting and started to watch her from afar. One day she called him to see it up close, he was mesmerized with what he saw and asked if she could teach him, he regretted it right away, but her answer surprised him.

"Of course." she said with a smile on her face. The two then started to have some time together, Yuta had a talent for art and Mrs. Kim always watched carefully what he did. It was fun, he was embarrassed but he liked to get that attention, Mrs. Kim's kindness towards him always messed with him a little. But she was forced to stop teaching yuta when Mr. Kim found out, he claimed that it was something useless for the young wolf, making that moment of closeness between them cease to exist.

When he graduated, the Japanese knew that from that point on his only concern was his training. He always felt something weird in his stomach whenever he thought about when he would be presented, and Mr. Kim seemed to be looking forward to it, but that suddenly turned to disapproval when Yuta turned nineteen and hasn't shown any sign of being presented.

 

-

 

"Damn it!” Yuta kicked the training dummy, hard enough to scatter the inside of the dummy across the field.

“Are you okay, kid?”

Yuta looked at the direction of the voice and saw it was Yunho.

"Not really, no. ” He said sitting on the lawn. “In a few months I'll be twenty and I still haven't been presented.”

“I noticed that, do you have contact with other wolves besides me?”

"No... "

“Maybe that's the problem.” He said sitting down beside him. “Some of us need some stimulation for this to happen, and you're clearly a late bloomer so this lack of contact must make this take longer than it should.”

“I think it makes sense.” Yuta muttered.

“He's pushing you, isn't he?”

The youngest just nodded. “How am I going to be able to make a contract if I haven't been presented? It's so frustrating, I feel like Mr. Kim is ready to get rid of me. ”

“The lady would never let him and this is unthinkable for the boy.” Yunho punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I wish I could help you with that, but I've done more than enough for you, plus I'm a lone wolf so I can't even introduce you to others like us.”

“Woo, wouldn't let... ”

"See? Don't let his father get into your mind. ”

He was right, Mr. Kim never let go of his rigidity in his son's treatment, Yuta began to sense a certain caution in his voice, almost as if he was afraid of Jungwoo.

“Have you thought about what to do with your life?”

Yuta blinked, confused at the question. "What do you mean?”

“I mean, you were going to school, but you stopped, I thought you were going to try college.”

“I graduated, but I didn't think beyond that, it's not like I have a choice either, after all my life isn't exactly mine so I'm not the one who decides.”

“You were raised so close to the boy in their mansion, your studies were paid until you graduated. Have you ever talked about this with someone before?”

“No, as I said, I didn't even think about it, I was just going to school because Mrs. Kim insisted, I never really understood that.”

Yunho sighed. “Look kid, I'll be honest with you.” he said, lighting a cigarette. "The lady of this house definitely doesn't look at you the same way as that bastard, I'm sure you never had to be alert when she was around, plus she looks at you just like she looks at the other kid, there's no difference between you two to her."

"I don’t know.” Yuta said with his head down.

“You shouldn't be here taking out your frustration on that training dummy.” He pointed to one of the mansion's windows, it was Mrs. Kim's bedroom. “You should be there, just like the other kid.”

Yuta hesitated. Recently Mrs. Kim got sick, it's like her body wasn’t answering her properly, since then she has been spending her days in bed, he had already thought about visiting her, but he didn't think it was a good idea, he didn't want trouble with Mr. Kim and his presence shouldn’t be wanted the same way as Jungwoo's.

"I don’t think so.”

“Kid, I think you're holding back too much. Yes, you were adopted to fulfill some sort of job, that's undeniable, but your role in this family goes beyond just being a bodyguard for the heir. What that bastard wants from you doesn't have to be who you really are. ”

“Why don't you like Mr. Kim?”

“He is the typical asshole who has had everything in his hand since he was born, he thinks he has control of everything and everyone.” Said with an irritated expression. “When I met you, I had thought about getting you out of here, I didn't like their idea for you, but I realized how close to the boy you are and the lady's protection over you, they would never let anything happen to you.”

Yuta sighed. “I think he just tries to do what he thinks is right.” He said with a shrug. “But I think you're right. I... I'll try to visit her.” He decided.

“Good, kid.” Yunho put his head on yuta's head and ruffled his hair. “But don’t forget to fix this training dummy you destroyed.”

 

-

 

Even though he decided to visit Mrs. Kim, Yuta was still afraid, so he only went to her room when she was sleeping and when Jungwoo wasn’t there, so he exchanged the flowers from the vase on the nightstand. Once she said that lilies were her favorite flowers and he never forgot about it, it became his thing to make that exchange, sometimes he liked to watch her for a while, but he always hurried to leave before Jungwoo came back, he didn't want the younger to saw him there, he didn't want to have to explain himself. One day Jungwoo was sleeping in her room and Yuta tried to exchange the flowers anyway, but the warlock surprised him.

 

"Yuta?"

The Japanese boy almost drops the vase to the ground. “Hey, Woo, why aren't you sleeping?” He muttered.

“Because I realized that these flowers in the vase never die so I stayed here to find out who changed them since my father doesn't let the maids do that.” Jungwoo muttered in response, but smiled right away. “I'm glad you care about her.”

"I-i..."

“Let's talk outside.”

 

As soon as they leave the room and go into the hallway, Jungwoo crosses his arms looking at the older with a curious gaze.

“Why don't you come when she's awake? She would like that. ”

“Well, I didn't…think she would want me around.” He sighed.

"Nonsense! Did she say that to you? ”

"No... "

“So it's nonsense, really…” His eyes darkened. “She's not doing very well. Sorry we’ve been away from each other lately, I miss spending time with you. ”

“It's okay, Woo, don't worry about it.”

“I heard that you’re still not presented..."

Yuta looked away. “Yeah, I don't want to talk about it right now.”

“You can talk to me about this at any time.” Said the youngest, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You should come when she's awake, she would enjoy the company of someone other than me, especially if it's you, we might even take shifts one day i stay with her and one day you…"

“Do you think I should?”

“Of course Yuta…” Junwoo covered his forearms with the sleeves of his shirt. “Because of her I don't have a lot of time to dedicate myself to my father's classes, you know... he doesn't slow down because of her condition... If you could stay with her... I would be more relaxed. ”

“Woo...”

Jungwoo looked away. “I'm tired Yuta, I don't do anything because of her condition, but I promise I'll make him stop.”

“I should be the one who protects you...”

"Nah.” Jungwoo nodded negatively. “You are my family, my big brother, nothing but that.”

Yuta hugged him. Jungwoo's weak voice speaking showed him how exhausted the younger was. “Thanks Woo, I feel that way about you too.” After a few minutes of hugging, Jungwoo pushed him away.

“That's a long hug since when you’re this attached to me?

“I don’t want you bothering me about affection for the next ten years.” Yuta said laughing.

“You wish.”

 

-

 

The next day, Jungwoo said that it would be a good idea for Yuta to keep her company. He didn't explain exactly what she had, he just explained that it was as if her body and mind were slowly deteriorating, apparently Mr. Kim allowed only that servants of his choice could enter the room, he feared that more curse rumors about the Kim family would spread among the witches.

“H-hello.” Said the young wolf entering the room.

"Good Morning. Yuta. ” She smiled. “I've been thinking about when you would come here. ”

“Sorry…I've been busy with training.”

“Oh right, you’re still doing that…” She lowered her gaze.

Yuta still hadn't stopped to notice the change in her appearance, her black hair was now almost white, only the ends were a darker color, she had more lines of expression and looked tired.

“I-i… hum, I brought you some flowers.” He took a bunch of lilies off his back making her eyes widen.

"My favorites! How did you know?” She asked in surprise.

“You told me once.” He said sitting in the chair beside the bed. “I thought you would like it.”

“That's... a great surprise Yuta.” She took the vase from the nightstand. “Please put them here.”

Yuta didn't get to change the flowers the day before because of Jungwoo's interruption, so he kept them in a vase in his own room and decided to bring them to her the next day. He was embarrassed that she was staring at him when he placed the flowers in the vase.

“S-so… how are you feeling today?”

“I'm fine, a bit weak, but nothing to worry about.” She chuckled silently.

Yuta just smiled and lowered his head, he sat there for a few minutes in silence not knowing what to say.

“How… How old are you now?” She asked in a low voice. “I keep losing track of time, I believe Jungwoo told me a few days ago, but I don't remember very well…”

“Oh, hum, I'll be twenty in a few months and Jungwoo is already eighteen.”

“Oh! Already? ” She asked in surprise. “Not too long ago I saw you two playing in the halls of the mansion… Wait, so you've already finished school a long time ago, right? ”

Yuta nodded. “Since then I've only been training with Yunho.”

“Oh the coach… I remember that. ” She said thoughtfully. “However… College, don't you want to go?”

“I never thought about it.”

“I thought Jungwoo…” She looked confused. “Oh, I never gave you! Where am I thinking? ”

"What?”

“I-it's just that I had something to give you... I don't remember where I left it. ” She was looking under her own covers. “Ah, it's inside that desk drawer.” She pointed to the table in the other corner of the room. “Could you get it for me?”

Yuta got up and walked to the table, inside the drawer there was an envelope and a folder, he took them both and showed them to Mrs. Kim who just nodded. He carefully delivered it into her hands.

“You know, I remember a lot about our time together, you are very talented.”

“It wasn't a big deal, it was just a way to pass the time.” Yuta shrugged.

“Jungwoo told me you still like it. Art. ”

It was true, Yuta still painted sometimes, it was his hobby, he really enjoyed it, he felt free and relaxed when he did, but he never told Jungwoo that he still painted, the youngest probably was spying on him. Yuta laughed lightly at the idea.

“I'm glad that you two grew up really close, even though it's what we wanted, it wouldn't happen if you or he didn't want to. At least one thing I did right... I believe. ” She said with a smile.

“You didn't do anything wrong Mrs. Kim.”

“Oh Yuta, you’re being kind.” She stared at the flowers in the vase. “I wish I had done things differently with you.” Yuta lowered his head, ‘she means they should never have brought me’ He thought. “The only way I could convince my husband to bring you with us was because it would be nice to have a werewolf around Jungwoo. ”

“A bodyguard.” Yuta completed and she nodded silently.

“I always wanted to have a big family, at least four kids.” she said laughing. "Would you like that?”

"I don’t know.” Yuta replied without meeting her eyes. “I probably wouldn't be here if you had.”

“You know, I always had a good intuition. My grandfather told me it was a blessing of the wind and I agree with him.” She made Yuta look at her by placing her hand on his chin and then stroking his hair. “It's as if a light current of wind passes through a person's hair. This makes me sure I'm making the right choice. ” She smiles at him. “In the end, I had two beautiful kids who meant the world to me, but I failed to express that to one of them. ”

"You’re being nice.” Yuta said with tears forming in his eyes.

“Oh Yuta I am far from being nice. I'm just trying to fix some mistakes. ” She coughed.

“You shouldn't push yourself too much.”

"I’m fine.” She said wiping her mouth with a tissue. “I…don't want you to be stuck in this meaningless duty.”

"What?”

“I haven't been able to get as close to you as I would have liked… I always wanted you and Jungwoo to have a normal life, just like anyone else. That's why I convinced my husband to let both of you go to school. It took me a while to realize that I didn't want things the way he would. Although I am to blame for his behavior. ”

“I don't know if I understand you Mrs. Kim.”

“My husband… Never wanted either of you to have 'mundane' interactions because that would only slow down your development in what really matters to him.” She sighed. “When we got married I was so ambitious that I managed to make his mind become what it is today, consumed by the desire for revenge, the desire to overthrow the council of the three elders. That's why he's so strict with Jungwoo and has high expectations of you. He wants you two to be a weapon.”

Yuta felt his heart sink.

"He doesn't expect great things from me, anymore. After all, I’m not presented..."

"You’re not?” She widened her eyes and he just nodded no.

“Yuta, your life doesn't have to depend on this.” She handed the folder and envelope to him. “I've been talking to Jungwoo and he agreed with me.”

"What do you mean?” He was confused as he opened the folder, they were documents with his name.

“Your name is Nakamoto Yuta, I believe you never knew your last name. Right? ” He just nodded in surprise. “You came from Osaka city, Japan, I know you must remember some things since we brought you when you were five years old. ”

“I remember very little…” He said with his voice cracking. “Why are you giving me these things?”

“I…I wished for you to have your freedom, to be whatever you want.” She coughed again. “I made some arrangements for you, it's all in that folder… and the envelope is something I think you should do.”

In the envelope was a letter from the Korean National University of Arts and two keys.

“Jungwoo helped me with your application, you've always been an exemplary student.” She wiped her face. “You have talent Yuta, you shouldn't waste it on a life of violence that my husband plans, and you can be more than that.”

Yuta was just looking at the documents and letters, he was still processing that information.

"Do you want me to leave?” he said when he saw a passage in the folder.

“Only if it is your wish.” She smiled slightly. “I always thought you hated this place.”

Not exactly, Yuta didn't like Mr. Kim's treatment and that made him feel uncomfortable in that house, at first, with time he stopped caring about it, having Jungwoo around took any discomfort from his mind.

“I would never exchange Jungwoo to go to the town where my family sold me.”

Mrs. Kim smiled, her eyes watering.

“I'm so happy to hear that.” She took his hand. “This passage was just a choice I thought you should have even though I already knew the answer, my intuition wasn't wrong.” She smiled and placed her hand over the letter and keys. “This is my birthday present to you.”

“Mr. Kim would never let...”

“He won't have a choice. Jungwoo told me he wouldn't try to stop him if you were.” Yuta smelled blood on her breath. “At least give it a chance, it's a future that would be denied to you and I want you to have it.”

“I-I…” Yuta sighed. “Thank you so much Mrs. Kim, I don't even know what to say to you, I need to think… about all this.” She coughed harder. “You're trying too hard, please you've already said too much.”

“It will never be enough to make up for all these years.”

Yuta kissed her hand. “You've already made up for it with more than you think.”

She just smiled and lay down again, it wasn't long before she fell asleep. The following weeks were more intense, Mrs. Kim's situation didn't seem to get better, whenever Yuta went to visit her she always smiled and complimented his hair that reached his shoulders with exactly the same words as the previous time. She just didn't remember most of their conversations, but the Japanese always managed to get her attention and make her laugh. After long conversations with Jungwoo, the warlock convinced him that he didn't need a bodyguard but a brother who would always be there for him. As Yuta still wasn't presented, Mr. Kim ended his training with Yunho and always looked at him with disapproval when he saw the wolf around the mansion, he just didn't kick him out because of Mrs. Kim's condition, the young wolf was sure of that.

 

-

 

 A few months later.

 

“Wow, this place is great!” Said Jungwoo jumping on the living room couch. “I guess I’m not the favorite son after all.” He joked.

“Is this… ” Yuta sniffled the air. “The scent of jealousy? ” Said closing the apartment door.

“You wish.” They both laugh. Yuta was going to move into that apartment, the keys were one of Mrs. Kim's gifts to him. He initially intended to stay at Kim's mansion with Jungwoo, but since she passed away last month things haven't turned out very well between him and Mr Kim. Yunho was dismissed, Mr. Kim no longer saw any reason to continue as Yuta was a big disappointment to him. "I'm glad you're coming here."

“Nice to know you're happy not to have me around.”

“Yutaaa.” Jungwoo pouted. “You know it's not like that.”

"I'm kidding.” He said sitting down next to the youngest. “But I don't like the idea of you in that mansion with…your father.”

“Me neither, but it's going to be okay.” Jungwoo shrugged. “He's been pretty busy lately.” Recently Mr. Kim was busy with the family business affairs, his wife's death seemed to have affected him as he was no longer obsessed with the idea of vengeance, but Yuta was never close to that man to say anything right about him. “I can't believe you're actually going to college. I'm so proud.” He said smiling. “And you better be popular there!” He patted the older arm.

“Oh, Woo, you know I'm not the kind of person who likes attention.”

“I know, but honestly if a foreigner, long-haired, handsome and with a great style, studied with me I would certainly kneel at his feet begging for attention.”

Yuta laughed. “This is so utopic, Woo, you're the kind of person who makes others kneel to you, even if it's by force, not the other way around.”

“Lies! I'm sensitive, you know? ”

"Yes I know.” He punched the blonde-haired on the shoulder. "I'm a bit nervous.”

"Why?"

“Well, is it a big change?” He sighed and pointed around them. “Look at this, I know that at the mansion I had a certain independence in doing things, but even so I was often rescued by the servants, this here... i will have to keep it on my own somehow.”

“You'll be fine, you still have the cell phone I gave you right? Anything just call me! ”

“It's going to be weird not having you around.”

“I know, I'm going to feel that way too, but can I always come here to visit you, even though I'm now getting to know a little more about the family business? It's too much, but it's a good distraction. '' Yuta knew that there were other things behind but chose not to ask, for him, Jungwoo caring about the family business is maybe his way of going through grief. As well as his decision to move into that apartment shortly after Mrs. Kim passed away, that mansion had too many memories. It was a rather extravagant apartment, after all, it was where Mrs. Kim lived before she married Jungwoo's father, but he didn't mind, it had a guest room and he thought it would be great if the youngest wanted to spend the night or even living with him. In addition to the apartment, she made sure to leave an account for Yuta, so he wouldn't be financially helpless, thinking about it all was... weird, but he preferred to accept the opportunity and honor her wishes instead of questioning.

"When do you start?” Jungwoo asked with a curious look.

“In three weeks. The first week of February. ”

"Excellent! Nervous to meet other werewolves? ”

“Well… we don't know if there will be any in there.”

"Oh please, college in Seoul? It's a neutral city, definitely going to be full of witches, werewolves etc... You'll definitely meet at least one, but be careful with witches!"

“Yeah, maybe.” Yuta sighed. “Maybe if I meet another wolf I'll be presented.”

“Oh do you still think about it?”

“Of course Woo, if it wasn’t because of that I wouldn't even be here today, honestly.” He shrugged. “I've spent my whole life so far just waiting for this moment to be of any use and my body betrays me that way. It's frustrating. ”

“Sometimes it can be good.” Jungwoo muttered. "You know? There's still a chance you won't be a-"

"No.” Yuta interrupted him. “I was told that I came from a lineage that only spawns alphas.”

The youngest sighed. “I know. It's just my concern. A few months ago, I managed to restore that book and I didn't like some of the things I read so I was a little worried, but it shouldn't be a big deal. ”

“Did you really wait till you came of age to read that?” He asked in surprise.

“My older brother said I wasn't old enough to read that when I was younger so I waited, is there a problem?” He said, crossing his arms with an expression of pride making the older one laugh. “But I think that's a topic for another time. Now, I'm just glad she gave you all this. ” he said in a sad tone.

“Woo...”

“Seriously, I'm really happy about it.” he said, wiping his eyes. “And since you're moving here, I thought we'd take advantage of today to get to know the city!”

"I like the idea.” He smiled.

"So, let's go.” Jungwoo said, getting up and pulling both Yuta's arms.

Jungwoo was excited to be in Seoul, because according to him, despite the family company being known throughout the country, outside Incheon people don’t really know how he looks like or anything, so he won’t be easily recognized. That way they could have a fun day without any disturbance, that's what they thought.

 

-

 

It was after midnight when they decided to return to the apartment. A few minutes ago, Yuta had felt an odd scent in the air around them.

“We should walk faster.” He warned.

"What?”

“Just walk faster.”

Jungwoo didn't understand but followed Yuta anyway, as they rounded the corner he stopped suddenly making the warlock hit his back.

“What are these two cute little things doing around here?” A tall, muscular man was standing on the other side of the alley, blocking the way.

“We are just passing by.” Yuta said without disguising his hostility.

"Is that so?” The man took a few steps forward, but stopped at Yuta's growl, his eyes were glowing golden. It was the first time Jungwoo had seen him like that. “Oh, no need to be nervous.” Said the man raising his hands as a sign of peace. However, it was possible to feel the presence of others around them, hidden.

“I don't know if I can handle them all.” Muttered Yuta.

“You're underestimating me, brother.”

“They have such strong scents, they're probably alphas, and you know they're more resistant.” He warned.

Jungwoo just shrugged. "I know.”

“Then don't try anything stupid.”

“Could you guys stop talking? It's really annoying. ” The man's voice made Yuta shiver. “Don't you guys want to have fun? ”

“I'm sorry, but we had a lot of fun today, can we leave it for another day?” Jungwoo replied.

“Don't make fun of them.” Yuta said stiffly.

“We need others to show themselves, Yuta.”

“Besides him, there are about five in the other alleys, watching us. But this one in front of us is the one with the most imposing scent. ”

"Great.” Jungwoo said, getting on his back behind Yuta to look across the alley.

“Oh, I don't like being rejected, love.” Said the man taking a few more steps with his eyes shining in gold and staring at the Japanese boy.

“How could we trust a man who needs his friends to surround us in order to make his move?” Yuta smiled from the corner of his lip.

“Oh forgive me, love, I thought you would be scared if you saw my mates. But we can change that, right boys? ” That sounded like a command, Yuta felt his heart speed up. Those in hiding came out surrounding them in a circle. There were exactly five, six counting the one in front of them, the eldest felt a certain relief that his instincts didn't fail him. “It's the first time we're going to be able to have fun with a warlock.” The man smiled showing his fangs. “And a…” He moved closer, sniffing the air. “Not presented wolf?” He said laughing as he noticed Yuta's expression. “I knew I was right, your scent is so weak but addictive, I'm sure you will be a great omega to breed.”

Yuta growled at those words, but Jungwoo warned him. “Don't let the anger control you, Yuta, this is not the time.” Then he made a movement with his hands causing two of the werewolves to land on the ground a few meters away from them, the ones that were left were already too close and before he could move his hands again Jungwoo was hit with a punch in the face making him fall on the ground unconscious. Yuta tried to turn around to help him but another wolf grabbed his coat and he instinctively grabbed the man by the arm, knocking him to the ground with a quick movement and then with a kick the alley echoed with the crack sound of the wolf's arm being broken. The man on the ground growled furiously but he kicked his face hard enough to knock him unconscious. As soon as he turned to the muscular man who had stopped them, he was surprised with a slap right into his face, hard enough to knock him down. Yuta could taste blood in his mouth, he got up quickly, but was hit by a hard punch in the stomach that made him gasp and fall to his knees on the floor. Despair gripped the young wolf as he glimpsed that the other men had caught Jungwoo unconscious and were carrying him away.

“Look at you.” The man said holding his hair making Yuta look at him. “You haven't even been presented yet. You are weak, princess.” He laughed. “But I must admit the way you knocked down one of my mates impressed me.” He slapped Yuta lightly on the face.

The young wolf could feel his body betraying him. That man's presence was so imposing. His strong scent was choking Yuta, making his legs tremble. He understood what those wolves wanted with them the moment he felt their presence, his eyes were desperately searching for Jungwoo, but he was stopped from looking when the man slapped him once more, knocking him helpless to the ground. How could I fail so much in this role? Yuta mentally laughed at his own disgrace, he felt his strength slipping away. Was it fear?

“Oh.” The man sniffed the air. “I think I was right about you, love.” He heard the sound of a belt being taken off. “Don't worry this will be-”

Then someone came up from behind and placed his hands on either side of the man's head. Yuta felt the air get heavy as he heard something being recited in whispers, the man had stopped and just looked forward. While the whispers continued Yuta just stared static at what was happening, the man opened his mouth, but no sound came out as his face deformed into an expression of pure terror, it wasn't long before he fell unconscious to the ground beside him. The Japanese dared to look at the person who had done it and widened his eyes when he saw that it was Jungwoo, he was still in the position as if he was holding the man's head and with a darkened gaze and one side of his face red from having taken a punch. The eldest felt relief to see him but the warlock's gaze was starting to scare him.

“Woo?” Yuta called.

The warlock blinked and looked at Yuta. “I don't know how long they'll be blacked out, let's get out of here.” He said helping the wolf to stand up. Yuta looked once more at the man lying on the ground and then the two left the place.

 

-

 

It didn't take long for them to return to the apartment, they weren't so far after all, Yuta was hurt but he could walk. On the way he pushed the thought away from the scene he witnessed, that wasn't important. Jungwoo sat him down on the couch and looked for a bag he had left on the table when they left, he took out tiny bottles, which the older couldn't see what was inside, and made some tea.

“Here, it will help you with the pain.” He said, handing a cup of tea to Yuta.

“What's in it?” he asked after smelling the tea.

Jungwoo rolled his eyes. “Just a few herbs to help heal wounds faster. Now drink. ”

“Since when are you this prepared?” Yuta asked while taking the bitter liquid.

The blonde just shrugged. “It's good to be prepared.”

“Did you drink that too? I thought they had hurt you but you look very unharmed to me.”

"Just a bit,” he said, rubbing his hand over his red cheek. “I passed my burden on to those idiots so other than that punch I didn't suffer a thing.”

"Burden?”

“Yes, it was something I developed. The burden is like... what my outside feels physically, if I pass it on to someone else, I won't feel it anymore and anything that is directed at me physically will be felt by the person with the burden. ” He said, holding Yuta's hand. “For example, if I pass my burden on to you and you punch me, the damage and injury will be felt by you, not me. Do you understand? ”

"Smart. I guess. ” He said without understanding very well.

"Are you okay? You look different. ”

“That werewolf's words got in my head. No big deal, it's just that I've never felt so…vulnerable before. ”

“Well I saw the state you left that other wolf, I'm sure you're not vulnerable.”

“It was the only thing I was able to do, Woo.” Yuta stared at the ground. “The presence and scent of that man was so heavy…I still feel it.”

The youngest just held both his hands. “That explains why you're shaking right now.”

“Maybe I just need to rest.”

“I'll spend the night here.”

"Okay.”

That same night Yuta woke up with his body burning with fever, he remembered the scent of that werewolf intoxicating him. After gathering the strength to get up, he realized that the bed was sticky where he was lying. He thought it was because it was sweating a lot, but he felt some discomfort in his backside. He was holding on to the walls until he reached the kitchen to drink some water. He was about to put the cup in the sink, but he felt dizzy and dropped the cup on the floor, breaking it. It didn't take long for Jungwoo to show up to find out what was going on.

"What’s happening?”

“I-I…I don't know, Woo.” he said in a shaky voice. “There's something wrong with me.”

The younger watched him and then came over to help him sit on the couch. “What are you feeling Yuta? Maybe I have some herbs to help. ”

“I-I can't explain properly I think… i-it's like my skin is slowly burning.” Said almost as a moan. “I've been feeling something wrong since we encountered that man. I've felt overwhelmed by his scent, I'm feeling a little dizzy and…there's something wrong with my butt.”

Jungwoo widened his eyes.

“Yuta...”

“W-what?” he asked, wrapping himself with the blanket that Jungwoo had brought for him.

“I have an idea what it is, but…you won't like it.” Yuta couldn't think straight. “Y-yuta…you are an omega.” he said in a serious tone and then pointed at him from head to toe. “And this is your first… heat.”

Yuta felt everything around him spin. “N-no…No, th-that's just… a cold or something, just give me some of those herbs and I should be fine.”

“Yuta...”

"No! Woo. ” He said with tears in his eyes. “It can’t be. ”

Jungwoo was pacing back and forth in front of Yuta while the eldest felt the symptoms getting more and more unbearable.

“I-I have a plan, but it's something that could completely change your life.”

“P-please Woo, just do it. A-anything. ” He moaned. “I can't go on like this. ”

“I need your permission.”

"I'll allow anything, please..." Yuta felt that heat consume him, and felt as if his whole insides were moving inside him. Jungwoo made an expression of uncertainty and concern but snapped his fingers and then the older felt unconscious.

 

Yuta woke up dizzy and feeling pain in his left arm. He looked around, it wasn’t his apartment anymore, it was a tiny room, besides the bed, there was only a desk and a chair, through the window he could only see trees. He also noticed that he was only wearing shorts and a necklace around his neck, the necklace had a pendant with a stone that had a weak golden glow. He tried to organize his thoughts, the attack, the fight, the heat… and omega. Was that a dream? He thought.

“Good morning sleeping beauty.” Jungwoo said smiling in front of the open bedroom door. "I missed you.”

Yuta didn't know what to say, he still couldn't understand how he ended up in that place, in fact, he didn't even know what that place was.

“H-hi... What is this place? ”

“Oh, it's my secret hideout. A gift from my grandmother” Jungwoo blinked his left eye at him. “Don't worry your apartment is okay, and I didn't even let anything bad happen to you.”

Yuta realized that he didn't have any of those symptoms anymore, but he accepted that it had happened to him... that he was an omega.

“What exactly happened?”

“I knocked you out for a week.” Jungwoo said quietly as he twirled the spoon in a cup he held. “Or can I say I put you in a coma? I don't think it matters anyway. ”

“Y-you what?”

“That's what you heard,” he said smiling. “You are an omega, brother.”

Yuta lowered his head. “I know…I still don't believe it.” The Japanese couldn't accept that revelation yet, all this time he believed he would be an alpha, that even though he wasn't all the time with Jungwoo being his bodyguard, his hire, he would at least be a strong alpha who could manage to protect him from anything. But now it is all over.

“It happens, you knew it was a possibility.” Jungwoo shrugged. “Drink this, we need to talk about some…things.” I said handing the cup to him.

"Which is? That I have to find an alpha as soon as possible so I don't get raped just for walking on the streets? ” Yuta laughed desperately as tears fell.

“You'll only be an omega if you want.” he said wiping the tears from his eyes then he pointed to the pendant. “This is part of you now, this is a very special stone that will contain your wolf essence.”

"How?” Yuta blinked uncomprehendingly.

“I've been thinking about it since you were late in being presented, I thought about this possibility so I've been studying a few things until I got to that.” He sighed. "As long as you don't take that necklace off, you won't be a werewolf anymore."

Yuta was trying to process that information. Did such a spell exist? He didn't know how that could happen. However, when he thought better of it, his senses seemed to have weakened, and the smell of that tea didn't bother him at all. "Is that true?” He asked.

“Why would I lie to you?” Jungwoo punched his sore arm. “I have no intention of finding my brother lying around after some alpha like the one we found did something bad to him.”

Yuta smiled slightly. “Thanks, Woo.” He said holding the pendant. “But should I do this?”

“It's your choice Yuta, I told you it could change your life.” Yuta remembered the question he made before knocking him unconscious. “If you want this, you need to understand that you can't take that necklace off.”

“I understood the not taking part, but…what exactly does that do?”

“Well, with it you're basically just an ordinary human. You won't have those special instincts anymore, you won't have that particular wolf scent, you won't be able to shift, of course, but the most important thing is that you won't have those heat cycles...  as long as you don- ”

“Don't take off the necklace.” He completed holding the pendant with his right hand. “I… Thank you again, Woo. ”

Jungwoo smiled slightly. “I need to explain the effect if you take it off.”

"Effect?”

“This stone will retain all of your wolf essence, all of your 'supernatural' side we can say like that, it will keep growing inside it.” he said gesturing with his hands. “The moment you take it off, all that concentrated essence will return to your body. As such, your cycle will automatically restart and your instincts will come back... amplified, depending on how long your wolf has been retained. However, it's just an effect that will occur until your body gets used to being what it used to be. ”

“Doesn’t that sound…a bit dangerous?”

“It is an amplified heat cycle… you'd probably be hunted by any alpha who's able to smell you.”

Yuta was processing that information in his mind. Jungwoo's plan was great, he couldn't deny it, given the situation. However, was it worth abandoning what had defined him all these years? No longer being a werewolf...

“I…I won't take it off, I promise.” He decided.

“Don't promise me that Yuta, I myself don't like to deny a person's essence, but… it was the only solution I found.” He shrugged. “It’s your choice.”

Yuta nodded. Jungwoo knew that he was giving up on something that defined him. That he was going against his own nature. That he was denying his own self. If it weren't for the fact that he was a werewolf he would never have been 'adopted'. He would never have been taken to Kim's mansion or met that warlock. But his denial about being an omega was stronger than that, he won’t accept that fate, he refuses to, even if it means that he would no longer be a werewolf.

 

Two years have passed since then.

Chapter 2: The Human

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Yuta was running across campus trying not to spill his coffee, he decided that next time he definitely won't waste that much time trying to wake up Jungwoo. He entered the room making as little noise as possible, only receiving a curious look from his teacher who didn't stop the class to scold him, Yuta mentally thanked him for that as he sat down at the table next to his classmate.

"You’re late.” Mark muttered. “This is something unusual.”

“Jungwoo's to blame.” He muttered in response.

“Oh.” Mark widened his eyes. “Why didn't you tell me he was there?”

Fuck. Yuta thought. “He is, yes, but it's to keep it a secret.”

“Don't worry about it!” He said smiling.

Mark had a crush on Jungwoo but he only knew him from news and magazines. After all, Jungwoo became the youngest CEO of Kim's famous jewelry company, some people somehow saw him as an idol and Yuta never understood that. Last semester Mark ran into him in Yuta's apartment and then ended up discovering their 'brothers' situation. As much as Mark wanted to get close to the blonde he couldn't because he was always nervous when he was around him, it was funny to see. Jungwoo also didn't cooperate because he loved to tease him and it made him even more nervous.

“Why is he even there?” He asked curiously.

Yuta just shrugged. “He didn't really explain it to me, he just asked to stay the night and that I wake him up before I left for class. He was probably feeling overworked. ” He concludes.

Jungwoo looked a little more tired than usual and that worried him, but he learned that the younger would talk about what's going on when he thinks it's necessary, just like Yuta did with him, it was their dynamic. After classes, Mark and Yuta went to the college coffee shop.

“There's going to be a party at Joy's new house this weekend, you’re coming, right?”

Yuta scowled. "Do I need to go?”

"Of course! You have been my partner since the first day here! ” He said proudly. “I don't want you to miss this. ”

“I don't know Mark, you know I'm not into parties and crowds.”

“Pleaseeeeeeeee…” He begged. “Even if... just to accompany me.”

“In short, you just want someone around to make sure you make it to your dorm after drinking yourself until you can’t stand?” He said, raising his eyebrows.

“If you put it that way it looks selfish.”

“Well, it is.”

“I'll buy you lunch for the rest of the week in compensation.”

Yuta stared at him in disbelief. “The bribe!” Then he laughed. "I’ll accept.”

 

-

 

Yuta arrived at the apartment later than he would have liked, after classes they met with Ten who ended up making them go on a small tour of the city to see some reference buildings for his architecture project, the semester had barely started and he already was looking for ideas, Yuta had to admit he was dedicated. Before saying goodbye, Mark tried to convince the Japanese to go back to the apartment with him to see if Jungwoo was still there but the eldest said that the blonde should have gone back to Incheon. That's what he had said to Yuta after all, but as soon as he opened the door he found the youngest still in his pajamas, watching television and with a bowl of ice cream in his hands.

“Hi…” Said with his mouth full.

"Hi..." Yuta replied suspiciously. “I thought you went back to Incheon today.”

“Well…” Said the younger while wiping his mouth. “I did... To say I'm taking a few days off!!”

“And I got late today because of that?” He said in a disapproving tone.

Jungwoo just pouted. "Sorry... "

Yuta just shrugged and sat down beside him. “Okay, you know you can stay here as long as you want.” He said taking the spoon from the blonde's hand and taking a piece of ice cream. “I just hope you're okay.”

“I'm fine, don't worry.” He said hesitantly. “I'm just a little overwhelmed anyway. Taking care of the family business... It's not easy. ”

"I can imagine.”

One of the things that Yuta never really understood was why Jungwoo's father turned the company over to him. The blonde just told him that Mr. Kim had simply decided to retire, after that he bought a boat and went fishing and never came back. Not that he died, but apparently, he just decided to leave out of the blue. Yuta liked to think that maybe he felt sorry for everything he did after Mrs. Kim passed away, but it was more something he imagined to try to understand that man's behavior.

“Did you know that the company’s command is only passed on to those with affinities for witchcraft?”

"For real?”

Jungwoo nodded. “I noted this in the family history. My father often said that our family had many humans, but that was our ‘ancestors’ mistake. ” He said with a shrug. “I don't see a problem with humans, I even think I'd like to be one. ”

“I don’t think you would give up on witchcraft.”

“You know me so well, brother.” He said laughing. “At least one of us is.” He winked his left eye at Yuta who only punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Do you miss it?”

"I don’t really know.” He said thoughtfully. “A little, I think. That's what my life was all about after all, but I've been enjoying this new… life, I hardly think about it these days. ”

“Apparently you really enjoyed college.”

Yuta shrugged. “More than I imagined. I met nice people there so that must have paid off a lot.”

“So… No… Interests?” He asked like someone who didn't want anything.

“Not as far as I remember.” He said indifferently. “But if everyone knows that my brother is the famous Kim Jungwoo, who knows.” He joked.

“Look at you, wanting to take advantage of me!” He laughed. “It even looks like you could handle the attention. Besides, it's not the best of ideas at the moment. ” He said, lowering his gaze.

“Woo…” There was something going on, it was the expression he used when he didn't want to cause trouble. “I know it's not our thing to ask this but…What's going on?”

Jungwoo looked away. “It's not the kind of thing you need to worry about.”

“Woo.” Yuta just made a serious expression at him.

He just sighed. “To tell you the truth, I'm hiding from the council.”

The council, it wasn't the first time the Japanese had heard about it, Mr. Kim used to say that they were the great enemy, but Yuta never really knew what it was and didn't even bother to ask. After all, for Mr. Kim, he just needed to know who was the enemy and who wasn't, he didn't need to know what they did or didn't do. Since the spell, Jungwoo hesitated to talk about witch society or other supernatural creatures, Yuta believed it was to not make him regret the choice he made.

“The council of the three elders.” Jungwoo continued. “They are currently the ones in charge of the laws of warlocks and witches. Everyone must respond to them, everyone must be bound to them. The point is... I'm not bound to them and I don't intend to be. ” he said in a serious tone.

“And you can't just… say no?” He questioned.

“It's not that simple, warlocks and witches must submit at twenty-one and well… I'm already of age. ” He shrugged. “Since then, the council has sent their representative after me to explain the rules to me as if I had no choice...”

"So?”

“My dad explained to me that this would happen, and that I shouldn't submit to them at all.” Jungwoo sighed. “He said like I was special? That I am an unexpected birth in the family, I mean, my father is half an warlock? And my mother was one hundred percent witch so it’s no surprise I’d be one. However, as I said, my family has many humans, this apparently delayed the birth of other warlocks or witches, and when I was born, the council knew on the very first day. ”

“It makes sense.” Yuta said thoughtfully. “So that's why you really needed a bodyguard…”

Jungwoo nodded. “Let's not get into this subject Yuta.”

“I'm not made of glass Woo, I know what I really am even though I've been denying it for two years already.”

The two were silent for a few minutes.

"Anyway. If I deny the council, they'll be on my tail waiting for me to break some random rule to try to punish me and make me submit to the elders. ” He shrugged. “Therefore, I just decided to avoid them as much as possible while I formulate a plan.”

“This plan is not going to work very well considering you are the CEO of your family business.”

Jungwoo nodded. “That's why I'm thinking about passing this position on to my uncle, it’s a lot of attention I don't need, plus he's much more capable of running the company than I am, but nobody says anything probably out of fear.”

"Why fear?” he asked curiously.

“Well, he's a Kim whether he likes it or not, and the humans in the Kim family have some knowledge about this other side of us, understand? Sometimes the best security is not questioning some decisions. ”

"I understand. i guess. I think it's a good idea. ” Yuta shrugged. The truth is that he didn't quite know what to say, it all seemed to be something so far from what his life really is, it was like he didn't have an opinion about it, like he didn't need to.

“As I said before, I'm going to need to stay in this hide and seek until I decide what to do. Sorry, for just throwing all of this, which is probably irrelevant to you, on your back like that, I needed to talk.” He said with his head down.

“Okay, after all, I was the one who asked, wasn't it?” Yuta hugged him. “Just be careful.”

“I'll be. I don't want them to find out about you either and I don't intend to let one more Kim ruin your life.”

“It's not like my life could have been any better if I hadn't been bought, Woo.” Yuta shrugged. “I think in the end it was better that way.”

"I hope.”

 

-

 

Yuta noticed that Mark was walking as if he was hiding from someone. The youngest was sneaking through the columns of the college yard. He was only twenty but sometimes he act like he was way younger than that.

“Why are you acting weird?” He asked curiously.

“Donghyuck told me that Ten was looking for us.”

“Hum, do you think he's going to want us to go out with him again?”

"Probably. So I'm just avoiding being seen. ”

“Why can't you just say no like a normal person?”

“Oh please Yuta, you know how melodramatic Ten is. Do you remember when I said I didn't understand how his project worked last semester? ”

Yuta remembered that moment, things like his projects, clothes and hair color. It was better to just nod or he would make a scene. After Mark had said that Ten just started crying saying he was the worst architecture student possible.

“Yeah…I remember.” He said a sympathetic towards Mark. “But I don't think you'll have a choice.” Yuta noticed that Ten was running towards them.

“Hey guys.”

“Oh, Hi Ten, I'm sorry, I have lots of homework to do today.”

