Of Flesh, Fur, and Fang - Chapter Eleven
Of Flesh, Fur, and Fang
Chapter Eleven
Kangin was waiting for them when they arrived outside his house a few moments later. He offered Zhou mi a look of sympathy and reached out to touch him. Zhou mi automatically shied away from the touch and Kangin smiled. The Alpha moved forward quicker then Zhou mi could shift away and buried his hand in soft fur.
Zhou mi waited for the spike of lust to hit him and send him crawling all over the Alpha, but as the man’s fingers ran through his fur, nothing happened. Kangin smiled down at him, “Your body knows that I am mated and it would never try to challenge that. You won’t have a problem with any of the wolves that are mated.” Sagging in relief, Zhou mi pressed closer to Kangin enjoying the contact without all of the want. He laughed and squatted down, running both hands over Zhou mi’s body in long pets.
“Zhou mi, are you going to steal my mate?” he heard Leeteuk ask as the man walked from the house. At his words Zhou mi hunched his shoulders and tried to scoot away from the Alpha.
“You’re just jealous because his fur is so much softer than yours,” Kangin shot back playfully, his hands still following Zhou mi’s body.
Leeteuk laughed heartily and ran his hand down Zhou mi’s back as well. “So it is,” he said with a smile.
A large wolf padded from the house and Zhou mi could tell that it was Siwon by the coloring. He also knew instantly that although Siwon was courting someone, they were not yet mates which made him fair game. His body didn’t seem quiet as excited about this wolf as it had Kyuhyun but it was still clearly interested.
Siwon offered him a grin and then tilted his head to Kangin. The Alpha beckoned him over and he came to stand just in front of Zhou mi. Strong hands cupped Zhou mi’s head and tilted it up so that he was staring into Kangin’s eyes. “This wolf,” the Alpha said firmly, his eyes flashing with gold, “is mine. You cannot have him.”
Zhou mi felt the power of a command slide over him and roll off like water. Still something inside him understood and agreed that this wolf wasn’t his to claim and he inclined his head in agreement. “Good,” Kangin murmured sounding pleased. Happiness bubbled up in Zhou mi and he wondered if this was what it felt like when a wolf of the pack pleased his Alpha.
There was a happy yip from the house and two more wolves bounded out. “Eunhyuk and Shindong will go with you,” he told Zhou mi. The cat nodded, pleased that he didn’t feel drawn to the two mated wolves in the least. “Siwon, go,” Kangin said.
Siwon let out a small bark and then turned and bounded out of the yard faster than any normal wolf could move. “Now,” Kangin said calling Zhou mi’s attention back to him. “It is your job to find my wolf and bring him back to me. Shindong and Eunhyuk will keep you safe.”
Zhou mi blinked at him in confusion. “Trust me,” Kangin murmured. “This will help you.” Zhou mi gave him a disbelieving look and then glanced towards Kyuhyun. “Kyuhyun will be staying here with me where he is safe,” Kangin informed him. “Now go.” He ran his hand through Zhou mi’s fur once more and then stood.
The large cat stood there for a moment, appearing to be at a loss for what to do. “Hunt, Zhou mi,” Leeteuk told him gently. “Your animal side knows how to do it. Use your senses and then catch Siwon.” Zhou mi stared at him for a moment, flicking his tail from side to side before he put his nose towards the ground and sniffed. It took him a moment of wandering, but he eventually found the trail he wanted and moved off at a trot following it. Shindong barked playfully before he and Eunhyuk trotted off after him.
Kangin watched them slip away and smiled. He could still feel his wolves through his bond as their Alpha, and he knew Siwon was running full out. The other wolf would hit a river in less than a minute and would likely be able to use it to cover his scent for a while, but he would never be fast enough to outrun Zhou mi. Kangin had never see the Quieter in full motion, but he could tell by the build of the cat that he would be fast. Even Eunhyuk, the fastest of his pack, might have trouble keeping up with him.
Leeteuk stepped up beside him and slipped his arm around his waist in an affectionate half hug. “Did you expect this?” he asked quietly.
“I thought I might have smelled it when he was over last week but I wasn’t sure,” Kangin confirmed. Then, “Come on Kyuhyun, we will wait for them to return inside.”
The teen nodded and glanced back at where Zhou mi had gone. Kangin was afraid for a moment he would have to phrase it as an order but Kyuhyun turned and walked briskly into the house. Leeteuk sighed as he watched him go. “I don’t know how to help him, Kangin,” he murmured softly.
“You can’t Jungsoo. He has to work through this on his own. It is part of the process of controlling his Beast. He is doing very well at it so far.” Kangin told him, offering him a gentle squeeze.
