[fic] Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi - SJM - The Path Untraveled - Chapter 4/9
Title: The Path Untraveled
Author: fonulyn
Rating: NC17? (overall)
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Other characters: side!Han Geng/Heechul, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Siwon, a lot of brief mentions of others (suju and shinee, mainly)
Warnings: (overall) blood and violence, hunting etc.
Wordcount: 4041 words for this part (~37k overall)
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: For as long as Kyuhyun can remember life has been the same in their village. Yet when their monotonous life is disrupted, when another pack settles on their territory, Kyuhyun can’t help but be drawn to them. Drawn to one of them especially. (wolf shapeshifters!au)
Comments:
Previously; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
“Would you please try to make us something else for once!” Heechul groans displeased as he’s presented the small wooden bowl of dried meat and berries. He looks at it like it’s poisoned, obviously not happy about his diet as they’ve been eating the same ever since they set up a camp in the small grove. “How about we go on a hunt and feast on a nice, bloody and steaming boar or something…” He mumbles, knowing fully well that they won’t.
Zhou Mi looks somewhat embarrassed though, already opening his mouth to apologize when Donghae cuts in instead. “Stop complaining, Chul! I love this!” He underlines the words by scooping up a huge chunk of meat and berries and stuffing it into his mouth. It makes him look like a hamster, with puffed cheeks and a good natured smile. He is already filling more food into his cup, even though he’s hardly swallowed the first mouthful he’s chewing on.
“That doesn’t count,” Jinki counters from next to him, grinning. “You eat anything.” He’s leaning back against the huge trunk of a tree they dragged close to the fire and he doesn’t even look up from his food. Regardless, he is very well aware of Donghae’s pout even before his foot is poked to gain some attention.
“I do not!” Donghae sputters, ignoring the way it sends a few pieces of food flying as he hasn’t managed to swallow everything yet.
The whole exchange makes the others grin, even Han Geng who is half-sitting and half-lying as it takes a lot of effort for him to prop himself up. He tried to decline food, but Heechul makes sure he is force-fed a bit at least, every day. “It’s good, Zhou Mi,” he compliments softly and gains one of the happy, sunny smiles from the other male. They all know they don’t have much food, and since they agreed on trying to hunt as little as possible, the situation is hardly going to get any better.
They tried to take turns in cooking but after a few days it turned out it was Zhou Mi who is in charge of the food. Not that he is particularly good at it, he barely makes things edible, but with Han Geng being sick he is pretty much the only one who won’t end up poisoning them or creating a disaster otherwise. There’s no denying that it makes them tired and restless, being constantly hungry and running on too little food. That, added to the fact that the urge to hunt is growing bigger and bigger each day they need to suppress their instincts.
It leaves everyone somewhat grumpy more often than not, and after they finish eating they just sit there in complete silence for a good while. Eventually, Donghae begins to babble about something he’s seen the day before, about a deer he wanted to hunt and that he then followed just for fun at a small distance.
Heechul is the first one to notice something is up. Suddenly he raises his head a bit, straightening on his place. Listening. Everyone hushes immediately as they notice since they know what that means and that their lives can depend on their senses. Soon they all hear it: footsteps. Someone is approaching them and isn’t even trying to be discreet about it. That either means that the person is coming there as a friend, or that he is so sure of himself he doesn’t need to hide.
“It’s only one person,” Heechul growls lowly, deep from his chest. A couple of the others nod slowly in agreement.
Donghae is the next one to speak up. “Smells like the wolf who is courting Zhou Mi!” he exclaims, unable to hold back his excitement and thus speaking a little too loudly. Jinki hushes him instantly with a hand on his lips, looking a little worried.
Zhou Mi sputters a little, protesting. “He is not courting me -” He never finishes the sentence since Heechul silences him with a hand gesture, slowly standing up. Only a second later there is movement and indeed, Kyuhyun steps from the forest into clear sight. He is obviously slightly nervous, Zhou Mi felt it even before seeing him. Whether it is because he is alone, approaching a pack of five, or for something else he doesn’t know. Being sensitive to emotions doesn’t make Zhou Mi psychic and he doesn’t know what causes them.
“What are you doing here, wolf boy?” Heechul asks with a snarl, something clearly protective in the lines of his body as he steps between his mate and the new wolf. It’s a weird sight, usually it would have been Han Geng confronting the stranger but now he can barely stand up, much less actually act like the alpha he is.
It’s obvious that Kyuhyun isn’t pleased by the aggressive words, barely managing to suppress a growl before it erupts from his throat. For a moment he meets Heechul’s gaze straight, as if he’s here to challenge them, but then seems to decide otherwise. He averts his eyes and instead looks into Zhou Mi’s direction, and Zhou Mi can feel some of the frustration dissipating. “I’ve come to warn you. My alpha, my pack -” he swallows. “You’re in danger.”
Zhou Mi instantly gets on his feet, clearly worried. “They’re coming here?” A nod from Kyuhyun confirms his suspicions and he turns to look at Heechul. “We need to get Geng somewhere safe.”
