His skin crawled with tension as Ryeowook was gently shaken awake, a hand clapped over his mouth to keep him quiet.  Opening his eyes quickly, he gripped the hand over his mouth with both of his and stared at his assailant.  Kyuhyun met his gaze with sharp eyes and a finger over his lips, shaking his head once in mute silence before he looked over at Kangin and the rest of the enclosure.

                Kangin had his eyes glued to the computer screen, the muscles of his back corded tightly as he hunched forward.  He held his hand back towards them to maintain their silence and remained completely still himself.

                Ryeowook couldn’t help but shiver while he looked towards the ceiling, frightened about what had them on edge.  If they were nervous about something, it couldn’t be good.  He knew that much…  He swallowed harshly and bit his bottom lip under Kyuhyun’s cold palm, very carefully trying to sit up so he wouldn’t feel so defenseless.  The half-turned nearly whimpered and clung tighter to Kyuhyun’s hand when they all heard something grating against the exterior wall, the high pitched shriek an assault on the eardrums.

                Reactively, Kyuhyun pulled Ryeowook closer against him and the shorter male didn’t object, holding very still as he hardly dared to breath.  “Wolf,” the vampire whispered into his ear, just loud enough to be heard but hardly capable of carrying beyond the enclosure.

                Kangin’s hand gestured once, a tense motion that had them both freezing.  It felt an eternity before either of the vampires relaxed at all and it wasn’t until Kangin gave the all clear, turning away from the computer screen with an audible exhalation, that Kyuhyun or Ryeowook acted accordingly.

                “What was that?” Ryeowook demanded as he pried Kyuhyun’s hand away from his mouth and shoved himself back, looking between the vampires with wide eyes.

                “Just a wolf in with us,” Kangin muttered darkly, narrowed eyes glancing at the screen in irritation, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

                “They like to taunt us when we’re at a disadvantage,” Kyuhyun chuckled under his breath without mirth, folding his arms over his chest as he resumed his position against the wall, leaning against the hard surface tiredly.

                “Why didn’t it attack us?” Ryeowook asked, knowing the vampires and wolves were at odds, as often as not.  It felt strange that there was a werewolf nearby, with the clear advantage of daylight on its side, and yet it had not attempted to harm them.  Briefly, he had to wonder if it was Yoochun and Henry by some weird chance but he immediately pushed the idea out of his mind.  That was just stupid at this point.

                “Probably because he was from another clan besides the Chois or Jungs.  They aren’t as likely to fight one of us at a disadvantage,” Kangin scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

                “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Kyuhyun smirked with a dry tone to his voice, though his eyes remained closed.

                “So he would have attacked at night?” Ryeowook asked, trying to make sense of the abstract encounter.

                “Possibly,” Kyuhyun nodded in concession.  “They have a strange code of honor tough.  Even the Chois and Jungs,” he reminded the other vampire in a mild reprimand.

                “Not like either of us are up for fighting a wolf in the condition we’re in, Kyu,” Kangin rumbled in irritation, ignoring the tone to his companion’s voice.  “You know we need to eat,” he reminded the older vampire with an almost petulant tone.  “There’s no guarantee we’ll have a chance to find something soon enough when the sun does set.”

                The comment prompted Ryeowook to look at the larger vampire with some concern, even as he noticed Kyuhyun open one eye to peer at his companion.  “Don’t,” Kyuhyun warned softly, the single word conveying enough of a threat to make them both pause.

                Ryeowook hugged himself tightly and shivered in the relatively warm air.  “He means me, doesn’t he?”  Their silence was answer enough, causing the half-turned to shrink in on himself even more.

                “Kyu…” Kangin practically whined before he fell silent, very much disgruntled.

                Pursing his lips, Ryeowook glanced at the location of the small, internal storage unit that was powered remotely from the rest of the unit.  “What about the blood packets?” he asked, internally shuddering at the thought.  It was the only part of their trailer he knew that was powered all the time and the only thing it held was an emergency supply of blood packets.

                Kangin refused to answer, which left Ryeowook looking at Kyuhyun who opened his other eye to peer at the slender male.  The vampire shook his head slightly and rubbed the bridge of his nose with one, long finger.  “They don’t work very well,” he sighed.  “That cold crap can sustain us but packaged blood confers no benefits like living blood does.”

                It wasn’t the answer Ryeowook was expecting and it left him more confused than anything else.  “What do you mean?” he asked, unfolding slightly as he leaned forward, listening for the clarification.

