Ah I Feel So Special Haha. Thanks For Adding A Little More

Ah I feel so special haha. Thanks for adding a little more

MDNI - My corruption kink has really been getting the best of me this week AND it's Felix Friday. So you know what that means! 🫠

BFF!Felix has known you since grade school. He’s watched you grow up alongside him. He knows how to make you laugh. When you cry, he knows how to cheer you up. He knows you’re a good girl who would never break the rules. You call him “Sunshine” and he calls you “Moonlight.” You’re so close knit that everyone thinks that you two are dating. His college buddies swear he’s had to have fucked you at least once. But you’re just friends so he’s never even tried. Yet…

BFF!Felix invited you to come hang out with him like you often do on Saturday nights. Sweatpants and B-rate movies. Lying on the couch, he pulls you into him a little tighter. That’s when you feel it. Pressing into your back. You pretend not to notice but he moves his hips slightly. Rubbing himself on you. “Felix,” you whisper. “Hmm?” he says but doesn’t stop. You feel your body heating up at the soft sounds he’s making in your ear. You’re aroused but nervous. Suddenly he stops, to take off his shirt. Then he starts rutting against your ass again, stroking your hair and kissing your neck.

BFF!Felix rubs your breast over your crop top. You tense up. “It’s ok,” he says huskily. “I’m your best friend, right?” he asks, still rubbing himself against you. You nod, trying to relax. He pulls down his sweatpants, freeing his hard, leaking cock. He reaches to pull your pants down and you grab his hand. “Felix, I’ve never–” But of course, he already knows. He gently sucks on your neck. “I know, Moonlight. Just wanna feel your skin against mine. Touching doesn’t count. I promise I won’t put it in … unless you want me to,” he whispers. Well, you can’t argue with that logic.

@moonlightndaydreams

Get attacked!! ✨🌈SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING🌈 ✨

Help I'm being attacked!

Among Strangers | Bang Chan

•Synopsis: A handsome stranger takes it upon himself to take care of you in a crowded subway as you try to evade a man that had been following you after a night of drinking.

•Pairing: au Bang Chan x Female Reader

•Content Includes: smut, stalking, public unprotected sex, creampie, fingering, crowded area, sex with a stranger, biting, possessive chan, brief mentions of bondage and claustrophobia with a surprise ending. (I think that's everything)

an: This was first posted on my Wattpad but it was pretty ass and didn't do well so I fixed it up a little bit (a lot... Like it was so bad lol) and figured maybe it would be better appreciated here.

Want more smut? Follow the banana 🍌

After a chill hangout at the bar with some friends from work, you all decide to head home. It's been a chill night with not too much drinking. Since you live close by, walking home seems like a good idea for some fresh air. But as you split from the group, you realize you're not alone. You start to get this eerie feeling like you're being followed. Looking over your shoulder you see a hooded figure and the hair on the back of your neck stands straight up. At every turn there he is, shadowing your every move, sending shivers down your spine.

Nervous about the idea of him following you home, you hop onto the subway thinking you could hide among a sea of people. With the size of the crowd there's no way he could find you. You're confident it'll work as you weave your way through the crowd, tripping over your own feet in a rush to lose him. You aim for the door at the end of the car on the other side just to create some distance between you and him. You steal a glance over your shoulder, heart pounding, checking if the man is still behind you. But in a rush, you accidentally step on someone's foot, sending a jolt of embarrassment through you.

“Oh my god!” You exclaim, cheeks reddening. “I'm so sorry.”

When your eyes meet the stranger in front of you, you're met with kind gentle brown eyes belonging to a beautiful man with dimples and perfectly styled hair buzzed slightly on the sides.

“No worries.” He smiles sweetly showing off his perfect dimples while his velvety Australian accent engulfs you and calms down some of the panic in your chest.

Looking over your shoulder again, you catch sight of the man coming into your view. His gaze meets yours, and a smirk plays on his lips before he casually looks away. Panic surges again, your moment of peace gone, sending your heart into overdrive and your eyes to widen in alarm. The handsome stranger in front of you notices your reaction and follows your line of sight to the man in the black hoodie, mirroring your concern.

"Hey, you okay? That guy giving you trouble?" His voice cuts through the chatter of the people around you. His voice, laced with a hint of concern and tinged with something darker, making you snap your attention back to him.

The dim subway lights overhead cast shadows across his young face, highlighting his handsome features more rather than diluting them. You feel a knot tightening in your stomach realizing just how worried for you he is. He glares at the creep and the muscle in his jaw ticks once.

“He’s been following me since I left the bar. I was too afraid to go home so I tried to make a detour to shake him off but he's fucking relentless.” you explain in a quiet hush.

The creep looks over at you again as if to make sure you're still in his eyesight and looks away quickly to not draw attention to his shady acts.

“Maybe he'll back off if he thinks we're together? He looked away pretty quick when he saw me. I'll stay with you for however long you need. Just to be sure that you're safe.” The stranger beside you says sweetly.

You felt fucking lucky to have run into someone willing to help you, to keep you safe. You could've ended up locked in some damp dark basement if not for this man you thought to yourself. You can already feel the mild tipsiness from the alcohol wearing off and you feel more alert and aware of your surroundings.

“Thank you so so much.” You reply and the man holds his hand out for you.

“I'm Chris.” He gives you an award winning smile that lights up his whole face and yours.

You mirror his smile and take his hand. One shake and you gasp at the sudden static shock that you feel spread throughout your whole body rather than just your fingertips. His hand is soft and warm and your body suddenly feels hot all over as if you drank a lot more than you really did.

“Y/N.” You introduce yourself timidly and he gives a small nod of his head.

The train rattles to a stop and opens the doors behind you and Chris, letting on more people eager to get home after work. It becomes increasingly crowded and you're forced even closer to Chris. So much closer that you have to take a couple of steps back in an attempt to have some space, only for your back to hit the glass window of the other doors. Another stop and more people push in, bringing the creep closer to you and forcing Chris's chest to push into yours. He apologizes, placing gentle hands on my arms.

“If you get uncomfortable let me know. I'll try and make space.” He tells you, placing a hand above your head as the train rumbles along.

“Y-yeah okay.” You mutter, feeling the hard muscles underneath the white button up shirt he's wearing.

With the alcohol completely gone from your system now, you realize that the situation you're in is beyond embarrassing. Your breasts are rubbing against his chest with every rock and shake of the train in an almost lewd way. Granted you are thankful that he's keeping you away from being pressed up against some weirdo or worse the guy following you but still, It's awkward. There's no way he can't feel your heart beating so rapidly. The train makes a sudden bump and your bodies are pushed together even more.

“Sorry.” You whisper when your hands instinctively go around his middle. He chuckles and you feel it vibrate through your chest, causing the butterflies in your stomach to flutter awake.

“It's okay y/n. You give great hugs.” He says, the butterflies go mad and your face grows warm.

He's so sweet and so good looking there's no way he was flirting with me just now. No way, he's just a really sweet guy. Yeah… he's just being nice.

