Minho startled awake in a panic. His heart beat erratically as he tried his best to recall what just happened. One moment, he was in a snow-covered field being terrorized by his wolf, and the next minute he was staring up at Jinki’s worried face as the elder vampire held his face between his hands.

Jinki let out a sigh of relief before gently saying, “It’s ok, Minho. You’re back. I had to use my power of persuasion to get you out of there.” He helped Minho into a sitting position noting how Minho frantically checked his right leg. “What happened in there?”

Minho slowed his breathing in an effort to calm himself. “The er bit me.”

Jinki took in a sharp breath. “He bit you?” Jinki looked down at the leg Minho was holding. There was no visible injury. However, he assumed that had been the leg that was bitten. “How did that happen?”

Minho shrugged. “No clue. I saw him, slowly walked towards him, then I talked to him. He did growl a bit, but I kept walking. I thought everything was going well…. until he took off towards me. I ran, but he got too close and bit my leg.”

Jinki took a pause to collect his thoughts. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Minho.”

Minho ruffled his hair in frustration as he exclaimed, “What the hell did I do wrong?! At this point, I'll never figure this out.”

Jinki sighed. “Don’t say that. We’ll get you there. I’ll make sure of it. You just have to be careful to not show any fear-”

“How do you expect me to not be afraid when a large wolf is chasing me with his ing teeth bared?!” Minho snapped, but immediately regretted it when he saw how dejected Jinki looked. “I’m sorry. I know you’re just trying to help.”

Jinki took a moment before calmly responding, “I know this must be really frustrating for you. Can you try to tell me everything that happened in detail?”

Minho explained to Jinki everything that happened from the time he entered the snow field to the time Jinki brought him out. Jinki listened intently as he thought of something that could explain Minho's wolf’s behavior. He’d never heard of a wolf attacking its owner. However, Jinki had a theory as to why the wolf behaved that way.

“He was testing you,” he said once Minho finished his explanation. Minho’s confused expression prompted Jinki to continue. “He knew that you were trying to assert dominance, but he’s a wolf. He behaves based on instinct. Not words. Him suddenly running towards you was a test, and you failed in his eye when you ran.”

“Well, what was I supposed to do?”

“Anything except running. As he ran towards you, you could have shouted at him or made yourself seem as tall as possible. Anything that would show him that you would not back down. That’s how you would have shown dominance and fearlessness. But then again, it’s only a theory.”

Minho groaned as he placed his head in his hands in defeat. “I’m hopeless.”

Jinki used one hand to pull Minho’s face towards his. He gave a gentle smile as he said, “You’re not. You’re just learning. We’re learning together. This just means that if it happens again, you’ll know what to do.”

Minho nodded as he looked into Jinki's eyes, noting how close they were. “You’re right. Thanks for being here, Jinki. I mean it.”

Jinki broke eye contact to smile slightly at the ground. “Anytime.” He pulled away and stood up. “I think once you get past this dominance hurdle, you’ll be fine. But we can save that for another day. You’re tired.” He extended a hand and helped Minho off the ground.

The walk back to the car was silent. Between Minho brooding about his wolf and Jinki not knowing the best way to comfort him, there wasn’t much room for a conversation.

It was on the drive back home that Minho finally spoke. “What happens if I don’t get this down by the next full moon?”

Jinki stiffened. He’d had that same thought for a while, but always hoped that he’d help Minho by the next full moon. At the rate things were going, that didn’t look too promising. “Don’t worry too much about that. I always have a backup plan.”

“What is it?”

“It’s quite simple really. An old friend of mine told me it works. Basically, there’s an old school technique used to trick your wolf into staying in one location to make sure it doesn't wander off from a designated safe zone.”

“How does that work?”

“It may sound silly, so bear with me. If I take some type of food that the wolf may be attracted to, like some type of raw meat, and walk with it in a circle around the forest before putting it somewhere out of reach, your wolf will stay up all night sniffing out the smell until morning.”

Minho’s silence caused Jinki to add, “I know it’s not the best preventive measure, but it’ll do for the time being if we need to use it. Not only would it keep your wolf contained in one location, but it’ll also prevent your wolf from running amok and possibly harming someone. Trust me. ”

Jinki was met with more silence which caused him to slightly panic. One thing he feared was being no help towards Minho. He didn’t want him to lose faith.

