Chapter Text
The van was proceeding at a steady speed on the bumpy road. Luhan was nauseous because of all the jumps and jerks, and he kept clutching at the cage bars not to be tossed on its bottom every time the car hit a hole or made a sudden turn. His head hurt and there was a nasty bump on his temple, where the men who caught him hit him to make him stop screaming, also his nails were bloody and chipped, because he had been trying like crazy to scratch at the corners of the cage to set himself free. He really had no idea about how he could have possibly escaped from a moving van without windows, but he hated the cage. He hated the feeling of it, its smell, the faint trace of urine and blood and God only knew what else. How many poor wolves went inside that cage? And how many of them actually survived, when the pack was done with them?
«Let me go» he cried out. «I told you, my family is rich. They’ll give you money.»
The two men in the front seat didn’t even turn to look at him, one of them absorbed in driving, the other scrolling down his fancy cell phone screen. Luhan was desperate. He had been trying to remember all the turns of the vehicle, in the mad attempt to understand where it was heading, but he lost his sense of direction in a few minutes.
«Please» he whined, in a pathetic voice he hated, «please, let me go.»
One of the men suddenly turned towards him, and Luhan pressed his back to the bars, terrified. In the darkness he couldn’t see his face properly, but now the lights were on in the cabin, and he slowly took in how truly terrifying he looked. «Just shut up, kid» the man growled, letting his wolf show for a second, but it was enough. Luhan’s tongue got stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he fell back on his knees, starting to cry bitterly. Why was he so stupid? He should have listened to what his family kept telling him: never get out late when it’s dark, because there’s bad people outside, people who kidnaps omega wolves for their personal use. He was young and arrogant, and he never really cared about those warnings. And now he was paying for it.
A cell phone rang, and the man who talked to him picked up. «Yeah?»
He kept silent for a while, listening. Luhan tried to eavesdrop, but the engine’s noise prevented him from hearing the voice talking from the other side of the line. «We’ll be getting there in a few minutes» the man said, rather curtly. «No obstacles along the way.»
He listened for another couple seconds, then he scoffed. «No. He’s just a teen, and he keeps whining. He’s getting on my nerves.»
«Calm down» the man who was driving told him, and the scary wolf grumbled some but he looked a little less hostile. Luhan looked more closely at the couple. The one talking into the phone had his hair dyed blonde and had his left ear almost covered in dangling piercings. His face was rather handsome, but his nose looked weird, as if it had been broken in the past. Luhan wasn’t very good at detecting ranks, but he was sure he was an alpha, or at least a beta. The driving one... well, he couldn’t be sure about him, but it looked like he had some authority over the blonde one, so maybe he was higher in rank. Then was he an alpha, and the blonde a beta? It totally didn’t look like that, though. The blonde looked much more intimidating and ferocious.
«Yeah» the blonde was still blurting out into the phone, «yeah. I’ll make sure of that. No, I didn’t. I just did what was necessary to make him stop screaming. No blood, and I think you can hear he’s alive and well. He keeps rustling like a rat to get out of the cage. I can’t stand this noise.»
Luhan stilled, frozen. Unconsciously, his fingers kept trying to force the bars out of their lodging, producing a rattling noise. His right hand was covered in blood, but Luhan had so much adrenaline running through his body that he could barely feel the pain. «Please» he repeated, talking loud in purpose, and this time he saw the blond man stiffen visibly, while the person on the phone asked him something.
«No, I didn’t» he told, quickly and worriedly, «I swear.»
«Please, help me!» Luhan repeated, screaming, determined not to waste his occasion, but he wasn’t prepared for the blonde wolf’s speed. He saw him climb over the seat, falling over the van’s bottom and shove a hand inside the cage’s bars in a blink of an eye, and he realized it just when the man’s sweaty and callused palm was pressed over his mouth, clenching his face in a painful way. «Don’t let me say things twice, kid» the man whispered, fury oozing from his face, «don’t fucking make noise.»
