Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Seventy

1855

It had been several months since that fateful night under the blessing of the Moon Goddess. Ever since that night, he'd felt a strange, newfound attachment to the Goddess – one atypical for vampires. The King did not truly seem to love his Goddess nearly as much as the wolves did.

It was yet another thing that Myungsoo found lacking in his future-Mate. The thought of being emotionally attached to that vampire sent a thrill of disgust rushing through him, dread coiling around his stomach like a vicious snake poised to strike at any given moment.

He was running out of time.

He'd pushed it back as long as he could, but even he saw the gleam in his betrothed's eyes now; the crazed, impatient glimmer of pure lust and want that made him nauseous. When he was trapped under those eyes, he wished for nothing more than to flee, to run into the arms of the man he loved.

The man he knew, deep down, was his Mate.

Truthfully, he did not care that the man was a wolf – or that his immortal life would be compromised. The only thought he ever had when presented with this consequence was that his life was not worth living without the one he loved. It might have been irrational, but spending the rest of his eternity without the weight of his love's arms around him was not an option he entertained.

Alas, his heart had chosen something his mind never would have – but he was glad. So, so glad.

Myungsoo walked down the halls he'd come to know in his several months spent locked within the palace. There was always one place he looked forward to going to; one place where all his masks were dropped, all his lies bleeding away.

He felt bad; he truly did, when it came to the way he'd been lying to Chan.

But the truth was... he was terrified of what would happen should he ever find out. For all he claimed to love him, he loved himself much more. He'd kill them both – or, at least, he'd kill Jinsun – just to keep him, even if it meant ruining his happiness.

That, he believed, was the reason Chan would forever remain inferior.

The sun was high in the sky, and that meant that Chan was most likely asleep in his bedchamber, as was the vast majority of the vampire court at this time of day. His steps hastened for but a moment before he reminded himself to be casual; once he got to their rendezvous point, he would not have to pretend. He just had to pretend for a little while longer.

At long last, the secret passageway he'd discovered shortly after their moonlit encounter came into view. He doubted Chan or any of the other, older vampires were oblivious to the existence of this passage, though most others definitely were; it had been lined with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs – it clearly hadn't been touched in centuries.

He surveyed his surroundings, straining his ears to listen for the barest footfalls, and when he heard none, he smiled lightly to himself and pushed through the combination needed to unlock the passageway. The stone crept forward slowly, heavily, though it did not make nearly as much sound as it should have; he wasn't complaining, it certainly made these meetings much easier.

As the secret door closed behind him, his heart lurched into his throat, beating loudly, sounding strongly in his ears. He crept forward, sharp eyes adjusting to the darkness rapidly as he made his way through the maze that awaited him, until, at long last, he arrived at the center of the maze.

Jinsun was already there waiting for him – of course he was; that man was early for everything. He couldn't help the smile that lifted the edges of his lips as his eyes befell the man, his heart thrumming wildly, pumping warming blood into every crevice of his body.

It was strange, how his heart always seemed to drum harder every time his eyes landed on his lover.

The wolf's eyes snapped to his, and gold sparked in them – though it was a warm shade of gold, one he only ever saw when those eyes were trained on him. It filled him with an overwhelming emotion, one he could not name though knew he felt.

They took quickened steps towards one another until they were locked in one another's embrace; it did not take long for Myungsoo's lips to meet the werewolf's, and again that overwhelming feeling grew. After their tender kiss came to a slow, fading end, Jinsun pressed their foreheads together, those golden eyes peering into his own.

He'd never found the colour as beautiful as he did then.

Then he thought of the words he and Chan had exchanged earlier that night, remembering them by some crushing weight that refused to leave him. His smile faded, and the warmth in his blood quickly turned to fear. Jinsun noticed the shift in his emotions with startling precision – the werewolf was very observant that way.

"What is it?" he questioned softly, his voice low and raspy, the sound enough to counter the dread in Myungsoo's veins for but a moment.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words emerged. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes; he sucked in a deep breath – another human convention his vampiric body did not need, though it still settled some level of nerves within him –, and when he opened his eyes again, he found the words he'd been looking for through the lump in his throat.

"He won't wait much longer," he finally said; he remembered the intensity in the Vampire King's eyes, those eyes that had run out of patience, wanting nothing more now than to claim what was rightfully his. A shudder made its way down his spine, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.

Jinsun leaned back slightly, slipping one of his hands around the other's, gently prying the fist open, coaxing his fingers to unlock with that firm, yet always surprisingly tender touch of his. Myungsoo allowed his fist to uncurl.

"Soon, my moon." His eyes were truthful, honourable, as he gazed deep into his eyes. His fingers slipped between the other's, holding his hand tightly. "I promise that once the negotiations are over, I'll take you far from here... far from him." Myungsoo nodded and looked away – he remained quiet.

Jinsun reached forward with his second hand and tilted his chin back towards him, forcing their eyes to meet; there was an intensity there that hadn't been there moments before. "Believe me, Myungsoo. The fates of both our peoples rest in the balance of this treaty; the moment we are done, I will take you back with me, and once within the borders of my own pack, he will not be able to find you. Your safety means the world to me."

He nodded again, though now, instead of the familiar flutters that came with seeing his lover's face, there was nothing but cold, hard dread looming in the pit of his stomach. He pulled away, needing to clear his thoughts, to have some time alone, some fresh air, perhaps, if the guards would let him through the castle gates.

"We're running out of time," he whispered as he walked away, leaving the werewolf lord alone in his tunnel.

A/N: Okay, I've just slapped myself with a good 'ol reality check. I want to say that I'm really sorry for neglecting you, my darling readers, and this story. I'm starting to get a little grip on my life again, and I will force myself into a writing schedule until this story is completed. I will.

Anyways, how are you guys! I haven't had conversations with you guys for a while, and I really want to change that, because I've missed it; y'all make me so happy.

Q: What's the worst thing about having a job?

A: Honestly there are so many benefits to having a job, and I absolutely love my job, except... right now the hours are really bad (I'm getting 29 hours next week, which is ridiculous and should not happen).

Lots of love,

Emilie