Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Sunoo! All your shit’s in my study! I can’t even get in!”

Riki’s eyes slid to Sunoo but he didn’t even bother looking up from the phone he was sharing with Sunghoon. They were sitting on the couch, all of them—aside from Jungwon who had wandered off some time ago—Riki was curled on his side, scrolling mindlessly on his phone. Jake’s hand rested on his ankle absentmindedly, his own legs in Heeseung’s lap. 

Jungwon stomped into the room and Riki had the fleeting thought that he would look far more intimidating if he wasn’t wearing a shirt that swallowed him. Sunoo glanced up, unimpressed.

“Hyung told me to put it all in the study.” He said, pointing a lazy finger at Jay.

“ I did not!” Jay insisted.

“Riki?”

He clicked his phone off when Jake squeezed his ankle to get his attention. Jungwon was staring at him, hands clenched into fists. Riki blinked at him, noting what looked like sweatpants hanging off his right shoulder.

“Did they explode on you?”

Jungwon visibly faltered, his expression warring between rage and embarrassment. Jake came to his rescue, tapping rhythmically against his skin. “Did Jay tell you guys to put all the stuff in the study?”

Jay still looked flabbergasted by the accusations, but Riki took a moment to think. “Yeah,” he made air quotes and repeated in a poor imitation of Jay’s voice: “‘I don’t know, the study or somewhere but not here where it could be an issue.’”

Jay looked somewhere between betrayed and impressed as Jungwon turned on him. Jay didn’t even bother standing up to defend himself. In fact, he looked incredibly fond as Jungwon paced back and forth, rambling and using too many hand gestures for Riki to keep up with. He glanced around the room.

Everyone had put their phones away, intent on watching Jungwon try his best to lecture Jay while Jay just stared at him with what could only be described as heart-eyes. Jay let him continue for only a few more minutes before grabbing his hand and tugging him into his lap. Jungwon struggled against his grip but Jay just rested his chin on Jungwon’s sternum, grinning until Jungwon grumbled something incoherent and allowed Jay to nip at his neck playfully. 

Riki leaned back against the couch again once he was sure Jungwon wasn’t going to strangle anyone, content to watch the one person Riki originally thought to be more reserved melt under Jay’s attention. He kicked Jake lightly, just enough to get the desired reaction of Jake’s attention when the doorbell rang. 

Riki frowned, upset that it stole Jake’s attention away as everyone’s heads snapped towards the door. Jungwon glared, slipping off of Jay’s lap to stand. Jay pursed his lips, tugging at Jungwon’s wrist to get him to look down.

“Hanni?”

Sunoo stole Jungwon’s phone from his pocket, unlocking it. “She didn’t text.”

“She didn’t last time.”

Riki’s eyebrows creased. “Who’s Hanni?”

“A friend of mine,” Jungwon said.

The doorbell rang again and Heeseung pushed past Jungwon towards the front door. He froze with his back to them but when he turned to face them his face was ashen. Riki felt like someone had poured ice into his veins. 

He’d never seen Heeseung look afraid, not even when Riki had torn into his neck. 

He looked fucking terrified now. Like the ground had been ripped out from underneath him. He looked breakable.  

He started moving before anyone had processed his words.

“Council.”

Before Riki could even question what ‘council” meant Jake had scooped him up. Riki dropped his phone but that seemed irrelevant when Jake was running so fast that the halls passed in a blur. Jake only stopped to consider how to fit Riki into the study that was already full. He set Riki down on his feet, hands coming up to briefly cup Riki’s face.

“Do you remember what we did yesterday?”

Riki nodded, not entirely sure where he was going with that but fear still gripped his throat, stealing his voice. 

“Quiet again, yeah? They’re human but they notice everything.”

“Hyung, I don’t understand—” 

The sound of the front door made Riki pause and Jake flinched. They waited for a minute. Footsteps padded further into the living room and cool, detached voices floated his way. 

“These are the people that hurt Heeseung?” He whispered, just low enough to get Jake to look up. Riki could see the answer in Jake’s eyes but Jake nodded anyway.

“Maybe not the same people but the same group.” 

Riki wasn’t distracted enough to miss the steel in Jake’s voice, the pure, barely reigned in fury that caused a dark cloud to shadow his face. Riki expected to feel a stab of fear at the look, at the unbridled hatred. But he didn’t. Jake didn’t look scary, not to him. Instead, something sharp and furious unfurled in his own chest, an anger he wasn’t ready to name. 

Jake’s hands tightened unconsciously in Riki’s hair when Heeseung spoke, the small tremor in his voice evidently—hopefully—only audible to them. Riki tapped Jake twice, in the center of his chest, right over his heart. Jake….Riki couldn’t even describe how Jake looked when he met Riki’s eyes. He looked torn, like everything was unraveling and he was frantically knotting the pieces together.

“Go.”

Jake let out a breath that told Riki that was exactly what he needed to hear. He pressed their foreheads together. “Stay safe.”

And then he was gone. Riki looked around. He didn’t even have the opportunity to appreciate the fact that he was right. Boxes were tipped over, the contents spilling onto the floor, assumingly where Jungwon got buried. 

Riki sighed, shuffling over to the far wall to press his ear to it. He could pick out six anxious heartbeats and two relatively calm ones. His skin crawled. He didn’t like how…at ease the two strangers seemed to be. It was easy to pick out voices. Jungwon’s was cold, no traces of anything beyond the basic politeness Riki assumed he had to express. 

“To what do we owe this pleasure?”

A woman’s voice answered, high, nasally, angry. “ You missed the last meeting.” 

It wasn’t a question but she said nothing more. Like she expected them to fall at her feet with apologies and explanations.

“We did,” Sunghoon sounded bored, “we had other things that required our attention.”

Someone snorted, but it sounded indignant. “And what could that possibly be?”

There was a brief pause but Riki felt like the room had dropped a few degrees. 

“I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

The woman scoffed. “It is when you are neglecting your duties—”

“ We are neglecting nothing.” 

Riki had never heard Sunoo like that. He couldn’t imagine the person that embodied the sun ever had anything but warmth. But Sunoo sounded irate and Riki could picture his arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes cutting on these strangers that had invaded their space. Riki was learning that Sunoo was—if anything—territorial over spaces he considered to be their safe spots. And he guarded them. If Riki didn’t want anyone in his room, Sunoo would shield the entrance to ensure he had the privacy of falling apart by himself, even if Sunghoon insisted on seeing him.

“Why are you here?”

Apparently Jay had decided whatever timer he had set for his required hospitality had gone off. Riki’s heart tripped over itself at the lengthy pause but the strangers recovered.

“You keep your pets close, Jungwon. Losing one would be such a tragedy.” The male voice said coolly.

Whatever had begun to spread in Riki’s chest when the strangers first arrived threw itself at the confines of his ribs, itching to sink its teeth into man’s neck, his wrist, anywhere it could watch them bleed for their comment. He flinched at the image his mind supplied, terror curling around his heart. Not because of the image itself.

