You scrambled back, falling back on your as you shook your head feverishly. “No. I don’t want that. Not ever.”

“It’s not so bad,” Molia cooed. She tried to reach out comfortingly, but you flinched away from her touch. It was an involuntary reaction, fearful that she would force the change upon you anyway. She “hmphed” at your response, pursing her lips in a very displeased manner. “I don’t know what you’re finding so bad about living forever – especially as a person free to choose whoever she wants.”

Your head was spinning. Here she was, offering you a way out… and you didn’t want it. As if fighting against her words, your own mind reminded you of the better moments with Sehun – moments so soft and so loving that you’d wondered if you were dreaming. You thought of his smile when he looked at you or when one of his brothers did something dumb. Your hand burned from the absence of his. And that’s when you knew you couldn’t do it. 

Can I tell you something?

Sure.

I love you.

A tear nearly fell down your cheek as you listened to that brief exchange over and over in your head. What had you been doing this whole time? Going on some misguided quest to prove that you were someone who could stand on their own two feet? Your entire life was testament to that. 

You’d screwed up. And at this point, it didn’t matter how pretty a picture Molia painted of a possible future, it was worthless without him.  

“I’d still choose him.”

The vampire blinked. “Excuse me?”

You smiled, wiping away the tear that had indeed fallen down with your sleeve as you stood to your feet. “Even if things were different and I had a choice, I’d still choose him.” It sounded so cheesy to your own ears, but you couldn’t hold back to the truth. “Yeah, he said some things that were hurtful, but I’m not innocent either. So, I’m sorry, Molia, but I can’t help you. No matter how nice it sounds, I can’t go through with it if it means fighting Sehun.”

Molia’s reaction was not what you expected. She didn’t yell or explode. She didn’t bare her fangs or pounce. No, all she did was sigh, as if she’d expected this all along.

“Some bits of magic really irritate me,” she murmured to herself. Straightening up, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “I wanted to avoid this, (y/n), but you leave me no choice.”

Before the thought of running could even cross your mind, Molia had you pinned to the ground, the air forced out of your lungs from the impact. The back of your skull bounced off the dirt, causing little black dots to dance around your vision. 

“What are you doing?” you grunted through your teeth as you tried to fight her off. But the vampire was stronger, sturdier. You were no more than a fly entangled in the black widow’s web. The more you struggled, the more trapped you became. 

“When you have unlimited time, you tend to practice a few things,” Molia laughed. Her eyes shined at your sad attempts to get away, like it was her favorite game. “I can’t do this without you and if that mutt is the reason you won’t be by my side, then I guess I’ll just have to take away your knowledge of him. Don’t worry, you’ll get back the memories by sunrise. But by then he may be nothing more than a pelt on my wall.”

“NO!” 

You fought harder, screaming Sehun’s name over and over, praying he would hear you. The sun was already beginning to set in the sky. Soon, the blood moon would rise. You couldn’t let her do this; you had to stop her. But as Molia placed her ice cold fingertips against your temples, murmuring an incantation, you could already feel yourself losing grip of the one thing that kept you grounded. Molia’s laugh echoed in your ears as your vision went black. 

**

Sehun stared up at the stars, shifting from foot to foot. It was here. 

Well… not here here, but tonight was the night. Tonight, the moon would rise high in the sky, the earth moving just so in between the moon and the sun, casting a reddish shadow on the large rock. How that could have any bearings on magic, Sehun didn’t know, but according to Soomi, magic stirred when nature chose so. 

The woods were quiet. It was unnatural how little sound was coming from the trees. 

On an average night, creatures of all sizes could be heard scurrying the forest floor, searching for their evening meal or getting ready to hide for the night so they would be safe while they slept. The silence that came from the lack of life was eerie, causing the hair to stand up on the back of Sehun’s neck. Had they all deserted the area knowing what was coming? That was common, wasn’t it? The animals in a certain area running for their lives just before a natural disaster? Even if it was a miniscule amount, Sehun hoped the damage wouldn’t be so devastating. He wasn’t sure how much more he could lose. 

“It’s time.”

