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smileyerim · 1 year

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right where i left you

jaehyun knew he’d be fine if he never saw you again — until he saw you again. overwhelmed with the realization that you’ve moved on, jaehyun must come to terms with his feelings for you… again.

part 1: in hell there’s heaven

pairing: ex!jeong jaehyun x ex!reader

genre: angst (shocker i know) !!MDNI!!

length: 3k

warnings: adults smoking weed, adults drinking alcohol, mentions of cheating, mentions of vomiting, it’s alluded that a character has a panic attack but not explicitly stated

net tags: @kflixnet

playlist here!

Jaehyun isn’t quite sure why he’s here. The bass feels like it’s thumping deep in his bones in an uncomfortable way, and only other guy in the smoke circle just asked him to Venmo him for the weed. Jaehyun just shrugged and pulled out his iPhone, but in retrospect he feels like he was done dirty. All he can do about it now is shrug and let out a huffed breath.

“You okay?” A very pretty girl sitting a bit too close to Jaehyun asks with a coy smile. Under any other circumstance, or on any other day, Jaehyun would have indulged her. Taken her home, maybe. Certainly wouldn’t have passed up on the opportunity to see what she could do for him.

Except today isn’t just any other day, it’s November 16th. What would’ve been your 2 year anniversary as a couple.

“Yeah.” Jaehyun let’s out with a blunt tone, tearing his hazy eyes away from her equally as hazy ones to stare into the crowd at the party.

His decision to ignore the beautiful blonde to his left brings back the same question that’s been circling in his brain ever since he faked a smile all the way to the stoner corner— why is he here?

He thinks about you in that moment; as he does a lot these days, and especially on days like today. He thinks about how you would’ve hated to be here, that you wouldn’t be caught dead in a scene like this on a Wednesday of all days.

Well, maybe Jaehyun is wrong about that because there you are.

Woah, he thinks, eyes nearly bulging out of his skull in shock.

His heart picks up in pace when he focuses his eyes on your figure. You’re really here, holy shit.

There you are.

There you are standing in the archway to the living room scanning the crowd. There you are looking as beautiful as ever, obviously looking for someone.

He frowns, trying to follow your line of sight to whoever it is you’re searching for. He scans the faces in the crowd, hoping to see the familiar faces of your girlfriends.

For a moment he ponders if you’re looking for a man, but he shakes that thought off pretty quickly. There’s no way you’ve moved on, he thinks. Jaehyun still can’t listen to certain songs because they’re attached to memories too painful to relive. You must be as hung up on him as he is on you.

Right?

Jaehyun panics, sitting up straight from where he was sinking deeper and deeper into the old sofa that was once a bright orange, but now a muddy brown in the corner of the room. He leans his elbows on his knees and rests his chin in his palm as he zeroes in on you walking across the floor, and into the sea of people.

Quickly, Jaehyun stands and follows after you into the crowd with just enough time to see a man clad in a leather jacket place a welcomed kiss on your lips. Your own arms are looped around his neck, and Jaehyun can see the shimmer in the man’s eyes as he stares down at you once he pulls away. Which, by the way, seems to be unfavorable for you. Jaehyun thinks as he watches you pull the man closer to chase his lips.

Holy fuck is all his flabbergasted brain can come up with as he stumbles back, hand coming up to his chest.

Thank God nobody in this swarm of bodies is sober enough to notice his odd behavior. He takes full advantage of that as he turns on the heels of his Nike’s to run away from the scene before him. An overwhelming feeling of nausea cloaks him from head to toe at the shock.

Before he even knows it, he’s outside with his hands on his knees as he dry heaves into a half-dead rose bush. When he coughs, they feel an awful lot like painful sobs. When he shuts his eyes to try and equalize his spinning world, all he sees is your lips against those of another man.

He shakes his head, spitting into the dead branches of the bush as he stands up straight with a pained groan.

He sighs, eyes shutting tightly as he lets the scene play over and over in his head. It’s too much, but also not enough to make him cry, so he just sits and swallows back the painful choking feeling in his throat.

All Jaehyun feels is overwhelmed. Uncomfortable, unsure, and overwhelmed. He’s never been all that great with identifying or expressing his emotions, he didn’t even know he loved you as much as he did until you were gone, and today is just like the others.

He wishes he could articulate the thoughts running through his head. He wants nothing more than to call his friends for support, but he doesn’t know how. He doesn’t know how to tell them what he just encountered. He doesn’t know how to tell them how it made him feel. He doesn’t know how to even build the courage to take his phone out of his back pocket and just do it.

He’s still standing with his eyes screwed shut next to the bush when you find him. Your heart churns when you see how pained he looks, but you quickly shake yourself out of it enough to call his name.

His head whips up at the sound of your voice, and you’d be an idiot not to recognize the look in his eyes as he stands before you.

He then quietly calls out your name back to you, and you aren’t sure if he’s in shock, or trying to confirm that you’re actually here in front of him.

“Hey.” You say and offer him a small smile. You can feel your palms beginning to get clammy and your heart thud in your chest. You hate confrontation. Breaking up with Jaehyun was the hardest and bravest thing you had ever done.

He doesn’t respond, just trailing his eyes up and down your body. Not in a sensual way, but in the way that you can tell he’s attempting to read you but failing. His eyes do stop for a moment more on your lips, and it’s not hard to know why. For the last fifteen minutes all Jaehyun could think about is your lips. Your lips pressed against a man that isn’t him, to be specific.

Ignoring the creeping memories of the last time you stood in front of Jaehyun as he ignored you, you continue on the one sided conversation, “Why are you over here?”

That seems to do the trick with knocking him out of his thoughts. He stands up straighter, looking down at the bush and sniffing back his congestion awkwardly.

“Threw up.” Is all he says. It’s the same nonchalant tone he spoke in during your last fight.

“What? Seriously?” You yelp out, stepping in closer to look at the bush with morbid curiosity.

“Nah,” he says, having watched you step in closer with caution, “almost though.”

He isn’t sure why you’re talking about this, or why he’s even letting you lead the conversation in this direction, but soon the follow up question comes.

“But, why?” You say, frown in between your brows. He looks at you with a disbelieving look on his face before he realizes you weren’t kidding. He wants to laugh at how classic it is, at the fact that you don’t even recognize how much he’s in love with you still.

He shrugs, digging his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans. He pauses for a moment in the silence, distracted by a water spider skimming the surface of a muddy puddle that is just inches away from your foot. He wants to laugh, you would freak out if you knew a spider was this close to you, but he doesn’t point it out to you. If he did, he would just be cruel. He’s not yours to joke around with like that anymore.

With another scrunch of his nose and a sniff, he looks up into your eyes. His heart skips a beat, and that delays his speech, but he gets out his proposal nonetheless with a dry voice.

“Can we talk?”

You smile a sad smile at him and nod, turning on your feet to walk towards an old sun bleached cooler that’s been sitting in the front yard of this house since Jaehyun’s been coming around. Jaehyun wants to urge you not to sit, he doesn’t trust the structural integrity of the cooler, but he doesn’t. Wouldn’t your new boyfriend be weirded out by your ex looking out for you?

It’s a real question that passes through his mind, one that he doesn’t have an answer for.

“So,” is what you say to urge him to speak and it takes Jaehyun by surprise.

His stupidity really blows him away sometimes, he thinks, as he realizes that his total lack of foresight led him to starting a conversation he doesn’t know how to have.

“I don’t know what to say.” He says in honesty, noticing how you have a slight pout on your lips as you stare up at him from your sitting position on the cooler.

He wants to kiss you, of course he does. You’re the most beautiful girl on all of planet Earth and you’re sitting only two feet away from him with your lower lip slightly jutted in a confused pout. Jaehyun is a man after all.

You giggle and look at him with much more grace than he deserves and say, “Tell me how you’re feeling right now.”

“I don’t know, I’m feeling a lot.” He says honestly, and you validate him with a nod before asking your next question.

“Is the party making you anxious? Is that why you were over by the bush?” You ask, choosing to play the long game to get the answers you want out of Jaehyun. It was common practice in your relationship, and you surprise yourself by how quickly you’re able to slip back into that role.

Do you want to be here? You aren’t sure. Usually you’d be too afraid of him abandoning you to even ask yourself such questions.

Jaehyun wants to roll his eyes at how oblivious you’re being to the cause behind his behavior. He’s fed up with you not noticing him.

“Do you know what day it is?” He says, empty eyes piercing into yours. You gulp, your sweaty hands sticking together uncomfortably as you rub them together.

You were hoping he wouldn’t bring it up. You figured he’d be acting too laissez-faire to show his cards in such a way.

“Of course I do.” You say, almost shouting out the phrase.

“Then there’s your fucking answer.” He spits and you detect the creeping feeling of anger climb up your belly and into your chest.

Jaehyun did that a lot while you were together, bottle up all his feelings until they came out in bitter anger. You always had enough grace for him. You never left him without a second chance. You did it to protect him, protect you two together. You were consumed with fear of losing him, so you gave him shot after shot.

But what’s left now? What’s left to protect? Why does he need any more chances?

Suddenly empowered, you stand and look him in the face, “You won’t get away with that now.”

This only fuels his fire, “What the fuck is the point!”

You step into his space and look up into his angered eyes, “Why did you ask me to talk?” Your tone demands more than asks. Your knees are shaking. Confrontation still doesn’t come easy to you.

He breathes out and seems to calm a bit when he answers your question with one of his own, “Who is that dude?”

A knowing look finally crosses your face as you look at him with disappointment, “Why can’t you ever just tell me how you’re feeling, why do you play these… these mind games!?”

You step away from him, frustration overwhelming you as you look up at the moon as you say your next phrase, “Why do I always have to figure it out myself?”

You look at him, pleading eyes. He’s never heard you speak with that tone, you’ve never looked at him like this before. For the countless time this evening, he’s in shock. What did this breakup uncover in you?

He says nothing, finally being brought to silence. He has no answers for you, he wishes he knew himself why he did what he did. Why he could never be fully honest with you— with anyone, for that matter.

That’s one of the reasons he loves you so much, you met him where he was. You never expected him to rise to your level.

“Look, I need to tell you something.” You break the quiet and step closer to him. He meets your gaze with desperate and sad eyes, no longer cold.

You sigh, feeling very small under his gaze, breaking eye contact and shaking your hands by your sides to dry off the sweat. Fighting the anxiety, you look back into his eyes and ignore the way your heart skips a beat.

“I would’ve stayed if you had fought for me out on the porch that night.” You breathe out, the fear of rejection always associated with vulnerability hitting you like a truck. His face morphs into an unreadable one, and your palms start to feel clammy again.

After what felt like hours of eye contact, he finally speaks.

“But I didn’t.” He says very quietly, eyes darting between your two as he attempts to commit them to memory. This is the last time he’ll have you like this, he suspects.

“No,” you sigh, “you didn’t.”

He shuts his eyes tightly with a sharp inhale and he looks like he’s about to cry. Your heart squeezes and you feel your own tear ducts threaten to awaken.

“How about now?” He says with a playful lilt in his voice once he collects himself. It almost makes you giggle, his natural charm shining through and reminding you why you were with him in the first place.

You break eye contact with him for a moment and suck your lips in between your teeth and look down at the distance between your feet.

The ball is in your court. Would you be crazy to consider taking him back? Something deep inside of you urges you to take the leap, which feels terrifying. Logic tells you to run away, but your heart won’t let your feet move back.

Instead, they move forward as you step to wrap your arms around Jaehyun’s middle in a tight hug.

He stiffens for a moment before melting into your embrace, one hand coming up to hold the back of your head with the other arm around your waist. He pulls you in closer. Closing your eyes and letting out a deep breath, it feels exactly as you wished it would.

“I missed you.” You say, and Jaehyun’s heart picks up a beat when he realizes what this means.

Are you giving him a second chance?

“I won’t ever— I… fuck,” Jaehyun stumbles over his words as he attempts to pick the right ones to make you not regret your decision. So many words are bouncing around in his head, he considers just kissing you the way he used to when he got overwhelmed with his feelings for you.

He feels over the moon with joy at this moment, but also weighed down with pressure. His heart is beating a mile a minute and you can hear it, nuzzling in closer to give him time.

He closes his eyes, reveling in the feeling of having you back. He was right. You are the love of his life. He’s never felt this way before, and he’s sure he won’t feel this way ever again.

For the first time tonight, what he says comes easily.

A whisper of “I love you.” Escapes his smiling lips. He’s bouncing with excitement to hear you say it back. You bite your lip and anticipate the giddy feelings to wash over you to urge you to share in his sentiment.

But they don’t.

The feelings never come, in fact, you feel the opposite. A dreadful feeling sweeps over you as you frown, biting your lip until it hurts.

“Say- say it again.” You request with a small voice that Jaehyun is far too love struck to notice sounds a little off.

He pulls you out of the hug this time to hold you by the shoulders and look straight into your eyes. He’s positively beaming with love. He’s never looked at you like this before and it only breaks your heart more at what you know is coming.

He says your name very slowly before speaking, “I never stopped loving you. I love you so much.”

Suddenly, the glass shatters in your heart and a sob escapes your throat, cowering over yourself with tears beginning to flow.

It’s wrong. You can’t describe it any other way. The feeling in your gut and the lack of feeling in your heart are telling you all that you need to know.

This, whatever it is now or once was, is wrong.

You continue to sob as Jaehyun stands before you with a confused frown on his face. Is he supposed to comfort you? His heart has been tugged around like a dog on a leash all evening long, he’s nearing the end of his rope. All he has left to give you is his honestly. All he has left is his love.

But something’s wrong. So wrong that Jaehyun, the most emotionally unintelligent and unaware person you know, notices.

“I— I can’t do it again.” You sob into your hand and Jaehyun quickly attempts to reassure you. He feels a sweeping sense of relief, he still has you.

“Baby, it won’t. I will never cheat on you again.” Jaehyun says with as much sincerity as he can physically muster.

His obliviousness makes you cry harder, shaking your head and directing your teary eyes to his.

“No, Jaehyun. I can’t.” You blink tears out of your eyes and swallow your sobs as confusion paints over his features again.

“I don’t get it.” He says plainly and you frown, taking a shaky deep breath in and out.

“We aren’t getting back together. I’m sorry.” You say before brushing your shoulder past Jaehyun, leaving him speechless in the front lawn alone to run indoors.

Jaehyun feels like he just got the wind knocked out of him as he stands, speechless and unmoving. Each inhale he takes feels more and more shallow, a dry cough escaping his throat. He has to remind himself to blink, counting his breaths as he inhales and exhales rhythmically.

Slowly, Jaehyun trails his gaze up to the full moon shining bright above. It was a full moon the night you first left him too, he remembers.

