Part 3: Chapter 18

A few days later, on their way back to the city from the Old Man’s, Kai began to take notice of the difference in his body.  The initial soreness and exhaustion after the First Turn was leaving him, the Old Man had made sure of that before he let them leave.  But, in its place he felt a new strength.  His footsteps felt lighter, his shoulders a littler straighter, his eyesight and hearing a little sharper.  He noticed similar changes in Kyungsoo.  It was the same way Luhan had always moved.  With that hidden strength just beneath the surface.  But even Luhan had changed, he had since he reconnected with his wolf.  His confidence was stronger now, he wore it on his sleeve instead of hiding away and avoiding everyone.

Kai had a brief mental flash of the Wolf Men of old.  They would have been leaders, political figures, ambitious businessmen, men that walked down the street with their heads high, shoulders back, chest out, as if they owned the street they walked.  Or at least that nothing could keep them from taking the street, if they wanted it.

It made him wonder why they had chosen to live in the shadows. 

The three of them didn’t talk much, but silently agreed to head to Luhan’s place.  It was late by the time they approached his street.  The moon had risen, casting shadows in the dimness.

However, with their newly heightened senses, they all knew something was wrong as soon as they turned the corner onto his street.  Two forms, one slumped against Luhan’s gate, the other standing, caught their attention.  Without speaking they spread out slightly and approached.  When they stopped a few feet away, Kai spoke.

“Xiumin,” Kai greeted the standing figure.  “What’s going on?”

The form slumped on the ground lifted his head to stare at them. 

It was a boy their age.  A shadow fell across his face, leaving half in the dark.  The moonlight dimly illuminated a sunken and bruised eye, a hollowed cheek, hair matted and unkempt, and lips dry and cracked.  He smelled like he hadn’t washed in weeks.

Even as disfigured as he was, Luhan thought he looked familiar.

“Ryehyun?” Kai’s voice stuttered as he said the name.

Kyungsoo jerked as if he recognized the name and it surprised him.

Luhan glanced at Kai.  Xiumin and the strange guy were waiting in front of his house, but if Kai knew him, he was willing to follow Kai’s lead. 

Ryehyun pushed himself slowly to his feet leaning heavily against the wall for support.  “Kai,” he rasped.  He shallowed and grimaced as if that simple act hurt.  “I need help.”

None of them had an immediate response for that.

“Kai,” Xiumin finally spoke up, but Kai cut him off before he could say more.

“Let’s get you inside and cleaned up, man,” Kai said.  “You stink.  Then you can tell us what’s going on.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Sohee said.  She stood in the middle of her living room, hands on her hips.  “Explain to me again why we’re suddenly taking a vacation?”  Sohee gazed as the half-filled suitcases littering the couches and the floor.  She had walked into her apartment several hours before to find her mom packing, but she still didn’t really understand.

“My work suggested I take some time off so I thought we’d go on vacation for a couple weeks while you’re out of school.”

“I still have cram classes,” Sohee said, again.  They’d already been over this.  “And you don’t take vacations.  Your work is really important to you, Mom.  You don’t just up and leave for weeks.”

“Well, maybe I should have,” her mom finally said.  She wouldn’t look at Sohee, her head down as she rearranged clothes in a bag.  “Maybe it’s time for us to spend some mother-daughter time.” 

Sohee stood there staring at the suitcases.  This wasn’t her mother.  Her mother was strictly organized.  She planned her life weeks in advance.  Clutter and disorganization drove her crazy.

Staring at the mess in their living room, Sohee had a horrible feeling that something bad had happened to make her mother suddenly want to leave, but she couldn’t make herself ask.

Her mother spoke again as she glanced at the watch on her wrist.  “I have some errands I need to run,” she said.  “I put a