As the train continues to go on you feel eyes on you, burning a hole straight into your skull. Looking around Chris's muscular frame you see the creep, staring, lewdly licking his lips and undressing you with his eyes, no doubt. You squirm to try and get out of eye sight but Chris's strong hand holds you still.

“What's wrong?” He whispers. His voice makes you shiver against him and his fingers tighten on your arms briefly.

“That creep is staring at me.” It makes you feel disgusted. Your skin crawls the way his eyes slide over your face.

Chris curses under his breath and pauses. “I'll push up to give you enough space to turn around so he can't see your face. Maybe once these doors open we can quickly get off and lose him then.”

You nod at his idea and he pushes on the door, putting an inch between you two. It's not a lot of space to move but you try your best, turning around facing away from Chris and the creep. Now, at least like this, your breasts aren't crushed into him. Only now, your ass is pressing against his front. From one awkward situation to another…. This is what I get for going out after work on a Wednesday. You think to yourself. I should've gone straight home or at least changed.

The skirt you decided to wear to the office today is now hitched up just barely covering your ass. If you can just keep still maybe he won't notice and the situation doesn't get any more embarrassing than it is.

“So uh what do you do for work y/n?” Chris asks and clears his throat. You can feel every word against your back.

“Uh, I work at CBO. I'm an editor over there.” You feel him nod behind you slowly.

“I heard they're supposed to get a new CEO. Some big shot is what the news is saying.” He responds but you shrug. You haven't heard much about the new CEO except for that he's the son of the previous CEO as well as the new owner now that his father is retiring.

“I'm sure he'll be a great boss. I actually haven't met him yet. I don't even know what he looks like” You utter softly sounding uncertain. Would he be a great boss? Would he take care of you? Who knows he could change everything with just one hand.

══════════════•✦•✦•══════════════

The train enters a tunnel and you watch the lights outside in the darkness flick and zip past in a blur before noticing Chris's reflection. His eyes are on you, studying your face in the glass of the door. Your eyes meet in the all the air gets sucked out of your lungs like a sudden punch to the gut. His gaze is smoldering, far too hot to be on the receiving end of such intensity. No one says a word although his lips slowly form a sexy coquettish smile.

“Do you need me to stay with you when we get off while you call your boyfriend?.” He whispers.

You shake your head no, eyes still on his reflection. “Don't have one of those but I can call a friend to pick me up.”

As you're about to open your mouth again to thank him for the hundredth time, the train comes to a screeching stop and the lights in the car go out. Men and women grumble and some even scream. The force causes Chris to slam into you and your skirt bunches up further about midway up your ass. In a panic you tell him and he curses under his breath.

“I'll try to fix it but I have to touch you, y/n. Is that okay?” Him asking for consent to touch you makes him that much more attractive.

“Yes, please.” You say, just as a voice is heard over the speaker.

“Passengers, please be patient there seems to be some debris on the tracks that is blocking our route. They're already taking care to remove it. We'll be moving on shortly.” The voice is replaced with calming elevator music playing loudly.

That's a smart way to keep everyone calm so that no one panics. Only one panicking right now however is you. The feel of Chris's fingertips against your bare thighs is driving you insane. His touch is hot but you shiver like his fingers are made of ice. Why is it turning me on so much when he's just trying to fix my skirt?. The move is too slow to be legal that's why. His movements feel so sensual.

“Sorry, I'm trying not to draw attention.” He explains as if he can hear your thoughts.

Shit you want to stop him. To say never mind and to leave it as is and pray that the train will be stopping soon to let some people off… but you don't. Instead you hold your breath and squeeze your legs together. Your arousal grows to an unbearable high. It's just a simple touch. Why is it driving you crazy? You aren't inexperienced at your age by any means. You've had lovers before but this man's fingers, they burn wherever he touches.

“The material of your skirt seems to be stuck on my fly.” He says and the urge to crawl into a hole is strong. “I can fix it but I'll have to lower my zipper. Tell me what you're comfortable with y/n.” He whispers leaning closer to your ear.

Loose tendrils of your ponytail flutter around your ear from his breath and you mentally remind yourself to breathe. Would it be selfish to ask him to lower it? What if he's uncomfortable with that? This isn't just about you now.

“I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”

He places his palm flat against your thigh comfortingly. “Whatever you decide, I won't be uncomfortable. As long as you're comfortable y/n, then so am I.” The conviction in his voice calms you and you give him a curt nod once.

“Lower it please.” You whisper, your voice sounding small with embarrassment.

His hand moves again from your thigh to your ass and you bite your lip hard. His knuckles graze the bareness and you unexpectedly feel him stir from inside his black slacks. Seems like I'm not the only one turned on by the other. Slowly and agonizingly, he lowers his zipper to not be heard over the piano and violin playing through the speakers.

“There. Are you okay?” You don't feel okay. You feel like you’re on the verge of dying from embarrassment and horniness. You can feel the opening of his pants against you and his growing erection pressing into your ass.

“I'm okay.” You lie. “Thank you Chris.”

Out of habit whenever you're riddled with anxiety, you shift your footing which only makes your ass rub against his erection more. “Shit. I'm sorry, I move around when I'm in an embarrassing situation and this takes the cake for me.”

He chuckles softly. “It's okay. I uh, I can't really control it unfortunately. Not when I've got such a beautiful woman like you in my arms. You make it… difficult to say the least.”

You rest your forehead onto the cold glass feeling the blush take over your whole face and he chuckles again.

“If I knew my evening would be like this I wouldn't have gone to happy hour with my co-workers.” Your sad confession fogs up the glass and you close your eyes.

He places a comforting hand on your hip. You're so packed he can't seem to stand the way he was before. His arms are restricted from raising any further than your hips now.

“It's okay y/n it's not all bad. We got to meet after all.” He says, making you smile.

“That's true. I don't know what would've happened if I didn't run into you.” His hands linger and you get so used to the heat that when he finally does move them away you feel cold and shiver under him. He groans softly, sending something like an electric current to the space between your thighs. That sound… you want to hear it more. Biting your lip you shift your weight from one foot to the other.

“Y/n…” Chris quietly says, sounding amused. “What are you doing?”

You shake your head feigning innocence. “My feet. It's these heels, I'm sorry.”

Why did I do that? I've seriously lost my mind but why do I want to do it again? The feel of him hard against your ass must be making you certifiably insane. This isn't right. Your better judgment screams at you. It's just your hormones getting out of hand.

When he places both hands on your hips and leans in, you expect for him to call you out on that blatant lie but instead he whispers, “Do it again.” All while slowly playing with the hem of your skirt.

You stifle a silent gasp, jaw dropping in disbelief, yet you obediently follow his instructions moving your hips just slightly. When you do, his left hand grips onto your hip tight and he sighs. His erection, that's fighting itself to stay inside the confines of his briefs, jerks forward against the fabric. Before you can shift again, his right arm wraps around you and his fingers find the wetness of your panties.

“So I'm not the only one fighting temptation I see.” His warm sweet breath fans across your cheek and your body sags a little in his arms when his fingers begin to dance.

