Chapter Text
The sun had just begun to set when Jimin appeared in the doorway of the music room where Yoongi had spent the better part of the afternoon.
"Hyung, the Joseon representative is refusing to leave until he speaks to our... Sire." Jimin rolled his eyes.
"And?" Yoongi drawled.
"And if they dismiss Jin-hyung as your blood whore one more time, we're going to have a mess in more ways than one," Jimin replied. "He offered to gift him a proper collar if he fetched you quickly."
"He's still breathing?" Yoongi lifted a brow.
"Jin-hyung said he needs you."
That gave Yoongi pause. Jin and Yoongi were equals in both rank and power. Everyone knew they ran the Min Clan together despite it carrying Yoongi's surname. Jin did not need him to deal with an arrogant vampire delegation. He never had.
Yoongi shadow-stepped to Jin's side a moment before Jimin returned to the conference room.
The scene that greeted him was unsurprising. Two dhampir guards stood against the wall flanking a young man whose eyes were fixed on the floor. He was barely dressed, expensive clothing that did nothing against the harsh winter air, a thick clan collar cinched tight enough to leave marks. Just in front of them stood Ji-hwan, brother to the Kim clan's leader. The reason they used Yoongi’s last name rather than Jin's.
"You insult my clan and still demand my attention." Yoongi's ire was enough to frost glass. "Leave before I send your head back to your brother in a box."
"My Sire requests an audience," Ji-hwan said.
"As I said, if he wishes to speak with us, he knows where we are." Jin’s tone was no less cold than Yoongi’s had been.
The man opened his mouth as if to argue.
The air chilled as Yoongi drew the shadows closer. "You have our answer. Now leave, Ji-hwan. Do not make me repeat myself."
Jimin opened the door with a mocking bow.
Ji-hwan stalked toward it with a growl. One of the dhampir guards shoved the collared young man forward and he stumbled.
Joon reached out instinctively to steady him.
The moment they touched, both men froze.
Power erupted between them, skin glowing, eyes blazing. Joon's magic burned warm gold while the other man's shone the vivid pink-orange of sunset. The colors twisted together in a dazzling display of living light, filling the room with warmth that had no business existing in the middle of winter.
Then Jin's magic flared in a violent flash of pure silver and the dhampir guards' heads hit the floor.
Yoongi didn't wait for answers. His shadows slammed into Ji-hwan and pinned him hard against the wall before anyone else could react.
Jimin pulled daggers from who knows where, as he and Hobi lunged toward Joon.
"Stop." Jin's command cracked through the room as he snapped a barrier around his brother and the other man.
They halted immediately. "Hyung?" Jimin asked, daggers still in hand, as Hobi looked at him confused as to why they were stopped from going to their mate.
Jin stared at the two men still locked in place, magic winding tighter and tighter around them. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the particular weight of someone naming something sacred.
"They are Auraelia."
Silence followed.
Joon had found his Aura Mate.
A soul bond so rare one had not been witnessed one in over two centuries. And standing in that charged, breathless room, watching gold and sunset twist together in the air, they understood with sudden, absolute certainty that nothing about this night was going to end quietly.
The room fell silent as the implications settled over the others. Jin had never witnessed an Aura Bond awaken before, but he knew with absolute certainty that was what stood before them now. He was equally certain the young man trembling in Joon’s arms was far more than they had first assumed.
A moment later the magic receded.
Joon dragged the smaller man against his chest as if instinct alone compelled it. His own chest heaved with uneven breaths while the young man broke apart in his arms, tears falling freely.
“Hyungs,” Joon breathed, eyes wide as they lifted toward Jin and Yoongi.
Jin lowered the barrier.
Beside him, Yoongi inhaled sharply.
Jin turned toward him. Yoongi’s expression darkened further before he gave a single sharp nod.
“Sanguis.”
The word settled heavily into the room.
Whatever bindings had been wrapped around the young man had burned away beneath the force of the Aura Bond. For the first time, they could all truly sense him.
Jimin and Hobi moved instantly toward Joon. The young man startled hard at the sudden attention, trying to pull away with a panicked sound lodged somewhere between fear and apology.
“None of that, Elfling.” Hobi’s voice softened as he pressed a steady hand against the young man’s back, keeping him against Joon instead of allowing him to retreat. “You’re safe here.”
“Hyungs.” Jimin sounded almost awed now. “He’s mine. He’s...” His hand hovered inches from the young man as if afraid touching him might somehow break the moment. “Sanguine.”
Hobi clicked his tongue and simply pulled Jimin closer until the young man was caught securely between Joon and Jimin both.
Jimin purred softly at the contact.
The sound seemed to unravel something inside the trembling young man because tension slowly eased from his frame as he sagged against them.
“I... I don’t understand,” he whispered.
Then terror crashed back across his face.