But because his blood sang at it. 

He wanted that. He wanted this man to suffer for threatening Jay.

He wanted it so badly he nearly bit straight through his tongue to stop himself from doing exactly what his instincts screamed at him to do.

“Are you threatening my coven?” 

It was the first time Riki could detect any kind of emotion in Jungwon’s voice and Riki half wondered if Jungwon’s mind was supplying him with a similar image of the man lying in a pool of his own blood. 

The strangers brushed right over it and Riki could hear them quietly moving about the living room. He stumbled back a step when it sounded like they were right next to him, only barely managing not to knock over a mountain of boxes.

“Heard you had a rather large delivery the other day.”

“Redecorating.” Several people said at once and their voices fused so well Riki couldn’t even be sure who had spoken and who hadn’t.

“With clothing?”

Sunoo gritted his teeth and Riki winced at the sound. “In with the new. Out with the old.” He said flippantly.

There was another pause and then the woman clicked her tongue. “I assume the Broods debriefed you on your missed meeting?”

Riki frowned. This was the second time these strangers had mentioned this so-called meeting. A meeting that was apparently important enough to warrant an unannounced drop-by. Why did they care so much about the deliveries? And why did they say it like it was evidence of something more?

Riki’s head hurt and he pushed his thumbs into the space where the bridge of his nose gave way to the beginning of his eyebrow. It did little to relieve his pain.

“Of course.” Heeseung replied smoothly.

There was some shuffling and Riki barely managed to catch the inhale of the two strangers. He couldn’t tell if they were surprised or offended.

“You may leave.” Jungwon said.

Even Riki froze. It wasn’t a suggestion. It wasn’t arguable. It was a warning. Everything in his voice said there would be consequences to suffer if his command was not followed. He heard the strangers’ heartbeats kick up a bit, Jungwon’s fire swimming in their veins. 

“Regarding the next meeting—” The man started.

“ Leave.”

He heard the audible sound of the man’s mouth snapping shut and then—finally, the sound of the front door shutting. The silence left behind was louder than any threat the council had made. Riki could hear every breath, every swallow, the staccato rhythm of six hearts clawing their way back to normal. No one moved at first. Even the house barely breathed, just enough to keep itself alive.

Riki deflated at the same time as the coven, his shoulders sagging forward with relief. He listened to six hearts just a room away that beat like one and tried to sync his own to their rhythm.

It didn’t work.

Riki waited, crouched, with his ear still pressed to the wall until the door slammed open. Jake was on him instantly, turning his head back and forth as if the strangers, upon their departure, teleported into the study solely to beat Riki. Riki pulled away, but paused when he saw Jake’s shaking hands and anxious eyes.

“I’m okay,” he murmured.

Jake didn’t look entirely convinced but allowed Riki to stand so he could lead the way to the living room. They were all standing now, formed in a circle that opened for Jake and Riki, closing again when they had been deemed safely inside. 

Riki tensed immediately, feeling the air press down on his lungs, nearly suffocating. Sunghoon’s jaw was ticking, a small twitch in his eye that Riki hadn’t seen before. Jungwon looked bored, his eyes scanning over Riki once before shifting back to Heeseung. Sunoo looked near tears, stress rolling off of him in waves that were starting to make even Riki sick. 

Jay smiled at him, hand brushing Riki’s elbow in silent greeting, but when he turned his head Riki caught a quick glimpse at his neck. The small mark that always sat on the small juncture was inflamed, red, like it had been reopened. Riki had to stop himself from reaching for it. Then he glanced down, there was another small mark on Jay’s wrist, also inflamed and open, glowing faintly. He scanned Jay again, counting five separate marks in various spots on his body, all reopened.

He considered asking directly. Why did they question the deliveries? Why did they threaten Jay like that? What were these meetings? But something made him pause, the questions lay heavily on his tongue, too much to lift. He swallowed heavily, only able to come up with:

“What happened?”

Jungwon’s gaze slid to him but Heeseung jumped in before he could say anything.

“It’s just the council. They came by to…check on us.” He glanced around the room, like he was confirming something with the others. 

Riki could barely stop himself from frowning. That didn’t sound like a check-up. But he didn’t understand why they would lie. What were they keeping him out of? 

“If it was a check-up why are you all so afraid?”

All of their hearts stopped for a moment. Jungwon recovered the fastest. “We’ve never had the most fun experiences with them.”

Heeseung huffed a humorless laugh and Jungwon glanced at him before returning his knowing stare to Riki. He felt exposed, like even his skin had been peeled back and Jungwon could see every piece of him. Even the parts of him he wouldn’t even acknowledge himself. 

“Why do you hide me?” He said instead, just to lift the pressure of Jungwon’s eyes.

Jungwon tilted his head, but before he could answer, Sunghoon’s hand twitched like he might physically stop him. He threw a meaningful look at Jungwon, one Riki could only decipher as ‘stop talking’. Heeseung’s jaw locked, Sunoo’s grip tightened. They didn’t want him to know. That alone made the question heavier on Riki’s tongue.

“Why do we hide you?” Jungwon repeated. “Would you rather die?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sunghoon looked furious but he didn’t attempt to intervene, although maybe that was due to the current death-hold Heeseung had on him.

“What?”

Jungwon looked tired all of the sudden. The bags under his eyes stood out against his skin, and the line of his mouth tilted down into a frown. He rubbed his eyes and Sunoo stepped forward, despite Jungwon’s warning glare, to shove himself into Jungwon’s space, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. 

Jungwon exhaled, hands gentle on the small of Sunoo’s back. “What do you remember about the council?”

Riki paused for a moment. He remembered the pain in Heeseung’s face when he talked about them. The fear that ran through all of them when they realized who was knocking at the door. They had hurt Heeseung before, and presumably Sunghoon and Jay too if their reactions that night were anything to go by.

“They hurt you guys.” It felt silly putting it that way. Like he was simplifying something he didn’t fully understand. Still, Jungwon cracked a smile.

“They did.” He confirmed, eyes flicking once to Sunghoon before settling back on Riki. “But it is never just us. You’re unregistered. Illegal. That alone is enough for them to decide you don’t get to exist.”

Sunoo stiffened against him, but Jungwon kept going, voice flat “And then there’s the human. The body—even if it was an accident—that’s the kind of thing they use as justification.”

Sunghoon made a sound like a growl, sharp and low, but Jungwon didn’t take the words back. His gaze stayed on Riki, merciless in its calm. “One offense is enough for execution. You’ve got two. If the council finds out you’re here, you won’t get to argue your case, you won’t even get to say goodbye.”

Riki’s stomach dropped and suddenly air was a scarce resource that danced out of his way, laughing when he desperately tried to pull it into his lungs. “Will you guys suffer? For helping me?”

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “There’s always a possibility.”

Part of Riki wanted to run. To erase any and every trail that would lead back to them. He could do that. He could protect them—

“Don’t even fucking think about it.” Jay’s voice was steel. “I will board your fucking windows up.”

