Unleashed: Chapter 7
Title: The Return of the King
Fandom(s): TVXQ
Characters: Yunho,Changmin, Jaejoong, Junsu, Yoochun, and pretty much all of Suju and some SHINee. SM lovefest.
Pairing(s): HoMin (Yunho/Changmin)
Rating: PG-13 this Chap
Summary: The plot thickens, but Yunho gets more answers and the key to his past.
Genre: Werewolf AU, Smut, Romance, Supernatural AU
Warnings: mentions of violence
Word count: ~4300
The stranger laughs, shaking his head. "That's where you'd be wrong, my friend." He sighs, taking a fond look around at the crypt, in such a way that gives the impression he's rather familiar with it, that it's a place of importance to him. "Well, I suppose it's time I introduced myself, then. I didn't want to speak of these things until we reached solace here. There's what you could call a.." He gestures animatedly, "spell of protection around the place. Nothing can escape these walls. Not unless you want it to, of course."
Yunho, Changmin, and Jaejoong just kind of stare at the man, waiting anxiously for him to continue. "I'm sure you've been wondering, on top of everything else, why I appear as you do." Jaejoong raises a brow, piping up. "By 'as we do,' I'm assuming you mean Asian?" The stranger chuckles, nodding. "Indeed. A Korean man hanging around the outskirts of Moscow with an old Russian woman no doubt seems strange." He sits on a small bench, his posture relaxing a bit as he begins to speak. "In fact, I'm sure the fact that you," he gestures towards Yunho, "are Korean and yet your family has origins in Russia also seems strange. But I digress." He licks his lips. "My name is Minwoo. I have been the guardian of the royal family for centuries. And as you can see," he makes a sweeping gesture around the crypt, "I've done a rather poor job." Jaejoong snorts, and Yunho nudges him for being rude.
Minwoo just shakes his head, and continues. "As you might imagine, the royal family was persecuted for centuries. Many thought that they could inherit their powers by killing them, many werekind thought it was unfair that only the royals had the abilities that they did, and so, war raged constantly." Yunho finds a bench himself, lowering Changmin down next to him so they can relax while they listen. "I won't give you a full history because that would take days, and be rather boring, to be honest." He chuckles for a moment. "Long story short, killing a royal is hard, but not impossible. A few decades ago, a large uprising occurred, several strong packs had gathered together and managed to find out the royal family's weakness. The family fled here to Russia for protection and to preserve the line."
Yunho holds a hand up to stop Minwoo, needing more explanation. "Why Russia in particular?" Minwoo nods. "I had a feeling you'd ask that." He winks slyly. "The packs here had strong loyalties to the royal family, and offered to help keep them safe. Also, Eastern Europeans in general tend to be more accepting and in touch with mythology and folklore, it's a better environment for our kind." Yunho nods, supposing that makes sense enough. He grabs Changmin's hand, giving it a squeeze. "The royals origins, as you might imagine, were in Asia, and had spread all over the world. However, by the time I'm referring to, what was left of them had been cornered here. We tried everything, but it wasn't enough."
Minwoo strokes his chin, continuing the gruesome tale. "The enemy packs were strong and good strategists. They used some in wolf form to attack, while some remained in their human forms to fire these weapons they'd fashioned to finish the job. As I'm sure you know, heart wounds are the most difficult to heal." Minwoo sighs, memories flooding him. "The guns had bullets that were designed to stay stuck in the heart and keep the wound open, we couldn't remove them, and the royals couldn't heal themselves. There was nothing we could do. Those bastards exterminated the royal family one by one."
Jaejoong feels a sudden urge to comfort the man, and he's not sure why, but he's not one to deny his urges. He moves over to sit by Minwoo and offer a friendly pat to his shoulder, which earns him a soft smile from the guardian. Minwoo turns his attention to Yunho, continuing his tale. "Fortunately, we were able to achieve one thing. Our Prince and Princess had a son that we were able to smuggle to safety." He points to Yunho. "That'd be you." Changmin links his fingers with Yunho's, knowing this might be hard to hear. "We told no one what we'd done with you. Found you a family to take you, hid you away, left no trace. In fact, I personally burned the address and names so that over time even I didn't remember where I'd left you. I knew that eventually you'd make your way back to Russia, somehow, and that we could awaken you."
Yunho digests everything he'd just heard, trying desperately to piece all of this madness together. "So...how did you know it was me? How did you know the drink would work on me?" Minwoo chuckles softly, nodding. "That was easy. Number one, I recognized your scent, I'd know the scent of a royal anywhere. Number two, that old woman? She's a medium. She works for me, and she sensed your coming was immiment. We were already prepared." He smiles. "As to how we knew the drink would work? The gene skips a generation. We got lucky in the sense that you were born of the dormant one. Otherwise, handing you to a human family would have been disaster once you came of age, as you can imagine, I'm sure." Yunho nods, grateful for their luck in that regard.
