When in danger or in doubt; run in circles, scream and shout - Herman Wouk

 

     Seokjin climbed out of the coffin, contemplating darting to his car and getting the heck out of there, but Grendel was fast, he wasn't convinced he could make it in time. He had to figure out something, he didn't fancy being Grendel's next meal.

      "Calm yourself, Seokjin," he gulped down several breaths.

     Grendel emerged from the trees, eyes locked on one slightly panicked hybrid. A plenteous amount of bloodied drool seeped from his lips, dripping off and hitting the dirt.

     "Grendel-"

     Grendel stopped, letting out an ear-piercing screech that made Seokjin cover his ears.

     "We don't have to do this," Seokjin wondered if he really was so feral that he couldn't be reasoned with. 

     A growl escaped Grendel's lips two seconds before he lunged forward and tackled Seokjin, swiping at his face. Seokjin bucked him off and rolled over to stand, wiping the blood from his cheek and looking at it.

      "We don't have to be enemies, Grendel."

     "Grendel is a thirsty killing machine, you think he cares about truces?" Zane appeared behind him and Seokjin swung around, fists up.

      "Glad to know I walked into a trap."

     "As much as I'd like to take credit for this, we're just out here hunting Grendel-"

     Grendel hissed at Zane.

     "Sorry brother, maybe hunt is too harsh a word, we've just come to take you home."

     "Who is we?" Seokjin hoped two more of them weren't about to pop out of the bushes and flank him.

     Zane smirked, "Today is not the day for that."

    Grendel set his sights back on Seokjin, crouching down and getting ready to pounce.

     "I, however, cannot control Grendel's agenda."

     No sooner did he say that when Grendel leaped forward, Seokjin bent backward, like a move straight out of a Matrix movie. Grendel hit the coffin and it flew back into the grave, taking the lethal vampire with it. Seokjin landed hard on his , quickly spinning around as Grendel shot out of the grave, claws brandished. He grazed Seokjin's chest sending him to the dirt once again as he screamed out, grasping the fresh slit peeking out of his tattered button-down.

     "His claws burn something fierce, don't they?" Zane didn't even try to stifle the wicked grin that spread across his mouth, "I almost feel for you."

     " you," Seokjin hissed. He kipped up to land on his feet, eyes blackened, his fangs growing past his lip.

     "Careful, he's much faster than a normal vampire," Zane leaned against the tree, like he was about to enjoy a show, "Finally, I will get to see what you're made of."

      "You're next," Seokjin was going to shove Zane's arrogance up his as soon as he was done with Grendel.

     "I doubt that," Zane huffed out a titter.

     Grendel didn't waste time, he rushed at Seokjin, who was just barely able to dodge the attack... not that he had time to recover for the next strike- Grendel flashed behind him, slashing claws down his back and once again Seokjin hit the dirt. He transformed in an instant, turning to face down his enemy. They connected mid-air, fists and fur flying in a flurry of matched moves, before crashing back to the earth, poised for the next attack.

     Like an anime brought to life; Grendel and Seokjin flashed about; uppercuts and hooks, crosses and jabs - oh my! Seokjin retaliated with his own claws, slicing across Grendel's chest and splattering Zane with blood as they landed and once again connected within seconds.

     It went on for a good ten minutes. Neither of them faltering, murderous intent etched in their eyes.

     "You have good stamina, I'll give you that," Zane was impressed, he realized for the first time why Cato always talked him up so much.

      ...but he spoke too soon, for as soon as he did, Seokjin made a mistake that cost him.

     Grendel body slammed the determined hybrid to the ground, not giving him a chance to recover. He picked him up, holding him in mid-air as he slammed his claws into Seokjin's stomach. Seokjin let out a piercing scream, changing back to his human form at once, his eyes rolling up into his head. Grendel lowered Seokjin to him, sinking his bared fangs into Seokjin's shoulder and blood from him, drinking down his life force. Seokjin tried his hardest to push Grendel off, but he was fading... passing out moments later as Grendel tore himself from Seokjin and threw his body into the grave, the coffin lid shutting after him.

