"That's a wolf. He looks shady enough to know the answer to my question." Jungkook eyed the unknown werewolf from across a busy street.
Sunny and Taehyung sat in a bench, casually watching the pedestrians passing.
"Does he look like he's worth the risk?" asked Taehyung quietly after taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
"I'm not sure," mumbled Jungkook. He watched as the werewolf bent down to put the combination into the lock laced through the bicycle's tire.
He finally jerked his eyes away from the man across the street when he felt someone bump into him.
"My apologies," came a quiet voice in clear Korean.
Jungkook stepped to the side a few inches. "No problem," he replied hesitantly.
"Who are you looking for?" said the quiet voice.
Jungkook studied the small figure carefully. Everything that could identify them was covered. Eyes, hands, even their mouth since it was behind a mask. "And who are you?"
"Someone you will probably need," the stranger said.
Jungkook noticed the stranger was female, and as he drew in a deep breath he picked up on a distinctive scent.
"How do you know that?" he said, feeling Taehyung's looming presence right behind him.
She removed her sunglasses, and her eyes slowly cut over to Jungkook's. "I'm in the business of knowing things."
Jungkook eyed her through a narrowed gaze. "And why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't. At least not fully."
"What do you want?" said Taehyung coldly, tired of the chit chat.
Her eyes never left Jungkook. "I was enlisted by a friend to help you. Go to this address in one hour and we can talk there."
She shoved a crumpled paper into his hand. "And leave the bloodsuckers behind," she threw over her shoulder as she stepped off the curb.
After she reached the opposite side of the street, Jungkook lost sight of her.
"What was that about? Who was she, Jungkook?" Sunny stood beside him, looking up at him for answers.
"I don't know. I need to contact Hoseok."
* * *
Jaci stepped into the back of a luxury sedan parked in front of the house. In the driver's seat, Aydan sat, smiling into the rear view mirror.
"You look more nervous than you need to be," he said in a friendly tone.
Jaci gave him a tight smile and put her seatbelt on. The click of the buckle seemed to echo in the car due to the heavy silence.
"Music preference?"
"Ah...whatever you want to listen to. I'm not really a connoisseur of music," she said.
Aydan chuckled and put the car into gear. "Piano music it is, then. So, Miss. Aigle, Lord Zephyr tells me you're here because you have some questions."
Jaci felt uneasy with the line of conversation. "I'd rather ask him directly, if that's okay."
"Oh, of course. I'm not prying for specifics. I've been Lord Zephyr's assistant for a very long time. I'm not sure what you've heard about him, but you can certainly trust him."
Jaci licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. "How long have you worked for him?"
Aydan smiled straight ahead and tilted his head. "Long enough to forget exactly how long."
Jaci pondered his answer and her eyes widened as she realized the implications of it. "Are you...perhaps..."
"A werewolf? Yes, I am." Aydan's eyes glowed an icy blue as he met her gaze in the mirror.
Jaci wasn't sure if she felt relieved at being with a familiar being or more nervous because she was alone and vulnerable if he decided to turn on her. "I see."
"Not a lot of people come to see Lord Zephyr. It's been a rather long time since the last person came with questions. In fact, not many know about him at all."
"Why? Does he live in obscurity for a reason?"
Aydan smiled and shrugged. "That's for him to answer. We'll be at our destination soon. A word to the wise - Lord Zephyr is a very discreet person. Show him respect by using the same discretion. Also, you're walking into a pub filled with supernatural beings. Don't make eye contact and go right to the table. I'll be escorting you inside, but you won't see me again until it's time to go home. Understand?"
Jaci nodded, feeling her mouth go dry as the car slowed and stopped in front of a rather classy looking bar. This wasn't the atmosphere she really expected.
Aydan appeared on her side of the car and opened her door for her. After closing it, he held out his arm for her to take and she laced her arm through his after a moment's hesitation.
Aydan grinned and leaned down to her ear. "I'm the one you need to fear the least, small one."
His whisper sent shivers down her spine and she wondered just what she was walking into.
He led her not to the front of the building, but to the side and to a set of stairs that led to an underground level. Jaci hesitated at the top of the stairs and Aydan looked over at her.
"I won't let anything happen to you," he said softly, urging her forward.
Jaci decided to trust that statement and walked with him down the stone steps.
As the metal entry door was opened, she was met with an onslaught of loud music, the smell of alcohol, and the scent of sweat. Aydan never faltered and kept the two of them moving forward.
No one paid them much attention, except for a few women seated at the bar. Their heavily shadowed eyes scrutinized Jaci closely. But Jaci kept her eyes straight ahead, only noticing them out of her peripheral vision.
"Aydan! Who's the woman?" one of them called. "Is she why you never called me?"
Aydan completely ignored her brassy calls, and Jaci was amazed at his stoicism.
