Another cold evening, another bone chilling, hungry morning…  With the Parks leading the way and the rest of the group riding on werewolves, Boa and her band of boys traveled in relative silence.  It was impossible to keep them completely quiet.  Invariably, Yoongi or Hoseok or even Taehyung would say something just to get a reaction out of the others in an attempt to break the tension.  Just as quickly, the others would join in, messing with each other and speaking in low voices that would rise until Jungsu, usually, turned around to glare them into silence once again.

                It was after another such occurrence that Boa exhaled and brushed her fingers against Dara’s arm as the taller woman walked beside them, easily keeping pace with the wolves.  Lucky Hunters.  “Hey,” she smiled, catching Dara’s hand and squeezing lightly when the woman reached to hold on.

                “Hey.  What’s up?” the Hunter smiled, high ponytail bobbing with the look.

                Boa shrugged her shoulders and glanced over but didn’t look at Jungkook behind her.  “The boys haven’t asked and we’ve been okay for the moment, but where are we going?” she wondered softly, knowing they’d been traveling for weeks without a clear goal in mind.  There was nowhere that was home to them anymore and it was starting to show.  They were tired and hungry and lost and the world only seemed to get colder as they kept going.  Not to mention more strange and dangerous.

                With a frustrated look herself, Dara shrugged in response.  “I have no idea.”  She made a face at her brother’s back, to which Boa giggled.  “I doubt he knows either, but he won’t admit it.”  The glance she got over Jungsu’s shoulder said he heard her but she ignored him anyway.  “And with that thing the other day, I don’t know that cities are all that safe anymore,” she added, scratching at the back of her neck uncertainly.

                A brief conferral with the wolves also told them no one knew what it was.  Worse still, while no one else could smell it, the lupine creatures warned that there was a change in the air.  Something smelled off.  It was both close and far and it was making them antsy.  As a result, their only option had really been to keep moving in the hopes of finding some kind of answer.  None of them knew if there was one, but moving at least gave the semblance of doing something.

                Either way, both women were pretty sure Jungsu was avoiding people and civilizations in general.  “The boys are getting tired,” Boa added almost as an afterthought, her free hand brushing against Jungkook’s fingers at her waist.

                “We’re fine, Boa,” he promised quickly, the weariness easy to hear in his young voice.

                “I know, sweetie,” she smiled, ducking her head in acknowledgement even as she shot a look at Dara.  The older woman gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, though there was little else she could offer to comfort her.

                “Ugh!” Bom scowled from the front, the irritation evident in her tone.  “I’m tired of this bloody snow!  It gets into everything and it’s just cold!” she huffed, brushing another patch of the icy substance off her shoulder.  It clustered on everything and occasionally fell from above or came off when they walked by.  Being in the front, she and Jungsu were subjected to the worst of it.

                “Stop complaining, Bom,” her brother chided without looking over, his eyes perpetually scanning.  In the constant gloom of most days, it was harder to see into the distance.  Not that they usually had to worry about anything since nothing, short of those idiot half-bloods, would even bother to trouble them.

                “There’s nothing here that’s going to hear me anyway,” she grumbled when she succeeded in brushing herself off, tossing her straight, black hair over her shoulder with a perturbed air.

                “Just us!” Dara waved impishly, a playful grin on her face that the boys behind mimicked.  Though when she and Boa glanced back, they pretended they weren’t making faces, with Jungkook bursting out laughing when a light elbow nudged him in the ribs.

                “Kookie!” they mock-scowled while he just laughed and hid his face behind Boa’s back.  Ahead, Jungsu’s shoulders were tight with tension but to his credit, he didn’t try to silence them again.

                They all yelped in surprise, holding onto each other when the wolves came to an abrupt stop, noses rising in the air and ears cocking back and forth.  “Huh?” Boa murmured, placing a hand on Yesung’s shoulder as he shifted slightly, his paws leaving massive prints in the snow.  “What is it?” she asked, glancing over at Dara who had signaled her siblings to stop as well.

                Yesung shook abruptly, a sure sign that he wanted them to get off.  Easily, Boa and Jungkook slipped free from the furry back and both shifted closer to Dara whose hand automatically went to the weapon at her hip.  “What’s going on?” she mumbled, looking between the wolves, all of whom were shedding their passengers, and the horizon.

