The woman who stood in front of you was beautiful. Hauntingly so with her thick, baby blonde hair, translucent skin, and soft features. She was small. Not just in height, but everything about her. It’s almost as if there were a dozen signs around declaring her harmless and to come closer. But there was one thing that stopped you from doing so. One thing about this woman that whispered danger.

A pair of red eyes.

They put an edge to her sweet smile, taking the innocence away and replacing it with cunning intent. In a way, they reminded you of a cat, refracting the light in a way no regular human’s could.

“Who are you?” you finally found your voice to ask.

“My name is Molia.” She took a step towards you which you immediately retreated from. All it did was make her laugh. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Your heart was pounding in your ears. It was a miracle that you were able to hear anything she was saying at all. “It’s you, isn’t it? The one I’ve been seeing in my visions?”

“Yes,” she replied with a high pitched giggle as if the notion of it being anyone else was absurd. Once again, she moved closer to you and once again, you recreated the distance. Her smile faded. “(y/n), I’m not going to harm you.”

You shook your head. Being here, alone, it didn’t feel right. “I don’t know how you expect me to believe that.”

“Did you ever see me do anything harmful?”

Thinking back on the visions, you frowned. There weren’t enough to the scenes you’d witnessed to truly say either way. “No… but the feeling–”

“There is always fear in the unknown.” Before you could blink, Molia was behind you, her hands resting on your shoulders as she whispered in your ear. “I’m just like you, (y/n). The two of us need to join together.”

You spun around to face her. “What do you mean you’re just like me?”

Instead of answering, Molia took your hands and pressed your palms together. When she pried them apart, a small flame no bigger than a coin sparked to life. She scooped up the fire into her own cupped hands where it grew to twice its size. Then she snuffed it out, barely a puff of smoke to prove its existence.

“That’s impossible,” you whispered in disbelief. “How did you- how could you-” For some reason, you could not connect what you’d witnessed to the logical part of your brain. Not even Mother Willow could do such a thing.

“I was telling the truth.” Delicately, she lifted your face with a finger under your chin so the two of you were looking eye to eye. “What do you know the other witch like you?”

“The other one?” you said. You’d been told the story of the witch centuries ago who lost control. It was told to you like a warning every time your own usage went a little too wild for the elders’ comfort. By now, you knew almost every word by heart. But it was no fairytale. “She was a witch who used her power for selfish reasons. Eventually, they drove her insane and she nearly took out an entire village before she passed herself.”

Molia scoffed. “They would record it that way, wouldn’t they? Take the blame from themselves.”

“Are you saying that’s not what happened to her?” As much as you wanted to believe that mothers of old wouldn’t manipulate historic records, you couldn’t quite put that much faith in them. They believed themselves to be the epitome of goodness and they wouldn’t want anything to tarnish that good name.

“No,” Molia stated firmly. “That’s not what happened to me.”

You stumbled back.

No. That wasn’t possible. Magical or not, witches didn’t live that long. Not even wolves lived that long. “You can’t be….” But then you looked into her eyes again.

Her red, inhuman eyes.

“Are you–”

“A vampire?” she giggled, her previous charm coming back to the surface. “Yes. One took pity on me when the elders’ turned against me. We faked my death since they never would have let me live if they’d known the truth. For the past four hundred years, I’ve been in hiding, wondering if I could ever be truly free. Then I found out about you.” With a pale hand, she reached out to you, cupping your cheek in a palm so cold it might as well had been an ice pack fresh from the freezer. “I don’t want you to feel the loneliness that I have. I want you to feel like there is someone on your side. You deserve that.”

As pretty as her words were, you couldn’t say they were correct. Sehun’s face flashed in your mind. “But I do have someone.”

Molia scoffed as she dropped her hand. “That wolf? He didn’t even take the time to listen to you when it mattered the most.”

“But he was right,” you defended. “It wasn’t Mina.”

“No, not entirely.” A sly grin stretched across her pale pink lips. “Mina may have not been the one you saw in your visions, but she isn’t entirely innocent. Or she could be. Depending on your point of view.”

“I’m not really in the mood for riddles.”

Molia laughed softly. “I’m sorry. Old habit. I simply mean that when I saw poor Dana’s friend come into town, I thought she could be useful.”

“Useful?” Yeah, if you wanted to experience something shallow, maybe.

“Unfortunately, you haven’t met the real Mina,” Molia went on. “Each time you’ve seen her, she’s been under my control.”

You gaped at her. “Control? Why?”

“I needed to see you alone,” she said. “But with the way things were going with that wolf, I wasn’t going to be able to.”

“So you made us fight?” It was bizarre to hear that she went to such lengths. Almost laughable at the absurdity. Why didn’t she simply approach you the few times you were alone in the forest?

“I didn’t make you do anything. All I did was adjust Mina’s character a bit. Think about it. What did Mina do, hm? Flirt a little? Make you feel a little jealous?” The space between you and Molia disappeared again as she came in close, tapping your cheek with her index finger. “That’s all. The words said by the wolf were all his own doing. As were your own words. Mating isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, is it?”