"No, you don’t.” Ten replied quickly, raising an eyebrow. “But I don't need company today. I just wanted to give this to you.” He said, handing them a colorful folder.

"What is that?” Asked Yuta as he stared at the folder.

“Well, as you know, the dean wants this year to be great. So, together with some of our teachers, he had the idea of bringing together the college's schools in an event or festival or whatever you want to call it.” He said shrugging. “The point is. They're going to open up limited vacancies for students who are interested in joining the support and preparation team. The good thing about it is that it will count as extracurricular activities, which is great for us."

“Extra activities that will weigh on the curriculum…” Yuta thought. “Sounds like a good idea.”

"Right?”

“Well, I think I'm good.” Mark said with a shrug.

Ten just scowled. “I'm not surprised you don't feel like doing it, you're lazy just like Dejun.”

“That nerd Dejun? Oh please, I will definitely participate in this. ”

Ten smiled in victory. “Well, that was it, I remembered you two the moment they let me know about this, after all, you are my dear friends whether you like it or not.” He said, patting Yuta on the back. "This folder has all the information about the event, but honestly, everyone will end up participating, because the evaluation projects for this semester must be shown in it, but those interested in registering for the support team's vacancies will receive a bonus as they go be supporting other departments. ” He made a sign of silence. “It hasn't been announced yet, so if you want to participate, get ready to apply soon.”

“And how did you get access to this?” asked Mark curiously.

“Well, I'll be part of the event's organizing committee, representing the architecture department.”

“This seems important.” Mark muttered.

"And it is.” Ten responded quickly. “Anyway, I believe that by next Friday this will be announced... Good luck. ”

“Thank you for letting us know about this.” Thanked Yuta. In the Japanese’s mind, Ten was more Mark's friend than his. After all, Mark met Ten at a freshman party in the first semester of college. Moreover, at that time the youngest was already friends with Yuta, which made Ten ended up getting closer to him because of Mark, but he thought it was just for convenience because they’re always together since the younger was Yuta only friend at the time. When the Thai said they were both his dear friends he got surprised a bit.

“I knew you would like that.” Ten said, smiling as he walked away from the two. “Oh and Mark… Homework? Seriously? ” he asked, making a disgusted expression.

"It is true! Yuta can confirm! ”

Yuta just nodded, but Ten had already turned his back to them.

 

In the Korea National University of Arts, the school of visual arts had four departments, each was a specific course, Yuta and Mark were part of the fine arts department, and the other departments were architecture, design and art theory. There were other school’s too, like the School of Dance, Music, Drama and others, each with their different departments. The idea of the event seemed very interesting from the Japanese point of view, although he is sure that if he has to show his own work in front of other people at this event, he will be extremely embarrassed, but there was nothing to do about it. On the way back to class they bumped into Joy who as usual was the most curious person he knew, being quick to take the folder out of his hand to see what it was.

"What is that?” She asked, ignoring Mark's 'Hi Joy'.

Yuta sighed. “It's the folder about an event that will take place this semester.”

She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the folder. “Oh, I heard about it, I was invited to join the committee because of my class prominence but I left the spot to Taeil as he was looking forward to it soooo much.” She shrugged and handing the folder back to the Japanese. “It looks like it's going to be something really big.”

"Right? I'm thinking about joining the support team. ”

"Really? It seems to be too much work and we will have to show our projects and everything. ”

Yuta felt a chill. “Don't tell me. Just thinking about it makes me nervous.”

“Oh please.” She laughed. “You are one of the best in our class, you will do just fine.”

"Right?” Mark said, finally causing Joy to look at him. “I've told him several times to have confidence in his works but he doesn't even listen to me!”

“Yeah, don't even tell me.” Said rolling her eyes. “You’ll come to my party, right?” She asked, looking at Yuta.

“Of course we will.” Mark put his arm around the Japanese's shoulder.

"Great.” She smiled. “Hope to see you there then.”

As soon as she walked away from them, Mark turned to Yuta.

“You’re definitely going now.”

“But I already said I would.”

“I’m just reminding you.”

 

-

 

"Look at him. So pretty. ” Provoked Jungwoo.

Yuta jumped when he heard that, sometimes he forgot that Jungwoo could show up there at any time. The warlock had connected the door of the other room to some other place with his door-crossing thing. It gave him free access to the apartment, but Yuta planned to talk to him about it. For him to just show up there unannounced... it would be weird and embarrassing if the Japanese were with someone else there.

“You scared me. Woo, you need to let me know when you're going to do this. ” He said, finishing buttoning his shirt.

“Sorry, I always have fun with your reaction.” The blonde chuckled.

“Thanks anyway, I was going to ask your opinion.”

"You're welcome. Are you going on a date? ” Jungwoo got up and handed the jacket that was on the bed to Yuta.

“Not really, it's just a party at Joy's house. Mark begged me to go. ” He said with a shrug.

“Little Mark wanting attention.” He laughed. “I always thought this girl's name was funny though.”

“Oh it's just a nickname, her name is Sooyoung, but she likes being called Joy, don't ask me why.”

Jungwoo raised an eyebrow. “Sooyoung… as Park Sooyoung?”

Yuta turned to see if there was anything on his back in the mirror. “Yes, how did you know?”

“Well…it's because she's a witch.”

Yuta's eyes widened in surprise at the information. "For real?”

“Unless there's another Park Sooyoung out there. For real. ” Jungwoo shrugged. “But don't worry about it. She probably doesn't know about our connection... But be careful, the Park family is one of the closest to the council. ”

“But what if she knows and that's why she asked me to go today?” Yuta sat up in bed. “Mark knows, what if he told her something?”

“I have my intuition about Mark's seriousness with promises. He would only have told her if she had persuaded him, which is what the Park’s do best. ”

“And how are you sure she doesn't know?”

“Because by now someone from the council would have knocked on your door.” Jungwoo put his hand on the Japanese shoulder. “I shouldn't have said anything. But I thought you might want to know about it. After all, there's no way you can know these things on your own... So, calm down and go have fun. ”

The warlock saying he couldn't know on his own hurt Yuta. Since he abdicated what he was, he could no longer distinguish the 'supernatural' difference between people, while he felt a certain tranquility in not having to care to know that, he was also afraid.

“You scare me and tell me to go have fun?”

"Yes!”

“You are the worst.”

Jungwoo just smirked. “I know, now go. Go to the party, dance, have fun and kiss someone for me. ”

“The Yuta you have in your mind looks like someone who really likes to party.” He laughed.

“Okay, I plan to spend the night here. Do I have Lord Yuta's permission?” He rose and bowed.

“Why are you asking permission? You know you can. ”

“Not ten minutes ago you said I should let you know when I'm coming here.”

“You really are the worst.”

"I know.”

 

-

 

Yuta met with Mark at the intended address. Apparently, Joy had bought a new house in a neighborhood not far from college. Therefore, since she finished the move she had been thinking about how to celebrate in the best way possible. She liked to show off whatever achievements she had. The Japanese were a little surprised when he first saw the place, as Joy didn't look like the kind of person that would have liked a house with a facade that recalls something old. He was still nervous about going there because of what he'd discovered earlier. Before Mark could knock on the door, Yuta stopped him.

“Hey, did you tell Joy about Jungwoo?”

Mark looked at him in surprise. “No, do you want me to?”

Yuta shook his head. “It's nothing, forget it, for a moment I thought she knew about him.”

“The secret is safe with me.” Mark smiled. “But I never really understood this secret thing of yours.”

Yuta just shrugged. “Another time I'll explain it to you.”

As soon as they knocked on the door, Joy opened it quickly, almost as if she was waiting for them.

“You came!” She said smiling. “Come in, come in, everyone is already here.”

Despite the sturdier and older facade, her new house was quite 'modern', there was a courtyard with a path on the floor that led to the front door. There were some flowerpots on the walls. He could hear loud music inside the house and lights in the window. Yuta wondered if there was a chance of any neighbors calling the police.

The Japanese managed to spend an impressive thirty minutes in that house pretending that he liked to be surrounded by so many unknown people, talking, dancing and drinking. Yuta wasn't made for crowds, he had to admit. At first he still chatted a little with his other classmates, but nothing that could be kept up for long. Mark had already hooked up with some random group and wouldn't stop drinking, as usual, Yuta took a deep breath and decided to sit in the backyard of the house, near the pool. Joy didn't want anyone to go in because pools were harder to clean afterwards, which left the yard empty, just what he needed. He just folded his pants down to his knees and put his feet in the cold water.

 

“Oh” He heard someone's voice. “I thought no one would be here.”

Yuta shrugged without turning around. “I'm sorry to disappoint you.”

"Sorry... "

“Well, I don't own the house. You can stay if you want to.”

“I'm glad you aren't.” Said the stranger in a calm tone. “I will accept your offer. I'm just waiting for someone to take him home. ”

He sat on the same side of the pool as Yuta and after folding his sweatpants the guy put his feet in the water, he must have been a little taller than him, his black hair was combed in a way that made a fringe that fell a little bit in his eyes. He was also wearing a grimy black sweater, he looked more like someone who didn't intend to leave his house that day, despite not being something that was suitable for a party, Yuta thought he was very handsome.

“So I guess there are two of us. I'm just waiting for my friend, honestly.”

“Oh.” He shifted a little to the side to get closer to Yuta. “What a coincidence then.” He smiled, extending his hand. The Japanese blushed a bit with his dimples. “My name is Jaehyun, Jung Jaehyun. And you? ”

“Yuta… Nakamoto Yuta. ” They shook hands and then a silence prevailed between them.

“So…” Jaehyun started. “You don’t like parties?”

“Not at all to be honest.” He said looking at his own reflection in the water. “I get uncomfortable with a lot of unknown people around me, I feel like all eyes are on me. You know? ”

"I understand.” He scratched his nose. “I feel something similar too. I actually didn't intend to leave my house today, as you can see I'm not even dressed for it. ”

Yuta laughed lightly. “I didn't want to say anything.”

"You’re kind.” He laughed. “I still have my issues with the owner of this house. I’m sure I shouldn't be here.”

"Really?”

He nodded. “It’s best to not talk about this.”

They continued talking for a while longer, Jaehyun actually didn't even go to college so there was no way the Japanese had seen him around campus before, he was waiting for someone who was there, but he didn't use names. Yuta also found out that he was twenty two years old, the same age as him. He was funny and a bit silly. It was a nice conversation. Jaehyun ended up saying that he had a certain aversion towards Joy from the first time he saw her and that it was mutual. Which surprised the Japanese because Joy always seemed to get along well with everyone he knew. She probably wouldn't get along with Jungwoo but he couldn’t say exactly why. It didn't take long for them to be interrupted by her, calling out to Yuta.

“I think I have to go.” He said getting up and folding his pants again. “I think my friend got into trouble.”

“Bye then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Yuta.”

He just smiled and walked over to Joy who wasn't looking at him with a very good expression.

“Why are you with that…guy?”

“Jaehyun? I was just sitting by the pool and he happened to be there. ” He said with a shrug.

“I know, but I didn't even invite him. He's not even on campus.”

“I know, but he said he was waiting for someone.”

“Oh that must be it then.” She said thoughtfully. “Anyway, Mark definitely needs help. He threw up a lot in the bathroom just now.”

“Now tell me something I don't know. ”

She looked at him for a few seconds. “You look very handsome today.”

Yuta raised his eyebrows at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks. Good to know that at least today I am. ” He joked.

She just smiled and led him to where Mark was. He was sitting next to the toilet bowl in the living room toilet.

“Yutaaa.” He said getting up quickly and stumbling towards the Japanese.

“Hi Mark. Let's go. You've had enough fun by the looks of it.” He put one of the other’s arms on his shoulder and held his waist to keep him from falling. He asked Joy to help him order a cab as he had his hands full with Mark. After a few minutes waiting near the door Yuta managed to put the youngest, who was almost asleep, in the back seat of the cab.

“Who….was that guy with you?”  Mark asked sleepily.

"Who?”

“I saw…you with a guy in the pool.”

“Oh, just someone I met randomly. ” He adjusted himself on the bench and laid Mark's head in his lap.

“Yutaaaa… I can't believe you found a date.” He sobbed. “I am so proud.”

“I would like to say the same about you.” He joked trying to look away from the judging eyes of the driver. “What did you drink Mark? You stink. ”

“Please don't hate me…I love you sooooo much.”

"Yes I know... "

Yuta didn't want to have to leave Mark in that state in the dorm in the hands of his roommate, so he decided it would be better to take him to his own apartment. Besides, with Jungwoo there, he could do something for the hangover that would probably destroy the youngest the next day.

The Japanese had a bit of difficulty getting his friend into the elevator. He also tried not to be noisy, but it was impossible, as soon as they arrived at the apartment Mark simply threw himself on the living room floor. It didn't take long for Jungwoo to come running to see what it was.

“Oh it's little Mark.” He made a curious expression and then held his nose. “Damn, what did he drink? He stinks like garbage. ”

"Right?” Yuta said, closing the door. “I have no idea what he drank at that party.”

Jungwoo just knelt on the floor and turned Mark to put his head in his lap and then he made a brief movement with one hand in front of his face and he woke up.

"Oh I think I'm dreamin..." He said smiling.

“No you're not.” Jungwoo smiled. “You're drunk, stinky and in need of a bath.”

“I would like if you gave me a bath.”

Jungwoo just laughed. “I'm sure your sober self won't even believe what you just said.” He got up, knocking Mark's head to the ground. “Well, I woke up the sleeping beauty, now it's in your hands.”

“I would like a little help.” Yuta pouted.

“I've done enough for you!”

"At least I tried.” He said with a shrug. “Come on Mark, Jungwoo doesn't want to give you a bath.” He helped his friend to be on his feet.

“Damn.” Muttered Mark.

After he gave his friend a bath, the Japanese helped him lie down on the couch to sleep and covered him with a blanket. Then he sat in front of Jungwoo on the kitchen island, the youngest had made tea for them both.

"Is he okay?” He smiled when Yuta nodded. “I made some tea.”

"Thanks.” He took a sip of tea, feeling as if that liquid flowed all over his body. "What is that?” he asked curiously.

“Oh it's just an herb, it helps to relax and relieve tension. I thought you'd want it.”

“It's great, thanks.”

They were silent for a few seconds.

“…So how was the party?” Jungwoo asked.

“Well…” Yuta placed the cup on the table. “At first it seemed to be just another party that I would be uncomfortable with.” He shrugged. “I sat close to the pool where there was no one and ended up meeting this…. Dude.”

Jungwoo raises an eyebrow. "I'm listening.”

“It wasn't anything special I think. He was waiting for someone, probably his date or whatever. But he was nice, it was a good conversation. ”

“So…you guys just talked?”

Yuta nodded.

"Hmm.”

"Disappointed?”

"A Bit.” He circled his finger in the cup. “Was he handsome?”

“He was dressed like someone who had been lying in bed all day.” He laughed. “But yes, he was.”

Jungwoo just smiled.

"What?”

"Nothing.” He shrugged. “It's not every day that you talk about someone's handsomeness.”

Yuta shrugged. “But I'm hardly ever going to see him again, he's not even on campus and I didn't get his number.”

“Really Yuta?” Jungwoo looked at him in disbelief.

"What? I didn't even think about it at the time and I didn't even have any second intentions like you think I have. ”

“You are an amateur in relationships!”

“And you are talking like you're an expert.”

They both laughed.

“Well I'm going to sleep, I'm tired and thanks to this tea my eyes are feeling heavy.”

"Okay.” Before Yuta entered his own room, the blonde said: “If you have a strand of his hair, give it to me so I can locate him for you.” He said with a smirk.

"Woo!"

 

The next morning.

 

“Ugh my head is killing me.” Mark said upon waking up.

“Poor thing.” He heard a familiar voice, as he turned his face he saw Jungwoo in his pajamas reading a book with a serene expression. He panicked and covered himself with the blanket, because he wasn’t wearing any shirt and just being close to Jungwoo made him nervous by itself. Yuta was a demon.

“H-hi...”

“Don't be shy.” Jungwoo looked up at him. “It's not like I don't like what I'm seeing.” Teased.

“A-ah, Now I need more blankets!” Yuta patted his head.

“Why, Mark? You were so happy to come here yesterday. ”

 “It's a shame he doesn't remember waking up in my lap.” Jungwoo said with his eyes fixed on him.

“I…I what?”

“That's what you heard, Mark.” Jungwoo winked at him from the corner of his eye.

“I-I-I need a shower! Excuse me.” Mark got up wrapped in the blanket and ran to Yuta's room, and they both laughed as they heard the bathroom door close.

“You’re such a tease Woo.”

“What can I do if his reaction always makes it irresistible?” He burst out laughing.

“These tea herbs of yours… Does any of that work on headaches? He will probably need it. ”

“I must have something. He'll be fine.” Jungwoo shrugged. “Oh, I forgot to ask you something… How were things with Joy?”

Yuta's eyes widened, he had completely forgotten that she was a witch. He should have been at least alert. However, the moment he walked into her house it was as if his mind had gotten hazy around that topic. How? He thought.

“I-I… forgot?” He blinked.

"You forgot? How? ”

“I didn't remember about it at all during the time I was inside that house. I just remembered now because you asked me about her.”

Jungwoo watched him warily.

“I don't feel anything over you… She didn't do anything, it must have been something she put in the place. ” He closed the little book. “Some kind of veil. She probably wanted to hide something. ”

"What?”

“Veils are only put on when someone wants to hide something. She probably knew that someone who knew about her was going to that party, so she put the veil over the house to avoid the situation. ” He said thoughtfully. “It couldn't have been anything aimed at you, like I said… But I don't recommend setting foot there again. ”

A shiver passed through Yuta's body.

"I won’t.”

 

-

 

The announcement about the big event of the semester was announced the following week, just as Ten had said. The “Arts Week”, as it was called by their teachers, would be the evaluation of all schools in that first half of the semester, aiming to encourage freshmen to show their talent as well as giving veterans the opportunity to show everything they learned. Yuta actually liked that idea. He signed up for the support team, his semester didn't have many classes because in the past he anticipated some, so it would be a calmer semester in theory, so he didn't have a problem joining.

The first week he didn't have to do much, he just attended a few meetings because Ten insisted on dragging him along. Saying it was important for him to know what was going to happen each day. Although he was on the support of the visual arts school and its departments, he didn't need to know exactly what each school was going to do. One thing he noticed was how Taeil, the fine arts representative, acted more like a great leader of everything as everyone apparently followed the schedule of reunions he had created for the event and approved most of his ideas. He already knew him by sight, he was three years older than him and was one semester ahead. He always stood out in and out of class, which must be why people just approved of his ideas.

 

-

 

Yuta was walking carefully with a column of books in his hands, it was a request from Taeil, as he was the only one of the support team that the eldest found, so he asked for his help. He had quickly explained to him why he needed it, but Yuta didn't pay much attention. He tried his best not to drop anything. Dejun would probably kill him if that happened. He had understood why Mark didn't like him after meeting the guy for the first time. But his care was all in vain when some stranger bumped into him in the hallway causing him to drop everything.

"I’m sorry. I'm a little lost. ” The stranger bent down to help him pick up the books. “Oh, hello… Yuta? ” asked Jaehyun.

“Oh hello, and you are Jaehyun, right?” He nodded. “I didn't expect to find you around here.”

“It's an unexpected surprise for me too.” He laughed. “I just came to meet someone.”

"Oh I see.” He said getting up already holding the books again.

“B-but I'd like if we talk later... What do you think about giving me your number? I forgot to ask that day.”

Yuta looked at him thoughtfully. This time Jaehyun had his hair properly combed. The bangs he was wearing on the day of the party had the image of some nerd he had seen around campus. It was funny and cute, but now he had his hair parted and he could see his forehead. That hairstyle definitely made his smile more charming than cute.

“Of course, but I have my hands full here.” Yuta shrugged. “If you can help me... ”

“How about I help you take this to wherever you need?”

“Ah it's my job at the moment I couldn't ask you for it.”

“It's not like I'm going to find the person I'm looking for anyway, apparently.” He shrugged. “At least there's someone I know here.”

“Okay, get half of them please.”

Yuta's back thanked him when half the weight was removed from his hands.

“Are you some kind of librarian here?”

“Actually, no, this is just something I should take out into the hall.” He tried to nod. “There's going to be an event on campus soon and apparently one of the organizers needs this for some reason I don't remember.”

“That sounds cool.” He smiled. “I mean. The event.”

“Yeah, aside from when they need the hard work. But I signed up for it so…”

Jaehyun laughed. “Wait… is the organizer Moon Taeil?” he asked curiously.

"Yes he is, how did you know?” Yuta looked at him in surprise.

“He's the person I'm looking for.”

 

It didn't take long for them to be greeted by him as they entered the hall.

“Oh there you are!” Taeil came running towards them and quickly grabbed Jaehyun by the arm.

“Careful I don't want to drop this a second time.” He warned.

“You can put it over there on that table.” He pointed and then watched curiously. "Do you know each other?”

They responded at the same time, but Yuta regretted it right away because while he said 'no', Jaehyun had said 'yes'.

“I mean…” The Japanese tried to find an excuse, but Jaehyun continued for him.

“Well, actually it's the second time we've met and on both occasions we've talked a little.” He winked at Yuta. “We can say that we know each other, right?”

"I guess so.” He replied, embarrassed.

“Yuta. Right? ” Taeil asked.

He just nodded. The older one soon slapped Jaehyun's biceps.

"Excellent! You two will see each other a little more from now on as Jaehyunnie here will join the support team. Hehe. ”

“Is that why you called me here?” Jaehyun raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! You owe me a lot of favors and it's not like you have anything better to do.” He laughed. “I couldn't stand to see you unoccupied at home anymore so I got you something to do. ”

“But he's not even...”

Taeil made a sign of silence. “I found a way.” Then he winked at Jaehyun. “Besides, a ride every day would be nice.”

"Is that so?” Yuta raised an eyebrow at Jaehyun who had rosy cheeks. For the Japanese it was clear that they were in a relationship.

"Yes!” Taeil replied. “Don't you think it's going to be interesting for people to see me arrive with a handsome guy like that?”

“Taeil, please stop.” Jaehyun pleaded.

Yuta just laughed.

 

-

 

After that day, they started to see each other very often through campus during the afternoons. The representatives didn't seem to agree on how the hall would be organized or the types of workshops that will take place, as it will be an event beyond the campus students, they want to draw as much attention as possible to the schools. Workshops should be the best possible way to present some of the courses. There was still a lot to do, they had only one more week to make the decisions before the stage preparations and decoration began to be organized and produced. Taeil passed through some of the campus classes to understand what kind of projects the students were working on for the presentations on the days of the event. Yuta couldn't help but admire the older one determination.

During those days he could barely see Jungwoo, the youngest was busy in Incheon with the family business, which he had started to introduce his uncle as the new head of the company just as he had told him. Yuta was irritated because with this the news began to be reproduced that the blonde was incompetent for the position. However, he tried to ignore it since Jungwoo didn't care what humans said about him. Sometimes he forgot that the two were no longer part of the same world, and that's why the youngest didn't like interfering so much in Yuta's life and that ended up making them fall apart a bit. If Yuta wasn’t an omega, things might be totally different for them. But he pushed the thought away whenever it came to his mind.

Yuta thought he could still have Mark's company since the two had joined the support team, but the younger said he was being a 'slave' in the architecture department, it was probably Ten's doing and since the Japanese was helping Taeil directly, the two weren't seen each other much on campus outside of classes. Then Jaehyun enters, since he was also helping the eldest, the two ended up talking a lot. He was a good distraction. Yuta had to admit. He always tried to keep a conversation going even if it was on some silly topic, but his smile was dangerous for the Japanese. Sometimes he thought Taeil was lucky to have someone like him around. To be honest, Yuta never dated anyone, but it wasn't something he was looking for. Not that he never hooked up with anyone, he had his moments with boys and girls in the past, but nothing he could consider special. Jungwoo always liked to ask him about this subject, and said that he should give someone a chance. But in Yuta's mind, he didn't need to hurry.

In some meetings Yuta could share some ideas that pleased Taeil, since then he liked to hear what the Japanese had to say about the event and what they were planning, so they could organize an interesting schedule more quickly. However, sometimes they ended up just making small talk, Taeil sometimes liked to talk about Jaehyun and it made Yuta a little embarrassed, for him it was as if the older was saying Jaehyun was his or something like that. The thing is, in the end it was just something in his head. Because when he asked if they were dating, the older just looked surprised at him.

 

“Oh my god, you thought me and Jaehyun were dating?”

“Well… you guys don’t?”

"No!? We are just friends! ” He laughed. “Oh my. I can’t believe this. ”

Yuta blushed. “Can you blame me? You act as if you are. ”

“Okay, I can be really clingy sometimes!” He laughed again. “But we're not, we just live in the same house actually.”

“And yet you don't date?”

"No! Just because we live in the same house doesn't mean we date Yuta! ”

"If you say so.” Yuta shrugged.

“He was a bit depressed because he lost his job recently, so I thought if I got him something to do he could leave the house, I kind of managed it so…” He shrugged. “Plus, I must admit that his eyes shine a bit when he is around you.” He gave the Japanese a curious look. “I hope he finds something interesting in the event, it would be good for him to go to college, you know?”

"I think so.” Yuta said, trying to show disinterest by looking at the notes they took. But he still felt the weight of Taeil's curious gaze on him.

“What are you going to do now that I'm not a threat?”

He almost dropped the notebook. “N-nothing, I just asked out of curiosity.”

"I’ll pretend that I believe in you.”

 

-

 

The week before the event was the most tiring. He needed to finish his assessment and presentation work, as well as help with stage construction and decorations. At least there were plenty of people to help in that matter so he felt relieved, but they still needed to hurry to get everything ready in time. Jaehyun knew well how to put together the platforms, he wasn't surprised since in their conversations he had said that he knew how to do all kinds of work that were useful. He had to learn to be able to give the best care for his little brother. That day he was wearing a tank top that definitely made it impossible not to look at his arms, but Yuta tried not to make that obvious.

Since the other schools and departments still needed help, the people on the support team would help each other, as long as they had completed their assignments with the department they were assigned to help with. As Taeil accelerated preparations for the visual arts school, they were free to support other schools. Later that week, he and Jaehyun ended up staying late helping a department at the dance school. Joy and Mark had called Yuta to crack a pizza later that day but the Japanese wasn't in the mood to go out so his distraction at that night became cleaning up a large dance hall that would be where some students would show off their skills at the event and Jaehyun.

 

"Whew, I can't believe we're done." Jaehyun said, sitting in the corner of the room next to Yuta.

"Neither do I, I can't even believe that next week will be the event, it seems we've been at it for years." He joked.

"Right?" Jaehyun laughed. “But despite not studying here, it was a very rewarding event so far.”

"Is that so?" Yuta felt his ears sting.

Jaehyun nodded. "I wasn't in a good place before starting here, I have to admit, it was good."

"Taeil said something about..."

"Oh." He looked away. "It’s just the past, I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, you don't have to say anything you don't want to."

"It's not that, it's just... I don't want to waste your company on things like this." Then he turned to smile at Yuta again. "You know, when I was younger my mom taught me to dance to slow songs, I think she was a dance teacher, I don't have a lot of memories of her but I always remember that light music and a place like this."

"Really?" Jaehyun nodded. "Well my..." Yuta thought for a moment, would it be right to consider Mrs. Kim, his mother? Aside from her, the Japanese didn't have any maternal figures in his life. “Mother…” The word barely left his throat. "Taught me how to paint and have a certain appreciation for art, that's why I'm here today."

"I would like to see your paintings one day."

"Well, next week I'll be showing one of them in the hall, if you're interested in seeing it."

"I would love to." Yuta felt a little twinge in his heart whenever the dimples formed in Jaehyun's cheeks when he smiled. "Since you promised to show me your art..." He stood up, then he made his cell phone play a slow song and then put it in his own pocket, after that he bowed to Yuta. "How about a dance?"

Yuta just stared at him. "First, I didn't promise, second, I don't know how to dance..."

"I'll teach you." He said pulling the Japanese by the hand leaving him very close to his body, then he intertwined his fingers with Yuta's and placed his other hand on his waist. "Now, you put your free hand on my shoulder."

"I-I..."

"Relax." Jaehyun took a deep breath, implying that Yuta should do the same. "Now you just follow me, okay?"

"O-okay." He placed his hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

"One-Two-Three" Jaehyun started to move slowly, guiding Yuta who had a bit of difficulty at first because he was trying his best to not to step on the other’s foot. “One-Two-Three” Jaehyun looked at the Japanese graciously as he started to keep up with his pace. "You're pretty good at it."

"I might be a fast learner." He replied proudly.

"I noticed." He smiled. “Dancing makes me feel free, you know?”

"I can feel it too." He agreed.

Jaehyun brought Yuta even closer to his body. "I can't deny that I'm happy to be your first dance."

Yuta blushed. Their faces were terribly close, the Japanese could feel his heartbeat falling in rhythm with his own. Jaehyun was so compelling, should he surrender to that guy's enchantment? That doubt was more like a defense mechanism, the truth is that he wanted this closeness. When Jaehyun broke that distance between them, Yuta just surrendered and the two kissed passionately.

 

-

 

The following week arrived quickly. On the day Yuta and Jaehyun kissed, the other insisted on leaving him in front of his apartment building, they even kissed again after saying goodbye but that was it. Unconsciously, he waited for the other to send him a message, but it never happened. He just observed the little emoji he had sent the last time they spoke. Yuta didn't want to send a message because for him it's like he was pushing things, so the two ended up not talking to each other the entire weekend.

On the first day of the event, people from the support team who didn't have work to present should just keep monitoring and see if everything was ok, to be prepared for any unforeseen events that might occur. But as everything was going according to plan the Japanese allowed himself to relax a bit, he even talked to Mark and Donghyuck in the coffee shop, he made the mistake of telling them both about Jaehyun. It didn't take long for him to be approached by Ten that same day, unlike Mark, Donghyuck loved to gossip, it didn't take long for that information to reach the ears of the Thai who seemed very excited about the situation. He even proposed a double date, but when Yuta said they hadn't spoken since they kissed, the Japanese only received a look of disbelief.

“Oh.My.God." Ten looked at Yuta as if he had committed a crime. "Why didn't you send anything?"

"I didn't want to force anything."

"I can't stand amateurs!" Ten was pacing. "Well, you'll have to deal with this or my double date idea will go down the drain."

"Well, I can't do anything if he isn't interested."

"Oh please, I've been able to see you guys around campus a couple of times these past few weeks and honestly, I liked what I saw." He smiled. "Well I don't want you to ruin it so..." He gave the Japanese a little push. "Fix it." He turned quickly and left the scene.

Yuta's back hit someone, he turned to apologize but was met with that familiar smile.

“Hi.” said Jaehyun.

“Oh. H-hi.” Yuta looked away in embarrassment. "You were there for how long?"

"I just got here." He said, raising his hand to put a strand of Yuta's hair behind his ear. "How was your weekend?"

"It was okay." He shrugged. “I actually…hum, nevermind. And yours?"

"Terrible. I found out I had left my cell phone in the dance room and couldn't get in touch with the guy I'm interested in for the entire weekend, can you believe it?”

Yuta laughed. Suddenly that idea about not wanting to force anything seemed so silly in his mind.

"Well… did you get it back?"

"Yes, and I intend to make it up with this guy, you know?"

"Really?" Yuta raised an eyebrow.

Jaehyun nodded. Since there were still a few hours before the first day of the event ends, they still had to go around the place one more time but Jaehyun said they weren't the only ones on the support team there so no one would notice if two of them disappeared for a few minutes. The taller then pulled him to a corner where no one could see them, just to kiss Yuta, who tried to resist but it was in vain since he just melted on the other's lips.

The following days of the event were extremely satisfying and well received by the public, some news sites spoke extremely well of the event and the college, the japanese could see Taeil jumping happily around the campus. Yuta was afraid of being nervous on the day of his presentation, but he just took a deep breath and could speak without stuttering or losing his posture, something he was truly afraid of but his friends were always there for him, it was no different that day since Joy was there to watch. Even by knowing that she was a witch, he couldn't deny that she always was a good friend.

"Great job Yuta, as always." She smiled. "I always said how talented you are so I'm not surprised." Yuta thanked her but his eyes were focused on finding Jaehyun among those people who were walking in and out of the campus. He had said he was going to see Yuta's presentation but it was a few minutes away from his turn to end and there was no sign of the taller around. Joy just stared at him curiously. "Unfortunately it's not from me that you want to hear this, is it?"

“Oh I don't know how to thank you, Joy. You've always been so supportive.” He said looking at her who just shrugged.

"I'll accept that, I guess."

They said their goodbyes and she ran to see another department's work. Joy's presentation would be on the same day as Taeil so she was free to see the other works, sometimes Yuta forgot they only attended a few classes together.

Yuta waited for Jaehyun but he never came. It wasn't a big deal though, but the Japanese  couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. But still, he was surprised by a tall, blond warlock with a familiar face hidden by a hood.

"Hey!" He waved at the Japanese, while looking with care to his surroundings.

"Woo?" Yuta ran towards the youngest who nodded to make the Japanese follow him. The two walked outside the campus. It had been a while since the last time they had seen each other or talked, he wanted to be able to talk to the blonde but he didn't respond to his messages so the Japanese just believed he was too busy.

"Hi Woo, I missed you." He said hugging the warlock.

"I missed you too." He said in a hesitant tone. "I saw your presentation back there, you were great."

"Thanks, I didn't expect you to show up here."

The youngest pointed to the hood. "A simple veil like this hides me easily." Said proudly. "I thought of a dramatic entrance but there's a lot of witches and wolves around here, I need to be careful." He shrugged. "I only came because... I needed to see you again... I'm going to be away for a while..."

Yuta felt a chill. "Is it because of the council?"

The blonde nodded.

"I don't like this Woo..."

“I know, but what can I do? What... Can you do?"

And there was that line, the one that bothered Yuta.

"I hate when you talk like that, it makes me feel useless."

“N-no... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He hugged Yuta. “I just wanted to say that you don't have to worry. I'll be back, you won't even notice, I promise.”

"There's no way I won't worry Woo, but like you said, I can't do anything." He looked away. "Just be careful, okay?"

“I'll be, Yuta. And when I get back, you'll have to tell me everything that's been going on.”

Yuta laughed lightly. "There's a lot to tell."

Jungwoo just hugged him again. "I love you brother." He  said in a cracking voice.

“I love you too, Woo. Be careful with whatever you are planning to do.”

Jungwoo just nodded and walked away, Yuta just watched until the warlock was no longer in his range of vision. It didn't take long for him to be surprised by a hug from behind.

"Who was that?" Jaehyun asked right next to his ear. Yuta felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he hadn't even noticed the taller approaching.

"A-ah, don't do that!" He said letting go of Jaehyun's arms. "You scared me."

"Sorry." He pouted.

Yuta just sighed. "It was my brother."

"Oh I see." He scratched his nose. "He..."

"What?"

"Nothing!" He walked over to kiss the Japanese on the cheek. "I just didn't know you guys were so different."

"So you were spying on me?" Yuta made a serious expression making Jaehyun blush.

“Of course not, I just watched you from afar, I didn't want to interrupt. It looked serious.”

Yuta shrugged. "It was, but I'd rather not talk about it."

"Will you introduce me to him another time then?" He said putting his hands on Yuta's waist.

"Hum, I don't know, Jungwoo might be a bit jealous."

Yuta stopped at that moment. Fuck. He said the name. Jaehyun raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Jungwoo…by Kim Jungwoo? That famous rich guy who was the youngest CEO of a jewelry company?”

Yuta felt some relief with the answer but he was still tense. It wasn't common for him to say Jungwoo's name that easily. Besides when he is with Mark. But he was so calm around Jaehyun that he didn't even notice. He just nodded in response.

"Oh, I didn't know you were that rich."

"I'm not." He shrugged. "Really."

"If you say so." Jaehyun pouted sadly. "Sorry for being late, I had to sort some things out at home."

"It's okay, it was just a silly presentation anyway."

"I doubt it."

Yuta just laughed.

The rest of the week went by pretty smoothly. The event was considered a great success, and the dean himself praised the students on the last day. Yuta felt a little sad about the end of the event, now that he didn't have an 'excuse' to see Jaehyun every day, even if it wasn't anything serious, of course, they just kissed occasionally in between conversations. He wondered what their relationship would be like from that point on. He thought about asking Jaehyun but he wasn't brave enough. Sometimes the Japanese could just overthink too much about the same subject and end up taking no action at all. In the days after the event they just exchanged a few texts, Jaehyun liked to ask how his day went and things like that, it was nice. They continued with that dynamic for about two weeks before Jaehyun actually asked him out... on a date. Yuta was extremely nervous and Mark was the worst possible person to advise him, luckily, Ten was simply his savior, but the Thai couldn't help but complain about how slow the two were going. But Yuta liked that, to be honest. That day they went to a movie, followed by a short walk in the mall and then to a nearby park. Only when they arrived at the building where Yuta lived that things got… intimate.

Even before entering the apartment they couldn't take their hands off each other, Yuta had a little trouble opening the door with Jaehyun grabbing him from behind with his face in his neck making his body shake with the heavy breathing of the other. As soon as they entered they took off their coats and left it on the floor, Yuta turned to the taller and they went back to kissing fiercely as Jaehyun was practically carrying the Japanese. The two didn't make it to the bedroom, Jaehyun just laid down on the Japanese in the couch, Yuta didn't complained, he just wrapped his legs around the other's waist and ran his hands over his back, scratching lightly. Jaehyun held his hair with one of his hands and was kissing his cheek, he went down and took a deep breath on his neck making the Japanese shiver, after that he started to kiss there and taking small bites. Yuta lowered his hands from his back to the base of the other's shirt to make him take that off, Jaehyun just smiled from the corner of his lips and raised his arms allowing the Japanese to take it off completely and throw the shirt in any direction without seeing where it would land. He took a brief look at Jaehyun's pale body, his muscles, his abs, he wanted to touch him, feel him. The taller laid down on him again holding his waist with strength causing him to mumble an 'Ouch' between kisses. But after that Jaehyun just stopped suddenly, and quickly rose off Yuta with a scared look.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." Jaehyun said hurrying to put his shirt back on.

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"N-no you didn't, it has nothing to do with you."

"So what is it?" Yuta got up from the couch with a worried look.

"I'm sorry... I-i just need to go... maybe we won't work out... that's it."

"But we..."

"I gotta go."

As soon as Jaehyun put his coat back on, he ran out of the apartment without looking back. Leaving behind Yuta who didn't understand what had gone wrong and just watched as the door were closed in front of him.

Notes:

Hi-hi, this got so big i didn't want to put in the beginning notes so, first, i want to thank everyone who readed the first chapter, commented and left kudos, i'm really grateful for it and you guys don't know how much it means to me! thank you <3

Second, it was a hell of a week for me, my notebook screen died and i thought i would have to stop writing this chapter but i've saved the story on my cellphone and like, half of this chapter was written there ausahsu but everythings is okay now!
Also i think i was a really challenging chapter, in a way, i hope the college dynamics here are understandable, i did some research and complemented with things of my personal experience.

lastly, as i said last time, english is not my first language and there's no beta for this fic, i revised this chapter many times before posting and i hope i've managed to avoid any mistakes, with what i know.

See you in the next chapter and hope you're enjoying the characters and this world i'm creating here as much as i am. ^~^

Chapter 3: The Wolf Pack

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Jaehyun woke up hearing a light knock on his bedroom door, he thought about getting up but his body was still sore. The pattern of the beats made it clear to him that it was Doyoung. During that entire week he was in rut, the omega was the one who was the most worried about him. Since he was bonded to Johnny, he was immune to the effects of the rut from other alphas.

“Jaehyun, are you alright? I believe your rut is over by now. ” Doyoung said on the other side of the door.

“I am, Doie. I'm just feeling weak and sore, but I'll be fine. The worst is over at least. ”

“Okay, I made breakfast but I have to go out now with Jaemin, don't take too long to eat or it'll be cold.”

“Okay Doie, thanks for worrying, be careful.” Jaehyun said, sitting on the bed.

“Jeno is going with us just in case. Anyway, I'm going now. ”

Jaehyun smiled slightly. Of course he will, he thought. Then he remembered what he had done.

“Yuta…” He muttered to himself. This time his rut took him by surprise, a few days earlier than it should have, the moment he realized what it was he needed to get away from Yuta right away. A human couldn't survive a werewolf in rut, the Japanese had no idea what he was, he couldn't know. After all, supernatural beings always disguised themselves among the common people and letting them know their existence didn't always end in a good thing. However, the way Jaehyun rushed out of his apartment like a scared puppy, and what he had said, must have left the other very confused and scared.

He searched around the bed for his cell phone and saw that there were a few messages from Yuta from two days ago and some calls. He must have really been worried, which made Jaehyun feel even worse. He definitely owed the Japanese an explanation, but first he had to recover. Rut always drains a lot of energy, so it's normal to feel a little weak when it passes. He put on the first shirt he could find and forced himself to leave the room. As soon as he went downstairs he found Taeil at the kitchen table, he seemed to be distracted with a book he had in his hands, the breakfast Doyoung had made was on the table, Jaehyun sat silently in front of the older man who didn't say a thing. He nibbled at the omelet, but Taeil's silence was bothering him, because the beta must already have an idea of what happened.