Sehun snapped his head to look at the old woman he recognized from all those years ago when the pack rescued Jiyoung from being sacrificed. She hadn’t changed much since that day, but then again, she was already pretty haggard looking so there probably wasn’t much change that could be done. 

The old woman shifted her gaze from the sky to the crowd around her. Wolves and witches alike intermingled in the clearing outside the farmhouse. 

After two days of constantly searching the woods and still finding no trace of you, Junmyeon and Kris consulted with Soomi on any other options. The decision was made to bring in the head witches of the local coven to strengthen the power behind the locator spell. But they, too, had to wait for the moon. Thankfully not the blood moon, just for that stupid rock to be in the sky. At this moment, it was starting to peek over the pines, its white glow illuminating the area as if it were mid-day. 

The witches gathered in a circle around, joining hands around the unlit cluster of logs Soomi had carefully stacked earlier in the day. Sehun stayed close, not understanding a word the head crone was saying. After one stanza, the rest of the witches joined in. Their eyes were honed in on the logs. At first, nothing seemed to be happening. But magic always worked that way. 

A spark. A flicker of fame. A tiny fleck of ember rising into the sky. Then the ground shook, nearly knocking Sehun off his feet. The witches stayed in their positions unaffected. A fire burst forth from the wood, dancing nearly five feet in the air. But as quickly as they came… they disappeared. Only the slightest wisps of smoke gave any sign that a fire had been present. Not even the logs glowed in the aftermath. 

The witches broke the circle and the old woman shuffled over to Soomi, nodding once. 

“She knows where they are,” Soomi announced to the rest of the group.

“How?” Baekhyun asked. A few others in the pack exchanged similar looks of skepticism. 

“The flames told her,” was all Soomi explained. 

Junmyeon, Kris, and Sehun approached the two witches, eager for more details. 

“Where is she?” Sehun’s desperation was coming to a boiling point. The very edge of the moon was starting to darken. They were running out of time. 

The old woman pointed north. “There’s a hidden clearing a few miles out hidden by magic. Strong magic.”

“But you did find it?” asked Junmyeon. She nodded. “Then we go. Now.”

Kris frowned. “If we come across the clearing, will we see it?”

“Not at first,” Soomi answered. “That’s why we’re going with you.”

“It’s too dangerous.” Junmyeon shook his head, as if that was all it would take. 

“Junmyeon,” Soomi’s voice came out even and low. There was not an ounce of her usual bubbliness or positivity. Her face was ashen and grave. “Right now, the only thing we know is that (y/n) is out there. We don’t know if she’s hurt or if she’s joined with the witch that is hiding the two of them. Either way, you’ll be facing something powerful.”

“We’re immune to your magic.”

Soomi shook her head. “To direct spells and attacks, yes. But there are always loopholes. That immunity will not save you from drowning, or fire, or being crushed by rocks. You will need power on your side.”

As much as Sehun agreed with her, there was one part of her speech that stuck out to him. 

“Are you saying that we might have to fight (y/n)?” Sehun could feel his throat closing in, cutting off air from the lungs that were screaming for relief. 

“I don’t know what possibilities await us in that clearing,” Soomi admitted. “But we should be ready for every possibility.”

“What makes you think (y/n) might have sided with this… other witch?” Kris questioned. 

Soomi chewed on the inside of her cheek, not wanting to answer. But she had to. She was the one who’d voiced the original theory. “She’s been gone for several days. And she’s a fighter. She would have tried to escape or gotten out word where she was. Unless she was staying voluntarily.”

Kris cursed. Loudly. “So now Sehun’s mate might try to kill us.”

“She wouldn’t do that!” Sehun roared. You wouldn’t. He had enough faith in you to believe that. An exasperated huff pushed its way out of Kris’ mouth as he ran a stressed hand through his hair. 

“We still have to go, Kris,” Junmyeon said in a quiet voice. 

“I know,” Kris grumbled.

“Then let’s go.” Soomi looked back between the alphas before walking away. 

The rest of the pack joined them, waiting for orders. 

“We’ll shift here. Our wolveselves are our strongest forms, so it’s best to go all in.” As much as he tried to hide it, nervousness and anxiety was clearly exposed on Junmyeon’s face. This was the battle they all wish they could avoid.

