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iwillneverforgiveyousunghanbin · 2 months

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𝓲𝓶𝓾𝓰𝓲 𓆗༒︎𓆘

wc: 2.9k reader: afab (no pronouns at all used to refer to reader) warnings: smut 18+; MINORS DNI!!! -- specific warnings under the cut -- swearing, angst, violence (very little depicted and no graphic descriptions), also happy? ending? love? something along those lines. summary: in the case of his failure, the serpent god imugi chooses two new vessels every one hundred years. the primary vessel is raised in isolation and the spirit god awakens in this body. the ultimate vessel lies in wait until it's finally time for the merge. you're so close you can taste it. if only this generation's primary vessel wasn't such a pitiable, loveless creature. modern dark fantasy AU. find other works here ੈ✩‧₊˚ yep it's a 𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝔂 fic. bit the bullet and went for it. though a lot of lore describes imugi as a dragon/lizard king, this version of him is based on the imugi character in the tale of the nine tailed. he's more like an elegant, tortured serpent-human villain? i just think ricky is perfect for this concept and it was fun to write tbh! i took a lot of liberties with the lore lmao. lemme know what you think xx

EXPLICIT SMUT 18+ WARNINGS: experienced!reader and touchstarvedvirgin!ricky, both of them are subby and dominant at different points that's just how imugi rolls y'know, choking (reader and ricky receiving), oral (ricky receiving), p-in-v penetration, cumming inside w/ no protection (i literally don't care if you don't use protection i'd nevershame you just thoroughly research the consequences babe), angsty and dark but also love there's love that's kind of really sweet in this EW so be warned.

𓆗༒︎𓆘

a young, icy blonde man walks purposefully down the dark, ornate halls of his estate. one would think he was a prince. and they’d be right. just not the kind of prince that first comes to mind.

“ricky, sir,” you beg as you rush after him, grabbing his silk-sleeve covered arm when he’s finally in reach. “please.”

his head whips around, serpent eyes glowing as his pupils contract and expand. you know you’re not allowed to touch him under any circumstance and the palpable rage in his eyes almost makes you regret breaking the long-respected rule.

almost.

“let go,” he huffs, gaze so white-hot it could melt you to a boiling puddle on the marble floor. when you shake your head, he shoves you down, forcing you to your knees in front of him. “let go or i’ll kill you.”

you don’t. you can’t.

not when you’ve seen what happens if he rushes into battle with the gumiho before the merge. not when you know this decision leads to his servants laying him to rest in the garden every time.

not when you know you could wait a hundred years for his return. for the merging process to begin again.

a patch of scales appears across his neck, glowing green and unnatural in the dim light of the hall chandelier. you know he means it: he’ll kill you.

he’s done it three times before. perhaps it’s inescapable this time, too.

so you tip your head back. expose your jugular. wait for him to slice his lizard claw through you like you’d seen him do to so many of his enemies before you.

your friends. your family.

you were only sorry they’d have to die in their next lives, too. all for some prophecy they had nothing to do with.

he brings a hand to your throat, engulfing it in his palm and tilting your head side to side as if examining where to make the incision. he looks you over for another moment, before realization hits him. “you saw something, didn’t you?”

your eyes water with frustration, wishing you could just tell him. even if it meant having to sugarcoat things. if only your own curse didn’t make things that much more difficult.

his awakening happened at eighteen, the power of imugi coursing through him at an uncontrollable frequency. that’s when it always happens: the destruction of the town and everyone that inhabited it.

knowing what was coming, you hid— lying in wait until it was over. this time, you’d approached him right after the disaster. though many primal vessels didn’t recognize you after their awakening, you could tell in his contracted serpent eyes that, to some extent, ricky did.

ricky, of course, being the new “fashionable” name imugi chose for this vessel. imugi was always one who wanted to appear cool. whatever the trends were of the time, you could bet his vessel would be following them.

he was an interesting god in more ways than one.

when ricky demanded to hear how you’d somehow known to hide from destruction that left every townsperson dead except for you, you’d stuck with your usual explanation: you were a clairvoyant.

it was a guise you could easily keep up, since you already knew everything that would happen between now and your own awakening. it proved useful enough to each primal vessel and ricky took you in: letting you stay as his guest (prisoner) in his secluded mansion estate.

there were two little problems though: the first being that you weren’t allowed to tell him his own fate. or else you’d both die. learned that one the hard way.

most times, you could figure a way around this. you were incredibly clever after all and wise with knowledge beyond your years (literally). but with something so direct as life or death, you always found yourself in a bind right about now.

the second little problem was that imugi always liked to present his ultimate vessel with a charming challenge every rebirth cycle. that challenge was that the catalyst for the merge was different every cycle.

and you still haven’t figured out what it is this time.

“what did you see?” he demands, tightening his grip around your neck. “tell me.”

biting your lip, you nod dutifully. “just kill me.”

“at this point, i should,” he seethes, throwing you further to the ground as he lets go of your neck. “fucking pathetic waste of investment.”

he spits on the floor beside you before turning around and continuing towards the door. it was beyond time for desperate measures.

“quanrui,” you breathe. the name he’d worn in youth before the birth of imugi had ripped through the weak vessel and torn his human self to shreds. the name his keeper used to call angrily when she’d catch him outside playing with you as a child. through the wrought-iron fence... exchanging pretty-colored stones.

he freezes, body stiffening at the sound of his real name. his jacket falls from his arm to the floor.

“i love you.”

he turns around slowly, lips parted in shock. the patch of green scales around his neck dissolves back into pale skin and his eyes turn a deep, chocolate brown.

“i love y—,” you begin to repeat before realizing you’ve chosen the wrong word. “i mean... i need you.”

“need me,” he repeats softly, full lips pouting as the words fall from them. the primal vessel to the dragon king, born without parents and raised without friends, seems to understand this concept more than that of love. he was used to people needing him, even if it was only to keep themselves alive.

you blink back at him, eyes swimming with desperation. are you getting through to him? will he stay here with you?

“show me,” he orders, closing the door and taking a few slow steps toward you. “show me how you need me.”

you force yourself up to your knees as he closes the distance between you, standing in front of you and waiting for your demonstration. you look up at him, eyes locking as your fingers reach for his belt buckle. it’s nothing you hadn’t done before with other, albeit less powerful and handsome, men.

but he hesitates, flinching back as if he’s afraid of your touch.

“would you prefer to undo it yourself?” you ask calmly, thinking he might just wish to keep your grimy hands off his expensive clothes.

“it’s... i don’t—,” he stutters, suddenly avoiding your gaze as if his life depends on it. if only he knew. “i’ve never...”

you feign a gasp. of course he hasn’t. he’s touch-starved and brooding and tragically beautiful. a broken man carrying the soul of a god. like every primal vessel before him. “but how can that be true? you’re so desirable, ricky, sir.”

“shut up,” he barks suddenly, a quick smack across your cheek to put you back in your place. “i’m... i’m sorry, just—... just keep going.”

you fight the urge to smile. this vessel had far more heart than the others. maybe that’s why you’d grown quite fond of him in the years since you’d met him.

your fingers connect with the metal of his belt buckle, unclasping it and pulling it through before discarding it with a clank on the marble floor. he jumps at the sound, swallowing hard as his attention returns to your hands on his black dress slacks.

“may i undo this, too?” you ask quietly, tapping on the clasp and zipper. he nods slowly, glancing over his shoulder as you make quick work of the fastenings.

pulling his slacks down with his black, satin boxers, he inhales sharply when the cool air hits him. for a different reason, so do you.

you’d be lying if you said your mouth didn’t water at the sight.

looking up at him through your lashes, you wordlessly ask for permission to continue. he breathes in and out shallowly before nodding just once. so you wrap your hand around his length gently, steadying him as you take him into your mouth.

swirling your tongue around his tip before pushing him in even further, you watch as his head lolls back— tattooed neck exposed as a large patch of scales works its way up his body.

“feels good?” you ask, unable to help the smugness in your voice as you pop him out of your mouth. you pepper kitten licks around the head of his cock as a strangled moan falls from his lips— a clawed-hand moving to cup your jaw, brushing your cheek cautiously.

you notice the young prince continues to avoid eye contact, no matter how much he’s enjoying what you’re doing to him. you suppose it makes sense. he might fear being vulnerable. he probably never learned how to.

“look at me,” you encourage softly, hand pumping him steadily. “want to see your eyes...”

you’re reminded violently to always be careful of what you ask for as you’re tackled to the ground, glowing, serpent eyes no more than an inch from yours.

“you think you’re worthy of the gaze of the imugi prince?” ricky hisses— hands pinned beside each of your shoulders as he hovers above you.

he reaches one hand down to the designer pants that he’d bought you for you last year. you couldn’t wear rags in his presence. dragon claws tear through the fabric, ripping them and pulling them off of you. he doesn’t even have to use a claw to rip through your underwear, discarding them as a patch of scales flashes across his right hand. you should’ve expected such theatrics from imugi’s vessel. the smile that is forming on your face is completely erased as he promptly buries himself inside of you— a moan escaping both of you.

he meets your gaze, pompous smirk accompanying his yellow eyes as he starts to thrust into you. this new skill is undoubtedly the effects of imugi’s extensive spiritual well of muscle memory. “are you happy now? are these the eyes you wanted to see?”

truth be told, they were not. perhaps you’ve just had too much experience already with having imugi inside of you...

“quanrui,” you mewl. “wanna see your eyes...”

he doesn’t respond and instead averts your gaze— continuing to thrust into you, silent and detached. you’re fairly certain this will begin just as it started, until...

“is this what it feels like?” he asks suddenly, chocolate eyes full of innocence once more as he looks at you uncertainly. “love?”

the question shocks you, only able to cry out when he thrusts even deeper into you— cock hitting the fleshy wall of your cervix. you recall what you’d said to get his attention. to keep him from storming out of the door and into the clutches of premature death.

of course, you’d been manipulating him. it was your duty to imugi. how sick you are growing of your eternal duty to that snake.

but you nod. you lie. if you wanted a human life free from the serpent king, you shouldn’t have ever picked that flower from his castle garden.

“then i must love you, too,” ricky breathes, emotion emphasized by a collapse to your chest— deepening the angle of his thrusts until you’re begging for release. “i must’ve loved you even through the fence.”

you gasp, partially because of the desperation in his pace and partially because the last thing you expected was for him to utter such a sentimental confession. you could always tell that he recognized you, but you had no idea until this moment that he remembered from where.

“i’ve never met another person outside of my house before,” the little boy said solemnly. “you’re the first. i’m six. i like your socks.”

“thanks,” you replied with a smile. you’d found him again, even faster in this life than the last. the imugi prince. “my name’s (y/n). i’m seven. my mother owns a bakery in town. she gives free bread to all the children.”

“my name’s quanrui,” he returned, corners of his lips upturning softly. “i wish i could go. i’m not allowed to leave. bad things could happen to me. i guess that’s what happened to my parents, anyway.”

with every rebirth, you felt more sorry for the primary vessel. always so confused about their identity until the truth was revealed: they were never meant to have one in the first place.

“i like rocks,” quanrui said suddenly, digging in his pocket and pulling out a beautiful emerald stone. “i picked this one up by the fountain. it’s pretty. you should keep it. also i like you.”

something as pure as that had never happened before. you begin to smile now, thinking of it.

a familiar sensation in your stomach begins to bubble abruptly, but it’s not the one you’d normally feel during this act. it’s painful. and the intensity of that pain swells rapidly until you’re screaming in its wake.

