"Welcome back," said Aydan, holding the back door open for his master.
"I feel like I just ran a terrifying marathon. I'm getting too old for this." Zephyr stepped inside the door, and kicked off his blood-soaked shoes onto the multi-colored braided rug situated just inside the doorway. His socks were also peeled off and dropped beside his shoes.
"You could have just walked away," muttered Aydan. He stood behind Zephyr, pulling his coat off, and then his suit coat. Both were soaked clean through with blood.
"Yes, you're correct, I very well could have. However, they chose to attack my guest. I won't stand for it. An example needed to be made. However, I now feel disgusting."
Aydan held back his remark of "You look disgusting too." It wouldn't help anything anyway. "Zephyr, what are your thoughts on this girl? Is she legitimate?"
Aydan dropped the clothing Zephyr kept shedding into a black plastic garbage bag. There was no point in saving them. He would have to order more from the tailor tomorrow.
Zephyr stopped, a hand resting on the band of his briefs. "I think she is. And I know Ga-Eun wouldn't have sent her if she wasn't. I implicitly trust Ga-Eun, therefore I trust this girl."
He paused and looked back over his shoulder at Aydan. "Please let her know I will be visiting her as soon as I'm cleaned up. I want to make sure she made it through tonight's ordeal with limited damage." Zephyr turned and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Aydan finished disposing of the soiled clothing and then went to the small kitchen to wash his hands. After drying them on a towel embroidered with "Home Sweet Home" in a shabby red thread, he looked at the small staircase. He plopped the towel onto the counter and walked up to Jaci's room. He rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles and then waited for permission to enter.
When he received none, he contemplated just walking away. But Zephyr wanted to see her, so he had best wake her up.
He stepped into the room and saw Jaci on the vintage wrought-iron bed, sleeping soundly. Her side table light was still on, casting a warm yellowish tint over the room. Aydan pulled up the wooden spindle chair from the corner of the room and sat down next to Jaci's bed. He watched her for a few moments as his thoughts tried to sort themselves out.
This girl was a mystery. She certainly smelled like a werewolf, albeit faintly, but any other physical traits were glaringly absent. He watched her groan softly and roll onto her back. Her hair fell back to the pillow and he saw, for the first time, a wound on her neck.
He leaned forward and inspected it with great scrutiny. Had it always been there? Had she gotten it during the fight? It looked like a bite mark, but definitely not a result of mating. It's edges were red and puckered, pink lines radiating out from it across her otherwise unblemished neck.
Something was definitely off about this girl. But he trusted Zephyr. And if Zephyr trusted Ga-Eun, thereby trusting Jaci, then he would too.
He decided he had been creepy enough and reached out to lightly shake Jaci's shoulder. "Jaci, I'm sorry to wake you, but Lord Zephyr wants to talk to you in a few minutes."
She groaned and turned her head away, but her hand reached up to her neck and she grimaced and whimpered. "Hurts," she mumbled, still half asleep.
"I will get you something for it soon. Can you wake up, please?"
Jaci flopped her head back over to look at Aydan through bloodshot eyes. "Can't he wait until morning?"
"I'm afraid not," chuckled Aydan. "He's a pretty impatient man. He should be up any second, and as soon as he knows you're okay, he'll let you go back to sleep." He leaned back in the chair, and crossed his legs, placing his ankle on his opposite knee.
"Mm," grunted Jaci. She sat up and her head dropped forward as her eyes closed once more. Her hair fell down to become like a curtain around her face.
"Jaci," said Aydan, getting her attention once more. "Do you want some tea?"
Jaci slowly pulled her head up and opened one eye. "Decaffeinated?"
"I'm sure I can drum some up," he said, grinning.
She slowly nodded her head. "Then yes."
"May I come in?" said Zephyr, walking through the door he had just opened. "I didn't knock because I heard your voices."
He strode over to Jaci's bedside and rested his hands on his hips. "And how is my guest? She looks sleepy."