                “Boa?” Jungsu called in inquiry, clearly referencing her as the go-between with the boys and the wolves.  She mutely turned to shrug in his direction and then jumped as Yesung raised his head with a piercing howl, the sound echoing off the trees and into the distance.  “What the hell?!” the Hunter growled, immediately snatching his weapon free, glaring at the wolf before he turned his attention outward.

                None of the wolves responded but as one, their ears pricked forward and they all turned to look to the east: the direction they’d been coming from.  The humans just look mystified and the Hunters did too, until they all inhaled sharply, brows furrowed in concentration.  “That’s a wolf,” Dara whispered, hardly daring to break the silence.

                Before any of them could think of anything more to say, all four werewolves bounded off in the direction of the howl.  “Hey!” the boys shouted, jumping together in surprise as it appeared as if they were being abandoned.

                “Oh no you don’t,” Jungsu scowled, bolting after them with a sharp cry over his shoulder.  “Bom!  Dara!  Come on!”

                “Right behind you!” Bom answered immediately, sprinting just behind her brother just as fast as the wolves.

                Hesitantly, Dara took a step after them but a tug on her hand made her look back at the worried Boa.  “Don’t go,” she shook her head, holding tight with her other hand clasping the jacket bunched around .

                The taller woman frowned, her expression slightly pained, and shook her head.  “I have to,” she explained quickly, her lips as she reluctantly pulled free and rushed after her siblings.

                A chorus of “Hey!”, “Wait!”, and “Dara!” rose up in her passing with the boys milling about uncertainly, all looking lost and confused.  Boa’s heart beat faster in her chest and she quickly wiped the worried look off her face when they all started to look to her: for reassurance or comfort, it didn’t matter.  She was just the one they needed when their world started to fall apart and she was going to be strong for them, if nothing else.

                “Where are they going?” Namjoon asked, pointing after the direction they’d gone with hurt confusion evident.

                “It’s alright,” Boa smiled, a plastic expression, but it seemed to help ease some of their fears.  “Come here,” she gestured encouragingly, grabbing Jungkook’s hand to pull him close.  She squeezed his arm in a reassuring gesture and took Jimin’s hand as he came near next, offering what comfort she could.

                “Why’d they run off like that?” Yoongi demanded quietly, his pale face whiter than normal in the cold.  Taehyung and Hoseok mumbled similar questions to back him up as they all continued to look between Boa and the now disappeared Hunters and wolves.

                “I don’t know,” the woman answered honestly, moving close to press her gloved hand against Yoongi’s cheek.  “But Dara thinks they heard another wolf,” she added, grabbing Namjoon’s shoulder to give it a squeeze.  “And you know what wolves are, right?” she asked, looking to Seokjin to try and get them thinking about something else.

                “Pack animals,” he nodded with a forced smile, breathing into his hands for warmth.

                “Exactly!” Boa cheered, flashing him a grateful smile that warmed his own.  “Which means they’re…” she trailed off, looking around the circle expectantly, still touching Taehyung’s arm or Hoseok’s cheek or Jungkook’s shoulder as she turned.

                “Looking for their family?” the youngest guessed, shifting closer to Namjoon for the added warmth.

                “Right!” she beamed, nodding her head emphatically.  “And when they’ve found them, they’ll come back and rejoin ours.”  Her enthusiasm was forced, the knowledge weak and cobbled together, but it was something they could hold onto, even if it was a false hope.

                “Are you sure?” Jimin asked, shivering once before he hugged Hoseok to try and warm up.

                “Of course!  We just have to be patient and wait,” Boa explained, awkwardly trying to look over their shoulders.  Being encircled by boys that were all taller than her was not helpful, other than the fact that she was probably warmer than them just then.

                “Out in the open?” Taehyung chattered, huddling next to Seokjin and Yoongi, his usually plush lips chapped from the cold.

                “I was thinking you guys could help me find a place that we could hide in,” she nodded, gesturing towards the outside of the ring with her head.

                “Right!” Namjoon cheered, his eyes going wide when they all heard it: a moan similar to the other day.  It howled low through the forest and crawled over their skin like an army of ants.  “Oh ,” he exhaled, his breath coming out in a puff of white.