“You’ve got that right,” you murmured. His words echoed in your ears, but you shook them away. “Look, I know you said that you wanted to make sure that I wasn’t lonely like you were, but else do you want from me? This giant scheme can’t be just about meeting me and sisterhood.”

“You’re right,” Molia agreed. “It’s about unlocking your true potential.” She leaned in and grasped your hands tightly. The pressure made you flinch. She was holding on so firmly, as if you’d float away if she didn’t keep you down on the ground. “You are so special, (y/n). Fire, water, earth, air? That’s just the beginning of what you can do. Those cute little tricks you show the child and mongrels? It’s barely the tip of your powers.”

Just a tip? There was already so much that you could, what else could there be? The mothers thought you were dangerous now, they’d always cautioned you on getting out of control. Mother Willow said time and time again that these powers could be all consuming, that they could take over and make you lose yourself.

“Don’t think about them,” Molia said as if she could hear your thoughts. “I know what they’ve told you because they told me the same thing. But it’s not true. These powers are a part of who you are. They aren’t meant to be suppressed. The more you let them out, the more you know them, the better off you are.”

Like a period emphasizing her words, a raindrop fell from the heavy clouds above you, landing on your shoulder. With a giant wave of her hand, Molia swirled the air around to create a dome over the clearing. You watched as the rain stopped several feet above your head and rolled to the side, keeping you dry.

“How did you do that?” you asked in amazement. The rain came down harder, lightning flashing in the air and the wind picking up to the point that the trees were bending to its will. But you felt none of the storm’s strength in your safe little bubble.

“Oh, this is nothing a little practice can’t create. You’d be amazed at what you’ll be able to do in time.” A flash of rebellion swept through her eyes. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The important thing to do now is start your training.”

“Training?” A feeling – giddiness or maybe excitement – swept through you. But you quickly pushed it down and away from you. “I don’t think- I mean, I should probably head back. Sehun will be worried.”

“Why do you even still worry about him!” Molia shouted. Her outburst made you jump. It was terrifying how quickly she’d gone from sweet and encouraging to enraged and fiery. But as swiftly as the anger had come, it dissipated just as fast. The harsh expression smoothed out to one of gentleness. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I just don’t want you to be hurt by him anymore.”

You weren’t sure of the right way to respond. You couldn’t say that he didn’t hurt you because he did. His hot and cold actions in the beginning hurt, what he had said only a few hours ago had hurt more. That didn’t take away from the times he was kind to you, however, or the way you felt when he held you. The softest pillow couldn’t give you the same reassurance or sense of security that your head against his chest could.

“Come,” Molia grabbed your hand, effectively taking you out of the sweet memories that nearly had you running back to the farmhouse. She led you further into the clearing until you came across very familiar stacks of wood. “Let me show you what you can do and then you can decide if you still want to leave. Alright?”

No. Not alright. You should go. No matter what she was offering, the right thing for you to do would be to go back. You’d discovered the answer. Molia was the culprit, not Mina. But her offer was too tempting, too enticing. Besides, you had a feeling as to what she was going to teach you… and you wanted to see it in person.

Molia led you over to the stacks of branches and fallen trees. You were curious as to whether or not she was the one who had moved them, but you never go the chance to ask as she took her stance behind you.

“I know fire is your strength,” she said. “Just as water is mine.” Her hand fell on your shoulder, exactly as you remembered. “Your power is fueled by your emotions. But you can’t rely on soft feelings. You have to dig deep. The stronger the emotion, the more control you’ll have. Focus on the wood and imagine creating the fire.”

You nodded, taking in her words. She was right. Your powers always surged when your emotions were driving. Would it be possible to let your emotions connect to the power inside of you while still keeping grasp of them?

Slowly, you lifted a hand, reaching out in front of you to channel the energy building up inside.

“Think of hate,” she whispered behind your ear. “Think of your pain.”

It was too easy to obey. The ache that simmered in your chest grew in strength as the memories of every wrong that had ever been committed against you replayed in your head. Your eyes swelled with tears as you remembered all the times that you were ostracized, judged, ridiculed beyond mercy. All of it continued to rise, feeding your powers. It collected in your hand. It pushed and shoved just wanting to be released. 

“Good. Now let it go. You are so full of potential. Don’t hold back and see what you can do.”

Whoosh!

Flames burst forth from the dried wood. As if calling up to the rain that still poured down from above, they danced and waved. They gave off the extreme heat that you remembered from your dream. Sweat started excreting from your pores and rolling down your face. It made you feel like a roast in the oven on the highest temperature.

Behind you, Molia burst into laughter. You turned to see her jumping and clapping with delight. Not quite the madwoman that had haunted you that night.

“Now,” she said with eager eyes. “Kill it.”

Spinning on the balls of your feet, you faced the fire head on. It was easy to tap into that source once again and in one swift motion of your arm, you extinguished the flames as if they never existed. 

