Their group was lucky.  Being stuck in the confines of the two vehicles didn’t sit well with any of the passengers but traveling until nightfall without being disturbed was something Changmin would consider a success.  At last, the vampires were able to contribute again and when they stopped to rest, the most able bodied ones set immediately to hunting while the wolves continued to rest and recuperate.

                While the more injured Kangin and Niel settled in to keep watch, Changmin, Youngjae, and Changjo spread out over the terrain.  Animal blood was not their favorite, but the more they could catch for the wolves, the better off they’d all be.  Fortunately, with the combined elements of night vision, exceptional speed, and incredible senses, they were particularly suited for hunting in the dark, even when somewhat wounded.  Not entirely surprisingly, Youngjae had the greatest haul, but Changmin figured he might since the Chos tended to have access to all sorts of random tidbits of information in their heads.

                He was just getting ready to make another run after delivering his own catch of smaller mammals when he saw Youngjae return with a buck over his shoulders and a smug smile on his face.  With interest, he watched the vampire toss the creature down next to the drowsy Daehyun, Sunny, and Kyung who had simply clumped together after exiting the Humvee, making them all jump.

                “What the he- Oh!” Daehyun gasped upon rousing first.  His eyes lit up when he saw the tasty morsel in front of them while Sunny and Kyung exchanged glances, grinning from ear to ear.

                “Sunny said you needed to eat,” Youngjae snorted with a shrug.  “Maybe now you won’t be so grumpy,” he teased cheekily, earning a smile from Sunny, though he was blatantly ignored by Daehyun as the wolf transformed into his animal form and promptly began tearing into the beast.  Perturbed, Youngjae threw his hands up and shook his head.  “Grumpy and no manners.  Ungrateful mongrel,” he huffed as he started to walk off.

                “Thank you,” Sunny’s sincere comment made the vampire pause as he noticed Kyung already transforming beside her.  She was waiting for him to acknowledge her though before she started to feed and the courtesy made him smile at her in return.

                “You’re welcome,” the vampire grinned, nodding his head once before he saluted the otherwise distracted trio and made to head out again.

                Changmin watched the exchange with interest.  It was so strange what war did to people.  All people.  The humans were more deranged than ever – no, you couldn’t convince him otherwise – and yet, the fighting had made wolves and vampires into very strange and uncomfortable still, but tolerable bedfellows.  It was a most interesting turn of events.  He lingered long enough to see how the rest of the party was doing as well, reminding himself that he was the sort of focal point of this whole thing.  Leader seemed a rather strong word for it but now that they were here, Changmin felt at least semi-responsible for all of them.

                The members all sort of stayed in their relative groupings as indicated by their splits in the vehicles.  Mostly that meant that Daehyun, Sunny, and Kyung were sort of together as a tentative grouping.  And Yunho seemed to have migrated towards Seunghyun, Siwon, Geng and Junhong which didn’t surprise him given his driver and seatmate, Wonsik, was apparently unable to sit still for long currently.  Kangin and Niel rested together while their peers headed out and it was interesting to see the way the Cho continued to watch over Chaerin from afar.  His gaze was concerned but it might have also been attributed to pain as well.

                A recently transformed Yoochun and Byunghee were holding on fiercely, though the latter appeared particularly bedraggled with most of the fur on his abdomen burnt off.  When they had to fight again, neither would be up for it, he knew, but that they were still alive spoke of their incredible tenacity.  He couldn’t fault them that.  Only Victoria might have been more resilient, and really that was a quality of the Songs in general.  A blurry eyed Chaerin, actually herself for once, was taking care of them, though the after effects of the spirit were telling.  She looked almost sickly with dark circles under her eyes and a chalky sort of complexion.  Exhaustion was evident in every part of her and yet, she was just as tenacious as the rest of them.  He’d never given the possessed much credit before, but this trip was doing wonders for that.  Ugh.

