$ f o r t y t h r e e $
Shin Wonho was in China once again on business. He had arrived to personally speak to Wu Yifan. He was led to the coven's leader by Lu Han, the second in command. Yifan had been meeting with Tao, the youngest member of their inner circle. Tao was looking for more instructions, but all he had been told to do for the time being was to watch over Iva Petrova. Yifan and the businessman Fu Jian had been making plans, but didn't want any of it to leak, so they made sure to keep the information from everyone else.
Yifan dismissed Tao and he left the office. Wonho went to sit across the desk from the coven's leader, where Tao had been sitting moments prior.
"What brings you here all the way from Japan?" Yifan wondered, taunting as though it were somewhere far off.
"You said we were going to attack the pack, and take Seoul for ourselves. But we haven't heard anything from you." Wonho said, his tone was guarded, but full if accusation. He had taken the advice of Takuya, his second in command, who told him not to trust Yifan. He's lied to us once, he probably wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Wu Yifan cannot be trusted. "If you're trying to cut us from this deal, you're going to make powerful enemies. Just because we did nothing about it last time--for Mitsuki's sake--doesn't mean we'll stand by again. We won't forgive another betrayal." He said to Yifan, his words taking on the undertone of a threat.
Yifan shook his head, and a chuckle escaped his lips. "We wouldn't be dumb enough to cross you and your people twice. We're working on making a plan to take the wolves out. I just don't want to do anything that will make Hani hate me." Or hate me more, Yifan found himself thinking. "She cares about them. They were her family for years." With a sigh, he added, "It will probably be soon though. The coyotes are getting impatient too. They want the wolves gone as much as we do."
"More?" Wonho said, as though reading Yifan's mind.
Yifan's eyes narrowed into a glare. "Watch what you say, Shin. You're outnumbered in my territory."
But Wonho still scoffed. He knew that as long as Yifan needed his help to take Seoul, all his words would probably be empty threats. The back of his mind was telling him to continue. It was his way of avenging Mitsuki, by reminding Yifan what everyone knew despite his attempts at hiding it. Hani was still in love with Suho, and would never love him. "We know you forced Suho into betting his wife, and that you won her in a card game. You might have her here physically, but her love will never belong to you."
"Just like you and Mitsuki. Right?" Yifan shot back.
Wonho laughed at his attempt to hurt him. "You really think she's still hung up on you? She's over it, and we're happier than ever."
"Keep telling yourself that." Yifan shot him a cynical smile.
The atmosphere in the room became tense, and after having said everything, Wonho rose from his seat. He bowed his head to Yifan ceremoniously, and the coven's leader did the same. "I expect to hear news from you soon. Otherwise we will expect that the deal is broken, and you will have made a new enemy." Wonho said, and made his exit out of the room.
Yifan rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.
His concern and his focus were on other things. He looked at a framed photograph on his desk. The very same one he had seen at Hani and Junmyeon's place when he visited them. A picture of Hani standing in between Yifan and Junmyeon, the three of them smiling, but Yifan's smile was more forced. She was always in the middle of them, and she didn't realize what she meant to both. Many times Yifan thought about getting the picture cropped, to get Junmyeon out of it. But a part of him still held onto the memories he had of his friend, even with the hate he now had for him in his heart.
This Junmyeon was his rival, but the boy in the picture was his best friend.
-
Kyungsoo had changed the scheduled for the week. Normally the higher ranks got the easier patrol times in the morning, while the lower ranks got the more difficult patrolling jobs in the middle of the night. But Kyungsoo had decided to change things for the week. It would be opposite. Higher ranks would get the difficult and tiring patrol hours, while the maknae ranks would get the easy times. All had been per request of Jongin, who was best friends with Kyungsoo.
His girlfriend Jiyeon was worried that his bad sleep patterns would take a toll on him and she asked him to rest, if even for one day. He assured her that he was well rested enough and that he was used to staying up at odd hours of the night. But she still worried for him.
When he talked to Kyungsoo about it, he suggested new schedules for the week, and promised to alternate them once a month, for the lower ranks to be cut some slack.
Miran wasn't aware of the schedule changes and she was surprised when the clock struck twelve and Baekhyun still wasn't home. But Taeil was, and she went to go talk to him. She knocked on the open door to his room. He was cleaning off his gun with a rag, and she caught the now familiar sight and scent of blood on it. He looked up when he saw her enter the room and placed the gun down on his bed.
"Yes, Luma beta?" He asked her with a friendly smile.
It was difficult for him to get used to the fact that even though he was two years older than her, she was his superior in the pack. Because of her bond with Baekhyun, she wasn't officially given the rank of beta, but it was only a matter of time, and he had to address her as such.
Miran sighed. Taeil and the other boys in the younger pack still hadn't chosen their new names. Kyungsoo ha asked them to start thinking about it, since going by their real names was too dangerous for them. "Tae, have you seen Light? Its really late and he hasn't come home yet. I'm worried about him." For Miran it was the same when addressing him. She couldn't get use to the fact that she could drop the title oppa, just because in the pack she was of a higher rank than he was.
"He didn't tell you?" Taeil asked. When he saw the curiosity and surprise in her eyes, he continued, "Alpha major changed our patrol schedules for the week. Light hyung and I were suppose to take the midnight to four a.m. shift. But hyung said he would do it on his own for tonight. I don't want to be the snitch here, but when he dropped me off at home, he looked like something was bothering him."
Miran bit down on her lip nervously. "I thought so. Light tells me everything, and he didn't even talk to me today." She looked to the younger pack's beta and asked another question. "Do you know where he's patrolling tonight?"
Taeil nodded, "Yeah. Southern Seoul. But I don't think you should go alone. Its bordering territory with the coyotes, that's where they have their bars and strip clubs. I'll drop you off with Light hyung if you want."
"Thank you, Tae."
-
i haven't updated this story in ages. so maybe i'll upload another chapter tonight, while i wait for my sister to get out of her criminology class. i had this really great idea for one of my stories, and it came to me just seconds before i fell asleep.
but i was so tired. so i debated whether i should jot it down on my phone. i decided not to, claiming that i would remember it in the morning.
and now that idea is lost because i don't remember what it was.
sigh. i hate when that happens. anyway, i have to go get ready for school. i hope you all have a wonderful day!
-clary