                “Oh ’s right,” Boa agreed with no inclination to correct him.  “Come on,” she urged instead, grabbing Jungkook’s hand to pull him along away from the direction of the sound.

                “Wasn’t that the direction the others went?” Seokjin asked in a worried whisper, trudging along after them anyway as he continued to look over his shoulder.

                Boa didn’t answer, though some of the boys voiced their own opinions on the matter.  She held her tongue.  Even if it was, there was little they could do to help.  The thing they’d seen the other day had been as large as a building.  How did a human fight something like that?  Then again, how would a Hunter or werewolf for that matter?  And almost as if the thought conjured it into reality, they heard a distant howl keen through the forest.

                Hoseok stopped and looked back, eyes wide and fear in his face.  “I think that was Chunji,” he whispered in horror.

                “It wasn’t,” Taehyung told him firmly with a shake of his head, his lips pursed as he pulled the other man along.  “It wasn’t any of ours,” he added determinedly, refusing to look back.  He very nearly ran into the others when they all stopped in front of him and he was about to snap some retort before he looked over their shoulders to see ahead.

                “Don’t move,” Boa whispered with a voice that trembled as she pushed Jungkook behind her.  Straight ahead, on the other side of several trees in the direction that they were heading was a slow moving something.  It wasn’t as big as a building but neither was it recognizable as anything she’d ever seen.  Nor did it exactly seem aware of them, but it was clear it was moving.  Walking on four legs and apparently cobbled together with fallen trunks, large pieces of rocks, and bound with all manner of vines and plant growth, it shambled along, one slow step at a time.

                “What is that?” Namjoon breathed in disbelief.

                “I have no idea,” Yoongi answered him, leaning around the group to see better.

                “We should go,” Seokjin urged with a gentle push to try and get them moving.

                “Go where?” Taehyung bit back, grabbing onto his hand when it brushed against him.

                “Anywhere but here!” the older man hissed in return, obviously nervous.

                “Quiet,” Boa squeaked, taking a step back as the thing paused and seemed to shift in their direction.  It had no head that she could see, but for some reason, she was pretty sure it was looking at them.  “Oh god…” she trailed off, taking another step backwards as she pushed at the boys to get them moving.

                “Boa?” one of them asked, the question a breath of sound that made them hard to identify.

                “Run,” she urged, willing her voice not to shake as she said it.

                “What about you?” Jungkook asked, holding onto her hand tightly.

                “Just go!” Boa commanded sharply, her voice still low but firm.  The thing continued towards them one inexorable step at a time.  It moved around the trees carefully, avoiding doing additional damage, but it was clear it knew they were there.  “Boys go,” she pleaded this time, looking over her shoulder imploringly.  “You’ll be fine,” she smiled, glancing nervously back at the monster.

                “We won’t leave you,” Jimin shook his head in denial, though his voice quaked in fear.

                Dammit.  Stubborn children.  her lips, Boa steeled herself and yanked her hand free before she rushed forward, hearing frightened cries rise up behind her.  “Hey!” she yelled, waving her arms and running close to try and get its attention.  It shifted its body to focus on her as she ran at an angle away from the boys.

                “Boa!” she heard at her back, though footsteps did not follow her.  Thankfully.

                “I’m right here!” she cried, stopping and walking back slowly when it seemed as if she had its focus.  “You leave them alone!”  Her voice quivered as she spoke and her heart hammered in her chest, but if she could at least keep them safe, that was okay with her.

                Even with no eyes, she felt the weight of the monster’s gaze upon her, acknowledging, judging.  Leaves on its body quivered and then wooden vines emerged from the core.  They wound through the air as they s towards her.

                “No!” the boys cried out.  “Boa, run!” they urged.

