sunshine 🀧

Ten Years Earlier…

“Jeno!” 

Jaemin yelled, searching the remains of the pack house, as he waded through the bodies of massacred pack members that lined the floors beneath his feet. His hands were covered in blood, and he could not recall whether it was his own or somebody else’s, but he felt determined to find Jeno. Something inside him told him that his twin brother was still alive.

Images of the moments before flashed in the young boy’s mind. He remembered everything; his mother’s kiss to his forehead as she hid him in the attic, the desperation in her voice when she told him not to leave until she came to find him, and her cries for Jeno when she’d desperately left to reunite the twins amidst the Slayers’ attack. The irony of it all was, perhaps, that his mother never had the chance to return to him and lead him out of the attic. Instead, Jaemin staggered out of the attic when he realised he was alone.

Now he found himself in the kitchen, defeated and alone, he now prayed by some miracle of the moon goddess that his brother was alive. “Jeno… it’s me, Jaemin. We’re alone, we don’t have to hide anymore.”

A loud creak sounded, and out from the pantry stepped Jeno, who ran to his brother and hugged him tightly. There was a long silence before Jaemin pulled away and Jeno dared to ask with a dread-filled tone. “Where’s Mother?”

Not being given the chance to form an answer, Jeno felt his stomach sink when the sound of wary footsteps filled the room. The elder of the two, Jeno, barely had time to pull the young into his former hiding place. Jeno didn’t register the voice at first, the only sound registering in his ears was the pounding of his heart.

“Jaemin? Are you in here?” The voice was distraught and broken, just like they were. Clinging to the hope of a familiar face. Chaeyoung continued into the kitchen, clutching at her wounds, praying by some miracle of the moon goddess that she was not alone. She also prayed that she was not sinking into insanity, that Jaemin’s voice was not a trick of her mind or desperation.

It was only when she came into the eyeline of the boys, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed against the side of the stone countertop, clutching at her thigh. She must’ve been hallucinating, she’d lost a lot of blood, but she could swear on the last inch of her life that she’d heard Jaemin’s voice. As if it was her last hope, she let out a final mumble. “Jaemin… please tell me you’re here… I don’t want to die alone.”

The younger brothers rushed forward out from the pantry, and into the debris-littered kitchen to their eldest cousin, the daughter of Beta Min. Their father was the Alpha, their uncle the Beta, and three of them, the twins and their cousin were to be the future of the Blood Moon pack. That was until the massacre. Throwing their arms around her, they let her sob into their shoulders, both Jeno and Jaemin grateful that she was with them.

“We’re the only one’s left…” Chaeyoung sobs out, partially with relief that she was not alone, partially with sorrow that their family was mostly dead, but mostly with fear. It was only them now, Chaeyoung had only freshly turned 18 and was set to begin her travels to find her mate. The twins were learning to phase into their wolves, not even older than 10. “We’re no longer safe here. We need to leave.”

Jaemin does not hesitate to ask, but instead looks to Chaeyoung for any answers she may have. “Where’s our mother?”

At the mention of her Aunt, Chaeyong closed her eyes tightly, in an effort to keep the blood scene from her mind. She recalled it all as clear as she’d seen it with her own eyes. How, in her final moments her Aunt, the twins’ mother, had made her promise to keep them safe. Their mother had made her niece promise to find them, go as far away as possible and to never return. “I found her in your father’s office… she’s–”

Jeno cuts off that sentence, not wanting to hear it for himself. Sadness filled his voice. “You don’t have to say it. We know.”

There was a long and sad silence that overcame the group, but the feeling that they would never be able to return here made Chaeyoung find her courage once again. She was the first to speak, and her voice had taken on the same tone of her aunt’s when she’d told her sons that she would come back from them. For some reason, it made the brothers trust their cousin more than they ever had. “Look… I have a friend, the alpha of a pack not too far from here. It's only a few days’ journey, but it's not an easy one. He’s the only one I am certain will take us in with no questions asked, but I need you to listen to me. Can you boys do that?”

They nod, and without question, turn to listen to her. She pauses for a moment, shifting her bleeding leg slightly. With a pained voice she mumbled out. “I need you boys to phase… and follow my lead.”

The journey had taken weeks, weeks of fighting off hunger, hiding from rogues and running for their lives. Chaeyoung was right when she had said it would not be easy. Not for her or the boys who followed her in their small wolf forms. Yet, here they stood, at the entrance to the Neo Culture pack house. She registers the scent before she registers the commanding presence of Taeyong before her. 

The smell of citrus and jasmine filling her nose from the young man, freshly 18 standing on the stairs as he looks at her with the same glowing eyes. She didn’t care what would happen to her, or that her dress was tattered and her hair was wet and dripping onto the marble tiles beneath her, she only cared about the Beta standing on the stairs with the blue glowing eyes, who smells like citrus and jasmine. She instinctively finds herself moving towards him, letting go of the two boys who clung to her. They met in the middle, colliding like magnets as she looked up at him, only uttering one word with the utmost happiness in her voice. “Mate…”

Eight Years Later…

A silence fell over the Dominyen royal court. Queen Iseul barely hid her sobs, as her husband, King Minhyung spoke over the crowd of the twelve Dominyen Noble houses and their lieges, the slayers who did their bidding against the werewolf packs on their lands. “Prince Baekhyun has been found guilty of the murder of Lady Eunbi, his Erasthai and betrothed. It is according to our ancient customs that he must be sentenced to death to pay for his most unforgivable crime.”