Luhan whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. Meanwhile, the other wolf, the one who was still driving, picked up the phone. «The kid’s alright» he confirmed, sounding totally unimpressed with his companion’s show, «Kai isn’t patient, as usual, but everything’s under control.»
The wolf called Kai hissed at the other one, but he kept driving without the slightest worry. «We’ll be arriving shortly. Gather the others, and make sure Jongdae and Kyungsoo are available. The kid’s upset and needs rest.»
A brief pause, and then the driver ended the call. «You were about to screw up everything» he angrily spat, turning to face the blonde. «You brainless idiot.»
Luhan saw the man shiver under that harsh reprimand. «I know, alpha» he murmured, «I’m sorry.»
«You’re always sorry» the other retorted, «but you never change. Expect a punishment, when we’ll arrive.»
Kai’s eyes widened. He must be younger that what Luhan thought, and he guessed right about the hierarchy. «No» the wolf weakly protested, «not again.»
«Joonmyeon wanted you out of the pack already» the driver reminded him, «because you’re too rebellious. I had to beg him to let you in again. And don’t think I’ll ever forget it.»
Kai let Luhan go, growling softly, and Luhan braced himself against the bars, trying to get the farthest away from him. He heard enough, and he was getting frantic with fear.
Everybody knew who Joonmyeon was. And everybody was afraid of him.
That was the very moment when he realized he would never return home, and that he was lost. He started sobbing, letting himself fall against the bottom of that stinky and disgusting cage. He remembered the mischievous, vaguely triumphant feeling he got while carefully climbing down from his bedroom’s window, and he regretted disobeying his mother’s warning. He thought she was being overdramatic and hyper protective as usual, since he was a grown boy and stuff. He turned eighteen just recently, and he felt the strong need of breaking the rules.
How he’d been stupid.
«Now calm down, kid» the driver told him, sternly but not in an angry voice. He was talking like someone who expected people to obey his orders. Maybe he was a commander of some sorts in Joonmyeon’s pack. «Nobody is going to harm you. Don’t believe the stories you heard about us, okay? They’re all lies.»
«But...» Luhan began, amidst the sobs, but then he stopped, seeing Kai’s glare. Joonmyeon was the strongest wolf in the region, his pack almost a legend, collecting only the strongest alphas and betas. Joonmyeon was the hero who fought away the invasion of the Chinese wolves a few years before, and that battle, the War of Blood, casted a black shadow over him and his pack. Luhan remembered waking up one day and switching on TV to hear some news, just to rush at the bathroom, his stomach retching madly at the sight of the live footage of dead bodies lying on the ground, all horribly disfigured. The Korean wolves won over the Chinese, but a good half of both packs fell on the battlefield. Since the War of Blood, Joonmyeon and his pack kept discreet, but they were still watching over the borders. Rumours were that the Chinese wolves were organizing another attack, and the common people, as well as weak wolves like Luhan, were living in fear at the thought.
«The War of Blood was a despicable thing» the driver went on, in a gentler tone, «but the truth’s a little different from what the media spread. You’ll like it at our headquarters. Joonmyeon is very generous with his pack members.»
Sensing that the man didn’t seem as fierce as Kai, Luhan took a little courage and looked right into the driver’s eyes into the rear-view mirror. «So, why did you kidnap me? Because you generously wanted me to be part of your pack?»
He saw a dangerous light shine in those dark eyes, and for a moment he feared he’d have ruined everything. He didn’t actually mean to be sarcastic, but he was the younger son of a wealthy family, and he used to act arrogant all the time, since nobody stopped him. «I didn’t mean...» he stuttered, trying to make it better, but the driver interrupted him.
«You have every right to think this way» he admitted, quietly, «but I swear there’s a reason for all of this. You’ll know when you’ll meet Joonmyeon, I’m not allowed to tell you.»
Luhan looked at him more closely. His hair were dyed a dark red, smooth and falling around his head in a bowl shape. That haircut would have looked weird on anyone, but it oddly suited the man’s facial features. He was young too, but the deep voice and the dirt smeared over his face made him look older.
