---

 

As promised, Jinki arrived at the hospital bright and early to get Jonghyun discharged. Minho insisted on tagging along, but Jinki declined, telling the wolf to get as much rest as he could. The day was going to be long and grueling due to the fact that it was the day that Minho was going to learn about wolf meditation.

 

It was a tiring process, so Jinki wanted Minho to conserve as much energy as he could before their venture into the wilderness.

 

After receiving the correct documentation from the nurses, Jinki made his way to room 104 in slight anticipation. Although he knew Jonghyun was safe, he’d stayed up most of the night worrying about the younger vampire. As he neared the room, he also picked up more than just Jonghyun’s scent, causing him to groan as he hoped the situation wasn’t what imagined it to be.

 

He opened the door to find Jonghyun in bed with Kibum, the bartender. He sighed to himself in frustration at how careless Jonghyun was being with having a human stay with him all night, especially with the condition that he was in.

 

However, he also let out a sigh of relief seeing that Jonghyun was actually in a slumber for once. Although vampires didn’t rely on sleep, Jinki knew Jonghyun needed some form of rest after the trauma he’d just experienced.

 

Also, he couldn’t help feeling impressed at the fact that Jonghyun actually was able to hold himself together all night with how strong Kibum’s scent was. Jinki knew it was mostly due to him making sure Jonghyun was sufficiently fed before leaving him alone, but it was still impressive.

 

As much as he wanted to wake up his friend and leave, he couldn’t help but examine the situation in front of him first. He wasn’t sure how they fell asleep, but Kibum was now laying on the side of Jonghyun’s chest with one of Jonghyun’s arms wrapped around the bartender’s slim waist.

 

Just who is he to you, thought Jinki.

 

He wasn’t one for snooping, but with Jonghyun being in so much trouble lately, Jinki was at the point where he had no choice but to be more involved in Jonghyun’s life. He didn’t want Jonghyun making the same mistake he made the last time he got close to a human. And with Jonghyun being so stubborn and easily attached to things that interested him, Jinki knew that his warnings about any human interaction would fall on deaf ears when it came to Jonghyun. So he decided he’d make this his business. Even if it pissed Jonghyun off, at least Kibum could have a chance of not being affected by their lifestyle.

 

Done assessing the situation, Jinki flipped on the light switch and cleared his throat. Jonghyun woke up while scrunching his eyes at the bright lights. Kibum, surprisingly, stayed asleep.

 

“Hey, Jinki,” said Jonghyun as he attempted to stretch but was limited in movement due to Kibum laying on his chest.

 

Wait.

 

He looked down at Kibum with wide eyes. When did he move there, he thought. Not that he minded, but seeing the look on Jinki’s face made him realize that the situation looked like something it was not.

 

“Good morning, Jonghyun,” said Jinki as he teased, “Looks like you had a good night.”

 

Jonghyun quickly answered, “It’s not what it looks like.”

 

“And what exactly does it look like,” Jinki challenged.

 

Jonghyun sighed as he looked up at the ceiling, subconsciously rubbing up and down Kibum’s arm. That probably wasn’t a good idea because he got a good whiff of Kibum again, the smell feeling like a drug at this point.

 

“Jonghyun,” said Jinki as he pulled Jonghyun from his thoughts. “You know what I’m going to say-”

 

“Yeah, not here, Jinki,” he said as he gestured down to Kibum, unaware of when he’d fully wake up.

 

Jinki nodded before asking, “Are you ready?”

 

“Yeah, just give us a moment.” Jinki gave him a look like ‘are you kidding me.’ Jonghyun cringed, “Or you could just stay there.”

 

He turned his attention to Kibum who was still breathing deeply in slumber. He almost didn’t want to wake up the younger seeing how peaceful and stress-free he looked while sleeping. However, he could feel Jinki’s questioning stare from a mile away, so it was best to just get it over with.

 

“Kibum,” he whispered as he gently shook his shoulder. He didn’t get a response, so he shook a little harder. “It’s time to wake up.”

 

Kibum slowly started to come to as he whined from being woken up. Jonghyun smiled to himself. Obviously, Kibum wasn’t a morning person.

 

Kibum slowly opened his eyes before wiping his mouth, face going red from embarrassment at the tiny drool out the corner of his mouth. “What time is it,” he said groggily as he stretched.

 

“About 8am.”

 

“,” says Kibum as he let out a yawn, fighting off the sleep that was trying to come back. “I have to work at 10.”

 

“Well, I guess it’s really time for you to get up then, hm?”

 

Kibum smiled to himself as he snuggled more into Jonghyun’s chest.

 

Wait. He was on Jonghyun’s chest. The realization hit him and he wondered when in the night did that happen. While wondering, he also noted how firm and comfortable it was, so he wasn’t complaining. However, he was a little embarrassed. Did Jonghyun mind? It didn’t seem like it.

 

Kibum slowly lifted himself up, jumping upon seeing Jinki sitting in the chair in the corner of the room with a magazine in his hand. Jonghyun heard Kibum’s heart skip a beat, quickly reaching out to grab his hand to calm him down.