Your breath hitched as you turned to your father from your smaller throne two rows down from his and your mother’s seats at the head of the court. Feeling the calming hand of your Novicitai, Yeona on your arm you turned to face her, yet her efforts to block out the overwhelming betrayal and grief your mother felt, combined with the fear of watching her only son’s execution was all in vain. Your stomach sank at the thought of having to feel the moment your brother died, the brother you held so dear. The brother, who for many years had been the reason you’d never have to face the burden of the crown, and the reason you’d never have to place duty over love. Baekhyun, your brother would be sentenced to death and you would have to watch his execution before your own eyes.

The court remains silent as Yeona looks to her mother, who stood beside your own mother, a soothing hand on her shoulder. She grips your hand like a soothing vice and whispers into your ear. “You cannot look away. If you do… they’ll all know.”

The marble floors of the royal courtroom open and a platform rises, holding your brother in chains with his head against a chopping block and the executioner with his pure Dominyen silver axe. Your eyes fill with tears as Baekhyun remains still. Your father speaks with authority over the court once again. “May justice be served.”

Your eyes remained transfixed on a single spot on the marble tiles, not looking at the execution but not looking away. You grip Yeona’s hand with such force that your knuckles are white and her hand is purple. As the executioner raises his axe, tears fall from your cheeks. The nobles are on the edge of their seats, some with opera glasses pressed right up to their eyes, others watching in shock. 

The axe lowers, you jolt slightly, feeling the fear then the piercing pain as if the sword had sliced through your own neck and chopped off of your head. Your mother lets out a cry that shatters the silence in the court before she is ushered out by her Novicitai, Yeona’s mother. You raised a hand to your neck, the feeling of your brother’s death still lingering in the back of your mind. Your eyes avoid the scene of the floor being lowered once again, before your father speaks. 

“It is with the best interests of our realms at heart, that I present to you my heir, Princess (Y/N), the council’s delight and the future Queen of Dominyens.” You rise from your seat, dropping Yeona’s hand as you step forward onto the balcony before you, eyeing the hundreds of nobles and representatives. Within moments, they all bend the knee to you, swearing their loyalty to you as your father’s successor.

Two Years Later, Present Day…

“Three months? Three months! Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Yeona grumbled, shaking you awake as she entered your room. Crossing over to your dresser, she began to pull out all of the clothes she could stuff into your duffle bag, while you got up from your bed. You’d supposed the near two years of running had been in vain, judging by the bare walls of your room in the college share house you’d manage to manipulate your way into.

“You’d think after two years they’d stop.” You could feel the waves of Yeona’s stress wash over you, and it ate at you. Her feelings slowly ebbed at you, as if your stomach was a sinkhole and it was gradually collapsing on itself. The curiosity ebbed at you, and you couldn’t help but ask, your voice no louder than a whisper. “Rogues or Guardians?”

“They’ll never stop, you’re too important, you know that. It's only Guardians, nothing we can’t handle.” Her voice sounded strong, and hid her emotions well. If you didn’t have the ability of feeling and influencing the physical and mental pain of others, you’d never have guessed her inner turmoil. Either way, her efforts to conceal her emotions would be in vain, after all, she was bonded to you as a Novicitai like her mother was to your own mother. Her emotions were your’s, as your’s were her’s.

“Baekhyun was important…”

Yeona paused her movements, and turned her attention from the array of her silver weapons in front of her to you, as you packed all the essentials into her purse. You could feel the hesitation, the mental pause before she stammered over her words. “Baekhyun was… well, he didn’t align with their values.”

“... and we do?” You looked at her, almost challenging her for a moment. For once you wanted to stop running, the whole reason you agreed to leave was not only because you feared the crown, but you feared the institution itself. The institution, under which your father so willingly watched and forced his wife and daughter to watch his own son publicly beheaded for a crime that… he may not have committed. You could tolerate the arranged Erasthai pairings, and the fanfare… but the killing, the public executions of family members. You drew the line at that. 

If you thought about that day long enough, that feeling still lingered. The excitement of the nobles, the horror of your mother, the blade slicing through his neck, the fear… all of it. There were still nights when Yeona had to wake you from the nightmares, or face seeing them herself through your mental bond. You needed to leave, there was no other option.

Snapping you out of your thoughts, Yeona spoke with her usual calm and reserved voice but she now moved with more urgency as the Guardians outside were growing in numbers and it would be increasingly difficult to escape as morning drew closer. “I don’t, you do… and if you don’t, it doesn’t matter because they don’t care who you are as long as you can be who they want you to be.”

“Do you remember our drills?” She asks, handing you your duffle bag, which was stuffed to the brim with every personal and essential item you had. You tried to recall all the times Yeona had awoken you in the night, it was on random nights, but each time it was the same. 

Get to the car, stay low, lock the doors, and wait for Yeona. It was clear her regimented training to be your sworn protector, and a Guardian still played a major factor in her personality. She always had to keep you on your toes, and keep herself fit. You still remember the jobs she’d gotten as a vet science student and a vet nurse. Funnily enough, animals never really seemed to like Novices, Guardians, or Slayers for that matter. They only seemed to like royal Dominyens. You’d supposed wherever you found yourself next would be the same. You’d be enrolled in high school, playing the role of a quiet loner and keeping a low profile. Yeona would be your older sister and ‘legal’ guardian as your parents were abusive, out of the picture, dead, or some other cover story. It was the same every time.

