San smiles to himself as he softly knocks on Seonghwa's door later that night after he just left his friends in the living area of their building. They didn't ask him where he was going, nor when he would be back. They knew where he was going and they were more worried about comforting Yunho after Seonghwa revealed to him earlier that night about his parent's knowledge.

Seonghwa had tried to explain that it's going to be okay since they won't tell anyone about it, especially since he helped Areum through her illness. Yunho is the reason that their daughter is no longer in pain, and Seonghwa knows that they owe him the kindness of keeping their mouths shut.

The prospect of the shocking news getting around to other packs is another factor that goes into Hyejin and Gyungho not wanting to say anything. They want peace, and magic is not something that will align nicely with those wishes. All magic does is cause war, but seeing as no one is aware, they trust that Yunho and Mingi both will be safe.

The door to Seonghwa's room slowly slides open, revealing Seonghwa in his loose-fitting night robe, his sleepy eyes connecting with San's in an ecstasy-filled gaze.

"My love..." San's lips part as he studies Seonghwa's jaw-dropping beauty, his eyes trailing from the disheveled way his hair is falling down over his eyes to his lips made of pure velvet.

Seonghwa's body heats up as soon as he hears San's voice, his wolf purring under his touch when he carefully caresses his cheek. He falls into the touch, wanting to feel more of San's skin on his own, looking up at him through his lashes, "Tonight won't be a goodbye, San," Seonghwa makes sure that San knows, he will come to him.

San lets out a subtle chuckle as they back themselves into Seonghwa's room so they can slide the door shut from the cold, "It better not be," He smiles, but to Seonghwa it looks more like a smirk. The look sends shivers throughout his body, suddenly becoming more aware of how relaxing his rose scent is. The smell invades his nose as he sits back on his bed, letting San stand between his legs so he can continue to caress his face.

"How'd you manage this?" San asks, having been curious about his answer all evening.

"Hmm...?" Seonghwa hums back, fluttering his eyes under San's touch.

"Spending my last day here together," He whispers, letting his thumb move over Seonghwa's bottom lip, gently pulling it down until it pops back up.

Seonghwa wraps his arms around San and brings him down onto the bed with him so their arms can entangle one another, "I've been begging and begging to see you just one last time before you have to go back to Eclipse..." His breath is hot against San's chest, "Th-They allowed me this day," He smiles up at him, but San can tell he's trying to mask his sadness.

San nuzzles his nose to Seonghwa's before giving him a tender kiss on the lips, "And I will cherish it."

"They demanded that I'm not to come back with a mating mark on my neck," Seonghwa says hesitantly, "They still are adamant about Eunji and I's mating ceremony."

San moves down and places a light kiss on Seonghwa's neck, "I won't mark you... As much as I want for you to be mine," he comes back up so he can press his forehead to Seonghwa's, "That will have to come at a later time, I'm afraid, but... It will come," San hums, "I trust in you, my love."

"Areum and I have a plan, but I don't know if she's spoken to Eunji about it yet," Seonghwa sighs, "Please don't worry, I promise that I will find a way," His eyes water as he looks back into San's eyes, knowing that he's looking into the eyes of the love of his life. His fated mate.

"I will wait as long as it takes, remember?" San smiles, thumbing away the small tears that fall down his love's face.

Seonghwa just nods, quiet whimpers escaping him. He eases into San's arms as he hushes him, taking in his lavender scent combined with San's rose always alleviates any stress that Seonghwa could be feeling.

"Quiet down, darling, it's all okay," San peppers kisses all over Seonghwa's face, "I'm here."

"I just... I-I want to be with you already..."

"You're with me right now, aren't you?" San lands his last kiss onto Seonghwa's lips, lingering there for a moment before he pulls away, "Let's have a wonderful night together, Hwa... Don't think about the bad things, okay?" San captures Seonghwa's eyes, showing him a big smile, his dimples visible.

Seonghwa giggles and nods, wiping his wet eyes before he pokes his finger into one of San's dimples, "O-Okay," He says, a smile spreading across his face as he lies back and admires San, "You're so handsome..."

San smirks, "I remember when you wouldn't speak to me hardly at all, let alone complimenting me," he eases back into the bed as well and holds onto Seonghwa's hand tightly, "I'm glad you opened up, Hwa. Happiness looks good on you," he teases, allowing his free hand to rub up and down Seonghwa's side.

"I can't help but be happy around you, Sannie. You bring out the best in me," Seonghwa says shyly, having his childish side come out with the nickname he's given San.

"And you also bring out the best in me, my love," San softly brushes his lips against Seonghwa's, their chests pressing together as the air surrounding them gets thicker and heavier with their scents.

Seonghwa finds it in him to grab onto San's clothing and pulls him on top of him, wanting to feel him as close as he can possibly be in this moment. His white night robe loosens the slightest bit in the front, freeing some of Seonghwa's chest to the air.

San's hands roam Seonghwa's chest and warm the cool skin that's been exposed by massaging him, causing Seonghwa to let out quiet gasps between breaths that has San's wolf roaring within him. He doesn't miss the shift in Seonghwa's eye color to gold when he goes to kiss down his neck and chest.