Heechul clearly agrees but they both know it won’t be quite that simple. Not when the man in question raises his voice, commanding despite the condition he is in. “No one needs to get me anywhere.”
Painstakingly slow, Han Geng stands up. Everyone is more or less staring at him but he keeps his cool, doesn’t even wince even though sweat is beading on his temples, showing just how big the effort is. “If we run. They will catch us.” They all know that, averting their eyes down as their alpha glowers at them. Even Kyuhyun looks down instinctively, despite not being a part of the pack. “We will stay. Just.” He sighs. It’s obvious this pack has been through this before. Even their alpha’s voice is a mere breath as he goes on. “Don’t go down without a fight.”
The mood isn’t the happiest after that. Heechul doesn’t say a single word as he supports Han Geng to the side and helps him rest down on the ground. One can clearly see how agitated he is though, from the tense set of his jaw to the fiery flash in his eyes. Donghae and Jinki work side by side as they begin clearing the camp, putting everything together as if they are going to leave, while everyone knows they aren’t going anywhere.
At first Kyuhyun doesn’t know what to do, but it feels awkward just standing there. Resigned, he follows Zhou Mi to the food hideout a few feet away, silently helping him take the meat down from the tree and collect everything in the lacking supplies. Several times he opens his mouth to say something but ends up swallowing the words before they can be voiced.
Kyuhyun is so focused on his work that it takes him a second to realize Zhou Mi has stopped moving, only stands there watching him. He looks up, instinctively returning the soft smile, even if a little awkwardly. “Why did you come warn us?” Zhou Mi asks.
That is a question Kyuhyun knew to expect, but it doesn’t mean he has any idea what to answer to it. He inhales deeply, makes a small frustrated sound and decides he has no proper explanation for it. “I don’t think it’s fair, attacking you. You’re not doing any harm here,” he offers the only reason he managed to come up with, even if it sounds quite lame even to his own ears. It’s better than the alternatives, which are all some variation of I think I’m attracted to you and I don’t want you to get hurt.
Zhou Mi can sense the mixed feelings: affection, nervousness, awkwardness, embarrassment… attraction. A dozen different feelings he couldn’t name and that just linger for a split second, not long enough to grasp. He says nothing, however, only smiles honestly. “Thank you.”
Before Kyuhyun even knows what is going on, there is a soft pair of lips on his own, gentle fingers brushing down the side of his neck. He shivers involuntarily, leaning in to the contact. Something warm pools in the pit of his stomach, the wolf inside of him torn between purring in contentment and pacing around restlessly.
As soon as it begins it is over again. Zhou Mi smiles like nothing happened and Kyuhyun feels like his world has just turned a little, irreversibly.
It’s a night of no sleep. There isn’t much they can do but wait. They packed all their belongings, put the camp together the best they could. Since one thing is for certain: they won’t stay here, not under any circumstances. If Siwon will let them live… they will probably be chased into exile.
Han Geng’s condition is a taboo topic. No one dares to address it but everyone keeps on sneaking long glances at him whenever they can. He’s pale, moves as little as possible, and doesn’t speak a single word unless first spoken to. Not that anyone dares to even speak to him, even Heechul seems to be uncharacteristically quiet.
The first rays of the morning sun are peeking through the trees, morning dew glimmering on the leaves. It’s cooler than before and thin mist has risen, preventing them from seeing far. It’s as if the sun rising is a sign, as Han Geng stands up and walks to the middle point of their small camp. Without a word he begins his shift, thick fair fur appearing all over his body. As a human he said nothing, but as soon as he reaches his wolf form a low, feral sound rips its way from his throat. He bellows into the morning air, a sound his pack clearly takes as a command.
The others follow his example simultaneously, their changes taking different amounts of time so that they are in various states of morphing a blink of an eye later. Heechul is considerably smaller as a wolf than the alpha, his fur almost too red to count as brown anymore. They are quite an odd couple but strangely compliment each other well. Donghae’s brown fur looks quite average, but it’s obvious he is agile and fast, judging by his lean form. Jinki is surprisingly big as a wolf, his fur so dark brown it almost looks black.
What catches Kyuhyun’s attention is the shift Zhou Mi goes through. His fur is black, onyx black, so dark he doesn’t think he’s seen anything like it before, but there are white splotches on his face and his chest, underlining the contrast. He is thin, and obviously his height doesn’t vanish anywhere as he is quite a sizeable wolf, almost gangly. Kyuhyun momentarily gets stuck staring, before he remembers that he doesn’t want to be in the middle of a wolf fight in his human form.
Nearly reluctantly he lets his dark chocolate brown fur ripple over him, fully aware it’s almost curly. Something his friends call adorable, but what he himself classifies as annoying. Zhou Mi gives him a long glance, and he could swear that he is laughing at him. Playfully he snaps his jaws, earning an amused growl from the other male in turn.
They are silenced by a stern glance from Heechul. This is no time for such things. Kyuhyun bows his large head in apology, sensing that Zhou Mi follows his example right beside him. Heechul huffs but lets them be. Donghae is shifting somewhat restlessly, but Jinki steps closer and a friend’s presence seems to calm him down.