“what’s—...” ricky stutters, palpable fear in his eyes. “what’s wrong!? am i hurting you?”

scales, green and eerie begin to patch across your skin; vision blurring as your human eyes are replaced with that of a serpent. vicious claws sprout from your fingertips, so sharp you accidentally cut a small slice across his cheek.

he pulls out of you, clambering back as the frightening transformation occurs before his very eyes. he doesn’t have time to worry for long, as a screeching sound rips through both of your skulls. covering your ears,

you count the seconds until it stops— the heinous noise suddenly replaced by something else.

what the fuck...

you hear it: ricky’s thoughts tickling the back of your brain.

can you hear me? is the merge complete?

his eyes widen as your voice rings through his mind, blinking as if he’s sure he must be hallucinating. no, no, no. this—... i’m dreaming. i just need to wake up! that will end this nightmare and—

oh, i don’t think so, gorgeous. i think we’re finally getting started.

his jaw drops as you crawl towards him, body stiff and cautious as you slink your way closer. your hand reaches to cup his cheek, thumb ghosting over the small incision you made.

“i know this is a lot to take in, but... i’m actually supposed to dispose of you now. it’s unwise for two imugi vessels to be running amuck,” you hiss, fingers running through his long, white hair. “so i’ve had to make a habit of... retiring the weaker one.”

he gapes at you, eyes shifting back and forth from yellow to brown. “you—... you’re the second vessel? that’s why you could predict the future... you knew all along what would happen? since... since—”

“since the fence, yes. i know. what a shame,” you coo mockingly, wrapping your hand around his neck as he’d done to you earlier. you shove him to the floor, flat on his back as he looks up at you. he doesn’t struggle. “and i’m called the ultimate vessel, thank you very much. it’s so tiresome... always having to be the one to step up and educate you primaries. but then again, telling an innocent child he was born to die is a bit grim. even for imugi.”

ricky stares at you, brow furrowed pensively. what triggered the merge?

his question is a good one. i don’t know. what happened immediately before?

ricky’s eyes widen. “i—... i said i love you.”

love? could that have really been the catalyst that imugi chose? for his vessels to fall in love? there was one glaring problem with that...

i was lying.

“you didn’t mean it?” he asks after your thought permeates his mind. sadness is visible on his face, but there’s something else much more dangerous underneath it. something like suspicion. and you simply can’t have that.

you smile at him softly, starting to roll your hips against his. he inhales sharply at the sensation, involuntarily grinding against you.

“if you walked out that door, the gumiho would’ve ripped you apart,” you assert, hand reaching to his still-hard cock and lining it up with your entrance— sinking down onto him with a satisfied sigh. “imugi can only win that fight after the merge. i tried my best to allude to that, but you primaries always go and—”

“i’m not them,” ricky yells, causing your lips to part in shock. “stop referring to me as the primary vessel. i understand: you knew all along what would happen to me. you manipulated and lied your way into my life. into my home. my body. and i know now that not one of those things belonged to me from the start. but... my heart does.”

your serpent eyes fade as his human ones bore into you.

“and the only time i ever felt like it even worked was when i was with you.”

could it really be true? was the reason you were so fond of ricky, more than any other primary vessel before him, by design? had you always been meant to fall in love with him in this lifetime?

a love strung up and puppeted by imugi himself. doomed to end in tragedy.

but this boy beneath you couldn’t see that truth. part of you wished you couldn’t either. part of you wished you could be him for once.

“this never happened before,” you say softly, running your free hand across his chest as you slowly start to lift yourself up and down on his cock. even if this is the most brutal end yet, you might as well make the most of it.

“w-what do you mean?” he asks breathily, voice raspy as he grapples with the renewed pleasure.

“in the previous lifetimes,” you respond with a smile. “this never happened in any rebirth cycle. i think we got close to it once— during a battle so hateful that six servants perished... alongside the both of us.”

you feel him gulp under your palm.

“but maybe this makes sense,” you continue, speeding up your pace. “in every lifetime, you never learn to love. in every lifetime, you rip love from me. we’re a sorry doomsday pair.”

he moans under you, biting his bottom lip as you milk him between your walls. “fuck...”

“i wonder what would happen if we tried to be partners this time,” you say, high rapidly approaching as the head of his cock hits the sweet spot of your upper wall. “maybe we have what it takes to cooperate with each other. not to mention, we could do this whenever we wanted...”

“but... but imugi wants you to kill—.”

“oh no, the killing you part is all me,” you say with a laugh, the vibration making him whimper. “i really hate competition.”

“fucking— please,” he whines, hands rushing to your hips and guiding you up and down as you start to lose yourself. “kill me if you want, just... let me cum before you do.”

you oblige. he moans sweetly, another few thrusts and he’s spilling himself inside of you. as you feel yourself fill up with his warmth, you reach your climax— back arching as you ride out your high.

you look at him. why are you the only one burdened with eternal memory? you’re astounded by the way he grows more beautiful in every life.

thank you. he smiles, one eyebrow raised. “does my beauty save me from death?”

you capture his image in your mindseye for another moment, leaning down and connecting your lips to his. it’s a tender thing. in no lifetime have you deserved it.

when you pull back, you smile and shake your head. “i’m afraid i still desperately yearn to kill you.”

“i don’t believe you,” he says suddenly, hands helping him upwards to a seated position. almost-human eyes meet almost-human eyes.

you blink back at him dumbly. what?

“i don��t believe you, because... i found them,” he says, claws tracing up your incandescent, scale-covered thighs. “in your top dresser drawer. in a blue velvet sachet.”

no. wait. don’t say it. please, don’t say—

“the stones,” he says, a charming and devastating smirk on his perfect lips— eyes flashing yellow just for a moment. quanrui. ricky. imugi. no matter how hard you fought it, you loved them.

all of them. / all of them.

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bobaandasiandramas · 10 months

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The Truth Untold

Pairing: Lee Rang x F. OC

Rating: Mature

Trigger Warnings: Stripping of clothes, oral (both F and M receiving), small dirty talk, Rang getting his way, grinding, overstimulation

A/n: This is the longest chapter I have ever written. It's 17k. Thank you all for being so patient with me.

Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13

Rang was laying in his bed, Eun-ji curled around his body, her nose pressed into his neck and her fingers rested against the pulse point on his wrist. It was as if she was keeping track of his beating heart. She wasn’t in a deep sleep, in fact anytime the fox shifted her eyes would snap open, fearing that something terrible was happening to him.

In those moments, despite the throbbing pain he felt coursing through his veins, he would whisper that everything was fine and press a kiss to her forehead or hand. She'd looked worriedly at him, trying to force herself to stay awake but he would lull her back to sleep with the tips of his fingers on his free hand.

"Thank you, Fox."

They had agreed to talk when he was feeling better but he really just wanted to get the discussion done and over with. The fox wasn't sure how the conversation would go, was she angry with him? Possibly, but right now she just seemed too worried to process any other emotion. He would have to let her know he was ready in the morning, which was only a few hours away.

He knew he shouldn’t feel surprised that she figured out he was a fox. Things were getting messy and now that Imugi seemed to be using him in ways that were not agreed upon - he feared for Eun-ji. He knew she was pulled in by Eoduk Sini and he was worried what she would have to face next.

Rang looked over her body, she had some small injuries, thankfully nothing like he was going through. It still made him angry. Suddenly, another pain shot up his leg and he grit his teeth tightly to fight the urge to jerk from it. He didn’t want to disturb Eun-ji anymore. He could tell she was exhausted and could only imagine what her brain was going through as she was learning all these new things about herself.

This wasn’t the way he wanted to tell her about their world - but nothing could change it now. He noted she was still wearing the wolf and fox necklace he bought her. He felt his chest fill with something he never felt before. He knew deep down that he loved her. He finally admitted it to himself. He would do anything he could to protect her - even if he couldn't admit his feelings toward her.

Lee Rang wasn’t sure what time it was anymore, but he laid there fading in and out of sleep until Eun-ji shifted as the sun started to peek through the cracked curtains. The wolf nuzzled into him before moaning in a stretch. Her eyes slowly cracked open to meet his own. Said eyes widened a little in surprise - apparently not expecting him to be staring back. “Morning Wolf.” He whispered.

“Morning Fox.”

He gave a weakened smile. “Do you want to talk now?”

Eun-ji frowned at him and thought for a moment. “I only want to talk when you’re feeling better.” She answered.

“I feel better.” He lied.

She stared at him for a moment. “I highly doubt that. Is it your preference to just talk now? I just want you to rest.” She spoke softly.

“I would prefer sooner than later.”

“Okay.” She bit her lower lip thinking about how she wanted to start. “You’ve always known I was a wolf." She watched him nod his head in agreement. "Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Would you have believed me?”

She shook her head immediately. She didn't even believe Lee Yeon at first. “Probably not at the beginning. Maybe after we started getting closer. You know that I trust you the most out of everyone I know, right?” She sat up on the bed, allowing him to shift upward as well. "Do you know who I really am?" The wolf was nervous for his answer, what if everything they went through was just another twisted joke to play on her? She twisted her fingers in her lap. She didn't want to think like that of Rang and her heart started to twist with the tiniest inkling of it being true.

Rang watched her, the uncertainty coursing through her veins and making her scent a little sour to him. He placed his hand gently over hers, giving a small squeeze before speaking. “The truth is that once we realized you had no idea about your wolf self I wanted to find out who you were first. I didn’t know how you were going to react or if you would accept the truth." He used his free hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "When we first found you, you were so frightened and nervous. I wanted to do this carefully, ease you into it all.”

Eun-ji nodded her head. “I understand. It’s a lot to accept. I know a few days ago I told you I had a memory come to me, but it's been more than that. I've had bouts of memories. They're all memories of my wolf self. I can clearly remember some while others are hazy and I don't get to see the whole picture. If I told you about them then maybe we could have figured them out together. But I also thought you were human and I didn't know if you would think I was crazy." She turned over her hand and laced her fingers with his.

"I’ve seen things recently that lead me to believe I can unlock all of my memories. It could also potentially unlock some for other people, people who should remember me - like Yeon. He appeared in a few memories."

Rang felt his heart jump at the confession she just dropped on him. "You knew Yeon before?"

"Apparently, I knew him when he was the Mountain God. The memories are fuzzy, extremely fuzzy. But he's there and I'm there and we talk in these memories. I had one when we were locked away in our minds. I don't remember much of it though, just that we were on top of the mountain and I was upset with him. "

Rang's head was spinning. If Eun-ji knew Yeon as the Mountain God, then could it be possible he knew her too? He was more invested in her past now than ever so. "What can I do to help?"

"From what I saw in my memories is that there is an oblivion box at Kyong’s place.”

Rang stiffened as he gripped her hand tighter. That bastard definitely knew more than he led on.

Eun-ji’s thumb rubbed over the back of Rang’s hand. “The Wolf Spirit is the one who gave it to his family so many years ago. I think my memories are locked inside.”

“We can go get them if you want.” Rang started to sit up but a hand on his chest pushed him back down gently. He was confused, staring at the hand on his torso and then over to the female it belonged to. “Do you not want to go?”

The wolf shook her head. “ I do, but not right now. You’re my first priority. I want you to be better first.” She smiled at him.

“Are you sure? These are your memories that we could be talking about.”

“I’m sure.”

They stayed in silence for a moment before the fox spoke again. “I apologize for not telling you. I thought I was going about this the right way. You must have been confused.”

“Rang, seriously, it’s fine. Please don’t worry about it. I really just wanted to know why you didn’t say anything. I guess at first you tried to when you greeted me as ‘Wolf’. The only thing I want now is to get to know the real you, there shouldn’t be anymore reasons for secrets. The people in my life are more connected than I realized and I just want to put the story straight. Like Yeon being your brother.”

“Half - brother.” Rang corrected her.

“Still - I’m surprised that it didn’t come up sooner. Though, you don’t normally get along with him - do you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I now understand all of your secrets of the work you were dealing with. Thank you for trying to keep me safe and out of the loop of your business.”