     "I had high hopes, Seokjin," Zane peered down into the grave, shaking his head. He turned to Grendel, swish... a tranquilizer dart sailed through the air, piercing the feral vampire's neck.

     Grendel wailed out as he sunk to his knees, out cold as soon as his head hit the ground.

     Yeonjun strutted out of the brush and halted at the foot of the grave, "Should I get a shovel?"

     Zane hopped down into the grave, opening the coffin's lid with a creak. He searched Seokjin's pocket and pulled out his phone, grimacing at the obscene amount of blood flowing from him, it had already stained the satin liner a deep red.

     "Is he gonna make it?" Yeonjun put away his gun and grabbed the dart from Grendel's neck, sporting a new mechanical hand.

     "Probably not," Zane snapped a picture, opening up the list of contacts on Seokjin's phone, "pull the van around."

     Yeonjun nodded and scurried off.

 

     Yoongi set the starter tray of Taehyung's seedlings down on the bench in the garden, turning to him to await any further directions, "anything else?"

     "Nope, I just have to clear out a spot for them and we're golden on starter herbs."

     Yoongi glanced down at his pocket, his phone was vibrating. Seokjin? He swiped and held it up to his ear, "Where are you?"

     "I think Seokjin might have bitten off more than he can chew," Zane snickered, "or maybe Grendel did... seeing as he did all the biting."

     "Zane?" Yoongi's face went from shock to anger in a mere second, "What did you do?"

     "It's not what I did," Zane sent the picture.

     Yoongi glared down at the picture, eyes widened... "Seokjin!"

     "You might want to study Brahm's Vampire Liche, chapter 10," Zane paused for a moment, "and you might want to hurry, he's not looking so hot."

      Taehyung peered down at the photo, "What is going on?"

     ", where's Namjoon?"

      "His office I think."

     Yoongi made a mad dash into the estate, nearly plowing down Namjoon as he carried his PB&J towards the hallway leading to his office.

      "What is going on," Namjoon watched as his plate fell to the floor and his sandwich hit the ground, perturbed.

      Yoongi held up his phone and showed Namjoon the picture of Seokjin, a bloodied mess, lying in the coffin, possibly dead.

     "Get everyone together, now!" Namjoon yelled to Jimin who was coming down the hallway.

      "What is going on?" Jimin stopped short, alarmed.

      "An attack," Namjoon grabbed Yoongi's phone noticing the damaged headstone at the top of the picture, "the castle."

 

     Yoongi was the first to exit the car, senses on full alert as he mad dashed to the graveyard, not even looking back as Namjoon called out to him. Jungkook was the second out, scanning the area, claws ready as he too made a beeline for the cemetery, Taehyung sprinted after him. Beomgyu and Sunghoon stashed themselves in the tree line, arrows trained towards anything that might make itself known. Sunoo and Jimin brought up the rear, exiting their car and keeping an eye on anything that might try to pick them off in the back. 

     All was quiet, too quiet; not even a rogue insect was chirping. Yoongi studied the tracks around the grave as Jungkook jumped down inside, feeling Seokjin's neck for a pulse.

     "Thank ing Dagma," Jungkook lifted Seokjin from the coffin, as Taehyung reached down, the two of them hoisted him up and out of the hole. Jungkook climbed back out of the grave, kneeling to watch Taehyung rip off a piece of his sleeve to tie around Seokjin's shoulder to try to stop the bleeding.

     "Get him back to the car, tell Namjoon I'll catch a ride back with Jimin," Yoongi ordered, scouring the area for anything unusual.

     Taehyung stood, "I'll go with."

     Jungkook nodded then lifted his husband over his shoulder and he and Taehyung were off within seconds. Jimin and Sunoo came along moments later, stashing away their guns and joining Yoongi in the brush.