                He frowned slightly at Wonsik, the pale furred werewolf, as he ran circles around the group, keeping watch just like Niel and Kangin were in their stationary positions.  It seemed odd that all wolves weren’t dark when they transformed because he honestly stuck out like a sore thumb right now.  Then again, humans were astonishingly blind without assistance so even if they were nearby, they would probably never see him.  To Changmin however, the damn creature practically glowed in the dark…

                No matter.  The others were transformed as well, which made sense.  They could eat without having to cook their food and all of the creature was edible in their wolf forms.  Listening to them crunching through bone and cartilage with ease made Changmin shudder but at least they were getting the food they needed.  It was instrumental to them healing faster and right now, that was exactly what he needed them to do.  With food and rest, they might be ready enough by tomorrow evening to try again.  Certainly, they could reach another base or at least an outpost enough to gain access to some sort of computer by then.

                Counting out the wounded, he categorized Yunho, Sunny, and Geng as the measuring sticks by which to determine their state of readiness tomorrow night.  If they were good enough to go by then, the rest would be as well.  The only good thing he could see about being so injured was that it appeared no one had been infected by that accursed bioweapon in the last battle.  If they had, their decreased immune systems would have allowed it to take effect already.  Nodding to himself, Changmin turned around and headed back out, intent upon finding more food.

                It took almost all night, but the vampires finally scrounged enough meat to satisfy the wolves and put the worst of the injured into a torpid, healing sleep.  Personally, Changmin was actually somewhat astonished by the amount of food a recovering werewolf could put away in one sitting.  And here he’d thought he had the appetite in the group…

                Sating the worst of their hunger on animal blood, they too were able to rest enough to allow for a bit more healing to take place.  The vampires simply didn’t wish to tax the wolves any more than needed just yet.  As much as Changmin didn’t like to admit it, they were the powerhouses in their monstrous forms and if their group required muscle in the future, it was the wolves they’d be relying on.

                When dawn broke again, spirits were much higher as they piled back into the vehicles.  None of them had much chance to bathe but at least tempers were more manageable and wounds not as sore as the day before.  Wonsik and Siwon opted to drive them again, rubbing the last of the sleep out of their eyes as they got on the road.  They were all disgruntled to find the vehicles were getting dangerously low on fuel, so a stop somewhere would be necessary, but for the time being, all the vampires could do was leave the worrying and the traveling to the wolves.

