Silence filled the cabin. Jaci was wide awake and feeling anxious. Sunny and Taehyung had come out of the bedroom, and after asking where Jungkook was, they reluctantly decided to follow behind.
But not after making Jaci promise to stay in the cabin. But that had been a few hours ago now. The walls seemed to be closing in on Jaci as she sat curled up on Jungkook's old bed.
Nothing in this cabin screamed warmth and coziness. It was cold and stark, just like the beings that lived in it. She had often wondered if vampires were truly as cold as folklore made them out to be. Apparently, they were.
Jaci scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms high over her head. The wound on her neck throbbed and stung, but the pain had become bearable. She shifted her sore shoulder around and chose to ignore the nagging pain.
She meandered around the main room of the cabin, mulling over the old books on the shelves. She began to yawn just as her eyes fell onto the Kims' bedroom door. Her fingers twitched with curiosity. Part of her wanted to creep into the bedroom and see what was kept in there.
She stepped over to the door, and her hand reached out to grasp the knob. Adrenaline began flowing freely through her system at the thought of the Kims returning and catching her snooping.
But today was not Detective Jaci's day to snoop. Just as she grasped the knob, a thundering knock came from the front door. Jaci screeched and slapped her hands across her mouth.
Whoever was at the door was most likely not a family friend. If it were Jungkook or the Kims, they would have walked right in. Jaci felt a cold sense of dread wash over her, and she slowly slid down to the floor.
The pounding knock came again, this time accompanied by a voice.
"Jaci, are you in there? It's me, Professor Fenton."
Jaci's eyes grew wide, and she scrambled to her feet. Despite a voice inside of her screaming for her to not answer the door, Jaci flung it open at the voice of her beloved professor.
"Professor Fenton!" she said with tearful relief. Out of habit, she flung her arms around him, so glad to see someone familiar to her.
Derrick was caught off guard but smiled as he held Jaci for a moment. "It's so good to see you," he breathed.
Jaci nodded and pulled back. "You too! But, what are you doing here?"
"Ah, well, my phone broke. Couldn't receive your messages. So I got worried."
"I thought you might have received the message I sent you earlier."
Derrick shrugged. "Nope. Are you okay?"
He stood back and looked Jaci over carefully. He frowned when he saw a bandage on her neck. "What's that?"
Jaci wasn't sure how to reply. Now that Derrick was standing there in front of her, and the thrill of seeing a familiar face was gone, all the things she had heard about him from Sunny, Taehyung, and Jungkook creeping back into her mind. Not to mention a tiny voice in her head screaming something about danger to her. She had been foolish, and she realized it now. She still had time to do some damage control, however.
"Ah, well, when I was hiking up the mountain, I ran into some low limbs." She smiled confidently and stepped back into the cabin. "Want to come in for a bit?"
"Are you sure you should be inviting me into someone else's home? Look, I'm not here to have tea and crumpets with you. I'm here to take you home."
Jaci frowned. "Why?"
Derrick sighed and looked anxiously behind him. Seeing no one, he turned back around. "I can't explain right now. You're in danger, though. I need to get you home. Grab your stuff."
Jaci fiddled with the doorknob. "I can't just leave."
"Why not? Go, hurry."
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
"When did you start questioning me so much?" he growled. Taking a deep breath, he shifted his stance and lowered his head. "Just...please, go get your things. We don't have a lot of time."
"Why? I told you I can't just leave. I'm on the verge of something amazing here, and I can't leave without thanking my hosts. And what kind of danger am I in?" Jaci slowly took another small step back. Something about Derrick Fenton was very off, and while she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was, she felt much more nervous with him than she expected she would.
Derrick's brow furrowed, and he glared at Jaci from under his eyelashes. "Jaci Aigle, I swear if you don't get your stuff and come with me now, you will regret it!"
"I am not coming with you when you're like this. You're not yourself, Professor." Jaci backed up more and managed to step behind the door. She began to push it closed, feeling frustrated because she was confused at her own reaction. This was her Professor, for crying out loud. Why was she feeling fear and anger when she saw him?
His hand shot out just as she was about to shut the door. He gripped the side of the door with so much strength that several cracks formed under his hand. Jaci gasped and took several steps away from the door.
