Chapter Text
"Jaemin..." Donghyuck said instead, not throwing any glance to Mark. The wolf started to walk slowly, hands reaching for his bestfriend's face until the younger stood up and looks at the vampire prince.
"I shall go," then a bow of his head was performed, completely ignoring the wolf who was shocked by the sudden action of his bestfriend.
Years, they've known each other not just for months but for years. This actions of Jaemin, him slowly walking away from that someone he trusted the most. Standing still, Donghyuck felt someone's hand grabbing his wrist, Mark. Mark, what did he do to his bestfriend? Why did he suddenly barge inside this house, in the middle of nowhere and show up stones that could help Mark proving his love. Closing his eyes slightly, right before Jaemin could turn the door's knob, Donghyuck gasps.
"Jaemin!" The wolf shouted, slowly feeling weak, removing Mark's hold by his wrist.
Donghyuck rushed his way to the now frozen Jaemin, holding him by his shoulder then make him turn and stare on his eyes, "since when did you have red orbs?" The wolf asked, his own eyes shining in gold.
Jaemin, Donghyuck's long time bestfriend never had his eyes shine in fire of red. His was the opposite, the ocean of blue and calmness of the sky is what his eyes reflects. A low growl both to the wolf and his vampire mate has surrounded the place, Jaemin— an impostor infront of him, flinched with the sight. What a powerful beings, the two of them, though Donghyuck is a second prince, he is powerful enough to compete with the vampire's crowned prince. It was frightening, the two of them are like the water and fire that when combined, chaos will be produced. Like the sun to the moon where when the two meets, an eclipse that to some is a curse happens. Like when the sky meets the surface, the end of the world, to no one's saving. Jaemin steps back, while he tries to let go of Donghyuck's hand. The wolf seems to be struggling to breathe a little, eyes dropping while he reaches for something that might help him stand straight, Mark also saw that his mate needs help, this, he immediately walked to him and grab him by his waist. The wolf, however, didn't buy anything that the vampire is giving him, glancing at Mark and glaring.
"Who... Who is he?" Donghyuck pants, eyes getting glossy with his emotions filling in his heart.
The wolf put his hand over his mate's cheeks, eyes looking directly to the identical red orbs of the Jaemin who just came in, "Please tell me... Who is he?" Donghyuck begged but all Mark did was shake his head.
Furious, Donghyuck glared at Mark, looking straight through his eyes while his eyes' color intensifies, "Mark, I am begging you for the truth! I deserve it and—"
"Jaemin is gone and that person is not him!" The vampire shouted making Donghyuck freeze, stunned by the sudden outburst.
"He will never be back!" Added, Mark. Slowly, kneeling along with Donghyuck who is now crying on his knees... To Mark's eyes.
"What did you do to him?" Jaemin with the red eyes spoke as he see the vampire prince crying alone on the floor, silent yet comforting but it was a worry that he's comforting no one.
Donghyuck smirked, even though he's feeling a little weak, he looked at the Jaemin, "Everyone knows I can hold someone into a trance, a place where my illusion would ability takes your pretty prince."
Slowly, the wolf walks to reach Jaemin, eyes burning in gold while his aura is screaming danger. If anyone sees him in this place, though he's slowly getting weak, they would shake in fear. He isn't just any other wolf, not just any second prince of a kingdom. Donghyuck smirks, "I am not just Lee Donghyuck... I am the Lee Donghyuck." His hand reaches for Jaemin's neck, not holding it tight but tight enough for him not to move suspiciously. The wolf leans in, inhaling the scent of his bestfriend, no potions he has smell but one, gulping, he looks through the person he's holding by the neck's eyes. He's fuming, the times he has spent over mourning for his friend though he knows he's safe, it wasn't a good joke to pretend someone he is not.