“This wasn’t how I was expecting this talk to go. I honestly thought this was going to be harder on you. I guess you did have a few days to think about it all.”

“Yes, but things also surprised me - like you being a fox - but that makes things a little better as well. I was worried about you being a human and finding out I was a wolf for real.”

Rang went to chuckled but a pain shot up his leg so it turned quickly to a hiss of pain. He clenched his teeth tightly as if to hold back any sounds of pain. After a moment the pain subsided and he opened his eyes to see Eun-ji looking at him in worry. “That face doesn’t suit you wolf. Where’s the smile you always give me?”

“I don’t like seeing you in pain.” She stated. There was an idea that shot into her head and she wasn’t sure if it would work at all. Lee Yeon has told her that wolves could heal others, could she heal Rang? She had to try. There was no way she’d let him stay like this. “Can I kiss it better?” She asked him softly.

Rang smiled at her, amused with her sweet gesture.lo “You can try if you want.” He replied.

Eun-ji blushed and shifted to her knees causing the fox to move back so he rested against the headboard. He gave her a knowing look as waited for him to be settled in his spot. She had put together that he didn't realize what she was going to try - but she wasn’t sure if it would work anyway. Once the fox was settled she shifted closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders and she carefully crawled over his lower body. “Is this okay?” She asked.

Rang reached forward, wrapping his hands around her thighs and tugging her closer to him. His ears picked up the soft gasp as he did so. He sat her comfortably on his lap and looked up at her eyes. “More than okay my wolf.” His voice was soft and husky and he felt a shiver run down her spine.

The wolf pressed her lips to his in two short kisses before landing a much longer kiss on his lips. At first she did nothing but kiss him, his hands sinking into her hair, their heart rates increasing steadily, mouths moving against each other opening slightly in needy kisses. It was when she decided to sink her hands into his hair that his hands slid down to her waist, grabbing firmly but not too tight.

Eun-ji focused on imagining that she was pulling the pain from his body and into her own. It took a moment before she felt a tingling sensation around her and the kiss became a little more desperate, Rang’s hips bucked up once as the wolf licked his bottom lip. A groan left the male’s lips as he tasted her.

The wolf could feel the pain seeping in more and more, and she kept pulling it in while the fox was unaware. She didn’t want to stop until all the pain was gone from him, she was determined even as she felt herself getting weaker.

It was then that Rang noticed something was wrong, there was a strange sensation that he felt running through his body. He tried to pull away only for the headrest to be in his way. Eun-ji had him trapped between her and the bed frame. He bucked his hips again hoping to throw her balance a little bit, but she kept him pinned down in his spot. Quickly he opened his eyes and was shocked, Eun-ji’s whimsical ears and tail were glowing a bright blue. Since she wasn’t letting up he took matters into his own hands, cradling her head he started pressing his lips harder against hers, pushing forward to have her leaning back, he flipped her over to the side, his lips still locked on hers as he hovered over her body.

He didn’t want to stop kissing her as she wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled his body flush against hers. The more primal part of his mind was running the show as he found himself grinding into the apex of her thighs. The now obvious bulge in his pants brushed against her core causing them both to moan loudly and he used this moment to rip his lips from hers.

The results were instant for her. The pain that she collected from him hit her all at once and she cried out in shock, her eyes opening as she gasped loudly before snapping her teeth tightly as she gritted in pain.

“Wolf, what did you do?” Rang asked through his labor breathing. He frantically looked over her body, unsure what he should do as she curled into a tight ball. He noted her eyes had flashed a bright blue and in his memories he thought of the time he first saw them that color. It was when he first met her.

“Yeon told me wolves have some great powers. I tried to heal you.” She whimpered as she felt his pain run its course through her body, waking every fiber of her being.

“Why, why would you do that? Don’t ever do that to yourself ever again.” He carefully looked over her body, hands hovering over her, unsure if he should or could touch her. He then looked down at his leg, it wasn't healed but he felt great.

She saw his wound as she pushed the pain down deep in her body before she threw him a tired grin, ignoring his concern. “It didn't heal, so maybe I just took your pain. It feels a little better, right? I don’t know how long it will last but if it is some relief for a little while then it was worth it.”

He was still looking at her closely, even though it seemed like the pain didn’t last long for her, he hated that she did that to herself. “I don’t want you to hurt on my behalf.”

“Oh well, too bad tough guy.” She chuckled before leaning up and pressing her lips to his. Before she could pull away she felt his hand sink into her hair and held her to him. His lips worked against her own slowly and she never felt anything more right.

Once he finally released her, they were both panting slightly, the tenison of wanting something more was felt in the air but Rang pulled away some. Now was not the time for that.

“Let’s nap some more, and if you’re feeling up to it - I’ll take you to that loser’s place after to look for the box.”

She nodded her head but knew they wouldn't be going there for a while and she was okay with that. She wasn't going to push Rang when the poison was still running in his veins.

*****

When Eun-ji woke up later that morning, she decided to let Rang sleep as much as he could. Quietly she detangled their limbs before slipping out of the bed. The house was quiet, and she found Yuri sleeping in the other bedroom.

The wolf moved to the kitchen quietly, setting a timer for a pot of coffee to go off in half an hour and pulling out some supplies to make breakfast. She decided on making dakjuk, it would take some time but the meal would be good for all of them. She first started washing and soaking the rice before cutting up the vegetables.

She was a little lost in her thoughts, trying to recall the memories that have most recently arrived to her. She remembered being on a mountain with Yeon and she was mad or upset with him. He looked guilty as she yelled at him but she couldn't recall the words she said. She remembered sinking into his arms, heavy with her feelings and he held her with such care. She knew the two of them sat that way for quite some time. She hoped if she replayed it in her head then she would finally hear the words she spoke so harshly at the fox. Nothing came to her and so she grew more and more disappointed.

Eventually the coffee maker kicked on, and the scent of the ground beans filled the air. She looked down in front of her to see that she had absentmindedly started prepping the rest of the ingredients. The wolf took a moment to pour herself a cup of coffee when the soft pit-pat of feet caught her attention. She looked to the entrance of the kitchen, ready to greet them.

Yuri swept into the room, the scent of coffee had pulled her out of her bed. "Morning Eun-ji." The fox greeted her with a tired smile.

"Good morning Yuri. I'm making dakjuk for breakfast, it shouldn't take much longer. Is that okay for you?"

"Sure, sounds fine. How was Rang last night?"

Eun-ji shrugged. "I don't think he had the best sleep which is why I let him sleep for now." She told her friend about taking his pain away that night and how she hoped it helped - it has seemed to at least for a little bit. The two females sat in silence after that while breakfast was coming together. The wolf added the vegetables to the pot and started mixing occasionally. The vixen took slow sips of her coffee, enjoying the subtle sound of kitchen work.

Rang appeared in the doorway sometime later, right before breakfast was done being cooked. He limped on his leg slightly as he crossed the room to the small island table Yuri was sitting at.

Both females watched him closely from their peripheral vision to make sure he was doing okay. "I made dakjuk for breakfast." Eun-ji stated as she started pulling bowls out of the cabinets. “Would you like some?” She questioned and was pleased by the head nod as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Rang gave her a soft smile. "Thank you Wolf." He could tell her mood was lifting as her scent started to fluff out. He watched her place the bowl down in front of him. The food smelt devine as usual and he felt his mouth water a little.

Eun-ji served Yuri and then herself before sitting. "I have to go into the clinic today. I really don't want to but I have no idea if Shin-Joo is going in with Yeon still being out." The wolf spoke softly. "Will you be okay?"

Yuri answered before Rang could. "I'll stay here today and make sure Rang doesn't push himself."

"I'm not a child." Rang hissed through his teeth.

"I wasn't saying you are. You were injured badly and the poison is still in your veins. I just want to make sure that you're okay." The wolf sounded a little hurt at his response.

Rang looked away and sighed. "I understand. I'll be okay. Yuri will make sure of it."

The rest of breakfast was sat in a slightly awkward silence. Each of them had something weighing on their minds but none of them wanted to discuss at the moment.

******

The yellow lab stood at her side, tail wagging and feet tapping on the ground. The happy personality faded away once he realized that they weren't moving. Anastasia barked impatiently causing the female to snap her attention away from the building she was staring at.

Eun-ji shook her head and looked down at the puppy. She wasn't sure how long she was standing there. She wasn't even sure how she ended up here. The original plan was to take Anastasia out for a walk around the block but somehow it turned into a walk to Kyong's apartment building. Thankfully she hadn't seen him outside or vice versa considering she fell into a daze and could have easily been approached without notice.

For a brief moment she thought about going in and asking about the box that could be holding her memories. Along with anything else he might know. As the wolf went to take a step forward she felt her whole body tense up, anxiety filled her veins. She didn't want to go in alone and even though she had Anastasia with her, it wasn't the same as having Rang with her. Now that she thought about it Rang would be unhappy she went without him.

The wolf also suddenly felt like someone was watching her. She took a look around her, searching the shadows for glowing eyes. It wasn't even dark out and there were plenty of people walking around but she could feel it. A shiver ran down her spine and she tried to pinpoint exactly where she felt the person was.

Anastasia barked impatiently and whined at the female. He jumped up, placing his front paws on the female's thighs, giving a grumble as he nipped gently at her fingers. As he saw her shake her head and look down at him, he sat on his rear and grumbled again before tugging her pant leg with his teeth.

“Okay, okay. Sorry pup, let’s go.” She started walking again, the yellow labrador trying to tug her quickly. She looked back over her shoulder and her eyes widened at the man she saw standing there. She was so surprised that she stumbled over her own feet and fell. Hurriedly, she brushed her hair from her face and looked back again, this time no one was there. Before she could think about questioning it more, there was a puppy licking her face. “Ah, okay, okay!!” She jumped up to her feet and decided she should probably get out of there quickly.

Most of the walk back to the clinic wasn’t bad - at least that she knew of, her mind wandering back to the man. She knew she saw him before in a few flashbacks and it made her stomach twist.

She stared at the box in his hands, flight or fight was racing through her head. She knew he said she would forget, that they all would but she didn’t think it would have anything to do with an obliviation box.

“IS IT NOT?!” Duong growled at her.

“Y-yes.” She whimpered and looked down.

It was him. It was Duong, the wolf spirit. Was he really there or did she imagine him? She bit her lip and looked back behind her. There wasn’t anyone following behind her but she felt her steps quicken, like a child who is running up the stairs from a dark basement escaping the monsters below. She made it back to the clinic in record timing, Anastasia was extra excited from the sudden ‘race’ that the woman started.

Once in the building, Eun-ji locked the door and found herself gasping for air while her legs shook. Her back slid against the front door as she crumbled to the floor. ‘It’s just all in my head, right?’ She thought to herself when suddenly a chewy toy was dropped into her lap. “You don’t let anyone think about stuff, do you?” She joked fondly as the distraction was more than welcomed. She sent a text to Rang to check-in and see how he was doing, but she knew she was doing it a little more for herself. She needed a little comforting and seeing him reply gave her heart the flutters that she needed.

She kept the hospital closed that afternoon as discussed with Shin-Joo. So she sat there and played fetch with Anastasia for a little while. She fed the rambunctious canine and gathered her things before leaving. She pulled out her phone and dialed the person whom she wanted to hear the most.

"Hello Rang." She greeted him with a smile on her face that could be heard in her voice. "How are you doing?"

The fox responded, sounding a little winded. "I'm okay sweetheart. Are you on your way home from work?"

She bit her lower lip. "I'm going to meet Shin-Joo for a little bit at the Snail Bride and check on Yeon."

"You're walking alone?" He sounded annoyed and concerned.

"Not exactly. I have you with me right now."