Unlike last time, though, all Jaehyun does is stare. He doesn’t scream, he doesn’t beg, he doesn’t plead for answers. He just stares.

Just like before, Jaehyun stands with the midnight breeze and the bright full moon. Alone, devastated, confused.

Right where you left him.

a/n: i know you want me to talk about the twist ending but i want to talk about how much i love all you readers <3. this is my first and only fic to ever have a consistently interested reader base. like i have people coming into my inbox with theories. theories!!! y’all are paying THAT much attention? man that means the world to me fr. thank you so much for loving ihth and i hope this fic did it justice, you waited a long time for it.

taglist: (if you responded to in hell there’s heaven i added you<3) @matchahyuck @maliakealoha @the-universe-in-you-jjh @yutanology @peachy-hoya @jinniect @cocopuffcrunch @mint-yooxgi @yuskitty @methneo @lovesuhng @sadchonkks @silcry @cryingforjae @soobsfairy444 @wife-of-tyler

#kflixnet #jaehyun #jaehyun angst #jaehyun fics #jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun imagines #jaehyun drabble #jaehyun fic #nct #nct scenarios #nct fanfic #nct angst #nct 127 #jaehyun has emotional werewolf problems

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jwirecs · 9 months

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RECOMMENDED NCT FICS OF JULY 2023💖

hello, hello! here are my nct recs of july! hopefully these beautiful stories get more recognition as well as the writers 💝

** anything in parentheses and bolded are my thoughts that can be disregarded if needed **

🔞smut || 💔angst || 💕fluff || ✅completed || 🔄ongoing || 💯favorite

Baseball (& Other Disasters) || @tqmies💕✅

↳ Everyone admired Mark Lee, starting pitcher of your school’s baseball team and famed ladies man. You, on the other hand, only know him as the boy who broke your dorm lobbies microwave the first time you met. Too bad that was all it took to grow an embarrassingly huge crush on him. So when he comes to you, in need of a new baseball manager, how could you say no to that face? (Spoiler: You couldn’t)

Let You || @waerie💕✅💯💯

↳ jisung would never let anyone ruin his game, so he says to his friends. but the claim deteriorates when you come. (stop this is the cutest jisung fic that i have read in this month. fcking enjoyed this fic so much with all of the cuteness)

Reminiscing || @ihaechans💕✅

↳ Time flies. Especially with best friend and nerdy ride or die Mark Lee. Reminiscing on the rooftop leads to foreign emotions and forgotten memories to rise to the surface, and the obvious tension between you two can no longer be avoided.

April Showers || @lelengerine💕✅

↳ you never liked staying out while it rained, but perhaps you’d be okay with being all soaked if it meant being with him.

Caramel || @nctmiami💕✅

↳ jaehyun can’t wait to get home to you after a boys trip

Exhaustion || @xrenjunniesx💕✅

↳ moving houses is tiring, but it’s easier when you’re with your loved one.

Flustered By You || @lelengerine💕✅

↳ your boyfriend surely knows how to make you flustered, even when he’s the one who should be.

Fucking Up The Sheets || @ah-ga-seven🔞✅

↳ (no summary, but its just jaehyun casually fcking up the sheets.)

Rule Number 1: Don't Fall In Love || @jaylaxies🔞💕💔✅

↳ your ex getting a girlfriend after just two weeks of breakup was enough to infuriate you to the point where you had to step up and make him regret breaking your heart. solution? fake date his best friend and make him jealous!

How About Now? || @nctsplug02🔞✅

↳ Anon Req: Recently I been thinking about romantic sensual sex with Johnny but it lasts like the whole night. Different positions, cuddles, cream pies UGHHHHHHHH I WANT THIS MANNB 😭😭😩😩😩

Lowkey || @onyourhyuck🔞✅

↳ You and Jaemin are best friends but behind the close doors you have a lowkey relationship that no one knows about.

Wicked Games || @cherryeoniis💕✅

↳ And even as your heart breaks, you can’t deny that having him against you feels like your own small piece of heaven.

After You || @ryozaki21🔞💕💔✅💯💯

↳ Na Jaemin had it easy. Loved by everybody, the man of everyone's dream. He's a perfect mix of a charmer and a player. Girls begged to be his, and he loved every part of it. Life used to be so fucking perfect for him. Then comes you. You're like an old book, ink fading, cover tearing, but he swears you're worth the read. Before you, life was easy. After you? He wasn't so sure.

Blue To Orange || @seren1tyhaze🔞✅

↳ your break up leaves you with a plane ticket to Greece on a couples trip with your best friend and her partner. she convinces you to still come on the trip and you meet two strangers who leave you with memories of long nights under a stunning starry sky.

Dog Sitting Gone Wrong || @onyourhyuck🔞✅

↳ You were hired by a rich man to babysit his daughter, when you arrive you realise his daughter is a dog and you’re now dog sitting while he is out running errands.

Hotel Paradise || @jaesheart🔞✅💯

↳ you visit an exclusive brothel for the second time to satisfy your needs.

My Little Doll || @haechansdoll🔞✅💯

↳ Humans have hormones, you understand that much. But does that explain why you can't stop the filthy daydreams that fill your head whenever you see a specific redhead? Does it excuse you for getting turned on by him simply breathing in your direction? And to make matters worse, he is off-limits, if your father found out you were messing with his prized boxer? You would be chained to a tower and your red-haired crush would be used as mincemeat.

Sunday Sinner || @smileysuh🔞✅💯

↳ “Everything is wrong,” Mark sighs. “Doing this with you two is wrong. Wanting you this badly is wrong. Getting hard in Church is wrong. What I want to do to you is wrong. But… as crazy as it sounds, it also feels right.”

The V Week Spy || @smileysuh🔞✅💯

↳ Every year, seven days before Valentines day, sororities and frats are paired together, and eligible himbos, hoes, bimbos and fuckboys alike volunteer to be raffled for a chance to become the year’s V Week Spy. V Week is open season, with outings and parties tailored to be the perfect excuse for sexscapades, with the knowledge than 1 boy and 1 girl are undercover, grading sexual performances. Once the week is over, at the annual Valentines Day Party, the evaluations are presented- It’s a bad time to be unsure about someone’s feelings towards you, and an even worse time to fall in love. (get out, this literally screams the mafia game but sexedition. i love it)

Wanna Ride? || @onyourhyuck🔞✅💯💯💯

↳ (if you enjoy reading biker!au's, yall should really read this series. cause sht was wonderful af and spicy)

Strawberry Sunday || @doiesfav💕✅💯

↳ You realized that your daughter would feel awkward with his own dad sometimes so you decided to do a picnic to help them improve their relationship.

Dirty, Little, Traitor || @onyourhyuck🔞✅

↳ Wherein you asked your roommate Mark to help you out with rearranging your room but ends up rearranging you instead.

Ice Cream Thief ||��@tddyhyck🔞✅

↳ someone has been eating haechan's favorite ice cream so he decides to put a hidden camera in the kitchen and living room thinking it's a shared space it shouldn't invade anyone's privacy... right?

Safety Zone || @cherryeoniis💕💔✅💯

↳ Mark Lee. The most perfect roommate and best friend that you could have asked for - except for the fact that he constantly messes up your laundry and can’t cook eggs very well. Even then, that doesn’t quite stop you from falling for him in your final year.

Finding Cinderella || @justalildumpling💕💔✅💯

↳ it wasn’t often jeno showed emotions of love and affection, let alone kissing a stranger at a party that he doesn’t even remember?! determined to find his nameless cinderella, he began searching the campus far and wide but as hidden secrets started surfacing, he started to wonder whether the midnight spark was meant to be pursued after all.

*i think half of my reblogs for july for nct were all texts, and i am fine with that. so for this, imma rec the ones that had me choking on my spit from cackling.*

Getting Picked Up Texts || @ohmygs-blog💕✅

↳ Anon Req: "hi, can I request where the dreamies are picking u up from school/work? cause everyone at work was picked up by their partners and I’m here waiting for a taxi cab lol y isn’t haechan picking me up smh 🤦‍♀️ thank you so much! I really love your works, and I really look forward to your new posts, they make me happy! ^^" ("you can ride on my handlebars" i cackled a bit too hard that i choked on my spit.)

Pulling Another Member's Photocard || @onyour--ash💕✅

↳ (the title says it all. haechans is fcking too real. my guy i like looking at mark too. but also jaemin having a jeno collection, im ngl he probably does have a folder on his phone dedicated to jeno.)

Fuck The Police || @loudstan🔞✅💯

↳ Your ability to read people's minds is very useful for the police during interrogations. And that's how you meet Yuta, a werewolf accused of stealing a car.

Do check out all of the other NCT Fics that i have reblogged as well!!

** if there is any fics that you guys would like to recommend, please do! i am slowly running out of fics to read **

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softsan · 7 months

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NCT WEREWOLF AU (AESTHETIC)

A remake of this: X

Taeyong

alpha

seven hundred and one years old

suspicious and dubious of humans

puts his pack above all

can be rash and unforgiving

encounters his mate on a non-routine hunt

mate: councilman's daughter

Taeil

elder

eight hundred and fifty-six years old

oldest member of the pack

works as an adviser to the alpha and the betas

breaks up and resolves pack conflicts

stumbles onto his mate who's wearing a disguise

mate: physician

Johnny

hunter

four hundred and eighty-nine years old

has the best sense of smell in the pack

the pack's number-one tracker.

exceptional at mauling his enemies.

left heartbroken by his mate's rejection

mate: rival pack member

Yuta

hunter

four hundred and sixty-seven years old

incredibly quick and stealthy

is labeled the 'ambusher' for his cut-throat hunting tactics

despises the prospect of a mate

believes fate is cruel and callous

mate: city guardian

Kun

beta

six hundred and eighteen years old

second in command

rules in taeyong's absence

known to be morally strict and stern

goes against his beliefs by stealing his mate away

mate: stolen bride

Doyoung

delta

five hundred and thirty-two years old

is the support unit of the pack

on standby to fulfill the duties of ill or injured packmates

finds himself in a hopeless situation

accidentally marks his mate in a poisoned haze

mate: north's princess

Ten

head scout

five hundred and sixteen years old

has an unparalleled control of his inner wolf

works as the pack's eyes and ears in the city

warns the pack of dangers outside their territory

overcomes his heartbreak by meeting a nifty pickpocket

mate: thief

Jaehyun

delta

four hundred and forty-nine years old

strongest member of the pack

formidable opponent in battle

responsible for guarding the pack's territory

comes across his mate in the scorching sands

mate: she-wolf

Winwin

sentinel

four hundred and three years old

routinely patrols the pack's territory

greats new visitors and learns their intentions

will harshly punish aggressive and disrespectful intruders

accidentally kidnaps his mate instead of his actual target

mate: royal governess

Jungwoo

scout

three hundred and twenty-one years old

has great command of his inner wolf

can avoid shifting on a full moon

gathers and shares information for the pack

blown away by his sweet mate

mate: royal maidservant

Mark

delta

three hundred and twelve years old

known to be sunny but stubborn

incredibly fast learner

teaches hunting skills to younger pack members

saved by his mysterious and magical mate

mate: thread coven witch

Renjun

salutary

two hundred and sixty-three years old

is the pack's herbalist

makes tonics and concoctions for his fellow wolves

plagued by dreams of the past

gives the cold shoulder to his mate

mate: old soul

Jeno

hunter

two hundred forty-eight years old

a distinguished pack fighter

often organizes hunts

is the first to volunteer to go on nightly patrols

captured by his formidable mate

mate: general's daughter

Haechan

omega

two hundred and twenty-four years old

rash and impulsive

has poor control over his inner wolf

frustrated by his low status within the pack

taken in by his beloved mate

mate: baker

Jaemin

hunter

two hundred and twenty-two years old

very talented tracker

is the most versed with their territory's terrain

lovestruck by the idea of love and fate

has his memory wiped by his elusive mate

mate: siren

Xiaojun

scout

one hundred and eleven years old

has mastered controlling his inner beast

recently elevated to the position of scout

is eager to prove himself within the pack

rescues his mate from the cruelty of humans

mate: seer

Hendery

hunter

eighty-three years old

loves running under the moon's light

known for his great speed and stealth

recently elevated to the position of hunter

taken down by his fearless mate

mate: assassin

YangYang

omega

twenty-three years old

only recently had his first transformation

is the pack's forager

searches for plants and provisions to help feed the pack

is reunited with his childhood friend and mate

mate: greenskeeper

Chenle

pup

twenty-two years old

is eager for his first transformation

spent his early years on the run with his aunt

thankful to be accepted into a pack

ambushed by his wicked mate

mate: star coven witch

Jisung

pup

twenty-one years old

is nervous about his first transformation

last to join the pack

spent years hiding underground from humans

shyly taken by his doting mate

mate: seamstress

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peanutpinet · 1 year

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Just Like A Zoo - Hybrid CEO Taeyong x Omega Fem Reader

Warnings: A/B/O werewolf system, aggressive act, soulmate type of story

[07:29am] - Waking up to the sound of your alarm, you immediately went to turn it off, looking at the time and sighing when you realised that you have to get up because it was your last alarm before you’re considered late to get to work.

As much as you didn’t want to get up from work, you know that you had to because otherwise, how else were you going to show your parents that you were an “adult” now. It’s not that you don’t like your work. In fact, you enjoy your work friends (except for some useless ones) and you truly have a passion in the work that you’re doing; which was handling one of your favorite sports brand. But of course, it’s just that you have a quite strict, nosy and stingy supervisor that just loves to hire incompetent “higher ups”.

Taking a deep breath, you got up and got ready for work. After you’ve had a light breakfast you bid your parents goodbye and head to your office; hoping that nothing goes wrong and that you can just finish the day without any casualties.

Arriving at your office, you key in your start time and basically chill for an hour, talk a bit with your workmates before all of you start your work of the day. Of course, mornings was filled with you planning out your tasks or finish the tasks that you haven’t finished the previous day. In the midst of your planning, your supervisor walks into the room, your omega senses were immediately on high alert.

Luckily, your beta of a supervisor just wanted to let you and your coworkers know that there was going to be a big meeting later in the day with some big investors which they also wanted to hear what you and your coworkers have been doing for the brands that you are managing. Immediately, your omega self was cowering with anxiety because as much as you were passionate about your work, having to present to a higher up that is most likely an alpha just makes your skin sweat at the thought; what’s worse is that because you were the brand manager, you had to present for your team.

The rest of the day was filled with your coworkers assuring you that you’ll be fine and that even if the investor is an alpha, they wouldn’t allow them to easily talk however they want with you or even let your beta supervisor trapped you with one of his confusing questions. Thanking them for their support, you and coworkers then prepared the presentation to the investors together. Occasionally talk about what would the investor look like. Some of your coworkers making fun that the investor is probably some old grown alpha that is trying to waste their money somehow.

