20.

                                    

                                          
With the help of Wonwoo's unplanned burst of druid magic, Mingyu was back on his feet a few days later. Sure, he wouldn't be running at full speed for a while, but it was far better than hobbling around for weeks on end like he'd expected.
He lasted three days before deciding he had to walk the boundary. Wonwoo insisted on coming with him, not that Mingyu had any real objections. He preferred the mage where he could see him. That, and he was worried about Wonwoo. He'd been quiet since his return, sleeping little, and was still fixated on bonding. Mingyu was determined to bond too, but he wanted them both to be in a good place when they did. He wanted it to be good for Wonwoo, to erase the painful memory that Jinro had left in his wake.
They started at the scrapyard, saying a quick hello to Yeonjun and his betas. Then they followed the east boundary, heading north. Wonwoo was distracted, jittery even. His gaze never settled on one spot for long, his hands rubbing up and down his arms constantly, as if he was cold. Mingyu didn't know what to say or do to make things better.
The mage stopped walking abruptly, his back to Mingyu.
"I want to go home."
In a way, it wasn't a surprise. He'd been waiting for Wonwoo to speak his mind, aware he was mulling something over. And this was it.
"Of course. We can leave today; I'll bring you there myself. You can have as long as you need."
In the back of his mind was the worry that Wonwoo wouldn't want to return. But seeing the mage so down, so lost, Mingyu was ready to let him go if it was what Wonwoo really wanted.
They'd reached the northernmost point in the pack, the most isolated spot. If there was a good place to have this conversation, this was it.
Wonwoo turned slowly to face him.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." He didn't even need to think about it.
Wonwoo held out a hand, and Mingyu took it. He seemed to come to a decision, nodding his head in determination and leading Mingyu straight toward the boundary.
"We can't. The river—"
"Trust me. Don't let go of my hand."
Wonwoo squeezed in emphasis, and Mingyu tightened his grip. The impassable river with its treacherous sinkholes lay ahead, the landscape beyond it inhospitable.
"Wonwoo," Mingyu warned as they approached the rushing water.
"Close your eyes. And don't let go."
It went against his every instinct, but he put his trust in Wonwoo and shut his eyes. Step by step, they kept moving, crossing the boundary. Mingyu was sure that the ground would give beneath them at any moment. The sound of flowing water grew louder, and he could feel the spray of it against his skin—and then... nothing.
He cracked an eye open, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Wow."
He opened both eyes and stared around. There was no rushing river, no hostile terrain, no sinkholes. Instead, they were standing on the edge of a wildflower meadow.
Mingyu turned and looked back the way they'd come. He could see the boundary, but the river was still mysteriously absent.
"Uh... Wonwoo?"
The mage was watching him carefully.
"It's a druid cloak. Like an advanced version of my boundary magic."
"A druid cloak? Okay. What is it hiding?"
"That's what I want to show you. Come on, it's not far."
Hand in hand, they walked on. Mingyu looked in every direction, amazed at the unfamiliar landscape. He knew every inch of the land inside the pack, of the boundary he guarded. The idea that this existed right next to them and he'd never seen it before was a hard truth to swallow.