                She wanted to look at them one more time but she dare not take her eyes away from the sight.  Biting her lip as the rough vines began to settle into place around her, she whispered, “I love you boys.”  Then she whimpered as she was lifted into the air with the chorus of their cries following her.

~~~~~~

                Free from the commotion of the night’s events, Kyuhyun and Ryeowook slept on, blissfully unaware.  That did not stop them from feeling a change in the morning when they woke up.  And it was a sure sign of just how much Kyuhyun had been stretching himself thin over the days and weeks that Ryeowook woke up before him.

                Awareness returned like the sunrise: slowly creeping over the horizon with a gentle tickle of light before jolting him into full wakefulness as it crested the earth.  Brown eyes fluttered and he was briefly confused by the darkness in front of him until he realized his face was pressed against Kyuhyun’s chest with his head butting under the vampire’s chin.  It did not take long for what they’d shared to return to him.  For a moment, he feared he might now feel regret, especially after speaking those three words last night, but all that remained was contentment and acceptance.

                Breathing a sigh of relief, he hugged tighter to the vampire’s body, taking comfort in his solid form.  Beyond the door, he could hear others moving around, their quiet voices slipping between the cracks.  It made him wonder if the Shims ever got annoyed with their sensitivity.  If he could hear this much, they could probably hear everything… which meant they’d probably heard him and Kyuhyun last night too.

                Oh well.  What’s done was done and he was happy.  The world was still depressing and he didn’t know how that was going to end exactly but he had finally made peace with his vampire abductor turned lover.  How strange the world really was.  He could have spent hours musing in Kyuhyun’s arms but the sounds from outside continued to press in and he had the distinct feeling they should be there for them.

                “Kyu,” he murmured softly, wriggling free just enough to look up and into the vampire’s face.  He looked so very tired, even in his sleep, but the worry lines that often plagued his face were gone just then.  Only the normal planes of his gaunt cheeks and oval face remained, the corners of his mouth pulling up just a touch to hint at the catlike smile he had.  “Kyu,” he tried again when his first attempt failed, one hand rising up to brush his fingers against the still cheek.

                “I’m awake,” Kyuhyun whispered with closed eyes, hugging Ryeowook tighter and shifting in what appeared to be an attempt to get him to go back to sleep too.

                Ryeowook giggled and then shook his head, pressing against the vampire’s chest.  “Come on then.  We should see what’s going on.  And I need to check on JR,” he added when it seemed as if Kyuhyun might fight him on it.

                “Ugh…” the vampire groaned, finally cracking an eye open, peering out with one black orb.  “They don’t need us for everything though.  Let them figure it out for once,” he grumbled, still determinedly keeping his arms wrapped around Ryeowook.

                “Kyu,” he warned in return, hearing the voices get a little louder with the progressing morning.

                “Fine,” Kyuhyun sighed, prying open both eyes and looking down at his lover in his arms.  That didn’t mean he relaxed his hold yet though and he just continued to stare at Ryeowook who searched his face in return.  “Did you mean what you said last night?” he asked at last, face so close it would take the slightest of movements to bring them together.

                Ryeowook nodded ever so slightly, not daring to blink.  He saw Kyuhyun’s lips quirk up into a smile that started to reach his eyes, even if it wouldn’t be considered a grin.  “Did you?” he asked in return, waiting for the response.

                Kyuhyun gave him the same answer: a subtle nod.  But then he dipped his head and closed the space between them, drawing Ryeowook into a warm and tender kiss.  His arms remained firm and his hands clung to the smaller man, unwilling to let go.  Eventually, it was Ryeowook that broke the kiss, as sweet as it was and as much as he wanted it to go on.  He really needed to check on what was happening out there.

                This time, Kyuhyun let him go, his fingers trailing down the other man’s body until they could hold on no longer.  Even then, his eyes followed Ryeowook while he searched for the clothes they’d hastily lost in the night before.  “You could help you know,” he laughed once, tossing Kyuhyun’s shirt to him on the bed.

                “I could,” Kyuhyun conceded, content to watch for the moment.  At least until Ryeowook actually frowned at him.  Then he convinced himself to get off the bed so he could put on the previously discarded pants.

                “Come on,” Ryeowook urged, grabbing Kyuhyun’s hand as he pulled the other vampire along after him.  Surprisingly, he appeared content enough to do so without complaint.  After last night, there had definitely been a shift between them.  Ryeowook wasn’t sure how it was going to make things now, but he felt more comfortable with the other man.  More… equal.  It was odd but nice in its own way.

