"You should go enjoy the run with everyone else," mumbled Jaci, pulling back from Jungkook's strong embrace.
Jungkook peered down into her upturned face. Worry was evident in his expression. "I don't want to leave you."
Jaci put on her bravest smile and took two steps back. "Hey, I want you to go! I'm actually really tired. I think I'll go back and sleep early."
"Jaci, c'mon! Please talk to me!"
Jungkook looked confused as Jaci ignored his pleas. She turned and left the clearing, quickly disappearing into the darkness. His hands reached up to clasp the back of his head. Frustration and confusion filled his mind and he had no idea what to do next.
With a heavy sigh, he decided a run was probably the best option for clearing his head, and he shifted and listened for the rest of the pack. His ears tuned in to the rowdy barks of some of the pack and he took off.
* * *
Jaci returned to the pack grounds, amazed at how eery the quiet was. But as she walked closer to the cabin she was staying in, she passed by Hoseok's place. Lights were on, and she could hear voices coming from inside.
She stood outside of the cabin, needing answers and knowing only one person who might have an inkling of what those answers could be. Before she knew it, she was standing at Hoseok's front door, with a trembling hand ready to knock.
Suddenly, the door opened, startling her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you, but I smelled you a few minutes ago. Why aren't you with Jungkook?" Hoseok stood leaning against the door, having changed into a navy polo and khaki cargo shorts.
Jaci blinked, her heart still racing from being scared by the sudden opening of the door. She took a few deep breaths and tried to quiet her nerves. Speaking proved difficult however, as tears made her lips quiver and her voice wobble.
Hoseok sensed her difficulty and stepped back. "It's okay, Jaci. Come in."
Jaci hesitated only a moment before hurrying into the house.
Hoseok shut the door behind her and stood quietly.
"I...I'm sorry to invade your privacy," she murmured. "But obviously, I didn't shift. Nothing happened, actually. I can't even hear her voice anymore."
Jaci's head dropped lower as she spoke, her shoulders following suit.
Hoseok frowned and moved to stand in front of Jaci. "Really? Nothing at all?"
Tears dropped onto the hardwood flooring as Jaci shook her head.
"Wow...Ga-Eun had me believing you would turn into a full-blown werewolf this full moon. She was almost always right when it concerned things involving our werewolf sides." He crossed his arms and frowned even deeper. He paced the small hallway, his steps slow and determined.
"But if this really concerns you, we can go through her old journals and stuff?"
Jaci's head popped up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Please. I need answers."
Hoseok nodded. "I'll let the kids know what I'm doing. Hang on just a sec."
He disappeared into the living room and Jaci heard a few muffled words before he quickly returned.
"Okay, let's head to her study. It's right down the hallway here." Hoseok led the way with a little bounce in his step. He opened a door to reveal a bedroom sized office.
The walls were lined with old tomes and small bottles. Papers were haphazardly stacked on the corner of the small brown desk. It had a certain musty smell, most likely from the old books.
"Sorry for the mess," Hoseok murmured as he walked slowly into the room. "I haven't been in here since before...well, I just haven't had the stamina to clean it out. I will, just not right now."
His voice grew softer as he finished speaking. He picked up a book off one of the shelves and blew the dust off of the cover. "'Werewolf Lore and True Tales'. Hm, this seems like a good place to start."
He handed the book to Jaci, who held it reverently. "Take all the time that you need."
Then he left, shutting the door behind him.
Jaci looked around and felt she was in some fictional wizard's lair. But small feminine touches dotted the room. A single, now dead daisy stem in a narrow vase was set in the corner of the window. A purple cardigan laid across the desk chair. Photos of Ga-Eun with Hoseok and their children were in frames scattered across every available flat surface.
The room smelled of lilacs and rain.
Jaci sat down in the worn chair and laid the book down. A bright yellow notebook peeked out from under the book, and Jaci pulled it out to take a closer look. Flipping to the end, she found something that concerned her. It looked like a journal entry.
Subject is a female. Large bite mark on her neck from a werewolf. Going to try old school methods.
Reference : Monk's Hood - supposed to help prove the presence of a werewolf. Not deadly.
Presence was detected during application. Girl is definitely infected with the wolf enzyme. Waiting to see what happens during the full moon.
If a shift doesn't occur, get in contact with Zephyr.
Jaci nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at the last few words. Who was Zephyr?
Carrying the yellow notebook with her, she walked back out to find Hoseok. He was laughing with his children while they watched an animated film. It was a wonderful sight to see him smiling and to hear the children laughing. She almost hated to interrupt it.
"Hoseok? I'm sorry to bother you, but do you know anyone by the name of Zephyr?"
Hoseok's head turned to face her and his eyes were wide, showing his surprise. "How do you know about Zephyr?"
Jaci waved the notebook in the air. "It was laying on her desk. She had entries referencing me. Said if my shift didn't occur, she would get in touch with someone named Zephyr."
Hoseok rose from his seat and his face was set with a scowl. "I can't believe she would contact him."
Jaci blinked as she tried to decide just how irritable this had made Hoseok. "So, you know him?"
"Know him?" laughed Hoseok. "I wish I didn't. He was going to be mates with Ga-Eun. At least he was until I showed up and we were proven to be fated mates. He got very angry with me. Ga-Eun let him down very nicely, but nothing would placate him. If it wasn't for her, he might have ripped my arms off."
Jack nodded slowly. Her lips twitched with her question. "But how would he know what to do about me not shifting?"