“I know,” was all Leeteuk murmured in response before they turned and walked into the house.
In the kitchen Jaejoong was hard at work making preparations for dinner. Yunho hovered nearby as if worried what the man might try with all of the sharp objects at his fingertips, yet since the night of the full moon there had been no more suicide attempts on Jaejoong’s part.
Kyuhyun had settled at the kitchen table with a glass of water which he was staring into with such intensity that Kangin was mildly surprised it wasn’t boiling. “So,” Kangin said causally as he slid into a chair facing Kyuhyun and Leeteuk slid in beside him. “Care to tell me what you were doing at Zhou mi’s?” It would have been easier to phrase it as an order, something that Kyuhyun would not be able to resist answering with the truth, but Kangin hated using his abilities as an Alpha more than he had to.
“I don’t know,” he muttered grumpily. “I didn’t think Zhou mi could really be in heat.” In Kangin’s mind that translated to ‘I didn’t believe Leeteuk when he told me that Zhou mi was in heat and thought it was just an attempt to keep me away from him.’
“It is strange that Zhou mi is in heat,” Leeteuk said, effectively keeping Kangin from commenting on what Kyuhyun had said.
Under the table, Kangin closed his hand on Leeteuk’s grateful for the calm of his mate. “I have to imagine it has something to do with the fact that Zhou mi is half and half. We don’t truly know what the mixture has brought him.”
“I was thinking,” Leeteuk mused, “That this could be a Quieter thing. They are so rare that I have to imagine instincts would demand they reproduce as much as possible. Going into heat is one way that the body could force that.”
“Wouldn’t he need female organs to produce the proper chemicals?” Kangin asked, trying to remember the little he knew of biology.
“Not necessarily, but it is always a possibility,” Leeteuk replied.
“Kyuhyun,” Kangin said, redirecting the conversation. “You do understand what could have happened today?”
“It didn’t,” Kyuhyun snapped looking up with irritation and challenge in his eyes.
Their eyes locked for a moment and Kangin released a growl of warning. “Kyuhyun.”
“Sorry,” the werewolf murmured, shifting his gaze to the right.
“I imagine that the run will help Zhou mi work out most of the extra energy the heat is causing, but we best have him stay here tonight. I’ll call his mother,” Leeteuk said rising from the table and moving to the phone.
“Do I need to order you to stay away from him?” Kangin asked Kyuhyun pointedly.
“No, my Beast is under my control,” he replied stubbornly.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
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At the edge of the river, Zhou mi lifted his head and sniffed the air. The wolf he was hunting had definitely entered the water here that much he was certain of. The question was which way had the wolf gone after that.
Beside him a thin wolf shifted, as if eager to be moving again while the large and fluffy one panted like he would much rather die. Zhou mi didn’t much mind their presence either way. He didn’t need their help and he certainly didn’t need their protection. There wasn’t a thing out here that could harm him, nothing that could challenge him.
His ears flicked around, listening for different sounds, but if Siwon was nearby he was silent enough that Zhou mi couldn’t pick up on him. It was strangely exhilarating, in an entirely different way than he had ever felt during a time of heat, to be hunting another. He felt powerful and alive, more so then he had ever felt before.
Eunhyuk yipped beside him, encouraging him to make a choice. Zhou mi ignored him. The few extra moments he took here wouldn’t allow Siwon to get too far ahead of him anyway. He contemplated picking a way, but if he chose wrong there would be no way to know, until he had ran for a very long time and wasted far too much time. No, that wouldn’t do at all. He needed some other way to find Siwon, something more certain.
He closed his eyes and quieted his mind, simply listen to the things his senses were saying. He knew the wolves beside him were eager for more, despite Shindong’s panting. Being able to run together brought them joy and excitement. He was certain that the rest of the pack was waiting back at the house with eagerness for the return and the conclusion of the hunt. Kyuhyun, he imagined was rather irritated for not being allowed to come with him but none of those were the wolves that he truly cared about now.
Zhou mi shifted his attention to the only wolf he currently had any regard for and suddenly he knew that Siwon was running on the edge of a rural area, hoping that the scents of civilization would mask his own, but it wouldn’t matter, not now. He was to the right and far across the river, Zhou mi knew without question.
He released a growl of happiness and plunged straight into the river. It only took a moment for him to cross it and he pulled himself from the water on the other side shaking slightly to rid his fur of any lingering water. Behind him the wolves whined. Neither of them could cross the river safely and they wouldn’t chance it. They would have to run and find a bridge or a shallow spot to cross. It didn’t matter to Zhou mi, it wasn’t them that he hunted.
