Protection
Title: Protection
Pairing: Yunho/Yuri, Changmin/Junsu, Baekho/Ren (NU'EST),
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Maybe my cats are just the other forms of pretty Kpop idols. Maybe then I can own them.
Summary: Yunho finds a tiger almost dead at the edge of his territory. Reuniting him with his mate has Yunho fighting the demons of his not-so-distant past.
A/N: This fic is part of The Leopard Series. A group of panthers is called a prowl. A group of tigers is called a streak.
Warning: implied abuse/rape/torture, but not by any of the main characters. There is het, bestiality (although it is only implied in this fic)
Yunho was almost asleep, his brain settling in that vague escape of almost unconscious. The peaceful waves were interrupted by a niggle. That’s it. Just a small twitch of something.
One of his cats?
But no, it did not feel familiar.
The niggle faded a little, and Yunho sighed and headed back toward dreaming. He shifted, arm tightening around Yuri’s bare waist. She always fell asleep before him. Maybe it was his need to always protect and watch over her. Maybe it was the multiple orgasms.
The niggle came back. A little stronger.
It was ... almost sick tasting. Like ... grease. Old grease.
Yunho sighed and blinked open his eyes, trying to concentrate on it.
Definitely not one of his cats. It was too far away. Almost at the edge of what he would consider his territory.
Near the small area that was controlled by a streak of tigers.
Jihoon.
He growled and rolled away from his mate to the edge of the bed. She murmured in her sleep, and then was awake, picking up on his agitation.
“Yunnie,” she whispered.
“Sh, love. I have to go check our borders.”
“Jihoon?”
“Maybe. It doesn’t feel strong enough to be Jihoon. But it is definitely a tiger.”
She frowned.
“I won’t go alone. I’ll take Changmin with me.”
Yuri smiled. “Fine. You know I won’t sleep until you get back so I might as well go too.”
Yunho chuckled and said, “Stay. If this is a direct threat, I need you to wake everyone up and gather reinforcements.”
She pouted but nodded. “Fine.” She pulled him down for a kiss, and if it wasn’t for the unknown of this feeling in his head, he would have toppled her back into the bed and torn off her panties. Really. Why did she insist on not only buying them but also wearing them to bed? They always ended up in tatters. He was naked, he always slept naked. It was just so much easier.
“Stop thinking, my love,” she said. “I’ll suck your dick later.”
Yunho growled, took one more kiss, and then jerked himself out of bed and into their closet to dress.
---
“First week back and I’ve dragged you from your mate,” Yunho whispered just as they approached the area where Yunho felt the disturbance.
Changmin smiled. “It’s okay. It’s good to be back, and I know Yoochun is glad to be rid of me.”
“I still haven’t decided on a punishment for you so obviously disobeying my orders before.”
“Jaejoong wouldn’t let me have dessert for three weeks if that counts.”
Yunho glanced over at his Second and smiled. Changmin was more relaxed, but stronger, a bit more powerful now that he had a mate with a strong bond. He had his long hair pulled back in a tie and his arms and chest were more defined. Everything about him said control, power, don’t fuck with me.
Yunho was almost disappointed that Changmin hadn’t been part of his prowls in Japan. He would have been so strong. A good asset.
He was a good asset now, Yunho reminded himself. Especially since they weren’t sure what exactly they were investigating.
“I guess that’s good,” Yunho said. “Jaejoong’s desserts are heavenly.”
“And Junsu enjoyed eating his and mine right in front of me.”
“Painful.”
“Very.”
Yunho turned down a street. The niggle in his head wasn’t anything more than that, even though they were near the edge of their territory. This tiger wasn’t very strong. How come Jihoon had let him out by himself?
There were not a lot of panthers in Korea. There were a lot more in Japan. There were even fewer tigers. Yunho did not know of a single tiger streak in Japan. In Korea, there were only three. One here, near their little beach village, and one farther north, almost against the DMZ, and one near Busan.
He had a theory that Jihoon had a few issues with being such a small streak and made up for that in being an authoritative dictator and asshole. Anytime Yunho had to speak with him, he left feeling annoyed, pissed off, and dirty Yunho felt sorry for the tigers underneath him.
Yunho stopped and touched his head. Pain. Not his own. He had expected the single niggle to multiply as they grew closer. But it stayed as just one consciousness.
And now it hurt.
A lot.
“Fuck,” Yunho whispered and rubbed his temples.
Changmin moved in front of him, and then crouched on the ground a few hundred yards ahead.
“Shit,” he whispered. “Fuck, Yunho. This is bad. This cat ... he’s ... gutted.”
“Human or tiger form?”
“Tiger.”
“Which is the only reason he isn’t dead. Can we move him?”
“Not without risking destroying the stuff that has already healed.”
Yunho took another step and pain flared through his head again. He bent over, hands on his knees.
“Yunho?”
“I can’t ...” He tried another step with the same effect. “I don’t think I can get closer without my head throbbing.”
Changmin tittered. “Well, that’s ... convenient.”
“Not my choice,” Yunho growled.
“I meant from Jihoon’s perspective. If another leader is in pain when he’s around Jihoon’s followers, there’s no chance of him losing them.”
Yunho grunted, still a little annoyed, but now at Jihoon instead of Changmin.
“Call Sungmin,” Changmin said. “I’m going to see if I can get him ... put back together a little bit.”
Yunho took out his phone and called Sungmin’s private line. He was understandably groggy when he answered and Yunho felt the reluctance to leave his new mate all the way from their apartment. He and Minji had just looked at each other one day and bam! In the middle of their main kitchen, they had started mating.
Only Yunho managed to convince Sungmin order him very nicely into a nearby bedroom.
Sungmin promised he would be there as soon as possible.
---
Minki wavered. Heard moaning. And pain. Shit that hurt. Why did he hurt so much? There was a voice somewhere that told him to hold still.
Nothing smelled right.
His head hurt. A small prick of a needle in his arm made him flinch. But he was used to that. And a few moments later, the pain went away and everything was mostly dark and blurry and twisted.
Sleep. Sleep was always good.
---
Yunho growled from the door, unable to step into the room with the hurt tiger because of the pain in his head.
“He isn’t familiar to me at all,” Sungmin said.
“Me neither. Jihoon keeps a tight grip on his tigers,” Yunho said. “I’m not surprised we do not recognize him. The only one I have met is Jihoon himself and the one they call White Tiger, Baekho.”
“We’ll get answers from him when he wakes up,” Changmin said. “The most pressing question is why he was alone and injured in our territory.”
“He might not know the answer to that one,” Sungmin said.
“We will take the opportunity to ask about the streak too,” Yunho said. “How many of them are there? How strong are they? What are their plans? How can I fucking stop them from fucking with my territory without killing them all? Why the hell can’t I fucking walk into the same fucking room as him?”
Changmin snorted. “Such language, Dominant.”
“Fuck off, Changmin.” Arms wrapped around his waist and Yuri pressed her head to the middle of his back.
She was laughing at him.
He growled, but kept his mouth shut. Cussing Yuri out in unnecessary anger usually ended up with claw marks on his face and a very angry, beautiful mate. And days of groveling for forgiveness.
“He is not going to be conscious for another day,” Sungmin said, checking his vital signs again. “He is healing slow, and he is not healing correctly. Get out and let me concentrate.”
Yuri pulled at his body, and still grumbling, still angry, he let himself be moved away from the door, the hurt tiger inside, and the pain in his own head.
How was he supposed to fix this when he couldn’t get anywhere near the kid? And he was a kid. Or looked like one. Really young. Creamy skin. Long blond hair. He would have been requested constantly at a club. Maybe even given Gigi a run for her money. Or his money.
“Come on, I made breakfast,” Yuri said.
Yunho glanced over at her, a single eyebrow raised.
She huffed. “Fine. Ryeowook made breakfast, but I did help.”
Yunho laughed, putting his arm around his mate. He steered her toward their bedroom instead, mostly eager to release the pent up frustration in a different way, between his mate’s legs. Yuri smiled and did not complain. She never did when it came to orgasms, sex, or love.
---
Nothing smelled right.
Everything still hurt. Ached, really. A deep ache like after a long run down the coast. Not nearly as painful as after a long night in Jihoon’s bed.
His body did not want to move. He was okay with that.
His eyes fluttered open to dim light. There was a groan. Oh, from him. And then a concerned face swam into his vision. Minki tried to focus on it and shut his eyes instead. He was dizzy.
“Don’t try to move or talk,” a voice said. “You were badly injured. Open your mouth. I have water.”
Water sounded heavenly.
Minki obeyed, taking the few swallows he was allowed from a water bottle. Cool and comforting. He tried to smile.
“Eat a cracker.”
A rough, salty texture hit his lips and he obeyed again. He didn’t like the harshness of it after the cool water, but he was given more water to wash it down.
“I know you’re in pain, but I want to make sure you keep that cracker down before I give you more pain medicine.”
Pain? Yeah. There was pain. Not bad though. Not like normal.
“Can you tell me your name?”
Strangers.
Minki stiffened.
After a moment of silence, the voice continued, “We found you near the border, near Jihoon’s territory, but just inside ours. My name is Sungmin. I’m part of Jung Yunho’s prowl of leopards. You were seriously injured, gutted, left for dead, we think.”
Not just strangers. Worse. Panthers.
Jung Yunho.
Minki could not breathe.
“Hey, come on. We’re not going to hurt you. Breathe. Take a deep breath.”
Minki tried. His head felt light. He fought the urge to run just because he was incapable of doing so.
“Jung Yunho has a terrifying reputation,” Sungmin said. “I know that. But he’s different now. I promise. We are not going to hurt you. He can’t even be near you, if that makes you feel better. He gets to the doorway and has such a massive attack of pain that it’s impossible for him to step inside this room.”
Only slightly comforting, because it obviously didn’t stop any other leopard from coming into the room.
“You’re safe,” Sungmin said again. “Try to relax. How is your pain level on a scale of one to ten?”
Minki shook his head. It didn’t hurt enough to complain about.
“No pain?”
Minki shrugged.
“Some pain?”
He nodded.
“Can you talk and you’re just not choosing to talk?”
Minki froze for a moment and then sighed and nodded.
“This would be a lot easier if you talked, but I can do with gestures. What hurts the most?”
Minki thought about that for a moment and then pointed to his stomach.
“Yeah, I bet. Changmin found you with most of your insides on the outside. It was a bitch to get back in order. Your head? Pain?”