"I messed up, like I always do.”

Taeil lowered the book from his face showing only his eyes to Jaehyun. "What happened?” He said, raising his eyebrow curiously.

Jaehyun just sighed. “I… was hooking up with Yuta and… hum, well, I got in a rut.”

The older just laughed. “Oh my dear Jaehyun, the one who has always boasted of his incredible self-control, entered into a rut over a human?”

“What does one thing have to do with the other?” He said blushing.

The beta just shrugged. “It's just curious.” He smiled. “But it's best not to let Johnny know the reason behind your rut.”

Johnny was the leader of the pack, he always cared a lot about everyone, but he could be a little restrictive sometimes. He had no problem interacting with humans normally, but for him a relationship between human and wolf would never work, besides being dangerous. It was like a taboo among them, wolves should only mate with wolves. Jaehyun never really liked the idea, but he understood his point. However, for him, if his heart wanted to be with a human, he would be. After all, Jaehyun was a different alpha, he managed to restrain his inner wolf, his instincts, but in return, before he could restrain himself, he relinquished control completely for an instant. But in rut it was different, he knew he could get out of control more easily and with that he could hurt the Japanese. He would never forgive himself if he did.

"I won’t.” He said with a shrug. “I hope you don't say a thing too.”

Taeil just smiled. “You know I don't go around telling Johnny things, even though I should.” He winked at the younger. “But from day one I warned you that it wasn't a good idea.”

"I know.” He nodded. “I need to think about what to do.”

“I just got curious, Jaehyunnie.” He sighed. “I'm not going to get into the taboo human and werewolf talk again. You know that very well already. However, has this whole situation freaked you out at a point where you can see that this will not going to work at all? ”

Jaehyun thought for a moment. He had kept to himself that he actually spent his entire rut thinking about Yuta. His eyes, his mouth, his body, the idea of having the Japanese all to himself made him crazy. But still, he was a human, so fragile. He couldn't deny having a certain feeling towards the Japanese growing in him. Ever since that party they met, that light cherry scent of Yuta had attracted him. If he avoided being around the Japanese when he was in rut, could they work?

"I don't think that's the case, but... He might not want anything from me anymore, I mean-"

“Oh I talked to him.” Taeil shrugged. “In college, he just wanted to know what had happened to you and if you were okay, he looked worried.”

"What?” He widened his eyes. “And what did you answer?”

“I said you had the flu and were in bed.” He smirked.

"WHAT? Now he definitely won't want anything to do with me since it's obvious it's a lie. ”

“Maybe it's better that way anyway.” The older took a slice of the omelet on Jaehyun's plate. “But if you really want to get on with this madness, you'll find a way to fix it.” He looked at the youngest seriously, as if he was looking deep inside him. Taeil was always very straightforward, at least with pack members. When he realized that Jaehyun was interested in Yuta, the first thing he did was remind the alpha how that kind of relationship wouldn't work. For the beta, members had to know how to deal with their own choices, so he usually did nothing but warn. It was his rule. But because of Jaehyun he could break it, as the alpha and his brother were the first ‘outside’ members to join the pack.

“I know it's not a good idea, but…”

“I won't interfere more than that, I already warned you and I don't intend to continue doing this. I just hope you know what you're doing. ”

“Thank you, Taeil.”

 

~

 

“I still don't believe it.” Ten said, sitting at the table after taking his coffee order.

Yuta just sighed. “Ten, please forget about it. I shouldn't have said anything. ”

Despite having hesitated at first, Yuta decided to tell his friends what happened between him and Jaehyun the week before, the Thai was the one who got angrier about the whole situation apparently. Mark didn't know what to say in situations like that and Donghyuck liked to create conspiracy theories about why Jaehyun had 'run away' from him. The thing is, Yuta couldn't even get mad at him because the expression he made before leaving the apartment was visibly scared, but his saying that they 'wouldn't work out' kinda hurt him.

“No, you did the right thing. And honestly? He was such a jerk, running away like that leaving you confused AND horny. ” Ten said angrily and a bit too loudly, making some people who were in the coffee shop look at their table.

“Please don't repeat that last part again.” Yuta said blushing.

“We should go somewhere else if you're going to keep drawing attention like that, Ten.” warned Donghyuck. “I don't want everyone looking at us.”

“Did you ever get in touch with him after that?” asked Mark, Yuta just shook his head.

"I... "

“Of course he tried.” Concluded Ten.

Yuta shrugged. “I even sent messages... and called...”

“The humiliation.” Ten said in disbelief.

“I-I was a little worried, earlier this week Taeil had told me he had the flu and was in bed. ”

“And did you believe it?” Donghyuck raised an eyebrow. “Of course it was a lie.”

“When I realized that I had already done everything, so... it doesn’t matter now.” He lowered his head.

“Where does Taeil fit into this story anyway?” Ten asked curiously.

“Oh, they live in the same house as far as I know, although I don't know the details.”

Ten sighed in disappointment. “Oh, in that case we can't just throw a rock to break Jaehyun’s window.”

The three looked at him saying, “What?” At the same time.

“I didn't know you were like that!” said Mark.

"That’s kinda scary.” continued Donghyuck.

“Oh please, it's a joke.” The Thai said, rolling his eyes.

"Is it?” Yuta asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“Yeah it is!” He said, trying not to laugh. He was definitely lying. “Anyway, now I'm angry for you and sad that our double date won't happen, I was excited...”

“Well it's not my fault.” Yuta shrugged. “Why do you want this so bad anyway?”

“And why did you invite only Yuta for this?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... ” Ten sighed. “Maybe I only watched a lot of teen series when I was younger and I always wanted to have friends and a boyfriend so I could do that kind of thing. Can you blame me? ” He took a sip of his coffee. “Moreover, I've been seeing this handsome Chinese guy recently. ” The Thai's eyes sparkled. “And since Mark has this crush on this rich guy who probably doesn't even know who he is, Donghyuck here apparently has no interest in relationships and Dejun is a complete nerd who doesn't know how to arrange a date for himself. ” He pointed at Yuta. “You were chosen, Nakamoto, since just like me, everyone saw you and this guy Jaehyun, walking around the college campus during the preparation weeks of arts week like two lovebirds. ”

“I saw them kissing across campus on the first day of the event, they had no shame at all.” Donghyuck declared making the Japanese blush.

“Don’t start with the slut shaming Donghyuck.” Warned Ten.

"The rich guy does know me..." Mark muttered, but Ten didn't seem to care what the younger said.

Yuta just shrugged. “It's a cool idea I won't lie.” He stared at his coffee cup. “But now it's over, let's change the subject?”

The three in front of Yuta widened their eyes.

“I don't think it will be possible.” Ten pointed to something behind the Japanese, as he turned around he noticed that Jaehyun was at the coffee shop door looking at him.

 

~

 

Earlier that day Jaehyun had decided to talk to Yuta, but he didn't know exactly where to find the Japanese in the college and he didn't want to show up at his apartment door out of the blue after… well... it probably wouldn't be the best place to talk, according to him. The alpha spent the weekend recovering from the rut and thinking about what to do. He decided he still wanted to try, as much as he shouldn't. He asked Taeil if he knew where he could find Yuta around campus that Monday morning. The beta said he didn't know because they weren't really close, they just got to know each other at the arts event, despite talking and exchanging ideas, for the older one it was just a convenience. However, he said that the Japanese was a nice person and that he would like to be his friend eventually. He said that he sometimes saw Yuta around the campus coffee shop with some friends and that he could ask Joy about him, but Jaehyun thought talking to Joy wasn’t the best idea. Luckily, Yuta was actually in the coffee shop when he went looking for him.

“Jae…” Yuta muttered as Jaehyun approached the table that the Japanese were.

“Yuta…sorry to interrupt.” He said looking at his friends at the table. “But… Can we talk?” Please say yes, he thought.

Yuta just turned to look at his friends. The one sitting to his left just muttered a “Go.” To Yuta, then he got up and the two walked out of the coffee shop.

"Hi... "

“Didn't expect to see you again, I guess.” Yuta said without looking him in the eye.

“I'm sorry, I don't even know what to say to you.”

Jaehyun spent the entire weekend thinking about what to say to the Japanese. He couldn't tell about being a werewolf, not only because Johnny would be furious, but because obviously Yuta would think he was crazy.

“You could start by telling me why you ran away like that.” Yuta looked at him seriously.

"It's complicated.”

He just rolled his eyes. "Of course it is.” Yuta said, sighing. “Look, Jae… Jaehyun, if you don't want anything to do with me, it’s fine. I can't do anything about it. I shouldn't have created any expectations in the first place. ”

“No Yuta, it's not like that.”

“You scared me back there and then you just were nowhere to be seen for like… a week.”

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, it's just so... complicated. I don't even know what kind of explanation I could give you since nothing should be enough to justify what I did. ” He lowered his head. “I'm really sorry for acting that way. ”

“It's okay, I guess.”

"I'm sorry.”

“I'm already tired of hearing you say that.” Yuta said, crossing his arms and looking away. The wolf just stared at him. He was more handsome than the last time they saw each other, the Japanese’s black hair that fell to his shoulders was loose and he was wearing a black jacket with a gray blouse, probably a tank top with a collar that was a little too low, showing a necklace he wore that had a pendant with a small stone. That breeze of wind that hit him made that cherry scent penetrate Jaehyun's nostrils. It was so addictive for him. “Stop staring at me.” Yuta said uncomfortably.

"Sorry.” Jaehyun replied, causing him to roll his eyes.

“It was only for this that you wanted to talk to me? Because if it is...”

“I-I still don't know what to say to you exactly…”

Yuta sighed. “Okay, Jaehyun, so we'll talk when you know.” Then he turned to go back to the coffee shop. Jaehyun needed to think of something fast to justify himself, he couldn't tell the truth, but he also didn't want to lie. He thought about why he wanted to justify himself so much to Yuta. He was a wolf, an alpha, and the Japanese were just a human, they would never work out, but the way Yuta allured him was unlike any other human he'd ever met. He didn't want to screw it up with him. Jaehyun wanted them to work.

"I got scared.” He said a little too loud, making the Japanese stop. “I got scared… because I'm an idiot and I didn't want to hurt you.”

Yuta turned to him. “Are you being honest?” He asked.

Jaehyun nodded. “Look, Yuta, I… like you. I didn't want to ruin what we were having because I'm used to be the one who screw things up. You're such a sweet and kind guy, as much as you don't realize it. ” He sighed. “I thought if we got too close, I would hurt you eventually and you don't deserve that. I know when we first kissed, it wasn't because I wanted to kiss someone, I wanted to kiss you, just you. ”

Yuta stared at him as if he was wondering whether to believe what he had said or not.

“I… didn't kiss you back because I wanted to kiss someone either.”

“So…” He took a step forward, but the Japanese took a step back. “I really want to make it up to you for what I did… could you give me a second chance?”

“I need to think about it.” He hesitated to take a step forward, but approached Jaehyun and placed a kiss on his cheek. “But if I give you that chance, do you promise you won't run away again?”

“I won't, I promise.”

Yuta smiled slightly. Therefore, they said goodbye and the Japanese went back inside the coffee shop. Jaehyun just watched him enter and then turned to go after Taeil.

 

“So, how was it?” Taeil asked curiously. “Did you make a decision or…”

“I think I got another chance.” He smiled triumphantly. “But I almost ruined everything.”

The older just sighed. "I can imagine. I can't say I'm happy though, but if you're okay with it, I won't mind. ”

"Thanks.”

“Now… while you're here, how about a ride back home?”

“Hum, I actually had another appointment now.”

Taeil narrowed his eyes. “What kind of appointment?”

“I had arranged to meet someone.”

Taeil stared at him. “You're going to see that witch friend of yours, aren't you?”

Jaehyun gasped. "N- "

“I'm not dumb Jaehyunnie. ” He patted the youngest on the shoulder. “I'm the one who knows the most about each of the pack members, don't forget that.” He smiled. “Take me with you, I want to meet him, witches adore me after all.”

“Only if you don't tell Doyoung, he doesn't like it when I meet Taeyong. This time I wanted to ask him something, it's important I think. ”

Taeil raised his eyebrows. “I'm already curious.”

Although he has never talked to anyone about it, since that day Jaehyun saw Yuta with that faceless warlock, the image hasn't left his mind. He knew Kim Jungwoo from the news but he never thought he would be a warlock. Witches and Warlocks were known to play with human minds sometimes, altering memories, moods and personality. The alpha was afraid to see a warlock with a scent as strong as that around the Japanese, although if he had done something to Yuta, Jaehyun would smell that scent on him. For the wolves, when a witch casts a spell into a person, the person that receives the spell is imbued with the witch scent, like a mark of the one who casted it. But Yuta had none of that. However, the stronger the warlock's scent the stronger he is. Maybe that one would be able to fool Jaehyun's senses. As Taeyong was the only warlock he had a friendly relationship with, maybe he knew something about him.

Lee Taeyong was two years older than he was, the two knew each other since when they were children, the wolf's father had a contract with Taeyong's mother, whenever he went to Incheon to meet that witch, he always took Jaehyun with him. The warlock was always friendly to him. Once his father even said it would be great if they made a contract in the future, but Jaehyun's mother never liked the idea. After she died, his father changed his posture. He became colder and more aggressive. When the young wolf was seventeen, his father simply abandoned him and his brother. Since then, Jaehyun has gone to work to support the two in whatever way he could. Moreover, as he only went to Incheon because of his father, he never saw the warlock again. Until a few months ago when they met near the Seoul Forest Park. It was a surprise for both of them, since then they kept in touch, and as the warlock was going through some kind of test in the middle of the forest, Jaehyun would visit him to see if everything was fine or help him if he needed something. The wolf believed that his family abandoned him too, for him it was something they had in common. Although the warlock always said that eventually he would come back home.

Before heading to the place where Taeyong currently 'lived', Jaehyun decided to stop at a convenience store, knowing the warlock, he would probably be starving at this time. Taeil just looked suspicious but said nothing. The two then continued their way to a place near the Seoul Forest Park where they parked the motorcycle. The youngest warned that from that point on, the path would be on foot. They followed a trail until Jaehyun spotted a small crow on a tree branch. It was Taeyong's familiar, the warlock left it on the lookout at the beginning of the trail to pass on the information of who would be going to meet him. Only supernatural beings were able to see that path, which the warlock opened only twice a month, the two followed the black bird until they reached a small wooden cottage shaped like a triangle.

“That's… definitely a stereotype.” Taeil said.

“It's very dramatic, right?”

He raised his hand to knock on the door, but Taeyong opened it quickly before he did.

“Oh Jaehyun you always know how to please me.” He smiled looking at the bag in the youngest's hand. The warlock was wearing a long-sleeved white T-shirt, grimy, denim shorts with some rips and his black hair wet as if he had just taken a shower. He soon directed his gaze to Taeil who was behind Jaehyun. “Why didn't you tell me you were bringing someone else? I could at least make some tea. ” He made a disgusted face like he had a bad memory about it. “Come, come in, at least today I've cleaned everything. ”

“You are not the most reachable person in the world.” Jaehyun replied entering the cottage.

“Since I threw my cell phone away things have been really tough. It’s so boring… ” he said, shrugging and sitting at the kitchen table.

Taeil was silent behind the youngest, it was possible to hear the sound of the oldest sniffing the air as if he was trying to get used to that atmosphere.

“And your friend is?” asked Taeyong curiously.

“O-oh, where are my manners?” Taeil coughed. “I am Moon Taeil, nice to meet you. I kind of insisted on coming with him today. ”

“Nice to meet you Taeil, I'm Lee Taeyong.” He said smiling. “If the smell of the cottage bothers you, I can light an incense to make the air more pleasant.”

"It is not necessary.” Taeil seemed to relax. "Thanks.”

"You're welcome.” He then turned to Jaehyun with a pleading look. The youngest just put the bag on the table in front of him. He had bought some sandwiches and some drinks for the eldest. Since he doesn't have the money for it and shouldn't be consuming this kind of thing. “Oh thank you Jaehyun, you really saved my life.” He said opening the package of a sandwich.

“It was nothing, we are friends after all.” He said sitting in front of the older one. “How much time do you have to spend here anyway?” He asked, Taeyong once said that he was in some kind of test, but the wolf had never understood that right.

“Only when this hell of a test is over, which is unpredictable.” He said with his mouth full. “I have to live like witches used to live and discover my true potential, something like that. Live in nature. Survive on what it offers to me and blah blah. ”

“Something very medieval.” Taeil concluded.

“Exactly, Beta.”

Taeil grunted.

“But isn't bringing these things to you, break the rules?”

He made a silent sign with his hand. “No one is monitoring me. They're just waiting for my return as soon as I have this discovery that I don't know when it should happen. The elders expect a lot from me so... I hope it won't be long. ”

Jaehyun just shrugged. “I think I understand.”

Taeyong looked at him for a few seconds. “What do you want to know, Jaehyun?”

The warlock always knew how to read people's intentions. It annoyed Jaehyun sometimes. “Hum, recently I've been seeing this guy…”

“Omegas are weak so an attraction spell should work well.” said Taeyong thoughtfully interrupting Jaehyun, making Taeil laugh.

“Oh you wish it were an omega.” Said the beta.

Taeyong's eyes widened. “Oh, what is it? A Fox spirit? Vampire? Nah those haven't been seen for a long time. Some kind of hybrid? Or a... human? ”

Jaehyun nodded after he heard the word 'human'.

“Wow, but wasn't that taboo between you wolves?”

"It is.” Taeil replied. “Jaehyunnie here thinks it can work.”

“Well, our society always changes doesn't it?” Taeyong shrugged.

“Believe me Taeyong. A human could never stand an alpha. ”

"Is that so?” Taeyong looked disappointed. “It's an interesting experience, though.”

“Well, I'm not a lab rat.” Jaehyun sighed. “And yes, I want to try and I believe it can work, with some limitations maybe. But I want to try. ”

"Really? And what is so special about this human? ”

“I wonder the same thing.” Taeil said.

“Well…I don't know exactly, he's very charming, his scent is something…unique…I think, for a human, it's addictive. I like talking to him... and I like his kisses. ” Jaehyun felt his ears burn.

“Phew, who knew a mere human would tame an alpha.” He joked. “And what can I help you with?”

"In fact. I'm worried about something. ” He felt a small breeze coming through the window hit his face. “What do you know about Kim Jungwoo? ”

The air became static the moment Taeyong heard that name, his eyes darkened.

“Did you find him?” He asked with a slight smile. Taeil held the fabric of the youngest's pants.

"No. ” He replied calmly, not focusing on the hostility of the warlock presence. “But I might have seen him about three weeks ago I think. I mean, I only saw it from a distance, but his face... I couldn't see it well, he had a hood on, but it was like his face was darkened to me. However, the scent was really strong. ”

“A veil.” Taeyong muttered to himself. “And how do you know it was Kim Jungwoo?”

Jaehyun hesitated, the way Taeyong's expression and posture changed when he heard that name made Taeil shiver, there was something wrong about that, but now that the warlock was interested, there was no way he could avoid the subject.

“The person I'm interested in told me.”

"Interesting… Oh I’m sorry.” He opened another sandwich, Jaehyun felt that light breeze on his face again and his hostility faded. “And what is their relationship?” he asked curiously.

“I don't know exactly, he didn't tell me, the truth is the name just got out of his mouth by accident, I guess.”

“Hard to imagine an ordinary human having anything to do with the most powerful warlock in the Kim family.” Taeyong said with a shrug. “Maybe he is also a Kim.”

“He didn't explain the situation to me very well, but he hinted that he has no rights in the family or something.”

“Oh.” Taeyong made a thoughtful expression. “Maybe a bastard then, you know, my mom always told me Mr. Kim was a womanizer behind his wife's back, maybe your 'interest' is a child he didn't intend to have. ”

"I understand.” Jaehyun held back a growl. “I was wondering if somehow this warlock could do him some harm.”

“If he wanted to, he would have done it already and you wouldn't even know it.” Taeyong sighed. “Kim Jungwoo is probably the most powerful warlock to be born into the Kim family in a span of seventy years. Moreover, he is the most powerful of his generation. Not even I can go against him. ”

“This doesn't look like a good thing.” Taeil muttered.

“Actually, this is great. He just needs to submit.” Taeyong smiled then turned to Jaehyun. "But anyway, as I said, if he wanted to do something he would have already done it and you wouldn't even notice... However, if he's a Kim, even a bastard one, he must know about this parallel life. After all, the humans of the Kim family are the only ones who have a certain 'permission' to know about our supernatural world. Though it’s interesting to see that the warlock appreciates his human parents. ”

“So…could he know about me?”

"Have you lost your mind?” asked Taeil.

"If he is a Kim.” Taeyong nodded. "Probably yes. If you tell me his name, I can find out for you more easily. ”

“Oh no, you've done enough for me today. Thanks. ”

"You're welcome,” he replied with a fake smile. “And thanks for the sandwiches again, I can't take any more soup.”

"It was nothing.”

As soon as they said goodbye, Jaehyun asked Taeil to walk in front of him in quick steps, the older didn't question that. The younger fucked it up. He felt that he almost got Yuta in trouble because of his own stupidity. He never saw Taeyong so serious like that. That scared Taeil, the youngest didn't need to make an effort to know it, the beta didn't have the habit of being silent like that.

“I don’t want to come back here ever again.” Taeil said, shivering in the cold wind that hit them when they left the trail. “He didn't even try to hide his hostility when he heard that name.”

“I didn't expect him to react that way. I feel like I shouldn't have brought it up. It didn't even look like him. ”

“Wanting to meddle in witch affairs never ends well.” Taeil shrugged. “I recommend you don't come back here either.”

"I won’t. Don’t worry. ”

Taeil looked at him with a serious expression. “That warlock you mentioned…”

"What?”

“Maybe…” he said with a thoughtful expression. “I need to talk about it with Doyoung, but don't worry I won't say anything about Yuta. ”

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow. "I will trust you. But why do you need to talk? ”

“Sorry I can't tell you yet.” It seemed to be something serious. But Jaehyun knew he wouldn’t talk, so he just leave it be. “Let’s get out of this woods, this place creeps me out.”

 

-

 

Two weeks went by very smoothly. At first Jaehyun and Yuta just exchanged a few messages like they used to do during the college event time. Afterwards, they had a few dates over the course of those days, just walks to talk, or watch a movie at the cinema, nothing too 'intimate'. Despite giving Jaehyun another chance, the Japanese clearly still hesitated a bit to kiss him so he didn't force it. Talking to Yuta and making him laugh was enough for him if that's what the Japanese wanted. He was certainly a distraction for the wolf's head, but he was still wary of Yuta's relationship with that warlock.

Later that week the Japanese had surprised him a bit, he had asked if Jaehyun would be up for a double date so his friend would stop bugging him about it. He didn't see it as a bad idea and accepted it. However, the wolf had decided to be clear about his feelings for the Japanese once and for all. If he refused him and didn't want his company anymore, he would strive to move on and leave the Japanese behind, after all, he didn't want to be just friends with Yuta.

That night Jaehyun insisted on bringing Yuta, he said he didn't need the Japanese to spend on cabs when he could just take him. After some resistance, he accepted. They met Yuta's friend, Ten, in front of the bowling alley where they had reserved a spot. Jaehyun had seen the Thai a few times during college event meetings. He thought he was a fun guy.

“I can't believe this is happening!” Ten said hugging the Japanese.

“Well you made an effort.” muttered Yuta. “Do I need to introduce you guys?” he asked, a bit embarrassed.

Jaehyun pointed to the Thai. “Ten, right?” He reached out to shake his hand.

“Yes, and you are Jaehyun, I already know your name well.” He smiled menacingly.

Jaehyun remembers it being Ten who told Yuta to go with him that day at the coffee shop, maybe he'll thank him eventually, depending on how things that night would go.

“Kun is already inside waiting for us, he stayed to make sure everything is alright with our spot.” He winked at Yuta.

“Oh, finally the name of the mysterious Chinese guy.” Said the Japanese, raising his eyebrow. Jaehyun just laughed lightly.

They followed the Thai into the establishment, there weren't many people, Jaehyun could feel Yuta's relief. The Japanese didn't like crowded places so having few people in the place made him more relaxed. They met with the... guy who was accompanying Ten. Kun was sitting at the table in the snack bar area of the place, their eyes met and the Chinese blinked as if he was surprised, as if he had noticed something, then he smiled showing his dimples and stood up to greet them both. He had a weird and sweet smell that Jaehyun couldn't describe what it was. But since that guy didn’t show any sort of hostility towards him, he didn’t think about it much, but that guy's nature was certainly something to think about. Ten seemed very excited about the double date, just as Yuta had said. They then opted to eat first, Kun said he was in Seoul on business, but that he ended up extending his stay a little longer because of Ten, he also commented that the two met at a bar earlier this year. The Thai was disappointed when he heard that Yuta and Jaehyun met at Joy's party, he hadn't been invited to that party so everyone who went was traitors to him. He also said to have gotten revenge on his other friend, Mark, during the college event, turning over all sorts of work to him.

The conversation continued pleasant for a while, as soon as they had finished eating, it didn't take long for Ten to insist that they should go bowling, the idea was to be couple against couple, but the Thai opted for something different. He made Yuta be Kun's partner while Jaehyun was his partner. In his eyes, it would be more interesting if that were the case. It didn't take long for Ten to pull Jaehyun into a corner claiming they needed to think of strategies to win.

 “Okay, here he can't hear.” Ten said, crossing his arms. “What kind of game are you playing with him?”

"Game?” asked Jaehyun, confused.

The Thai just rolled his eyes. “I mean, I don't know what your intentions are with my friend and I'm afraid you'll hurt him.” He looked the wolf up and down. "Again.”

Jaehyun felt his heart sink at the “Again” the Thai had said. He just sighed. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do is hurt him.” I literally ran away from him when I went into rut, he thought.

Ten raised an eyebrow with a suspicious expression. "Is that so? How can I believe you? ”

“I can't assure you. I can only tell you that I really like Yuta, I don't intend to repeat what I did. I know I just messed up his mind by doing that, but I have real feelings about him.” He said feeling his ears burn.

“Humf.”

“Maybe he dumps me today. So you shouldn't have to worry about that.”

Ten shrugged. “Lucky for you I doubt he will.” Jaehyun blushed. “I've never seen Yuta with anyone before, I mean, not like this.”

“I thought you were going to threaten me, now I don't know anymore.”

 “Yeah, that was the plan.” Ten laughed. “But if you hurt him I'll kill you for sure.”

“Now it's a threat.”

 

Ten and Jaehyun were completely destroyed. Kun and Yuta's team play was unbeatable. Jaehyun wondered how in that brief time they could create so much synergy, the wolf also had no idea that the Japanese were so good at bowling. He couldn't deny the jealousy he felt at seeing Yuta happy like that when Kun made strikes. In the last round Ten and Jaehyun managed to get some strikes, even though they lost, they were just happy they weren't a total failure at it. The best part of this was the 'defeat' kiss that Yuta gave him afterward.

It was almost midnight when they said their goodbyes. Kun said that if they have a next time, they would have to do couple against couple to be fairer. Jaehyun had no choice but to agree with the idea, which made Ten mutter “traitor”. Even though it was late Jaehyun didn't want that night to end yet, he wondered if Yuta would still accept his company.

“This was better than I imagined.” Yuta muttered as they approached Jaehyun's motorcycle.

“I'm sad that my defeat makes you happy.” He pouted.

“You teamed up with Ten once and you’re already that dramatic?” Yuta made an expression of disbelief.

The taller laughed. "I don't want this date to end yet..."

"What are you thinking?” Yuta looked curious.

“Hum, do you want to go somewhere with me?”

The Japanese looked at him for a few seconds before answering.

“Are you going to run away from me again?”

“The chance of this happening is zero percent!”

Yuta laughed lightly and accepted Jaehyun's request. It took a few minutes for them to reach Cheonggyecheon. He had never asked if the Japanese had already come to that place, but when the Yuta eyes sparkled when he saw the colored lights illuminating that brook, Jaehyun knew he had made the right choice. They went down the stairs to the edge of the brook and sat down. Due to the time, there were very few people in the place, which the wolf thought it was great.

“It's even more beautiful in person.” Yuta said, looking at the fishes in the water.

“Did you already know this place?”

The Japanese nodded. "Thank you for today. It was… nice. ”

“I'm glad it was.” Jaehyun smiled. “Although your friend threatened me.” He joked.

"He what?” Yuta stared at him in disbelief.

“That's just what you heard.” He laughed. “But it was no big deal and he wasn't wrong in doing it.”

Yuta shrugged. “I didn't expect him to do something like this.”

“Sometimes you talk like you're not friends, but you clearly are.” Jaehyun said lying down on the floor.

Yuta made a thoughtful expression. “You're right. I think I should stop questioning our friendship and just enjoy his company. I think I just consider myself a not-very-likeable person, you know?”

Jaehyun laughed. “Believe me you are a very likeable person.” The Japanese blushed. “But I felt threatened by what you said.”

"Really?” Yuta chuckled and lay down on the ground beside him. “I didn't say I didn't like your company.”

“It's because I felt you were a little hesitant around me. I mean, you weren't today, but before.”

“I was just thinking about it too much, my head is like that sometimes.”

"I understand.”

Jaehyun looked at the stars in the sky. “We've known each other for how long?”

“Three months? I’m just guessing.”

“Hum, seems to be more.”

Yuta laughed. “It really seems… Sorry for acting weird before. ”

“It’s okay, don't worry about it.”

“I like you, Jae.”

Jaehyun felt his heart melt at those words. He couldn't contain his smile. He approached the Japanese and kissed him softly. “If you only knew how much I enjoyed hearing this from you.” Yuta blushed. “I like you too, Yuta, a lot… I literally brought you here to say this. ” He felt his ears burn. “I wanted it to be somewhere special. ” Jaehyun wished he could be one hundred percent honest with Yuta, he knew that what he was doing would never be accepted by the pack, but he was really feeling something for the Japanese, and he was now sure it was mutual. As complicated as it was, he wanted it. “I… would like it if you were my boyfriend.”

Yuta smiled softly. "I would like that.”

Their kiss after those words were so intense, Jaehyun would never forget that day.

 

-

 

“D-do you think I should make a move on Jaemin?” Jeno asked without looking at Jaehyun, but he was visibly blushing.

When Jaemin joined the pack, Jeno claimed to have had something like love at first sight with him. It was funny to see the young alpha all nervous around the omega. Despite being together for five years, Doyoung and Johnny never had children. Since Jaehyun and Sungchan joined them, it was like they were their children, and it was no different with Jeno and Jaemin. The young alpha joined the pack before he was even presented. Johnny liked to give a roof over for wolves that were lost, so to speak. Jaemin, on the other hand, had been kicked out of the house for being an omega. It wasn't that unusual for this kind of situation to happen, as omegas were often seen as weak. They were both nineteen, Doyoung was probably the one who rooted for them the most. Jaehyun felt a little envious as the omega would never accept Yuta for being a human. However, he chose not to think about it too much. They had been dating for a week and Jaehyun was happy with how things were, by the time the truth came out to the pack, he would deal with it.

“Honestly, you’re taking too long to make this move.” Jaehyun replied. “You have nothing to lose anyway.”

"You think?” Jeno turned around with a gleam in his eyes.

“I think so.” He smiled at the youngest. “What do you plan to do?”

“Hum, as you know I got a job in town, I saved some money for a while and I got tickets to a… concert he must like.”

Jaehyun stared at him in surprise.

“That's good, really.” Jaehyun watched as the sun went down. The pack didn't live downtown, it was more to the side of the green parks, that's what most wolves preferred. That afternoon, Jeno and Jaehyun were sitting on the porch waiting for Johnny, Taeil and Doyoung to return. The youngest liked their friendship, it was as if the three were the leaders at the same time, so when the pack leaders made their meetings, it was common for them to go together.

“But what if he says no?” Jeno asked, lowering his head.

“Well, I believe that thinking like this will do no good. Besides, I doubt he would deny it. ”

Jeno smiled.

“I-I will try.”

“Just don't force yourself on him. It would be the worst thing to do.”

“I would never disrespect him.”

"Good.” Jaehyun patted Jeno’s head.

They waited a few more minutes until the sun had fully set and then went inside. Jeno ended up being embarrassed to talk to Jaemin, so Jaehyun decided to make a bet that if he beat Sungchan at chess it would be okay, but if he lost, he would have to talk to the omega. The youngest then accepted the idea believing he would never lose to Jaehyun's younger brother who was only fifteen years old. However, when Jaehyun explained the situation to Sungchan, the youngest felt motivated and gave Jeno no chance of victory. But before the young alpha could speak to Jaemin, Taeil arrived with a visibly shaken Doyoung with him.

"What happened?” Jaehyun approached the omega.

“Johnny will need to be away for a few days.” Taeil replied. “It's not going to be very good days for Doie, due to their bond. But he shouldn't be long back. ”

“It's okay. I'm just a little worried.” His eyes were swollen, he had clearly been crying. “I just need to lie down for a while.”

They helped the eldest to lie down to sleep. Later that night, Taeil called the pack members, except Sungchan who was already asleep, to talk. They weren't usually told what was discussed at leaders' meetings, but this time it felt more serious. Jaehyun assumed it must probably have something to do with witches. It's been two years since the witches and werewolves relationship isn't in a very good place. Johnny and Doyoung always warned all of them to be alert around witches. Which was curious since in theory alpha werewolves had nothing to fear. Since then, it has become more common for omegas and betas to hang around with an alpha by their side.

"What is happening?” asked Jeno worriedly.

“Well, I think the time has come for us to talk about it.” Taeil sat calmly in the armchair. “You are already well aware that the witch and wolf relationship hasn't been at its best, right?” As soon as they nodded, the eldest continued. “We used to have a good relationship, despite the witches fearing us, but two years ago something happened.”

“Do you remember Choi Minho?” Asked Doyoung closing his bedroom door and approaching them in the room, and sitting next to Taeil.

The name was quite famous among the wolves. A few years ago before Jaehyun joined Johnny's pack, Minho tried to recruit him into this 'gang', it wasn't a pack, it was just a group of alphas who 'hunted' unbounded omegas and did whatever they wanted with them. It was an act that disgusted Jaehyun, but no one said a word against it, if Minho’s gang didn't mess with the pack, it didn't matter. He hated that attitude.

 "That jerk.” Jeno muttered.

“Yes he was. We all know what he did. ”

“And yet no one did a thing.” Jaehyun grumbled.

“For the safety of our pack's non-alphas, it had to be that way, as much as we now have three. You know it wasn't always like that. He had a strong group. ” Taeil replied.

“This has to do with him stopping doing what he… used to do, doesn't it?” Jaemin questioned. The youngest probably still had bad memories about Minho. Johnny told Jaehyun that if he hadn't found Jaemin sooner maybe he would have been caught.

Taeil nodded. “One day, he stopped, but it wasn't of his own will, someone stopped him.”

Doyoung sighed. “He was found in an unusual situation. His gang partners took him to a pack leaders meeting. That day the two of us weren't with him so we can't tell what happened exactly. We only know what Johnny told us. ”

“What happened?” asked Jeno curiously.

“No one can tell, Johnny just told us that his scent was gone, like he wasn't a werewolf at all…it was like he was just an empty shell, pale and glazed over.” The omega continued. “They took this situation to the council of the elders asking for an explanation, but they said they didn't know what happened to him. They even sent their best witch to see Minho's situation. As much as Johnny does not believe that the elders would leave Incheon to come to Seoul to punish a mere werewolf, since that situation the relationships of witches and wolves have weakened and contracts have been banned. ”

“The leaders thought it best to cease partnering with the witches. Choi Minho was a strong alpha, if that can happen to him…” Taeil said silently. “They reached a consensus that the relationship of witches and wolves would be merely by convenience, for example, me with Joy. We are class 'friends', but we don't talk about that part of our life when we talk or anything. ”

Jaehyun was thoughtful. Now he could understand why Doyoung warned him so much about having contact with Taeyong.

“It was the first time I’ve seen Johnny scared.” Doyoung said with a cracking voice.  

“But there were no witnesses?” asked Jeno. “I mean, if he was with his gang when it happened…”

Taeil shook his head. “They reported not remembering beyond Minho's order to follow an unpresented wolf.”

Jaehyun growled. “I'm glad he got caught then.”

He hated the idea of forcing someone to get presented, the first rut or heat was always the worst one and making that happen just to fulfill some sort of fetish... It made Jaehyun furious.

"Don’t say that.” warned Doyoung.

"The thing is.” Taeil coughed. “Whatever did this to him is out there. If the witches who have feared alphas for so long now have a weapon to bring them down, it certainly won't be a good thing. It's the first time alphas would have anything to fear. That’s what the other leaders think.”

“I'm kinda scared right now.” Jaemin said holding Jeno’s arm. The young alpha just placed his hand over the omega hand.

“I won't let anything happen.” He said. Doyoung smiled slightly.

“Why are you telling this just now?” asked Jaehyun.

“Because… Those Minho gang friends seem to have a clue who it was.” Doyoung said in a shaky voice. "They're on the trail, but the pack leaders want to stop them because rummaging through this story probably won't do anything good and as the clues apparently lead to Incheon..."

"War.” Jaehyun concludes.

Incheon was the domain of witches, a wolf hunting and killing a witch in their territory would be unacceptable. There would definitely be retaliation.

“Alphas have their resistance of course, betas not so much and omegas even worse.” Taeil sighed. “Imagine who the witches would come after in a possible retaliation.”

A brief thought crossed Jaehyun's head. He realized that Taeil was staring at him. Taeyong's sentence surrounded his mind. “The most powerful warlock of his generation…” he thought. The beta had probably already figured out who would be able to do this as well.

“I'm worried because Johnny joined the group to go after these wolves, I'm scared for him.” Doyoung said with his head down. “I'm thinking about going after him.”

"No way.” Taeil and Jaehyun spoke at the same time.

“Incheon is too dangerous for you to go.” Jaehyun sighed. "I will not let you go.”

“I…” He lowered his head. "I need to do something!”

Taeil just hugged the omega. Jaehyun stood up, making everyone look at him.

“I will bring him back. Doie. ”

 

~

 

Yuta was wondering what kind of sin he had committed to go shopping with Ten. Mark and Donghyuck were smart enough to flee before the Thai found them. Not that it's bad to go out with him, but... he was very indecisive, like, a lot, about what to buy. He tried each item of clothing at least twice, and if Yuta's expression didn't match the answer, the Thai would give up on the purchase. Despite that, it was good to spend time with Ten. After Jaehyun had commented on their friendship, the Japanese realized that he was really questioning their friendship a lot, since then they have been even closer. Yuta wanted Jaehyun to appear there to save him, but he had gone on a short trip the day before. The Japanese didn't want to ask what it was about, although he was curious. He felt that he needed to establish his trust in each other.

They had met with Joy earlier that day, but she said that she was just taking a walk at the mall and saw the two of them and decided to stop by to say hello. Ten was probably the second person he knew who didn't like Joy, in his eyes, Joy was deceitful. Probably grudges because of the party. Yuta was holding some of Ten's bags while the Thai went to the bathroom. There were too many for someone who was so indecisive. Somehow, the Japanese managed to get to the food court and sit at the table. What he didn't expect was to meet Yunho there.

"Kid?” The older one scratched his nose looking suspiciously at Yuta. Since Mr. Kim had dismissed Yunho, he had never seen the beta again. They didn't even say goodbye to each other. Which made Yuta think their relationship was strictly because he was being paid to train him and nothing else. Therefore, the eldest never knew that Yuta had been presented and was not an alpha, as he should be, and that since then, he has lived as a human.

“Yunho?” Yuta got up in surprise.

The beta just took a step back looking at the Japanese from head to toe. “What the hell...”

“Am I interrupting?” Ten asked, approaching Yuta with a suspicious expression.

“N-no.” replied the Japanese. "This is... "

“I'm his uncle.” Yunho replied. “I would like to borrow a moment from him. If possible. ”

Despite their sudden separation, Yuta never felt anger towards the beta. He was always a nice guy to him. Moreover, he helped him a lot in the past, the Japanese felt like he had to explain the situation to the older, and maybe that was the moment.

"If he wants to.” Replied Ten cautiously. “Kun is coming here.” He muttered to the Japanese.

Yuta just took a deep breath and nodded. Before saying goodbye, Ten took Yuta's arm.

“Is this guy really your uncle? He looks suspicious. ”

“It's okay Ten, really.” He smiled. “I was just surprised because I haven't seen him since…I left home.”

 “I'll believe you then.” Ten said, sighing. “You're not in trouble or anything, right?”

Yuta laughed. “Ten, I swear it's no big deal. You don't need to worry. ”

"Okay.” replied the Thai, giving up.