     "Do you smell that?" Sunoo sniffed the air, a foul stench permeating his nostrils, his lip curled up as he batted at his nose, "Something died."

     Yoongi would never forget the funk that evaporated off Grendel when they had broken into the noble's compound, it stuck with him like a bad memory, "Grendel."

     "What is a Grendel?" Sunoo plugged his nose with his fingers.

     "A very feral blood- menace that Cato accidentally created when he tried to cross an onyx with a vampire," Jimin enlightened him, "I am assuming the other two tracks are Zane and one of his henchmen?"

     "Yeonjun," Yoongi knelt down, getting a closer look at the tracks, "Only two of them left through this way."

     "So they came for Grendel?" 

     "Seems like it," Yoongi stood, "Guessing that Grendel happened upon Seokjin first."

   

     Hoseok was suturing up the gnarly bite that Grendel had left on Seokjin's shoulder, while Jungkook and Jimin stood at the edge of the table, supervising.

     Jimin leaned in, "Is that a blue tinge in his blood?"

     Hoseok leaned down, "No, stop." Wait, is it? He didn't need to second-guess himself, his eyes were just playing a trick on him. A blue hue in the blood meant a magical contamination and to his knowledge, ferals were devoid of any magical qualities.

     Namjoon entered, closing the door behind him. 

     "Did Taehyung find the book yet?" Jimin inquired.

     "Not yet, but he's searching diligently."

     "Do we even have the book?" Jungkook wondered, hoping that Taehyung's collection included the one book they needed, "Which book?"

      Yoongi recollected what Zane had said, "Brahm's Vampire Liche."

     "So Grendel's bite is poisonous?" Jungkook asked, worry lines creasing his face.

     "A liche is not a poison, if this thing made Seokjin a liche, then we have lost him," Hoseok put down the needle, examining his handiwork.

     Taehyung hurried in and plopped the book down on the counter, "I got it."

     "Chapter 10," Yoongi instructed.

     Taehyung perused the pages, stopping on the fifth page of chapter 10, reading to himself, "Interesting."   

      "Read it out loud, what are you doing?" Jungkook scolded.

     "Sorry," Taehyung cleared his throat, reciting the words that were written, "Willful to quell the neverending thirst, the monsters lurk in the night. Jinxed by the purest of magic, unable to bear the sun's damning light. They skulked in the shadows, awaiting the stalk. Feral eyes stare from the unforgiving dark. For within the storm brews strong; souls that once clung to humanity, now long foregone. The wicked pursuit of the wary victim, succumb in seconds to the cursed bite. The chorus of sorrowful death sonnets carried on, long into the night. Oh, to bear the relentless lust for blood, the heartbeats that cease upon the merciless drink. Mortals laden with scorn, anxiously teetering on the brink... and so began the hunt; once the predators, now the prey. Fended off in the night, and murdered by day."

     "Alas, the burden of the vampire is harsh," Yoongi frowned. Is Brahms a vampire, perhaps?

    "In shadow's obscure, the remedy coveted, became mysteries unwound. The key was to stalk places well hidden, where beasts and fairies are bound. The knocks from death's door were kept to the past, in Ethereal's blood the curse was bypassed. The ferals thrived, but victims thrice hexed; the tainted undead, the eternal unrest."

     "Hexes?"

    "The hexes always the same; Indulgence wreaks havoc, burdensome habits build scorn; if the bloodlust consumes, a new liche is born. The feral's secret cannot be revealed; when the spigot's extinct, the memories return.. all in between, one's internal clock out of whack, presentation varies on physiological form." 

      "Explain in laymen's terms-"

     "Ferals live by blood lust, never satisfied of the thirst, hunted until near extinction until they stopped feeding on humans. They soon realized that only our kind could handle the bite, but not without being hexed in the process," Taehyung scratched his head, "from what I gather, the hexes consist of memory loss as to keep their secret intact and not giving into the blood lust, the third one is a bit vague-"

     Hoseok read over his shoulder, "Internal clock out of whack, based on the creature that got bitten?"