Jinki was brought out of his worries when he heard a snicker from Minho. “You’re telling me I could have been bribing my wolf with meat this whole time?”

That brought a smile to Jinki’s face, relieved at Minho’s lighthearted nature. “I know it’s a little ridiculous.”

They both shared a laugh between themselves as the tension between them loosened. Minho asked, “And it really works?”

Jinki nodded. “So I’ve been told. I’m not a wolf myself, so I don't know personally, but I've heard it mentioned on multiple occasions.”

“Wow,” Minho said in admiration. “You’re amazing, Jinki.”

Jinki wasn’t sure how to respond. He smiled shyly before saying, “Well, it’s not my idea-”

“But you’re still amazing,” said Minho as he faced Jinki. Although Jinki kept his eyes on the road, he could still feel Minho’s gaze.

He shrugged. “Well, this isn't the ultimate solution. Containing your wolf is one thing, but getting you to the point where you can shift without being in pain is another thing -- the point where you can control your wolf. That’s the goal.”

Minho turned his gaze to the endless trees they passed on the road. “That would be nice.”

“I’d rather get you in sync with your wolf. When that happens, whenever you turn into a wolf, your conscious mind will still be present. That means where the wolf’s instinct is to kill, you would be able to control that instinct and tell your wolf no. I’ve known people who were able to turn into their wolves and then find somewhere to sleep through the night until the morning. I would like for you to get to that point, but if not, the meat will have to do.”

Minho smiled. “Werewolf lessons from a vampire.”

Jinki snickered, “How ironic, right?”

It was quite ironic, but for some reason, it worked.

–

Back at the house, Jonghyun had a lot on his mind. He couldn't help but replay those moments in his head again. The way Kibum pecked his lips, the way Jonghyun kissed him back, the way Kibum climbed on top of him, the way the friction between them made him want more, and the way Kibum’s scent was so intoxicating. As selfish and unwise as it was, Jonghyun wanted to experience that again.

But then he remembered the way he accidentally nicked Kibum’s lip. The fact that he was so close to tasting human blood again, even if by accident, really scared Jonghyun. What would have happened if he did get a taste? Even just a little? Would he have harmed Kibum? Would he have had enough restraint to push him away? He didn’t know.

“Hello? Are you even listening?!” The whine came from Taemin who’d been talking Jonghyun’s ear off for the past hour on the living room couch. Apparently, Jongin left to ‘take care of some things,’ so Jonghyun was on Taemin duty.

“Sorry.”

“Just text him already.”

Jonghyun leaned back on the couch as he said dismissively, “What are you even talking about?”

“Oh, don’t give me that. You’ve been staring at your phone this whole time. I thought you would have texted him by now.”

“I just don’t know what to say.”

Taemin sighed. “Honestly, I think you’re making it harder than it has to be. From the short time I’ve seen Kibum, he seems to be really into you.” Jonghyun frowned, which caused Taemin to elaborate. “No, really! He makes these googly eyes at you when you’re not looking and laughs at your horrible jokes.” Jonghyun rolled his eyes. “I’m kidding.”

At that moment, Jonghyun’s phone received a notification. He expected it to be Jinki, but his eyes widened in surprise to see it was from Kibum.

Hey. I’m not sure what happened earlier, but I just want to apologize for the way I behaved. I’ve realized that I may have moved too fast. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I’m sorry.

Jonghyun stared blankly at the message for a moment before he sat his phone down and rubbed his face in frustration. Kibum thought he made him feel uncomfortable? That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Taemin sighed in disappointment as he read the text over Jonghyun’s shoulder. “This is why you should have texted first.”

“Now what do I do,” Jonghyun groaned.

“Text him back!”

Hey, Kibum. There’s nothing to be sorry for. You did nothing wrong, and I’m sorry for making you feel that way. Please just trust that I had a good reason for leaving.

“That’s it?” Taemin said disapprovingly.

“Well, what do you want me to say,” Jonghyun said in exasperation.

“Um, I don’t know. Maybe something like ‘Hey, it’s ok. Come on over so we can continue where we left off,’” Taemin said with a devious grin.

Jonhgyun rolled his eyes. “What part of I need to stay away from him don't you get? Why are you being so pushy anyway?”

