“Lena give me your arm.” Nana said, guiding me to face the other side of the ballroom. It was difficult to not turn back to Hei. The memory of the forest kept replaying inside my head, each time the fact of it being real twisting like a knife in my gut.

Lay shifted beside me, reminding me that he was still there. He had gotten close enough to loom over, like a standing shield from any prying eyes. “I’ll take her.” He said.

“You should look after your friends sunbae.” Nana replied. I realized my hand was holding Lay’s wrist in a death grip, my nails cutting moon crescents in his skin. I retracted my fingers, but without anything to hold onto they felt twitchy at my side.

“She can’t walk with those on.” He gestured to my shoes. My ankle was throbbing now, and I could feel swelling tightness around the ankle strap. Falling had messed it up past the point of being bearable, and I had to shift my weight to one side entirely. “I’ll take care of her.” He said, but Nana didn’t budge. They both were waiting for the other to back down, a silent tension beginning to shift between them. Neither were ever so stubborn, but it was more surprising to see them act this way towards each other, being what I could only imagine strangers. Nana couldn’t know him any better than I did.  

“Sunbae,” I spoke quietly. Lay looked down, his brow forever stuck in a tense crease “please stay here.”

He shook his head. “I need to go with you. It’s not safe.” I stared into his eyes, something squeezing inside my chest. He had to know what had happened back then, but he never said anything to me either.  

I inhaled a breath, trying to steel my voice. “Why is it not safe Lay sunbae?” He didn’t answer. We were in a crowd of students and adult chaperones. This was a high school dance. We were supposed to dress up, take pictures, maybe even get drunk, but enjoy ourselves because this was supposed to be a normal and safe thing that people our age did. Some inexplicable part of me believed what he was saying was the truth, and it rattled me. “My ride will be here soon, I’m heading out first.”

“At least let me see you guys out.” He said, as if noticing my distress. Despite his rigid expression his eyes softened, showing me worry. It made me look away first.

“I-if you really need to. I’m going to go.”

The night’s cold seeped deeper into my skin as me and Nana walked out. I shoved down the urge to rub my arms because I couldn’t tell whether it was from the breeze or from something inside. Nana checked her phone, and thankfully ten o’clock wasn’t too far off so we settled into waiting. She didn’t seem to mind, her composure already regained from the night’s incident. She stared down the side of the venue where the edge of the gardens poked up, silent and contemplating.

“Sorry about this.” I said quietly, a part of me wishing I was so level headed. Or maybe just in control of myself, that way I wouldn’t be so easily rattled by others.

“It’s not your fault. The teachers should’ve been watching more closely.”  Clusters of people were slowly coming outside, gossip floating over our heads over the night's events. The excited energy had turned into baffled clamour. Nana coaxed her hair into a ponytail, slipping off her mask to replace them with her glasses. The party was definitely over.

“I mean for having to wait with me,” I said. Again Nana assured me it wasn’t a problem, and we settled into silence.

The feeling I was being watched didn’t leave, but it wasn’t from the people milling around. A couple paces behind I knew Lay was still there, unwilling to let me go completely. Like a protector. My thoughts trailed back to Hei and a little shiver travelled up my arms.

It’s fine. You’re here. He’s in there. It’s fine.

A couple minutes felt like hours. I wanted to be gone before the others emerged from inside. Eventually the familiar small red convertible turned into the drive. I eased my foot back into the heel, suppressing the flare of pain that automatically hit. I could see the anticipatory smile on Ha ri’s face as she rolled the car to a smooth stop in front of us. Plastering as close to a convincing grin I could I hobbled up to the car, opening the door.

“Hi-” Her bubbly voice dragged when she caught sight of the figure next to me. A distant part of my mind clicked at what this looked like. Me, her introverted and basically friendless niece of how many years finally standing and talking with someone of the same age group.

Ha ri don’t do it. Please don’t-

“Lena.” Lay called. I turned reflexively and he was already a step behind, his fingers closed around a phone. “It dropped from your bag.” Without waiting he bowed to Ha ri with a friendly smile.

