It was dark, unbearably so as she descended the stairs toward the basement. All the boys were down there with the Elves. They immediately returned when they were told about the events that occurred while they were away. The Forest’s people were so on edge with all the attacks and break in’s that they were questioning the plan to leave the Forest to the Wolves, and their ability to keep it protected. Leetuek smothered their anger by informing them of the alliance being made with the God of the West and the extra protection the Forest was now under. Apparently the entire zone now knew the prophecy the Fairy King had been worried about and questioned if these new “Protectors were wolves in sheep’s clothing”, Ironic that they are wolves and aren’t even close to being like sheep.

With all this going on the Wolves, mostly the two Alpha’s and the two eldest were in charge of easing the masses and creating ways to help everyone feel safer. Miyuki and her mates helped create a panic like system that wouldn’t fail under someone’s ability, using Kyungsoo and Sehun they created wooden boxes that hide someone’s ability inside it, like Sehun left a tornado in one as an early example and when the box was opened it was released into the sky, signaling where to go and also shock the intruder enough for anyone unable to protect themselves a chance to get away.

Surprisingly things with the pack were getting better, most finding a kindred spirit in Miyu’s mates and creating friendships. Suho did end up scolding Her and Miyuki for such a risky plan even after Natsume informed him that Luhan and Sehun were a part of the scheme, that and she was pissed off so “screw you” she had said.

The few days it took for Natsume to heal from her small bruises and cuts were spent with a very busy Xiumin. Even while he was trying to help his Alphas gain more support from the Sn’s as the eldest he would always return to Nana’s room and stay with her and Miyuki. However not everyone felt that way it seemed. After Natsume was healed up a few of the boys went to apologize, but not all. Kris isn’t talking to anyone and even though Kai had marked her he also hasn’t come to see her.

The main problem was downstairs, where she was currently headed, to check on their “guest”. Not only were the boys down there with the Elves but Kazu was there too, and she knew his skill in interrogation and she didn’t enjoy experiencing it so hearing it gave her bad memories as the goose bumps rose over her skin.

“Are you working for the Collector? Is he working alone, is there a bigger boss? Answer me!” She could hear Suho scream at the crow. The door creaked as she entered the dark room, its only light source coming from the single light bulb slightly swinging above his head.

“Hey! Get out of here, this isn’t something you should see.” Chen says when he sees her come through the door.

“Enough, I called her.” Kazu says and Chen immediately stiffens. In fact all the boys do and it is easy to see he has shown them his true strength, creating fear. He is a sweet brother, but only if it is safe to do so, otherwise he is a Leader and Instructor, which has no place for softness.

“Ah, the consolation prize is here.” She hears a weak voice say. “How does it feel to be second to your best friend?”

“Always trying to get a rise out of me?” She says as she leans down to pull his field of vision to her. “How’s it feel after I killed your girl?”

He lunges forward at her as a few in the room twitch at his movement though she doesn’t even blink. “Aww, I always hated people who could dish out the insults but can’t take them.” She says as she wiggles her finger back and forth in front of her.

+++++++

“Why is she here? I thought Kazu Sunbae was a master at interrogation?” Suho asks Eunhyuk.

“Well, as a guy I would say I have no idea, she shouldn’t see this, even as her brother my mind says the same but we don’t have time for such pleasant thoughts. I know a lot of you boys think she is some spoiled brat, even after learning her past you seem to think her time with us and her friends was a chance for her to open up and make friends but it wasn’t.” Eunhyuk said as a few of the Elves listening to the conversation have turned toward the wolves with dark hate in their eyes as they stare at Kazu’s back.

“We hate what happened, but it had to be done and he was the only one we trusted to help her.” Leetuek says as he walks toward them, away from the scene in front of him.

“What do you mean?” Baekhyun asks.

“After this, I imagine she will tell you. I want ALL of you boys to remember this, she may have showed you some horrible parts of her life, but that wasn’t everything, just what she thought necessary to tell you.” Leetuek says with a crestfallen expression. “Though based on Luhan’s expression she may have let him see it all.”

The wolves all turn to look at Luhan but he is ignoring them all as his sad eyes stare at Natsume.

“What is it Hyung?” Kyungsoo asks as he stands beside Luhan.

“She hates this so much.” He says in a low tone. “But it has to be done, and she is quite good at it.”

“Did Kazuma teach her how to interrogate people?” Chanyeol questions next.

“No.” they hear as the door opens.

“Oh good, join her.” Kazuma says without his eyes leaving the two figures before him.

“He gave her the firsthand experience.” Hoseok says to the boys as he turns to join his partner.

“They are the best at this, the two excel in pain management.” Kazuma smirks causing another shiver to run up the boy’s backs.

+++++++

I am glad when the pack leaves, interrogating someone is my worst trait. Apparently I excel at sarcasm and have what Kazu always called “the best poker face ever”. When he taught me the skills of interrogation and being interrogated, those words where a compliment, but now they make my heart feel cold, was I so uncaring that torture was like a business meeting? I remember lying awake at night thinking about these thoughts, yet my conclusion is always the same, I need to be!