“I remember.” You answer with a small nod, pulling on a hoodie, and chucking its hood over your head. Yeona nodded, handing you your duffle and her purse. You could feel the pressure she felt, or more accurately, placed on herself. She gave you a small reassuring smile, though deep down you knew it was only for her benefit. “Good. It’ll be okay, alright? No pressure, but if they even suspect it’s you, we are totally fucked.”

“Right, no pressure.” You let a small smile come onto your face, trying to ease the situation. Yeona sighs and looks at you. You don’t feel it at first, but underneath all that tension, there is the flicker of amusement that you always manage to pull from her in moments like these.

She opens her arms slightly with a small giggle as you hug her tightly. She mumbles into your hair, as she squeezes you tight. “You need to remember what we’re running from to remember why we’re running in the first place. I promise you, this time will be different. No more running.”

“I know.” You say, the sweet moment you had just shared taking on a sombre tone. She’d always say there’d be no more running, and though you appreciate the sentiment, you just knew it couldn’t be true. She’d say this everytime, and everytime it would end the same. It is an endless game of cat and mouse. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Stay safe.” She mumbles into your hair, and you can feel the anxiety coming off of her in waves, and you can’t help but take the edge off. Slowly feeling her anxiety calming, you gather all of the stuff you’d carry down to the car parked in the alley below. The alley littered with Guardians.

No pressure, you’d thought to yourself, as you slung your duffle over your shoulder and Yeona’s obnoxiously large purse over your arm. Opening the door to the hallway of the boarding house, you slowly began to walk down the stairs. It was early morning, and you knew for a fact the only person who would be awake was the creepy gamer across the hall. It was dead silent, and in a way peaceful. Yet, this peace provided you no relief to the gut feeling that plagued you every time you had to run.

Maybe it was the rush of knowing Guardians wait in the alleyway just down the stairs and out the back door. Maybe it was the fact that Yeona had never pulled off one of her schemes against more than three Guardians, and by the way she felt, you knew there were more. Yet, maybe… deep down, you knew this would be the last time you’d ever see Yeona, because maybe it wouldn’t work this time, and maybe you’d have to admit defeat and face your duties. That thought felt like stabbing in your chest, the thought of having to give up Yeona, who in many ways, was like a sister to you, who’d been through so much for you. You couldn’t let this plan fall through, not this time.

You walked down the last few steps, and made it to the back door with relative ease. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Yeona out the window, preparing her distraction. Gulping down the lump in your throat, you headed out the door, and down the path to where the old car, an early 2000’s Toyota Camery, Yeona had bought a year back had been parked. Opening the passenger side door, you get in, and the second you close the door, you lock it and shove the bags you’d been carrying into the back seat. Out of anxiety, you tighten the strings of your hoodie as Yeona ran over to the car. 

Opening the door, and jumping in she locked the car, before you could even blink she had her foot on the accelerator. She looked mad, yet you continued to stay low in your seat, for fear of being seen, or being identified by the guardians. “They had samples of me too. They’re upping their game.”

You knew what this meant. Typically, royal Dominyens were bound to a Novice, or Guardian, who became their sworn protectors, like a friend or, better put, a sibling. This bond was called a Novicitai, expanding both from the physical aspect and to the mental. The bond had used to be common back in ancient times, when werewolves were savage creatures and blood witches had yet to be overthrown by elemental witches. However, as the supernatural world began to evolve into its modern form of diplomacy, the council, the bond had almost entirely faded out with evolution. 

 After Baekhyun’s execution, the Novicitai bond between yourself and Yeona had been unlocked. Through this bond, there were times where Yeona could see through your eyes, and into your mind without being born with your power. Among other things, she could feel your emotions, and channel your power if you were injured and needed her protection. Without the bond, the blood of a Dominyen royal was needed to activate this, thus the need for a blood sample. Your stomach sank.

Yet, it was not Yeona they were after. They were after you and your gifts granted to you by the Goddess Athena at birth, was both a blessing and a curse. The power to heal both physical and mental wounds at the expense of your own health made you powerful, but your power to feel the emotions and pain of others made you unstable. In many ways you were a powerful, but unreliable successor to the Dominyen throne.

“Good news is, there was a coven of slayers annihilated recently by a wolf pack in a town only a few hours from here. I could get you set up at the high school in that town, and there’s a university in the town over.” Yeona paused her words. She seemed optimistic enough about this prospect, and even though your eyes were shut from fatigue, you still felt the warmth of her optimism flowing through you. She continued in an even more positive tone. “If we up our game… the wolf pack might not even notice we’re there. We could be normal and make friends. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yeah… but how would we up our game?” You ask, noticing how she seemed to hesitate over your question. She knew the Guardians had upped their game, and had begun finding you two in increasingly shorter time spans of previous interactions. At first it took eight months, then six, five and four. Now it only took three months.

Yeona frowned, looking out at the motorway ahead of you. “I’ll have to think about it. You just focus on getting some sleep, okay?”

With a pat to your knee she continued down the motorway, and for some reason you just knew everything would work out. It had to, you’d put your life on the line for two years, and you, much like Yeona, thought it was time to enjoy your newfound freedom. Besides, what was a climb without enjoying the view?

The sun flooding in from the car windows lured you from the depths of sleep. Yeona didn’t notice you were awake for a few moments, before she mumbled out. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning.” You smiled softly, shifting up in your seat so you could see your surroundings. To your surprise, Yeona was pulling into a roadside diner, one of the ones that served the greasy but hearty breakfasts, and what she really needed, coffee. You didn’t notice it at first, but her fatigue hit you like a tsunami, and you had to brace yourself for a moment. “Woah, Yeona, let me.”