Focusing on your breathing is all you can do so you don't faint from his touch. And trying to stay quiet now becomes a struggle the more his fingers move.

“Is this okay y/n?” You can only nod, too afraid of accidentally moaning and embarrassing yourself anymore today. He just chuckles and stops the torturous tango that his fingers were doing. “Use your words baby girl. Tell me if it's okay or not.” he instructs.

“Yes. It's okay, more please.” You hoarsely whisper, voice thick with lust.

Chris doesn't move, doesn't make a sound for what feels like minutes rather than seconds. Afraid that he might not have heard you, you open your mouth to repeat yourself when his fingers slip under the satin of your thong and into your slick folds.

“Good girl.” He says, his voice dripping with sex.

You lay your head back onto his shoulder as he works you just barely over the edge. Long fingers slipping in and out, massaging your thoroughly drenched cunt with ease. He grinds the heel of his palm against your clit and everything around you begins to blur. Lust, that primal urge, it ignites like a flame inside you, pulsating with an insatiable hunger that courses through every fiber of your being. You're so close to cumming around Chris's fingers, soaking his hand with your desire. You want to tell him just how close you are but if you let up on the hold your teeth have on your bottom lip you won't be able to control the sounds you'll make.

The lights come on just as you're about to come undone and he quickly removes his fingers just as quickly as he inserted them. The train begins to move again and you squint at the sudden light overhead that blinds you, breathing heavily. Before your eyes can adjust to the light and before your core begins to crave Chris's touch, you feel him fumbling behind you freeing his cock and distracting you from the frustration of your denied orgasm.

“Is there anything I should know?” He inquires, sounding like he's in a business meeting.

You don't need to ask what he's referring to. The real question though is do you really want to do this here, with someone you just met? What if you get caught? You both could get arrested. You could get fired. But there's no room in your mind for logic right now with the thrill and your need to cum clouding you. Fuck it.

“No nothing, I'm good. This is what I want.” You see his reflection smile.

“Good. Now, keep your eyes on me y/n.”

You feel the tip of him, covered in precum pressed firmly on your ass and his hands slide under your navy skirt pushing it up further. He hooks his thumb under the string of your thong and pulls it to the side. Your eyes never leave his face.

“No noise.” He warns, situating himself behind you, lining his cock up just right.

His cock feels thick and hot slipping between your thighs. You're so wet that there's little to no resistance as he pushes further and further until he's fully inside you. You let out a shuddering breath and your eyelids flutter close, feeling his warmth.

“No noise, remember? Look at me y/n. I want to see you when you cum on dick.” He tells you quietly, his voice more quiet than a whisper.

Your eyes fly open and stare at his reflection in awe of how gorgeous and composed he looks. He looks calm, like he's doing nothing other than waiting for his stop but his hands tell you otherwise. You feel it in the way he's gripping you to steal himself and to keep from bucking his hips into you at full force like he wants to. Like you want him to.

Instead he has to go at such an aching delicious slow pace so that the people behind him or next to you both aren't aware of what's going on. Your fingers long to hold onto him, to anything really. You're stuck standing still with your palms flat against the glass in front of you. Your breathing begins to fog the glass but you keep your focus on Chris and notice how his eyes go half lidded.

The brown seems to have gotten darker than the warm milk chocolate from earlier. One of his arms snakes around you and he presses his hand flat on your belly giving him more leverage. When he starts to move just a tad faster your heart rate skyrockets. The fear, adrenaline and lust mixing together creates an intoxicating concoction. Every glance, every touch, becomes charged with an energy that enthralls you. Your pulse echoes in your ears, drowning out all rational thought.

Chris's thrusts are covered up by the rocking of the train as it speeds down the rails. Your orgasm isn't far at this rate. Like a slow burn you feel it building up. A simmering that starts deep within your core, radiating up and outward. You're struggling to stay standing, to stay quiet now.

Your breathing comes out in ragged pants and your knees threaten to buckle the closer he brings you to ecstasy. You aren't the only one struggling, Chris's breathing is just as shaky and primal as yours and you hear him whisper something in another language before he murmurs “Fuck.” Into your ear, sending shivers down your spine. When your walls tighten around him he curses again and his gaze looks wild.

“Why do you feel so good around my cock y/n?” He asks but you don't dare respond. He smirks, grinding himself into you. “You take directions s-so well. So… obedient.” He whispers.

You can hear how he's losing his control. His composure has melted away and he no longer looks calm and collected. He looks like a man high on sex and chasing the release that's within reach.

“Y/n… fuck. Tell me, can I cum inside you? Will you let me fill you? Use your words beautiful.” He nips your neck just below your ear and you tremble.

“Yes. You can,” You bite your lip again to hold back what would've been a loud gasp when the train jerks Chris forward causing his cock to slam into your sensitive cunt. “You can cum inside. I'm so close Chris.”

“Then cum baby. Fucking cream on it y/n. Shit, so good.

Hearing him lose himself like that is your undoing and you're falling apart around him. The air becomes heavy with the heady scent of arousal, thick and intoxicating, swirling around you and Chris like a seductive veil. Each breath is laced with the taste of pleasure. Time seems to stand still as you stare at him. Eyes wide as you breathe through your nose squeezing your lips shut tight desperate to make no sound at all. Your cunt convulses around his cock begging to milk it of every drop.

The aftershocks of your orgasm shoot through you as he continues to thrust deeper and deeper. His own orgasm right at the edge. His arm tightens around you, hugging you closer to him. his breath becomes shallow and erratic as he reaches his climax.

“Fuck, fuck.” He whispers and he bites down hard on your neck over your fast pulsating pulse, sucking your flesh to keep himself from telling you how you belong to him now.

He bites you to keep the grunts and praises from tumbling out of his mouth uncontrollably. Because something about you makes him lose control. He doesn't do shit like this. He's careful, always planning and thinking things out. He just doesn't do spontaneity. He didn't plan this, it just happened. You just bulldozed into his life and he can’t get enough. What is it about you that makes him desire this cunt he's currently filling to the brim that he craves to make sore and swollen with his cock until the sun rises? Whatever it is, he's already addicted. He needs you in his own space, tied up nice and pretty like a gift only for him to unwrap. Fuck. He's already thinking of all the positions he'd have you in if you were at his place.

You watch in awe at how intense and irresistible he looks while he spills himself inside of you. His eyes hold so much power over you. You feel the weight of his possessiveness in his unwavering stare and it excites you immensely. You find yourself thinking of asking him to come back to your place where you'd be free to move around, cry his name out without anyone around. You're curious how sex with Chris would be in a more relaxed setting. If this orgasm was intense you can't imagine how it would feel when he isn't holding back.

He slowly pulls out of you, fixing himself as best as he can and then fixes your skirt back in place. He places a sweet kiss to the back of your head, chest still rapidly rising and falling. When you blush he chuckles.

“You're a cutie y/n. After all that, you blush from a kiss. So adorable.” He murmurs and you shift your feet. “If we don't get off soon I'll end up going for another round if you keep that up.”

