His belly ached where the bite of hunger and the threat of nausea warred fiercely while his head spun, overwhelmed by sensations in the close confines of the cramped Humvee.  Bad enough they were packed together like sardines; worse that they were all injured, smelling of blood and sweat and pain.  Changmin’s lip curled in an unconscious grimace and Kangin nudged him lightly, tracing tingling fingertips over his bare skin with enough force to ground his attention again.

                “I hate this,” he hissed through clenched teeth as his gaze flickered back to Niel in the back who had his nose buried in Changjo’s shoulder, intent upon focusing on one scent instead.

                “I know,” Kangin muttered sympathetically with his nose scrunched up in distaste.  Tension in his voice indicated he was struggling a bit with their situation as well, but for those vampires who were not Shims, the challenge was considerably easier.

                Even if Changmin had been completely full and unharmed, the smell of so much potent blood around him would have prompted a reaction from him.  Currently, it was a struggle simply to keep his fingers digging into his thighs and his mouth closed so he wouldn’t try to bite any of the wolves.  “What time is it?” he whispered around his teeth again.

                “Five o’clock somewhere,” Changjo huffed once from the back, patting Niel’s head as the lanky vampire hunched against him harder.  “Ow,” he mumbled, poking the other male in the head hard with a perturbed look in his eyes.

                “Sorry,” Niel hissed, turning his face into the back of the vehicle as he placed an apologetic hand over Changjo’s arm.

                A whiff of fresh blood hit Changmin in the nose and he flinched.  Though it was only vampire blood, with few of the ‘living’ qualities they were otherwise drawn to, in his overly sensitive state, it was just another straw on the camel’s back.  Changmin took a deep breath through his mouth and laughed bitterly when he could still practically taste what he was so desperate to forget he was surrounded by.  being a Shim right now…

                “Is there a place we can stop to get some fresh air?” Youngjae asked softly, glancing around at the exhausted party, taking note of the wolves already passed out, allowing their bodies to heal through rest, or fighting sleep stubbornly.

                All the vampires reacted as if to look outside and then stopped immediately.  It wasn’t worth the pain of being burned just to see for themselves.  They perked up just as quickly when one of the wolves in the front spoke up.  “Would shade work?”

                Changmin looked at his companions, judging the obvious nerves generated by the question.  It required trust to leave themselves open in something as unsecured as a patch of shade but as long as they avoided direct sunlight, they were okay.  Indirect light was annoying though not outright harmful.  And really, based on their current situation, they might go crazy confined as they were.  “It will have to,” he finally responded, loosening his jaw just a smidgeon to speak.

                Almost immediately, they felt the vehicle slowing down, hitting rough terrain which jostled the wolves in the back with them, and made everyone irritable.  “Sorry!” Wonsik cringed, the action evident in his tone.

                Wolves grumbled in complaint and pulled themselves apart, breaking up the veritable pile of bodies they’d been resting in, so they could better investigate what was going on.  “Why are we stopping?” Sunny mumbled as she sleepily rubbed her eyes, the action surprisingly cute for a wolf.

                “Are we there already?” Kyung asked, one eye still closed while he looked around and yawned.

                “I didn’t know we had a destination in mind…” Daehyun griped, content to curl up further, using Sunny’s lap as a pillow, while he tried to continue sleeping.  She smacked him lightly on the head and he popped up with an affronted look on his face.

                “Vamps need a break,” Yunho called from the front, missing the eye roll Daehyun gave in response.  He did however sink in on himself when he noticed the vampires looking at him with the exception of Niel.  Four pairs of eyes unfailingly trained on the wolf made him understandably nervous and he nodded instead, dropping his gaze.

                Kangin snorted at the response but no one said anything as the vehicle came to a stop and Wonsik got out.  Kyung waved the vampires back as he carefully tried the passenger door, peeking his head out to make sure it was safe enough, before he stepped through the doorway.  “Slide over,” Sunny murmured, pushing Daehyun along so they could make way for the vampires to shift out first.

