Aiden waited anxiously at the cul de sac near the vampire’s home. This would be the last place anyone would look for him. He paced back and forth, waiting for his guest to arrive.

It wasn’t that he was trying to keep secrets, it’s just with everything going on with the hybrids and Lunar eclipse drama, he didn’t want to be a burden.

Aiden let out a huff, becoming increasingly impatient as he waited for Irene to arrive. He had arranged for the witch to meet him before she went to pack’s cabin in order for her to figure out Aiden’s situation. She was currently fifteen minutes late, and Aiden couldn’t wait anymore.

“Jeez, someone’s eager” he heard Irene say. “I felt your aura from a mile away”

Irene appeared in the cul de sac, suitcase in hand. She was just as intimidating as Aiden remembered her.

“Sorry” Aiden mumbled. “It’s just nerves”

Irene walked closer; she touched Aiden’s shoulder

“You were shot,” she stated. Aiden nodded

“But that was over a month ago” Aiden said. “And my stitches still haven’t closed the wound all the way, and the skin around it is all red and-”

“Let me see” Irene said. Aiden lifted up his shirt.

Aiden saw Irene’s eyes widen, her face showing no emotion.

“Is it bad?” Aiden asked weakly.

“No” Irene mumbled. “It’s just really infected. But it’s fixable”

“How do you think it happened?”

Irene placed her hands on Aiden’s stomach, feeling the hot red skin around the stitches. It didn’t look good.

“My guess was that the bullets were laced with wolfsbane” Irene said. “But faintly, so it would kick in like an after effect. Have you told anyone about this?”

Aiden shook his head.

Irene sighed. “This is serious, Aiden”

“But I don’t want to freak anyone out. They didn’t ask so I didn’t tell them”

“By now the wolfsbane is in your bloodstream. You’re weak, how do you expect to try and stop the hybrids if you feel like death?”

Aiden’s shoulders sagged. “I managed”

“You probably feel like . The wolfsbane is eating away at your insides, it’s only a matter of time before you become seriously ill”

“But you can help me, right?” Aiden cut in

Irene rubbed her temples. “I could make a salve or balm or something, but it’s going to take a while until you’re strong again. The wolfsbane has been in your system for a month, it’s going to take you a month to be one hundred percent better, but we don’t have that much time. The eclipse is in two weeks”

“You’re going to help us, right? Stay until the eclipse and help us stop whoever is doing this?” Aiden asked. Irene nodded.

“Of course,” she said. “I don’t want demons to come kill us more than the next guy. I’ve seen The Vampire Diaries. I know what Klaus can do”

~~~~~~

Victoria was thrilled to meet one of her heroes.

“I admire you so much! Your work is miraculous!” she gushed, her smile wide when Irene walked through the door.

Irene, usually having a cold demeanor, smiled warmly. The witch reminded her of her apprentice-slash-best friend Wendy.

“Thank you, Victoria-shi” she said, touching the girl’s arm. VIctoria squealed.

“Now you know everything about me, right?” she beamed. Irene nodded

“I really appreciate you coming out” Changmin said, scratching the back of his head. “I’m Changmin”

“Nice to meet you” Irene said. “Aiden told me you had a note from someone?”

Changmin fished out the worn piece of paper from his pocket. He handed it to the younger witch.

Irene held the letter in her hands, a rush of information coming when she touched the paper.

I’d run while you can. When we come, there will be no mercy -D

“Do you know who wrote it?” Yuri asked tentatively

Irene screwed her eyes shut. “All I see are flashed. Just three letter, K, E, D”

“K E D?” Yoong asked. “What do you mean?”

“That’s all I got” Irene said. “It would be more clear if I had a connection with whoever wrote it, then I would get a clear image in my head”

“K E D” Changmin repeated. “Why does that sound familiar?”

“Only one of those letters fit for Kim” Aiden said. “Maybe he has an english name with the initials E and D?”

“No, I don’t think it’s that” Changmin said. “As much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think it’s HanBin”

“We could ask?” Irene suggested. “Send a memo to him, ask him to clarify”

The pack looked at the witch in shock

“what?” Irene asked.

“Kim HanBin massacred our pack” Sooyoung stated

“I know” Irene said. “But wouldn’t it be nice to know he’s not trying to become more powerful?”

All eyes were on Aiden. He was contemplating what to do.

“It’s your choice, Alpha” Changmin said. Aiden played with his hands.

“Alright” he finally said. “We’ll call him. But if he tries to double cross us, I will not hesitate to shove a stake in his heart”

~~~~~

“I don’t know how I feel about this” Lun said as he, Aiden, Key, Yuri, Yoong, Taeyeon, Sooyoung, Hyoeyon and Jonghyun were trying tuxedos for the winter formal.

“I like it, the color suits you” Key said looking through the rack

“No, I meant the Hanbin thing” Lun said. “Like, we were so sure it was him, I wanted the mystery to be over. But it’s not. We’re even more confused”

Aiden put down the red tuxedo he picked up. “I know those letters. It’s on the tip of my tongue. I’ve seen them before”

“Initials?” Hyoyeon asked, grabbing a blue tuxedo that Key pulled out for him.

“Probably” Aiden murmured. He pulled a burgundy colored suit from the rack.

