It’d been a week since you were first forced to come here and… well, it hadn’t actually been that bad, to be perfectly honest. Yes, the house shook whenever a wolf or two decided they needed to run through the rooms or down the hall and quiet meals were nonexistent, but you got used to it after a while. The constant chatter and music in the house became background noise that lulled you to sleep.

The other note – whether a high one or a low one, you were still debating – was the fact that you’d successfully been able to avoid the orange haired wolf named Sehun. Meal times seemed to be the only interaction you got – if it could even be called that. The two of you were in the same room, but sat far away from each other, usually on opposite sides of the table. Sometimes, he wouldn’t sit down at the table at all, instead opting for the rarely used island seats.

Occasionally, eye contact would be made between the two of you before both of you swiftly looked away and pretended the incident never took place. As elated as you were to not have to converse with the insufferable wolf, you had an odd feeling that it wasn’t completely one sided. You couldn’t help but notice how quickly he left the room and how he seemed to disappear for hours at a time, sometimes not coming home until well after dinner. There wasn’t much to do around here and as far as you knew, the wolves preferred to keep to themselves, so you didn’t think he would be hanging out with people from town. Your curiosity too strong to ignore, you decided to ask one of the others where he was going.

“Who knows,” Baekhyun shrugged, never losing focus on the video game in front of him. “He’s always disappearing these days and he never really answers us when we ask.”

“I’m getting worried about him,” Tao said from where he was lounging on the couch. It was one of the rare moments that you didn’t see Lottie with him as well, so you figured she must have had work or something else that kept her away from the farmhouse.

Resting your elbows on the back on the couch, you leaned forward and asked, “Why’s that?”

“He’s the only one who’s not mated.”

You jumped at the additional voice, not needing to turn around to see who’d emerged from their room.

Kris somewhat intimidated you. If his height wasn’t imposing enough, his deep voice – especially when he was scolding another member of the pack – added heavily to the mixture. The only times you’d seen him soften was when he was with his daughter or Evie. Whenever they came around, the hardness visibly melted away.

“Wish he’d hurry up and get mated,” Baekhyun muttered. He starting hitting the buttons on the controller with a little too much force. “Maybe then he’d stop giving everyone else crap.”

Kris smirked. “From what I hear, you deserve it, considering all the crap you gave Minseok and Yixing.”

“It was out of love,” the gamer insisted.

“Sure, it was. Keep it down, okay? I just got Mei down for a nap.”

Baekhyun sent him a mock salute. “You got it, daddy-o.”

Kris shook his head, keeping whatever comment was brewing in his head to himself as he ascended the stairs.

So was that what Sehun’s problem was? You should’ve concluded earlier that he was the only one left given that everyone else seemed to be paired off, but there were so many bodies here at any given time, they had a tendency to blur together. That didn’t mean that he needed to take it out on you, though.

He did apologize.

Kind of, you argued with yourself. It was a lame apology, but it was there nonetheless.

Blowing out air from between your lips, you pushed off the couch and headed up the stairs. You weren’t entirely sure where your feet were headed, only that you were letting them take you wherever they saw fit. And for some odd reason, they decided it would be a nice day to go outside. The air wasn’t too bad, if a little musty from an oncoming storm developing in the distance. You weren’t sure if it would make it this far, but you were sure the rain would be beautiful among the trees if it did.

Out of the corner of your eye you spot the side door to the garage wide open. Muttered curses and clanking metal escaped from inside. Your two options were to either continue on into the forest outstretched before you or investigate the source of the noise. Without thinking twice, you opted for door number two, quietly sneaking into the garage with as little noise as possible.

One of the fancier cars was sitting up on a pair of black plastic ramps. From underneath, a pair of long legs dressed in tattered skinny jeans with grease stains stuck out on the dirty concrete floor. Whoever was muttering under the engine hadn’t realized that they were no longer alone. You stood there awkwardly for a minute or two before making you presence know. “Do you need any help?”

Bang! “Ow!”

You flinched, knowing full well that that was your fault. “Oops. Sorry.”

The mechanic squirmed their way out from under the car and sat up, finally giving you a view of their face. Oh, great.

Sehun massaged the spot on his forehead that had connected with metal as he squinted up at you. “What are you doing here?”

You could have asked him the same thing. Wasn’t he supposed to be out running around on four paws avoiding the house and its occupants? Biting back the sarcastic answer, you decided to be a bit more civil this time around and shrugged. “I was bored and the door was open.”

Sehun shook his head and went back under the car. “Well, why don’t you go have a vision somewhere and leave me alone?”

“They don’t work like that,” you spat. Looking around, you saw that this place was any car enthusiast’s dream. The vehicles lined up ranged anywhere from vintage classics to shiny luxury brands. Shiny tools and gas canisters that suspiciously looked like NOS were scattered around the outer edges. How were they able to afford all this?

“Then how do they work?” he asked, pulling you from your observation. You blinked. Was he actually going to have a conversation with you? A civilized one, at that?

