Nayeon’s POV

I sit across from Jiwon in the booth at the coffee shop we were in, watching her as she orders our coffees with an easy smile on her face. I have no idea how she manages to appear so easy going and happy all the time. I can only imagine it is exhausting.

Once she is finished she turns back to me with the same smile playing at her lips, blue eyes sparkling lightly. I look at her curiously before speaking up.

“Can I ask you something?”

She raises her eyebrows momentarily before shrugging. “Sure, fire away.”

“Do you wear contacts?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind since I first saw her.

She raises her eyebrows again before breaking into a breathtaking smile, chuckling as her eyes form crescents.

“No, I don’t.” She answers still chuckling lightly. “I can’t believe that is what you wanted to ask me.” She adds as she shakes her head in disbelief.

“Why? I mean I’ve been curious since I first saw you. I don’t think I have ever seen eyes like yours.”

“Neither have I. Guess I’m just lucky.” She replies still smiling slightly although I don’t miss the look that crosses her face that makes me think she feels anything but lucky. “As far as why goes, I guess I just figured you’d be curious about my ex after seeing me earlier.”

“I mean yeah, of course I’m curious. I just get the feeling it isn’t really something you want to talk about.” I reply carefully as I look into her eyes for an answer.

She looks at me for a moment clearly thinking something through.

It’s a few moments later that she speaks up.

“You can ask if you want. I might not answer everything but I can talk about her. It helps to talk about her actually.”

“I honestly wouldn’t even know what to ask.” I reply gently not wanting to ask anything that might make her uncomfortable or upset. “You could always just tell me a bit about her if you want.” I suggest.

Jiwon looks as if she is thinking things over in her head for a moment before she takes a deep breath.

“Her name was Suzy. She was a cheerleader and when I first met her, I knew I’d met my match.” She says chuckling fondly. “She was sarcastic, flirty, confident and a total tease, yet at the same time a complete fluffball. We had been together over 2 years when she was murdered. I was the one who found her. We were supposed to be going out that night, but I had to cancel because wanted us to run a late-night training before the finals. I can’t help but feel like she would still be around if I had just kept my promise to her.”

“I’m so sorry Jiwon. It must’ve been so hard for you. But you know it isn’t your fault, right?” I say as I lean forward and hold her hand gently.

She doesn’t reply just looks away before changing the subject.

“Why not tell me a bit about you. I mean I barely know anything about you.”  She says.

As much as I want to try and reassure her there was nothing she could’ve done I can sense how much she wants to stop talking about it so I focus back on the question she just asked me.

The two of us spend some more time chatting together before heading back to classes together.

Jiwon’s POV

The day after my chat with Nayeon I find myself sprinting through the forest, Momo on my right and Irene and Seulgi on my left-hand side. The sounds of our paws hitting the ground, and our panting breaths the only sounds to be heard amongst the vast sea of green around us.

I growl as I catch the scent of the rogue wolves on the air. I worry slightly knowing it has been over a month since they were supposedly here last. Momo and the others catch the scent a moment later the same thoughts running through their minds as we get closer to the lake.

‘The scent wasn’t this strong the other day.’ Irene informs us as we start to slow down arriving at the campsite.

‘Do you think it’s possible they have come back’ Momo asks me.

‘I don’t know but we all need to keep our guards up.’  I answer them as I step forward into the campsite, nose to the ground.

The four of us spread out searching the area. I try to pick up any familiar scent as I make my way around the area, the only scent strong enough to pick up being that of the rogues. I continue to search but I come up short until I make my way closer to the edge of the clearing. The strong scent of blood becoming clearer to me as I approach a large rock near the edge. I see a smear of blood in the shape of a handprint dragged across the rock as a familiar scent hits my nose.

‘Yuri?!’ I think worriedly as I step closer confirming the scent. The girls are quick to express their concern as they begin to make their way over to me.

On their approach I hear a loud growl from the bushes in front of me and I am quick to react leaping forward with my teeth bared in a vicious snarl. I collide with another wolf mid-air as five others leap from the bushes. Momo and the others jump into the fight facing up to a rogue each as two rogues circle me. I stare hard at one of them while watching the other out of the corner of my eye. Just as one leaps at me it is ripped from the air and thrown to the side as if it’s nothing. I notice the unsettling purple glow of the other packs eyes as I turn to left to be faced with a glaring Mina staring down the other wolf as it picks itself up slowly from the rock it had collided with.

I am quick to dispose of the remaining wolf, who seems quite young and inexperienced. A low whimper coming from its mouth as my teeth tear through the flesh in its throat. It is then I take a moment to face the lone alpha standing on top of the large rock at the edge of the clearing watching the fight below him. I look at Momo out of the corner of my eye and she nods at me letting me know she is good as I vanish into the shadows appearing again right before the wolf that has Seulgi backed against a nearby rockface. Jumping onto it I knock it off its feet leaving Seulgi to finish it before disappearing into the shadows once more to assist Irene and Momo one after the other, helping them gain the upper hand in their respective fights. I look over my shoulder at Mina who is finishing off the wolf facing her. She turns to me and meets my eyes with a nod. I return the gesture before using my ability once more to knock the large alpha off its rock perch.

Mina’s POV

I grapple with the rogue wolf with the oddly coloured eyes for a moment before pinning it to the ground and snapping its neck before turning to meet Jiwon’s eyes for a moment. She nods at me before seemingly vanishing into thin air, appearing a second as she leaps at the alpha taking it to the ground where Momo is already waiting