Wonsik’s POV

    Miyoung blinked at me, wide eyed. “Hunters?” She shrieked.

    I nodded, my hand still held to my neck. “What did you do to me? Why won’t this stop bleeding?”

    She shook her head confused. “I’m not sure. I’ve never bit a, uh, what are you exactly?”

    “A shifter. I’m a Tiger Keelback snake.”

    At that moment the door burst open, and new woman appeared in the doorway. “Miyoung.” She said sternly. “What have you done this time?”

    Miyoung turned around quickly to face the newcomer. She quickly hid behind me standing on her tiptoes to see over my shoulders. “Uh, Hi Haewon.” Her tongue darted out to at the wound on my neck. “I bit him, but the bleeding won’t stop.”

    Haewon seemed visibly exasperated, she tossed her wavy brown hair over her shoulders and rolled her black eyes. “Inside now.” She stated turning. I started to leave but she interrupted. “Uh-uh, you too lover boy.”

    I changed direction to follow her, but the toe of my boot caught a raised board and I started to fall forward. Miyoung darted forward and tried to support me. We both landed with a thud. My eyes grew wide and my cheeks burned as I noticed where my hands landed. I stood quickly.

Miyoung was frozen, her eyes darted around panicked. “Haewon!” She let out a strangled cry. I bent down to help her up and noticed tears running down her cheeks. “If I’m like this for the rest of my life, I’ll kill you.” She glared at me through her tears.

Haewon poked her head out the door are rolled her eyes again. “Your strength will return, just stop crying and get inside.”

Miyoung sniffled, and wiped at her eyes. I held her cheeks and made her look at me. I wiped away the remaining tears with my thumbs and gave her a quick peck. “I think we are both in for a bit of trouble."  I grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind me as I went inside.

    We were led into a large study. The walls were all shelves and held mostly books. The floors and large desk in the center of the room were made of the same dark mahogany. Behind the desk was a large green chair with a tall back. In front of the desk was a small couch of the same color green.

    Haewon sat behind the desk and motioned for us to sit on the couch. Miyoung sat and stared at her hands. My eyes darted around the room, taking in all there was to see. I felt a cold, wet cloth touch my neck where Miyoung had bit me. I turned to see Miyoung’s twin trying to mop up dried blood. Miyoung took the cloth from her sister, and began to work on my neck. She took another cloth and began to apply pressure.

    “I’m Soyoung.” The other twin said quietly. “You’re Hongbin’s friend.”

    My eyes flashed at the mention of Hongbin. “Yes.” I nearly growled. “Is he here? What did you do with him.” I started to stand, pulling away from Miyoung. She applied gentle pressure to my shoulder and lowered me back to the couch, and return to addressing the bite.

    Soyoung chuckled softly. “No, we said goodbye. He didn’t even get out of the car. He just made sure to see me get inside.”

    Haewon interrupted. “You will need to call and have your friend pick you up. You won’t be shifting anytime this evening.” I narrowed my eyes at her. She held up her hands defensively. “Venom from a Vampire’s fangs, won’t kill a shifter like mythology suspects, but it will keep you from shifting until it runs it’s course.” I relaxed. “You don’t have anything to fear from us. We are peaceful. We only want to survive, like every other living creature.”

    “So what do you plan on doing about the hunters?” I pulled my phone from my pocket and handed it to Soyoung, “Will you call him? Hongbin is speed dial 4. Oh, and ask him to bring Mom.”

    “I’m honestly not sure.” She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it away from her face. “In my 500 years I’ve never had to deal with a hunter before.”

    The bleeding from my neck had finally stopped. Miyoung left the room and returned with a makeshift bandage. “I choose to settle in this town because of it’s lack of supernatural population. Then a witch moved in, followed by a family of bear shifters. That’s how I know about biting a shifter. I bit the son of the bear shifters, it was about two months before they left town.”

    “Did you do something to alert the hunters?” I asked. “The hunters are here specifically for a trio of vampires. A friend overheard their conversation.” I explained and gave Haewon an apologetic smile. “I’ll admit, initially we were looking for you, hoping that giving you up to the hunters would make them leave, but I’m not sure I can do that now.”

    Haewon smiled sadly. “Thank you, but unfortunately hunters are here to cull. They won’t leave until they are positive that there is not a single supernatural being left alive in this town.”

Hongbin POV

    After ending the call with Soyoung, I sighed heavily. Hakyeon wasn’t home, but I found Sanghyuk blaring music trying to drown out Jaehwan and Chohee. When I offered to take him with me, he jumped at the chance. “I don’t think I’ve ever met two people who talk as much as they do!” He turned to me with pained eyes. “They had an hour long discussion about the perfect temperature for hot chocolate.”

    I chuckled and ushered him into the car. Once we exited the forest, it was only a mile long drive to Soyoung’s home. Soyoung answered the door before I knocked. She looked at my feet when she spoke, “I heard you drive up.” She stated softly.

    She pulled the door open completely and led us back to a study where Wonsik sat on a couch next to Soyoung’s twin. Wonsik met my eyes and stood to look behind me, “Where’s mom?” He asked

    “He is out looking for...” My eyes scanned the three pairs of female eyes, “Our friends. I brought Hyuk instead. He needed to escape Jaehwan and Chohee.” I chuckled again. I noticed the bandage on his neck. “What’s this for?” I walked over and peeled it off his neck. He winced, and I eyed the two identical puncture wounds. My eyes shot up to his.

    Wonsik grinned, “Mom can stop looking,” and then softly said, “I told you we would find them in a club.” He snickered, and Soyoung’s twin elbowed him hard. “Ouch, Miyoung, you’ve already injured me once today. Isn’t that enough?”

    Miyoung obviously didn’t think so. She reached over and gave his arm a pinch and then twisted the skin she held between her fingers. Wonsik rubbed at the tender skin once she let go.

    “Were you there to feed?” I asked looking at Soyoung.

    She nodded and looked to the ground again. “I wasn’t, but Miyoung was.” She wrung her hands, “We don’t really need to drink that much, we can eat normal food as well, but we need about a pint every week or two.” She must have noticed what she was doing to her hands, because she stopped ringing them  and placed them behind her. “It doesn’t even have to be fresh. I have a friend at the hospital in the next town, who will give me a few pints each month. I can refrigerate them, and pop them in the microwave when needed.”

    “But it tastes better when it’s still pumping.” Miyoung retorted. “Although you did taste gross. No offense.” Wonsik shrugged.

    “So turning them over is now out of the question. What do we do?” I asked Wonsik.

    “That’s why I wanted mom to come.”

    Sanghyuk cleared his throat, “I’m sorry, I’m a bit confused.” He used his hands to try and sort his thoughts. “You four met at a club tonight.” We nodded, “Hongbin took twin A home, and just left.” Soyoung and I nodded. “And then Wonsik went home with twin B.” Wonsik grinned earning another elbow to the side from Miyoung. “And the Wonsik was bitten by twin B... so now we aren’t turning them in to the hunters.”

    The woman behind the desk slammed her hands down on the desk. “It wouldn’t help. Even if we let them kill us, they would continue to look for other supernaturals in the town. Even if they have to torture the whole town to do it.”

    “Torture?” Sanghyuk gulped

    “Yes, torture. If they aren’t positive, they normally put a person in a situation that would require they use their enhanced abilities to escape. If a shifter is in pain, your eyes glow. If a Vampire is in pain, our fangs grow.” She walked around the desk, and leaned back against it. “If they decide to start looking in this town, they won’t give up until we are all dead.”