"Okay, I'll talk with you until you get there." He sighed, happy to know when she would arrive safely. "What time should Yuri get you?"

"No worries about that. Shin-Joo agreed to drive me home after. You stay home and let Yuri take care of you."

Rang scoffed and rolled his eyes. "She's being a little insufferable. I'm not broken but she's acting like I am."

"No, but you are hurt. We're both concerned about you. I only went to work today because I knew you'd get annoyed with both of us fretting over you. I also had to take care of Anastasia."

"You could have stayed. I would have sent Yuri to care for the dog and go home."

She giggled at him before the conversation went quiet. The wolf had been keeping track of her surroundings but suddenly she felt it again, the watchful eyes of someone. She stopped in her tracks, she had mixed emotions of looking over her shoulders. She scolded herself mentally and started walking again, this time with a faster pace.

"Darling, are you okay? Your breathing changed." Rang shifted to sit alert, ready to run out the door if needed.

"Huh? Oh no, I just had a weird feeling. I'm almost to the restaurant. Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way out?"

"Don't change the subject so quickly. Food is fine. But I don't like that you feel uneasy. Always trust your gut." His mind was racing, what if it was Imugi? She wouldn’t know what he looks like so she could stay away from him. He started to shift in his seat.

"Don't worry handsome, I started walking faster. I see the sign for the front door."

"You're staying on this phone until you're inside and I hear Shin-Joo greet you." Rang stated. He needed to know she was safe, his gut had been twisting the whole time that her breathing increased.

The doorbell chimed in the background, signaling her entry into the restaurant. Eun-ji greeted the owner and moved toward the back where she found Shin-Joo sitting at a table waiting for her. "Eun-ji, hello." He greeted her.

Rang let out a sigh of relief. "I hear him. I'll let you go, darling."

"Okay, see you soon honey."

The term of endearment made him smile. "Let me know when you're on the way." He waited for her to hang up first.

Eun-ji looked over to Shin-Joo who was giving a knowing smile. "How is Rang?"

"He said he's okay. Last night he was in pain and I tried to heal his leg, but it only relieved him of some of his pain. He wasn't pleased with me for it. He told me he doesn't want to see me hurt."

"Wow, I'm impressed you were able to take some pain from him. Your powers are incredible so you should learn how to use them properly. But I also agree with Rang, no one wants to see you hurt."

"Yes, yes. Let's go see Yeon." She spoke quickly trying to change the subject as she grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the back. She reached forward to open the sliding door only for it to open before she could touch it.

The woman on the other side of the door stared at her. "Who are you?" She questioned before her eyes slid over to Shin-Joo.

"Ah, this is my friend and employee - Mae Eun-ji. She also knows Yeon and came with me to visit him." Shin-Joo introduced the wolf.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you. I'm Nam Ji-a, Yeon's girlfriend." The woman bowed politely.

Eun-ji bowed in return and her eyes skimmed over the other woman’s body. She noticed the female looked tired. She probably spent most of the day watching over Yeon. "Very nice to meet you as well. Are you heading out?"

"I am. It's been a long day. Have you known Shin-Joon and Yeon for a long time?" The way her tone of voice hinted she was asking a deeper question.

Eun-ji was able to pick that up. She had remembered that Shin-Joo stated Yeon's girlfriend was aware of their true identities. "I've known Yeon longer than I can remember.” ‘Literally.’ She thought to herself. “ I’m not a fox though. I'm a wolf." She explained.

Ji-a's eyes widened. "A wolf?"

Eun-ji smiled and nodded her head.

Ji-a looked conflicted, she wanted to stay and talk more but she was exhausted. "I'd love to talk sometime, I'm exhausted. Shin-Joo, can you let me know if or when there are any updates."

"Of course. Take care and have a good night." The three of them bid each other farewell.

********

Eun-ji returned home, waving Shin-Joo goodbye before entering the building. She felt bad for her boss, he was acting so strong but she could see the tears gather on his lashes as he talked softly to his best friend. Yeon had not moved a muscle during their entire visit, it almost felt like a funeral.

She opened the front door to see Rang and Yuri sitting in the common area, watching something on the television. She slipped her shoes off and walked into the room.

Rang's attention immediately snapped over to her and he greeted her with a soft smile. "Welcome home Wolf. How was your day?"

She froze for a split second, Rang looked pale with dark rings around his eyes. "Rang…"

He knew exactly what her worry was. "I'll be okay pup. Let's eat the delicious food you brought."

"Sure. I'll get it on plates." She wasn't convinced but she didn't want to upset him by arguing before he even got to eat.

"Oh, I'll come help." Yuri stated as she all but jumped off the couch and joined the wolf in the kitchen. Once away from Rang, Yuri almost broke down. "He doesn't want any help. He's been in pain all day. Eun-ji I'm worried he won't get better and that the poison will win."

Eun-ji frowned, she was saddened but she needed to be strong for Yuri. "It's okay Yuri. I will take his pain from him and hopefully that will give him the strength he needs to heal. I could try to heal him but I haven't had success with it yet. I worry that it is a power that is locked in with my memories."

"Thank you Eun-ji. It's a comfort to know you are worried as well. Thank you for taking care of Rang. I fear you're the only one he will let help him."

Eun-ji frowned. "He doesn't want me to help."

"But you will anyway." Yuri spoke softly.

"Yes, I will anyway."

*****

After dinner Rang excused himself to his bedroom while the vixen and wolf cleaned up dinner. Eun-ji did notice that he took a bottle of wine with him. If that was his way of dealing with the pain - she rather him ask her for help. Drowning it out wouldn’t truly help.

Yuri decided she was going home for the night and would return the next morning. Eun-ji bid her farewell at the door, locking it before heading around the house to turn out the lights. She headed toward Rang's room, he was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard sipping the wine straight from the bottle.

She took a moment to just look at him and her heart cracked a little at his depressed expression. She knocked on the door frame and she watched him mask his emotions. "Want some company?"

Rang stared at her, knowing he couldn't turn her down. "Go get your blankets and bring them here."

Eun-ji gave a questioning look but did as told. Once she returned she found Rang standing to the side of the bed. "You should be resting." She spoke while holding the bundle of blankets.

The fox smiled at her. "Make your blanket nest first. I want to sleep in it with you."

Eun-ji nodded her head and quickly went to work. She didn't know why but she felt like this needed to be perfect, so she worked diligently, fluffing them just right and making sure they were right enough to feel around them but loose enough that they wouldn't feel claustrophobic. Once she was pleased with the set up she turned her attention back to the fox. "All done."

Rang was pleased and slid into the nest as noises of content escaped his lips. "This is comfortable, no wonder why wolves make them. Good job sweetheart." Once he was settled he reached a hand out to her.

"Wolves make nests? I just thought this was a comfort thing I had thanks to you."

"Wolves have dens, they’re usually filled with softness and comfort items, like blankets and cushions. Wolves stayed close together for comfort and were usually found cuddling together. I couldn't make you a den but a blanket nest was something I could encourage you to do. All I did was give you the supplies and your natural instincts figured it out."

Eun-ji grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her into the nest. Once she was fully in the nest she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He just looked so exhausted and tired. "Rang let's rest."

He didn't say no but he also didn't agree. Instead he grabbed her wrist and tugged her to him, making her sit on his lap. "I can rest in a moment." Rang placed a hand under her chin and pulled her lips to his. The kiss was soft but firm. He moved his lips slowly against hers in open mouth kisses, sliding his fingers into her hair. He smiled against her mouth as he felt her one hand move behind his neck and the other tangle in his necklace. The scent of orange blossoms and azaleas filled his nose and he couldn’t get enough of her. He moaned quietly before deepening the kiss, brushing his tongue against hers.

Eun-ji kissed back with all her might, she could taste the wine he was drinking on his lips. As much as she wanted more she whined as she forced herself to slow the pace before it became too much. She pulled back to disconnect their mouths, both of them panting quietly, and pressed her forehead against his. Looking into the black abyss of his eyes she felt her stomach clench in need. She wanted more and knew he did as well but he was hurting and needed to heal before they continued any further.

Rang thought otherwise as he dipped down and started pressing open mouth kisses to her neck. His teeth scraped just right on her clavicle, causing her to gasp and tighten her grip on the back of his neck. He chuckled and did it again, earning him the same response.

Eun-ji whimpered and forced herself away from his body. "Rang, please, you need to rest. I want this, I want you but I’m concerned about you and hurting you more. Let's sleep and I will give you endless kisses tomorrow."

Rang looked at her. “What if I want more than kisses? What if I want to devour you?”

Her core clenched at his words and she bit her bottom lip as her cheeks warmed suddenly. “Rang… I…”

He chuckled. “It’s okay pup. I won’t devour you today, but I will soon and you’ll be begging for more.” He knew his words affected her greatly as her eyes dilated and he could smell her want in the air. “Lay with me sweetheart.”

The wolf did as told, pulling the red blanket over them. She was pulled close to him, he breathed her scent in deeply and he placed soft kisses to her head. If she said she was surprised at how fast he passed out, it would have been a lie. She was more surprised he had the energy to make out a few moments ago. Eun-ji laid there for a little while longer, making sure he was in a deep sleep before she untangled herself from him.

She placed a hand over his leg and began to try and pull the pain out, she could feel an energy flowing through her and focused on that more and more until her fingertips started to tingle. As soon as she stopped the pain was instantaneous, and she forced it toward the core on her stomach, hoping it would mask away like it did the first time she took his pain. While it took a few moments longer, it finally settled down. She felt winded but wanted to try healing him this time.

Taking a deep breath she placed her hand gently on his leg and imagined pulling the poison from his body. This was different from pulling pain from his body into her own. She could feel pain instantaneously, fire spread through her veins followed by a burning freeze. She felt hot and cold all over. She grit her teeth and continued to try to pull more poison from him but she wasn’t trained correctly for this and felt her eyesight darken with the threat of passing out. She ripped her hand away knowing that if she passed out Rang would know what she did and be unhappy with her.

The pain didn’t stop right away, it flowed through her blood, pumping into her heart and caused her to grip her chest. Tears started to flow down her cheeks, she had never felt pain like this before. She felt horrible, like she could die. Curling up with her knees to her chest, she silently sobbed. She could only imagine how much more pain Rang was in considering she only took a little bit from him.

Once the pain finally settled, she slid her body next to Rang’s and held him close, her worry of losing him increased tenfold. She needed him to get better soon.

*****

In the morning she decided the pain she felt was worth it. Rang looked so much better as he hovered over her body, sucking marks into her neck and upper chest. “Morning darling.” He smiled against her skin as she opened her eyes. “Good morning dear.” She responded as she took in his features. No dark circles, his skin was glowing and he looked happy - filled with energy. “You look better this morning.”

“I feel better, not fully better, but more so than yesterday.” He dipped down and caught her lips, pressing several kisses on her lips.

“Rang!” She giggled and tried to push him away.

“Ah, ah. If I recall correctly, you said endless kisses today.” He gave her a knowing look.

“I suppose I did.” She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him to her.

*****

Each morning and night he would familiarize himself with the softness of her skin and the taste of her lips. Always ready for more but never taking it - the tenison building higher and higher. They would wake up tangled in each other. For the next five nights Eun-ji would wait for Rang to fall asleep before trying to take some of his pain and try to heal him. She'd place a hand hovering over his leg and imagine pulling the pain and poison into herself. Each time she felt like she could pull more and more. The agony she felt afterward was always excruciating but it ranged to lasting for just a few to almost a full hour before she could force it deep into her body.

The pain was always worth the reward, Rang would wake up looking refreshed and acting himself. During the day the poison would sweep in and weaken him. He would stay home because of this while Eun-ji went to work or to visit Yeon's body with Shin-Joo. When she wasn't home Yuri stayed to help Rang out, though he acted like he didn't need the help.