                Kyuhyun gave a bitter laugh and looked at him for a long moment before he opted to continue.  “It means we won’t be hungry by nightfall, but…” he trailed off, letting a erse smile tug at his lips.  “We also won’t be able to fight should other creatures come knocking.”

                “And we’ll die, thank you very much!” Kangin huffed, walking in an agitated circle as he scuffed his foot against the ground, purposely avoiding looking at either of them.

                “Keep an eye on the news, Kangin,” Kyuhyun urged, though his eyes never left Ryeowook’s, the dark depths a murky haze of undecipherable thought.

                “That’s not fair!” Kangin retorted, banging his fist against the metal wall before the outburst earned him a savage glare from the other vampire.  Immediately cowed and chagrined, Kangin hunched his shoulders and plopped down into the seat in front of the computer, watching the screen with unblinking eyes.

                Again, Ryeowook felt Kyuhyun’s eyes settle on him and he shrank back in on himself, avoiding the vampire’s gaze.  From what they’d told him, werewolves were just as dangerous as vampires, if not more so, but at least it hadn’t been a Hunter.  At least not yet… though Kyuhyun had seemed fairly worried about the possibility when he’d been leaving his clues at the plants.  His eyes strayed to Kangin at the computer screen and he wondered how things were going.  Had the letters been found and what about the bomb in New York?

                All of his thoughts kept clumping further and further together and he could almost feel Kyuhyun’s focus like a physical force.  Did he never blink?  Ryeowook nearly jumped, his stomach in knots, when he heard Kangin finally speak after an unknown period of tortured time had gone by.

                “Kyu,” he called once, reaching back to curl his fingers in a beckoning gesture, never taking his eyes off the screen.  “Something’s happening on the news in New York,” he explained briefly, swiveling in his chair to look at both males.

                Mutely, the elder vampire practically floated to his feet and made his way over with silent footsteps, placing a hand upon Kangin’s shoulder as he leaned close to get a better look.  “Wookie,” he called after a brief pause.  “It’s beginning.”

                Unable to resist the mystery of the statement, even though he knew what it had to be referring to, Ryeowook unfolded himself from his bed and shuffled closer, making sure he didn’t touch either vampire as he looked over Kangin’s shoulder.  His dark eyes widened when he saw a reporter on the screen speaking about an attack in the heart of the city.  It said nothing about a bomb but the word ‘terrorists’ was bandied about like candy.

                “Looks like someone else got wind of the plan too,” Kyuhyun smirked, his lips pulled up slightly into a mildly infuriating expression.

                How could he be amused by this?  “People are dying and you’re laughing?” Ryeowook demanded as he pointed at the screen, retracting his hand immediately when Kangin looked at his bare arm with a hungry gleam in his eye.

                “I’m laughing because they have no idea.”  His smirk turned bitter and he nodded his head towards the screen, silently beckoning the half-turned to do the same.

                Shaken by the comment, Ryeowook swallowed and let his eyes drift back, observing the frantic recount of the reporter while she rattled off the news as she saw it near a large cluster of agitated commotion.  He gasped and clapped both hands over his mouth when he thought he saw a monstrous creature move in the background, easily larger than any normal human, with fur and a vaguely wolf-like shape as it stood on two legs precariously.  “Is that…?” he whispered around his hand, unable to complete the question before it was answered for him.

                “A wolf?” Kyuhyun snorted once.  “Ne.”

                Ryeowook kept his hands over his mouth as he stared at the screen, straining his eyes for another glimpse of the terrifying humanoid, but it was gone before he knew it.  The reporter was just as freaked out as he was and then he flinched reactively, taking a half step back when the camera screen shook and everything seemed to stop for a moment as the world tried to make sense of what had just happened.  “No…” Ryeowook whimpered when his sharper vision saw the shockwave approaching the camera crew.  “Run!” he yelled just before the nearly invisible wall of force rammed into them, shattering the equipment and disconnecting the signal entirely.

                “Well then.  They weren’t wasting any time, were they?” Kangin asked dryly, swiveling in place to look at Kyuhyun who was simply watching Ryeowook with an unreadable expression.  “Now what?!” he demanded when the other vampire didn’t say anything.

                Ryeowook took another full step away when Kangin got to his feet in a surge of frustrated energy, shifting until his back bumped against the wall.

                “You know this means they’re going to move tonight and we’re stuck here, out of luck, because of your damn plan that didn’t even do anything other than make us weak and put us at the disadvantage!” he fumed, actually hissing at the smaller vampire.