Riki blinked at him, but his surprise must have also been obvious because Jake touched his shoulder, his tone accusing. “You’re easy to read. It would actually be comical if it weren’t for what you were planning on doing.” 

“I—”

“We’ll get you ID’s, a believable story, something tangible the Council wouldn’t question.” Jungwon cut in. “I have connections, I can even get you into a coven, if you want.”

Riki had to bite his tongue and Jungwon’s gaze sharpened, intrigued. Without looking away from him, Jungwon tilted his chin toward Sunghoon and Heeseung. “Hyung, they haven’t fed in a while, have they?”

It was a testament to how well Jungwon knew Jay that the words landed like a hook. Jay faltered, eyes flicking nervously to Heeseung and Sunghoon. Sunghoon caught the look immediately and glared, shoulders stiff, refusing to bend to whatever game Jungwon was playing.

Jungwon didn’t relent, he pushed Sunoo a step closer with a casual hand, his voice turning softer, almost worried. “And Sunoo-hyung…he doesn't look alright either.”

Jay made a small, distressed sound, in his throat, hands twitching between Sunoo, Heeseung, and Sunghoon as if he could steady all three at once.

That was all the opening Jungown needed. He nudged Jay toward the others. “Take them upstairs. Make sure they feed. I’ll keep Riki down here—he’s fine for right now.”

Sunghoon reached for Riki’s wrist the moment Jungwon tried to steer him away.

Jungwon’s hand shot out, catching Sunghoon’s arm mid-motion. Their eyes locked and Riki took a step back, feeling burned even if their glares weren’t meant for him.

“Let go,” Sunghoon said lowly, trying to twist out of his grip but Jungwon held steady, iron-still.

“No,” Jungwon countered, voice sharp. “Back down.”

For a moment, the room froze around them. Riki risked a glance at Jay—half afraid that if he looked away the tension would shatter into something uglier. Jay was sharing a look with Heeseung, like they were trying to decide if an intervention was needed.

Then Sunghoon bared his teeth, leaning closer as if to press the fight further, but Jungwon didn’t flinch. He simply tightened his hold until Sunghoon’s breath hitched, his shoulders finally sagging a fraction. The fight bled out of him but his glare burned hotter for it.

Only then did Jungwon release him.

Sunghoon wrenched his arm free with a sharp jerk. His gaze turned to Riki, softer, just for him, like the edge of the fight didn’t exist between them.

“I’ll check on you after,” he said, half-promise, half-warning before Jay got his hands on him and forced him toward the stairs.

The circle broke at last. The others followed, ushered by Jay’s anxious urgency, their voices fading until the soft thud of a door shutting upstairs marked their absence.

Only then did Jungwon look back at Riki. His jaw was tight, but otherwise the cold, splintered version of him—the one that just stared Sunghoon down—was gone. Like Riki had imagined it. 

But he hadn’t. For the first time since he’d been thrown into their world, Riki didn’t recognize them. He didn’t recognize him .

“How badly did you want their blood?”

Riki froze, heart in his throat. Jungwon was leaning against the back of the couch now, casual, as if nothing had happened. His eyes lit up with interest at Riki’s reaction. 

“What?”

“Huh.” Jungwon’s mouth curved up, not quite a smile. “I wondered if I’d have to break out the body bags today. Surprised you managed to resist.”

Riki’s heart slowly returned to normal. Jungwon hadn’t peered into his thoughts—he was talking about the hunger. The hunger Riki hadn’t even felt once. Not even when their blood saturated the air so thickly it was all Riki could smell. 

Jungwon’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward into Riki’s space. “What was that?”

Riki felt a strange thrill at being the one with the upper hand, however briefly. “Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I was fine .” Riki gritted out, but he couldn’t look directly at Jungwon. “I didn’t…want their blood.”

Jungwon let a long, slow pause stretch out between them. His eyes glinted with that dangerous calm that hadn’t left since Heeseung had announced the council’s arrival. 

“Really?” His tone was light but the weight behind it pressed into Riki’s skin. “Because a spike in heart rate isn’t nothing. An increase in breathing isn’t nothing . And that obvious relief— definitely not nothing.” 

Riki looked away but Jungwon’ fingers brushed his arm, a heat that forced Riki to be rooted in place.

“So tell me, baby,” Jungwon’s voice dipped low, cutting straight through whatever was left of Riki’s defenses, “what is it you aren’t telling me?” 

Riki’s head snapped up, meeting Jungwon’s gaze. He thought—just for a moment—that Jungwon hadn’t expected him to. That, maybe, Jugwon had startled himself. 

It wasn’t just the pet name that had shocked him. He’d heard it often enough, whispered between them enough times, even tossed playfully at him by Jake once during a card game. But not like this. Never like this.

It sounded like a warning, whipping against his skin so quickly Riki nearly flinched. But….it also sounded like a claim, and despite himself, something warmer unfurled in his chest.

“Riki,” Jungwon’s fingers curled firmly on his chin, but he didn’t put any pressure behind them, “look at me.”

Riki lifted his eyes reluctantly, already accepting his loss in the fight. “I…I didn’t—” Riki started, then swallowed, heart beating against his ribs. “I didn’t want their blood.” He insisted.

When Jungwon lifted a single eyebrow, gaze coaxing, the words tumbled out before Riki could stop himself. “I wanted their deaths .”

Jungwon didn’t say anything for a moment, but something shifted in his eyes. He dropped his hand, leaning away from Riki—who would’ve felt hurt if it weren’t for the fact that he still felt entirely surrounded by Jungwon's presence. He swayed slightly, body leaning in to fill Jungwon’s previously occupied spot before he even realized what he was doing. Heat creeped up his neck—why did he want to close the space Jungwon left behind?

“Why?” He asked at last.

“They threatened Jay.” Riki whispered, hands clenching by his sides, anything to distract him from the weight of Jungwon’s stare. 

“Hm, so you did eavesdrop?"

Riki couldn’t help but scoff. “I was in the study. The walls aren’t exactly soundproof.”

Jungwon’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. “Noted.” He paused and Riki could almost see the gears turning as he thought over the council’s visit. “What else did you hear?”

Riki chewed on his bottom lip. All of his questions came back in a flood, pressing down on his tongue, clawing at the confines of his mouth to be revealed. Riki swallowed them. “Tell me about the meetings.”

Jungwon hummed, nodding like he’d been expecting that. “No.”

It was a long shot but Riki still gritted his teeth, just barely refraining from pulling at his hair. He hated the deceptive calm in Jungwon’s voice, his face, like nothing could faze him. “Fine. Then tell me about your marks.”

Jungwon blinked, brows furrowing. “My marks?”

Riki crossed his arms, nodding and for the first time that night Jungwon’s mask slipped. The crack of surprise was so small anyone else might have missed it, but Riki caught it, and the brief surge of pride almost made him smile. 