Yuta hugged him. He liked that concern the Thai had for him. He knew it was genuine. It reminded the Japanese a little of Jungwoo. His heart sank as she remembered the warlock. It had been some time since he had heard from him. Then they said goodbye to each other and Yuta followed Yunho to the mall's ground floor where they took an elevator that took them underground to some sort of restaurant, he followed the older one to a table at the back of the establishment, it seemed to be more private. Yuta felt a little uncomfortable as they sat down.

“I'm sorry kid.” Yunho said, pointing to him. “But… what happened to you?”

Yuta sighed. “I haven't seen you in about three years and that's your biggest concern?”

The beta shrugged. “I have nothing to say about it, that bastard basically kicked me out of the Kim’s domain. There was no way I could get into that mansion again. ”

"I understand. I guess. ”

“I still tried, I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't.” He sighed. “But, I'm confused about you, I almost didn't recognize you.”

"I can imagine... "

"What happened?”

“I was presented, Yunho.” He avoided looking the older in the eye. “I'm not an alpha actually.”

“How?” Yunho widened his eyes. “But that bastard kept saying you were from a family that only spawned alphas…I don't understand.”

“And you think I understand?” He sighed. “I don’t want to talk about what happened.”

“And what are you?”

"Omega.” Yuta felt that word catch in his throat.

“But… you don't smell like…” Yunho said, confused. “You don't even smell like a werewolf.”

“It's because I'm not, Yunho.” Yuta stared at him. “I gave up on this side of my life.”

Yunho laughed. “Denying your nature is no good, kid.”

“It's been good so far.”

“It was the warlock, wasn't it? I didn't know that was possible. ” Yunho looked surprised.

“I didn't know either.” Yuta felt a chill. “I never thought I would see you again.”

“Neither did I kid.” He sighed. “And that's the problem.” He said putting his hand over Yuta's and then he hold his wrist. The Japanese looked at him confused.

"What does that mean?”

“This was planned.” Yunho's hold on Yuta's wrist grew stronger.

"You’re hurting me.” He warned.

“Please listen to me.” Yunho shook his head as if he was trying to push something away. “It was supposed to happen, it wasn't a coincidence.” His eyes glowed.

 “Yunho, you're scaring me.” He tried to get up, but the beta held him tighter.

"It's a trap! You need to get out of here. I’m sorry, I-I can’t do anything about it. Please, you need to go. Fast! ”

He let go of Yuta's hand who ran out of the restaurant. He didn't understand exactly what was going on, but something was really wrong. He thought about going after Ten and Kun but gave up on the idea. Whatever it was, the Japanese had better not attract his friends to it. He tried all the elevators there were, but none worked, until finally he decided to go out through the parking lot. He wanted to go upstairs to the ground floor, where there were more people. The Japanese was getting more scared with the sound of his own footsteps as he looked for the exit direction.

“Nakamoto Yuta?” He heard a female voice. He turned to the woman who was walking towards him. She was wearing a red, buttoned coat that covered the rest of the outfit she was wearing, and sunglasses.

"Yes it's me.” He replied with an expression of suspicion. "And you are?”

“Oh forgive me, where are my manners?” She smiled, taking off her glasses. “My name is Irene, nice to meet you. Could I have some of your time? ”

Yuta took a step back. “Sorry, I have to meet someone right now.”

“Dear me.” She laughed. “I’m sorry but I think this person will need to wait a little longer.”

The first thing Yuta thought of doing was to run, but when he turned around, he found Yunho who pushed him hard against a concrete column causing him to hit his head. The Japanese could only hear the sound of Irene's footsteps getting closer as he was losing his consciousness.

Notes:

Wow, half of this fic is already done, i can't believe it. Thank you so much for reading, commenting and leaving kudos, you guys don't know how much it means to me that people actually are reading and liking something i wrote, it really keeps me going!

the setting up for the chaos to come just started! i was a bit insecure about this chapter but i hope everyone like it. I also really hope you guys like to see Jaehyuns point of view and thoughts, because honestly, i love to add other characters points of view and it will be a bit like this from this point on. Again, thank you so much for reading it and hope to see you next chapter! <3

Chapter 4: The Warlock

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The day before.

 

‘…so much potential…’ Jungwoo woke up in a cold sweat at that phrase. He's been having the same dream, or fragments of it, for a few days now. The warlock never told Yuta about it, but from time to time, he had dreams of small fragments of the future. He remembers one time when he went to visit his grandmother and she had talked about Kim's predictive potential, he never believed in it, but since he was sixteen, he has had dreams like that which made him understand what she had said. The problem was, on most occasions he couldn't decipher what it was. There were a few moments when this happened. When Yuta got late on being presented was the case, the warlock already had a notion that the wolf would not be an alpha, and was already prepared for that. Since he was a child Jungwoo studied werewolves, for him it was a way to feel closer to Yuta. When he gave that choice to the Japanese two years ago, he knew he could be taking him out of his life, since in the blonde's eyes, the fact that they were from this supernatural world was the only thing they had in common.

“Another bad dream?” Chenle asked with a curious look.

“You shouldn't be watching people sleep, it's weird.”

“I was curious!”

Jungwoo stared at the boy. “Of course you were.”

“As a familiar I have to know what happens to my master, right?”

“Sometimes I think you like doing that.”

"Doing what!?"

"Nothing.” He rolled his eyes.

Familiars were usually lesser spirits. Their function was to help and guide witches and warlocks. They are used to channel the power of nature itself. Before a contract, they have a very vague consciousness. After all, they are beings that no longer inhabit the physical world. When the contract takes place. It is normal for the spirits to acquire a physical form, they were usually animals, but they could be other things. Jungwoo never really needed a familiar before. He never needed help to accomplish anything. However, that was a special case. As foxes were considered spirits, the warlock proposed a contract and Chenle did not refuse.

“We should get going.” Chenle warned. “That wolf is close again.”

“This guy is already pissing me off.” Jungwoo got up hurriedly.

Recently, wolves have hunted Jungwoo. It was probably the council doing, a way to track him down. After all, he avoided any contact with their representatives, and since he ceased to be a 'public figure' after handing over the leadership of the family business to his uncle, he had devoted himself to making his location impossible to discover. However, wolves had their nose thing, so, somehow they were able to track him no matter how strong his veil was. What he didn't expect was that they would even follow him into Incheon, where it's the witches' domain, though he managed to trick most of them, but there was a wolf who was especially focused on not losing his trail. Jungwoo was already getting annoyed. Maybe it was time to try another method.

He discussed with Chenle what he was planning to do. Later that morning he left the small hotel he was staying at. Just to take a walk, he needed to have a visual image of the wolf that was following him. He walked a few meters to a nearby fairground. It wasn't long before he could feel the wolf's heavy footsteps not far from him. He laughed lightly at the fact that the wolf didn't even hide his presence and hostility. The warlock continued walking around the fair, casually stopping at moments pretending to be interested in something. By the time he saw that tall man closer, he seemed to have been fighting recently as he had some cuts on his face. The warlock pretended not to have seen him and headed out of the small market to a farther area where there were some old warehouses. He approached the nearest warehouse and removed some of the wooden boards that were nailed to the door to prevent people from entering it. He knew the wolf would follow him there. It didn't take long until the man opened the door quickly after him.

“The desire for vengeance is blind my dear wolf.” Chenle said as his form trembled and returned to being himself.

Jungwoo, who had been waiting in that warehouse the entire time closed the door behind the wolf, who growled furiously at the trick. “Hello alpha, I have some questions.” He smiled. The wolf tried to transform and attack him, but was knocked down when Jungwoo blew something in his face.

“Master, what do you intend to do now that you've captured this guy!?” Chenle asked curiously, as he poked the werewolf's unconscious body.

“Well, let's get him out of town first.” replied the warlock while looking through the broken window of the warehouse. He was making sure there was no one else but that alpha. “And then I plan to ask him some questions.”

“B-but he's an alpha…he's going to be out for that long!?” he asked fearfully. “You told me they were resistant!”

Jungwoo laughed lightly. “I know, but still, I know I'm strong enough to let this guy knocked down longer than any other warlock or witch would.” He shrugged. “Let's get out of here with my door crossing, don't worry.”

He smiled. "Okay!” Then his expression became more serious. “Besides… he looks like he’d been in a fight.”

 

Jungwoo has connected that warehouse to his cottage in the forests of Incheon. In the past, the warlocks and witches of the Kim family took their tests to discover their true potential in that place, when they were still bound to the three elders. As in his family, warlocks and witches were being born less often, the cottage was passed to the one with the most 'potential' for witchcraft, eventually his grandmother had transferred the rights to that place to him, behind his father's back. After all, although his father had some potential for witchcraft, in his own mother's eyes he had no good intentions, so she didn't pass the rights on to him. Only someone from the Kim family or very close could find that place. Jungwoo had strengthened the veil around the cottage to be imperceptible to other supernatural beings, but despite this effort, he remembers well the day he found Chenle sleeping in the cottage bed a year ago.

Foxes, or fox spirits, were peculiar creatures. Jungwoo even read some old books about them in the mansion's library. Their deceptive nature was commonly antagonized in ancient stories. At first, the warlock was hesitant around Chenle, but the fox was a kind and curious boy. He let him stay in the cottage, as he didn't usually go there very often anyway, over time, they ended up forming a master and apprentice relationship. Interestingly, foxes have a talent for witchcraft, which surprised him a little. However, there was something he had read about foxes being actually two and yet, one. He had never understood that until he met that boy. The fox itself is a spirit that attaches to a person since birth. Similar to a possession but not a parasite one. their characteristics are unified in the process, but there is still a division between the fox and the person. Jungwoo couldn't tell them apart, but as time went on he began to notice the pattern. The fox was always more serious and commonly tried to advise Jungwoo, in addition to having a vast knowledge. But the boy was just sixteen years old and talked more childish and was very curious. The blonde once tried to give them different names, but was strongly scolded by the fox.

“No, I am Zhong Chenle, nothing more and nothing less.”  He looked at him seriously, his eyes glowing slightly blue. “It doesn't matter what side of me you're talking to, it's still me.”

“Sorry, I thought it would make our conversations easier.” Jungwoo pouted.

He narrowed his eyes at Jungwoo. “You claim to be such a powerful warlock and yet you don't know how to treat a fox spirit?”

“Well, in my defense it's the first time I've had contact with one.” He shrugged. “I only know your kind from stories in old books.”

“Strange, as far as I know my kind existed here.” He said thoughtfully.

“The elders must have cast out your kind a long time ago I believe.” The blonde sighed. “I wouldn't be surprised if they did it anyway.”

“People blinded by power usually do this sort of thing…but it's still curious.”

“I think we could figure this out together if you became my familiar.” Jungwoo said looking at the surroundings of the cottage as if he wanted nothing. The fox just stared at him.

“And what makes you think that you would survive in contracting me as a familiar?”

“I know it's never been done before…but I like a challenge.” He smiled proudly. “Besides, I didn't know it was actually possible until you said that just now. So is it really possible? ”

“Familiars are spirits whether inferior or not, and my kind counts as one, which makes it possible to have me as a familiar.” He shrugged. “Although I have never witnessed a contract with a fox before, I know how to do it.”

"Excellent.” Jungwoo said, extending his hand to the fox.

Chenle just looked at him with a curious expression. As if analyzing Jungwoo's entire being. “I cannot deny that you are exceptional.”

"So?” he asked excitedly.

“If you are willing to teach me!”

Jungwoo remembers being confused by that. What would he have to teach a fox who has outlived him? But then he had realized that despite being, according to the fox, the same person, the boy did not have all access to the fox's knowledge and abilities, so a master might be the case, and since that dynamic already existed between them, the warlock did not hesitate.

"I already do that. Don’t I?” He patted the younger's red hair.

“Then we are in agreement, master!” Chenle shook hands with Jungwoo who spoke the words of the contract together with the fox.

To hire a spirit as a familiar, the warlock or the witch had to see and understand that being's previous life. The problem with hiring a fox spirit is that because they have lived many lives, it makes the process very painful. Luckily, Chenle was a 'young' fox, not having many lives to show for it, which made it a bit easy for Jungwoo to pass that little test. Since then, the boy and the fox helped him understand a lot more about their kind and somehow advised him with a few things when he needed and in return he taught the boy new tricks, but he could say that he didn’t feel lonely with Chenle around. Since he kinda avoided being around Yuta for so long, he didn’t want to bother him in the life he was in.

 

They dragged him down to the basement of that cottage. Jungwoo made at least three barriers with writing on the floor, just in case, the alpha resistance was unpredictable. He quickly prepared a formula with the aconite flower and injected it into the wolf's arm. That plant was commonly used to delay a full transformation of werewolves, it would be quite annoying if he just turned into a wolf and refused to speak. Then the warlock took a chair and sat in front of the wolf and waited for him to wake up.

“Master, are you really going to wait for him to wake up!?” asked Chenle fearfully.

"Yes I will.” he said without looking at the boy. “You can wait for me upstairs if you want. Maybe it would be better if you did. ”

“I think I better stay here so you don't lose control.”

Jungwoo laughed. "Okay.”

The warlock stared at the unconscious wolf in front of him. So helpless, he thought. He was determined to get information from that wolf, even if it wasn't in a nice way. He remembered the times his father said he was exceptional, that he would be able to make even alphas bow to him, which wasn’t a lie. But still, alphas pissed him off. It didn't take long for the man to wake up and try to get up, he grunted when he saw the warlock in front of him. He tried to get up quickly, but Jungwoo just watched him being pressed against the damp ground.

"What did you do to me?” Snarled the werewolf.

“I just made sure you wouldn't get up even if you were the toughest werewolf I've ever encountered.” He smiled. “You've been a thorn in my side these past few days. Now you have my attention as you wanted. ”

“You're going to need more than a simple wolfsbane and a ridiculous barrier to stop me!” He growled.

“I like your confidence.” Jungwoo laughed. Two fingers of the wolf's left hand twist, making him cry out in pain. “I would like to know exactly what you wanted with me. Are you working for the council? ”

“Filthy witches!” The wolf growled.

"Revenge.” Chenle replied behind him. “It's an easy feeling to distinguish and that's what I feel coming from him.”

“Huh?” Jungwoo made a thoughtful expression. “Revenge for what?”

The wolf growled and tried to get up again, but he was pressed to the ground just the same as before.

“I would like it if you could tell me.” Jungwoo looked at him seriously. “Trying to prove you're tough won't get you anywhere, and besides, you're not in the best condition, which I thought was a bit daring of you.” He shrugged. “You certainly believe in your alpha status don't you?”

“Even in this condition I can bring down some of your kind.” He grunted in response.

“Indeed, but your mistake was thinking that I am just a regular warlock.” They could hear the crack of bones in the wolf's left arm all over that cellar, he yelled angrily. “I wonder what revenge this is for, can you elaborate?”

“M-master…are you sure you should do this!?” Chenle asked with his voice cracking.

Jungwoo sighed. “That's why I didn't want you here.”

Like it or not, Chenle was partly too young to witness that kind of thing. Jungwoo didn't like him being there but if the fox wanted to stay there wasn't much he could do. He looked at the member of the werewolf in front of him, it was bent over in a weird way, maybe he went out of line a little bit.

“Are you going to talk or am I going to need to do it on your other arm too?” He asked with dark eyes.

"It was you!” The wolf spat. “You who attacked our leader!”

Jungwoo looked at him confused. “I attacked your leader?”

The wolf growled. “You think you're so superior don’t you? Little warlock.” He showed his canines to the blonde. “When I catch you I will tear you to pieces!”

The fingers of the wolf's right hand twisted causing him to gasp in pain.

“I don't remember messing with any wol-” Jungwoo's eyes widened at the flash of remembrance of the day Yuta was presented as an omega, that tall, muscular alpha who approached them on the street.

The wolf laughed. “Your eyes just said it all!”

He looked again at the weird curve in which the werewolf's arm was. It was brutal, even for him. Something his father would no doubt do if he had the same capacity for witchcraft as Jungwoo. However, the blonde didn't regret it. He reached out, pointing two fingers at the wolf.

“I can show you what happened to him.” He said with a cold gaze. “Your dear leader tried to do something with the most precious person to me. Don't you think he deserved it?” He brought his fingers closer to the wolf who soon lost the victorious smile that was on his face to make an expression of terror. “I wonder… If there will be anything left of you when I'm done. Just like your leader. ”

“Jungwoo.” Chenle said in a warning tone, but the warlock kept talking.

“You're probably just the same as him.” The wolf desperately tried to get up the closer Jungwoo's fingers got to him. He grunted in despair and pain from the broken limb he tried to move to try to get up. “Do you want the same emptiness?” The warlock thought of everything that those wolves would probably do to Yuta that day, which infuriated him. He must have suppressed them all. Maybe he should go after each of them, starting with the one in front of him.

“Jungwoo!!!” Chenle called him again, but he ignored.

The warlock stood up and with a movement of his hand, the wolf was standing in front of him, just above the ground being lifted into the air. He could see the wolf mutter something like “stay away.” As the warlock’s fingers approached his temple.

"MASTER!” yelled Chenle holding his arm. "You don’t have to do this!”

Jungwoo blinked and looked at the red-haired boy. The wolf growled and tried to catch the fox with his arm, the one that was still whole, but he was thrown against the wall by the warlock. “I don't think I have anything else to take from you.” He closed his hand and the wolf choked until he fell unconscious. Chenle looked at him with a frightened expression.

“I didn't kill him.” He patted the boy's hair. “But it's better to keep him unconscious. I just lost control for a minute. ”

Chenle pointed to his chest. “You have a lot of anger inside you. That's why you lose control. It's not a good feeling to keep.” He shrugged. “Anger brings out the worst in people.”

Jungwoo just sighed.

“I'm sure you don't even know how heavy the air was in the room while you were talking.” He stared at him.

“No… Sorry if it was uncomfortable, I went out of line. ”

“What were you thinking?”

“I think this wolf has seen me before, the day Yuta was presented. He must have been one of those who attacked us that day. He probably has no connection with the council. ”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “I would like to hear this story. You never told me all the details.”

“I can tell you as soon as we take care of this wolf.”

“Let's get him to a hospital!”

Jungwoo looked at him. “I think it's a good idea.”

He brought the werewolf's arm and fingers back into place, though internally they would still remain broken. They were quick to bring the alpha back to that old warehouse where they captured him. They needed to act quickly before he managed to wake up. Luckily, Chenle knew very well how to make a scene. Foxes were masters of illusions, and his familiar was no different, though he only knew how to make illusions related to his own appearance. He managed to make some people close to the scene, find and call an ambulance for the wolf. The warlock had to admit he liked those tricks, he wondered if he could do the same.

“We shouldn't stick around any longer.” warned Chenle. “I think we caught the attention of the surrounding witches.”

Jungwoo sighed. “Let's go back to the cottage. I'm going to break the connection of the doors here and as you said, we caught the attention, going back to the hotel is not going to be a good idea. ”

Chenle nodded as his form, that was turned into an old lady, trembled back to his usual body.

 

When they returned to the cottage, Jungwoo searched for something in the drawers of the wooden table that was in that small living room, he took a small-uncut stone and threw it to Chenle who caught it curious. The fox looked closely at that small stone.

“What is this master!?” he asked curiously.

“It's what I call a wolf retainer.” He shrugged. “You said you wanted more details about my history with that wolf.”

"Oh I see. First time I heard about this stone though. ” He said thoughtfully, bringing the close stone to his eye as if he was trying to see something that was inside it.

Jungwoo sat on the small couch. “It's because it's my creation.” He sighed. “My family owns this… business, I think it's better to explain that way, you know what it is, but only the version that the humans know.”

He then explained that the Kim family jewelry company was more than just a source of wealth, in fact, their popularity with humans came much later than his ancestor’s main idea. In the distant past, the warlocks and witches of the Kim family were protectors of the fine line between supernatural and humans. They were responsible for keeping that parallel world unknown to ordinary people and also for keeping their relationships stable. One of these ways was to collect and separate gems that were imbued with magical properties of nature itself. As those with special properties were often dangerous to humans, their ancestors took it upon themselves to separate those that might put them in danger from gems that were harmless. As that duty passed and society changed, that task ended up becoming the business it is today. So only those who had an affinity for witchcraft were able to take over the leadership of the company. It was not an easy task to check the properties of each gem. However, his uncle had the ability for that function no matter how human he was, in the eyes of the warlock, just being a Kim made him able to detect it. That's what made the blonde feel confident in passing the lead to him.

“When I was a child my grandmother presented me with a catalog of all the gems that have been found to this day and there were still many with unknown properties.” He stared at the small stone in the ring on his right hand. “I devoured that catalog you know, it was one of the most fascinating things that existed to me. With the passing of time, I realized that many of those gems with special properties were malleable, so I started doing several experiments. ”

“The things that nature gives are unpredictable.” Said Chenle and Jungwoo agreed.

“Some nullified each other, others exploded from having too much concentrated energy, and there were those that merged perfectly with even more powerful properties.” He pointed at the stone Chenle was holding. “One of those creations was the retainer. Before my father taught me about familiars, I used to trap lesser spirits in them. ” He sighed. “Of course I released them later, but it was the first contact I had with this particular merger. Then I studied their capacities better according to some books in the mansion’s library. You know, that library is a wide place of knowledge. However, I only managed to create the wolf retainer later on. I could say it’s the final product of the retainer, it has its limitations, but it's an exceptional craft, don't you think? I made it particularly thinking of Yuta, and I also was uncertain when I gave it to him, but I trusted my work and it went better than expected. ”

Chenle stared at him curiously. "Indeed it is.” And then he smiled. “So this is how Master Yuta became human!?”

Jungwoo nodded. “The problem is that when he got presented, it wasn’t natural as you already know. Two years ago when he was moving to Seoul. And as i said, we were attacked by a wolf gang, the wolf he met today was in it.” He leaned his head back against the quilted couch. “I got into their leader's mind and suppressed everything werewolf about him.” He bit his lip. “Suppression is a very old and invasive spell that originated others with a lighter effect, few witches and warlocks are able to perform it since messing with the minds of non-humans is considered dangerous.”

“But you don't have a problem with that, right?” The fox's eyes looked at him with fascination. Jungwoo just shook his head.

“I only used this spell twice. I would probably be able to use it a third time though.” He sighed. “The problem with suppressing that alpha was because other than the wolf side of him, there was nothing left. Which resulted in him becoming an empty shell. ”

“Not even an alpha is able to withstand a spell like that.” Chenle concluded.

 “It was one of the first things my father taught me, I was beaten if I couldn't do it right, he made me suppress animals, it was horrible.” He shook his head as if to push the memory away.

“I know this spell.” Chenle shrugged. “I know it’s really scary. Nevertheless, I can't help but be curious about the second time. ”

Jungwoo sighed. “I don't think you're going to like this story, Chenle.”

“All knowledge is welcome!” He winked at the warlock.

"If you say so.” He laughed lightly. “Actually, the second time was when I used this alpha.” He shrugged. “As I said, my father used to beat me. Not just for making a mistake in the suppression process but if I missed any tiny detail in drawing seals or reciting spells. I avoided thinking too much about it. When my mother got sick and died later on, my father's posture hadn't changed. It was the last straw for me. I suppressed all his grudge and his desire for revenge, but what was left of him was just regret and fear, which soon drove him mad and he simply fled. I was stupid to think that deep down he cared about me as a son. ”

“Wanting love from your parents is never a bad wish, although not all parents are capable of such an act.” Chenle shrugged. “That doesn't mean you're a bad person.”

"Perhaps.”

Jungwoo's eyes slowly closed, but he was surprised with a pillow being thrown in his face.

“I know you're tired, but I don't plan on sleeping in this place today.” Chenle said, crossing his arms. “This cottage is a mess.”

“I spoiled you too much.” Jungwoo muttered. “But you're right, this place is a mess. However, the hotel isn't the best of ideas and... Hum, I don't like the mansion. ”

“One night won't kill. Furthermore, I believe that inconvenient council representatives are no longer trying to break through the barrier. ”

“Hunf. I guess you're right. ”

 

The next day.

 

"Master!” Chenle poked his cheek.

“Huh, let me sleep.” Jungwoo replied sleepily.

“But…there is a fox in front of the mansion!”

The warlock rose in surprise. "What?”

“There's a fox in front of the mansion!” He repeated.

“I heard it the first time.” He ran into the bathroom to wash his face. “H-how do you know it's a fox?”

Chenle rolled his eyes. “Oh please, I know how to recognize my kind. Besides, he's not being subtle at all. ”

"Did he do something?”

“I mean, there are literally four of the same person surrounding the house like they're looking for a breach in the barrier.”

The Kim's mansion was always well 'watched', there was a small room where it was possible to see some of the rooms and the surroundings of the mansion through cameras. Chenle liked that, according to him, it's always good to know what's in your surroundings. A few months ago, the cameras had stopped showing the surroundings due to the council representative trying to break the barrier that was imposed on the mansion, he created an inconvenient interference. As the warlock didn't want confrontation at the time, he decided to leave the mansion and make appearances elsewhere to throw him off, since then he was temporarily staying in simpler hotels that wouldn't draw attention to him. Chenle helped him perfect the veil so it wouldn't be so obvious that it was him. The blonde remembers very well the fox scolding him for going to find Yuta to say goodbye with such an imperfect veil. They went into that room and watched that person, a not very tall guy with black hair, he walked around the four sides of the mansion, one hand on his chin as if he was thinking, another version of him held out his hand to touch the barrier at the front gate, but clearly hesitated to touch.

“Should we talk to him?” Jungwoo asked thoughtfully.

“Hum, I even approached the front gate and just felt curiosity coming from him.” Chenle replied with a shrug. “Maybe we should, but just be careful with what he says. You know foxes are known for their deceitful nature. Don't believe everything he says. ”

Jungwoo stared at the familiar. “I know your kind likes to lie.”

The fox just pouted. "I'm not a liar!”

“But that's a little weird...”

"I'm curious!” Chenle said excitedly. “I always thought it was weird that I'm the only fox around here!”

Like vampires, fox spirits were extremely rare to be found nowadays, Chenle had already commented on his kind existing in that country, but according to the records of the warlock's own family, those beings disappeared strangely a long time ago. Jungwoo dressed quickly and went to the gate. As soon as he opened it, he received a curious look from the man.

“Kim Jungwoo?” He asked cautiously. “I didn't expect to find you here. That’s even better. ”

The blonde shrugged. “Well, this is my house. And you are? ”

“Oh, my name is Qian Kun.” He smiled showing the dimples. "I would like to talk.”

“Maybe I'm a little busy to see you at the moment.” He replied lying.

“I may come back another time, but I believe it is in your best interest.” He shrugged. “I would like to... exchange knowledge. I believe that for someone who is fleeing from the council, information is a good thing. ”

Jungwoo stared at the fox. “Perhaps I can offer you some tea.”

The fox just smiled and followed him into the mansion.

 

“It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Kim Jungwoo.” He said smiling as he sat in the armchair in the living room. “You know, I've heard a lot about you.”

"Don’t tell me.” He replied, rolling his eyes.

Kun just laughed. “I imagine you hear that a lot.”

“I do, and honestly, it's annoying.” He shrugged.

"I can imagine.” He stared at the warlock, his eyes glowing blue. “I must admit I was curious about you not reacting in amazement to the fact that a fox was at your door.” He then shrugged. “But apparently I'm not the first of my kind you've met, so that should explain.”

He took a sip of the tea Jungwoo had made. What surprised the warlock. He hadn't done anything to the drink, he wondered if the fox would take it carelessly like that if he had. His presence was serene, but at the same time, it had a certain pressure. Maybe he was an older spirit than Chenle.

“Yes, but I don't know if the situation would please you.” He shrugged.

“Oh, if he wanted to make a contract, I'm not the one to say anything against it.” He laughed lightly.

“So have you ever witnessed other foxes being hired as a familiar!?” Chenle asked, coming out from behind the armchair.

Kun nodded. “A long time ago, but I'm not going to pester you with a story that happened so many years ago. In fact, I'm curious about the history of this country over the past five hundred years. ”

“Huh? I'm sorry, but I’m not that old and I don’t think I will live this much. ” Replied Jungwoo.

Kun raised an eyebrow. “In fact, how long do you witches live?”

“As far as I know the oldest witch lived two hundred and fifty years, that's because she tried to cheat her own time. However, that's not something we should mess with. ” Jungwoo shrugged. “But these days the elders are probably older, although…hum, I don't like to think about how they managed such a thing. ”

The truth was, the council should have a leadership that changed from time to time, due to the fact that witches and warlocks were not immortal, and as much as some tried to cheat the time, it was not something definitive. Witches and warlocks actually lived longer than the average human did. However, the three elders of the council remained the same since its founding eight hundred years ago.

“Hum, witches living a little longer than they should…. In addition, the fact that there are no other beings in this country has been bothering me since I arrived. ”

Jungwoo raised an eyebrow curiously. “I don't know if I understand your idea.”

“Since I arrived here last year. I realized that the supernatural population of this country was mostly witches and werewolves, which is strange since they're not the only supernatural beings out there. ” Kun said thoughtfully. “I don't really understand the witch dynamics here. I had contact with a werewolf, but he didn't seem to care much about the laws of nature since he was dating a human. ” He shrugged. “A curious human after all. ”

“For a fox who has probably lived countless lives, you are a very curious person.” Chenle fired. Kun looked at the familiar warily.

“Why would I care about the laws of another country?” He replied serious. “Make no mistake, I'm just here because I'm trying to find my friends who disappeared a few months ago.”

“To come this far, they must be important.” Said Chenle with a cold tone.

"They are.”

Jungwoo felt the pressure in the air of their confrontation.

“And where do I get into this story?” asked the warlock.

“Perhaps you are the only one capable of providing me with the information I need.”

“Failed to get it from other witches, didn't you?”

“Unfortunately, the witches and warlocks of this land apparently have this connection with these elders. I can't manipulate them to get information about them. Trust me. I've tried it on many of you. However, I found out about you, who have no connection with them. ”

“You are brave to openly say that you intend to manipulate me.” Jungwoo replied with a cold gaze.

“Oh, don't worry about it. That was the initial idea, but now…” He shrugged. “I am aware of your power. I mean, I had an idea, but the moment I got to see you in person I could understand why you're someone the witches want so badly. Exceptional indeed. ”

“I hear that word a lot.” He replied, rolling his eyes. “But what do you really want to know?”

“I would like to understand more about those elders.” Kun said thoughtfully. “As I said, I’ve tried to get information about them from other witches and warlocks but it seems they are not able to give me any information about them due to that oath they made to them, something about being linked to them. I didn't quite understand. ”

Jungwoo straightened in his chair. “Well, I may have something to offer on this subject, as I've been investigating them myself.” He stared at the fox. “But I still don't quite understand what you want with this information.”

Kun sighed. “As I mentioned briefly, my friends disappeared the moment they set foot in this country. With what you told me a few minutes ago I managed to form a theory, but I need more information. If what you tell me is helpful, I'll share my theory with you. I think it will be of great help. In addition, since for such a powerful warlock to be running away from them, you probably don't have much of an idea of what to do, do you? ”

Jungwoo bit his lip, that fox had hit the bull's-eye. "Fine.”

The three elders are none other than ancestors of the three great and powerful families of witches and warlocks. The Lee’s, the Park’s and the Kim’s. Despite that, those families were already rooted in that country long before they existed, so much so that these three names were very popular among common people. Their descendants were already mixed with other existing beings. Although each family had an 'original' line that only spawned warlocks and witches. When the elders founded the council eight hundred years ago, in order to establish the rules between the supernatural and avoid possible conflicts, each family was responsible for a task. The Lee’s were responsible for the traditions of witches and their society. The Park’s were the between, responsible for dealing with the relationship of witches and warlocks among other supernatural beings. The Kim’s were the ones who took care of the fine line between the supernatural and the mundane, they were the ones who looked out for humans and avoided their knowledge of the supernatural. Although initially their ideas were well received by other beings, the wolves preferred to have their own rules, which generated a certain conflict with the council. It took some time for the Parks to establish a friendly relationship with them. However, approximately two hundred years later, when the Kim’s began to decay into wizarding descendants because they were interfacing with humans, the elders vehemently reprimanded them, later expelling them from the council and their witch society. Despite this, that family never abandoned the task they were given, as unlike Park’s and Lee’s, they already assumed that role long before the elders came to power. The problem with them was that they were living beyond the witches lifetime, the council remains with the same leaders to this day and the warlock couldn't help but wonder what living so long could have done to them.

“Living longer than you should is not a good thing.” Kun said thoughtfully. “Maybe things are a little more serious.”

“Well, I can imagine that this doesn't have any good side effects.”

Kun nodded. “In fact, imagine the changes that the body and mind of beings who shouldn't live for so long can go through. Witches may live a slightly longer life than a human may, but in the end, their power must return to nature. Unlike vampires who are anomalies and foxes, well, technically we die, but we are reborn shortly thereafter with no blood connection to the past life. ”

Jungwoo thought about it. “That…could explain the oppressive behavior they've had over the years since my bloodline's expulsion from the council.”

“I always thought it was weird that they kicked the Kim’s out for simply doing the task they were always given. Besides, I don't see any harm in relating to humans. ” Chenle pointed out.

Jungwoo sighed. “My father once said that they considered the Kim family impure for letting our witch bloodline fade away from their descendants.”

“This brings me to another theory that I don't like very much.” Kun said. “By now the elders must be beings with characters and morals totally different from when they founded the council.” He said getting up. “If the purity of your lineage matters so much...”

“Could they be purging other non-witches?” Chenle asked with wide eyes.

“That doesn't make sense, I mean, if they had actually been doing it, they would have gone up against the werewolves a long time ago.” Jungwoo questioned.

“They shouldn't have enough power, alphas are powerful and they have a large number, I believe. It would not be an easy task. ” Kun replied.

“That would explain why my parents thought it was so important for me to have an alpha around.” said Jungwoo thoughtfully. “If things had gone as they planned, maybe the council wouldn't have been so dedicated to wanting me to submit.”

"Alphas being strong makes it difficult for witches to have control of everything... But if they have you..." Chenle said with a serious look at the warlock. “Someone who could frighten them. Someone who can make them bow to the council. You already proved yourself capable of that yesterday with that alpha. You have not just one, but two possibilities to nullify the existence of the wolves, either by suppressing or with the retainer. ”

“In the end I will never stop being seen as a weapon, will I?”

Jungwoo sighed. He thought of Yuta. In the life he was following. Maybe if the blonde could give up everything and become a human like him... However, they would be so helpless, even as a human he knew the council would eventually come after him. Since he was born, he was treated as a weapon, a source of power, his mother and Yuta were the only exceptions. He missed the Japanese so much. He wanted to be able to live with Yuta without fear, to be part of his life for real, not just visits from time to time. He wanted to be able to be close to his brother without having to hide. Nevertheless, he needed to resolve the situation he was in with the council. Even for Yuta, he couldn't risk leaving him in danger, he would never forgive himself.

“There's still something about this story that isn't right… I need to investigate further.” Kun's image flickered. “I don't have that much time now.”

"Oh my.” Chenle widened his eyes. “You haven't really been here all this time, how come I haven't noticed?”

Kun shrugged. “In fact, my real body is in Seoul, I'm just a tail, a part of the consciousness of my original self.” He looked at the familiar. “You'll eventually learn to do this, when you're older of course.” He winked at the younger fox.

"Wait.” Jungwoo said getting up. "What will you do?”

“Sorry but I'm going to keep my next move a secret.” He made a sign of silence. “But maybe our paths cross again. I will be looking forward to what you're going to do next. Kim Jungwoo.” He turned and walked to the door.

The warlock went to the gate to watch as Kun walked away with the image flickering until he disappeared completely into thin air.

"Fascinating!” Chenle said excitedly as the warlock returned to the living room. “I've never met another of my kind before!” He gave little jumps. “There's so much I'd like him to teach me!”

“Ouch.” Jungwoo replied.

“Oh, I-I'm sorry master! I got carried away! ”

Jungwoo ruffled the boy's hair. “I would also have been thrilled in your place.” He shrugged. “This conversation has illuminated some of my thoughts…”

“I feel like there's still something we're missing.” Chenle said with a thoughtful expression. “I didn't expect him to be honest. I was already prepared for several riddles. ”

“He's obviously a lot smarter than the two of us together. I also wonder how many lives he must have lived to have a trick like that. ”

"Many.” Chenle replied. "What do you intend to do?”

"I think...I should get in touch with the Park’s and the Lee’s."

“How is getting in touch with those closest to the elders a good idea?”

“They're not stupid, they must be aware that the three elder’s time has passed.” He shrugged. “It’s hard to believe that all witches think the same way.”

“Still, they're linked to them, it's dangerous.”

“I know, but…Ugh…” Jungwoo felt a twinge in his head. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

‘So naive…’ He heard a disdainful female voice. He had image lapses of a tall man carrying someone else. “Yuta?” The blonde blinked back to himself.

“Master, what happened!?” asked Chenle worriedly.

“Is... is it Yuta?”

"A vision? But you are awake. ”

“He… someone did something to him.” Jungwoo felt a chill. “I need to find him, now.”

While Chenle was preparing a location spell, the warlock managed to contact Mark. He said the Japanese had been out with another friend of theirs from college, Ten, that afternoon. The warlock hesitated but asked for the Thai's contact who acted strange when Jungwoo spoke to him. He had said that Yuta had gone out with a relative and that it was strange that the blonde was calling him and not the Japanese. Jungwoo didn't mind making up any lies, he just hung up the phone.

“I can't find him.” Chenle said worriedly. “The only thing I know is that he's here, in Incheon.”

Jungwoo bit his lip. "The council.”

“Do you think they found him somehow?”

"I don’t know.” He replied worriedly. “If they caught him…” Jungwoo felt his blood boil. “They won't like what I do next.”

“You know if you go after him, you're going straight to where they want you to be, right?”

"Honestly? I don’t care.” Jungwoo said, visibly annoyed. “Yuta would never go back to Incheon on his own, if they actually caught him. I will bring him back even if I have to burn that place to ashes.” He snapped his fingers making Chenle's eyes widen.

“Breaking down the barrier is not the best idea.”

“It's the most effective way to get attention.” Jungwoo smiled. “Or do you think it's better for me to hunt down a warlock and force him to take me to the council? I wouldn't be so kind. ”

“Master, I don't like this!”

“I need you to stay here waiting for me.” warned Jungwoo while putting on a jacket.

“I don't think it's a good idea, you might lose control.” Warned the familiar.

“Believe me, Chenle, I've already lost it.” He smiled when he saw a man in a suit at the front gate. “I don't know how the council would react to seeing you, so I want you to stay here and have confidence that I will come back.”

“This is a terrible idea.”

"Trust me.”

 

“Oh, Kim Jungwoo! It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person after so many years. ” The man smiled. “My name is Changmin. ” He held out his hand.

Jungwoo just stared at that man and then smiled falsely as he shook his hand.

“Hello, Mr. Changmin. I would like it if you could take me to the council. ”

Notes:

hiii, first of all, i'm sorry for making you guys waiting a few more days to know exactly what happened to Yuta (although you kinda know a bit of it now) and Jaehyun whereabouts. but i believe this chapter was needed, i needed to explain the three elders and the families for things that will come, i hope the witches dynamics are understandable. As i said before, i'm just setting things up! Also, I must say that chenle character as so fun to write asuahsaus i hope you guys like.

Thank you for reading, giving kudos and above all, commenting. Knowing youre liking the story really made my days better. See you next chapter!

Chapter 5: The Unexpected Event

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Yuta opened his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness, his head throbbed, and he felt that he was in the soft back seat of some kind of vehicle that was still in motion. He mustered the strength to move his tied hands that were tied with some kind of rope. He touched where it ached and felt that his hair was a little luscious in the area. He briefly remembered hitting his head on a concrete column. However, despite that, the wound didn't seem to bleed anymore. He tried to turn his face to see who was driving, but he could only hear a female voice.

“It's too early for you to wake up, sweetie.”

Then he lost consciousness again.

When he woke up the second time, the Japanese were dizzy, as if he had been drugged. It was a similar feeling to when he woke up after Jungwoo had knocked him out. He felt cold chains on his wrists. His vision was still blurry, but he could clearly hear footsteps and fragments of a conversation.

"...you can be sure he will come..." Said a female voice. "...if he cares..." He heard heavy footsteps entering that room. That female voice laughed. "Oh... just in time..."

“I would like to know where he...”

Jungwoo. That was Jungwoo's voice, he would never be wrong about that. The female voice spoke again, but he couldn't understand what she had said, he just heard the warlock speaking with an angry tone after she finished her sentence.

“...I don't care about this council, I just want...”

"ENOUGH!”  Snarled an elderly voice.

"With all due respect..." The female voice replied in a respectful tone.

“…running out of patience…” Said Jungwoo.

"...perhaps..."

"...was you..."

Yuta heard a clapping sound then soon noticed someone approaching him and suspending him by the collar of his shirt, he couldn't see the person's face. He was taken to the circular hall where the voices were. He closed his eyes as the light of the room hit his face.

“Yuta!” He heard the blonde's voice as he tried to walk towards him.