 

“Oh, don’t mind me,” said Jinki as he continued to flip through the magazine.

 

And Kibum was officially embarrassed. How long had he been sitting there?

 

“Dr. Lee-”

 

Jinki gave a bright smile, “Please, just call me Jinki.”

 

Kibum nodded as he wiped his eyes, trying to look somewhat presentable. “You look different without your doctor clothes.”

 

Jinki nodded. “I tend to prefer jeans instead of scrubs. Thanks for looking after Jonghyun.”

 

Kibum scurried off the bed as he answered awkwardly, “Yeah, it was no problem.”

 

Jinki walked over to Jonghyun to help him get unhook from the machines, still playing up the situation to look more believable to Kibum. Much to their relief, Kibum wasn’t paying attention to them as he fumbled to tie his shoes.

 

Jinki gave Jonghyun a knowing look as he helped him off the bed. A look that said, ‘we have a lot to talk about in the car.’ Oh, how Jonghyun dreaded the car ride home. He felt like a child getting ready to be scolded.

 

“Dammit,” Kibum’s outburst got the attention of the two vampires.

 

“What’s wrong,” asked Jonghyun.

 

Kibum tsked. “It’s my dad. Worrying as usual. Guess I should head there now.” He threw his phone in his pocket as he turned to Jonghyun and Jinki.

 

He addressed Jinki first. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done to help him. I know you’re a doctor and you deal with this all the time, but I’m really thankful, Jinki.”

 

Jinki couldn’t help but smile and nod. The human was sweet, he couldn’t deny.

 

Kibum then turned to Jonghyun. “I would hug you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Jonghyun reached out and gave Kibum a side hug, being careful not to let Kibum touch the part of him that he thought wasn’t healed yet. The hug lasted a bit longer than it should’ve, Jonghyun taking in Kibum’s sweet smell one last time before they departed.

 

After their hug, Kibum said, “Oh, I almost forgot to ask. What’s your address?”

 

Jinki and Jonghyun both froze up as they gave each other a look. Jonghyun asked, “Why?”

 

Sensing their hesitation, Kibum scrambled as he answered, “O-oh, it’s nothing. I just... I know with your injury, you may not be able to go out much. So I wanted to come over and keep you company. Maybe bring over a ‘get well soon’ care package or something. Also, I think it’ll be nice to hang out in a house for once instead of a bar, don’t you think,” he ended in a chuckle.

 

His chuckle died out upon seeing that he didn’t get a response from Jonghyun nor Jinki. “Unless it’s not ok. I’m sorry to just invite myself over. How rude of me.” He coughed awkwardly.

 

Jonghyun saved him by answering, “It’s ok. I’ll text it to you.” Jinki’s eyes were basically burning a hole into the side of Jonghyun’s face.

 

Kibum’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Really?”

 

“Yeah. It’s no problem, right Jinki?” Jonghyun looked at the elder with pleading eyes.

 

Jinki put on a forced smile, not obvious to Kibum, but very obvious to Jonghyun. “Of course. We’d love to have some new friends over.”

 

Kibum smiled, “Great!” Then his phone buzzed. He took it out and rolled his eyes as he looked at the screen. “Ok, I really have to go now. See you guys later.” He gave a wave that was returned by the two men before he left.

 

With Kibum out of sight, Jinki turned to Jonghyun slowly with a questioning look on his face.

 

Jonghyun cringed as he went to grab the bag of clothes Jinki brought for him. “Not now, Jinki,” he rushed out before heading to the bathroom to change.

 

Jinki stood there not knowing what to make of the situation. However, Jonghyun was right. It wasn’t a good idea to talk about sensitive matters in the hospital, never knowing who’s listening. But Jonghyun was in for an earful when they got into the car.

 

 

The two men sat in silence in Jinki’s car for a few seconds, Jinki making no move to cut on the vehicle. He had so many questions and didn’t know where to start. Jonghyun, on the other hand, was hoping the elder vampire would remain quiet, saving him from a lecturing he knew was coming.

 

Jinki let out a sigh before saying, “Sooo, Kibum-”

 

“He’s cute, right?” Said Jonghyun before he could even realize the words that came out of his mouth. “I mean..... he’s nice.”

 

Jinki furrowed his brows. “Yeah, nice.” It was silent again before Jinki decided to say what was really on his mind about Jonghyun’s new friend. “Jonghyun, what the hell are you thinking?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You know exactly what I mean. You and Kibum-”

 

“Aww, are you jealous?” Jonghyun meant it as a joke, but Jinki’s glare was very telling of how serious he was. “I just came from the hospital, Jinki. Don’t you think we can save the lecture for another day?”

 

Jinki grimaced as he finally started up the car and pulled out the parking lot. Jonghyun took that as a victory until Jinki continued to speak.

 

“Jonghyun, I’m just worried.”

 

“You don’t have to worry for me.”

 

“Not just for you, but him as well. Do you think it’s wise to have a human around you all the time?”

 

Jonghyun sighed, “I’m not going to hurt him. I could never do that.”

 

As much as Jinki wanted to believe his friend, Jonghyun had quite the track record. “How am I supposed to believe that?”