Jungwon tapped his forefinger against his chin in mock contemplation and Riki twitched. Finally, Jungwon looked at him, once more leaning into his space but Riki didn’t move. “What about my marks?”

Riki’s breath hitched when Jungwon got close enough for him to feel the heat of his body through his clothes. “What are they?” 

“They’re claims. To put it simply.” Jungwon pursed his lips, glancing off to the side. “They let everyone know that we’re in a bonded coven, but more importantly that they’re mine.” 

Riki’s eyes lingered on the mark on his neck, glowing, but its brightness differed from the ones on the others’ necks. In fact, it more closely resembled the mark on Jay’s inner wrist. “You marked yourself?”

Jungwon blinked at him momentarily, hiding his smile behind his hand. “No. I can’t mark myself,” he touched the mark lightly with his fingertips, “this one is Heeseung’s. He’s like the…second in command. If something happens to me, then he’s in charge.”

Riki felt unsteady. Something ugly twisted in his gut, so sharp he pressed his hand to his stomach. The thought of Jungwon not being there—of any of them not being there—knocked the breath out of him. They seemed so…unbreakable. Riki didn’t know why he’d never considered death a possibility. For him, maybe, but not for them. Never for them. 

“Then what about…?” He trailed off, eyes stuck on Jungwon’s wrist. He reached for it before stopping himself. He glanced up at Jungwon, who frowned at him, clearly debating. For a second Riki thought he’d refuse. Then, with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Jungwon dropped his arm into Riki’s waiting palm.

He turned Jungwon’s wrist over, exposing the small glowing mark on the inside. “Then what about this one? Whose is this?”

Jungwon’s heartbeat picked up from underneath Riki’s fingertips. “What are you talking about?”

Riki frowned, risking a glance up at Jungwon. Jungwon looked like he was moments away from vomiting and Riki ran his thumb over the small mark, watching the lines of Jungwon’s shoulders relax but only slightly. 

“Your mark? On your wrist?” He reached up, using one finger to tug Jungwon’s shirt collar down a little to expose another mark on his collarbone. “There’s one here too.”

Jungwon pulled away, nearly running up the stairs. Riki followed, mind reeling with the panic he just saw on Jungwon’s face. They stopped in front of Heeseung’s door, and Jungwon pushed it open without knocking. That quickly turned out to be a mistake. 

Jake—who they hadn’t expected to be there—was in Heeseung’s lap, straddling him, fingers tangled in Heeseung’s hair like he’d anchored himself there, refusing to let go. Heeseung’s hand curved firm around Jake’s hip, chest to chest, while the other slid beneath his shirt, tracing the ridge of his spine with a slow, burning touch. Jake arched into it, hips shifting, a sharp little roll that dragged a rough sound from Heeseung’s throat.

Jake only grinned, wicked and kissed him harder, teeth catching at his lip. “Something wrong, hyung?” He whispered against Heeseung’s mouth, taunting, though his voice shook with want.

“Brat,” Heeseung groaned, tugging hard at the hair on the back of his neck before surging up to claim his mouth again. “Keep that up and see what happens.”

Their mouths clashed together, messy, deeper, like they wanted to drown in it. Jake’s hand slipped lower, fingers curling in the fabric of his waistband, teasing. Heeseung groaned, answering with a possessive drag of his palm up Jake’s back, pulling him in until there was no space left between them.

There was a flash of fang as Jake laughed against his mouth, reckless, dizzy with it, and Heeseung chased the sound down to his throat, teeth grazing against his skin. Jake gasped, sharp and high, clutching tighter, body arching like he’d offer himself up completely if Heeseung so much as breathed the word. 

Riki couldn’t look away. Heat clawed at his stomach, sharp and sudden. He wanted that. The closeness, the pull, the permission to unravel in someone’s hands, knowing they’d take care of you. The sight of it ached in his teeth, heavy and sweet, like hunger and want had tangled together until he couldn’t tell one from the other. 

“Hyung.” Jungwon’s voice cut through the room, desperate. 

Heeseung froze but Jake startled so hard he nearly slid off the bed until Heeseung caught his wrist. Riki finally tore his eyes away, but not before he saw the flush blooming across Jake’s cheeks. Jungwon was already clambering across the bed, his movements jerky, and Riki saw the same flash of panic from downstairs. Heeseung’s confusion flickered across his face, but his arm still circled Jungwon’s waist the instant he was close enough to touch. Jungwon fisted the hem of Heeseung’s shirt.

“Take it off.”

Heeseung choked on air and Jake barked a breathless laugh, pushing his hair off his face. “If you wanted that you should’ve just waited a few more minutes.”

Jungwon growled low in his throat, hands trembling as he tugged harder. “I need to see—I—” He twisted Heeseung’s collar, like he’d rip it open if he had to until Heeseung caught his wrists.

“What’s going on?”

Jay’s voice in the doorway made Riki jump. Sunghoon and Sunoo trailed behind him, watching Heeseung and Jungwon like they couldn’t decide if they should be intrigued or concerned. 

“Jungwon’s trying to strip Heeseung-hyung.” Jake supplied dryly, shifting to place a pillow on his lap. Riki refused to look at him.

Jay hummed, unimpressed. “Understandable.” But he stalked closer to the bed, his hand landing heavily on Jungwon’s shoulder, trying to pull him back. 

Sunghoon slid in next to Riki, but he didn’t look angry like the last time he’d seen him, instead his eyes were bright with amusement as Jay attempted to drag Jungwon away from tearing Heeseung’s shirt off.

He’d barely manage to succeed before Jungwon was turning on him with a huff. “Fine, then you take your shirt off.” Jay blinked, thrown, but Jungwon was already trying to wrestle him out of the fabric.

Jake leaned lazily against the headboard, glancing briefly at his phone. “Wait—did I miss the date? Do we have an orgy scheduled today?”

Sunghoon was doubled over, shoulders shaking with laughter and Riki’s face burned. Sunoo shook his head, unfazed as he flicked through his calendar. “No, that’s next week.”

Riki’s mind reeled, everything moving too quickly for him to keep up with. He stared as Sunoo clicked on his calendar, the header simply labelled ‘Group Sex!’ with a smiley face, and turned it towards Jake who frowned in disappointment. Riki blinked, he supposed he shouldn’t be entirely surprised they apparently kept a sex calendar, but he didn’t expect for them to talk so openly about it. 

“Okay, wait.” Heeseung’s voice wasn’t loud but it cut through the chaos of the room all the same. Silence crashed over the room but Heeseung only had eyes for Jungwon. He gestured for Jay to release him, reaching up slowly to dig his fingers into the mark on Jungwon’s neck. 

Jungwon shuddered, making a small aborted sound in the back of his throat, but yielded to Heeseung’s touch, letting him pull him closer. “I need—” He broke off but Heeseung waited patiently, thumb rubbing circles into his mark that sent constant shivers down his spine. “I need to see something. Please, hyung.”