                Nonplussed, Kyuhyun blinked at him with dark eyes and watched Ryeowook shift further away before he stepped close to Kangin.  In the time it took to blink again, he grabbed the larger vampire by the throat and slammed him hard against the inner wall, pinning him in place as he growled under his breath.  “Hasty, impatient, and frightened like a child,” he sneered with his face mere inches from Kangin’s.  “You have learned nothing!” he snarled, baring his fangs savagely before he stepped away and let Kangin shift to the side, suitably chastised.

                Clutching his hands to his chest, Ryeowook whispered in a meek voice, “What happens at nightfall?”  He watched Kangin duck his head to avoid answering the question, paying especially close but needless attention to the fuzzy computer screen.

                Kyuhyun turned his head to look at the slender male out of the corner of his eyes and responded, “The vampires come out to play.”  For some reason, he didn’t really think that Kyuhyun was referring to those who were like him; vampires who were trying to stop the madness.  “Maybe some Hunters too,” he added with a wry smirk.

                It was safe to say that pretty much everything outside that wasn’t a human was enough to frighten Ryeowook at that moment.  As he was, he knew he couldn’t do much to save his own skin, much less his family, and the weakened vampires with him weren’t much reassurance either, even if Kyuhyun was playing it tough.  There was a tension in him too that was just barely visible, though he tried to hide it.

                Frowning at even thinking about it, Ryeowook pulled his hands away from his chest enough to see the latticework of veins running under the pale, thin skin at his wrists.  Pushing away his fear and revulsion, he his lips and hesitantly glanced at Kyuhyun before staring at the floor.  “Does it hurt?” he asked in a very quiet tone of voice, remembering bits and pieces about his first attack.  He knew it did but he wanted to hear what Kyuhyun would say in response.

                “A little,” Kyuhyun nodded as if he knew exactly what the half-turned was asking about, surprising the other male with the honest answer.

                Ryeowook sniffed once and nodded to himself, biting his bottom lip this time.  He hated pain; he really did.  But what might happen soon was even worse and he knew he couldn’t protect himself, all things considered.  Even with his newfound powers.  Not against Hunters and certainly not against that monstrous creature he’d seen on the screen…  “How much do you need?”  He heard Kangin shift nearby and stiffened reactively, further frightened by the prospect of agreeing two times over.

                “Just a taste,” Kyuhyun assured him softly, the tone earnest and reassuring as he continued to look at Ryeowook, holding the slender male’s gaze when he dared look up to meet his eyes.

                “Can I trust you?” Ryeowook asked at last, his voice barely more than a whisper, but it was loud enough for the vampire to hear him.

                Kyuhyun smiled, an honest expression this time, which was strange to say the least, but he nodded once.  “Yes.”  There was no hint of doubt or deception; just simple statement of the truth and nothing more.

                He knew he could believe Kyuhyun when he said something.  There was nothing about him that indicated deception overtly, but it was hard to let his guard down when it meant actively submitting to being fed upon.  Ryeowook shivered at the thought and hesitantly pushed himself off the wall, taking a very tentative step towards Kyuhyun as he finally looked up and met the dark, hungry eyes that were appraising him.  “I’m ready,” he breathed, his voice shaking with the statement.

                “Liar,” Kyuhyun chuckled once, earning a pained smile from his target as he closed the distance between them, reaching out to lay his hand gently upon Ryeowook’s arm, the contact almost warm despite his undead temperature.

                Ryeowook laughed nervously at the comment, but he couldn’t deny it.  How did one prepare to be someone else’s food?  “Please,” he pleaded, wrapping his fingers around Kyuhyun’s wrist as he looked into the vampire’s face.

                “It’s alright,” Kyuhyun soothed, threading his fingers gently through Ryeowook’s dark hair as he pulled him closer, smirking when the shorter male braced his hands against his chest.  “Trust me,” he urged again, tracing one finger over Ryeowook’s neck and down to the collar of his shirt as he locked his gaze on the pale flesh.

                Ryeowook whimpered softly in the back of his throat, a shiver accompanying the way his fingers clenched tightly to Kyuhyun’s shirt.  He couldn’t help but tremble when he closed his eyes and felt a tug on his hair, gently pulling his head to the side so that his neck was further exposed.  Every sense in his body demanded he run away or fight and he ignored all of them as he felt lips press against his soft flesh.  He inhaled slightly, not expecting the tender touch as Kyuhyun’s other hand eased around his lower back, pressing their bodies flush together.  Of their own volition, his hands slid up the vampire’s chest to grasp his shoulders instead, one easing over the bony shelf to hold on for support.

