“It’s been too long.” I spoke after a tense ten minutes of silence with JiYong in the SUV. “He could be in trouble.”

As the words left my lips another person climbed into the passenger seat of the car and I flinched at her hostile stare.

“And whose fault would that be?” Yoona spat.

As she whirled around in her seat to face me I found myself frozen, unable to avoid eye contact.

“The thing that really puts the cherry on top of this disaster is that it could have all been avoided if you had just listened to everyone for once. Let me ask you something, Hana, do you get a kick out of running around behind Myngsoo’s back and getting yourself kidnapped – or is it just that you like it when he plays hero for you all the Goddamn time?”

Her voice had gradually risen until she was shouting at me, and though I had a million and one excuses and snarky comments on the tip of my tongue, I couldn’t bring myself to utter any of them.

“Every time you have an argument with someone you run. Why is that?” She went on relentlessly. “Can you not handle confrontation, or is it you can’t handle the truth? Has it ever occurred to you in your thick little Human skull that the reason Myungsoo and Dara keep things from you is to protect you? I’d have thought you’d have realised by now that our world is dangerous and certainly no place for weak girl like you. If you can’t handle it, if you can’t accept that fact, then what are you doing trying to get involved and finding answers you have no right to know in the first place?”

JiYong sighed. “Yoona…”

“Don’t Yoona me!” She warned him lowly, and he sighed tiredly, obviously reluctant to step in on my behalf – not that I blamed him.

Gazing down at the floor of the car in shame I clenched my jaw to keep my tears at bay, knowing that they would only make things worse. Because Yoona was right – about all of it. This was all my fault, yet again, all because I’d felt betrayed about the secrets kept from me, secrets I was beginning to realise, I had no reason to know. And now, thanks to my own curiosity, Myungsoo was possibly in danger.

I had never felt so low.

I sat brooding for another few minutes before a sound drew me out of my dark thoughts. Looking back out of the window, I spotted two men dragging the unconscious form of Myungsoo from the mansion towards our car and acted without thinking. Unlocking the door I ran out towards him, my hands hovering over his form uselessly.

“What happened?” I cried, taking in his bloodied face and torn clothing.

The men carrying him dumped him onto the ground callously and even wiped their hands on their shirts as though ridding themselves of his germs.

“Boss wanted to teach him a lesson.” One of them explained casually.

Yoona and Jiyong were by my side, their gazes menacing.

“Get out of here, now, before I make you sorry.” JiYong warned them, his stance showing he meant business.

The two men shrugged and walked off as though unafraid; though I couldn’t help the shiver of fear the sight of Yoona with fangs and red eyes, the memories of the last time I’d seen her like that too fresh with Myungsoo looking so beaten. As if sensing my train of thought, her blazing gaze me, she bared her teeth with a low growl.

“Hands off him!”

Realising I was holding Myungsoo’s hand I released it quickly and took a step away on shaky legs as Yoona stared me down. I knew without having to be told that I was alrea