    "So like he could randomly change into his furry self?" Yoongi asked.

     "I mean, that makes sense, but also in Seokjin's case, magic out of whack?"

     "I don't like the sound of that-"

     "Especially since he siphons magic from others."

     "And the memory loss?" Yoongi's worried brows came into full view.

      "I don't know, but it sounds like it's not permanent-"

     "What is Zane playing at?" Hoseok wondered aloud, "I thought they wanted us dead? Why would he warn us what Grendel's bite would do to Seokjin-"

     "Something tells me they want him alive," Namjoon concluded.

     

MAY 1

 

     Seokjin awakened with a startle, bolting upright and scanning his surroundings. The lab? Why does the lab look so different? He noticed a figure sitting off to the side, occupied with some sort of... frog? Hoseok spun around in his chair.

     "Seokjin, you're awake."

     "What happened?" Seokjin pushed the blanket off of him.

     Hoseok stood and walked over, "You were attacked by Grendel-"

     "What the hell is a Grendel," Seokjin studied Hoseok's face, "Hoseok Jung?"

     "Yeah, do you remember me?"

     "You're a renowned thief," Seokjin scratched his head, "Why are you here?"

     "Well-"

     The door opened and Hoseok glanced over as Yoongi waltzed into the room, biting into an apple. He stopped short when he saw Seokjin swing his feet off the table to stand.

     "Seokjin-"

     "Yoongi, you're back!"

     "Didn't know I went anywhere?" Yoongi turned to Hoseok, "What's happening?"

     "Memory issues-"

     Seokjin looked to both of them confused, "Memory?"

     "Yeah, you got bit by a feral vampire a few days ago."

    Seokjin slumped against the lab table, confusion mangling his brows, "Grendel?"

     "Do you remember?" Yoongi leaned against the table next to him.

     "I was at... my Mom's grave," Seokjin searched his thoughts, "Zane came for him."

     Hoseok nodded, "Yeah."

     Seokjin huffed, "Everything is a bit fuzzy."

     "As expected, memory loss is one of the side effects," Hoseok held his hand up in front of Seokjin's face, moving it from side to side, "Do you remember anything else?"

     "I'm not ing blind," Seokjin slapped the witch's hand away.

     "Sorry," Hoseok grumbled.

     Seokjin glanced over at Yoongi, bombarded with the words, 'stay away from Yoongi' pinging around his brain, "I'm not supposed to be near you?"

     "Yeah," Yoongi scoffed, "that you remember."

     "What does that even mean-"

     "Ask your husband," Yoongi waved his hand and made a hasty retreat, letting the door slam behind him.

     Seokjin recoiled from the reverberating thud, "Yoongi?"

     "Do you recall anything else?"

     "It's a little hard to think right now," Seokjin turned to Hoseok, "Why does my head feel like it's on fire."

     "You've had a pretty high fever since the incident," Hoseok nabbed the thermometer from the cabinet and rubbed it across Seokjin's forehead, "105."

     "Isn't that deathly high?" Seokjin hiccuped. *POP.* A giant bubble encased his whole being, floating up to the ceiling where it levitated him in place.

     "Woh, Brahms wasn't kidding about the out-of-whack part," Hoseok giggled.

     "What the is happening?" Seokjin kicked at the walls of the bubble, trying to free himself,  but it only made an outline of his foot, "Get me out of this thing."

     "You have to get yourself out," Hoseok poked the see-thru vessel, "This might be better than mine."

     Moments later, the bubble popped and Seokjin fell to the floor on his , "Oomph."

     "Let's just say that one was tame compared to what you could be doing." Hoseok set the thermometer down and opened the drug cabinet, perusing the vials, "I have something for the fever."

     Seokjin stood, rubbing his , "If it's a shot, I don't want it."