Zhou mi set off at a run, allowing his body to stretch and find its rhythm. The play of his muscles beneath his skin felt good in a way he had never known it could. He set a path on a diagonal, headed straight towards Siwon. His nose could pick up nothing of the other wolf, but Zhou mi wasn’t bothered. Somehow he knew exactly where the other wolf was with a certainly that would have startled him under normal circumstances.
His legs brought him across the distance quickly and in no time at all he was cresting a hill and looking down into the valley below. There in the tall grass, Siwon slunk, being careful to keep himself down and hidden from the nearby houses and anyone who might gaze out and see him. Zhou mi grinned in joy and tore down the hill, not bothering with the complete silence his form was capable of.
He arrived at Siwon’s side, so quickly that the wolf barely had time to register the sound of his paws before a blur of black fur slammed into his side. The wolf snarled, in surprise and rolled with the momentum, using it rock him right back onto his feet facing his attacker. He bore his teeth in warning and then a moment later relaxed into a completely confused look at the cat that crouched with his tail flicking playfully as if ready to spring.
Siwon was clearly confused at Zhou mi’s quick appearance, but his body relaxed out of attack mode easily enough. Zhou mi waited for the moment that his shoulders lost their tenseness, and then he sprung. A startled yelp flew from the wolf as the cat tackled him to the ground and went in for the kill. Zhou mi’s sharp canines slid through the thick fur protecting Siwon’s neck until they lightly pricked flesh. He knew that it could hardly be felt by the wolf, but it would be enough to get his attention and declare his victory. Not wanting to truly hurt the wolf, he released him and danced backwards offering him a feline grin.
The wolf climbed to his feet, grumbling to himself and watching the large cat wearily. It took him a few moments to decide that Zhou mi wasn’t going to try anything else. Siwon returned his grin lightly, walking over and offering Zhou mi an affectionate lick on the cheek. It was strange, Zhou mi thought, to feel like a part of him wanted the wolf, but not in a way that couldn’t be ignored. It was refreshing to feel the heat as a background sensation, rather than something screaming at the forefront of his mind.
Siwon wagged his tail and inclined his head the direction that Zhou mi knew home was. The cat yawned widely and moved down into a long stretch, feeling better than he had in a long time. When he was finished, he turned with Siwon and began the trek back at an easy lope. Perhaps if they were lucky they could sneak up on Eunhyuk and Shindong on the way back. Zhou mi couldn’t think of anything at the moment that could be more fun.
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Kyuhyun didn’t really realize how tightly wound he was until Zhou mi walked in the door unharmed. Right behind him were the three wolves and at the sight of them all he exhaled in relief. Kangin grinned at them, placing the paper he had been reading on the table. “Feel better?” he asked. Zhou mi bobbed his head in a very humanistic nod and flashed his canines in a playful grin.
“Good,” Leeteuk said with a smile as he finished laying silverware around the table. “Why don’t you all go and get changed, then we can have some dinner.” Zhou mi looked confused for a moment and then he shook his head slowly.
“You’ll be fine Zhou mi. Go with Eunhyuk and he will get you some clothing. You eat a good dinner and get some sleep here with the pack and you will feel a lot better in the morning,” Kangin told him firmly.
Eunhyuk nudged Zhou mi in the shoulder with his nose before he trotted from the room expecting him to follow. There was a moment of hesitation and then a sigh that looked very much like surrender as Zhou mi turned and followed him.
Kyuhyun’s knuckles tighten on the edge of his chair until they turned white, as he watched Zhou mi walk from the room, shortly followed by the other two wolves. There was a telltale sound of the wood groaning beneath his fingers and Leeteuk cleared his throat. “You break my chair, you will be replacing it,” he scolded. Kyuhyun nodded sharply to indicate that he had heard and relaxed his hands enough that they weren’t an immediate threat to the wood.
When Zhou mi finally walked back down the stairs fully clothed, his hands released the chair entirely. It was a good thing they had, because they immediately curled into fists so tight that his nails bit into his palms, drawing blood. On the body of the man he had claimed was clothing of another, the scent of another. The rational part of his brain told him that the scent of Eunhyuk, an already mated wolf, would help Zhou mi stay relaxed where as his own would only worsen things. The rest of his brain didn’t care. Zhou mi was his, and he should smell like no one but him.
At that thought Kyuhyun clamped down firmly on the Beast within him. Zhou mi belonged to no one, least of all them, unless he chose to. Until that point he could wear anything he liked, no matter how much they disliked it. Kyuhyun turned his attention to the table and placed his fists in his lap. If he thought he would have been able to sneak out of the house without Leeteuk stopping him, he would have.