 

Jonghyun shrugged not really knowing how to answer. “You just have to trust me. Don’t you trust me?”

 

There was a silence that went on too long in Jonghyun’s opinion. He knew that he messed up in the past, but losing Jinki’s trust was never something he wanted.

 

Jinki finally answered, “I want to trust you, Jonghyun. I do. It’s just... when it comes to something as fragile as this, I don’t know. The thing with Taeyeon-”

 

“Jinki,” said Jonghyun in exasperation. Taeyeon was a sore spot that Jonghyun was trying to avoid.

 

“I know you want to forget about it. Trust me, so do I. However, it’s something we must take into consideration. You’d only known her, what, a day or so? And you saw what happened. What makes Kibum so different?”

 

Jonghyun had to think before answering. What did make Kibum so different? Was it because he’d known Kibum longer than he’d known Taeyeon? Was it because he was drawn to the human’s personality? Was it because he enjoyed his company?

 

Jonghyun couldn’t give a straight answer.

 

Jinki continued. “And giving him the address to our house. What were you thinking?”

 

Jonghyun scoffed. “Well if you can invite the whole neighborhood to live with us, why can’t I?”

 

“In case you’ve forgotten, your friend is a human.”

 

“And so is Minho.”

 

“Minho is also a werewolf-”

 

“Only one time out the month-”

 

“But it’s still in his DNA. And Jongin and Taemin are ghosts. So, if you’re telling me Kibum is a part of the supernatural world, then I may think differently.”

 

Jonghyun scrunched his face in disbelief. “It’s not a big deal.”

 

“It is a big deal. Do you even hear yourself? Do you really think it’s wise to let a human come over whenever he wants?”

 

“I’m sure he’ll let me know whenever he’s coming over so we can be prepared, Jinki. Plus, it’s not like we’ll ever be alone with Taemin and Jongin lurking around. Everything will be fine. Ok?”

 

“Jonghyun,” said Jinki as they approached a stop light. “I’m just looking out for you. I’m trying to stop you before that attachment begins-”

 

“It won’t.”

 

 

 

Attachment.

 

Such a simple word to humans, but to vampires, it meant way more than one would think. Attachment was what usually resulted when a vampire was around a particular human so much that the scent of their blood was all that mattered. It was all a vampire would think about, or care about. No matter what happened, the vampire would always need to be around that scent, almost becoming dependent on it to function. It becomes nearly impossible for a vampire to separate or detach themselves from being around the human.

 

It was a rare problem that occurred, or at least it was rare in The Order, mostly due to the fact that there were tons of humans in their blood dens to choose from. There was no need to get attached to one.

 

However, as Jinki feared for Jonghyun, it’s quite easy for a vampire such as him to unknowingly grow attached. Jinki probably wouldn’t mind the situation if it were another vampire with good control over their urges.

 

However, it’s Jonghyun.

 

He so desperately wanted to believe that his best friend was capable of holding himself together around any human for extended periods of time, but as history had proven, it was not that easy for him. Jinki wasn’t just worried for Jonghyun, but Kibum as well — the mysterious human that for some reason has caught Jonghyun’s attention.

 

Jinki asked, “Kibum mentioned you visiting the bar where he works. How often are you around him?”

 

“Not that often-”

 

“Don’t lie to me,” Jinki answered sternly. He was being serious, and it irked him how unbothered Jonghyun seemed to be about the situation.

 

Jonghyun sighed. “I visit the bar a couple of days out the week, but I’m not always around him. Honest. I usually just sit at the bar top alone. I only talk to him when he’s not busy with other customers.”

 

Jinki nodded. “Ok, I get that. However, what I don’t understand is why you keep going back there. As I’ve clearly stated before, being at the place of a young woman’s disappearance where you were the last one seen with her, that’s not smart.”

 

“I know.”

 

“But yet, you still do it. You still go there knowing the risk. The Order may have helped you clear your name once. It doesn’t mean they’ll do it again.”

 

Jonghyun stares out the window silently as they neared their home. He knew Jinki was right. Didn’t make it any easier to accept what Jinki was suggesting, which was to stop seeing Kibum.

 

“Jonghyun” Jinki said getting Jonghyun’s attention. “I need you to promise me that you’re not going to go back to that bar.”

 

That seemed to snap Jonghyun out of his thoughts. He fully turned to Jinki before saying, “What?”

 

“If you want to keep not only yourself safe, but Kibum safe as well, you’d stay far away from that place. You saw what happened to you. Just imagine if they’d come after Kibum next. Your best bet is to just stay away for there, ok,” Jinki ended on a gentle note.

 

He really felt bad for Jonghyun. Besides himself, Jonghyun didn’t really have any friends. His only friends were those he’d made while in The Order. So Jinki could understand why Jonghyun was so involved with Kibum. He was good company. However, Jinki couldn’t risk another Taeyeon situation.

 

“I’m sorry,” said Jonghyun as Jinki parked I’m front of their house. “But I can’t promise you that.” Before Jinki could argue, Jonghyun rushed out the car and into the house.