It feels like hours before there is movement in the horizon. It’s Jinki who notices something is up. He tenses visibly and everyone notices, following the line of his sight. The first thing they see is a huge wolf, leading his group towards them. Kyuhyun is the only one who knows for certainty that it is Siwon, but everyone else comes to the same conclusion as well. With a quick glance Kyuhyun recognizes Shindong, Eunhyuk and Henry, in addition to Siwon. The other wolves are behind the front row and he keeps his eyes on Siwon.
At first the other wolves just approach them slowly without any sign of aggression. They all know it’s just a cover though, it isn’t how things will end. When Siwon’s gaze falls on Kyuhyun something flashes in his eyes but he doesn’t react otherwise, instead turns back to Han Geng. Without realizing he’d been holding his breath in the first place Kyuhyun releases all air from his lungs. He knows that if his alpha commanded him he would need to obey, without questions, and he isn’t certain if he could have.
Siwon approaches Han Geng, who stands completely still. In wolf form it isn’t so clear that Han Geng is weak, one can’t see him go all pale and sweat bead on his forehead, and he manages to look much more intimidating than expected. Not that Siwon cares much though, not when he’s at least equally dominate, and considerably bulkier. There is some kind of a wordless exchange going on, between the two alphas, and no one else dares to move an inch.
Not before suddenly Siwon jumps. Han Geng barely manages to slip away before those large claws dig deep into the soil on the spot he stood on just a second earlier. The bellow Siwon releases in the air is so loud, so feral, it would have made almost anyone run away scared.
After that, everything goes like in fast forward. Heechul tries to snap at Siwon for attacking Han Geng although he knows that technically no one is supposed to meddle with the fights of two alphas. That results in Shindong tackling him to the ground and Zhou Mi moving in to protect him, and soon everyone is on the move. Claws cut the air, teeth dig deep into flesh, and if it wasn’t for their ability to heal unbelievably fast there would have been corpses lying on the ground in mere minutes.
Kyuhyun tries to serve as a human shield between his pack mates and the newcomers, especially after he notices that his friends try to avoid hurting him the best they can. Still, something seems to be off and if he hadn’t been so busy trying to make Henry let go of Donghae, he would’ve noticed it sooner.
None of Siwon’s wolves aim to kill. They are biting, they are scratching, but they make sure not to make it too deep, too severe. That makes no sense, no sense at all. Not before Kyuhyun notices movement in the corner of his eye. He spins around, releasing a warning growl even though he knows it came too late.
Sungmin bounds closer in his wolf form, a very human Ryeowook hunched over his back and holding on to his thick fur. Ryeowook has a blowgun and with painful accuracy he takes down the wolves one by one. The first thorn hits Jinki’s neck and the wolf only has the time to roar before it falls heavily down on the ground. Donghae yips and the next thorn hits him, making him collapse next to Jinki’s bulky frame.
Next is Heechul, then Han Geng, and then the blowgun is aimed at Zhou Mi. Without giving it a single thought Kyuhyun takes action, collecting all the strength in his hind legs as he jumps. Something stings just below his shoulder blade and he releases a low grumble, a sudden wave of dizziness coming over him. His legs feel powerless, all strength flowing away from him and he needs all of his focus to be able to fill his lungs with the much needed air.
When he hits the ground he barely feels it. Then the world goes black.
Everything hurts. It’s like someone had a hammer and took great enjoyment in beating the back of Kyuhyun’s skull with it, quite mercilessly. His mouth is dry like Sahara and swallowing hurts, hell, even breathing hurts and he tries to do it as slowly as he possibly can. Sleep seems like an alluring option, but no matter how much he tries he can’t sink back into unconsciousness. When he shifts it tears a groan from his throat, making him feel like he is swallowing barbed wire, bleeding on the inside.
Suddenly there is a hand on his shoulder, a cup of water brought to his lips. Weakly he lifts his head just enough to get some of it on his tongue, most of the water spilling over and on the rugs he’s lying on. After another sip of the water he manages to actually force his eyes open, blinking to make them work and focus on the person sitting beside him.
“You’re lucky it was Ryeowook. Had it been anyone else the dosage might’ve been lethal.” Sungmin’s voice is low but still audible enough. Kyuhyun doesn’t feel that lucky though. He groans, reaching for the water and this time he manages to actually hold the cup and drink without much help from the other man. He lets his eyes fall shut again, trying to will the pounding headache away.
Sungmin’s voice doesn’t help but at least he tries to speak lowly. “He’s really sorry he hit you. I think once you feel like you can walk, you should go tell him it’s not his fault. Since, you know,” his voice gets a tad bit more stern, “it isn’t. Who knew you’d be stupid enough to jump in the line of fire!”
The louder his voice gets the more Kyuhyun’s head feels like bursting that very second and he squeezes his eyes shut even tighter as if it would help to keep the noise out. “Please Sungmin,” he whispers lowly, and his friend takes the hint, even if he is still frowning. The silence helps Kyuhyun calm down a little and after some time he actually feels like he could run a proper conversation. A silent one, but a conversation nevertheless.