He led her around several corners and finally they reached the back of the pub, or was it a club at this point? Jaci was certainly confused. Several glass bottles were shattering from the direction they just came from, and it startled Jaci.
Aydan patted her arm with his other hand. "It's okay. Relax. I'll be nearby. Don't worry."
He slowly untangled their arms and gestured towards the last booth on the left wall. Jaci slowly approached it and as she rounded the corner of the booth, she saw an incredibly handsome man.
He seemed tall, was blond, and Jaci felt like she was looking at an angel, though she certainly knew otherwise. The small hints of gray at his temples were the only betrayer of his maturity. His eyes, though blue and bright, were sporting slight crinkles at the corners, indicating the often recurrence of smiles and laughs.
She looked past the booth as she sat down, but Aydan had completely disappeared.
"Miss Aigle, it's my pleasure to welcome you to my fair city," said Zephyr, his voice low with a bit of huskiness to it.
Jaci smiled and settled into her seat. "It's nice to meet you, Lord Zephyr."
Zephyr chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "Please, no formalities. I'm sure Aydan was calling me that when he spoke with you. He likes to flaunt my status to guests, but I feel it's just unnecessary pomp. So, Jaci, may I call you that?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Alright, Jaci, what brings you to me?" He leaned forward with his arms crossed on the table. His bright eyes bored into hers.
Jaci was momentarily flustered and leaned back further into her seat. "So, I guess I should start at the beginning?"
"That's usually the best option," he said, smiling.
After taking a deep breath, Jaci launched into her harrowing and confusing story, leaving out few details.
* * *
Jungkook was ready to rage through the entire city of London as the taxi he had gotten into drove slower than a turtle walking through peanut butter.
His fists clenched and unclenched with every decrease in speed. He pulled in his bottom lip and bit it to keep from throwing angry comments at the driver. He tried to focus on the person he was going to see instead of his slow transit.
He had spoken with Hoseok not long after the stranger had left. Hoseok had indeed contacted her to help with finding Jaci. She definitely had a reason to be secretive, but Hoseok wouldn't disclose that to Jungkook. All he said was that her name was Jiho, though in Britain, she went by the name of Wren. Hoseok assured Jungkook he could trust her and that she could help him with Zephyr.
The taxi finally slowed to a stop and this time it was in front of a scuzzy-looking apartment building. He threw some British bills at the driver, not caring if it was the right amount or not. He slammed the door behind him and walked at a quick clip to the front door. He found the right apartment number and hit the buzzer.
He was greeted with a return buzzer and the lock on the door clicked. He walked into a dim hallway and looked around. This felt crazy. He just wanted to find Jaci and make sure she was safe. This just seemed like worthless running around.
Finding the apartment door, he knocked loudly. The door swung open and there stood the stranger from earlier, unmasked and normal looking.
"Come in," she said.
Jungkook walked into the small apartment, wondering why anyone would want to live in a place like this.
"It's small, but it's home. I'm sure it pales in comparison to an entire mountain forest though," she said calmly, sitting down on one end of the sofa. "Please, sit down."
Jungkook awkwardly sat down, trying to relax in the presence of a stranger who seemed to know more about him than he knew about her.
"I'm assuming you called Hoseok," she said after a moment's silence.
Jungkook nodded. "Yes."
"Did he fill you in on all the details?"
Jungkook frowned. "Not enough. I still have no idea who exactly you are."
"Oh Jiho. My family immigrated to Britain before I was born. I was born and raised here. Went to college at Oxford. Met Ga-Eun and through her I met Hoseok. Ga-Eun and I were close friends. Because of our close friendship, she revealed what she was to me. But she didn't know I was hiding my own secret. I'm a half-breed. My father was a werewolf and my mother was a human. I can scent things like a wolf, but I can't shift."
"Is that how you knew my friends were vampires?"
Jiho nodded. "I hate their smell the most. That's why I said leave them behind." She smiled ruefully.
Jungkook found himself grinning. "I'll have to tell Sunny that she stinks. She'll love that."
Jiho laughed lightly and shifted in her seat. "Anyway, Ga-Eun worked closely with Zephyr, the most respected person in supernatural circles because of his vast knowledge and expertise with them. Also, because he's a werewolf, he can intermingle in those circles. He's developed quite a network of friends and acquaintances. He's brilliant, cunning, and shrewd."
Jungkook leaned back against the couch and sighed. "So you're saying I'm no match for him?"
"Intelligence wise? Probably not, no offense."
Jungkook grimaced. "None taken."
"But in strength? I mean, from looking at you, you look fairly strong." Her eyes raked over Jungkook, making him feel a bit uncomfortable, but he's ego was preening.
"Well, I've spent a lot of time climbing mountains, as you know," he said with a proud smile.