                Honestly, there were some days Changmin hated being a vampire.  Maybe they’d get lucky and it would rain soon.  He could only hope.  As he turned his attention outward, sharpening his hearing to see what he could detect, he additionally hoped their luck would hold out just a little bit longer.  They had enough against them already and it would really if Lady Luck or the gods or whatever puppet master was out there decided to be fickle.

~~~~~~

                Even with the tentative truce, it was still undeniably nerve wracking to sit, stuck inside by the dictates of the sun, and wait for… well, things to happen.  On high alert, the majority of the healthy wolves relegated themselves to standing watch while Mir, the Kims, and Junsu in particular discussed the situation.  Ryeowook knew the exclusion irritated Kyuhyun considerably but none wanted the Hunters any closer to the heart of their collective than necessary.  With one hand resting on Kyuhyun’s upper arm and the other in constant contact with his brother, Ryeowook could feel the unspoken tension in the vampire.  It was equally unnerving because not many things gave Kyuhyun cause to be obviously concerned.

                Ryeowook knew that the only reason he wasn’t as wound up himself was because of his ignorance.  All he had were rumors and hearsay to go off of and while the Hunters in general made him nervous, he had no genuine cause to believe them as anything special.  Yet.  Of course, that didn’t keep him from watching just as closely when he wasn’t taking in the sad state of the survivors.  The possessed were in a pitiful condition themselves, with only Daesung still under the influence of the spirit within.  While Ken and Baekho clung to each other desperately inside the trailer, sobbing at the reality they’d come into unawares, Daesung methodically visited the wounded, using supplies from the stolen first aide kits in the enemy vehicles.

                The humans were unusually subdued, clumping into battered small groups as they avoided acknowledging the ruined bodies of their comrades, pretending they hadn’t been killed just outside not that long ago.  For the moment, they’d sort of adopted the still unconscious Jiyong and Jongup who’d been severely wounded when the cab had been gunned down, but both were alive for the time being.  Hana and Jihoon had suffered the most crossfire in the attack, and Jieun, who was determinedly tending to the former, hadn’t fared much better.  Considering they’d been in the thick of the fighting, Minho and Minhyuk had gotten off surprisingly light and were doing their best to help care for Dongho, Yukwon, and Ren as well.  None of them were bad off per se, but it was frustrating they were injured at all.

                Not surprisingly, the vampires, not including Zhou or Minzy who were nursing terrible burns on the one side of their bodies, stood watch over the surviving enemy, a veritable wall of undead glaring at him uncharitably in the confines of the trailer.  Hunger warred with anger in their eyes and all were tense, only heightening the suffocating cloud of suspicion and fear lingering in the air.  For the sake of space and comfort, the severely injured Sulli, Sanghyuk, and Taekwoon were resting in the shade of the trailer, free from the overpowering smell of those clustered within.

                “We’re all going to die, aren’t we?” JR’s voice whispered bleakly from beside Ryeowook, the tone flat and empty save for the overlying fear within.

                Startled by the comment, Ryeowook blinked and sat upright, wrenching his attention back to his sibling.  “No, JR,” he assured, grabbing his brother’s shoulders with both hands to make the younger male look at him, feeling Henry’s immediate interest as the wolf-kin listened in.  “We’re going to be just fine,” he promised firmly, knowing even as he spoke, it was a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep.

                JR seemed to realize it too and he swallowed harshly before he shook his head, blinking watery brown eyes at his brother.  “Look at us, Wookie.”  He paused to nod his head towards the sad remains of their party.

                “I am,” Ryeowook murmured as he forced a hollow smile.  One hand came up to brush against JR’s cheek gently and he pulled the younger boy into his arms, holding firm.  “I won’t let anything happen to you.  Not if I can help it,” he whispered fervently.  That much at least was true.

                “We’re lucky so far,” Henry added in a subdued manner, gaze swinging outward nervously as he regarded the Hunters for a moment.  Kyuhyun scoffed lightly, letting them know he was listening, and Henry rushed to defend his statement.  “We could have lost a lot more today.”  His eyes shimmered while he spoke, but his voice remained firm.  “Especially because it’s light out.”  Ryeowook flinched and even Kyuhyun hissed quietly under his breath at the retort.