As you reached your hand out to give her some energy at the expense of your own, she softly caught your wrist. Shaking her head, she gave you a stern look. She was always like this, stern but meaning well. “No, not when you’re on an empty stomach and not when I’m driving.”

“It’s just energy.” You say with a small laugh, taking the hood off of your head and rolling up the sleeves of your hoodie. 

Yeona shook her head, pulling the handbrake of the car and looking over at you with a worried look. “Energy that you need, too. After you eat, I’ll let you do it then.”

“Okay.” You sigh, pulling yourself from the car. You’d deny it to Yeona, but stretching your limbs felt amazing. You walked slowly to the entrance of the diner, Yeona having already made it into the restaurant in the first place, most likely to get a booth. Walking through the door, and sitting across from Yeona, you find her already drinking from a pot of coffee she’d ordered.

“You better look at the menu, she’ll be coming back to take our order soon.” She gives you a small smile, and you can tell she immediately feels better after drinking her coffee. It’s as if she didn’t even need the energy you so readily offered to give her. “Also, I’ve already enrolled you in the highschool there, so they’re expecting us to get your uniform this afternoon.”

“That was quick…” You let out a breathy laugh, reading over the menu as you did.

Yeona looks up from her own menu, as she mumbles out, careful not to have any prying ears of potential other supernatural creatures listening in. “I’ve been planning this move for a few weeks now. The annihilation of that coven was inevitable and their extinction has not yet been registered with the council. Technically, we could pose as the holders of their territory for a while. It’s a somewhat long-term solution.”

Most of the time, you trusted Yeona with this sort of thing, but something about this wolf pack felt off, like something big would happen that would change everything, and you didn’t think you wanted anything to change. You liked things the way they were. “I know you call these shots… but I was meaning to tell you that I think this whole overlapping territory thing with the werewolves… they’ll eventually notice. It’s too risky.”

“If we blend in then maybe… it’d work out.” Yeona raises her mug to her lips and takes a long sip of the scalding coffee.

“Blending in hasn’t been doing much good for us these past few times.” You try to reason, and though it is out of concern, you sense Yeona’s sadness and betrayal at the fact that you don’t seem to fully trust her on this. 

“Well, maybe we’d blend in more if you made friends, and you’ll be able to at this new place. The office lady, Mrs. Min said that they have a very welcoming top student and sophomore head girl to give you a tour on your first day tomorrow.” She tries to sound convincing, but you don’t get the chance to respond before the waitress is walking over.

“G’morning ladies, what would y’all like to order?” She asked, her voice laid on thick with the ‘customer service’ persona she was presenting.

“Bacon and eggs please.” Yeona gave the girl a tight-lipped smile. It was clear she wanted to keep interactions with the waitress to a minimum, and you thought it best to follow her lead. You supposed it was because you still weren’t far enough from any overlapping territories with your location.

“Make that two.” You added with a soft smile.

“Anythin’ else?”

“Uh… maybe another pot of coffee.” Yeona suggested, looking at you for any confirmation. You nodded enthusiastically and turned back to smile at the waitress.

“Comin’ right up!” The girl smiled, and walked off back to the kitchen. 

Yeona turned to you as silence fell over the near empty diner, with the other patrons being an elderly couple down the other hall of booths, and a truck driver sitting at the counter. “This will be a good start for us. I promise. Plus the flat I rented out is a major upgrade. It’s just a matter of finding a job now.”

A silence falls over the pair of you in the minutes it takes for your food to be delivered. You can almost feel Yeona’s emotional drain. As you began to eat your greasy but hearty breakfast, it didn’t even cross your mind to break the peaceful silence that befell over your booth. Now that you came to reflect on it, you were both sick of running. 

The anxiety of always being found and having to skip out on normal teenage girl experiences had left you without anything to enjoy. All of this running, hiding and keeping a low profile–in many respects–had been for nothing. Part of you felt that, maybe you didn’t get to have those experiences because you were, in fact, not a normal teenage girl. You never could be from the get-go, because you were not a mortal, and no amount of wishing you were would make it so. Yet, you wanted to be.

The harsh reality you faced was that you wanted to be mortal, human, and free. Oh, to be free. You’d do anything for the privilege of being free. Free from the running. Free from the fear of being taken back to the gilded cage you inhabited by the people who wouldn’t stop looking for you. Lastly, you wanted to be free from the anxiety you felt every time you closed your eyes, for your fear of the nightmares that plagued you.

You couldn’t help but air the thought that constantly plagued your mind every time you moved again. “What if we have to run again?”

And, just like every time, Yeona placed a soothing hand on top of your own and looked deep into your eyes, and with a grave tone she gave you a reassuring smile; “I will make sure that we won’t have to.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to ask one of the Min twins so that we would be able to spend time together at this stupid dance tonight.” Jeno’s expression was painful, his voice may have been even more painful. Though most teen boys would froth at the mouth to even snag a date with one of the hottest twins in school, neither Jeno nor Jaemin seemed to care. Hana gave the muscular, much larger boy a scathing look. The dance tonight was supposed to be fun, but at the daunting thought of having to deal with one of the Min twins the entire night… he was filled with dread. “What? They’re insufferable.”