                “Brace yourself.”  The warning was quiet but preemptive enough to give Ryeowook just enough time so that he wasn’t totally panicked when he felt pressure against his neck.

                A sharp prick stung as fangs sank through the fragile barrier and he cried out, clinging tighter to Kyuhyun when he didn’t know whether to push away or just hold on…  It was both terrifying and thrilling when Kyuhyun growled in the back of his throat, tightening his arms even as Ryeowook’s fingers dug into his skin, nails dragging against cloth as he attempted to gain purchase against the pain… and pleasure.  He had not been expecting that.

                His knees felt weak and Ryeowook knew that if he opened his eyes, his vision would be shaky, so he kept them tightly closed, mewling softly as he felt the steady drain on his lifeblood with each gulp of Kyuhyun’s throat.  It was shocking when the fangs retracted suddenly from his skin, leaving him gasping for breath as he grasped Kyuhyun in an iron, but shaky grip.  Prying his eyes open, he took a trembling breath and complained, “That wasn’t a taste.”  He flinched again and shivered when Kyuhyun pressed his lips to his neck once more, dragging his tongue against the pierced flesh slowly in mute apology.

                “You’ll be fine,” the vampire assured him, murmuring against his skin so that the vibrations tingled through his neck and upper body.  “Kangin,” he called, shifting enough to beckon the other vampire close, though he kept one arm about Ryeowook’s waist to steady him.

                “No,” Ryeowook denied, shaking at the prospect of experiencing the sensation again.

                “It’s alright,” Kyuhyun murmured, threading his fingers through Ryeowook’s hair once more, his eyes locked on the shorter man’s intently.  “You can trust me,” he reminded the half-turned as he tilted his head to the side, revealing the vulnerable expanse of flesh once more.

                Cornered and entrapped, Ryeowook felt Kangin approach behind him, not pressing too close but his presence was oppressive all the same, especially when he felt the larger vampire’s hands settle on his shoulder and waist.  “You smell so good,” Kangin rumbled, wasting no time in dipping his head to Ryeowook’s neck, eagerly tasting the sweet nectar that flowed within.

                Ryeowook’s body revolted against the additional onslaught, leaning forward hard against Kyuhyun’s body.  His knees threatened to buckle, though he couldn’t fall for the vampire’s support, and his mouth fell open in a silent cry that emitted no sound as he clenched his eyes shut.

                “It’s alright,” Kyuhyun soothed, drawing Ryeowook’s face into the crook of his neck in what he could only think was supposed to be a comforting gesture.  And Kyuhyun smelled so very good too…

                Caught in the limbo of pain and euphoria, Ryeowook shifted his right hand to claw at Kyuhyun’s neck, fingers seeking to entangle in his hair.  Panting and shaking, he grabbed a lock and yanked, drawing the vampire’s head to the side so his neck was equally exposed, revealing the cool, beckoning flesh.  Almost without him realizing it, he opened his mouth to drag his tongue across Kyuhyun’s neck, tasting the cold skin contentedly.

                It wasn’t until he opened his mouth to bite down that he even realized what he was doing…  “No!” he choked, spasming in their hold as he yanked Kyuhyun’s hair back, pulling the vampire’s support away so that his knees no longer held him up.

                Kangin caught him before he could fall very far, drawing him closer in a tight grip that stole his breath from his lungs while fangs sank deeper into his neck, prompting a strangled cry to rip free as he clawed at the hands that held him.

                Not even a second later, he was falling again when something growled and Kangin was crashing into the back of the enclosure, rocking the trailer dangerously.  “Easy,” Kyuhyun murmured into Ryeowook’s ear, cupping the back of his head as he cradled him close and lowered them both to kneel on the ground together.

                “Not… a… taste…” he sobbed thickly against the clothed shoulder, limp with relief and the clinging vestiges of panic that had resurfaced when Kangin was drawn away.

                “I know,” Kyuhyun replied, the words not even close to an apology, though his tender, supportive embrace said otherwise.  “Rest now, Wookie,” he soothed, combing the back of the half-turned’s hair with a gentle hand.  “We move at nightfall,” he explained in a neutral tone, keeping Ryeowook close against his form.