“How do you feel?” he heard Leeteuk ask.
“Better actually,” Zhou mi replied as if he was surprised, but Kyuhyun didn’t look up to see for sure. “I usually can’t think of anything but,” he paused for a moment most likely from embarrassment, “well you know.”
“One of the keys is to get your energy out,” Yoona said lightly as she walked in the room. “It doesn’t have to be by sex, although that does work the best, but you have to burn it off.”
“It also helps to be touched,” Taeyeon’s voice added. “A mated wolf can touch you without arousing you further and that really helps. Sort of like a mother rubbing your back.”
“I never knew,” Zhou mi murmured. “I always just sort of locked myself in my room and waited it out.”
“You never had a pack to help you either,” Yoona pointed out. “Kangin did this for us before we were mated last year. He is really good with unmated female wolves.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Kangin murmured and Kyuhyun could hear embarrassment in his voice.
“Am I the only male that goes through this?” Zhou mi asked. Kyuhyun could just imagine the combination of confusion and hope that they would tell him he wasn’t truly an outsider to everything that would play across the man’s face.
“I don’t know for sure,” Kangin told him gently. “I haven’t known a Quieter long enough to tell, but we think it might have something to do with how rare you are and your bodies desire to reproduce.”
“Oh,” Zhou mi replied disappointed.
“Zhou mi, you aren’t alone anymore. You don’t ever have to suffer this alone again,” Leeteuk told him gently.
“I,” Zhou mi said with hesitation. “Thank you.”
Kyuhyun chanced a glance up and his eyes sought out the face of Zhou mi. The expression on the teen’s face was a combination of relief and hope and it warmed Kyuhyun instantly.”Just tell us next time idiot,” he mumbled crossly.
Zhou mi looked at him then and smiled. “Sorry. I’ll be sure that you are the first one to know the next time something is wrong, Kui Xian.”
Kyuhyun didn’t know if it was the smile or the version of his name from Zhou mi’s lips that warmed him from the pit of his stomach outwards, but as he returned it with one of his own, he found he didn’t really care which it was.
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After supper had finished they had played videogames until their fingers hurt. Kyuhyun had relaxed on the couch and watched Zhou mi as he stretched among Eunhyuk, Shindong, Yoona, and Taeyeon as if he belonged there. It irritated him at first that the other teen seemed so content among the mated pairs, but he couldn’t really blame him. Every now and again, Zhou mi snuck a not so subtle look towards the couch, which Kyuhyun pretended to miss every time if happened and he decided that this wasn’t as bad after all.
By the time Kangin ordered them all to bed, he was rather satisfied with their little impromptu evening spent together. Even as he trudged up the stairs, knowing that Kangin was making up the couch in the living room for Zhou mi, he couldn’t feel too upset about it. He changed into pajamas and slipped into bed, prepared to get a good night’s rest, when he found that suddenly he couldn’t sleep.
Something within him was restless. He didn’t like being trapped up in his room, knowing that Zhou mi was unprotected in the living room. Sure there were several mated pairs in the house, but there were also three single males besides himself. He released a growl before he could stop himself and threw the covers from his body. He would not simply sit by and let one of them claim Zhou mi, especially when Zhou mi would be less than thrilled with the idea.
Without turning on the light, he slipped from his bed and padded out into the hallway. He crept through the dark, completely unhindered by the lack of light. He could see just as well by the light of the tiny night light left in the kitchen as he could if they had every light in the house on. The moment his feet touched the wood floor of the living room he looked to the couch. There Zhou mi lay, his chest rising and falling in slumber.
Kyuhyun was very pleased to see that and he crossed the room to the couch. On the floor beside it he stretched on his back, pillowing his head on his folded hands. Nothing would be able to get past him to get to the teen on the couch without alerting him. His eyes closed as he relaxed to the sound of Zhou mi’s breathing.
He almost missed the whisper of a sheet a minute later as it was cast aside, but he could never miss the weight that settled on his hips immediately afterwards. The scent that instantly filled him was the only thing that kept him from reacting violently and he lifted his hands, bringing them up to rest on the curve of hips.
A body lay forward, stretched along his and lips played at his ear for a moment. “I want you,” the voice came in a rumbled purr. The voice was distinctly Zhou mi’s but so much deeper and rougher then Kyuhyun was used to that it sent shivers through his body.
The lips pulled from his flesh as the body above him gave a delicious roll. Gasping Kyuhyun pulled the hips tightly to his own as his eyes flew open. There hovering above him, was Zhou mi with glowing violet eyes.
Chapter Twelve
Masterlist
AN: Sorry this is so late guys. It has been a crazy couple of weeks and there is only more to come!