Ha ri’s face split into a shining beam. “Hello! I’ve never met you before!”

Oh my god.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m a sunbae of Lena-ah’s, my name is Lay.” He bowed once again. Nana naturally took a step forward, bowing as well.

“I’m Lena-ah’s classmate and fellow club member, Nana.”

“Nice to meet both of you!” She said, eyes practically sparkling. “You both look so wonderful in your outfits too!” I shuffled closer to the door, purposely blocking her view.

“Auntie we should really get going.” I said, trying to put a damper on the edge in my voice. She was too happily surprised to notice; I was definitely going to get an ear full of questions tonight.

“Call me when you arrive home.” Nana said, crossing her arms against the breeze, though she didn’t seem at all cold. Lay seemed to want to say more, but I gave him a silencing look.

“Don’t please.” I said in a lowered voice. The car’s engine was the only thing that could hide my hushed words from Ha ri.

Worry broke fresh across his eyes. “We need to talk about this.”

“I know.” Two little words that meant so much more. I needed explanations. The picture in my head felt like something out of a nightmare. Frightening, and almost out of the realm of this world. “But not now.”

“When, the end of vacation?” His face said he was waiting for me to say no, but all I could think about was retreating to the apartment, cozy and isolated from everything going on here.

“I don’t know sunbae, but not right now.” I turned away, and he didn’t stop me. I half fell onto the passenger seat, shutting the door. Putting a wall between us and this discussion.

“Sorry auntie. Let’s go.”

“No! Don’t be-” She snuck a little wave at Nana and Lay, then accelerated slowly down the drive. “They seem really nice. You must’ve had a good time-” She turned towards me, and I knew my face was off the mark for happy. “What is it sweetheart?”

“Nothing,” If I met her gaze head on I wouldn’t be able to hide everything, and then it’d only be a matter of time before she grilled what had happened out. I let my eyes fall to my foot, easing it out from the heel “I twisted my ankle while walking in these.”

A little gasp escaped her lips, momentarily stopping the car. “Are you alright?”

I tried for an assuring smile, but I didn’t lift my eyes from my leg. “Fine, just need to get home and ice it.” She was really looking at me now. I could feel her instinctively scanning over me, the way she did when I was upset, or when she thought I was hiding something. It was abruptly quiet for a moment, then she looked forward, pressing down on the accelerator.

I tried to divert the attention from me. “Did you have a nice night?”

“Yeah, just the usual.” She said, this time more calm and aware. From the rearview mirror I watched the forms of Lay and Nana grow smaller and less defined. Before we reached the turn off a third form appeared next to them. It was too far to see a face, but his silver hair still stood out faintly in the dark. “How was it?” Ha ri asked. “No good?”

“Tonight was the equivalent to a flooded gym.” I mumbled, letting my head hit the window. “Too much, too fast.”

“What’s going on Lay sunbae?” Nana asked, watching the two wolves. Sehun didn’t seem like he was about to start explaining, his eyes still trained on the point the convertible had turned off.

“We’re just as clueless as you.” Lay sighed. It was still an evasive answer, and not enough to satisfy her. Nana shifted her attention to the younger wolf.

“Shouldn’t you still be with the coach?”

Sehun looked over his shoulder, his eyes two pieces of dark ice. “Why weren’t you watching her? You’re both in the same club working together-”

“Yes we are, and I’m not a protector.” She met his frigid look without a bit of discomfort. “You aren’t either but you look really worried.”

“Did you not see what was going to happen back there? That bastard was about to-”

“Sehun.” Lay held the latter by the shoulder, trying to get him to calm him down. But Nana saw his jaw pump, anger of his own being suppressed.

She studied the two carefully. “Sehun-ah and Kai-ah looked like you were about to do worse.”

“Someone had to help her.” Sehun stared down, daring her to say otherwise.

“Of course, but beating up Yukiko’s brother wouldn’t help anyone.” She said calmly. It played against Sehun’s anger. Reasoning made what her words true, but that didn’t appease his desperate wish to smash the bastard’s head in.