After having the first half of your day preparing for the presentation, it was finally lunch time. Some of your coworkers headed out to buy some lunch whereas you just ate the food that your parents prepared for you whilst going over the presentation that you wanted to give.

As you were eating, occasionally playing some games to ease your stress, your omega self suddenly felt a new yet comforting presence; as if that someone was calling out for you. Luckily, whenever you weren’t anxious, you always had more control over your wolf self so you easily brushed it off; internally reminding yourself to stop reading some fanfics where a hot CEO would come to your rescue.

Right before lunch time was over, you decided to head to the pantry and make yourself some tea to keep you awake but also to help calm your stress. As you were making tea, you heard multiple footsteps coming up and just like when you were at your desk, your omega self sensed the new presence and was practically clawing at yourself that you were being called by this new pressence.

Sighing, you decided to quickly make your tea and when you turned to walk back to your desk, you made eye contact with several men that were being escorted by the security; some were eyeing you but the one at the front with slicked back white hair, wearing a casual yet classy outfit and have a small scar under his left eye was obviously staring at you. As if he was observing you. However, you can’t seem to pick up this man’s scent. He had a distinctive musky alpha scent yet there was another sultry yet sweet scent that came from him and was slowly pulling you.

Luckily enough, your boss managed to snap everyone’s thoughts and invited these men up to the meeting room; also reminding you to come to the meeting room once you and your coworkers were ready.

Anxiety started to crept up when you went back to your desk and took your laptop. Your coworkers also asked you if you saw those men and if you also noticed a weird scent coming from all of them. You told them that you managed to catch a glance at them and you too also noticed a different scent from all of them. One of your coworkers then secretly let in on the rest of you that those investors are not just big but well-known investors that helped current high-end brands get where they are right now. Not only that, they were also known to be a pack of not just alphas but hybrids.

Rumor has it that they have been alive for over 7 centuries and are the reason why the world we know today is what it is. It was said that the main hybrid alpha, otherwise known as Taeyong, was turned by his ex-lover who was a witch. The supernatural creatures at that time were on verge of extinction and because his ex-lover was a witch, she used her final hours to change the then alpha into a hybrid of vampire and werewolf; gaining the immunity towards practically anything.

Ever since, the hybrid alpha turned his pack into hybrids, helping save all the supernatural creatures and keeping the balance between the supernatural creatures and helping them live amongst humans. Always making sure to keep peace between the two entity. All by the sacrifice of Taeyong’s ex-lover.

Unfortunately, your storytime was cut short and your supervisor called for all of you to go to the meeting room to present to the investors. Sighing, all of you grabbed your laptops and made your way to the meeting room which was immediately tainted with the hybrid scent that was very addicting to your omega self.

Upon entering, all the hybrid locked eyes with all of you. The hybrid at the center which you assume was Taeyong was staring at you once again. But this time, he wasn’t just observing you. It seemed that he was trying to recognize you or perhaps questioning your existince.

Fortunately, your boss snapped everyone back to reality and started the meeting with introducing all of you and the investors. Your supervisor then bridge the way for you and your coworkers to present about the brand you are managing and what all of you were planning to do moving forward.

Taking a deep breath, you connected your laptop to the projector and started to present the presentation. Starting from how much the brand has grown, what have you and your team done to keep the brand growing and what are the current and future plans that you and your team have come up with for the brand.

Once you’ve concluded the presentation, of course, your beta supervisor immediately asked you and your team on the detailed information, what kind of support you needed and why everything was very vague; basically making you and your team looked like that no one has done a thorough research for the presentation when in fact that you and your team were told to just give the big picture of everything.

Before you or any of your team could answer anything, your supervisor cuts in again, trying to “assure” with the investors by adding onto your presentation, telling them unrealistic procedures that you and your team will do moving forward, making all of you shocked and worried on what’s going to happen.

“I never asked for your statement when you’re not the one that’ll be doing the work” a low growl echoed in the room

When you slowly looked up, you noticed it was Taeyong that was the one that made the comment. But for some reason, instead of being scared, you actually feel comfort in Taeyong’s words. As if you’ve been comforted by his voice multiple times before.

“If you can’t even watch over or give your own report. I suggest you don’t give any sort of statement. As for the others, your presentation was great. Yes, it could use some additional information such as when would you like to do this campaign. You don’t need to worry about the budget because I’ll personally support it myself. Also, I’d like to personally talk to you more about this campaign and project” Taeyong stated, looking at you

Because you were unsure of Taeyong was talking to, you pointed at yourself, questioning him which made him chuckle. “Yes, you”. Taeyong stated pointing back at you, his face soften at your behaviour, making your omega self jumped in excitement.

After a few closing statements, you and your coworkers headed back to your own office room to continue on your work but you were stopped by Taeyong himself. “(y/n), would it be alright to have a word with you? Outside of the office, of course. I’ve let your boss know” Taeyong stated, making you turned around in surprised.

“I, me? Now?” you asked, holding your laptop tightly to your chest

“Yes, you, now. I’ll be waiting for you downstairs. Did you bring a car to work?” Taeyong asked

“Me? Well, I did…” you started, Taeyong getting closer. “Would it be alright if I drive it for you?” Taeyong replied. “S-sure, alpha” you accidentally blurted, immediately hiding your face behind your laptop as Taeyong chuckled. “Good, I’ll wait for you downstairs then. Don’t take too long” Taeyong whispered, walking downstairs as you rushed back to your desk

As you were packing your things, your coworkers asked if you got a sudden meeting with the hot hybrid alphas and all you could do is blushed and tell them that you do but you’re also not sure what the meeting will be about. Your coworkers then giggled and wished that you would loosen up and hopefully finally get your alpha mate, making you blush even harder.

Bidding your friends goodbye, you rushed out the door and headed downstairs to see Taeyong when your supervisor stopped you. Worried, you turned around to see your supervisor looking unpleased of the events that just occurred.

“You better not say anything much. Don’t you dare say anything unless needed or…” your supervisor threaten but suddenly was pinned to the wall by Taeyong

“Or you’ll what? Not so much of a threat are you now?” Taeyong growled

“T-taeyong…” you mumbled, wanting to reach out to him but held back because you were worried

“Go to your car, love. You don’t need to see this” Taeyong compelled you to leave which you did, leaving Taeyong with your supervisor

“Don’t you dare think for a second that you even have the ability to overpower young supernatural. Especially those that you consider inferior to you” Taeyong growled, showing his hybrid eyes and shoving his hand to your supervisor’s chest, his scream was echoing the office but no one cared because Taeyong compelled everyone

“Let this be a lesson for you to respect everyone, even young omegas. Because you never know who those omegas mate is. Unfortunate for you, I just so happen to be hers. I already hate betas like you using omegas but knowing that a beta was doing this to my own mate just makes me feel something else, you know. I’ve waited centuries to see her again yet here you are acting as if she’s nothing but a puppet for you to play and manipulate” Taeyong snarled grabbing your supervisor’s heart

“Lucky for you, I still have the heart and patience because after centuries, I finally found my mate again” Taeyong released his hold and take his hand out, making your supervisor gasped while he licked the blood on his hand, eyes turning darker. “But if you ever cross the line again. I won’t hesitate to rip your insides out one at the time, force you to heal and do it all over again until I’m satisfied. Because you have no idea how much my mate has suffered. I might be the calm CEO but I can definitely be the hunter and claw you out just like those hunters did to me, my pack and my mate centuries ago” Taeyong warned, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping the rest of the blood off, going to the car where you were in

“I hope you didn’t wait too long” Taeyong smiled, sitting in the drivers seat, getting your attention

“No, no I didn’t. I-is everything alright?” you asked worriedly, Taeyong cupping your cheeks and smiled. “It is now because I’ve finally found you again. After all these centuries. You’re finally back” Taeyong mumbled

“T-tae…I, I don’t understand” you breathed out. “You don’t have to. And I won’t force it on you. I’m just happy that you’re here and okay” Taeyong replied

“I am. Thanks to you” you replied, making Taeyong happy

“And I’ll never leave you again” Taeyong mumbled, kissing your temple

A/N: it's been a while since I wrote a Taeyong fic and after talking with @mymoodwriting, she finally convinced me to create another alpha neo fanfic. This fanfic is also a slight inspiration from my current situation at work and well, I hope that everyone won't have to go through any toxic people at their workplace. I hope that you all stay safe and healthy! :) xoxo vin

255 notes · View notes

neonacity · 1 year

Text

HIRAETH | Reader x Jeno

Hiraeth: (n) a longing for a home you can never return to, or that never was.

TW: blood, weapons, character death, wounds. Werewolves.

Summary: This is Jeno’s installment of my Dark Fairytale Series featuring the Dream’s 00 Line. You can check out the other stories on my Masterlist here. This is a work of fiction and does not imply any likeness between the characters and their original counterparts.

“And what if… It is the villain you fall for? What then?”

Hunting is more than just the kill.

It is a game. Of patience... Timing... and the right dance between predator and prey.

Jeno’s mastery of the art couldn’t be more pronounced as he crouched on his hiding spot, his eyes set on the clearing ahead. Beyond him, a fawn grazed freely, its deep brown coloring bathed by the pillars of sunlight piercing through the thick foliage of the canopy. Like a ghost, he silently reached for one of the thinnest arrows strapped onto his back and gracefully docked it on his bow. The gentle sounds of the forest masked the creaking of his string as he pulled it, before he finally let the weapon fly into the air.

It caught the fawn straight at the neck, making it topple to the side and start kicking its legs in shock. By the time he had straightened up from his hiding spot, the animal's eyes had already turned glassy and blank. Jeno easily stepped over from the shrubbery and pulled out a knife from his belt as he bent over his hunt. It will be a good hour until the sun dips in the west, so he has enough time to skin his game and head back to the village.

"Impressive. You still have the best aim of all the hunters I've ever seen."

His leather-gloved hand froze in the middle of edging his dagger as a foreign voice disturbed his peace. His first instinct was to pull up one of his axes and drive it straight to the source of the sound, but his visitor was already there, leaning against one of the ancient trees before he could even blink. The boy was shadowed by the shade, but his pale countenance still stood out from where he was standing. Jeno gave him a dead stare before fixing his attention back to his task.

"And you still have the eerie behavior of stalking everyone in the woods. Were you planning to hunt me?" He asked as he cleanly ran his blade to separate the skin from the flesh of the carcass. Blood seeped into the soil, turning it pitch black. The stranger grinned at him, his perfect white teeth making him seem even more unnaturally perfect.

"If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you years ago."

"So why didn't you, old man? I thought you hated our kind."

There was a moment of pause as his visitor pushed himself off the tree to finally step into clearing. The moment the rays of the afternoon sunlight hit him, it was like the air in the small space stilled before restarting again. He was beautiful, with pale skin and dark hair that fell to his eyes. Instead of being closer to human, however, his features seemed to belong more on marbled sculptures of weeping angels. He was dressed simply but nicely, a stark difference to Jeno's worn out leathers. Like him, however, he was young, though his youth doesn't seem to reach his jet-black eyes now set on him.

"I do. But some talents deserve some exception. Besides, you have never desecrated the lands here, nor have you gone after my head yourself."

Jeno gave a dry chuckle. "I am not stupid enough to join a war I did not start. Whatever bad blood my family has with yours is none of my business."

"A smart choice. You've always had a logical head with you, huntsman. Which makes me wonder… What will it take for you to start a strife?"

"I have no care for human affairs."

"The Blood Moon is coming in a fortnight, Jeno."

He stilled as if his veins were shocked with ice. Slowly, he raised his gaze towards the young man in front of him. The latter's expression was impassive, but the darkness in his eyes was enough of a proof to the truth behind his words.

"When that happens, the whole kingdom can be thrown into a bloodbath. You need to know where you stand when that time comes."

Jeno slowly stood up from his crouched position, his eyes unwavering on the other. They were almost the same height, though the power they give off couldn't be more different from each other.

"Are you threatening me, Jaemin?"

The vampire didn't move. He was so still that he looked more like a porcelain statue than an actual living being.

"I am not, as long as my lands are respected during that time. But if my mate gets hurt…" he paused, his head angling a little bit to the side. His eyes glowed golden for a moment before settling into pitch black once more.

"Then I will personally rip the head of the Black Wolf myself."

******* "My Lady, your father has called for a meeting at the Blue Hall."

You looked up from the book on your lap just in time for your lady-in-waiting and good friend to settle on the seat across from you. Despite the fact that it was only the two of you in the parlor, her eyes still shifted side to side as if she was checking the privacy of the place. Slowly, you closed your novel as a confused frown crossed your features.

"The Blue Hall? All of a sudden?" You asked, your voice thin with concern. Your manor has no shortage of private rooms, but the Blue Hall is dedicated for highly official meetings of the Duke of Black Thorn.

"Yes. I have not fetched enough information yet, but I have seen some of the guests come in. They have closed the doors in private and have sent guards away."

That piece of information only left you even more confused. As the Lord of these lands, your father has no shortage of guests for his affairs, but you could only count in your fingers the amount of times he had called for such last minute gatherings. Something must have happened… that you are sure of.

“Who are his guests? Have you recognized some of them?”

Your friend paused a bit and pursed her lips, a reaction that only caused your anxiety to escalate more.

“It’s the huntsmen, My Lady.”

You weren’t able to keep the look of shock from your face. Black Thorn Grounds is set on the southern borders of the Kingdom, near the fringe of the Dark Enchanted Forest. Ever since time immemorial, the land has served as the home of the prominent hunting families in the whole kingdom. Some say it’s because it’s where they are closest to their game, but the villagers know the real reason behind it.

Rather than seeking their prey out, the huntsmen are there to keep the predators away.

“I need to go and talk to him,” you said all of a sudden as you picked yourself up from your seat. Your lady in waiting look scandalized as she followed suit, but you were too fast in making your way out of the room before she could even pull you back.

“Young Mistress, wait. I don’t think that’s a good idea—!”

You chose to ignore her, your gait determined as you went straight to the hallway that will lead you to the place. The poor girl was already stumbling all over her skirts when you skidded to a halt in front of a deep blue door, hands grasping the heavy golden handles. You pulled it open with no hesitation and stepped in before anyone inside could even realize what was happening.

Your eyes quickly scanned the room just as the guests trained their eyes on you. Your friend was right. There was no doubt that these are the kingdom’s best hunters judging from their choice of garb alone. You were searching for your father when you suddenly stopped, your gaze stilling on a figure sitting far back from the rest. You know that face... You can never not know that face.

Lee Jeno.