"So, you were there the day I came then?" Yunho asks, to which Minwoo nods. "I was, you just didn't see me. I wasn't ready to reveal myself to you quite yet, nor did I want to put you in any type of danger. Should your existence become common knowledge, your life would be at definite risk." Changmin squeezes Yunho's hand, suddenly more afraid than ever. "Shit..." Yunho sighs, remembering something. "It may be too late. I used my power in a fight, it's possible someone in Siwon's pack already knows." Jaejoong chimes in from his spot beside Minwoo. "Wait a minute, aren't they all dead?" Yunho shrugs, "What came after us are dead, yes. But I'm doubtful that that was the whole pack." Jaejoong nods. "True, but you can't spread rumors if you're dead, and you can't report back to the pack, either." Yunho chuckles at that. "Ah, good point. Guess I'm paranoid now..."
Minwoo interjects. "Pardon my interruption, but did I hear you correctly? Did you say Siwon?"
Yunho nods. "Yea. Why?"
Minwoo licks his lips, considering. "Siwon was one of the ones that assisted in the attack on the royals. In fact, he killed the Prince himself. Your father."
Yunho shudders, anger coursing through him. "Well, it's a good thing I killed that bastard, then..." He partially growls, feeling even more loathing for that man than he already did.
His eyes widen, and he turns to his other half, suddenly curious. "Changmin, did you ever hear about any of this?"
Changmin swallows, nodding. "I heard the tales when I was young, but I didn't really understand them until now. This happened before Siwon was made head of the pack, before the raid that killed my parents." Tears form in his eyes as he looks up at his alpha. "I'm sorry, baby. I had no idea my pack was responsible for the death of your family, I-" Yunho presses a finger to the younger's lips, silencing him. "Nonsense. You had nothing to do with it, and I don't blame you. You've nothing to apologize for."
Minwoo offers a smile as well. "You're doing the royal family a great service, Changmin. By bearing Yunho's children, you will more than make up for the wrongdoings of your pack, believe me. I can't thank you enough."
Changmin smiles at that, and they are all silent for a few moments, the heavy truths washing over them.
The silence is broken by Jaejoong's phone going off.
"Guys, we may have a bit of a situation..."
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After Jaejoong had gotten done speaking with Yoochun, he relayed the information to the others, that what's left of Siwon's pack are on the move. Needless to say, no one took the news well.
"Changmin," Yunho says in earnest, "Do you think we're safe? Is there any possible way someone in that pack might have figured out who I am?" After learning everything that Minwoo had to tell them, Yunho now realizes the importance of keeping himself safe. If anyone were to discover his secret, they'd never live in peace.
Changmin thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. "I don't think so. The ones that were involved were all older, and of course, thanks to you, now dead. They might have recognized your ability, but like Jaejoong said, there's no way the news could have traveled." Yunho exhales heavily, nodding. "Dead men tell no tales. Well, thank God for that. The last thing they need is knowledge that I'm the last of my kind."
Minwoo nods his agreement. "Indeed. Your first priority at all times should be keeping yourself safe, and keeping your pups safe." He gestures towards Changmin's distended belly. He tilts his head, thoughtful. "The more I think about it, the more I think I should come back with you." Jaejoong cocks a brow at that, and Yunho and Changmin both look interested as well. "I'd been staying here to guard this crypt and what's left of the family heirlooms and money," Minwoo continues, "but I think my services would be much better utilized protecting you all. Especially on the off chance that there is someone left in that pack that's pieced together your heritage. I can't take the risk of anything happening to you." He looks pointedly at Yunho.
Yunho swallows, nodding. "Well, we'd certainly accept all the help we can get. And from the sounds of it, we need to get back as soon as possible." Jaejoong nods. "I trust Jeong-su to keep things under control for awhile at least, but yea."
Minwoo stands up, dusting off his lap. "Alright then. Let's do this."
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The next morning, Yoochun and Junsu have finished breakfast and are relaxing a bit. It's another instance of playing the waiting game, as the northern packs are due to arrive sometime in the afternoon, and it's like time can't go by fast enough. Suddenly, Junsu's phone goes off in his pocket, and he sees Jeong-su's name light up his screen. Figuring that it's probably important, he answers immediately.
"Hey, Su. Can I talk to you for a moment? Preferably alone?"