“Uh-huh.” Said the female voice. The Japanese managed to assimilate whose voice it was. It was definitely Irene. That woman he met in the parking lot of the mall. “You better not try anything.” Yuta felt a tightness in the back of his head.

"What did you do to him? Explain yourself NOW! ” said Jungwoo, visibly furious.

The dizziness had passed and his vision was clear again. It was the first time he saw his brother with that expression of fury on his face.

“Oh, no biggie, I just knocked him out…twice.” She said laughing. “Although Yunho here did all the work the first time, a little aggressive, but we've already taken care of that.”

“Y-yunho?” Yuta tried to turn his face to see who was holding him. But the wolf squeezed the back of his neck even tighter. Jungwoo took another step forward. He opened his mouth to say something else but he was interrupted by the elderly voice from earlier.

“So, dear Irene, we are trying to understand why did you brought a mere inferior human to the council?” Yuta was turned to look at the direction of the voice. He had to look up to get a good look at them. He could see three white-haired old ladies, dressed in black robes. They were standing behind what looked like a high table. The Japanese immediately understood that they were the three elders that Jungwoo avoided.

“Because she's insane.” Jungwoo replied.

"Am I?” Said Irene, looking maliciously at the warlock and then looking at the elders. “He just looks like one. Make no mistake. ” She then pointed to the warlock. “I honestly don't know how he managed such a thing, but Kim Jungwoo is responsible for this transgression. ”

The elder lady on the right raised an eyebrow. “How is it possible that I don't feel any kind of spell on him?”

“Indeed, but I've been investigating Kim Jungwoo for some time—”

“Let him go.” said Jungwoo in a serious tone.

“Calm down sweetie, he's not going anywhere.” Irene said with a smirk at the warlock, then she turned to look at the elders. “So, as I was saying, it's a quite interesting work what our dear Kim Jungwoo has done here.” She made a movement with her hands and Yunho used the other arm to feel Yuta's neck and expose the necklace he wore. “The Kim’s do have exceptional knowledge when it comes to stones, don't they?”

“Like you know anything.” Muttered Jungwoo. Yuta could see that he was worried.

“It was always a rumor among us that the Kim’s would have a werewolf among them, of course they wouldn't be stupid enough to leave the most powerful warlock in the family defenseless. Even if they were locked in that mansion, the walls always have ears. ” The elders looked at them with curiosity on their faces. “Oh, the Kim’s, what a shame, even in their decay they can't do anything right, can they? ” She laughed disdainfully.

“Proceed, dear.” Said the elder in the middle.

“Of course I got in touch with some servants at Kim's mansion. Oh they don't have the slightest bit of care.”

"Bullshit.” Said Jungwoo. The warlock was clearly holding back, he constantly shifted his gaze to Yuta as if he was thinking of what to do. “Everyone who entered and left the mansion was extremely trustworthy.”

“I didn't say I got the information the nice way.” She blinked at him with a smile. “One day, after a long business trip, apparently, the Kim’s brought a foreign boy with them and from that day on, Mrs. Kim had talked to all the servants about treating the boy the same way they treated their heir. " She laughed. “Of course many thought the boy was her husband's bastard, since he was a natural womanizer.”

"Don’t you dare.” Jungwoo said even more furious.

Irene just kept talking without paying attention to the warlock. She knew he wouldn't do anything while Yunho was holding Yuta. “Only servants who were human of course, those who already had a connection to witchcraft noticed it was a werewolf, so it couldn't be blooded to any of them.” She shrugged. “Imagine that the Kim’s wanted to form such a strong relationship between the two boys that when they came of age that werewolf, Alpha, would be able to give his life to protect their heir. It's not hard to imagine given the relationship between witches and werewolves at the time. ”

Yuta lowered his head feeling the tears forming in his eyes, he always knew that and Jungwoo too. However, he was a failure, only an alpha could play that role, which was not his case, that besides taking a long time to be presented, he turned out to be an omega. Even though he gave up his werewolf nature, that was something that bothered him until those days, he always blamed himself internally. An omega that could easily be commanded by the words of an alpha would be useless to Jungwoo.

“Dear Irene, the council would like to understand your point.” Said the elder on the right.

“Oh I'm already getting there. This foreign boy I mentioned is the one present here. ” She pointed at Yuta. “Nevertheless, what has changed? ” She moved her hand and Yunho broke that necklace making a breeze run across the room. Yuta fell to his knees on the ground gasping at the loss of the necklace. He felt all his muscles scream. “As you can see, a spell, I believe spells that directly mess with a werewolf's nature, is not approved of by either side, neither witches nor werewolf’s. These two here ignored it all. ” She said, showing the necklace to the three.

“How do you…” Jungwoo started but was soon interrupted by Irene.

“Our dear Sooyoung has raised suspicions about this particular necklace, you know, she's been watching him for some time.” She smiled. Yuta bit his lip when he heard that she was talking about Joy, he was sure about that.

“Kim Jungwoo, could you explain this?” The three spoke at the same time.

“I owe no explanation to this council.” He replied trying to go towards Yuta but Yunho stayed in front. “Move, Beta.”

“The disrespect.” Said Irene approaching Yunho. “He can only listen and obey me.”

“W-what did you do… to him?” asked Yuta.

“I just gave a purpose for his existence.” She smiled. As his instincts were coming back, the Japanese could smell Irene’s scent in Yunho, surrounding him. “Oh, when I came to this conclusion I believed he just wanted to keep it a secret for as long as he could until he finally rebelled against the council. However, you are an omega, which makes things even worse. ”

“A warlock being able to hide the existence of a werewolf, and an omega one…” Said the elder in the middle.

“Do you want werewolves to turn against witches, Kim Jungwoo? Explain yourself.” Said the one on the left. “Alphas may see this as an attempt to steal from them those who give birth to their children! There would be a witch-hunt for sure! ”

“He is MY brother, above the council and the werewolves, he didn't want to live this life and I just gave him the solution.” Replied the warlock even angrier.

Irene laughed. "Really? So why does your dear brother have a relationship with an alpha? Did you know that? Did you plan to give him the same trick so they could live happily ever after as humans? ”

“Y-yuta?” The Japanese couldn't see Jungwoo's expression but he imagined it was just like his. The same expression of disbelief. "Why? You didn't tell me anything...”

“I-I…” He stuttered as he felt his own skin burn. “I-I had no way of knowing, the necklace nullified all my instincts… I-I had no idea.”

“Oh my child.” Said the elder in the middle. “It's no use running away from yourself. Eventually you're going to have to embrace your true self. Denying who you are and what makes you be what you are does no good to any being.”

“It’s interesting this coming from one of you.” Said Jungwoo

“Nobody can live fooling themselves for so long.” Said the one on the left ignoring what the warlock said. “Your true self will always be there, like a shadow. Bringing to you things that can make you be your real self again. ”

 “Destiny is a funny thing.” Said the one on the right.

Yuta tried to get up, but his body betrayed him, it was like he was having slight muscle spasms all over his body.

“Dear me, you look like shit, why is that?” Irene asked with a curious look at Yuta.

“He's getting back to what he was.” Jungwoo replied. “I need to get him out of here.”

“Huh? Don't be so hasty my dear. ” Irene said. “We are still at a trial here. I think I was pretty convinced that Kim Jungwoo is a transgressor, am I not? ” She turned to the three elders.

"Indeed.” Said the elder in the middle. “Kim Jungwoo, the council has decided that we will forgive you if you go through the oath ritual.”

"What?” Asked Irene in surprise. “Forgive me, but are you going to let him get away with this transgression? He put all the witches in danger, this... Thing. ” She held up her hand showing the necklace again. “It could have brought the end of us, witches, it could have made wolves hunt us all! He should at the very least be arrested on the jeju island just lik-”

She was interrupted by Jungwoo's laughter that echoed through the room. “You're so naïve. These three don't give a shit about other witches except themselves.”

“Watch your words young man.” Said the elder on the right.

“My patience is already at its limit here.” Jungwoo replied. “I'll have a proper meeting with you another day.”

“How dare you order us around!?” Said the one in the middle.

“Oh no, How DARE YOU.” Yuta felt a small tremor in the room when the warlock spoke. “You guys are acting like you don't know anything, but I'm sure this woman is just investigating me on your orders. You try-”

A boy running into the room interrupted him. Opening the door with force.

"What is the meaning of this, Park Jisung?” The three spoke at the same time.

“I'm so-sorry.” He was pale. “B-but there's something weird going on.”

"What is it?” Irene asked impatiently.

"W-well... Incheon has had some weird alpha activity these past few days, but they didn't seem aggressive to us... B-but right now they just started acting unusually and agitatedly, some of the surrounding witches claimed to hear loud howls not far from here, like they’re moving, fast. ”

Jungwoo started laughing and clapping for Irene. “Congratulations you made it.”

"What does that mean?” She asked not understanding what was happening.

“The moment my spell was broken, all the alphas that were in this town hunting me felt the presence of an omega that stands out from the others due to the time he spent without being a wolf.” He smiled. “You marked this place as a target of attack. They'll go through anyone to get here.”

"Nonsense!” Said the elders at the same time.

“Oh you wish it was.”

“Why would the alphas be after y-” Irene's eyes widened. "It was you!” She pointed to Jungwoo. “You are responsible for what happened to that alpha two years ago!”

“Anyone with a little more intelligence would have figured that out, even the elders here must know by now, right?” Jungwoo said with an expression of disdain to Irene. She looked at the elders in disbelief.

“B-but the elders said they didn’t know who did it! It’s impossible!” Said the boy Jisung.

“Guess they don’t go around telling the truth to everyone.” Said Jungwoo with a smirk

“B-but…” The boy tried to say something but soon shuddered at the look he received from the elders and left the room in a hurry.

Yunho knelt on the floor, shivering. “Y-yu-ta.” He turned to try to touch the Japanese but was stopped by Jungwoo who, with the movement of his hand, made the beta fly to the other side of the room making Irene look at him with fury in her eyes.

"What’s the meaning of this..." The elders started to speak, but were interrupted by the warlock after he approached Yuta and helped him to his feet, making him lean on his shoulder.

“I have no reason to lie about this, now, are you going to let me out of here with my brother or do you prefer this place to be invaded by alphas to do this? ” He said seriously.

 

~

 

Earlier that day.

“I just wanted to know if everything is okay.” Taeil said over the phone.

“Yes, I understand, it didn't take me long to get here.” Jaehyun replied. “I'm on his trail. His scent is in the direction of the forests, which bothers me a little. How's Doie? ”

“He's fine, just a little stressed, you know.”

"I know.” He scratched his nose. The smell of witches in that town irritated him. “Taeil...”

"What?”

“Did you talk to Yuta at college today?”

“Hum, no, but I saw him with one of those friends of his. I think it was that Ten guy, I remember him from the event at college, but I can't be sure. ”

"Oh, I see. Thank you anyway. ”

"Something happened?” Jaehyun could feel Taeil's curious gaze on him, even though he was so far away.

“Oh, nothing, I’m just asking because I called and texted him, but he didn't answer. Must be busy. ” He shrugged.

Taeil laughed. “Oh Jaehyunnie, I have to admit that this in love version of you is cute.”

Jaehyun blushed. "Stop, please.”

“I didn't know you were so needy!”

“Taeil I'm going to hang up!”

“Nobody heard. You’re so silly.” Then he spoke more seriously. “But I wonder how long you intend to keep it a secret.”

“Taeil, i believe this is not the best time to talk about this.”

“Okay, I just get a little worried, you know me. Take care. ”

"Bye-bye. I will call you when I find him. ”

He hung up the phone. It didn't take long for him to run into a group of alphas near the forests of Incheon. He asked about Johnny and they explained that the alpha was going after the missing wolf, the one that was going after the witch. He was informed that Johnny fought with this wolf to convince him to give up that crazy idea, but he didn't listen and despite losing to the older, the wolf managed to escape and go back in chasing the witch. Jaehyun called him one more time, but he didn't answer as usual. He thought maybe Johnny was in some hospital around the place of the fight and went looking for him there. He described the older to the attendant in the lobby of the place to see if he might have any information, but she could give him anything. He checked the other hospitals nearby until late in the afternoon, he finally found Johnny's scent and followed until he found him at the exit of one of the hospitals. He parked his motorcycle and ran towards the older.

“Johnny!” He said, raising his arm to get his attention.

“What are you doing here Jaehyun?” Snarled Johnny. “You should be in Seoul helping to take care of our pack!”

“I know, but Doie was very worried and with a stupid idea of following you here.” He sighed. “You know he would be able to sneak out to come after you.”

Johnny bit his lip. “Tsk, I know, I shouldn't have come.” He scratched his nose. “This city confuses my instincts.”

"Don’t tell me.” He said with a shrug. “Did you manage to find the other guy? I talked to some alphas along the way and they told me you two had a fight. ”

“Oh, that moron.” Johnny rolled his eyes. “Yes, but he managed to get away from me anyway.” He crossed his arms. “I've already found him, but the problem is...”

"What?”

“He is in an even worse situation than last time I saw him.” He said in a serious tone. “We've had this big fight before, but I'm not able to break the bones to the point where they're shattered to dust with one bite.”

“Do you…think he found the witch he was after?” asked the youngest, swallowing hard.

"Must have.” He grunted. “A warlock actually, he tried to convince me to go along with him. He was obsessed with finding this warlock. ”

“Have you told the other alphas about him yet?”

"I was on my way... But I didn't want to leave this moron here..." He looked around as if he wanted to be sure if no one was hearing then. “I don't trust leaving him in the hands of witches.”

“And what could we do? We heal faster, but we can't do miracles. ” He shrugged. “Let's just leave him here, inform the alphas and leave. ”

“I feel like I should go after this warlock.” Johnny said seriously.

“Are you crazy Johnny? Why? ”

“I would feel more secure in having the head of this… thing.”

Jaehyun laughed in disgust. “You’re definitely joking, right? Are you really going to take Minho's side now?”

“It's not about taking sides, it's about protection.” he growled. “A warlock that can do that, to be on the loose like this… could turn against us at any time he wanted.”

“I believe going after this would only give him reason to turn against us.” Jaehyun growled back. “Minho got what he deserved and you know that, he probably messed with the wrong person.”

“Now you protect witches, Jaehyun?” His eyes glowed.

“Of course not, Johnny.” He sighed. “I'm just being realistic, just like Taeil told me you guys talked about at the leaders' meeting, going after this story won't do any good. Unless you want to end up the same way this guy did. Isn't his example good enough? ”

“But the danger it can be to our Kind-”

“Really Johnny? Now you’re talking about that? ” He arched his eyebrows. “Minho spent years doing what he did and nobody moved a muscle to stop him, and now you mean as if you care about our kind? You should at least have the decency to admit that only our pack mattered to you. ”

“Ah, now am I obligated to listen to you scolding me? What about Jaemin? Me saving him doesn't count? Don't make me equal to Minho. ”

Jaehyun sighed. “Okay Johnny, you did what you could. You saved an omega.” He shrugged. “But anyway, it sucks talking to you sometimes since you have that temperament.”

“I just try to think of what's best for the pack.”

“The best for the pack is for you to go back to Doie and stay with us. Johnny. Not running after something that could put us at risk. ”

Johnny ran his hands through his long hair, pushing it back. “Okay Jae, you're right.”

Jaehyun sighed in relief. “I finally managed to get some sense into your mind.”

“You’re so full of yourself.” He punched the younger on the shoulder.

Johnny decided to take one last look at the situation of the alpha who was in that hospital before they actually left. They would meet with the other alphas to report the situation and then return to Seoul. However, that meeting was postponed when Jaehyun was suddenly hit by that strong scent, a sweet cherry scent that he would never be mistaken because it was from the person that had been on his mind for the past few months. It couldn’t come from someone else. Nevertheless, it was so strong, that scent was enveloping and attracting him. He almost fell to the ground from the intensity of it. Johnny ran to help him. They went to the hospital parking area where there was little movement at the moment.

“Jaehyun? Are you okay?” Johnny asked worriedly as he sniffed the air. He was clearly feeling it too. "That is... "

“Heat… So strong… I don't…” He tried to get up, but his instincts took over. His last thoughts were Yuta's face, that scent was his. It was unmistakable. How? He wondered as his clothing ripped with his sudden transformation. All his thoughts were forgotten. He had only one goal, to find that scent, to find that omega to claim it, to make it his, his alone. He could hear Johnny screaming his name, but he ignored it completely, he was now just an animal running towards the omega that called for him.

 

~

 

They were walking fast down a wide corridor, Yuta could look around, and it seemed to be a fancy place. Illustrious with bright lights that could hurt the eyes if you looked too much at it, columns mirrored halfway down both sides of the hallway, as if to allow attendants near the entrance to see the entire length of the hallway. He could catch a glimpse of a hallway that led to a bar where some people were talking. Jungwoo was in a hurry, but at the same time, he was being careful not to let Yuta fall. The Japanese was having a bit of difficulty moving due to the small muscle spasms he was having. Near the exit in front of the attendant booth, there were a few seats, presumably for people to wait to be attended. The two were stared by looks of surprise, disgust and curiosity by the people who were waiting there, but none tried to stop them. Witches, Yuta thought, of course, they were in what should be the council base. The woman who was the attendant at the moment still tried to get their attention, but was completely ignored. As soon as they walked out the front door, Jungwoo led them to a black car that was parked there as if it was already waiting for them.

“We need to get out of here as fast as we can.” Jungwoo said as he opened the car door. “That bitch Irene is going to pay for all this.”

Yuta opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come out, he sat in the backseat and the warlock came in shortly after and sat beside him.

"I need to think fast…" Muttered the blonde. “K… Kim Mansion, take us to Kim Mansion, okay?“ The man behind the wheel just nodded and accelerated.

"I'm sorry.” Muttered Yuta finally managed to speak. "It's all my fau-"

"No.” Jungwoo said, placing his hand over the Japanese. “It's not your fault and it never could be.” Then he put his arm around the older man’s shoulder and pulled him close. “H-how are you feeling?”

“I feel like an electrical current is passing through my body.” Yuta said, trying to take off his own jacket. “My skin is burning and it's like my muscles have a life of their own. You know, moving. ”

“Readapting...”

Yuta nodded.

"Yuta..." The blonde shook his head as if he was trying to push away a thought. “When we get to the mansion I'll sort this out.” He shook the older man's hand.

"Woo..." The Japanese bit his lip and looked back, he could see that huge hotel, it was the Grand Hotel of Incheon. It’s the most popular place in town where only high-ranking people would go. As that place was left behind, they could hear a howling not far away from them.

They arrived much faster than expected. The Kim's mansion wasn't close enough to the city center to get there so quickly, but the Japanese didn't want to question it, it must have been some trick of the warlock. He tried to take the jacket he had taken off, but Jungwoo said it was to be put aside. He talked about something with the driver. Yuta could hear him saying like: “You know what to do. ” And then the car sped off as the blonde helped the wolf into the mansion. They heard the crack of branches close by and hurried inside. Yuta's legs were starting to fail at that moment, he felt even hotter than before. Before Jungwoo could close the gate a big wolf snarled and jumped into their midst, breaking the gate. Like an explosion.

Yuta's back hit the grass in the front yard, he looked around looking for Jungwoo but couldn't find him. Soon that big gray wolf in front of him, who was staring at him and growling fiercely as if ready to attack, took his vision. The big wolf took slow steps towards Yuta, who tried to get up, but his legs failed. He was shaking. He couldn't tell if it was fear or the pressure of that wolf's presence. He smelled that pine scent emanating from that animal, and he felt something strangely familiar. That wolf kept taking light steps until he brought his muzzle to his legs, Yuta could feel his heavy breath on his skin behind the hole he had in the pants he wore. As soon as he sniffed it, the wolf took a step back, whining. Yuta could look him right in the eyes, that imposing pressure of the animal was disappearing, the Japanese tried to raise a trembling hand to touch him. Those eyes, Yuta could only think of Jaehyun at that moment. However, before he could touch him, he felt a strong breeze pushing him some distance away from the wolf.

"Stay. Away. From. Him. ” Jungwoo said angrily, extending his hand making that big wolf hang in the air as he walked towards him with darkened eyes. The atmosphere around them was static, Yuta remembered the first time he had that feeling, it was when Jungwoo enchanted that alpha, the day he was presented. He would do it again. The Japanese could see that in the warlock's expression as he walked slowly towards that animal. The wolf tried to growl at the blonde, but his sounds reduced to yelps of pain as if something was squeezing him, he was helpless. Yuta crawled across the lawn towards the warlock.

"Woo..." He tried to yell for the warlock, but he was completely ignoring him. It seemed to him that the only creature present at that moment was the wolf. He heard another growl, a brown-haired wolf leapt through the door and headed towards the warlock, but Jungwoo just moved his other hand and the other was thrown against the concrete walls of the mansion, falling unconscious to the ground afterwards. He could see a boy with red hair approaching the warlock, he was wearing a blue sweatshirt and denim shorts, he wore a white shoe that now looked stained with dirt, he seemed to say something to Jungwoo, but the blonde was still focused on the direction. Of that wolf that was howling in pain in front of him. Yuta tried to hurry to catch up. He was in a cold sweat, his skin burning more intensely. He tried to ignore everything his body was feeling to try to stop his brother. He looked into that wolf's face again. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but his returning instincts were telling him that it might be Jaehyun. Yuta knew he was a werewolf, he remembered what had been said in the council.

"Woo, please..." He grabbed the fabric of the warlock's pants trying to get his attention, but it didn’t work. The warlock then approached his fingers to the wolf's temple, which was when Yuta managed to gather enough strength to get up and jump on Jungwoo. Knocking him to the ground and pulling him out of that trance. “Jungwoo! You don’t have to do this! Please! ” Said the Japanese, his voice cracking. He heard the wolf howl and fall to the ground. The animal tried to get up and go the other way, but fell unconscious not far from where he landed. The warlock blinked and looked at Yuta.

“I-I… I’m sorry… I lost control.” Said the warlock with his eyes full of tears.

“I-it's alright… Woo.” Yuta looked towards the wolf again, but now it was Jaehyun, unconscious. That red-haired boy was crouched next to him nudging him as if checking to see if he was alive, then he threw a blanket over him to cover his naked body and ran over to them both.

“Master Yuta!” Said the boy with an excited tone. “This isn't how I wanted our first encounter to be, but…” He bowed. “Thanks for stopping him.” He said looking at Jungwoo.

“You were right, Chenle.” Jungwoo muttered getting up and helping the eldest to stand up with him, Yuta wished he had stopped to see Jaehyun but he was shaking so much he couldn't form words, with each passing second it was as if his body burned even more. Chenle shrugged and ran to the other unconscious man with a blanket in hand. He couldn't quite see why the warlock was soon leading Yuta into the mansion, but the front door led them straight into a large room that he remembered too well that was his brother's. He laid Yuta on the bed and searched the drawers for something.

“I-I will redo the spell… Do I have your permission?” Asked the warlock without looking at him.

"No.”

Jungwoo stopped at that moment and turned with a confused expression to the omega. "No? Yuta... why?”

“They…” said Yuta breathlessly. “They're right, Woo.” The elders were right. He knew that, Jungwoo too. “Fleeing from what I am…is pointless. I never wanted you to have any problems because of that. I believed that everything would be fine. ”

“Yuta you're not thinking strai-”

“Actually, I believe Master Yuta is thinking very clearly now.” Chenle said entering the room. “He is much more interesting than I imagined.” He stared at the boy. “Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Zhong Chenle, I'm Jungwoo's familiar.”

Yuta then stared at Jungwoo. “I remember… very well, you making fun of warlock’s with familiars.”

Jungwoo just looked at him in disbelief. “This is not the time to talk about it, Yuta, we need to fix your situation.”

"Indeed we need.” Chenle agreed. “Alphas are coming in this direction, and it's a bit of a…large group.”

“Did you put the barrier again?” Jungwoo asked.

Chenle just nodded. “But it shouldn't stop a large group like this… and besides, we have two alphas here with us.”

“They won't be a problem.” said Jungwoo seriously.

“Woo…please…” Yuta's words sounded like a moan. “Don't do anything… with him, it's-it's Jaehyun.” He whimpered when he said that name, it was as if his insides screamed for the other.

"You're getting worse and you don't want to let me redo the spell…"

“I know you made a deal to get us out of that place, Woo…I may have my whole body betraying me right now, but I could hear it.”

"Deal?” Chenle asked, looking seriously at the blonde.

“We'll talk about it another time.” He sighed. “Yuta...”

“Woo…I refuse.” He said having trouble forming words.

"Damn it! Yuta! Why do you have to be so stubborn!” He Shouted.

“Woo! It's my choice and you're going to have to accept it! ” He replied, shaking his body, he was sounding a lot and felt a strange pain forming inside him. “Enough of running from this… ”

“At least…” Jungwoo sat beside him on the bed and took his hand. The Japanese felt that pain decreasing until it became something more bearable. He could feel the heat on his skin decreasing as well.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Master!?…” Chenle said in a worried tone.

He smiled slightly. “Ugh, I'm taking your burden.”

 

~

 

Jungwoo closed the bedroom door shaking. He began to feel like his body was on fire and a certain pain in his guts. He leaned against the wall so he could stand up and concentrate for a few seconds, he needed to control it, he had to take it, and he would take it. The warlock’s fear was that the symptoms of the return of Yuta's cycle would be too painful due to how long he had retained his wolf side. It wasn't long before Chenle followed him out of the room.

“I-I…I'll strengthen the barrier with what I can.” Jungwoo said a little breathlessly. “Let’s go to the living room.”

Chenle just looked at him apprehensively. “You do know this is going to be more debilitating for you than for him, don't you?”

Jungwoo just nodded leaning against the wall. “I will hold out as long as I can. I-I am scared. ”

Chenle just sighed. “At first I didn't believe that you could have such a strong relationship, but... seeing it now... I’m glad I was wrong. ” The fox's eyes glowed blue. “Let's fix this.”

They went downstairs to the living room and came across one of the wolves that attacked them at the entrance to the mansion, a pale guy, with the blanket Chenle had given him tied around his waist to cover his parts.

“Y-yuta... Where is he? ” He growled lightly.

Jungwoo raised his hand to attack him, but Chenle grabbed his arm to stop before he could do anything else.

“How are you even standing?” The fox asked curiously.

“It's not as easy as it sounds.” He took a step forward and Jungwoo was ready to stop him, but Chenle gripped his arm more tightly.

“Chenle you don't want to make me command you.” Muttered the warlock.

The fox just shrugged. "Fascinating.” His eyes sparkled to the alpha in front of him. “So much self-control. For what?”

The alpha scratched his nose. "What are you?”

“Oh.” Chenle looked legitimately surprised. “I am a fox spirit, Zhong Chenle, nice to meet you!” He smiled.

Jungwoo tried to understand why his familiar was being so friendly with that wolf. He had only been in their way since they arrived.

“J-Jaehyun.” He leans back into an armchair, visibly weak. “Yuta. Where's Yuta? I know... that he's here, his scent is everywhere. ”

“Where do you know him from?” Chenle asked in a curious tone as he and Jungwoo slowly descended the steps.

“He… he's my boyfriend.” Jaehyun lowered his head. “But I don't understand… He was human.”

“And yet you were dating?” Chenle raised an eyebrow at the alpha who just nodded.

“I just want to see him…”

“As if I was going to let you!” Jungwoo said quickly.

The alpha's eyes glowed.

“Don't try anything stupid.” Warned the fox. “Why don't you two stay still until I get some clothes for you?” He pointed at the wolf. “And then we'll talk, let's clear things up.”

Jungwoo was trying to understand the fox's reasons. He probably wanted to make that alpha, an ally. If the warlock attacked him, maybe those chances would be over. However, it was too dangerous, that Alpha could easily go after Yuta. The wolf nodded, causing the warlock to be a little surprised. Chenle smiled and said he was going to get him something to wear and left the room.

“You smell a lot like him… ”

“I'm holding his burden.” replied the warlock quickly. “Just to make sure he doesn't get too overwhelmed with pain and fever.”

"What did you do to him?” He grunted.

“Oh please don't you dare think I would hurt my own brother.”

“I was worried about him after I saw… someone like you around him.”

"Someone like me?” He crossed his arms and glared at the alpha, ignoring the pain he felt.

“I thought you were messing with his head, like warlocks and witches love to do with humans.” He sighed. "I got worried.”

“Do you care about him that much?” He asked surprised.

“I managed to regain my control the moment I saw him.” He shrugged. “I would never hurt him or anything like that.” Jungwoo could feel a certain lightness in those words. He noticed that the alpha was not showing any hostility. He was telling the truth. “I'm being so drawn into him, it's almost like he's screaming my name.”

Jungwoo sighed. “His cycle has restarted, he… hum, he's probably in heat, and the symptoms are pretty aggressive and stronger. I know you knew him as a human, but this is the real Yuta.” He said avoiding looking at the alphas eyes. “Due to your kind of relationship… it doesn’t surprise me that you’re feeling this way.”

Jaehyun grunted. “Are you going to make him human again?”

“He wanted to.” Chenle said, interrupting the two as he approached the alpha and handed him pieces of clothing. The alpha stared at him with curiosity. “You can change in that washroom over there.” He pointed to a door in the right corner of the room. “I've seen your backside. I don't need to see the rest.”

As soon as the alpha entered the washroom, the fox turned to Jungwoo. “They're coming, how do you intend to do it anyway?”

Jungwoo moved some of the furniture and removed the rug from the living room floor, displaying a circle with some runes written on it. He crouched in the center of the circle, placed his hand on the ground. From that moment on, he could not lose control or the barrier would weaken. He just needed to keep focused on strengthening the barrier. “This barrier is ancient. You already know that I don’t really need to be walking around reciting spells or makin’ the circles for it. But for this barrier, it needs me to be touching this circle so I can strengthen it."

“You know that Master Yuta's heat should take at least a week. Are you really sure you can make it through all this time and still be holding his burden? It will be too much even for you. ”

“It's the only way.”

“I don't think it is.” Chenle shrugged and looked curiously at the alpha coming out of the bathroom in the clothes he had given him, a pair of jeans and a sleeveless striped T-shirt.

“Jae..." Said Yuta walking down the stairs.

“Yuta!” Jaehyun replied, looking with his glowing eyes at the Japanese.

Jungwoo widened his eyes. “Yuta! Why did you leave the bedroom!?”

“I-I…”

The fox looked at that scene and clapped his hands, making a loud noise making the others pay attention to him. “Why don't you two bond?”

 

~

 

"What?” Jaehyun and Jungwoo said at the same time.

“Why would I allow Yuta to be bonded…to him?” continued the warlock.

Jaehyun couldn't look away from Yuta who had sat on the step of the stairs with a confused expression.

"A bond?” Asked the Japanese.

The fox looked at the eldest. “Well, as far as I know, alphas and omegas bonded have their scents mixed together. That would make you stop being a target of the alphas who are currently outside the mansion eager to come in here and ruin you. ”

“It's so much more than just that…” Jaehyun said. A bond, in the alpha's eyes, was the greatest show of love that could ever exist between two wolves. He knew that in a way it also makes them a little more dependent on each other. He didn't like that idea. However... if it were with Yuta. The alpha shook his head away from the thought. He would never force such a thing on him.

Yuta shook his head in denial. “I could never ask for this.” He said with his voice cracking as he looked at the alpha.

“It's a stupid idea.” said Jugwoo.

“Well, I'll have to bring you all to reality then.” Chenle sighed. “Jungwoo is holding a barrier AND taking the burden of master Yuta’s to try to ease his symptoms. In addition, since he himself doesn't allow the spell with the wolf retainer to be done. Well, I'm not criticizing it, I even agree with his attitude. ” He looked at Yuta and then at Jaehyun. “We have two alphas here, one who is unconscious outside and probably with a broken arm, from what I've seen, plus we don't even know if he'd help us, and the other here is holding himself like no one else can. So fighting those alphas won't work either. ” They heard a loud howling outside. “There's still the issue that the witches might be waiting for the right moment to step in and claim whatever deal my dear master made with them. ”

“I said I would tell you later.” Muttered the warlock.

“I know, but I'm putting all the pieces on the table. With that said, how do you expect a group as limited as ours to survive this night? Going out of Incheon with Master Yuta will only attract more alphas. ”

Jaehyun bit his lip, he felt like that red-haired boy had slapped him in the face. It was true, it was all true, they were very limited, the alpha was holding his inner wolf like never before, and he would hold it as long as it was necessary. Nevertheless, that ended up making him weaker. But still, propose something like a bond...

“I hate you sometimes.” Jungwoo said breathlessly. The warlock had clearly understood that they were out of options and everything the fox had said was true.

“That's not fair to Yuta.” Replied the wolf. Indeed, it wasn't, the Japanese had lived like a human all this time and now that he had his true side revealed, to be immediately forced into a bond... Jaehyun felt a sinking feeling in his heart when his gaze caught Yuta's. He knew that if this was a heat, the Japanese were calling for him. He was already attracted to other omegas who were in heat before, he knew exactly how it felt, but that situation was different. It was Yuta. At that moment, he could understand why the Japanese attracted him so much, even with a spell between them. Jaehyun was subconsciously called by the other's inner omega. "A bond does not depend only on one person to be made..."

Yuta tried to get up, but he seemed to be on his legs too weak and he almost fell. Jaehyun rushed to his side urgently to see if he was all right, but the fox got in between them.

“Well, that's you assuming he wouldn't.” Said the fox with a smug smile. Chenle then helped Yuta to his feet.

“Take Yuta away from him!” Shouted Jungwoo.

“You should focus on the barrier.” Chenle said seriously.

“B-but...”

“It's not your choice… Woo. ” Yuta said, letting go of the fox and heading towards Jaehyun. He stumbled, but the alpha caught him and hugged him tight. Feeling that sweet cherry scent enveloping him completely. The alpha put his face on the Japanese neck and took a deep breath, letting that smell intoxicate him. He saw that the omega was shaking and so he decided to carry him. Chenle just watched them curiously.

“I believe that now it's up to you two.”

“Chenle…” said Jungwoo.

"Master! You are losing focus!” replied the fox in an innocent tone.

Jaehyun can feel Yuta's skin burning at the touch of his own. “W-where should I take him?”

“To the second floor, just follow the scent.” The fox blinked mischievously.

“Chenle, what are you doing?” Asked Jungwoo angrily. The warlock was crouched in the middle of the room the entire time of that conversation. Maybe he was messing with the barrier of the mansion just like the redhead said. Jaehyun was still worried about Johnny, the alpha had followed him to that place but had been knocked out by the blonde, he hadn't even seen how his friend was. He just followed that scent until he was inside the mansion. Jaehyun couldn't think of anyone else but the omega who was panting in his arms. He walked up the stairs carrying the Japanese who were mumbling something he couldn't understand. Yuta pointed to one of the doors in that long corridor on the second floor. The alpha was quick to lead him to the bedroom and lay him down on the bed. Jaehyun held back the urge to lie down beside him and sat on the floor holding the Japanese hand.

“Jae…” Yuta moaned, approaching the edge of the bed. “I-I'm sorry. I've been lying this whole time-e...”

“Yuta… it's okay, you don't need to apologize about that.” He smiled slightly. “I-I just want you to be okay, we'll talk about this another time.”

“Aren't you mad?”

Jaehyun shook his head. "Why would I be?” He ran a hand through the Japanese hair. “To you I shouldn't be anything but a confused human, right?”

Yuta nodded. He looked straight into the alpha's eyes who approached his face and kissed him, Jaehyun could feel an electric current running through his entire body, it was a quick but intense kiss, more than any other they had exchanged.

“You… you don't know how crazy you're driving me right now.”

Yuta forced a smile. “I-I was thinking about you this whole time.”

Jaehyun bit his lip. “I shouldn't stay here.”

“No…please stay. I-I need you... Jae.” Fuck. Jaehyun thought, he really shouldn't be there. “D-do you think it would work?” asked the omega.

“Yuta... I don't know, maybe...” He took a deep breath. “You have no idea how conflicted I was with myself all this time… You're not in a situation where you can think straight, I don't want to put you in something that's going to be painful to undo later. ”

“It's hurting so much Jae… I don't know what else to do.” Yuta said in a cracking voice. “Thanks to Jungwoo I can at least keep my sanity, please tell me that you are also attracted to me the same way I feel now, the moment I saw you...”

Jaheyun didn't hold back and kissed him again. “You were the most attractive human being I've ever met and now... you're the most attractive omega i ever met.” He got up and lay down beside the Japanese. “I-I…can help, I know I can… and if we bond…”

Yuta covered his mouth with one hand. “I want this, Jae. I really want to. ”

At that moment, nothing else mattered anymore. They kissed intensely, surrendering that passion once and for all. They could hear not even the furious howls of the wolves outside. He could only concentrate on Yuta. Between kisses, he helped the Japanese take off his sweaty clothes while he took off his own until there was nothing left between them. They were messy, Jaehyun's hands explored the entire body of that omega below him. Yuta kissed him as if his life depended on it, holding the back of his head and then his hair, pulling him close to kiss him and biting his lower lip. The alpha took one of his hands to where the Japanese were releasing slick, he had thought to taste it, but it wasn't the time, he knew what the Japanese really wanted. He prepared it with his fingers for a moment as he carefully paid attention to every expression and sound the omega made. Then he kissed him again before sinking completely into him. Yuta moaned loudly at the intrusion just as Jaehyun when he felt the omega's nails scratch his back. He'd wanted the Japanese like that for so long, but it had always been something they'd avoided since the alpha had run away that day. But now, that occasion was an unexpected event for both of them. Yuta being an omega... He could be completely his. He would be his. Jaehyun thrust into him passionately, slowly at first until he picked up the pace and went a little more intense. He was squeezing the omega's waist with one hand while the other was behind the Japanese head holding his hair, baring his neck so he could bite him. Yuta moaned when he felt Jaehyun's knot locking them together. The alpha knew this was the moment. However, he was afraid, if the Japanese feelings weren't proportionate to his, that bond would never form. He knew his feelings were strong enough. They were real feelings. He wondered if Yuta's were too.

When they both reached their climax, Jaehyun stared at the omega below him. His eyes were glowing like the alphas. Yuta said a soundless “Do it.” Then the alpha realized that the omega was really determined to bond with him and all his doubts vanished. He kissed him once more before baring his fangs and biting his neck. The omega's arms were wrapped around him like an embrace. Moments later he slowly removed his teeth from the Japanese skin who gathered all the strength he had and bit him back, completing the bond between the two. As soon as he felt Yuta's fangs leaving his skin and laying his head on the pillow looking at him with bright eyes, Jaehyun stroked the hair of that omega, his beautiful omega. But the smile forming on his face disappeared when he realized that Yuta was losing consciousness.

 

~

 

A few minutes before.

“I can't believe you let… that alpha take him, Chenle.” muttered Jungwoo.

“It's the best option we have.” Chenle walked until he was in front of the warlock. "You know it.”

It was true, but Jungwoo couldn't accept that idea, while he was worried he was angry at being unable to think of another way out. Those alphas outside were aggressively slamming against the barrier. The warlock felt as if he was being pushed with each thrust of the wolves into the barrier.

“You will need to let go of Master Yuta's burden!” Chenle said. “It might mess up the with the bond, master!”

“Grr.” That idea did not please him at all. “I know, I know but…”

Chenle placed a hand on his shoulder. "I trust him.”

Jungwoo blinked and looked at the fox's serious expression. “You do?” Foxes were suspicious beings, but they could sense people's intentions and feelings. However, despite that Chenle never trusted anyone other than Jungwoo, the fact that he trusted that alpha... maybe he was really different.

“That alpha… is the weirdest alpha I've ever met.” Replied the fox with a shrug. “I've never seen an alpha with such self-control like his. I could feel that the only thing he wanted from Yuta was to protect him. ”

"Don’t make me laugh.”

“You can stay in denial if you want. Nevertheless… ” He sat down in front of the warlock. “I'd like to hear about this supposed deal you made with the witches. ”

“I-I…I didn't have a choice Chenle.” Jungwoo sighed. He had proposed that if the elders let him go out with Yuta from that place, as soon as he resolved the situation he would come back of his own free will to that place to... talk. The elders accepted the proposal, but warned that they would be watching him from afar to see if he would keep his word.

The fox made a thoughtful expression. “I don't think you had any other choice, indeed, but...”

“They will want me to submit, when I return to that place.”

Chenle nodded. "Yes.”

Jungwoo then talked about what Irene almost blurted out. Something about trapping him on Jeju Island, something about that had bothered the warlock. He felt like that information was important.

“I managed to indirectly contact the Parks.” He said, getting breathless. He felt his strength drain the longer he stayed on the circle. “That representative came on her behalf, from Park. He took me there and helped me get back here. But... that bitch handed over Yuta to them, that's why he was caught.”

“Oh?” Chenle narrowed his eyes. “Interesting, so that idea of yours was correct, the other witches might not share the same thoughts as the elders. But still, if they are connected to them, they will be useless. Which would explain why she handed master Yuta to the elders.”

“Yes, but there's something behind it for sure.” said Jungwoo thoughtfully. “About the island… I thought of that fox that met with us.”

Chenle snapped his fingers immediately. “It could be that his friends are there.”