“I didn’t think,” he admits quietly. “I saw the blowgun and I… just jumped. That’s it.” He gives a small shrug to emphasize his point, even if it seems to aggravate his headache further.
Sungmin frowns even more. “You do know what that means?” He asks, glaring at his friend. Kyuhyun just blinks at him, clueless, and it’s enough to make him groan in frustration. “I repeat. You are an idiot.”
Kyuhyun scowls.
After some time Sungmin disappears, leaving Kyuhyun to get some sleep to regain his strength and finally get rid of the nasty aches. He leaves him some food and herbal tea that is supposed to help with the pain, and Kyuhyun can only silently thank him for it. He isn’t certain how he would’ve survived otherwise. Especially not when Siwon comes visit him a few hours later to give him the worst scolding of his life. Siwon makes sure to yell at him enough to make clear he would never ever tolerate an act of disobedience like this again.
It takes the whole night and the following morning before Kyuhyun feels like he can get up and move. By the end of it he is getting so anxious that he can hardly stay still, dying to go out there and see what happened to the small pack. To Zhou Mi. He asked Sungmin but the other man refused to tell him, only commanded him to rest and regain his strength. It almost sounded like there had been some kind of a massacre after he’d been put down to sleep, and it doesn’t exactly ease his worries.
The next person to bring him food isn’t Sungmin though, but Ryeowook. He approaches quite carefully, giving the other man a small nod as he steps into his home. “Here’s something to eat for you.” Ryeowook’s smile is soft as he reaches to place the bowl on the bedside, making a move to leave right after.
“Thank you.” Kyuhyun feels a sting at his conscience for making his friend, one of his best friends at that, feel bad for his actions. When the other man has already turned around, he stops him by quickly speaking up. “Wait, Ryeowook.” Saying sorry is indeed the hardest thing and he sighs a little, before looking straight at his companion. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be,” Ryeowook smiles and this time it’s obviously relieved, reaching his eyes. One can see how he visibly relaxes at that, knowing that there is no bad blood between the two of them. He even moves to pour Kyuhyun a cup of water from a drinking pouch that is hanging on the wall.
Once Ryeowook sits cross-legged beside Kyuhyun’s mattress, made of fur and hay, he offers him the drink and it’s gladly accepted. Kyuhyun takes a good moment to drink up, even getting a few mouthfuls of food before speaking up again. “What happened to them?” He simply has to ask, needs to know it and he feels like he will burst if he won’t gain at least some information finally.
It only takes Ryeowook a second to piece together what his friend means, his questioning expression only flashing across his face. “To the pack?” He asks but doesn’t wait for an answer before going on. “Oh they were just sedated. Like you. Now they’re out there, being guarded. Slowly waking up too, like you.”
Kyuhyun arches an eyebrow. “Guarded?”
“They’re in the corral.” Ryeowook gives a small shrug. They have a corral outside, near the village square, and they used to keep sheep there before they noticed it makes no sense. Growing any animals isn’t really advisable when the village is inhabited by wolves with a strong urge to hunt. They figured it out soon enough. “There are always two or three of us watching them. But they haven’t really tried anything.”
What would they try, Kyuhyun thinks inwardly. One of them is sick and the others would never leave him behind. They aren’t exactly suicidal either. Still it makes his heart a little lighter, the worry dissipate slightly, as he hears that the others are alive and still there. “What are we going to do with them?” He asks curiously, knowing he’s been out of everything for hours.
“I don’t know.” Ryeowook admits honestly, meeting his friend’s gaze shortly with his own. “Siwon doesn’t want to kill them. And he doesn’t seem to want to chase them away, either.” So nothing has changed at least on that front, their alpha still seems to be strangely fond of the newcomers. “Many do, though.” Ryeowook goes on after a second, fiddling with the cup in his hand. “Some want to try to sneak in and kill them in their sleep.”
That instantly makes a growl bubble from Kyuhyun’s chest. “Siwon wouldn’t let them.” I wouldn’t let them. He doesn’t say that out loud though, especially not when his friend gives him a questioning glance. Quickly Kyuhyun looks away, to the side, and pretends like he didn’t say anything at all.
To his luck, Ryeowook doesn’t push it. Instead he switches topics completely. “Their alpha is in a pretty bad shape… I’ve tried to figure out how to help.” That is typical of Ryeowook, always wanting to help a person in need. He isn’t their unofficially assigned doctor for nothing, and along the years he’s grown quite good at it, too. “They don’t trust me much, though.”
Again Kyuhyun doesn’t even think before he speaks. “I can help.”
“Thank you.” Ryeowook smiles at him honestly. For a moment he eyes the other male, as if trying to figure something out. Kyuhyun waits, patiently. And finally curiosity wins and Ryeowook speaks up. “You know. I wanted to ask you. Why did you jump?”
That, Kyuhyun can’t answer. Not even to himself. “I don’t know.”