“That’s one word for it.” Jaemin scoffed out in agreement. While these girls were insufferable, they were still highly attractive, and many would say that it was almost expected for Jeno and Jaemin to ask them in the first place as the hottest boys in school, and respective captains of the Basketball and Wrestling teams.

“You guys are being mean. Micha and Nari are lovely.” Hana took a long sip of her black coffee, sinking into the cardigan she had wrapped around her as Jisung wrapped his arm behind her seat. Though she still wasn’t fully recovered, no one could deny how much progress she’d made, enough for Nayeon to allow her to go to the dance that night.

“No, because for once I agree with the twins.” Ryujin spoke, her mouth full of scrambled eggs and bacon, but nonetheless understood by the group at the breakfast table.

“I agree with Hana.” Renjun did not even need a moment to think of his stance now that the topic of discussion was on the Min twins and not how Hana was recovering or even the mere topic of mates. Though everyone knew that the topic of mates was… touchy for Renjun, the normally calm Beta had never found his mate, as far as the pack knew. Though, anytime the topic was brought up, he’d grow distant. 

“Your opinion is irrelevant, you always agree with Hana.” Ryujin stated, as if she was the judge in a courtroom. Before Jisung could even move to defend Renjun, the feisty Beta pointed her finger at him. “Jisung, before you even say it we know you’re Switzerland and are, therefore, irrelevant in this conversation.” 

“They’re nice to my beautiful and amazing girlfriend. So, they’re fine by me.” Jisung turned to Hana with a smile, who turned back to him for a moment, her coffee mug now resting on her knee, that was now propped up to her chest as she sat at the table. She gave the much taller boy a small peck on the lips. 

“Irrelevant! He’s pussy-whipped.” Ryujin once again spoke as if she was the deciding factor on relevance, but then feigned vomiting with a vulgar gesture as her best friend once again leaned in to kiss Jisung, which had left Chenle laughing hysterically like a dolphin, even if his first instinct was to react the same as her. 

“Fine! What makes them so terrible?” Jisung teasingly smiled at Ryujin pulling Hana closer to him as he spoke.

Simply enough, Ryujin gave him her answer. “They’re bitches.”

“To who?” Hana replied, as if it was a way to defend the Min twins who were not there to defend themselves. Even when everything she was told about someone was negative she still tried to see the best in them, even if it meant going against her best friend.

Ryujin’s expression had changed at that moment. No longer did she look like she enjoyed speaking to Hana as much as she’d done in the moments prior. She looked hurt and her expression resembled that of a kicked puppy. She could long hold in her thoughts, so they tumbled out in her overly-emotional rambling. “Me! And they’re far dumber than me, too! Any conversation of substance with them is about boys and gossip. Beyond that, they’re as shallow as a kiddy pool and they’re only care in life is when they’re gonna get their next mani-pedis. Oh! And they talk in sync and it makes me want to fuck myself gently with a chainsaw.”

“That just about sums it up.” Jeno agreed with a short laugh, scruffing Ryujin’s hair slightly, earning him a glare from her. 

“We’re in for a painful night.” Jaemin agreed, even though it was his idea to begin with. If he was anyone else, Jeno would have probably punched him by now. Too caught up in their fates, neither Jaemin nor Jeno caught the incredulous look Hana had given Ryujin. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Hana. We all knew I never was Mother Theresa. Even before… I became a werewolf.” Her voice was pitiful and almost whiney in tone, before it changed into a laugh, and she was consumed with giggles. She had to take a moment to compose herself, before raising her hands as a sign of peace, trying not to offend her packmates. “Sorry, I can never take myself seriously when I say it...”

 Hana’s expression does not change, instead she sighs and takes another long sip of her coffee, before she speaks again. “Well… I form my own opinions on things.”

Sometimes Ryujin had to admit Hana wasn’t the easiest to be best friends with. She was perfect and every flaw Ryujin had was magnified when she was placed next to Hana. She would never be smart enough, never have a boyfriend perfect enough, never fit into the pack where she was clearly unwanted. Those were her deepest, darkest thoughts. She’d never air them, of course, Areum wouldn’t allow it. Or… maybe Areum would, after all, her sister seemed to have a clear favourite in Hana over herself. Nevertheless she opts for a light-hearted smile. “Well… clearly you’re not a totally unreliable source, since you have us.”

The drive had been long and quiet, with a thick yet comfortable silence. The once sunny morning had turned into a rather grim and rainy afternoon. As the beat up Toyota Camery drove down the lush and green highway, you found yourself watching the raindrops race down the window. 

Out of nowhere, Yeona had broken the silence, just as she took the nearest exit off of the highway. Her focus still on the road, her proposal sounded more like an order than it did a question. She didn’t bother asking your opinion on the matter. “We’ll head over to the school tonight.” 

“Okay.” You sigh. It had always become like this between the two of you when you had to move. Probably because every time you had to outrun them, you’d always swear it was the last time, though that statement never seemed to age well. 

The drive only seemed to near an end as you began to see the mountain range in sight, shrouded in thick fog, and covered in dark green, lush trees. You could almost smell the earthy pine and rain from inside the car, and it seemed to enthral you for no apparent reason. Yeona could feel this excitement that had suddenly brewed within you.

It wasn’t long until she had turned down a side street, and pulled into a small parking lot, filled with other cars, most of them trucks, one camper van parked next to another truck. This town seemed to be the retiree’s dream, as you’d gathered from the walking distance of most places to this one apartment building. 

Yeona pulled the keys from the ignition and smiled slightly at the humble apartment building before you. “Welcome to our new home.”