 

Jinki sighed in frustration as he watched Jonghyun make his way into the house. It’s not like he wanted to upset the younger man. He valued Jonghyun’s happiness more than anything. However, out of the two of them, someone had to be the rational one, and Jinki didn’t mind being the bad guy if it meant that Jonghyun was safe and stayed out of trouble.

 

Meanwhile, in the house, Jonghyun made his way towards his bedroom upstairs. However, on the way, he caught a glimpse of Taemin coming out of the kitchen. He quickly said, “Morning, Taemin,” before continuing up the stairs and into his bedroom.

 

Taemin stood frozen in his position as Jongin walked up behind him. “What’s wrong,” asked Jongin.

 

Taemin looked at Jongin with his brows scrunched. “Am I going crazy, or did Jonghyun just say good morning to me?”

 

Jongin chuckled, “I think he did.”

 

Taemin wondered what caused Jonghyun to not give his usual cold remark. Was he in a different universe?

 

Jongin shook him out of his thoughts as he laughed and patted Taemin’s shoulder. “Come on, don’t think too much about it. Maybe he’s just being nice.”

 

The words ‘nice’ and ‘Kim Jonghyun’ didn’t go seem to fit the same sentence to Taemin. However, he guessed he could put up with the nice guy act for now.

 

__

 

 

It was about 8:55 am when Kibum arrived home. He knew he would have to rush getting ready in order to make it to work on time. He’d already left abruptly yesterday, so he knew his boss would want a proper explanation. He didn’t want to make things worse by being late in the morning.

 

As soon as he parked his car, he ran to the front door of the house. Thankfully, the door was already unlocked, so he didn’t have to fumbled with his keys to open the door.

 

He rushed upstairs, but was stopped mid-step by the sound of his dad’s voice. Kibum sighed because now was not the time for a lecture.

 

He turned around to see his dad standing at the bottom of the stairs him his arms crossed, wearing a not-so-nice look on his face.

 

“Kibum, would you like to explain to me why you’re coming in the house at such a time? Your mother and I were worried about you all night and you have the nerve to go to your room without even an explanation?”

 

“Sorry, Dad. I had to help a friend out-”

 

His dad sneered. “Help out a friend, huh? What friend? What was so important that you had to be out all night?”

 

Kibum groaned to himself, not really having the time to deal with this at the moment. “Dad, I’ll explain later. I need to get ready for work,” he said as he continued up the stairs. However, his dad’s authoritative voice stopped him again.

 

“Hey! You will not walk away from me while I’m speaking to you! Do you understand me?! Now answer my question. Where were you last night?”

 

Kibum tolled his eyes before answering. “My friend got into a fight and needed a ride to the hospital. I stayed there with him until the doctors released him. That’s all. Now can I please-”

 

“A fight? What type of people have you gotten yourself involved with Kibum? See, this wouldn’t have happened if you’d have just stayed friends with the wholesome kids from the church. They would never be involved in such antics.”

 

Kibum wanted to laugh. Truly. If only his dad knew half the things those “wholesome” church kids were doing behind closed doors.

 

No longer able to listen to his dad, and being rushed for time, Kibum continued upstairs as he ignored his dad’s yelling. He slammed his bedroom door shut before rushing to the bathroom for a quick shower.

 

While rushing was a priority, his mind couldn’t help but drift to what happened last night. Who were those men? Why was Jonghyun in trouble, really?

 

That was the most scared Kibum had been in a long time. There was so much blood. Too much blood. He was surprised that Jonghyun was able to recover so quickly. He was so appreciative towards Dr. Lee, and so thankful that he was able to get Jonghyun to the hospital so quickly.

 

Not only were thoughts of Jonghyun’s injury clouding his mind. But just Jonghyun in general — more importantly, how close they were in that hospital room. The fact that he became so emotional towards the man still made him embarrassed, but he couldn’t help it. If anything, the situation confirmed something that Kibum was trying to deny.

 

He was starting to like Jonghyun, maybe more than just a friend. It’s no secret that he found the man attractive and enjoyed their time together, but he also couldn’t ignore the way his heart would flutter when Jonghyun glanced at him a certain way. Or even when just hearing Jonghyun’s soothing voice greeting him at work. He’d never been so invested in a person, especially after dealing with his ex.

 

So what was stopping Kibum from pursuing the idea of being with Jonghyun? He was insecure. Would Jonghyun even return the same feelings? Was he even gay, or at least bi? He couldn’t be 100% sure. He also didn’t want to ruin the only friendship he has so far just because he has a crush on him. He’d rather be friend zoned than be alone. Besides, Kibum felt like he and Jonghyun still needed time to get to know each other as friends.

 

What was his favorite color? What was his favorite food? Did he have any pets? Did he even like pets? Kibum had no clue. So for now, he was content with keeping things friendly between them — or so he told himself.

 

Shaking off his thoughts, Kibum turn off the shower and rushed to get dressed. He checked the time and was relieved to see that he wasn’t too far behind before running out his room door and down the stairs. He shouted that he was off to work, quickly making his way to his car to not deal with his dad.