“School fights are one thing, but a werewolf beating up a vampire could make things more complicated than they need to be.” Nana continued, her voice muted against the hum of voices from the entrance. “Do you have something against him?”

“He’s a vampire and she’s a human. What more do I need?” Sehun said stoically.

“He was probably intoxicated. Anyways the treaties are present,” Nana adjusted her glasses “if he was going to attempt something he would’ve been stopped then appropriately punished.”

Sehun gave her a thin smile. “Would that before or after she gets bitten.”

Nana’s face finally pitched towards a frown. “You really believe he had intended to do that.”

“And you don’t?”

“Even though no one seems to know him he’s still a queenka’s brother, and she’s a vampire too. They both would naturally have to care about people’s perceptions, human or otherwise.”

“The key word is ‘should’.”

“Look,” Lay said, easing into the conversation as neither backed down “she’s safe, that’s what matters.” He meant it moreso for Sehun, but the wolf wouldn’t ease up.

“What she is to you? A friend?” Nana asked. This time they both looked at her sharply.

“Do sorceresses always need to read into things?” Sehun said lowly, his voice dropping into a new level of frigid.

It still didn’t faze her. “No, I didn’t mean to be offensive. I’m just asking.”

Lay could only stare. It was often said that sorcerers and sorceresses had the trait of curiosity, needing to know every spell and cast and mystery of the earth. It often blended into more blunt or nosy personalities. In that aspect, he could really see her creature type reveal itself. As a normally reserved, quiet person he could’ve mistaken her for a human but the reality was that she wasn’t; after observing the other photography club members he quickly learned almost none of them were human either. You were almost completely surrounded by beings that didn’t share anything basic in common with you and you had absolutely no clue.

I cupped my hands under the sink, letting cold water pool in my hands before splashing it across my face. It hit with a refreshing smack, but some water flew past my face, into my hair or onto the floor.

“Careful.” Ha ri was leaning against the door of the bathroom, watching me through the wide square mirror. I had heard her coming, but I kept my eyes squeezed shut from the soapy suds on my face.

“What?” I spoke, scrubbing the makeup off furiously.

“Nothing, just thought you’d want some help getting out when you’re done.”

I braced my hands on the sink, feeling water drops run down my chin. A bag of ice cubes was currently balanced on my foot, wonderfully cold and numbing, so I basically felt nothing.  “I’m fine.” Good. I sounded very calm, normal. But I didn’t hear the sound of retreating steps, meaning Ha ri was still probing. “Is this stuff off yet?” I asked.

“Not quite.” I felt the poke of her finger on my cheek. “You’re still looking a little raccoon-ish around the eyes.” I got another handful of water, scrubbing it across my eyelids. How Ha ri could stand to do this everyday was incredible.

“Better?”

“Yup. Dry your face then put on some cream.”

I obeyed, smacking the fluffy face towel on my face. The cream was on my night table, so I had to hobble to my room to get it. Ha ri went for the kitchen, quickly returning with a fresh bag of ice cubes. It took a while of playing around with pillows and stuffies on my bed to find a decent position for my ankle.

“Want some hot chocolate?” Ha ri asked lightly.

“In this weather?” I made a face. She shrugged, walking back towards the kitchen. I took the moment of quiet to simply plop back onto the bed spread, staring at the ceiling. The clatter of cups and doors opening and shutting were just a couple steps away, but they felt farther. Alone in my room gave me silence, but it wasn’t calming. The forest’s edge hung waiting in the corner of my mind. When I blinked I saw green, then red. Blood, my blood. Hei falling. Sehun standing there doing nothing.

His eyes had been red too.

I sat up suddenly, staring down at my legs. The curls in my hair had long since exhausted into a wavy flatness, falling over my shoulders like a curtain. The ends flicked across bare, scarless skin. My arms were clear too. I raised a fist to the ceiling, then rotated my arms in wide circles, then took a couple vicious boxing jabs to the air. Nothing, not even an ache. The realization was more disturbing than the stabbing pain of a couple bruises or cuts.