You giggle and look back at him, “Sorry, I'll behave.” You sweetly say.

“What if I don't want you to?” He says instantly.

You blink at him, your face reflecting shock in the glass, and he chuckles. “To be honest with you y/n, I'd love to see you again if you'd let me.”

“Me? Seriously?” You whisper in disbelief.

“Of course. Preferably somewhere less crowded. I think after today I'll be just a little claustrophobic.”

You laugh and even after what just happened you can't believe how incredible of a guy he is. He wraps his arms around you, hugging you while you laugh.

“Has anyone ever told you that you have a beautiful laugh y/n?” He whispers and you shake your head. “Why does something as simple as hearing you laugh make me so hard? What have you done to me?”

A shiver of pleasure runs through your body and he exhales quietly.

“I'd fuck you again right now if we weren't about to stop.” He tells you followed by the robotic female voice informing everyone to wait until the train comes to a complete stop and the doors open.

As the subway doors slide open, Chris grabs your hand and pulls you through them, dodging the rush of commuters that are eager to go home. With ease he leads you away from the hooded creep that's desperate to find you, vanishing into the shadows behind a massive pillar. You peek out from behind Chris who scans the area cautiously. When the man doesn't see you he hops back on the train, disappointment evident on his face but relief floods over you. Glad that's over.

"Thank you Chris." you say, sending a quick text to your best friend for a ride. “For saving me I mean.”

"It was my pleasure, y/n." he replies smoothly, grinning at you, his gaze lingering on your lips. His thumb brushes your cheek, sending a shiver down your spine. "Anytime you need saving, or anything really just give me a shout, yeah?" He hands you a sleek black business card with fancy gold letters.

Maybe you will call him, because you really can't imagine that you'll get the memory of how he felt inside of you out of your mind. Besides, he made it very clear he wanted to see you again and how could you turn a man like Chris down?

After saying goodbye when your bestie arrives, you watch Chris walk away in the side mirror as the car eases into traffic. Glancing at the card in your hand, you see it reads "Chris Bang, CEO and Co-owner of CBO," and you feel a wave of shock and mortification wash over you.

“Who was that hottie?” Your friend asks bobbing her head along to the radio when she stops at a red light.

“My new boss…” You say, still feeling his warm cum still inside of you.

“Also... what the hell happened to your neck?”

This checks out

@hyuuukais @doitforbangchan @leeknowsallyoursecrets @catiuskaa

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THE QUIZ & PICREW

thank you so much for the tag kaybae :3 @alvojake TAGGING. @luvhyun3 @jungqkook @ctrlemis @enhalpy @koishua @boyfhee @heelvsted @heesbaby @cornenhapovs @www-jungwon @okwonyo @eeunoia @leaderwon @tyunni @jjunae @stariekis @lheebra @isoobie @lilyuwon @ms-no1kpopstan @theyluvvaubery @fakeuwus @jaylaxies @moon7jay @sserasin @sparklovespink (no pressure!)+ anyone who wants to do this just reblog from me > 3 < !

THE MONSTER FEELS SORRY FOR ME??? HELP?? Thank you???

Yesssssss I'm so excited

Screen Identity: Mismatched Passion

— contains adult content, minors do not interact 🔞 —

[ abstract ]: After a rough break up during semester break, you’re put in a class with none other than your longtime academic rival Han Jisung once university starts again. Things don’t get any easier considering he’s your older brother’s best friend and destiny decides to assign you two to a partner project. Luckily, you can distract yourself a little by chatting with the mysterious guy you met online a couple of months ago, getting closer both emotionally and physically with him, absolutely unaware he might be nearer than you would expect…

[ parts ]: EP. 1 — PAPILIO ULYSSES [ coming soon ]

[ general ]: jisung + fem reader, gamer + stoner jisung, gamer reader, academic rivals/enemies → lovers, brother’s best friend, minho is reader’s slightly older brother, college au, smut + angst + fluff, accidental online dating, inexperienced jisung + inexperienced reader [ real life ] vs simp jisung + brat reader [ online ] so they act a lot differently while chatting

[ warning ]: explicit sexual scenes [ will be individually specified for each chapter ], consumption of alcohol and weed, [ I might add more during the writing process and pls always make sure to read the chapters’ individual warnings and remember you’re responsible for your own media consumption ]

[ words ]: ?/?

[ note ]: a huge thank you @palindrome969 for helping me figure out the title and everyone else who suggested ideas! this is the long awaited and promised spin off series to The Experience Project [ minho x a different reader than this one ] so it might include the tiniest spoilers but nothing huge! make sure to check out the original story too. Tag list is open. if you wish to be added in order to engage meaningfully with this little story just let me know! If you asked me before under some other post please comment here again, I couldn’t keep track of all wishes to be tagged since I didn’t have a list at this point. I hope you will like this story 🩷

© leeknowsallyoursecrets 2024 — copying, stealing or translating my work is prohibited

Jagiya! You did so good. I've loved this series from the very beginning. It's definitely going on my favorites list!

To all my mooties, if you need a new read, maybe show this one some love

The Scars of Our Past

Part 9 | Part 10 (Finale)

Series masterlist | Ari’s masterlist

**We’re here! This is the last chapter lovelies and I’m so sad/relieved that it’s done 😭😆 Thank you so much for all the love I’ve received on this, y’all are the reason I write 🫶🏻💕 Please leave me any and all feedback and thank you to those who followed through the entire journey! 🫶🏻💗 Those who find the completed story, please enjoy!**

Wolf shifter!Chan x OC witch!Aurelia; Wolf shifter!Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin & Jisung; Fox shifter!Felix & Jeongin; Druid emissary!Seungmin

(Featuring: Wolf shifter!Hongjoong, Mingi & Yunho, Black cat shifter!Seonghwa & San, Fox shifter!Yeosang & Wooyoung, Apprentice warlock!Jongho)

~Words: 6.2k

~Theme/au: non idol au, fantasy, supernatural themes, Skz and Ateez shifter!au, multi chapter, enemies to lovers, found family

~Warnings: violence, minor character death, slight angst

Taglist: @stellasays45 @palindrome969 @lino-jagiyaa @ayejaii @skzhoes @euphoriayongbok @sebastianswhore13

The morning of the fifth day since the warlock’s departure, the growing elation in the shifters was stifled by the arrival of a messenger. It had been discovered that the invitation was faked even before they reached Lord Seokjin’s estate. The warlock’s fury had killed the plants and animals for several feet around him, immediately turning back to the castle, his will set on the punishment of those who would make a fool of him.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong ran to Aurelia’s room. They had only until the traveling party returned, only until then to get them all ready to escape and make sure Aurelia was finished with her spells.

The roots had traveled over most of the castle in the time they’d been away, the hallways and stairs lined with them, the largest ones growing up out of the grounds around the castle and into the foundations. Aurelia had enough magic woven through the walls that she knew when the messenger had arrived, almost becoming one with the roots themselves as she cast her spell. The panic she felt in the shifters was not mirrored in her, she found she was calm and confident in her power, knowing anything that happened now could only be in their favor.