Taemin sighed to himself before answering. “Look. I’m dead. My chance at life has been ripped away from me and I’ll never get it back. Had I known that I would have died at such a young age, I would have taken more chances in life. There are so many things I regret not doing, but I can’t go back in time. You have the opportunity to live your life with no regrets. If you like Kibum so much, don’t ignore him.”

It was at that moment that Jonghyun realized just how insightful Taemin was. Behind his goofy and whiny facade, the young ghost made a lot of sense -- something Jonghyun never thought he’d admit. Although Jonghyun still had his concerns about the Kibum situation, how could he argue with Taemin, a ghost who lost everything before he could even live?

Jonghyun shifted his attention to the chat bubble that indicated that Kibum was typing. However, it disappeared before reappearing again. Moments later, it disappeared and reappeared for a second time. It was pretty obvious that Kibum was struggling to come up with a reply.

Ok. I trust you.

The response was simple, but all Jonghyun needed to calm his nerves. A slight smile appeared on his face as he looked at the message.

Taemin rolled his eyes before saying, “Well, don’t just sit there. Plan another meetup to make up for lost time!”

“You have no idea how close I was to killing him-”

“But you didn’t. Come on. You know you want to see him again.”

“Of course I do. It’s just…I don't know.”

Jonghyun was saved from Taemin’s lecture when they both heard a knock at the door. It was quite odd since Jongin was a ghost and wouldn’t need to knock, and Minho and Jinki have a key to the place. Plus, it was getting pretty late, so they were confused as to who could be at the door.

Jonghyun got up to open the door, but stiffened once he got a strong smell of human blood and…. what smelled like a dog?

Taemin gasped in excitement and bounced eagerly as he stared out the living room window, “Hurry! Open the door!”

Although apprehensive, Taemin’s excitement led Jonghyun to believe that their visitors weren’t a threat. He braced himself to channel the remaining restraint he had to control his urges. Upon opening the door, Jonghyun was met with Taemin’s dad, his brother, and a medium-sized golden retriever.

Jonghyun forced a smile as he said, “Mr. Lee. Taesun. Can I help you?”

Mr. Lee was quick to respond. “Hey, Jonghyun. I apologize for coming unannounced. I tried to contact Jinki, but the call wouldn’t go through, and I only have his number.”

“Is there something wrong?”

Mr. Lee waved dismissively, “Nothing wrong at all. I just came to check on the pipes. Taesun told me he had a problem fixing them last time.”

Jonghyun vaguely recalled hearing a story about Taemin accidentally bursting the pipe under the kitchen sink. He’d honestly forgotten about it.

“Oh, that’s kind of you to stop by to check. I think everything’s fine now.” To be honest, after what happened with Kibum, Jonghyun really did not trust himself to be alone with any humans, and he wanted any excuse to get them off his doorstep.

Taemin quickly appeared next to Jonghyun’s side as he whisper-shouted “Invite them in!”

It took everything in Jonghyun not to react to Taemin in front of the young ghost’s family.

Mr. Lee said, “Oh, but Taesun said a pipe burst. Is it ok for us to come in and take a look?”

Taemin moved in front of Jonghyun before nodding his head and whispering, “Please.”

Jonghyun feigned a fake smile as he said, “Sure, Mr. Lee. Come in.”

As they made their way into the living room, the golden retriever began whining and barking in Taemin’s direction. Taemin gasped, “Hey, girl. Can you see me, Luna?”

The dog barked again as she wagged her tail, panting in excitement.

“,” Taemin said with a grin, “I think she can see me. Did you miss me, girl?” Taemin so desperately wished he could reach out and pet her. He missed her so much, and the fact that she was reacting to him with so much excitement really warmed his heart.

“Hush, Luna,” said Taesun as he patted the dog’s head. “Sorry. She gets like this sometimes when she’s around new people. We would’ve left her home, but we decided to stop here at the last minute.”

“It’s no problem,” Jonghyun said as he looked towards Taemin, silently hoping he wouldn't cause another light bulb to explode.

Mr. Lee spoke, “Taesun, why don’t you take her out? I’ll check on the kitchen pipes.”

“But dad, I came to help-”

“You’ve helped enough. Now do as I say.”

Taemin’s smile dropped and his attention went back to his dad and brother. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Taesun clenched his jaw tightly before saying, “Come on, Luna.” The dog whined and sniffed the air as they passed Taemin.