Kai was fuming in his seat. «He’s only a spoiled brat, and his heat hasn’t hit yet. He’s just a child. This is not what we need. We should get rid of him and look for someone else.»
«Omegas are rare, and we don’t have time. He’ll be just fine.»
«What do you think will happen, when he’ll show up at the headquarters? Everybody will get crazy, when they’ll finally smell a new omega’s presence. I could barely contain myself, when I smelled him, his scent is too strong.»
«That’s good, Joonmyeon needs a strong one.»
«They’ll try to snatch him» Kai insisted, «with force.» He sounded scared, and Luhan’s worry kept increasing. What was making that strong wolf so frantic, exactly? Who was going to snatch who? His mind kept refusing to take in the concepts fully.
«I know. This is why Joonmyeon sent us. He trusted us to protect him. It’s important he’ll be untouched, when he meets our pack leader.»
«Chanyeol» Kai lowered his voice, maybe hoping that the sputtering engine’s noise would hide the whisper from Luhan’s ears, «this is so terribly wrong. What did we become? Kidnapping a child to let our pack leader fuck him? This is so...»
«Shut up.»
«This is so sick» Kai retorted, furious, slumping back into his seat. From his cage, Luhan heard everything, and cringed in panic.
What did he just say?
«Luhan» the man called Chanyeol calmly called him, «don’t listen to Kai. Nobody is going to harm you.»
Luhan become restless, tugging madly at the bars, trying to free himself. «Stupid boy» Kai growled. «Shall I stop him?»
Chanyeol just drove, immersed in silence. After a while, when it was evident that he couldn’t open the cage from the inside, Luhan fell back, exhausted. He started crying, wailing loudly.
«Christ, I can’t stand it.» Kai shifted on his seat, but Chanyeol shot him a glare.
«No, you can’t gag him. Let him cry.»
Luhan curled up like a ball inside the cage, shutting his eyes closed. And then he started doing something he very rarely did, being the spoiled brat he was—he started praying for his life.
---oOo---
«Wake up, kid.»
The cage rattled loudly, and Luhan woke up with a jump. For a second, he just stayed put, breathing quickly, trying to remember who the fuck was the guy who just kicked the cage, and then everything occurred to him, slowly.
Kai, Chanyeol, the kidnapping, Joonmyeon, the War of Blood.
He let out a small, pained sound when Chanyeol knelt by the cage, studying him from up close. «We are at the headquarters, now. I am going to bring you inside of the building, but I want you to know that it’s going to be hard, since our alphas and betas haven’t had an omega for a lot of time. Your scent might upset them. Just keep close to us, and nothing will happen.»
God, Luhan thought, and who would protect him from them?
Chanyeol attempted a little, encouraging smile. «I’ll bring you to Joonmyeon, now. Come.»
That was the moment Luhan realized the cage’s door was open, and that, if he wanted, he could have crawled his way outside and flee. He doubted he could move his legs properly, though, and the wolves probably already knew, since none of them seemed worried about it.
Since he didn’t move an inch, Chanyeol reached out with his long arms inside of the cage, grabbing the boy and helping him out. Luhan wasn’t expecting it, but the man’s touch wasn’t rough, while he pulled him close to his chest.
«Hurry, Chanyeol» Kai warned them, «they’re coming. I can smell them.»
Luhan let himself fall against the man’s chest, while Chanyeol effortlessly lifted him from the ground, carrying him bridal-style. His whole body felt numb, and now he could definitely smell a few wolves approaching. And even if he wasn’t good at detecting hierarchies, he was sure they were all very powerful. «Oh, my God» he whimpered.
«Sssh» Chanyeol told him, «Kai and me will take care of them. Don’t worry.»
It was still dark, and Luhan couldn’t see anything besides a big, gray building that could have been an old villa, but he wasn’t sure. When the big, ornate front door cracked open, he hide his face against Chanyeol’s coat, closing his eyes and bracing himself for what would come next.
«Hello» a mocking voice greeted them. «What do we have here? I smell fresh meat.»
The man appeared on the threshold smiled at them, and Luhan immediately smelled his power. He was at least a beta, he was sure of that. He was lean and handsome, with regular and pale features, but his eyes were the darkest he ever saw.