It wasn’t the right moment, but you couldn’t stop the memories from racing back to you the second your eyes met. It’s been years... but that didn’t stop you from revisiting snippets of your childhood that you have long since buried. As the Duke of Black Thorn, your father has to keep close ties with all the prominent hunting families in your town. Jeno comes from the Lee line, a clan known throughout the kingdom for being the best in the trade. This connection gave him access to your manor every time his family would come for their business affairs, which in turn, led to you developing an unlikely friendship with him. You remember the first time you met him, when you were only six, the two of you immediately clicking due to your shared love for the outdoors. From there, he always made it a point to spend a few fortnights with you, using his family’s visitation rights as his excuse. He was a close friend. Probably even your only friend... That is, until he decided to cut ties with you all of a sudden.

You never really knew what happened. Looking back at it now, you realized just how much everything came to a sudden halt. One random day when you were twelve, you were simply told that he couldn’t make it to the manor. There was no reason, nor an explanation. You thought it was a one time occurrence, but then seasons passed and he never came again. It was hurtful to say the least, especially since he disappeared like he was never there at all.

Today is the first time you’re seeing him again after almost a decade. You didn’t really know what you were expecting as you stared at this now-stranger, but it definitely wasn’t the impassive look he was now training at you. Unconsciously, you balled your hands into fists behind your skirts.

“Your daughter, Your Grace?”

Your attention snapped back to the present as you heard the question addressed to your father. Forcing yourself to look away, your gaze immediately found the man currently sitting at the head of the table. He didn’t look the least bit surprised to see you there—if anything, it even seemed as if he was expecting you to come barging in. Despite your nerves, you raised your chin as you waited for him to acknowledge you.

“I do not remember inviting you here, dear.”

Behind you, your lady-in-waiting cowered, her head down as she tried to reach out for your arm again. Your father is usually a civil man, but he is also someone who takes important affairs quite seriously. Everyone’s eyes were on you as they waited for the Duke’s reaction, but you kept your ground, unfazed by the attention.

“Has something happened?” you decided to ignore his question and get straight to the point.

“Even if it has, it is none of your business… At the moment.”

Your jaw tightened at the response. As his sole child, you remain the only heir to his aristocracy. You may not have the title yet, but that has never stopped you from caring for these lands and its subjects. Your father has not particularly stopped this side of you, but he has never encouraged it as well. When nobody in the room answered your question, you decided to finally offer one yourself.

“It’s the wolf isn’t it? Has it attacked again?”

The heavy silence that thickened the air was enough confirmation you needed. For as long as you can remember, your village has always been stalked by a monster during the full moon. For decades, it has taken lives, but the attacks have noticeably started to escalate as the years went by. During this time, your father has tried his best to hunt the monster down, though each effort only ends up in taking more from Black Thorn.

“Did it kill again? There’s not been a peek of the moon for the past weeks. And the last attack was six fortnights ago.”

“That is the reason why we’re here,” the man finally answered, his face grim. “The recent bloodshed is out of the ordinary.”

You frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“Last night, we found the bodies of men scattered along the edges of the Dark Forest. This is the biggest massacre we have ever seen in years. The werebeast is growing stronger by the day, so much that it doesn’t need the full moon now to sustain its power.”

“But… That’s impossible…”

“It is. With the Blood Moon coming.”

All heads in the room swiveled towards Jeno collectively. Even you yourself were surprised by him breaking his silence, but he looked unfazed by the intensity of the stares he was getting. Your father remained calm in his seat despite the obvious tick in his jaw.

“The Blood Moon is a myth. It has never been proven to be more than just lore.”

"Nor has it been disproved as well,” he answered, voice low. “The Blood Moon is more than just an old wife’s tale, and it rises in the sky every decade to paint it red. This is the time when creatures of the dark are at their strongest, though it is the werewolves that gain the edge the most. As children of the moon themselves, it is the only time they can prowl the night without any of their usual weaknesses. It has happened a few years ago, and it is bound to come again.”

“The Red Night. I remember this happening ten years ago,” one of the elderly members of the circle chimed in darkly. “The village was ravaged by a monster and almost decimated more than half of our population. It was carnage. We were only able to hold off enough to prevent the beast from passing the boundaries of Black Thorn and moving to the other towns. it was never confirmed that it was indeed the Blood Moon, but if the lore is true, then the timing matches.”

Your father seemed frozen in his seat as he listened, his eyes glazed as if he was watching a montage only he can see. You could only assume that you looked the same, as memories of you being sent to another village when you were twelve came back to you in waves. You were young, but you can still remember coming back the day after and finding out about the massacre that happened.

That night… you lost your mother as well.

“What are we going to do, Sire? We have barely survived that night. We cannot have a repeat of it again.”

It took a while for your father to finally give an answer. When he did, he look resigned, the shadows on his face masking whatever storm of emotions he was suffering through.

“We have no other choice. We ride on the night of the Blood Moon…”

“And slaughter the beast itself.”

******* “Wait! Stop!”

Your leather boots padded against the packed dirt of the courtyard as you ran after the boy heading towards the gates. You knew he heard you despite not turning around because he slowed his pace enough just enough to let you catch up. When you finally did, you made sure to block his way before he could make another step. It was a futile attempt, because you were the one who felt frozen on your spot when your gazes finally clashed.

For a quick second, you almost forgot about whatever it is that you wanted to say to him. Jeno had definitely changed throughout the years, his stature now looming over you and his features more grown. And yet, none of those changes are what shook you the most as you looked up to take him in. Instead, it was the hardness in his eyes that almost made you falter from your stand.

“What is it?”

The coldness in his deep voice made you internally shiver, but you held your ground before you betrayed yourself and show any sign of weakness. Instead, you squared your shoulders, your expression determined.

“You didn’t say everything you know about the Blood Moon earlier,” you whispered, voice down despite the fact that it was only the two of you in the courtyard. Something flickered in his eyes that only made your suspicion grow even more. “I want to know why.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Lies. It was your clan who was at the forefront of the fight during the Red Night. They were the ones who fought the monster head on with my father—that’s why your family are considered the heroes of these lands. You lost a lot of your kin from it, but they did save this village.”

“How do you know about this?”

“Everything that happens in the Kingdom is chronicled. Anyone can know… As long as they have the desire to look,” you answered slowly and carefully. You have never shared this confession to anyone else before, but as the only daughter of the Duke, you can access sealed records with the right amount of digging and sleuthing.

“What do you want from me?” Jeno asked, his jaw tightening. For a slip of a moment, you thought his impassive facade has finally cracked, showing a glimpse of something more than just cold detachment. Unfortunately for you, he was too quick to catch himself, and in the next second he was back to wearing his mask.

“I want to know why your family hid from the public that the Black Wolf was slaughtered during the Red Night. It was all in the records. I know you were there too, Jeno. Several eye witnesses have seen the beast beheaded by your clan members. The same witnesses who were reported dead a week after the massacre. ”

Jeno’s eyes have turned so black that they almost scared you. Still, you held your place, not giving way until you get answers. He looked at you for a few more painful seconds before side-stepping so he could walk past you. In your panic, you quickly turned around before he could put more distance between the two of you.

“The werewolf killed my mother!” the words were already out of your lips before you could even stop yourself. It made Jeno pause, his back rigid. He didn’t look at you, but you could tell from the set of his shoulders the bitterness running through him.

“It wiped out my family too,” he said, angling his face so that he could look at you. You could only see his side profile, but the loathing that you saw there was enough to make your blood run cold. “The curse of the Lycan had taken more from me than it had from yours.”

The venom in his voice shocked you numb. Never have you seen such pure, unadulterated anger from someone that you felt cold to the core. You watched as he continued walking away, before you caught yourself again.

“Wait! Just answer my last question then!” you called out to him before he could fully disappear from your gates. “What can the Blood Moon do to the one who has a curse?”

Jeno only momentarily stopped. For a while, you thought he wouldn’t give you anything, but then his next words made your heart drop.

“Under the Blood Moon, the Black Wolf can pass the curse to someone else to create a beast as powerful as they are.”

******* "I apologize. I think I heard you wrong. What did you just say, my Lady?"

You silently followed the shifting of the shadows on the edge of the Dark Forest from the glass-paned window of your room. Peeking behind the clouds, glowing like a ghostly apparition was the waxing moon, bright but not yet complete in its form. From the position of the stars in the sky, you could assume there are only a few days left till it fully wanes; signaling the rise of the Blood Moon in the sky.

You took your time to give your close friend an answer, unsure of how to phrase things in a better way. If it were only up to you, you would have chosen to bring this secret to the grave, but you also knew someone else has to know, lest something happens to you. As your confidante and the closest you can have for a sister, she is the only one you can leave this information to.

"I think the beast walks among us… whoever they are, they are within the village, hiding among us humans."

"I do not understand. What makes you think of this?"

"Ten years ago, the beast who was terrorizing the village died, presumably in the hands of the Lee clan. It was also during the rise of the Blood Moon, the only night when a werewolf's bite can turn another human being into a monster. If the hidden accounts from that night are correct, there is a high chance that the original beast has perished, before passing on the curse to someone else," you said as you turned from your spot to fix the other girl with your stare.

"It makes sense, too. Over the years, the attacks have escalated, proving that the new monster is slowly growing in power… maturing if one must say so. It also has never tried attacking any other place other than Black Thorn… Almost as if it has a personal vendetta against the people of this land."

"But… If the werewolf is among us, why do you think it has managed to escape our huntsmen? Black Thorn has the best hunters of the Kingdom. The beast wouldn't have passed them."

The crackle of the dying flames from your fireplace was the only sound that could be heard from your room as you tried to contemplate over your answer. The truth is… your suspicions could be very much wrong, but all signs also point to one possibility.

"It could have... If it was covering as a hunter himself...”

You saw your friend's silhouette pause in shock in the dying light of your room. You walked over to the edge of your bed, voice low as you continued.

"The Lee clan was at the forefront of the war against the Lycans a decade ago. They were the key behind the Kingdom's win during the Red Night, the hailed heroes of BlackThorn... Which makes you wonder, why would they hide the fact that they have slayed the beast during the fight? It doesn't make sense, especially when that war almost wiped out their whole bloodline."

"Are you saying they are hiding the truth because…"

"When the werewolf was killed, it probably passed on its curse to someone else. That family probably covered up its death to hide the fact that one of them is now the carrier of the bite."

"But almost everyone from the Lee family has now died. I heard they weren't able to bounce back from the war so its remaining heirs rarely interacted with others. Their bloodline is almost obsolete. Even the remaining ones now are too old, weak, or dying."

"Almost. There is one left, the sole and last son born to their clan more than twenty years ago."

Your friend's lips parted as she looked on to you, shell-shocked. It looked like she was racking her brains, trying to remember every single face from earlier.

"The boy with the black eyes…?"

As if the words triggered something deep inside of you, that same pair flashed in your mind's eye again. It didn't matter that you've only seen Jeno today again after so long. His gaze seemed to be burned into your consciousness even if you try to close your eyes.

"My Lady, you must definitely tell your father. Three days from now, he and the other hunters will go to the Dark Forest to hunt for the beast. That boy will be included in the party. This can easily become a massacre if we don’t do anything."

You were silent only for a moment as you considered the plan. You wanted to tell the others, your father most especially, but something unexplainable is holding you back. You couldn't really understand what it is, but your gut tells you to keep your silence… For now.

"I will. On the night of the Great Hunt. As much as it will be dangerous for us, it is also the only time we can keep the wolf within our reach. He'll be easier to trap while he is close to us. For now, none of this can come out yet."

The other girl didn't look convinced, the set of her lips still worried. She looked back at you, probably reflecting your own fears and apprehensions.

"And if things don't work out? What shall we do?"

Your throat felt dry, but you managed to push out an answer. Your voice was firm and set, but it still didn't stop your words from sounding like a death sentence to your own ears instead.

"I'll have to kill him with my own hands instead."

****** The thick deer skin under the leather of your hunting garb was not enough to entirely hold back the chill of the frigid night air. You weren't sure if it was just the nerves turning your skin clammy under all your layers, but you are almost convinced that there is something supernatural clinging thick into the night as you stood just outside the borders of the Dark Forest. After days filled with anxiety and tension, the Blood Moon has finally risen high into the skies, signaling the start of the Kingdom's longest fortnights.

The Dark Forest looked unnaturally still today as if it was a silent monster waiting for its first prey. Surreptitiously, your eyes wandered down the line of hunters stretching on your side, men and women who all looked like they could have easily melted in the dark should you let them out of your gaze for a second. You almost felt out of place in the group, despite also being trained in the same trade since you were young.

If you were going to be completely honest, it also came as a surprise when your father agreed to let you join the hunt. You were already expecting to fight for your position in the ranks that it shocked you when the man supported your request to participate. You could still remember his words that night...

"If there is a perfect time for you to be a part of the hunt, it would be the night of the Blood Moon."

Your eyes wandered further down the line now, only stopping when it finally found the person you were looking for. Jeno stood silently a few men down from where you were, all dressed in black. You could barely see half of his face under the drooping hood of his hunting coat, but the glow from the moon caught slivers of light strapped on his back and the hip of his belt.

Holy silver. The only metal that can kill a werewolf.

"Make sure to stay close to me."

The voice of your father made you tear your eyes away from your former friend. Silently, you gave a small nod, afraid that your voice might betray the conflicting emotions pressing against your chest. You were still set on doing what needs to be done today, but that didn't mean the vow was easy for you to accept.

"Yes, Father."

"We go in three groups. The first faction will scan the west of the forest and the third will tread the eastern trail. We will go north, straight ahead," the man said, addressing the group. Your hand tightened unconsciously on the hilt of your own blade strapped to your hunting belt. If your number will be split equally, then Jeno will be part of your faction.

"Always keep your eyes ahead and watch each other's backs. We might encounter other creatures in the forest but don't forget what we came for. You know the Black Wolf is near if you smell blood.”

Where the beast prowls, death follows, you said silently in your head.

None in the group needed another word to collectively start. Moving like shadows under the cover of the night, the unit split into its respective groups and started making their way towards their assigned trails. The moment you passed the first ring of trees, you could tell something has definitely shifted, the air seemingly thicker with something no human words can truly capture. This wasn't the first time you have entered the Dark Forest, but your skin prickled from the unexplainable energy that charged the air.

Your group continued pushing on for a few more minutes, following the trail that would lead you to the heart of the woods. Your senses were hyper-focused, your hearing picking up the slightest of sounds, from the flap of bird wings to the breaking of branches under heavy boots. Everyone in your group was on high alert, though nobody really made any big moves. That has always been one of the critical rules of hunting: stalk, do not attack. Hunters know not to pursue their game, but to wait for them.

Especially when the prey is just waiting for the right time to attack himself.