The warlock nodded. “But we shouldn't tell him… yet.”

“Using this information as a bargain...  will probably make him furious. He really seemed to care about is friends.”

“Yes, that's why we need someone who is not easily intimidated to talk to him… and negotiate.” Jungwoo felt a pang in his chest. “Hugh.” He let out a groan of pain.

“Jungwoo.” Chenle's eyes glowed blue. “Let go of the burden.”

"But... "

"Trust me.”

The warlock hesitated but did as the fox asked. He felt his body lighten. Now he could focus even more on the barrier. They could still hear the howls and growls of wolves outside. However, the fact of letting go of that burden… it was bothering him. He couldn't relax knowing his brother was with that alpha.

“You better be right about that wolf.” Muttered the warlock.

“Let's not get into this subject again!” Chenle replied. “Back to the one that actually matte-”

They were interrupted by a scream from a man with a blanket tied around his waist, running towards them with an expression of fury.

"Shit!" Said Jungwoo as he took his hand away from the circle and then slammed both hands into the rune inside the circle making a kind of shock wave that smashed all the windows in the living room and knocked the man back. It was the last resort, as after using it the barrier could not be reactivated for at least two days. Jungwoo knew that man was the alpha from earlier, who tried to stop him from suppressing Jaehyun. The shock wave must have hit all the alphas outside and probably knocked them out with force as the animal sounds had stopped, they will have some time to run away with Yuta as soon as they deal with that situation. The man fell on his back on the ground and when he tried to get up, Chenle was already on his side holding one of his arms.

“I know that even an alpha can feel pain.” He squeezed the wolf's arm causing him to snarl. “How are you not being affected by the omega?” The fox asked the curious.

“It's not effective on me.” He grunted in response.

Jungwoo staggered to his feet and walked towards them. Chenle just looked at him with a smug smile. “He is an alpha bonded to an omega. My idea should work then. ”

“That stupid idea.” Muttered Jungwoo.

The alpha looked at him seriously. “Where is Jaehyun?”

“Oh.” Chenle stared at him curiously. “Are you guys from the same pack? Interesting. Jaehyun is busy right now, but I can tell he's fine. ”

The man twitched his nose. "What are you?”

The fox rolled his eyes and looked at Jungwoo. “Those old ladies will pay for making me feel like an et!”

Jungwoo looked at that alpha, a sudden thought occurred to him. “Let him go, Chenle.” 

"Why?... " Asked the alpha confused.

“Because I… would like your help.” He said, crossing his arms. “I can fix that arm of yours, in exchange… You find someone for me. ”

Chenle widened his eyes at the warlock, already understanding what he wanted.

“Do a favor for a warlock so he can fix what he did?” Snarled the alpha in response.

“Indeed, but look on the bright side.” The fox smiled. “Soon we can talk about this unresolved situation between witches and wolves, how about that?”

The alpha made a thoughtful expression. “I just want to protect my pack.”

“I know you do.” Jungwoo reached out to him. “I shouldn't trust an alpha so openly, but… you fell out of the sky.” The blonde smirked.

“I can get you some clothes!” Chenle said. "Your name is!?”

He took Jungwoo's hand and stood up, but still with a suspicious look at the warlock.

“Johnny. Just Johnny. ”

Notes:

wow, okay, i believe this chapter was the most intense one. i can't believe there's just one more left, it's been really a great adventure writing this history. I can't thank enough for the people that readed, gave kudos and commented on the previous chapters. just <3

i would like to share some curiosities about this chapter. I was so excited to write this one because some of the dialogues, contexts and ideas from this chapter came to me back when i wasnt even planning to post this fic. The drafts for this chapter and for the first chapter that gave me strenght to actually write this entire history, because i thought "omg this is so cool, i really need to see how things will work." the moment they meet at the council and the situation after yuta loses the necklace and encounter Jaehyun happend a bit differently but the idea was just the same. anyway, i just wanted to talk about this because i don't know, i thought it would be cool to share it

thank you for reading and see you next chapter ^^

Chapter 6: The Prelude to an Confrontation

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Yuta blinked a few times before opening his eyes fully. The first thing he saw was Jaehyun, sleeping beside him with his arms enveloping him in a hug. His grip on him was so gentle, like he was just trying to protect him. He knew the alpha had probably spent more than a night by his side. The omega stared at the sleeping face of that wolf in front of him. He seemed to be at peace, just as Yuta was feeling to see him by his side. He felt his cheeks burning at the thought. He liked that, that feeling. He wished he could stay in that moment forever. In the arms of that alpha. His alpha. The one who made him feel safe, the one who understood him. And maybe the only person he loved that way. He felt a slight pain in his neck, at the mark of the bond. He wondered if those feelings weren't stronger because of that. Although he had decided to go ahead with that idea, he didn't know much about what a bond actually was. He remembers biting the alpha not just because his instincts told him to. But because he wanted to. His thoughts and feelings about that wolf in front of him seemed so clear now. He breathed in that pine scent and moved his hand to touch Jaehyun's lips, then his cheeks and then the hair that was almost over his eyes.

“You're making me blush.” Said the alpha without opening his eyes.

“Good morning, Jae.” Yuta said with a slight smile.

"Good Morning.” Replied the alpha, opening his eyes and approaching to put his lips on the Japanese. “H-how are you?”

“Hum, better… I mean. I no longer feel that suffocating heat or that pain inside me. ” He replied embarrassed. “I… was unconscious for how long?”

Jaehyun bit his own lip. "Two days... "

Yuta felt his mouth go dry. So long, he thought. “That's…a long time. I'm sorry. ”

“There is nothing to say sorry for. It's all right. ” Jaehyun smiled slightly at him. “I missed your voice. ” Said the alpha running a hand through his hair.

Yuta felt his cheeks burn as he remembered what they did, before they completed the bond. He tried to hide his face in the pillow. “Th-thanks, for… hum helping me.”

“W-we should get up.” Jaehyun replied, visibly embarrassed. “As much as I want to stay here with you forever… you need to eat something… and talk to your brother.”

Yuta's eyes widened. He was so airy he didn't even remember Jungwoo. He was so immersed in that tiny world with Jaehyun that he had lost track of his surroundings. At that moment, everything that had happened came back to his mind and brought him back to reality. The Japanese sat up in bed suddenly. He felt all his muscles ache with that sudden movement.

“C-careful, your body may not have fully recovered yet.” Jaehyun said getting up worried.

Yuta grunted lightly. “I'm fine, Jae.” He smiled at the alpha. “Help me up? I think my legs are a little locked. ”

"Sure!”

He approached Yuta and helped him move his legs so he could put his feet on the ground. The Japanese staggered but managed to stay on his feet leaning on the taller one. He looked around and realized he knew where they were, it was the cottage where Jungwoo had brought him once. However, it seemed to be a room a little different from how he remembered it, it was a room a bit bigger than the one he'd woken up on that day the warlock told him about the spell he'd done. Jaehyun led him out of the bedroom to the small living room where the fireplace was lit. He looked around the room, but the warlock wasn't there.

“He must be out there, you… hum, want me to come along?” Yuta noticed in the alpha's tone that there was a problem between him and Jungwoo. The Japanese just shook his head and leaned against the wall, Jaehyun hesitated to leave his side until he managed to balance himself right so he could walk. The omega felt his heart warmed by that care. He approached the window and could see that Jungwoo was outside a little way off, pacing back and forth. He was visibly worried. “I'll make you something to eat while you talk to him, okay?”

"Okay.” Yuta opened the cottage door and walked towards the warlock who hadn't noticed his presence. “Woo?”

The blonde turned to him, his expression of concern quickly turning into one of relief. He ran towards him and gave him a tight hug.

“Hi, Yuta… I-I… You scared me so much. I wish I could have stayed with you all along, but that annoying alpha didn't leave your side and even though I had an overwhelming urge to lock him up in the cottage basement so I could take care of you properly... Chenle insisted that no one would take better care of you than he would. I got so scared, worried and I don't even know anymor-” His voice cracked. Yuta just hugged him back.

“Hi Woo, I'm sorry. I'm fine now. I promise. ”

“Hello master Yuta, it's good to see you awake.” said the red-haired boy not far from them.

“Chenle, right?” Yuta asked. The boy just nodded.

“Yuta, h-how are you feeling right now?” Asked the warlock, visibly worried.

“I'm fine, Woo. Really, I'm just a little sore in my body, especially...  at the bond mark. ” He ran his hand over that painful mark on her neck.

“Don't worry Yuta, your symptoms should be pretty mild from now on. I guess. ” Jungwoo rolled his eyes. “At least you had the worst of it being passed out, but I can't deny I was scared that Alpha would do something to you. ”

Yuta blushed when he remembered what they did before he passed out.

“I already said that he wouldn't do any harm to master Yuta, stop your tantrum Jungwoo.” Chenle said, crossing his arms. Jungwoo just shrugged. "Anyway, as your body was going through a change and a bond is also a change that messes with your mind and body. You ended up blacking out for two days to go through it properly, although I think maybe that wouldn't have happened if my dear master here hadn't caught your burden in the first place.” He shrugged. “But I believe it was for the best. I'm glad you're okay." He smiled.

“At least the situation is almost resolved. Once your symptoms have completely passed, we'll see a way to break that bond.” Said Jungwoo.

"What?” Yuta felt his heart sink.

“It was just to save you Yuta, don't you remember?”

"Yeah but... "

The Japanese felt a little dizzy with that, he didn't want to break the bond. Perhaps because it was so recent, his feelings might be a little confused about it all. However, if Jaehyun wanted to, there would be nothing he could do about it. Chenle placed a hand on Yuta's shoulder.

“Well, this is something the two of them have to resolve, Jungwoo, it's neither your business nor mine.”

“I want to know how much that wolf paid you to defend him so faithfully even from your own master.” Muttered Jungwoo.

“I just know.” He smiled.

Jungwoo sighed. “Okay, I think we should go in, I… hum, we have to talk, and it better not be out here.”

They gathered in front of the fireplace in that small living room, Jaehyun sat hesitantly next to Yuta and then the warlock updated him on what had happened in those days when he was unconscious. Apparently, the mansion was not in the best condition for them to be in, the shock wave from the barrier he activated weakened the structures, potentially causing them to collapse. In addition, as that function was a last resort, the barrier had been deactivated. Jungwoo opened a passage to the cottage because the bond had been made and there would probably be the best place to take care of him. Besides, it would be a way to hide from the witches who would be after the blonde. He started to talk about when Jaehyun showed up carrying him unconscious, but stopped himself. The two looked to opposite sides. They clearly had argued. Chenle held back a laugh at the situation.

“Anyway, now we're kind of stuck here to avoid the witches.” Jungwoo shrugged.

“We don't need to be.” Jaehyun said, placing his hand on Yuta's shoulder.

The warlock bit his lip. Chenle placed a hand on his shoulder as if to calm him down.

"Right.” The warlock rolled his eyes. “I have to admit… I-I just want you to stay here until Johnny deliver my message.”

“I still don't know how you got a deal with Johnny.” Jaehyun said curiously.

“Your leader apparently cares a lot about your pack. Therefore, he just wanted to make sure his pack members won't eventually have the same destiny as some less fortunate wolves... like the ones that crossed with Jungwoo before.” Chenle replied with a shrug. “A selfish but expected attitude.”

“We just need him to get my message across to this fox we found and let me know, I'm formulating a plan to go against the elders.”

“I can't wait to meet that fox again. Qian Kun... He's fascinating! ” Chenle said excitedly.

Yuta looked at Jaehyun at that exact moment. The alpha was looking at him with an expression of surprise.

“Kun…” Jaehyun muttered. “I knew there was something off about him.” He scratched his nose.

Chenle looked at him with a look of curiosity. "You know him?”

“W-we… hum, we had a double date a few weeks ago.” Yuta said. “He was with my friend, Ten. I-I had no idea he was... ”

“I had noticed something and he seemed to notice me too, but since he didn't show any hostility, I didn't care.” Jaehyun said thoughtfully. “I don't even know what fox spirits are exactly. It's the first time I've really heard of it. ”

“It's because for most supernatural beings in this country there is only a predominance of witches and wolves. We disappeared a long time ago, but make no mistake. Your kind is not the only ones out there. ” The redhead's eyes glowed blue.

“So…” Jungwoo stood up. “Your friend is the easiest way to locate this fox.”

“Master, I don't have a good feeling!” Warned Chenle.

"What?”

They heard the sounds of branches snapping. As if people were walking around the cottage. Jungwoo bit his lip.

“They found us faster than I thought.” Said the warlock with a worried expression. “We don't have much choice here.”

“We can’t fight.” Chenle said.

“They probably aren't seeing the cottage itself. Nevertheless, they must know I'm here.”

“W-what now?” asked Yuta worriedly.

Jungwoo just sighed and walked over to hug the Japanese. “I don't have a choice, Yuta, I'll have to go with them.”

“No, Woo. Open another way through the doors! L-like you always do. ” Yuta felt despair form in his chest.

“They must have already sealed this possibility on the way here.”

Chenle was at the window opening the curtain to look out. It was possible to see a few people in black standing among the trees. Looking in their direction.

 “Even one of the elders is here.” Chenle looked at them seriously. “We can't fight even if we wanted to.”

“Kim Jungwoo!” That shrill voice of the elder made Yuta and Jaehyun quickly put their hands over their ears, it was painful. “We know you're here, turn yourself in now or we'll have to end your family's inheritance.”

“She's going to blow this place up.” Chenle said. "Master!..."

“I really don't have a choice.”  He took off the two rings he wore and handed one to Chenle and the other to Yuta. “Th-that's… hum, never mind, it's just something I did.” He smiled trying to hide his fear. However, Yuta knew, Jungwoo was scared. He could feel it coming from his brother. “I-I will have to go with them. I'm sorry. ” He looked at Jaehyun. “Do you promise you'll protect him? ”

“With my life.” Jaehyun replied seriously.

Jungwoo smiled slightly. “Maybe you're not so bad.”

“Woo...”

“I-I will try to get back, Okay? I will try to delay their plan as much as I can. ”

“I'm not so-” Chenle started to speak, but was interrupted by the warlock.

“I trust in whatever you come up with after I leave here.”

The fox bit his lip. "Right.”

 

~

 

“Jaehyun did what?” Taeil stood up with an expression of disbelief at Johnny.

“Look, I don't know all the details. He was so focused on that omega that he barely spoke to me.” The alpha sighed. “I understand the feeling, I can't blame him.”

Whenever a bond is made, it is normal for the alpha to be overprotective of the omega. In addition, that was even stronger in a recent bond. Trying to draw their attention away from each other was difficult.

“B-but...”

“What Taeil? You're acting weird. ” Doyoung looked at him with a confused expression.

“It-it's just that I didn't expect something like this from him… I mean, Jaehyun isn't the kind of guy who would randomly make a bond with someone he doesn't even know. Besides, he…”

"What?” Johnny asked.

The beta bit his lip before answering. “Okay, I know I shouldn't be saying this but… he was dating a human, and he was visibly in love, how could he just drop everything for this omega?”

"He what?” Snarled Johnny. “And you didn't tell me anything?”             

"Taeil..." Doyoung looked at him worriedly.

“I'm sorry Johnny.” Taeil sighed. “I thought he was going to come to his senses. But he was really willing to challenge even you to be with Yuta, I warned him more than usual, but he-"

“Yuta?” Johnny looked at him confused. “That's the name of the omega. He told me in the brief conversation we had. ”

"What?”

“But how is this possible?” asked Doyoung.

“This… this has to do with that warlock, doesn't it?” Asked Taeil. Johnny just nodded. The beta looked stunned. “Could it be that Minho was just a failed test then? So he could hide Yuta's true identity... However... why?”

Johnny growled. “The more I think about this story the more I get annoyed.” Then he sighed as he remembered the deal he'd made. “But I need to do something for him.”

“Johnny… what kind of deal did you make with him?”

“I just… Needed to make sure he would never get close to my pack. He's dangerous Doie, I had my doubts, but he... he knocked me down like I was nothing, like I had no resistance at all. With one hand because he was holding Jaehyun with the other.” He bit his lip as he remembered that sense of helplessness that had filled him when he was morphing back into human form after the warlock had sent him flying against the wall of that mansion. Even afraid he tried to invest in the warlock to save Jaehyun but it was useless. He had never felt so useless before.

“But what about Jaehyun...”

“He's probably safer than any of us, as he's bonded to that warlock's favorite omega. Hunf, he'll probably be another pet. ”

“You are being mean, johnny.” Warned Doyoung, holding his hand.

The alpha just sighed. “Sorry, I know. I'm sorry to worry you Doie, really, there wasn't a moment I didn't think about you. But it was my duty. ”

Doyoung smiled slightly. "It’s okay.”

“What do you have to do Johnny?” asked Taeil.

“Well, I have to find this thing.” He threw pictures of a dark-haired boy on the table in front of him. They were images that the red-haired boy got for him, to facilitate identification, despite being images from security cameras. He could see his face well. However, other than that and the name Qian Kun, the alpha had no idea how to find him. He knew he was in Seoul. The warlock had opened a type of door that led to a small building a little closer to the center of town. Despite hesitating, he decided to go through the door, as he would have more time to look around and still check if everyone in the pack was okay. Especially Doyoung, when Jaehyun told him he wanted to come after Johnny in Incheon he felt his heart sink. Of course he would want to come after him.

“I think I've seen this guy before.” Taeil said looking at the photos. “At college, with one of Yuta's friends.”

“So they already knew who he was? Why didn't they get in touch with him all by themselves? ” Doyoung asked curiously.

“This Yuta was unconscious when I last saw him.” Johnny frowned. “Jaehyun was on the verge of despair, I could feel it. I don't think he had any way of informing them about this guy…”

“What is this guy really? I remember his scent being sweet and weird. It wasn't human, witch or wolf. ”

“The warlock told me something about him being a fox spirit.”

“Never heard of it.” Taeil said.

“Fox spirits?” Sungchan descended the stairs in a hurry. “D-did you see one? S-sorry to interrupt... ”

“Oh. Sungchan, it's okay. hum, do you know what they are?” Doyoung asked thoughtfully.

“I know that seeing one of them can be a sign of good luck or bad luck. It depends on its personality. ” He said with a smile. “The school has a library and I found a book of old tales, child tales but it was interesting. I really wanted to see one... I even showed it to Jeno and we made a bet that whoever found it first would have to do what the other said for a month. ”

Taeil ruffled the youngest's hair. “You two are always challenging each other." He laughed.

“You… hum, my brother didn't come with Uncle Johnny, why? I thought he went after him. ”

At that moment, the three exchanged glances.

"Yes. He came with me but he met someone and it will take a while to get back home. ”

“That sounds like what he told me when our dad left.” Shit, Johnny thought, biting his lip.

“Ah! Jaehyun would never leave you. You know that, right? ” Taeil said. “Don't tell anyone but I think your brother is in love.”

Sungchan's eyes widened. "Are you serious? That traitor!! He didn't even tell me! Although I had noticed him hiding the cell phone wallpaper. ” He shrugged. “So you are also after a fox? ”

"No! We were just curious about them. ” Lied Doyoung.

"Oh I see.” The boy pouted in disappointment.

“Well, how about you go after Jeno now? I'm sure he's goofing off after Jaemin outside. ”

“Hum, no, I'm going to my room, I don't want to see him fail to ask Jaemin out again.” He sighed. “I feel sorry for him.”

Taeil and Johnny held back their laughter while Doyoung made a sad expression. Once the boy had left the room, they returned to the subject.

“Well I've wasted too much time already, I have to find this guy fast.” Johnny said.

"I'll go with you.” Doyoung said seriously. “I don't want to stay here at home biting my nails with worry again.”

“Doie... We don't even know what these fox spirits are capable of. It can be dangerous. ”

Taeil placed his hand over the photos. “We are going to look for it together. After all, we are a team, right?” Johnny and Doyoung nodded. The omega held his hand. He knew Johnny was afraid, he knew him so well. “I'm going to ask Jeno and Jaemin to take care of Sungchan. At least we have a lead on this guy.”

 

-

 

They agreed that the best plan was to meet Yuta's friend who knew that fox. They went to the college campus because according to the beta, Ten was staying late at the place as a monitor for some classes in his course. He had said that the two had met a few times in the past week because the dean of the college wanted to speak with the representatives of the departments who presented at the event that they had organized or something like this. Sometimes Johnny stopped listening to what the beta was saying because he had no idea what his friend was talking about. He just nodded and everything was fine. Doyoung on the other hand always paid close attention when Taeil talked about college, the alpha knew the omega had a certain interest in doing it, but he never commented to him about it.

When they arrived on campus, they split up, Taeil and Doyoung went looking for Ten and Johnny just stood outside waiting for the two, the beta said that the way johnny speaks would scare the guy. It must have been about five o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was already getting weaker, he looked again at that photo the red-haired boy gave him. Why are you so important? He wondered. He glanced at the coffee shop side of the place and saw a guy with the same features as the person in the photo. He was wearing a gray suit jacket, but the white shirt was a with a few unbuttoned buttons and he wasn't wearing a tie. Johnny narrowed his eyes so he could look straight, it was him. The alpha ran towards that guy waving at him to get his attention. He only needed to give him a message and it was over.

“Hey!” He called making the guy look at him. And then he heard a faint rattling sound almost close to his ear.

“Johnny!” He heard Doyoung's voice behind him. He turned quickly and walked to the omega.

“Doie, I found him.”

“Great, where is he?” Asked the omega curious.

Johnny turned to Kun. He was no longer there. He ran-away? He thought.

"Strange... "

“I thought you found him.” Doyoung pouted.

Johnny just shook his head confused. “I was sure… Maybe I'm thinking about it too much.”

“We ended up being of no use.” Said the omega.

“Never, Doie. W-where is Taeil? ”

Doyoung blinked. “Taeil?”

"Yes?” Johnny looked at him confused. “He had entered with you.”

“Oh, right, right. We... hum, we get lost? ”

"What?”

“I-I was after him and all of a sudden he was gone.” Johnny felt an unease in his bonding mark.

“Doie, is this true?”

“Yes Johnny, why would I lie?” He crossed his arms annoyed.

The alpha just bit his lip. "You're right. We should go after him.”

“But what about the fox? Don't you have a message for it?”

“Yes, Doie, but I must have been wrong.” He shrugged. “If Taeil has found Ten and gotten some information that would be good, we need to find him.”

“B-but does this Ten guy know anything?”

Johnny sighed. “Probably not, if he’s human like Taeil said he was.”

“R-right.” Doyoung made a worried expression.

"What's it?”

“Nothing is just…” The omega bit his lip. “It's nothing dangerous is it?”

“Doie, I said I didn't want you to come because it might be, we don't know what foxes are capable of.”

"Yes..." Doyoung sighed and approached Johnny to hug him. The alpha hugged him back and ran his hands through his hair. He smiled slightly.

“Don't worry, everything will be fine.”

"I know.” Muttered Doyoung. “You didn't tell me what the message was…”

“Oh.” Johnny frowned. It was the second time he had asked about the message but the alpha had only said that he needed to find Kun. “I don't remember saying about any message, Doie.”

"No?” The omega walked away from him. “But I remember what you said. That you had to say something…” Johnny took a deep breath. He let the omega's cinnamon scent completely enter his nostrils, something was wrong. It had a very similar scent, but it wasn't Doyoung's. The omega just sighed. "Nevermind.” He put his hands on the alpha's chest and leaned in for a kiss, but Johnny stopped him by holding on to his wrists.

“You are not Doyoung.”

He heard applause coming from behind him. "Congratulations.” It was as if the whole scene around him cracked and shattered into pieces. He was standing inside the coffee shop. The people at the tables were chatting, not paying any attention to him. That dark-haired guy was sitting at one of the tables watching him with bright blue eyes. The alpha felt a pressure in his presence.

"What the... "

“I should have tried harder on your test, but my curiosity was killing me.” Kun said, smiling. “Still, it took you a while to recognize your other half, alpha.”

Johnny bit his lip. That's why the warlock didn't come on his own after that fox, he was dangerous. Johnny was dumb to believe it would be a simple mission.

"What was that?”

“Just an illusion.” He touched his own temple. “That only you saw.”

“But I didn't get to go in...”

“I can control whether you're going to move as if you were in reality or not, when it's within my domain.” He smiled dangerously. “But anyway...”

Johnny held back a growl. He definitely didn't like this guy, but that didn't matter, he only had one thing to do. The alpha walked over and sat at the table across from that guy.

“Kim Jungwoo has a message for you.”

 

~

 

A circular room with a large tree in the center. That same phrase from that elderly voice. '...so much potential...'. Jungwoo woke up slightly dizzy.

“Well, this is unexpected.” He heard a female voice laughing.

“Even Kim… we're fucked.” Said a male voice.

Jungwoo slowly sat down on that marble floor, he leaned his head against the damp wall. He opened his eyes slowly, avoiding looking at the light from the hallway in front of those bars that seemed to be made of tree branches, but had a grayish hue he had never seen before. The witches weren't kind at all, the moment he stepped out of the cottage's veil the elder wiped him off. Giving no time for him to try to wind her up with conversation as he intended. He felt his head a little sore and something cold in his body and wrists. As soon as his consciousness had fully returned, he observed the place he was. A prison, of course. He looked around and saw a girl in a black dress, the skirt of the dress seemed to have been ripped halfway down her thigh, barefoot, with silver chain cuffs that held the wall at both her wrists. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail. On the other side a pale boy, also barefoot and dressed in black, his button-down shirt with the sleeves ripped to the shoulders, also handcuffed like the girl. His shirt looked damp which made it a little see-through, it was possible to see a kind of body chain around his body as well. It didn't take too long for Jungwoo to realize that he was also in the same condition as the two, except that he had his blouse sleeves intact. At that moment, he realized who they were.

“Still dizzy, Kim?” Joy asked with a bored expression. “Please if you're going to throw up, throw up on Lee's side, okay?”

Taeyong rolled his eyes. “Always trying to get yours out of the way, aren't you Park?”

“Park…” Jungwoo looked at the girl. “Why did you hand over Yuta?”

Joy sighed. “I know, I'm despicable, aren't I?”

“Oh, so you two have unresolved issues? I would like to know about that. ”

“You love messing around with things that aren’t your business, don't you Lee?” Joy rolled her eyes. “Look Kim, I had no intention of betraying my friend. Like it or not, I like Yuta, though…” She made a disgusted face. “He was a wolf all along.” She shrugged. “I had to use it as a negotiation to gain the trust of the elders. However, they found Mr. Changmin who led them to me and well... I'm here now. I would obviously be here today anyway, but if I were free. I could be more helpful. ”

“More useful than delivering Kim Jungwoo on a platter to the elders?” Disdained Taeyong.

“Grr, although I'm angry I don't think this is the best time for us to be arguing with each other.” said Jungwoo.

“Good point.” Joy said. “Although Lee here would have loved to hand you over to the elders before me, that’s why he’s living here for like a week.” She laughed mischievously.

“Indeed, I ended up getting arrested because apparently they wanted something from me.” He shrugged. “I need an audience with them to understand.”

“Oh, you'll have it soon when they come to cut our heads off.”

Jungwoo laughed. “You look like two kids arguing. If the elders wanted us dead, we wouldn't be trapped here. Which is an advantage for me as I needed to get in touch with you two.”

“Oh, Kim Jungwoo is interested in a warlock other than himself?” Taeyong said in an ironic tone.

Jungwoo bit his lip. The way that guy spoke irritated him. “Unfortunately I don't have a choice.” He shrugged. “You can pretend you can't hear if you want.”

The warlock scowled and Joy laughed. “Tell me, Kim, I believe we have valuable information to exchange anyway, if we had made contact before... things would be different.”

Jungwoo just nodded. He explained what he had learned about the elders, how he suspected Joy was already well aware of the situation. Taeyong too, apparently, but he didn't care about that. According to him, eventually they would no longer be able to prolong their lives and remain in charge of the council. He just let things happen without getting involved. Jungwoo agreed with him, but the fact that they wanted him to submit was the problem. It was clear they had an interest in the blonde's power.

The council representative who had been going after Jungwoo for the past few months was actually affiliated with the Park family. He was tasked with finding the warlock and arranging for Joy and Jungwoo to meet without arousing suspicion from the elders. Jungwoo thought it was strange because his father always insisted that the elders would do anything to make him submit to them, and if all along Changmin, the representative, was trying to make contact between the families... It meant that they weren't doing anything to get him?

“Oh, Changmin had this mission to actually get in touch with you in the name of the elders.” Joy said. “But his loyalty resides with the Parks and not them, so an order from me is much more important. However, I couldn't give him all the details because he was linked to them and since he helped you on your show to save Yuta. ” She rolled her eyes. “I'm here and he's probably in another cell. ”

“I didn't think witches linked to elders could hide secrets from them.” asked Jungwoo.

"And they can’t.” She laughed. “The thing is. They never asked me to submit, which is weird. You already knew they wouldn’t try to force anything, but neither is Lee. Which raised me a question. Why the three of us? ”

“Isn't it obvious, Park?” grumbled Taeyong. “They will use us in the ritual to sustain their lives.”

Jungwoo looked at him in surprise. “Well that changes a few things. Could you explain? ”

Taeyong rolled his eyes. "The Lee’s are responsible for all matters of the witches. My ancestors helped the elders to create this ritual… However, it wasn't so aggressive, it was simple at first, but the longer they have to live, the greater the sacrifice to do it. ” He bit his lip. “That's why my mother wanted me to take the potential test in the forests. She wanted me to hide from the elders.”

“But you left the cottage and got caught.” Joy said. Taeyong just nodded.

He shrugged. “Anyway, I had uncovered a clue about Kim and believed it would make them see me as loyal, but apparently they were already far ahead of me in information.”

“Unfortunately Irene is very good at what she does.” Muttered Joy.

"Indeed.” agreed Taeyong. “Who knew my dear friend's romantic interest would lead to you so easily.” He looked seriously at Jungwoo.

The blonde bit his lip, he was talking about that Jaehyun guy. “Did that alpha tell you about Yuta?”

Taeyong smiled. “He was just worried about you, Kim. He thought your brother was in danger, could you imagine? But I ended up driving him away because the desire for the information he had got the better of me.” He shrugged. “This Yuta was lucky. How did you achieve such a thing? Hiding a werewolf to the point of making him a mere human shouldn't be as simple as it looks. ”

“Like I'm going to tell you, Lee.” Jungwoo smiled bitterly. “But I have a question about your ritual-”

“What was used as a sacrifice?” Joy asked, interrupting the blonde. It was as if she had read his mind.

Taeyong hesitated before answering. After a few silent seconds with a thoughtful expression on his face, he decided to speak. “Fox spirits.” He bit his lip. “Or vampires, supernatural creatures that have immortality in general.”

At that moment, everything made sense in Jungwoo's mind. Those species were never purged from the country. They were captured and used for years in the rituals of the elders. Just as Kun had said, their morals were no longer the same. He held back the urge to vomit. Kun's friends are probably foxes too, which means they can be used if they haven't already been. More than ever, that message he had given Johnny needed to be delivered.

“Turn to Lee's side.” Joy said, looking at him with a disgusted face. “That's why these kinds disappeared. I always knew something was wrong. Because of this, my family began to receive a blind eye from the council for investigating what happened. They spared no effort to restrict our work. ” Joy bit her lip. “We Park’s had our purpose taken away from us because they didn't want us to find out the truth. Those bitches. ”

“W-why would they need us, Lee?”

“I've been thinking about it too Kim, and I don't like the conclusions I reached.”

“Are you going to tell or are you going to make suspense?” Muttered Joy. “I can't believe your family passed over mine and probably ruined years of work.”

“I won’t say sorry about that since I am not to blame.” He Sighed. “The elders are our ancestors. As such, we are potential recipients.” He shrugged. “Foxes and vampires were not only sacrifices but also sources of study, the potential to harness the spirit to a living being, as foxes do, is something unique. Unlike vampires who are somehow dead.”

Joy forced her own handcuffs. “I have no intention of letting a corpse use my body.”

“There's not much we can do at the moment, what matters is how much time we have.” Said Jungwoo. He remembered the lapse he had had before waking up. “Is there… any requirement for this to happen?”

“Not exactly, but they need a big power source, something they don't have.” Taeyong shrugged. “Unless… ”

“The elders are preparing a congress for tomorrow, in that huge hall they use for events at the hotel.” Joy said thoughtfully. “Catalysts.”

“I don't think we have much more time then.” muttered the blonde.

Taeyong nodded. “We have to figure out how to get out of here.”

 

~

 

Yuta was pacing. He gnawed at his thumbnail. The Japanese were clearly struggling to come up with an idea. Jaehyun could feel his impulse to go after the warlock. He had been shaken when he saw that the witches had blacked out Jungwoo and taken him away in a not-so-subtle way, he must have been angry at the alpha for stopping him from going after them.

“We need to go after him.” Yuta said in a serious tone looking at Jaehyun.

“Yut-” Jaehyun started to speak, but was interrupted by Chenle.

“The way they took him… I believe he expected that. ” The fox said thoughtfully. “This is a nullification stone. ” He showed the ring with a small stone that Jungwoo had given him.

"A what?” Yuta asked, looking at the ring on his finger.

“It's a special stone that carries energy to repel spells.”

“Then why would he give this to you?” asked Jaehyun. “Wouldn't it be better to use them to avoid what they did to him?”

“Wouldn't do any good. I believe. It could put us all at risk.” Chenle sighed. “Although I don't like to admit it… it wasn't a bad idea.”

“And how does Kun get into all of this?” asked Yuta curiously.

“Kun will do things for himself, probably. I doubt that fox will rendezvous with us.” Chenle replied thoughtfully. “That's why I think we should do it our way, but…”

"Are you sure?” Asked Jaehyun.

“We can't go to the council without being noticed.” Chenle said, sighing.

“I know it's that famous hotel in the center of the city... But I barely know Incheon, I wouldn't know how to guide us there. ”

Jaehyun bit his lip. He didn't like that idea, Wolves dabbling in witch affairs... He remembered Taeil's warning when they were leaving Taeyong's cottage. The council was the base of witches. The Japanese were in no condition and should not face witches.

“Yuta.” Jaehyun called. “Can we talk?”

Yuta opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

“I'll be outside.” Chenle said, looking at the two from head to toe. “I won't get in the way of this.” The redhead then calmly left the cottage. Leaving the two of them in that small, musty-smelling living room.

“What is it, Jae?” Asked the omega worried.

“I… I don't think it's a good idea for you to go after Jungwoo in this council…”

Yuta stared at him with an apprehensive look. “Look, Jae. I know my limitations. I really know. ” He sighed. “I was adopted and trained to be Woo's bodyguard, so to speak. I should be an alpha. But as you can see, I'm not. So, he gave me that necklace so I could have a life like a normal human, since... for me it wasn't worth living like an omega.” He bit his lip. “But I don't care whether or not I'm an omega now, I only care about his safety. ” He brought his hand closer to Jaehyun's. “I need to help Woo.”

“I…” The truth was, he didn't quite know what to say. He knew Yuta was being sincere, he cared about the warlock a lot, and the warlock cared about him. The alpha couldn't deny that. He just sighed and took the omega's hand. "I'm afraid you'll get hurt, Yuta... I know maybe that's just the sense of protection alphas have over omegas they're bonded to but..."

Yuta squeezed his hand. “Jae, I'm so flattered that you bonded with me and saved me. Really. ” Jaehyun felt his heart sink. “But I need to do something. ”

"I know but, Yuta, you're still not fully recovered, you can still have heat symptoms... and jump into a mess with witches..."

“I've already made my decision Jae.” He sighed. “I-I know that… hum, I feel that splitting up now would only make the situation worse…”

“Yuta...”

“When this is resolved we will break this bond, Okay?” No, thought Jaehyun. Yuta got it wrong, he doesn't want to break the bond. He wasn't forced to do it just to save him. “But please help me just one more time.” The omega gave him a pleading look.

"Yuta I don't think you understand-"

Chenle ran into the room.

“I found something interesting!” Said the fox with a smile on his face.

Chenle led them out of the cottage. They walked for a few minutes until they found a large tree with a boy with brown hair hanging upside down with a rope tied around his foot to one of its branches. Yuta hesitated as he looked at the boy. Jaehyun grunted immediately when he saw him, he had a strong scent, something that resembled Jungwoo's. For the alpha, that wasn't a good sign. He looked to be about the age of his brother, Sungchan, around sixteen years. He was wearing a purple sweatshirt and black jeans with some cuts. He was trying to loosen the rope that was tied to his foot, the laces of the red all-star seemed to be untied, he must have been trying to free himself from the trap by taking the shoe off his foot but must have realized that it was better to hang on, as it was too high where he was. He pulled off the hood that covered his eyes to see the three approaching.

“H-hi.” he said in a friendly tone.

“Hello, who are you!?” Chenle asked, clearly holding back a laugh.

“I remember you…” said Yuta. “Did you enter the elders' room? ”

“I'd love to answer the questions but I think I've been upside down for a long time.”

“I don't know if it's a good idea to let him out.” Jaehyun said, scratching his nose.

“His scent bothers me too, but…” Yuta also scratched his nose.

“I think we should come back tomorrow to release him.” Chenle said, turning his back.

"Wait! Wait! Is this where Kim Jungwoo is?” He asked quickly.

Chenle looked at him curiously. “Unfortunately you were late. The elders took him away. ”

"What? No, I need to go back then. ”

“Why don't you tell us what you want with him and maybe we can help?” The fox smiled mischievously.

“I don't think I have many options…” He sighed. “Just get me out of here please.”

 

 

The boy was called Park Jisung. He was cousin of the witch Park Sooyoung, or better known as Joy. That was enough for the alpha not to like the boy, but he held back. After all, according to Chenle, he could have some valuable information. Yuta didn't seem to be as sure as the fox was, which made him relieved. Jisung said the Parks had been secretly investigating the elders and the disappearance of other supernatural creatures the past few years. Previously, the Parks carried out this investigation more openly, but according to him, the elders forbade them to continue doing it, they did everything to stop them. Therefore, they decided to do these investigations more secretly to don’t have the risk of confronting them and being expelled from the council just like the Kim family were. Jaehyun didn't understand half of what the boy was saying, but Chenle seemed to understand what was good enough. He was after Jungwoo because apparently Joy had disappeared two days ago. What made Yuta question him since according to him, it was Joy who turned him to a witch named Irene. Who captured him and took him to the council. Jaehyun held back a growl when he heard that.

“I know, I know, but…” He sighed. “She must have been trying to buy time. She wanted the trust of the elders to be able to meet with Jungwoo before being captured. But apparently that didn't work. ”

“Your cousin's actions nearly killed Yuta.” Jaehyun said, irritated. Yuta put a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down.

“I'm sorry about that Mr. Yuta.” he said looking at the omega. “I'm sure she didn't like the idea herself, but she had no other option.”

“And she was aware that Yuta could attract Jungwoo?” Questioned the fox.

“She wasn’t sure, but things didn't go as planned. She sent Mr. Changmin to talk to Jungwoo but he was caught leaving the Kim's mansion, and because of the elders' vow, there was no way he could hide the truth from them. ”

“But doesn't Joy also have that vow?” asked Chenle curiously.

“No, the elders said that when the time came she would be informed.” He shrugged. “I'm still too young to vow to them so I kind of have a free pass.”

“And what exactly do you want with Jungwoo?” asked Yuta.

 “I wanted him to teach me some tricks…” He said pouting.

"Liar.” Chenle said in a serious tone with his eyes shining blue.

Jisung took a step back. “Okay, okay…” He sighed. “He's not linked to the council and I want to save Joy, he's my only chance…was.”

“So we're all in the same boat!” Chenle said.

“But I really wanted him to teach me some tricks. I always hear so much about him...”

Yuta sighed. “So nothing changes the situation we are in.”

“Actually it does change. You know how to get on the council. Don’t you?” Asked the fox looking at the warlock.

Jisung nodded and took a small statue from his sweatshirt pocket.

“I don't know how Kim Jungwoo does that trick of his.” He sighed. “One day I'll learn that technique, but for now, that's all I have.”

“And this is?” Jaehyun asked curiously.

“It's a link. With that, we can get there as quickly as possible. ” He said excitedly. “It’s like a teleport? I know that Jungwoo uses a similar system, but he connects doors. ”

“Oh the door-crossing.” Chenle said. “I know a little about this.” He looked the boy. “I think you would know how to master it. But only he can teach that. ”

"Really? They say I have as much potential as he does! ”

“I can see that.” Said the fox.

“Tomorrow there will be a big event at the council place, so I think it will be easier for us to infiltrate.”

“The elders have captured Jungwoo and Joy, who I would say are the respective representatives of their families and they’re going to make a big event?”

“They have the Lee one too.” Jisung said, imitating Chenle's thoughtful expression. “He was captured a lot longer than Joy and Jungwoo.”

Jaehyun bit his lip. Lee... could it be Taeyong? Since that day he asked the warlock about Jungwoo and he hasn't visited him anymore. He certainly didn't do anything against Jaehyun and Taeil that day because he knew the alpha could go against him. He was sure of that.