The sound of my phone ringing made me jolt. Twisting around I fumbled for it, realizing I’d forgotten to call Nana like she’d asked.

“Hello?” I said a bit quietly, trying not to alert Ha ri.

“Hey, it’s me.” A voice replied, deep and masculine and not at all what I’d been expecting. I held my breath, staring straight at my mirror with rounded eyes. Chanyeol?  “Lena?”

“How’d you get this number?” I spoke slowly. He made a little disgruntled sound, and there was a static noise in the background, like the sound of wind. He must’ve still been outside the venue.

“Jae Hwa gave it to me.” He answered. A stab of irritation slowly started to burn through me.

Surprising, but not unimaginable.

“How’s your leg?” He continued, his voice sounding tight. I bit my lip, fidgeting with the hem of my pj pants. Knee length and grey, with batman designs all over. He couldn’t see me but embarrassment hit all the same.

“I’m fine.”

“Did you get home alright?”

“Yeah, we got back a while ago.” The static silence hung over for a while, abrupt but not with it’s usual awkwardness. A part of me wanted to hang up on him, shut him out for being so infuriatingly evasive and secretive. At the same time I scolded myself for being so childish. “Are you guys in trouble?”

“Not really. The chaperones found a group of second years who brought alcohol. They were rounded up and we were let go.” He stopped, I could sense his hesitation.

“What about Kai?” I spoke. “And that guy, Yukiko’s...brother.”  

Chanyeol’s voice came out a little more stiff. “He was one of the guys taken by the teachers. They’re still here, but their parents will be called to send them home. He isn’t getting out of this without disciplinary action. Honestly, I don’t think Kai will get out of this entirely cleared either.”

“Oh,” I said in a small voice. Good to hear, and also bad. The mix didn’t help my mood. The feeling seemed to be shared between us, Chanyeol sighing. It was harsh and tired sound.

“I’m sorry for not getting there sooner. All this time we’re keeping an eye out for him and he just-” He cut himself off. I picked at my comforter.

“He caught us all off guard.” I finished for him.

“It won’t happen again. I promise.” Chanyeol sounded determined. Sure of himself. I wanted to share the confidence, but I didn’t. It wasn’t possible when I was still out of the loop.

“You should probably get home sunbae.” I murmured.

“I will,” another pause, like he was thinking of more to say. Sometimes it felt so hard to talk to them. We had too many topics covered with a blanket. Anything light or ordinary didn’t feel right because then we’d be dancing around the things left in the dark. “Just, get some rest.”

“Have a good summer vacation.” I said. See you when school starts. Those words were on the edge of my lips, but I bit them back. I know Hei. I thought, imagining his twisted smile in my head. I know Kai, Sehun, and Lay lied to me. Did you know too? We ended the call, and I was left staring blankly at the screen of my phone for a long time, the unfamiliar seven digits reading on my display.

“What the hell happened back there?” Chen asked. Luhan counted it being the fourth time since they had gotten into one of the elevators at Mugunghwa. All he could really offer was a shrug as he watched the digital count of the floors while they ascended up, but Chen wasn’t exactly looking at him. “Baekhyun.” Chen snapped his fingers in front of the wolf’s face.

“I heard you.” So he said, but Baekhyun wouldn’t stop looking at one point on the elevator door. If they left him alone long enough a funny look started to form on his face, like he was forever on the verge of breaking into an idiotic grin.

“We can’t take him to the meeting like this.” Chen scoffed, turning to Luhan. “What if he goes yellow eyed?” Luhan considered it for a moment. A golden eyed giddy wolf wasn’t much different from a brown eyed one.

“She’s not here. He can control himself.”

“No he can’t. He’s loopy!”

That popped his bubble. Baekhyun looked up with a frown. “I’m not.”

“Really?” Chen spun around. “You’ve imprinted!”

“So? I’m not crazy, I’m fine.”

“Until you randomly start glowing in the middle of the council meeting. I heard Xiumin nearly froze himself solid.” The two began to bicker, and Luhan had no energy to try and stop them.