"If there's one thing you should know about me... That is I am smart." Donghyuck lets go of the other person's neck, staying away while he pats the head of the now sobbing vampire prince. Donghyuck smiles at the scene, "I am so smart that they think of me as a threat." A light and broken chuckle escaped from Donghyuck's mouth then he proceeds to tell, "not just the vampires, my kingdom but even my own family decided to locked me down the dungeon... Because I'm a threat."
It has been years but to Donghyuck, it feels like yesterday. The times he was trapped in the dark that it was his own family who did those to him. His heart shatters, his smiles will be broken, now his eyes were teary while he looks at the Jaemin infront of him. It was like he was back at that time where he was five. A witch showed and foresee a fortune that wasn't even true. He was caged, punished for being powerful. He knows how it was all fake. Those things that was told to his father, a seer as the witch say but to Donghyuck, she was afraid of the second prince and to what he can do. She can also be an accomplice of a cursed moon child, the child of the goddess of war. No one knows but all it brought him was darkness. Donghyuck looks straight into the fake's eyes, smiling widely. His smile is dangerous, telling him that he shouldn't have done something ridiculous in the first place.
"Who are you?" Donghyuck asked, trying to be composed and controlling his anger, waves of light has passed through his vision, he badly want to close his eyes but he can't. Not yet.
"I..." Suddenly, the impostor was attacked by Donghyuck, hands over his neck but now tightly held. He can feel how he's slowly feeling weak and Mark's also leaving the illusion. Donghyuck needs to act fast now and know who this person is.
Eyes burning with gold and glitters, though his vision is slowly getting pitch black, this triggered the young wolf to hold at the imposter's neck tighter making him choke, slowly the spell that the wolf's smelling by him fades, showing a familiar man that same as to the witch who has fooled his family when he was five. Shocked with what he saw, Donghyuck felt a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him from the vampire, the impostor of Jaemin. Yes, it was a vampire. Though he's getting weaker, his head started throbbing hard while he gazes at Mark then he whispers before he slowly close his eyes.
"What is Doyoung doing here?" Then everything went black.
###
He's running, catching his breath under the moonlight. Donghyuck can't turn into his wolf form, he's too weak. He've bruised, wounded, and blood's running down from different part of his face. All he can do right now is to run for his life as if this would be his last night. He has to go, he has to run or else he will be no one tomorrow like a mistake forgotten by the town's men. He needs to go, he needs to hide or he would be humiliated over a mistake that wasn't even his.
"Listen to me!" But no one did. Donghyuck tries to explain himself, to let them know the truth but all they did was brush his explanations away, telling those were just excuses that aren't may.
This place is familiar, like he has walked passed these trees, these plants and tall grasses twice, trice or even a hundred times. Tears flowing from his eyes, he slowed down his running even though he knows that there is a chance that a great vampire would hold him near. He saw a light nearby, to him it was hope but he didn't know he'll be in more danger.
Where is he? Why is he in this place? It's as if he's somewhere in the future, somewhere that is about to happen... Another vision! As an Oracle of the Future, he would constantly see the future that could hurt the world badly. But it's his this time. This is his future where he's running away and he doesn't know why. When he was a child, the Moon Goddess helped him in order to escape the dungeon. She made his family realize that he wasn't a curse, that he is infact someone needed not just by the kingdom but the world. He's one of the chosen from the goddess' Oracle and he shouldn't be caged, he shouldn't be hurting for he is the saving. He will help for the peace and order despite of the chaos and wars. But this place, it's his not to the world. He's the one running and not watching for someone else to run. He's the one filled with fear and threatened for his own life and not another person. Does he have something to do with the future? Why is it him?
The luminous light coming not so far from here is slowly approaching him. Donghyuck shivers as the place is too familiar, oddly familiar that he's thinking if he saw these earlier already. Silence is filled, his heart is dancing along with the leaves blown by the wind, the wolf is shaking badly as he walks to the light. It was the same house in the middle of the forest that him and Mark just came earlier. A light gasp escaped from his mouth as he felt himself being swung by his waist.