Chapter Eleven
Kangin was waiting for them when they arrived outside his house a few moments later. He offered Zhou mi a look of sympathy and reached out to touch him. Zhou mi automatically shied away from the touch and Kangin smiled. The Alpha moved forward quicker then Zhou mi could shift away and buried his hand in soft fur.
Zhou mi waited for the spike of lust to hit him and send him crawling all over the Alpha, but as the man’s fingers ran through his fur, nothing happened. Kangin smiled down at him, “Your body knows that I am mated and it would never try to challenge that. You won’t have a problem with any of the wolves that are mated.” Sagging in relief, Zhou mi pressed closer to Kangin enjoying the contact without all of the want. He laughed and squatted down, running both hands over Zhou mi’s body in long pets.
“Zhou mi, are you going to steal my mate?” he heard Leeteuk ask as the man walked from the house. At his words Zhou mi hunched his shoulders and tried to scoot away from the Alpha.
“You’re just jealous because his fur is so much softer than yours,” Kangin shot back playfully, his hands still following Zhou mi’s body.
Leeteuk laughed heartily and ran his hand down Zhou mi’s back as well. “So it is,” he said with a smile.
A large wolf padded from the house and Zhou mi could tell that it was Siwon by the coloring. He also knew instantly that although Siwon was courting someone, they were not yet mates which made him fair game. His body didn’t seem quiet as excited about this wolf as it had Kyuhyun but it was still clearly interested.
Siwon offered him a grin and then tilted his head to Kangin. The Alpha beckoned him over and he came to stand just in front of Zhou mi. Strong hands cupped Zhou mi’s head and tilted it up so that he was staring into Kangin’s eyes. “This wolf,” the Alpha said firmly, his eyes flashing with gold, “is mine. You cannot have him.”
Zhou mi felt the power of a command slide over him and roll off like water. Still something inside him understood and agreed that this wolf wasn’t his to claim and he inclined his head in agreement. “Good,” Kangin murmured sounding pleased. Happiness bubbled up in Zhou mi and he wondered if this was what it felt like when a wolf of the pack pleased his Alpha.
There was a happy yip from the house and two more wolves bounded out. “Eunhyuk and Shindong will go with you,” he told Zhou mi. The cat nodded, pleased that he didn’t feel drawn to the two mated wolves in the least. “Siwon, go,” Kangin said.
Siwon let out a small bark and then turned and bounded out of the yard faster than any normal wolf could move. “Now,” Kangin said calling Zhou mi’s attention back to him. “It is your job to find my wolf and bring him back to me. Shindong and Eunhyuk will keep you safe.”
Zhou mi blinked at him in confusion. “Trust me,” Kangin murmured. “This will help you.” Zhou mi gave him a disbelieving look and then glanced towards Kyuhyun. “Kyuhyun will be staying here with me where he is safe,” Kangin informed him. “Now go.” He ran his hand through Zhou mi’s fur once more and then stood.
The large cat stood there for a moment, appearing to be at a loss for what to do. “Hunt, Zhou mi,” Leeteuk told him gently. “Your animal side knows how to do it. Use your senses and then catch Siwon.” Zhou mi stared at him for a moment, flicking his tail from side to side before he put his nose towards the ground and sniffed. It took him a moment of wandering, but he eventually found the trail he wanted and moved off at a trot following it. Shindong barked playfully before he and Eunhyuk trotted off after him.
Kangin watched them slip away and smiled. He could still feel his wolves through his bond as their Alpha, and he knew Siwon was running full out. The other wolf would hit a river in less than a minute and would likely be able to use it to cover his scent for a while, but he would never be fast enough to outrun Zhou mi. Kangin had never see the Quieter in full motion, but he could tell by the build of the cat that he would be fast. Even Eunhyuk, the fastest of his pack, might have trouble keeping up with him.
Leeteuk stepped up beside him and slipped his arm around his waist in an affectionate half hug. “Did you expect this?” he asked quietly.
“I thought I might have smelled it when he was over last week but I wasn’t sure,” Kangin confirmed. Then, “Come on Kyuhyun, we will wait for them to return inside.”
The teen nodded and glanced back at where Zhou mi had gone. Kangin was afraid for a moment he would have to phrase it as an order but Kyuhyun turned and walked briskly into the house. Leeteuk sighed as he watched him go. “I don’t know how to help him, Kangin,” he murmured softly.
“You can’t Jungsoo. He has to work through this on his own. It is part of the process of controlling his Beast. He is doing very well at it so far.” Kangin told him, offering him a gentle squeeze.
