One moment Taehyung was sitting in the confinement room, alone and waiting, curled up against the wall with his arms wrapped around his legs.

The next thing he knew, it was happening all over again — the sudden flare of scorching heat in his stomach. It was stronger now, hitting him like a rogue wave; he'd fallen over with a strangled gasp, body jerking and convulsing as if his bones were being broken from inside him one by one.

Then he was running; out the room, through the door and into the dark, daunting shadows of the Shinbi woods.

The air was freezing, icy breezes of spring nights pricking through his skin the second he bounded over the threshold in a way that was numbing. Taehyung was on all fours now, silver-furred paws instead of bronze hands and feet thudding over the boggy earth as he ran, and ran, and ran. Out of nowhere, red hues seemed to cast over his vision, tainting the surroundings in his line of sight shades of scarlet. Everything became a blur; he couldn't think, not when his senses were heightened, making him conscious to every sound, every scent, every emotion he was feeling, the foreign hypersensitivity overwhelming his mind with a million thoughts at once and sending him to overdrive.

Taehyung didn't have the slightest clue to where it came from — the abrupt surge of strength pulsing through his muscles, or the rush of vehement desire that infiltrated his veins, filling him with an intense urge for something he can't quite make out from his delirious state. It felt like a twisted sort of hunger — a kind that would most definitely not be satisfied by burgers or pasta or strawberries or the milkshakes he liked. And not knowing what he was thirsting for scared the hell out of him.

What he did know for sure though, was that if he did stop running, he wasn't going to survive this wild frenzy.

Paws soaked in mud and instinct leading the way, Taehyung sprinted faster and faster, venturing deeper into the unfamiliar land with a trail of dust and fallen leaves in his wake, blood trickling down his limbs and staining the majestic silver of his fur from where branches had clawed at his flesh. His eyes darted about, gaze bouncing off tree after tree as he passed through, having no idea where the hell his feet were taking him yet he followed anyway, unable to fight the domineering impulses that had already taken over.

There was rustle behind him, somewhere way above ground, and on reflex he whirled back without stopping his paces to see what it was, only to hear a clustered flap of wings and spotted the flock of ravens taking off into the sky from where they'd once perched atop a pine tree. He watched as they soared towards the sky, noticing at that point how the midnight expanse was clear and glittering with stars.

No clouds, no fog. Just lots and lots of stars.

But yet, for a fleeting moment, he swore what he saw next was a flash of lightning, so blinding it threw him off balance and he staggered through his run.

Then the flashing was in his head.

///

He peered over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the looming figure hot on his heels. Even in the darkness, he couldn't miss how much bigger, and how much stronger it was compared to him. The sight sent chills all over him like a thousand needles pricking at his skin, triggering a rush of adrenaline through his body that made him snap his focus back on the trail ahead, pushing himself to go faster.

Thunder continued to crackle in the distance as the rain poured on and on, drenching his now heavy, silver fur and stinging his eyes. He struggled to keep his feet on the ground, with the earth gradually softening from the brewing storm it was like he was threading on ice. Mud coated his toes, soaking them more and more with every step he took, making it harder to maintain his balance the quicker he went. 

But he couldn't let himself stop, not when he could still hear it, it's footsteps thudding behind him. They were getting louder. Getting faster. And closer.

Way too close.

A whimper of desperation slipped from his throat as the reality of his plight suddenly dawned on him. He took another blind turn, skidding frantically through the endless mass of trees and willing himself to ignore the sharp sting of branches cutting at his flesh. His heart pounded furiously as he worked to speed up, fighting the dipping temperature that threatened to freeze his muscles.

As lightning lit up the sky and his surroundings for a fraction of a second, he nearly stopped dead in his tracks at the sight he saw in the distance: they were approaching the unmistakable edge of a cliff. A dead end.

But as he got closer, the black emptiness before him slowly began to fade away, gradually bringing into view another cliff right on the other side of where the latter ended, separated by a gap intangible even with his night vision. That didn't seem to stop him, though; being his only option of escape, he was determined to make the jump, albeit how slim the chances of success were.

So he charged for the ledge, and using up the last burst of energy he had left, he leaped.

But then he never felt the earth beneath his feet again, and he was falling.

///

The absence of contact on solid ground was what finally shook Taehyung out of his trance, jolted by a chilling rush of air pushing against his torso in a nauseating manner and when he finally regained his vision, he realized he was indeed falling.

Jungkook couldn't decide what was worse; the fact that he'd left Taehyung on his own at a time when he needed him, or the fact that he couldn't admit it out loud to his friends.