Years ago, they were worried about an average witch. Easy enough to battle. Then there was the pack of hybrids. A harder fight, but they still came out on the other side. Even the hunters didn’t seem to be as big of a threat as they would have guessed. But this was different. This felt… impossible, if anyone were to ask Sehun. He couldn’t fight you. He certainly couldn’t watch his brothers try to harm you. 

So what was he going to do?

“Sehun!”

Snapping back, Sehun looked up to see the rest of the pack - save Junmyeon - had already shifted and was slowly working their way over to the northern treeline. Eight of them had a witch straddling their back. Sehun only nodded once before stripping away his shirt and pants, hitting the ground with all four paws in the blink of an eye. 

“Sehun?”

This time the voice was quieter, softer. Soomi approached him slowly. “May I?”

He motioned hard for her to get on. As soon as she was sitting on his back and her fingers were interlocked into his fur, he took off. 

Browning trees blurred all around him as he raced through the forest behind Junmyeon and the old woman. Sehun knew her name, but right he just couldn’t muster the concentration it would take to remember. All he could think about was going, keep going.  Get to the clearing. Get to you. Said old woman suddenly waved her hand in the air, prompting the rest of the witches to do the same. 

A shimmer caught Sehun’s eye in the darkness. The line of trees up ahead faded away to reveal the clearing they’d been searching for. Up in the sky, the moon was nearly completely in shadow. Only a sliver of silver remained. They were running out of time. 

Junmyeon screeched to a halt and they all followed suit. The witches slid off the backs of the wolves, ready for a fight. And one was apparently waiting for them. 

Near the center of the clearing were two figures, one familiar, the other… the other sent a shiver down Sehun’s spine. Standing next to you was a small woman with white blonde hair and ghostly skin. Even from this distance in the dark, he could make out the glowing red eyes. 

Definitely not Mina. But who the hell was she? An immortal, bloodthirsty witch could not be a good thing. 

“You came just in time,” the vampire said loudly. 

Sehun ignored her. His eyes went to you.

You were standing there, hands clenched into fists by your sides. You weren’t looking at him. Instead your eyes roamed over the entire group, settling on Soomi for a moment. He couldn’t help himself. He charged forward towards you. From the ground shot up a column of solid rock. It sent Sehun off his feet, flinging him to the grass and landing on his side hard enough to make him whimper. 

Shaking off the sudden attack, Sehun growled and looked up. But it wasn’t the blonde witch that had blocked his path. It was you. 

It was your hand that was outstretched, eyes narrowed at him. The witch next to you smirked. 

“You can’t fight us all,” Soomi yelled. “Just give it up now and we’ll have mercy on you.”

“Silly girl,” the vampire laughed. “You underestimate the both of us. Before you are the most powerful witches that Mother Nature has ever blessed. And together, we’ll make you all see who should truly be in charge of the covens.”

Soomi shook her head. “We’re not meant to be under one person. There is a reason the covens are individually self-ruled. (y/n), please, listen to me.”

You scoffed. “Listen to you? Why would I listen to you? All you’ve ever done is lie to me. You were always telling the elders what I was up to. Did you even think about defending me when they wanted to bind my powers? All the elders have ever wanted to do was take away the thing that made me special? Were you that jealous that you were willing to go along with them?”

“(y/n), I would never let them bind your powers!” Soomi stepped forward, arm outstretched towards the one she always thought of as her sister. 

“LIAR!”

With a scowl on her face, you swiped your arm in front of you, sending a burst of air that sent Soomi backwards through the air. Several witches ran towards her to see if she’d been hurt. From the way she gently pushed her helpers away, she seemed fine. For now. 

Pushing herself from her feet, Soomi started chanting. The witches next to her joined hands and started citing the incantation along with her. The vampire seemed unaffected. Her eyes turned up to the sky and she smirked. 

“The moon is red, (y/n). Can you feel it?”

You nodded, staring at the bright red-orange orb in the sky. “I can.”

“Remember what I told you.”