Derrick pushed it open and stomped into the cabin. His nose curled, and anger was seething from him in waves. "Listen, I'm not playing games. I know who lives here, Jaci. I can smell them all over the place. You found your creatures, great. Now, let's go."
"I can't trust you right now," she whispered, the backs of her knees hitting a kitchen chair.
"Good grief, Jaci!" he shouted, making her startle. "I'm trying to save your life!"
"But these people don't want to kill me," she said softly.
"I never said they did! But they are bloodsuckers and overgrown dogs. There's a reason horror stories about them exist, Jaci. But I'm not here to save you from them today. I'm here to save you from something worse. Just please, for the last time, get your stuff. Come with me. I will protect you." His eyes were soft and pleading. His hand was outstretched, waiting for Jaci to grab it in return.
But she didn't. Instead, she took more steps away from him, shaking her head slowly. "I don't want to go. I promised I would stay in the cabin. Plus, you're scaring me."
Derrick closed his eyes and stood straight, dropping his hand down to his side. "Fine. Where did they go? We will go to them and explain and then leave."
Jaci shook her head. "I can't trust you. You're a-"
Derrick's nostrils flared with anger. "A what, Jaci? I'm a Hunter, is that what you were going to say? That's right. I'm a born member of the Hunter Society. And right now there's a Hunter with more power than me on the trail of the creatures you've been hobnobbing with. He won't have any mercy on you or them. So right now, I need to save the person who means more to me than anyone else, and that's you. I can't stop him, Jaci. He will find them, and if he finds you with them, he won't hesitate to kill you all."
He stepped closer, his gaze begging Jaci to believe him. "C'mon, Jaci, you have to believe me."
"I do believe you. But I know my friends won't let any of that happen."
"They don't have a choice here! They aren't calling the shots! Now, listen, we don't have any more time to waste!"
Heavy boots stepped onto the porch, plunking against the wood. "You're right, my pitiful accomplice, you don't have any more time."
Derrick froze, and Jaci saw panic and fear wash over his face. She looked behind him and saw one of the most hardened, evil-looking people she had ever seen. And right behind him was a smiling, sneering she-wolf.
* * *
"Hyung, I swear, if he comes at me, you have to stop him." Jungkook and Jimin had crossed Blood River and were almost back to the pack grounds.
"For the twentieth time, he won't do that," sighed Jimin. "He's grieving, Jungkook, but he's not being the Alpha he needs to be. His kids aren't allowing themselves to grieve because they're too worried over their father. He needs to snap out of this, if for no other reason than to be there for his kids."
"I dunno, Hyung. He's gone through this exact scenario twice now. It's got to damage a person."
Jimin nodded as the pair stepped over a large tree root across the path. "I know, Kook. Just try talking to him. See if you can get him to open his eyes and focus on something else rather than his own grief. It's eating him alive."
Jungkook had no response, and they finished their journey in silence. They came to a stop in front of Hoseok's cabin door, and Jimin gave Jungkook's shoulder a warm squeeze. Then he left, and Jungkook stood alone in front of the door.
He heard nothing coming from the inside, and his palms began to sweat. But Jimin was right. He couldn't just abandon Hoseok, even if the Alpha had abandoned him.
Reaching up to the door, Jungkook knocked firmly, loud enough for Hoseok to hear. He stood quietly as he waited for a response, but was dismayed to receive none. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the knob and turned it, pushing open the door slowly.
"Hyung?" he called softly, eyes scanning the living room he had walked into. He kicked off his boots and walked further into the house.
"Alpha? Can you hear me? It's Jungkook. I came to-"
A whoosh of air came from the hallway to his left, and Jungkook found himself pinned up against the wall of the living room.
"I told you what would happen if I saw your face again," growled Hoseok, his arm pinning Jungkook's neck to the wall.
Jungkook shifted and twisted, trying to get some air. "Jimin...asked..."
Hoseok growled and shoved his arm harder against Jungkook's neck. "That runt needs to mind his own. You've disobeyed my orders yet again!"
Jungkook felt his fear of being choked be pushed away by anger. Runt was not a nice name to call a werewolf. It was derogatory, degrading. After all Jimin had done for Hoseok, he did not deserve to be called such a thing.