Next Chapter
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@DW.
Author: fonulyn
Rating: NC17? (overall)
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Other characters: side!Han Geng/Heechul, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Siwon, a lot of brief mentions of others (suju and shinee, mainly)
Warnings: (overall) blood and violence, hunting etc.
Wordcount: 4041 words for this part (~37k overall)
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: For as long as Kyuhyun can remember life has been the same in their village. Yet when their monotonous life is disrupted, when another pack settles on their territory, Kyuhyun can’t help but be drawn to them. Drawn to one of them especially. (wolf shapeshifters!au)
Comments:
Previously; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3
“Would you please try to make us something else for once!” Heechul groans displeased as he’s presented the small wooden bowl of dried meat and berries. He looks at it like it’s poisoned, obviously not happy about his diet as they’ve been eating the same ever since they set up a camp in the small grove. “How about we go on a hunt and feast on a nice, bloody and steaming boar or something…” He mumbles, knowing fully well that they won’t.
Zhou Mi looks somewhat embarrassed though, already opening his mouth to apologize when Donghae cuts in instead. “Stop complaining, Chul! I love this!” He underlines the words by scooping up a huge chunk of meat and berries and stuffing it into his mouth. It makes him look like a hamster, with puffed cheeks and a good natured smile. He is already filling more food into his cup, even though he’s hardly swallowed the first mouthful he’s chewing on.
“That doesn’t count,” Jinki counters from next to him, grinning. “You eat anything.” He’s leaning back against the huge trunk of a tree they dragged close to the fire and he doesn’t even look up from his food. Regardless, he is very well aware of Donghae’s pout even before his foot is poked to gain some attention.
“I do not!” Donghae sputters, ignoring the way it sends a few pieces of food flying as he hasn’t managed to swallow everything yet.
The whole exchange makes the others grin, even Han Geng who is half-sitting and half-lying as it takes a lot of effort for him to prop himself up. He tried to decline food, but Heechul makes sure he is force-fed a bit at least, every day. “It’s good, Zhou Mi,” he compliments softly and gains one of the happy, sunny smiles from the other male. They all know they don’t have much food, and since they agreed on trying to hunt as little as possible, the situation is hardly going to get any better.
They tried to take turns in cooking but after a few days it turned out it was Zhou Mi who is in charge of the food. Not that he is particularly good at it, he barely makes things edible, but with Han Geng being sick he is pretty much the only one who won’t end up poisoning them or creating a disaster otherwise. There’s no denying that it makes them tired and restless, being constantly hungry and running on too little food. That, added to the fact that the urge to hunt is growing bigger and bigger each day they need to suppress their instincts.
It leaves everyone somewhat grumpy more often than not, and after they finish eating they just sit there in complete silence for a good while. Eventually, Donghae begins to babble about something he’s seen the day before, about a deer he wanted to hunt and that he then followed just for fun at a small distance.
Heechul is the first one to notice something is up. Suddenly he raises his head a bit, straightening on his place. Listening. Everyone hushes immediately as they notice since they know what that means and that their lives can depend on their senses. Soon they all hear it: footsteps. Someone is approaching them and isn’t even trying to be discreet about it. That either means that the person is coming there as a friend, or that he is so sure of himself he doesn’t need to hide.
“It’s only one person,” Heechul growls lowly, deep from his chest. A couple of the others nod slowly in agreement.
Donghae is the next one to speak up. “Smells like the wolf who is courting Zhou Mi!” he exclaims, unable to hold back his excitement and thus speaking a little too loudly. Jinki hushes him instantly with a hand on his lips, looking a little worried.
Zhou Mi sputters a little, protesting. “He is not courting me -” He never finishes the sentence since Heechul silences him with a hand gesture, slowly standing up. Only a second later there is movement and indeed, Kyuhyun steps from the forest into clear sight. He is obviously slightly nervous, Zhou Mi felt it even before seeing him. Whether it is because he is alone, approaching a pack of five, or for something else he doesn’t know. Being sensitive to emotions doesn’t make Zhou Mi psychic and he doesn’t know what causes them.
“What are you doing here, wolf boy?” Heechul asks with a snarl, something clearly protective in the lines of his body as he steps between his mate and the new wolf. It’s a weird sight, usually it would have been Han Geng confronting the stranger but now he can barely stand up, much less actually act like the alpha he is.
It’s obvious that Kyuhyun isn’t pleased by the aggressive words, barely managing to suppress a growl before it erupts from his throat. For a moment he meets Heechul’s gaze straight, as if he’s here to challenge them, but then seems to decide otherwise. He averts his eyes and instead looks into Zhou Mi’s direction, and Zhou Mi can feel some of the frustration dissipating. “I’ve come to warn you. My alpha, my pack -” he swallows. “You’re in danger.”
Zhou Mi instantly gets on his feet, clearly worried. “They’re coming here?” A nod from Kyuhyun confirms his suspicions and he turns to look at Heechul. “We need to get Geng somewhere safe.”