As the two burst into her room, Aurelia had begun pulling herself from her magic sleep, awake enough to speak to them again.

“It’s alright, I had enough time.”

Her soft voice reassured them almost instantly, Hongjoong moving to look from the window into the courtyard below, Seonghwa sitting on the bedside and brushing her hair back as she slowly came to.

“We must hurry, little bird. The others are all getting ready, but the warlock could return at any time.”

She was sluggish as he helped her sit up, not moving for so long and the amount of energy she’d expended in her magic making her feel heavy, like her body was worn out from a long journey or days of hard work.

“Any time is now.”

Hongjoong’s ears were pinned in displeasure as he spoke, watching the warlock and Jongho ride through the front gate. Their former master’s face was filled with rage, not even stopping to observe the roots encasing his castle as he stormed through the front door. Jongho, however, gaped at the sight before him in awe. Never had he seen magic on this scale, the size of the root closest to him rivaling a tree trunk, the aura radiating off it as he moved to place his hand on it.

Aurelia looked up with a small gasp as she felt Jongho’s magic through the root. Her eyes glowed and a fond smile covered her face, her eyes slipping closed to speak to Jongho as she did to Seungmin.

‘Welcome back, baby bear.’

Jongho smiled in the courtyard, the nickname she’d given him all those years ago still tickling his heart.

‘I could say the same to you, noona. It’s been too long here without you, but now that I see what you’ve gained outside of this place, I’m glad you came to us when you did.’

‘Everything I learned in the time we were all apart was only meant for this day. The day that I would see you all again and finally have the courage and strength to return what you all did for me.’

Jongho shook his head, even though she couldn’t actually see him.

‘I’m sure you said the same thing to the others, and I hope they told you what I’m about to. You owe us nothing, noona. You took care of us, more than you take credit for, the entire time you were here with us. All of them would agree with me, you were the one who deserved to be free. Besides, our good choice will lead to our freedom in the end, so there is nothing to regret.’

Aurelia felt her eyes glisten with tears at Jongho’s words. Seonghwa had been right, the little boy she knew was absolutely still in there, though now he was much more eloquent.

‘Thank you, Jongho. I still wish to grant you all your freedom, but as one of you again and not the one being saved. I broke the spell on all of their collars, help them get out of the castle if you can.’

Jongho’s eyes widened at her words, again amazed at her strength, as he’d been attempting to break their collars for years.

‘I will, noona. Be careful, and give that cruel bastard everything he deserves.’

Aurelia’s eyes opened and her heart filled with angry determination as Jongho’s connection faded. Seonghwa and Hongjoong felt their moods boosted by her aura, the instinctual fear they held at the idea of facing the warlock fading into the back of their minds as she held her arms out for their help.

One of them under each arm, they pulled her from the bed and supported her between them. Her strength was returning at she came out of her dream state fully, standing steadily before they all started walking out of the room and down the stairs.

They made it to the bottom of the stairs and half way down the large hall before the shifters both froze, the sound of angry footsteps reaching their ears. They started to turn and lead her another way when she stopped them with a soft tug, the anticipation in her eyes worrying Seonghwa but encouraging Hongjoong.

The three of them braced for the arrival of the warlock, her eyes already glowing as she prepared to finally stand her ground against the monster of her past.

Twenty feet.

Aurelia’s heart was pounding, but no longer in fear.

Ten feet.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa were both affected by her scent and the furious spike in her aura, their own anger flaring as their ears pinned back and they bared their teeth.

Five feet.

“No matter what happens, don’t attack him. Do you understand?”

Her low voice held a warning of danger if they disobeyed her, both of them nodding at her in understanding.

Zero.

The warlock turned the corner into the hallway with a flurry of his cloak. He stopped in anger and shock at the three that waited for him, his eyes landing on Aurelia with no less than murder swirling in them.

“You. You little bitch, what have you done?”

Aurelia found she could only smirk at him. Even his stature had fallen in the years she’d been away, his magic disgusting her and the thought of all he’d taken from them in their lives blinding her with hate.

“Only a taste of what you really deserve, you monster. There are scars on too many of the ones I love that should be repaid on you a thousand times over.”

The warlock sneered at her angry words.

“You think you have any power here, little girl? I think you’ll find I am not the only danger to you. Seonghwa, Hongjoong, kill her.”

She felt them tense on either side of her, the final test being placed on the effectiveness of her magic against the warlock’s. Aurelia only glared challengingly at him as his eyes widened, neither of the shifters moving to obey him.

“Kill her, now!” The warlock yelled almost hysterically, “What is wrong with you two?!”

Before any of them could respond, his dark aura shot towards them, fully intending on bending the shifters to his will once more. His face was twisted in anger and desperation, and in that moment Aurelia found a strength in her that only defending others could bring.

“NO!”

Roots shot from the walls and floor around them, grabbing onto the warlock at the furious shout she released. The dark aura was repelled with the strength of her own, Seonghwa and Hongjoong forced to take a step behind her with their ears pinned from the pressure as she stepped toward the warlock with her eyes glowing threateningly. The roots wrapped around him, securing his arms to his sides, tangling around his legs and bringing him to his knees, larger roots from the floor slowly wrapping around him like a snake engulfing it’s prey.

The two shifters looked on in awe as she advanced on him, her aura simmering around her, all trace of the scared little girl they used to defend from him gone in the wake of her power and anger. The warlock’s eyes were wide in panic, his struggle against the roots only serving to entangle him farther.

“Release me, you-,”

“No.” she growled. A root wrapped around his throat enough to silence him, his eyes bulging in true fear now. She towered over him in her fury, everything he’d done to her, everything he’d done to them, everything that she’d learned about what happened to Chan within these walls, all of this fueled her magic as the walls of the castle began to tremble.

Every shifter in the castle stopped, looking around on alert as they felt the change in the roots around them.

Aurelia stalked towards him, stopping an arms length from the man who tormented her for years, glaring down her nose at him as though he were a shit on the ground.

“No…I will not release you.”

Her quiet voice sent chills through Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Even though her tone was soft, magic and anger was laced into her voice, and the words she spoke echoed through the roots embedded all around the castle.

“I will not release you for all those you have imprisoned. I will not release you for every one of my brothers who suffered under your hand, for the scars I carry from the sting of your whip, for all of the innocent civilians who have cowered under the threat of your power.”

The rumbling around them grew louder, the floor beneath them shaking as the two shifters looked at each other nervously. Her voice grew, the sound trembling through the walls just as tremendously as her power.

“I will not release you until you have suffered the same! Death has always shrouded you, the fear of dying and the unknown keeping people beneath you, allowing you to impose your will on those who would fear you. But no more! Now you will bow to the will of another, the will of nature, and the will of all those who would see you gone from this world!”

The warlock screamed as her power reached its peak, the sound cutting off as the roots encased him completely. Her eyes glowed brighter, her head falling back as the rumbling around them escalated to the cracking and shattering of the entire castle.