«Hands off, Sehun» Kai spat, «he’s here for Joonmyeon.»
«Oh, I know that» the wolf purred, approaching them with graceful, cat-like steps. «I was just wondering if this little beauty would like making some new friends before. He smells so delicious.»
Kai bared his teeth and snarled, making Sehun stop, but not back away.
«Nervous, aren’t we, my friend?» the wolf asked, growling softly in the back of his throat. «Shall I teach you a little lesson?»
«Stop it, Sehun» Chanyeol interrupted them, clutching tighter at Luhan’s quivering body, «it’s an order.»
Sehun rolled his eyes. «You’re no fun, Chanyeol. I just wanted to make sure you got a good one for our beloved pack leader. What’s wrong with that?»
Chanyeol growled, and Luhan actually cried out when he felt the rush of sheer power arise in the air. Just how much could an alpha be strong? He had no idea, but Kai, who was just a beta, already looked terrifying to him.
That little display of force, though, sorted the effect they hoped, because Sehun immediately bent down, bowing deeply. «I’m truly sorry, alpha» he panted, «I went overboard. It’s just... it’s been so long I’ve smelled an omega... I’m so sorry...»
Chanyeol walked past him, followed by Kai, without turning. Peeking from above the alpha’s shoulder, Luhan saw that Sehun stayed bent in that odd position for long, even after their leaving.
«They aren’t bad» Chanyeol said, trying to sound reassuring, «I’ve known them for years, and I could trust them with my life. What Sehun said it’s true, though. They hadn’t been mating for too long, this is why they’re having troubles controlling their wolves, but don’t worry. Kai and me are here to prevent them from doing something stupid.»
Luhan blinked. «Uh... thanks.»
Chanyeol smirked. «Thank me later. Now we need to get you to Joonmyeon... and in one whole piece.»
Luhan shivered. The inside of the villa was obscure and menacing, and he could smell other wolves hidden in the darkness.
«You’re here, finally» a voice rang in the corridor. «I’ve already sent Jongdae to prepare Joonmyeon.»
Kai gasped in horror. «What? Why? Is he sick again?»
«He is» the wolf who spoke said gravely, «but he insisted to see the omega, even if Yixing said he needed to rest for the whole night.»
Luhan looked at the wolf. He was small and very young, with tiny hands and feet. He whimpered, clutching at Chanyeol’s coat when the wolf lifted the candle to see his face. «Too young» he said, after studying him for a while. «I bet he didn’t reach his full sexual maturity yet.»
«This is what we found» Kai defended himself, irritated. «It’s not like we had many choices. The Chinese wolves already took down those who were able to procreate. I think he survived just because he’s half-Chinese, more than because he’s still not ready to mate.»
The small wolf suddenly asked Luhan directly. «Are you? Is one of your parents Chinese?»
Luhan frantically nodded. «M-my mom.»
The wolf nodded as well. «I see.»
«Kyungsoo» Chanyeol urged, «please, we need to see Joonmyeon, now. He has to mark him immediately, or he’ll be in danger. I managed to control Sehun, but I won’t be able to do anything if Tao, Yixing or Minseok smell him. And God only knows what could happen if Yi Fan is nearby.»
The wolf called Kyungsoo looked him coldly. «I told you» he quietly repeated, «that Jongdae is preparing him. Until then, you’ll have to wait, and to protect him with every middle.»
In that moment, Luhan was hit with another rush of sheer power, and with a smell so strong it left him breathless. He cried out sharply, but luckily Chanyeol already saw the danger approaching and reacted quickly.
He tossed the boy over his own shoulder, making him shriek in terror, and with a swift movement he kicked the attacking wolf in his guts, sending him flying on the floor.
«You’ll pay for this, Chanyeol» the wolf snarled, furious. «You won’t keep the omega all for yourself.»
«He’s for the leader, asshole. Pull yourself together.»