“I know,” was all Leeteuk murmured in response before they turned and walked into the house.
In the kitchen Jaejoong was hard at work making preparations for dinner. Yunho hovered nearby as if worried what the man might try with all of the sharp objects at his fingertips, yet since the night of the full moon there had been no more suicide attempts on Jaejoong’s part.
Kyuhyun had settled at the kitchen table with a glass of water which he was staring into with such intensity that Kangin was mildly surprised it wasn’t boiling. “So,” Kangin said causally as he slid into a chair facing Kyuhyun and Leeteuk slid in beside him. “Care to tell me what you were doing at Zhou mi’s?” It would have been easier to phrase it as an order, something that Kyuhyun would not be able to resist answering with the truth, but Kangin hated using his abilities as an Alpha more than he had to.
“I don’t know,” he muttered grumpily. “I didn’t think Zhou mi could really be in heat.” In Kangin’s mind that translated to ‘I didn’t believe Leeteuk when he told me that Zhou mi was in heat and thought it was just an attempt to keep me away from him.’
“It is strange that Zhou mi is in heat,” Leeteuk said, effectively keeping Kangin from commenting on what Kyuhyun had said.
Under the table, Kangin closed his hand on Leeteuk’s grateful for the calm of his mate. “I have to imagine it has something to do with the fact that Zhou mi is half and half. We don’t truly know what the mixture has brought him.”
“I was thinking,” Leeteuk mused, “That this could be a Quieter thing. They are so rare that I have to imagine instincts would demand they reproduce as much as possible. Going into heat is one way that the body could force that.”
“Wouldn’t he need female organs to produce the proper chemicals?” Kangin asked, trying to remember the little he knew of biology.
“Not necessarily, but it is always a possibility,” Leeteuk replied.
“Kyuhyun,” Kangin said, redirecting the conversation. “You do understand what could have happened today?”
“It didn’t,” Kyuhyun snapped looking up with irritation and challenge in his eyes.
Their eyes locked for a moment and Kangin released a growl of warning. “Kyuhyun.”
“Sorry,” the werewolf murmured, shifting his gaze to the right.
“I imagine that the run will help Zhou mi work out most of the extra energy the heat is causing, but we best have him stay here tonight. I’ll call his mother,” Leeteuk said rising from the table and moving to the phone.
“Do I need to order you to stay away from him?” Kangin asked Kyuhyun pointedly.
“No, my Beast is under my control,” he replied stubbornly.
“Good. Keep it that way.”
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At the edge of the river, Zhou mi lifted his head and sniffed the air. The wolf he was hunting had definitely entered the water here that much he was certain of. The question was which way had the wolf gone after that.
Beside him a thin wolf shifted, as if eager to be moving again while the large and fluffy one panted like he would much rather die. Zhou mi didn’t much mind their presence either way. He didn’t need their help and he certainly didn’t need their protection. There wasn’t a thing out here that could harm him, nothing that could challenge him.
His ears flicked around, listening for different sounds, but if Siwon was nearby he was silent enough that Zhou mi couldn’t pick up on him. It was strangely exhilarating, in an entirely different way than he had ever felt during a time of heat, to be hunting another. He felt powerful and alive, more so then he had ever felt before.
Eunhyuk yipped beside him, encouraging him to make a choice. Zhou mi ignored him. The few extra moments he took here wouldn’t allow Siwon to get too far ahead of him anyway. He contemplated picking a way, but if he chose wrong there would be no way to know, until he had ran for a very long time and wasted far too much time. No, that wouldn’t do at all. He needed some other way to find Siwon, something more certain.
He closed his eyes and quieted his mind, simply listen to the things his senses were saying. He knew the wolves beside him were eager for more, despite Shindong’s panting. Being able to run together brought them joy and excitement. He was certain that the rest of the pack was waiting back at the house with eagerness for the return and the conclusion of the hunt. Kyuhyun, he imagined was rather irritated for not being allowed to come with him but none of those were the wolves that he truly cared about now.
Zhou mi shifted his attention to the only wolf he currently had any regard for and suddenly he knew that Siwon was running on the edge of a rural area, hoping that the scents of civilization would mask his own, but it wouldn’t matter, not now. He was to the right and far across the river, Zhou mi knew without question.
He released a growl of happiness and plunged straight into the river. It only took a moment for him to cross it and he pulled himself from the water on the other side shaking slightly to rid his fur of any lingering water. Behind him the wolves whined. Neither of them could cross the river safely and they wouldn’t chance it. They would have to run and find a bridge or a shallow spot to cross. It didn’t matter to Zhou mi, it wasn’t them that he hunted.