“My brother.” He tore himself away abruptly, stumbling forward before dropping hard to his knees in front of Yoongi. “No, they’ll... they’ll do worse than kill him if I don’t return.” His breath hitched violently. “Sire, please. I’ll do anything. Please, save my big brother.”
He was crying again.
Across the room Ji-hwan grunted in pain as Yoongi’s shadows constricted violently around him, the vampire lord’s temper slipping just enough to show teeth.
Jin pulled the young man gently back to his feet before Yoongi could make the situation worse.
“Look at me.”
The command cracked cleanly through the panic. The young man’s head jerked upward immediately.
“Take a breath.”
He obeyed.
“Another.”
His breathing began to steady.
Jin brushed the tears from his face with careful fingers. “What is your name?”
The young man hesitated. “Jungkook.”
“Well, Jungkook.” Jin’s voice gentled slightly. “Welcome to the Min Clan.”
Yoongi’s expression was lethal.
“Kim Soobong wanted an audience,” he said darkly as shadows peeled away from the walls around him. “Let’s grant his wish.”
Hobi and Jimin immediately moved to follow.
“Stop right there, Min Yoongi,” Jin snapped.
All three halted.
Yoongi looked back over his shoulder, one brow lifting.
“Maybe we should ask a few questions first,” Jin said dryly.
“Soobong will die. Anyone protecting him will die.” Yoongi sounded utterly unconcerned by the fact. “What exactly do we still need clarified?”
Jimin snorted.
Jin cut him a look sharp enough to silence him instantly.
Behind them, Joon carefully pulled Jungkook back against his side, one arm firm around him.
“I’m not sure who’s scarier,” Jungkook admitted weakly.
“Jin-hyung,” Jimin answered immediately.
“Yoongi-hyung,” Hobi said at the exact same time.
Joon laughed quietly under his breath as Jungkook looked between them in obvious confusion.
Jin ignored all of them. He simply continued staring at Yoongi pointedly.
Yoongi threw a hand up in surrender.
“Fine,” he muttered. “Ask your damn questions if you must.”
Jin and Yoongi turned their attention back toward Jungkook at the same time.
Jungkook immediately shrank closer against Joon.
“Turn the intensity down a notch, Hyungs,” Joon sighed, wrapping himself more firmly around Jungkook in clear protection. “He’s not used to one of you, much less both of you together.”
“Trust me, Kook.” Jimin smirked from where he leaned against Hobi’s side. “You finally gave Yoongi-hyung a justifiable reason to kill Soobong. He’s thrilled.”
Jin’s mouth twitched.
He elbowed Yoongi sharply in the ribs.
Yoongi grunted and shot him an annoyed look before visibly smoothing the harsher edges of his expression into something marginally less terrifying.
The effect was questionable.
“What is your brother’s name?” Yoongi asked.
Jungkook lowered his gaze automatically. “Taehyung, Sire.”
“Hyung,” Yoongi corrected immediately.
Jungkook blinked and looked up.
“We don’t abide by that archaic nonsense here.” Yoongi’s tone remained calm, though the shadows still curled lazily at his feet, betraying the violence simmering beneath his skin. “Jin and I lead the clan, but this is a family. Not a fiefdom.”
Jungkook stared at him for a long moment, uncertainty and disbelief warring openly across his face before he answered softly, “Hyung.”
“Good.” Yoongi folded his arms. “Now tell your Hyungs which member of the Kim Clan has your brother, Little Elf.”
Jungkook hesitated.
“He belongs to Soobong.” His voice dropped quieter still. “I was given to Ji-hwan. The others...” He swallowed hard. “The others could not be trusted not to take more than our blood.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
Joon’s hold around Jungkook tightened. Jimin’s expression darkened. Hobi lost his smile entirely. Even Jin’s eyes cooled several degrees.
“The weak minded cannot resist your allure,” Jin explained evenly.
Jungkook tilted his head slightly, confusion overtaking fear for the first time since arriving. Yoongi looked toward Jin. Jin looked back at him once before returning his attention to Jungkook.
“Do you not know what you are?” Jin asked carefully.
Jungkook answered instantly, the words too rehearsed to be his own.
“Abominations.”
The entire room went still.
“Baby.” Joon pulled him closer immediately, voice low and firm. “You are not an abomination.”
Jungkook looked visibly startled by the force of the denial.
“You’re Elven,” Joon continued. “As far as anyone knows, the last of your kind.”
Jungkook blinked rapidly.
“Elven,” he repeated faintly. “Elfling. Little Elf.” His gaze moved uncertainly between them.
"You already knew," Jungkook said faintly. It wasn't quite a question.
"The moment your bond to Joon ignited. Their bindings couldn't hold against it," Yoongi confirmed.
“I thought...”
“You thought we were assigning random nicknames to someone we just met?” Hobi smiled gently as he reached out to brush Jungkook’s hair back from his face.
“We may be bloodthirsty,” he said lightly, “but we do still have manners.”
