Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Sixty-Six

Jisung couldn't say he was well-versed in vampire anatomy – though he supposed that was something he would have to change, now – but he knew the basics, as did every werewolf youth. As he startled awake to the gentle rays of the sun slowly peeking in through the bedroom window, it took him a moment to realize he'd accidentally fallen asleep.

His eyes zeroed in on Minho, but the boy was still, face contorted in half-hearted pain, as though he were numb. Jisung sucked in a deep breath, turning out towards the early morning sky; he could see some of the leaves already turning red and yellow and orange with the gradually cooling temperatures.

As if in response to his gaze, Minho's eyes slowly fluttered open, sliding to meet his. He blinked slowly before he sat up, though, obviously disoriented, he nearly toppled over had Jisung not caught him. He nuzzled his face against his chest, and Jisung couldn't stop the small, delicate smile that crept onto his lips as his arms wound around the vampire's body.

"Have you always been so warm?" he mumbled, and the smile slowly faded from the wolf's lips.

It took him a second to reply. "Yes, you just got... colder." Minho tensed for a moment before he relaxed again, though, it seemed rather forced.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and Jisung could feel tears already soaking through his shirt. His hold tightened, though he said nothing in return; he didn't think words were needed to convey his message.

He closed his eyes, and, slowly, the sniffles stopped, and the tears were wiped away. Strength seemed to leave his body, and Jisung kept him upright. "I... I feel strange," he mumbled, head lolling.

Jisung slowly pushed him away so they could stare at one another. "That's because you need to eat, and you need to discharge the extra venom." Minho blinked at him, confused, as if to say he'd already eaten. "You need to drink human blood, Minho, and get rid of your venom while you do it."

"How... how am I going to do that?" he asked, hesitantly, eyes growing wide.

Jisung fought back his grimace; he had a feeling Minho wouldn't like his idea. "You're going to bite me."

He'd been right. The moment the words left his lips, Minho jerked back and shook his head vehemently, eyes wide and wild. "No, no. I'm not... I'm not going to hurt you again." He curled in on himself, making him seem much smaller than he actually was, tears sprouting in his eyes again.

"Minho," Jisung's voice was low and uncompromising. "You don't have a choice. It's either I hurt for a little bit, or you die. Do you understand me?" Realizing his tone might have been a bit too harsh, he sighed and slid onto the bed, reaching forward and wrapping Minho in a protective hug, resting his chin atop his head.

"Listen, you need humanoid blood to survive, and we don't have the luxury of having any bagged blood right now. Eventually, we will. And you need to get that extra venom out into a body that can hold it or you'll go crazy, and then die. I don't want that, and I'm sure you don't either." He rubbed his back in soothing circles to ease the nerves he could already feel beginning to wrack through the vampire's body.

"It... it's okay, Minho." He squeezed his eyes shut, steeling his nerves. It wouldn't do either of them any good if he was jittery. Of course, he was afraid. He'd only heard tales of what vampire venom did to werewolves, and none were pleasant. The fledgling sniffled and pulled out of their hug, wiping his eyes as he turned to stare directly into Jisung's.

It was so easy to discern the emotions swirling within his gaze, and Jisung offered a small smile. "It won't kill me, and I want to do this." He hoped Minho could see just how true that was. He nodded, shoulders shaking as he swiped at his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Why?" Minho whispered, gaze drifting down, though his voice was resigned, sad, even.

Jisung sighed, letting his hands slide down his arm's somewhat. "Because I care about you. It kills me to see you in so much pain. You have to know by now that I'd do anything to keep the pain away." He reached forward and brushed some of the hair that had fallen into the vampire's face away.

Minho leaned into his touch, and the gesture surprised him somewhat, though he didn't move his hand away; it was almost like Minho felt what he felt, now, too. "How is it fair that you get to take away my pain when all I do is give you yours?"

Jisung's second hand slipped over Minho's cheek, cupping his face. A small, sad smile played at the wolf's lips as he stared into the vampire's eyes. "You've taken away more pain than you know." His voice was so soft it almost felt strange coming from his mouth; the soft Alpha. How ironic.

They stared into one another, truly seeing, the air between them filled with intensity and something else. Jisung's hands followed Minho's face as he drew closer. It was almost as though his instincts took over, now. A distinct memory he'd lost in the fray of his life came back, the one in a club; that was where everything started.

It had all started with one, tiny kiss.

When Minho's lips touched his he could hardly feel the coldness of his skin; heat spread through him like a wildfire. A gate appeared behind his lids – and it shattered. Something jolted through him, and he returned the kiss with a ferocious intensity. Minho's arms wound around his neck and pulled him closer.

He let himself be guided, one hand falling from Minho's face to support his weight on the bed. He felt weak all over, and yet so strong. The vampire pulled away first, his eyes twinkling, a small smile curling the edges of his lips. It faded abruptly, and it only took a moment for Jisung to find the cause.

His eyes were ever-so-slightly tinted red. If they weren't quick he'd have another meltdown – a potentially fatal one. He quickly tossed his shirt to the side as a primal need contorted Minho's features, fangs elongating of their own accord; Jisung tried not to be afraid.

This wasn't Minho; this was whatever primal beast that now lived in his blood.

He shifted his weight, trying not to watch the animalistic way the vampire's eyes followed his every movement, poised to strike. He could only hope Minho wasn't so far gone that after a while he'd come back before something... unfortunate happened. He barely had time to send a signal into Changbin's mind when Minho lunged, his fangs snapping into the side of his neck.

It only took a few moments for the vampire venom to kick in; then everything went dark.

A/N: I have a family dinner to go today, oof, and then a movie marathon with my dad because he noticed that I haven't been feeling the best lately <3 

Q: What do you do to fight writer's block? Or when you are feeling unmotivated? Do you even get this? (courtesy of Mxchilatte)

A: Of course I get this XD I'm pretty sure most writers do. I've actually found that the worst way to fight writer's block is to try and write. Most of the time when this happens to me, it's because I've overworked myself and haven't given my creative well enough time to replenish itself, which results in unsatisfactory chapters and a loss of motivation to write at all. When this happens, take a break. Watch some Netflix, read a whole book... just give your mind a break. 

Lots of love,

~Emilie