                He complained under his breath and found himself practically shoulder to shoulder with Youngjae who smirked at him in amusement.  “Your mouth gets you into trouble quite a bit doesn’t it?” he asked with a raised brow as Kangin pulled Niel along, followed by Changjo who kept a reassuring grip on his companion’s shoulder.

                “No more than yours, Cho,” he growled back flatly, upper lip curled in distaste.

                His response genuinely amused Youngjae who roughed his crop of blonde hair with a big grin.  “I like you, wolf.  You’re funny,” he chuckled, patting the injured male on the arm.  When Daehyun gave him a confused, open mouthed look, Youngjae’s smile widened, but he declined to say anything as he stepped out, leaving Changmin with the last two wolves.

                “Must you always bait us?” Changmin teased with a smirk, shaking his head once.

                “Dae’s just grumpy,” Sunny explained while she poked him in the ribs.  “He needs to eat,” she nodded matter of factly, to which he snapped his teeth at her, giving the young woman a mild glare.  “See?” she shrugged, unphased by his bluff.

                Changmin snorted and rolled his eyes in return, declining to stick around to see his reaction as he fled the interior.  Fresh air was a palpable relief as he filled his nose with the smell of trees and dirt and life; all things that wouldn’t test his restraint dangerously in small spaces.  Still, he couldn’t help but feel on edge when he realized just how precarious their shelter was: an outcrop of patchy trees lent the overhang of their boughs to the vampires with irritating stinginess.  Beams of sunlight continued to filter through, scoring them occasionally with the brief lance of heat before they shifted again, seeking further relief.

                “Best I could find on short notice,” Wonsik shrugged from the safety of the sunlight.

                None of the vampires complained outright, though Changmin turned his attention to the rest of the area.  He didn’t hear pursuit on their trail and there was nothing to indicate they were being followed as of yet, but he felt much too vulnerable.  Likely, it was just the fact of him being outside during a sunny day but he didn’t like being this near to civilization either.  A city of some sort was evident in the distance ahead of them and he squinted to try and make it out.  Even with his vision, there was nothing to tell him the name of the place.

                “Here,” he heard as wrappers crinkled when the small packets were passed around.  Seriously.  Junhong should have been born a Park or a Lee; the kid was much too aware of trying to keep balance and make sure everyone was well enough to be a Choi.

                “You should let em sleep,” Seunghyun sighed as he rested against the side of the jeep, the back half resting under the shade to keep its passengers out of the direct sun.

                “They need food first,” Kyung interjected with a shake of his head.

                “He’s right,” Sunny backed him immediately, stepping close to help shake the severely injured Yoochun awake, smiling sadly at the passed out Chaerin curled up against his side.  “They can sleep again after they’ve got food in their bellies.”

                “I’ll go see if I can’t scare something out,” Wonsik nodded towards the nearby terrain where any number of creatures could be lying in wait.

                “Kyung,” a very groggy and pained Yoochun murmured from behind his hand.  Immediately, the wolf turned to look at his pack leader as the injured male continued, “Go with him.  No one goes anywhere alone,” he murmured without looking up.  His voice was thick with pain and he seemed burdened by more than just their mission.

                “Of course,” Kyung nodded, jogging over to join Wonsik as the pair bolted out together.

                Human food would tide them over, but fresh meat always worked better for wolves.  “Miss Chaerin?” Junhong called softly, giving the young woman’s shoulder a gentle shake.  She didn’t even stir, but a plaintive groan did issue from , to his confusion.

                “I’ll handle her,” Yoochun sighed while he waved the younger wolf off, focusing on Byunghee beside him with blurry eyes.  “And him,” he added, searching for a safe spot to touch his companion so he could shake him awake as well.

                Watching them, Changmin felt a twinge of sorrow for their suffering.  They had come along voluntarily, yes, but it was partially his fault the Park leader was missing a leg and that Byunghee was so badly burned, he might well never recover.  Nor were they the only injured among the group; some worse than others.  It was a heavy burden to bear any way he looked at it.  Victoria had always taken the responsibility for his safety, first and foremost.  And when the roles were reversed with other participants, he had given it no such thought.  His lips pulled up into a chagrined smile when he realized she would have chewed him out for such a mistake.