Once they were out of sight, Mr. Lee said, “This won’t take long, Jonghyun. I just need to assess the damage and see what parts I need to order. I’ll be sending someone else to fix it.”

Jonghyun nodded in understanding, and at that, Mr. Lee made his way to the kitchen.

It was silent for a few moments before Taemin said, “That was weird. I’ve never seen my dad snap at my brother like that.”

Jonghyun shrugged. “It’s probably nothing serious.”

“I guess...Oh! I almost forgot. This would be the perfect opportunity to ask my dad about dinner.”

Jonghyun internally grimaced. He hadn’t forgotten about it, but he wasn’t sure when would be a good time to bring it up. Jinki was way better at communicating and small talk than he was. “I don’t think it’s a good time.”

“When will it ever be? You can go in the kitchen and ask him now.”

Jonghyun still wasn’t too sure, but he didn’t want to let Taemin down. There was no harm in asking.

He let out a sigh before saying, “Ok.” Before he reached the kitchen, he stopped abruptly to tell Taemin. “Keep your distance.”

Taemin frowned, but nodded his head in compliance.

Mr. Lee was still under the kitchen sink checking out the pipes when he noticed Jonghyun walk in. “I’m almost done here.”

“It’s no rush. I just have a quick question.”

“Oh, ok. What is it,” he asked as he stood up to face Jonghyun.

Jonghyun looked towards Taemin at the kitchen door before returning his attention back to Mr. Lee. “Jinki and I really appreciate you and Taesun for letting us stay here. We were wondering if you’d like to come over for dinner some time.”

Jonghyun could instantly sense a drastic mood change in Mr. Lee, one filled with such heaviness. With a distant look in his eyes, Mr. Lee answered somberly, “Thank you, Jonghyun. But I don’t think that’ll be a good idea. I’m sorry.”

Jonghyun didn’t know what to say. He looked towards the kitchen door again to see Taemin standing there perplexed with a look of devastation.

Mr. Lee continued, “It’s just that the wound of this place is still too fresh. Even though so much time has passed since the….accident, it wouldn’t feel right eating here and carrying on with life in the same place that my son…” Mr. Lee stopped himself before he could start tearing up.

“I understand,” said Jonghyun. Those were the only words of comfort he could offer, but he really did feel bad for the man. Based on the stories Taemin told him, Mr. Lee and Taemin were really close.

Mr. Lee cleared his throat before saying, “I think I’m about done here. I’ll be contacting Jinki soon about someone coming to fix this. I’ll see you later, Jonghyun.” Mr. Lee tapped his shoulder lightly before making his way out the kitchen.

“Thanks again for stopping by.”

Mr. Lee nodded. “No problem. Have a good night.” At that, he fetched Taesun and Luna before heading towards the car and driving off.

A single tear rolled down Taemin’s face as he watched his dad, brother, and childhood dog leave him once again.

Jonghyun furrowed his brows in worry. “Taemin-”

“They don’t want anything to do with me.” He gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes as more tears pooled. “Hey, at least Jinki doesn’t have to find out about this now.”

“Taemin-”

“Thanks for trying, Jonghyun. I’ll be up in my room.” Before Jonghyun could respond, Taemin was gone.

Jonghyun let out a long sigh as he stood there in silence. He really felt bad for Taemin. He wished more than anything that the conversation with Taemin’s dad had gone better. However, he couldn’t blame the man. His son had died in the home not too long ago. It must pain Mr. Lee every time he sets foot into his old home. It’s a sticky situation that no one should be forced to deal with.

Not only that, now Jonghyun needed to come up with another excuse to see Kibum.

–

When Jongin stayed at the hospital, he’d often lurked on the ground floor of the hospital where he met many lost souls. Spirits that had recently passed, as well as spirits that had been there for decades – or at least what felt like decades. It was so easy to lose track of time in a place as depressing as it was.

There were a few unfriendly spirits he’d run into while he was down there, but he’d also met some decent spirits. Regardless of their differences, all of the souls there had something in common – they wanted a way out, but they’d lost all hope. Although they were not physically attached to the hospital like Taemin was to his home, the overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair was like a mental prison that caused many spirits to give up on finding a way out.

