"Couldn't you just use your super speed to get us there quicker?" Jiho was leaned as far away from Taehyung as she could possibly be. Their cab sped down the streets, urged to break the speed limits by a few mumbled comments from the vampire in the back seat.
"And exert all my strength? No. Plus, it gives me a few more minutes to interrogate you."
Jiho grimaced and turned to look out the window, her scarf pulled up over her nose and mouth. She had dealt with many vampires over her lifetime. They were always unpredictable, given to quick tempers and emotions that ran higher than the sky, plus they always carried a strong stench of death. Werewolves smelled nicer, more earthy and familiar. They seemed more carefree than the uptight vamps. One would think immortality would cause the vampires to loosen up, but it simply made them the opposite.
"How do you know Zephyr?" queried Taehyung.
Jiho took a deep breath and looked ahead. "I used to be a spy for the Society. I was tasked with watching his every move. It was difficult. He is stealthy and knows how to cover his tracks very well."
"Who did you speak with when you called?" Taehyung pressed further, seeming to glaze over her Hunter Society confession.
Jiho frowned at him and scoffed. "A lady can't reveal all of her secrets."
"Funny. Didn't know I was speaking with a lady."
Jiho tried not to show her annoyance. For looking so regal, this vamp was sure crass and annoying. "Don't bite the hand that's feeding you, vamp," she sneered.
"Hands aren't satisfying enough. However, that neck of yours is looking pretty tasty. Now, who did you speak with on the phone?"
Jiho was glad the cab came to a stop and the driver numbly turned to announce their arrival. Taehyung leaned forward and whispered something into his ear and then left the cab, impatiently motioning for Jiho to get out as well.
"I can't be seen here," she angrily whispered.
"Your life is hanging by a thread no matter what you do," growled Taehyung, reaching into the cab and jerking Jiho out by her arm.
She winced and yanked her arm back once she was standing outside the cab. The driver sped off, not even asking for his fare.
"Cheapskate," she thought.
She looked around nervously before following Taehyung up to the door. She kept her head low and her scarf up almost to her eyebrows. To be seen entering one of Zephyr's houses would endanger her on so many levels.
Taehyung didn't even knock, kicking the door open and stalking in like a bear on the hunt. "Zephyr! Get out here!" he roared.
Jiho cowered by the door, pressing it closed as much as it could in its current damaged state. Her eyes skittered nervously around the open foyer, trying to see anything in the shadows.
Taehyung turned his head along with his body, eyes darting to every nook and cranny. "Zephyr!" he yelled even louder.
"I would almost think you are an American with how rude you're being," said a voice, sauntering out from a darkened doorway. "You crash my front door, come into my home uninvited, yelling and screaming. Did you leave your manners somewhere, your Highness?"
Taehyung's eyes were a dark burgundy as he held himself back from attacking the arrogant wolf. The use of his former title simply served to aggravate him further. "Am I to be impressed that you know who I am?"
"No, you don't have to be. Oh, Jiho, come in, dear. No need to hide by that door." Zephyr smiled kindly at Jiho, beckoning her in with a wave of his hand.
Taehyung stepped in front of her, his shoulders heaving with the heavy rage he was barely containing. "No. She's mine to deal with. You have other issues to deal with right now."
"Like the fact your friend has been attacked and is near death's door? See, Your Highness, I know everything that happens in this city. I know everyone that comes in and goes out. You may have thought you came into London without me knowledge, but I assure you, I knew the moment
you stepped foot off the plane."
Taehyung had heard enough out of Zephyr's smug mouth. He let loose his claws and sprang forward.
* * *
Jaci bolted up in her bed as she heard a familiar voice echoing outside of her door. She scrambled from her bed and cracked open her door, peering out to see if it was actually Taehyung doing all the yelling.
She felt a weird mix of relief and fear as she watched him pace the floor, looking around angrily, and seeming to be hinging on a full breakdown of control. She also saw a small woman, standing in the shadows with her arms wrapped around herself. Jaci could tell it wasn't Sunny. Sunny would never cower. The woman seemed frightened and afraid to move.
