Dark blood soaked the rain drenched sidewalk. Whatever evidence had existed the storm had washed it away, down into the sewers. Emma stood by Donghyun’s side, assessing the situation from behind the yellow police tape. A small crowd had gathered. Humans, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the body underneath the white sheet.

Jeongmin, Hyunseong, and Minwoo secured a perimeter. Youngmin held Kwangmin’s hand, comforting him. On Kwangmin’s wrist was their pack’s tattoo and sign; a beautiful pair of letters, BF, written in Old English calligraphy. It matched the sad, blood smeared tattoo on the victim’s own wrist.

He had been one of his.

“How did we miss her?” Donghyun asked.

“She held her power in,” Emma replied, dry. “She waited until the last possible moment, unleashed it all in a single blow.”

“Can you track her?”

Emma bowed her head. “No. It was a quick spell, too brief and fast to leave a trace.”

“Are you really of House Vogel?”

“Excuse you,” she hissed. “That’s my brother’s Magic she is using. Do you understand that? She stole the Firstborn Son of House Vogel’s Magic, does that not make sense to you?”

Donghyun’s upper lip curled, his sharp incisors threatening. Emma, however, simply looked away, crossing her arms to shield herself from the chilled wind. The threat that a Witch may be nearby kept her from using Magic to warm herself.

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t find her. Not like this. The trace ends here. This is what makes witches so damn obnoxious; sooner or later they learn how to hide the stolen Magic underneath their human nature.”

Donghyun took a step closer to her, his wolfish heat warming her instantly. He did not oppose when she linked her arm through his, pressing her body against his. Her shivers subsided slowly.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Emma looked up at him, her eyes softening. “You’re under a lot of stress. It’s understandable.”

Kwangmin appeared beside them quietly. His features were tight, cold. Something in his eyes had died. Emma hated it.

“Hyung, we should get out of here.”

Before Donghyun could reply, Emma had ripped herself away from him, bolting. Startled, they chased after her, sensing the urgency.

“I’ll kill that witch,” Kwangmin growled. “I’ll kill her!”

Desperation coursed through Emma’s veins. She had a trace. Granted, it was a very faint trace, but she had it. If she could find her, cursing her would be so very easy. She just had to find her, get her within her sight.

Woodland creatures were fast, but the dwellers of the Plains lived for the vast expanse of land where they could run for miles and miles without stopping. Donghyun had a hard time keeping up with Emma without using his powers. She ran, jumped, dodged; nothing would get between her and the Witch.

She was just around the corner, tucked inside the alley.

Emma’s hands began to glow a pale blue. Donghyun’s claws exploded into existence, his features half-shifted.

They rounded the corner and came face to face with Jeongmin. He dodged Emma’s rushing body, sidestepping Donghyun. He pressed himself against the wall, wincing as he heard the bricks cracking against the inhuman collision.

“,” he said.

Minwoo rose from his crouch beside a dark form on the ground. Hyunseong stood a ways off, his fists clenched, trembling.

“Minwoo-ah?”

He looked at Donghyun, shaking his head. Donghyun sighed, deeply, heavily, the entire weight of his long life upon him. “Let’s go. We can’t get involved with the police.”

“You mean to just leave her here?” Hyunseong snapped. “Would you do the same if she’d been one of yours?”

Emma raised her hand. “She’s here.”

They tensed up. Kwangmin, having arrived after Donghyun and before Yougmin, sniffed the air. Rain, pollution, humans, blood, sweat, death. No Witch. Some other time, he would have trusted his nose far more than he did now. Emma’s arrival had shown them many things, including the fact that scents could be concealed or changed.

“I can’t smell her.”

“I can’t see her.”

“I can’t sense her.”

Emma listened to their confusion. If she didn’t move, Emma could not find her. Her brother’s Magic felt so close, so angry. She wanted to reclaim what had been stolen from him, from her, from their family and their people. 

“Give me back my brother, you Witch!”

Emma jumped, landing with powerful lithe feet on a rooftop. She pressed her hands together, her eyes exploded with pale blue light. Her lips formed quick, unknown words.

“Hyung, what is she doing?” Jeongmin braced himself against the sudden wind that had picked up, shielding his eyes with his arms.

“Noona!” Minwoo shouted, his words lost, kidnapped by the wind.

“Emma noona!” Hyunseong tried to reach her. An invisible barrier knocked him down.

“Dammit, Emma!”

Donghyun jumped, swallowed by the expanding orb of light that hung above them. He broke through her defenses, grabbed her wrists, forcing her hands apart. Interrupted, the spell disappeared with the sudden death of the wind.

“What are you doing?” Emma shouted. “I almost had her!”

“Can you hear that?” Donghyun gave her a rough shake. “Those are police sirens. Human authorities. If they get involved in this mess, we’re all done for.”

“What do I c—”

Donghyun pressed his hand against , his eyes flaring. “Don’t you dare. This is my domain. I’m the Alpha here, the House Head. You follow my orders, Emma Vogel or I swear I will send you back to where you came from.”

Minwoo called from below, “Hyung! The cops!”

“Rooftops.