Interested in seeing where this would go, you leaned up against the tool bench, the sharp edge of the counter digging into your back. You crossed your arms and replied, “I’m not entirely sure. They just kind of come when they want to. A bit annoying, actually.”

The tinkering sounds of a wrench stopped. “So, you really have no control over them?”

“No, I don’t,” you confirmed. “I wish I did. Then I’d just make them stop.”

“So, you don’t like knowing what’s going to happen?” Sehun continued on with whatever he was working.

“It hasn’t exactly been showing me the future, not how most people would expect, anyway.” You were surprised by how easy it was to talk about this, especially with Sehun, a werewolf that you hardly knew. Then again, you’d never really needed to explain how the visions work before. While the power wasn’t exactly common among witches, it wasn’t entirely unheard of either, so most knew the basics of how they worked. “Sometimes, it’s a scene - a short one with zero context – or it’s a feeling. That’s how they started out. Most of the time, I can’t make heads or tails of what I’m seeing.”

“That… really ,” Sehun said sympathetically. It took you by surprise. You figured he’d throw another sarcastic fastball at you like that night in the kitchen.

Staring down at the ground, you muttered, “Yeah, it does.”

“So,” Sehun said after a long pause, “besides the blood moon and the blonde woman, have you seen anything else in these visions?”

You don’t know why, but your cheeks suddenly burned at the question. The only thing you had seen was the wolf. However, thinking back on it, the moment felt so intimate, you didn’t want to share. Was it one of these wolves you’d been with? You cleared your throat and answered somewhat honestly, “Yeah, there was a white wolf at one point.”

The clanging of the wrench hitting the floor echoed off the steel walls of the garage. What was that about?

“Do any of you have white fur?” you asked cautiously.

“Yeah,” Sehun replied quietly. “Me and Luhan.”

Luhan. The one with the hunter mate – er, ex-hunter mate. You had a strong feeling that it wasn’t him. Which only left…. “Oh.”

“Was the wolf… doing anything?”

“No,” you said a little too quickly. “No, he was just… there. Just sitting there. Only him. No one- Nothing else.” Way to play it cool.

Pushing himself out from his spot, Sehun sat up and looked at you. “Do you like white wolves?”

“What?” you scoffed. “W-why would I like white wolves? Why would I like wolves in general? Technically, our species are enemies.”

Sehun raised a challenging eyebrow. “And yet, who created who? Kind of hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?”

Honestly, you’d never really thought about it. Not in too much detail, anyway. The animosity was just something you’d accepted. “You… have point.”

“It’s kind of like the monster Frankenstein,” he continued. “A witch made werewolves, but then the witch turned around and was scared of what she’d made.”

You ignored the second part of his statement to keep from starting a fight. The history between wolves and witches was long and tangled, each side having a slightly different story than the other. You’d never really paid attention to that part of class, though. History wasn’t exactly your favorite subject. Literature on the other hand…. “Technically, Frankenstein was the doctor. The monster never had a name.”

Sehun stared at you for the longest with an unreadable expression. He didn’t seem angry or annoyed at your correction. The way his brow crinkled gave you the impression that he was thinking hard about something and you hardly doubted that it was his memory over the original sci-fi thriller.

With a soft grunt, he pushed himself off the floor and stalked towards you, coming closer until there were mere centimeters between you. Heat radiated from him. You could feel it flow through both his black t-shirt and your own blouse, warming you up to the point you thought you would break out in a sweat. His eyes stayed trained on you. The dark brown irises flickered back and forth as if searching for something hidden in your face. Your heart was beating erratically in your chest and you prayed that even with his sensitive hearing that he wouldn’t be able to pick up on it. That quivering feeling in your stomach that you’d gotten back in the kitchen that first night was back, stronger and more forceful than ever. Why was your body reacting to him like this?

Sehun leaned in farther, causing you to lean back as well to keep the safe distance between you. He had you trapped in a cage made of his arms, steadfastly planted on either side of you. There was nowhere to run. You couldn’t go any farther, but you didn’t want to. You could feel his breath against your skin and his face had blurred in your vision from the closeness.

In a soft voice that you had to strain to pick up on, he questioned, “Who’s to say the doctor wasn’t the real monster?”

You couldn’t answer him. All airflow in your throat had stopped. He came in more and your eyes slowly began to close, though only slightly. Only a millimeter more and your lips would brush. How would he taste? Would he be sweet like the forbidden fruit? Could a witch and a wolf-

In a second he was gone, snatching a screwdriver off the counter behind you and walking back cockily to his spot on the floor. Breath refilled your lungs. But there was no way in hell you were even going to acknowledge the stunt he’d just pulled.

Clearing your throat, you half scoffed, half coughed as you said, “You’re really going to use the cliché argument that’s discussed in English classes all over the country?”

Sehun lazily rose one shoulder and dropped it. “Got me an A at the time.”

You snorted. “In what? Your second year of high school?”

