Of Seasons and Spots - Eight
Of Seasons and Spots
Eight: Family Reunion
“Kui Xian,” Zhou mi breathed against the man’s lips before sealing them together again. Kyuhyun’s hands slid down Zhou mi’s back beneath his shirt where they slipped teasingly beneath the waist band of his pants. A moment later they reversed and ran back up where they had been only moments ago. His soft sound of pleasure only encouraged the repetition of the motion that felt almost like petting him.
“You,” Kyuhyun murmured, pulling away from his lips for a moment, “are just like a cat arching into my hands. Are you going to start purring next?”
“Watch it or you might end up having to use your hand,” Zhou mi threatened, rolling their hips together.
“You wouldn’t,” Kyuhyun replied confidently as he slid a hand down the back of his pants and flexed his hand on the flesh he found there.
“I… would,” Zhou mi countered, although given the lengthy pause and the way he was having a hard time keeping his hips still, he imagined he didn’t sound all that threatening.
“Really?” Kyuhyun asked, rolling up into him, “Because I had planned to have you moaning my name beneath me in the next few minutes or so.”
“Really,” his mate countered weakly. “What if my mom comes home?”
“What if she comes home? It isn’t like she never made out with her mate on her parents couch.”
As if drawn by their words, the front door opened and in walked his mother smiling over her shoulder to his father. The sight of his mother would have sent him scrambling, but his father walking in after her had him freezing above Kyuhyun. The last time he had seen his father was at his wedding, but he wasn’t certain how much that actually counted. After the ceremony and the hunt, he and Kyuhyun had taken off on what Kyuhyun had called their honeymoon. When they had returned his father had been gone.
Sensing the change in his mindset, Kyuhyun drew his hands back up Zhou mi’s back, wrapping them around him protectively. He could feel concern flowing through there bond and Zhou mi relaxed into his hold, pressing his nose to the man’s neck and breathing in his scent.
“Kyuhyun had better have clothing on under there,” his mother called playfully as they walked by, “and your father will be here with us for the holiday season.” He hated that she said that just as if she were reporting the weather.
“I do,” Kyuhyun answered for him, thumbs rubbing against his skin. Then lower, “Zhou mi?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. “It’s just going to be…different.”
“I’ll be here,” Kyuhyun promised.
“I know.”
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
“What do you do, Kyuhyun?” his father asked.
“I’m finishing up high school since I was never able to when I turned. Then I will be attending college for a degree in something to do with the arts,” Kyuhyun informed him. His tone wasn’t exactly cold, just incredibly formal, offering only what was necessary to answer the question.
“And what are your plans, Zhou mi?” his father directed at him.
“I don’t know,” he replied, pushing his food around his plate.
“You must have some idea,” the man pressed.
“Not really,” Zhou mi fidgeted in his seat trying his hardest to stay bored and calm. If he showed any signs of discomfort, he knew Kyuhyun would be tempted to react.
“Maybe something in the language field,” his father offered.
“I don’t know,” Zhou mi repeated.
“There has to be something you are good at.”
“He said he didn’t know,” Kyuhyun snapped. He glanced up to see his mate’s eyes flash with irritation and lock with his father’s. Over the table they waged a contest of wills, a silent stare down that even an unaware person would be able to understand the intensity of.
“Kyuhyun,” Zhou mi whispered, sliding his hand on his mate’s upper thigh.
“Out of respect,” Kyuhyun growled, “for my mate and any lingering affections for you, I will let this go, but know this. You will not talk to my mate like that, I do not care what you are or are not to him.”
“Kyuhyun,” Zhou mi hissed with caution.
“Excuse us,” Kyuhyun snapped, standing up abruptly and grabbing Zhou mi’s wrist with his hand before the young man could pull away, “but I think I’m going to be taking my mate out for dinner.”
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
“How did you get these?” Kyuhyun murmured, dragging his fingers over the scars, on Zhou mi’s ribs.
Squirming under him, Zhou mi mumbled, “I told you, werewolf.”
“I know what gave you these,” Kyuhyun countered, leaning down to kiss one of the marks. “I want to know how.”
“It’s not important. It’s long done with,” Zhou mi told him.
“It happened to you, it is important. I want to know,” the young man insisted.
“It was dumb and completely my fault.”
“Mhmm,” Kyuhyun hummed, leaving a sucking kiss on another of the marks.
Zhou mi sighed, “You aren’t going to let this go are you?”
“No,” Kyuhyun replied, kissing just above his belly button.
“I was young, maybe 12, but old enough to know better. My dad took me with him to the Alpha’s house since he was looking after me while mom was out running errands. While we were there some of the more dominate wolves were picking on one of the less dominate ones, ganging up on him. It upset him and it upset me. You know me.”
“I do,” Kyuhyun grumbled.