     "Don't be a baby," Hoseok grabbed a syringe and filled it with some sort of blue liquid before turning to him, "Don't suppose you want to bend over?"

     "I will kill you."

    "Arm it is," Hoseok popped the needle into his arm and injected Seokjin with the liquid. He growled out, startling the focused witch.

     "," He pushed Hoseok away, rubbing his arm.

     "It'll help." Hoseok walked over to the sharps container and disposed of the needle.

     Seokjin massaged the back of his neck, his tension telling him to be anywhere but in this lab. "I need to take a piss, am I okay to go?"

     "You need to take it easy," Hoseok frowned, "and stay away from magic people."

     Seokjin thought Hoseok might be going mad, but after the bubble, maybe that was a good idea. He headed straight for the bathroom, relieving himself before stopping to look in the mirror. He noticed his fangs were extended, but not fully. They were more like vampire's fangs, which was befitting as he was craving blood at the moment, "What the holy is happening to me?"

     The elder made a beeline for the refrigerator, looking for something to eat, he was famished. He scoured through the leftovers, bypassing the juicy steak and hamburger meat on the top shelf, and ignoring the bowl of jello that wobbled slightly as he moved it aside. His eyes were set on the prize; a half-full blood bag, O-positive. He lifted it out and closed the door, wondering if he should pour it into a glass.

     "No reason to be civilized, it's blood, not champaign," Seokjin toasted the air and was about to down the delectable scarlet liquid, when Yoongi appeared and batted it out of his hand, sending it to the floor.

     "You can't drink that," Yoongi grabbed up the bag, backing away a few steps.

     "What the hell?" Seokjin's mouth fell open, in shock. 

     "You drink this and you become extinct," Yoongi cautioned.

     "Extinct from what?"

      "From life," Yoongi shook his head, finishing off the blood bag and throwing it in the garbage."Grendel's bite is cursed,"

     "Cursed like the crazy magic and the vampire teeth?"

     "Did Hobi not explain the rules?"

     "He told me to stay away from magic people-"

     "For 's sake, you coulda just ended up in a world of ."

      "What are these rules I'm supposed to know?"

      "I'll show you," Yoongi headed to the kitchen doorway, "Follow me,"

     Yoongi left the kitchen, heading towards the library, Seokjin reluctantly toddled behind.

     "The library?"

     Yoongi pulled out a seat for Seokjin and he stared at it, "Sit."

     "Am I going to die?" Seokjin plopped down into the chair.

     "If you drink blood, you become undead, and not the good kind of undead like me," Yoongi set the book down in front of him, "Page 83."

     Seokjin glanced at the title, "Brahms again?"

     "I mean," Yoongi sat on the edge of the table, "He knows his ."

     Seokjin opened to the page, skimming the paragraph about the hexes.

     "Since it was only one bite, I guess the memory thing wasn't too bad," Yoongi figured.

     "Explains the bubble-"

     "Bubble?"

     "Never mind," Seokjin sighed, closing the book and pushing it aside, "So I need to stay away from blood and magic users."

     "Doesn't leave you much option as far as people to hang with, does it," Yoongi tittered, "I'm not magic, but ya know, seeing as I'm someone to worry about."

     "Yoongi that isn't fair-"

     "Nope," Yoongi stood, "Who cares as long as bunny boy is happy, right?"

      "So I shouldn't even try to make things right?"

     Yoongi shrugged, "Do what you want, doesn't matter what I think."

     "I don't want it to be like this-"

     "Then don't let it be," Yoongi walked over to the doors, stopping, "at least I don't come with complications. You want a friend, you know where to find me."