The wolf was clawing at the floor, and Luhan saw he could barely stand. He kept losing his balance, as if he was drunk or high on something. Kai started cackling. «Look at yourself» he mocked him. «You just smelled him and you’re already dizzy. And you wanted to fight Chanyeol, of all people.»
The wolf groaned and fell on the floor, writhing. Luhan was speechless. Was it his smell, which knocked out that wolf? He looked like a powerful beta. He had no idea that his mere presence could elicit such a reaction in a wolf who was stronger than him.
«Sorry, Tao» Chanyeol said, passing by the wolf’s prone body, «but this needs to be done. You’ll be grateful to us, afterwards.»
The beta let out a howl, a sound so feral that made Luhan cringe.
«We’re almost there» Kai said, sounding vaguely excited. «Almost.»
They started climbing a long staircase, Kyungsoo leading the way holding the candle. The villa was huge and maybe even luxurious, but Luhan really couldn’t understand why they were walking in the darkness without any light but a tiny flame. Was there a reason for that? He felt slow and dense, and it got on his nerves.
But he was still scared. Chanyeol talked about marks, previously. Well, he knew what a mark was, and he surely didn’t want an unknown wolf to bite down on his neck. Maybe, but only maybe, he could try telling the tall redhead, since he had been kind to him. Yeah, kind like a kidnapper could be.
«Uh... I don’t want to be marked.»
«Relax» Chanyeol told him, «it’s just a pro forma. You could say it’s the etiquette. Also, it’s a way to protect you from the betas. You saw them, and you felt their power. I am Kai and Sehun’s alpha, but I can’t control Tao, the one we saw before. He responds just to Yi Fan, as well as Yixing.»
«And Kyungsoo?» Luhan asked. «Is he a beta too?»
The small circle of light in front of them started to tremble, and Luhan saw that Kyungsoo was stifling a laughter, making the candle shake in his hold. «Do I look like one? Really?»
Unexpectedly enough, Kai slumped an arm around the other’s narrow shoulders. «Just to an inexperienced pup like him.»
And, under Luhan’s dumbfounded eyes, the beta bent slightly to kiss the smaller wolf’s plush lips. The omega actually saw the taller man’s tongue lick over Kyungsoo’s lower lip, in a very intimate and rather possessive way.
Chanyeol sighed. «Kyungsoo is an omega, but he’s already been claimed by Kai, so the others can’t touch him.»
Luhan blinked, trying to think straight. An omega and a beta. So... were those two...
«Oh my God» he murmured, startled, and Kai laughed aloud.
«You’re quite funny, kid» he roared, patting Luhan’s mussed head. «But yeah, Kyungsoo is my mate, and I’m his.»
Luhan shivered, noticing the fond look appearing in Kyungsoo’s big eyes. He had been told that betas and alphas mated omegas to let them have their pups. Mating meant fucking. And alphas or betas fucking omegas meant knotting.
He squirmed in Chanyeol’s hold, his terror reaching new levels, but the alpha’s arms were like steel. «Please, let me go» he whined. «I wanna go home.»
But another wolf was running to join them. He didn’t look ready to attack, and he was attractive and graceful. «He’s ready» he announced. For a moment, Luhan lost track of his thoughts while staring at him. He was almost impossibly thin, just as tall as Kyungsoo, and his face was a perfect balance of chiselled cheekbones, generous lips and elegantly shaped eyes. He wasn’t just attractive, he thought. He was beautiful. «You’ll have to be quick» the wolf added, «he’s very weak.»
Who was he talking about? Luhan was confused, but he noticed that Chanyeol quickened his pace, at those words, as well as Kai and Kyungsoo.
Two other wolves were standing outside of a closed door, guarding it. The taller of them bowed slightly when he saw Chanyeol, but then pursed his lips mimicking a kiss aiming at Luhan, who squirmed uncomfortably under that glare. The other wolf just stared at them, looking unimpressed. His eyes stared briefly at Luhan, but then he averted his gaze, fixating it on the floor.
They both moved to let them pass, and when Chanyeol knocked on the door, Luhan braced himself for whatever was waiting for him behind.
