“Where is Donghyun-ssi?”

“He went out.”

“Out? On his own?”

Minwoo raised an eyebrow at Emma. “Yes, out. It seems like the city is relatively safe. The witch seems to have moved on.”

“She hasn’t!”

“No one has seen her. You can’t sense her like before, either.”

He watched as Emma bit her lower lip. “I can sense her. I just…can’t find her.”

Minwoo regarded her closely. It had been more than three weeks since the pack had mobilized, a month since their encounter with Choi Youngil. Emma has assured them that she could find her, that all she needed was a map of the city. Minwoo had watched her spread it out in Donghyun’s room floor, sit beside it, close her eyes, and freeze.

Donghyun and Hyunseong had been out on patrol with D-namites and Harmonies. Emma had instructed Minwoo not to interrupt her, so he had let her be. When Donghyun and Hyunseong returned, they had pulled her away from the map after finding out she had been searching since they’d left three days before.

Another nasty argument between the Ancients had ensued. They had yelled at one another in that strange language of theirs for hours. Minwoo had never before met anyone that could match Donghyun’s personality tooth and nail the way Emma did. Although he was willing to believe that her temper rivaled and even surpassed his.

“Are you insane? You could exhaust yourself to death!”

“I know what I’m doing!”

“You clearly don’t!”

Minwoo, at one point, had been able to soothe Donghyun out of his temperamental outbursts. With Emma around, it had become nearly impossible to keep him from exploding. On the other hand, Hyunseong tamed Emma quickly, efficiently, almost effortlessly. Minwoo would have been glad for this had it not made Donghyun even more irate.

Their argument only ceased when gleaming orbs of light appeared. Emma had quickly, almost naturally, jumped into Donghyun’s arms, shouting that she was deeply sorry. She had hidden her face in the curvature of his neck. Donghyun had held her tightly, protectively, his eyes darting about nervously as they followed the orbs.

“I can’t find her,” Emma had finally confessed. “I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t find her. She’s here, in the city, but I just can’t find her!”

Boyfriend had then watched as Donghyun soothed her, how she fought so hard to stop the hiccups that started when she began to cry. Hyunseong had ushered them all out of the room, giving them the privacy they needed.

That had been more than two weeks ago. They had continued to patrol the streets, continued to hold their breath.

Donghyun and Emma spent many hours before the map. Minwoo knew that his leader had given her his room; only he woke up early enough to find him sleeping on the sofa. Emma usually exhausted herself to the point of immobility. A fact that worried them all, Donghyun especially.

Their alpha had not been out of doors since Emma announced her shortcomings. He had remained with her every day, cooped up in the forgotten building that doubled as their den until Minwoo had finally convinced him to go out for a run.

“Noona,” he patted the seat beside him. Emma walked over, her eyes downcast. He took her hand in his, noting the slight tremor that wouldn’t leave them.

“Noona, I need you to teach me.”

Emma’s head snapped up, her brow furrowed. “Teach you?”

“Yes. I know there is a lot Donghyun-hyung has kept from us.” He didn’t add how he suspected he kept many more secrets from her as well. “Noona, tell me, what are we? What is Donghyun-hyung keeping from us? What is he? Who is he? Who are you? Why is this happening?”

Emma’s eyes met his, glimmering with their own natural light, steady and strong. “I cannot tell you.”

“Why not?” Minwoo groaned.

She smiled, his cheek with a trembling hand. “Because I’m not your alpha.”

Minwoo wondered about that.

Emma got to her feet, grabbed a coat that had been draped on the lazy-boy, and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Witch hunting.”

He stared after her for a few moments before rushing out. “Wait for me!”

Donghyun walked around Wildwood Manor inspecting every room, contemplating every aspect of the ancient home in its new, modern condition. The plumbing had been replaced quickly, efficiently. Not a single lightbulb had gone out and new additions had been made. Not a single speck of dust rested on the furniture. Everything stood in its proper place in perfect tidiness.

Donghyun had no recollection of ever spending more than a few moments within the manor at any given time, yet the entire building glowed with cleanliness. He turned to the white-haired, round-cheeked maid that trotted behind him at a respectful distance. She let out a yelp of surprise, the way young clan members always did whenever they first met him or any member of the Kim family.

She gulped visibly, her trembling hands clasped before her.

“The manor is spotless. How long have you and the others been here?”

“A-a few decades, My Lord,” she answered.

He scowled as he raised an eyebrow. He could tell from her posture that the servants had been living in Wildwood Manor since he had left the Main House over forty years ago. She smelled of old furniture, antiques, yet he could also perceive the scents of the food market, the movie theater, and amusement park. Modern life clung to her skin, a tattle-tale sign that they’d been away from the Woodlands too long.

And all for what? To clean and uninhabited mansion in case the future head of Clan Vyr decided to show up?

“Did my father order you to live here?”

“No, My Lord, I volunteered.” She blushed violently, dipping her chin into her chest. “Your sister, Mistress Ji Yong, asked a handful of us to come and maintain the manor in case—”

He silenced her with an upraised hand. He had not seen his little sister in years. She wrote to him often, her letters always arriving via her pet falcon. The bird never waited for him to write back. Donghyun had learned that Ji Yong letters expected no reply. His younger sister, it seemed, also believed his desertion to be a selfish one.

“Thank you for your service. Gather the rest in the main hall.”

The maid bowed and hurried away. Donghyun let out a deep sigh. He glanced around the immense interior before fishing his cell phone out of his pocket and speed dialing Minwoo.

“Minwoo-ah, where are you?”

“Oh, hyung! I’m out with—Noona! Emma noona!”

Donghyun winced at a loud crash on the other end of the line. He stared at the phone in his hand before holding it back against his ear, demanding to know what had just happened.

“Minwoo-ah? No Minwoo! What’s going on?”

“Hyung!” Minwoo returned after a while. “Hyung we have a big problem! Emma noona just passed out! I’ll take her back home. Hyung, I’ll call you back!”

The line went dead before Donghyun could say anything more. Cursing, he called Hyunseong.

“Hyunseong, where are you?”

“Out on patrol. Hyung, what’s wrong? You sound—”

“Get the kids. Get the k