He shook his head.
“Groggy feeling, like you can’t really think or everything sort of feels heavy?”
He shook his head again.
“Good. The concussion is mostly healed then. Have another cracker.”
Minki sighed and accepted it, washing it down with another swig from the bottle of water. Sungmin left his bedside only long enough to grab a couple of pills.
“Just some regular, super-strength, pain medicine. They are not tranquilizers. They might make you fall asleep.”
Resigned to his fate, Minki took them. And then another cracker.
As the minutes passed and the edges of his vision blurred, Minki tried to remember why Jihoon had tried to kill him. The last thing he remembered was kneeling at his feet, trying not to look at Baekho.
Trying not to launch himself at Baekho. Trying to keep his tiger in check.
Had he failed?
Or had Baekho?
It made no sense. And he fell asleep with a long-but-not-lost memory of Baekho smiling at him.
---
“He won’t talk,” Sungmin said to Yunho that night. “He’ll answer yes or no questions about his pain and other things, but he hasn’t actually said a word. I don’t know what his name is or why he was injured.”
“An injury like that ... well, he might not remember why,” Yunho said. “He’s eating, drinking?”
“Yes. He gets up and walks around. He’ll be fine tomorrow. Except he won’t talk.”
“Tell him how many days it’s been since we found him and tell him how many days it will be until he can go back.”
“You’re going to send him back?” Changmin said in surprise.
Yunho glanced over at him. “He’s a tiger. Not my problem.”
“If you really believed that, you’d have left him for dead.”
Yunho pondered that. “Well, maybe. But we aren’t going to keep him prisoner. If he wants to go back, he can go back.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Sungmin asked.
“We have extra rooms.”
“Taking in strays again,” Yuri asked, coming into the room.
Yunho smiled at his mate and allowed the kiss to his mouth and did not mind when she fell into his lap, even if he was sort of in an important meeting.
“Bad habit,” Yunho said and nuzzled her neck. Even after almost sixteen years, she still smelled more beautiful than a garden full of flowers. They needed a garden. A big one. Maybe he’d redo half the backyard.
Or the roof. It was flat enough. They already had a bit of a relaxing space up there. It’d be great to have a grassy place to rest in the sun.
“We won’t know anything until he talks,” Yunho said. “But I refuse to keep him captive just to get information out of him. It’s been five days and not a single tiger has even come close to the border. I’m sure he was just a body dump, but we managed to get there before he died. If that’s true, then he has nowhere else to go. Give him his options. Better yet, call me while you’re in the room and I can talk to him and give him his options.”
Sungmin frowned, but nodded. “I’ll go check to see if he’s awake.”
Yunho tried not to get distracted with Yuri in his lap. “What’s your opinion, Minnie?”
Changmin growled. “Not calling me that would be good.”
Yunho smiled and said, “Changdola.”
Changmin glared at him, causing them both to laugh.
“Seriously, what do you think?”
Changmin tilted his head to the side, something he also did as a cat. “I think he can’t stay here, but only because he smells funny. He makes me twitchy, but I can control myself. The others--” He shook his head. “Donghae and Eunhyuk may not be able to keep themselves from harming him for encroaching on our territory. He’s not going to want to stay in a prowl of leopards either.”
Yunho thought about that and nodded. “As a Dominant, I am going to have to control too many to keep him safe.”
Changmin nodded. “We can see if we can contact the streak in Busan. They may take him in.”
“I have no idea how tigers run their streaks,” Yunho admitted. “There were no tigers in Japan.”
“That you know of,” Changmin said.
Yunho growled at him, at daring to imply that he did not know every single cat--
“Calm down,” Yuri said in his ear. “You were very powerful. Very knowledgeable. You had control of everything. Now shut up and stop growling at your prowl members.”
Yunho huffed at her. He did not apologize to Changmin though.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced to make sure it was Sungmin and then answered the phone.
“Hey,” Sungmin said. “He is awake. I told him that you weren’t able to come see him and that you wanted to talk to him, so he’s prepared.”
“Put him on.”
Yunho was aware that the tiger wasn’t talking, so he waited a few seconds and then said, “I am Jung Yunho. I know you don’t want to talk and I won’t make you, but you have to communicate in some way. Either just say yes or no, or make a noise to let me know you understand. Okay?”
There was a soft, agreeing hum on the other side. It made Yunho’s panther ... tingle? He wasn’t sure.
“Your asshole of a streak leader has done something that makes it impossible for me to get near you without pain in my head. Very inconvenient. It is very obvious where you belong, but you were almost killed and left for dead. Do you know why they would have done this to you?”
It was silent for a bit, and then a very soft, “Yes,” echoed down the phone.
“I will not make you tell me unless you want to, but the next question is important. Do you wish to stay here? Or do you want to go back?”
There was silence again. Yunho’s energy shook, and he felt the other’s fear very clearly.
“I will not kick you out. We have a room you can stay in if you can stand the stink of leopards. I will do my best to protect you, but it may be dangerous because my other leopards are not strong enough to control themselves.”
“Thank you,” the boy whispered.
“I’ll send my Second to you with any information. It would also help if you’d talk to him or Sungmin so I know if there is a threat from the tigers.”
Silence fell again and then Sungmin was back.
“He’s sort of crying,” Sungmin said.
Yunho’s heart clenched in concern. “Let him know that we can take him down to the streak in Busan if he needs to go somewhere else.”
“I will.”
“And invite him to dinner.” Yunho hung up the phone, fuming a little bit. But the boy had said something. That was good.
“He really is pretty,” Yuri said, mostly just for Yunho’s hearing. “I’d have clawed him up back in Japan just for being prettier than me.”
“No one is prettier than you, darling,” Yunho said.
She snorted. “You liked Taehyung more.”
Yunho tried to deny that, but found that he couldn’t. He had taken the boy to the office way more often than he ever had GiGi. Personally, he had liked the boy more, but GiGi had brought him A LOT more money.
“Asshole,” Yuri whispered and kissed him for long enough that Changmin growled at them and then left the room. Probably to go find his own mate.
Good riddance, Yunho thought and lowered Yuri to the floor.
---
Minki liked Changmin. He was tall and strong and gorgeous. His tiger didn’t like the panther, but he was good at shutting his cat up. He liked to sit and listen to him talk. Junsu, too. They were his favorite in this prowl. One or the other of them were always with him, for protection, Junsu had said. The others in the prowl weren’t necessarily strong enough to fight the urge to defend their territory from the tiger.
He answered most of Changmin’s questions with a nod or a headshake and even told them his name, finally. Changmin said they were getting tired of referring to him as, The Tiger. Minki knew why he’d been gutted, or suspected anyway, and they were not in any danger from the tigers that he knew of. It’s not like there were a lot of them, just eight of them.
Jihoon hated that his streak was so small, but he ruled it very well. Or not very well.
Jung Yunho was so different. Jihoon always warned them about how ruthless he was, told them stories of his life in Japan, stories that Changmin said were probably true, but now Yunho wasn’t so bad. Yunho smiled frequently, he cuddled with his mate, he was so worried about Minki, and very angry that he still could not get close to him.
Minki did not know why.
After a week, they managed to be in the same room together, on opposite diagonal corners without Yunho’s head feeling like it was going to explode.
After a week, Minki’s body shook for a different reason. He felt the pull and the anguish and the pain of being so far from his mate.
He stayed in bed, and concerned, Junsu curled up with him. His mate growled at them, and Junsu smiled and told Changmin to go away.
“You were doing so good,” Junsu whispered. “What’s happened?”
Minki did not want to talk. He hadn’t, not more than yes or no or thank yous. He did not want to. He wanted ....
“Baekho,” he whimpered.
Junsu hummed in understanding. Jung Yunho had told them about Jihoon’s Second.
“Mate,” Minki tried again. “He ... he’s my mate.”
Junsu cooed at him, running a soft hand through his hair to try to calm him down. It took a few long minutes of not being able to breathe.
“It isn’t allowed,” Minki whispered. “Not in the streak. We aren’t ... we weren’t allowed. Jihoon is everyone’s mate. No one ... no one is allowed to be with someone else. I think ... I think I lost control ...”
Junsu wiped at the tears on his cheeks. “Is that why he hurt you?”
Minki bit his lip and shrugged. “Probably. Baekho ... Dongho is his real name. He knew it too. He ... he hid it for a long time. We hid it. We couldn’t ... we couldn’t touch or anything without our tigers trying to mate. Maybe ... maybe I lost control. Dongho is too strong for that.”
“As your mate, he should be protecting you.”
Minki growled and then flushed. “He did. He always ... he always cleaned me up after JIhoon ... he always ... he was so good to me. It happened once before. Jihoon caught a couple who said they were mates. He killed the weakest one, to get more control over the other. And then killed him when he went mad and tried to hurt Jihoon. Baekho refused to be like that. He refused to let Jihoon use me that way.”
“But you think he tried the same with you?”
“One of us lost control. Probably me. He probably hurt me to send a message to Baekho. But ... he wouldn’t have dumped me in your territory. Not at all. That isn’t like him. I think ...”
“You think Baekho did it?”
Minki swallowed. “Maybe. If he knew I was alive ... he would have done what he could to help me. Jihoon would not have allowed him to heal me.”
“You don’t know why Yunho can’t get close to you?”
Minki shook his head. “N-no. I don’t ... maybe it’s a tiger thing?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll never see Baekho again,” Minki whispered, trying to keep himself from freaking out.
Junsu smiled. “Never say never, cub. With Yunho as our Dominant, anything is possible.”
---
Junsu told Yunho almost as soon as Minki was asleep. And Yunho grinned.
“If we can get Baekho here,” he said, “that would take one more threat away from us.”
“Are you planning a takeover?” Changmin whispered, glancing around. Probably looking for Yuri.
Yunho winced and said, “Of course not. Just a ... just ...”
Changmin grinned. “Reorganization of our territory lines?’
“Maybe.”
“You can’t kill them all,” Changmin cautioned, “not because you aren’t capable of it, but because there are so few tigers.”
Yunho waved him silent. “I’m mostly incapable, too. I don’t want to kill them. You know I’ve changed a lot.”
“We all have,” Changmin said, his eyes focusing on a distant point beyond Yunho’s shoulder, and Yunho knew he was thinking of the cats from Japan that he had killed to protect Jaejoong. He had admitted to Yunho afterwards that it had been easier than the first few cats who had come searching for Yunho.