Jiho snickered. "Yeah, I can tell. Well, Hoseok told me to look out for you guys while you're here. I don't believe Zephyr to be any danger to your friend. He is too high profile to get dirty hands like that. But he is watched closely by some people you might know all too well."
Jungkook's expression became clouded with anger. "The Hunter Society?"
"Precisely. They keep him on close watch just to make sure he doesn't try to rise up and create havoc. He has that kind of power over people, but he isn't stupid enough to go up against the Society. They keep each other at arm's length."
"So if the Society is watching Zephyr, they will be watching who he talks to, right?" Jungkook felt his skin grow cold.
"Yes, but she's just a human, right? They won't care much about her. But you guys need to watch your backs. If they sense any trouble from you, they won't hesitate to take you out."
"How do you know so much about what they're doing?" Jungkook felt his muscles tense. Surely Hoseok wouldn't send him into a trap.
Jiho let out a heavy sigh and then looked him straight in the eye. "Because once upon a time, I was their informant."
* * *
"That is quite a story you just told me," said Zephyr, leaning back in his seat. His eyes stayed focused on Jaci, looking her over.
"It's not just a story. It's true. I lived it."
"So, you've come to me to figure out why you didn't shift. Am I correct?"
Jaci nodded slowly. "You seemed like the best option to start with."
"But I don't understand why Ga-Eun would send you to me. She would have had all the knowledge to help you." His eyes narrowed and his tone grew more wary sounding.
Jaci kept her expression as neutral as possible. Hoseok was very emphatic that she not tell Zephyr about Ga-Eun. "She wasn't around. I was impatient."
Zephyr pondered her answer and seemed to accept it. "Why so impatient? Is this werewolf, Jungkook, the reason for it?"
Jaci felt her cheeks grow warm.
"Ahh, so he is!" Zephyr smiled victoriously, as if discovering such a secret was a big battle win.
"Well, I do care about him. I feel like I'm just a disappointment at this point though."
"Why?"
Jaci swallowed and toyed with a small tear on one of her cuticles. "I feel like he got his hopes up. I guess we both did. And then when nothing happened, I didn't have the heart to face him. I saw the disappointment on his face. What good is a human to a pack Alpha?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "I thought Hoseok was the Blood Mountain Alpha?"
Jaci felt like her tongue had turned into jelly. "I mean, he is. Jungkook is going to start his own pack," she lied quickly.
Zephyr accepted this lie as well and nodded. "Well, I can't say a human would be no good to an Alpha. It's not an impossibility. But you are correct in assuming that it would be a tough road. You'd have to gain the acceptance of all the pack members. And your children, if you had any, would be half breeds. In the human world, mixed races aren't as big of a deal. But mixed species? Pardon the pun, but that's an entirely different animal."
Jaci felt as if the weight of the world was resettling on her shoulders. Her head lowered and she sighed. "I know. I know it all. I just need to make sure of things before I make the biggest decision of my life."
"You're grasping at straws, you know?"
Jaci's heart raced at his statement. Not because of her feelings, but because his words made her feel small and insignificant. Her head raised and she glowered at Zephyr. "I'm well aware I'm going out on a limb here. But before I break a very good man's heart, I need to make sure it's the right thing to do."
"But what does your heart tell you, Miss Aigle?" smiled Zephyr, resting his cheek on his upraised hand.
Jaci felt like a deflated balloon. "My heart tells me that it doesn't matter. But the heart can be deceitful. I need to be rational," she said, her voice gaining strength.
Zephyr eyed her with amused curiosity. "Very well. I will help you. But you need to know that I can't manipulate outcomes. I won't. If you're a late blooming werewolf, then so be it. If you're still a plain old human, so be it."
Jaci nodded firmly. "I will accept either outcome. I'm not asking you to fix anything. I just need you to help me understand."
"Then, my dear, I am fully at your service," he said, holding out his hand to her.
Jaci hesitated only a moment before reaching forward and gripping it firmly with her own hand.
"I do have one question I would like answered now, if you can," she said, releasing his hand.
"I bet you're wondering why I had you meet me here," said Zephyr.
"Exactly that," nodded Jaci, marveling at his intuition.
"Let's just say that some people do not appreciate me or my work. In here, I'm less likely to be eavesdropped on by said people." He picked up his water glass as he spoke, twirling it slowly.
Jaci's curiosity was even more piqued. "What people would that be?"
Zephyr looked at her over the rim of his glass as he swallowed the water. His eyes grew darker and one eyebrow raised high. "Just make sure to do what I say so that both of our lives aren't endangered."
AN: A friend gifted their mom with a hard copy of NLA. Her mom is 3/4's of the way through the book and though she doesn't know who wrote the book (I use a pen name and want to remain anonymous for now) she told her daughter to inform the author that there better be a sequel. Lol! She's really enjoying NLA. You guys are lucky you get to read the sequel early! 💜