Yeon had been down for days, no movement had been noted from his body. They didn’t even know if he would return and it made some very anxious. Eun-ji would accompany Shin-Joo whenever he went to visit. She had met Ji-a in passing a few times and once they sat briefly to drink some tea together. Most of the time though, the fox and wolf would show up to visit just as she was getting ready to head back out.

Shin-Joo was usually a constant mess. He would start off fine and end up sobbing for Yeon to wake up. Eun-ji felt for him, Yeon was his best friend and Shin-Joo must have been feeling so lost without him. She did her best to comfort him, letting him drop all of his weight on her, his tears soaking her shoulders. "It will be okay Shin-Joo. He will wake up soon." The wolf always tried to be the positive voice.

"What if he doesn't?" Shin-Joo would question with his bottom lip trembling.

“Don’t think like that. We need to believe in Yeon. How can we give him our strength if we don’t believe in him?” She questioned as he wiped the tears from Shin-Joo’s eyes.

“You’re right. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You miss him. I know that. I can feel your sadness pouring off of you. Come, let us go now and we can return tomorrow.” She helped her boss stand from the floor and guided him toward the door. She looked back at the former Mountain God and frowned. “Please wake up soon Yeon, everyone needs you.”

When Eun-ji returned home that particular night, Rang was already asleep. Yuri was sitting on the couch looking into the distance, eyes unfocused in thought. "Yuri?" The wolf called out to the vixen. "Is everything okay?" She approached the female slowly.

Yuri's eyes cleared as she heard the wolf speak. She snapped her attention over to her friend and tried to force a smile. "Sorry, just thinking."

"Want to talk about it?"

The fox curled her legs up on the couch, looking small and scared, something that didn't suit her. "I'm terrified." She confessed, twisting her fingers in her fingers in her hands.

The wolf didn't say anything, worried that if she did the fox would stop talking. Instead she took a seat on the other end of the couch, watching closely.

“I have no one besides Rang. If it wasn’t for him I would have been put to death at that zoo he found me in. I was abused by the zookeeper and visitors would tap and kick the glass of my enclosure. I have no friends and no family. If he dies I have no one.”

Eun-ji felt hurt at the comment. “You have me. You also have Shin-Joo. You-”

“He’s another confusing factor. Why do I feel so flustered near him?”

The wolf gave a soft smile to her friend. “It could be because you like him. You should really give him a chance. Shin-Joo is really a great guy, loving you would come naturally to him. In fact I’m pretty sure there is a piece of him that already loves you.”

Yuri scoffed at that. “I haven’t needed anyone before until Rang came. I can’t falter in my loyalty to him. I can’t abandon him as well.”

“Yuri… Rang would want you to live your life as you see fit. You also wouldn’t be abandoning him, just because you have a new person in your life doesn’t mean you have to let go of the oldYou speak as if he’s on his deathbed. Rang will make it through this. .”

“You take his pain and heal him every night but as the day progresses he gets worse and worse. He couldn’t even wait for you tonight - he said he was tired. I’m worried. What will happen if we lose him?” Yuri’s lip trembled as she looked over to the wolf. “I can’t lose him, the world won’t make sense without him.”

“Yuri,” Euni-ji stood up and moved across the length of the couch and sat down next to her friend, pulling her into her arms. “We have to stay strong for him. Have faith he will be okay.” The wolf was no longer sure if she was talking to Yuri or herself. Between the fox brothers her heart was heavy with grief that she kept masking.

“I will try. I really will.” Yuri sniffed back her tears and hugged her friend tightly. “Rang is so lucky to have found you, Eun-ji. You’re exactly who he needed in his life.”

*******

Eun-ji sat on the bed after Yuri left, looking at the male fox. Yuri was right, he looked worse today than he did yesterday. Maybe she wasn’t helping at all, or maybe it just wasn’t enough. She shifted closer and placed her hand over his wound like she did for the past few nights. It was now second nature to her to pull the pain and poison into her body. She found if she tried to think about the few memories she uncovered then she could deal with the pain longer than usual.

She knew there was someone else in her memories, she would see a shadowed figure in some memories of Yeon and she hoped with her heart that it was Rang. Then again she never asked when Yeon ‘abandoned’ his brother, it could be Shin-Joo who was the mysterious character. She didn’t have the full story, her memories still very hazy as frustrating as it was. The shadowed person seemed to be very important to her, always standing closer to her figure than Yeon. Or maybe it was a family member - a packmate? She wanted to know more, unlock her mind, and figure it all out. She was tired of not knowing, being in the dark sucked and the worst was that no one could remember her, not even Yeon could when she first had her flashbacks but he wanted to help her regardless.

“WOLF?!”

Her eyes snapped up as the words reached her ears and the leg moved out from under her hand. Crippling pain rushed through her making her yelp out and close her eyes tightly again. She had gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize how much she took in. She hugged herself tightly, keeping the pain in her, afraid she would snap it out of her body and back into Rang’s.

The fox was sitting up in bed, he tried to grab her arms but she shook him off as sobbed ‘don’t’ came from her lips. He stared in worry as he watched her battle whatever she was feeling coursing through her veins. He felt hopeless as he watched her battle the pain for minutes and minutes on end, he wasn’t sure if it would stop anytime soon. Finally he allowed himself to relax as she took a shuttering deep breath as her body relaxed and opened her eyes. “How long?” He asked.

The wolf suddenly found the ground to be more interesting as she turned her attention away from him. Her fingers were pinching the fabric of her pants and she bit her bottom lip.

“Don’t make me ask again. How long have you been doing this to yourself?” His voice remained gentle - not an ounce of malice in it even if he was extremely upset with her.

“Every night. At first it was for a minute but over the days I’ve been trying for longer moments.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

“I told you not to do it again, didn’t I?” He asked.

“I’m sorry, but also not. I couldn’t stand by and just watch you when I knew I could help.” She spoke quietly as if her own voice would scare her.

His eyes softened. He understood why she did it, he also understood why she was being so wary. He asked her not to do something and she went against that. With her history he was sure she was thinking she was about to get yelled at. Then again he wasn’t anything like Kyong. He shifted, moving closer to her and wrapping her wrist gently. “Wolf, look at me.”

She did as told and as soon as her eyes met his, she felt him tug on her wrist pulling her close to him. She followed his silent instructions and laid down next to him, watching him closely.

Like every night before this, he connected their lips, tilting her chin toward his face. He rolled his body on top of hers, his one leg resting between hers and he grabbed both of her hands, lacing their fingers together before pinning them above her head on the mattress. Tonight was different, more passion filled as he heard her moan against his lips, her scent pouring out into the room. He found himself deepening the kiss, his tongue tangling against her own.

More.

His brain demanded it. He brought his leg up and pushed against her core, her fingers squeezed his hands tighter as she gasped into his mouth. He swallowed any sounds that followed after, rubbing against her gently a few more times. He dragged his tongue against hers, the taste of something sweet, perhaps chocolate was on her mouth. He felt drunk off of her, pulling back their lips were only connected by a string of saliva that broke after a second. He wanted to move back in again like he always did but his brain decided to move forward, he moved to her neck making pretty scarlet marks into her skin again.

“Rang…” His name was a breathy moan in her throat. He let go of her hands, stripping his shirt off, throwing it and tugging on the bottom of hers. He almost lost it when she quickly sat up and shed her shirt and bra before lying back down, her eyes blown wide with lust. His eyes drank her in, her skin so soft and inviting. His fingers traveled her skin, one hand traveling to the mound on her chest. He gave one nipple and experimental twist between his thumb and forefinger causing a breathy moan to escape her lungs.

Her hands danced gently on his pectorals, running down until her one hand touched his scar. He wanted to flinch away but curiosity got the better of him, waiting for the look of disgust on her face. After a moment there wasn’t one, instead she pushed him gently so he gave her the upper hand. She looked at the scar and then at him. Slowly she brought her lips down on his skin, kissing the length of the scar from bottom to top. Once she traveled the scar she moved to above where his heart was and placed a kiss there as well. “So handsome.” She whispered over his skin.

Rang lost it at that point, flipping them back over and kissing her relentlessly. His hands traveled to her pants and he tugged gently twice as if asking for permission. Her hands joined his as she unbuttoned them for him and he took care of the rest. He almost laughed when her mouth chased his for a moment when he pulled back. “Is this okay darling?” His ears tingled at the whimper of a yes that fell past her lips. His hand traveled to her underwear, a finger dipping under the elastic edge and tugging gently. “Can I remove this too?”

Her hips bucked up as she gasped. She was starting to be overwhelmed by everything her body was feeling at this exact moment. She nodded her head frantically as she grabbed his shoulders, needing something to ground her. “Y-yes.”

Rang smirked and started kissing down her body, stopping to give each side of her breast an appropriate amount of attention. He loved that he could hear her heart rapidly beating. Moving again he could take a moment to stop a few times to either nip or suck more scarlet marks into her flesh. Slowly he pulled the fabric from her skin as he latched his mouth on the top of her hip bone.

She sobbed out, nails digging into his shoulders. This was the furthest she had ever gone with him and everything was feeling more intense than she could ever imagine. Her mind was at war knowing he was injured but also he was making her feel so much at that moment.

He parted her legs, his firm hands keeping them parted until he settled himself between them. He started down by her knee, kissing and giving her skin kitten licks. The smell of her arousal was mouth watering as he peaked at her glistening folds. He moved up slowly, enjoying the way she would wiggle and squirm under his ministrations. “So responsive to me.” He mumbled against her skin. He licked her groin and the noise she made was music to his ears. “Can I devour you now, love?” His breath tickled her core as he hovered it.

She choked back a sob as the question reached her ears. Her hands went from his shoulders to the bed, gripping into the blankets of the nest she made him nights ago. “Yes.” She willed the word from her mind.

He smirked, knowing what he was doing was a little unfair. “Promise me you won’t do it again.” He watched her brows furrowed in confusion.

“W-what?” She stuttered as she looked down at him. The sight of him between her legs alone made her weaken more, abdomen clenching in need.

“Promise me, you won’t try to heal me or take my pain again.” He frowned as she shook her head. He licked a strip of her core teasingly and had to hold himself back. She tasted so good and he just wanted to dive in but resisted. “Promise me, my wolf,” he teased a finger at her entrance, touching gently but not entering. “my sweetheart,” he nipped her skin. “my love.” he looked her right in the eyes, flattened his tongue and licked a slow strip up her folds. He thought he was going to have to force himself away from her but she broke under his tongue.

She whimpered and snapped her eyes shut. “I promise, I prom-”

He latched onto her, sucking gently before slipping his tongue between her lips, tasting her essence tenfold. He groaned as her fingers gripped his hair tightly, pulling him closer, her hips trying not to buck against his face. He wrapped his arms around both legs and pulled her closer as well. He enjoyed the way his name fell off her lips like a mantra. He moaned as he stuck his tongue into her entrance, the vibrations of the noise making her tightened her grip on him. His nose brushed against her clit with each stroke of his tongue.

Eun-ji felt her legs shaking, she didn’t know this could feel so good. She sobbed again as he dipped his tongue into her. When Rang said he was going to devour her, he meant it. There were places in her that she could feel his tongue touching that had her baffled. He would change his pace from slow to faster, building her up and letting her fall gently. She felt her stomach tighten and she whimpered as she unconsciously gripped his hair tighter. “Rang, please I’m…” She couldn’t even finish speaking before he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked. She felt her back arch as her orgasm washed over her.

Rang was pleased, and pulled back as he watched her ride her high. “Mm, my love, look at you. You’ve already come for me and I can tell you crave more. What a pretty little mess you made.” The fox was riding his own high, craving more of her and wanting to make her fall apart completely.

