Myungsoo, Krystal, Daehyun and Seon walk into Kai’s loft right in the middle of something that sounds just like a debate. It’s early morning, the place smells like pancakes, and there’re people arguing over something. They all take off their shoes. Choco comes to greet them, being the only living creature around that actually noticed their arrival. They enter the living room, all four of them a bit unsure and hesitant.

Half of the pack is scattered around the room. Sehun, Suho and Min are sitting by the table, next to each other, on the same side of it. Sehun looks deeply uncomfortable, Suho has his elbows on the table and his hands put together and is looking very serious, and Min has a rather blank expression on her face, but she has her palm plastered to and chin, and her eyes are moving from one person to another. In the middle of the room stands Sulli, Kai, and Kris. Both Kai and Kris are pretty much circling the girl; they seem to be the most important ones in the ‘debate’. On the couch sits Xiumin, you, and Luhan. Kyungsoo is in the kitchen, but he can see the entire pack since there’s no wall between the rooms.

“It was irresponsible,” Kris is saying, looking pointedly at Sulli. “You didn’t know what could happen. You never practiced it on anyone. You might’ve killed her.”

Krystal knows right away that it’s about Sulli using her to get information through to the pack. She has no chance to in, though, because everyone is talking so quickly one after another, and because no one notices it even when she moves towards the center of the room.

“Guys?” she tries.

“I didn’t want to lose any more time,” Sulli explains. She has her arms crossed over her chest and looks as angry as Sulli can get. But she also feels guilty and awkward and shy, and wants to get the out of it. Krystal knows, she can read her mind. “I did what I thought was right at the time.”

Krystal clears .

“You shouldn’t have just jumped into it,” Kai says, his voice a bit softer than Kris’s, but still pretty serious and raised. “Not without prior training. Maybe you had it handled, but Krystal sure didn’t. She was unprepared, and her body took your magic like an actual, physical blow.”

Krystal looks at Myungsoo over her shoulder. They exchange worried glances, and Myungsoo shrugs hopelessly.

“It’s true, Sulli,” you speak up. “You might’ve messed up her head.”

“Excuse me, I’m here!” Krystal shouts, her voice getting a bit too squealy for her own liking. Sulli actually jumps. Kai and Kris whip their heads around to look at her, and the boys all glance at her, only now realizing she’s there. “Sulli did the right thing. If it wasn’t for her, who knows what would happen. Maybe she’d get to the forest in time to tell you how the ninjas work, or maybe she’d get there too late, and some of you would be dead. She made the right call, and I don’t blame her for using me. I’m alive and well, thank you very much.”

They’re all silent at that. Myungsoo stands next to her, protectively. A few seconds pass by.

“You gotta say,” Luhan speaks up, looking at Kris and Kai, “it was pretty dope what they did together.”

“But dangerous,” Kai points out, making a face. “It’s playing with fire.”

“Sulli shouldn’t have done it without prior training with Krystal,” Xiumin says. “That’s just it. It’s true that it was unwise and could lead to something bad, but, thankfully, it saved our asses. And now that Sulli realizes her mistake, she can ask Krystal to train with her, so that the next time, they’re both prepared and know their limits. Am I right?”

He looks at Sulli, who just stares at him hesitantly for a while. She then nods, looking around the room. Xiumin’s eyes slide towards Krystal, and she nods vigorously.

“Yeah! I’m up for it!” she says. “Aside from the fact that I went into shock, it’s great knowing my powers can work both ways if you do it correctly.”

“You’re way too optimistic about this,” Suho mutters. “She could’ve fried your brain.”

“But she didn’t.”

“Yeah, but—“

“You could’ve died when you took your werewolf bite,” Krystal points out. “But you still took it—oh.” She sees some memories in Suho’s mind that she didn’t know before and makes a face. “Okay, that doesn’t apply to you.”

Suho got bit by a rogue alpha, not by Kai. It wasn’t his choice.

“What I’m trying to say is that what happened, happened, and we’re all lucky it ended up well,” Krystal says, getting to the point. “Stop acting as if Sulli just committed some kind of a crime. I’m fine.”

She looks at Sulli when she finishes talking. Sulli’s eyes are soft, her eyebrows slightly upright, and there’s just two words in her head right now: thank you.

*

You ring Siwon’s doorbell. You haven’t been able to contact him in a while, and you’re getting seriously worried. Apart from one text he shoot you that said ‘I’m alive’, he’s been quiet when you needed him most. You wait and wait, but he doesn’t come out, and you don’t even know if he’s inside. You haven’t been able to sense him. He’s alive, but he’s probably hiding his whereabouts. He does that sometimes, when he goes on trips or emissary…meetings. Actually, you don’t know what he does or where he goes, and you don’t really care. Unless you’re under attack, which is now.