Jungkook gathered all his strength and pushed out against Hoseok, knocking him to the floor. He finally got a good look at the grieving Alpha and felt his anger soften at the disheveled man in front of him.
Tears began streaming down Hoseok's cheeks, and he fumbled on the floor, lacking the energy to stand. He had used it all to threaten Jungkook. Sobs broke out from him, and after several awkward moments, he managed to get onto his feet.
"Get out," he choked.
Jungkook relaxed his shoulders and shook his head. "No," he whispered. "I'm not leaving you. Ga-Eun would hate me if I did that."
"Don't speak her name!" screamed Hoseok, stumbling backward over a navy wingback chair.
"Someone needs to say her name, Hyung. She was your mate, our Luna."
"Stop it! Just shut up! I won't let her name come out of the mouth of a traitor!" Hoseok gripped the back of the chair in an effort to hold himself up.
Jungkook felt immense pity and sorrow for his brother. "I'm not a traitor, Hyung. Luna wouldn't think I was. She even tried to help-"
"Shut. UP," screamed Hoseok, using what little strength he had to launch himself at Jungkook.
Jungkook merely caught his Alpha against him, wrapping him tightly in his embrace.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up," moaned Hoseok, sobs, and grief pouring into his voice.
Jungkook held him close, letting his Alpha cry and get his sadness out. "Let it out," he whispered.
"Why her?! She was the epitome of everything good in the world!" cried Hoseok, muffing his voice against Jungkook's shoulder.
"We should have grown old together. We should have raised our pups! I can't hear or feel her anymore, Jungkook! My head is silent. There's no bond anymore! Even my own wolf won't speak. It hurts so much, Jungkook. It hurts," wailed Hoseok, going slack in Jungkook's hold.
No more words came. Just heartbreaking cries and weeping, from both men.
* * *
"I can smell you two, you know," shouted Jimin across the small clearing that was at the entrance to the pack grounds.
"You always did brag about your incredible nose," mocked Taehyung, stepping out from behind a tall pine.
Sunny came out as well, waving to Jimin, who waved back with a smile. "We wanted to make sure Jungkook was okay, and also to pay our respects to your Luna."
Jimin nodded soberly. "He's talking to Alpha right now, and the funeral isn't until tomorrow."
"Yeah, we know," said Sunny, walking beside Taehyung. They stopped a few feet away from Jimin, silently asking for permission to step onto the pack grounds.
He grinned. "You've never asked permission before, why now?"
"It's a sober situation," grumbled Taehyung, "I didn't want to just barge in."
"C'mon. I'll take you to where Jungkook is. We can wait for him to finish with Alpha."
Sunny walked between Jimin and Taehyung, looking around the wolf camp with curiosity. She hadn't ever been here unless it was for a grievance. Never had the Kims been invited inside the pack grounds for a friendly visit.
"How is Hoseok?" she questioned, causing Jimin to sigh.
"He's not taking this well. I mean, who would, right? But I mean he is about as low as a wolf can go. I can't get him to eat or come out of his cabin. His kids can't see him, and he hasn't even been to see Luna's body. My mate and I have made all the decisions for her funeral. Jungkook is my last-ditch effort to get Hoseok to snap out of his own head."
"It must be incredibly painful for him," said Sunny.
Taehyung's hand found hers and held it firmly. She didn't miss the meaning of his gesture. He would be grieved also if something happened to her. She just hoped he wouldn't react like Hoseok.
"I can't imagine losing my mate not once, but twice. Losing a mate has been known to drive some wolves to madness, but to lose your mate twice? I'm not sure what trauma he will be left with."
The conversation dwindled to nothing as the trio came up to the Alpha's cabin. Taehyung gripped Sunny's hand tighter, and she found herself leaning into him. Jimin's head lowered, and they all stood in silence.
Because what could one say to the overwhelming sounds of a grieving, weeping Alpha?
AN: I am sorry for taking so long to get you guys an update. It might seem weird to you, but there are literally times when opening my WIPS gives me severe anxiety. It's been one of those months. I'm fighting my way back though, so keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Love you all and I hope you're enjoying Festa with our guys! 💜