Seungmin had spent two days in the small house of the two werewolves hidden in the forest but the time went by so slowly it was killing him.
After he had found himself on a sofa being stared at by the two guys he now knew as Jeongin and Changbin, the vampire was able to quickly understand the situation he was in.
Seungmin wasn't a fast runner nor did he want to involve himself in a fight once again so he didn't even attempt to run.
It seemed that the older one of the wolves trusted him enough to give him some space in the house but the younger one always had his eye on Seungmin.
But he couldn't do anything about it...
This whole situation was because of Minho but the vampire understood well how Changbin and Jeongin feared for their friends well being so Seungmin didn't stay there only for Minho's sake but also for theirs. After all they didn't do anything wrong and neither had they hurt him here.
However... nobody spoke to him... he was like an intruder in their home wishing to be ignored but their thoughts never quieted down.
It was only natural for them to judge the vampire in their thoughts but Seungmin wasn't used to it. In the villa the guys often swore at him in thoughts but it was never serious but right now... every time he accidently made eye contact with one of them it started again.
... look at him just sitting there the whole day and staring at the wall, what a creep...
...if his friend kidnapped Jisung, how can we know that he's not the same?...
...I should've listened to my brother... vampires are indeed disgusting...
...I want Jisung back...
...if Jisung's hurt I'll kill him...
The atmosphere was tensed and cold. Even the few comforting thoughts of them that Seungmin heard lost their value every time a bad thought slipped through. Actually, it was even worse when Changbin would occasionally start pitying him saying that Seungmin might also be a victim here.
But was he? Every time they mentioned Jisung's name Seungmin felt responsible as if it was right that he stayed here as their hostage. It was strange...
"Hey, you stay quiet the whole day... at least come eat with us." Changbin signed him to come over to their small dinner table when the vampire had spent yet another day not moving an inch out of fear that he might annoy them.
"Are you crazy? Why are you being nice to him?!" Jeongin whisper yelled at him but it was clearly loud enough for Seungmin to hear so he awkwardly refused and averted his eyes.
For a few hours now his head felt like it was about to burst. Was it because of his magic ability? Or was he sick by any chance? Come to think of it... in shock Seungmin realized that he had to be at the limit of his last blood consumption.
So these were symptoms caused by his craving for blood...
Anxiously, he digged his nails into his hands and closed his eyes for a moment. No matter how much it hurt ... he could not give in to it. That would only make things worse so they couldn't now. He had to stay quiet like before.
"No I don't approve of this. Hostage or not, I don't feel good having him shake every time we say anything." Changbin then suddenly stood up and pulled Jeongin with him to sit across Seungmin on the sofa.
"Hey!" The younger slapped his hand away and crossed his arms in disapproval.
...ridiculous... I'd rather knock him unconscious than to deal with those dull eyes...
he heard Jeongin think causing yet another sting of pain going through his head and making him flinch for a moment.
They needed to go away. They had to keep more distance to him.
"Seungmin was it, right? I wondered if you know anything more than we do about your friend's intentions with Jisung... we're asking because we worry so I expect you to understand." Changbin proceeded with a content smile on his face although Seungmin didn't understand why his thoughts matched with what he was saying instead of insulting him again.
Unsurely, he looked at Jeongin for a moment and then back at Changbin. Maybe he'd be able to make them feel better by talking about it. It would also distract him from the pain that was spreading in his whole body.
"The four vampires excluding me who live there are honorable people. We live cut off from the conservative part of the vampire society and consume animal blood. The reason my friends went here was..."
They moved closer when they thought to finally find out the reason but Seungmin doubted they'd even believe him.
"It was because they searched for a treasure, marked on the cover of an old book in our library." He answered confidently and already noticed Jeongin rolling his eyes.
Yeah sure...
Even in his thoughts he sounded sarcastic. However, Changbin kept his gaze on the vampire and didn't lose focus. He showed a lot more interest in this than Seungmin expected. Minho's reasons for comming here wouldn't change the crime he did so their curiosity had to be honest.