Heeseung nodded, dragging Jungwon closer by his neck to press a kiss to his forehead, so gently that Riki had to look away. He was nothing like the Heeseung Riki had seen when Jungwon ripped his door open, his touches were tender where they had been bruising on Jake, careful where they had roamed freely across Jake’s skin. Heeseung pulled back to ruck up the fabric of his shirt before pulling it off his body completely. 

Someone wolf whistled and it was quickly followed by the sound of a smack and Jake’s quiet “Ow!” 

When he was completely naked from the waist up he turned back to Jungwon with a raised eyebrow. Jungwon reached out like he was going to touch but curled his fingers into fists at the last second. 

“Riki, come here.” 

Heeseung startled, like he’d forgotten about Riki’s presence but nodded his head when Riki asked for permission to join them silently. Heeseung didn’t look too bothered, but Riki noted how the tips of his ears turned red when he shifted closer. 

Riki glanced back at Jungwon for further instructions, noting that the others had moved closer, like they were closing them in. “Show me his marks.”

Sunghoon stepped forward. “What—” 

Jay shushed him, head tipped to the side in curiosity as Riki turned back to Heeseung, hands braced in front of him. “Can I?”

“Go ahead.”

Riki tried to ignore the small tremor in his hands as he traced the first mark with his fingertip. It rested on his right pec, slightly off center, glowing. He pivoted just enough to reach for Jungwon again, exposing the one on his collarbone.

“They’re the same.” He murmured, scanning over the others, eyes pulling on Jay. “It’s Jay’s.” 

Heeseung’s pulse thrummed under his hand and Jay’s mouth dropped open a little, confirming Riki’s theory. His hand slid to the side, a matching one on the opposite side of his chest, if a little lower, closer to his ribs. Heeseung’s breath hitched but Riki didn’t look up.

“I’m guessing this one’s Sunghoon’s.”

No one answered him, but he kept going, sliding higher on his shoulder. Jake shivered when Riki dug his fingers into that mark and Riki knew enough to know that it was Jake who put that mark there. Still, he called out a quiet, “Jake’s.”

Riki pulled back, frowning. He scanned Heeseung’s chest again, before crawling around him to check his back. Nothing. He shifted to sit in front of Heeseung again, searching until he caught it. Nearly hidden in the waistband of his pants lay another small mark, resting on his v-line. Riki blushed but pressed his fingers to it anyway.

“And Sunoo’s.”

For a long moment no one moved. Then Jay dragged a hand down his face, digging his fingers into his eyes.

“What the fuck.”

Riki withdrew, looking up at him. “What?”

Jay made a bunch of gestures at him before cutting off with a groan and covering his face with his hands. Riki frowned, glancing over at the others, gauging their expressions to try to decide if he’d done something wrong. Jake looked thrilled, Sunghoon in awe, Heeseung looked terrified but Sunoo just looked tired. 

Riki carefully pried one of Jay’s hands away from his face, turning his wrist over in his hand. He brushed his thumb gently over the mark there. “This is Heeseung’s,” He turned slightly to run a bent knuckle over Jungwon’s neck, “it matches this one.”

Jay let out a sound akin to a whine. “Do you even hear yourself?”

Sunghoon cleared his throat, effectively stealing Riki’s attention. “How long have you been able to see these?”

Riki’s brows furrowed as he thought. “I don’t know, the whole time? As long as you weren’t wearing clothes to cover them, it wasn’t like you were hiding them.”

Heeseung cursed softly under his breath, reaching for his shirt to tug over his head. But Riki didn’t miss his flinch when he turned his gaze on Heeseung. “Yeah, because you’re not supposed to be able to see them.”

“But they’re right there.”

“No. They’re not. The only mark other vampires are supposed to see is the leader’s, on our neck, the others are supposed to be invisible to everyone outside of the bond.”

Riki felt a headache blooming behind his eyes. Of course. Of course it couldn’t just be normal. Not with him. “So why can I see them?”

“Great question.” Sunoo murmured, typing rapidly on his phone. “Add it to the list of problems we don’t have answers to.”

Riki tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, like that would keep the tears of frustration from rolling down his face. He felt Sunghoon slide in behind him, his arms circling around his chest until Riki felt like he could fold himself into Sunghoon and hide.

The others were arguing above his head, voices harsh enough to make Riki press back into Sunghoon further. 

“She already risked herself to warn us before, she’s trustworthy!” Jungwon insisted.

Heeseung scoffed, and the bed dipped, letting Riki know he’d moved off the bed. “She came to us to take something off of her own coven’s plate. That does not mean she’s trustworthy!”

Riki closed his eyes, his head pounding like someone had smacked him with a bag of bricks. He didn’t startle when he felt Sunghoon’s lips at his ear.

“Are you hungry?” He asked, his voice level but his grip on Riki tightened.

He considered it. Riki wasn’t really hungry, hadn’t been since the council had arrived but perhaps the blood would offer him an escape from the yelling and the unanswered questions. He nodded against Sunghoon’s shoulder, not protesting when Sunghoon shifted them to lean against the headboard. Jake glanced at them, offering a tiny smile before kicking Jay in the knee, jabbing his head at Jungwon and Heeseung’s fight.

Jay pouted momentarily but stood obediently, his voice easily throwing a wrench in their argument. “Stop. Jungwon will call Hanni to come over, that’s the plan now.” He held up his hand to stop Heeseung from interrupting. “We are in way over our heads, we don’t know what we’re doing or what any of this means. We need an outside perspective. Hanni is the best option at the moment.”

Heeseung looked torn, like he was watching them all walk into a trap, unable to save them. “Jay—”

“ This is our best option.” He repeated, each word a nail in the coffin. Once he was sure Heeseung wouldn’t fight him anymore he turned on Jungwon. “ But, if I get even an inkling that she will be a liability for this coven I will personally tear her heart from her chest. I don’t care how long you've been friends, understood?” 

Jungwon flinched but accepted Jay’s terms.

Sunghoon tapped Riki’s arm, stealing his attention. “Feed from me?”

Riki swallowed thickly. He hadn’t fed from Sunghoon since he was in bloodlock. What if he took too much? What if he couldn't stop? What if he hurt—

Sunghoon groaned, using his nail to make a small cut on his shoulder. He grabbed the back of Riki’s neck, tugging him close until their foreheads were nearly touching. “Oh my god, you think too loudly.” Then he pulled Riki to his shoulder. 

Riki’s mouth parted for Sunghoon’s skin easily but it took Sunghoon whispering “I trust you.” for Riki to sink his teeth into his shoulder. His blood burst against Riki’s tongue, the warmth of it pleasant when all Riki could remember was the chill of refrigerated blood-bags. Sunghoon didn’t make a sound, his hand came up to cradle the back of Riki’s head, but he didn’t hold him there.