Junsu makes a gesture to Yoochun that indicates he'll be right back, and rises to head down the hallway and into the bathroom, the most private place he can access. "Sure, what's up?"
Jeong-Su sighs at the other end of the line. "Look, I know you're still a bit young, but you ought to start thinking about finding a mate. I can imagine your heats have been hell, am I right?"
Junsu sighs, running fingers through his hair. "Yea. Yoochun gets me through them, but..." He chews at his lip. "They're getting worse."
Jeong-su hums. "And they're only going to continue to get worse until you're claimed, you know that, right?" Junsu swallows, heart pounding. "Yea. Yea I know."
Jeong-su pauses for a moment, then continues. "Look, I know it's not really my place to meddle. But I have a bit of a proposition for you."
Junsu cocks a brow, suddenly curious. "Oh? And that is?"
"You know Heechul has the hots for you, I'm fairly certain he made that clear." Jeong-su continues. "And I wanted to ask you to think about it. He's a bit brash at times, but he's a good guy. I trust him with my life, and he's got a strong bloodline. Your offspring would be equally strong." The alpha sighs again. "Just...just think about it, ok?"
Junsu nearly chews a hole through his bottom lip, nodding even though he knows the older man can't see him. "What you say makes sense. I just....I'd hoped it would be like with Yunho and Changmin. Where I just knew. You know?"
"And many times, it is like that, Su. But not always. Some mate for convenience, some mate for power. But one thing's for sure, if you don't take this opportunity, another alpha will claim you. One that might not treat you as well as Heechul would." Junsu fights back tears, knowing what the alpha said is true. "Alright." He consents. "Alright, I'll...I'll think about it, ok?" He breathes shakily.
"That's all I could ask for." Jeong-su promises. "We'll be arriving in a few hours, ok? Sit tight."
"Thank you." Junsu offers, genuinely grateful that the older cares so much. "See you soon." He hangs up the phone, tightness spreading in his chest. He's known for some time that the clock is ticking for him, and everything Jeong-su said are things Junsu already knows. But it doesn't make it any easier to take.
Because there is someone he feels that spark with. Where he knows they're meant to be. But by some cruel trick of fate, Junsu can't have him. Not permanently, anyway.
With a heavy heart, he drags himself out of the bathroom, doing his best to put on a smile so as not to worry Yoochun, the man he loves more than anything.
"Hey." He greets as he makes his way back to the kitchen. "Jeong-su said they'll be arriving in a few hours and to sit tight."
Yoochun nods, smiling. "Alright, then. Whatever shall we do to pass the time?"
Junsu smirks.
"I can think of a few things..."
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Jaejoong, Minwoo, Changmin, and Yunho are on the soonest plane to Seoul that they could grab, having packed in a rush and moved as quickly as possible. Granted, it does seem rather ridiculous to have only been in Moscow for a day or so only to turn right back around, but considering that Yunho was able to find the answers to most of his questions fairly quickly, he supposes it's worth it. As they sit in first class, Yunho spends the majority of the long flight mulling over everything he's been told. It's a lot of information to digest, and in the grand scheme of things, it's amazing how his entire outlook has been changed over such a short period of time. He went from successful businessman to orphaned werewolf royalty what seems practically overnight, and it's a lot to take in.
Yunho wracks his brain, trying to think if, in fact, Minwoo had answered all of the questions he had. He almost thinks he'd covered everything until it hits him like a ton of bricks.
His other abilities.
Just what the fuck are those? And how does he tap into them?
Deciding there's no time like the present, and taking into consideration the fact that their area of the plane is rather deserted, he decides there's no time like the present. When he turns behind him to question Minwoo, however, he gets a small surprise.
Minwoo and Jaejoong are engaged in what appears to be an in-depth conversation, and Yunho doesn't think he's ever seen this look in Jaejoong's eyes before. To top it all off, Jaejoong is giggling. Giggling, of all things. Who'd have thought? Clearly the playful banter these two had exchanged earlier is slowly developing into a flirtation, and Yunho can't say he's a opposed to that idea. Yunho clears his throat to get their attention, and Jaejoong blinks, cheeks flushing at having been caught. Minwoo smiles, nodding to Yunho. "Yes, your Highness?"
Yunho rolls his eyes. "Oh God, cut it out with the Highness bullshit. It's not neccessary." Minwoo chuckles. "On the contrary, considering that since you're the last living royal of our kind, that makes you my King. I wouldn't dare refer to you otherwise." Yunho shakes his head. "Alright, fine then, Highness it is. Anyway..." He begins, and Minwoo appears to be listening intently. "I wanted to ask about these..." he gestures with a hand, "abilities you mentioned. How many more are there? What are they exactly?"