"I thought you'll never turn your back on me?" Donghyuck is shaking, tears continuously flowing from his eyes while the person he thought he love will never hurt him.
The vampire smirks, holding the weak wolf tightly and jumping to the roof of the house then he whispers, "If I were to choose, why would I choose a low person like you?" At the end of the day, he wasn't loved the way he does to him.
"M... Mark?" Donghyuck called, looking directly to the vampire's eyes but he never look back. Like he always do, Donghyuck is the only one who looks, from afar or sometimes this near, the wolf still feels like he can never have a star like him. Mark will never be his.
What a love story. People would dare read this over and over again and they will be mad on Mark. But who is Donghyuck to force himself to the prince? Who is he to force himself to someone who accidently marked him? It was never meant to happen anyway, even so if he reason out that it was what the Moon Goddess want, he could never force someone to love him just because he love them. Tragic, drama, a lot of tears but Donghyuck doesn't care. He smiles as he touches his mate's cheeks, despite of the pain, the tears, he would still run away from his love. Just like Mark, why would he choose his feelings over his life? It was like weighing which was better: money or happiness. You wouldn't be happy without money, without providing your needs that has to be paid but you can't always find happiness with money, sometimes it can turn into greed. And maybe Donghyuck was greedy too, to wish for someone he knows he can never have.
"Is it bad?" He asks Mark but he never throw a glance, the wolf smiles then spoke again, "Is it that bad that I fell for you?"
###
The rustling sound of the wind made Donghyuck open his eyes. It was indeed a vision, the headaches and weakness from last night isn't because of the stone that prevents the two of them feel their mating bond. It was the next day, Donghyuck assumes as the sun entering the small of window beside him shows him that even though he's surrounded with trees, there are still sun.
Slowly, he stands up, assessing himself and fixing the bed. For sure, like everytime he gets his vision, he fainted. It wasn't nice, specially when no one's there to catch him when he fall. He scoffs. Why would he need someone to catch him when he fall anyway? He's perfectly fine on his own, obviously he is.
The wolf made his way outside the room, seeing Doyoung, Mark's advisor, cooking. "You're awake." The vampire addressed but Donghyuck just ignored him. He walks pass through the kitchen, sitting down on the couch by the living room.
Why does Doyoung still have to turn into Jaemin? Who did the shape shift spell to him?
Everyone knows who is Kim Doyoung. He's a seer, to Donghyuck, a fake one. He was the one who told the Queen about the throne... The nonexistent throne. He was known for being helpful to the kingdom of vampires, Apolians is not just any other kingdom, it is a dominating one and when seen in the history, they conquered few small kingdoms around them, enslaved the townsmen and turn them theirs. They're cruel, speically living with a hundred of years, they're not just someone to mess with. Donghyuck never imagined himself in this place. Since childhood, he just want to live freely, if he is to choose, he would love to spend every hours with his mother. He would love to enjoy the wind, to fly and learn from falling apart. This place is frightening but to him, he must face it.
A cup of coffee was placed infront of him, Doyoung stared at the messy hair of the wolf as he sits to a single chair infront of Donghyuck's. The wolf is undeniably beautiful even when he just woke up, Doyoung thought, "Aren't you going to apoligize?" Asked the vampire.
The wolf just scoffs, hands over his chest while he held his head high, "A prince never apologize to something he has never done wrong."
"You almost killed me!" Exclaimed, Doyoung.
"I should've instead."
"What?!"
A knock cut off the conversation, Doyoung stood up while glaring at the younger. Donghyuck only heard the door opening ang closing, no Doyoung came back infront of him. Sighing, the wolf decided to go outside too. The sunlight is passing through the peaks of the leaves, it was a pretty hot night. He walked through the grasses, looks around the places and enjoys the nature. His time was interrupted when he heard horses running all the way his place, looking up, he saw the two of those animals, a black and a white one. The black horse carries the richest noble of the vampires, Jaehyun is flashing his smiles while he's wearing the same traditional dress shirt Mark has yesterday while just beside him, Taeyong is riding a white horse while he has the dress shirt the wolf has the day of his marriage in the vampires.