“Who do you work for?” I hear Hoseok ask again and I hear another snap that follows.

“The Collector of course.” He smiles through gritted teeth, still with enough audacity to smirk at me.

“I always thought he was a fool for his interest in such a young little fox, but when I caught on to his bigger prize I realized that you were his key to everything, you lead him to his ultimate present.” He scoffs as he eyes my reaction.

“So, he killed her entire clan just to lead you to Miyuki?” I voice asks descending the stairs. The Crow twitches at his words.

Hoseok bows slightly to him as he walks right up to me and places his large warm hand on my shoulder.

“Kris”

He doesn’t smile at me but his eyes tell me he wants to help and I let him.

“What? What nonsense are you uttering, Master has been following her for a long time, but not that long.” He scoffs again and then his eyes grow fearful as he looks up at us. Three large smirks gracing his vision.

“I see, let’s kill him, he is useless now, he doesn’t even know much about his “Master”.” I state annoyed as I stretch my arms over my head and sigh.

“You’re right, he doesn’t even know that the bastard has been after you before you even knew Miyuki.” Hoseok spouts as their prisoners eyes widen in realization.

“That is impossible! Master said all he wanted was the Tiger, he said by any means necessary, even if we had to kill you, he was fine with it as long as we got the main target.” He screams at us and I know he is being truthful, his reaction is too primal even for a fake out, but I know how to check if it is true.

“So he sent you and your mate on a little adventure toward death than, because that Collector has been haunting me since I was 4.” I say as Kris and Hoseok watch carefully for his response.

“Lies!!!” he screams as he struggles against his bindings. So he is telling you the truth.

“It is not, the same man you work for has been lying to you and now your future is gone because of him, If I were you I would stop doing him favors.” Kris says in a short and to the point tone. Clearly he is well versed in this activity as well.

Kurou says nothing as we leave him to dwell on these facts.

Once upstairs we find both packs lingering in the hallway. Luhan, Sehun and Kai talking happily with Miyuki as the rest of the boys mingle and chat with her mates. The second we close the door behind us all attention focuses on us.

“Well?” Namjoon asks as he stands and joins us. He and Kris share a nod to eachother in what I assume is mutual respect between Leaders.

“He finally let some info slip that kind of changes everything.” Kris responds as I join Miyu on the couch with my mates.

Once we all share what we have learned a heated discussion starts, theories ans more questions fill the room and I find myself feeling too hot. I finally realize I have been holding my breath for too long once I step outside and am greeted with fresh air.

I sigh loudly as I think about what Kurou told us. If the Collector is lying to his subordinates? Have I been wrong this whole time?

No

I will never forget his smiling face as he seemed to dance in the flames of my village, killing innocent people just for a small “consolation prize”? That makes no sense at all. So why? Why lie to his people, why has he chased me to the ends of the earth and back just to get to someone else? If this is true it changes everything and if it isn’t it still changes everything.

If he is after me and Miyuki than why would he have tried to capture me not long after my return here? And the biggest question I have is why would he leave Kurou to watch Miyuki and keep an eye on me himself when all he wanted was her? I keep forming questions after question that I fail to notice the blue flames circling me flailing wildly at my confliction or the rapid heat rising on my skin until a pair of arms snake around my waist.

“You are going to burn this balcony down, you need to relax.” His voice sends shivers over my skin as his arms and hands let off a cooling sensation over my skin.

“You really did mean it when you said you can get too caught up in your thoughts.” He slightly laughs as I turn to face him.

“I really do, and it messes with my emotions, especially after holding them in for so long.” I respond to him.

“Then don’t, you need to vent too. I could feel the heat off you as you left. You are even worse than Chanyeol and I never thought that possible.” He says pulling my chin up to stare at him.

“I know that things have been changing around you constantly as of late and you are seriously stressed out, I mean a part of that reason was me and the boys.” He says with a frustrated sigh as he leans over the railing, my body following him and his cool and calming aura.

“All of this, us meeting and everything has been so much to take in, my world has changed so much more in the last couple of months than it had my entire life.” I say as he frowns, thinking I am fed up with it. “But it hasn’t all been bad. I met you boys and finally found a place I belong, a home that I can call my own. But I also found out that I may or may not be the catalyst in some dooms day attack by a creature that apparently wasn’t after me but maybe that’s a lie and I don’t even want to think abo..” I am cut off by his lips crashing onto mine in what should have been a heated kiss but instead it was cool and comforting to my heated body.

“Seriously, you need to chill.” He smiles at me as he pecks my lips again before pulling me into his arms and holding me close. “You know, we all dreamed about our mate, but I was never too thrilled about it.”

“Why” I ask, happy for the distraction from my thoughts.

“Well, we wolves are known to be heated and warm, finding comfort in the warmth of a pack and a mate but I’m not. Regardless of what I am my ability is cold and unfeeling, I always imagined my mate would hate me. Than as our pack formed I thought if I got a mate with Chanyeol’s abilities that was my only chance, but even he complained like I was frostbite.” He says as he lets go of me after he senses me shiver.