“We just need Jihoon gone,” Yunho said. “I have enough reasons without the vague references Minki has made to torture, rape, and control.”
“How do we do this?” Changmin asked.
“I don’t think it will be hard to contact Baekho without Jihoon knowing. I may have developed a conscience, but I haven’t forgotten how to be sneaky. I need to know if Baekho has a cell phone, if Jihoon checks it, how often, does he have his own apartment, things like that.”
“Minki talks to us,” Changmin said. “I’ll get all the information you need.”
Yunho gripped his shoulder. “I am very glad I met you after I left Japan.”
Changmin smiled. “Me too. I’d probably be dead now.”
Yunho swiped at him, and Changmin dodged with a laugh, dancing out of his reach and sliding out of the room.
But he was right and Yunho knew it. In Japan, Yunho was just as likely to recruit him as he was to see the strong cat as a threat and kill him. Who knows how he would have reacted?
---
A few hours later, Yunho started small. Slipping into the edges of Jihoon’s territory. Over the line closest to theirs and then the border on the other side. He moved in and out of the narrow streets, always aware of where the tigers were based on the throbbing in his head.
It made it easy to avoid them. Move until his head hurt and then move away.
He did not allow anyone else in the prowl to do this with him.
Baiting, Yuri had called it.
Yunho agreed. That was exactly what he was doing. There were not enough tigers for them to cover all of their borders. If Jihoon was anything like Yunho, he would send his Second or someone lower to see if the intruder was a threat large enough for him to take care of it.
It took almost a week before Yunho received a message from what Minki confirmed as Baekho’s number. It was just an address, near the edge of their territory.
Yunho stared at Minki, sitting in the chair of his room. He was still, almost completely. His fingers were white, a firm grip on the arms of the chair.
“What are the chances he will be alone?” Yunho asked.
“High,” Minki said. “Baekho is like mist when he doesn’t want to be seen. Jihoon trusts him with everything that he doesn’t want to deal with. He is strong ... he ... he ...” Minki shut his eyes.
Yunho pondered him for another moment. “Do you want to come with me?”
Minki’s eyes flew open. “What?”
“Do you think he knows you’re still alive?”
Minki shrugged. “I am drawn to him just as I always have been. He ... he ... he has ignored the feelings to save both of our lives. He may not recognize the feeling as anything more than want.”
Yunho crossed his arms. “So, are you coming with?”
Minki shut his eyes again and he nodded twice. “Thank you.”
“Be ready to go in half an hour.”
---
Yunho walked in front of them, far enough from Minki that the pain in his head was nothing more than a throbbing ache. Easy to ignore. Changmin had orders to keep Minki safe if it came down to a fight. Unless of course Minki attacked any of them. He doubted the boy would. His power was lower than Junsu’s.
The address was on the tiger side of their borders. Smart for Baekho, though it didn’t matter much to Yunho. Even with pain in his head, he’d be able to fight if need be.
They arrived first, waiting just beyond a circle of lamplight.
Minki whimpered, shaking almost violently, and Changmin kept his arms around him, Minki’s face pressed into his chest.
Yunho was concerned, but kept his eyes open and his senses focused.
---
Minki felt him, like he always did, like a beacon in his soul. Everything that he wanted, happiness, love, acceptance, trust ... everything echoed with Baekho, everything centered around him. He tried not to cry, tried not to grow depressed that the arms around him were not Baekho’s. He knew, vaguely, that there were no other tigers around. Just Baekho. Coming closer. Cautiously. Slowing down.
Minki whined. Why could Baekho not run to him, accept him, hold him, kiss him? Why?
It grew harder to stand up.
He shouldn’t have come.
Minki stuffed his mouth with the soft fabric of Changmin’s shirt. He wanted to see Baekho, but didn’t. He couldn’t see him turn away again. He couldn’t see him ignore their bond again. He just couldn’t. It already hurt enough. It was already too painful. He knew it was to save both their lives, but ... couldn’t they do something else? Go somewhere else?
---
A strong figure slid into the alley. Too short to be Jihoon and Yunho let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Baekho had wide shoulders, a strong chest, thick legs. His head was mostly shaved with a strip of hair that was long and gelled at the top of his head. And white.
He wore plain clothes, jeans, a T-shirt, a hoody.
The pain flared in Yunho’s head and he held up a hand.
Shockingly, Baekho stopped.
Yunho took a few steps backwards. “Your dick of a leader has somehow made it so that his tigers can’t get close to me without pain shooting through my head.”
Yunho watched Baekho as he said this. It was daring, to admit to his weakness, but he’d see what Baekho did with the information.
Baekho did not move.
With a smile, Yunho waved behind him. “Minki is okay. Well, physically he is okay.”
Baekho’s shoulders shifted. He was good at hiding his emotions. No wonder Minki wasn’t sure if Baekho knew they were mates or not.
But Yunho could tell.
Baekho definitely knew.
“I have an offer,” Yunho said. “For you, for Minki. South of here, where you can be together.” Minki whined behind him, his breath gasping.
Baekho shifted on his feet. “What do you get in return?”
“Information. To destroy Jihoon.”
Baekho glanced behind him. “The others?”
“The others are of no concern to me. Jihoon is the only one I want dead.”
Baekho swallowed.
Silence fell through the alley for a few moments, and then Minki’s whimpers were louder, more like cries.
The pain in Yunho’s head flared white-hot as Minki suddenly brushed by him, and it dulled just in time for Yunho to see Minki throw himself at Baekho.
Baekho held him tightly, head pressed to the top of Minki’s blond hair. His eyes shut. He breathed in deeply.
Minki pleaded with him. Just “Please” over and over.
Their bodies were thrumming, a feeling Yunho hadn’t dealt with since before Changmin and Junsu mated.
Theirs was worse though.
“Protection,” Baekho said and was suddenly looking at Yunho, his eyes hard, his eyes determined.
“For both of you, and the others if they need it.”
Baekho swallowed and pushed Minki away from him. Not too far, just far enough to look into his face. His entire countenance softened, and Minki whimpered. Baekho touched his cheek and Minki gripped at his wrist.
A small whine echoed between them and Baekho smiled and leaned forward to press a light kiss to his lips.
Even Yunho felt the excruciating sexual throb of energy between them.
Baekho’s smile widened and he whispered, “Soon, my love. Soon.”
And Minki fell into him with a new set of tears.
Baekho put his arm around Minki’s shoulder and moved toward Yunho.
Yunho moved away, once again leading them.
Changmin fell in next to the two tigers and then behind them, staying alert until they were safely back in their own territory.
“You can’t stay at the main house,” Yunho said. “There is no way that half of my leopards will let you without trying to attack you. You’re too strong of a threat. We need to get south, to the farthest edge. It’ll be faster as cats. Can you both change?”
Baekho nodded.
Minki obviously did not want to, but Baekho leaned into his neck and whispered something. Minki shimmered first, his body twisting a bit before he fell on four paws. His tiger was gorgeous, deep orange and black strips on a blanket of white fur. Changmin scratched the top of his head and laughed when Minki snapped at his hand.
Changmin changed next, into his gorgeous black panther.
Baekho changed next, at the insistent tug on his sweater. He kept his hand against Minki’s back until the last possible moment.
White tiger.
There was a reason for his name.
Baekho was white, his stripes black and shades of gray. His eyes glowed blue. Yunho stared at him for a long time, admiring, sizing him up. He was strong.
Yunho shimmered to his panther and back again, pausing only for a moment to gather up their clothes. They’d need them after their run. Changmin did not mind holding the backpack in his jaws.
Yunho wondered if the pain would be the same as a cat, so he changed again and moved in close to the two tigers. There was no pain, but a desperate need to attack and defend against intruders. That need he was able to shut up thankfully.
And then he turned and they ran.
---
Minki shook, quaked. He was dizzy. His mouth felt dry, his head too full of things. His body was shimmering, threatening to change without his permission. He fell on the bed with a whimper. He vaguely heard Baekho, Yunho and Changmin talking and then the door to the hotel room shut.
He did not hear anything above his whines.
When the bed dipped, he flung his arms wide, tilting his head back, baring his neck.
His skin was hot, chest flushed even in the cool air of the room. He’d only thrown on his jeans when they arrived about a half hour ago.
And now they were alone and the jeans were too hot, too confining. His skin was too hot and too confining and he wanted to burst from it.
He whined high and desperate at the first touch on his skin. A heated hand on his stomach. Breath against his neck.
“I’m sorry.”
Minki soaked up the sound of Baekho’s voice. It took two repetitions for him to even realize what Baekho was saying.
“Look at me, my love.”
Minki blinked, vision blurry and then focused on dark eyes. His dark eyes. The eyes of his soulmate. He whined something that said, “Please, please.”
Baekho licked his lips and Minki cried out his name.
“Please, please, please. Please, Baekho, please. It’s ... been ... I ... it’s too much, please. I can’t.”
Baekho touched his cheek, cradling his face. He frowned for a moment and then smiled. “You want me?”
Minki nodded hard. “Please, mate, please. You’re ... you’re my mate. I know you are. I know it.”
Baekho shut his eyes with a quiet sigh, and everything that was Baekho, in his soul and in his heart and in his mind, exploded around him. He cried out again, back arching off the bed, and then Baekho was over him, straddling his waist.
This time, when their eyes met, they clung, they stayed, they joined, and Minki shuddered through the first of many orgasms just from the look, from the feeling, from the love and devotion of his mate, of his soul.
---
Baekho woke up more himself than he’d been in a long time. He had no need to fortify his walls. He had no need to hide most of his tiger from the others. He had no need to build up the barrier of disinterest around his heart just in case he saw Minki.
Minki.
He turned his head and smiled at the mess of blond hair on the pillow beside his. He curled on his side, sneaking an arm around Minki’s small waist and snuggling close up to his back.
He never thought he’d be able to do this again. The last time he had seen Minki, Baekho had to leave him on a street, not knowing if he’d live or die.
Dead. Because he had not been able to save him.
Dead. Because of that maniac who happened to be more dominant than Baekho, just enough for Baekho to obey him.
Dead. Because he had not loved Minki enough or been daring enough to run away with him.
Fear.
It was Jihoon’s most powerful weapon.
There in that strange room, on a lumpy bed, Baekho suddenly felt free and relaxed and ... and ... he wasn’t sure.
Minki moaned in his sleep and turned around, pressing against Baekho’s chest. He made whimpering noises, shuffling closer, twisting their bare legs together. Flashes of their mating repeated through Baekho’s head and his tiger growled at him.