Zhou mi set off at a run, allowing his body to stretch and find its rhythm. The play of his muscles beneath his skin felt good in a way he had never known it could. He set a path on a diagonal, headed straight towards Siwon. His nose could pick up nothing of the other wolf, but Zhou mi wasn’t bothered. Somehow he knew exactly where the other wolf was with a certainly that would have startled him under normal circumstances.
His legs brought him across the distance quickly and in no time at all he was cresting a hill and looking down into the valley below. There in the tall grass, Siwon slunk, being careful to keep himself down and hidden from the nearby houses and anyone who might gaze out and see him. Zhou mi grinned in joy and tore down the hill, not bothering with the complete silence his form was capable of.
He arrived at Siwon’s side, so quickly that the wolf barely had time to register the sound of his paws before a blur of black fur slammed into his side. The wolf snarled, in surprise and rolled with the momentum, using it rock him right back onto his feet facing his attacker. He bore his teeth in warning and then a moment later relaxed into a completely confused look at the cat that crouched with his tail flicking playfully as if ready to spring.
Siwon was clearly confused at Zhou mi’s quick appearance, but his body relaxed out of attack mode easily enough. Zhou mi waited for the moment that his shoulders lost their tenseness, and then he sprung. A startled yelp flew from the wolf as the cat tackled him to the ground and went in for the kill. Zhou mi’s sharp canines slid through the thick fur protecting Siwon’s neck until they lightly pricked flesh. He knew that it could hardly be felt by the wolf, but it would be enough to get his attention and declare his victory. Not wanting to truly hurt the wolf, he released him and danced backwards offering him a feline grin.
The wolf climbed to his feet, grumbling to himself and watching the large cat wearily. It took him a few moments to decide that Zhou mi wasn’t going to try anything else. Siwon returned his grin lightly, walking over and offering Zhou mi an affectionate lick on the cheek. It was strange, Zhou mi thought, to feel like a part of him wanted the wolf, but not in a way that couldn’t be ignored. It was refreshing to feel the heat as a background sensation, rather than something screaming at the forefront of his mind.
Siwon wagged his tail and inclined his head the direction that Zhou mi knew home was. The cat yawned widely and moved down into a long stretch, feeling better than he had in a long time. When he was finished, he turned with Siwon and began the trek back at an easy lope. Perhaps if they were lucky they could sneak up on Eunhyuk and Shindong on the way back. Zhou mi couldn’t think of anything at the moment that could be more fun.
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Kyuhyun didn’t really realize how tightly wound he was until Zhou mi walked in the door unharmed. Right behind him were the three wolves and at the sight of them all he exhaled in relief. Kangin grinned at them, placing the paper he had been reading on the table. “Feel better?” he asked. Zhou mi bobbed his head in a very humanistic nod and flashed his canines in a playful grin.
“Good,” Leeteuk said with a smile as he finished laying silverware around the table. “Why don’t you all go and get changed, then we can have some dinner.” Zhou mi looked confused for a moment and then he shook his head slowly.
“You’ll be fine Zhou mi. Go with Eunhyuk and he will get you some clothing. You eat a good dinner and get some sleep here with the pack and you will feel a lot better in the morning,” Kangin told him firmly.
Eunhyuk nudged Zhou mi in the shoulder with his nose before he trotted from the room expecting him to follow. There was a moment of hesitation and then a sigh that looked very much like surrender as Zhou mi turned and followed him.
Kyuhyun’s knuckles tighten on the edge of his chair until they turned white, as he watched Zhou mi walk from the room, shortly followed by the other two wolves. There was a telltale sound of the wood groaning beneath his fingers and Leeteuk cleared his throat. “You break my chair, you will be replacing it,” he scolded. Kyuhyun nodded sharply to indicate that he had heard and relaxed his hands enough that they weren’t an immediate threat to the wood.
When Zhou mi finally walked back down the stairs fully clothed, his hands released the chair entirely. It was a good thing they had, because they immediately curled into fists so tight that his nails bit into his palms, drawing blood. On the body of the man he had claimed was clothing of another, the scent of another. The rational part of his brain told him that the scent of Eunhyuk, an already mated wolf, would help Zhou mi stay relaxed where as his own would only worsen things. The rest of his brain didn’t care. Zhou mi was his, and he should smell like no one but him.
At that thought Kyuhyun clamped down firmly on the Beast within him. Zhou mi belonged to no one, least of all them, unless he chose to. Until that point he could wear anything he liked, no matter how much they disliked it. Kyuhyun turned his attention to the table and placed his fists in his lap. If he thought he would have been able to sneak out of the house without Leeteuk stopping him, he would have.
“How do you feel?” he heard Leeteuk ask.