                He opened his mouth to say more but Kyuhyun raised his hand and grunted in the back of his throat, attention fixated on something else beyond the safety of the trailer.  It only took Ryeowook a moment to pick up on the concern when he noticed a teary eyed Luna making her way towards the bodies of Minsoo and Yongguk.  They’d been pulled closer to the trailer, getting them out of the sun, but they were still relatively exposed.

                “Luna,” Ryeowook whispered, feeling a nervous coiling in his gut when he was prompted to glance at the Hunters.  Heechul was still focused on talking to Mir and Junsu, but the other two were only half paying attention.  Their dark eyes scanned the group and the blonde in particular sighted on the werewolf as she moved closer to the downed Hunter.

                “Wait,” Kyuhyun instructed as Ryeowook shifted once, tempted to stand up or shout a warning.

                Stunned into silence, he noticed the calculating look in Kyuhyun’s eyes.  At a glance, he could see a similar expression on Jaejoong’s face as he eyed the wolf.  Luna got closer and the world came to a startling stand still when Ryeowook jerked in surprise as he saw Jaejoong react with inhuman speed.  He blinked and the Hunter was already sprinting through their ranks, as fast as a vampire and just as deadly.

                “Jaejoong!” Heechul called a fraction too late.

                “Luna!” Ryeowook yelled at the same time, lurching forward only as far as Kyuhyun would allow before a strong grip held him immovably in place.

                In a matter of seconds, Luna yelped, a startled, pained sound that prompted an immediate reaction from the party as a whole, though the three she’d returned with took it exceptionally poorly.

                “Stop!” Heechul and Junsu roared at the exact same time, both lurching closer to the Hunter and wolf as everyone else froze, locked into place by the power of their combined command.

                Luna whimpered with her hands held in front of her awkwardly as a gleaming sword rested against while Jaejoong stood between her and Minsoo’s body defensively.  Tendrils of smoke drifted up from her slightly parted flesh, warning them all of the silver addition to the blade, though she endured the discomfit and the looming threat with admirable control.

                “Don’t even think about it, beastie,” Jaejoong warned as he raked the encroaching circle with his eyes, a fierce grimace on his countenance.

                “Stand down, Hunter!” Junsu demanded with a savage growl, hands balled into fists at his side as his features blurred dangerously.  Nor was he the only wolf on the knife’s edge of transforming into something more dangerous.

                “Jae,” Heechul warned softly, his own blade free of its scabbard, much like Key’s, though both Hunters remained where they were, keeping perfectly still as they took in the surrounding persons.  Even with the party exhausted from the most recent attack, the odds weren’t exactly in their favor.

                Jaejoong took stock of his predicament and smirked, his confidence just a little bit shaky considering he was surrounded by wolves.  “I thought she was going to finish off brother Bang,” he explained coolly, though the blade stayed exactly where it was, the nauseating sound of sizzling issuing from the edge where Luna’s blood fizzled on the metal.  She growled in immediate denial of the comment though stopped quickly as Jaejoong twitched, pressing the blade harder against .

                “Stop it, Jaejoong,” Mir stepped in, glowering at his companion as he made his way into the bristling circle.  Wounded and unarmed, he was little threat against the healthy Hunter and gave Jaejoong very little cause for concern.  “That’s Luna.  Our… ward, for lack of a better term,” he admitted with a helpless shrug.

                “Eh?” the Kims sounded at the exact same time, all of them baffled by the comment.  “You call this thing a friend?” Jaejoong frowned, easing up just a fraction.

                “Ne,” Mir nodded in complete seriousness.  “We spared her life when she was a pup.  She saved Minsoo’s recently.  You have no need to fear her actions against him,” he explained, though his mouth twisted into the barest of smirks as he continued regarding the other Hunter.  “I can’t say the same for you though.”

                “I always knew you guys were a bit soft,” Jaejoong snorted with a roll of his eyes as he finally eased the blade back enough to let Luna step away, one hand rising to cover her burnt flesh.  “Now I know just how crazy and stupid you are after all,” he added, glancing around the circle, though his bravado seemed just a touch shaky.

                “You’re one to talk,” Kyuhyun chuckled from the trailer, making Ryeowook tense up automatically as the Hunter’s attention was diverted to them in an instant.  “After all, you’re the idiot that got himself surrounded by a pack of wolves,” he smirked, obviously baiting the Hunter.