For minutes you continued with your trek, silent in your movements. It was not until the Blood Moon peeked from behind the clouds when something finally broke the deafening stillness of the forest. You were watching Jeno closely in your peripheral vision when all of a sudden, a blood-curdling scream split the air. The voice was so high-pitched that it almost didn't sound human, but then you started making out words, begging for help. You whipped your head so fast, trying to figure out the source of the sound.

"Stop! Help me!"

"It's the Western group. They're under attack," one of the men said beside you.

"Do you think it's the—"

"Wolves!!! Run!!!"

"Quick! Let's go!"

You felt yourself almost flying through the forest as you broke into a run. You could barely see your father in between the winding trees, his red coat the only thing that's keeping you from losing him. You were so caught up in the adrenaline of it all that you barely caught Jeno stop with his sprint, his eyes set on the rest of your party as all of you whizzed past him. The moment you realized what he was doing, you stopped all of a sudden, the motion almost making you topple all over your feet. He looked like he was observing… contemplating something. And then his eyes met yours.

Your heart dropped to your stomach when he started running towards the other direction without another word. Your reaction was almost instantaneous. Without even looking back, you chased after him, your boots thundering against the forest floor as you tried your best not to lose sight of his figure winding between the trees. The darkness of the forest deepened as you delved deeper into its heart, the gleam of his silver blades the only thing keeping you on his tail. He dipped here and there in between the darkness, almost at an inhuman speed, but you didn't stop despite the piercing pain that had started on your side from all the running.

You were only forced to slow down and pause when you ran head on into a wall of thorny branches that seemed to have come out of nowhere. It was too late for you to see and dodge it so you had no other choice but to barrel through them, the sharp thorns leaving tears and cuts on the sleeves of your clothes and the skin of your cheek. You were still reeling from the crash when you finally stumbled into what looked like a small clearing ringed by thick fringe of trees you just passed. It was a small vacant lot that opened up into a clear view of the sky and the waning moon above.

For a moment, only the sound of your labored breathing filled up the space as you tried to get your bearings. Eyes roving, you slowly bent over to pull the biggest knife from your belt as you tried to take a feel of your surroundings. Despite the thick silence, you are absolutely sure that you are not alone, the feeling of being watched heavy on your skin and making the hairs at the back of your neck stand on end.

The sharp cracking of a dead branch from somewhere behind you made you spring to action. You turned instinctively to swipe your blade, but a strong force pinned your arms to your back before you could move. The next thing you felt was the iron grip and suffocating feel of a leather-gloved hand muffling your screams.

"Shh. If you want to live, stop struggling."

You immediately froze as the feel of hot breath skimmed the side of your face. You didn't need to turn your head to know the owner of that voice, the hand holding your dagger shaking as you realized your predicament. Still, you refused to let the it go despite the heavy trembling of your fingers.

Jeno. He got you. And now you're going to be slaughtered just like everyone else.

"You need to listen to me and do every single thing I tell you. Do not make a sound. We need to get out of here."

The rising fear in your chest had almost rendered the logical part of your brain numb. Jeno was unbelievably strong, and you barely realized you were being dragged back into the forest until you felt him pause just as you were about to disappear between the trees. It took you a while to realize what was going on, until your eyes set on the opposite shadowed side of the clearing.

You heard it before you even saw it. Branches broke and bent as a low growl from the other side made the very ground you were standing on tremble. And then it hit you.

The metallic smell of fresh blood.

And the rotting scent of death.

"Shit. Keep your dagger close to you," Jeno whispered in a low voice the same time gleaming red eyes appeared between the trees. You didn't even notice his hand lowering from your lips as you stared, speechless at the monster that finally stepped into the moonlit clearing. The wolf's fur shone deep black under the glow of the night as it stood almost as tall as a man, its ruby gaze set on you. Blood and flesh dripped from between its maw which it now bared into a snarl.

You were still in shock for being face to face with the beast itself, that what happened next took your breath. In just a matter of seconds, your terror finally grew into a full blown nightmare after a cloud shifted to reveal the moon above. It bathed the monster with its eerie light, giving you a sharp view of the scene as it unfolded. You watched, terrified, as the flesh and bones of the beast churned right in front of your very eyes, like a broken marionette being tugged by an invisible master. Its own bones snapped and locked again until its silhouette transfigured into an entirely different creature. If not for Jeno's tight grip on your waist, you would have fallen on your knees from the swift misery that overtook you the moment you saw its face.

"Father…"

The man smiled at you, his teeth red with blood.

"Hello, darling. Didn’t I tell you not to leave my side?"

******* You were convinced that you had died and was pulled to the deepest depths of hell.

"I apologize for being a little late. I had to take care of the rest of the hunters first. I have to say… those men did put up a good fight, though they were still foolish enough to fall for my trap."

You stared, unseeing, as your father regarded you with his emotionless gaze from the distance. Your shock had rendered you numb, that you weren’t even sure if you were hearing him right or if your broken mind was just making things up. Regardless, your stomach turned as you processed what he just said.

A trap…? The blood covering him right now… Are those…

"You were supposed to be there, princess. I wanted this to be done quickly, but I see you've lost your way. Nevermind though. Maybe it's a good thing you didn't see the carnage. It can be a little heavy to stomach at first…"

Your father leaned his head a little bit to the side and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked down on you. For a fraction of a second, he almost looked like the man you've always known, except the light didn't really quite reach his eyes.

"It's a good thing Jeno found you for me… Otherwise, I would have ripped the whole forest apart just to catch you.”

For what seemed like the hundredth time that night, it felt like a hole was punched straight into your chest. Not once have you tried to look at Jeno since earlier, but you turned your head slowly now to see his reaction. What you saw on his face was probably what made you lose the last string holding you together. His eyes were dark… but there was not a trace of denial in them.

He knew.

All along.

"Jeno…"

Your father smiled wider as he saw you piece things together. Slowly, he started pacing back and forth, as if he was enjoying the look of betrayal on your face. He was too far gone from the man you thought you knew, almost as if that version of him never existed at all. When you finally had the strength to look at him, his eyes glinted, like he was already expecting your next words.

"How could you…? You were supposed to take care of this town."

"What are you talking about, darling? I did. I still am. Why do you think other supernatural beings wouldn't dare step foot here? The lore of the Black Wolf has kept them, and other humans who had their eyes set on our lands, at bay."

"You've also killed innocent villagers!"

"Ah. Yes. Well, those are rougher nights, you see. Sometimes, when my powers get the best of me, I do lose control. Casualties, they all are. I wouldn't think too much about them."

You were stumped. The lack of mercy in his voice and actions is probably more nauseating than the smell of death that is still suffocating the stagnant air enveloping you now. It was so strong that the stench clung to your clothes and sank deep into your very marrow.

"You're a monster…" was the only thing you managed to say as you looked at him, defeated. A quick shadow passed his face, though it dulled down in an immediate second. A change in the set of his jaw almost made you shrink back against Jeno.

"Maybe I am. But I wasn't at first. Not until I was turned by the very same beast who killed your mother,” he said, his gaze hard. “To an extent, I do admit it was my fault. You see darling, I could have lived a peaceful, comfortable life, but I was foolish enough to think of myself as a hero and save this town. I did, in a way, but at the cost of sacrificing my own humanity.”

You listened with slow horror at his recount of that night. You've always known that your mother was one of the casualties of the former Black Wolf, but your father had never really talked about what happened then in detail.

"I remember that night pretty clearly," he continued, the last traces of warmth bleeding out of his eyes as he went inward to his memories. "The moon was high above the skies just like tonight when the wolf slipped into the village like a phantom. It used to be rabid, but its intentions were different that night. It only had one goal…" he stopped and looked at you dead on. "To kill our family and finally have his revenge."

"That monster... It had a personal vendetta against me after decades of our hunters killing off his kind. It knew that I was the only one keeping him from taking over Black Thorn and the rest of the Kingdom, and so it made sure to make me its target on the night it was at its strongest. I already had a feeling that it would happen, which is why I was able to make arrangements for you to be temporarily sheltered in another town. I begged your mother to come with you, but she was determined to stay and stand beside me in the fight."

"And she did. She fought very well. But we were also against a hound from hell, and after a long fight, the beast managed to rip her throat off. I wasn't so lucky… the monster could have killed me too if he wanted, but he also knew he wouldn't get out of Black Thorn alive that night. So instead he gave me something that's far worse than death. He passed on his curse to me before we swiped off its head."

The sinking cold feeling climbed from the pits of your stomach up to your chest. Your father continued, his expression lost on the ghastly memories of that night. Warmth streamed down your face until your vision blurred. You could barely even see him now from the tears tracking down your chilled cheeks.

"I did try to kill myself on that very same night. Believe me, I did. I was about to use your mother's dagger and bleed right beside her, but then she stopped me and begged me not to go through with it with her dying breath. We can't leave you both, she said. And so I didn't, despite knowing what will become of me from then on,” your father continued, his gaze now lost and dead.

"The only people who were there were the Lees. The accounts are not wrong. Without their help, the Black Wolf wouldn’t have been taken down… But as the only known witness of everything, I had to strike an arrangement with them. Pretend that the original wolf was still alive and keep their silence lest they want to lose their own heads. Nobody could ever know that a new beast was created. In return, I will provide protection to the village. Continue doing what I have always done.”

All the pieces started moving slowly in your head but you kept your lips sealed as you continued listening to the man. Everything makes so much sense now. The other witnesses mysteriously dying after making opposing accounts about the attack of the Black Wolf... The hidden records… All of those can be pulled off by someone with power and position, and who else have them other than the very Duke of Black Thorn himself?

“To be fair, I kept my end of the bargain. During the early years, I used my new identity to keep the village safe. Every transformation was painful, but I was mostly able to keep my sanity with me for as long as I could steer clear off humans. But then… the powers of the curse shifted as I matured more as a wolf. I became stronger… faster. I could do things I couldn’t do before. It was… intoxicating. Freeing.”

The way the man’s voice changed in tone definitely made the blood in your veins freeze. It didn’t even seem like he was speaking to you now, the look in his eyes lost and manic. The realization washed over you like poison as the last of the puzzle pieces clicked in your head.

Your father had been slowly corrupted by the curse over the years. He had let the blood of the Lycan eat him from the inside until it burned off the last traces of his humanity.

Power… poisoned him.

You were far too lost in the storm of your emotions that you barely caught the slight movement against your hands still being held by Jeno against your back. At first, you thought your fingers have finally gone numb with cold, but then you instinctively wrapped your free hand around something solid. You paused when you realized what it was.

A dagger.

He was giving you his silver knife.

You tried your best to try and reign in your emotions as you tightened your grip around it. Your father, fortunately, seemed none the wiser, too lost in his own world. You watched carefully as the man stopped with his pacing before turning towards you again.

“I’ve had a few good runs, but true power can only be appreciated if you have someone to share it with. This… is what this night is all about, darling. Finally, the time has come for you to also join me in this journey.”

You didn’t think there was something else that could shock you tonight, but his last words definitely rendered you speechless. You looked at the man, stupefied, as he started taking slow steps towards you. You felt Jeno ever so slightly pull you back, pressing you against his chest.

“What… What do you mean?”

“You heard what I said. During the night of the Blood Moon, a wolf can turn another into a creature as powerful as them. Come join me. Imagine what we can do together, if we both have the curse.”

The shock that overtook you almost made you retch. So this was his plan all along, the reason why he set up this trap tonight. You slowly shook your head, eyes wide as you watched him continue his advance.

“No… I will never… I will never be like you.”

He laughed. The man stopped just as he was a few feet away, regarding you with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. The moon dipped again from behind a black cloud, its light making his eyes glow red as it hit them.

“Princess, I think there is something you’re quite not getting here.”

“You don’t really have a choice.”

The next turn of events happened way too fast for you to catch. Jeno pushed you out of the way just as your father transformed mid-air as he lunged at you. The force of the push knocked the wind out of you but you caught him jumping out of the monster's path just as you rolled away and scrambled to get back on your feet. By the time you were upright again, you felt him tug at your arm and start to drag you back into the forest. The beast behind you howled as soon as it noticed what was going on.

"Run! Now!"

You didn't need telling twice. The two of you started weaving between the trees, away from the horrific crashing sounds behind you. Every so often, Jeno would turn and shoot an arrow with his bow despite the beast being too quick and agile to dodge them. When your father gave another howl, you doubled-over from the pain that assaulted your ears.

"Jeno! Give her back to me!" Your father's voice mixed with the growls of the beast made you almost fall and lose your balance. Jeno, however, pulled you before you collapsed a second after. The pained scream that followed told you that he finally managed to get a shot in.

"Get up. You can't stop. We need to get out of this forest!"

Your lungs were collapsing in your chest, but you did what you were told as you ran and jumped over dead tree roots and low hanging branches. You didn't care at all that you were now bloodied from all the gashes, your mind only set on escaping. It took you a couple more minutes of running until you realized that there were no other sounds following your frantic footfalls. Jeno seemed to have realized the same time you did as he suddenly pulled you to stop so that you could catch your breaths.

"Is he—is he gone—"

"I don't know. My arrow caught him, but we need to pierce his heart or cut off his head to kill him."

"Jeno what are we going to do?"

His jaw tightened as he finally turned to look at you. For the first time that night, you finally noticed the strain on his face. He looked torn. Troubled. You were only barely able to keep your tears in when he finally reached out to cup your cheek.

"We need to get to the village and look for reinforcements. I am sure he already killed every single hunter who joined the raid tonight."

"But he might just cause more carnage there. We can't let him step foot in Black Thorn again."

"Which is why you need to evacuate the women, children, and the elderly. Take them with you. Your father wants you, but you can be safe with them in the right place."

"Where—"

"Deep into the Eastern side of the forest, there is a sanctuary that you can go to. No human or any other supernatural ever dares trespass those grounds since it is under the ownership of a Pale Face, a Night Walker. Even your father wouldn't be able to go there without him being shredded to pieces. You'll know the place once you start to see the silver barks of trees."

"A Pale Face… Is he… A vampire?" You asked, confusion straining your voice. Jeno gave you a tight nod.

"He's a friend. He'll help you."

“But how about you—”

You weren’t able to finish what you were saying as an inhuman force suddenly knocked the two of you to the ground. Your vision turned white from the pain, but Jeno suffered more from the blow as he flew and body slammed against a tree a good few feet away. A grunt of pain left him as he started coughing blood when he slumped to the ground.

"Jeno—!"

Before you could even move on your spot, another scream was once again ripped from you as you felt the burning sting of talons slicing your back. Eyes closing from the pain, you collapsed once again as blood started seeping from your tattered garb. You couldn't see anything, but you heard the heavy footfalls of the beast just a few feet away from you before it gave a low snarl.