Minwoo's brows raise. "Ah, yes. Well, each individual is different. I don't know exactly which ones you'll have inherited, but I can tell you what some of the possibilities might be." Yunho shrugs, putting his chin on the headrest on his seat as he talks. "Well, that's better than nothing." Minwoo nods. "Which is the one you've figured out?" Yunho purses his lips. "Jaejoong researched it and we think it's some kind of berserker ability." Minwoo smirks. "Ah, bercer, yes. Your father had that one as well." Yunho can't help the squeeze that grabs at his heart at the mention of the Father he'd never known, but he manages a small nod.
Minwoo exhales deeply, continuing. "Another possibility is being able to commune with certain beings in the spirit world." Yunho tilts his head. "Spirit world?" Minwoo chuckles. "I see you still have much to learn. Our kind has a close relationship with the spirit world. Sometimes certain spritis can guide us and assist us, being able to speak with them can be quite valuable." Yunho nods, considering that. "There's some abilities that are very small," Minwoo gestures with a hand as he speaks, "Amplifying your strength, for instance, as well as others. Defensive abilities, being able to act as a shield. There's even one where, if I recall correctly, you can make yourself have a more magnetic presence. Can be useful when manipulation is in order." Yunho mulls these over in his mind, a question already floating to the surface.
"Alright then. How do I discover these and tap into them?" Yunho asks the obvious question, and Minwoo smirks. "That's the tricky part. Some are discovered through meditation. Some are evoked through extreme emotion. You kind of figure it out as you go." Yunho sighs. He'd been afraid of that. Why is everything always so complicated?
Minwoo bites his lip, then continues. "There is one ability, however, that is possibly the most powerful of them all. Now I can't say for certain, but I'd be willing to bet money that you'll obtain it." Yunho cocks a brow, unable to hide his curiousity at those words. "And that would be?"
"The ability to change a were's rank. In either direction. Raise or lower."
Jaejoong and Changmin collectively gasp, and Yunho's jaw kind of seems to unhinge.
"You mean, as in if someone were an omega, I could make them a beta? Or if they're a beta, make them an alpha?" Yunho asks, incredulous.
Minwoo nods.
"I didn't think such a thing was possible.." Jaejoong mutters, and Changmin nods his agreement, eyes wide.
"Such is the power of the royal family. You can give, and you can take away. It's an ability I'd advise you to not use lightly."
Yunho nods, still kind of stunned.
"And on that note," Minwoo continues. "I believe we're about to land."
"Buckle up, boys. Time to get down to business......"
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Yunho's mind is in a fog as they walk off the plane. His brain is now processing the new bit of information on top of everything else, and as usual, there seem to be more questions than answers. How does he tap into this ability, anyway? How does he even know for sure if he has it? And if he does and is somehow able to figure out how to use it, how does he make that kind of choice? That's a lot of power to wield, and Yunho's unsure if he's worthy of it. Unfortunately, they've got bigger fish to fry at the moment, and so he tries his best to pull himself out of his manic thoughts.
They arrive back at the apartments, heading upstairs, a familiar overload of scents wafting down the hallway the moment they arrive on the landing. Clearly, the cavalry has already arrived.
Minwoo's nose wrinkles, and he chuckles a little. "Man, they sure make their presence known, huh.."
Jaejoong laughs cheerfully beside him, leading them all to the door. "Indeed. But they do their jobs well, so I can't really complain."
As the door opens, they're greeted with a cacauphony of sounds and and bombarded with touches, mostly big hugs or pats or arms slung around shoulders in welcome. Yunho has to admit, he's growing rather fond of this ragtag bunch of weres. Jeong-su smiles, he and Heechul making their way over last and passing out their own hugs and fond hellos. Jaejoong busies himself by introducing Minwoo to everyone, and the guardian instantly seems to become a topic of great interest.
Jonghyun corners Changmin almost immediately and starts talking excitedly, which catches Yunho's attention. Changmin waves him over with a smile, and he excuses himself from current company, wanting to see what all the fuss is about. Changmin takes his hand as he arrives, giving it a squeeze. He nudges Jonghyun. "Go ahead, tell him!"
Jonghyun beams, happier than Yunho has yet to see him. "I'm sorry, I'm just really excited. My mate, Kibum, had our pups last week. They're so beautiful, you'll have to come see them sometime!" Yunho smiles back, and immediately understands why Changmin called him over. To put his mind at ease about their own children, to show him that it is doable, and maybe it's not quite as scary as he'd originally thought. However, there's a few things he needs to know, now that he has an experienced person to talk to.