Just as he opened his mouth to give you an escalated retort, a soft voice called out for you.

“(y/n)? Are you in here?” Soomi cautiously stepped in through the door as if she wasn’t allowed in this building. Her worried expression evolved into a smile once she caught sight of you. Thank goodness she hadn’t shown up only a minute or two prior. “There you are. I thought we might go ahead and squeeze in a lesson today.” She looked over to see that you weren’t alone. “Oh, hello, Sehun.”

Sehun waved at her with the screw driver. “Hey, Soomi.”

You jutted out your jaw, annoyed. He was always so much nicer to her. Yes, technically, he’d known her longer, but she was a witch, too. If you were going to hold some hostility towards a group a people, shouldn’t it at least be equal?

“Let’s go,” you grumbled and you walked out of there passed Soomi. As soon as your feet hit grass, however, you skidded to a stop.

A new car you hadn’t seen before pulled into the front yard before cutting the endgine. The driver’s side door opened and a girl with tanned skin wavy chocolate hair stepped out.

“Kita!”

Junmyeon burst out through the front door and practically jumped off the porch as he ran to the girl who’d just arrive – so this was his mate.

Soomi was frozen beside you as Junmyeon picked his mate up and twirled her around. Happiness, complete unadulterated joy, was evident all over his face. The girl – Kita – was just as ecstatic as she pulled him in for a quick kiss.

Grabbing Soomi’s arm, you tried to pull her away from the scene as you whispered, “Come on. Let’s go.”

But it was too late. You were spotted by Junmyeon before you could escape. If it was any consolation prize, the tiniest bit of guilt was written on his face at the display of affection that just took place. “Soomi, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Plastering on the fakest smile you’d ever seen her wear, Soomi waved a hand frantically. “No, no, don’t be sorry! It’s good see you’re back, Kita. (y/n) and I were just going inside to have a lesson, don’t mind us.”

“Well, that sounds interesting,” Kita said sincerely. You kind of wished she didn’t seem so sweet so you could actually dislike her. Logic was stopping you from that as well. She had no choice in matter either, so why be mad at her.

“Welp, we’ll see you guys later!” With a firmer grip, you tugged Soomi away, practically dragging her up the steps and inside the house. You didn’t let go until the two of you were seated at the kitchen table. For once the eating area was completely empty and you were grateful. Studying her face for any hint of a lie, you asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she insisted.

You didn’t believe her. “I still think we should have stayed somewhere else. It’s never too late, you know.”

Okay, so you were also trying to convince her not only for the sake of her own heart, but for yourself as well.

After that encounter in the garage, you were worried about things… escalating. You were finding that you had very little self-control when it came to Sehun. If anyone else had dared come that close to you, they would have been walking away with a black eye. Yet, you were so close to touching his lips. You were afraid that next time neither of you would pull away. And you refused to be the wolf’s fun chew toy.

Soomi shook her head as she opened to botany book she’d been carrying. “Why do you want to leave so badly?”

“Why don’t you?” you whispered harshly. “You don’t have to put yourself through this.”

In a rare show of frustration, Soomi slammed her hand down on the table. “I’m not putting myself through anything, (y/n). I am not hung up on something that never even happened in the first place. Now, please, drop it and let’s get into your lesson.”

You’d never seen her upset like that. Soomi was always able to keep her calm no matter what. You had really touched a nerve by pushing and you were regretting it immensely. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she somewhat smiled at you. “I know it’s because you care and I’m thankful for that.” Dropping the subject completely, she turned to the chapter she’d opened the book to and started explaining what wonderfully boring plant she’d be talking about today. Usually you spaced out or thought about other things while she talked, but today you stayed concentrated, actively engaging in conversation to make her happy.

Over the course of the next hour, the kitchen slowly began to fill with people. A few of the wolves, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol mostly, began working on dinner while a couple of curious mates sat at the table with you, listening intently to Soomi’s lesson. She answered every question they threw at her and it was obvious by her face that she enjoyed having attentive ears around her. When Junmyeon and Kita came in from the back door, you noticed Soomi barely looked in their direction. Sehun entered at some point as well, sniffing the air as if that was what brought him in here in the first place.

Just as the lesson finished up and the book was closed, one of the quieter mates – Dana – came running into the kitchen from the living room.

“We have a problem,” she announced through heavy breaths. Kyungsoo was by her side in a second.

“What is it?” He searched all over to make sure that she wasn’t injured in any way.

“I’m fine,” she said, gently pushing his hands away. “But I just got off the phone. Mina’s coming.”

“Mina’s coming?” Kyungsoo frowned. “What do you mean she’s coming?”

“Here. I mean she’s coming here. To town.” Dana ran a hand through her hair, worried. “She’s coming to visit me.”

The wolves and mates in the room exchanged troubled glances. Everyone else seemed to understand why this was such a big deal, but you were at an utter loss. So, you asked the first question that came to your mind, hoping to get a few answers.

“Who the hell is Mina?”