"Aydan will take you home. For your safety, we will travel separately."
Zephyr's warnings had taken root in Jaci's mind. She felt more on edge now than she had before she walked into the pub.
Aydan appeared from behind the booth and held his hand out to help Jaci up.
"Make sure she gets home safely, Aydan," smiled Zephyr. "I'll meet you back at the house." He turned to walk the opposite direction of Aydan and Jaci, only to find himself nose to nose with a seedy looking man.
"'Oy. What's with the 'uman?" he said in a heavy accent.
"Friend, you seem quite inebriated. Perhaps, your friends would help you to find a seat," said Zephyr, his voice staying friendly, but his smile was ice cold.
Jaci felt Aydan grip her arm and slowly tug her behind him.
"Stay behind me," he whispered.
Jaci peeked around his arm. The tension in the room was growing thicker.
"You know the rules," said the drunken man, thumping his finger into Zephyr's chest.
"Look, Reid, don't make no trouble in 'ere," said the bartender, a willowy man who looked to Jaci to be in his mid forties.
"Yes, listen to Jake, Reid," warned Zephyr.
"If you're gonna bring a 'uman in 'ere, you gotta let us all know," grumbled Reid, his finger still pressing into Zephyr's crisp white dress shirt.
Zephyr looked down slowly at the filthy finger. "You've smudged my shirt. Aydan, he smudged my shirt."
He looked over his shoulder and Jaci saw his angry frown.
"Ah, that's too bad," snickered Aydan.
"I don't give a care about your shirt," said Reid, getting louder. He pressed his finger even harder into Zephyr's chest and rubbed his finger on the shirt, creating a darker spot.
Zephyr's neck cranked back around and stared down at the much shorter man. "Who I bring into this pub is my business. It is none of your concern," he said, his voice lowering and ending in a growl.
With lightning fast moves, he grabbed Reid by the neck and hoisted him up off the floor. His fingers had become clawed, and the claws dug into Reid's neck without mercy. The man grasped at Zephyr's hand, croaking and gagging. His own eyes had turned orange, his teeth becoming the fangs of a wolf.
"I will never tolerate such disrespect from a low rank such as yourself," snarled Zephyr.
"He just wanted to voice his opinion!" shouted one of Reid's friends, bravely trying to stand up for his friend.
Aydan shot past Zephyr, his own claws grabbing the man and throwing him against a far wall. "Anyone else want to speak up? I'm not even warmed up yet."
Reid was gasping and begging his friends to shut up. Zephyr dropped him to the concrete floor, brushing his hands together with a disgusted expression.
"But why is this woman so important to you?"
Zephyr and Aydan turned to see the woman who had yelled at Aydan earlier. Her arm was around Jaci's neck, pulling her head to the side so her racing pulse was clearly visible. Fangs protruded from the woman's mouth, her eyes a deep red.
"I mean, I get why some pathetic human would catch your worthless assistant's eye. But you, Zephyr? I thought you had better taste," she said, bringing her fangs precariously close to Jaci's skin.
"Oh, Clara, darling. I do have better taste," said Zephyr, a dark smile resting on his lips.
"Clearly not!" she shouted back.
Jaci's eyes caught Aydan's and he held her gaze as if to reassure her she would be okay. But she didn't feel it. She closed her eyes, trying to limit the sources of fear surrounding her.
Anxious thoughts raced through her mind such as if only she had asked Jungkook to come with her. If only she had told him exactly what she was feeling. If only she had believed in him. Trusted him. Let him help her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as the woman's arm clamped down tighter on her neck.
Jungkook, I'm so sorry.
"You bore me, Clara. Really." Zephyr leapt forward, knocking Clara backwards and onto the floor.
Aydan raced forward as well, grabbing Jaci around the waist before she hit the cold floor.
"I've got you," he whispered.
Patrons began to scramble back as Zephyr tore into the vamp who had dared to touch his guest.