It had been maybe an hour or two since the whole thing had happened, but his mind kept repeating it in a tireless loop. Somewhere along the party he’d bumped into Baekhyun, all wide eyed and panicked. Out of concern Luhan had followed, and there they’d stumbled on to Kai, Sehun, and Lena.

The moving elevator was slowing down, a digital 8 reading on the screen above. The wolves stepped back as the doors opened. Xiumin was waiting a couple steps away, a smidge of glitter on his dress shoes.

“They’re almost going to start. We should get inside.” He said, entirely business. It was almost to the extent he seemed distant but Luhan didn’t try to open the subject. A couple people in suits walked by heading for the still open lift. Regular business people to the outside world, but wolves in theirs, with hypersensitive hearing. Not very helpful company for Luhan’s anxiety.  

“Surprise meeting you boys out here.” A cheeky voice spoke. Amara walked up from one of the adjacent halls, joining them on their way to the council meeting. It was one of the few times she wasn’t in bleached white sneakers or neon clothes. The brightness had been out of her outfit, her dress navy and her shoes black. The only pop of color came from , an emerald necklace clasped above her neckline.

“You look sorceress-like.” Chen commented. Even in a state of shock he couldn’t hold his tongue.

“That’s kind of the point.” She crossed her arms, but her lips played into a smirk. “Formal business calls for the stereotypical drab clothes.” She pointed a finger at the four wolves. “You’re all in suits. Very werewolf-elder like. The vampires have their grunge-with-capes trend while the fae are just an ever changing wildcard.”

“No one’s wearing capes.” Xiumin spoke. “There is no ceremony tonight, and no one died.”

She still frowned, as if caught in a thought. “Those capes look good though.”

“No they don’t.” Baekhyun said. I winced,  wondering why Suho didn’t let the pack stay home after the dance. Then again there was no choice. Among other things this meeting would be the first for Baekhyun’s father as an officially instated council member. Baekhyun and his family automatically needed to be present and so did we for support, but I had no idea where his mind was after imprinting on Lena. We all felt a little rattled by the vampire’s appearance. He had gotten so close so fast, and from seemingly out of nowhere. It’d be easier to handle the situation if less of us were imprinted, but Xiumin and Baekhyun had tipped the scale over in just one night.

And then there was me.

“You guys must’ve had a wild time.” She turned to us with a grin. “Tell me, did any of the fairies manage to sneak in some FA?”

“What?” I spoke more bluntly than I meant to. She raised her eyebrows.

“Fairy ale? As in Fae booze. As in the stuff that turned Chen into a drunken dinosaur for nearly forty eight hours-”

“I thought we agreed to never speak about that again.” Chen cut in with a sour look. Baekhyun didn’t bother to hide his laugh.

“Oh, right.” Amara smiled brightly, but only received a glowering look in return. Eventually we reached a conference room, one of three Mugunghwa had to offer on this floor. It looked similar to any kind in a major hotel, curtained windows lining one side of the wall and made to roughly twenty bodies. But only a select few could walk inside and see it other than as such. As we neared the doorway I caught sight of a translucent shimmer in the air, like gossamer hung in a curtain. Passing through left a cool sensation over my face and hands, as if I was touching water, and then we were in an auditorium. Round and built from metal, wood, and stone. One side was an arc of chairs ascending up to the back. It was about a third filled, with a long oval table set up down on the floor stage. A line of eight chairs were placed on the side facing the crowd, and all but one was filled with the elders preparing to begin.

Amara gave us a little nod before heading for the west side of the room. A few clusters of sorcerers were already settled, somewhere there her husband was sitting. The vampires sat in rows behind their group, and the fae were together on the other side of the wolves. Tao waved at us all the way at the bottom front row, where the rest of the pack was sitting and waiting. Not only them, but Baekhyun’s parents, and Suho’s dad on the council

“At least my parents aren’t here.” I said instinctively. Chen rolled his eyes as we walked down the steps.

“Okay first of all, your parents are really nice, not even that strict, and throw amazing parties.”

“Does that have to do with any of this?” Xiumin asked, turning to Chen with a what-the- look.