He should be here.

“Last time we heard, he was drunk in a bar,” Yixing tells you. He tagged along with you.

“Yeah,” you mutter. “I don’t like this at all. Especially after what Yunho saw in Iseul’s memories, and what Taemin told me.”

“About Iseul’s pack, you mean?” Yixing asks, making sure. “About that one human member Mabeob kidnapped?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “I think they might try using it against us, as well.”

“Then we better not leave our packmates’ sides,” Yixing says. “Werewolves should be on human patrol.”

“Yeah? For how long?” you ask, glancing at him. You feel tired. “And how do I keep an eye on my mom all the time? It’s not like I can follow her around the hospital every day.”

“You’ve done weirder things,” Yixing points out, giving you a soft, sympathetic smile. You roll your eyes.

“True,” you shrug. “Still, it’s not an option.”

“You thinking about sending them away somewhere safe?” Yixing guesses.

You exhale deeply. “Well…Mabeob is focused on us and this town. Maybe with Father’s help, we could hide my mom and the rest somehow.”

“You’d have to contact him first,” Yixing reminds you. You ring the doorbell once more, just to make sure. “Don’t you think it’s weird how both Siwon and Father are unavailable and away at the same time?”

“Siwon is weird about Father in general,” you say. You turn on your heel, away from Siwon’s house, and head for your jeep. “I never asked him about it because it’s…it’s Siwon, you know.”

“I feel like you guys are gonna need a nice, long chat, after all,” Yixing informs you.

“Yeah? I feel the same way about you and Seon.”

Yixing snorts. You send him a pointed look.

“Seriously, Lay. It’s painful to watch you pine after her,” you say.

“Dude, you spent like four years pining after Kai!” Yixing exclaims, laughing.

“Maybe, but you were only there for the last year or so of that,” you remind him.

“I can’t be the one to make the first move,” Yixing says, shrugging. He tries to look like he doesn’t mind, but you can see him worry. “She needs to let me in. If I do something, anything, before that, she’ll run away, I assure you.”

“Who’d have thought she’d be so hard to understand,” you mutter. You reach your jeep. You jump in. “You’re super patient, I’ll give you that.”

“I like to think so, too,” Yixing says, tilting his head to the side, considering. “By the way, Krystal and Myungsoo are together.”

“Called it,” you say, grinning. You turn on the engine. “It was just a matter of time.”

*

Sulli is observing Sehun. He’s too busy to realize; he’s in the middle of texting, and he looks like he’s enjoying himself. Sulli knows who he’s talking with, and her heart is breaking in half at the very thought of it.

She’s on the couch, and Sehun is sitting by the table. Kai is upstairs with Choco and Iseul, and Kyungsoo is in the kitchen, preparing some lunch. Taemin enters the loft then, making Sehun raise his head from the phone screen.

“Hey,” he says. “Any luck?”

Taemin shakes his head. “None. He never picks up, that .”

‘That ’ meaning Jaejoong.

Taemin walks past Sehun, who goes back to texting, and plops down on the couch next to Sulli. He exhales sharply and looks her in the eyes. She herself is staring at him, her face blank and slightly bored, but her cheeks pink. That’s how he knows something’s up.

He touches her forehead, frowning. Sulli goes still at the touch.

“Are you okay?” Taemin asks. “You’re a bit hot.”

“It’s because of yesterday,” Sulli explains, tilting away just to get Taemin to stop touching her. “It’s going down slowly.”

“Want some ice?” Taemin asks, looking worried. “I could make you an ice cream shake.”

“It’s fine,” Sulli assures, smiling warmly at him. “Thanks, Tae.”

“Yeah, always,” Taemin replies, nodding vigorously. “I thought it was dope, what you did with Krystal’s help. Father taught you that?”

“Mhm,” she nods. “Though I never had a chance to use it until yesterday.”

“Awesome. I mean, not great for Krystal—I heard her eyes did a funny thing—but still awesome.”

“Thanks,” she smiles wider. And then, just out of curiosity, she glances back to see if Sehun’s looking at them.

And he is.

She swears her heart rate spikes up, and she hates herself for it. Sehun looks away from her as if burned, and Sulli shuts her eyes out of some stupid shame or awkwardness. Taemin is still looking at her, probably knowing what’s going on. He doesn’t look back at Sehun, though.