“There's something wrong with all this. A big event and the three representatives of the families.” Chenle was clearly struggling to think. “We need to rescue Jungwoo. This can't be a coincidence. I thought they would just make him take the vow, but... This seems to be preparation for something bigger, I fear. ”

“Then we can't waste time!” Yuta said.

“Calm down, we can't go like this.” Jaehyun said.

“The alpha is right.” Jisung said, putting the statue in his pocket again. “This is a one-way ticket. It's risky to go without a plan. We can easily fall into the hands of the council like that. ”

“What time does it start?” asked the fox.

“I believe it is in the late afternoon. My mother had told me to go, but I have no obligation to the council until I take the vow. ”

“It will be a good opportunity. Let's say this event takes the elders' attention for a few moments, it'll be enough to get us in there unnoticed. ”

“But what about the wolves?” Jisung pointed to Yuta and Jaehyun. “They will definitely get noticed.”

Chenle smiled. “I know how to make veils better than Jungwoo.”

 

-

 

During the night Yuta suffered some symptoms of heat again. Jaehyun just stayed by his side, helping him with whatever he needed. Although they were bonded, Jaehyun hesitated before answering some of the omega's requests. He felt like he was taking advantage of the Japanese because of his situation. But seeing Yuta suffering wasn't something he wanted either, even more when the next day they would try to sneak into the council, if the omega had those symptoms in that place surrounded by witches... Jaehyun pushed the thought out of his head. He would protect the Japanese at all costs.

That morning he woke up with Yuta stroking his face again. It was something he would easily get used to having every day. He knew the bond could make them more attached to each other, but for Jaehyun it was as if it had always been that way. He smiled as he opened his eyes and saw the Japanese flushed face clearly embarrassed.

“I think I’ve experienced this scene before.” Said the alpha.

"Me too.” His expression became more serious. “Listen, Jae… You don't have to come if you don't want to. ”

“Yuta, I couldn't stay away from you even if I wanted to…”

The Japanese rolled his eyes. “Of course, the bond.”

“Yes, but…” He sighed. “Yuta, I need you to understand that I am not moved by our bond. I really want to go with you. I would never let you enter a place full of witches alone. ”

Yuta smiled slightly. "Thank you.”

He held the omega’s hand gently and looked into his eyes. He thought about everything that had happened the last few days and the feelings in him that had been building even before he knew he was an omega and they bonded. He wondered if he was rushing too fast, after all, they hadn't known each other for so long, but the Japanese had messed with him since the first day they met.

"Yuta… I L-"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I hope I'm not interrupting, but…” Chenle was saying through the door. “Hum, Jaehyun, do you happen to know if your pack leader has a phone or…”

He bit his lip. Chenle could be very inconvenient. Jaehyun sat up in bed and said he would be out in a few minutes after get dressed properly. Johnny must have lost his cell phone, just like him, when he went after Jaehyun the day he went after Yuta's scent, but luckily, the fox had one. Maybe Doyoung or Taeil knew something. Maybe the alpha was with them. And he was right, despite Doyoung's numerous questions before giving the phone to the alpha, Jaehyun managed to talk to him. Johnny warned him about Kun, said he shouldn't believe in everything around him when the fox is around, he didn't quite understand the warning, he also said that he had passed Jungwoo's message to him and that the fox didn't react well.

“He said we shouldn't believe everything around us when Kun is around.” Jaehyun said turning off the cell phone and handing it over to Chenle. “I don't know what that means. He said he got the message across. But apparently Kun didn't react well. Johnny didn't go into detail about it. ”

“That fox must have a lot of tricks up his sleeve.” Chenle said thoughtfully. “But if Johnny got the message across then I think it's all right, the problem was his reaction...”

“Don't you think he can turn against you?” asked Jisung. “I've never seen a fox before.” He looked at Chenle with a slight smile. “So far, but I know what they're capable of. How old is he?”

“I can't say, but from what I saw him do…”

Jaehyun thought back to the day he and Yuta had met Kun with Ten. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was a fun night between the four of them.

“What did you see him do?” asked Jisung, visibly curious.

“Well, I didn't see him exactly, it was just…a tail, part of his consciousness, he said. But before that we had seen at least four of him around the mansion.”

Jisung sighed. “He is at least a thousand years old.”

"What?” Yuta and Jaehyun spoke at the same time.

“Fox spirits get stronger the older they get.” Said the warlock. “The fact that he was able to share part of his consciousness and that consciousness being able to use some kind of skill is already unbelievable. We can't trust our surroundings when we're near him…” He made a thoughtful expression. “A fox with a high knowledge of illusions is not a good thing, if he doesn't have a good personality… making him an enemy is not the best idea.”

Chenle bit his lip. “I hope Jungwoo hasn't pissed him off.”

“If he gave the location of the foxes he's after, then Kun would owe him a favor. However, he was the one who came to you in the first place so he already expected you to do that. If so, it would be a victory for him and he would owe him nothing. ”

“Kun…” Yuta made a thoughtful expression. “Could he go against the elders?”

“I don't know. It depends.” Jisung shrugged. "If they clashed and this fox is really that old... He would be better, probably, but there are three of them and they have vast knowledge..."

"It is hard to say.” Chenle concluded and Jisung seemed to agree.

“But for them to confront each other would not be good at all.” Said the warlock.

Jaehyun thought about it. Very powerful beings confronting each other...

“Collateral damage to anyone around.” Jaehyun said.

Chenle and Jisung nodded in agreement.

“So… what's the plan?” asked Jaehyun.

“Well… we'll enjoy the uproar over the event. Jisung said the rest of the hotel should have a pretty light guard because of it.” Chenle said. “But on the other hand, the place is going to be full of witches and warlocks, which means we're going to have to be very careful.”

Jaehyun bit his lip. “So far this doesn't look good.”

“Yes, but, with me being together, we may be able to outwit anyone who finds us suspicious.” Said the warlock. “Chenle will put a veil on you to try to hide you.” He pointed to Jaehyun and Yuta. “But you're going to need to contain your wolves from screwing everything up.”

"We can do it.” Yuta said seriously.

"Excellent. We're going to need to be quick on that too. ” Jisung sighed. “This is the problem. ”

“Master Yuta and Jaehyun can sniff out Jungwoo. Right? ”

Jaehyun nodded.

"Y-you can just call me Yuta..."

Chenle glared at him. “Okay, Yuta.” Then he smiled slightly.

“But what about Joy?” asked Jisung.

“I imagine they won't be far from each other.” Said the fox. “I believe if we find Jungwoo, we will find Joy.”

Yuta raised his hand. “They must have a wolf too.”

Chenle raised an eyebrow. "They have?”

“I mean. The witch who took me there, Irene. ” Yuta made a worried expression. “Yunho… He was the one who trained me. I don't know how he is with her but there's something wrong with that. ”

“And he is what?” Asked the redhead curious.

“A beta.”

“Betas don't have as much resistance against witches either.” Jisung said thoughtfully. “And Miss Irene… Unless you handle her, this beta won't come back to his senses.”

“W-what did she do to him?” asked Yuta.

“Mind control, probably, she’s pretty good at it. At least that's what Joy told me. ” He shrugged. “She's like a private investigator for the elders, she does everything without question. ”

“But she questioned when the elders did not want to lock Jungwoo on a certain island.”

“Then she has some sort of personality.” Said the warlock.

Yuta grunted. Jaehyun felt the anger the omega was feeling.

“If the beta tries to interfere, can we count on you to stop him?” Chenle asked, looking at Jaehyun.

“But Yunho is trained…” said Yuta. Jaehyun took the omega's hand.

"I can.”

"Excellent!”

“But it would be easier if you tricked him…” Jisung said, looking at Chenle. "How old are you again? Depending on your age, you could fool the beta with some illusion and even be able to get him out of mind control. ”

Chenle shrugged. “A few hundred? I know I fully lived about four or three lives before this one. Nevertheless, I'm not able to do these things, my illusions are simple. ”

“Hum, so it must be right. Where did you come from anyway?” Asked the warlock curiously. “Considering that foxes are pretty uncommon around here...”

“I…” Chenle widened his eyes at the three in front of him. "I don’t know?”

"What? How do you not know? ” Jisung scratched his head confused.

“I-I mean, I remember running aimlessly… then I found this cottage and met my master!…” He seemed to struggle to remember. “I can't remember before this.”

"This is weird.” Jisung made a worried expression.

Chenle shook his head as if he was trying to put a thought away.

"It doesn’t matter now.”

 

-

 

“Okay, it's time.” Jisung said, looking at the watch on his wrist. He took the statue out of his sweatshirt pocket and placed it on the table. Jaehyun realized that it wasn't a complete statue, in fact it was half of one. “Oh, this is how we're going to get there.” Said the warlock looking at the alpha as if he was asking about the object.

“You said that before.”

Jisung nodded. “It will teleport to its other half the moment I say the words.” Said him with pride. “For that we're going to need to hold it so we can go along.”

“Isn't that dangerous?” Chenle asked, looking at the object.

“It's identical to crossing doors! It's just one way because when it joins the other half it can never be used for another spell again. Nevertheless, I hope you have a strong stomach because the trip can make you nauseous. ”

“And how do you know that no one on the council took the other half and put it in a cell for us to fall into the trap?” asked the fox.

"Well I-"

“We have to trust that they didn't find it, wanting it or not, it's the fastest way to get there.” Yuta said. Jaehyun bit his lip. That seemed like an even worse idea now, but the Japanese were right there was no faster way.

 “We're going to have to trust that my hiding place for the other half is good enough.” Jisung said with a shrug.

“I don't like this…” Jaehyun said.

Yuta approached him and took his hand. "It will work.” Jaehyun held back the urge to kiss him and then just nodded.

"Okay.”

The four placed their hands on that stone statue, Jaehyun and Yuta held hands and looked into each other's eyes one last time. Jisung started to recite some words. Then Jaehyun felt like he was being pulled hard towards the statue and everything went dark.

Notes:

I think i've said sorry in every chapter but im here saying it again. I'm sorry! but as i was working on the last chapter and looking at the drafts of what is going to happen, i realized that i've already written a lot, and i was like, only in the half of everything? So i thought in turn the last chapter into two. That way i believe the chapter won't be so long and tiring to read. But dont worry i dont intend to make more than seven chapters (in the beginning i literally planned it to be five but nevermind.)

Thank you for reading, i hope you enjoy it and see you next chapter.

Chapter 7: Their Individual Vows

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The moment of darkness was like the blink of an eye. When they looked at the statue they held, it was complete and they were in a parking area behind a large building. The Grand Hotel of Incheon. They dropped the object a little dizzy, Jisung just put it back in his pocket and leaned on the car behind him.

“You guys can throw up if you want.” he said breathlessly.

"We are fine.” Jaehyun and Yuta said at the same time. Chenle held back a laugh. It was funny to see those two wolves like that. The bond seemed to have strengthened something that already existed between them. As a fox spirit, it was easy for him to read people's feelings. When he first saw Jaehyun he knew exactly that the alpha would never do anything against the Japanese, that's why he felt so safe in trusting the wolf. He didn't have any bad intentions, just like Yuta didn't either. Something he couldn't say about Jisung.

"I'm fine too.” Said the fox with a shrug.

“Yeah… Then give me a minute please.” Jisung ran to a decorative bush and threw up.

Chenle stared at the warlock curiously. “How can you be affected like this by your own spell?”

“Sorry if my stomach is weak.” He said wiping his mouth with the sleeve of the sweatshirt he was wearing. “It all worked out, phew!” He said excitedly. “There are a lot of people here, are you seeing these cars?” He pointed to the vehicles. “All the conference guests must have arrived by now. We have to be careful. ”

“Yes, but…” Chenle closed his eyes to feel the surroundings. "There's something wrong.” The fox didn't sense anyone else's intentions in the area they were in, which was really weird because he had such a reach for it. He should be able to feel the warlocks and witches inside the hotel. However, he decided to believe that since it was the elders' domain, maybe it was some spell over the place.

“How are we going to get in now?” asked Yuta.

“First, I believe we should check the movement in the entrance hall.” Jisung replied. “I can go check it out.”

“I don't know if you should go.” Muttered Jaehyun. Chenle realized that the alpha was hesitant to trust Jisung completely. It was good to know that he and the alpha were on the same page about that warlock.

“Wolves are very stubborn aren't they?” Said the warlock shrugging, making Jaehyun and Yuta grunt.

“Well, I have an idea.” Chenle said with his form fluttering and transforming into Jisung's.

“What-” Jisung widened his eyes. "Incredible! Didn't know you could do this! ”

“One of my specialties.” The fox smiled. “I can go down the hall looking like you and see how things are going.” He looked at the warlock. “I'm sure this won't be a problem, right?”

"Right.” Jisung pouted. “The wolf over there doesn't seem to trust me much anyway.” He pointed at Jaehyun.

“No one should believe in everything a warlock says.” Jaehyun shrugged.

"Whatever.” Jisung rolled his eyes.

“I'm sorry Jisung, but I believe it's the best thing to do at the moment.” said Yuta cautiously.

“Great. You guys wait here then.” Said the redhead.

“Oh, if anyone talks to you, play dumb!” Warned Jisung.

"I can do this!” Chenle said excitedly. His other side loved to turn into someone else. "But why!?”

“Well, people will ignore you if you're dumb.” He shrugged. “That's how I was able to get access to some things in the hotel, you know, since no one takes me seriously. Despite knowing my potential. ”

“And you being a teenager makes it more valid.” Chenle said thoughtfully. "I understand.”

“Is this really going to work?” asked Yuta.

“I know I'm saying this even before we came here, but… it doesn't seem like a good idea.” Jaehyun scratched his nose. “There is a very strong witch scent coming from this place.”

"I can also feel it.” Yuta said, placing his hand on the alpha's shoulder.

Strange , Chenle thought. “Anyway, I'll just check the hall and come back, okay?”

"Right.” Said the omega. Jaehyun just nodded. Jisung was silent and leaned on the black car that was beside him.

Chenle walked quickly to the front door of the Hotel. He could feel a cool breeze when he opened the door to the place. There was no security at the door to receive whoever entered there. Which was weird. The fox felt a twinge in his head as he peeked into the waiting hall, he felt as if he knew that place. He shook his head to come back to himself and went inside. He could only hear the echoes of his shoe as he took his steps. There was no one in that hall, it was long and had mirrored columns. The lights of the illustrious seemed dim. He could hear a few glimpses of voices coming from a hallway that led to a large door that indicated it was the event hall. It must be the location of such an event. But still, it was weird that so many people were there and he felt absolutely no intentions whatsoever. The fox quickly returned to the wolves and Jisung and explained what he saw.

“I think we can go in then.” Said the warlock thoughtfully.

“We can’t waste any more time.” Yuta said.

"I agree..." Chenle was afraid, something was bothering him and he couldn't tell what it was.

The group walked quickly to the entrance. They crept silently. Yuta and Jaehyun constantly sniffed that air as if they were trying to identify something. The alpha scowled.

“The smell gets even worse here.” he said, holding his nose.

“Last time I was here, this place didn't smell as strong as it does now.” Yuta said, making the same gesture as the alpha.

“It must be because there are a lot more witches here today.” Jisung said, placing the statue he used on the hall counter. Chenle looked at that room more closely. His annoyance was not just there, in the hall, but throughout the entire hotel. He could also feel pressure. A snap, like a spell. A circle. He turned to Jisung.

“Is there an enchanting circle around this place?”

Jisung hesitated but nodded. Jaehyun growled at the boy.

“C-calm down, it won't do us any harm… I think. B-but this is kind of weird. ” He walked through the door that led to the balcony and bent down. The three lifted their heads to look at the warlock. He was next to a girl in a concierge-like outfit. “How did you not notice that?” Asked the warlock looking at Chenle.

How? He thought as he approached Jisung and the girl.

“I-I didn't see it!” he said, feeling his mouth dry. "I didn't feel any intention here, so I assumed it was empty, I hadn't seen it..."

Jaehyun carried the girl and placed her in one of the waiting chairs. He scratched and narrowed his nose in annoyance.

"Witch.” Said the alpha.

“Yeah, but… what's up with her?” Yuta said, feeling her pulse. “The pulse is very weak.”

So that’s what it is about? He thought.

“It's the circle.” Said the fox. “It's draining her energy.” Then he turned to Jisung. “How is it not draining ours?”

“I-I don't know, is it because we are not linked with the elders?” he said, taking a step back. "I do not know... "

Yuta looked seriously at Chenle. “We have to find Jungwoo fast.”

"I agree.”

At the end of the hall, there was an elevator door in the center, on each side there was a door and beside each door a stairway entrance. Chenle bit his lip. They would probably have to part ways.

“We need to be careful Mr. Yuta.” Jisung said. “The hotel is like a maze, only witches and warlocks would know how to walk through it without getting lost.”

“But we only have one warlock here.” Yuta said. “Just guide us!”

Chenle looked at the doors again and it was as if that wall was closer to them. He looked at Jisung again and that's when he felt that pressure building around him. A circle of imprisonment.

Jisung bit his lip. "I don’t have a choice here.” He then quickly moved his hand causing Yuta to be thrown against the door in the right, which opened immediately and then closed as soon as the omega had entered. Jaehyun turned to him, eyes blazing with fury.

“Tsk, alphas are really annoying.” Said the warlock. “You should have been pushed too.”

"WHAT DID YOU DO?” Roared the alpha as he ran towards the door where Yuta was thrown. He glanced at the fox who just nodded in agreement with his action.

“I can't let you go after him.” Jisung raised both hands but was stopped by Chenle who broke the spell by punching that invisible 'wall' of the circle that had held him with the hand he had placed the ring Jungwoo had given him. He jumped on the warlock and the two rolled across the floor until Chenle was above Jisung’s back twisting his right arm with one hand while the other was on his head, pressing it against the icy ground. He heard the sound of doors close as the alpha entered.

"Let go of m-" Jisung tried to speak, but the fox pressed his head even harder against the floor.

“Don’t even try to persuade me. I knew you couldn't be trusted. Nevertheless, the information you had and the way to bring us up here, were things I couldn't miss. ” He said irritably. “This place did something to me, I couldn't focus, otherwise I would have acted before you did anything. ”

“Grrr.” Jisung grunted and tried to struggle, but Chenle squeezed his arm tighter, if he used more force, he would break the warlock's arm.

“Give up or I will break your arm.” The fox's eyes glowed blue.

Jisung started to sob. “I'm sorry, they promised.... Promised that they would release Joy if I brought Yuta here. ”

“Yuta? What does he have to do with it? ”

"I-I really don’t know! I swear! ”

They then shuddered at the presence that loomed behind them. The two were paralyzed. Chenle could see from the mirror reflection of one of the columns in that hall, it was an elder lady in a black robe and white hair, a braid falling down over her left shoulder. She had an adornment in her hair similar to a butterfly. She had many wrinkles and her skin was pale. He could see the sharp-toothed smile forming on her face.

“I can tell you what he has to do with it, little fox.”

 

~

 

Yuta rolled down a small staircase before falling to the ground. He luckily managed to protect his head with his hands. He stood up carefully watching the hallway he was in. It appeared to be long and wide, he couldn't see the end. He turned to the other side to try to get out again, but ran into the bottomless hallway on the other side as well. He was so blind in desire to save Jungwoo that he didn't think Jisung could do that. I'm such an idiot , he thought. He walked a few inches to the first door down the hall. Number two hundred and thirteen. Before opening it, he heard heavy footsteps.

“Yuta!? YUTA!?” He heard that voice shouting his name. It was Jaehyun. However, his voice was muffled as if he were in another room. As if he were on the other side of the hallway wall.

"JAE!?" He yelled back. He cautiously approached the wall on the other side of the hall. He heard a sound as if Jaehyun had hit the wall.

“Y-yuta?? It's really you?” he asked with a worried tone.

Yuta put his ear to that wall. “Yes, Jae, it's me.”

“W-where are you? I went in after you but got lost in this hallway. I'm trying to follow your scent, but this place is weird. ”

"I-I don’t know.” He bit his lip. He paid attention to the surroundings. There were vases of flowers on either side of the walls all the way to the end of the corridor and also a painting of a volcano hanging on the right wall. He asked Jaehyun what was on his surroundings and the alpha replied that there were the exact same things that are on the corridor Yuta was on. Then he remembered the hallway door. He looked again at that white, ornately carved door. “Jae, which door is closest to you?”

"What?” The alpha asked, confused.

"The door. Which door is closest to you? The number. ”

Jaehyun was silent for a few seconds. "One hundred and eighty.”  He Answered.

Yuta thought for a few seconds, if it was a maze like Jisung had said. Going straight might not be a guarantee that Jaehyun would find him. However, the warlock could be lying about that.

“I'm in front of two hundred and thirteen.” Said the omega. “What about Chenle? What happened? ”

He heard a clear growl from the alpha. “He's dealing with the warlock. I didn't stay there very long. I knew there was something wrong with him. ”

Yuta bit his lip worriedly. "I understand.”

“Yuta, please stay where you are, I'll find you. I promise. ”

The Japanese felt his heart sink, they should not waste the time they have just to rendezvous and then go looking for Jungwoo. He had to find his brother.

“It's okay Jae... But I need to find Jungwoo. ”

“No, Yuta, please wait for me. I'll find you. ” pleaded the alpha.

“Jae, I know you will.” Yuta put his hand on the wall. “But I can't waste time.”

He didn't hear Jaehyun's answer so he went to open the door in front of him. If he left the doors open, maybe when Jaehyun arrived in that area he would know it was the right way. As he was walking through the corridor and opening the doors, he saw that each room was a different environment. Some were ordinary hotel rooms, others were empty rooms, he also saw some rooms with a little macabre decorations, and others were like a garden, among other various possible scenarios for the imagination. Yuta thought that by having that difference between the rooms maybe it was possible to find Jungwoo or some clue about him. He could hear Jaehyun's footsteps as if he were following him. What bothered the omega was the fact that none of the rooms had a single person. Maybe all the witches and warlocks were at that event indeed. He wondered if Yunho would be with Irene in that hall. However, he dismissed the idea. Witches didn't seem to have that much affection for wolves. He noticed that the further he walked down that hallway. The opacity of the overhead lights grew dimmer. He tried to guide himself by the smells, but his nose was intoxicated by the smell of witch, which hindered him from trying to feel anything else besides that.

Door number two hundred and ninety. Yuta was already tired. It was like he was just walking aimlessly. He didn't even know how long he had been there. The entire hallway was the same, the doors, the pictures on the walls, the lamps and decorations. Like the others, that door was white with some decorations. He opened it slowly, surprisingly, it was not a bedroom but a large living room. It reminded him of his apartment. However, the room had dull lighting and many vases with a purple flower that made the omega scratch his nose even without approaching them. Then he saw a woman in a red dress, unconscious on the floor. He approached and turned her, it was Irene. She was unconscious and with a weak pulse like the girl they found in the hall. Yuta held back a growl when he glared at her. That's when he realized that if she was there, maybe Yunho was too. He heard a low whine. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw the beta huddled in the corner of the room not far from the door.

“Yunho??” Yuta asked as he approached him.

“Y-yu-ta?” The beta looked at him confused. Then he turned his gaze to Irene who was on the floor. “N-no. She is unconscious. N-nobody can lay a finger on HER! ”

He pushed the omega with force. Yuta stumbled back and held on to the door to keep from falling to the ground. The beta advanced furiously at him. He closed the door and grabbed the handle to keep him inside, but the beta blasted a hole in the door with a fist making the omega drop the handle with the shards that went into his face. Yunho quickly opened the door and hit the Japanese in the face who staggered again and fell on his back on the floor. He felt the blood in his mouth as the beta was quick to get over him with both hands on his neck. The eyes blazed with fury. Yuta tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. He tried to put his hand on the beta's face to try to catch his breath, but it didn't help. He was getting weak from suffocation.

 

~

 

Jaehyun walked along that corridor. He was so angry with himself, he should have been more careful about Jisung. He counted the doors until he found some of them, open, for him it was a clear sign of Yuta, the omega was not far away. He could feel it. He spared no effort to advance as fast as he could. A few minutes later, he spotted a big man over the Japanese in that hallway with the dim lights. He was choking Yuta. At that moment Jaehyun felt the fury completely overwhelm him and he lunged at them both. He could see the omega turning his gaze towards him, that's when he hit that man with a kick in the rib and knocked him off Yuta who gasped for air. The two exchanged glances briefly but said nothing to each other. The Japanese gathered strength to roll into the corner as the man quickly got up and charged at Jaehyun. His bright eyes didn't deceive him, he was a wolf just like him. A quick thought crossed Jaehyun's mind. It was clear to him that it was Yunho. The wolf Yuta had talked about earlier. The beta he should have to take care of. The alpha dodged the beta's first punch and took the chance to hit him in the face. Nevertheless, as strong as the blow was, the beta didn't seem to be affected in the way he'd imagined. Yunho quickly moved and broke Jaehyun's defense and then hit him in the face. As he staggered back a step, the beta quickly yanked him by his shirt, threw him against the flower ornament in the hallway, and then hurled him against the other wall. Yunho grabbed his hair and started banging his head hard against that wall. He managed to do that four times before Jaehyun managed to elbow him. The beta released the alpha's hair and took a step back, dodging Jaehyun's blow. The alpha was already dizzy from the bumps to the head and his eyebrow was bleeding. Yunho then punched his chin that made him feel his legs weaken and then collapse on the ground. The beta was quick to go after him and start hitting him in the face even though he wasn't reacting against it. He tasted blood in his mouth. He lost track of what was happening. Then he saw those arms wrapping around Yunho's neck. Yuta had jumped on his back screaming trying to get the beta to stop hitting Jaehyun. Yunho growled furiously, moving to try to get the omega off his back. He threw himself against the wall repeatedly, but the Japanese were firmly on his back. He could catch a glimpse of Omega punching Yunho in the temple screaming.

“YUNHO PLEASE COME BACK.”

That's when he felt a strong breeze that passed through the entire corridor, coming from their direction. The beta then faltered and fell to the ground with Yuta still clinging to him. However, the Japanese quickly got up and walked towards Jaehyun. The omega bit his lip as he looked at the alpha. He was probably not in the best condition, but what mattered was that Yuta was in one piece. Just a cut on the lip and cheek. He felt his heart lighten in his chest.

 

~

 

Yuta felt his mouth dry at the image in front of him. The alpha's bruised face broke his heart. He was all red in the face, his nose and mouth were bleeding, and he had an ugly cut on his forehead. Jaehyun slowly moved his hand to hold Yuta's hand on his chest.

“I-I told you… That I would find you.” Jaehyun tried to force a smile.

"I know, I know.” Yuta felt tears on his face. “C-can you get up?”

Jaehyun nodded and then the omega helped him to his feet. Jaehyun leaned against the wall while his other arm was around the omega's shoulder.

“We… N-need to take care of these bruises.” Yuta said in a cracking voice.

"Don’t worry. Yuta. I’ll be okay. ”

“Of course I'm going to worry Jae.” Yuta sobbed.

“I'm sorry Yuta. I-I said I'd protect you but... I wasn't strong enough... I was useless... as an alpha and as a mate. ”

The omega felt a tightening of his heart at those words. It was the first time he heard that weakened tone in Jaehyun's voice. He just shook his head.

“You are enough for me, Jae.” He tried to smile slightly at the alpha. That's when the two stopped with the presence in front of them. A strong witch scent penetrated their noses. They looked forward to an elder lady with pale, wrinkled skin. Dressed in a black robe, with white hair that fell to her shoulders and a serpent adornment on her head. She gave them both a sharp-toothed smile. Yuta felt the imminent danger because he remembered exactly who she was, one of the three elders.

"My my, that was quite a show."

Yuta blinked and then she was in front of them and touching her skeletal finger to Jaehyun's chest. Instantly the alpha's body felt heavier on him. He widened his eyes at Yuta who tried to hold him back.

"J-jae!?” Yuta asked, confused as he helped the alpha to sit with his back against the hallway wall. "WHAT DID YOU DO?” He yelled at the elder woman who just gave him an ominous look.

“Y-uta…” Jaehyun said breathlessly with his hand holding his chest as if he were trying to breathe.

“Don't waste your words my dear. Your heart will stop soon. ”

Tears ran down Yuta's face as he looked at the alpha agonizing in front of him.

“P-please, please.” He turned back to the elder woman with a look of despair on his face. "I will do anything. Please. Don’t do this.”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I don't particularly like to do this kind of thing to people whether they are wolves or not.” She shrugged. “But since you said you would do anything so easily…” She moved her hand and Jaehyun seemed to be able to breathe again. “Oh, the power of all these witches flows so seamlessly over me. Even an alpha is so vulnerable against it. Soon all of them will be. ” She smiled. “Well… my child, shall we go now?”

Yuta looked at the injured Jaehyun in front of him. He didn't want to leave him. However, in the condition he was in they couldn't do anything. In addition, that elder certainly wasn’t planning anything good. The Japanese looked at his hand where the ring Jungwoo had given him was, he used that to break what was on Yunho. He didn't expect it to work. Then a stupid idea crossed his mind. Maybe that could give him a chance. He saw that the alpha lost his consciousness but was breathing properly. He kissed the alpha's hand and then took a sharp piece of the vase that had been broken when Jaehyun and Yunho were fighting and turned quickly to stab the old woman, but he was paralyzed before the sharp shard could reach her.

"Don't be a fool.”

 

~

 

Despite being a consensus between Joy, Taeyong and Jungwoo. Getting out of that prison was not something that was within their reach. Apparently, that body chain in their body was nullifying their capabilities. The blonde didn't know what those chains were but it must have been just one of the elders' things to hold them. Joy had her persuasion. However, the person who came to bring them food would throw something at her that kept her from talking whenever she was in his presence. It was something that irritated her deeply. It was easy to see.

The blonde was already tired of thinking for so many hours. There was nothing they could do. They couldn't get out of that place without outside help. That's when he remembered Kun, that fox would definitely come after him and maybe he was the chance for the three of them to break free. Jungwoo had a feeling that the fox might confront the elders. Despite hesitating at first, the warlock decided to tell them about it. It was funny how during their dialogues, the three ended up exchanging barbs with each other. But somehow they managed to understand each other.

“I made some arrangements before coming here.” Said the warlock getting the attention of Joy and Taeyong who were muttering insults to each other.

“And you intended to tell when the elders came to cut off our heads?” Muttered Joy.

Jungwoo just rolled his eyes. “It's not like if I told you before this would change anything, the truth is… it's just a guess.”

“Assumptions are better than nothing, considering our situation.” Taeyong said. “So, Kim, what is it?”

The blonde then explained about his encounter with Kun and the abilities he demonstrated. Jungwoo recalled that the Park’s were responsible for dealing with other supernatural creatures, so Joy must have known something that can tell what he was capable of. She stared at him warily, as if wondering whether to speak what she knew or not. Indeed, she knew something. However, that only made him afraid. When he talked more about every detail he remembered from meeting the fox, Joy just listened to him with a serious expression. She said that Kun was probably a very old fox and maybe the blonde was trying to bargain with the wrong creature, if his attitude irritated him...

“Foxes have a very peculiar behavior. It's hard to predict how they'll act. ” She shrugged. “They're cunning, if he went after you then he was sure that eventually you would have some useful information for him. And in fact you do. ”

“His friends must be stranded on Jeju Island, probably.” Taeyong said. “That island is surrounded by intense fog, so it's difficult for supernatural creatures to get there on their own. Even if it’s an old fox. ”

“To make you a valuable piece in the old fox game… It's either going to go really well or it's going to go really wrong. ” Said the witch. “But I believe he will be our chance. If it works. ”

“But... the problem will be for us to stay alive until this fox arrives.” Taeyong said.

Joy sighed. “I just hope my cousin is okay.”

Jungwoo remembered that boy walking into the elders' room when he was at that trial devised by Irene.

“His name… Is Park Jisung? ” asked the blonde.

“Yeah, do you know him?” She asked surprised.

“He's the one who warned of the alphas' advance in Incheon during that stupid trial that was prepared for me.” He shrugged. “It’s interesting that someone so young could walk freely in this place.”

"I understand.” She said without seeming to give much importance. “He comes here a lot, the elders don't care. Here, he will probably have more knowledge than at his house anyway. ” She shrugged.

"Interesting.” Muttered Taeyong.

“Jisung will probably be the person representing the Park’s in the future, I mean, if there is still a council.” She sighed. “His potential can compare to Kim's here.” She jerked her chin at Jungwoo. “Although the elders think he's too childish for that. Nevertheless, he's still too young to think about it. It's funny to know he admires you. ” She smiled slightly looking at the blonde.

Admires? Me? Jungwoo thought. It didn't make sense to him. The warlock barely had any contact with other witches, he lived alone in his own world, how could anyone think to admire him?

“Admires?” He asked, confused.

Joy nodded. “Whether you like it or not, Kim, all witches have heard of you in some way, some have more information than others. Your parents have often attended a few meetings since you were born because of the interest the elders took into you. Moreover, even after you ascended to the leadership of Kim's mundane enterprise, you didn't bow down or start participating in such events. ”

“My mother loved to say that Kim Jungwoo was an arrogant boy.” Taeyong shrugged. “And I must admit, Kim, I agree with her a bit. However, a little arrogance sometimes is good. So I don't judge. ”

“I remember the invitations. I never intended to join the council or reinstate the Kim’s. My family is great the way it lives. ” He shrugged. “We don't need anyone's permission or approval. Besides, it's not like there are many warlocks among us these days. ”

“There is a source of admiration.” She smiled. “He said how much he would like to meet you and learn from you. I don't particularly like the idea, however, I'm not the one to stop him from what he wants.”

“You guys seem pretty close for cousins.” Taeyong said.

She nodded. “He is the person in my family closest to me. I don't have a good relationship with the rest because I don't do what they want. ”

Taeyong smirked. “I don't think any of us have a good relationship with our parents then.”

“Witches need a new path.” Joy shrugged. “We are very attached to past customs.”

"Indeed.” Taeyong agreed.

“Nice to know you agree, Lee, considering you were taking that ridiculous potential test in the woods.” She laughed.

Taeyong just looked at her in disbelief. “Thanks for reminding me that I'm probably losing my sanity in this place for agreeing with a Park.”

“Oh here we go.” Jungwoo said, rolling his eyes.

Joy sighed. “You would probably be the last of us to lose sanity, Lee.”

Jungwoo and Taeyong looked at her in surprise.

"What?”

"Nothing.” Both said at the same time.

Joy tapped her head three times on the wall. “I wish I could know what time it is.”

Jungwoo bit his lip. It had probably already been a day. That should be the day of the event and the likely ritual. The cell they were in looked like an old dungeon and there were no windows, so it was hard for them to know if it was morning or night. Those gray branches that were the bars of the cell bothered him too. Jungwoo thought of Yuta, felt a relief in his chest that he was safe from the situation in which he had been put. However, he also thought of Chenle, he regretted saying he trusted the fox's choices. What if he decided to come save him? He bit his lip at the possibility. It was something he would not doubt if Chenle did. Jungwoo handed the rings he had to Chenle and Yuta just in case. He also remembered that alpha, at least with him there. Maybe he could control the omegas impulse. That's what he thought. The three heard pricey footsteps in the hallway in front of their cell, that's when a boy approached the bars, with a look of relief.

“J-Jisung?” Joy asked, her eyes widening. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't have come after me!”

“I-I know, but I had to come, Joy. I couldn't leave you! ” He said as he stared at those bars.

“Woo?” That familiar voice made Jungwoo's heart clench.

No, no, what are you doing here? He thought.

“Yuta, how did you end up here!? You should have stayed at the cottage! I was going to solve everything!”

The Japanese approached the bars. “I'm looking at you work things out, Woo.” he said in an ironic tone. “Can you open this Jisung?” He asked looking at the warlock who was beside him looking at the lock on the railing.

“How did you get here without attracting attention from the elders?” asked Taeyong curiously.

“T-the elders are busy, there was some event in the hall upstairs.” Jisung said. “The hotel itself is not being watched right now.”

“It makes sense… still…”

Jisung muttered a few words and the lock exploded. Yuta and Jisung were quick to enter the cell. The warlock used the same spell to break the chains that held them to the walls. However, he didn't do that on what was in their body because it was dangerous. As soon as he let go, Joy hugged him.

"I'm glad that you are well.”

Yuta reached out to Jungwoo with a slight smile. "Let's go?”

Jungwoo hesitated but took his brother's hand. There was something that bothered him about that situation. They helped Taeyong up. The warlock was the weakest of the three because of the time he was stuck in that place.

“Don’t you dare to falter now, Lee.” Joy said. "Let's get out of here.”

The group agreed and so Yuta and Jisung helped them hurry out of that place, apparently they were in some underground area of the hotel. No, that place was different, it was almost as if they were far away from that hotel, nothing there reminded that establishment. Jungwoo tried to think of that slight discomfort he felt as they hurriedly walked through those stone corridors. Joy seemed to notice his unease.

“I don't think we're in Incheon.” she said cautiously.

Jisung agreed. “We are on Jeju Island.” He said making the three of them widen their eyes.

“So how…” She questioned, but was interrupted by the younger one.

“The hotel is connected to various regions of this country, this makes it easier for witches to get around.” Jisung shrugged. “How do you think they caught up to you so fast in Seoul, Joy?”

She bit her lip. "Makes sense. But it's weird that this is something secret. ”

“It's not, but since you don't come here often, you wouldn't know.” Jisung shrugged. “Isn't that Mr. Lee?” He looked at Taeyong who only nodded.

“And you didn't tell us?” asked Jungwoo.

“It wouldn't make a difference. Kim. ”

Joy rolled her eyes. Jungwoo decided not to think about it too much. What was bothering him was Yuta.

“Yuta.” He placed a hand on the omega's shoulder. “W-where is that alpha? H-what about Chenle? They should be with you. ”

“They're out there, Woo.” Yuta went behind Jungwoo and started pushing him to walk faster. “We need to get out of here fast!”

Yuta and Jaehyun shouldn't be able to separate like this on their own and Chenle knows how important Japanese is to Jungwoo, he would never allow the omega to enter that dungeon-like place alone. Jungwoo looked at the other cells as they hurried to a door at the end of that place. They were empty. If they really were on that island, shouldn't there maybe be other people trapped there?

He looked at Jisung. “If we are on Jeju Island, why aren't there other prisoners here?”

The warlock shrugged. “I don't know what you expect to find here, witches haven’t been imprisoned for a while.”

“I'm not just talking about witches...”

Jisung looked at him with an indifferent look. “Do you mean the other creatures? They are in another area.”

Joy grabbed Jisung's wrist. "Who are you?”

The warlock gave her an ominous smile. “Oh my dear I'm sorry to deceive you.”

The three were pushed by a strong breeze to the front door. They fell to the ground with the force of the impact. Jungwoo had placed his hands on his head to protect himself from falling. Taeyong was not so lucky. He had a cut on his forehead. Joy seemed to be fine. That's when Jungwoo realized they were in that circular hall of the visions he'd had in the past few days. He looked shakily around the place. It looked more like a big cave than a hall. That big weird tree with its gray trunk and blue leaves was right in the center. White petal flowers surrounded its large roots. In the ceiling of that cave, the only light that illuminated the place came out through a hole. An elder lady in black robes, pale skin, and short hair with a bird's headdress was looking at the three of them. She opened her arms, with a sharp-toothed smile, to welcome them into place. He heard the step of who should be Jisung and Yuta, the two walked slowly until each was on either side of the one that was waiting for them. Their forms shimmered and then there were two old women in their place, the only difference between them being their hair and the headdress. Jungwoo felt a strong pressure on him.

"My children!” said the middle one in a cheerful tone. “We cannot express how happy we are to have you here today.”

“It's not like we have a choice.” muttered Joy.

“Oh, so fierce, but it was to be expected.” The one on the left laughed. “I wanted to bring you in a peaceful way, taking the form of something that pleased your eyes, but apparently it didn't work.” She shrugged.

The one on the left approached them slowly as they rose to their feet. Jungwoo felt a slight electrical current passing through his entire body and paralyzing him. She then placed her skeletal finger on Taeyong's forehead and his cut began to close.

“We don't need unnecessary injuries for what comes next.” she said softly.

"What place is this?” asked Joy. “I believe you weren't telling the truth before revealing yourselves.”

“Oh, yes we were.” Said the one on the right. “We don't have to lie to you. Not today." She smiled. “Imagine that all the answers you're looking for are in this place. In front of this tree. Your last questions and your last answers. ”

Jungwoo swallowed hard. Was there still something they could do in front of these three? They were different from the time he met with them. They had an aura of superiority. They seemed to be more powerful. There was no fear or caution in their dark eyes.

“It's hard to feel at ease when I have something in my body holding me back.” Joy said softly.

“Oh my dear, your persuasion is far from something that could affect us.” Said the one in the middle. “Don't you see it's useless?”

“How can you go against someone in the family who helped you found the council and create this ritual? This is a breach of your own rules!” Taeyong said, visibly annoyed. “Witches and Warlocks shouldn't be against each other. ”

The one in the middle rolled her eyes. “Small rules like that are irrelevant. We cannot follow such a rule if we no longer exist. That's why we are here today. ”

“The three of you must know well that there's no point in continuing to prolong life.” said Jungwoo in a serious tone.