Another hand landed on the small of his back and Riki could tell by the way they started rubbing comforting circles that Jake had shifted closer, his head resting on Sunghoon’s opposite shoulder. All sounds eventually gave way to just one: Sunghoon’s heartbeat. It covered the sound of Jungwon picking up his phone, of Heeseung’s final warning and Jay’s clipped response. 

Riki felt dizzy when he finally pulled back, like his head was too large for his body and he’d tip off to the side if he moved. Jake’s eyebrows furrowed in concern but he leaned over Sunghoon’s body to lick the wound. It stitched itself back together quickly, the indents gone like Riki had never been there in the first place and Riki had to beat back tears. His mark was gone before it even really got to exist. 

His vision swam. He could see Sunghoon’s mouth moving but he couldn’t hear anything. Sunghoon’s heartbeat still echoed in his ears and Riki shook his head to clear it. It didn’t work. Sunghoon shifted out from underneath him and Riki wanted to grab him. To stop him from leaving because suddenly the room was feeling so, so, cold but his arms felt like lead. Sunghoon left, Jake tucked under his arm. Riki didn’t even realize the tears hitting his folded hands was his own until Jay pulled him down, drowning out Sunghoon’s fading heartbeat with his own. 

His world returned in fragments, but if Jay noticed his rapid lucidity he didn’t say anything. 

“What’s wrong with me?”

Jay traced invisible patterns up his arm, his tone as soft as his touch. “Absolutely nothing.”

Riki ignored the burning in the back of his throat. “You didn’t freak out—that I fed from hyung.”

“I trust him. And I trust you.”

Riki squeezed his eyes shut. “Stop. Please. ”

Jay didn’t say anything more, not until Riki reached out first, curling his hand around Jay’s forearm, like he couldn’t stand being touched at the moment but still craved the contact. His breath caught on nothing, his chest rising too fast for how still the room was. The discovery sat heavily in his chest—seeing something he shouldn’t have, something private. If he could see that, what else was wrong with him? What else was broken?

Jay shifted beside him, rolling his sleeve up so Riki had more access to his skin. “You know,” he said, voice mild, “one time Sunghoon stuttered so hard he forgot what words were because Sunoo just…looked at him.”

Riki blinked, the jagged edges of his thoughts hitching. “What?”

Jay shrugged, like it was nothing. “True story. He just stood there, wide-eyed, couldn’t finish a sentence. Funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Riki stayed quiet, but he could picture it and it was almost enough to beat back the dark in the corners of his mind.

“Jake once ate fried dumplings for three months straight,” Jay added before the panic could catch hold. His tone stayed soft, and he turned his arm over in Riki’s grip, giving him new skin to trace over. “Until the smell made him physically gag. We had to hide them from him after.”

A broken laugh slipped out of Riki, too quiet but real. The panic didn’t vanish, but it faltered.

Jay tilted his head, studying him, then dropped another life raft. “Heeseung…you’d never guess it, but he cried the first time Jungwon hugged him. Full-on, ugly tears. He teared up everytime Jungwon so much as looked at him for the next three days.”

Something in Riki’s chest cracked, the spiral slowing. Jay didn’t stop talking, didn’t give the silence room to grow teeth again. 

He didn’t hear it when the others had reentered the room, but they must have at some point because Jay’s voice trailed off.

“Riki? Do you want to go to your room?” 

Riki slowly peeled himself off of Jay, even if it felt like he was tearing his own skin off doing so. But Sunoo made an offended sound. “No. She does not get to be in his space on top of that. This was your idea, if Riki’s going anywhere it’s your room.”

Jungwon didn’t hesitate. “I’m good with that.”

“I want to go downstairs.” He paused at the scratch in his own voice. “Please.”

They didn’t stop him as he shouldered past them, pausing just long enough to retrieve the sweatshirt he’d stolen from Sunghoon from his room. He settled himself on the couch, wrapping a mound of blankets around himself, trying to picture where he would be if he hadn’t been attacked.

Sunghoon walked past with a soft smile that faltered when he looked a little closer. “What’s wrong?”

Riki avoided looking at him. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

Sunghoon dropped down beside him. “Say the word and I will bar her from ever getting inside.” 

“Just…tell me who she is?”

Sunghoon chewed on his bottom lip, but sat back. “Do you remember what I told you about Jungwon’s turning?”

Riki thought for a moment. He remembered Sunghoon telling him about the party, the attack, and Jungwon's pain. He nodded.

“He wasn’t the only victim of that night.” Sunghoon looked lost in himself, gazing at the far wall like it had their history written in its walls in invisible ink Riki could not see. And maybe it was. “There was a girl, Jungwon’s age, who was drained too. A different coven found her, dumped out a window to try to hide the evidence.

“The Broods contacted us first, mentioned that their fledgling was having a hard time adjusting and had heard we had taken the second victim. So we set them up…like a playdate of sorts.” He smiled softly, like he was picturing it. “We figured that they’d be able to bond, find comfort in the fact that they were in it together.”

Riki’s eyebrows furrowed. Something in Sunghoon’s tone tipped up, like he wasn’t sharing something. “But that wasn’t how it went?”

“Oh god no. The first time they saw each other, Hanni broke one of our vases and tried to cut Jungwon’s throat with one of the shards. Then Jungwon tried to gauge out her eyes.” He laughed, like the memory was hilarious. “It took four of us to pull them off each other.”

“I—” Riki pursed his lips. “So why is she coming?”

“They made up at some point. I don’t know when or how but suddenly they became inseparable." 

Riki frowned, something hot pooling in his veins, something that begged him to lock Jungwon away from Hanni, to bare his teeth and make it known Jungwon belonged nowhere but here. The burn crawled higher in his chest, tightening, coiling, dangerously close to spilling over.

Then, the doorbell rang. 

The sound sliced through his thoughts, but not enough. He was trembling, nails digging crescent marks into his own palms when Sunghoon cut off his own words, turning toward him. Without speaking, he extended his hand, palm open, steady. It wasn’t a demand, but an offering, one that Riki desperately wanted to take. 

Riki’s throat closed. He wanted to scoff, to refuse, to prove he didn’t need saving. But the heat was eating him alive, and his body moved before he could decide, his hand slipping into Sunghoon’s, clutching too tightly. The heat slowed, not stopped, but simmered into a manageable hum.

The door opened. Her perfume hit him first, sweet and sharp, and Riki’s stomach twisted. It was too much, too different from the six scents he’d come to associate with safety, with home. But what really burned was the way Jungwon’s voice softened when he greeted her, so unlike the clipped tone he’d used with Riki not so long ago.

Then she appeared. Her short black skirt swayed with each step, her cropped t-shirt exposed pale skin that should be pink from the snow outside but wasn’t. Her hair was pulled high, swinging back and forth as she briefly acknowledged each of them.

She breezed into the living room and Riki’s jaw tightened. He didn’t miss the way her eyes flicked across each coven member like she was cataloguing them.