Yeona soon got out of the car, and made her way to the reception desk that sat behind a small sliding door. This building was not student accommodation, like your previous places had been, it was long-term rentals that were across four blocks of units with a central courtyard. It was humble, but nice. It didn’t take long for Yeona to walk out with the keys to the new apartment, and despite the raindrops setting into her hair, she yanked the door open and sat down in the drivers’ seat. “What are you thinking?”

“That this town isn't half-bad.” You turned to her with a small smile. 

“Me too.”

She returned your smile, and then glanced back at all of your stuff littering the back seat of the car. You looked at her, and despite your mental fatigue you gave her a smile. “Where to now?”

“Well, the building manager had said that we should try Benny’s Beans cafe just a short walk down the main street.” She answered over the sound of the rain droplets slapping against the windshield and windows.

“And then?”

She lets out a sigh, knowing this would be the lesser of the two you would want to do. She knew you well enough to know that people, specifically people’s emotions, were bound to come in-clutch with school life. Ironically, it was something you wanted to avoid, feeling the emotions of others knowing you could not fix it, as mortals did not take kindly to things they did not understand. Specifically, the abilities you and others like you possessed. “We still need to go down to the school to finalise your enrolment and get your uniform all sorted for tomorrow.”

“Let’s do it, then. The school, then the Cafe.” You sighed, the dread filling you as Yeona started the car. It was going to be a long trip to the school, and you couldn’t shake the feeling of dread and excitement that had built inside you. It was a feeling that could only be described as impending doom, but maybe it wasn’t doom, because you did not feel damned. You only knew something was coming towards you, steadfast and at top speed.

The drive to the school was silent, rainy, and long enough that it had come to a slight sunset. It was hardly 5pm, but it was clear the town was ready to kickstart the evening early. One thing that was clear to the both of you was that this town had no night life, and the school dance was on that night. From the girls in pretty dresses to the boys, who had their hair slicked back and wore dress shirts. It was clear that the teens of the town had an event on, happening to fall at the same time as you were getting started. Maybe that is what you were dreading, the school dance that meant you’d have to pass your future classmates on your way to the administration office. 

With a sigh, you found yourself getting out of the car before Yeona, and heading over to the main building. You turned back to the car, the slight drizzle of raindrops had begun to soak into your hoodie, that you impulsively zipped up to your chest. Raising your eyebrows you yelled out at the car, hoping she’d hear you from the piece or scrap metal that was her Toyota Camery. “Well, aren’t you coming?”

With a sigh, she gets out of the car, crossing her arms over her body, and her leather jacket now collecting the small raindrops that rolled down from her shoulders, not quite absorbing into the jacket. Her voice holds a level of caution and authority that she had only ever used when she felt you were in danger. “Let’s go.”

Her voice alone had told you everything you needed to know. This school was not entirely safe, and coming here was a definite risk, when you hadn’t had much of a chance to start ‘blending in’. At the wave of conflict that washed over you from her, you knew that she felt it was essential for this to be done today. Otherwise, the school would suspect you, and the prominent presence of a very powerful werewolf pack in this town, in every facet of its community, meant that she had to ensure all went smoothly.

“We’ll have to keep this brief.” She says with a curt voice, before smiling at some passers by, a couple of teenagers who were dressed to the nines. You could feel their excitement and butterflies, knowing from that alone it was most likely their first school dance. 

Your eyes fluttered around the groups of people, landing on one particular large group. You saw the group, only about twelve dance-goers, and the rest being family. You could feel the annoyance of a few members of the group, and the complete love and adoration of a pair standing slightly off to the side. A girl in a sparkly blue dress, and a very tall, lanky boy with golden brown hair wearing a button-down shirt and dress pants. However, their feelings were short-lived in your mind when Yeona began pulling you towards the administration office.

“Hi, dears. You must be Yeona, called earlier is that correct?” The plump middle-aged office lady smiled. She was dressed in a bead-embellished blouse and wore a deep brown lipstick coupled with cheeks that were heavily coated in a pink cream blush. You noted that she too would be joining in the school dance festivities after you’d been and gone.

Yeona gave the woman a smile and a nod, holding you close by the arm, and though you sensed her unease, she still rubbed soothing circles on your forearm with her thumb. “Yes, thank you so much for taking the time to organise (Y/N)’s emergency enrolment.”

“That’s not a problem, Hon. I know how hard it is in a situation like your’s. I’ve organised our head girl, Hana, to give her a tour first thing tomorrow. It’ll be a later start due to the dance, it should be all on the school’s app.” The woman gave you a warm smile, before handing a small flyer to Yeona, and gesturing to the QR code as she mentioned the school’s app. 

Yeona gave the woman a nod and tucked the flyer into her pocket.  “Right, thanks for reminding me. I’ll have to download that.”

Pausing for a moment, the woman had positioned herself at her computer and began to type uncannily loud, akin to a receptionist. “So you are the legal guardian of (Y/N), correct?”

“Yes. I am her older sister. Bad family home, living together now. Court ruling a few months ago.” Yeona’s tone seemed to grow sadder, and knowing her performance you seemed to sadden your expression too, but not laying it on too thick as to be noticeable to the office lady.

“I am so sorry about your situation, girls. We’ll do our very best to be accommodating for your situation.” The office lady, or Mrs. Min, as you read from her name badge, had placed her slightly wrinkled hand atop your own. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Min. I very much appreciate your kind words.” You gave her a small, sad smile, the best one you could muster, before pulling your hand out from under her. 