"Prince Donghyuck," a curtsy, then the two get off the horses.
"What brought you here?" The wolf asked, assessing the two carefully.
"We are here for a gift," Jaehyun answered, pulling the white horse's leash.
Looking at the horse, Donghyuck slowly made his way to touch its face. Calm and obedient, like the one who's riding it earlier. Donghyuck glanced at Jaehyun, eyes filled with excitement while his hand is snaked around Taeyong's waist. The wolf gave him a small smile and nods, thinking that it was a sign for them to go, the wolf started talking.
"May I speak to your husband?" Asked Donghyuck, looking straight into Jaehyun's eyes.
He can see a hint of hesitancy on his eyes, like he's afraid of what could a consort prince could do to someone as weak and obedient Taeyong but in the end, the vampire just nod, kissing his husband by his forehead then he hops on his black horse.
"I will arrive shortly, I also have to talk to Prince Mark." But Taeyong just nod.
As soon as the vampire is gone and out of sight from the wolf, he turns to see Taeyong. His face is blank, eyes boring through the skull of Donghyuck that made him smirk. Taeyong isn't just a simple person.
"What made you marry him?" Asked Donghyuck.
"Pardon for my disrespectfulness but I think you are not of rights to know that, Your Grace." But to Taeyong's surprise, Donghyuck just nod, bringing the white horse and tying the leash at a nearby tree.
"You're this horse then." Taeyong did not respond. "Caged, leashed, obedient... But all in not good ways."
The wolf smiles widely, looking at the horse while he brushes its hair. Silence has conquered the place, Taeyong was unmoving and standing still. The wind is getting hotter as time passes, Donghyuck pities Taeyong for his situation. Is that really what he wants? To be with the noble man for the rest of his life? To be not free as the wind does to bird? A light chuckle broke the silence, looking back, Donghyuck saw Taeyong with his hand over his lips.
"We are just the same, Your Grace." Taeyong said but Donghyuck just smiles, making the latter stop from laughing.
"Wrong. We are never the same, Taeyong." Donghyuck smiles more, looking back at the horse while he hears Jaehyun's arrival, looking at his now husband.
The two made their way back home while Donghyuck stares at the back of Taeyong's head where he saw a familiar tattoo. He just shook his head, thinking of what did the human told him. "We are never the same." He has the choice to refuse the wedding, I don't. He is weak, I am not. I fight for my own, and he does to his own too. If there is one thing that they have in common, that is marrying the wrong man.
Donghyuck takes off the leash of the horse, jumping into his back and maneuvers his way to roam around the forest. This is the same forest he has on his vision. Sometimes, his vision can change, it can lead into something worse or something better depending on the changes of the present. Nothing is constant in this world, anyway, Donghyuck has the power to make a change and spread peace thus he has this ability. As an Oracle, he swore to the goddess that he will bring not chaos neither dispair, he is to perform his duty and not to crumble down by just a vampire who accidently marked him.
Donghyuck looked around, the possible ways where he can run onto, some short cuts and hiding places whenever he gets tired. From time to time, he gets down from the horse and mark those places he can use for his own advantage. He can't use his scent neither an obvious sign so Donghyuck decided to draw the tattoo of Taeyong that he saw from the back of his head.
Everything is peaceful, unlike the night on his vision where there is nothing but heartbeats of fear. He can see himself running away with wounds and hopelessness painted across his face. It was very unlike of what he's seeing right now. This isn't the place where he would be running, where he might face his death. The birds are chirping their morning song, some animals wild or small are making their own ways of life through the system while he can hear the nature comforting his heart. Soon enough, he heard a water splashing not far from his trails. A nearby waterfall, Donghyuck thought. Near but far enough from his marks of escape. He also saw another trail where he assumes more convenient to walk or use. Suddenly, his attention was caught when he saw familiar clothes from a stone. The wolf get off from the horse, with its leash, he once again find a good for the horse to stay.
