[AGUST]
The Kiyoto wolves were unsure of what to make of the sight before them, and honestly, no one could blame them.
They didn't understand how they had gone from the alpha wanting to murder the king, to the alpha dying, and waking back up only to slam his lips against the same king he wanted to take out.
It was something that creeped them out, but more than anything, it had them wondering what their future was supposed to look like. It had been three days since they had been attacked by the Lycans.
Three days since they had started mourning and burying their dead. They weren't even cold in the ground yet, and the alpha was mingling with the enemy. They needed answers. Answers that only the mad king could provide.
So, they watched and waited.
For Agust to speak up.
For Jiminie to say something, anything.
They watched as the two got up from the ground, dusting each other up and staring around them like they had just realized that this was happening. But even then, the Kiyoto wolves could sense that something had changed.
Maybe it was because the two mates had once again marked each other and reignited their bonds, or maybe it was because of the fire in the mad king's eyes. He was different, but he didn't mind, and that was the one thing that made him a dangerous man.
"What now, alpha?" King Agust asked as he looked at his Erasthai. He knew he had made the mistake of letting Jiminie go back then, but right now, he wasn't about to make that same mistake.
That had been a mistake that had cost Jiminie almost half of the pack, and it was something that even Agust knew he wouldn't be able to fix for the alpha. So whatever Jiminie wanted, he would get.
It didn't matter what he had to do because at the end of the day, Agust still loved Jiminie. He had never once stopped, and he was more than willing to prove it to the alpha, even if that was at the cost of his sanity.
Maybe this was a game for the king, but was it for the Kiyoto people? Did Agust really mean what he had said when Jiminie had no pulse, or was it all just to try and rope the alpha back into his life?
So much was at stake and the immediate ones were already in Kiyoto, staring at the couple like they needed to start explaining what the fuck had just happened.
"The choice between being your Erasthai and your enemy is obvious, Xiao Xiao. My wolves would rather die than come with you, Helia, and you know it too. I am too proud to let my people down, which is why I will go with you.
"I will come along, but only on the condition that my people are never attacked. Never ambushed and are protected. I need a sky-high, thick, impenetrable border between Helia and Kiyoto.
"Just until everything settles and my people decide if they can trust our mate bond or if it will just be better for both races to stay on separate sides. The only way I am leaving with you is if that border is erected," Jiminie said softly.
The wolves stared at their alpha in surprise. It was something that they hadn't expected, truly. Some of them had already started to think of where they would leave for if the Lycans came to mingle with them.
It was a taboo, but with Jiminie's proposal, this was a chance at peace. This was a chance at fixing all that had been fucked over by the Lycans. The wolves knew that this was the ultimate decision and that their Alpha had truly thought about them.
Besides, alliances could be forged between the Lycans and the wolves, but that was just about it. The Lycans would not be allowed into Kiyoto until the future was good enough, which honestly, wasn't even as promising right now.
The wolves were raging because of the attack, and the king could feel it in the bond that Jiminie had just reignited.
"Not a problem, kitten. I will erect the border and strengthen the one that surrounds Kiyoto. I'll also create three plaques for the border crossing; plaques forged in your blood and mine. One for So Hee and two for the wolves of your choosing.
"Those plaques will allow anyone who is not you and me to cross over between Helia and Kiyoto without being reduced to ashes by the border magic. Is that okay with you?" Agust asked, his sincerity tugging at Jiminie's heart.
There were so many things that could go wrong with this idea, but if this was what they had to do, then the alpha had to think for his people. He had to make sure that there was nothing for them to lack. He had to be fair to his people and himself.
Two years without Agust had reduced Jiminie to the worst of shells. It had made the man into something that even his people had never recognized. Jiminie had become colder, and he was filled with so much spite for everything.
It was almost like he never wanted to live, which was weird since he was branded with the gift of immortality thanks to the bond he shared. It would have been an agonizing eternity if Agust had never come.
So, he knew he couldn't do that to his people again.
Maybe that made him a weak alpha, but he was understanding.
He understood what was needed, and if Agust was making this proposal, then it meant that the man was willing to fight for their union, not from the shadows, but just enough to keep them on the lips of everyone and remind everyone that Kiyoto was not to be touched.
"What of Chang?" Jiminie asked in a low whisper, and Agust almost stiffened. His brother was a menace and manipulative bitch most of the time. But he had to be careful and wait for the man to strike because otherwise, there would be no valid reason for war within Kiyoto.
"I'll handle that. Let's deal with the current threats first, and then we can consider that one. For now, trust me, kitten. I only want what is best for you," Agust said, staring into Jiminie's beautiful eyes like he was about to find heaven there.
They had a lot to work through, no doubt, and enemies that would do anything to see them down, but their biggest enemy wasn't here just yet.
"I trust you," Jiminie said, and Agust smiled softly at him. This was his chance to prove to Jiminie that he was determined to make sure their plans worked and that their union was a beautiful one.
"Let me get to work then," Agust said, kissing Jiminie's cheek softly.
However, as he turned to where the Kiyoto royals were, Agust could have sworn he felt his brother's presence among them.
"No way," he mumbled.
"You good?" Jiminie asked.
"Yeah, yeah. I guess I wasn't expecting this warm reception," Agust said, but he couldn't deny the cold shiver that ran down his spine that moment. Then again, maybe he was overthinking, and he hadn't felt his brother's energy in Kiyoto, right?
It was a desperate clutch at reality, only that Agust knew that his brother had set himself on a journey to Kiyoto, to where the one man that Agust loved the most was.
What were the odds that the attack on Kiyoto had been engineered by Chang Zhu himself, seeing as Agust and Chang Zhu were identical twins? What the fuck was even going on?
"I'll go talk to my friends and we can help you where necessary," Jiminie said and Agust nodded absentmindedly, not letting his eyes leave the one place where Jiminie was headed.
Towards Lee Tang. Jae Jun. Luna Park. And a few warriors.
But what if the king was just being paranoid?
Only that King Ming Xiao Zhu was never a paranoid man.
"Nah, he can't be here, not when I am here," Agust mumbled.
It felt like his brother's shadow was lingering. Was the border erection even the right decision, or was it what his brother had expected? Oh, but August was conflicted. Sadly, he had already committed to Kiyoto. And he couldn't take it back.
"Fuck," the mad king groaned before getting to work.