Her nose wrinkled. “Why does it smell so weird—” She stopped when her eyes landed on Riki. She blinked, like she expected him to be a figment of her imagination before pointing at him and turning to Jungwon. “Jungwon, there’s a baby on your couch,” she announced, as if Jungwon could have possibly overlooked him.

Riki bristled, nails biting harder into Sunghoon’s hand.” I’m twenty-three,” he growled.

Jay was on his feet in a heartbeat, squatting in front of Riki like a shield. “Riki, Hanni. Hanni, Riki.” 

Hanni blinked, mouth falling open in an ‘o’. “That’s a fledgling.” Her tone shifted, sharper now, eyes narrowing. “Is he registered?”

Heeseung’s chest rumbled, low and dangerous, before Jungwon smacked him sharply, a warning. “Stick to safe questions.” He told her, voice cool.

Hanni laughed but it didn’t sound real. “Fantastic. So, no.” She considered Riki, her chin in her hand, her arms across his chest. “How did you find him? He’s so…pretty.”

Sunoo perched on the arm of the couch, his hand landing on Riki’s shoulder. “Watch it.”

“So possessive,” Hanni murmured, like she was filing away that knowledge for later, “relax, the last thing we need is an addition to our coven. I’m not stealing your boy.”

Jungwon sighed, rubbing at his temples. “He sort of…fell into our laps.”

Hanni glanced back at him, but their conversation took place without words and Riki twitched. “Okay,” she fell into one of the loveseats, her legs crossed. “Why am I here?”

The room fell silent, no one was really willing to answer Hanni’s question, like they weren’t quite ready to let go of the safety Riki’s secrecy provided him. It stretched, wrapping itself around Riki’s neck, making him shift in his seat. Hanni watched, her gaze clinical but not unkind.

“Alright.” She said when she clearly got tired of the lack of an answer. “Which one of you does he have a single-source dependency on?”

Riki’s heart lurched and all around him the coven spluttered, denials spilling from their lips within the next breath. But Hanni wasn’t looking at them. She raised her eyebrow at Riki, mouthing ‘Well?’

“Sunghoon-hyung.” Riki murmured, lifting their joined hands to emphasize it. “I can only drink his blood without pain.”

Hanni’s lips pursed and beside him, Sunoo cursed, his hand coming down in an attempt to reprimand. “And when you drink other blood?”

Riki grit his teeth, the skin of his arms itched. “I vomit. Violently. And some sort of psychosis, everything looks…dangerous. Even my own body.”

Jungwon shifted his weight. Something flickered across his face, recognition, maybe? Whatever it was was gone before Riki had time to search for the right word. Hanni looked sympathetic but fascinated and Riki leaned back to avoid her gaze. 

“Well I already gave you all the…” She broke off, eyes sliding up to meet Jungwon who looked ready to throw her across the room. 

“Already gave what?” Riki pressed, entirely ignoring the glare Jungwon had turned on him.

Hanni looked from him, to Jungwon, then back again. “Apparently that is not my place to share but if you want to continue please do. Anything else I should know before I start exhausting all my resources?”

Jay opened his mouth but Riki beat him to it. “Marks. I can see bond marks.”

“Yeah, okay, so can I. It’s on their necks, that’s normal.” Hanni said, glancing around the room like she was looking for confirmation. 

Riki nudged Jay with his foot and Jay sighed but nodded almost imperceptibly. Riki shifted forward, releasing Sunghoon’s hand to point at the small, glowing mark on Hanni’s ribcage. “You have a mark between your seventh and eighth rib.” He pointed lower. “And one right above your skirt, just below your belly button.”

For half a beat too long Hanni just stared at him. Then, with a sharp motion, she slapped her hands over the marks Riki pointed out, her eyes narrowing. “Okay, I don’t like this one.”

Jungwon almost smiled. “Good thing he’s not yours then.”

“You can see marks? Not just the public ones?”

Riki nodded slowly and Hanni stood from her chair, startling everyone. She moved closer, ignoring the warning growls of Jake and Heeseung as she stopped in front of him, turning her phone screen for him to see. “Where are his marks?”

It was a photo of a man, he was facing away from the camera, his skin damp, his hair wet. He had on a pair of swim trunks but the rest of his skin was bare. Riki squinted. “He has one on the center of his lower back, one on his right shoulder, one on his thigh and one on his rib cage.” He rattled off obediently. 

Hanni stared at her phone like it had betrayed her. “What the fuck,” she murmured, pulling it back against her chest. She looked between the small device and Riki. “Isn’t that…isn’t that some ancient shit?”

The air in the room suddenly felt razor-thin and Riki tensed against it. Jake’s growl rumbled low in his throat but Jay cut across him, sharp. “He’s not some sideshow trick.” He shifted closer to Riki, a wall between him and Hanni.

Heeseung had gone utterly still, his gaze locked on Riki with something that looked too much like recognition. His mouth opened, then shut, like a machine, a muscle jumping in his jaw. He looked away like the sight of Riki burned. 

Hanni, oblivious, leaned back on her heels. “Hey, everyone knows only originals could do things like that. Have you guys ever heard of a vampire that wasn’t an Original having some sort of special ability?”

Sunoo scoffed. “He’s not an original, he's just barely turned.”

Hanni shrugged, undeterred. “Who’s to say his turn wasn’t botched? Could explain all the other weird stuff.” She tipped her head to the side, like she was studying Riki. “Sometimes, when an original passes their blood, it does something on its way down. Botched turns leave…cracks and sometimes cracks leak power.”

“They never last.”

Everyone turned to Heeseung, who looked caught under the attention. “None of those vampires lasted, their bodies were too weak, they broke down.”

“Huh…did you study originals too?”

Heeseung hesitated but nodded and Hanni looked appreciative. Riki frowned. He knew Heeseung didn’t ‘study’ Originals, that his words came from experience but why did he hide that? Was it still as dangerous for him as it was back then?

“Well, you don’t feel like you’re dying, do you?” She asked bluntly and Riki blinked. The coven flinched as one, like she had struck them all at the same moment. Her eyebrows furrowed at that and she turned back to face Jungwon. 

“I’m sorry, I know it’s technically not my place, but when did you mark him?”

Riki froze, his own heart beating so loudly in his ears that he nearly missed Jungwon’s reply. “He’s…not.”

“No, that’s not possible.” She said, gesturing to Riki like that was the answer. “You all orbit him. Same way you do to each other. It’s like you added another planet to your little solar system.”

She gestured again to the way Jake was leaning into Riki’s space, how Sunoo hovered near his shoulder, and the way Sunghoon was practically in his lap. “I’m not crazy.” She insisted and Jungwon glared at her, the first real coldness Riki had seen directed at her since her arrival. 

“Drop it.”  

Hanni sighed. “Fine, fine. Forget I said anything.” She stuffed her phone in her pocket, holding her hands up in surrender. 

Riki ignored the way his stomach dropped at the easy way Jungwon brushed it off. He pulled into himself, shaking off Sunghoon’s touch when he reached out. It earned him a sideways look from Sunoo, which he also ignored, his eyes trained on Hanni. 