 

—

 

 

It was a silent car ride for Minho and Jinki as they drove to the outskirts of town towards the very forest that Minho used to call home.

 

It was finally the day for Minho to learn about wolf meditation — something that Jinki insisted would help Minho learn how to gain control of his wolf. How would simple meditation do that? Minho had no idea, but he was desperate. He’d try anything as long as it meant he could be a step closer to living a normal life. He also trusted Jinki, so he willingly followed his lead.

 

One thing he didn’t like was how silent their drive was.

 

Minho was a very talkative person, and quite frankly, the ride was a bit awkward. Jinki didn’t even have the radio on. Just what was he thinking?

 

As much as Minho wanted to ask the question, just one glance towards Jinki told him that the older vampire was in deep thought. Something was troubling him and Minho wasn’t sure if it would be wise of him to break the man’s train of thought. As for what he was thinking, Minho had no idea. Was it because of him?

 

Meanwhile, as Minho pondered, Jinki was in the driver’s seat brewing over his interaction with Jonghyun earlier. How hard was it just for Jonghyun to listen to him, thought Jinki. After years of being vampires, he’d thought Jonghyun would know how fragile humans are by now.

 

Jinki was also feeling guilty over the fact that he hadn’t done much in terms of helping out Minho. He’d been so busy with dealing with Jonghyun, Taemin, The Order, and work that he’d barely had time to focus on Minho. However, he’d promised the wolf that he’d get him accustomed to being a wolf, and that’s a promise Jinki intended to keep.

 

So that’s why even though Jinki so desperately wanted to run after Jonghyun after he stormed into the house that morning, he remained seated seeing Minho walking towards the car with an eager look on his face.

 

It was a day that would get Minho closer to his goal of taking the wolf and finally being able to take charge of his own life — not feel like a prisoner in his own body.

 

With that very thought it mind, Jinki finally decided to clear his mind of Jonghyun and anything else that would get in the way of him helping Minho reach his full potential.

 

With a sigh that caught Minho’s attention, Jinki gave a small smile before asking, “Are you ready?” as he parked the car.

 

Minho looked towards Jinki before looking out the window at their surroundings. They were parked in a clearing that was a couple of miles away from Minho’s trailer home.

 

Before Minho could ask, Jinki said, “I needed to drive us out far enough off the main trail where we wouldn’t be found, but close enough to somewhere your wolf would recognize — that being your trailer home.”

 

Minho looked confused before asking, “My wolf knows where I live?”

 

Jinki chuckled, “Your wolf knows familiar scents. Although we’re pretty far out, your home is the close enough to keep your wolf at bay. It’ll be easier to become comfortable with your wolf if there is a familiar scent around.”

 

Minho nodded although he was still confused on what was happening.

 

They both got out the car and headed towards the center of the clearing. Jinki instructed for Minho to sit down as he stood behind him, out of sight.

 

“Ok, what should I do now,” said Minho as he crosses his legs to sit comfortably.

 

“Close your eyes and breathe deep as I explain a few things. First, I need for you to try your best to enter your sub conscience. Focus on your breathing. Focus on the scents of the forest. Allow yourself to drift and not think about anything else, but your wolf and nature.”

 

“How will I know when it’s working?”

 

“When you finally reach that part of your mind that houses your wolf. Trust me, you’ll know. When you get there, you’ll need to seek him out. He may be scared when he meets you, but that’s ok. Approach him slowly and show that you’re not a threat. For this to work, you must show your dominance, Minho. He may be your wolf, but you still have control. Show him that you’re in charge. You much be brave.”

 

Minho’s heart rate slightly picked up as Jinki continued to explain. He was getting nervous because he had no idea what to expect. This was beginning to be more serious than he initially imagined.

 

As if he could sense Minho’s worries, Jinki crouched down behind Minho as he gently whispered, “Everything will be fine, Minho.”

 

“And if it’s not?”

 

“If it’s not, then you can easily return back to your conscious mind. Just think of something that’ll get you there. Now, lay down flat on your back and just continue breathing. Think of nature and nothing else. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

 

Minho nodded as he felt Jinki help him lay flat on the ground. He continued breathing and focused and the ground beneath him and the smells of nature, slowly drifting away into his subconscious mind.

 

—

 

Jonghyun was so bored from having to be inside all day. He wanted nothing more than to leave the house, but Jinki wanted him home for at least a week just in case anyone who recognized him questioned why he healed so fast. It wasn’t fair, thought Jonghyun. He’d already recovered fully, especially after Jinki forced him to drink two more blood bags once they got home. It made sense, but that didn’t mean Jonghyun liked it.

 

To make matters worse, he was also annoyed because Jinki assigned Jongin and Taemin to ‘look after him’ as if he were some kid. He was centuries older than the two ghosts combined for peeps sake. However, Jinki didn’t want him running off, so he was forced to be babysat. The only interesting thing he could do was listen in on Jongin and Taemin arguing over what’s the best anime. But pretty soon, that got boring.