                “What’s so funny?” Kangin asked softly, eyes partially closed as he rested against the same tree.

                “Just thinkin,” he chuckled ruefully.

                Kangin snorted and added, “You should probably leave that to the Chos.”

                “Eh?  Are we supposed to do something?” Youngjae leaned in, overhearing his clan name.

                “Thinking,” Changmin smiled, inclining his head towards the younger vampire.

                Now it was Youngjae’s turn to snort.  “What good does that do if no one else listens?”

                The response made both Kangin and Changmin laugh.  “Indeed,” the Shim agreed slowly.  The prompt of thinking drew his eyes to the cases that Siwon and Kyung had retrieved.  They were wedged into the back of the smaller jeep, sequestered in a corner where they wouldn’t shift around, and he wanted to know more about them.  “You two okay?” Changmin asked when he turned his attention briefly to Changjo and Niel, the latter of which seemed to be much better off for the stop.

                They nodded in tandem and Niel forced a weary smile, “The fresh air helps.  You’d think after more than seventy years, I’d be better at handling this,” he grumbled, gesturing towards his nose in particular.

                Changmin knew exactly how he felt.  “Try more than a thousand and see if it gets any better,” he shrugged honestly.  Niel’s face paled slightly and Changmin couldn’t blame him.  Their ability to cope and deal with an overload of stimuli didn’t get particularly easy with the passing of time; it was simply their ability to endure it that increased.  Diversion tactics helped and the more one knew, the longer he could last, but even Changmin had a breaking point; not that he was eager to find it.

                Confirming his condition though, the eldest vampire pushed off the tree and wandered over to retrieve the whole case while the wolves watched absently, chewing on the remains of a fresh kill.  In passing, he noted Wonsik, Kyung, and Junhong in wolf form, crunching on the remains, presumably.  Their attention was outward mostly, focusing on the terrain and anything that may be nearby.  Changmin wanted to know about things more local: like the mystery contents in front of him.

                Sitting down, he tried to open the case but found it locked and when he immediately attempted to force it, Youngjae stopped him.  “Wait!” the Cho urged, setting his full weight on the top so that the other vampire wouldn’t succeed.  “It might be rigged or you could damage something,” he explained swiftly before the other vampire could get offended.

                “Ah,” Changmin mouthed, simply turning the case to Youngjae expectantly.

                With a muffled groan, the younger vampire snatched the case and inspected it before he shoved it back towards Changmin.  “It’s a combination lock,” he pointed out as if it was supposed to mean something.  When the elder vampire simply raised a brow, he exhaled in annoyance and gestured almost theatrically, “Which means you can hear it better than I can.”

                Changmin’s eye twitched once but he didn’t say a word as he simply yanked the case close and set his attention to breaking the code.  Youngjae wasn’t wrong, irritatingly enough.  It didn’t take him more than a moment to hear the sequence of locks unlocking as he found the correct pattern of numbers and then it clicked open, making him freeze.  With bated breath, he opened the case to see what was inside and simply blinked, glaring at the memory storage device paired with a vial of unidentified liquid.  “We need to find a computer,” he murmured softly, looking over the lid to meet Youngjae’s eyes before he glanced around at the rest of the group present.

                “Is that the infection?” Kangin asked, leaning close with a dark look in his eyes.

                “We don’t know what it is,” Changmin scowled as he slammed the lid closed and pushed it away.  A vial and data.  There was no telling what was in either and until they could find out, the case was as good as useless.

                “Well.  We are heading for another base aren’t we?” Yunho asked, his tone slightly weary as he shuffled closer to squat beside the vampire, just the traces of fresh blood lingering at the corners of his mouth.

                “That we are,” Changmin nodded reluctantly, glancing around at the others again as he caught the scent of some kind of animal floating around.  They’d been lucky this time, though their ranks had suffered for it.  With them as they were, another attempt so soon would likely be even more suicidal than he’d originally thought.  He had no problem admitting he was still angry, but neither did he actually wish to die.