                He wanted to argue.  He wanted to be mad at what had happened, and even though he could feel Kangin getting up behind him, the overbearing sensation of hunger was gone, replaced by meekness and uncertainty.  Most of all, he wanted to push away from Kyuhyun, so that the damn vampire would stop touching him, but he didn’t have the motivation or strength to maintain it.  “Damn you,” he muttered instead, shifting his head to rest better against Kyuhyun’s shoulder, annoyed but grateful for the support.

                Kyuhyun chuckled at the comment and whispered, “Sleep.”

                For a moment, Ryeowook resisted the command simply to see if Kyuhyun would zap him into unconsciousness as he seemed to enjoy doing, but when no incapacitating shock arrived, he reluctantly relaxed further, convincing himself to close his eyes.  After that feeding debacle, the stupid vampire had better damn well protect him…

                The silence was what woke him.  An oppressive force that pressed down on Ryeowook as he slept and demanded his awareness from the building power that was the calm before the storm.  Sitting upright quickly, he blinked around the dark interior, rubbing his eyes against the nonexistent light.  Where were the vampires?

                Confused, Ryeowook set his feet on the ground and approached the computer at the back of the enclosure, touching the mouse to bring it out of sleep mode as he rubbed at his sore neck with his other hand.  He frowned when the screen remained blank and it didn’t take him long to realize the charge had already been drained from the trailer, making it impossible to start anything.  “Kyu?  Kangin?” he called, holding still as he listened for either of them.

                Absolute silence met his inquiries and he shivered involuntarily.  They had never left him alone before…  Where were they?  And why did they choose now of all times to desert him?  A brief wave of dizziness assailed Ryeowook and he groaned, placing his hand to his head while cursing the vampires under his breath.  Stupid, blood bastards.  He traced trembling fingertips against his neck and rolled his eyes when he didn’t even feel the wounds from where they’d bitten him.  At least he healed fast, if nothing else, though he was still so bloody tired.

                Shaking off the dizzying effects, Ryeowook shuffled to the center of the trailer and peered up at the door in the ceiling, inspecting it before he dared to jump up and push, busting it open with a loud bang!  “Yah!” he yelped, falling back to the floor in surprised fear.  He had not expected that…  Holding still to see if his action would draw attention, Ryeowook listened for another moment, but when nothing else happened, he jumped back up and clambered onto the top of the trailer, looking around in concern.

                He gasped in horror when he saw a dull, sickly glow on the horizon, the color reminiscent of polluted fire…  That couldn’t be good.  Slowly, he looked back towards the city of Chicago and could see the city lights in the distance, twinkling merrily while they had no idea what was about to happen.  Even beyond the nearest power plant, Ryeowook could see other dots growing brighter in the distance, and at the very edge of his vision, he watched one explode, igniting into a small plume of contained disaster before the roiling force of power dispersed at ground level in the initial shockwave.

                “Oh no,” he breathed, covering his mouth with his hand as he watched the plant meltdown.  The concrete protection folded inward and collapsed on the heart of the structure, eliminating any chance of stabilizing it before the nuclear cores overheated and went critical, emitting a fine fog of radioactive waste that spread outwards in a slowly expanding ring, further perpetuated by the winds.  Those nearest the plant might die from the initial explosion, but tens of thousands of people were in danger of the radioactive fallout.

                Ryeowook felt an iron fist clench around his heart as he realized his family was well within the potential radioactive range.  Swallowing harshly, he closed the door of the trailer and hopped down, stumbling once when he landed.  God damn vampires…  He didn’t know where they were or why they’d left him, but he didn’t care.  They weren’t here now and that was all that mattered since they had been the only thing keeping him from going back home in the first place.  So long as he didn’t run into any werewolves or Hunters himself, he’d be fine.

                Cursing the undead creatures under his breath, Ryeowook pushed ahead to run as fast as he could, setting his sights on the city.  He couldn’t save everybody; he knew that, but he would save his family if at all possible; consequences be damned.  And if either Kyuhyun or Kangin thought to find him later…  Well, he’d just deal with their ire when it came to that scenario.

(a/n: Oh my goodness!  I finally made it through the semester and this was the one I wanted to update first!  Yes!  Also, I didn't cover as much ground as I hoped but... we had more minor KyuWook time.  ;)  hehe  Next chapter, I'm anticipating some sort of fighting!  Muahaha!  So stay tuned for the next update and thank you so very much for being patient while I wrapped up all the loose ends on my end.  O.o  Onward to more madness!  heh)