Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Seventy-Four

Vampire.

A groan escaped his lips as his head lolled to one side, blood clinging to his skin as it continued to pour from the open wound at the back of his head. He knew he was missing a crucial detail, failing to think of something he should have. But he was just... so tired.

He knew he should have felt something – fear, perhaps. And as those fangs grew ever closer, as though in slow motion, his eyes slowly shuttered to a close. He was barely conscious enough to even realize that the impact he'd been waiting for never came.

~#~#~#~#~#~

Minho felt crazed, as though something within had snapped the moment he'd lain his eyes on the scene unfolding before him. Or maybe it was when the scent of blood he remembered so clearly met his nose — registering, and then recognizing.

Snap.

He lunged forward, an animalistic growl ripping from his throat as he flung himself forward at a speed he hadn't known he was capable of. Something red, hot, and painful blossomed in his chest, expanding until it threatened to swallow him whole.

And then he was seeing red.

His fangs flashed as he grappled onto the figure looming over his Mate. His Mate. Brief thoughts flitted in and out of his mind, each one leaving him more vengeful than before. The vampire he was dealing with was fast, experienced.

Somehow, that fact seemed minor, unimportant.

The scent of blood hung thick in the air, tantalizing his tongue, deepening the haze around his vision. He attacked again with a tenacity he didn't know he had, a fire he didn't know had been lit. The stain of his love's blood on the blades of grass – individual blades of grass he could see clearly through his reddened vision – only served to spur him on.

The vampire in front of him stared at him with a star-struck expression. "How... How are you..." His voice was low and confused, though not at a loss. He snarled, crouching low to the ground.

Before the vampire could so much as shift his weight Minho was upon him again, almost faster than light itself. His body acted of its own accord, faster than his mind could keep up with, though his thoughts never stopped racing. Never stopped raging.

With a violent wrench and a startling crack, the vampire's arm was discarded, thrown to the side as though it were nothing more than a piece of trash. He screamed – oh, yes, he screamed – and the sound was like music to Minho's ears.

A grimace curled his lips as he stared at the man's agonized face. Something within him thrummed, purring in joy at the dark, oozing blood that gushed from the wound. His eyes narrowed, calculating.

His already bloodied hand raised as he held the squirming vampire by the shoulder several feet off the ground, his arms barely quivering beneath the strain. He felt invincible. He certainly felt no remorse – not a single shred of empathy – as he plunged his hand straight into the vampire's chest, ripping out his heart.

His face was pale as he stared on in horror as Minho slowly – so, so slowly – squeezed. And then the man went limp. Minho dropped his body to the ground, crumpling in on itself in a heap of skin and bones, crimson blood oozing out onto the already darkened grass. He let the crushed heart plop right down next to it, turning away.

Jisung's eyes were closed, and yet he could still smell the blood staining the air. His rage had not subsided. He hadn't done enough to compensate for this state his love was in. Gently, so gently it was almost startling compared to the blood staining his clothes, splattered across his face.

Startling, against his crimson eyes.

He walked in silence, the scenery unfolding around him faster than it should have. Was he running? He didn't know. His mind was numb to all else other than the man in his arms, the man he'd grown to love.

With or without the Mating bond that kept them tied to one another, he was sure he would have fallen for Han Jisung all over again regardless.

He didn't know where he was going, only that his feet were leading him somewhere. His mind was focused solely on one thing, and it would not stray, even for a moment. Eventually, he found himself in the pack infirmary, familiar faces kept inside.

They all looked up, blatant shock painted across each and every one of their faces as he walked in calmly and placed Jisung down on one of the empty beds. After the nurses had treated his head, he'd take him... back to his... room...

His knees caved in the moment Jisung was safely tucked into the bed, the redness fading from his vision. Only once it was completely clear did he realize he'd just killed a man.

And he'd enjoyed it.

A/N: Happy New Year, my loves! Truth be told, although I've been super lazy for the entirety of my winter break (apart from when I'm at work), binge-watching all the sports anime I've ever watched, not really writing at all, I think my motivation is slowly starting to come back. I'm starting to feel like myself again, which is a relief. I was worried for a good while.

I want you guys to hold me accountable! If I don't update, pester me. Y'all need to shove me when I throw myself into a ditch, because I need to pick my damn self up and get back on my feet. I'm serious -- I will take all the comments you throw at me, telling me I'm late on an update (I mean, unless I expressly state why I'm not updating, for example, school). 

Q: What's your biggest New Year's resolution?

A: To be kinder to -- and more honest with -- myself and those around me. My life has kind of hit a rough patch this year, and I let it beat me for a (long) time. I guess you could say I got depressed for a little while. Slowly, I'm getting out of it, and I know it's going to take some work. I might as well be honest and tell you that, on top of starting the real IB program and its shitty, hard-ass curriculum and having a job that gave me way too many hours for a while, my parents got separated. That's an issue I'm going to have to deal with slowly but surely, because I know I can't let this change who I am as a person -- for the worst. So, now that we're done being deep, see you next time~

Lots of love,

~Emilie

P.S: The update schedule will resume with a minor change -- Tuesday updates will be moved to Wednesdays just to secure the fact that I'll be fully able to write (I never work on Tuesdays, so).