Donghyuck walks while listening to the splashing of the waterfall, Mark was swimming, water dripping from his hair and undeniably gorgeous with those beautiful clear liquids. He's panting as he raise from the water, eyes locking with the wolf, he turns away and sat at a stone to rest. Donghyuck also decided to sit near Mark, looking away to not see the nakedness of his mate, making the prince of vampire laugh.
"Why did Doyoung did that?" Donghyuck asked Mark instead, trying to shift from what he's seeing to his thoughts.
"I know you won't open the door if he's in his true form." Mark answered monotonously.
"So you knew?" Oddly, Donghyuck is calm and not mad for their deceitfulness.
"Ofcourse," the prince simply answered.
Donghyuck doesn't know why and how Mark is still trusting the man. That vampire spread informations of a fake throne, something that shouldn't be talked about because this world isn't something to be owned by only one person. He is not a seer for sure, he's just a simple vampire and he will never be reliable as a seer.
"Why are you trusting him?"
"Why not?" Mark asked back that made Donghyuck turn to him, not minding if he's not wearing anything right now.
"He spread a wrongful foresees! He's not even a seer!"
"That doesn't discredit his ability as my advisor." Mark replied.
Donghyuck sighs, "you mean his ability to trick me?"
Mark didn't answered making Donghyuck talk more, "You know how much I care for my friend. You know that it will hurt me if I was deceived that way. You know I will loath you, hate you for your eternal life or even kill you but you still did it. Is that what ability that Doyoung possess you're saying saying?"
"You know how much that fake throne made this world turn into chaos. The Goddess of War started to make cursed moon child and help the negativities spread through this world. Imperfection isn't what you call this, it is dispair and unfortunate. It is not habitable, patriarchy, inequality and death! Those are just some of the things you and your advisor brought to this world!"
Donghyuck catches his breath, with the vampire's widened eyes, slowly he laughs while he holds onto his stomach. The wolf does not understand anything. There is nothing funny with his truths. There is nothing to laugh about and so why does his husband is almost dying with laughter? Donghyuck shakes his head, he knew he wouldn't listen. The things Mark believes are different from Donghyuck not just because the latter is a vampire and he's a wolf but because they both grew up in two different ways. To Mark, it is better if you have the world, you can control it and you can be the king. You will be the highest while they bow down to you. No one will kill you, no one will mess with you when you're holding the world. Meanwhile, to Donghyuck, it is better to perform your own duty and make the world for everyone. No one bows down to someone else, we are all living beings that needs to survive. We will live with foods on our plates, education is provided and mandates by the law of peace and rights.
Mark will never understand him and he will never understand Mark.
He didn't realize Mark already stopped from laughing. It was a peaceful nothingness, no words from the vampire neither from the second prince of Vevion. Suddenly, a flash of image appeared on the younger's memories.
"What do you know about Jaehyun... And Taeyong?" Donghyuck asked in a low voice making Mark turn into him.
He cleared his throat, looking at his husband, "Jaehyun married a human slave. Foolish."
Donghyuck looked at mark, eyes filled with certainty and voice is confident. He heard a splash of water, Mark came back swimming at the fall again while he left Donghyuck wondering. For sure, Taeyong isn't just a normal person, not a slave. Not when he has a tattoo of a pirate, not just an ordinary pirate, it is the most powerful and dangerous one.
Taeyong is dangerous, but Jaehyun is too. That's also another difference of them. Taeyong is leashed and caged by danger while he himself is danger. Donghyuck is leased and caged by danger while he fights his own danger. There's so much more things Donghyuck can do, even the most dangerous one.