Got my claws in you

Chapter 80- old tradition, new memories

JI SUNG POV:

It's seeing a ghost. It's hearing it first and then impossibly somehow... somehow it's seeing it and years come crashing down around me, ears ringing as my body freezes. Every limb, every cell locking into place even as my heart aches and aches-wanting nothing more than to close the distance, to fold her close into my arms.

(Y/N).

Breath shuddering out of my lungs that all of a sudden constrict painfully-suffocating the breath in my throat, swallowing it down and it aches to. Looking at the way her smile, bright and giddy, freezes on her face. Doe eyes widening and the happy expression on her face melting away.

Unable to draw steps back to turn tail and run even if right now I don't doubt that's all she wants to do.

To pretend that I hadn't seen her, and she hadn't seen me.

But her name slips past my lips.

Years of absence clawing at the gap between us and wrenching it open wider, leaving gashed wounds in its wake. Retorn and weeping blood.

And right behind her, right behind her two felines come to a still-similar expressions melting into a hardened defensiveness, a cagey protectiveness as they angle away my daughter from me, slotting themselves closer.

That restless part of me thrashes at the sight of two felines blocking her away, but it's not enough to sweep over that pained misery and aching happiness that after all these years I get to see her.

"Baby what's wrong?" a hushed murmur but not too quiet to miss. I don't think they want me to miss. Nor does he hide the sight of wrapping a hand around her to tug behind his taller frame, ears stiffly perked and feline eyes glinting. Eyes settling on the sight.

He means something to her.

But a flash of protective anger surfaces to the top, wells up, uncontrollable and furious at the sight of a hand tugging at her, a rumbled growl that has my body locking up. Eyes examining the feline, committing his features to memory even as I stare hard at him.

"(Y/N)..." voice trembling. Quiet.

"Dad." The name choked out of her, wavering with emotion, eyes pooled with uncertainty and grief. Shared years of hurt unwinding between us, making that strained, frayed tether that was forged from blood pulled taut.

It's been years since I've heard her say it, years since I've seen her and it takes one word to have those years crumbling down around me, wishing desperately that time could've been unwound, so this... this distance wouldn't exist.

Wondering if even undoing time could fix it. Fix what I'd caused to break.

Wondering if I could dare take a step forward, whether I could will frozen limbs to thaw, to even move-ears stiffening at the threatening growl that ripples in the air. The challenge directed to me, body unconsciously locking up and stiffening. Biology snapping into place, an immediate instinctive reaction to another apex predator standing in front of my daughter, blocking her off and dark feline eyes staring hard at me.

I barely hear her voice call out to the two of them, as if all my senses but sight and scent have receded to the far corners of my mind and all I can see-all I can take in is how many years it's been for her to almost... almost seem unfamiliar with how much she's grown. But it's that familiar scent-that tell-tale anise and that visceral reaction to a scent that's my daughter that has my instincts keening and thrashing... begging to be near my cub.

A strangled sound swallowed down, thrashing, when she takes a wobbling step-as if she's not sure whether that step is to nudge her forward or away.

"Dad..."