«Come» someone murmured from inside, and Chanyeol turned the knob.
Luhan was introduced in the complete darkness. Luckily, the beautiful wolf, Jongdae, took Kyungsoo’s candle, ushering them inside. Luhan could now see they entered a luxurious bedroom, with an ample bed in the middle. A man was laying on it, his back propped in a half-sitting position against a pile of pillows. He was small and somewhat thin, and he looked very sick. His face was so pale it looked like it was made of bones, in the dim light.
Kai, Kyungsoo and Jongdae bowed respectfully in front of the man, then Chanyeol bent his knees, genuflecting on the floor. Luhan clung to his neck, crazy with terror.
«It’s him, leader» Chanyeol said. «We brought him for you.»
The man on the bed raised a hand, motioning him to come closer. Luhan let Chanyeol put him on his feet again, but he stood next to Kai and Kyungsoo, quivering and unable to move. He watched as Chanyeol bent to listen to what the sick man was whispering in his ear.
«Don’t be scared» the wolf called Jongdae told him gently. «This needs to be done. Joonmyeon has to bite you in order to claim you as part of his pack. This way, the other wolves won’t be able to harm you.»
Luhan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man on the bed. So, he was the infamous pack leader Joonmyeon? But he was so different from what he heard. He pictured in his mind a tall, strong, fierce wolf, not that small thing who lacked even the force to speak. «What’s wrong with him?»
«The Chinese wolves» Jongdae murmured. «It’s them, who made him like this.»
The wolf pulled Luhan slightly towards the bed, but the boy tried to resist. «What am I doing here? Why does he need to bite me? It doesn’t make sense.»
Jongdae’s eyes turned cold. «You’ll be told the details later.»
Luhan was sick of waiting. His inner wolf showed through, making him snarl back at Jongdae, who backed away, startled by that sudden appearance, but then Kai grabbed him, pulling forcefully towards Joonmyeon. «We don’t have time for this, pup. Come on.»
«No!» Luhan screamed, kicking the wolf to set himself free. Kai’s hold was steel-like, though, and Luhan found himself howling while the wolf dragged him on the floor, pulling him towards the laying pack leader. «No! No, no, please! I beg you!»
Kai threw him on the bed, and Luhan found himself enveloped in an unexpectedly strong hold. «N-no» he whispered, sensing Joonmyeon’s face hover above his. «No.»
«Calm down, little one» the pack leader murmured. «I’ll take care of you, from now on.»
Luhan whimpered, when he felt the man’s soft lips searching for the tender flesh of his neck, and then he cried out sharply when his fangs sank in, drawing blood, and Joonmyeon’s power poured inside of him.
His body went overdrive, while his senses suddenly got sharper. He could see in the darkness, now, the dusty curtains around the bed, the once luxurious, now just old and ruined furniture of the room, the tense faces of the wolves standing by the door, witnessing that weird ceremony. His head was spinning, and he found himself whimpering, letting out small mewls of pain mixed with pleasure. Many images took form into his mind. Blood, gore, wolves baring their long fangs, ready to attack. Cries. Tears. It was all confused, mingled together, and Luhan could hear the high-pitched wail of a puppy, over all that noise. It broke his heart, for some reason. Maybe it was just his omega’s instinct, to protect that young one, but he needed to make it stop, to ease the crying puppy’s pain. He tried talking, telling the others to do something to help, but his throat was dry. Then, just as suddenly as it began, Joonmyeon let him go.
Luhan was panting, his gaze still slightly blurred, while he touched the fresh bite on the side of his neck. It stung, but it didn’t hurt as horribly as he would expect. Kyungsoo helped him back on his feet, while Jongdae rushed to Joonmyeon’s side, holding him as the pack leader coughed weakly. «You’ve been so good» the wolf said, caressing the leader’s face, «you’ve did well.»
The laying wolf tried talking, but Luhan could hear just a slurred murmur. Jongdae leaned over, hugging him tightly, almost cradling his exhausted body in his arms. «I love you so much» he whispered.