“I told them that it wasn’t nice or fair to do that. At first they just laughed at the little kid who tried to tell them what to do. They tried to intimidate me, and I wouldn’t back down,” Zhou mi fell silent for a moment and felt another kiss against his skin. “I think I instinctively tried to use my abilities to bend them to my will. They didn’t like it. The next thing I knew there was pain on my side and I was screaming in pain.”
Kyuhyun didn’t say anything, but Zhou mi could feel the rumbled beginnings of a growl in his chest. “I’m not really sure what happened next,” Zhou mi continued, “but a few minutes later I saw the man who had hurt me laying in multiple pieces beneath the third in the pack. I don’t know what happened after that. I ran as fast as I could.”
“What about your father?” Kyuhyun asked very quietly.
“He caught up to me after awhile. He was so angry with me,” Zhou mi trailed off remembering the fear, the pain.
“Did he hurt you, Zhou mi,” Kyuhyun whispered, flexing his fingers over Zhou mi’s skin.
“He hit me,” Zhou mi, whispered, “but I think he was just scared.”
Kyuhyun stilled, his body tensing, “he hit you?”
“Just once. Then he took me home and bandaged up my side. He told me that it served me right that I was hurt, that I should know better than to stick my nose into stuff that wasn’t my business.”
“You were twelve,” Kyuhyun growled, his eyes flashing.
“I shouldn’t have meddled,” he answered.
Kyuhyun’s eyes flashed gold, “you were twelve and he was supposed to protect you.”
Zhou mi shrugged, “it wasn’t the first time.” The moment the words were out, he regretted saying them. Kyuhyun’s eyes flashed golden and he rolled off the bed.
“It happened more than once?!”
“No!” Zhou mi exclaimed, “I was never hurt like that again!”
“But you were hurt! He is a dominate and you are precious! More so because you are his son!” Kyuhyun’s eyes were blazing as he spoke and he spun to the door.
“No, wait! Kyuhyun!” Zhou mi called scrambling after him. He snagged the sheet he was tangled with as he stumbled from the bed, to provide a bit of modesty as he followed Kyuhyun from the room. “Kyuhyun!”
Ignoring him, Kyuhyun strode to his mother’s room. Zhou mi prayed he would knock but Kyuhyun did nothing of the sort and instead kicked the door in. His mother was crouched on the bed with a silver knife in her hand, his father beside her. Standing in the door way in nothing more than the skin he was born in, Kyuhyun snarled, “I challenge you to fight to the death.”
Eight: Family Reunion
“Kui Xian,” Zhou mi breathed against the man’s lips before sealing them together again. Kyuhyun’s hands slid down Zhou mi’s back beneath his shirt where they slipped teasingly beneath the waist band of his pants. A moment later they reversed and ran back up where they had been only moments ago. His soft sound of pleasure only encouraged the repetition of the motion that felt almost like petting him.
“You,” Kyuhyun murmured, pulling away from his lips for a moment, “are just like a cat arching into my hands. Are you going to start purring next?”
“Watch it or you might end up having to use your hand,” Zhou mi threatened, rolling their hips together.
“You wouldn’t,” Kyuhyun replied confidently as he slid a hand down the back of his pants and flexed his hand on the flesh he found there.
“I… would,” Zhou mi countered, although given the lengthy pause and the way he was having a hard time keeping his hips still, he imagined he didn’t sound all that threatening.
“Really?” Kyuhyun asked, rolling up into him, “Because I had planned to have you moaning my name beneath me in the next few minutes or so.”
“Really,” his mate countered weakly. “What if my mom comes home?”
“What if she comes home? It isn’t like she never made out with her mate on her parents couch.”
As if drawn by their words, the front door opened and in walked his mother smiling over her shoulder to his father. The sight of his mother would have sent him scrambling, but his father walking in after her had him freezing above Kyuhyun. The last time he had seen his father was at his wedding, but he wasn’t certain how much that actually counted. After the ceremony and the hunt, he and Kyuhyun had taken off on what Kyuhyun had called their honeymoon. When they had returned his father had been gone.
Sensing the change in his mindset, Kyuhyun drew his hands back up Zhou mi’s back, wrapping them around him protectively. He could feel concern flowing through there bond and Zhou mi relaxed into his hold, pressing his nose to the man’s neck and breathing in his scent.
“Kyuhyun had better have clothing on under there,” his mother called playfully as they walked by, “and your father will be here with us for the holiday season.” He hated that she said that just as if she were reporting the weather.
“I do,” Kyuhyun answered for him, thumbs rubbing against his skin. Then lower, “Zhou mi?”
“I’m fine,” he grumbled. “It’s just going to be…different.”
“I’ll be here,” Kyuhyun promised.
“I know.”
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
“What do you do, Kyuhyun?” his father asked.