“My family, we all share this ability, all cold and uncaring to each other was well, I think I joined Kris because he seemed ok with that attitude, but we all warmed up to each other and I had forgotten my strife, until you came along. My fears rose again and I treated you like the plague, I’m sorry.”

“You know, downstairs earlier I was thinking the same thing. Had I been so cold and indifferent that I excelled at interrogation because I was a cold stone? I think you and I have very similar ways of thinking. But I will tell you this, I was so engrossed in my heated thoughts I didn’t even realize until you came and cooled my down. Your touch caused me to relax and bring me out of my horrid inner turmoil. I think you are the perfect mate for me, we have enough hotheads around here, I need a little Cold hands to chill out with.” I say as his eyes widen in surprise as I lean in and kiss him myself.

“Don’t question your worth Minseok, you never know what it means to others.”

“I won’t do it again, sweetheart.”

“You know, I thought you were perfect but now I’m sure. You even made our eldest feel needed.” I hear a familiar voice say as water floated into my vision.

“Suho, everything alright?” I ask as he joins us, water floating around him as Minseok slowly freezes them. I smile as my blue flame again collects to form a little fox with two tails, it immediately starts rolling the frozen ice like a ball.

“Honestly it is and it isn’t.” He responds with a frown.

“Huh?”

“I’m worried, everything we thought is wrong and now we don’t even know who the real target is and it’s all so screwed up. But even so, to see you accepting my brothers and their insecurities makes a leader’s heart soar and I can feel more love from all of them. I seriously dreaded how Xiumin would react to claiming you, but I see I had nothing to worry about.” He smiles as I feel Minseok place his hand in mine and give it a light squeeze.

“Yeah, he’s cool.” I joke as the boys laugh.

“Thank you, I was getting way too worked up on my own, I needed this.” I say as my eyes follow the little fox.

“How do you do that?” Minseok asks.

“Hmm?” I question not moving my attention.

“That little fox, is it just an illusion or just your flames taking on a shape? It looks like it has a mind of its own, does it?” Suho asks.

“Ah, it’s hard to explain.” I say chewing on my fingernail in thought. “That is me, at least that is how I looked when I was younger. I wasn’t able to be myself back then and even now I can’t just change forms whenever I want. So I think when I get too overwhelmed and the tension builds this happens. Like that is me letting off steam without having to actually changing or releasing my aura. I don’t know if that makes sense.”

“It kind of does, I just think that it is beyond amazing that you have such control over your powers, makes me think you really are older than us.” Suho lets slip out as Xiumin smacks his arm.

“Wait what? Do you guys think I am centuries old?” I interrogate them.

“No!! Well not anymore, but when we thought you were a ninetails we thought that meant you were closer to the Elves in age.” Suho says embarrassed and slowly rubbing his neck.

“Oh, well that’s … insulting.” I sigh

“We know it isn’t true now but you have to understand,” Minseok was about to say but I cut him off with my smile.

“Really it is ok. I can understand having that train of thought, we really were trying to figure eachother out in all the wrong ways weren’t we?” I smile at them as we laugh and head back in.

“I’m telling you, I am not the target, it has to be a lie. She is so much more valuable than I am.” I hear Miyuki say as we return.

“If I were his objective than why start all this with her? We haven’t been together in a while now and Kuro wasn’t even really spying on me, we would have noticed. Something just isn’t adding up here and it is driving me mad!!” She yells almost pulling out her hair.

“Calm down girl, you are going to go bald.” I say as I pull her to join me on the couch.

“We don’t have enough info here and Kuro is worthless to us now that we know he doesn’t know .” Kris huffs as he sits beside me on the couch, a questioning eyebrow raised in his direction.

“So, what do we do?” Jimin asks

“We make a plan, regardless of which of you are his target overall you are both caught in his sights and we need to start thinking about how to keep you safe. I know this area as a whole needs to be protected and we have worked on that, but you two are our main priority here.” He says as he stares at me with a look in his eye I don’t understand.

“Your Alpha is right.” Namjoon says standing to join Kris. “We love Natsume like a sister and will do anything to protect her too.”

“And Miyuki is Natsume’s best friend, that makes her a part of our pack too and we will do anything to protect our family.” Suho says in response to Namjoon, the three Leaders all silently agreeing with eachother.

“Let’s begin.”

unedited

Author Notes!

OMG finally, I can’t believe I missed October, but Halloween is my favorite time and we go all out on decorating so I apologize for the wait! I hope this chapter brings a smile to you guys because it did when I wrote it lol. I gotta get more productive here, especially now that more and more mysteries are being revealed. Don’t forget to let me know what you thought of the update!

P.S Shout out to my new subs, I can’t believe I got more after being dead for a month, Thank you so much:

CezzaC: I am so greatful for your input last chapter and I am glad you feel that way about our Heroine.

Inspirit0712: Also thank you for letting me know how you feel about the story, I want to make sure those that are reading it are enjoying it too!

Lofera: Damn right she dead!lol Hopefully this chapter answered a bit of your comment!lol

Bubbleteabaconbuns: Thank you for subscribing and for the compliment, I really do worry if this is too mainstream or mediocre so I am so glad you find it unique and that it is getting g better!