"I had to wake her up to meet with you," said Aydan, smiling fondly at Jaci.
"Oh, really? I guess I could have checked on her in the morning then."
"That's what I said," whined Jaci, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it to her chest.
"Aydan, give us a few moments?" Zephyr gave Aydan the look that left no room for dissent. Aydan rose and excused himself, promising to return soon with some tea.
Zephyr took Aydan's place in the chair, and made himself comfortable.. "Are you sure you weren't hurt tonight?"
His eyes swept over her looking for any injuries. They froze as they came to the wound on her neck. He leaned closer and frowned, his mouth tightening into a straight line.
"Is that from tonight?" he asked, pointing towards the mark. He reached forward and grazed it with the pad of his thumb.
Jaci quickly recoiled in pain, and then covered it with her hand, becoming embarrassed in the process. "No, it's not."
"It's clearly a bite mark. But from whom?" said Zephyr softly. His wide eyes searched for hers, seeking even a shred of information.
Jaci's eyes stayed hidden beneath her hair as she glanced up at him. He truly seemed invested in her answer. She frowned and returned her gaze to the blanket across her lap. "Someone who saw me as a threat."
"You? You hardly look formidable," he said with a quiet laugh, leaning back in his chair again.
"She was a werewolf, and she attacked me. Left me with this." Her hand didn't touch the wound as she pointed at it. "It was nearly healed when I left Korea, but since then it's become raw again."
Zephyr frowned. "Does it get better when you're around the Alpha you told me about?"
"Jungkook?" Just saying his name made goosebumps appear in her arms.
She nodded. "Yes. I spent quite a bit of time with him and his pack. It was no more than a faded, silver scar when I left Korea."
Zephyr hummed and sat back in his seat. "And you have no idea why it keeps healing and then reverting?"
"No, none at all. I was told you were the leading expert on werewolf lore. Please tell me you can help me understand what's happening to me."
Zephyr felt an overwhelming sense of sadness coming from his guest. Her tear-filled eyes, her quivering voice, the nervous fidgeting she was doing with the pillow in her grasp - all screamed that she was desperate.
"I promise I will do everything in my power to get you the answers you crave," he said, lowering his voice and speaking gently to her.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and splattered onto her hands.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Zephyr cleared his throat and smiled, attempting to lighten the dour mood of the room. "Are you sure you're okay and not damaged from the fiasco earlier?"
Jaci nodded and wiped her hands down her face, erasing the tears that had begun to fall. "I wasn't hurt."
Zephyr accepted her words. She looked fine, with the exception of that mark, and she was proving she was still in her present mind the more she spoke.
"Very well. I won't bother you more tonight. Tomorrow morning we will begin our investigation into the root cause of your problems."
Jaci nodded and watched Zephyr leave the room. She wasn't left alone with her thoughts for long as Aydan returned with a small tray.
"He's already gone?"
"Yes, we agreed to talk more tomorrow." Jaci watched as Aydan lifted a delicate white cup with blue flowers painted on it from the tray. He held it out to her and she took it with both hands, like a child would.
"I know this is probably rude to ask, but do you have any sugar for it?"
Aydan laughed and grabbed a small bowl from the tray. "You Americans and the need for sugar in your tea. I should find it offensive, but for you, I will allow it."
Jaci grinned as she held out her cup for him to drop several square blocks of sugar into it. When she was offered a small spoon, she took it and slowly stirred the brown liquid. When she looked up from the cup, she pointed her attention to Aydan.
"This is not the house I met you in. Where are we?"
Aydan took a deep breath and leaned back in the chair. "This is one of our safe houses."
Jaci froze and stared at him incredulously. "A safe house? Why?"
Aydan's lips pursed and he clicked his tongue a few times. "Lord Zephyr tries to keep a relatively low profile. Tonight's incident would have raised the level of his visibility exponentially."
Jaci stared blankly. "Huh?"