He licked her gently, letting her come down a little bit before sinking two fingers into her and flicking his tongue against her clit. The response was instantaneous, her legs snapped up against his ears, she tugged him impossibly closer by his hair and her hips started bucking against his face. He pumped his fingers in and out of her, curling forward at the right spot inside of her. He could tell she was getting close again and he moaned at the thought of her cumming right on his tongue. Just as the tension snapped in her again, he removed his fingers and replaced them with his mouth, digging as deep as he could in her velvety walls, twirling his tongue to taste her more. As he cleaned her thoroughly he could hear her crying out in pleasure and before her second orgasm could fade away, he triggered her third. It was worth the reward as she came again, her slick thick on his tongue as he gulped it down hungrily. She was like ambrosia to him and he couldn’t get enough.

More!

His inner fox was yelling it as he lapped at her cunt, her thighs fell away from his ears as she started to come down from her high. Again, he wanted it again. His two fingers sunk into her again, trying to work her up once more. By now his own hips were rutting against the bed, looking for sweet release.

Eun-ji’s eyesight started to focus, the sounds of Rang’s moans and squelching noises of her cunt could be heard over the buzzing of her ears. “Rang, please.” She felt weak, he couldn’t possibly make her release again.

He heard her plea but instead of hearing it as it being too much he thought she was asking for more. He carefully added a third finger and he latched onto her clit again, staring her in the eyes. She looked more than beautiful like this. He didn’t even fuck her yet and she looked this damn gorgeous.

She caught him staring her in the eyes and it was breathtaking, his one eye was glowing a golden color and she saw the orange whimsical swirling of his hidden fox features. This time it didn’t take long for her build up to snap and she felt herself gush out arousal. She sobbed, her whole body shaking and thrashing as she tried to pull the fox from her core, she was highly sensitive to the licks of his strong tongue. “Rang, no more please.” She pleaded with tears of overstimulation poured down her face.

The fox stared at her, the request made him huff, but he removed his fingers before cleaning her up, his tongue flat and slow over her core and clit, making sure nothing was left behind. He felt her shutter under him, soft whimpers falling from her parted lips. Once he was done, he licked his own fingers, groaning at the taste. “Love, you’re a dangerous one.” He stated as his fox features faded away again.

She let out a shaky laugh. “Me? You wouldn’t stop.”

“Of course not, you’re delicious. I could eat you for days if you’d let me.” He wasn’t lying, even now he wanted more. It was almost as if he was addicted to her slick.

She let out a breathy moan at his words and covered her face in embarrassment. After a few moments, she was able to settle her breathing and she put her hands back down. “That was wonderful.” She stated.

“The best you’ve had?” He asked jokingly.

“The only one I’ve had.” Eun-ji responded.

Rang growled as he sat up on the bed. “Well that’s changing now.”

Eun-ji blushed again and found her eyes darting toward his clothed groin.

“You do not need to return the favor.” He stated as he noticed her direction on vision.

“What if I want to?” She asked, feeling confident again. She found herself reaching for his pants. “Off.” She demanded.

“Only if you want to.” He was serious, he didn’t bring her to the heavens just for her to feel obligated to do the same for him.

She started helping him pull the article of clothing off his body. Once he was bare she had him sit against the headboard. ‘Gods he’s so handsome.’ She thought to herself as her eyes drank him in. She turned her attention to his cock, it was erect and throbbing from the lack of much needed attention. He was a perfect size, not too big or small and his girth was perfect as well. She wasn’t a huge fan of giving head, but that’s because Kyong gave her bad experiences - not that she would tell Rang that. She licked her lips before pumping him a few times with her hand.

His reaction encouraged her more, his eyes slid close as he took in deep steady breaths. He felt her free hand circle around his wrist. As she pressed two fingers to his pulse point and she felt his heart rate jot at the idea of her feeling his heart rate increase as she took care of him. He gave a small gasp when she licked the tip and groaned loudly as she took him deeply in her throat.

******

The next morning Rang woke up to find Eun-ji still passed out next to him. They didn’t have sex and he was more than okay with that. He was still feeling great from her healing him, but he could tell it was starting to fill his body again. He started pressing kisses to the wolf’s neck, for a moment he considered having her wake up to him eating her out again but he wasn’t sure if he would let her get up to go to work. He would have to settle for morning kisses instead.

Eun-ji shifted and rolled over to face him. Her eyes cracked open slowly. “Hmm, morning handsome.”

“Morning, angel.” He pressed a kiss to her lips. “Sleep well?”

“Mmm, very much so.”

“I’m glad,” He stated.

They laid in bed for a few more minutes before they both decided to start their day. Eun-ji made breakfast while Rang made coffee. They ate in comfortable silence, Rang holding her hand on the top of the table. He cleaned up as she went to get ready for work. Just when the wolf was about to leave Yuri showed up. The vixen stopped and looked between the two of them, something was different but she didn’t know what.

“I’ll see you later. Yuri, thank you again.” Eun-ji stated.

Rang stopped her before she could walk out, grabbing her cheeks between his hands and pulling her lips to his. Their mouths moved against each other in slow open kisses. He finally let her go. “Have a good day love.”

Eun-ji peaked over to see Yuri’s mouth wide open in shock. She gave a nervously happy grin. “Thank you dear. See you soon.”

****

Rang was sitting comfortably on his couch, Yuri was less annoying, asking less about how he was doing, he knew she wanted more information about what happened between Eun-ji and him. He had never kissed her so openly before. His phone started to ring on the table in front of him. He would never admit he was thrilled to see Yeon’s name on the screen. “You’re here?” He asked as he answered the call. “I thought you had died in the Ah Gwi Forest.” He noticed Yuri peeking her head into the room as if she was trying to figure out who was on the phone.

“Whatever. I’m disappointed.” Rang sighed into the phone. Yeon had asked if he could head over there. “Now?” Rang nodded his head. “Well, come or not. Whatever.” He smirked as the call ended. He was feeling a sense of peace between Yeon and him. Leaning forward to place his phone back on the table, he gasped out in pain, his hand immediately clutching his side as heavy coughs escaped his lungs.

Yuri had not heard Rang complain or cry out in pain any of the last few days, always masking that he was. Now that he was suddenly making painful sounds she rushed into the room. “Are you alright? Should I call Shin-Joo? Eun-ji?”

“Stop freaking out. It’s nothing.” He spoke through painful gasps, while he held an arm up to tell her to stay back.

Yuri couldn’t believe him. She sat down next to him on the couch. “It isn't the poison, is it? Your life is expiring. I’m right, aren’t I?”

The pain finally settled and he sat back a little bit. “I’ve lived pretty long for a half fox.”

Yuri turned to him. “Please get a Chinese Lantern. You can steal years from people and live for as long as you want.”

“Yeon is on his way here. I’m going to tell him where Imugi is. I’m the only one who knows what he looks like.” He stated.

“What about you?”

Rang looked down. “It’s not like I’ve ever dreamed of a future.”

“Don’t do it! Please stop! What about Eun-ji? Don’t you want a future with her?”

Rang paused. He did, he thought about it often now that he was practically dying. It was a hopeful thought - he wasn’t going to make it. It was useless though - there was no reason to get anyone’s hopes up. “I do.”

“Then why must you go that far just for Yeon?” Yuri snapped at him.

Rang sat up, moving his body closer to hers. “What I feel for Eun-ji is something I never felt before. I have ways I can talk with her about everything. There is no hope for a good future with her.” He sighed. “Yuri, you can’t tell Yeon.”

“Don’t meet with Yeon.” Yuri whispered, the threat of tears in her voice. “Go to Imugi and ask him to save you. Or tell me where they are, I’ll get you a Chinese Lantern.” Finally the tear slipped from her lashes and ran down her face.

Rang looked at her closely and shifted on the couch. “Yuri, why are you crying for me? I told you never to cry for another person. Don’t make your life a B-movie.”

“You said that I should be the one that takes, not loses. That’s what you said to me when we first met, as you were drenched in the zookeeper’s blood. You told me to live like that.” She was sobbing now.

He was impressed she remembered that. “I tend to be fickle.” He grabbed a tissue for her and passed it. “Stop sniffling, and go buy me some naengmyeon.”

She cleaned herself up before standing and looking back at him. “Eun-ji needs to be in the loop of your plan. She’s already suffered enough in her life.” With that she walked out of the room.

Rang sat on the couch, feeling good about his decision. He would need to have a serious talk with Eun-ji though. Their relationship grew tenfold and he had finally admitted to himself that what he felt for her is what he presumed love felt like. He sat there feeling content when a knock sounded on his door. He forced himself off the couch and moved his way to the front door. When he opened the door, ready to greet his brother when his smile fell from his lips.

“What’s wrong? Am I not the person you were waiting for?” Hae Ryong gave a wicked smile.

****

“Why do you two keep staring at me?” Eun-ji questioned the foxes on the couch. The whole morning had been strange, Shin-Joo stared at her with eyes as wide as saucers when she entered the building at the start of her shift. When she questioned him initially he cleared his throat and sputtered something incoherent and leashed up Anastasia before walking himself and the pup out the front door. It was almost as if he was trying not to look at her after that.

Yeon had arrived in the afternoon, having woken up recently, he came to catch up with Shin-Joo. Eun-ji was so happy to see the older Lee brother, that upon arrival she rushed over to him and gave him a big hug. The fox froze in her arms for a second before grabbing her arms and removing her quickly. For a moment she was saddened but then recalled that Yeon didn't have memories of her past with him. She herself had very few and even so the more recent one showed that she was mad at the fox.

This behavior between them was different though, the two foxes kept glancing at her and whispering in hushed tones. It was starting to make her self-conscious. So when they didn’t answer her question she felt the tears well up in her eyes. It had to be something bad right? That’s why they didn’t want to tell her. “The appointments are light today, I’m just going to go.” She began to gather her things to rush out of there.

The male foxes jumped up from the couch obviously now aware that they upset the wolf. “Eun-ji, please don’t go.” Shin-Joo pleaded, his voice thick with apology but never actually saying it.

"No, I'm going home. I won't stand here while you both whisper about me like I'm not here. I need to feel this low right now." The wolf's voice cracked with emotion as she tried to hide her face.

"Hey Pup," Yeon grabbed her before she could take another step toward the door. "We are sorry. We didn't mean to make you feel anything bad. Let me drive you home and we can talk."

She stood there for a moment, her wrist still in Yeon's hand as she turned back to look at him. She contemplated his offer quietly. She wasn't sure what he would want to talk about but she didn't want to feel worse than she already did. "I don't know if I want to talk. I'm already feeling bad."

"It's nothing that you're probably thinking about. I promise. I need to meet Rang anyway."

"Okay." She whispered as she nodded her head. The wolf glanced at her boss and he looked upset and regretful.

"Sorry Eun-ji."

The wolf nodded her head and waved goodbye before following Yeon out to his car. She sat herself in the passenger seat and watched the fox slide into the driver's seat and start the car.

For a moment neither said anything as Yeon started to drive toward her residence. The wolf felt her nerves getting the best of her so she turned her attention to the fox. "Well?" She questioned.

"Did you mate with Rang?" Yeon asked bluntly.

The wolf choked on her own saliva at the bluntness. "I'm sorry, what?" She almost shrieked at the question.

Yeon blinked at her, unamused. "Did you have sex with Rang?"

"I - what?! No, and even if I did - why would I tell you? Why are you even asking that?" She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she thought back to the activities that Rang and her did partake in the night before.

"You smell like him. Not in the way he normally scents you. This is different, stronger. It pours off your skin in waves as if it's deep in your bones. Shin-Joo told me he smelt it as soon as you walked in this morning. He was so sure you had mated with Rang so we were discussing that a little bit. He is more bashful over topics such as this, which is why he was talking so secretively."