The woman gave you a small smile. “It is a pleasure, my dear. So, uniform, timetable, textbooks and locker…”

The trip to the school ended as quickly as it had started, and by the time you had left, less students lingered in the parking lot, but the group from earlier remained taking photos from the school’s lookout point of the mountain range, the school itself sitting on one of the mountains that was smaller in front of the main range, where majority of the town was built. 

Walking past the group to get to Yeona’s car, you felt eyes burn into you. Though you managed to ignore it, focusing more on how the wind blew hair into your face than the eyes burning into your side profile. It seemed as though you didn’t need to dread anything, all seemed well.

Even though the dread you felt had left you for the evening, a new onset of the feeling washed over you the following morning. This day seemed to arrive too quickly for your liking, but as you sat up, you saw your uniform, ironed and clean, hanging on your wardrobe door. You let yourself smile slightly, seeing a heart-shaped sticky note attached to the door, next to your hanging uniform. 

Walking over to the wardrobe across from your bed, that was nothing special, just an ikea bed frame and mattress provided by the landlord. You pulled the note from the door, looking over Yeona’s loopy handwriting. “Gone for a job inquiry at the local vet clinic, breakfast and lunch are on the table, walk to school is short, and I’ll pick you up! - Wishing you the best of luck and much love, Yeona XO.”

You could feel the affection she put into every act of service she did for you. After all, it was her way. Placing the note back on the door, you pulled your uniform down from the wardrobe door and placed it on the end of your bed. Just like always you went through the motions of getting ready, having a shower, brushing your hair, doing some light makeup, and hiding the silver necklace you wore for protection beneath your school blouse. 

Walking out into the open-plan  kitchen-dining, and living area, you saw the steaming breakfast on a plate, next to a brown paper bag. Placing down your canvas tote on the chair next to you, you began to slowly dig into the feast before you. It was clear Yeona wanted to make sure you went to school feeling good, because she’d made your favourite, French toast. 

Back when you still remained within the walls of the Dominyen royal palace, attending the Dominyen academy, and being a member of the Dominyen royal court, you could eat French toast for every meal if you desired it. However, after you’d fled your position within Dominyen society, French toast became a rarity. Now, you only had it when Yeona took the time to make it, or on the rare occasion Sunday brunches weren’t interrupted by having to run for your lives, or rather, your freedom.

You smiled down at the plate before you, seeing how she’d taken the time to get your favourite berry compote to go on top, with whipped cream and maple syrup. It made you feel all warm and happy inside, a feeling that had also become a rarity since your brother’s execution. Finishing up the affectionately made breakfast Yeona had prepared for you, you placed the plate and cutlery inside the dishwasher. Finally, you made a move to grab your lunch bag, locking up the small flat, before you made your way down towards the pedestrian sidewalk.

The walk down the main street of the town was peaceful, and quiet. You saw a few other students walking to school, all with umbrellas in hand, despite the morning being sunny with not a cloud in sight. Continuing your trek, you found yourself slowing as you made it up the walkway, bypassing the school’s parking lot. Glancing at your leather wristwatch, the time only showed it was 8:45AM, it was just over an hour until the day officially begun, due to the late start.

Though you made no attempt at rushing, instead, you made it to the administration office with plenty of time to spare. Pushing open the door to the office, you walked in, seeing Mrs. Min at the desk, with an overly peppy smile after a long night chaperoning at a school dance. “Oh! Good morning, (Y/N)! I take it your morning was good?”

“Yes, very, thank you for asking. How was your morning?” You gave her a soft smile, taking in the newly put up halloween decorations that littered the office, and probably the school halls too. The decorations alone were a sign that the days of summer were over, and that autumn was just beginning. You loved autumn, especially when it rained, it was beautiful. 

“Oh! That’s wonderful! My morning was just fine, dear!” Mrs. Min smiled, eyeing you with a confused expression before continuing her formalities. “Hana will be here shortly to give you the tour! Did you want to stop by your locker first? You are quite early.”

“Uh… yeah. Is it okay if you give me some directions?” You were taken aback by her kindness, she was a kind woman. Old, but still kind, and it was obvious she was nearing her days of retirement. However, you did not think the woman would leave this town and trade it for a beachside one. Instead, it seemed that people who were born and raised in this town never left. 

“Of course, sweetheart.” She gave you a small smile, giving you directions in a kind manner. Down the hall, and turn right at the doors to the auditorium. Your locker number was 364, and she took the liberty of writing down your combination for you. 

You bid her a quick ‘thank you’ before heading out the office door and turning right away from the main entrance of the school. The hallways were practically deserted save for a few of the school’s star athletes who were finishing up their early morning practice. You could feel the slight pain in their muscles, as you passed two of them who were at their lockers, and eating Greek yoghurt from plastic pouches. Finally, you found the doors to the auditorium and took the right turn down the deserted hallway.

Your eyes scanned the locker numbers that were engraved on small, steel plaques overhead. 358, 360, 362, and finally, 364. You stopped, taking in the blue locker before you. You flung your bag behind you, so that you had more room to input your combination.Carefully, you read the numbers on the paper, inputting them and pulling the lock open. With a sigh, you looked over the empty locker, getting straight to work on loading all of your textbooks on the middle shelf, and hooking your bag onto one of the hooks on the bottom shelf. You looked around the locker and decided you’d need to decorate it with time. With a final glance at your new set up, you shut your locker, proceeding to lock it before heading back to the administration office. 