     Seokjin rested his head in his hands, watching as Yoongi left. He knew Jungkook had asked him to stay away from Yoongi, which he remembered loud and clear.  A hard practice to follow, he couldn't imagine why this was so important. You have to do this Seokjin. He trudged over to the window, peering outside. You're doing this for Jungkook... but why? He glared down at his wedding ring. Jungkook is your husband, but he needed space. Being around Yoongi hurts him? He saw a spicy little flashback of himself and Yoongi doing the horizontal mambo at Yoongi's house to remind him. Oh. He leaned against the window, exasperated. Jungkook is your husband and you ed Yoongi? 

     "Where the hell is Jungkook?" Seokjin wondered where the younger could be, what a rare occurrence not to wake up and see his husband's cute lil face staring down with a worrisome expression after a battle to near death. He took out his phone.

     Hey. Where are you? He sent off.  Fifteen minutes later, there was no answer. Jungkook? Twenty minutes later, he was still on 'read'. "Are you ignoring me?"

    

     Jungkook pocketed his phone. Taehyung handed him a dart. They had nipped off to the bar to forget life for a bit. Exactly three hours had passed and they were both fairly tipsy and quite comfortable in their atmosphere to even entertain such a notion as going home.

     "Not gonna answer?" Taehyung was a bit shocked, the younger hadn't seen his husband in days and he had just woken up from a serious attack.

     Jungkook took aim, "Nope."

     Taehyung watched as the younger hit the bullseye and gave himself a little cheer, "But he just woke up?"

     "I'm glad, but if I don't do this with conviction, he won't ever change."

     Taehyung stood at the line, rotating his neck and taking a deep breath, "about to get my kicked at darts."

     He flung the dart and it landed on the outskirts of the board, the third in a row. Jungkook laughed.

     "That's two drinks you owe me now," Jungkook smirked as he chugged down the rest of his beer and handed the empty mug to Taehyung.

     "Jungkook, he has no one but you, isn't this a little cruel?"

     "I'm sure he's already forgotten his promise and is hanging with Yoongi."

     Taehyung walked over to the bar and ordered up another round, watching as Jungkook plunked down next to him.

     "I'm not so sure," Taehyung sat too, "Jimin said Yoongi was hitting the bag, alone, looking miserable."

     Jungkook shrugged, " to , I guess."

     "This is odd, even for you."

     "Yeah, I know it's new for me not to be a ing idiot and put up with it."

     "I mean I get it, don't get me wrong, but like he was hurt pretty bad-"

     "I mean with my magic, it's probably better I'm not around him anyway."

      "I guess," Taehyung threw a ten down on the bartop and took the drinks the tender pushed forward, "I'm gonna go use the boy's room."

     Jungkook toasted him, taking a big sip.

     Taehyung stood and headed towards the bathrooms, stopping at the door to take out his phone. JK's okay, just not ready to talk to you yet. Didn't want you to worry. He hit send.

     Seokjin read the text and sighed, slumping down into a chair at the kitchen table. Hoseok had come in to start dinner, sometime between his mindlessly wandering into the room and Taehyung's text. At least someone is having fun.

     "Hungry?"

     "Not really, not for normal food anyway."

     "Oh , we didn't tell you about the hexes-"

     "Yoongi filled me in on the no blood," Seokjin grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and took a chomp, "are we sure this is the same thing as with a feral? Grendel is half onyx."

     "I'd rather not tempt fate and find out," Hoseok set a giant pot in the sink and began to fill it.

     

     It was twilight when Jungkook and Taehyung stumbled into the kitchen, obviously drunk. A pot was bubbling on the stove, but no signs of life to be seen.

     "Hmm, wonder what's cooking," Taehyung lifted the lid and took a whiff of the steam that poured out and covered the top half of his being.

     Jungkook laughed, "Smells like something only you and he could stomach."

     "I take offense to that," Taehyung set the lid back down, "He's boiling cabbage."

     "He's making some kind of stew," Sunghoon ambled in, grabbing a blood bag from the fridge.

     "Special occasion?" Jungkook leaned against the counter to steady himself. The room was moving around way too much.

     "Sunoo and I have decided to locate our packs here."