Luhan averted his gaze, sensing that he just saw something he shouldn’t have, and his eyes met Kai’s which were full of unshed tears. Maybe the blond wolf wasn’t as bad as he thought, he thought. But still, he needed explanations. What was all that drama about? And why Jongdae and Joonmyeon seemed so intimate with each other?
Kyungsoo pulled him by his arm. «Come. I need to tend to your wound.»
Luhan followed the small wolf into another bedroom, watching as he lit another candle on a small table before taking some disinfectant and bandages. «What’s going to happen to me now?» Luhan anxiously asked, while the other omega started cleaning the bite with a soaked rag.
«Now you’re officially part of the pack, and since the leader himself put his mark on you, the others can’t claim you as their mate. They’ll be way calmer, next time you’ll meet them. Also, I sincerely hope they’ll apologize for the despicable way they acted around you.»
Luhan was still confused. «I don’t understand. Why would you need me, of all people? And why did you take me away with force?»
Kyungsoo’s dark eyes met his for a second, then the wolf resumed his task of tending to his wound. «You’re right. You’re the victim here, and I bet those two thugs didn’t bother telling you a thing.»
He turned, rustling into a cupboard, retrieving an elegant goblet made of crystal. He blew into it to get rid of the dust, then he poured some water into it. Luhan was puzzled. The more he looked at that place, the more it looked like some abandoned villa. Why was the powerful pack living in the dirt? He had no idea.
«What do you know about the War of Blood?» Kyungsoo asked, handing to him the goblet.
Luhan was thirsty, and he drank greedily the water before answering. «The Chinese wolves attacked the Korean ones for supremacy, I think. Then, the Korean ones fought them away, but they lost many pack members.»
Kyungsoo looked at him sharply, and Luhan put the glass down, feeling a little ashamed. «I was fourteen, when the war stroke» he murmured. «I can’t remember well.»
The omega shook his head. «I think this is what most humans think of it, actually. But it’s a little different.» He paused, scratching his chin absently. «The Chinese wolves, or Yitiao Langs, how we call them, attacked us, the Korean ones or Neugdaes, because we stole something really precious to them.»
Luhan blinked. «Something precious? So are you telling me it was your people, who actually started the war?»
Kyungsoo nodded slowly. «Yes. One of our pack members took the life of the Yitiao Langs’s leader, eliciting their fury. This is why they went all out on us.»
Luhan was still puzzled. «He killed him on purpose?»
Kyungsoo shrugged. «Does it really matter? The thing is, they attacked us in the middle of the night. They took all our omegas and slaughtered them. I survived just because Kai went berserk and protected me with all his strength. Jongdae survived too, but he was less lucky. Since he was the leader’s mate, and was pregnant with his heir at that time, they...» he suddenly stopped. «I don’t know if I should tell you this.»
«Please» Luhan softly urged, «I don’t know anything.»
Kyungsoo sighed. «They ripped his stomach apart, aiming at his puppy. When we found him, the foetus was already dead. He survived, but... it was difficult, for him.»
Luhan remembered the face of the pretty wolf who took care of the leader, before. He was so tiny, and his frame was so fragile. How could people be so cruel? Yeah, they might be upset for their leader’s death, but the pup was innocent. The reason was very easy, actually.
They weren’t people, he reminded to himself, shivering, they were wolves.
«We managed to stop them» Kyungsoo went on, «but at a very high price. We lost man wolves, and we ended up with just the younger and inexperienced ones. You saw how they reacted when they saw you, earlier. Chanyeol is the only alpha who survived the War of Blood, but he lost his mate as well.»
«Really?» Luhan asked, in a tiny voice. He kind of liked Chanyeol. He’d been nice to him.
Kyungsoo nodded. «Baekhyun went MIA during the war with the Yitiao Langs. We never found his body, to Chanyeol’s despair.»
«I’m sorry to hear that.» And he truly was, for some crazy reason.
«Immediately after the war, the Yitiao Langs endured an internal rebellion. Many members disagreed with their decision to go on without a leader, and they left the pack, actually entering ours.»