He slowly rose from the carcass on the floor. Looking over his shoulder, he muttered to Aydan, "Looks like I've ruined another shirt."
Aydan nodded slightly and whisked Jaci out of the pub and away from the impending mayhem. Growls, snarls, and screams followed them out, stopping completely when the heavy metal door slammed shut behind them.
Jaci was trembling, clearly shaken up from her near-death experience.
"Come, beautiful, let's get you somewhere safe."
"What is happen-" Jaci struggled to say, looking back at the door.
Aydan cut her off and pulled her forward. "Just some cleanup. Don't worry about it."
He opened the back door to the luxury sedan and settled Jaci into her seat, then pulled her seatbelt across, clicking it into place. He grabbed a blanket from the trunk and tucked it around her shivering torso.
"There, that should help you calm down," he said softly, gently brushing back a few strands of her hair from her face.
Jaci closed her eyes tightly as he started the car and pulled away from the pub. Her heart was running at such a fast speed she felt it was going to beat out of her chest. All she could think about was Zephyr's cold eyes and the sounds of the woman being torn to shreds.
Jungkook, I am so sorry.
The thought ran in her mind over and over as the car drove through the darkened streets.
***
Jungkook stood up from the sofa and sighed. "So, where do we start to look? I want Jaci to get the answers she's looking for, but I need to know she's safe while she's at it."
Jiho nodded and stood as well. "I'll check with my network and get info on what's happened since she arrived in London."
Jungkook nodded slowly and shoved his hands into his black, leather jacket pockets. "Thanks, Jiho."
"No problem," she said, pausing to pull her phone out of her pocket. "I think we may have some info for you," she said, looking up with a sober expression.
"What?" Jungkook's nerves were so on edge he felt like he would explode.
Jungkook, I'm so sorry.
His head spun and looked around the room. Had he just heard Jaci's voice? Was he going crazy?
"Seems like some unwise patrons provoked Zephyr into a bar fight. And now a vamp is threatening your girl."
"Get me the address, now," growled Jungkook. Jiho sent it to his phone and he sent it on to Taehyung and Sunny, asking them to meet him at the pub. He would need their help if vampires were involved.
"We can't just barge in there. We will be putting my source in danger," said Jiho firmly.
"Your source is of no consequence to me," snarled Jungkook, his eyes bright gold. "I'm going, with or without you."
Jiho huffed out a sigh of frustration and grabbed her jacket off the hook by the door. "Fine, let's go."
***
Jaci's nerves had calmed a little by the time the car stopped at a smaller house than she remembered leaving. She now felt drained, since the adrenaline had all worn off. Her eyes were too heavy to stay open and ask questions.
Aydan opened the door and gave her a look-over. He never said a word, just reached in and scooped her up into his arms, and held her close to him. "I'm sorry, Jaci. I didn't keep my word," he whispered to her.
Jaci laid her head on his shoulder, too tired to respond, so she just patted his chest lightly, letting him know it was okay.
Josie met them at the door. "Is she alright?"
"Yes, just coming down off an adrenaline high. I'll put her in her bed, but can you see to her care? I need to be ready for Lord Zephyr's arrival. He will be needing my assistance."
Josie nodded and followed Aydan up a flight of stairs and into a small room. She opened the door and stepped back so he could walk in with his arm load.
Aydan gently laid Jaci down, not surprised when she instinctively grabbed his shirt in her hands. "It'll be okay, small one. Josie will get you ready for bed, and get you some warm tea and something to eat. I'll be back to check on you."
His soft tone sang into Jaci's ears like a lullabye. She relaxed her grip and allowed him to walk away.
Josie was right next to her then, helping her undress. It was weird being taken care of like a baby. But honestly, Jaci wouldn't have been able to even lift her arms and she so wanted the stench of that vampire off of her.
"You're going to be just fine, my dear," said Josie softly. "Aydan will make good on his word. And don't worry about anything. You're safe now. No one else can harm you, especially not here," she said quietly.