                As soon as he opened the door, the voices which had been mostly indistinguishable turned into actual words and Ryeowook bit his lip.  They were in fine form this morning already and it smelled like almost everyone was up.  Well, those that were here anyway.  It made him wonder how Kangin and his group were doing but he pushed the worry to the back of his mind and determinedly headed for the main gathering hall.

                 He was right.  Most everyone was there and the usual patrols hadn’t even gone out so it was tighter than normal.  Both he and Kyuhyun were noticed with a couple glances but no one spoke to them as Seunghyun and Siwon continued to debate with Junsu and Hyuk.  “It’s just not safe to head out further without more support,” Junsu explained simply, appearing very short and diminished with his missing arm when standing in front of the two Chois.

                “Which is why we’re talking about it right now,” Seunghyun gestured towards the people gathered, his eye alighting on the two Chos before continuing on.  Ryeowook blinked at the apparent dismissal but if they weren’t being summoned to do something, he was okay with that for now.  A quick look around showed JR sitting next to Baekho and Henry, the latter of which was trying to inch closer to Amber.  She didn’t seem to notice him and was speaking quietly with Seungho as both watched Junsu intently; that made sense considering they were a trio on their patrols.

                “It’s too dangerous though,” N spoke up with Kiseop hovering nearby, their eyes dark in the dimly lit room.  “Kiseop flew through the night and he saw tracks too.  Different ones from what you saw,” he pointed at the Alpha determinedly.

                “All the more reason to follow one,” Siwon spoke up next before his Alpha could.  “We need to figure out what we’re dealing with before we actually run into one.”

                “But it, or they, haven’t bothered us so far,” Hyuk tried to reason, gesturing animatedly with both hands.  “How do we know this is something we have need to take care of?”

                “We don’t,” Changmin sighed from the wall, his one arm across his chest and holding onto his shoulder to keep it in place.  At his side, Changjo nodded in agreement, the elder vampire’s ever present shadow.  "But neither can we afford to take any chances.”

                “If we do get a party together, how do we decide who goes?” Seungho raised his hand to ask, drawing the full weight of the room’s attention.  He didn’t seem phased by it though and simply waited for an answer.

                “Volunteers only.”  “The strongest should go.”  Both Junsu and Seunghyun spoke at the same time, glaring at each other when their ideas clashed.

                The arguments continued to escalate with people in favor of one side or the other while voices rose to be heard over the growing clamor.  Ryeowook just looked at Kyuhyun with a partial wince and shrugged.  Apparently there was something else to worry about now.  Great.  He was just about to start moving around to find out when he noticed all four of the Possessed moving as one towards the wolves.  Silence died out around the room as Daesung, Baekho, Chaerin, and Ken stopped, standing shoulder to shoulder with the strange look in their eyes that indicated the humans were no longer present.

                “We would like to see these tracks,” Donghae spoke from Daesung’s mouth, his voice soft but easy to hear.

                Baekho held up his hand before anyone might speak to ask questions and Hyukjae picked up the reins, “We don’t know what it is now, but we can feel a change in the earth.  Magic has been stirring,” he shrugged, biting his lip in a nervous gesture the human didn’t usually have.

                “Magic doesn’t exist,” Daehyun scoffed before anyone else could speak the words aloud.  He was quieted immediately, not the least of which because the Possessed looked at him with deadpan expressions, daring him to say otherwise again.

                Ken looked at the other three and they all nodded encouragement for him to speak.  Taemin’s voice emerged then, “My grandmother used to tell stories.”  No one objected but there were some obvious eye rolls from those who felt more like Daehyun did.  “The Gypsies gained their magic from the spirits.  Some of the earth, some of the sky, some of other realms.”  Curious whispers met his words and he went on as if telling a story of his own.  “With magic and a strong enough will, it can take many different forms.”

                Beside him, Chaerin crossed her arms over her chest with a masculine air that warned who would be speaking next.  When she opened , L. Joe’s voice flowed out and he pointed an almost accusatory finger around the room.  “Magic has touched you,” he paused on Seunghyun, “you,” moved to Changmin, “and even you.”

                Chaerin’s finger finally stopped at Minsoo who frowned darkly at the accusation.  He immediately retorted, “Our gifts are holy in nature.  Do not confuse it with the black magic that made them,” he chastised gently, affronted by the claim but easing his tone so as to not insult the room of creatures he had just included in his statement.  Even so, he earned a few dark looks from the nonhumans.  A couple humans looked at him strangely too, to his chagrin.

