Zhou Mi doesn’t even think as he rushes to the Pack owned and operated hospital. It’s the same hospital that BoA had been treated at when she’d become a shifter. Before Zhou Mi even realizes it, he’s at the hospital, throwing the car into park and sprinting into the lobby. He’d been in such a hurry to get to the hospital, he hadn’t had time to inform Amber, and he knows that the human will worry about him when she wakes, so he stops a moment to fire off a text message to her phone before rushing into the lobby of the hospital.

“This way.” BoA’s waiting for him, worry and uncertainty scenting the air, fighting for dominance with the scent of chemical cleaners.

Jungsuk’s outside a room, pacing and worried. “How is he?” Zhou Mi’s feeling panicky now. He can smell Siwon’s scent, though Niqui’s confused on how he can automatically pick out Siwon’s scent from the plethora of scents that permeate the air. The pull of Siwon’s scent is clouding Zhou Mi’s senses, and he has to clench his hands in to fists in order to gain some control over the sudden, overwhelming need to get to Siwon.

“He’s unconscious. He’s already shifted into his wolf form and back to human once, so we know he’s accepted his wolf.” Jungsuk explained. “Mi….you know what this means don’t you?”

Zhou Mi nods, feeling heartbroken suddenly. “Someone, or something has been interfering with my ability to see through Siwon.” He says. “Ryeowook had a suspicion that we weren’t mates, and now that he’s a wolf, it’s further proof.” Tears formed, leaving wet trails down Zhou Mi’s ashen face. “I….I wasn’t like this at Ha Rae’s house earlier. It….” He has to take a deep breath to continue going. “It feels like I’m being drawn to him through his scent, nothing else.”

Jungsuk nodded. “Ryeowook told me the same thing earlier. He’s been in to look over Siwon since the man is unconscious. It’s been easier to perform certain tests on him.”

Zhou Mi feels BoA sliding behind him, giving him a back hug. Even though he can tell now that it’s magic that is causing him to feel upset and heartbroken, BoA’s comfort helps to ease the magical ache in his chest. “What…what do you think is causing the magic to make me think Siwon was my mate?” Just saying that makes Zhou Mi’s tears fall faster.

“We don’t know yet. Ryeowook’s analyzing the test results. He said you are allowed in, but only after he’s figured out what kind of creature is at work here.” Jungsuk said as he reached out to grasp one of Zhou Mi’s shoulders in a comforting gesture.

Zhou Mi knows logically that the restriction is there so he won’t become more enthralled in whatever the magic surrounding Siwon wants him to do, but the magic is trying to force him into going into the room. “The pull is getting stronger.” He breathes, fists clenched so tight he can feel his nails starting to break the surface of his skin.

“I’ll go get the masking salts.” BoA says, reluctantly letting go of Zhou Mi. The feline’s trying hard not to let the magically induced feelings seep through to the Pack bonds, and the effort is starting show.

In the time it takes BoA to get to the hospital’s pharmacy to request the salts, Zhou Mi has to walk down to the other end of the hallway, the pull of Siwon’s scent is starting to become too much for him to control.

By the time the salts take effect, masking any scent that Zhou Mi could possibly identify as Siwon’s, Ryeowook is striding down the hall, a frown on his face. “Hyung.” He addresses Jungsuk. “Zhou Mi.”

“Do you have the results?” Jungsuk asks, concern lacing his voice. He and BoA refused to leave Zhou Mi alone even with the salts calming the feline shifter down enough to have a full conversation.

Ryeowook nods, his face taking on a serious look that makes Zhou Mi shiver. “It’s not good news hyung.”

“What is it? Succubus? Vampire?” Zhou Mi blurts out the first two supernatural beings they know exist in the human world.

“Worse, yet, oddly, better than those two options.” Ryeowook answers. “We’re dealing with the grandchild of a kitsune.”

Kitsunes were supernatural god like foxes embedded deeply within Japanese history and their Shinto religion, and could be one of two things. A blessing for those who chose to worship and nurture a kitsune, or being tricked or even cursed with bad luck for those who chose to dishonor them.

Zhou Mi knows how badly a kitsune can trick or harm humans, having witnessed one such incident as a small child in his first Clan back in China. At the time, all Merchant Clans in China taught their children about all the different supernatural beings they could possibly come in contact with, and kitsune were no exception. Some kitsune attached themselves to a worshipping samurai and ensured the warrior would have good fortunes on his travels according to the teachings, so any samurai who stopped into one of the Clan shops were immediately treated with the utmost respect, even if a kitsune didn’t appear to be attached to them.

There is no doubt in his mind that even today there are still kitsune around, but they mostly stick to living in Japan, where they can be worshiped by locals. “Wait…a kitsunes grandchild?”

Ryeowook nodded. “It’s rare, and the last supernaturally documented one was listed as living in Japan near the Inari Shrine in Kyoto. We could be dealing with a displaced grandchild who doesn’t know he or she is using their magic to influence others.”

“Min Yeon.” The pieces of the puzzle have snapped together for BoA and the knowledge rocks her into a chair. “I knew something was off about her. She seemed too….foreign.”