But just then Jaci's attention was jerked to the sound of Zephyr's voice. She walked out of her door slowly, a frown forming on her face as she listened to his words.
"Like the fact your friend has been attacked and is near death's door? See, Your Highness, I know everything that happens in this city. I know everyone that comes in and goes out. You may have thought you came into London without me knowledge, but I assure you, I knew the moment you stepped foot off the plane."
Jaci's heart felt like it stopped and dropped right into the pit of her stomach. Taehyung didn't have friends. At least not more than one. The only one Zephyr could mean would be Jungkook. But could it be? She heard his voice! He must still be alive. But was he truly on death's door? What had happened?
She was pulled abruptly from her thoughts as she heard a loud and visceral roar come from below. She rushed to the banister and saw Taehyung straddling Zephyr's fallen body, his fully clawed hand raised in the air to strike.
She had to stop him. Zephyr may be sketchy, but he wasn't a terrible person, at least not in Jaci's eyes. If only for the fact he saved her life once, she felt the need to save his.
But she wouldn't be saving Zephyr today. He was being saved by Aydan, fully shifted and snarling his long fangs at Taehyung. The two were circling the room in an apparent standoff. Zephyr had taken his time standing up, dusting off his clothing and casually walking to the outer perimeter to stand by Jiho.
"He's stronger than he looks, Your Highness. You've sufficiently provoked him now. I would strongly advise you to calm down and speak more civilly with me. We can discuss whatever matter you rushed here to address. We can speak as men. We don't have to be barbaric in our negotiations."
Taehyung disregarded Aydan and instead rushed over to grab Zephyr by the throat. However, Aydan was quicker and ran at him, knocking Taehyung to the floor with a resounding thud.
Jaci's mouth dropped open and she forgot about being sneaky and rushed down the staircase, her slippers flapping loudly on the wooden steps. "Stop!" she screamed.
Everything went silent in the room. Aydan's head jerked to face her. Zephyr frowned in annoyance. And Taehyung looked straight into her eyes with a mix of joy and sadness.
"You are here!" he wheezed, Aydan's heavy paw pressing into his chest.
"Zephyr, call him off! You know why he's here! He's too angry to ask, but he needs your help!" Jaci's eyes burned with tears as she stopped in the center of the room.
"I'm not even going to begin to try and understand why you're defending this rude intruder," sighed Zephyr. "I told him if he were to be civil I would discuss whatever he came to talk about. It's as simple as that."
"Aydan, let him go!" shouted Jaci.
"He doesn't answer to you, remember?" chuckled Zephyr.
Taehyung kept his eyes on Jaci, still struggling to get out from under Aydan's paw. "Jaci...Jungkook needs help," he gasped.
"Aydan, that's quite enough. Let him up." Zephyr's words were curt and clipped.
The large brown wolf backed off of Taehyung, never letting his eyes leave his enemy. Taehyung pushed himself up onto his feet. He turned to Zephyr and between deep breaths he made his case.
"I...need your...expertise."
Zephyr folded his arms over his chest. "And what makes you think that I can help?"
"You are an expert," said Jaci, anger filling her chest. Zephyr had purposely kept the info about Jungkook a secret from her. He needed to answer for that. "Ga-Eun trusted you enough to ask you how to help me. I don't think she would have done that if she wasn't confident enough in your knowledge."
Zephyr glowered at Jaci. "And what if I do not want to help this werewolf?"
"You will help him," growled Jaci angrily. "You purposely kept his attack from me, even lying to me about it."
"What good would it do for you to know? Your bond with him is incomplete. It's weak. You aren't mated yet. Why focus on someone you aren't fully connected with when you could focus on yourself? Not to mention the Society obviously knows about you and your little cavalry. Why put myself at risk for that?"
Jaci's blood began to boil. "Taehyung, come on. I'm not wasting any more time here. We will figure out a way to help Jungkook."
Jaci grabbed Taehyung's sleeve and began tugging him towards the front door.
Zephyr laughed. "Oh my. What misplaced confidence she has. Stop, Jaci. Come back."
Jaci ignored him and kept pulling Taehyung towards the door.