Heechul clearly agrees but they both know it won’t be quite that simple. Not when the man in question raises his voice, commanding despite the condition he is in. “No one needs to get me anywhere.”
Painstakingly slow, Han Geng stands up. Everyone is more or less staring at him but he keeps his cool, doesn’t even wince even though sweat is beading on his temples, showing just how big the effort is. “If we run. They will catch us.” They all know that, averting their eyes down as their alpha glowers at them. Even Kyuhyun looks down instinctively, despite not being a part of the pack. “We will stay. Just.” He sighs. It’s obvious this pack has been through this before. Even their alpha’s voice is a mere breath as he goes on. “Don’t go down without a fight.”
The mood isn’t the happiest after that. Heechul doesn’t say a single word as he supports Han Geng to the side and helps him rest down on the ground. One can clearly see how agitated he is though, from the tense set of his jaw to the fiery flash in his eyes. Donghae and Jinki work side by side as they begin clearing the camp, putting everything together as if they are going to leave, while everyone knows they aren’t going anywhere.
At first Kyuhyun doesn’t know what to do, but it feels awkward just standing there. Resigned, he follows Zhou Mi to the food hideout a few feet away, silently helping him take the meat down from the tree and collect everything in the lacking supplies. Several times he opens his mouth to say something but ends up swallowing the words before they can be voiced.
Kyuhyun is so focused on his work that it takes him a second to realize Zhou Mi has stopped moving, only stands there watching him. He looks up, instinctively returning the soft smile, even if a little awkwardly. “Why did you come warn us?” Zhou Mi asks.
That is a question Kyuhyun knew to expect, but it doesn’t mean he has any idea what to answer to it. He inhales deeply, makes a small frustrated sound and decides he has no proper explanation for it. “I don’t think it’s fair, attacking you. You’re not doing any harm here,” he offers the only reason he managed to come up with, even if it sounds quite lame even to his own ears. It’s better than the alternatives, which are all some variation of I think I’m attracted to you and I don’t want you to get hurt.
Zhou Mi can sense the mixed feelings: affection, nervousness, awkwardness, embarrassment… attraction. A dozen different feelings he couldn’t name and that just linger for a split second, not long enough to grasp. He says nothing, however, only smiles honestly. “Thank you.”
Before Kyuhyun even knows what is going on, there is a soft pair of lips on his own, gentle fingers brushing down the side of his neck. He shivers involuntarily, leaning in to the contact. Something warm pools in the pit of his stomach, the wolf inside of him torn between purring in contentment and pacing around restlessly.
As soon as it begins it is over again. Zhou Mi smiles like nothing happened and Kyuhyun feels like his world has just turned a little, irreversibly.
It’s a night of no sleep. There isn’t much they can do but wait. They packed all their belongings, put the camp together the best they could. Since one thing is for certain: they won’t stay here, not under any circumstances. If Siwon will let them live… they will probably be chased into exile.
Han Geng’s condition is a taboo topic. No one dares to address it but everyone keeps on sneaking long glances at him whenever they can. He’s pale, moves as little as possible, and doesn’t speak a single word unless first spoken to. Not that anyone dares to even speak to him, even Heechul seems to be uncharacteristically quiet.
The first rays of the morning sun are peeking through the trees, morning dew glimmering on the leaves. It’s cooler than before and thin mist has risen, preventing them from seeing far. It’s as if the sun rising is a sign, as Han Geng stands up and walks to the middle point of their small camp. Without a word he begins his shift, thick fair fur appearing all over his body. As a human he said nothing, but as soon as he reaches his wolf form a low, feral sound rips its way from his throat. He bellows into the morning air, a sound his pack clearly takes as a command.
The others follow his example simultaneously, their changes taking different amounts of time so that they are in various states of morphing a blink of an eye later. Heechul is considerably smaller as a wolf than the alpha, his fur almost too red to count as brown anymore. They are quite an odd couple but strangely compliment each other well. Donghae’s brown fur looks quite average, but it’s obvious he is agile and fast, judging by his lean form. Jinki is surprisingly big as a wolf, his fur so dark brown it almost looks black.
What catches Kyuhyun’s attention is the shift Zhou Mi goes through. His fur is black, onyx black, so dark he doesn’t think he’s seen anything like it before, but there are white splotches on his face and his chest, underlining the contrast. He is thin, and obviously his height doesn’t vanish anywhere as he is quite a sizeable wolf, almost gangly. Kyuhyun momentarily gets stuck staring, before he remembers that he doesn’t want to be in the middle of a wolf fight in his human form.
Nearly reluctantly he lets his dark chocolate brown fur ripple over him, fully aware it’s almost curly. Something his friends call adorable, but what he himself classifies as annoying. Zhou Mi gives him a long glance, and he could swear that he is laughing at him. Playfully he snaps his jaws, earning an amused growl from the other male in turn.
They are silenced by a stern glance from Heechul. This is no time for such things. Kyuhyun bows his large head in apology, sensing that Zhou Mi follows his example right beside him. Heechul huffs but lets them be. Donghae is shifting somewhat restlessly, but Jinki steps closer and a friend’s presence seems to calm him down.