"Stupid boy. Your family promised their allegiance to me. You are going against their word."

A few short, labored coughs answered the beast. Looking up with white spots still clouding your vision, you saw Jeno lift his head and meet the glare of the werewolf despite his injuries.

"My family gave you their word. Not me. I have no affairs with you, you monster."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the space after. For a moment, even the usual sounds of the forest quieted down, which only punctuated the gravity of his statement more. The wolf watched him with his glowing eyes as you waited, breathless for the pin to drop. And then it finally did, and you thought you died the first time that night upon hearing its next words.

"If that is the case… then you leave me with no choice. Close your eyes, huntsman. I promise this won't be painless."

You were moving before you even realized what was happening. With a spurt of energy, you hauled yourself from the spot you are crumpled on just as the werewolf reared itself back, jaw open as it charged against Jeno. Jumping, you managed to land on its back before driving the silver dagger that you managed to hold on to straight at its nape. The blade sank deep into its flesh, causing the beast to howl in agony and stumble back. You tried your hardest to hold on to the blade, but it easily shook you off, leaving you flying into the air again and hitting the ground.

Your ears were still ringing as you tried to push yourself off the dirt. Unfortunately for you, you have only managed to lean to your elbows when you found yourself collapsing again as an excruciating pain ripped one side of your body. The wolf had managed to jump over you, one of its taloned paws pushing your shoulder into the forest floor. You screamed when it dug its claws against your flesh, shredding the skin there.

"Why are you fighting me. I am your father!" The beast roared, spraying you with spit and blood. Its eyes burned so red now they were almost black.

"You're not—You're not my father anymore…"

Your voice had gone so raspy that you barely managed to get the words out, but you saw something flicker in the wolf's eyes that was almost reminiscent of the human he once was. A shift of shadows and light and it was soon enough gone, replaced by a darkness that you couldn't fathom.

"Then so be it. After you have turned, I am sure you will change your mind."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion from there. The beast opened its jaw, long teeth glistening as it reared its head back. You know you should feel afraid, but instead there was a certain calm that overtook you as you slowly closed your eyes in resignation. Even the haunting howls seemed far away as you finally let go and let instinct take you over.

Soon enough, death will come, and the curse that has terrorized over Black Thorn will finally be over.

The piercing sound of flesh and bones cracking under force tore the air. Then it was silent again, the dead air finally urging you to open your eyes once more. Instead of being met with glaring red orbs, you came face-to-face with your father's deep brown human gaze. Slowly, your vision moved a little more downwards…

Right at your hand holding the silver dagger buried in his heart.

It took a few seconds for your mind to finally catch up with what you were seeing. As you numbly let go of the hilt, you realized it wasn't the only weapon embedded in your father's chest. Buried beside your blade, its tip slicing through the man's breastbone is a silver arrowhead. For the first time, you noticed Jeno hovering above him, having used one of his arrows to pierce your father from the back.

A werewolf can only be killed two ways. By cutting off its head...

Or piercing its heart with silver.

"You did so well… You were brave, my dear."

Your father's soft words shook you back to reality. The man was still looming over you, but his gaze was clear as he smiled down at your blood-streaked face. When he blinked, his own tears mixed with the warmth that was already streaming down your face.

"I'm so sorry…" you whispered, your voice breaking. He simply shook his head and reached to touch your cheek.

"Hush… Do not cry. Thank you for releasing me from the curse," he said as he slowly tried to sit up. Blood blossomed in his chest like rose petals, though he couldn't look any more free as the light of the moon hit him one last time. When he gave you one last smile, you knew it would be the last.

"Finally, I can rest. But please… Forgive me… For what I have done."

******* Jeno silently watched as the former Duke finally crumpled to the ground. Everything happened so fast, that even he was questioning whether the end had finally come. Under the light of the Blood Moon, the former protector of Black Thorn finally felt at peace after long years of carrying the curse with him. It was a salvation… not only for the town, but for the Master himself.

"Jeno…"

The soft voice that called out to him finally made him look up from the crumpled form of the man on the ground. His first instinct was to check if she was alright, but whatever words he wanted to say immediately died in his throat when his eyes finally settled on her. She was covered by the body of her father earlier, but even the deepest shadows of the forest couldn't hide the deep bite mark on her right shoulder. Jeno's gaze shot to her face only to be met by pleading eyes that almost made him die himself.

"Please... You have to kill me."

******* She was about to slump to the ground again when he finally had enough sense to run over to her side. Immediately, his arms went around her, cradling her against his chest to try and keep her head up as much as possible. Her eyes were unfocused—whether from the pain or the venom coursing through her veins, he didn't know.

"Jeno…"

"Shhh. Let me take a look at your wound. We need to make a tourniquet."

"He bit me. I can feel it. Something is happening to me."

Jeno tightened his jaw and refused to acknowledge her words. Instead, he started tearing parts of his clothes before pushing the rags against her gaping wound. His hands are now stained deep red, but he didn't care, his attention focused instead on trying to keep the blood flow at bay.

"We just need to get you to a medic. The village isn't too far away. We can make it. You can make it."

She was quiet as she let him continue with his mumbled whispers. He could feel her gaze heavy on him but he didn't look at her, afraid of what he might see there. He knew what was coming—what needs to be done. But that doesn't mean he could go through with it.

No. He refuses to.

"You have to kill me. You know that."

Her words finally made him stop. Slowly, he turned to look at her, face filled with grief. She tried to reach out for his hand and he quickly wove his fingers to hold hers.

"I won't do it," he finally said, voice breaking. The look he gave her only made his heart shatter.

"You have to."

"I can't."

"I don't want to become a monster."

That made him stop. The reality of the situation finally washed through him in its full gravity and it made him tremble. This was more than any pain he had suffered through during the years he had to tear himself away from her out of his own spite for her father. He was wrong for making her suffer for something she didn’t cause, but never in a lifetime did he think he would lose her like this. Just when he thought she was finally within reach again, fate just had to tear them apart once more.

For a while, the silence in the forest wrapped them like a bidding death sentence. Jeno didn't want the moment to pass, afraid of what might be waiting for him on the other side. It was only until he felt her pressing the handle of his own dagger against his palm that he allowed himself to grip her tighter. Leaning over, he buried his nose into her hair, taking in every bit of her that he could mark on him. He wrapped his fingers shakily around the hilt of his blade, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping it.

"We only have tonight to do it. When the Blood Moon passes, the change will be permanent. It is easiest to kill me now."

Jeno kept his lips pressed against her hair, silent. How cruel it is, for fate to put him in this very predicament. This was his childhood friend. The first girl who had treated him like her equal despite their differences in ranks, and at one point the woman he wanted to marry. The history of their families drove them away from each other, and now, he is about to lose her… All over again.

Without another word, he slowly raised his hand as he pulled away so he could look at her face. The action made her finally smile, like she was relieved by what was about to come. She was as pale as the moon above from the amount of blood she was losing, but even with her hazy, clouded eyes, she still looked at him with the same love and kindness she did when they were kids. When she reached out to touch his cheek, Jeno knew the thread between her dying and living the rest of her life as a cursed monster was just a few breaths away.

"Can you kiss me while you do it? I want it to be my last memory," she whispered weakly. He didn't hesitate to duck his head down to meet her parted lips, their breaths mingling together as he finally let his hand deliver the final blow.

It took her a couple of seconds to realize what happened. When he pulled back, her gaze dropped to the silver dagger buried cleanly on the soil instead. She took it in slowly as Jeno lovingly pushed back strands of hair that had stuck into her forehead.

"We only have an hour till dawn breaks. Why don't you take a rest first…?"

A dry sob left her when he realized what he had done.

"Why… You can't…"

"I won't. Even if I can. You will not die in my hands or in any other’s anytime soon. You will stay here. With me this time," he said, his voice sounding oddly unlike his usual tone. He never thought he would ever come to a crossroads like this, but he did. He had chosen to be selfish. Mad.

Because of love.

"Jeno, I'm begging you. I don't want to suffer like this…" her pleading barely made a dent in the fog that had taken over his mind. He pressed his lips against her forehead, deaf to everything else. Below him, he felt her start to try and reach out for the dagger herself with her waning energy, but he easily pulled it from the ground and threw it away. She sobbed again, helpless whimpers passing her cracked lips.

"I'm sorry. You can hate me every day and every hour after this, but I can't lose you again. I won't let you leave. Even if you loathe me for the rest of your life."

The way she blinked up at him told him that she could barely hear him. Jeno let his bloody fingers move to the side of her neck to deftly feel for the pulse point that will render her temporarily unconscious. He watched as her eyelids started to slowly flutter as he pressed against it before they finally lowered as she went under.

He smiled at her peaceful expression and moved to cup her cheek with his bloodstained hand. Slowly, he lowered his lips on her again, trailing kisses on every part of her face he could reach. All the while he continued whispering against her skin. Promises. Apologies. Words of love.

That continued, even as she bled and paled like a corpse in his arms. Jeno didn't stop once, not even during the moment when her skin started melding together again, leaving nothing but tracks of dried blood instead of gaping cuts. He continued, even as he felt her bones snapping back into place while he held her in his arms.

By the time he decided to finally look up, the sky already had tracks of red staining it. The Blood Moon was still up, its glow pale as the incoming sun started to overwhelm its light. Jeno looked down on the girl he was holding, waiting… waiting… for her to wake up. When her lips parted to give her first sign of breath, he smiled. Her eyelids fluttered open and he held her closer to her than ever.

"Good morning… Love."

Blood red eyes stared back at him, the same tinge of crimson in the skies above.

--------

JAEMIN’s Version | HAECHAN’s Version | RENJUN’s Version

A/N: So after a year of keeping this on hold, I finally got to finish Jeno’s part of the series. I was supposed to publish this on Halloween but oh well, it got so long. As usual, enjoy!

Permanent Taglist: @negincho, @jhornytrash, @aaasteroidsky, @huangberryyy, @marijmin, @ashkuuuu , @lostlovesoul11 , @johnniverse , @traint0tokyo , @lilyinthewinter , @byunniebaekhyunnie , @ellatizw , @bettyschwallocksyee , @stopeatread , @glitching-wren

#jeno fic #jeno imagines #jeno x reader #werewolf jeno #reader x jeno #jeno angst #nct dream fic #nct dream angst #nct dream fantasy fic #lee jeno fic #nct dream imagines #nct dream fanfic #jeno fanfic

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glitxhwayventeen · 1 year

Text

The Confused One

Ten

Characters: Ten x male reader

Warnings: anxiety to the maximum, questioning of sexuality i guess, controlling and manipulative parents, existential crisis mentions, sex mentions/implications but nothing too serious, bad influence Ten, mentions of cheating (though the couple doesn’t really care for each other anyways so🤷🏻‍♀️), mentions of forced/arranged marriages, crying and couple fighting, i think that’s it but let me know if i missed anything!

Author’s Note: the ending is kinda word vomit so I’m gonna go back through it in a few days when i have time. Other than that, what do you guys think?

Please remember that all of these chapters and the content within them are a work of fiction! They’re just for fun/entertainment!

Watch It All Burn Masterlist

The Confused One: Part 1

Mostly anxiety and 🥀 with a teeny tiny bit of 💋 if you squint.

Bold= Korean Dialogue Italics= Thoughts Pink= Cantonese Red=Mandarin Green=English

Tag List-

‘Am I making you feel good?’

Truth be told, you felt terrible. You felt like a horrible person. You felt like you were just another guy letting his dick do the thinking instead of his head. But you couldn’t admit that to him out loud.

‘Fuck- yes!’

The dry chuckle you heard from the boy behind you made you feel like you needed to throw up. This wasn’t you. It couldn’t be you. But it was.

‘I know baby.’

His words sent shivers down your aching spine. Every part of you yearned for him. Every cell in you wanted him to want you the way you wanted him. But that was wrong, so so fucking wrong.

‘Are you close?’

You couldn’t help it. Your girlfriend hardly gave you the time of day. You tried to be understanding and rational given your situation with her. But you needed the release she so frequently denied you and he was willingly dangling it in front of you, it was yours for the taking.

‘I- I need to come!’

Waves of lightning shot through every one of your veins deliciously as you felt your body shake back your orgasm. You'd never been touched the way he was touching you. You’d never been used the way he was using you. You'd never felt the way you felt with him. You knew you shouldn’t give in. But you just couldn’t stop yourself.

‘Of course you do love.’

Part of you hated how sweet he sounded. The butterflies fluttering throughout your belly at his sentence should’ve made you hate yourself. But it only made you like him even more.

‘Now, are you gonna be a good boy and come for me?’

You wanted to cry. The pleasure he was forcing on you and the guilt your mind was making you feel was all too much for you to handle. You shouldn’t have been there. You should’ve been at home studying. But you chose to be with him instead.

Though, just as you felt your body start to convulse in the constant jolting it so desperately craved, an all too familiar sound started buzzing through your ears and your eyes you’d thought you’d closed due to the pure ecstasy you’d been enduring shot open in shock.

The all too familiar decorum of your boring beige room cascading throughout your line of sight had begun being a painful reminder of just how much you’d wished your dreams were real.

“They could be,” Ten had promised you when you mentioned your secret shame to him during one of your many midnight rendezvous, “You just have to say the word.”

You rolled your eyes at the burning memory and the charming boys' tempting words. As if you’d ever get the option to back out of your sad sham of a life you were living.

But that was Ten, the ever so care free and unpredictable boy who changed the course of his own destiny on the turn of a dime. He’d never understand why things had to stay the way they were for you.

Then again, he lived a completely different life than he lived. Not just because you were a goody goody and he just, well, wasn’t. But because he had different problems than you did. After the two of you had gotten together, you began corresponding with one another daily. After months of confiding in each other over just about every thought, feeling, and experience you had, he eventually told you he was a werewolf.

Of course you didn’t believe him at first. And Why would you? It sounded ridiculous at the time. It even sounded ridiculous when he took his contacts out to show you his strangely inhuman eye color. It wasn’t until he actually shifted in front of you that you had actually come to terms with what he said being the truth.

Not that the truth changed much. You needed a little time to get over the idea of fairytales and fables possibly being true but once you had, you realized he was still the same Ten you had come to know and love.

He was still kind and caring, still funny and charming. He still made you smile in a way you weren’t sure you ever did before he came around. He still lit up your world in a way no one else ever seemed to be able to. He still made you feel things no one else ever had or probably ever would. And he still made your pathetically dull and plain life worth something for the first time.

Everything with him was so simple. His chaos was the perfect fit to your calm. His crazy was steadied by your levelheadedness. He brought fire to your life and you brought water to his. Being with him would be as easy as breathing. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

Sure, in a perfect world you’d love to be with him. But your parents would never allow your little affair to continue if they knew it existed. Not only did Ten bring the exact opposite of everything their plans for you represented, he was also untouchable in their eyes for people like them.