                “Then it would be best if we can find a computer to figure this out while we’re at it,” Kangin explained with his eyes locked on the case.  “Not to mention if we could get up with the others,” he added, glancing towards the back to being unconscious Chaerin.

                Very briefly, the thought flickered through Changmin’s head that Kangin was unusually feeling for a Cho, but then he just as quickly discarded the assessment.  It was probably the opposite actually.  For all that they often put on a neutral front, they felt just as deeply as the rest of their long lived kin, if not more so.  The burden of memory was not something he envied them for.  “True.  We should probably get moving then.  Better cover,” he began with an upward glance at the traitorous tree which kept allowing the sun to flash him, “and rest would help our cause more than being caught out here.”

                “Since when did we have a cause?” Youngjae asked, blinking in confusion.

                “Survival,” Changjo surprised them by adding in.  “Isn’t that cause enough?” he asked with a falsely confident grin, making a fist and clapping his other hand over his bicep.

                “Well said,” Changmin chuckled, turning to catch the eye of Yunho or Seunghyun.  The latter noticed him first and raised one brow in mute inquiry, to which the vampire nodded.  He watched Seunghyun garner attention around him, gesture for the wolves to revert to human form, and head for the front of the jeep himself.

                “Alright kiddies!” he snapped, amused by his own comment.  “Time to move!”

                Not unexpectedly, the wolves offered token complaints but moved to comply.  Yoochun and Byunghee simply settled more comfortably in the back of the jeep, next to Chaerin, leaving even less room for Junhong, but the younger wolf didn’t complain as he managed to make himself fit.  The vampires grudgingly threw themselves back into the cramped confines of the Humvee and waited for the wolves to follow, settling with unease clinging to their shoulders.