It feels like hours before there is movement in the horizon. It’s Jinki who notices something is up. He tenses visibly and everyone notices, following the line of his sight. The first thing they see is a huge wolf, leading his group towards them. Kyuhyun is the only one who knows for certainty that it is Siwon, but everyone else comes to the same conclusion as well. With a quick glance Kyuhyun recognizes Shindong, Eunhyuk and Henry, in addition to Siwon. The other wolves are behind the front row and he keeps his eyes on Siwon.
At first the other wolves just approach them slowly without any sign of aggression. They all know it’s just a cover though, it isn’t how things will end. When Siwon’s gaze falls on Kyuhyun something flashes in his eyes but he doesn’t react otherwise, instead turns back to Han Geng. Without realizing he’d been holding his breath in the first place Kyuhyun releases all air from his lungs. He knows that if his alpha commanded him he would need to obey, without questions, and he isn’t certain if he could have.
Siwon approaches Han Geng, who stands completely still. In wolf form it isn’t so clear that Han Geng is weak, one can’t see him go all pale and sweat bead on his forehead, and he manages to look much more intimidating than expected. Not that Siwon cares much though, not when he’s at least equally dominate, and considerably bulkier. There is some kind of a wordless exchange going on, between the two alphas, and no one else dares to move an inch.
Not before suddenly Siwon jumps. Han Geng barely manages to slip away before those large claws dig deep into the soil on the spot he stood on just a second earlier. The bellow Siwon releases in the air is so loud, so feral, it would have made almost anyone run away scared.
After that, everything goes like in fast forward. Heechul tries to snap at Siwon for attacking Han Geng although he knows that technically no one is supposed to meddle with the fights of two alphas. That results in Shindong tackling him to the ground and Zhou Mi moving in to protect him, and soon everyone is on the move. Claws cut the air, teeth dig deep into flesh, and if it wasn’t for their ability to heal unbelievably fast there would have been corpses lying on the ground in mere minutes.
Kyuhyun tries to serve as a human shield between his pack mates and the newcomers, especially after he notices that his friends try to avoid hurting him the best they can. Still, something seems to be off and if he hadn’t been so busy trying to make Henry let go of Donghae, he would’ve noticed it sooner.
None of Siwon’s wolves aim to kill. They are biting, they are scratching, but they make sure not to make it too deep, too severe. That makes no sense, no sense at all. Not before Kyuhyun notices movement in the corner of his eye. He spins around, releasing a warning growl even though he knows it came too late.
Sungmin bounds closer in his wolf form, a very human Ryeowook hunched over his back and holding on to his thick fur. Ryeowook has a blowgun and with painful accuracy he takes down the wolves one by one. The first thorn hits Jinki’s neck and the wolf only has the time to roar before it falls heavily down on the ground. Donghae yips and the next thorn hits him, making him collapse next to Jinki’s bulky frame.
Next is Heechul, then Han Geng, and then the blowgun is aimed at Zhou Mi. Without giving it a single thought Kyuhyun takes action, collecting all the strength in his hind legs as he jumps. Something stings just below his shoulder blade and he releases a low grumble, a sudden wave of dizziness coming over him. His legs feel powerless, all strength flowing away from him and he needs all of his focus to be able to fill his lungs with the much needed air.
When he hits the ground he barely feels it. Then the world goes black.
Everything hurts. It’s like someone had a hammer and took great enjoyment in beating the back of Kyuhyun’s skull with it, quite mercilessly. His mouth is dry like Sahara and swallowing hurts, hell, even breathing hurts and he tries to do it as slowly as he possibly can. Sleep seems like an alluring option, but no matter how much he tries he can’t sink back into unconsciousness. When he shifts it tears a groan from his throat, making him feel like he is swallowing barbed wire, bleeding on the inside.
Suddenly there is a hand on his shoulder, a cup of water brought to his lips. Weakly he lifts his head just enough to get some of it on his tongue, most of the water spilling over and on the rugs he’s lying on. After another sip of the water he manages to actually force his eyes open, blinking to make them work and focus on the person sitting beside him.
“You’re lucky it was Ryeowook. Had it been anyone else the dosage might’ve been lethal.” Sungmin’s voice is low but still audible enough. Kyuhyun doesn’t feel that lucky though. He groans, reaching for the water and this time he manages to actually hold the cup and drink without much help from the other man. He lets his eyes fall shut again, trying to will the pounding headache away.
Sungmin’s voice doesn’t help but at least he tries to speak lowly. “He’s really sorry he hit you. I think once you feel like you can walk, you should go tell him it’s not his fault. Since, you know,” his voice gets a tad bit more stern, “it isn’t. Who knew you’d be stupid enough to jump in the line of fire!”
The louder his voice gets the more Kyuhyun’s head feels like bursting that very second and he squeezes his eyes shut even tighter as if it would help to keep the noise out. “Please Sungmin,” he whispers lowly, and his friend takes the hint, even if he is still frowning. The silence helps Kyuhyun calm down a little and after some time he actually feels like he could run a proper conversation. A silent one, but a conversation nevertheless.