Aurelia’s aura surrounded Seonghwa and Hongjoong, pulling them to her as the roots she had woven throughout the castle began to expand, twisting together as they grew. They crumbled stone and splintered wood as they wreaked havoc, joining into larger roots as they expanded into parts of the castle unseen.

The pressure around them had the shifters pressed close to her on either side, shielding her as much as her aura shielded them, their hands over their sensitive ears from the noise of the destruction.

Seonghwa noticed the lump of roots that had encased their master was getting smaller, disappearing into the roots snaked across the floor. Her aura faded slowly as the rumbling came to a stop, the hallway now unrecognizable as a simple corridor of thick roots leading to the outside.

She sighed as her magic disappeared along with the last trace of their master. Seonghwa and Hongjoong both reached forward to catch her as she fell, unconscious from the amount of magic she’d released but still breathing gently. Looking at each other steadily in the silence, they realized with a sick sense of pride that she’d killed him.

They were almost free.

****

The rest of their pack had taken advantage of the chaos. As soon as the walls began to crumble, the shifters ran swiftly towards the closest exit. Yunho and Mingi cleared a path for them as they all came into view of the large front door. Just before they reached it, the door was pushed open and Jongho waved at them, shouting for them to hurry.

Outside the castle, after he had spoken to Aurelia, Jongho had felt like he was being watched by one that didn’t belong in the courtyard. Looking to his right, he saw three shadowed figures watching him from within the largest roots. The one nearest him had his hand on the roots, like Jongho had before, and suddenly Jongho realized he’d heard the conversation between him and Aurelia. Motioning for them to come over to him, the three looked skeptical before slowly approaching him in the shadows.

“You’re here for Aurelia-noona, correct?”

The one who Jongho could tell wielded magic looked back at the others at Jongho’s hushed question.

After receiving a nod of approval from Chan, Seungmin turned back and answered Jongho’s question with a nod of his own.

“I heard you tell her that you would help the shifters inside escape. Why?”

The young warlock smiled gently at Seungmin, Chan and Minho sensing the sadness in him.

“They’re my brothers, and I have failed to free them for as many years as we’ve been here, so promising noona that I can help them after she did all the work to release them is the least I can do.”

The three nodded approvingly at Jongho. They all turned in shock at the feeling of the castle beginning to tremble.

“Seems noona is ready. Quickly, we have to get the gate open for the others.”

Jongho ran toward the front door, Chan and the others swiftly following him. Minho took down two of the guards quickly as they looked around in confusion, Chan taking out the guard near the gate wheel as Jongho’s eyes glowed while he moved the wheel to raise the gate.

Pushing the door open, he ushered his brothers through when they emerged from the castle as it began to crumble in earnest around them. Running farther into the courtyard, the eight shifters and two magic wielders turned to watch in amazement as the roots tore apart the castle’s foundation, shattered through windows and walls, and displacing every piece of structure in their way before twisting skyward and joining together to form a thick tree trunk that climbed slowly higher and higher before branching into a canopy.

Seungmin shook his head with a fond smile as he watched her wreak havoc. He remembered finding the spell she was using, the long conversation they’d had about it over tea had widened their view of how magic could be applied. To see how she used it now left him astonished, hoping with all his heart that he would see her again to ask her about it.

Humans poured from the town toward the castle as word of the spectacle spread, their shouts of awe and fear beginning to rise over the sounds of destruction. Minju looked on as one in awe, the forest consuming the dark castle seemingly a perfect end to the terrible history it held.

Slowly, the creaking and groaning of growing wood, the shouting of the townspeople, and the crumbling of stone was replaced with the eeriness of a heavy silence. In the place of the castle now stood a towering, twisted, fully grown oak tree.

Other than the pieces of the castle that were intertwined with the wood, the tree looked exactly like the one that had been the background of the shifter’s dreams, the sun streaking through the leaves scattering a serene feeling across them as they realized she was forewarning them this whole time.

The townspeople began murmuring amongst themselves again, the shifters still looking at her spell in awe but Chan turned to them, only focused on finding her. Scanning over them, his heart clenched when he didn’t see any familiar faces.

“Where’s Aurelia? Or Seonghwa and Hongjoong?”

Each shifter turned to him before looking around, Yeosang stepping forward with a shake of his head.

“They went to get Aurelia-noona out before she fully cast her spell. If they were helping her and they encountered our master again, they’re most likely still inside.”

“If the master found them, they could be in trouble.”

Wooyoung’s worried voice had Chan growing increasingly more anxious. Minho put his hand on Chan’s shoulder to calm him, Jongho’s next words aiming to do the same.

“They’ll be fine. Even if they encountered him, noona is far stronger than that sorry excuse for a warlock ever could have been.”

They all looked up at the former castle again, Chan still fighting the urge to go in and find them himself. He caught Minho’s eye, but before they could make any decision, some of the townspeople started shouting again. Turning to what was left of the front door, they all gasped to see Hongjoong and Seonghwa step into the sun, Aurelia limp in Seonghwa’s arms.

Aurelia.

Chan could sense her heartbeat from where he stood and it made him almost deflate in relief. Minho gripped his shoulder harder in support, Seungmin rubbing his hands over his eyes to stem his tears.

They moved with the other shifters towards the three by the gate, gathering around them more protectively as the shouts from the townspeople became suspicious and angry.

Any hope of a reunion right then was dashed by the people shouting for an explanation of what happened to the warlock, calling them ‘murderers and animals’ before even hearing their story. Their agitation grew, as it only could in a mob, before Jongho’s voice boomed across the crowd, amplified by his magic and echoing through the town.

“Silence!”

Stunned by the sound, the crowd fell into a heavy silence as Hongjoong stepped past Mingi and Yunho, patting them both on the back gently as he stood in front of the crowd, the voice of reason separating the townspeople from his people.

Looking around at all the faces they’d seen in the town over the years, all those who had also suffered under the warlock’s hand, Hongjoong felt the urge to free them as well and he spoke out loudly to them.

“Would you call a slave that killed their master, a murderer? Have we not all suffered in the deathly shadow of this forsaken castle? Though you weren’t trapped within the castle itself, I know there are many of you here now that have been cheated, stolen from, and tortured by the piece of shit that called himself lord of these lands.”

The others watched as the crowd shifted nervously, many of them murmuring and nodding in agreement with Hongjoong’s words. Chan was impressed, the Hongjoong he knew was much more timid than the one that faced an angry mob now.

“If it’s the town you’re worried for, don’t be.” Hongjoong held his hands up as he gestured to the shifters behind him.

“We have no desire to take over. Many of you will already be able to keep this town running even without the warlock, and we simply wish to leave in peace and move on with our lives.”

More murmuring ran through the crowd, but silence fell as Minju made her way towards the shifters. Yeosang offered her his arm with a small smile, moving to stand with her beside Hongjoong. She reached out and patted Hongjoong’s arm affectionately, he and the rest of the shifters relaxing slightly as she turned to address the townspeople.

“You all know he is right. They have been prisoners here for too many years, this is not their home and it is not their responsibility to look after it now. They’ve done us a service by releasing us from the unending darkness, and we will allow them to leave peacefully.”