Molia squealed with delight. Now it was you who wore the large grin. Each breath came in shallow and heavy but fast. Adrenaline rushed through your veins. Never had you felt like this when you’d practiced before. It was freeing. You wanted to stay in that euphoria.  

“Show me more.”

**

Sehun stared out the kitchen window. He counted the drops that hit the glass, each one feeling like a bullet to the heart. 

Somewhere out in this storm was you. Almost every worst possible scenario was playing his head, tormenting him as invisible demons laughed at him. You could be lost, passed out under a tree while being soaked by the rain. Or maybe you’d been caught by the threat, who had you chained up and was torturing you for its own pleasure. He could almost hear your screams echoing around him. Had you fallen down and been swept away by the river? Had you come across a dangerous animal that chased you down? With each thought, the scenes became more and more terrifying. 

“Sehun, are you listening?”

Sehun snapped his head around. “What?”

Junmyeon sighed. “I know you’re worried. We all are, but I need you-”

“Do you really think your worry is as great as mine?” Sehun growled. Junmyeon didn’t answer. No one did. Sehun’s shoulders heaved up and down, slowing in rhythm as he was able to reign in his frustration. Staring down at the hardwood floor, he mumbled, “Sorry.”

“It’s understandable,” Soomi said with her typical amount of gentleness and compassion. Not even this could break her character. “And it’s scary, thinking that she’s out there, alone in this. But she’s a survivor. She’ll be okay.”

Sehun shook his head. “I can’t just leave her out there while I’m here safe from the storm.” 

All throughout the night, the wind and rain only began to grow stronger. The sun was certainly gone from the sky even if he couldn’t see it. What a perfect metaphor for how he felt now. His light was gone, hidden from him behind what seemed impenetrable. 

“There’s no way to find her,” Chanyeol argued. His mate took hold of his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Did they really have to do that here? Right now? 

“Would you leave Lanie out there by herself even if you couldn’t follow her scent?”

“Leave me out of this,” Lanie begged. She let go of Chanyeol’s hand and leaned forward,  massaging her temples. 

Harper huffed. She’d been pacing back and forth since Kris had explained to the pack about your disappearance. Sehun was thankful to have someone on his side, who was just as eager to find you as he was. “I agree with Sehun that we should go look for her, weather be damned.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Luhan barked in a tone that was unusual for the more mellow wolf. He was scowling, irritated. It was so unlike him, but Sehun couldn’t think about the reason behind it now. 

“Is there any sort of shelter she might be able to find in the woods?” Lottie asked desperately.

“No,” Minseok answered. “In these trees, there’s nothing but this house and the city.”

Sehun straightened up as soon as those words left the older member’s mouth. An idea of where you might have gone struck him. He didn’t even think. He just ran. Out the back door and through the rain. The ground slopped beneath his feet, whimpering at the weight of his feet as the mud squished between his shoes.

His clothes suctioned to him, restricting his movements, but it didn’t slow him down. Not even the yells of his name or the shouts for him to stop. He pushed through the wind and didn’t flinch when the lightning cracked across the sky. 

Finally, the construction site came into view. 

“(y/n)! (y/n)!” 

This was your place. The place the two of you came to be alone, to get away from the loud and rowdy house. Some of the roof had now been constructed and the house and garage were starting to look more like structures that could shelter someone from this weather. 

“Sehun! What the hell are you thinking?”

Huddled under the tree line, several of the pack members – Junmyeon among them – look at him in confusion.

“I thought she might be here,” Sehun yelled over the sound of the rain pelting down on the wood around him. “It could keep her safe from all this.”

“And is she here?” Jongin asked hopefully. But Sehun shook his head, disappointed. The former visibly deflated. 

“Then come back with us,” Junmyeon ordered. “This is crazy, Sehun. I know she’s your mate, but if you’re sick or hurt, you’re no use to her.”

Sehun kicked at the ground, frustrated. “I can’t just go back. It’s wrong. All wrong.”

“We’ll find her,” Junmyeon promised. “One way or another.”

But how could Sehun put faith in that? Junmyeon was smart, resourceful, strong, but he wasn’t all knowing, he wasn’t magically, some old wizard who solve all problems with a few wise words. He couldn’t just point to a map and say that’s where you were. Not even Soomi had been able to do that. Going back felt wrong. It felt like giving up. And he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t give up on you. He had so much to apologize for, so much to say to you. 

As if to give him one single act of mercy, the rain began to let up. The clouds started to break apart, letting the darkened sky behind them peek through, tiny stars dotting the black backdrop. In one such cloud, part of the moon shined through. 

Two days. 

He had two days until the blood moon.

I won’t give up, he declared to you silently. I’ll keep searching and I’ll bring you home. Just, please, be safe until then. 

Then he fell to his knees, splashing the water around him. Junmyeon approached slowly and squeezed his shoulder. A small comfort, but one he would take this time around. Starting tomorrow, he was going to run the entire length of this forest, covering every inch until he caught some sort of sign of you. He wouldn’t stop until he found you. That he was sure of.