Jaci relaxed and let the woman do her job. When she was changed, she snuggled herself into the clean, lavender scented sheets. Josie pressed the blankets around her and left the room after promising to bring back some tea and food in a bit.
Jaci knew this wasn't the room she was shown at the stone house. This room was smaller, less lavish. But she didn't have the energy to think about it. Soon, she was sound asleep.
***
Jungkook nearly ripped the door to the basement bar off its hinges as he tore it open.
"Whoa, I know you're worried, but let's not draw more attention to ourselves," said Jiho.
Taehyung sneered at her and shoved her to the side as he and Sunny hurried to follow Jungkook down the stairs.
They entered the pub and then stopped in their tracks.
"What on earth..." said Sunny, dumbfounded at what she saw.
Jungkook became frantic, racing from dead body to dead body, looking at each one for merely a second before moving to the next.
Jiho ran in, ignoring the carnage filling the bar. "Jake!" she called.
A man with a small black apron on stepped out from around a corner. "Yeah, I'm still here."
Jiho let out a sigh of relief. "He went off, didn't he?"
Jake nodded slowly and looked around hopelessly. "My clientele numbers just dropped drastically."
"She's not here! Her scent is here, but I can't find her," shouted Jungkook, becoming more angry and frantic. He saw Jiho standing near a thin man and he rushed over, grabbing the man by his shirt. "Where is she? Tell me!"
Taehyung rushed forward, grabbing Jungkook's arms. "Calm down. This won't help us," he said forcefully.
Jungkook didn't relent, instead responding by shaking the man repeatedly.
"Jungkook, stop!" shouted Jiho. "He's my source! He told me what was happening. He's not a threat!"
Sunny came up to Jungkook's other side, laying her hand gently on his tight bicep. "Kookie, put him down. He's a friend, not an enemy."
Jungkook, though still quite enraged, slowly lowered Jake back to the ground. His golden eyes cut quickly over to Sunny and tears were pooling in them. Through his clenched teeth, he said, "I heard her, Noona. I heard her. I need to find her. I don't...I don't have time to waste," he ground out.
Sunny nodded and lifted her hand to softly rub his cheek. "We will, Kook. If you heard her in your head, it means she's still alive. She's not completely helpless. Trust her, okay?"
"You okay?" Jiho asked Jake.
"Yeah. Look, brother, your girl is safe with Zephyr and his assistant. They protected her. And while I can't give you more info, Aydan did rush her out of here. I wish I could tell you where they went."
"Why can't we just go to his house?" asked Sunny.
Jiho's hands rested on her hips and she looked around at the dismal scene. "Because I guarantee he isn't there. Not after creating a mess like this, at least."
"Then where?" asked Taehyung with measured impatience.
Jiho looked at Jungkook. "Considering he had his assistant take her away before he started raging, he probably has no intention to hurt her. But look around you, Jungkook. This is what happens when you tick off a four hundred-year-old werewolf. We have to tread more carefully."
Jungkook's jaw flexed severely as she spoke.
Taehyung and Sunny exchanged glances. They both knew the look on Jungkook's face.
"Jungkook, I need you to come with me," said Taehyung, leaving no room for disobedience.
Jungkook looked thoroughly annoyed as he glared at Taehyung. "Hyung, I'm not in the mood."
"Oh, I'm well aware of what mood you're in. But I've known you since you were very young. And right now I can read you like a book. Now, stop blabbering and come on."
Jiho blinked in confusion as Sunny and Taehyung led Jungkook out of the blood-covered bar. She turned to Jake and he simply shrugged.
"Yeah, me either," she said. "Thanks for the tip. Want me to help you clean up?" she asked, weakly sweeping a hand over the room.
"No. My guys will be here soon. I'll be closed for a few days, just to give you a heads up."
Jiho nodded and walked to the door, glass crunching under her boots and blood splattering the tops.