“Better actually,” Zhou mi replied as if he was surprised, but Kyuhyun didn’t look up to see for sure. “I usually can’t think of anything but,” he paused for a moment most likely from embarrassment, “well you know.”
“One of the keys is to get your energy out,” Yoona said lightly as she walked in the room. “It doesn’t have to be by sex, although that does work the best, but you have to burn it off.”
“It also helps to be touched,” Taeyeon’s voice added. “A mated wolf can touch you without arousing you further and that really helps. Sort of like a mother rubbing your back.”
“I never knew,” Zhou mi murmured. “I always just sort of locked myself in my room and waited it out.”
“You never had a pack to help you either,” Yoona pointed out. “Kangin did this for us before we were mated last year. He is really good with unmated female wolves.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Kangin murmured and Kyuhyun could hear embarrassment in his voice.
“Am I the only male that goes through this?” Zhou mi asked. Kyuhyun could just imagine the combination of confusion and hope that they would tell him he wasn’t truly an outsider to everything that would play across the man’s face.
“I don’t know for sure,” Kangin told him gently. “I haven’t known a Quieter long enough to tell, but we think it might have something to do with how rare you are and your bodies desire to reproduce.”
“Oh,” Zhou mi replied disappointed.
“Zhou mi, you aren’t alone anymore. You don’t ever have to suffer this alone again,” Leeteuk told him gently.
“I,” Zhou mi said with hesitation. “Thank you.”
Kyuhyun chanced a glance up and his eyes sought out the face of Zhou mi. The expression on the teen’s face was a combination of relief and hope and it warmed Kyuhyun instantly.”Just tell us next time idiot,” he mumbled crossly.
Zhou mi looked at him then and smiled. “Sorry. I’ll be sure that you are the first one to know the next time something is wrong, Kui Xian.”
Kyuhyun didn’t know if it was the smile or the version of his name from Zhou mi’s lips that warmed him from the pit of his stomach outwards, but as he returned it with one of his own, he found he didn’t really care which it was.
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After supper had finished they had played videogames until their fingers hurt. Kyuhyun had relaxed on the couch and watched Zhou mi as he stretched among Eunhyuk, Shindong, Yoona, and Taeyeon as if he belonged there. It irritated him at first that the other teen seemed so content among the mated pairs, but he couldn’t really blame him. Every now and again, Zhou mi snuck a not so subtle look towards the couch, which Kyuhyun pretended to miss every time if happened and he decided that this wasn’t as bad after all.
By the time Kangin ordered them all to bed, he was rather satisfied with their little impromptu evening spent together. Even as he trudged up the stairs, knowing that Kangin was making up the couch in the living room for Zhou mi, he couldn’t feel too upset about it. He changed into pajamas and slipped into bed, prepared to get a good night’s rest, when he found that suddenly he couldn’t sleep.
Something within him was restless. He didn’t like being trapped up in his room, knowing that Zhou mi was unprotected in the living room. Sure there were several mated pairs in the house, but there were also three single males besides himself. He released a growl before he could stop himself and threw the covers from his body. He would not simply sit by and let one of them claim Zhou mi, especially when Zhou mi would be less than thrilled with the idea.
Without turning on the light, he slipped from his bed and padded out into the hallway. He crept through the dark, completely unhindered by the lack of light. He could see just as well by the light of the tiny night light left in the kitchen as he could if they had every light in the house on. The moment his feet touched the wood floor of the living room he looked to the couch. There Zhou mi lay, his chest rising and falling in slumber.
Kyuhyun was very pleased to see that and he crossed the room to the couch. On the floor beside it he stretched on his back, pillowing his head on his folded hands. Nothing would be able to get past him to get to the teen on the couch without alerting him. His eyes closed as he relaxed to the sound of Zhou mi’s breathing.
He almost missed the whisper of a sheet a minute later as it was cast aside, but he could never miss the weight that settled on his hips immediately afterwards. The scent that instantly filled him was the only thing that kept him from reacting violently and he lifted his hands, bringing them up to rest on the curve of hips.
A body lay forward, stretched along his and lips played at his ear for a moment. “I want you,” the voice came in a rumbled purr. The voice was distinctly Zhou mi’s but so much deeper and rougher then Kyuhyun was used to that it sent shivers through his body.
The lips pulled from his flesh as the body above him gave a delicious roll. Gasping Kyuhyun pulled the hips tightly to his own as his eyes flew open. There hovering above him, was Zhou mi with glowing violet eyes.
Chapter Twelve
Masterlist
AN: Sorry this is so late guys. It has been a crazy couple of weeks and there is only more to come!