He smiled, almost laughing, at how unbelievable it all was.
He kissed his forehead, just above his temple. He slid his hand under the covers, down Minki’s bare side to touch his body. Minki squirmed, trying to push closer to him. He lifted his head with a tiny noise of need and their eyes met. Their eyes snapped and locked and Baekho growled.
Mink’s face lit up in the brightest smile he had ever seen and then they were kissing and everything just settled. Their hearts, their energy, their souls.
Baekho lost himself in his mate, the way he had always dreamed of.
---
Yunho pondered his options from his perch upon a rooftop. With Baekho’s information, he and Changmin were able to find and watch Jihoon’s main house. It was a dilapidated building, surrounded by other dilapidated and empty buildings. Yunho’s powerful cat hearing constantly picked up sound of sex and screams. He had a feeling that Jihoon was taking Baekho’s betrayal out on the others. He had to do something before Jihoon killed another one of them.
The biggest problem of just going in there and releasing the Jung Yunho method on Jihoon was that he still had pain shooting through his head when he got close to Jihoon’s tigers. He had no idea how Jihoon did that, or if it was something that only tigers could do. It made everything just a bit trickier. He had to wait until Jihoon was on his own. Changmin could do it in his place, easily sneak in and kill Jihoon, but Yunho always did his best to keep Changmin from killing.
Changmin did not like it.
Neither did Yunho. To a point. There was always that thrill. There was always that rush. It was a fine line between power and orgasm.
Yunho did not miss it. Yunho did not need it. He had to remind himself of that often.
And that without Yuri’s permission, he’d lose his mate in a heartbeat.
Yuri agreed that Jihoon needed to disappear. After Baekho had told them the basics of what Jihoon did to them, what he had done to Minki and made Baekho do to Minki.
It made Yunho a little ill, but not from hearing that. From knowing that he’d done the same and much much much worse. Jihoon was scum on his shoe, the lowest of the low. Jihoon had no idea about the intricate levels between sex, pain, torture and death. He was a rookie. Yunho could teach him so much. Before. Not now.
In the two days since they’d reunited Baekho and Minki, Jihoon had not left his place. Maybe he knew they were there. Probably did. Yunho could always tell when there was a tiger in his territory. He did not know the level of Jihoon’s power. Though, this ability to give Yunho a headache showed that he had some strength.
So they waited.
Changmin was really strong, but the others in their prowl weren’t anywhere near his abilities. Yunho wanted more strong panthers in his prowl. For instances like this. Without that headache inducing pain, Yunho would wipe the floor with Jihoon. But he had to stay back. And Changmin could wipe the floor with him too, but Yunho did not want that.
There was enough blood on Yunho’s hands and enough sin in his soul. He needed to keep Changmin from that. And all of the others. God, even if he did have a few more stronger leopards with him, he would not want them to have to do this.
Part of him was excited. Thriving on the thrill of the hunt.
The rest of him was sick.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Careful to keep his the screen turned away, he took it out and read the message from Changmin.
I have line of sight into a bedroom. It isn’t pretty, but Jihoon isn’t there. He’s moving. I’m going in.
Yunho grinned. Finally.
Paying attention to the clues in his mind, Yunho tracked the lone figure that was Jihoon. He felt his eyes narrow to slits, his nostrils flare to catch his scent.
Yunho’s panther was ready for a fight.
It was necessary. That was all. That was the reason. Like a few months ago when he went to Japan. He’d done that for Jaejoong. In the moment, he’d relished in the kill, enjoyed the way it all smelled and tasted. But after ...
Yunho shook his head. The guilt would come after.
This was to protect. And a bit of revenge. He hated Jihoon.
Focus, Yunho.
He shut his eyes for only a moment and then moved, easily shimmering to his panther to track Jihoon through the alleys. He was at a small disadvantage because he did not know the area well, but he was also at an advantage because Jihoon was angry and almost desperate. Which meant he was going to be sloppy.
It was almost too easy to drop from a small overhang on a building, right in front of Jihoon.
Yunho growled. He smelled blood on him, all over him.
Jihoon bared his teeth and a moment later, he was a tiger. Yunho caught a glimpse of orange and black stripes in the dull light from a building, and then Jihoon lungned.
Within the first few seconds, Yunho knew that Jihoon wasn’t a fighter. He hadn’t had to be in order to control those lesser than he. He didn’t have any real competition for power. Yunho wanted to play with him, bait him, let him think he was winning and then move in for a strong kill. He wanted to show Jihoon that he was nothing more than a little mouse waiting for the cat to strike. He wanted to see how much he could make Jihoon bleed before Jihoon begged for his life. He wanted to do what he’d done to others, what Jihoon had done to Minki, and just tear him open and let him die slowly, painfully. Satisfactorily.
Instead, he just went for the kill. A few long gashes along his side and then a mouth at his neck, tearing it open, breaking bones.
It was just as fulfilling as it always waswhen he dropped the dead cat to the ground. Glorious.
Sickening.
Blood flooded his mouth and all of his senses. He stayed only to make sure Jihoon was dead and then ran back the way he had come to offer some sort of support to Changmin. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to curl up into a ball. But his panther was crowing in victory, and Yunho let him. There was time enough for repentance.
---
The morning found the two tigers just as entwined as the night before, the day before and the night before that.
Minki did not want to get dressed. He did not want to get up. He did not want to leave Baekho’s skin unless he had to. In this strange room, their own little oasis, he didn’t feel like he needed to.
Baekho was in his tiger form. Sleeping away the last few energy-draining orgasms. Minki loved Baekho’s white tiger. He was so beautiful. Minki traced the black stripes he could without moving. His own tiger was eager to come out, be taken again, loved and cherished in only the way his mate could.
Baekho’s eyes opened suddenly and his head turned to the door. He shimmered to human just as a knock landed.
Minki frowned at him, and Baekho smiled before leaning into him with a kiss.
“Hey,” a voice said on the other side of the door. “It’s Yunho.”
With a sigh, Minki scooted to the edge of the bed. He found a pair of boxers on the floor and put them on. They were big on him, which meant they were Baekho’s.
Blushing, Minki tried to tame his hair and then went to the door and opened it.
Yes, Jung Yunho stood there, all tall and gorgeous and smiling, but it was the two behind him that had Minki shouting out in surprise.
Jonghyun and Aaron. He pushed by Yunho and threw himself at Aaron.
Aaron sort of winced, but hugged him tightly. A moment later, Jonghyun was there too, squeezing Minki between them.
To his credit, Baekho did not protest out loud, just a small growl in their growing bond.
“Let’s get inside and have a talk,” Yunho said.
Reluctantly, Minki moved back into the room.
Baekho had not put on any clothes, just sat on the bed with the blanket over his lap. His lust flared and Minki fought the urge to crawl to him. This was important. He held Jonghyun’s hand tightly and did not protest when Aaron threw his arm around them both before they settled on the floor.
Yunho sat in one of the chairs. He glanced at all of them and then said, “Jihoon is dead.”
“Is that why you can be in the same room as us?” Minki asked.
Yunho nodded. “Yes.”
“Where are the others?” Baekho asked.
“At mine,” Yunho replied. “Minhyun and Woozi were badly injured. And Mingyu and Wonwoo are trying to gather up some of your stuff.”
“What happens now?” Baekho asked.
“You have options. The first is to go north or south and join one of the streaks there.”
Minki knew that Baekho had no desire at all to be under the leadership of another tiger. He didn’t really either.
“Are tiger streaks usually this ...” Yunho paused.
“Fucked up,” Aaron supplied.
Yunho smiled over at him. “Yeah.”
Baekho growled a bit. “I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I just ...” He glanced over at Minki and it was with a smile that Minki was drawn to him, leaving the other two to curl up against Baekho.
“Then I guess you’ll go for option number two,” Yunho said. “I have learned that you all heard about me from Jihoon, about what I used to be like, when I was in control in Japan. Even the worst of his stories probably weren’t the worst things I have done. I’m not like that anymore, and I’m doing my best to fix my mistakes or ... well, since most of those mistakes are not fixable, I’m trying to do things differently ... anyway. There is a bit of space, between my territory and Jungsoo’s, that could be perfect for the eight of you. You’re pretty strong,” Yunho said to Baekho, “and there isn’t any reason why you can’t be the leader of a streak. That is, if the others agree.”
Minki was the first to do so, with Aaron and Jonghyun voicing their agreements too.
Baekho ducked his head, a bit embarrassed.
Minki pressed a kiss to his neck and said, “You can do it. We all ... we all saw what you put up with with Jihoon. I wouldn’t have ... we couldn’t ... we would not have survived without you.”
“The others will agree,” Jonghyun said. “You’ve always done what you can to protect us.”
“You won’t have to worry about Jungsoo or me trying to push you out of the area, and there is a rather large estate down there that we will procure for you. All of Jihoon’s assets have been frozen and there’s no way to get you the funds you need to buy it. But don’t worry. I’ll do it. I have more money in too many accounts and it isn’t a problem at all. You don’t have to pay me back. I’m just trying ...”
“To make yourself feel better?” Baekho said, a quiet reprimand in the tone.
Yunho smiled at him. “Exactly. Killing Jihoon was satisfying in the moment, but now it just makes me all sorts of sick and since it was me that took your life and money and home away, then I’m going to give it right back.”
“You saved us,” Jonghyun said. “That’s worth more than a house.”
“Maybe. But I’m still going to do it. Are we agreed?” He looked at Baekho. Baekho looked at the others. He eventually nodded. “Good. I’m going to get Aaron and Jonghyun a room here in this hotel. As soon as the others are healed and the property is taken care of, we’ll get you boys down to your new home.”
“Thank you,” Aaron said and the other three quickly echoed it.
Minki waited until they were out the door and then turned to Baekho for another kiss. “You’ll be a great leader,” he said.
Baekho snorted.
Minki huffed at him and shoved him away. “Fine, call me a liar, you overgrown kitten.”
Baekho laughed and pulled Minki back against his chest and lowered them both to the bed. “It just seems too good to be true.”
“Maybe, but we’re still going to do it. It all still feels like a dream that I’m going to wake up from and come face to face with Jihoon or his stubby dick, but until that happens, I’m going to enjoy the dream. I’m going to enjoy my life. And you,” Minki slid down his body, “I’m going to enjoy you.”
.