He’s about to say something when Sehun stands up.

“I gotta make a phone call,” he announces, his voice a bit off. Taemin looks over his shoulder to see him making his way to the door. He makes a face.

“Don’t mind him,” he says, turning towards Sulli again. She opens her eyes, looking tired. “He’s dumb.”

“He’s not dumb,” she says, sounding tired as well. Like she’s too lazy to form words at this point, or too worn-out. “It was a mutual decision.”

“Not being together was a mutual decision?” Taemin asks, grimacing. Sulli just nods. “Man, that’s a horrible decision.”

“He’s happy,” Sulli points out.

“Not as happy as he’d be with you.”

“Not true,” she argues, her voice sharp. “He’s much happier this way. And the awkwardness will pass.”

“It’s not awkwardness, Sulli, it’s—“

He’s about to say ‘love’, but bites his tongue. He’s not here to cause any more pain. He takes a sharp inhale.

“—disappointment,” he finishes, whispering and looking away. Sulli looks away as well.

Taemin feels like he should say something, but he’s not sure what. Heartbreaks are always the worst. He was a little heartbroken when he found out that Eun was Chanyeol’s girlfriend; the first time he talked to her, he was ready to turn on his flirtatious mode. He was hurt then, so how hurt must Sulli be? And Sehun?

He thinks that Sehun is dumb. That’s what he thinks.

He also thinks that Sulli looks angry lately. Angry and detached; there’re only these two emotion when it comes to her. He knows that she’s been going through a rough patch, and he worries about her.

“Well, I’m always here if you want to talk,” he decides to tell her. “Or rant. Or exchange blackmail material on Sehun.”

“You have something on him?” Sulli asks, a small smile appearing on her lips.

“Girl, I have everything you need,” Taemin says, quirking a brow and making a ridiculous pose. He realizes what that sounded like when Sulli raises her brows at him, amused. “I mean—not in a ual way,” he reassures. “Just in a…blackmail way.”

Sulli actually laughs out loud at that. It’s a small chuckle, but it’s still a honest one.

“Thanks, Tae,” she says, smiling at him.

*

The whole day goes by without any accidents or guests. Everyone is on high alert, though.

It’s the middle of the night when Sulli wakes up. She has a bad feeling about something, but she’s not sure what it’s about. She changes into some casual clothes and leaves her room, careful not to wake up Amber and Baek, who stayed the night to keep an eye on them. She puts on her shoes, grabs her phone and exits their apartment.

She walks in instinct, even though she feels scared every time she hears a weird sound in the darkness, or sees someone approaching her just to find out that they’re people coming back from a party, or some drunk men looking for a place to stay the night. The city is more lively when she leaves the residential area.

She takes a cab and tells the driver to take her to Kai’s loft. She plays with her phone.

She’s not sure what she’s doing here.

She has the spare key to the apartment. Most of them do. She gets into the elevator, rides up, stops in front of the door and listens it.

It’s completely quiet.

She unlocks the door. She might wake up Kai, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing. After all, she came here feeling weird and itchy; if there’s something bad going on, he better come down so that Sulli doesn’t die a terrible death.

She quickly walks to the living room, without taking off her shoes. In the middle of it stands Iseul. She’s wearing Kai’s old t-shirt, baggy on her just like it was on Kai. She doesn’t seem to be doing anything, she’s just standing there awkwardly, and looks surprised when she sees Sulli.

Surprised and anxious.

Her eyes are glistening in the darkness.

“What are you doing?” Sulli asks her, frowning slightly. Iseul blinks.

“What are you doing?” she asks. Sulli opens to explain, points a finger over her shoulder, and then stutters a little. Her jaw clicks close.

“I’m…not sure,” she admits, tilting her head to the side and looking away from Iseul. She looks around a bit, her eyes getting used to the darkness. It’s the full moon tonight, so that helps, too. She sees the usual stuff – Choco’s toys, food, Kai’s clothes scattered around in various places, your books taking every possible surface…

And then she sees your backpack. It’s open.

You never leave your backpack open. You’re always prepared to snatch it off the floor and run for your life.

The bat was taken out of it, too.

“What were you doing with Dal’s stuff?” Sulli asks, raising her eyes at Iseul again. She sees some vibration right next to the girl; a soft, shy spirit. She squints at it. Iseul is staring at her, flustered. She has open, but no sound is coming out.

She looks at Sulli, expecting her to be giving her a harsh look. She sees Sulli staring at something behind Iseul instead.