"Jaci, we need his help," whispered Taehyung. "You haven't seen how badly Jungkook is hurt. I have. We can't do this all on our own."
His urgent voice pleaded with her rational mind, but there was one thing he was unaware of. Jaci Aigle had a very strong stubborn streak.
"No, he can sit here and rot," she murmured through clenched teeth.
"Jaci! Honestly, come back. Let's make a plan." Zephyr's pleasant tone grated Jaci's nerves even more.
When she made no move to stop her exit march, Zephyr had finally had his fill. "ENOUGH," he bellowed.
Jaci froze and she and Taehyung turned to look at the angry Alpha.
"We will accompany you. However, you must let Jiho return home. She is too important to be placed in such peril."
Taehyung frowned but nodded. "Fine. She can go."
Jiho wasted no time and fled into the night.
"Now, we will drive to your hotel like civilized people. I will gather some things I think might help your friend, but I'm thinking there's one thing that might help him even more than that," he said, his eyes pointedly fixed on Jaci. He turned on his heel and walked out of the foyer.
Aydan rushed out of the room following his master, leaving Jaci and Taehyung alone. Immediately, Jaci collapsed to her knees, deep sobs ripping out of her chest.
Taehyung slowly knelt before her. "You can't break now, Jaci. He needs you."
"How can I help him? He's only hurt because of me. If only I had just stayed!" Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"I came to Zephyr to get him to help me find you. He's going to bring some herbs or whatever to try and heal Jungkook, but I meant it when I said he needs your help." Taehyung rested his arm on his knee and studied the broken girl before him. He saw the raw bite mark on her neck when she turned her head away from him. It was red and angry around the edges, looking much worse than it did when she was in Korea.
"This?" he said, pointing to her wound. "This can only be healed by your mate, Jaci. I don't know a lot about werewolves. But I know that when you two were together that mark healed. You need to be by his side for his wounds to heal. You both need each other."
Jaci slowly shook her head from side to side. "I'll only hurt him. I am not confident that I can be who he needs me to be."
Taehyung pulled in a deep, frustrated breath. But before he could speak, Zephyr and Aydan came back.
"Let's go. I've already got a target on my back from saving her life earlier. I really don't want to have to defend myself from a bunch of angry Hunters with an axe to grind," said Zephyr, walking past the pair without even a glance.
Aydan stopped and reached a hand down to Jaci, but she ignored it and took Taehyung's hand instead. He silently dropped his hand to his side and followed everyone else out of the house.
***
"Lovely night for a walk, eh?"
Jiho's heart began beating wildly at the sound of the voice she knew all too well. She knew better than to run. Nothing would be helped if she did.
"Good girl," crooned the man as he walked up beside her and held out his arm. "Let's walk together, hm? I think we have much to discuss."
Jiho hesitated before pushing her arm under and through his. She remained silent, figuring if she said nothing, nothing could be used against her.
"Let's see, how long have you been informing for me? Ten years? Twenty? Ah well, it doesn't matter. Let's just agree that it's been a sufficient amount of time for you to know how I deal with traitors."
Jiho's spine shuddered as cold chills raced up and down it. "I'm not a traitor," she ground out. His arm folded tighter around hers making her wince.
"Oh, dear. A traitor and a liar? It's not becoming of you, darling. I own you, have you forgotten? Who gave you a place to live after you were cast out by your parents for not embracing your...specialities? Who made sure you were well taken care of as long as you did what I asked?"
Jiho remained silent.
"Say it, darling," he said with a quiet force.
"You," she whispered.
"Mm, that's right. Now you want to throw all of that generosity back in my face by helping these abominable creatures? Did you forget that I choose to overlook your abomination status? You are a resident of neither world. Nor are you a human. You don't belong anywhere, Jiho. You have no one. No pack. No coven. No family. You have only me. You are mine to use as I please. You do not get to choose what you do with your life or your abilities. You belong to me. And as such, you do as I say. Now, you've created quite a mess for me, but I think we can make it work to our advantage."
The pair continued walking down the cobbled streets of the old side of London. The man speaking grandly of his plan and the woman withering more and more with each word he spoke.
- AR 💜