Luhan blinked. «So, now you have Chinese wolves in your pack as well as Koreans? And you actually accepted them after what their people did to you?»
«Don’t think we had many choices, kid. We were devastated, and we needed every help available, even if it was the enemy’s seed. Also, Joonmyeon fell sick.»
«How? What happened to him?»
«Yixing, one of the Yitiao Langs who came into our pack, said he was cursed.»
«Cursed?»
«Yeah. He thinks the Chinese wolves took a witch into their pack.»
«Do they really exist? Witches?»
Kyungsoo looked tired. «Apparently they do. Anyway, there’s no medical explanation for the way Joonmyeon’s body started to rot from the inside. He’s so sick he can barely move or talk, now.»
«Is there a counter curse?»
«Yixing said he needs to mate. If he mates and manages to awaken his inner wolf, then his body might find the strength to fight the curse. But we don’t have any omegas available. Jongdae is sterile after what the Yitiao Langs did to him, while I can’t conceive.»
«You can’t?» Luhan asked, touched.
«No» Kyungsoo replied, dryly. «Something must be wrong with my body, because Kai’s good and healthy. Believe me, if I could, I’d have saved Joonmyeon without thinking twice, even if Kai might have disagreed with it. I can’t have his pups. What’s the purpose of my life, actually?»
Those words barely hid an immense pain, and Luhan found himself patting his hand over the omega’s one. Kyungsoo backed away as if he had been hit.
«We madly searched for an omega in Korea, but they are rare, and the Yitiao Langs already took down all they managed to found. We were lucky we found you. You might be our saviour, actually... if you reach your sexual maturity in time to help Joonmyeon.»
Luhan shivered. «I’m eighteen already» he murmured, «and I’ve never been in heat.»
Kyungsoo looked at him. «We’ll have to keep you here until your first heat strikes, then.»
«You can’t talk seriously.» Luhan was terrified. «Me, in this place? Will all these... wolves?»
Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. «You’re a wolf too, kid.»
«I’ve always lived as an human» Luhan justified himself. «I was adopted. My family...»
«This is your family now» Kyungsoo coldly stated. «This is your family and this is your place to stay. You won’t be returned to your old life, because we need you here.»
«But...»
«You can sleep here. And don’t even think about running away, because there’ll always be a wolf guarding the door.»
Kyungsoo gathered the medical kit, preparing to go. «Wait!» Luhan cried. «Where are you going? I don’t want to be alone!»
«Someone will bring you to eat, later» Kyungsoo said. «You’d better sleep.»
And he went past the door. «Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or do something stupid» he ordered to the wolf standing in the corridor.
«Yes» the wolf said, bowing respectfully.
«No! No, please, I’m scared! Please, Kyungsoo...»
The omega closed the door behind his back, locking it from the outside.
Luhan pressed his fist on his mouth. Trapped. He was trapped.
The adrenaline left his body, making him stagger around until the back of his knees found a bed, and he let himself fall over it. It was rather soft, but it smelled like dust, and he found it disgusting. Still, he closed his eyes, exhausted.
«Please» he begged, «please, let it be just a bad dream.»
He fell into a fistful sleep. He shivered when he heard the key turning into the lock, much later, but he chose to stay still, because he couldn’t recognize the scent of the wolf who entered the room. He heard the noise of some pottery being put over the table, and he smelled food. He was starving, but he was too scared of that unknown wolf to open his eyes and move.
He felt the wolf approaching. What if it was Jongdae, angry because his lover had to cheat on him in order to save his life? What if it was one of those scary betas he saw beforehand?
He braced himself, sure he would die.
A soft hand caressed his hair, smoothing it away from his face. «I brought you something to eat» the wolf murmured, in a gentle voice he couldn’t recognize. «You need to be strong, to face all these demons.»
Luhan squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. The wolf’s fingers lingered for a bit over his forehead, and a very weird feeling crept through his skin, as if those fingertips conveyed some sort of electricity. His skin tingled where it had been touched.
«Sleep, little one. I’ll protect you.»
The wolf left, and when the key turned into the lock again, Luhan started crying silently.