                Changmin stilled himself, waiting for the vehicle to start moving.  Things would look better in the night when they could move about freely.  He was positive of that.  And so long as they stayed one step ahead of the humans, they could survive.  They had to.

~~~~~~

                “I can’t feel my fingers,” Ryeowook murmured as he blinked hard and stared at the moving extremities, tapping them together experimentally until Kyuhyun enclosed them in his palms.

                “You should stop then,” he explained, lowering their hands between them so he could inspect Ryeowook’s wan face in the moonlight.

                “But I almost got it,” he whispered weakly, staring at the cactus he’d been using as a practice dummy.  It had black score marks on it from Kyuhyun demonstrating how to generate excess amounts of electricity and discharge them on a target, but he had not yet been able to achieve that success.

                Kyuhyun shook his head and tightened his hold on Ryeowook’s hands when the shorter male tried to pull back.  “There’s no point in pushing yourself too hard the first day,” he lectured with a raised brow.

                “You’re the one that said I needed to learn fast,” Ryeowook retorted thickly, his tongue fouling in his mouth when he tried to enunciate clearly.

                His companion winced at the effect and abruptly forced Ryeowook to sit down, clasping his face in smooth hands to look him in the eyes.  He snapped his fingers in Ryeowook’s ear and relaxed a hair as the vampire belatedly shifted to follow the sound, frowning in confusion.  “Enough, Wookie.  Your synapses are exhausted, meaning you are as well, even if you don’t think so.  All of your reactions are reduced currently.”

                “No they’re not,” Ryeowook defended himself with the same slurring tone that only served to annoy him even more.  He attempted to pull away again but his responses were easy to read and he succeeded only in pulling himself forward instead, nearly pitching into Kyuhyun’s arms until his delayed stabilizer muscles kicked in.  “I’m broken!” he quailed, letting his head drop to press against their joined hands.

                “You’re exhausted,” Kyuhyun corrected matter of factly.  “It’s what happens when the body is getting used to the strain of our abilities,” he amended with a grimace.

                “Did he hate the Chos so much?” Ryeowook couldn’t help but ask in near despair as he took comfort in Kyuhyun’s presence, trying desperately not to focus on how much he couldn’t feel parts of his body simply because the synapses weren’t registering them due to overuse.

                “I doubt he understood the true nature of his curse when he parceled out powers,” the elder vampire admitted heavily.  “But it was a Cho that led them on the path that started it all.”

                Ryeowook was quiet for a moment as he absorbed the information while the wheels in his head turned slowly.  His eyes landed on the camp near them, far enough away that neither group would be disturbed by their efforts but still within easy sight, and took note of the different types of people.  He didn’t know the origin of the wolves yet, nor if he ever would, or the Hunters for that matter, but the possessed were easy and humans had always been around.  They were the reason the possessed and vampires had come into existence and it was likely something humans did to bring about the creation of the Hunters and the wolves as well, but…

                “Was there ever supposed to be a time when his punishment would end?” Ryeowook whispered, his voice terribly uncertain and hesitant as he began to contemplate his continued existence as one himself.

                Kyuhyun’s arms shifted to pull Ryeowook against him, holding him close.  He didn’t answer immediately, which made the young vampire nervous, but when he did, he wasn’t sure what to think.  “I don’t know,” Kyuhyun finally admitted just as hesitantly.  It was an answer the Chos in particular hated to give but in this instance, there was no other option.

                Existentialism wasn’t something Ryeowook had ever really felt the need to consider because as a human, things had always made sense – more or less.  He would go to school, find a job, find someone to settle down with, probably adopt kids at some point, and eventually die at least relatively content with how he’d lived his life.  There was a set beginning and end point that made everything clear.  His fingers tightened on Kyuhyun’s shirt as his future immediately became blurry when he contemplated life as a vampire: no natural death, no acceptable job, no kids, no purpose…  Especially now with the war.

                “Kyu?” he murmured, holding even tighter as he worried about what sort of answer he might get for the next question.

                “Hm?” the elder vampire hummed, resting his chin atop Ryeowook’s head while he cradled him close.

                He wasn’t exactly sure how to pose the question, but his brows furrowed and Ryeowook opened his mouth, picking his words with care.  “Other than surviving because you were told to… what’s the point of living for a vampire?”  Did they live like animals, focusing on the next meal?  Did they toy with humans just because they could?  Or did they simply exist in a world that mostly didn’t want them?

                Ryeowook closed his eyes when Kyuhyun didn’t respond.  He wasn’t sure if it was because the vampire knew he wouldn’t like it or because he actually didn’t have one.  But the arms about him tightened just a touch and he knew there were words Kyuhyun wasn’t telling him.  Nor was he sure the vampire would ever say them either, secretive, guarded person that he was.  “You… will find out for yourself, in time,” Kyuhyun finally offered.  It wasn’t a good answer by any means, and it was more of a cop out than anything else, but it was better than silence.  Still, Ryeowook wasn’t sure it was enough.