The walk back to the administration office was short, but you noticed as time had passed, more students began to arrive. With some of them came the feeling of a severe hangover, and you knew it would take all of your efforts to block out the feelings of others throughout the day. 

If there was one thing you hated about mortal school, it would be the constant feeling of teenage angst washing over you nearly every second of the day. You hated it, because you knew it was difficult to block out so many things at once, meaning the feelings would ebb at you until you were finally alone. It was both physically and mentally draining. 

Once again you entered the administration office, seeing a girl with long dark hair that was curled in perfect waves that fell down her back. Holding the curls back from her face was a puffy velvet pink headband with beaded flowers and pearls sewn onto it. She wore her uniform to a T, with the exception of her tie which was the male version that hung loosely around her neck, and not the ribbon the girls wore. Lastly, her makeup was classic, with a warm pink blush over her cheeks and nose, and light brown, glittering eyeshadow, that was topped off with a classic nude blotted lip. She was beautiful, and aside from that, the gold badge sitting above the school crest on her blazer read ‘Head Girl’ in bold lettering. It was clear she was well-loved in this place. 

“Ah! You’re back, and just in time. This is Hana, our head girl and your tour guide for this morning.” Mrs. Min smiles, as she looks back and forth between the two of you. “Hana, this is (Y/N). I’m sure you’ll make her feel welcome.”

“Of course! It’s lovely meeting you! Now, should we start over in the sciences and arts building?” She smiled, and you could feel her sincerity radiating off of her. She was a genuine girl, and you could sense it. 

Since you didn’t know the school either way, you just gave her a short nod and a smile. “Uh… yeah sure… I don’t mind.”

Hana was nice, showing you around the school, telling you all the best spots to sit on sunny days like today, getting your school library card sorted and helping you find your classes. It was during her analysis of your timetable she sighed. “Well, it looks like that brings us to the end of our tour.”

She folded up your timetable and handed it back to you with a smile. “Don’t worry though, I’ll walk you to your first class since I have a spare. It’s English Literature for you, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. I have a friend in that class, his name's Jaemin. He’s super nice. You’ll have to join us all for lunch sometime!”

“Sure, I’d like that.” You gave her a small smile, your own voice much quieter than her’s, as she was more of an extrovert. She returned the smile as she stopped her walking outside a classroom door. 

Before you turned to walk in, she gave you a sincere smile as she spoke. “Also! If you need anything, anything at all… please don’t hesitate to ask me, okay?”

Judging by her sincerity that you felt washing over you, she was kind and it was clear why she was well-liked. She was basically the perfect popular girl, everything many strived to be with seemingly minimal effort. “Thanks… I guess I’ll see you around?”

“Not if I see you first. Enjoy!” She nodded towards the door with a smile, which you returned before walking into your first class. The class all turned to you as you walked in, and while you didn’t dislike anyone you’d met so far, you disliked how the tour made you late for class. All their eyes burned into you and it made you feel queasy. 

“Ah! You must be (Y/N). I’m Ms. Jeong, and it’s a pleasure to meet you!” She smiled, and turned her gaze out over the sea of students sitting at desks. She beamed when she finally spotted a spare desk next to a boy who didn’t take his eyes off of you, even after everybody else had turned back to their tasks. 

“There’s a spare desk by the window. Since you’re coming so late in the year, I’ve prepared some extra credit assignments for you to do over the next few weeks. See me after class, yeah?”

“Perfect. Thank you, Ms. Jeong.” You gave her a small smile 

“It’s my pleasure.” She returned the smile, and as you were walking over to the last spare seat, she continued with her lesson, speaking to her class about the use of intentional symbolism within a text.

The second you’d entered the room, Jaemin had felt his world shift. His eyes burned into you as he registered the strong smell of lavender, rain, pine and bergamot filling his senses. The scent made his heart race and mind go blank. He didn’t need to overthink this, or analyse it like he normally would. He already knew what was happening. It was imprinted within his soul from the moment he was born, and immediately he knew. He was meeting his mate. 

However, something put him on edge, something that made his stomach sink, hands shake, and made him see red. The potent smell of wolfsbane and silver filled his senses, intermingled with your own. He couldn’t believe it at first, he refused to, but as you took your seat next to him, he knew his senses had not deceived him. The one person he would love unconditionally was the one thing he hated more than anything in the world. Anger had consumed him whole. What he didn’t realise is that you could feel it too, burning you as it washed over you in rough, unrelenting waves.

His emotions were impossible for you to block out, the burns of his anger feeling as though you were physically being burned. Your eyes welled with tears as your heart raced, because any attempts you’d made to block his powerful emotions were all in vain. The boy next to you did not once look at you. Instead his eyes burned down onto the paper in front of him, as his hands were a stark white, balled into fists as they shook slightly. You, on the other hand, stared at the clock with misty eyes, willing the tears in your eyes not to fall as you waited for the torturous lesson to end. However, he paid no mind to you, the only thing he could think about was your scent.

 At first, he didn’t know what to make of it. After all, he had always vowed to himself to see whomever his mate was as everything he needed. Yet, as he sat there, inhaling the sweet scent shrouded in the potent stench of silver and wolfsbane, he couldn’t help but feel defeated.

Out of all things you could’ve been, from fae to witch, even a vampire… you had to be the one thing he hated most in this world. The one thing he’d kill for his own enjoyment if he so pleased… a Dominyen.