From all the conversations Iseul’s heard, she’s gathered that Sulli is some kind of a psychic. So when she suddenly gets a blank expression and stares at something next to Iseul, she gets a little freaked out. She looks over her shoulder, to where Sulli’s eyes are pinned, and pretty much jumps away from that spot.

“What is it?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest. Sulli’s quiet. She’s squinting now, and lowering her head a little, as if listening in. Iseul grows more and more paranoid. “What are you looking at?”

The tone of her voice – the cold fear of unknown and odd – makes Sulli snap her attention back at the girl.

“What’s under your foot?” she asks, looking Iseul straight in the eye. Iseul feels her breath hitch. She’s actually breathless for a short second. How did she know? “Don’t do that, Iseul.”

Iseul just stares, her heart beating faster in her chest. Then she slowly moves her bare foot, revealing a plastic packet filled with some purple ash. Sulli looks down at it, then back at Iseul.

It’s wolfsbane.

Iseul swallows hard, raises her chin a little and looks Sulli in the eyes, as if daring her to say a word about this. Sulli’s not scared, though; she sees right through the girl in front of her. She sees right through her cold endeavor and fake-pretend dangerousness. In her eyes, Iseul is broken into tiny pieces. She might’ve been brave, strong, and terrifying once, but right now she’s barely a shell of that.

She can only feel desperation, sadness, and anger. And the first two emotions take over her the most.

“One of your friends is in this room,” Sulli decides to tell her. Iseul’s eyes change diametrically the second the words get to her. They go from sharp and cold to soft, filled with melancholy, and teary. Like a snap of fingers. She lets her arms fall onto the sides, her body going limp suddenly.

“What?” she whispers. It’s inaudible, but Sulli reads her lips. She nods slowly, looking at the spirit that’s standing behind Iseul, and is shocked that Sulli can see him. He’s one of the cutest boys Sulli has probably ever seen, and right now his eyes are almost identical to Iseul’s – filled with regret, disbelief, and pain. He’s a bit transparent.

Iseul moves her head abruptly, but doesn’t fully turn to look at the ghost. She knows she won’t see him. She hopes to see him, but at the same time, she’s terribly scared of that.

So she doesn’t look.

“Suga,” Sulli tells her. “His name’s Suga.”

“Suga?” Iseul whispers, her voice breaking completely. First tears drop down her cheeks. Sulli’s heart feels like breaking when the boy – Suga – reacts to Iseul’s voice by putting his hands over his mouth and crouching down, his face contorting with pain.

“I’m so sorry, Iseul,” he says. “I’m so, so, so sorry,” he sobs, hiding his whole face in his palms.

“Is he here?” Iseul asks, snapping her head at Sulli. She raises her voice slightly. “Is he really here?” she questions desperately.

“He says he’s sorry,” Sulli says, her voice sounding hollow. is clasped. Suga looks at her, and she can’t decipher his gaze. It’s either one of awe, or one of hate. Hard to say. Sulli once again focuses on Iseul, who’s barely standing now. “He says it was all his fault, and that you have nothing to blame yourself for.”

“No,” Iseul says, shaking her head, tears literally spilling from her eyes. “No, it’s not true,” she says, shaking her head even more. “I should’ve protected you. I should’ve—“

She can’t speak anymore. A sob pretty much wrecks her whole body. Sulli thinks that it’s the first time this girl is crying. She hasn’t cried, not even at night; she knows because she asked Kai, and he listened in for the first few days, to make sure she was okay.

“I was supposed to lead you and protect you,” Iseul says, shaking. She’s hugging herself now, still not looking to where Suga is crouching. They’re both crying. Well, Suga isn’t; he can’t cry. But his face looks like he’s crying, and his body appears and disappears again.

“It was my fault and she knows it,” he says, looking at Sulli. “Tell her that she can’t die. Tell her that she’s still alive so that she can avenge us. I don’t want to see any more of us dying. None of us does. Please, tell her that. Tell her that she has to live, or else our death was in vain. Tell her we watch over her. Please.”

So Sulli does. Then Suga disappears, and Iseul drops onto the floor, worn-out. Kai picks that moment to finally come downstairs, you following short; he’s been listening in for a while, but decided against interrupting. Sulli is the one to grab Iseul and help her up, and she’s the one Iseul hugs first, after many days of avoiding physical contact.

Iseul cries until she falls asleep that night, and the three of you are there to hand her some tissues, with ‘Crazy. Stupid, Love’ playing on the TV screen.