***
Taehyung, Sunny, and Jungkook were standing at the edge of a darkened forest. The moon was shielded by the clouds and thus, the forest was dark as ebony.
"What are we doing, Hyung? She's not here!" grumbled Jungkook.
"You need a run. Now, lose the clothes. No sense in ruining a good outfit," said Sunny.
"My wife is correct. Now, go run, get it all out of your system, and come back with a clear head," said Taehyung gruffly. "I, for one, can't work with an angry werewolf. It's unpleasant to say the least."
"As if you've been around so many," scoffed Jungkook. "I told you, I don't have time to waste."
"But you're no good to her if you rush in with your emotions all in a frenzy. You'll just put her in more danger, Kookie," said Sunny gently. "Think of what's best for Jaci right now."
Jungkook knew she was right. His mind was so clouded with every emotion he could think of broiling like a mighty storm. "Fine," he acquiesced.
He removed his jacket and kicked off his boots, looking at Taehyung expectantly.
"When you're ready," smirked Taehyung.
Sunny turned her back, giving Jungkook the respect he deserved. When she heard a loud howl come from behind her, she turned around. She had yet to really take in Jungkook's Alpha transformation.
The fur around his neck had thickened considerably. His paws were bigger. He was just bigge! And his eyes seemed to glow even brighter. She stood in awe of the gigantic Alpha in front of her, knowing he could tear her open with one swipe of his claws.
"Now?"
Sunny noticed his voice had gotten deeper also in this form. She was simply in awe.
Taehyung flicked his hand and large white flakes began falling over the forest in torrents.
The mighty Alpha spun on his paws and disappeared into the forest and then all was silent again.
"I wish you looked at me like that," said Taehyung, pouting at his wife.
Sunny rolled her eyes and giggled. "I have other looks for you, babe."
"Oh yeah? Care to give me a demonstration?" he said, reaching out and putting his hand around her waist. He tugged her forward into his arms, their faces nearly touching.
"It's too dark," she said, a demure smile on her face.
"Hm, my loss then," mumbled Taehyung, lowering his mouth to her own, tasting the sweetness of Sunny's lips.
"Seriously, why are vampires always ready to shag at a moment's notice?"
Taehyung growled and his gaze shot over to the voice. "Took you long enough."
Jiho shrugged and tapped her nose. "Well, since you didn't tell me where you were going, I had to play bloodhound."
Sunny cleared her throat and stepped back from Taehyung, but lacing her hand with his. "Jungkook was in dire need of a shift, and a run."
"I sensed that as well. He has a lot on his shoulders," mused Jiho, staring into the murky darkness of the forest. She looked up and held out a hand. "Hm, I don't remember snow being in the forecast."
Taehyung grinned smugly at her words. Sunny playfully bapped his arm.
"How long should he be gone?" asked Jiho, offering up no more questions about the weather.
"As long as it takes," said Taehyung, irritation creeping up in his voice.
"Okay. No problem. And uh, carry on. I'll try not to listen." Jiho walked past the two vampires, standing at the edge of the forest.
Sunny watched her and looked at Taehyung. "She's strange," she whispered.
"Not as strange as you were," teased Taehyung, causing Sunny to laugh.
***
Jiho was unable to ignore the banter behind her. She envied the trio of people she had just met. Their ability to laugh in the midst of such chaos was almost as enviable as Taehyung and Sunny finding true love in each other. And Jungkook was a full werewolf who could shift and run at his leisure, letting his wolf side completely break through and take control.
She had none of that. No one wanted a half breed. No one cared about her. She was an orphan. An outcast. An untouchable. A former snitch.
She looked up at the overcast sky, a few snowflakes drifting down to her cheeks. She had made her bed, and now she must lie in it.
But was she destined to always lie in it alone?
AN: I pounded this out in about 1.5 hours. I hope you enjoyed it, and that it made sense. See you next time, lovely readers. 💜