"Nonsense!” snarled the one on the right. “Since we founded this council and guided all the witches and warlocks of our generation and future ones, we have done nothing but good for our Kind. This… this betrayal of Mother Nature is not going to be something that will stop us from continuing to do our job. Even if we have to go over our own rules! ”

“So, in short, everything can apply to us, but not to you?” Joy asked in an ironic tone. "You are insane!”

“Insane? No, no. My dear we just want to end this limitation on our bodies. Draining the life of foxes and vampires is not enough when the body starts to deteriorate. ” Said the Left one holding Joy's chin.

"Don’t touch me.”

The old woman released her with a smile on her face. “Don't worry about it. Soon there won't be anything of you to complain about.”

She snapped her fingers and the three were forced to their knees on the floor with their hands behind their backs as if they were handcuffed.

“Oh my children, you three have so much potential, and yet you spend it on nonsense.” The one in the middle approached and grabbed Jungwoo's chin making him look at her. “Mixing with wolves.”

“Trying to live a mundane life.” The one on the left ran a hand through Joy's hair.

“And run away from your destiny.” The one on the right whispered into Taeyong's ear.

The one in the middle then turned to that big tree. “This is the tree of life. The one we made our vow all those years ago. Our first union. Moreover, we are here again before it. To be reborn anew and retake our vow, our oath to all witches. ”

“I don't know what witches since you are probably draining power from most of them.“ Muttered Joy.

“Silence child!” Said those on the left and right at the same time.

“Sacrifices are needed. Nevertheless, our future is bright. Let's finally end the alpha’s oppression over us. Let's give our people freedom. We will rule supreme over all beings. ” Said the one in the middle. “However, for that we need the three of you. Our new faces. Those with the best potential in their generation.” She looked happily at Jungwoo. “Oh Kim Jungwoo, your existence is exceptional even here. Without you, nothing would be possible, we were so happy when we learned about your birth. ”

Jungwoo smirked. “It's not the first time I've heard a fallacy like this.”

“These kids are so rude.” Said the one on the right, shaking her head.

“It's not like we're having a very comfortable conversation right now.” replied Taeyong. “You are delusional!”

“Never my dear.” Said the one in the middle, pulling a cage with a black bird inside from her sleeves. Taeyong's eyes widened.

“R-ruby?”

"Yes my love. Oh it's so sad that your only companion in this life is your familiar. But don't worry, we'll deal with it soon and you'll never feel alone again." She smiled.

The one on the right and left then threw two people in front of them. Jungwoo widened his eyes. For a moment, he had felt a lightness in his heart that perhaps Yuta was not really there. But now… He looked startled at the omega in front of him. He looked at Joy and she too had a panicked expression on her face.

“No, no, no. LET HIM GO. ” He tried to move, but a strong electrical current passed through his body, making him whimper in pain.

“He's just a boy. W-what are you doing?” Joy asked in a shaky voice. The elders smiled warmly.

“Indeed he is.” Said the one on the left. "Exceptional. Nevertheless, we don't have time to wait for him to bloom. ”

Jungwoo just stared at the unconscious Yuta in front of him. He felt fear, frustration and anger. How can that alpha let that happen? He didn't understand. And Chenle. What happened to Chenle? Jungwoo felt his mind racing. He was trying to understand why the omega was there, how they could have captured him. The one on the right then put her wrinkled face in front of him.

“Who knew your dear omega would be stupid enough to believe in Park Jisung. Oh, he was so naive to come here." She laughed.

“Jisung?” He looked at the unconscious boy next to Yuta.

“Yes my dear, we had given him a mission to bring this young wolf here in exchange for our darling Sooyoung's freedom.” She gestured. “But he being here was also part of the plan.”

“What do they have to do with it?” Joy asked, her voice cracking.

The one in the middle placed the cage on the floor in front of Taeyong. “What they don't have to do with it. That's what you should ask. ”

“Imagine that each person in this world has another very dear living being. That being that makes you come back from the worst places, that makes you still want to have a life, that makes you persevere. A being that holds you in this world. ” She snapped her fingers, Yuta, and Jisung started to wake up. Jungwoo understood her line of reasoning which caused terror to form in his chest. The mere imagination terrified him.

“I-I submit.” Joy said quickly. “Please, I do what I have to do. H-he's just a boy, he has nothing to do with it.”

"My my.” Said the one on the left in a mocking tone. “The fact that we never actually make you take the vow with us is because of that. Your spirits are free from spells. ”

Jungwoo bit his lip almost to the point of hurting it.

“Let them go and we can find another way.” Taeyong looked helplessly at that little bird. “Please let go of Ruby.”

“Oh Lee Taeyong. You are so… miserable. ” said the one on the right in a disgusted tone.

Jungwoo felt his heart constrict. Taeyong was lonely just as he was. Other than Yuta, the only person he trusted was Chenle. However, the fox wasn't always there by his side until recently. He called for the omega who grunted before actually waking up. Yuta looked around confused. When his eyes met Jungwoo's they heard a snap of his fingers and suddenly the wolf was standing in front of him a few inches away. The same happened with Jisung in front of Joy and Taeyong's familiar who was now loose but was being held by the elder on the right.

“W-woo…” said Yuta with his voice cracking.

“Yuta...”

"I'm sorry. I needed to come…” Jungwoo bit his lip. He felt tears form in his eyes. “I convinced Jae to come with me, but I was naive to believe Jisung. I'm really dumb aren't I? ” He tried to smile. The blonde tried to open his mouth, but the elder on the right spoke before him.

“Kim Jungwoo, you always surprise us.” She said caressing the bird. “Who knew you would be in possession of the fox that escaped us. Oh, To this day, I remember the fierce expression of that mother who sacrificed herself so that he could escape. Too bad he can't even remember her. Or that he was here once. ”

"What... "

“Enough of talking. The time is at hand. ” Said the one in the middle approaching the big tree and picking three flowers from the ground near its roots. She handed one to each and positioned herself beside Yuta while the one on the left, who wore a serpent adornment, positioned herself beside Jisung. The boy had an expression of astonishment on his face, tears slowly falling from his eyes as he muttered an 'I'm sorry' to Joy.

"My children.” She looked at the three of them sympathetically. “May your resistance to this world end and you accept the great destiny your bodies are destined to have.” At that moment, it was as if Jungwoo couldn't hear any more of what was being said by the three. He looked despairingly at Yuta. The omega looked up at him with a slight smile on his face and he could just follow the phrase 'I love you' being formed by his lips. Then the warlock heard a faint rattling sound almost close to his ear. That's when the elder stuck the stem of that flower directly into the Japanese chest. The other two repeated the same action on Jisung and on the bird. Those petals quickly turned red, the three were dropped lifeless to the ground. The three started to walk towards them muttering words that he was well acquainted with. Jungwoo was in shock. He felt his tears running down his face. He looked at Yuta on the ground. He tried to scream, but there was no voice. He was useless. He thought he was smart enough to get away with it. He thought he had saved the brother he loved so much, but it was all for nothing. Of course Yuta would want to rescue him. He should have fought, should have tried his best to keep from being in that situation. Now he would be suppressed. He already knew what was going to happen. Taeyong explained the theory he had for what they would try to do. They would suppress them until they turned their bodies into empty shells to accept their spirits. He just closed his eyes and awaited his fate when those scrawny fingers touched his temple. Maybe by doing so he wouldn’t feel that pain he was under at that moment.

Then he felt the pressure drain from his body. He was out of strength. His body fell to the side. He opened his eyes slowly. His vision was blurry. He heard a familiar voice calling his name. Those hands shaking his body to try to wake him up. He looked up and saw the blurry silhouette of a young man with long hair and white clothes. Tears fell from his eyes again as his vision returned to normal. He quickly hugged that figure tightly.

“Yuta, m-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My God. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Said the warlock desperately. He had never felt such extreme fear like that. He didn't know if he was alive, if he was real, he just wanted to be able to hold him one last time. He didn't mind showing that state he was in to the Japanese. Nothing else mattered.

“Woo.” Yuta said softly. "I’m fine.”

Jungwoo couldn't take his face off his chest to look at it and know if it was real. He just wished he could be safe in his brother's arms. He felt the hands of the omega running through his hair.

“It's okay, Woo.”

“Yuta, this must be a dream. I don't want to wake up. ”

“Master is not a dream!” He heard Chenle's voice next to them.

“Woo looks at us.” Yuta said, patting his head as if he were a child. He hesitated as he let go of the omega. He just moved his face slowly, not opening his eyes. When he opened them, he looked right at Yuta in front of him. He had a slight cut on his lip and cheek but he looked fine. Jungwoo put his hand on his chest in search of the flower's wound. Chenle, who was behind the wolf, smiled at him.

“H-how?” He asked, confused. He looked around and saw Joy and Taeyong with confused expressions just like him. He then noticed that the three elders were standing not far from them. In the position they were in when they walked to suppress them, with their hands pointed in the direction of each of the three. They were static. Jungwoo then felt another huge pressure on him followed by the sound of light steps behind him. He looked in that direction and saw Kun's eyes glowing blue. A serious expression on his face. His entire silhouette looked like it was surrounded by the same color as his eyes. Two boys were standing behind him with curious expressions.

“You were smart. Warlock. An annoying situation you put me in though. Nevertheless, the fact that you guide me to my friends in a way I hadn't anticipated was interesting. Still, I believe what you saw was enough to warn you against trying to use me a second time.” Kun said seriously. He looked so different now. His presence was imposing and dangerous. Jungwoo felt a chill in his tone.

"What did yo- "

Kun just touched his own temple and turned to leave.

"Wait!” Chenle said. “How many lives have you lived!?”

That aura around Kun disappeared. He looked at Chenle with a shrewd look. “You asked wrong. Too many lives have been lived in three thousand years for me to count. ” He then looked at Joy, Jisung and Taeyong approaching Jungwoo. They looked at the elders and then looked at the fox who just smiled smugly. “Don't worry. Your elders are in a beautiful dream where they roam this world in your bodies, commanding all existing creatures. However, don't expect them to stay that way forever.” He shrugged. "By the way, it's a shame their bodies are so old, they get trapped in this illusion without keeping the spell that lets them live..." He laughed and withdrew from the place holding the two boys by the back of their necks. Jungwoo swallowed hard. Kun was really dangerous.

Yuta helped him to his feet. They looked towards the elders and saw that their bodies were slowly turning to stone. However, despite everything they had happy expressions on their faces. He looked at the omega and hugged him once more. He felt Chenle patting him on the back.

“Didn't know you were such a sticky master!”

Jungwoo just moved his hand and ruffled the fox's hair. He wondered what the elders meant by the fact that he couldn't remember running away from them or his own mother. It was something he would question him later. At that moment, he still felt fragile. Seeing Yuta killed was for sure Kun's punishment, he hadn't even noticed that he had entered his illusion or how long he had been in the illusion. He just shook his head to push that thought away.

“Kim.” He heard Taeyong calling him. "Can we talk?”

Jungwoo looked at Yuta and Chenle. The two nodded without even saying anything.

“I-I need to find Jaehyun.” Said the omega.

Jungwoo thought of saying something against it, but he thought that maybe the omega was in pain for not being close to the alpha. It was irritating, the dependency that bonded wolves had, but he couldn't do anything about it. He just nodded. Yuta said he would wait for him to get out of that place. The omega asked if he knew how to get back to the hotel and Jisung offered to guide him. Yuta growled at the warlock but decided to follow him. Chenle also went with the two after quickly explain that one of the elders caught him and Jisung but only he was throw into some sort of cage with other foxes, apparently, then it didn't took long for Kun to appear there and free them. As they passed through the door, Jungwoo turned to the two who were looking at the statues of the elders.

“Their vow is now broken.” Taeyong said in a serious tone. “I believe that all warlocks and witches who were linked with them are now… free.”

“We should take a stand.” Joy said, touching the finger of one of the petrified elders. Those statues slowly began to crumble into sand. “Even you, Kim.” She turned her gaze to the blonde.

That took him by surprise. He thought for a moment.

“I don't know if I want to participate in whatever this is. Park. ” He shrugged. “It's not like I'm too close to other witches to care about what happens from now on. ”

"I understand.” She shrugged. “Although I believe it would be a great opportunity to bring your family back to the place they never should have left. Things can be different from now on. ”

“I believe there must be a lot of confused witches and warlocks right now. They came to an event created by the elders, a trap. They must be well aware that something was wrong with them. ” Taeyong sighed and then petted the black bird that was on his shoulder. “I believe it is up to us to explain the situation. ”

“I don't know… I could just... give you some assistance. I wouldn’t mind that.”

Joy smiled softly. “I don't like this idea either. Of founding something new in the place of this old council, but... I think we can do things differently now. Not all witches know what to do. Many of us need people to guide and inspire them. We cannot lose our way.”

“None of us like it.” Taeyong said. “But I think it's bigger than us. At least now. ”

Jungwoo sighed. "What's the plan?”

 

~

 

Yuta was still mad at Jisung. However, he decided to forgive him after the warlock explained to him the reason for the way he acted and honestly, in Jisung's place, Yuta would do the same thing to save Jungwoo. Without hesitating. Despite this, Jisung stated that he did not know of the plan the elders had for them. Yuta shook his head to forget about Jungwoo's frightened expression. That terrified him. The omega did not understand what exactly happened. That elder had knocked him out after his failed attempt to attack her. After that, he just remembers waking up in that place. He was sure the elders were going to harm them, but they suddenly walked up to the three of them and stopped in their tracks. Then they didn't move anymore. Jungwoo, Joy and the other warlock were also paralyzed. As if they were stuck in a moment in time. He remembers feeling his body light after that, as if whatever had been holding him, released him.

Another thing he didn't understand well was Kun. That one seemed to be a completely different person from the Kun he met at that double date with Ten. Chenle talked excitedly about the Chinese, he said that the one in the room was the fox side and that the Kun they met was it’s other side. He didn't quite understand. He then felt a certain pain in his chest and began to walk faster through that place that looked like a dungeon. Jisung guided them saying he knew the way to the gate back to the hotel. Yuta was worried about Jaehyun. The way he looked the last time the omega saw him. He attacked that elder was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. What if she hurt Jaehyun after that? No, he thought. He couldn't tell if that feeling was due to their bond.

They arrived at the entrance hall quickly. Yuta didn't pay attention on the way, he just wanted to find Jaehyun and see if he was alright. There were witches in the entrance hall, leaving the other hall that was supposed to be the event Jisung talked about. Everyone had confused expressions on their faces. Yuta could see between them Yunho and Jaehyun. The beta was supporting the alpha who had an arm around his shoulder. Some of the warlocks who were there were looking at them with a frown, the same thing was for the Japanese when he was running down that hall towards the two, but he didn't care. Yunho released Jaehyun who stumbled towards the omega and the two embraced. He put his face to the alpha's neck, taking in that pine scent that only he had. That he loved.

“I'm sorry Jae…” said Yuta, his voice cracking.

“I-it's alright Yuta.” said the alpha gently. “I'm glad you're okay, I was scared. I lost consciousness and then you were nowhere... I-I didn't know what to do. ”

They heard footsteps in their direction. The witches in the place were approaching them, but Jisung caught everyone's attention by talking about the elders. Then all the witches followed him into the hotel in a hurry. Yuta breathed a sigh of relief. He squeezed Jaehyun tightly in his embrace making the alpha mutter an 'Ouch'. Of course, he was still injured after the fight with Yunho. Though his face was apparently cleaner now, he could see that his bruises no longer bled. They then kissed softly. Yuta felt his heart lighten now that he was with the alpha. He heard Yunho walking away. He turned to look at the beta.

“Yunho!”

The older one looked on with a sad expression.

“I'm sorry kid. I wasn't in control of my body. ”

“It's okay Yunho. I know you had no control over the situation, but you managed to warn me that day at the mall, despite everything. Thanks. ”

Yunho just shook his head. "It wasn’t enough.” He looked at Jaehyun. “I'm sorry you too.”

Yuta could feel the alpha hold back a growl. Then he looked at the omega and just sighed.

"It's all right.”

Yunho smiled slightly.

“Where are you going?”

The beta shrugged. “Anywhere far from here. I need to think. And remember not to deal with any witches next time. " He laughed. “Just the life of a lone wolf again. ”

Yuta bit his lip. Despite everything, he was concerned about the beta. Yunho always cared about him back when he was just training Yuta. He’s very thankful for that.

"Take care.”

"I will.” He waved at them both. “See you around, kid. I'm glad you accepted who you are. ” Then he ran to the exit and transformed. He looked back one last time and took off running.

Yuta helped Jaehyun to sit in one of the waiting chairs in that hall. Chenle was walking around the place mumbling to himself as if he were in his own world. He reminded Jungwoo a little with that curious expression he had.

“Yuta I-”

“It's okay, Jae.” He smiled at the alpha.

“I-believe you now have enough reasons to want to break our bond.” Muttered the alpha without looking at his eyes.

Yuta felt his heart constrict. “No, Jae. Let's talk about this another time, okay? ”

Jaehyun just nodded, but they never did.     

 

-

 

They had spent a few days in Incheon after what happened. Yuta and Jaehyun bond settled during that time. Despite this, Jungwoo and Chenle stayed in Incheon for a few more days when Yuta and Jaehyun left. The blonde was now helping Joy and the other warlock, who was named Taeyong, to found a 'new council'. Apparently, not all witches believed in what had happened. It would be a difficult task, but Jungwoo seemed determined to help. The blonde had said that Joy wanted to change a lot of things in the witch situation. Yuta still had his doubts about Joy, she didn’t even bother to say sorry, but he didn’t bother to talk to her either. They ended whatever activities were taking place on Jeju Island, Taeyong and Jungwoo dealt with the witches while Joy and the Park family helped the creatures that were trapped on that island to reintegrate. They intended to close the gates of the hotel after they took care of everyone who was on that island.

Arriving in Seoul, Jaehyun and Yuta split up. The alpha wanted to see how his pack was doing and Yuta needed to talk to Ten, to see if he was alright, considering what he witnessed from Kun, the omega couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive about the relationship his friend had with that fox. What bothered him was that from the day it all happened, the alpha had been hesitating around the Japanese. He could feel the discomfort the alpha felt. Moreover, that discomfort tightened his chest even more because from that day onwards Jaehyun avoided him. Not only did he avoid it, but also going back to Seoul together was the last time Yuta saw him. It didn't take long for Jungwoo and Chenle to return to Seoul, they settled in Yuta's apartment for some time. It was great to have them there. The way Jaehyun had just left him was painful. In the omega's mind, Jaehyun maybe didn't want to keep that bond they made, maybe he was just being forced to stay with Yuta and now that it's all over he doesn't have that obligation anymore.

The worst part about returning to Seoul was talking to Ten. That Thai filled him with questions. He even remembers Mark being with them in that conversation, with an expression of defeat. Apparently, Jungwoo had called Ten to find out about Yuta, which confused him. Of course, the Thai didn't know about their relationship. As the Japanese were nowhere to be found. Ten went to Mark and made him spit the truth. The Thai said that Yuta would have to buy him a mansion to compensate, but after the Japanese explained to him that he has no rights to the Kim family's money and business, Ten looked mildly disappointed. When he asked about his disappearance, Yuta had no choice but to lie. He said he had traveled with Jaehyun. Ten made a dubious expression but bought that lie while Mark looked proud of the Japanese.

A month has passed since then. Yuta didn’t try to reach the alpha. His semester would return next week so maybe he would have a good distraction from his thoughts. Other than Jungwoo and Chenle, the two were now moving out. Even though Yuta said it was okay for them to live with him. Jungwoo had bought a store in a quieter part of town, it wasn't far, above the store there was a loft that was where the two would move. Jungwoo was planning to open an antique shop. He and Chenle seemed excited with the idea. The blonde always liked that kind of thing and according to him, it was a way to see if humans happened to have dangerous magic items. He was really excited about that, Yuta couldn't help but feel happy for him. The warlock had changed since that day in the hotel. The omega could tell he was more radiant since then. As if that weight that had been on his back all this time was gone and now, he didn't hesitate to tell the Japanese about his 'warlock things'. It was good to feel that he could be part of the same world as his brother. Chenle had said that the new council was stabilizing and in conversation with Joy and Taeyong they decided that Jungwoo's idea wasn't bad. Despite this, he would continue to help the two new witch leaders. However, behind the scenes, since the alpha pack leaders didn't like the idea of Jungwoo having 'power' among witches. It was an agreement between them to establish peace or something. Jungwoo also told him that the witch Irene vanished. The omega felt a chill about it. When the two left his apartment, Yuta felt alone for the first time in a long time.

 

-

 

“Why are you two not together anyway?” Taeil asked approaching Yuta on his way out of college.

Yuta felt a brief tightening in his heart. “I think he just didn't want to keep the bond. I am grateful for what he did for me. But I can't force him to stay with me. ” He looked away. Now he could sense that Taeil was also a wolf. It had been in his face all this time and he hadn't noticed.

Taeil just rolled his eyes. “I don't know what to do with you two. You guys say the exact same thing and you're both clearly in pain from being apart for like… a month now? ”

Yuta bit his lip. “I don't know what you want me to say.”

Taeil put a hand on his shoulder. “Look Yuta, I'm going to be straight. Do you like and want to be with Jaehyun?”

“I…” He hesitated. He wanted so much. He missed him so much. It was as if they were always together. He missed the alpha. His dimples. His fluffy hair. His soft lips. The cozy hug. He couldn't get the words out. He just nodded, making the beta smile.

"Great!” He replied cheerfully. “Do you, hum, want to come over for dinner tonight? My pack will be reunited and my friend Doyoung wants to meet you. ”

“But Jaehyun…”

"It's gonna be okay. Besides, I bet you're dying to see him. I believe it will be good for both of you to see each other. ” He blinked at the omega. “I also can't stand to see him depressed at home anymore. He’s like, with the same expression you've been these past few days. ”

Jaehyun was depressed? Because of Yuta? It should be just what he wanted to believe. It couldn't be because of that if he didn't want to be with omega. The Japanese thought about what the beta proposed. He always thought too much about this kind of situation, but in that moment he had decided it would be the last time for him. It's time to put a closure to that. He wanted to be with Jaehyun but if the alpha spoke with all the words. That he didn't want to be with him. He would stop getting down on him.

"I do.”

Taeil patted him on the back. “Can you write down the address?”

 

~

 

One month and seven days. Jaehyun counted how long he was away from the omega, even though he left him to his own choice. Yuta was always in his head. However, he couldn't face him. He also started avoiding Johnny recently because the alpha wanted to talk about his situation. Doyoung also seemed interested in talking about it, but he didn't say anything. Taeil on the other hand didn't seem to mind. It wasn't like him to lecture him anyway, but he knew it was the beta who was talking to Jeno and Sungchan to come up with some idea of what to do to distract him or maybe they both just knew he was sad and that he needed some distraction. That afternoon Sungchan had challenged him to a basketball game on the field of a park near where they lived. Jaehyun regretted it when he realized he was a little out of shape for that sport and Sungchan apparently practiced it almost daily. The youngest was now almost as tall as he was. He believed that his brother would be even taller than him in the future.

"I’m sorry, brother.” Said the youngest.

Jaehyun opened his mouth to question him but noticed that Johnny was walking towards them behind Sungchan. He just sighed. Eventually he would have to talk to the alpha. He was just delaying that conversation. Johnny already knew what happened at the council, recently the witches called the pack leaders to get things right. Although some rejected the beginning, the wolves and witches agreed that creating rivalries between them did no good and their relationship could be peaceful. Things seemed to be heading for something good. That warlock, Yuta's brother, seemed to be doing a good job. Another thing was that despite having seen Taeyong, back in Incheon, the alpha did not speak to him. It was something he would do at another time.

“Can we talk now or are you going to avoid me again?” Johnny asked in a serious tone, putting his hands in the pockets of the black sweatshirt he was wearing.

“I'm sorry, yes we can.”

They sat in the corner of the field. Jaehyun already had a sense of what Johnny was going to say. But he decided to listen anyway.

“Why are you avoiding your omega?”

“He's not mine, Johnny.”

The alpha rolled his eyes. “Well, you guys are bonded, in a way he is. The same goes for him about you. ” He shrugged. “Still, I didn't expect you to be that kind of person. ”

“I-I just…” He sighed. “I just feel like I failed him. I promised his brother that I would give my life to protect him and Yuta was nearly killed twice because I wasn't strong enough to handle a beta. I was completely useless. ”

Johnny raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that your excuse?”

“I am not worthy of him. He should have someone that could do more for him. ” He shrugged. “He talked about breaking the bond too anyway. After all, it wasn't something natural. ”

“He insisted on the idea of you guys breaking the bond?” Asked Johnny curious. Jaehyun just shook his head. “You jumped to conclusions.” He said, patting the youngest on the back.

"No I don-"

“Look, Jaehyun.” Johnny said, interrupting him. “I know from experience that pushing the person you love away is the worst thing to do. I know you have strong feelings for Yuta because it gets stamped on your face and even if you say something like ‘It was the bond’. It wasn't, the bond doesn't create feelings out of nowhere. It only strengthens what is already there. ” He pointed at Jaehyun's chest.

"But-"

“I believe you are not paying attention to what really matters. You're letting your wounded alpha ego do the talking for you. I can see right through you Jaehyun, you don't fool me.” Johnny looked at him seriously. “I know the job you got isn't that far from where the omega lives, I doubt it wasn't on purpose.” He shrugged. “You should stop fighting yourself.”

Jaehyun thought about those words. Johnny was probably right.

“Wait, what job?”

“That bartender job you interviewed recently.” Johnny gave him his cell phone. “You forgot it at home. If I hadn't answered, maybe you would have lost the opportunity.”

"Shit. I got it?”

“Yeah, but since they're renovating the place, you don't start until next week. Best not to forget your cell phone again. ” He shrugged. “Now back to the point. You should talk to Yuta. Avoiding him, or worse, acting like he doesn't even exist will hurt him more than you. If you don't want anything to do with him, which I doubt, you have to be a man and speak up. ”

He had to agree with Johnny. He felt as if the elder had punched him in the stomach with the truths he'd told him. In fact, his ego as an alpha was hurt and that made him feel unworthy of Yuta. However, he was somewhat hesitant. Would the Japanese still want to look at him in the face after he disappeared again after promising that it wouldn't happen again? It might be too late now and that's why Yuta didn't come looking for him.

“You're right Johnny. I'm so stupid right? But still, I don't know if I still have a chance. I fucked up with him again.”

"Only when you want to be.” Johnny sighed. “You could have really screwed up. But you should explain yourself anyway. ”

Jaehyun bit his lip

"You're right.”

 

~

 

Yuta was looking at what to wear while talking on the phone with Ten. The Thai insisted on helping him choose what to wear even though he couldn't get to Yuta's apartment at the moment. Thanks to technology. He could make a video call to see what the omega intended to wear.

“You should go on a tank top. I know you have several of those, hum, the striped one I only saw you wearing once.” Ten said with a thoughtful expression. “Oh and don't forget that necklace of yours.”

Yuta felt his heart sink. Ten spoke of the necklace that held his wolf.

“I, hum, don't have it anymore. I lost it. ”

"What?” Said the Thai in disbelief. “It was so beautiful, Nakamoto. I can't believe you lost it! "

“It happens…” He shrugged. “Well, I prefer to wear a long-sleeved blouse than a tank top for this.”

“How are you going to seduce Jaehyun like this?”

“Ten I'm not going to seduce him… I just want to talk to him. Besides, it's just dinner with... friends.”

“Oh, I know the kind of 'dinner with friends' you mean. I bet you will be in his bed before midnight!”

Yuta blushed. “O-of course not!”

Ten chuckled. “Anyway, I don't understand what's up with you guys. One moment you two seem made for each other and then something strange happens. Seriously, I think there's a lot of miscommunication between the two of you. Please fix this.”

That took him by surprise. Ten noticed them more than he realized. He always seemed too busy with his own life to care what happened between Yuta and Jaehyun. The omega didn't bring up the subject of Kun to not sound strange, but he didn't need to since the Thai spoke on his own a few weeks ago. Kun had returned to China. Ten said he had promised to return, but Yuta could feel the uncertainty in his words.

"I will try.” Yuta said, sighing. “I also think we have this problem.” He held up two jackets in front of his cell phone for the Thai to choose one.

“You really do. Anyway…” He looked at the clothes. "The blue one. Is prettier.”

 

-

 

It was already nightfall when the omega arrived at that house. It was a simple three-story house, white walls and a gray roof. On the third floor there was a small porch. Despite being tall, it wasn't very wide. It was the home of Jaehyun's pack and as far as Yuta knew, other than Jaehyun, the pack had six wolves. Including his little brother. It was a small pack for what the omega knew on the subject. He hesitated but decided to press the doorbell and Taeil opened the door quickly with a smile on his face. Yuta shivered before taking the first step inside the house. His heart was beating fast.

“I'm glad you actually came. Yuta!” Taeil patted his shoulder. “Ah, Jaehyun went to buy us wine, don't worry.” He winked at Yuta.

Yuta felt his heart constrict. He looked into that living room. The people who were there got up and came to greet him warmly. Yuta felt relieved about that. Something inside him feared that Jaehyun's pack didn't like him and would only complicate things in case they... came back. Jeno, Jaemin, Sungchan, Johnny and Doyoung. Johnny the omega briefly remembers the day he and Jaehyun walked into the Kim's mansion. However, that was the first time he had spoken to the alpha. Sungchan looked excited, he reminded Jaehyun a little. Though he didn't say it, Yuta knew it was his brother. Jeno and Jaemin looked adorable too, and Doyoung... Yuta couldn't explain the feeling. The omega looked at him in a friendly way and gave him a light hug, which the Japanese were a little surprised.

“It's a pleasure to meet you Yuta.” He smiled holding his hands.

"Thanks.” Yuta smiled slightly. “It's-nice to meet you too… I mean, all of you.” He looked at the wolves around him. It was the first time he had actually known more of his kind.

“Well, dinner is almost ready, everyone, let’s go to the kitchen and help me finish it.” Taeil said in a bossy tone. “You guys can sit down and talk, I won't let anyone interrupt.” He winked at them both.

Yuta looked at Doyoung who pointed to the armchairs in the living room.

“So… Yuta.” Doyoung said, sitting in the armchair. “First of all. How are you? I mean…” He pointed to his own neck. Yuta realized that he was referring to the bond mark.

“Oh, it's okay.” Yuta looked away. “The truth is. It bothers me a little.” Yuta felt uncomfortable at the place of the bite since Jaehyun pulled away from him. However, it was bearable. He knew this was probably going to happen. Doyoung seemed to understand what he was talking about.

"I know how it is. It's a little distressing right?” Yuta nodded. “I was curious to meet you. Yuta. Jaehyun had never told me about you before because of your situation.” Yuta swallowed hard. The situation he meant was the fact that he was a 'human'. “But I'm glad to meet you now, even though Jaehyun has been acting like a kid these past few days.”

Yuta sighed. “I haven't seen him in a while so I'm not sure what to say.”

Doyoung smiled slightly. “I know, but I was a little confused for him to walk away and you not to try to come after him.”

“I thought about it, but… I believed he didn't want to be bonded to me so I just let him go.” He shrugged. “If he doesn't want to, why should I go after him, right? But still... ”

“But still you are here today.” He placed his hands over Yuta's. “I understand that everything must be very new for you, really. Taeil told me that you guys got really close in a short time and you suddenly became a werewolf and made a bond with Jaehyun. I imagine your head must be full of thoughts because of that. ”

Yuta just nodded. “He was so protective, you know? I was constantly wondering if this bond hadn't caused it. Being with him made me feel good. I felt my heart warmed. I felt loved and safe. ”

“It's normal to feel your feelings get stronger after a bond. God. I couldn't get away from Johnny, it was like being with him was the only thing I needed to live on.” He laughed lightly. “But the bond only strengthens something that already exists. It should be harder to break or shake those feelings... But still, there are exceptions. Jaehyun looks a little confused, but you... seem to be resolved. ”

“I came today because I need to settle down with Jaehyun once and for all. You know? Something similar has happened before. He just ran away from me and disappeared for a week. He explained to me what happened and it was a time when it was best for him to act like that. But now… I don't know. I thought he wanted to be with me. ” He sighed. “I always think too much and end up not acting at all. I've wasted too much time. I... I just want to know what he thinks about me, about us. ”

Doyoung smiled warmly. “I'm really glad you think like this.”

 

~

 

Taeil opened the door quickly when Jaehyun put the key in the lock. It looked like he was waiting for him. It was the first time Jaehyun saw Taeil so intent on cooking, it wasn't like him. He had purchased three bottles of the wine the beta ordered. He handed the bag into Taeil's hands then felt that sweet cherry scent penetrate his nostrils. Yuta. He looked into the living room and the Japanese and Doyoung were having a warm conversation. He was beautiful. Some of his black hair was pulled back in a kind of ponytail while some fell over his shoulders. He was wearing a blue jacket and a gray blouse underneath. He was smiling at Doyoung and it was the most beautiful smile Jaehyun had ever seen. He felt a huge weight in his heart, but he also felt his cheeks burn. How was he there? The alpha was a little confused.

“W-what is he doing here?” He asked Taeil but his tone was a little too loud and Doyoung and Yuta turned to him. The Japanese made an expression of disappointment and got up quickly.

"I was invited. But nevermind. It doesn't matter now.” The alpha's heart clenched when he heard his voice crack. Jaehyun fucked up again. The omega was heading towards the door in a hurry. He could hear Doyoung calling the Japanese. Yuta looked him in the eye once more, visibly hurt, and walked out the door.

“W-wait!” He ran after the omega and grabbed his wrist outside the house. “Yuta, wait, it wasn't on purpose. Please don't go. ”

“How was it not on purpose, Jae?” Yuta turned to him, the omega clearly holding back tears. “I felt like an idiot.”

“No you're not an idiot. Yuta! ” Jaehyun patted his own chest. “I am, I am a complete idiot, because I keep doing this to you again and again. I believed I could protect you, but I completely failed to do so. I was afraid of losing you because I'm weak. As an alpha, I should have protected you better than anyone else should. But I failed—” His voice cracked. “I… I believed you'd be better not to be bonded to a weak alpha like me, I've always found myself somehow better than the others, just in my head. It was frustrating to be defeated when I shouldn't have. I felt unworthy, I felt like a failure. I couldn't look at you and not think about how much I don't deserve you. You are amazing, Yuta you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I think about you every day since I met you. I-"

The omega’s lips on his interrupted him. He missed him so much. He placed his hands on Yuta's waist and pulled him close. Between kisses he muttered an 'I'm sorry', but the Japanese just made a gesture of silence and they went back to kissing each other warmly. Jaehyun felt like his heart was going to explode. Yuta's hands went over his chest and he pushed them away, breaking the kiss. The Japanese took a deep breath.

“One month, Jae. I wish I could be mad at you. ”

“Y-you have every right to be, Yuta.”

"I know.” He rolled his eyes. “But I can't when the only thing I want to do is kiss you.” He looked away, visibly embarrassed. “I feel like I'm living this moment again with you.” He laughed lightly. “But I don't want to have to go through this a third time.”

Jaehyun felt his heart clench. “I don't know if promising I won't repeat it would help, as I broke the first promise.”

Yuta shrugged. “You really did. But... is everything you said, true? ”

He took a step closer to Yuta. “Everything, Yuta. Not being able to defend you that day was the worst thing for me. I truly believed you deserved a better alpha than me. T-That's why I walked away... I thought it would be better for you. ”

Yuta bit his lip. “You're wrong Jae.” He placed a hand on the alpha's face. “There is no one better for me than you.”

 

~

 

Yuta ran his hand on the bed and there was no one. He opened his eyes slowly to stare at the empty space beside him. A smell of food entered the room. He smiled slightly because he already knew what it was about. The omega took whatever shirt he could find and put it on, a shirt too big for him, but he didn't care. He left the room and found Jaehyun wearing nothing but a shirt and boxers, just as he was, in the kitchen probably making them breakfast. He was humming something the Japanese couldn't tell what it was. The alpha stopped when he saw Yuta approaching.

“Nooo.” He pouted. “You should wait for me to take this for you in the bed.”

Yuta laughed. “When it's done I go back there and you pretend I never left.” He kissed the alpha's cheek. “We… hum, we'll probably have to apologize to Taeil for leaving dinner unannounced.”

Jaehyun shrugged. “Honestly, I think that was his idea, plus we probably escaped food poisoning, seriously, Taeil doesn't… cook.”

Yuta chuckled lightly. They hadn't talked much after the night before. They just went back to kissing and then ran away from Jaehyun's house like two teenagers running away from their parents to date in hiding and then… they did everything but talk. The pack probably wouldn't look kindly on Yuta after that. However, after what he had talked to Doyoung, saying they were Jaehyun's pack might not have been quite right. He looked at the smiling alpha in front of him.

"What?” asked Jaehyun, blushing.

"I’m just thinking.” He sat on the kitchen island. “Jae, you explained to me everything I needed to know, I believe.” Yuta ran his finger over a strand of hair and wrapped it around it. “But there are things we need to do if we're going to stay together.”

"Which is?” Jaehyun put out the fire and sat next to Yuta with a worried expression.

“I believe we have to get rid of this fear of telling each other what we're feeling or thinking. If it's something that affects both of us of course, you know that this could all have been avoided if you had simply been honest with me from the start? Not that I'm an example of it. Because I know, I was also having second thoughts about our bond. ” He sighed. “We need to trust each other. If we want this to work, we can't be afraid to share our problems and weaknesses. At least that's how I feel. ”

Jaehyun bit his lip. "You're right.” He took the omega's hand gently. “I was such a coward. When Johnny told me I was letting my wounded alpha ego speak for me it was like I'd been punched in the face." He laughed. “I was such an idiot and I don't know how I could make it up to you. ”

Yuta pouted. “Just take me to college every day from now on and I will forgive you.”

Jaehyun stared at him in disbelief. “You are a little devil you know?”

The two laughed briefly. Yuta felt his heart warm and he imagined that Jaehyun felt the same. Nor did he believe how direct he was being with the alpha since it wasn't like him.

“I… hum, I kind of got a job near here anyway so maybe we'll see each other a lot more often.”

Yuta smiled. "Maybe... "

"What do you have in mind?”

The Japanese twirled another strand of hair around his finger. “I don't know… hum, I thought… I don't know… Maybe if you moved here… but you have your pack…” He looked away in embarrassment.

“A-are you serious? ”

Yuta nodded. “W-well, Doyoung told me that when omegas and alphas bond, they automatically form their own pack so… hum, we kind of…” He felt his cheeks burn. Jaehyun kissed him warmly.

"I need to think.” Jaehyun said, breaking the kiss. “It's just… I don't want to leave my brother in charge of Johnny and Doyoung, although they wouldn't mind, but he hasn't even been presented yet and I want to be there for him. ”

“Well, if you haven't noticed… hum, there's another room here. Jungwoo wouldn't mind after all he's now got himself a place to live so... ” Yuta did his best not to look at the alpha's face.

“I-I can talk to him, of course, hum, he has to decide if he wants to, but I believe he would accept…” The omega could clearly hear the happiness in Jaehyun's voice. “He hasn't been presented yet as I said, so he can't sort of join a pack yet. And considering we are now…” He stood up and walked to the other side to the direction Yuta was looking so he could face him. “I knew that, the pack thing, but I hadn't given it that much importance until… now.”

Yuta felt his heart flutter. He had never imagined that he would have this kind of relationship with anyone before. He put his arms around the taller's neck and pulled him to kiss him again.

“You are my pack. Jae. And I lo—” He bit his tongue. Despite all that, would saying those words be too much? Jaehyun looked at him with eyes shining.

"Please say it.”

Yuta blushed. “I love you, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun put his hands on his waist and pulled him close, as he always did. It was the first time the Japanese had seen him smiling like that. Those dimples would always be his weak point.

“I love you too, Yuta.”

Notes:

Well, i'm getting emotional as write this right now. Writting is something that i dont usually do despite having ideas for historys from time to time. Because i fear that i start a history that i actually like and then suddenly stopping writing because, i don't know, i feel insecure. Agaisnt the Nature is a big win for me since the last fic i wrote i stopped in the middle of it and never touched that history again. It was all because of you who readed, gave kudos and above all, commented. Really i said that a lot but comments about the fic really got me going. Because it make me know that people are really enjoying it and it makes me feel really happy about it and gave me strenght to keep writing. Through the entire process of writting this fic i was scared that i might lose track of it or feel that it was getting terrible and among other things. But i didnt. And i dont know what else to say. I really liked this world i've created here as well the characters and i even feel like theres more to explore.

A idea about an sort of spin off with others characters is growing little by little my mind. Maybe it happens in the future. Otherwise we'll see each other around if i put out any other fic. I'm Jay and once again my sincere thank you!

P.s. i would really like to know your favorite character and what you thought about the fic in general. Feel free to share if you want to, i'll look forward to it ^^