*

Taemin enters Kai’s loft. Choco comes to greet him, as per usual, but he can’t hear anyone else, which is weird, seeing as it’s already nine am. You’re usually up and about at this time, and trying to wake up Kai from his beauty sleep. Especially when you’re on alert.

So he enters the living room. He sees a pair of male legs hanging off the couch, which is fairly odd. He comes closer and peeks around the couch.

It’s Kai’s legs hanging off the side of the couch. He’s lying on it, his head resting on your thighs; you’re asleep, your head lolled back. Next to you sleeps Iseul, her left arm wrapped around your right, and your hands interlaced. On Iseul’s right there’s Sulli. She’s half-lying, half sitting, open ridiculously and her head resting on…Iseul’s shoulder.

Taemin takes off his phone, stalks around the couch to have a clear view on you all, and then takes a pic. He also takes a snap and sends it to everyone from the pack. Meanwhile, the four of you are all sleeping still, and the TV is on standby, so he guesses you’ve been watching movies all night.

The fact that Iseul is cuddled by you on one side and Sulli on the other is weird, though.

“Guys,” he says, quite loudly. None of you wakes up. He’s about to call again when Choco plops down next to him, opening his mouth and rolling his tongue out. Taemin looks down at the dog, pets him, and decides against waking anyone up.

They better all get their precious beauty sleep.

*

Chen walks into the kitchen playing with a water bottle and sees Daehyun and Kyungsoo sitting at the table. Kyungsoo is reading a book, while Daehyun is on his phone, with a huge grin on his face.

“Ohh,” Chen says upon seeing his face, “texting with your boo?”

“That I am,” Daehyun says, his lips. Chen raises his brows at that.

“Are you ting? Because that was a teasing lip if I’ve ever seen one.”

“But you haven’t,” Kyungsoo says, his voice sounding bored. Chen gasps, pretending to be outraged.

“Yes I have!” he exclaims. “Just for your information, I get a ton of snapchat videos with girls their lips coquettishly at me.”

Daehyun looks up at him with a mixture of disgust and confusion on his face. Kyungsoo, that , actually looks over his shoulder to send Chen a dubious look.

Chen gives up.

“Okay, okay,” he says, exasperated. “I don’t get those. But I know when someone their lips in a flirtatious way.”

“It’s just a habit of his,” Kyungsoo points out. Daehyun looks at him, surprised. He looks like a cat when he does. “That’s why his lips are always so chapped.”

“Are not,” Daehyun says weakly. Then he his lip and catches himself doing it, which makes him lose his . “Oh damn, Soo! I do! Oh my God! I have a habit!”

“What’s the ruckus about?” Kris asks, coming into the kitchen with some dirty dishes.

“Daehyun has an oral fixation,” Chen informs him. Daehyun’s face does the funniest thing ever – his eyes widen, he opens his mouth, but only air comes out of it, and he also gets red. All at the same time. Kris sends Daehyun a look. A gay one. And Daehyun is ing done.

“Good for Youngjae,” Kris comments, smirking nonchalantly. Daehyun is still trying to breathe, while Kyungsoo and Chen are very close to bursting out laughing. Kris puts the dishes away and leaves the kitchen. Daehyun is still breathless, Kyungsoo has hid behind his book, and Chen is red in the face and teary-eyed.

“I do not have an oral fixation,” he states, finally getting his voice back. “Please don’t say this,” he adds meekly. That’s the cue for Chen and Kyungsoo to lose it. They burst out laughing, Chen spitting all over the kitchen.

“Stop it!” Daehyun pleads. Suho suddenly comes into the kitchen, probably having heard Daehyun’s cries for help, and, just like a dad he is, he looks around angrily, quickly understanding what happened and that Daehyun is the victim in this case.

“Guys!” he scolds. “Come on! What are you, twelve?” he asks heatedly.

“On a scale from one to ten, yes,” Chen says with a sarcastic snort. Kyungsoo lets out the loudest howl Daehyun has ever heard him make, and he has to admit, he feels like smiling a bit at it. Just a tiny bit.

Suho, on the other hand, looks deeply embarrassed.

*

You’re helping your mom make some dinner. Eun and Chanyeol are with you, and you’re all chatting and laughing together, when you feel Father’s magic. It’s like an actual wave. You snap your head up and practically run out of the kitchen to follow the sensation.

Father is standing in the middle of the room, and Siwon is unconscious in his arms.

“Take him,” is all Father says. Kai is the first one to run into the room after you, so he takes Siwon onto his back, and Father disappears the second he feels the weight of him gone from his arms. 

Love you cinnamon raisin swirl breads!