Her stern tone and logic seemed to finally persuade the crowd, the tension dissipating as they all began to group up, some talking lowly about the changes to come, others forming teams to explore within the ruined castle.

The shifters all moved to the side, embracing each other with tears forming as they realized it was completely over. Seonghwa turned to the three who were not his brothers, a small smile on his face as he recognized the intimidating wolf shifter as the scared little Chan he used to know.

“It’s good to see you again…Chan-hyung.”

The others all quieted as Seonghwa spoke, Hongjoong stepping forward to clasp Chan’s hand as well. Chan gripped his hand back firmly, nodding in agreement with Seonghwa despite the circumstances that led to their reunion.

“And you. All of you. Though I’m sickened to think you’ve all been trapped here for so long.”

Hongjoong shook his head. “It’s in the past now. Through the wildest of coincidences, it seems all of our fates have been intertwined for many years. I have a feeling that whatever chance led you to meeting Aurelia, without it we might never have been reunited with her and she may not have had the strength to free us. Now we can only go forward. You seem to have moved on nicely from your past, hyung, and you helped her do the same. We’ll move on in our own time, but not by burdening you or your pack with it.”

Chan pondered his words, his brow furrowed as he wanted to argue with Hongjoong but he knew that it wouldn’t do any good. They needed to move on by helping each other and Chan knew better than anyone that his pack would only be an added stressor. He decided a little bit of help never hurt, though.

“At least come back with us until she wakes up. You can all stay in the protected clearing of her cottage until you decide where you want to go and what you want to do.”

The shifters all looked at each other questioningly before looking at their leader. Hongjoong gazed at Chan steadily for a moment, his eyes moving to Minho and Seungmin standing behind him, before landing on Aurelia. His eyes softened and he nodded.

“Alright, it’s a better plan than staying in this town any longer.”

Happy claps and wagging tails were seen all around and Minju couldn’t help the smile on her face at the sense of peace that swept through her as she watched them celebrate. Stepping forward to pat Hongjoong again, she said,

“All of you come with me to my cottage to get some provisions for the journey back. And take those hideous collars off, aren’t you all free now?”

The collared shifters all paused in shock as they realized she was right. Chan reached out and took Aurelia from Seonghwa, tucking her into his arms in relief, as they all reached up to their necks with shaky hands. One by one, they heard the clinking of metal and the thud of the collars hitting the ground, the last one landing with a certain finality that shuddered through Hongjoong.

Now they were free.

****

The journey back around the mountain seemed to pass faster than the first time. Despite the worry that ate at them all, Seungmin and Jongho assured the shifters that Aurelia was fine even though she was still unconscious. Her mind had reacted sluggishly to Seungmin’s own magic, proving that she was alright but extremely drained from the energy she’d given to free them.

Taking turns to carry her, the eight shifters and two magic users finally made their way back into a familiar territory.

Hongjoong and his pack stopped at the border at first, hesitating from the feeling of the powerful barriers Seungmin and Aurelia had constructed, but encouraging barks from Chan and Minho had them following again.

Chan led them through the barrier around her cottage, a sense of peace and an endless happiness welling up in him at the idea that she was home.

All of them shifted to stand upright, looking around in curiosity at Aurelia’s cottage and garden. Jongho followed Minho and Chan as he carried her into her bedroom, laying her gently in her bed before leaving to look around as well.

Leaning over her, Chan brushed her hair from her face and adjusted her head comfortably on the pillow. Minho was crouched next to her side, as though he were guarding her like he had been the entire journey back. Seungmin leaned over her as well, opposite Chan, his eyes glowing as his magic curled around Aurelia slowly.

Watching from the door to her cottage, Hongjoong and Seonghwa shared a warm look at the sight of them caring for Aurelia so deeply. They’d seen it in all three of them throughout the journey, the guilt Minho and Seungmin felt being palpable to the shifters more often than not. The thought that she had found a pack of her own should’ve struck jealousy into Hongjoong, he thought, but instead he just felt happiness for her.

Motioning Seonghwa outside, he looked off into the trees as he spoke softly.

“This is her true home, isn’t it Hwa?”

Seonghwa smiled gently, looping his arm through Hongjoong’s.

“Yes, I think it is. I know we all love her endlessly, but we can’t make her choose. We’ll stay here until she wakes up, and then we’ll decide where to settle from there. You know she won’t let us run too far away now, anyway.”

Hongjoong smirked at him then, knowing Seonghwa was right. They could work with Chan, and if he allowed them to, they would find a territory that was close enough so they could all visit her often. The thought of being allied with Chan’s pack made Hongjoong hopeful that they would be alright in this new place.

Minho emerged from her cottage behind them, gently clasping Seonghwa on the shoulder.

“I’m returning to our den to check on the rest of our pack. They’ll most likely all return with us, but do any of you want to go with me? Just another chance to run free.”

The two eldest shook their heads, about to politely decline his offer on behalf of them all, when Yeosang spoke up.

“Can I go? I’d love to see more of the area.”

Minho nodded, smiling at the fox shifter. His blond hair and ears had reminded Minho of Jeongin, but the soft nature Yeosang carried made Minho think of him more like Felix.

Hongjoong shook his head at Wooyoung before he even opened his mouth, knowing the fox wanted to go with Yeosang and Minho, but he would never put that kind of chaos on Minho to deal with alone.

Shifting to run, Minho and Yeosang took off into the forest. Suddenly having the urge to check something, Minho barked at Yeosang and turned towards the area where Aurelia had been captured. As they stopped near the clearing, Minho felt relief rush through him.

Nothing.

There was nothing in the clearing, no dense magic, no strange smell, no trap chains.

The magic areas seemed to have died with the warlock, meaning their territory was safe again. Minho couldn’t help but jump around in giddiness before barking at Yeosang again and taking off at full speed toward the den. Yeosang jumped excitedly too and took off after Minho with a happy yip, no idea why this place made Minho so relieved, but happy to be involved nonetheless.

Shifting back to two feet, Minho stopped just outside the entrance to the den. He had a wide smile on his face, unable to contain his happiness about being home. Yeosang felt his mood matching Minho’s unintentionally, his happiness incredibly contagious, and Yeosang wondered if his brothers would stay close enough to befriend this pack.

They hardly made it into the den clearing before Jisung and Felix practically bowled Minho over.

“Hyung!”

Minho’s laughter rang through the air, Changbin running to them as well while Jeongin helped Hyunjin stand.

“You’re back! Did you find her? Is everyone safe? Where’s Chan-hyung?”

They all rattled questions off faster than Minho could answer them, a pause only happening when they noticed Yeosang standing behind Minho and watching them warmly.

“Oh! Who’s that?”

All eyes turned to Yeosang, Felix’s question hanging between them. Minho took the chance to explain then, ruffling Felix’s ears before introducing Yeosang.

“This is Yeosang. He’s one of Aurelia-noona’s brothers.”

They gasped as he waved at them shyly.

“So you found her? You found them all?”

Minho nodded at Jeongin.

