- DO KYUNGSOO - 

I don't want to mean what I said. In fact, I want to pull the words back into my stupid mouth and to my brain which urged me to say them. My heart bleed for them and I'm afraid I wouldn't have enough strength to ease the pain those words brought. 

I heard a gruff but I didn't dare to look. I tried hard to focus on Taemin's wounds, ripping shards of his clothes to tie around them. He's bleeding too bad, I'm afraid he'll die any second now. 

"Lift him up." Kim Jongin murmured and he even sounded annoyed. 

I threw him a glare. "You heard me," I hissed at him. "Go." 

"And what?" Jongin challenged and he took one heavy step nearer, making me wince. "Leave you? Kyungsoo, you must be a really good son and student but you're worst at lying. And... don't lie to a liar, you're making it easier for me to read you." 

The arrows of his words hit home, right at the middle of my chest. I slowly looked up at him just to find his wolf face too close to mine. He smells of blood and his fur glistened with dew and mud. His eyes are red and angry but something tells me he's not furious at me but at the situation we are in. We are trapped in a love story meant to fail. 

Am I ready for such? 

"My Mother needs me, Jongin." I whispered and his name caught in my throat, flowing to my cheek and pinching them until I could feel wet lumps on the sides of my eyes. Crying has never felt so bad until now. It made me feel weak, fragile, and totally in need of him. 

I love him. How could I ever lie to him about that? 

Jongin sneered and blood drips from his canines. "And how about me, Kyungsoo?" he asked. "Do you even know how much I need you?" 

My fingers flew to my cheek, wiping the tears that continued to flow. When I slowly shook my head, Jongin's eyes blazed with something more than want and anger. He's disappointed... with himself. 

"I need you to keep this heart of mine beating for another second, another minute, another day." he hissed. But no matter how much he wants to sound angry, his voice faltered with embarrassment and gentleness I can't quite understand. "Do you even realize what that means? Kyungsoo, I would die losing you. And no one could ever take you away from me." 

I would want to respond with something stronger than my crying face staring up at a giant werewolf. But when I opened my mouth to talk, Kim Jongin stooped and bumped Taemin's body gently with his snout. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, my breaths coming in raggedly. 

"Lift him up and I'll carry both of you on my back," Jongin explained without looking at me. "His friends would be looking for him soon and..." he trailed off, lost for words. But I know what he means and what he's trying to say.

And he wouldn't want another casualty. He wouldn't want to kill someone this time. 

"Where are we taking him?" I asked as I lifted Taemin by his good arm and Jongin bit into his clothes, helping me half-drag the body over his back. Taemin was surprisingly lighter than I expected, probably because he had lost enough blood to deem him useless for this time. 

When Taemin's unconscious body is already draped over Jongin's back, the wolf stooped low enough so I could climb on my own. This is the first time I would ride on a werewolf and my heart is beating too fast against my chest, it's starting to hurt. His fur is surprisingly softer than I remembered and it made me stop grabbing unto them. I might destroy them and I wouldn't want that. 

"Your grandmother would love to help, wouldn't she?" Jongin muttered as he started to walk towards the forest, making me yelp with the sudden movement. I grabbed unto his neck instead, wrapping one arm around it. Jongin didn't seem to mind. 

I let out a shaky breath. "I... I think so." I stammered. The thought of Grandmother helping an almost-dead person is quite disturbing, I don't really know how to react knowing that it has been a long time since she attended into someone. 

With that, Jongin fastened his steps, almost jogging as we reached a deeper part of the forest. Despite the path that would lead to the small wooden bridge a few steps from my Grandmother's front porch, Jongin tried to remain hidden between the trees and the darkness. I clutched unto his neck tighter than I would want, but my heart is throbbing with the guilt that is starting to consume me. 

I never meant those words. If only he knew how much I wanted him, too. 

- KIM JONGIN - 

Kyungsoo has been kind enough to give me a pat on the cheek, a gentle brush of his fingers against my fur, before disappearing inside his grandmother's cottage. I half expected him to push me away when I offered a help, I was bracing myself for that. But Kyungsoo is such an open book when it comes to his feelings and it made me want him more than I could ever want somebody.

As I sped back to the forest and our house, I caught scent of the people hunting for us. They are Hunters, lower class of Warriors judging by their capability in fighting us. That guy who tried to kill me is indeed a Hunter. I didn't even break a sweat. The fact made me smirk. 