Pairing: Yunho/Yuri, Changmin/Junsu, Baekho/Ren (NU'EST),
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Maybe my cats are just the other forms of pretty Kpop idols. Maybe then I can own them.
Summary: Yunho finds a tiger almost dead at the edge of his territory. Reuniting him with his mate has Yunho fighting the demons of his not-so-distant past.
A/N: This fic is part of The Leopard Series. A group of panthers is called a prowl. A group of tigers is called a streak.
Warning: implied abuse/rape/torture, but not by any of the main characters. There is het, bestiality (although it is only implied in this fic)
Yunho was almost asleep, his brain settling in that vague escape of almost unconscious. The peaceful waves were interrupted by a niggle. That’s it. Just a small twitch of something.
One of his cats?
But no, it did not feel familiar.
The niggle faded a little, and Yunho sighed and headed back toward dreaming. He shifted, arm tightening around Yuri’s bare waist. She always fell asleep before him. Maybe it was his need to always protect and watch over her. Maybe it was the multiple orgasms.
The niggle came back. A little stronger.
It was ... almost sick tasting. Like ... grease. Old grease.
Yunho sighed and blinked open his eyes, trying to concentrate on it.
Definitely not one of his cats. It was too far away. Almost at the edge of what he would consider his territory.
Near the small area that was controlled by a streak of tigers.
Jihoon.
He growled and rolled away from his mate to the edge of the bed. She murmured in her sleep, and then was awake, picking up on his agitation.
“Yunnie,” she whispered.
“Sh, love. I have to go check our borders.”
“Jihoon?”
“Maybe. It doesn’t feel strong enough to be Jihoon. But it is definitely a tiger.”
She frowned.
“I won’t go alone. I’ll take Changmin with me.”
Yuri smiled. “Fine. You know I won’t sleep until you get back so I might as well go too.”
Yunho chuckled and said, “Stay. If this is a direct threat, I need you to wake everyone up and gather reinforcements.”
She pouted but nodded. “Fine.” She pulled him down for a kiss, and if it wasn’t for the unknown of this feeling in his head, he would have toppled her back into the bed and torn off her panties. Really. Why did she insist on not only buying them but also wearing them to bed? They always ended up in tatters. He was naked, he always slept naked. It was just so much easier.
“Stop thinking, my love,” she said. “I’ll suck your dick later.”
Yunho growled, took one more kiss, and then jerked himself out of bed and into their closet to dress.
---
“First week back and I’ve dragged you from your mate,” Yunho whispered just as they approached the area where Yunho felt the disturbance.
Changmin smiled. “It’s okay. It’s good to be back, and I know Yoochun is glad to be rid of me.”
“I still haven’t decided on a punishment for you so obviously disobeying my orders before.”
“Jaejoong wouldn’t let me have dessert for three weeks if that counts.”
Yunho glanced over at his Second and smiled. Changmin was more relaxed, but stronger, a bit more powerful now that he had a mate with a strong bond. He had his long hair pulled back in a tie and his arms and chest were more defined. Everything about him said control, power, don’t fuck with me.
Yunho was almost disappointed that Changmin hadn’t been part of his prowls in Japan. He would have been so strong. A good asset.
He was a good asset now, Yunho reminded himself. Especially since they weren’t sure what exactly they were investigating.
“I guess that’s good,” Yunho said. “Jaejoong’s desserts are heavenly.”
“And Junsu enjoyed eating his and mine right in front of me.”
“Painful.”
“Very.”
Yunho turned down a street. The niggle in his head wasn’t anything more than that, even though they were near the edge of their territory. This tiger wasn’t very strong. How come Jihoon had let him out by himself?
There were not a lot of panthers in Korea. There were a lot more in Japan. There were even fewer tigers. Yunho did not know of a single tiger streak in Japan. In Korea, there were only three. One here, near their little beach village, and one farther north, almost against the DMZ, and one near Busan.
He had a theory that Jihoon had a few issues with being such a small streak and made up for that in being an authoritative dictator and asshole. Anytime Yunho had to speak with him, he left feeling annoyed, pissed off, and dirty Yunho felt sorry for the tigers underneath him.
Yunho stopped and touched his head. Pain. Not his own. He had expected the single niggle to multiply as they grew closer. But it stayed as just one consciousness.
And now it hurt.
A lot.
“Fuck,” Yunho whispered and rubbed his temples.
Changmin moved in front of him, and then crouched on the ground a few hundred yards ahead.
“Shit,” he whispered. “Fuck, Yunho. This is bad. This cat ... he’s ... gutted.”
“Human or tiger form?”
“Tiger.”
“Which is the only reason he isn’t dead. Can we move him?”
“Not without risking destroying the stuff that has already healed.”
Yunho took another step and pain flared through his head again. He bent over, hands on his knees.
“Yunho?”
“I can’t ...” He tried another step with the same effect. “I don’t think I can get closer without my head throbbing.”
Changmin tittered. “Well, that’s ... convenient.”
“Not my choice,” Yunho growled.
“I meant from Jihoon’s perspective. If another leader is in pain when he’s around Jihoon’s followers, there’s no chance of him losing them.”
Yunho grunted, still a little annoyed, but now at Jihoon instead of Changmin.
“Call Sungmin,” Changmin said. “I’m going to see if I can get him ... put back together a little bit.”
Yunho took out his phone and called Sungmin’s private line. He was understandably groggy when he answered and Yunho felt the reluctance to leave his new mate all the way from their apartment. He and Minji had just looked at each other one day and bam! In the middle of their main kitchen, they had started mating.
Only Yunho managed to convince Sungmin order him very nicely into a nearby bedroom.
Sungmin promised he would be there as soon as possible.
---
Minki wavered. Heard moaning. And pain. Shit that hurt. Why did he hurt so much? There was a voice somewhere that told him to hold still.
Nothing smelled right.
His head hurt. A small prick of a needle in his arm made him flinch. But he was used to that. And a few moments later, the pain went away and everything was mostly dark and blurry and twisted.
Sleep. Sleep was always good.
---
Yunho growled from the door, unable to step into the room with the hurt tiger because of the pain in his head.
“He isn’t familiar to me at all,” Sungmin said.
“Me neither. Jihoon keeps a tight grip on his tigers,” Yunho said. “I’m not surprised we do not recognize him. The only one I have met is Jihoon himself and the one they call White Tiger, Baekho.”
“We’ll get answers from him when he wakes up,” Changmin said. “The most pressing question is why he was alone and injured in our territory.”
“He might not know the answer to that one,” Sungmin said.
“We will take the opportunity to ask about the streak too,” Yunho said. “How many of them are there? How strong are they? What are their plans? How can I fucking stop them from fucking with my territory without killing them all? Why the hell can’t I fucking walk into the same fucking room as him?”
Changmin snorted. “Such language, Dominant.”
“Fuck off, Changmin.” Arms wrapped around his waist and Yuri pressed her head to the middle of his back.
She was laughing at him.
He growled, but kept his mouth shut. Cussing Yuri out in unnecessary anger usually ended up with claw marks on his face and a very angry, beautiful mate. And days of groveling for forgiveness.
“He is not going to be conscious for another day,” Sungmin said, checking his vital signs again. “He is healing slow, and he is not healing correctly. Get out and let me concentrate.”
Yuri pulled at his body, and still grumbling, still angry, he let himself be moved away from the door, the hurt tiger inside, and the pain in his own head.
How was he supposed to fix this when he couldn’t get anywhere near the kid? And he was a kid. Or looked like one. Really young. Creamy skin. Long blond hair. He would have been requested constantly at a club. Maybe even given Gigi a run for her money. Or his money.
“Come on, I made breakfast,” Yuri said.
Yunho glanced over at her, a single eyebrow raised.
She huffed. “Fine. Ryeowook made breakfast, but I did help.”
Yunho laughed, putting his arm around his mate. He steered her toward their bedroom instead, mostly eager to release the pent up frustration in a different way, between his mate’s legs. Yuri smiled and did not complain. She never did when it came to orgasms, sex, or love.
---
Nothing smelled right.
Everything still hurt. Ached, really. A deep ache like after a long run down the coast. Not nearly as painful as after a long night in Jihoon’s bed.
His body did not want to move. He was okay with that.
His eyes fluttered open to dim light. There was a groan. Oh, from him. And then a concerned face swam into his vision. Minki tried to focus on it and shut his eyes instead. He was dizzy.
“Don’t try to move or talk,” a voice said. “You were badly injured. Open your mouth. I have water.”
Water sounded heavenly.
Minki obeyed, taking the few swallows he was allowed from a water bottle. Cool and comforting. He tried to smile.
“Eat a cracker.”
A rough, salty texture hit his lips and he obeyed again. He didn’t like the harshness of it after the cool water, but he was given more water to wash it down.
“I know you’re in pain, but I want to make sure you keep that cracker down before I give you more pain medicine.”
Pain? Yeah. There was pain. Not bad though. Not like normal.
“Can you tell me your name?”
Strangers.
Minki stiffened.
After a moment of silence, the voice continued, “We found you near the border, near Jihoon’s territory, but just inside ours. My name is Sungmin. I’m part of Jung Yunho’s prowl of leopards. You were seriously injured, gutted, left for dead, we think.”
Not just strangers. Worse. Panthers.
Jung Yunho.
Minki could not breathe.
“Hey, come on. We’re not going to hurt you. Breathe. Take a deep breath.”
Minki tried. His head felt light. He fought the urge to run just because he was incapable of doing so.
“Jung Yunho has a terrifying reputation,” Sungmin said. “I know that. But he’s different now. I promise. We are not going to hurt you. He can’t even be near you, if that makes you feel better. He gets to the doorway and has such a massive attack of pain that it’s impossible for him to step inside this room.”
Only slightly comforting, because it obviously didn’t stop any other leopard from coming into the room.
“You’re safe,” Sungmin said again. “Try to relax. How is your pain level on a scale of one to ten?”
Minki shook his head. It didn’t hurt enough to complain about.
“No pain?”
Minki shrugged.
“Some pain?”
He nodded.
“Can you talk and you’re just not choosing to talk?”
Minki froze for a moment and then sighed and nodded.
“This would be a lot easier if you talked, but I can do with gestures. What hurts the most?”
Minki thought about that for a moment and then pointed to his stomach.
“Yeah, I bet. Changmin found you with most of your insides on the outside. It was a bitch to get back in order. Your head? Pain?”
He shook his head.