                “Shut it, blood er,” Jaejoong hissed while he pointed the tip of his sword towards Kyuhyun with an angry glower on his face.

                “Jaejoong.  Shut the hell up and get the over here,” Heechul exhaled irritably, pointing at the ground beside him.

                When their brother didn’t move immediately, Key rubbed his forehead with slender fingers and sheathed his sword himself.  “Why do you have to be such a glory hound, Jae?” he demanded with a long suffering sigh.

                “Hey!” Jaejoong scowled at his brother, giving the younger male a scathing glare.

                “Indeed,” Kyuhyun taunted again with another insufferable smirk.

                Ryeowook carefully pushed JR back just a touch, conscious of the way the rest of the occupants were trying to keep as much distance from Kyuhyun as possible right then.  “Kyu,” he whispered quietly, touching his arm with trembling fingertips gently.  Behind him, he could have swore he heard N instructing the others to stay calm but he dared not look away to confirm.

                “A famed Hunter such as yourself must have to work pretty hard to maintain your placement in the annals of history,” he laughed, deceptively at ease.  It was only because Ryeowook was in tentative contact with Kyuhyun that he knew the vampire was tenser than a coiled spring.

                “Kyuhyun, shut up,” Junsu warned as the wolf felt the rising tension in the group.

                “Jae, get your over here,” Heechul commanded again, glancing between the Hunter and the vampire uncertainly.

                “Oh, you’re asking for it,” Jaejoong growled, glaring around the circle before his eyes landed on Kyuhyun again.

                “Jae,” Mir murmured, coming close enough to rest his hand on Jaejoong’s arm in a calming gesture.  “Let it go,” he urged with a shake of his head.

                Jaejoong narrowed his eyes at the vampire and finally rammed the sword back into its sheath.  “You’re lucky, blood er,” he spat, turning around to make his way back towards his brothers.

                Ryeowook relaxed marginally as the stalemate seemed to be broken, but then he heard Kyuhyun speak again and all his senses went into high alert.  “Big words from a Hunter during the day,” the vampire intentionally goaded, tensing up preemptively.  Ryeowook could only wonder what in the hell he was trying to do.  Other than get himself killed of course.

                “That’s it, er,” Jaejoong growled, pulling the sword free with a hiss as he launched himself towards the vampire, threading his way through the sparse interference.

                Cries of denial rose around them and Ryeowook found himself shoved back just enough to get out of the way before Jaejoong collided with Kyuhyun inside the trailer.  Humans screamed reactively at the sudden intrusion while the vampires spread out, interposing themselves as a physical barrier between their charges and the combatants in their midst.  They were unanimously tense but equally observant of the situation, though it took a moment for everything to settle enough for all parties to make heads or tails of what had happened.

                “Kyu!” Ryeowook shouted, scrambling back to his feet so he could get his first good look of the two locked in a stalemate, glaring at each other ferociously, while everyone crowded around the entrance.

                “Wait!” N shouted, shifting towards the rent opening to ward off the approach of the other Hunters and wolves.

                “Get out of my way!” Heechul growled as he shouldered his way through the wall of wolves, aided by Junsu who was just as pissed off.

                “What the !?” he growled, coming up short when he too could finally see what the situation was.

                Kyuhyun and Jaejoong were locked together, faces mere inches apart as they glared daggers between them with the vampire’s right hand braced against the other’s chest, sharp fingernails pressed harshly into the protective jacket.  Both were frozen in place with Jaejoong’s sword pointed impotently at Kyuhyun’s head, unmoving as the vampire’s left hand clenched the Hunter’s weapon wrist, effectively stalling it in place.  Jaejoong’s other hand gripped the vampire’s shoulder, digging into the flesh hard, but warning flickers of electricity danced over both their bodies.  From his vantage, Ryeowook could see the first glimmer of fear in Jaejoong’s eyes as he realized his folly.

                “Let me go!” he growled through clenched teeth, the tone strained and not nearly as confident as it had been a moment ago.

                “You know who I am and you know what I can do,” Kyuhyun warned softly, his frame immovable as he continued to glare at the Hunter.

                “Jae?” Heechul called with traces of concern and confusion in his voice.  He hissed when Junsu placed a calming hand against his upper arm, but the Hunter remained still for the moment.