Aydan sighed and leaned forward. "You know about the Hunter Society, so you must know what it is like to be hunted by them?"
Jaci looked back down at her cup. She sadly nodded her head. "Not me personally. But I saw how they treated other supernatural beings. They kill without mercy and ask questions later."
"You've actually seen them, then? Not just heard of them?" Aydan's eyes grew wider as he spoke.
"Yes? You're saying you never have?"
"Of course," he said, quietly laughing nervously. "Though we do try to avoid them at all costs."
"Yeah, I can understand that."
"Well, anyway, we have a very tenuous relationship with the Hunter Society. We behave, and they leave us alone. However, the incident tonight will be sure to be met with some blowback."
Jaci's brow furrowed. Her hands began trembling and her eyes filled with stinging hot tears.
Aydan felt awful after he observed her response. "I don't mean that you're in danger! Oh dear. I'm sorry, Jaci. I'm not trying to make you afraid."
"It's okay," she whispered. She reached over and handed her cup back to him. "I'd like to be alone now."
Aydan frowned as he returned the cup to the tray. "You aren't responsible for tonight's incident, Jaci. The Society won't come for you. And even if they decide to retaliate,, they would have to look long and hard to find us here. You are safe here. I promise."
Jaci slid down beneath the blankets and turned her back to Aydan. He clicked off her bedside light and left, shutting the door softly.
Jaci's tears let loose and her pillow was soon soaked beneath her face. She cried for Ga-Eun. She cried for Derek. And then she cried for herself. If only she had stayed back in Korea. Then the meeting between she and Zephyr wouldn't have happened, and the Hunters wouldn't be invading her life again.
***
"We will regroup in the morning and determine a plan from there," said Jiho, leaving Jungkook in front of his hotel. She disappeared without a sound into the foggy night.
Jungkook sighed and looked up at the cloudy night sky. The scents of the city were becoming less invasive to his nose and his ears had quickly learned to tune out the white noise of the bustling metropolis.
Or maybe his ears were only listening for one special sound.
He felt almost a desperate need to just hear her voice. His chest constricted as he acknowledged that he had spent one more day without actually hearing it. Another day without her face. Another day without her scent, her friendship, her companionship.
He turned to go into the hotel and the hair on the back of his neck began to tingle. His hand held still on the door handle as his eyes shifted from side to side. His skin began to prickle and his nostrils flared. His eyes flickered and his claws slowly began to protrude from his fingertips. His head jerked to the left as he looked over his shoulder, a snarl forming on his lips.
He was being watched, perhaps even followed, by someone or something. His eyes scanned the area, focusing on the shadows of the alleyways and buildings. Parked cars, people hanging around the bar one block down, all of it was scanned by eyes the color of brilliant gold.
And yet, they found nothing that merited the reaction of his senses. Still, he felt on high alert, knowing he would be unable to rest for quite a while.
His eyes kept scanning the areas around him as he entered the hotel and pressed the button for one of the elevators. The shiny golden doors showed him his reflection, allowing him to see his eyes in all their brilliant glory.
But it wasn't his own reflection he was focused on. It was the man, sitting on a sofa in the lobby with a magazine that was the focus of his gaze. The man appeared to be simply reading, his eyes scanning over a page for but a moment before he turned the page.
The elevator doors opened and Jungkook stepped inside the empty car. As he turned, his eyes locked gazes with the man, who was no longer enthralled with his magazine. His top lip was shadowed by his dark mustache, but as the elevator doors slid closed, Jungkook saw a sardonic smirk transform the man's appearance.
Jungkook jabbed the button for his floor and his feet tapped nervously on the floor. After what felt like more time than it should have, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened.
"Don't you know it's healthier to take the stairs?" said the man from the lobby, his voice gravelly and coarse.
Jungkook rushed at the man but was met with brute strength, shoving him to the back of the elevator car and into the wall. The wooden handrail pressed firmly into his waist as the doors closed once more.