                His weariness made the situation all the more bleak and it was easier just to rest against Kyuhyun than to try and continue puzzling that out.  He didn’t miss the irony of the fact his body was pretty much useless but his mind continued to race and work well after he felt it should have calmed down.  Perhaps it was a side effect of stimulating so many parts of the brain at one time just to generate the extra electricity?  Or maybe it just seemed more active in relation to the inactivity of his body.

                He wasn’t sure and he didn’t have time to ask before Kyuhyun tensed up slightly, warning him of a change.  “Someone’s coming,” the vampire murmured, glancing upward with a keen look in his eyes.

                “Who?” Ryeowook asked, trying to push away so he could see better.

                Kyuhyun stood up and pulled Ryeowook with him easily, holding him close in a defensive gesture while he continued scanning.  He stepped forward when he noticed Himchan hurrying over and something seemed to click.  “Kiseop’s here, isn’t he?” he asked before the younger vampire could explain.

                “Ne!” he smiled, though the expression was a little strained.

                “Come on, Wookie,” Kyuhyun urged, pulling the shorter male along with him as Himchan waved them after.

                Without a word, Ryeowook allowed himself to be guided, gesturing towards JR and Henry in particular as they wandered by the group, heading towards the other side of the trailer.  When they reached the far side of the blockade, he blinked upon seeing a very pretty young man with almost feminine features and wind blown, brunette hair, resting with his hands on his knees and exhausted wings lying limply over his back and on the ground.  N and Hyosung were standing beside him with Junsu watching over the trio while his gaze scanned the horizon.  Sunrise was still a little ways off but that didn’t mean he wasn’t followed or that they should let their guard down.

                “Alright, Kiseoppie,” N urged, patting the bowed back in a comforting manner before he glanced around the gathered people with a small frown.  “What news?”

                With a deep breath, Kiseop drew himself to his full height, making him just slightly taller than N, and exhaled.  “Hunters,” he huffed with a frown, noting the dark reactions his utterance brought, but then he continued.  “And the humans are starting to clump together,” he explained, pantomiming with his hands to help visualize his description.

                “That seems rather counterintuitive,” Junsu mused as he leaned against the trailer with one shoulder, deceptively relaxed in appearance.

                “The last time they were clustered together, they were targeted the most,” N added with a frown, confused as to their action.

                Kiseop nodded and winced as he tried to draw his wings in with a glance over his shoulder, sighing when the tips twitched but little else.  “True,” he agreed, resorting to rubbing his shoulders out instead, long fingers digging into tense muscles adeptly.  “But this time, they’re ready and – ow!” he winced at a particularly tense knot.

                “Stop that,” N smacked the other male’s hands away as he carefully stepped around back to take care of it himself, kneading into the tense flesh determinedly.  “Continue,” he instructed sharply while Kiseop practically melted on the spot.

                “They’re choosing strongholds to fortify and protect while drawing all the humans on their side under protection.  In short, anyone left outside is not a friend,” he explained, whimpering when N’s hands started moving down his spine and around his shoulder blades.

                Kyuhyun barked a laugh and Ryeowook immediately felt a knot of tension appear in his belly.  That sort of response rarely heralded good news…  “I didn’t really think they’d retaliate in kind,” he snorted with a shake of his head.

                Kiseop just looked confused by his statement and both Himchan and Hyosung glared at him in annoyance, used to his antics, but Junsu waited patiently, eyeing the vampire with one raised brow.  “Care to finish the thought?” he prompted with a falsely sweet smile.

                “It’s not definite yet, but it sounds like they’re making their own unofficial kill zones,” he explained, gesturing with one hand.

                “What?” Ryeowook frowned, confused by the explanation so far.

                Kyuhyun shook his head and explained further.  “They’re setting up safe spots for allies and once it’s been established and made official, those found in the emptied zones are automatically suspect.  Shoot to kill,” he snorted, though it lacked genuine amusement.

                “Possibly,” Kiseop grimaced, the expression shifting drastically when the support muscles around his wings relaxed enough for them to be retracted.  “Ugh.  Much better,” he sighed, rolling his shoulders while he turned around to thank N for the assistance.

                “Luna,” Junsu murmured when he noticed the young woman ease around the front of the truck, peering at their collection of people intently.  “What’s wrong?” he added seeing her expression.

                She didn’t immediately answer him as she carefully walked towards Kiseop, sniffing the air experimentally as she did so.  The vampire in question noticed her and turned to regard the short woman curiously, waving at her with a partial smile as she approached.  “Hello,” he greeted, intrigued by her behavior, just like the rest of those present.