                Jaejoong’s hand tightened a fraction around the hilt of his sword, but when he didn’t answer either of them, Kyuhyun’s eyes narrowed and sparks around his fist, spreading to the wrist under his palm.  “Ah!” Jaejoong yelped while his hand spasmed open, releasing the sword so that it bounced off their raised limbs and clattered on the metal ground noisily.  “Of course I do!” he spat at last, anger and shame burning on his face.  “You’re a ing Cho!”

                “Good,” Kyuhyun practically purred, a satisfied smile on his face.  Ryeowook knew he had everyone captivated by whatever stunt he was trying to pull off, and he was no exception.  “Then you also know I can kill you right now and you wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it.”  His expression turned far more sinister as the predator made its way to the surface, eyeing Jaejoong intensely.  It was a chilling mask that Ryeowook would be just fine with not seeing again anytime soon.

                “Kyu,” N warned softly as the other Hunters shifted at the entrance.

                “Cut the , Kyuhyun,” Junsu warned, aware he had a plan, presumably, but just as nervous about its execution.

                Paralyzed in place, Jaejoong glared at him defiantly and the predator look bled away from Kyuhyun quickly as he seemed to take hold of himself.  He relaxed marginally and explained, “As much as I would like to not have to deal with you s, it’s more beneficial for all of us if we can… coexist for the time being.”

                “We do,” Heechul commented dryly from his vantage, clearly unhappy about the situation.

                “Peacefully,” Kyuhyun added, letting his eyes slide over to the other Hunter purposefully.

                “Like that’ll happen,” Key scoffed with a wave of his hand, though the group seemed to be less tense on the whole.

                “Yes well, unless you want whole hordes of half-turned, untrained idiots swarming the country without anything to stop them, I suggest you let us find out what this vile human knows so we can determine just what else we’re up against,” Kyuhyun explained quietly, letting his eyes indicate where their single, surviving captive was still sequestered behind the defensive vampires.

                Jaejoong blinked in mild confusion and when Ryeowook looked at Heechul and Key, he could tell the Hunters seemed a little off put by the new information.  It was possible they weren’t really up to speed on what was going on most recently.  “How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Key asked suspiciously, though he did lower his sword.

                “Ask Mir,” Kyuhyun replied quickly.  “Or Minsoo,” he added before they had a chance to do so.  His gaze met Jaejoong’s again and he went on, “I would say ask Yongguk but the humans already killed him.”

                That made the Hunters frown.  “You lie!” Jaejoong hissed defiantly, though they realized it was mostly reactionary.

                “Do I?” Kyuhyun prompted, finally letting the Hunter go as he continued to glare at him.

                Growling his displeasure and embarrassment, Jaejoong snatched his sword before shoving off of Kyuhyun angrily, shunting the vampire backwards.  “Kyu!” Ryeowook yelped, lurching to assist him as Himchan and Hyosung steadied him first.

                “Ow!” Jaejoong winced when Heechul smacked him in the head as soon as he got within range.

                “Idiot,” the redhead grumbled, slamming his sword back into its sheath before he turned his attention back to Junsu and Mir.  “Talk to me,” he commanded, jerking his head towards the outer rim of the perimeter so they could have some privacy as the tension melted away for the moment.

                “Bring him,” Junsu pointed at the prisoner in the trailer before turning to walk with the Hunter.  Immediately, Hyoyeon jumped in to retrieve the frightened human, slinging him over her shoulder to carry him after.  Ryeowook couldn’t find it in him to feel sorry for the man either.  At all.

                “I can’t believe you let him goad you into that,” Key snorted in amusement as he followed Heechul with Jaejoong in tow.

                “No he didn’t,” Jaejoong scowled, reaching across the distance to punch his sibling in the arm with a lightning fast strike.

                “Ow!” Key blinked, returning the favor just as hard.  “Bastard.”

                “Pansy,” Jaejoong shot back with another punch.

                “Hot head,” his brother retorted.

                “Ow!” they both cringed while they rubbed their heads, one right after the other, as Heechul paused right in front of them.

                “Idiots,” he blinked, unimpressed by their behavior.  Subdued, they glared at each other and then followed their elder sibling quietly.