“I’m finishing up high school since I was never able to when I turned. Then I will be attending college for a degree in something to do with the arts,” Kyuhyun informed him. His tone wasn’t exactly cold, just incredibly formal, offering only what was necessary to answer the question.
“And what are your plans, Zhou mi?” his father directed at him.
“I don’t know,” he replied, pushing his food around his plate.
“You must have some idea,” the man pressed.
“Not really,” Zhou mi fidgeted in his seat trying his hardest to stay bored and calm. If he showed any signs of discomfort, he knew Kyuhyun would be tempted to react.
“Maybe something in the language field,” his father offered.
“I don’t know,” Zhou mi repeated.
“There has to be something you are good at.”
“He said he didn’t know,” Kyuhyun snapped. He glanced up to see his mate’s eyes flash with irritation and lock with his father’s. Over the table they waged a contest of wills, a silent stare down that even an unaware person would be able to understand the intensity of.
“Kyuhyun,” Zhou mi whispered, sliding his hand on his mate’s upper thigh.
“Out of respect,” Kyuhyun growled, “for my mate and any lingering affections for you, I will let this go, but know this. You will not talk to my mate like that, I do not care what you are or are not to him.”
“Kyuhyun,” Zhou mi hissed with caution.
“Excuse us,” Kyuhyun snapped, standing up abruptly and grabbing Zhou mi’s wrist with his hand before the young man could pull away, “but I think I’m going to be taking my mate out for dinner.”
▪▫▪☼▪▫▪
“How did you get these?” Kyuhyun murmured, dragging his fingers over the scars, on Zhou mi’s ribs.
Squirming under him, Zhou mi mumbled, “I told you, werewolf.”
“I know what gave you these,” Kyuhyun countered, leaning down to kiss one of the marks. “I want to know how.”
“It’s not important. It’s long done with,” Zhou mi told him.
“It happened to you, it is important. I want to know,” the young man insisted.
“It was dumb and completely my fault.”
“Mhmm,” Kyuhyun hummed, leaving a sucking kiss on another of the marks.
Zhou mi sighed, “You aren’t going to let this go are you?”
“No,” Kyuhyun replied, kissing just above his belly button.
“I was young, maybe 12, but old enough to know better. My dad took me with him to the Alpha’s house since he was looking after me while mom was out running errands. While we were there some of the more dominate wolves were picking on one of the less dominate ones, ganging up on him. It upset him and it upset me. You know me.”
“I do,” Kyuhyun grumbled.
“I told them that it wasn’t nice or fair to do that. At first they just laughed at the little kid who tried to tell them what to do. They tried to intimidate me, and I wouldn’t back down,” Zhou mi fell silent for a moment and felt another kiss against his skin. “I think I instinctively tried to use my abilities to bend them to my will. They didn’t like it. The next thing I knew there was pain on my side and I was screaming in pain.”
Kyuhyun didn’t say anything, but Zhou mi could feel the rumbled beginnings of a growl in his chest. “I’m not really sure what happened next,” Zhou mi continued, “but a few minutes later I saw the man who had hurt me laying in multiple pieces beneath the third in the pack. I don’t know what happened after that. I ran as fast as I could.”
“What about your father?” Kyuhyun asked very quietly.
“He caught up to me after awhile. He was so angry with me,” Zhou mi trailed off remembering the fear, the pain.
“Did he hurt you, Zhou mi,” Kyuhyun whispered, flexing his fingers over Zhou mi’s skin.
“He hit me,” Zhou mi, whispered, “but I think he was just scared.”
Kyuhyun stilled, his body tensing, “he hit you?”
“Just once. Then he took me home and bandaged up my side. He told me that it served me right that I was hurt, that I should know better than to stick my nose into stuff that wasn’t my business.”
“You were twelve,” Kyuhyun growled, his eyes flashing.
“I shouldn’t have meddled,” he answered.
Kyuhyun’s eyes flashed gold, “you were twelve and he was supposed to protect you.”
Zhou mi shrugged, “it wasn’t the first time.” The moment the words were out, he regretted saying them. Kyuhyun’s eyes flashed golden and he rolled off the bed.
“It happened more than once?!”
“No!” Zhou mi exclaimed, “I was never hurt like that again!”
“But you were hurt! He is a dominate and you are precious! More so because you are his son!” Kyuhyun’s eyes were blazing as he spoke and he spun to the door.
“No, wait! Kyuhyun!” Zhou mi called scrambling after him. He snagged the sheet he was tangled with as he stumbled from the bed, to provide a bit of modesty as he followed Kyuhyun from the room. “Kyuhyun!”
Ignoring him, Kyuhyun strode to his mother’s room. Zhou mi prayed he would knock but Kyuhyun did nothing of the sort and instead kicked the door in. His mother was crouched on the bed with a silver knife in her hand, his father beside her. Standing in the door way in nothing more than the skin he was born in, Kyuhyun snarled, “I challenge you to fight to the death.”