“We did. They’re all free and noona is safe. Come on, they’re waiting at her cottage with Chan-hyung and Seungmin. I’m sure we’ll all have lots to talk about when we get back.”

Felix and Jisung whooped in excitement, Changbin joining them and pulling them and Hyunjin into a very squished hug. Jeongin seemed at war with himself, though, Minho reaching over to put his hand on his back.

“What’s wrong, Innie?”

“Will she actually be happy to see me?”

Jeongin’s small voice made Minho’s heart ache. He held the same guilt as Jeongin and Seungmin about Aurelia being captured, but he and Seungmin had been able to reach some closure about it. They’d simply left Jeongin to deal with his guilt alone and Minho pulled him into a hug suddenly, needed him to know that it wasn’t his fault.

“Of course she will be, Innie. You know as well as I do that she would scold you for even thinking that. And she would scold us both for continuing to blame ourselves for something we couldn’t control, and that’s already been fixed.”

Jeongin nodded against Minho’s shoulder with a sniffle, the other boys patting him on the head or back in comfort. As they pulled apart, Minho ruffled Jeongin’s ears playfully, wiping the few tears off his face.

“Come now,” he said, “no more sad faces. We have a reunion party to get to.”

The boys all shouted happily again before shifting down and running towards her cottage, the elation in the air around them making everything in the forest seem just a little brighter.

****

Darkness again.

Aurelia was growing very tired of being unconscious all the time. Her vision had gone dark after the spell was completed, the magic of the forest that she’d summoned completely engulfing the castle and the one who owned it at the same time. She knew it had worked, her brothers were free, so why couldn’t she wake up? Why was she still stuck in this dark wasteland within her mind?

Time was endless and nonexistent in this wasteland, the only brief comfort she’d had was the fleeting touch of Seungmin’s mind. She’d tried to grasp onto his aura like an outstretched hand, but he’d slipped away, leaving her in the darkness once again.

The silence was pierced after an unknown time, the voice so quiet at first that she wasn’t sure she was actually hearing it.

‘Please…please come back.’

Aurelia felt familiarity and warmth bloom from the voice, it’s owner’s name scratching at the surface of her consciousness.

‘We’re all here, both packs, safe and waiting for you to come back to us.’

It was like a thread connecting her to the light. She pulled herself towards the voice, needing whoever it was to know that she was trying, she was trying so hard to come back.

‘I know you won’t let anyone apologize when you wake up, but I’m sorry Aurelia. I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop any of this from happening, I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you or my pack, I’m sorry I let a magic user shatter our happiness.’

Chan.

Of course he would apologize for something that was entirely not his fault. The sheer audacity of him saying sorry to her seemed to be the last tug Aurelia needed to surface from her weakened state.

“You’re right.”

Aurelia’s soft, hoarse voice had Chan’s head snapping up to look at her, his heart pounding as she gently squeezed his hand that was holding her own.

“I won’t let you apologize.”

Her eyes slowly blinked open, her mumbled words bringing a disbelieving and relieved smile to Chan’s face. He dropped his head slightly to hide his tears, pressing his lips against her hand until she gently lifted him again to look at her.

“I mean it, Channie. This isn’t your fault. This was all meant to happen, our fates have been intertwined our whole lives, and now it’s led to all of us finding each other and being free.”

Chan gazed at her softly for a moment before taking her palm from his cheek and pressing his lips into it again.

“I won’t then, but you will hear an unending amount about how much I was worried for you. I already have seven children to deal with, never again are you allowed to go and get kidnapped.”

Her sparkling laugh was all Chan needed to be completely at peace again.

Helping her sit up against the headboard of her bed, he brushed her hair behind her ear again while still gazing at her softly. She returned his gaze and reached up again to cup his cheek. The magnetic pull they had was still there as they leaned in, their lips meeting in a feeling of coming home.

Gently he pulled back as he heard footsteps from outside her cottage, kissing the tip of her nose lightly as he whispered, “I missed you, beautiful.”

Aurelia smiled so brightly then, she felt her cheeks would stick that way. Happy tears gathered in her eyes, tears that only worsened as the door to her cottage burst open and she was met with the sight of his entire pack rushing to greet her.

“Noona! We missed you so much!”

Her laugh was watery as Felix, Jisung, and Changbin threw themselves into her bed around her, Felix immediately being wrapped tightly in her arms, his tears finally triggering her own as they held each other.

“I missed you all too, so much.”

Her voice was muffled by Felix’s shoulder, but Aurelia still looked up, trying to find the eyes of the others. Hyunjin stepped forward and patted her head gently, her hand reaching out to grasp his arm.

Aurelia turned her head to see the three who’d seen her last. Minho and Jeongin had their heads bowed slightly, tension in their shoulders, Seungmin smiling at her but there was sadness in his eyes.

Gently sitting Felix back, she reached out for them. Seungmin immediately took her hand, sitting next to Changbin on the edge of her bed. Minho hesitated slightly, but she gave him a playfully serious glare that had him rolling his eyes fondly and taking her other hand. He crouched next to her, squeezing her hand gently in understanding before releasing her hand so she could reach out to Jeongin.

The fox still had his eyes downcast, his ears pinned back as he wrestled with his guilt. Chan reached up to pat his shoulder as she spoke.

“Innie? Please look at me.”

Timidly, Jeongin looked up to meet her eyes, still afraid that he would see anger or distrust in them. He’d left her behind, he was supposed to protect her and instead she’d gone through hell because she protected them.

Aurelia could almost feel the conflict in him, realizing that when Chan had apologized to her, he was speaking the heart of his pack. She was determined to make him understand that she didn’t blame him for anything.

The smile that lit her face when Jeongin met her eyes melted any anxiety he held. He realized he was stupid to think that she would hold any resentment towards him, or any of them. With tears in his eyes now, Jeongin stepped forward and dropped into her arms with a poorly restrained sob, her hug healing the despair he’d felt in the weeks they’d been gone.

“None of you have anything to apologize for.” She spoke softly to them all, holding Minho and Seungmin’s eyes. “If anything, I have to apologize to you all for bringing danger to your home. The warlock was hunting you, he found me on accident, but his endless search for me even brought him this far in the first place.”

Aurelia looked up at Chan then, realizing that his fears from when they’d first met had actually come true, even if it was in a roundabout way.

Chan was shaking his head before she could even start.

“You scolded me for apologizing for things we couldn’t control, eat your own words. We’ve come to know who you are, Aurelia, the past you and I share, and the bonds you’ve built each of us. All of that is worth even the slightest danger that we could face. And he didn’t find us because of you. He was a greedy, cruel, selfish bastard who would stop at nothing to put anyone beneath him and I have no doubt he would have found us eventually. Without you, though, we never would have known who he was and most of us could have ended up like Hyunjin, or worse.”

The boys all agreed with him, her own eyes teary as she looked at them all fondly.

“Fine. No one’s apologizing to anyone. I’m just glad to be home.”

She hugged Jeongin and Felix again tightly, the others gathering her into a group hug as Chan felt like his heart would explode.

Yes, she was home.

****