                “That’s what you think,” L. Joe smirked in delighted amusement before the expression disappeared, Chaerin’s face going curiously blank for the moment.

                The change was over almost as quickly as it began and then Krystal’s softer voice rang out instead.  “Our intention is not to turn you against each other,” she soothed, gesturing with her hands in a calming motion as the tension in the room began to rise.

                “Could have fooled me,” Kyuhyun whispered in Ryeowook’s ear, only loud enough for him to hear.  The comment made him smile despite the words and the situation, and he squeezed the other vampire’s hand gratefully.

                “But we do want to remind you there is power in the world beyond just us.”  Her look captured all those present in the room.  “The earth is not just a rock on which we walk and make our homes,” she continued, kneeling down to press her hand upon the ground.  “Which is why we want to see these tracks.”  Her eyes jumped back up to meet Seunghyun’s.

                Donghae and Hyukjae stepped a little closer and nodded as one.  “Not unlike how your kinds probably came into being,” the former gestured between the wolf and the vampire still casually leaning against the wall.

                “We think this might be something reacting to the changes we’ve been dealing with these past several months,” Hyukjae shrugged, just as uncertain as the rest in this.

                It looked as if he was about to say more but then every nonhuman head in the room turned towards the door, some faster than others, and the Possessed swayed where they stood.  Standing in the middle of the room with a look of utter confusion on their faces, the four humans looked around.  “What happened?” Ken asked first, one finger rising in the air as he checked with his sister first.

                Changmin’s head tilted to the side as he frowned, listening hard.  Then he murmured, “That’s Himchan…”

                “Channie!” Hyosung and N cried in tandem, both bolting for the door to yank it open.  The pair ran out all of two steps before the morning sun peeking through the clouds chased them back in with stifled yelps of pain.

                Ryeowook looked at Kyuhyun and they both whispered, “Kangin.”

                “We’ve got him!” Sunny volunteered with Sunhwa hot on her heels.  Siwon bolted immediately after and the rest of the wolves paced or filed out to get a better look while the vampires huddled irritably inside, restless at their confinement.

                “Help!” the weakened voice of the Cha reached their ears at last and they all waited with baited breath as the wolves helped to bring the singed and exhausted vampire inside.  As soon as he was within the safety of the cave, Hyosung moved to his side, taking the tightly clasped bag from him to hand off so she could attend to him instead.

                “What happened?” N asked with worry in his gaze as he glanced back out.

                “You’ve gotta send help,” Himchan grabbed onto Hyosung and N with his hands, holding hard.  “They were attacked!  You’ve gotta go now!” he rattled off quickly, the words almost hard to understand.

                “Attacked by who?” Seunghyun came up and demanded, blinking down at the mostly burnt vampire and the remains of his sun shield clinging to his back.

                “I don’t know!” he panted, frightened.

                “Who attacked them?!” the Alpha tried again, his voice practically a growl.

                “I don’t know!  Some kind of monster!” the Cha cried shrilly, his words sending a general murmur of nervousness through the group.  Several people looked at the Possessed who were rather confused by the attention, but the wolves exchanged glances with their packmates and partners.  Mutely, the majority of the werewolves immediately headed out.  The human and half-turned partners quietly went with them, clinging to their weapons with grim expressions on their faces.

                “I’m going too,” Chaerin as L. Joe stated, nearly sending Ken into a panic until she pushed him back with a firm, “Stay.”  He wilted under the command and Daesung glared at her, knowing it wasn’t her fault but unable to stop himself all the same.

                With the room mostly cleared out, Ryeowook took his chance to move closer with Kyuhyun at his side.  “They’re alright, aren’t they?” he asked Kyuhyun even as he put on a brave smile for Himchan who managed a pained one in return.

                “They have to be,” Kyuhyun answered, his grip around Ryeowook’s hand so tight it almost hurt.

(a/n: So... I'm back.  lol  Sorry for the long delay.  I finished my degree just fine but then it took me a while to find my muse for this project.  My apologies.  T_T  Not to mention being a teacher is a lot of work.  haha

Anyway!  I'm a little bit nervous about posting this since it has been such a long time and I've gotta find my footing with this again so if things feel a little odd, they probably are.  Please bear with me while I get back into the flow.  Though suggestions and thoughts are always welcome!  :)  I hope you enjoyed the update all the same and thank you for being patient with me.  I'll do my best to keep this going strong until it's finished.  I know we're over halfway there so yay!  Thank you again and have a great day!  <3)