“Just pointing out the good qualities.” Chen said. “Keep in mind some of us aren’t so fortunate.”

I turned to him but Chen had already looked away, smiling and greeting some people as we passed.

Mr. Kim stood up from his chair just as we took our seats, holding a hand up over the crowd. “Hello. Welcome guests to tonight’s meeting. We have a lot of ground to cover today so let’s get started.” The murmurs around us quickly settled. I looked down our line to Suho. He watched his father with an unwavering gaze, a future councilman soaking up the dynamic of it all.

“First, I’d like for us all to give a round of applause to Mr. Byun Byeong Ho, an active member of our community in the Seoul district, and a wonderful confidant and friend. Tonight he rises to a council men’s chair.” We all applauded as Baekhyun’s father stood, walking up to the oval table. Baekhyun and his mother Su Bin clapped the loudest. She squeezed her son’s hand affectionately, her eyes shining with happiness. For his part Baekhyun looked entirely normal, the row of us watching him probably had something to do with it. The longest acting member of the council, an old wolf named Nam il, secured a gold pin on his left lapel. A token of membership, or as Chanyeol liked to call it a badge of honor.

“Your blood is of the wolves. Work to protect and stand for your kind.” The man rasped, his voice still deep and powerful. Short, but powerful words reflecting the view of the wolves. The pack came first, no question or doubt. Byeong Ho bowed, then took his place on the one open chair remaining at the end of the table. He fit right in with the line of grunt faces of the other seven members, forever serious and brooding over the future of the werewolves in Seoul. As one they sat down in their seats.

“Now.” Nam il began, his eyes casting about the room. “The first and most pressing issue we will bring up is the reason behind many of you coming today. A string of murders in multiple districts in Seoul.” At his gesture a woman from the side of the stage walked up. Judging by her case files and business suit she was someone working in law, maybe a prosecutor. She bowed to the elders, then turned towards the crowd.

“This case doesn’t need much introduction. We have ongoing investigations in Gangnam, Itaewon, and Hongdae. 11 victims without any correlation; they vary in age, gender, even race. Foreigners haven’t been spared, neither children.” Someone made a disgruntled sound. There was even a sorrowful sigh.

“News reports have labelled it the work of serial killer, but no traceable link hasn’t been found.” A man spoke. Mr. Song, sitting next to a frowning Amara.

The woman nodded, her sharp eyes hardening. “The public has dubbed the culprit the Ghost. Meaning no fingerprints, no DNA, no identifiable murder weapons have been found in any of the cases. Besides a made up alias, the police have found nothing to identify the culprit.”

“The humans are running out of feasible explanations, but we have a few theories.” Mr. Kim said, his hands laced together. He was an entirely different person on the chair, without a smile or glimmer of humor.

One of the vampires spoke up, straight to the point. “Whose kind is it?”

“That’s the million dollar question.” Mr. Kim spoke, rising from his chair. “We don’t know.” Indiscernible murmur rose in the room. I caught Chen’s gaze, the confusion and tension in them matching my own.

“Forensic teams across multiple units in the city have done every kind of test on the victims bodies. At present they are more likely to point the finger at a savage animal.”

“So, wolves.” The same vampire spoke. Su Bin rolled her eyes beside Baekhyun, irritated. He held her arm, silently reassuring.

“Maybe, but if so he or she only killed one person.” The woman pulled out her files. “In addition to claw-like scratches and gashes, bodies were found with broken bones, puncture wounds, or corroded skin. By our guidelines, it can sound like the work of wolf, vampire, and fae respectively.”

“We have also begun our own investigations.” Mr. Byun spoke. “The death count is 11 now, but we have reason to believe there could be more.”

“How?” A fae woman asked from near the back.

“There have been 3 case reports of deaths by unknown illness that fit the killing pattern the murderer follows. In these particular ones inexplicable welts, face deformation, even bone disintegration have been identified on the bodies. We could point this towards sorcerer or witch magic.”    

“But how is the murderer’s killing pattern being defined?” Mr. Song spoke. “It sounds like there are lots of variables to this case.” The prosecutor turned to him.