“Why would you guys even discuss that?” She was confused and flustered, the heat of her cheeks refused to fade away. The wolf was quickly wishing she declined the offered ride home, walking would have been less tortuous.

Yeon was quiet for a moment as he made the turn at the light. “Shin-Joo stated that Rang has not been doing well. The female fox had reported to him that you have been trying to heal Rang but it’s only helping at a minimum.” He stopped at the next red light and turned to face the wolf. “Did you know wolves and foxes are monogamous?” He was pleased to see that she nodded her head. “Shin-Joo was worried for you. If you had mated with Rang and he didn't heal, then you would never find another mate. You’d either spend your life alone or waiting for Rang to be reborn. Shin-Joo already had to deal with me when I had gone through that.”

Eun-ji was speechless. Shin-Joo had always been so kind to her and now she felt ashamed that she thought so ill of him. “I’m so sorry for how I behaved.”

“It’s okay Pup.” Yeon gave her a soft smile. “You’ve been dealing with a lot lately.”

****

Eun-ji walked behind Yeon, following him to the front door of her home. She had never seen the Lee brothers together and so she was unsure how this meetup was going to go. She used her key to open the door for him and allowed him to walk in first.

Yuri was pacing the room, a bowl of food sat ready at the coffee table. “Where did he go?” She questioned loudly, catching the wolf’s attention. As the vixen turned on her heel she spotted the two of them “Yeon?”

The male fox looked her up and down. “Do you know me? Where’s Rang?” He looked around as if his brother was hiding somewhere.

“I don’t know. I stepped out and he wasn’t here when I got back. He won’t answer his phone either.” Yuri answered. "I'm sorry Eun-ji. He requested food and so I went to get it for him."

"It's okay Yuri. Yeon, this is -”

The male fox cut her off. “Seeing what a rude punk you are, you must be her.” He raised a brow as she sneered at him. “The necklace thief. The dog owner. The best friend. The one with 99 points.” He cut the wolf off.

“What gibberish is that?” Yuri asked.

Eun-ji was at a loss for the last thing Yeon said, but she was more surprised to hear she was the necklace thief. The stones of her life just keep getting unturned. How was she so left out at the connections between those in her life? She was starting to question her own self awareness.

“It’s just something.” Yeon replied as he continued to look around. “Oh, pyongyang naengmyeon.” He crossed the room and hurried over to the bowl, taking a seat at the couch.

“Don’t eat that! It’s for Mr. Lee.” Yuri scolded.

“Naengmyeon tastes bad if the noodles get soggy.” He explained as if that was more than enough justification to eat his brother’s food. He looked up at the wolf, knowing she just worked and didn’t have a break. “Did you want some Pup?”

Eun-ji declined and watched as he dug into the bowl. She looked at her friends and decided since they didn’t seem like they were going to murder each other then she could slip away and get changed. As she pulled out a comfortable outfit to wear, she tried to call Rang’s cellphone. It reverberated in her ear four times before going to his voicemail.

****

Rang sat on the couch, ignoring the vibration of his phone in his pocket as he held onto himself. He felt horrible. This was an aching coldness that had seeped into his body. He felt the darkness, he was sure he was approaching death’s door.

“Gosh, you look so pale.” Ryong stated as he leaned over the back of the couch toward Rang’s body. The man had the most sickening smile on his face.

“Will you keep a distance? You smell like rotting corpses.” The fox felt his nose burn at the scent.

“It's the scent of death.” The old man stated as a matter of fact, pulling himself into an upright position. “Since I’ve lived much longer than I should’ve, as have you.”

Rang coughed and winced in pain.

Ryong moved around the Chinese Lantern tree and looked at Rang before pointing to a bulb. “Want one?”

The fox shook his head. “No thanks.”

“Do you plan to sacrifice your life for your pride? Is it worth it?”

“Do you think I’m desperate to stay alive as you are?” Rang questioned the old man.

“Definitely not. But why does it look like you don’t want to go? It is that wolf that you have around you? This is unlike you.” The man stated as he watched Rang clench his jaw at the mention of the female.

“Get to your point.” Rang was already tired of this. He had tried to keep Eun-ji from his personal affairs but now he could see it was pointless.

“Do you plan to defy our master? It’s best to not disappoint him, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to your dear wolf, would we?” Ryong took a seat on the couch across from the fox.

“First, he’s ‘your’ master, not ‘our’ master. Second, keep her out of this, adding more people just makes it more messy.” He shook his head.

“I know you’re upset because of what Eoduk Sini did. But that was a misunderstanding.”

Rang scoffed. “You threw me into the Ah Gwi Forest, but what? A misunderstanding?”

“It was a risky move that we took to catch Yeon. We wouldn’t have left you there.”

“Sorry, but I can’t bear to listen to your lies anymore.” Rang stated as he thought back to the moments in those dark woods. Yeon was fighting off the ghosts while he desperately climbed the cliff when an unknown hand reached down for him and helped him up. The fox stood up from the couch. “I’m sure you know that, even in this state, I can kill you with no problem.” He reached down to his waist to reveal his hidden weapon.

“Wait. Wait a minute.” Ryong stood quickly, backing away from the fox just for an axe to be thrown at his face, but hitting the wall instead.

“That’s odd. Your master should show up by now.” He slowly came toward the older man. “ Shall I take a guess? Imugi is not in this house.”

Ryong stared at him for a moment before laughing.

“You’re laughing?”

“You can’t kill me. You shouldn’t even think about it.”

“What?” Rang was slightly confused where this man’s confidence was coming from.

“I’m the one who saved you from that fatal wound inflicted by Yeon. What you own me hasn’t been cleared yet.” Ryong held his hand up, showing the glowing orange ring on his finger that was the bind of their contract. “You have a deal to abide. A fox can’t go back on a deal it made.”

It didn’t make sense, he should be cleared of that deal. “Thanks to me, you were able to bring Imugi back.”

“No, that was my doing. All you added was a bit of flair.”

“You approached me so that you could use me someday, knowing that Yeon was my brother.”

“In what other way would a half-fox be of any use?” Ryong reached back to the Chinese Lanterns and grabbed one off the tree. “Please consume the lantern. Live and return the favor you owe me.

“What do you want from me?”

“You have two days to bring me Lee Yeon. It’s his body I need.”

****

Eun-ji tried several times to get Yuri to either leave the room or at least sit down and be civil, but the vixen just huffed about Yeon eating the food that was meant for Rang.

Meanwhile, Yeon found it all quite amusing. He happily enjoyed every refreshing bite of the food in the bowl. It was a reminder to him that he has not eaten anything for days which could explain why he felt so ravenous. “Well, that was good.” He wiped his mouth and looked over at the two females. The wolf was sitting at a bar stool, eating a small helping of fruits while the fox stared at him. “ What are you looking at?”

“Get out. Scram.” Yuri spoke.

“Yuri, be nice.” Eun-ji pleaded but the vixen wrinkled her nose against the idea. The wolf sighed in defeat and placed another apple slice in her mouth.

Yeon walked past them, giving a pat to Eun-ji on the head before opening the freezer. “All you have are ice cubes. Is ice cream not something you enjoy?” He asked, looking at both females.

“I do, but I haven’t had any in a long time.” The wolf replied, the idea of a cold treat sounded good to her right now.

Yuri, however, remained quiet.

“I can’t believe he adopted some rude pet from overseas. Eun-ji, I would return this one to the shelter if I were you.” The comment made the wolf choke on her fruit.

“I hate you, you know?” Yuri snapped.

“I never asked your opinion.” He approached the fox purposely.

“Stay away from Mr. Lee.” She growled, snapping her teeth at him.

“What if I don’t?” The male asked.

“I’ll kill you.” The vixen spat the words from her mouth like venom.

“Yuri!” Eun-ji gasped.

“Who do you think you are?” Yeon asked.

“I’m Ki Yuri. Why?”

“I never asked your name.”

“But you just asked.”

“You don’t seem all that smart to me.”

“Yeon!” Eun-ji now gasped at him. The back and forth between both foxes was becoming childish enough where she was going to send them both to a different room.

“Can you and Rang even communicate?” Yeon asked, ignoring the wolf on the bar stool.

“I’m smart, you know.” Yuri stated.

“As if.”

“Mr. Lee only adds mustard to his naengmyeon, gets blisters on his lips after eating crabs, and hates cucumbers in gimbap.”

Yeon scoffed. “All you can name are his eating habits.”

“But because of you…. Because of a jerk like you he…” Yuri froze, catching the attention of Yeon and Eun-ji.

“Go on.” The male encouraged.

“Darn it. Just forget it.” Yuri mumbled as she finally turned away.

Eun-ji watched Yeon studying Yuri for a moment before he headed to the couch. She herself looked at her female friend. What was Yuri going to say? Eun-ji was curious but left it at that. She could question it later when Yeon left. The wolf glanced down at her phone and pressed the button on the side to light it up - no notifications. Where was Rang?

It grew quiet in the house, Yuri was standing off to the side, arms crossed as she waited and waited. Yeon sat on the couch mostly quiet but would ask Eun-ji a question from time to time. The wolf wasn’t sure how much of the tension in the air she could take. She watched Yeon shift, trying to hide his laughter as he looked over at Yuri’s serious stance.

“Well, I should get going.” He spoke loudly as he stood up from the couch.

“Yes, go ahead. So long and farewell.” Yuri stated quickly as she whipped around to look at the fox.

“Rang talks about how miserable his life has been, but I guess it wasn’t all bad.” Yeon stated as he stopped right in front of the vixen.

Yuri pursed her lips together and looked at him.

“Since you live to protect him, please do so until the very end.” Yeon held out a small branch of azaleas and handed them to Yuri. “Give Rang this. It’s for the naengmyeon.” With that he walked away from her and approached the wolf. “Have a good night, Pup. Take care of Rang and let me know how he’s doing.”

****

The walk back home from Ryong’s was long and Rang got a little lost in his head. He wasn’t aware of his entire walk home, but he was at the front door, twisting the knob and walking in. It was quiet in the house but the lights were on. He walked into the room and spotted Yuri sitting on the couch. The vixen hopped up quickly and walked toward him.

“Where were you?” She sounded concerned.

He didn’t deserve her concern. Dark thoughts swirled in this head. “I want to be alone.” He spoke as he walked past her.

Yuri looked at him closely. “Rang you look…” She saw him pause in his steps. He looked better, so much better. And she couldn’t stop the smile that came to her face. He must have gone to see Ryong and Imugi. “Did you take a Chinese lantern?”

The male fox swallowed thickly before speaking again. “Please…let me be alone.” He pleaded softly.

The smile slipped from her mouth slowly. “Look over there.” She gestured to the coffee table, though Rang wasn’t looking at her. “Yeon came and left it for you.” She then turned on her heel to leave. She would have to send a text to Eun-ji that she left. Rang wanted to be alone and she wanted to respect his wishes.

As the front door closed with the vixen’s departure, Rang looked at the tablet and spotted the bright pink flowers on the table. He decided to sit on the couch instead of burying himself in his bed like he had originally planned. What Ryong was asking him to do no longer sat well with him. All of his feelings about his older brother had changed over the past few days.The inner turmoil was more than he could handle at the moment. He grabbed a singular petal from the flowers and ate it.

Rang thought back to when they were younger. “I wish we could go back to those days. There were azaleas everywhere. It’s strange. I can’t remember how the azaleas tasted back then.”

“If you don’t remember how azalea tasted, get out alive and eat some, you idiot!” Yeon was back in front of him, looking down. “At least try to survive, will you?”

The flower petal was filled with flavor. It was just like he remembered. His eyes filled with tears and he tried to keep himself together but there was just so much going on in his head that he had to release it all.