     "Probably a smart idea," Jungkook didn't really know what to say. He thought on it for a moment though and his face tensed up into confusion, "Do we have enough bedrooms?"

    Sunghoon gave a titter, "No, not here here, but this town."

     "Thorncrest will love that, seeing as they're all pretentious old s," Taehyung giggled, burping.

     "Since we've been dating, we kind of wanted to combine the packs anyway."

     "You and Sunoo?"

     "Yeah," He took a sip of blood and wiped his mouth.

     "But you said you didn't know how you were gonna spend a whole week with him in that bunker," Taehyung began to rapidly blink as bewilderment filled the air, the gears in his head trying to make sense of that.

     "We date, we don't live together," Sunghoon sank into a seat, enjoying his bloody cocktail, "I mean we drive each other batty, but at the end of the day, soulmates are soulmates."     

     "You're soulmates but you don't always get along?" Jungkook slid into the seat next to him, curious to hear more.

     "His smile lights up the room, but sometimes the deviousness underneath is enough to make me want to lock him in a closet some days."

     Taehyung snorted, "Have you?"

     "No less than fifty times," Sunghoon smirked, "this week."

     

     The trio were laughing up a storm when Hoseok returned to the kitchen to check on his cabbage. He casually snuck up behind Jungkook and draped his arm over the startled hybrid.

     "Do I have any volunteers for potato peeling?"

     "Did you know there is a folktale that when a werewolf dies, he is reborn as a vampire in his next life?" Taehyung blurted.

      "Did you know it is good luck to help a witch peel potatoes?"

     "Do you know I am not falling for that?" Taehyung smirked.

     "These two are far too drunk to help, but I don't mind," Sunghoon began to roll up his sleeves.

     "You're officially my favorite now," Hoseok smiled as he grabbed the vegetable peeler and handed it off to the willing vampire.

     "Not fair, I give you tons of help in the kitchen," Jungkook whined, "I've literally given you my blood, sweat, and tears."

     Beomgyu glided into the kitchen, "Did I hear my besties?"

     "Where the hell you been?" Taehyung frowned, giving him a light push.

     "Brother duty," Beomgyu grabbed a blood bag, "Dude is bored, probably depressed too."

     "He isn't hanging with Seokjin?" Jungkook found it hard to believe.

      "Nope, quite the opposite," Beomgyu shook his head, "Find it really hard to believe those two are twin-"

     "Aghhh," Hoseok yelled, falling on his , sending the bowl full of potatoes soaring into the air.

     "What the ?" Jungkook laughed, watching as Hoseok was pelted with the falling spuds seconds later.

      They all burst out laughing.

      "Damn spider landed on my face," Hoseok frowned, grabbing the outstretched hand that Sunghoon offered and being pulled to a stand.

      Namjoon came into the room, stopping to assess the situation, "I see dinner is going to be a little late tonight?"

     "Just a few technical difficulties," Hoseok began to clean up the mess, "What's up?"

     "Meeting in the library in fifteen."

     "Uh oh," Taehyung kicked at the potato at his foot before bending down to pick it up.

    "Several updates," Namjoon nabbed a potato that was in the doorway and threw it to Hoseok, snickering as he walked out, "Take your time."

    

      Sunghoon and Sunoo were already seated at the meeting table in the middle of the library when Taehyung and Jimin strolled in and sat across from them. Namjoon and Yoongi were talking by the fireplace, Hoseok was standing next to them but he was more interested in the memorabilia that Simatra had placed along the mantle. Jungkook and Beomgyu were the last to come in, the two of them sat on the sofa to the side, both of them taking a pillow to distract themselves.

     Taehyung leaned into Jimin's ear, "What's going on?"

     "Your guess is as good as mine." 

     Namjoon gave a quick look around, before excusing himself from Yoongi and walking to the head of the room where they could all see him. He cleared his throat and they all quieted, "Now that we're all here-"

     "Seokjin isn't here?" Jimin interrupted, quickly scanning the room.