“Groggy feeling, like you can’t really think or everything sort of feels heavy?”
He shook his head again.
“Good. The concussion is mostly healed then. Have another cracker.”
Minki sighed and accepted it, washing it down with another swig from the bottle of water. Sungmin left his bedside only long enough to grab a couple of pills.
“Just some regular, super-strength, pain medicine. They are not tranquilizers. They might make you fall asleep.”
Resigned to his fate, Minki took them. And then another cracker.
As the minutes passed and the edges of his vision blurred, Minki tried to remember why Jihoon had tried to kill him. The last thing he remembered was kneeling at his feet, trying not to look at Baekho.
Trying not to launch himself at Baekho. Trying to keep his tiger in check.
Had he failed?
Or had Baekho?
It made no sense. And he fell asleep with a long-but-not-lost memory of Baekho smiling at him.
---
“He won’t talk,” Sungmin said to Yunho that night. “He’ll answer yes or no questions about his pain and other things, but he hasn’t actually said a word. I don’t know what his name is or why he was injured.”
“An injury like that ... well, he might not remember why,” Yunho said. “He’s eating, drinking?”
“Yes. He gets up and walks around. He’ll be fine tomorrow. Except he won’t talk.”
“Tell him how many days it’s been since we found him and tell him how many days it will be until he can go back.”
“You’re going to send him back?” Changmin said in surprise.
Yunho glanced over at him. “He’s a tiger. Not my problem.”
“If you really believed that, you’d have left him for dead.”
Yunho pondered that. “Well, maybe. But we aren’t going to keep him prisoner. If he wants to go back, he can go back.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Sungmin asked.
“We have extra rooms.”
“Taking in strays again,” Yuri asked, coming into the room.
Yunho smiled at his mate and allowed the kiss to his mouth and did not mind when she fell into his lap, even if he was sort of in an important meeting.
“Bad habit,” Yunho said and nuzzled her neck. Even after almost sixteen years, she still smelled more beautiful than a garden full of flowers. They needed a garden. A big one. Maybe he’d redo half the backyard.
Or the roof. It was flat enough. They already had a bit of a relaxing space up there. It’d be great to have a grassy place to rest in the sun.
“We won’t know anything until he talks,” Yunho said. “But I refuse to keep him captive just to get information out of him. It’s been five days and not a single tiger has even come close to the border. I’m sure he was just a body dump, but we managed to get there before he died. If that’s true, then he has nowhere else to go. Give him his options. Better yet, call me while you’re in the room and I can talk to him and give him his options.”
Sungmin frowned, but nodded. “I’ll go check to see if he’s awake.”
Yunho tried not to get distracted with Yuri in his lap. “What’s your opinion, Minnie?”
Changmin growled. “Not calling me that would be good.”
Yunho smiled and said, “Changdola.”
Changmin glared at him, causing them both to laugh.
“Seriously, what do you think?”
Changmin tilted his head to the side, something he also did as a cat. “I think he can’t stay here, but only because he smells funny. He makes me twitchy, but I can control myself. The others--” He shook his head. “Donghae and Eunhyuk may not be able to keep themselves from harming him for encroaching on our territory. He’s not going to want to stay in a prowl of leopards either.”
Yunho thought about that and nodded. “As a Dominant, I am going to have to control too many to keep him safe.”
Changmin nodded. “We can see if we can contact the streak in Busan. They may take him in.”
“I have no idea how tigers run their streaks,” Yunho admitted. “There were no tigers in Japan.”
“That you know of,” Changmin said.
Yunho growled at him, at daring to imply that he did not know every single cat--
“Calm down,” Yuri said in his ear. “You were very powerful. Very knowledgeable. You had control of everything. Now shut up and stop growling at your prowl members.”
Yunho huffed at her. He did not apologize to Changmin though.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced to make sure it was Sungmin and then answered the phone.
“Hey,” Sungmin said. “He is awake. I told him that you weren’t able to come see him and that you wanted to talk to him, so he’s prepared.”
“Put him on.”
Yunho was aware that the tiger wasn’t talking, so he waited a few seconds and then said, “I am Jung Yunho. I know you don’t want to talk and I won’t make you, but you have to communicate in some way. Either just say yes or no, or make a noise to let me know you understand. Okay?”
There was a soft, agreeing hum on the other side. It made Yunho’s panther ... tingle? He wasn’t sure.
“Your asshole of a streak leader has done something that makes it impossible for me to get near you without pain in my head. Very inconvenient. It is very obvious where you belong, but you were almost killed and left for dead. Do you know why they would have done this to you?”
It was silent for a bit, and then a very soft, “Yes,” echoed down the phone.
“I will not make you tell me unless you want to, but the next question is important. Do you wish to stay here? Or do you want to go back?”
There was silence again. Yunho’s energy shook, and he felt the other’s fear very clearly.
“I will not kick you out. We have a room you can stay in if you can stand the stink of leopards. I will do my best to protect you, but it may be dangerous because my other leopards are not strong enough to control themselves.”
“Thank you,” the boy whispered.
“I’ll send my Second to you with any information. It would also help if you’d talk to him or Sungmin so I know if there is a threat from the tigers.”
Silence fell again and then Sungmin was back.
“He’s sort of crying,” Sungmin said.
Yunho’s heart clenched in concern. “Let him know that we can take him down to the streak in Busan if he needs to go somewhere else.”
“I will.”
“And invite him to dinner.” Yunho hung up the phone, fuming a little bit. But the boy had said something. That was good.
“He really is pretty,” Yuri said, mostly just for Yunho’s hearing. “I’d have clawed him up back in Japan just for being prettier than me.”
“No one is prettier than you, darling,” Yunho said.
She snorted. “You liked Taehyung more.”
Yunho tried to deny that, but found that he couldn’t. He had taken the boy to the office way more often than he ever had GiGi. Personally, he had liked the boy more, but GiGi had brought him A LOT more money.
“Asshole,” Yuri whispered and kissed him for long enough that Changmin growled at them and then left the room. Probably to go find his own mate.
Good riddance, Yunho thought and lowered Yuri to the floor.
---
Minki liked Changmin. He was tall and strong and gorgeous. His tiger didn’t like the panther, but he was good at shutting his cat up. He liked to sit and listen to him talk. Junsu, too. They were his favorite in this prowl. One or the other of them were always with him, for protection, Junsu had said. The others in the prowl weren’t necessarily strong enough to fight the urge to defend their territory from the tiger.
He answered most of Changmin’s questions with a nod or a headshake and even told them his name, finally. Changmin said they were getting tired of referring to him as, The Tiger. Minki knew why he’d been gutted, or suspected anyway, and they were not in any danger from the tigers that he knew of. It’s not like there were a lot of them, just eight of them.
Jihoon hated that his streak was so small, but he ruled it very well. Or not very well.
Jung Yunho was so different. Jihoon always warned them about how ruthless he was, told them stories of his life in Japan, stories that Changmin said were probably true, but now Yunho wasn’t so bad. Yunho smiled frequently, he cuddled with his mate, he was so worried about Minki, and very angry that he still could not get close to him.
Minki did not know why.
After a week, they managed to be in the same room together, on opposite diagonal corners without Yunho’s head feeling like it was going to explode.
After a week, Minki’s body shook for a different reason. He felt the pull and the anguish and the pain of being so far from his mate.
He stayed in bed, and concerned, Junsu curled up with him. His mate growled at them, and Junsu smiled and told Changmin to go away.
“You were doing so good,” Junsu whispered. “What’s happened?”
Minki did not want to talk. He hadn’t, not more than yes or no or thank yous. He did not want to. He wanted ....
“Baekho,” he whimpered.
Junsu hummed in understanding. Jung Yunho had told them about Jihoon’s Second.
“Mate,” Minki tried again. “He ... he’s my mate.”
Junsu cooed at him, running a soft hand through his hair to try to calm him down. It took a few long minutes of not being able to breathe.
“It isn’t allowed,” Minki whispered. “Not in the streak. We aren’t ... we weren’t allowed. Jihoon is everyone’s mate. No one ... no one is allowed to be with someone else. I think ... I think I lost control ...”
Junsu wiped at the tears on his cheeks. “Is that why he hurt you?”
Minki bit his lip and shrugged. “Probably. Baekho ... Dongho is his real name. He knew it too. He ... he hid it for a long time. We hid it. We couldn’t ... we couldn’t touch or anything without our tigers trying to mate. Maybe ... maybe I lost control. Dongho is too strong for that.”
“As your mate, he should be protecting you.”
Minki growled and then flushed. “He did. He always ... he always cleaned me up after JIhoon ... he always ... he was so good to me. It happened once before. Jihoon caught a couple who said they were mates. He killed the weakest one, to get more control over the other. And then killed him when he went mad and tried to hurt Jihoon. Baekho refused to be like that. He refused to let Jihoon use me that way.”
“But you think he tried the same with you?”
“One of us lost control. Probably me. He probably hurt me to send a message to Baekho. But ... he wouldn’t have dumped me in your territory. Not at all. That isn’t like him. I think ...”
“You think Baekho did it?”
Minki swallowed. “Maybe. If he knew I was alive ... he would have done what he could to help me. Jihoon would not have allowed him to heal me.”
“You don’t know why Yunho can’t get close to you?”
Minki shook his head. “N-no. I don’t ... maybe it’s a tiger thing?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll never see Baekho again,” Minki whispered, trying to keep himself from freaking out.
Junsu smiled. “Never say never, cub. With Yunho as our Dominant, anything is possible.”
---
Junsu told Yunho almost as soon as Minki was asleep. And Yunho grinned.
“If we can get Baekho here,” he said, “that would take one more threat away from us.”
“Are you planning a takeover?” Changmin whispered, glancing around. Probably looking for Yuri.
Yunho winced and said, “Of course not. Just a ... just ...”
Changmin grinned. “Reorganization of our territory lines?’
“Maybe.”
“You can’t kill them all,” Changmin cautioned, “not because you aren’t capable of it, but because there are so few tigers.”
Yunho waved him silent. “I’m mostly incapable, too. I don’t want to kill them. You know I’ve changed a lot.”
“We all have,” Changmin said, his eyes focusing on a distant point beyond Yunho’s shoulder, and Yunho knew he was thinking of the cats from Japan that he had killed to protect Jaejoong. He had admitted to Yunho afterwards that it had been easier than the first few cats who had come searching for Yunho.