Eun-ji had stepped out of the shower a few minutes ago and saw the text from Yuri immediately. The vixen stated that Rang wanted to be alone and so Eun-ji waited a little bit before heading to the living room. She spotted Rang sitting on the couch, he looked so broken, tears sliding down his cheeks and he covered his shaking breaths with his hands. She shuffled over without a word and placed a hand on his shoulder as approached him.

A cracked sob broke from his lips and he moved quickly, grabbing the wolf by her wristing and tugging her into his lap. He tucked his face into her neck as more sobs wracked his body. He held her tightly as if he let her go she would vanish. He held her tightly, his fingers clutching her shirt, as if she would fade away if he let her go. He felt her run her fingers through his hair, and her sweet voice met his ears. For a few minutes it was hard to hear and understand the soothing and comforting words she spoke to him but after a while the gentle cooing was helping him calm himself.

“It’s okay Rang, I’m here. Please let me help you. Deep breaths honey.” She began to hum a gentle song when she wasn’t sure if the words were reaching him.

He pressed a kiss to her throat and gave a shaking breath right after. “I’m sorry Wolf.”

She, in return, kissed him on the top of his forehead. "You don't need to apologize. There is nothing to apologize for." She stated as she pulled back to look him in the face. To say she was shocked was an understatement, he looked so much better than he did that morning. Her fingers danced across his cheekbones, checking to see if makeup was covering the dark circles that were once under his eyes. "Rang, are you feeling better?"

He nodded his head. "All healed my dear."

Eun-ji frowned. She was happy he was healed, but considering the fox didn't sound happy about that and it made her concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?" She cradled his face in her hands, her thumb rubbing over his lower lip once.

"I'm okay, love. I just have to get myself back together. Tomorrow I have to make a quick stop somewhere in the morning. Then I would like to take you to your old home to find that box." The fox had things to take care of just in case things didn't go well for him. He promised Eun-ji he would help her so he needed to make sure that if her memories were in that box, then she was to get that back.

"Okay. Are you hungry? Did you want something to eat?" She changed the subject, shifting off of him, ready to rush to the kitchen and make him a small meal.

He tugged her back down by her waist. "No, I really just want to lay down with you. If that's okay?" He sounded so unsure like she was going to deny him her comfort.

"Of course." She pressed another comforting kiss to his forehead before she slid off his lap and held out her hand, which he took before she led him down the hallway into his room.

*****

Eun-ji sat in the car waiting for Rang. He said he needed to talk to a woman named Taluipa. He explained that she managed the office of Afterlife Immigration and also was in charge of the list of dead souls. The wolf grew even more concerned when he pressed a long kiss to her lips before getting out of the car and disguised himself as Yeon.

She stared at the building, wondering if she should go in after him. He had been in there for a little while but he also didn’t say how long he would be in there. The wolf blew out a puff of air as she tried to get comfortable in the car. She decided that she should text Shin-Joo and apologize for her behavior the day before.

It was during mid conversation with her boss that she noticed Rang exit the building as himself instead of Yeon. Eun-ji sat up quickly, watching the fox move across the pathway and toward the car. He looked deep in thought and she watched him stop in his steps and look back at the building, as if he was deciding if he wanted to go back in or not. Ultimately he decided to continue to the car, and he caught her staring. He shot her a small smile, it made her heart skip and she dropped her phone into the cup holder, leaving the conversation to pick up again later.

Rang entered the car and looked over at the wolf. “Ready?”

“How did it go?” She had asked him at the same time.

“Not how I wanted it to, but Hyun Ui-Ong told me to try something else.”

“Oh, who is that?” Eun-ji questioned as Rang put the car into drive.

“He’s Tapulia’s husband, he’s the gatekeeper of the Samdo River.”

Eun-ji blinked twice. She wasn’t sure how Rang was able to approach such important and intimidating beings with such ease. Maybe it was normal for their world. “What did he tell you to do?” She had no idea what exactly what Rang was trying to do in the first place.

“He told me to untangle the mess.” He didn’t say more than that. “Now, let’s get that box, shall we?”

Eun-ji nodded her head though now she was curious to what he was talking about. If he wasn’t sharing the information then it probably wasn’t something he wanted her to know. She was torn about that fact, did he not trust her with the knowledge or was it too dangerous?

*****

Eun-ji stared at the door and frowned. She thought she wouldn’t have such a hard time coming here again but there was still the lingering sadness and fear that ran through her veins. “Why am I still so nervous?”

Rang stepped closer to her, hand on her lower back as he leaned toward her ear. “It’s because you have bad memories of this place. We can make them all go away if you want. Yeon or myself can help erase that for you.”

The wolf bit her lip as she thought about it. She was just happy that she didn’t feel like someone was watching her this time when she approached the building. She had yet to tell Rang about that but then again she might just keep it to herself. “Okay, let’s just get this done. I want to go home.” She stepped forward and knocked on the door, louder than she intended and winced at the noise.

Rang chuckled and pulled her back next to him while they waited for the door to open. It took a few moments before it did, just an inch as the person behind it peaked out. The fox was amused to see the man cowering.

“What do you want? Who are you people?”

“Kyong?” The wolf questioned as she inched closer to the door.

“How do you know my name?”

Eun-ji looked back at the fox and saw his grin. “I don’t understand.”

“I did say that the last time he wouldn’t be fixable.” Rang shook his head. “Guess I did a little too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?!” The man yelled from behind the cracked door.

Rang looked up at him, unamused as his eye started to glow. “Open the door.”

Kyong did so, without any hesitation, stepping back to allow them inside.

The wolf followed the fox slowly as she was still not used to his powers and was a little in shock. The home was a mess, clothes everywhere, dishes in the sink and garbage overflowing from the trash can. She was sure she smelt rotting food somewhere in the house too. “What happened to him?” Eun-ji looked back at the man that she used to live with, he was motionless like a statue as he waited for another command.

“When he tried to take you away last, I messed with his mind a little bit, scrambled it up so he would leave you alone. I never thought we’d have to come back to him.” Rang explained as he turned back to Kyong. “I really don’t want to reverse it, but I suppose it might need to be done if we can’t find the box ourselves.”

Eun-ji knew she shouldn’t feel anything remorseful for Kyong, but the way he was living now did make her have pity on him. “I’m sorry you had to do this to him.”

“I’m not, for how he treated you and what he said to you - he deserves worse.” The fox started to look around the room, not sure what the obliviation box looked like.

The wolf glanced back at Kyong again before deciding to check their old room. This was even worse, the clutter could mean the box was bound to be buried somewhere. She’d have to start cleaning up just to look for it. She decided to check his drawers first, opening them all and checking the back of each one. Once she knew it wasn’t in there, she went around the room collecting what she assumed was dirty clothes and placing them into the laundry basket.

Rang walked into the room and found her tidying up. “What are you doing Wolf?”

“I’ll never find anything in this mess. It could be buried anywhere. I already checked the drawers and found nothing of importance.” The wolf grabbed another dirty shirt and tossed it with the others. “There has to be a better way. I’m not cleaning this entire apartment - I don’t even want to be in here. It makes me feel sick.”

Rang frowned and nodded his head. “Okay, give me a minute.” He stepped out of the room and walked over to the still human. “Where is the box?”

“What box?” Kyong asked, his voice monotone like a robot.

“The obliviation box.”

Kyong made a confused face as he stared out into nothing. He shook his head. “Don’t know.”

Rang cursed and sighed. “Stupid idiot probably doesn’t even know what it is.” He snapped his teeth in annoyance. “Guess I should bring you back.”

Eun-ji sighed as she opened the closet in the room, hoping that Kyong hid it somewhere on the top shelves. There wasn’t a step ladder nearby but there was a small rolly chair and so she rolled it over to use as something to help her up. There were boxes alright, mostly show boxes filled with nonsense and nothing useful.

“W-What are you doing here?”

Eun-ji snapped her attention back to the door and stepped carefully off the chair. She could hear Rang speaking calmly while Kyong was panting loudly and the sound of feet scrambling could be heard against the floor. The wolf stepped out of the bedroom quietly, she didn’t want Kyong to notice her but he was hyper aware of his surroundings and as soon as she moved in his peripheral vision he snapped his eyes to hers.

“You! What are you doing here? What did you do to my house?” Kyong snarled only to choke on it as Rang took an intimidating step toward him.

“Play nice or I’ll make your life even worse.” The fox threatened.

“Just get out. I’m done with you and your shit.”

“Kyong…” Eun-ji took another step forward, as she felt her legs shaking. “I need your help.”

“My help? You want my help after everything this asshole has done to me? Well, you can go fuck yourself.”

“Watch it!” Rang snapped.

Eun-ji took another step forward. “Please, just this one thing and you’ll never see or hear from us again. I’m just looking for a box.”

“I threw all your shit out. So check the dump, bitch.”

Rang stepped forward and the human flinched. The fox stopped only when Eun-ji held her hand up to have him stop. “There was a box, passed down in your family. Duong paid you to keep it safe and just hold onto it. Then something happened to it…” She paused to think back to the memory. “A seal was broken and then you were stuck with me. Where is that box Kyong?”

“Why should I tell you? What’s in it for me?”

“Rang will let you keep your mind this time.” Eun-ji stated. “Look around you Kyong. Your life is a mess.”

The man looked around at his home and sighed. “You’ll both leave me alone after you get this box?”

“Yes.” She stated.

“Fine. It’s in the box under the bed.”

The wolf ran back to the bedroom and bent down to look under the bed. It was a mess there too but she located a large box and opened it. Inside were a bunch of trinkets and old newsletters but buried in a corner was a small box with chains on it. When she grabbed the box she felt a connection, something rushed through her and she gasped. This was it, this was definitely it. She ran back down the hallway and over to the fox. “I found it!” She cheered happily.

The fox smiled at her. “Good job sweetheart.” He turned his attention back to the human who was just staring at them. “ I guess we will be on our way.”

“Wait.” Eun-ji grabbed his sleeve. “Make him forget us. I don’t want him coming back in my life anymore.”

“Hey, that wasn’t the deal. You said I could keep my mind.”

“I did and you will but any memory you have of me, doesn’t belong to you.” Eun-ji felt confident again. She has her box and hopefully all her memories will be hers again. “Rang, please.”

“Of course, Princess, anything for you.” Rang smirked at the human as he allowed his eye to glow again.

*****

The wolf looked over the box as they drove back to the house. There was a crack on the side that ripped the seal talisman. “This must have been the reason I came out of the box.” She stated as she turned the box over slowly in her hands.

The fox looked over at the box. “What are you thinking?” He asked, looking at the nervous expression on her face.

“I don’t know. A bunch of things. What if I don’t like who I was before, or what if the memories change me? What if it’s better for me not to remember?”

“Wolf, you’re second guessing everything. You’ve been waiting so long to have your memories back. Don’t you think you deserve to know who you are and who you know? You said you have memories of Yeon, don’t you want them all back?” The truth was he wanted to know if she knew him too. “Plus, if you don’t like the person you were back then, just remember you don’t have to be that person now.”

“I suppose you’re right. Thank you. I guess I’m just nervous.”

Rang parked the car as they reached home. “That’s okay too.”

The wolf tried to pull at the chains to take them off but they wouldn’t budge. “I can’t get these off.” She explained as she passed the box over to the fox. He too couldn’t get them off after struggling for a moment.

“Let’s go inside. I’m sure I have something that will open these.” Rang held the box as he exited the car.

Eun-ji wasn’t sure why, but she felt as if she got her hopes up for nothing. Instead of saying anything she followed Rang up to their home.

#tale of the nine tailed #kim bum #lee rang #the truth untold #kim beom #fox and wolf #lee rang x oc #kim bum x reader #lee rang x reader #lee rand x foc

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