Hoseok scowled even harder. "He's some kind of werewolf folklore guru. Basically, he's done nothing but study the history of our species. He knows just about everything. And if something goes wrong, he usually knows how to fix it. But he's also pretty arrogant. No self-respecting wolf would go to him unless they were desperate."
Jaci stared blankly at Hoseok.
"Yeah, okay, so maybe this situation counts as desperate." Hoseok opened a drawer on the hallway table and pulled out a phone.
"This was Ga-Eun's phone. His number should be in here." Hoseok frowned as he thumbed around on the screen.
"Okay. I have it."
A few moments later, Jaci was walking out of the former Alpha's cabin and looking at the new contact information on her screen. Her hands trembled as she contemplated whether or not to call. She had come too far to be chicken now. Gritting her teeth, she pressed the call button. A slight panic came over her as she forgot to ask where this Zephyr lived.
But she had no time to retreat as the phone was promptly picked up.
"Hello?"
Jaci's mouth ran dry and she swallowed thickly. "Hi, I'm trying to reach Zephyr?"
"Who are you?"
"I...I'm a friend of Ga-Eun's." So that might have been a tiny lie, but she had met the woman, at least once. Did it really matter if she was coherent or not?
A long pause made things awkward on Jaci's end.
"Hello? Did I call the right number?"
"How is she?"
Jaci wasn't sure this man wanted the correct answer. Perhaps she should keep Ga-Eun's death a secret until he had helped her out. Jaci knew this was selfish, but she didn't have time to monkey around.
"She's fine. Are you Zephyr?"
"Yes. I assume Ga-Eun gave you my number? And if so, why do you need me?"
Jaci took a deep breath. "How much time do you have?"
* * *
Jungkook had finished his run. It was more of a stress relieving run this time, versus a run for fun. However, he still felt a knot in his stomach and it was keeping him on edge.
He had stopped by a small changing cabin outside the camp limits, changing into some communal clothing that he would need to return later. He tiredly walked into the camp, raking his hands through his damp hair.
Nothing was making sense to him tonight. Except for the pack unanimously accepting him as the Alpha, nothing else had gone according to plan. His wolf was still silent, not even a peep coming from him during their run.
Jungkook was fighting a feeling of dread in his chest. Whatever was going on between him and Jaci was affecting more than just her. She had closed off their link, disabling him from poking into her thoughts. He had no inkling as to the problem, except that she hadn't shifted. But why hadn't she? What had gone wrong?
He knew he had to pass by Jaci's guest accommodations on his way to his own cabin, and he vowed to himself that if a light was on, he would stop and try to talk to her. If not, he would just confront her tomorrow morning.
However, as he turned down the path, he saw Jaci standing outside of her cabin, talking on her cellphone.
"Yes, thank you. I'll be on the first flight out. Yes, I'll message my itinerary. Okay, yes. Goodbye."
She hung up the call and her hands dropped to her sides. She let out a heavy sigh and moved forward to open her door.
"Jaci! Wait!" called Jungkook, hurrying over to her. Her head lowered and she paused, giving Jungkook a bad feeling.
"You left me earlier without explaining anything. I was worried about you."
"Did you enjoy your run?" she asked calmly.
"Jaci, please, talk to me. What's wrong?" Jungkook moved to her side and reached his hand up to gently brace the back of her neck.
Jaci moved out from under his hand. "I really don't know, Jungkook. But I think it's best if we keep our distance from one another. At least until I figure this out."
"You figure it out? Jaci, I'm not letting you deal with this alone. I am your mate! Let me help you. Please?"
Jaci's eyes shot upward to meet his, while flashes of frustration danced in hers. "You're my mate? I'm your mate?! Jungkook, in case you didn't notice I never shifted! That wolf voice in my head has gone silent. I can't even communicate mentally with you anymore! Just who is who's mate? Obviously nothing worked out like everyone thought it would."
Jungkook's hand dropped to his side as she spoke, anger filling her voice more and more. At least he now knew she hadn't purposely shut him out.
"So, you didn't shift. So what! That doesn't make my feelings for you any less," he protested.
"Feelings? Based on some folklore about the moon? C'mon, Jungkook. We're both adults here. Did you only care about me because you perceived a connection? Can you honestly say you love me because I'm Jaci Aigle, supernatural researcher from America? Or do you just love me because you imagine that the moon put me in your path to be your fated mate?"
Jungkook took a step back, her words causing him a deep hurt. But they also made him stop and think. Her question was valid. Why did he have feelings for her?
"Look, I don't really expect you to answer. Anyway, I'm leaving tomorrow."
Jungkook blinked and stepped back into reality. "What? Why? Where are you going?"
"I need to find some answers. I'm going to London. Ga-Eun had a friend there that apparently Hoseok thinks can help me. I'm going to go see him and figure this whole mess out."
"London? Why? It's so far away. Can't you just talk to him over the phone? Do you really have to leave?"
Jaci felt her heart break a little at the tears she heard welling up in Jungkook's voice. Her own eyes began to sting and she blinked rapidly to try and keep her tears from escaping.
"Jungkook, I'm not abandoning you. But I have to do this for myself. I'm sorry, but I have to go in person. There's a lot of checking that has to be done in person. I don't know when I'll return."
Jungkook turned his head, his jaw flexing as he chewed on the inside of his cheeks. "You mean if you return, right?"
"Jungkook -"
Jungkook jerked away from her outstretched hand. "Your voice sounds like you're pitying me. Don't do that to me. Just go and figure everything out. When you come back, we will figure us out."
With that, he turned and left, leaving Jaci alone in the white light of the full moon.