 

Surprisingly, he and Taemin hadn’t had any problems. He’d been trying to avoid it really. But he also hadn’t apologized yet to the ghost. He didn’t know when a great time would be. But either way, he knew he had to make an effort to get along. It would make Jinki happy at least.

 

He sat on his bed staring at the ceiling, drowning out the two ghosts arguing as he thought about what Jinki said. Was he really in danger of becoming attached to Kibum? If so, would that be so bad? If he constantly urged for one person’s blood as opposed to everyone’s, wouldn’t that keep everyone else out of danger?

 

Maybe. However, it may also put Kibum in danger as well. With Jonghyun constantly yearning for his blood, it would only be a matter of time until an accident happened. Jonghyun wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he allowed Kibum to get hurt.

 

He was thrown from his thoughts at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Taemin stopped arguing abruptly before gasping, “I haven’t heard anyone ring that in years. I wonder who’s at the door.”

 

Jonghyun wondered the same. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and Jinki had a key to the house. Maybe it was Taemin’s brother. Jonghyun made an attempt to get up, but stopped at Taemin shouting, “Wait! Let me see.”

 

Jonghyun scrunch his brows. “Taemin, you can’t open the door.”

 

“Well, not with that attitude.” Jonghyun gave a straight face and Taemin continued. “I’m not going to open the door. I want to practice manifesting. I’ll go down and look out the window to see who it is. Then I’ll poof back up here and tell you.”

 

Taemin was too excited for Jonghyun to tell him no. Before he knew it, Taemin disappeared leaving Jongin and Jonghyun in the room.

 

Jongin mused, “I’ve learned there’s no point in telling him no. Just let him do as he wants, and we’ll all be happy.”

 

Jonghyun smiled slightly as he nodded, slowly learning more about the younger ghost.

 

They heard the doorbell ring again, and a few moments later, Taemin reappeared in the room. “Jonghyun? There’s a really good-looking dude standing on your porch.”

 

At that, Jonghyun immediately shot up out of bed. “Who was he?”

 

Taemin shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like I could ask.”

 

Jonghyun wasted no time getting out of bed and making his way downstairs. He has no idea who it could be, but he also hoped it was someone in particular. Once downstairs, he looked out the living room window to see Kibum standing there with a box in his hand.

 

Jonghyun collected himself, putting on his best sick act before slowly opening the door. “Kibum?”

 

“Surprise!”

 

Kibum’s hand was paused mid-air as it was about to knocked on the door again. Taking in Jonghyun’s appearance, Kibum’s radiant expression immediately turned into one of concern. “Oh, Jonghyun I’m so sorry for making you answer the door in this state. I thought your roommate would’ve been home at this time.”

 

Although Jonghyun was definitely surprised Kibum showed up without notice, he was also relieved that he could see him today. He gave a smile as to not worry him. “It’s ok, Kibum. I’m feeling better today. Come on in.” He backed up to allow Kibum in before closing the door.

 

He walked behind him slowly to continue the sick act as he directed him to the living room couch. “We can sit here.”

 

They both sat as Kibum placed the box on the coffee table. “I’m sorry for coming on such short notice. It’s just that after I explained to my boss what happened, he told me I could go home to recover from such a traumatic event. I guess the does have a heart. Anyway, after leaving, I didn’t want to go home. So I decided to surprise you instead. I hope that’s alright.”

 

Jonghyun could do nothing but smile as Kibum looked him in the eyes. It was more than alright for him to show up. Kibum was welcome any time in his eyes. “It’s fine, Kibum. I’m really happy you came.”

 

Kibum smiled genuinely at hearing that. A comfortable silence settled between them before Kibum cleared his throat and turned their attention to the box. “I went shopping and got some things for you. I was serious about the care package, you know?”

 

Jonghyun continued to smile as Kibum went on about the contents in the box. There were various things in there like tea, vitamins, and healthy snacks for when he got bored from eating soup, as Kibum put it. Jonghyun felt a little guilty because of the fact that those things wouldn’t do anything for him, but he couldn’t help his heart melting in appreciation at how much Kibum cared.

 

“Thank you, Kibum. This is really nice.”

 

Kibum blushed before shrugging, “It’s nothing.”

 

“Well, it means something to me,” he said as he continued to stare the man down.

 

Kibum, feeling Jonghyun’s eyes on him, looked up and made eye contact. He wanted to disappear and never leave all at the same time. He’d never realized how mesmerizing and almost hypnotic Jonghyun’s eyes were up this close. He could stare at the man all day, and Jonghyun felt the same way.

 

However, Jonghyun was drawn out from the moment when he heard a loud whistle coming from the stairs. He turned to see both Taemin and Jongin walking down as Taemin said, “Wow, he’s gorgeous. Who is this, Jonghyun?” Jonghyun gave him a very stern look to tell him to leave.

 

Kibum furrowed his brows in confusion as he noticed Jonghyun stare off into space. “What are you looking at?”

 

Jonghyun quickly focused on him. “Oh, nothing. I thought I heard something.”

 

Jongin followed behind Taemin in embarrassment as they made their way to the adjacent couch. Taemin said in defense, “What? I’m not going to do anything. I’m just curious. I promise I won’t do anything ghosty.”