"I'm really happy for you, Jonghyun, that's awesome. Can I ask a possibly silly question?" Yunho queries with a raised brow. Jonghyun laughs, patting him on the shoulder. "Of course you can. I know this is your first experience, so there's no such thing as a silly question." He winks, and Yunho shrugs. "Well, alright then. When they're born...what do they look like? Human..or were?"
Jonghyun chuckles. "I had a feeling you'd ask that." Changmin nods, piping up. "I'm curious about that as well. I've heard different things, but I don't know how accurate they are." Yunho gives Changmin a look. "I thought you said they could be either/or, or a mix?" Changmin shrugs. "I told you I wasn't sure of the science behind it. My knowledge is based mostly on hearsay." Yunho sighs at this sudden admittance, and Jonghyun busts out laughing. "Ah, you two are a trip. Allow me to clear up the mystery, hmm?" Yunho and Changmin both turn their attention back to Jonghyun, infinitely curious.
"It's uncommon for there to be a mix. My pups were born looking like normal human babies. They've got a far bigger appetite than a normal human, let me tell you, but otherwise to the outside world, they don't appear to be unusual. Once they hit their teenage years, they'll start to develop were abilities, such as the shift." Jonghyun explains, gesturing with his hands. Yunho nods, understanding. Clearly in Changmin's case, he and his brother were born the opposite, as wolf pups that later developed. He puts it all together in his mind, and it seems easy enough to grasp. He chuckles. "Well, I'm glad. It'd be rather odd raising one half as babies and the other as pups." Jonghyun nods, still grinning. "Definitely."
Yunho can't help but wonder if his royal heritage might have an effect on what kind of pups Changmin will bear, but he pushes that thought aside for the moment. There's immediate concerns that need to be addressed.
"Alright, everyone!" Yunho speaks loudly, addressing the crowd at large. "If I could have your attention for a few moments. Is there someone that can tell me what exactly we know right now?"
Jeong-su raises a hand, making his way back over to where Yunho and Changmin are standing. Out of the corner of Yunho's eye, he notices Junsu and Yoochun speaking to each other in hushed tones in a far corner of the room, both seemingly rather agitated. But unfortunately he's unable to investigate, as his question is being answered.
"What we took out that day in the garage was a good percentage of the pack, to be sure." Jeong-su explains. "But what was left appears to have been spending their spare time regrouping. There's a new alpha, Han Geng, and he's spearheading the movement." Changmin speaks up. "Han Geng? I don't remember him at all, where did he come from..." Jeong-su nods. "They've recruited from other nearby packs, and some not so nearby. Siwon apparently had connections in China and Japan, and they've utilized them to the fullest. I fear what's coming after us now may make what we faced before pale in comparison."
Yunho sighs. Knowing what he now knows about Siwon, that he helped destroy the royal family, it doesn't surprise him at all that the were would have had connections all over the world. Possibly even some in Russia, a thought which scares Yunho more than he'd openly admit. If anyone were to find out about him, they'd be at war for the rest of their lives. (And from what he's gathered so far...weres live a long, long time...) And Yunho can't help but fear that there's someone out there that knows, or if they don't know now, they'll figure it out soon enough. Minwoo walks to the center of the room, gathering everyone's attention. "Don't panic, everyone. We have a weapon stronger than what you may realize." He turns to Yunho. "Can these people be trusted?"
Yunho nods fervently. "They've already seen at least part of what I'm capable of, and they've offered their lives to defend and protect us. I can't think of anyone I'd trust more than this lot."
Minwoo nods. Junsu and Yoochun appear to have ended their private conversation and are both looking at the newcomer curiously, as are all the others.
"For those of you that haven't spoken to me, my name is Minwoo. I was the guardian of the were royal family for many, many years. So many I've lost track." He chuckles softly. Every eye in the place is on him, particularly at the mention of the royal family. "If you don't understand the significance of that, the royal family were the first ever werewolves. A few decades ago, they were murdered. All but one."
He raises a finger, pointing directly at Yunho. "This is the last remaining werewolf royal. That makes him your King. If he dies, the royal bloodline dies with him, and I can't guarantee anyone's survival if that happens. Our kind may die out altogether. No matter what," He gestures to Yunho again, "he must live," He then gestures to Changmin. "and he who carries his offspring must live. Everyone got that?"
Minwoo is met with blank stares all around, a whole lot of dropped jaws, and someone near the back, (Yunho thinks it was Ryeowook?) hits the floor, having fainted right on the spot.
This ought to be an interesting day.