The four boys had made it out into the nature trails of the woods in no time, scampering through the mass of pines with long strides and light steps as fast as they could manage in their human forms. Hoseok and Jimin were in the lead, guided by their noses while Seokjin fell into speed beside Jungkook, who still had his phone pressed to his ear.

The brunette's words were rushed and desperate as he spoke. "Jiyoo, you sure it's been forty minutes since your dad left?"

"Positive, and my granddad's with him," said the voice on the other line. "But I'm not sure if they had plans for any other stops tonight besides the usual patrol."

"God, they could already be here. It doesn't take even twenty to get to the woods from your place." A twinge of unease prickled his spine. "Do you know how many of them are there?"

"Not exactly, but my guess is the usual twelve. From what I heard, Dad hasn't been recruiting any new hunters these days."

Damn it, twelve hunters, and one Taehyung. Jungkook's grip on his mobile tightened.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"They took the leg traps and flash bombs tonight, so I'd watch your step if I were you. Please just be careful Jeon."

After muttering a quick "Thanks, I will", Jungkook cut the call and shoved the device back into the pocket of his jeans, barely bothering to do it properly as he accelerated to catch up with his hyungs. He couldn't care less whether his phone were to drop out anyway; he was too worked up with guilt and worry over the possibility of Taehyung being found by the Eun hunters on their routinely patrol. God, the things they would do to him... why had he left Taehyung alone?

"Are you gonna tell us what happened back there, Jungkook?" Hoseok yelled from where he ran, taken aback by how the brunette had suddenly overtaken them. "How the hell did he get past you back there?"

"I—"

He didn't. I left him alone.

"I'll tell you guys later," was all Jungkook said, as he clenched his fists to keep from losing his control. "Let's just focus on finding him first, the hunters could already be here. And Jiyoo said they took flash bombs and leg traps, watch where you run."

Seokjin groaned at the last sentence. "By the moon, I hate their damn leg traps."

"Don't worry, Taehyung shouldn't be too hard to find." Jimin motioned for them to take the upcoming left turn. "He freaking reeks of strawberries, you definitely can't miss his scent."

"Yeah well strawberries aren't the only thing he smells of right now," Hoseok pointed out with a crinkle of his nose. "I can smell his damn fear everywhere, he's completely freaked out."

"We can still follow the tracks he left." Jungkook made another turn, the others hot on his heels. "There's no way he can run faster than us right?"

"With a fear this strong, who knows what he can do when he's wolfing out," said Seokjin. "I just hope we won't be too late."

The fall lasted barely five seconds, and Taehyung landed on his side with a startling crunch against a dainty log that gave way under the impact. Scrambling back onto his feet, he darted his eyes about in a hasty attempt to make out his surroundings, completely shaken up by what just went on with him and found himself at another section of the woods that he'd just fallen into, from a small ledge seemingly ten feet above him.

He relaxed on his paws then, catching only the heavy erratic pants of his breathing from the vicinity before he stiffened, and that's when he realized it — he could only hear his own breathing, nothing else. The overload in his head had stopped.

Driven by the newfound clearness of his mind, Taehyung trod forward, slow and hesitant as his long, pilose tail swayed side to side behind him. It was almost silent around, the chilly air still and clear, accompanied by the subtle scent of wildflowers and dry grass that he could sense.

Where am I? He couldn't help but think, and held his nose up high to take another whiff.

He didn't smell it at first, but when the wind picked up and breezed by him, there it was — a faint musk of fire burning in the distance.

The crackling of ember came next, drawing Taehyung deeper down the path into the clearing, and moments later, just beyond a clustered row of boulders, a flicker of orange glow caught his eyes.

Upon getting closer, the triangular frame of a tent began to emerge in his vision, from where two shadowed figures shifted about behind the canvas, and suddenly it wasn't just the fire he smelled. It was human blood. Warm, fresh, pulsing human blood.

The thirst was back in his system.

Paws light and soundless as feathers, Taehyung padded towards the tent, tongue slipping out to swipe across his salivating muzzle from the burn of desire at the back of his throat.

He could hear voices, indistinct chatters, muffled giggles, one male one female. God, they smelt so good, his claws extended from his fingers at the very thought.

He was so nearby now, the scent so exhilirating, all it took was one pounce and he could get what he wanted — the taste of chaos that would come from his fangs sinking into their skin, the satisfying terror that would be laced in their blood and screams.

Yes, he ing wanted it.

Unable to take it any longer, he leaned back on his heels, and sprang forward towards the tent.

But he barely even made it halfway through his leap, when there was a shriek of panic somewhere behind him, and before he knew it, he was being barrelled over across the clearing.