“If I’m botched,” he started, shrugging off the small, distressed sound Jake let out at the word choice, “how do I fix it?”

Hanni rubbed at her temples roughly, pacing the floor and muttering to herself under her breath. “I don’t know. Yet.” She stabbed a finger at him. “But I will.”

“Okay,” Riki allowed, “what else do you need to know?”

“How much more can I know about your turning without becoming a liability?”

Riki faltered, unsure what to make of her words, much less how to answer them but Sunghoon stepped up, offering a vague: “Little.” To which Hanni nodded solemnly.

“Fantastic, okay, I love working with no information, it's so fun for me!” Hanni muttered under her breath, her arms crossed. “How long was your turning?”

Riki thought about it. He’d spent twelve days by himself before Sunghoon had found him, then another eleven—according to Sunoo—trying to tear his own skin off. 

He answered: “Twenty-three days give or take” at the same time Jungwon said “Four days.”

Silence slammed into them once more. Hanni’s mouth dropped open and Jungwon slapped his hand over his face, tipping his head back, mouth moving like he was muttering a prayer for patience. 

“Damn it, Riki.” Heeseung cursed softly, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, his expression the same level of exacerbation Riki could see on everyone else' s faces.  

Hanni’s mouth opened and closed and Riki was involuntarily reminded of the fish he used to catch when he went fishing with his sister and father. “Did you just say twenty-three days?”

“Give or take.” Riki responded immediately and beside him Sunoo smacked at his shoulder. Riki glared at him. 

“I—I don’t even want to begin— how?” Hanni cut herself off, then shook her head like she was trying to clear it of all the piling-up questions. “You know what? I don’t want to know.”

Jay straightened, stalking towards Hanni slowly. “Do I have to tell you what will happen if any of this gets out?” 

Jay wasn’t all that tall, but he seemed domineering over Hanni as he closed the distance. Hanni visibly swallowed, her earlier confidence wavering as she looked away, backing up to put space between them. 

Jungwon slipped in front of Jay, his hand gentle but insistent on his chest. “Hyung, please. She’s helping us.”

Jay flicked Jungwon’s hand away, easily moving around the other vampire. “I already warned him.” Jay said lowly. “Do I have to warn you what happens when someone threatens what’s ours?”

Hanni shook her head. “No. No one will know, aside from me.”

Like a balloon popped, Jay leaned back, suddenly all smiles, which was somehow far worse than the murderous attitude he’d adopted moments before. “Good. Can I get you something to drink then?”

Hanni glanced around the room before answering with a shaky nod, and Jay disappeared into the kitchen. Jungwon stepped up beside her, his hand resting lightly on her lower back. Riki’s eyes narrowed at that, watching as he bent a little lower to murmur an apology in her ear. Riki’s jaw ached from how tightly he clenched it.

The coven watched, transfixed, until Heeseung called him. “Jungwon?”

Jungwon looked over. “Hyung.”

Heeseung’s head tipped to the side but he beckoned Jungwon closer with two fingers. Jungwon looked more annoyed than anything but assured Hanni she was okay to sit again and made his way over. Heeseung wasted no time wrestling Jungwon into his lap, his teeth latching onto the mark on his neck when Jungwon wouldn’t still. He froze, his body locking before melting, like Heeseung had switched off his power button. 

Riki looked away, but he couldn’t get the image of Heeseung’s lips dragging over Jungwon’s ear out of his head. Hanni, for her part, seemed unfazed by the blatant claim and affection, and while her body still remained tense she seemed to have no qualms studying Riki again. 

Jay returned with drinks, passing them out to each person but stopping at Riki. “Are you good? I know you just fed—” He looked at Hanni, “Not that long ago but do you want more?”

Riki’s stomach turned at the thought and he declined, but not without catching Jay’s face pinched with concern. Across from him, Hanni’s expression didn’t crack, but her fingers drummed against her knee, like she was filing away every detail. 

Jay brought his attention back easily with a finger on his chin. “Riki…”

Riki didn’t fight it, letting Jay look his fill until he seemed satisfied. His thumb brushed the corner of Riki’s mouth but he pulled back, returning to his spot next to Jake. Hanni raised a brow in silent question and heat crawled up Riki’s neck before he could stop it.

Conversation slowly bloomed, but Riki blocked most of it out. From the little bits and pieces he did listen to he found out Hanni’s coven consisted of seven other people, two men, five women, all bonded from as far as he could tell. The others seemed to know them, asking questions to prompt longer answers out of Hanni, but she didn’t mind. 

If anything, she lit up, talking animatedly about how Youngsoo had attempted to make them food the other day—and failed miserably. She giggled regaling the tale and Riki caught how Jay nudged Jake in the ribs, prompting a smile. The warmth of it pressed against him, but he stayed separate, the laughter sliding past like water over stone.

A shrill ring cut through their memories. Hanni jumped, digging into her pocket for her phone, her smile bright when she recognized the caller ID. 

“Hi beautiful,” she greeted, “what? No, I’m like five minutes away.” She stood, switching her phone to her other hand. “Babe—I’m practically at the door.”

She paused, letting the person on the other end of the phone speak before putting her phone away. She turned to his coven—the coven. “Sorry, gotta run, promised Nova I’d be home for something.” 

Jungwon lifted his hand in a hazy goodbye, entirely pliant in Heeseung’s hold and Hanni sent him a small smile before disappearing out the door. Jay waited a beat, then two. He rounded the couch, tugging Heeseung’s head away from Jungwon’s neck. He ignored Heeseung’s playful growl, giving his hair another firm tug.

“Start talking.” Sunoo said, swinging his legs over the other side of the couch. Heeseung’s brows furrowed and he glanced between Sunoo and Jay. 

“What?”

Jay leaned forward. “You think we didn’t notice your freeze when Hanni suggested a botched turn? We notice everything.”

Heeseung rolled his eyes but Riki caught the way his hands faltered on Jungwon’s waist. Jay twisted his fingers in Heeseung’s hair, demanding an answer. Heeseung winced but relented, and Jay let go. 

“It’s Yoonchae.”

Jake groaned, stomping his feet on the floor like a petulant child. “Who the fuck is Yoonchae?”

“Only other person I’ve known to be able to see private bonds.” Heeseung took a steadying breath. “They…it shouldn’t be possible.”

Jungwon visibly blinked back the fog clouding his head. “Tell us about them first.”

“They could see bonds, like tethers that connected people together, but Yoonchae could also break bonds with a flick of their wrist, tear them apart, use them to pit coven members against each other if they wanted.”

“Great.” Jay breathed, blinking hard as though he was trying to steady himself. “Now what do you mean ‘not possible’?”

Heeseung swallowed, his grip on Jungwon tightening, but now it seemed more for his own comfort. “They were on the list.” Heeseung’s voice cracked on the word.

Beside him, Sunghoon froze. “What list, hyung?”

“The one I traded for your lives.”