 

“Better not,” Jonghyun mumbled.

 

Kibum asked, “What was that?”

 

“Oh, I was thinking out loud. I better not go outside today. I think it may rain.” Jonghyun mentally slapped himself.

 

“It’s actually sunny,” said Kibum causing Taemin to snicker. “But you’re right. You shouldn’t be going anywhere. Stay inside and rest up. What time does Dr. Lee — I mean Jinki get back?”

 

Jonghyun shrugged. He wondered the same thing. He and Minho had been gone all day, so maybe they’d come later in the evening or night. “I’m not sure.”

 

“Mm,” said Kibum as he nodded in thought. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m here then. I can take care of you until he gets back. I mean, that’s if you want me to.”

 

Jonghyun smiled again for what felt like the millionth time, “Only if you want to.”

 

“Of course I do. Here, lay back and I’ll make you some soup,” he said as he tried to push Jonghyun down on the couch without hurting him.

 

“Awww,” said Taemin trying not the squeal. Jongin just looked at him shaking his head in amusement.

 

“It’s ok, Kibum. I ate before you came. Ordered delivery.” There was no way he could have Kibum cooking for him and not even be able to enjoy the meal.

 

Kibum frowned, “You need to be eating real food. Healthy food, not delivery. Would you at least drink this tea for me?”

 

Jonghyun answered, “Sure.”

 

Jonghyun took a sip, but before he could swallow, Taemin appeared next to Kibum on the couch stating how pretty he was, causing Jonghyun spit out the tea in surprise.

 

Kibum looked on in shock, “Is it that bad? I’m sorry. I knew I should’ve bought a different flavor.”

 

Jonghyun interjected, “It’s ok, it’s my fault. It went down the wrong pipe.”

 

At that moment, Kibum began to shiver. “Is the AC on? It’s cold all of a sudden.”

 

Jonghyun gave Taemin an annoyed look before looking towards Jongin for help. Jongin headed over to Taemin and pulled him from the couch.

 

“It was probably the tea I spat out,” Jonghyun joked. That seemed to change Kibum’s focus.

 

“Oh, right! Let me get some paper towels and clean it up.”

 

Kibum headed to the kitchen, but unbeknownst to him, Taemin was in his path and he ended up walking straight through the young ghost. As soon as he did so, Kibum hunched over and immediately hurled all over the floor.

 

Jonghyun’s eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the scene. Never had he ever wanted to strangle a ghost so bad. He quickly rushed over to Kibum, forgetting about to sick act. “Kibum, are you ok?”

 

Taemin looked mortified as he apologized profusely. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t do anything. I didn’t know he would walk right through me! What can I do to help?!”

 

Jonghyun ignored him as he focused all of his attention on Kibum. “Kibum, it’s ok.” He noticed the younger man began to tear up. “Shh, it’s ok.”

 

Kibum answered, “I’m so embarrassed. I don’t even know what came over me. I’m not even sick.”

 

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’ll clean it up-”

 

“No, you go sit down and rest. I got it. I’m so sorry for the mess. I’ll be sure to tell Jinki it was my fault,” he said as he calmed down. He hated that he was so sensitive lately, but he couldn’t help but cry from embarrassment. What would Jonghyun think of him now?

 

Jongin told Taemin, “Let’s give them some privacy. We’ll be upstairs, Jonghyun.”

 

Taemin whined as Jongin manifested both of them into the upstairs bedroom.

 

After they were gone, Jonghyun asked, “Are you feeling better?”

 

Kibum nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll just clean this up. But please go sit down and rest.”

 

Jonghyun nodded. “Ok. There are cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. Also, upstairs we have some extra toothbrushes and mouthwash.”

 

“Ok, thank you.” Kibum said before taking off upstairs first.

 

Once alone, Jonghyun cursed Taemin a million times in his head.

 

—

 

 

Minho opened his eyes to an unfamiliar setting. He was no longer sitting in the middle of the clearing, and Jinki was nowhere to be found. He was now laying on the ground of a snow-covered forest surrounded by tall leafless trees. The air was so still and quiet, just breathing felt like it was too loud. He stood up slowly from the ground in a confused dazed.

 

“Jinki,” he called, but didn’t receive an answer. Was this what Jinki meant by slipping into the subconscious mind?

 

Minho looked around wondering if this was where his wolf laid dormant. Maybe it was. His only problem now was where to start looking for his wolf. He didn’t even know what his wolf looked like, so how was he supposed to know he found it?

 

Regardless, Minho knew he had to try. Jinki went through all of this effort for him. So he didn’t want to let him down.

 

Minho slowly began to walk through the thick snow hoping he’d find his answers soon. He has no idea what direction he was headed, but he decided to keep walking. After about ten minutes of nothing, he began to get frustrated.

 

He whistled before saying, “Here, boy. Come out wherever you are. I won’t hurt you.” Minho was beginning to feel like he was losing his mind.

 

After another ten minutes of nothing, Minho lost his patience and shouted, “Where are you?! I don’t have all day!”