“We just need Jihoon gone,” Yunho said. “I have enough reasons without the vague references Minki has made to torture, rape, and control.”
“How do we do this?” Changmin asked.
“I don’t think it will be hard to contact Baekho without Jihoon knowing. I may have developed a conscience, but I haven’t forgotten how to be sneaky. I need to know if Baekho has a cell phone, if Jihoon checks it, how often, does he have his own apartment, things like that.”
“Minki talks to us,” Changmin said. “I’ll get all the information you need.”
Yunho gripped his shoulder. “I am very glad I met you after I left Japan.”
Changmin smiled. “Me too. I’d probably be dead now.”
Yunho swiped at him, and Changmin dodged with a laugh, dancing out of his reach and sliding out of the room.
But he was right and Yunho knew it. In Japan, Yunho was just as likely to recruit him as he was to see the strong cat as a threat and kill him. Who knows how he would have reacted?
---
A few hours later, Yunho started small. Slipping into the edges of Jihoon’s territory. Over the line closest to theirs and then the border on the other side. He moved in and out of the narrow streets, always aware of where the tigers were based on the throbbing in his head.
It made it easy to avoid them. Move until his head hurt and then move away.
He did not allow anyone else in the prowl to do this with him.
Baiting, Yuri had called it.
Yunho agreed. That was exactly what he was doing. There were not enough tigers for them to cover all of their borders. If Jihoon was anything like Yunho, he would send his Second or someone lower to see if the intruder was a threat large enough for him to take care of it.
It took almost a week before Yunho received a message from what Minki confirmed as Baekho’s number. It was just an address, near the edge of their territory.
Yunho stared at Minki, sitting in the chair of his room. He was still, almost completely. His fingers were white, a firm grip on the arms of the chair.
“What are the chances he will be alone?” Yunho asked.
“High,” Minki said. “Baekho is like mist when he doesn’t want to be seen. Jihoon trusts him with everything that he doesn’t want to deal with. He is strong ... he ... he ...” Minki shut his eyes.
Yunho pondered him for another moment. “Do you want to come with me?”
Minki’s eyes flew open. “What?”
“Do you think he knows you’re still alive?”
Minki shrugged. “I am drawn to him just as I always have been. He ... he ... he has ignored the feelings to save both of our lives. He may not recognize the feeling as anything more than want.”
Yunho crossed his arms. “So, are you coming with?”
Minki shut his eyes again and he nodded twice. “Thank you.”
“Be ready to go in half an hour.”
---
Yunho walked in front of them, far enough from Minki that the pain in his head was nothing more than a throbbing ache. Easy to ignore. Changmin had orders to keep Minki safe if it came down to a fight. Unless of course Minki attacked any of them. He doubted the boy would. His power was lower than Junsu’s.
The address was on the tiger side of their borders. Smart for Baekho, though it didn’t matter much to Yunho. Even with pain in his head, he’d be able to fight if need be.
They arrived first, waiting just beyond a circle of lamplight.
Minki whimpered, shaking almost violently, and Changmin kept his arms around him, Minki’s face pressed into his chest.
Yunho was concerned, but kept his eyes open and his senses focused.
---
Minki felt him, like he always did, like a beacon in his soul. Everything that he wanted, happiness, love, acceptance, trust ... everything echoed with Baekho, everything centered around him. He tried not to cry, tried not to grow depressed that the arms around him were not Baekho’s. He knew, vaguely, that there were no other tigers around. Just Baekho. Coming closer. Cautiously. Slowing down.
Minki whined. Why could Baekho not run to him, accept him, hold him, kiss him? Why?
It grew harder to stand up.
He shouldn’t have come.
Minki stuffed his mouth with the soft fabric of Changmin’s shirt. He wanted to see Baekho, but didn’t. He couldn’t see him turn away again. He couldn’t see him ignore their bond again. He just couldn’t. It already hurt enough. It was already too painful. He knew it was to save both their lives, but ... couldn’t they do something else? Go somewhere else?
---
A strong figure slid into the alley. Too short to be Jihoon and Yunho let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Baekho had wide shoulders, a strong chest, thick legs. His head was mostly shaved with a strip of hair that was long and gelled at the top of his head. And white.
He wore plain clothes, jeans, a T-shirt, a hoody.
The pain flared in Yunho’s head and he held up a hand.
Shockingly, Baekho stopped.
Yunho took a few steps backwards. “Your dick of a leader has somehow made it so that his tigers can’t get close to me without pain shooting through my head.”
Yunho watched Baekho as he said this. It was daring, to admit to his weakness, but he’d see what Baekho did with the information.
Baekho did not move.
With a smile, Yunho waved behind him. “Minki is okay. Well, physically he is okay.”
Baekho’s shoulders shifted. He was good at hiding his emotions. No wonder Minki wasn’t sure if Baekho knew they were mates or not.
But Yunho could tell.
Baekho definitely knew.
“I have an offer,” Yunho said. “For you, for Minki. South of here, where you can be together.” Minki whined behind him, his breath gasping.
Baekho shifted on his feet. “What do you get in return?”
“Information. To destroy Jihoon.”
Baekho glanced behind him. “The others?”
“The others are of no concern to me. Jihoon is the only one I want dead.”
Baekho swallowed.
Silence fell through the alley for a few moments, and then Minki’s whimpers were louder, more like cries.
The pain in Yunho’s head flared white-hot as Minki suddenly brushed by him, and it dulled just in time for Yunho to see Minki throw himself at Baekho.
Baekho held him tightly, head pressed to the top of Minki’s blond hair. His eyes shut. He breathed in deeply.
Minki pleaded with him. Just “Please” over and over.
Their bodies were thrumming, a feeling Yunho hadn’t dealt with since before Changmin and Junsu mated.
Theirs was worse though.
“Protection,” Baekho said and was suddenly looking at Yunho, his eyes hard, his eyes determined.
“For both of you, and the others if they need it.”
Baekho swallowed and pushed Minki away from him. Not too far, just far enough to look into his face. His entire countenance softened, and Minki whimpered. Baekho touched his cheek and Minki gripped at his wrist.
A small whine echoed between them and Baekho smiled and leaned forward to press a light kiss to his lips.
Even Yunho felt the excruciating sexual throb of energy between them.
Baekho’s smile widened and he whispered, “Soon, my love. Soon.”
And Minki fell into him with a new set of tears.
Baekho put his arm around Minki’s shoulder and moved toward Yunho.
Yunho moved away, once again leading them.
Changmin fell in next to the two tigers and then behind them, staying alert until they were safely back in their own territory.
“You can’t stay at the main house,” Yunho said. “There is no way that half of my leopards will let you without trying to attack you. You’re too strong of a threat. We need to get south, to the farthest edge. It’ll be faster as cats. Can you both change?”
Baekho nodded.
Minki obviously did not want to, but Baekho leaned into his neck and whispered something. Minki shimmered first, his body twisting a bit before he fell on four paws. His tiger was gorgeous, deep orange and black strips on a blanket of white fur. Changmin scratched the top of his head and laughed when Minki snapped at his hand.
Changmin changed next, into his gorgeous black panther.
Baekho changed next, at the insistent tug on his sweater. He kept his hand against Minki’s back until the last possible moment.
White tiger.
There was a reason for his name.
Baekho was white, his stripes black and shades of gray. His eyes glowed blue. Yunho stared at him for a long time, admiring, sizing him up. He was strong.
Yunho shimmered to his panther and back again, pausing only for a moment to gather up their clothes. They’d need them after their run. Changmin did not mind holding the backpack in his jaws.
Yunho wondered if the pain would be the same as a cat, so he changed again and moved in close to the two tigers. There was no pain, but a desperate need to attack and defend against intruders. That need he was able to shut up thankfully.
And then he turned and they ran.
---
Minki shook, quaked. He was dizzy. His mouth felt dry, his head too full of things. His body was shimmering, threatening to change without his permission. He fell on the bed with a whimper. He vaguely heard Baekho, Yunho and Changmin talking and then the door to the hotel room shut.
He did not hear anything above his whines.
When the bed dipped, he flung his arms wide, tilting his head back, baring his neck.
His skin was hot, chest flushed even in the cool air of the room. He’d only thrown on his jeans when they arrived about a half hour ago.
And now they were alone and the jeans were too hot, too confining. His skin was too hot and too confining and he wanted to burst from it.
He whined high and desperate at the first touch on his skin. A heated hand on his stomach. Breath against his neck.
“I’m sorry.”
Minki soaked up the sound of Baekho’s voice. It took two repetitions for him to even realize what Baekho was saying.
“Look at me, my love.”
Minki blinked, vision blurry and then focused on dark eyes. His dark eyes. The eyes of his soulmate. He whined something that said, “Please, please.”
Baekho licked his lips and Minki cried out his name.
“Please, please, please. Please, Baekho, please. It’s ... been ... I ... it’s too much, please. I can’t.”
Baekho touched his cheek, cradling his face. He frowned for a moment and then smiled. “You want me?”
Minki nodded hard. “Please, mate, please. You’re ... you’re my mate. I know you are. I know it.”
Baekho shut his eyes with a quiet sigh, and everything that was Baekho, in his soul and in his heart and in his mind, exploded around him. He cried out again, back arching off the bed, and then Baekho was over him, straddling his waist.
This time, when their eyes met, they clung, they stayed, they joined, and Minki shuddered through the first of many orgasms just from the look, from the feeling, from the love and devotion of his mate, of his soul.
---
Baekho woke up more himself than he’d been in a long time. He had no need to fortify his walls. He had no need to hide most of his tiger from the others. He had no need to build up the barrier of disinterest around his heart just in case he saw Minki.
Minki.
He turned his head and smiled at the mess of blond hair on the pillow beside his. He curled on his side, sneaking an arm around Minki’s small waist and snuggling close up to his back.
He never thought he’d be able to do this again. The last time he had seen Minki, Baekho had to leave him on a street, not knowing if he’d live or die.
Dead. Because he had not been able to save him.
Dead. Because of that maniac who happened to be more dominant than Baekho, just enough for Baekho to obey him.
Dead. Because he had not loved Minki enough or been daring enough to run away with him.
Fear.
It was Jihoon’s most powerful weapon.
There in that strange room, on a lumpy bed, Baekho suddenly felt free and relaxed and ... and ... he wasn’t sure.
Minki moaned in his sleep and turned around, pressing against Baekho’s chest. He made whimpering noises, shuffling closer, twisting their bare legs together. Flashes of their mating repeated through Baekho’s head and his tiger growled at him.