"S-San," Seonghwa gasps, his breathy voice dripping in enticement as he watches San untie the rest of his night robe, letting it pool back onto the bed when he spreads it open to lay Seonghwa bare beneath him.

San's irises fill with red as he looks over Seonghwa's milky skin. Perfection, he thinks.

Absolute perfection...

There's not a single mark on Seonghwa's skin anywhere in sight, and the flawlessness of it makes San smile. He's so much different, he thinks, knowing that when Seonghwa also undresses him, he will see his roughed up edges and scarred back.

Seonghwa's pure and youthful skin is refreshing for San, and he's going to keep it as such. He will make sure that nothing will cause any harm to his love, nothing will blemish his beautiful fated mate beneath him.

"Yes, my love?" San finally snaps his eyes away from Seonghwa' breathtaking body and looks back up into his eyes.

"D-Don't look so much..." Seonghwa answers shyly.

San gently rubs his calloused hands up and down Seonghwa's bare skin, "How couldn't I? You're absolutely heart-stopping, Seonghwa."

Seonghwa feels as if his whole body reddens at San's compliments, his eyes looking down to San's still clothed body and then back up to his gaze, "C-Can I...?" He asks hesitantly.

San nods with a smile, relaxing his body so it'll be easier for Seonghwa to undress him.

Seonghwa shakily lifts his hands up and begins to remove San's various articles of clothing, letting them fall back onto the bed just as Seonghwa's robes had. Seonghwa's eyes widen as he scans San's naked body, a smile settling on his face as he sees the years of hard work prevalent on his skin. The smile only fades when he gets a glimpse of his badly scarred and scabbed-over back.

"San... D-Don't tell me that's what they did to you..."

San looks away in shame, knowing that Seonghwa saw the gruesomeness that is his back.

"Please tell me they didn't hurt you like this," Seonghwa cries, his hand holding onto San's face to will his gaze back to him.

"I can't tell you that, Hwa... I would never lie to you."

Seonghwa carefully runs his fingertips over San's back, feeling the raised and uneven skin of where San must've been whipped. He softly massages the wounds, "I'll never let this happen to you ever again, San. I won't allow it... I shouldn't have let you go that morning," he sniffles.

"Shh... There's nothing you could've done, my love. It's okay now, I'm here with you," San whispers against his skin, "You're worth everything," he slowly lowers his body back against Seonghwa's, letting their bare skin brush against each other fully.

Seonghwa gasps at the sudden warmth from San's weight on him, wrapping his arms around him carefully as their lips meet once again.

San trails his fingertips up Seonghwa's body until he gets to his arms, taking them away from his own body to hold them above his head, letting Seonghwa's muscles stretch upwards beneath the worn out body of his own. San softly rubs his member against Seonghwa's, hearing his surprised take-in of breath before he goes back in for more of San's lips.

The sweet taste he knows he could never get enough of soon envelopes him in entirety, letting the pure scent of roses take over his senses, his body releasing all strength and will over to San. Seonghwa gives his body to him, just as he would gladly give his life. A thousand times over would Seonghwa let himself fall back, knowing that San will be there to catch him and hold him to tell him everything will be okay.

Everything will be okay as long as he has San.

Lavender has become something that San will treasure and preserve deep in his memories, as he knows that when there's lavender, there's Seonghwa. The Seonghwa that he holds so close to his heart, who has become his one and only paradise. Seonghwa is San's happiness, his bliss, his heaven, and he wishes to give back to Seonghwa exactly what he gives him.

He remembers the day he first saw the boy lying beneath him, looking just as ethereal as he is now. He remembers sitting next to him by the fire as their hands found each other under the noses of watchful eyes. The fire that burned before them that night now burns within them both, Seonghwa being San's kindling, allowing for the once small flames to transform into a blazing inferno. The love San has for Seonghwa is just as such, difficult to control and raging inside of him. San's fire is the reason he will wait, he knows that his love will never stifle when Seonghwa promised him that he will continue to add that kindling to keep San's fire burning brightly.

With Seonghwa, San knows that everything will be okay.

They lie there together side by side, their bodies damp in the mixture of each other's sweat and ever-intertwining scents that might as well be referred to as a whole new scent entirely. San and Seonghwa are together as one, breathing slowly next to one another as San's still immersed within Seonghwa. The urge to sink his teeth into Seonghwa's neck to finally claim him as his forever has never been so strong.

"My love for you transcends bounds of time, Hwa," San whispers sweet nothings into Seonghwa's ears as they cuddle, "The moon goddess fated us to be for a reason, and I know that lifetime after lifetime, I'll always find you again," he strokes his fingers through Seonghwa's long hair.

Seonghwa's eyes shine like the stars in the sky as he stares up at San, "Do you think we were together in our past lives?"

"Without a doubt, my darling," San hums, placing soothing kisses along Seonghwa's neck, "My mark has been here many of times, I assure you," he giggles, letting his hot breath coat his love's skin.

"I love you, San..."

"And I love you, Seonghwa."

End of Chapter Thirty Five