Again, you nodded. In sync, the two of you lifted your arms, curling the fingers to make claws of the hands that had once held Sehun so kindly. You shoved your gnarled hands downwards and the line of witches crumbled as well, crying out in pain. 

What were you doing?

Sehun took a different approach, crawling towards you with his ears back, hoping you would recognize him in this form. It was the wrong choice. 

Your eyes flickered towards him. Still keeping one hand towards the witches, you switched your concentration, twisting your fingers. 

Sehun cried out in pain as he stopped. It felt like his very veins were being stretched and choked. He had no control over his muscles no matter how loudly he commanded his limbs to move. Was this your doing? How was this even possible?

Sehun, what’s wrong? Junmyeon cried out in their shared connection

I don’t know, Sehun huffed back. I can’t move. And it hurts. I can’t fight it. I think- I think it might be (y/n) doing it.  

Chanyeol, Minseok, you approach from the front, Kris ordered. Tao and I will come from behind and take them out that way. 

No! Sehun let out a warning growl. 

I don’t take orders from you, Sehun. 

They won’t harm her, Junmyeon promised. 

Sehun whimpered. He didn’t want them going anywhere near you with their claws and teeth. He just needed to get closer to you then you would see, then you would be fine. 

Chanyeol and Minseok charged forward, flying past the line of witches. It was distracting enough. 

You let go of your hold on some of your coven and on Sehun to block the wolves’ way. You sent column after column of soil and rock into the air, but they were quick, dodging each strike with only the slightest of hesitation. 

The vampire’s attention was also occupied by the oncoming wolves. Behind the two of you, Kris and Tao rushed, tackling you both to the ground. Sehun was quick to shift as his gray brother pinned you down. 

“No! Tao!” He ran to you on his slower, human legs. Tao wasn’t harming you, but he was strong enough to keep you from escaping. Until you sent a kick into his stomach with your boot.

Tao whined and you were able to somehow get him off of you with a gust of wind. You struggled to get up to your feet. Tao was disoriented enough to not attack you a second time. 

“(y/n)!” Sehun was just about to reach you, just about to hold you again when suddenly a wall of water grew from the ground, freezing solid and blocking his path once more. 

A whimper cut through the air. The vampire’s hands were on fire and Kris was now sporting two charred spots near his shoulders. Sehun ran around the wall to find you hovering in the air, staring down at the old woman who had made her way to you. 

“(y/n), you know in your heart this is wrong.”

Your face twisted into one of rage. “You were supposed to protect me! But what have you really done? You’ve stopped me from using my own gifts. I’ve learned more in the past few days than I ever have under you.”

“And that was wrong of me,” the old woman admitted. “I should have nurtured you better. Your parents left you in my care and I failed in letting you understand your true self. But I know this isn’t it. This person who is raising herself above others, talking of ruling the witches of this world, that’s not you.”

“You don’t know me at all,” you hissed. 

“I know the little girl I raised, that I held when she was sick and sang to sleep when she had nightmares.”

If the old woman thought bringing up those memories would get through to you, she was utterly wrong. All it did was fuel your long suppressed anger.

Vines sprung up from the dirt. The tick green ropes wrapped around her wrists and ankles, holding her hostage. 

“(y/n), come down please!” Sehun pleaded. Even though he was sure this wouldn’t work, he’d hoped that maybe he could get you to lower yourself enough for him to pull you down the rest of the way. While chaos was happening all around you, in the sky, there seemed to be nothing but peace. Your hair wasn’t whipping around you nor your clothes ruffled. You simply stood there, feet supported by nothing, as you stared down at him curiously. 

“How do you know my name?” you asked calmly. 

What? “(y/n), it’s me. It’s Sehun!”

“I don’t know a Sehun.”

If he had the ability, Sehun would have disintegrated into a million pieces right then and there. How could you not know who he was? He clutched his chest, but the emptiness of a severed connection wasn’t there. He still felt you as strongly as ever. 

“I don’t know you,” you repeated. “And you don’t know me.”

Sehun swallowed. He had to pick up the challenge you’d unconsciously thrown down. To his left, the pack and witches were busy fighting your still unnamed partner. The blonde threw balls of fire at their heads with one hand, barely missing within centimeters of their ears. With her other hand, she controlled the few she could with the strange, impossible magic he’d experienced from you. 