“It’s a possibility.” Ryeowook said, scratching behind his ear. “We managed to get a small patch of fur that Siwon must have pulled out when she attacked him…”

Ryeowook was cut off as Zhou Mi shot up. “Min Yeon attacked Siwon?! That’s not possible unless….”

“Yesung must have been forced into turning her.” Ryeowook said. “I ran a scan of her fur and it’s showing signs of both canine, and fox traits.”

“Is there any way we can get her physically here to run tests?” BoA asks, her face pale.

“Ha Rae.” Zhou Mi breathes. The group of shifters that were going to rescue Yesung. “That….thing they were doing.”

Jungsuk nodded, face already concentrating as he’s attempting to make contact with Ha Rae’s wolf side.

“I’m going to go get the herbs that will make you immune to Siwon’s magically induced sent.” Ryeowook tells Zhou Mi. “Let me know when you make contact with Ha Rae.” He adds as an afterthought, knowing that BoA will tell Jungsuk as the Pack doctor turns away to make up the concoction that will help Zhou Mi fight the magic.

Full blooded kitsune magic is almost nearly impossible to break or erase, but because they are dealing with the grandchild, it means the magic is not as strong, but could still be difficult to break. Part of the duties of being the Pack doctor means that Ryeowook has had training in how to deal with various supernatural effects and aliments that can cause problems for Pack members if they become inflicted or injured by anything other than another shifter.

**

Yesung wakes with a start, realizing that once again, he’d been drugged. He hates this feeling of helplessness, and Cloud being under the influence even more so than Yesung is worrying.

The room is quiet, and from what Yesung can pick out from the window with the bars over it, is that it’s nighttime. The fact that he’s back in the chair means he’s been moved, and it triggers the memories of the events earlier.

“Min Yeon?” Yesung hates the way his voice comes out, sounding groggy, weak and squeaky.

Silence greets him like a cold blanket. With his supernatural senses muted, Yesung feels a bit of panic creeping up his spine.

Yesung attempts to move his hands, which have been unclasped and rehooked behind the chair, allowing him only a little bit of movement to relieve the stiffness. His feet have been separated and chained to each leg of the chair.

It takes a few hours of being alone in the dark, and his body fighting off the effects of the drug still in his system before he realizes that he can hear fighting going on outside the room he’s confined in.

“Hello?” Yesung shouts, wondering if it’s his Pack or if it’s cops who are taking down the kidnappers. He starts scooting around in the chair, realizing that the chair is made of metal, and since his supernatural strength still isn’t back, all he manages to do is make enough noise to make his ears hurt from the scraping and screeching the metal does on the floor.

It’s enough noise though, that the sounds of a door being smashed by something heavy makes its way to Yesung’s ears, and he’s greeted with the sight of Kangin barreling through the door he remembers seeing the kidnappers using. “Kangin hyung!”

“Oh thank god.” Kangin breathes, smashing more of the door so he can get through without causing himself injury. “I found him!” He shouts outside the door before hurrying inside.

Yesung relaxes as he starts to feel the warmth of the Pack bonds that have burned through the lingering haze of the drugs in his system. He can feel Donghae, Hyukjae, Kyuhyun, Leeteuk and Ha Rae closing in on the building. “What’s going on?” Yesung asks as a flashlight clicks on in the semi-darkness of the room.

“We’re here to save you.” Kangin replies. He starts by breaking the chains that hold Yesung’s arms behind his back.

“Where is Min Yeon?” Yesung asks, rubbing his wrists where the shackles bit into his skin. He remembers being forced to turn her, remembers that his kidnappers have used some modern drugs to keep her asleep until she had shifted.

The others freeze as they hear the innocent question. Kangin concentrates on the chains on Yesung’s feet before he answers. “She’s being held by Heechul and Seungri.”

“Held? Did she….” Yesung has to take a breath, his heart squeezing impossibly tight. “Did she go loup?”

Kangin can only nod as he finishes breaking the last of the chains holding Yesung captive. His fingers burn with the contact of the metal, and he knows that Yesung probably has burns on his ankles from the small amount of silver that was imbedded into the metal.

Kangin looks up at Yesung, seeing the pain reflected in the younger man’s eyes. “Jungsuk told us to bring her in to the Pack hospital. Siwon was attacked earlier today.” He tells Yesung, helping the shifter to stand.

Yesung’s knees go weak from both the lack of circulation and the news that Zhou Mi’s mate was attacked. “What?!”

“Ryeowook thinks Min Yeon was the wolf who attacked Siwon.” Ha Rae tells Yesung as she comes in. The others stood outside the room to protect them. “We need her DNA to confirm that she was the one who infected Siwon. The problem is, since she’s loup, the only way we can get her there is to have her held down physically.”

Yesung nods, the news sobering. He’d hoped at least that Min Yeon hadn’t gone loup. He lets Kangin and Ha Rae lead him out of the room, realizing how very weak he really is. Yesung doesn’t even ask about his kidnappers as he’s guided into a vehicle and promptly passes out.