“I didn’t think,” he admits quietly. “I saw the blowgun and I… just jumped. That’s it.” He gives a small shrug to emphasize his point, even if it seems to aggravate his headache further.
Sungmin frowns even more. “You do know what that means?” He asks, glaring at his friend. Kyuhyun just blinks at him, clueless, and it’s enough to make him groan in frustration. “I repeat. You are an idiot.”
Kyuhyun scowls.
After some time Sungmin disappears, leaving Kyuhyun to get some sleep to regain his strength and finally get rid of the nasty aches. He leaves him some food and herbal tea that is supposed to help with the pain, and Kyuhyun can only silently thank him for it. He isn’t certain how he would’ve survived otherwise. Especially not when Siwon comes visit him a few hours later to give him the worst scolding of his life. Siwon makes sure to yell at him enough to make clear he would never ever tolerate an act of disobedience like this again.
It takes the whole night and the following morning before Kyuhyun feels like he can get up and move. By the end of it he is getting so anxious that he can hardly stay still, dying to go out there and see what happened to the small pack. To Zhou Mi. He asked Sungmin but the other man refused to tell him, only commanded him to rest and regain his strength. It almost sounded like there had been some kind of a massacre after he’d been put down to sleep, and it doesn’t exactly ease his worries.
The next person to bring him food isn’t Sungmin though, but Ryeowook. He approaches quite carefully, giving the other man a small nod as he steps into his home. “Here’s something to eat for you.” Ryeowook’s smile is soft as he reaches to place the bowl on the bedside, making a move to leave right after.
“Thank you.” Kyuhyun feels a sting at his conscience for making his friend, one of his best friends at that, feel bad for his actions. When the other man has already turned around, he stops him by quickly speaking up. “Wait, Ryeowook.” Saying sorry is indeed the hardest thing and he sighs a little, before looking straight at his companion. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be,” Ryeowook smiles and this time it’s obviously relieved, reaching his eyes. One can see how he visibly relaxes at that, knowing that there is no bad blood between the two of them. He even moves to pour Kyuhyun a cup of water from a drinking pouch that is hanging on the wall.
Once Ryeowook sits cross-legged beside Kyuhyun’s mattress, made of fur and hay, he offers him the drink and it’s gladly accepted. Kyuhyun takes a good moment to drink up, even getting a few mouthfuls of food before speaking up again. “What happened to them?” He simply has to ask, needs to know it and he feels like he will burst if he won’t gain at least some information finally.
It only takes Ryeowook a second to piece together what his friend means, his questioning expression only flashing across his face. “To the pack?” He asks but doesn’t wait for an answer before going on. “Oh they were just sedated. Like you. Now they’re out there, being guarded. Slowly waking up too, like you.”
Kyuhyun arches an eyebrow. “Guarded?”
“They’re in the corral.” Ryeowook gives a small shrug. They have a corral outside, near the village square, and they used to keep sheep there before they noticed it makes no sense. Growing any animals isn’t really advisable when the village is inhabited by wolves with a strong urge to hunt. They figured it out soon enough. “There are always two or three of us watching them. But they haven’t really tried anything.”
What would they try, Kyuhyun thinks inwardly. One of them is sick and the others would never leave him behind. They aren’t exactly suicidal either. Still it makes his heart a little lighter, the worry dissipate slightly, as he hears that the others are alive and still there. “What are we going to do with them?” He asks curiously, knowing he’s been out of everything for hours.
“I don’t know.” Ryeowook admits honestly, meeting his friend’s gaze shortly with his own. “Siwon doesn’t want to kill them. And he doesn’t seem to want to chase them away, either.” So nothing has changed at least on that front, their alpha still seems to be strangely fond of the newcomers. “Many do, though.” Ryeowook goes on after a second, fiddling with the cup in his hand. “Some want to try to sneak in and kill them in their sleep.”
That instantly makes a growl bubble from Kyuhyun’s chest. “Siwon wouldn’t let them.” I wouldn’t let them. He doesn’t say that out loud though, especially not when his friend gives him a questioning glance. Quickly Kyuhyun looks away, to the side, and pretends like he didn’t say anything at all.
To his luck, Ryeowook doesn’t push it. Instead he switches topics completely. “Their alpha is in a pretty bad shape… I’ve tried to figure out how to help.” That is typical of Ryeowook, always wanting to help a person in need. He isn’t their unofficially assigned doctor for nothing, and along the years he’s grown quite good at it, too. “They don’t trust me much, though.”
Again Kyuhyun doesn’t even think before he speaks. “I can help.”
“Thank you.” Ryeowook smiles at him honestly. For a moment he eyes the other male, as if trying to figure something out. Kyuhyun waits, patiently. And finally curiosity wins and Ryeowook speaks up. “You know. I wanted to ask you. Why did you jump?”
That, Kyuhyun can’t answer. Not even to himself. “I don’t know.”
Next Chapter
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@DW.