Ten was a practicing Buddhist foreigner from Thailand. He was in the right economic class as you which might have helped when it came to him being a foreigner to your snotty parents sure. But even if his family did have a pretty big privy purse to match the extravagant scenery his country was known for, it didn’t change two simple facts: 1. He was a boy and 2. Your parents were freakishly religious Christians.

They would rather be killed than let their only beloved son be with a non-christian, non-Korean, party boy. You could almost hear the disapproval dripping from their voices as you thought of what would happen if you told them what you really wanted of your life.

‘No son of ours will make a mockery of this family by being with the likes of him.’

You felt massively naive for not realizing how ridiculously uptight and homophobic they were when you were younger. The reality only dawned on you when you realized just how much more you liked being with Ten than your own girlfriend, something you tried to keep under wraps as much as possible.

But you were positive the fact became apparently to her the first time you had all hung out together when you brought her new ‘friend’ over for a project and she noted just how quickly you became friendly with the Thai boy, a rather odd occurance considering how painfully shy you were by nature.

Still, she said nothing and pretended to see nothing. All the nights you snuck out to see him, all the times you left the room to take a call so you could hear his voice, all the hurried messages you’d type and send to him throughout the day while blocking your phone screen from view. She acted as though she hadn’t noticed your growing affections for him and that all was going on as normal with your relationship.

You weren’t too shocked by the move. You had both realized long ago that you weren’t in love with each other but rather created a compromised friendship in the hopes of making the best of a bad situation. If you weren’t weary about whether or not she’d break your big secret to either of your parents accidentally, you would’ve openly even told her about it. You hated lying and sneaking around her back because you knew it wasn’t respectful. But you felt you just didn’t have another choice. You just couldn’t risk it.

So, like many morning before your current one, you quickly got up from your bed, your girlfriend still snoring softly from her side of your shared mattress, and bolted to the bathroom to clean yourself and your shame up.

As you washed away the sticky substance that had accumulated against your abdomen while your shower head pelted your body with hot divets of water, Ten’s words kept playing through your mind like a broken record.

‘You just have to say the word.’

If only your life could be that easy.

——

“Oh,” Your girlfriend, Hae, groggily spoke from bed while rubbing her eyes as you emerged from the bathroom of your apartment with your towel draped across your waist, “You’re up already.”

You gave her a polite, albeit awkward, smile and nodded, “Yeah, I uh- woke up early again and figured instead of sleeping I should just try to get a fast start on the day, you know,” You lied, going to your dresser to rummage through it so you could find yourself some clothes to wear.

She bowed her head in understanding as she watched you go about the room so you could get ready. Observing you was something she did a lot, it was another reason you just knew she already knew about you and Ten, but that didn’t mean it made you any less nervous.

Being around her, even when you were children, had always made you nervous and on edge. Then again being around people usually made you feel that way. Well, people aside from Ten that is.

“We’re supposed to have dinner with your parents tonight,” She reminded you, breaking the uneasy silence that had rested throughout the air causing you to jerk your eyes away from buttoning your pants and bringing them up to look at her in horror.

“D-Dinner? W-What dinner?” You stuttered.

She mumbled something about you never remembering anything before she exhaustedly ran her fingers through her hair, “The dinner your mom texted you about the other day. You know, the one where she said they wanted to talk to us about something important? Ring a bell?”

Your eyes widened even further. It did ring a bell. Mostly because you remembered sheer panic spreading through your body as you received and read the message. Your parents hardly ever actually saw you except on holiday breaks now that you were in college. So when your mother texted you out of the blue and requested the four of you have a meal together, you couldn’t help but be so worried about what their intentions were for the dinner that you forgot all the details you had discussed.

“O-oh yeah,” You thickly swallowed the whine ready to pass through your throat, “Y-Yeah I remember. But- uh remind me again what time it was scheduled for exactly…?”

Hae rolled her eyes at you in disbelief, clearly no more excited for the event than you were, “It’s at 6pm ____. And you know if we’re late there’ll be hell to pay,” She added with a raised brow, getting up out of bed to throw on her own clothes for class, “So you need to make sure that whatever it is you were planning on doing at that time tonight gets moved to another time okay?”

Okay, you were 100% positive she knew about what you had been up to considering you had originally been planning on seeing your secret boyfriend at that exact time later.

“Yeah,” You tried to play it cool, “yeah of course. I won’t be late I promise.”

You truly meant what you said. You didn’t want her to be stuck stalling with your annoyingly boring and judgmental parents while you went out and had fun. If she knew about your little other life and was willing to keep it mum, then you figured the least you could do was have her back when it came to dealing with them.

“I hope not. Because if I have to listen to your father talk about the importance of cosmetic surgery as you age again I’m gonna throw myself out the second story window,” She laughed, causing you to force out a small chuckle of amusement as you planned out how you were gonna tell your boyfriend you couldn’t meet up with him because you and your girlfriend were going to meet up with your parents, who’d never approve of him and could never know of him, for dinner.

——

“Seriously?” Ten practically growled through gritted teeth as you sat and ate a very late lunch across from him on a patch of grass that was just out of view from your university’s campus.

To say you felt bad was a bit of an understatement. You had originally just decided it was best to just tell him you had to reschedule your little date, if you could even call it that, for another time because something came up. But, as he always seemed to have a way of getting you to open up about any and everything, you ended up telling him the whole story.

You told him you had forgotten about dinner with your parents, that they would probably hate him if they knew he existed or was in your life in any capacity let alone a romantic one, that you didn’t want to go but had to because you didn’t want your girlfriend to suffer through it alone, and that your girlfriend seemed to already know about the two of you being together and didn’t seem to care. And of course as you originally assumed, he was pissed at the explanation you gave.

“If she already knows about us then why are you still even with her?” He quizzed with a hint of venom lacing his tone, his true eye color beginning to seep through his fake contacts.

All you could do was let out a deep sigh, “You know why.”

But your answer only seemed to aggravate him more. He stood from his cross cross position on the grass and stared down at you with now fully crimson eyes, this time with flaring nostrils, claws beginning to elongate from his fingers, and a jaw so clenched you were sure his teeth would break.

“No I don’t know why!” He protested, clearly doing what he could to contain his anger for your sake, though you also knew he couldn’t help some of it.

After you had come to terms with werewolves being real and with actually knowing one, Ten answered just about every question you could think of involving them.

He practically gave you lessons on imprinting and mating. He talked about a really weird time when wolves got super sexually aggressive called rut. He had you meet his pack and disclosed to you how pack business and connections worked, that’s also when you found out your favorite student was not only in said pack but also mated to Ten’s baby sister along with another one of their ‘brothers.’

But most importantly, he told you all about shifting. You realized his claws and teeth could grow whenever he wished and that his body even rejected the contacts he used to cover his eyes so often he had to change them multiple times in a day to keep people from seeing their true color. He explained the whole ‘changing during a full moon’ thing was complete horse crap and that they could change at will, at least, most of the time.

You knew when he got too emotional, whether it was good or bad emotional, he could end up shifting out of instinct. And he cautioned you that people could get hurt when that happened, much like his sister Minnie apparently had when her mates fought over her and lost control. Though he swore he would do whatever he could to keep a similar situation from happening to you, not that you were ever really worried about it considering Ten was the only person in the world who made you feel safe and secure.

But as he towered toward you, part of you did start to get a little worried, even if it was only for a moment, he could turn into a super strong giant animal after all while you were just a weaker than most human he could crush with one paw.

As angry as he had worked himself up to be and as much as you tried to not show your fear, he noticed you shrink into yourself and turned away from you to collect himself. He may have been mad and hurt, but he didn’t want to scare or frighten you.

Truthfully, you didn’t understand why he was so upset. Sure you were still in a relationship, but what did it really matter to him if you were or not?

You always thought you had felt for him maybe a tad more than he felt for you anyways. Thanks to your newfound werewolf knowledge, you figured it was because at any moment he could imprint on a passerbyer and he’d have to dump you so he distanced himself. It stung, really stung actually, but it was what it was and you knew that.

You thought you both did. That’s why whenever he talked about wanting you to give up your current life and try for a new one with him you didn’t really entertain the idea much at all, even if you really wanted to. You were just a human who had trouble controlling emotions and severing ties and he was a werewolf who’d have no control over who fate decided to pair him up with.

Having to reschedule sucked yeah, but it wasn’t like the love of his life was blowing him off for someone else and telling him they could never be together.

Ten never told you he imprinted on you. He figured it was a lot for someone as nervous as you to take in all at once. So he decided to wait until he thought you were ready for it.

He always figured once you told your girlfriend or she found out about your little affair, the two of you would finally get to be together fully. But he was wrong.

Now you didn’t know you blowing him off for someone else and telling him you could never be together was crushing him. You didn’t know the reason tears were now flowing freely down his face was because it felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest at your so nonchalant refusal to leave your girlfriend. You didn’t know you were the love of his life.

“I don’t know why it has to be like this and i don’t think it’s fair for it to be happening,” Ten said just above a whisper, barely audible to your human ears.

You called his name to get his attention, but he seemed cemented in his place and wouldn’t move. You tried once more and received no response once more.

So you eventually got up from your spot on the ground hesitantly and gently laid your hand on his shoulder, “Ten?”

Finally, he turned himself around to face you. That’s when you saw his tear stained cheeks and pulled him in for a hug instinctually and without thinking.

He was quick to return it, wrapping his arms around your waist as he buried himself against you and sobbed ‘it’s not fair’ over and over in English.

Ten hadn’t meant to start crying in front of you. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have so easily let himself be wrapped up in your arms. But he couldn’t stop himself once the pain of you basically telling him you wouldn’t leave your girlfriend even if she knew the truth.

Because it meant he’d still have to share you. He’d still only get partial moments with you and not full ones. He’d still have to restrain himself from grabbing your hand and lacing his fingers between yours in public. You’d still be saying goodnight and good morning to someone else that wasn’t him. You’d still be sleeping with and sharing the same bed with someone who wasn’t himself.

You acting like your girlfriend knowing about the two of you changed nothing meant he’d have to keep living a hallow life in the shadows while your girlfriend got to keep living a filling life in the light with you. It hurt him in a way he wasn’t ready for and so he broke down. And instead of pulling away from you like he should’ve if he had been stronger, his heartbroken inner wolf yearned for your touch and gave in to you holding him.

When he was upset normally, you were who he’d turn to to comfort him. Now that he was faced with the harsh reality of having to hide your love from the rest of the world, you were the only person that could make him feel even remotely better.

——

After about half an hour of crying and sobbing, Ten eventually calmed down enough to relax back down to your original spots. You apologized for having to see each other again at another time and promised to make it up to him, something he unconvincingly responded to with ‘okay.’

And, while it made your chest hurt to know he was still so upset over something you really had no control over, time had gotten away from you and you soon had to leave him to get ready for dinner.

And dinner was going okay enough. You had arrived together with Hae on time, dressed sharper than you had been earlier in the day as per your parents usual dress code. Even though the food you knew there was no way either of your parents cooked was good, the conversation was as dull as the day was long. That is, until desert came and your father halted everyone from digging in to their treats.

“____, I’m sure the two of you are wondering why your mother and I wanted you and Hae over today,” Your father accurately pointed out, taking another sip of his brandy with a light hiss.

You cleared your throat to keep your voice steady after having it go unused for most of the evening due to your parents obsessing need to talk about themselves, “Yes father, I suppose we are.”

Truthfully, you didn’t even really like your dad all that much. Even more truthfully, you didn’t really like either of your parents all that much, but you disliked your dad’s personality more than your mother’s.

Sure, your mother had no idea what quality family time or house work/chores were, she had maids and nanny’s hired especially for all that, but at least she put in the effort to send you a text message every now and then to make sure you were still alive. You were pretty sure you’d never once received any form of distant communication from your father.

So listening to him go on and on about his work and how all your friends must’ve been jealous of you for how much money your parents made really made you want to cave into your seat and disappear.

Your father was quick to glance over to your mother, who strangely gave him a nod of approval before he continued on, “Well ____ my son, your mother and I, as well as Hae’s parents, believe it time the two of you finally get married and start a family.”

Hae, who had just been in the middle of swallowing some much needed wine, began coughing aggressively while you stared up at your beaming parents in pure confusion.

“W-What…?” You barely murmured out just as your girlfriend managed to get her coughing under control and began to question ‘come again?’

Your father let out a hardy laugh while your mother mustered a strangled giggle, “Marriage son. Then children. Just as we planned remember?”

You shook your head as if to shake out all the unpleasant feelings beginning to build up in your stomach, “N-No. W-We planned for later father. Much much later.”

“Yeah. We weren’t supposed to do any of that till after we both graduated and had our careers where we needed them to be.” Hae confirmed.

But it seemed it didn’t matter much to your parents what had been originally scheduled anymore, “Yes we know that children,” Your mother ever so nonlovingly replied with an eye roll, “But the plans have changed.”

The fact that she said something so life changing so casually and finished her sentence by taking another rather chill sip of her expensive wine only made your stomach churn that much more. That meant they had already had their mind’s dead set on the idea.

They went on to explain that your maternal grandfather was getting sick, very sick. And it seemed that his dying wish was that his only grandchild be settled down and married, hopefully with a child on the way, before he passed. Which meant your parents had to have their plan jump started a little, or you would say a lot, sooner than anticipated.

Your father told you that the two of you would be married as soon as your mother could put together a lavish enough wedding to impress their friends and that afterwards, you would switch universities to one closer to the house they would get ready for you and you would finish your degrees there. He also stressed the need and want for a child as soon as the two of you were happily, though not by either you or Hae’s standards, married.

You were unsure of what was going on for the rest of the night, but you could guess based on where your parents' statements were heading. You started to feel dizzy and flushed and essentially blacked out the remainder of your visit with them so you wouldn’t burst into tears right then and there. It wasn’t until you and Hae managed to get to your car that you finally broke down.

Part of you expected her to be upset with you for not at least pretending to be happy when the two of you were together. The other part thought she might even be pissed at you for doing something as childish as crying. But to your shock, when you looked over to your right, she had the same drops of despair rolling down to her chin.

The two of you stayed like that for what seemed like forever, just staring off into the distance as tear after tear was shed in mourning of your previously mediocre lives. You never know what you had until it’s gone.

“What in the hell are we going to do?”

——

“No! You can’t!” Ten declared loudly with a stomp, almost as if the small childlike protest would help change what was to come.

But, as much as you wish it would, you knew that it wouldn’t change a thing. Your fate was set in stone long ago.