                Ryeowook could only watch in bafflement as he eyed the Hunters that most of the nonhumans were at least wary about.  Then he looked back to Kyuhyun and made sure he was alright.  “What in the world were you doing, Kyu?” he asked, holding onto the nearest arm tightly, his concern and fear giving him strength enough to make the vampire wince.

                Kyuhyun laughed weakly and sat up with care, revealing just how tenuous his advantage had been.  “The Kims are hotheaded and very prideful.  They certainly don’t like listening to us and as you saw with Luna, they’re quite content to kill any nonhuman at the drop of a hat.”

                “And you’re crazy enough to goad one into close range,” N snorted with a shake of his head before he rolled his eyes and looked over the humans to be sure they were alright otherwise.

                “It’s where I have the advantage,” Kyuhyun smirked with a falsely confident smile.

                He flinched in surprise when Ryeowook smacked him with an open hand.  “You’re an , Kyu!” he muttered, one finger pointing in the vampire’s face.  He was aware of scrutiny from Henry and JR, as well as the vampires in particular, but just then, he didn’t care.

                “What’d I do?” he asked, confused by the outburst.

                “Do you know how scared I was?!” Ryeowook hissed through his teeth, frowning at the vampire intently.  His stomach was still trying to settle itself from the fright he’d just experienced as he realized how close Kyuhyun had come to dying.  One miscalculation and Jaejoong would have managed it.  He was rather surprised to know how much that possibility actually bothered him.

                “Probably,” Kyuhyun murmured softly, reaching out to rest his hand against Ryeowook’s arm.

                Surprised by the admission, he looked down and followed the length of his arm until he met Kyuhyun’s gaze again.  “I don’t understand you,” he whispered tightly, not sure why that bothered him as much as it did either.

                “Most people don’t,” Kyuhyun sighed with a shake of his head, though he did reach to pull Ryeowook closer, moving slow so the other could resist if he really wanted to.

                Ryeowook didn’t though.  He wouldn’t seek the comfort voluntarily but it was welcome all the same and he took a steadying breath when he pressed against Kyuhyun’s chest, feeling the comforting arms around his slender frame.  For the briefest of moments, Ryeowook closed his eyes and just listened to the world around him, trying to will himself to relax even further.

                He felt a pang of guilt as he listened to Henry soothing JR this time, knowing that it should be his role to comfort his brother.  Why did his attention fracture so much when Kyuhyun put himself at risk?  Shouldn’t he be more concerned about his own flesh and blood?  Then again, his brother wasn’t as reckless as Kyuhyun appeared to be at times, giving him more cause to worry.  Just beyond him, the humans spoke among themselves.  They were understandably nervous and worried.  If their own kind were alright with killing them just because they were friends with the nonhumans, they had cause enough to be concerned.

                Baekho and Ken were just as heartbreaking as ever.  Poor bastards.  They didn’t know what had happened in the interim, but they certainly had to deal with the aftermath.  He couldn’t even imagine having to contend with wounds they didn’t remember getting and deaths that occurred while they were present but not.  It must be frustrating.  Even more so for one like Daesung who was still on autopilot, though his eyes had taken on that sort of glazed effect that warned him the young man would be useless when he finally got control of his body back.  At least for a little while.

                Then he heard Luna’s name in the midst and he perked up slightly, cracking open an eye to see what was going on.  “It’s okay,” the newest young woman soothed, holding a quietly crying Luna close as she pet her hair gently.  Around them, three massive wolves nosed at Luna’s form, whining plaintively while they actively sought to comfort her as well.  “Your brothers are here for you too.”

                Brothers?  Luna sniffed again and tried to get a hold of herself as she pushed back gently and nodded.  “I know, Amber.  Thank you,” she whimpered, rubbing at her healing throat where a line of blackened skin showed the results of her encounter with Jaejoong.  “It’s just…” she huffed, wiping at teary eyes now.  “If we’d just been here, they’d be okay.  Minsoo wouldn’t be more hurt and Yongguk wouldn’t be dead.”  Her voice broke while droplets trailed down her cheeks and redoubled her efforts to wipe the salty tears away.

                One of the wolves, a very large, charcoal colored one, raised his head enough to her in the face, whisking the tears away with the help of an enthusiastic, pink tongue.

                “Sungmin!” she half giggled, half cried as she pushed his head away and finally managed the barest of smiles.