"A treasure in the mystic forest... I see. Would you please continue explaining how all of that connects to Jisung leaving with him?" He kindly asked although it was more like an order.
Seungmin cleared his voice and blinked a few times to regain clear eye sight. It hurt from all sides... everywhere...
"The treasure was in your friends hide out so they came across each other. Minho came back to secretly steal it but when he was caught the fight started once again. I don't know what happened but when he ran away from you it was with the intention to save Jisung and not to... hurt." Seungmin inhaled sharply and held his stomach. It felt like he was stabbed over and over again.
We have no proof that he's saying the truth...
He barely understood what Changbin thought when his vision got worse and black spots blinded him.
He looks miserable...
"Hey, listen to us when we ask you something." Jeongin ordered him around after he hadn't caught onto the new question that they asked just a few seconds ago.
Seungmin felt so heavy all of a sudden.
"Th- they'll give Jisung back if you bring me there." He breathed out before he felt his head colliding with the soft fabric of the sofa.
Changbin and Jeongin stared at the unconscious vampire in front of them in shock.
"Uhm... do you think he is tired?" The younger wondered after a few seconds of silence but Changbin was quick to shut him down when he got up and took a closer look at the the vampire. Cold sweat was running down his forehead and the veins in his hand and neck were popping out blue.
Slowly beginning to panic, he touched his hand suddenly realizing how hot it was.
"Something is wrong. Do you know if vampires can get ill? His skin is burning hot." Changbin turned around almost stumbling over his own feet when he ran to the kitchen to get a wet towel.
It took Jeongin a moment to catch on to the seriousness of the situation.
"Wait... are you saying we're losing our hostage?"
"Jeongin! By all means, this vampire is still a person and not a tool only to get Jisung back!" The older snapped back at him but quickly apologized when realizing how he overreacted because of the stress.
Helplessly he put the towel on Seungmin's forehead and shook him a little but the vampire didn't move.
"Shit! There has to be something we can do!" Changbin grabbed his own hair and pulled out some old book.
Meanwhile Jeongin searched through their bag of medicine for anything that might work on a vampire.
"What if he dies?!" the younger breathed out in distress when failing to find anything useful.
"We'll do what he said and bring him to the vampires immediately."
"But we don't have any guarantee that they will actually give us Jisung back! They would outnumber us! How can you put that dude's life over ours?" Jeongin complained even thought it felt wrong saying this. He didn't hate Seungmin but as a friend of Jisung's kidnapper he simply didn't want to show any sympathy toward him.
"No, I believe him." Changbin cut him of but the other couldn't make any sense of it.
"Why? We don't even know him!" He wasn't used to Changbin ever saying something like this, especially not about a vampire.
The older sighed and looked at the unconscious boy for a moment before sinking down on a chair.
"I think he can read minds... no, I was sure about it after we faught. Like that he could've easily escaped whenever we were both distracted but he decided to stay. There is no reason for him to lie if he has no ill intentions..." he explained remembering how Seungmin's facial expression had changed when he had asked him what kind of person Jisung was.
"Do you mean... he heard everything that was going on in my head?"
"Likely..."
In that moment Jeongin didn't feel embarrassed... he felt extremely ashamed of himself. A shudder went through his body when remembering all the things he had imagined saying at Seungmin... how he had let out his anger and worry by swearing at the vampire in his head. What a fool he was after all... someone who thought of offenfing and childish worlds was the same as someone who said them out loud and now he had been caught.
All these small glances that Seungmin would occasionally throw at him just to look away in fear as soon as Jeongin wanted to talk to him.
He must think that the young werewolf hated him... but that wasn't the case! Jeongin had been curious about the vampire all the time but his prejudice had lead him to take a discriminating stance instead.
Changbin had been right... no matter the circumstances, Seungmin was still mostly innocent in this situation and just became a victim himself.
Suddenly, Jeongin felt the strong urge to apologize but they were left with no option but to bring Seungmin to the vampires as fast as they could.
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