You let out a long winded sigh and ran a shakey hand through your hair while you tried to find something to focus on to ground your never ending nerves, “I don’t have any other choice Ten.”

After having fallen asleep after a night’s worth of dry heaving and silent sobbing, you called him the next morning to tell him you needed to speak with him about something important. Once you’d met up in your usual spot in the woods just off your university’s campus, you told him all about the previous night and what had happened with your parents at dinner. And he was clearly taking the news about as well as you and Hae were taking it.

“There’s always a choice!” Ten practically yelled at you, doing his best to hold back both the pathetic whines threatening to spill out of his mouth and the burning tears trying to pour past his waterlines, “You can tell them no! You can say-say you don’t want to! Y-You can call it off!”

You still didn’t fully understand why he was so upset over you having to get married and break things off. Sure you’d been sleeping together and all, but it wasn’t like you’d be together forever. You both had known that since you’d started your little hang outs and midnight rendezvous.

He’d eventually have broken up with you when he found his mate and you’d eventually have had to cut contact with him when you got married. That was just how it was and you thought you’d both been pretty clear about that.

Even though part of you never wanted to leave his side and would’ve preferred to at least keep him in your life once you’d had to get married, you could never do that to your girlfriend.

Hae was many things, but a bad person wasn’t one of them. She didn’t deserve to have an unfaithful husband or to be reminded of his past infidelities by having your ex-lover brought around all the time.

Still, seeing Ten so hurt broke a piece of you. You had fallen for him the night of the party and ever since seeing him in any sort of distress made you went to smother him with kisses and cuddle him until he felt better.

So the only thing your heart could think to do was apologize to him, even though you hadn’t actually done anything to him to warrant one in the first place, “This is just the way it’s supposed to go. I can’t do anything about it. I’m sorry.”

Ten just scoffed at you like you had just spit in his face directly.

“No, don't you get it?!” He tried to question with an angry tone, but really it came off as more desperate sounding if anything, “This isn’t the way it’s supposed to go!”

The statement caught you off guard. You were standing in the middle of a forest clearing doing your best to hold yourself together to break things off with the guy you had such strong feelings for you couldn’t separate yourself from him for much longer than a few hours. You were trying to do the right thing by being nice and apologetic while he started freaking out on you. Like he was the one who got the short end of the rotted stick that was your life.

How was that fair? You were the one who had to marry someone you didn’t love. You were the one who had to give up the one good thing you’d managed to ever find in your life. You were the one who had to be a stand up guy, a good son.

If you were anyone else, you’d have been able to pick your own friends growing up. If you were any other kid on the block, you wouldn’t have been forced into an arranged marriage. If you were like any other college student, you’d have been able to pick your university or your own major. If you had been literally any fucking body else in the world, you’d be able to fall in love with someone and stay in love and with them for as long as you lived. So how was any of what he was saying fair to you?

You could see why he would maybe be a little bummed, hell, you could maybe even see him being a bit sad you’d have to break things off. But why the hell was it supposed to just be so cool that he could pretend you were being the bad guy and deny what you were saying?

You’d tried being kind and you’d attempted being amicable and understanding. But his sentence ran through your heart quicker than a damn bullet train. ‘This isn’t the way it’s supposed to go.’

As if he knew anything about what life meant for you going forward.

Why did he get to stand there and act like you were the bad guy? Why should he get to pretend you got a choice in anything? Why was he able to question you or make you feel bad? What was he losing? He’d eventually get a happily ever after, you wouldn’t. He’d get to live the life he wanted, you wouldn’t. He’d get to grow old with the love of his life, you would never get that.

“And how do you know that?” Your demeanor changed from your usual passive self to a rather defensive one as your hands closed into a fist and clenched tightly, “You’re the one that doesn’t get it!” You chuckled dryly, leaving Ten dumbfounded as you towered over him, “I don’t like this anymore than you do!” Your voice began getting louder and higher pitched the more you spoke, “And neither does Hae for that matter! But there is no calling it off!” You finished, your body beginning to tremble in aggravation and frustration as you stared down your boyfriend.

It only took glaring at him for a few seconds for you to notice that he’d semi-sunk into his shoes at your new found sudden confidence to speak your mind. He almost looked rather… frightened that you’d finally managed to obtain a backbone.

But as overwhelmed and overworked with the situation as you were, you couldn’t let someone you cared so much about stay so obviously worried over your current state and not at least try to hold back some of your rage.

So you managed to turn yourself around and sit your lanky figure down on a fallen over tree log to calm yourself down, or at very least make yourself look less menacing. Not that you probably were to him in all reality since he was a werewolf that could rip you to shreds easily if he wanted to after all. But you wanted to show him it was your life you were truly mad at, not him.

“Not all of us have a plan literally designed by fucking date to give us happiness like werewolves do,” you whispered as you threw your head into your hands, “Us humans get whatever the fuck life throws at us and unfortunately for me this is it,” you began to muffley sob behind your hands, unable to keep your true emotions back any longer, “I don’t get a mate like you and your friends. I don’t get to be happy with one person i love for the rest of my life like you. I get whatever my parents plan for me or I’m fucking screwed,” after that, you cried hard over and over about life being unfair and how you didn’t want it anymore than he did until your throat hurt.

You couldn’t help it. Your life as you knew it before him was already intolerable and the one good thing, the one fucking thing you’d managed to find to bring some happiness to yourself was being taken away from you because you had to be a decent human being. You were close to having a full on mental breakdown at that point. And because he just happened to be around you, your boyfriend had to be the one to listen to you choked wails and curses as you cracked at the seams.

It wasn’t until you felt Ten’s nimble hand lay against your back and his warmth sit still next to you that you began to collect yourself enough to speak like a regular person again, “I hate fate for putting me in this position! I hate my parents for forcing shit on me I don't want!” You whimpered in a pout, Ten drying your eyes with the pads of his thumb before shushing you and bringing your head into the apex of his neck to comfort you.

Not that it helped much, because now that the flood gates were broken, you couldn’t help but vocalize everything that had been truly bothering you since you’d met him. It also didn’t help that the angle he had you in was also a bit awkward due to your height difference, which meant you were a little uncomfortable when you breathed too hard and jerking in his hold.

“A-And I hate you for dangling happiness right in front of my fucking face knowing i can’t do shit about it! I hate myself for fucking letting myself fall in love with you w-when i can’t fucking have you!” You turned and sniffled to look into his shoulder, too ashamed to hold your face against him while you told him how you really felt, “I fucking hate this whole situation more than you or my parents or Hae or anyone else will ever know,” you let the now tired tears slide down your cheeks and chin onto his nicely ironed dress shirt.

As you let a deafening silence fall over you because Ten didn’t react to your confession, you couldn’t help but think how you always liked when he dressed up even nicer than he usually did when he saw you. It made you feel like he wanted to put in the extra effort to be even more presentable for you and gave you the most ecstatic butterflies in your stomach thinking the man you loved cared that much about you.

Though in the current moment, it only made your chest ache even more knowing you’d probably never get that feeling again, “But it doesn’t fucking matter! None of that fucking matters because my life as I know it is o-over and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it!” You stuttered as you exhaustedly cried against the smaller boy like a defeated child.

You clung to Ten like you were going to fall away from the earth if you let go of him. You didn’t know when or even if you’d ever be able to hold him so tightly again. So you refused to release him from your grip even when you began letting the tired sobs wreck through your weakened body.

But after a few minutes of you hiccuping and whining, the small Thai boy finally pulled together enough courage to speak, still keeping you tight against him as he spoke softly, “Y-You love me?”

What kind of dumb ass question was that? You couldn’t help but push yourself off his shoulder and jerk back to stare at his face, your own no doubt red from the constant tears and hyperventilating, “Oh fuck off!” You used language you wouldn’t have normally used to show him your annoyance at his statement, then again, you weren’t normally in the position to lose someone you loved as much as you loved Ten, “Don’t act all shocked now! If you didn’t notice it before then you’re as big a moron as I am for letting myself get caught up with you!”

You never really meant to be so informal or improper, it just wasn’t how you were raised to be. Even when you were upset, though you’d let out a few swear words out of frustration, you’d never actually told someone to fuck off. Nor had you ever called someone as impolite a name as moron before.

But Ten had a way of bringing out a side of you you had never thought existed before. It’s one of the things you’d grown to love about him. And one of the things you’d miss the most about him.

Barely above a whisper, you heard Ten stutter, “I-I though- I mean, I- I didn’t know…”

You used the sleeves of your cardigan you had thrown on before you left your house to wipe off your face in an attempt to look a bit more presentable and stable, not that it worked much considering how roughly you had been crying only moments prior. But you had to try.

“Well now you do, happy?” You asked rhetorically, looking down to the forest floor at your feet as you tried to figure out what to do now that you had let your true colors show.

Though once an awkward and slightly uncomfortable silence, something you’d never experienced before with Ten as you’d never ran out of things to say with him before, took place for longer than a minute, your body went into survival mode and did what it always did when things got awkward: ramble.

“It’s not like it changes shit for you anyways,” you tried to half heartedly joke to lighten the mood, “You still get to imprint and love and be happy and ride off into the sunset and all the bullshit I read about in books.”

Learning was always a love of yours. You and the others around you considered yourself a bookworm for it. Some of your favorite stories involved good ending romances. A small part of you had secretly hoped that maybe your relationship with Ten would receive the happy ending you in your stories that you so deeply craved. But fairytales were just make believe. Your own current desperate situation was living proof of that.

“I don’t because I have to get married because a forced arranged marriage is the best thing someone like me is ever gonna get,” You sighed, picking at your finger nails out of nervous habit while trying to keep the once more burning feeling in your eyes from making matters worse as you let out the words.

Because admitting it all out loud stung almost as much as keeping it all in. Really, what other choice did you have but your arrangement with Hae? Even if you somehow managed to convince your parents to call it off, you just knew you’d never find someone you’d love as much as you’d come to love Ten. So it was your only real option at that point anyways.

Ten nearly immediately started shaking his head at your sad words, “No, it’s not.”

But it was. And that was probably what hurt the most. The best you could get was a set up arrangement by your parents to some girl whereas the guy you really wished you could be with would end up loving someone the way you loved him.

You’d just be a distant memory to him then. He’d get to find someone the universe deemed fit enough to be his soul mate and he’d probably forget you even existed. Then it hit you: He’d forget you one day.

He’d forget you and even if he did care even the slightest bit enough about you to remember some part of you and what you had together, he’d probably only remember the bad things.

Humans always remembered the stuff that hurt. And one of the last few memories he’d have of you was you yelling and crying at him, making it seem like the whole situation was because of him.

You’d told him you hated him for god’s sake. Surely he’d remember that if he remembered anything about you at all.

“Fuck I’m sorry,” You winced, hoping he wouldn’t be able to see the sorrow and the new tears building up in your eyes as the pain in your chest grew worse with each passing thought, “Ten none of this is on you and none of it is your fault.” You hated how sensitive you got sometimes because it meant crying over and over was something you did frequently, and you were sure he must have hated it too, “I’m just… upset and depressed. You should just probably leave because I don’t see it stopping anytime soon and I don't want to upset you or say anything else I don't mean to say.”

You sniffled, attempting to steady your breathing so the Thai boy could leave your line of vision in peace without being disturbed by your waterworks. Then you could break down all you wanted.

But instead of seeing his figure walk off into the distance, you heard him voice out the word, “No.”

“W-What do you mean no?”

“No, I'm not leaving. No, i won’t be happy. No you’re not a moron and no neither am i.” Ten simplified, taking your large hand in his smaller one as he forced you to turn your glossy eyes to look at him and sighed, “____, I imprinted on you the first day I saw you. I just never told you because…” He breathed deeply, though you could really only focus on his confession, “Because I didn't think you could handle it at first.”

While you were beyond confused and bewildered, most of what he had said had been blocked out by the sudden racing pulse sound ringing in your ears.

He admitted he had imprinted on you. Which meant you were his mate. Your strong feelings for a man you hadn’t known nearly as long as you felt like you had all now made sense.

Before you met him, you were content with just playing the role your parents had given you your whole life without fighting it. But after you met him, you started to see just how colorless and emotionless it all truly was because he brought an instant connection to your life you had never had before.

“Then when i did want to tell you you basically told me you were staying with your girlfriend even though she knew we were fucking and i figured that meant i needed to just leave you be because that meant some part of you wanted to be with her,” Ten shrugged as he uncomfortably shifted his weight on the log.

He had done exactly what you had done. He assumed you liked someone else deep down the same way you assumed he’d find someone else and leave you anyway. You both really were the world’s biggest morons.

“I was just gonna keep doing whatever it was you wanted to do no matter how much it hurt because I just… wanted you to be happy,” Ten admitted rather sheepishly while scratching the back of his neck with his hand that wasn’t holding yours, “But marriage is permanent and babies are permanent and I don't want you to be stuck in anything that permanent with anyone unless it’s with me because I love you.”

You assumed as a werewolf he would have because, if you were his true mate and if what Ten had told you about werewolves was true, he must’ve instantly felt love for you the second he laid his eyes on you. But still, hearing him say those three little words practically took the breath out of you as you never expected to hear them from him even though you felt them for him.

“Y-you love me too?” You stuttered, your brain barely able to form a sentence because of all the new information it had been flooded with.

Ten smiled earnestly and his eyes glistened with what you could now place as fondness, “Of course I do. You’re my mate.”

And before you could even think of a proper reply back, you realized your body seemed to have had other plans as, you found your lips quickly connecting with his own and your hands flying behind his head to weave into his soft black hair to pull him closer to you.

The kiss was beyond electrifying as it finally confirmed your real feelings for each other. It made you feel like something other than a puppet of your parents. As Ten’s own hands found purchase on either side of your face to deepen the kiss further, you realized being with him made you feel human, maybe for the first time in your life.

Eventually, the molding of your bodies had to end and someone had to break the ice in starting a conversation, “I know you’re scared of your parents and it goes against everything you were taught and told and all, but can you please for the love of god call off that stupid wedding so I can hold your hand in public and not be called an adulterous homewrecker?” Ten joked with his forehead resting against your own, finishing his sentence by pecking your nose gently.

You couldn’t help but smile like an absolute idiot while taking your boyfriends hand with a nod and tears in your eyes.

Were you still scared of your parents? Yes absolutely. Were you even slightly worried they might try to fleece you for your actions? Sure. But we’re you worried about your future or your happiness being put at stake? No.

Because with Ten by your side, it didn’t matter to you that your parents didn’t accept you. It didn’t matter that you’d lose all their ‘love’ and financial support. It didn’t matter that all, if not most, of your friends and family would turn their backs on you.

Because with him by your side you knew you’d forever be in love and be loved back by the only person that’s opinion actually truly mattered to you.

(Last Edited: 3/14/23)

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