     "Seokjin is on a little excursion for now-"

     "Where is he?" Jungkook hoped that the message he ignored earlier wasn't to explain this.

     "We can discuss that after the meeting, for now we have some important matters to settle."

     "What's going on?" Yoongi sat.

     Jungkook ripped his phone from his pocket and sent a text off to Seokjin. Where are you?

     "As some of you know, Sunoo and Sunghoon have decided to move their packs, join forces."

     Seokjin, please answer.

     "We will be locating by the end of the week, have some business to take care of obviously, but it shouldn't be a problem," Sunoo added.

     "I have extended an invitation for several other packs as well," Namjoon conveyed, "Our plan is to make a sort of super den, fix up the ghost town fifteen minutes away."

     "Sapphire Bay?" Hoseok set the camel statue back on the mantel, turning to Namjoon.

     "Yes, it's a coastal vantage point, with the wealth being brought by the covens, we could build it up and make it boom again, or just offer a safe haven for wayward creatures."

     "Magically hidden?"

    Jungkook glanced down at his phone again, Seokjin hadn't even read the messages. Where the hell are you? He sent off another text - Seokjin?

     "Several ideas are floating around, we plan to make a council, the heads of each pack," Namjooon grinned, "and trusted advisors such as yourself."

     Yoongi noticed Jungkook was texting, realizing he didn't have a clue where his husband was and by the frustrated face he was making, was not getting an answer, "Does this have something to do with where Seokjin is?"

     Jungkook's attention shot to Namjoon.

     "There are no magical people at Sunghoon's den, we felt it was the best option until Grendel's poison was out of him."

     "Sunghoon's pack are vampires, isn't that dangerous?" Yoongi pointed out.

     "We don't feed by blood bags, and everyone knows to keep a lookout," Sunghoon assured him.

     "He said there was less temptation with being away," Namjoon sat on the corner of the table, "By the end of the week, he'll be back pending no further complications."

     . Jungkook wished he had answered the text earlier, now he'd have to go a week without even being able to see Seokjin. It's probably for the best, get that quality alone time you've been so craving. Jungkook rolled his eyes at the intrusive thought.

     Yoongi pondered what Namjoon said last, "less temptation." Certainly not temptation from blood, because he'd already been alerted to the danger at the estate, so maybe it was the magic? Was Seokjin worried about popping off magic spells or was the temptation more personal, like hanging out with a best friend he knew he couldn't be around? Stop, Yoongi.

     

     Jungkook walked around the estate, unable to sleep, not talking to his husband was harder than he thought. The breeze caressed his skin like an invisible Noni holding his arm, walking along with him. The air was chillier now than when he first came out, and even though he shivered a bit, he still enjoyed the briskness. He peered down at his phone - Seokjin had not read any of the eight texts Jungkook had sent off and he had no clue if it was because he didn't want to or if he was that busy. No one is that busy, he is ignoring you. Jungkook wasn't sure if that irked him or made him feel better, his emotions were all over the place today, yesterday he was resolute on not spending time with Seokjin and letting the elder stew in his head for a bit. Today after finding out that he was sent on a mission and there weren't going to be any accidental bump-ins and no stolen glances, he just really wanted to see him.

     "Why the are you always where I am?" Jungkook seethed through clenched teeth, turning around to face the amused vampire.

     "Didn't know you had a claim to my gardens now," Yoongi plopped down on the bench next to the newly planted herbs Taehyung had started earlier.

     "Yeah, whatever," Jungkook started to walk away.

     "Must be pretty lonely up in that bed all alone."

     Keep walking.

     "Can't imagine why he wouldn't have told you where he was going," Yoongi continued to taunt.

     Don't even engage him.

     "Guess the bond isn't as strong as you thought."

     That statement earned Yoongi a backhand to the face that sent him off the bench onto his back.

     " you, this is all your ing faul