He smiled, almost laughing, at how unbelievable it all was.
He kissed his forehead, just above his temple. He slid his hand under the covers, down Minki’s bare side to touch his body. Minki squirmed, trying to push closer to him. He lifted his head with a tiny noise of need and their eyes met. Their eyes snapped and locked and Baekho growled.
Mink’s face lit up in the brightest smile he had ever seen and then they were kissing and everything just settled. Their hearts, their energy, their souls.
Baekho lost himself in his mate, the way he had always dreamed of.
---
Yunho pondered his options from his perch upon a rooftop. With Baekho’s information, he and Changmin were able to find and watch Jihoon’s main house. It was a dilapidated building, surrounded by other dilapidated and empty buildings. Yunho’s powerful cat hearing constantly picked up sound of sex and screams. He had a feeling that Jihoon was taking Baekho’s betrayal out on the others. He had to do something before Jihoon killed another one of them.
The biggest problem of just going in there and releasing the Jung Yunho method on Jihoon was that he still had pain shooting through his head when he got close to Jihoon’s tigers. He had no idea how Jihoon did that, or if it was something that only tigers could do. It made everything just a bit trickier. He had to wait until Jihoon was on his own. Changmin could do it in his place, easily sneak in and kill Jihoon, but Yunho always did his best to keep Changmin from killing.
Changmin did not like it.
Neither did Yunho. To a point. There was always that thrill. There was always that rush. It was a fine line between power and orgasm.
Yunho did not miss it. Yunho did not need it. He had to remind himself of that often.
And that without Yuri’s permission, he’d lose his mate in a heartbeat.
Yuri agreed that Jihoon needed to disappear. After Baekho had told them the basics of what Jihoon did to them, what he had done to Minki and made Baekho do to Minki.
It made Yunho a little ill, but not from hearing that. From knowing that he’d done the same and much much much worse. Jihoon was scum on his shoe, the lowest of the low. Jihoon had no idea about the intricate levels between sex, pain, torture and death. He was a rookie. Yunho could teach him so much. Before. Not now.
In the two days since they’d reunited Baekho and Minki, Jihoon had not left his place. Maybe he knew they were there. Probably did. Yunho could always tell when there was a tiger in his territory. He did not know the level of Jihoon’s power. Though, this ability to give Yunho a headache showed that he had some strength.
So they waited.
Changmin was really strong, but the others in their prowl weren’t anywhere near his abilities. Yunho wanted more strong panthers in his prowl. For instances like this. Without that headache inducing pain, Yunho would wipe the floor with Jihoon. But he had to stay back. And Changmin could wipe the floor with him too, but Yunho did not want that.
There was enough blood on Yunho’s hands and enough sin in his soul. He needed to keep Changmin from that. And all of the others. God, even if he did have a few more stronger leopards with him, he would not want them to have to do this.
Part of him was excited. Thriving on the thrill of the hunt.
The rest of him was sick.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Careful to keep his the screen turned away, he took it out and read the message from Changmin.
I have line of sight into a bedroom. It isn’t pretty, but Jihoon isn’t there. He’s moving. I’m going in.
Yunho grinned. Finally.
Paying attention to the clues in his mind, Yunho tracked the lone figure that was Jihoon. He felt his eyes narrow to slits, his nostrils flare to catch his scent.
Yunho’s panther was ready for a fight.
It was necessary. That was all. That was the reason. Like a few months ago when he went to Japan. He’d done that for Jaejoong. In the moment, he’d relished in the kill, enjoyed the way it all smelled and tasted. But after ...
Yunho shook his head. The guilt would come after.
This was to protect. And a bit of revenge. He hated Jihoon.
Focus, Yunho.
He shut his eyes for only a moment and then moved, easily shimmering to his panther to track Jihoon through the alleys. He was at a small disadvantage because he did not know the area well, but he was also at an advantage because Jihoon was angry and almost desperate. Which meant he was going to be sloppy.
It was almost too easy to drop from a small overhang on a building, right in front of Jihoon.
Yunho growled. He smelled blood on him, all over him.
Jihoon bared his teeth and a moment later, he was a tiger. Yunho caught a glimpse of orange and black stripes in the dull light from a building, and then Jihoon lungned.
Within the first few seconds, Yunho knew that Jihoon wasn’t a fighter. He hadn’t had to be in order to control those lesser than he. He didn’t have any real competition for power. Yunho wanted to play with him, bait him, let him think he was winning and then move in for a strong kill. He wanted to show Jihoon that he was nothing more than a little mouse waiting for the cat to strike. He wanted to see how much he could make Jihoon bleed before Jihoon begged for his life. He wanted to do what he’d done to others, what Jihoon had done to Minki, and just tear him open and let him die slowly, painfully. Satisfactorily.
Instead, he just went for the kill. A few long gashes along his side and then a mouth at his neck, tearing it open, breaking bones.
It was just as fulfilling as it always waswhen he dropped the dead cat to the ground. Glorious.
Sickening.
Blood flooded his mouth and all of his senses. He stayed only to make sure Jihoon was dead and then ran back the way he had come to offer some sort of support to Changmin. He wanted to throw up, he wanted to curl up into a ball. But his panther was crowing in victory, and Yunho let him. There was time enough for repentance.
---
The morning found the two tigers just as entwined as the night before, the day before and the night before that.
Minki did not want to get dressed. He did not want to get up. He did not want to leave Baekho’s skin unless he had to. In this strange room, their own little oasis, he didn’t feel like he needed to.
Baekho was in his tiger form. Sleeping away the last few energy-draining orgasms. Minki loved Baekho’s white tiger. He was so beautiful. Minki traced the black stripes he could without moving. His own tiger was eager to come out, be taken again, loved and cherished in only the way his mate could.
Baekho’s eyes opened suddenly and his head turned to the door. He shimmered to human just as a knock landed.
Minki frowned at him, and Baekho smiled before leaning into him with a kiss.
“Hey,” a voice said on the other side of the door. “It’s Yunho.”
With a sigh, Minki scooted to the edge of the bed. He found a pair of boxers on the floor and put them on. They were big on him, which meant they were Baekho’s.
Blushing, Minki tried to tame his hair and then went to the door and opened it.
Yes, Jung Yunho stood there, all tall and gorgeous and smiling, but it was the two behind him that had Minki shouting out in surprise.
Jonghyun and Aaron. He pushed by Yunho and threw himself at Aaron.
Aaron sort of winced, but hugged him tightly. A moment later, Jonghyun was there too, squeezing Minki between them.
To his credit, Baekho did not protest out loud, just a small growl in their growing bond.
“Let’s get inside and have a talk,” Yunho said.
Reluctantly, Minki moved back into the room.
Baekho had not put on any clothes, just sat on the bed with the blanket over his lap. His lust flared and Minki fought the urge to crawl to him. This was important. He held Jonghyun’s hand tightly and did not protest when Aaron threw his arm around them both before they settled on the floor.
Yunho sat in one of the chairs. He glanced at all of them and then said, “Jihoon is dead.”
“Is that why you can be in the same room as us?” Minki asked.
Yunho nodded. “Yes.”
“Where are the others?” Baekho asked.
“At mine,” Yunho replied. “Minhyun and Woozi were badly injured. And Mingyu and Wonwoo are trying to gather up some of your stuff.”
“What happens now?” Baekho asked.
“You have options. The first is to go north or south and join one of the streaks there.”
Minki knew that Baekho had no desire at all to be under the leadership of another tiger. He didn’t really either.
“Are tiger streaks usually this ...” Yunho paused.
“Fucked up,” Aaron supplied.
Yunho smiled over at him. “Yeah.”
Baekho growled a bit. “I don’t know. I don’t want to know. I just ...” He glanced over at Minki and it was with a smile that Minki was drawn to him, leaving the other two to curl up against Baekho.
“Then I guess you’ll go for option number two,” Yunho said. “I have learned that you all heard about me from Jihoon, about what I used to be like, when I was in control in Japan. Even the worst of his stories probably weren’t the worst things I have done. I’m not like that anymore, and I’m doing my best to fix my mistakes or ... well, since most of those mistakes are not fixable, I’m trying to do things differently ... anyway. There is a bit of space, between my territory and Jungsoo’s, that could be perfect for the eight of you. You’re pretty strong,” Yunho said to Baekho, “and there isn’t any reason why you can’t be the leader of a streak. That is, if the others agree.”
Minki was the first to do so, with Aaron and Jonghyun voicing their agreements too.
Baekho ducked his head, a bit embarrassed.
Minki pressed a kiss to his neck and said, “You can do it. We all ... we all saw what you put up with with Jihoon. I wouldn’t have ... we couldn’t ... we would not have survived without you.”
“The others will agree,” Jonghyun said. “You’ve always done what you can to protect us.”
“You won’t have to worry about Jungsoo or me trying to push you out of the area, and there is a rather large estate down there that we will procure for you. All of Jihoon’s assets have been frozen and there’s no way to get you the funds you need to buy it. But don’t worry. I’ll do it. I have more money in too many accounts and it isn’t a problem at all. You don’t have to pay me back. I’m just trying ...”
“To make yourself feel better?” Baekho said, a quiet reprimand in the tone.
Yunho smiled at him. “Exactly. Killing Jihoon was satisfying in the moment, but now it just makes me all sorts of sick and since it was me that took your life and money and home away, then I’m going to give it right back.”
“You saved us,” Jonghyun said. “That’s worth more than a house.”
“Maybe. But I’m still going to do it. Are we agreed?” He looked at Baekho. Baekho looked at the others. He eventually nodded. “Good. I’m going to get Aaron and Jonghyun a room here in this hotel. As soon as the others are healed and the property is taken care of, we’ll get you boys down to your new home.”
“Thank you,” Aaron said and the other three quickly echoed it.
Minki waited until they were out the door and then turned to Baekho for another kiss. “You’ll be a great leader,” he said.
Baekho snorted.
Minki huffed at him and shoved him away. “Fine, call me a liar, you overgrown kitten.”
Baekho laughed and pulled Minki back against his chest and lowered them both to the bed. “It just seems too good to be true.”
“Maybe, but we’re still going to do it. It all still feels like a dream that I’m going to wake up from and come face to face with Jihoon or his stubby dick, but until that happens, I’m going to enjoy the dream. I’m going to enjoy my life. And you,” Minki slid down his body, “I’m going to enjoy you.”
.