                “You never know,” Amber shrugged as she ruffled another wolf’s head fondly, the tips of her overgrown, brown hair brushing into her face when she looked down.  She wrinkled her nose at the effect and swiped the strands back in annoyance, clearly more used to a shorter hairstyle.  “Isn’t that right, Thunder?  Karam?” she asked, touching the blonde and golden colored ones respectively.  Both wolves looked up at her words, tongue lolling from their mouths as they panted happily.

                “I didn’t know she had siblings,” Ryeowook murmured so that Kyuhyun overheard him.

                “They ran away first, remember?” the vampire prompted, tightening his arms slightly.

                “How do you know that?” he murmured in response, brow furrowed.

                “I overheard the story in the cave.  When Luna was telling it,” Kyuhyun chuckled softly.  At the reminder, Ryeowook had to give himself a mental face palm because he did recall.  Perfectly.

                They tensed up slightly though when the air in the camp seemed to shift somewhat and Ryeowook pushed himself out of Kyuhyun’s arms to get a better view.  He actively drifted closer to Henry and JR so he could reestablish contact with his brother, feeling gratified when Kyuhyun mutely followed suit, lingering close without being asked.

                “What’s going on?” JR asked as Ryeowook drew near.

                “I don’t know,” his brother responded, peering out the opening curiously.

                A standoffish Junsu and Heechul finally approached the majority of those gathered.  The wolf spoke first as he raised both hands for silence.  It was already hushed but full quiet fell immediately.  He glanced at Heechul and his brothers warily before continuing, “While we cannot call ourselves allies, the Kims have agreed to help investigate the intentional outbreak of half-turned nonhumans.”

                At the mere mention of such a fact, all three Kims stiffened noticeably, the fact an affront to their purpose and their history.  “It’s a complete betrayal of our trust,” Key growled, complexion white with suppressed anger.

                Heechul gave his brother a sidelong look but didn’t berate him.  “If this scenario is true, we are obligated to stop it.”

                Junsu as well as Heechul and Key glanced at Jaejoong, wondering if he would say something, but the latter Hunter waved his hand dismissively and looked away, still insulted from earlier.  “Of just as much concern,” Junsu went on, returning his focus to his group.  “Volunteer mercenary parties have been authorized to… contribute to the war effort,” he growled with a sidelong glance at the now terrified and slightly beaten captive in their midst.  His admission brought a chorus of displeased growls and muttering from the collected members.  He pointed an accusatory finger at the bound male and growled, “This human doesn’t care who he kills.  According to him, every person in the presence of a nonhuman is sentenced to death for betraying their race.  According to him, if you’re not with the humans who want us to die, then you’re against the humans who want us to die.”

                He flinched visibly when the statement caused a loud chorus of angry responses, all directed at him.  “And that concerns us too,” Jaejoong murmured as he squatted next to the captive, catching his chin in one hand so he could tilt his face up, glaring down at the figure with malice.  “We’re Hunters.  Trained to track and kill monsters.”  With disgust, he released the man’s chin and stood upright to look at his brothers with a small nod.  “Looks like we’ll have to readjust our definition.”

                “Aye.  That we will,” Heechul murmured softly, agreeing with his sibling as he once again met Junsu’s gaze.

                The statement left Ryeowook feeling… unsettled.  Glancing around the ragtag group of people, he had to wonder: what made a monster versus what made a man?

(a/n: Just a brief pop in to check on Changmin's group and get a bit of insight into what's going on with them.  And then back to our main party with all the complications therein.  O.o

A couple new faces to introduce.  Amber (from f(x)) is the newest wolf-kin brought in when the wolves returned.  And we've got Luna's brothers: Sungmin (A-Jax), Karam (The Boss), and Thunder (MBLAQ) - all Parks.  ;)  There were some bits and pieces I wanted to fit into this chapter to add a bit more insight to Kyuhyun but the timing is off so hopefully I'll be able to elaborate the next update.

I do apologize for the delay in updating as well.  I am starting school again and teaching my first class as of tomorrow so things have been a bit hectic, at least in my head.  lol  I will try to continue updating as best as possible regardless, but you may need to be a bit more patient with me in the meantime.  Unfortunately.  T_T  Thank you so much for your continued support regardless and you guys are awesome!)