“I know you pick at your fingernails when you’re nervous.” He took a cautious step. When you didn’t strike him down, he took another. “I know wind and fire were easier for you to handle, but you like the way the rain feels against your skin. I know you still hurt from your parents leaving you behind.” You seemed to be listening, even lowering your altitude little by little until your feet were once again on solid ground. “I know what makes you laugh and smile. I know the different ways you roll your eyes, when you’re trying not to laugh and when you’re truly annoyed. I know you like to be alone when you need to think and I know you care about others even though you’re afraid to show it.” 

There was almost no room between the two of you now. Tears made your eyes glassy. He was touching something inside of you, he just knew it.

“How do you know all that?” you whispered. Deciding to take another risk, he reached out and took your hand. He placed your palm against his bare chest, letting you feel the warmth of his skin and beating of his heart. “Why do you feel so familiar?”

“Because you’re my mate, (y/n). I don’t know why you don’t remember that, but I will help you remember. I would go to the ends of the earth for you. Because I love you.”

You snatched your hand away, a coldness left behind. “No, you don’t. No one does. No one really cares.”

“That’s a lie,” Sehun snapped back. “You know it is. We all love you. Soomi, Harper, Chanyeol, even Little Mei. You are loved, (y/n). And you don’t need to take over the world to see that.”

They were losing. Sehun didn’t know if he was winning in getting through to you, but the others were now locked in a ring of fire. The blonde laughed maniacally as she forced two of the witches to their feet, seemingly forcing them to walk towards the flames. He needed to succeed. He knew only you could defeat this woman. 

“I don’t want to take over the world,” you said so quietly it was almost as if the words hadn’t really been said at all. “I just want to be myself.”

“With me, you will always be yourself. You’ll be free. I swear to you.” And with that, he took his final risk. He reached out and tucked your hair behind your ear. Leaning in little by little, he came closer with your lips in his sights. If there was one thing you should remember, even subconsciously, it was how he showed you his love. 

Whoosh! 

Pain flared on his back. A cry left his throat and he fell down to the ground. Already he could smell burning flesh, the stinging singe spreading between his shoulder blades. 

“No!” You dropped to your knees just as fast. 

“Don’t listen to him, (y/n),” the vampire ordered. “His pretty words are meaningless.”

But it was too late. He could see the recognition in your eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” you sniffed, taking his face in your hands. “Sehun, I’m so sorry.”

“You’re back,” he sighed. “That’s all that matters.”

You pulled your gaze away from him to the woman who’d caused all of this. “It’s over, Molia. Just let them go.”

The woman named Molia took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I’m disappointed. I didn’t realize you would be so weak, so easily swayed.”

“I’m sorry, too,” you replied as you and Sehun stood. You positioned yourself in between the witch and Sehun. “But this isn’t right. You know it isn’t.”

“You know nothing, child! And I’ll show you what happens when you turn against me.”

“Molia, don’t- AH!” 

Your arms constricted to your sides and your knees buckled. Sehun charged at the witch, claws bared. But she took him down with another shot to the chest. 

“No! Sehun!” 

The witch stood over him. Triumph sang in her eyes. “Maybe when I get rid of you, she’ll see reason again.”

“That won’t matter,” Sehun choked out. “She knows what’s right. She always has.”

Flame burst forth from her fingers, the oranges and reds telling Sehun exactly what his fate would be. However, a miracle happened.

The blood moon was over. Once again, silver shined in the moon. Sehun didn’t understand the connection, but he was thankful for it. 

Somehow that event allowed you to break free from the witch’s power. As she raised her hand, you screamed out. Blue lightning sparked on your fingers before shooting forward and hitting the vampire in the chest. Cries of agony echoed through the clearing as she burst into flames, transforming into ashes that would never again cause harm. 

Sehun was happy. He was relieved. But he could feel something was wrong. His vision was beginning to blur. He knew you were calling his name, but it sounded far away. As hard as he tried to fight it, soon, the darkness took over.