 

At that, Minho turned sharply to the right when he heard what sounded like a growl. His heart began to race as he regretted shouting earlier. His looked closely in the direction of the growl and noticed something peeking out of a bush. He looked closely and was in awe with what he saw.

 

There stood what looked to be a huge black wolf, as dark as night, peaking its head out with an intense stare towards Minho. The animal was beautiful and looked slightly bigger than a household dog.

 

Minho gulped both in anticipation and fear. He couldn’t explain how, but he could just feel that this was his wolf. It was as if there were some kind of bond drawing him closer to it.

 

Minho slowly approached the wolf as he spoke gently, “Hey, buddy. It’s me. I’m not here to harm you, see?” Minho put up his hands in surrender as he continued to approach.

 

He halted his steps once he heard the wolf let out another growl as he took a defensive stance.

 

“Hey,” Minho said in disbelief. “It’s ok. I know we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I’m here to get to know you.”

 

Minho took another step forward, but this caused the wolf to growl again, baring his sharp teeth this time. Minho had no idea what to do. He tried remembering what Jinki had said about asserting dominance, but in the moment, Minho wanted to do nothing more than disappear.

 

Minho made one more move towards the wolf as he held his hand out as an offering. However, while doing so, he mistakenly stepped on a twig that loudly snapped, causing the wolf to become startled. The wolf snarled and charged Minho at an alarming speed.

 

All logic went out the window and Minho took off running for his life as his wolf continued to chase after him while barking and growling. Minho feared for his life and wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare. He looked behind him to check how far away from the wolf he was. However, he stripped on a rock causing him to roll and tumble to a stop.

 

By time he recollected himself and sat up, the wolf was coming at him full speed with sharp teeth on full display. Fearing the worse, Minho scrunched his eyes closed as he awaited his doom, but it never came. As soon as his eyes opened, he found himself back in the clearing with Jinki.

 

Minho quickly sat up gasping for air as he tried to catch his breath. Jinki wasted no time rushing to his side in concern. “Breathe, Minho. Breathe even and slowly. Follow me, ok?” Jinki let out slow even breaths, and Minho obediently followed.

 

Pretty soon, Minho’s breathing slowed down to a steady breath as he calmed down. Jinki touched Minho’s forehead with the back of his hand, noting that he broke out into cold sweats.

 

“Minho, what happened?”

 

Minho looked towards Jinki with an incredulous look. “He’s pissed.”

 

Jinki let out a sigh as the situation began making sense to him. “He’s scared.”

 

“My . I can guarantee you I was more scared of him than he was of me. You should’ve seen it, Jinki. He growled at me and chased me down like he was ready to kill me. What the hell did I do?”

 

“Well, from my knowledge, it seems he may be upset that he’s been dormant in your mind for so long due to you being so adamant about wanting nothing to do with him. I think your wolf doesn’t feel as connected to you as he should. For such a strong reaction like that, it’s going to take some time to get him to trust you.”

 

Minho scoffed in disbelief. “How is he supposed to trust me if he wants me dead?”

 

Jinki chuckled lightly. “Trust me, he doesn’t want to kill you. He just needs reassurance from you. From the few werewolves I’ve known, they have been able to control their wolf because they developed a good relationship with it. Your wolf knows everything about you, including your feelings towards it. It all starts with you, Minho.”

 

“But how?”

 

Jinki places a gentle hand on Minho’s shoulder. He couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy, especially with the helpless look on his face. “We’ll figure it out, ok? I’m sorry I don’t have all of the answers. It’s quite hard for me since I’m not a wolf myself. But I promise you we will figure this out.”

 

Instead of a response, Minho surprised Jinki by pulling him into a deep hug. Jinki slowly hugged him back. “Thank you,” Minho whispered. He was thankful that Jinki was trying so hard for him. And admittedly, he needed a hug. He was scared out of his mind from his wolf, and he wanted at the moment was comfort.

 

Jinki rubbed his back comfortingly. “No problem. By the way, I’m curious. How were you able to come back?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Remember when I said for you to return back to your conscience, you need to think of something that’ll get you there? What did you think about?”

 

Minho went quiet and pulled back from the hug to look at Jinki and answered honestly, “You.”

 

Jinki raised his brows. He certainly wasn’t expecting that answer, but it caused him to smile before saying, “Let’s go home, Minho.”

 

It wouldn’t be easy, and their journey was just beginning, but Minho and Jinki wouldn’t give up.

 

 

---

A/N: I know it’s been AGES since I’ve updated. I’m honesty surprised I even updated tonight, but I got a random urge to write. I just love this story so much, but it’s been so hard finding inspiration to write, especially with how stressful my life has been lately. But I still have ideas for this story. This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but it was getting too long, so I already have content ready for the next chapter!

 

Anyway, if you guys are still here and interested, thank you. I know it’s pretty disappointing sometimes when a writer just goes ghost and a story isn’t updated for a while. But just know that I appreciate everyone for giving this story so much support. I can’t promise when the next update will be, but I can promise it will be sooner than later because my inspiration has picked up again. Even if I’m not updating, I am still writing until I feel like I have something worth posting. Love you all!

 

^.^