“We’ve nailed a couple things down. This killer moves from victim to victim, one at a time. Someone will disappear for about forty eight hours, long enough for their families to contact the police. Keep in mind, every victim so far has been a human.” A couple expressions clouded over. No one wanted fingers pointed at their own kind, but more than that, no one wanted this kind of trouble. The kind that could threaten our peace. “From there, it’s a phone call. Not to the family, but to one of us. If there’s a working creature even in the vicinity of the investigation the murderer will find them, contact them-” She held up her cell phone. “-but the line will be silent. Two more days and the victim is found dead.” More murmurs rose across the room. The woman crossed her arms. “Whoever it is, they aren’t slowing down. This is creature-caused, and there will be more killings.”   

“It is plausible to assume this is a group of individuals consisting of members of all creature types out hunting humans. Such murders in quick progression and varying locations could not have been the work of one individual.” Nam il spoke, addressing the crowd.

“They do not uphold the treaties.” Ki Tae, another councilman spoke. I remembered his name from his trademark expression, as if his face had been cut out from stone. “And with every death the humans grow more rattled. We cannot let these actions go unpunished, their consequences will weigh down on us all.” There was a chorus of agreement in the crowd, many nodding their heads.   

“Watch and listen carefully in your groups. Spread the word out about this threat. The situation can’t be allowed to continue any longer.” Mr. Kim looked about the crowd. “Any information, even if it seems vague would be helpful.”

“Great.” Sehun’s voice unfolded in the back corner of my mind. He was on the very end of our row, but his voice reached all members of our pack.

“The councilmen and their investigators will figure this out.” Tao spoke. I could see him out of the corner of my eye, a frown on his face. “My dad’s been called in to head the unit.” Like any of us hadn’t noticed the gruff, retired military sergeant standing a few feet away from the table. He was entirely still and alert, eyeing the vicinity with a look of practiced neutrality.  

“How long is he staying?” Kris didn’t turn his head, but he had gone stiff in his chair. We’d all met the man before, quickly falling victim his strict physical training regimens at Hagwon ‘just to give a taste’ of the kind of pack training they normally did in the past. It’d helped our fighting and gifts improve, but those two weeks had been anything but pleasant. I faced forward, hearing the words of the pack come and go, as if they were having a conversation out loud.

“Relax, he’s occupied with this case,” Tao said “they specifically transferred him here temporarily until this gets solved.”

“Yeah, because he’s like a bloodhound that can track any prey.”  Chanyeol spoke, not offensively. I could hear the mute respect in his voice. “Seriously, he’ll find him in a week.”

“Let’s just hope so.” D.O said. Lay and Kai stayed pretty quiet amidst it all, and they were far enough down the line I couldn’t see their faces. Were they even paying attention, or were they just thinking about Lena?

“This sounds pretty serious.” Kris mused. His chair creaked as he shifted.

“Take in the details that you can and we’ll keep an eye out too.” Suho said, and it was enough to get us to settle. I watched the meeting in a daze, like a movie with the sound dropped to zero. This was a serious situation, it wasn’t often members of creature lines actually took up the permanently standing offer to attend. Still, my head was lost in a fury of thoughts from finally seeing Lena. The girl I was just supposed to automatically fall in love with, but I didn’t.

Is it just a delayed reaction? I placed a hand on my chest, my heart beat a steady drum. My eyes weren’t gold, no one and nothing was suddenly dangling in the air from my powers. Why wasn’t anything happening? I hadn’t told anyone yet, and no one even gave me a second glance. I looked and felt entirely normal. Bewildered, but normal. There’s something wrong with me. I closed my eyes, picturing her face in my head for what could’ve been the umpteenth time. Angry, scared, and eyes shining with unshed tears.  

~~~

Hello lovely readers! How’s everyone doing?

This chapter is a bit of a long one so I hope you all enjoy it, if so please show some love by commenting, subscribing, and upvoting. I always sincerely appreciate it.

Until next time and hopefully that will be less than a month from now

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