Silent tears were flowing from big beautiful eyes of Alpha’s mate and the Alpha, Lee Sungjong, had his arms wrapped around his wife with his hands making soothing circles on her back, but his own eyes were skipping around the room and, agony and distress were visible on his face.

Jang Dongwoo sat on a chair opposite to their leader, engross in the small journal in his hands.

“Find that warlock and bring him here as soon as possible,” A loud command was heard being echoed in the corridor outside, making Sungjong to stare at the slightly ajar door of his chamber in anticipation for Hoya’s return, which was soon granted. Hoya quietly closed the door behind him once his subordinate werewolf had given a positive response and left to fulfill the task that had befallen in his hands.

The Alpha's mate looked up hopefully, her gaze stuck to Hoya, who only lowered his head slightly… silently telling her he has no good news to deliver just yet.

“I have dispatched more groups to search all nooks and crooks of the forest,” Hoya turned toward the Alpha and informed him. “And also sent two boys to find that warlock who used to live in the neighboring forest-” Hoya’s words came to a sudden halt when loud howls of wolves echoed around the unusually quiet forest… it seemed that every werewolf in their community had been informed about their missing Alpha-to-be and they all were on high alert. “And I think now would be the best time to explain what nonsense you mumbled a little while ago, Dongwoo.” Hoya pinned the said wolf with his piercing sharp eyes but Dongwoo deemed to give his undivided attention to Alpha and his mate.

“Yes Dongwoo Hyung, what could you mean by a vampire being Sungyeol Hyung’s mate? That is not possible… it’s unheard of… I mean, a werewolf’s mate is always a werewolf.” The Alpha put forward his own thoughts.

“You are right, Alpha, that is why, Myungsoo is actually a werewolf.”

Dongwoo’s deadpanned words echoed in the still and silent room, leaving its occupants surprised.

“Please stop talking in riddles, Hyung, and be more specific.” The Alpha ordered, losing his patience.

“Have you ever heard the term The Jinxed Vampire?” Dongwoo questioned the other three.

“No-”

“Of course!” The Alpha’s mate cut off her husband’s answer, making Sungjong to look at her in confusion. “I have heard the Jinxed Vampire’s story since I was little… and I used to recite it to Sungyeollie as well. But it’s just a folktale… a myth.”

“Two decades ago, I used to think the same thing. But then I came to learn that this was no myth… the Jinxed Vampire is real.” Dongwoo’s soft muttered seemed to pound upon their listeners ears.

“But if you knew about it then why didn’t you tell us before… before Sungyeol Hyung…” Sungjong choked on his words as his Hyung’s dead body flashed across his eyes, returning that immense pain. “And what nonsense about mate? How do you even know he was Sungyeol Hyung’s mate?”

“Like I said, twenty years ago I too believed that The Jinxed Vampire was all a myth but it was your brother who told me otherwise… he is the one who told me that the Vampire in the dungeon was his mate, Sungyeol ended up imprinting on him.”

“That is absurd-” Sungjong couldn’t help but palm his face tiredly as he heard these weird things, while Pyeonghwa and Hoya could only look at Dongwoo to hear some more.

“Just hear me out first,” Dongwoo pleaded. “You remembered the day before the new moon could arrive… I asked you to help me sneak Sungyeol into the dungeons one last time?” When Sungjong and Pyeonghwa nodded in dazes, Dongwoo went on. “Once Sungyeol came back after his visit he… he kind of told me about that Vampire being the Jinxed Vampire and I ran to tell your father, who was the Alpha at that time, but when after ten minutes I return… I-I saw you sitting beside S-Sungyeol’s… h-his d-dead…”

Sungjong understood the pain his fellow wolf was feeling because it was no secret that Lee Sungyeol and Jang Dongwoo were best friend since their childhood.

“Well that explains his being jinxed! But I would call him a psycho Vampire… so basically he came to our castle in order to kill his own mate?! What kind of psychopath is he?” Sungjong felt like his mind would burst any second… all these years he had hoped to learn the real reason behind his brother’s death but now, when his own son had gone missing he wished he was still ignorant and would deal with one problem at a time.

“That Vampire did not came here just to kill Sungyeol,” Suddenly the person that had been quiet since the start of this heated conversation chimed in, making rest of them to stare at him.

“What do you mean?” Dongwoo exhaled heavily, he had always thought that it was weird for that Vampire to stick around for so long when he could have easily became invisible and kill Sungyeol… whenever he wanted… and now looking at Hoya’s blood drained face he knew he was about to learn something more complex.