“How are you asking Krystal to the formal?” Taeyeon asked, in the dressing room.

“Not sure yet”

“Well whatever you do, don’t do what Jjong did. It was so lame. So lame that I would've ended up going with Yoong if he didn’t reject me to go with Seohyun” Key said. The other guys looked up, except for Jonghyun who looked embarrassed.

“You’re not going with your boyfriend?” Yuri asked.

“Yes I still am, but he asked me in the telepathic link between us. It was lame, like asking someone through text. So at first I said no. then to show him how much I hated it, I ordered a pizza that said ‘prom?’ spelled out in pepperoni and gave it to Yoong, but he rejected me and Sooyoung ended up eating the damn pizza” Key shrugged. “But he made it up to me” he then smirked.

The rest of the boys shuddered in disgust, while Jonghyun smirked back at his boyfriend.

“I don’t even wanna know” Sooyoung said

All the boys agreed to that.

“I like this. I’m going to take it” Lun said thankfully changing the topic.

“You look handsome” Key beamed. “I feel like a proud appa”

“Damn, Lun, looking slick” Yuri smiled. “Looks like it was made for you, man”

“Thanks guys” Lun said shyly. Taeyeon put a hand on his chest.

“Look at my little pup turning into a big bad y wolf” he chuckled. He pulled Lun in for a hug. “Kids grow up so fast”

“It felt like it was yesterday when we saw him come home from the hospital” Aiden pretended to wipe a tear.

“You guys weren’t even one when I came home from the hospital” Lun pointed out.

“Don’t ruin this for your hyungs, Lun Park Sunyoung” Yoong playfully scolded.

Something inside Aiden’s brain clicked when Yoong used Lun’s full name. Something so obvious that he thought he was an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

K. E. D.

Kang. EuiGeon. Daniel.

~~~~~

“It makes perfect sense” Changmin said, flipping through a spell book. “Daniel’s obviously hurt for the coven kicking him out, hybrids are the only way he could be stronger than the entire coven”

“But what if his old coven is helping him?” Sooyoung asked

“I bet you Chaerin is. She was always trying to do exactly what Daniel did, like a little clone” Taeyeon said

“Yeah, we better keep our eyes on Chaerin” Key agreed. “She always gives me the creeps”

“But don’t you need vampires and werewolves?” Victoria asked.

“Yes” Irene said, rubbing her temples. “I know it’s none of you, cause I touched all of you. Kang’s a nomad, right?”

“No, but he might have joined a nomadic coven? Cause HanBin is coming, maybe he’s with them?” Changmin asked.

“It’s possible” Irene admitted. “But highly unlikely. With him or not, HanBin is still coming. He wants to see this hybrid thing himself. Even he knows this might be the worst thing ever”

“Smart man”

“Not really, he just doesn’t want a threat to his life. When can we take that hike?”

Irene wanted to walk around the forest to see if she could pinpoint where the ritual would happen. She said that the forest was so spiritually charged that the ritual should be taking place somewhere near the lake.

“Let’s go kiddies, the Choi Sooyoung tour is starting now” Sooyoung announced, stepping out the door with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He picked up a branch to use as a walking stick. He inhaled deeply.

“Now, step this way for the experience of your life. See that rock? I peed on that once during the full moon-”

Aiden rolled his eyes, always the show off.

Sooyoung droned on about his personal experiences with the forest, Irene looking around intently. She was trying to see if she felt spiritually charged anywhere.

Their trek was long and boring. It was like one of those weird nature walks your science teacher forced you to go on.

“This is the tiny cliff that Aiden ran off one time. He still has a scar above his eyebrow from cutting it on a branch” Sooyoung said. Yuri snickered.

“Good times” Aiden grumbled.

“And here’s where the first person was murdered!”

“Wait” Irene paused. “This is where you found the body?”

“Yepperoni”

Irene moved to the clearing and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath.

“Conceal, reveal, reappeal” she chanted

A gust of wind came and knocked the pack over, Irene staggered to her knees, the information came quickly, but disappearing almost as fast.

When the wind dies down, Aiden rushed to the witch.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried.

Irene nodded, and slowly got up. “I think I found something, but hurry quick. They’re almost dead”

~~~~~

The twins were home alone, eating ice cream and crying over The Lion King. Aiden and Yuri were too busy on wolf duty to hang out tonight.

Their parents were at their grandparents house, and Jaehyun was out somewhere with his friends, they were okay though. As long as they had their disney movies. 

They were about to go off on Scar when Jessica’s phone rang. It was their dad.

“Hey dad, can’t talk right now me and Krys are crying over Mufasa and-”

“Jessica!” Mr. Jung interrupted. His voice sounded hoarse and hollow.

Jessica’s blood ran cold. It sounded like Mr. Jung had been crying.

“W-what?” she asked, scared out of her mind. Krystal noticed and motioned for her to put her phone on speaker.

“I need you and Krystal to come down to Seoul hospital. I-I can call a cab if you don’t think you’re stable enough to drive”

The twins were really starting to freak out. “W-why wouldn’t we be stable enough to drive, dad?” Krystal asked, panicking

The next words might have been the worst news they ever heard.

“Jaehyun has been attacked. They… they don’t think he’s going to make it”