The smell of other werewolves filled my nose. And something... different. 

I kicked unto the ground, dirt flying back against my legs. When I reached the clearing surrounding the old mansion, Chanyeol is already waiting for me in his human form, a pair of clothes in his hand. There are no wolves training around the clearing, no mock fights, no guffaws and laughter, no shouting. I changed form and took the clothes from him, putting them on as I talk. 

"What's that smell?" I asked as we walked towards the front porch. 

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose, looking at me sternly rather than answering my question. "Blood," he whispered, pertaining to the stains on my body. "A Hunter." 

I tried to ignore the accusation in his voice. "Who's here?" I asked instead and when I pushed the door open, almost everyone in the pack are gathered in the living room. All eyes fell to me and Chanyeol, emotionless, waiting. Only Baekhyun has the decency to walk towards me, his expression sad but firm. Kris is standing by a corner, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches Baekhyun with the eyes of a hawk. 

Chanyeol huffed and he must have noticed it too because he proceeded towards Baekhyun, letting his palm rest over the small of his back. When Baekhyun reached me, he reached for my arm, squeezing it. 

"She's here." he murmured. "And she's taking him." 

We know this day is coming, but no one prepared me for the pain and the heaviness of the coming burden. The Prophet would come, in all her glory and power, and she would take the head of the pack and turn him into ashes. And at the very same day, she'll bless the new Alpha. 

I cast the remaining of the pack with much calmness as I can, but the nervousness and pain is eating my insides. "I'm taking you and Chanyeol." I muttered at Baekhyun and without another word, I walked towards the giant staircase and up my Father's room. 

My Father has been bedridden for a while now. He already lost the strength to change form and the sagging skin around his brittle bones is wrinkled and dry. It would happen in time, when the new Alpha is old enough. No matter how many humans he'll eat, nothing will stop him from leaving and drifting. It's the rule. It's supposed to happen. 

But he's my Father and seeing him leave hurts me more than I expected. 

The Prophet stands at the foot of my Father's bed, her body glowing in a strange green light. Her dress is a dirty white with mud and sand pooling at her feet, leaving marks on the carpeted floor. The tip of her foot is not touching the ground, she's floating of course, how could I forget? The last time I saw her, I was twelve. I finally managed to change form and she arrived to give me her blessing.

And now, she's about to bless me again... and so much more. 

"The new Alpha..." she murmured in that strange voice that could make me shiver. The Prophet doesn't open her mouth to speak, her voice vibrates around the place. 

I nodded, taking in her appearance. She doesn't get old. Her white hair reaches the floor and in one swift motion of her hand, she brushes it away until it's floating behind her. "I am wishing you already know the purpose of my visit." she gestured a glowing hand to my father. "It is time." 

My steps are small and cautious as I made my way towards my father's bed. "I... I don't think I am ready." I admitted in a whisper. I didn't bother to hide anything because I know she knows and she'll always know anything and everything. The Prophet is suddenly beside me, her warmth enveloping my being. 

"The half-blood..." she whispered back, matching my voice. "Is he pulling you back?" 

I turned to look at her, meeting her emerald eyes that are shining against her pale white skin. "I can't kill him." I breathed and I completely forgot about Chanyeol and Baekhyun watching us. "I can't be the Alpha of this pack." 

The Prophet smiled and her hands touched my cheeks. Her skin feels so hot it almost burned me. "Too much lie ahead," she murmured. "Your pack needs you." 

"What lies ahead?" I breathed, confused and lost. "What did you foresee this time?" 

"Too much... Too many..." she muttered in fast whispers. "Blood. Yours. His. Werewolves. Humans." and then her hand traveled to my chest, just over my heart. "Listen to this. It knows. Brilliant, isn't it?" The Prophet gave the slightest of smiles and she leaned until I could feel her lips on my forehead. 

The gesture sent a certain warmth through my body. My fingers feel hot to the tips and I am pulsing with strength. With power. The Prophet's hands are holding my cheeks gently and something in her presence made all the tiredness go away. Now I am more powerful, stronger than anyone else. 

When she pulled back, my vision is clouded with too much light. I caught her waving a hand but not to me but over the bed. I snapped my head to the direction of her fingers. 

But I am too late. Too late to see everything. 

My Father turned to ashes. And the Prophet is gone.