                “You smell odd for a vampire,” she explained when she got close enough to touch him.  A frown appeared when that didn’t seem quite right and Luna shook her head as she sniffed herself.  “No.  You smell like a wolf.  Like me.  Sort of,” she explained with a frown of confusion.

                Surprisingly, he nodded in agreement and chirped in the back of his throat.  “I was traveling with three wolves and a wolf-kin,” he explained, pointing back the way he’d come.  “They’re following on foot though.  Oh!” he exclaimed, his attention reverting back to the topic from earlier.  “Hunters!”

                “Where?” Luna yelped, her attention drawn to the horizon.

                “Following us,” Kiseop explained as he chewed his lip.  “I think they’re the Kims,” he pouted with bowed shoulders.

                His announcement was met with suppressed shudders all around, leaving Ryeowook confused.  He leaned up to whisper into Kyuhyun’s ear, “Why are the Kims so bad?”

                “Quick-tempered, cocky, and very fast, the Kims are what you could consider assassin quality Hunters.  No vampire or wolf wants to have one on their tail, much less all three,” he explained with a grimace.

                “At least we’re a large group though.  Right?” Ryeowook asked, looking towards the trailer that blocked his view of the rest of their party.

                “That’s some consolation,” he conceded with an eye on the horizon himself.  “Though no guarantee.  Especially with Bangs in our midst,” he added, the comment earning him a dark scowl from Luna.

                “How far behind are they?” N asked with a hand on Kiseop’s shoulder.

                The taller vampire shrugged and frowned in thought.  “I’ve been flying at night to catch up and get ahead while they travel during the day.  I knew that we were getting close though so they’ll probably run through the night as well.”

                “And be utterly useless if you’re wrong and the Hunters get to them first,” Junsu growled low in the back of his throat.  Kiseop simply shrugged apologetically but there wasn’t much he could say.  “How much time til sunrise?” he asked, sighting on Kyuhyun.

                N answered with a look at his phone.  “It’s four sixteen now.  Sunrise will be in another two hours.  Give or take.”

                Junsu nodded once.  “Luna,” he barked, catching her attention immediately.  “Go get Hyoyeon and Sunhwa,” he instructed, pointing towards the other side of the trailer.  She scrambled to comply without question and Junsu pointed at N and Kyuhyun.  “If we’re not back before sunrise, head out.  We’ll catch up,” he promised determinedly.

                “But you don’t even know where they are,” Himchan reminded him with hands raised at shoulder height, palms open and up.

                “Not yet,” he conceded as the requested trio showed up from around the truck.  Sanghyuk trailed them with a very confused look on his face.  Junsu hurried over to speak with him quietly, keeping his voice down though the vampires could just make it out.  “You’ll need to watch over the pack while I’m gone.”

                “But-” Sanghyuk blinked, clearly taken aback by the directive.

                “You’ll be fine,” Junsu urged, clapping him on the shoulder firmly to cut off any additional retort.  “Luna.  Sunhwa.  Hyoyeon,” he called, falling to his hands as knees as the transformation started swiftly at his call.

                Immediately, the three followed suit and Ryeowook had to fight the initial sense of stomach turning nausea upon actually watching them shift without distraction for the first time.  Their skin roiled and changed as it grew fur and stretched over a body that sprouted a tail, extended and compressed limbs, and developed an elongated face full of savage teeth.  The only exception was Luna who was dwarfed in her wolf form.  Junsu looked at her, huffed once, and she whined before going through another transformation into her actual werewolf form.  Even then, by their standards she was still small, but more than able to keep up which was the main concern.  Junsu nodded in satisfaction and howled once, long and loud, before he bounded off with the other three following close on his heels.

                “Are you sure it’s safe for them to be going off alone?” Ryeowook asked with an uneasy glance at Kyuhyun.

                “How are you going to stop them?” the vampire asked pointedly, one brow raised as he rested his hand against Ryeowook’s back.

                “I’m not,” he mumbled flatly, not sure what to feel about the latest event or the news Kiseop had brought.  With the wolves gone, N ushered Kiseop, and the others, back around to rejoin the group so they could better discuss the latest development.  If the humans were creating kill zones, they would need to figure out where they were and stay clear of them as soon as possible.  Otherwise, all of their efforts to survive to this point may well have been in vain.

(a/n: Presumably, we're getting to an action chapter at some point.  >.>  lol  But more character insight!  Yay!  Kiseop's been introduced and we've got the Kims on the horizon.  You might be able to start guessing based on the little tidbit of a description but they'll be along soon enough otherwise.  Beyond that, just a bit more of KyuWook, and we should be having a bit more story progression shortly.  The development of kill zones will push them to move a bit faster now!  My fingers are crossed I get to combat in the next one.  lol

As always, thank you so much for following along.  I'll do my best to keep the updates continuous so please bear with me if I hit any stumbling blocks.  haha  School's gearing up to start again and I have no idea how the schedule is going to be in actuality.  :/  Happy reading and please look forward to the next update!)