The man shot his leg back and his foot hit the number pad, locking in several floors. As the elevator began to move, his arm shoved harder against Jungkook's throat. With a dark smile, the man flung his leg out once more, hitting the stop button with practiced precision.
"Now, we're going to have a little chat. And you," he said, jabbing his elbow into Jungkook's collarbone, "are going to cooperate fully."
"Over my dead body," snarled Jungkook, fighting against the man's killer grip.
"That can, and will be, arranged," snickered the man.
***
"Why hasn't he come up yet?" said Sunny, climbing into the big bed and tucking her feet and legs under the blankets.
Taehyung came out of the bathroom in his white t-shirt, wiping his face with a fluffy white towel. "No idea. Maybe he's still talking with that woman."
"Yeah, but I just looked down at the street and I didn't see either of them." Sunny's brow creased with worry.
"Want me to go find him?"
Her worried expression melted into a pleasant smile. "Would you? I don't care if he's having a conversation or something, but I'm just feeling uneasy."
Taehyung walked over and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "It's a big city, a new environment. Of course you'd be uneasy. But don't worry. Jungkook has always been able to take care of himself."
Sunny leaned into her husband's gentle touches and smiled. "I know. I guess it's just an old habit."
"Lay down and get some rest. I'll get to bed when I get back." Taehyung grinned as he watched Sunny slide down into the blankets, her dark hair spreading out like silken threads over the white pillow. He pressed the blankets around her and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.
With a sigh of irritation, he slipped on his shoes and left the room. He looked up and down the hall but saw no sign of Jungkook. Annoyed, but not alarmed, he shuffled down to the elevator, his hands tucked into the pockets of his red flannel plaid pajama pants.
Pressing the button, he waited. He pressed the toe of his shoe into the elaborate carpet designs. After a few moments, he stretched out his long pointer finger again and pressed the button to call for the elevator. However, it seemed stalled on the tenth floor.
Taehyung's head slowly tilted to the side as he stared at the lit number ten. When the light finally ticked off, his eyes narrowed. He watched as the light cycled through floor numbers nine and eight, before stopping at seven. Then it began moving a few moments later until it reached the fourth floor.
He watched the doors slide open and the sight he saw inside the elevator made him sick and angry. He rushed forward and slid on his knees across the blood-covered floor.
"Jungkook!" he called as he carefully scooped Jungkook up into his arms. The werewolf's head lolled to the side, and his body was limp.
Taehyung groaned as he stood up from the floor of the elevator and turned, then walked out of the elevator. His white shirt quickly became covered in Jungkook's blood, and the scent of the blood only served to stoke the fire of Taehyung's rage.
With his arms full of his friend's broken body, he stomped back to their room and kicked open the door. He didn't care about the key at this point. He just wanted to get Jungkook in bed and evaluate how terrible his wounds really were.
Sunny sat up quickly as her husband came into the room. "Jungkook?!"
"Someone attacked him in the elevator," growled Taehyung as he carefully laid his friend in the second bed.
"Who?" gasped Sunny, as she came closer, kneeling on the bed beside Jungkook.
"Smelled like Hunter all over that elevator."
"You think they tracked us here?" Sunny's dark eyes were wide with anxious fear.
"Maybe," mumbled Taehyung as he carefully removed a layer of Jungkook's shredded clothing to better assess the full extent of the damage.
"Jaci," said Jungkook through split and bloody lips.
"Shhh, you're injured," said Sunny sadly.
"Danger...Hunt..."
"It's enough, Kook," said Taehyung in a quiet and firm voice. "We will deal with them later. Right now we need to get you patched up."
Taehyung could tell by the injuries all over Jungkook's body, and the amount of blood all over the elevator, that his friend was in a dire situation.
A bloodied hand clamped down on Taehyung's arm. "She's in... danger... Hyung... we must... do... something..."
"I know...I know," crooned Taehyung, his words turning into more of a challenge. "I won't sit by and do nothing. Something should, and will be done about this.
💜 - AR