Despite how depressing it was, Jongin felt a sense of comfort there knowing he wasn’t alone, which was one of the reasons why he liked being around Taemin. Taemin was like a breath of fresh air compared to the gloomy hopelessness Jongin was used to being around.

However, at times, Jongin needed a break. Being stuck in the house was starting to remind him of his time on the hospital grounds. Although the environment was vastly different, there were times where Jongin felt he needed fresh air away from the house. It only made him feel sorry for Taemin even more knowing the younger ghost didn’t have the option to leave.

That’s how he ended up at the town’s cemetery, walking the grounds on an eerily quiet night. It may be an odd destination to most, but it reminded Jongin of that strange comfort he felt at the hospital. Being surrounded by other lost souls oddly brought some type of solace to him.

Jongin continued his endless train of thought as he walked down another row of tombstones. Every so often, he’d stop to read one of the tombstones out of curiosity. It was interesting to him the range of people that were buried there. There were people of all ages, and some buried as recently as the day before.

“If you’re looking for friends, you won’t find them here.”

Jongin slightly jumped, startled at a voice that came from behind him. He turned to see a man who looked to be in his early twenties. The young man was as tall as Jongin and had dark hair that contrasted against his pale skin. Jongin wasn’t sure how to react. Was this person alive? Was he a ghost? Was he even there in the first place or a figment of Jongin’s imagination?

Jongin was pulled from his thoughts when the stranger let out a snicker before saying, “Why are looking so serious? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Who are you,” Jongin asked with little patience.

“You tell me who you are first.”

Jongin looked perplexed for a moment before making a move to leave. He didn’t feel like dealing with this tonight.

“I’m Sehun,” said the stranger in an urgent manner to get Jongin to stay. Jongin paused before turning to look at Sehun again. “Sorry if I came off weird. I’ve just never seen you around here before.”

“Why do you care?”

“Well, you seemed lost. And I could tell you’re someone like me.” Jongin gave a confused look, so Sehun continued, “Dead? I saw you manifest into the gates earlier. I know it probably sounds weird. I swear I wasn’t creeping on you! I just don’t see that many people like us here too often, especially people my age.”

Jongin asked in disbelief, “You don’t see dead people in a graveyard?”

Sehun chuckled, “You really think dead people want to hang out in a graveyard all day? No. Most people are out looking for family members, exploring places they’ve never been before, or haunting someone.”

“Then why are you here?” Jongin couldn’t believe he was even entertaining this guy.

“I could ask the same to you.”

Jongin sighed and said, “No reason,” as he made an attempt to leave again.

Sehun stopped him again, “Wow, you really don’t like talking about yourself do you? To answer your question, I’m just waiting on a group of friends. We usually meet up here before going out. I guess you could say this is our home base in a way. You can come too if you want.”

Friends? The word seemed to foreign to Jongin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a friend if you don’t count Taemin. He wouldn’t consider the spirits he’d met at the hospital to be friends either. Regardless, he was intrigued, but remembered he had obligations back at home.

“Sorry, I can’t. I have a friend waiting for me.”

“He can come along too. The more the merrier.”

A part of Jongin wasn’t sure if he should take Sehun up on his offer just out of curiosity. However, he knew Taemin was waiting on his return, and the young ghost also was not able to leave the house. Jongin wouldn’t feel right leaving him waiting.

“I can’t. I gotta go,” he said as he began to talk away.

Sehun stopped him once more as he said, “Wait. You never told me your name. I told you mine. It’s only fair.”

Jongin sighed. He could lie and give him a fake name, or not even give a name at all, but he didn’t have anything to lose. “It’s Jongin.”

Sehun smiled victoriously. “Nice meeting you, Jongin. If you ever get bored and want to hang, you know where to find me. See ya.” At that, Sehun dissipated and reappeared at the front gates of the cemetery where a group of people seemed to be waiting for him.

Left alone to himself, Jongin wasn’t sure what to make of the night. He certainly didn’t plan on meeting another ghost tonight, at least not a ghost that would invite him out to ‘hang’ with him and his friends. As guarded as Jongin was, the invite was very tempting. It would be nice to meet some new people that could make the afterlife a little less depressing.

He couldn’t help wondering how Taemin would feel about it.

Finally got time to write since I'm off for the holidays and my graduate classes will resume sometime in January. Hope you guys enjoyed! Please let me know your thoughts! ^.~