A startled sound escaped Jungkook before he could stop it. Not quite a laugh, but dangerously close.
The room collectively softened around it.
They asked a few more questions before Joon and Jimin finally spirited their little elf away to find him warmer clothing and a chance to breathe.
The moment they disappeared down the hall the atmosphere in the room shifted again.
“If Kook is Joonie’s Auraelia...” Hobi drawled, looking at Jin meaningfully.
“It does not matter what his brother may or may not be to any of us,” Jin replied smoothly.
“No,” Yoongi agreed from where he still leaned against the wall beside him. “It doesn’t.”
Hobi narrowed his eyes immediately.
“But,” Yoongi continued calmly, “Kook is Sanguis to Hobi and I. Statistically speaking, his brother likely will be as well.”
“He is also Sanguine to Jiminie,” Hobi added, attention fixed entirely on Yoongi now. “And I already have mine.”
“There is nothing in the histories that guarantees Jungkook’s brother will be anything to the rest of us,” Jin said evenly.
Hobi hummed. “Keep telling yourselves that.”
Jin ignored him. Yoongi did not bother pretending to.
The conversation died as footsteps approached again.
Joon returned first with Jungkook tucked securely against his side while Jimin followed looking entirely too pleased with himself.
The change in Jungkook was immediate enough to soften even Yoongi’s expression slightly.
Gone were the thin expensive silks meant more for display than warmth. Jungkook now swam in oversized clothing that clearly belonged to his mates. Loose black pants hung low on his hips while one of Namjoon’s sweaters nearly swallowed him whole, the sleeves covering his hands completely.
Most importantly, the collar was gone.
Though faint angry red marks still circled his throat where it had bitten into his skin.
In its place rested a soft black satin choker. Two silver crescent charms hung from it, one waxing, one waning. Hobi and Jimin’s marks. A perfect match to the ones already resting against Namjoon’s chest.
A low possessive growl escaped Hobi at the sight before he visibly caught himself and shot Jimin a narrow look. Jimin looked delighted with himself.
Jungkook immediately noticed the exchange and looked worried.
“Am I not Hobi-hyung’s too?” he asked fidgeting with the charms.
Namjoon made a strangled sound beside him that suspiciously resembled suppressed laughter.
“Only if you want to be,” he answered carefully.
“Yes, please,” Jungkook said instantly, turning those wide earnest eyes directly onto Hobi.
The room went quiet. Even Jin had to bite back a smile at the look on Hobi’s face. Hobi was rarely caught off guard. Hobi closed his eyes briefly and inhaled once through his nose.
“How old are you, Jungkook?” he asked finally.
“Twenty three. Last month.”
“He’s an adult, Hoba.” Namjoon raised a brow.
“Barely,” Yoongi muttered under his breath.
Jin immediately elbowed him. This time Yoongi caught his wrist before impact and pinned Jin’s arm neatly behind his back. Pinning Jin against his chest.
Jin’s breath caught sharply.
For a split second something unreadable crossed Yoongi’s face. Then he released him.
Across the room Hobi watched the exchange with deeply unimpressed familiarity before returning his attention to Jungkook.
“There are things you need to understand before you decide anything,” Hobi said gently.
Jungkook lowered his head immediately. “As you wish, Hyung.”
Hobi crossed the room and tilted Jungkook’s chin back up with two fingers.
“It is always your choice that matters,” he said firmly enough that everyone in the room felt the weight behind the words. “I just need you to be good and wait until we get you and your brother somewhere safe. Then we’ll talk properly.”
Jungkook relaxed slightly.
“I can be good,” he promised softly.
Hobi smiled then, warm enough to make Jungkook stare.
“I know you can, Elfling.”
He brushed a strand of hair back from Jungkook’s face before stepping away again.
Beside him, Jimin let out a dramatic sigh and collapsed bonelessly against Namjoon’s shoulder.
“Why is it so hot when he does that?” he complained. “It almost makes me want to be good for him.”
“Just say the word, pretty boy.” Hobi all but purred.
Jimin looked genuinely tempted for approximately three seconds.
Then he rolled his eyes.
“I said almost.”
He shoved Hobi away before immediately turning toward Jin.
“Hyung,” Jimin whined dramatically. “Can we go kill something now?”
Jin laughed outright.
“And he’s back.”
The tension finally began to dissolve and everyone started filing out of the conference room. Joon steered Jungkook gently toward the door while Hobi kept close enough that their shoulders brushed with every step. Jimin wandered ahead of them already discussing increasingly violent possibilities for the evening.
Yoongi made to follow.
“Yoon,” Jin called lightly. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Yoongi looked over at him blankly for exactly half a second before both their gazes shifted toward the far wall.
Ji-hwan still hung there unconscious, pinned several feet off the floor by writhing shadows. Then came the wet sound of tearing flesh.
Jungkook blinked as Ji-hwan's severed head drifted neatly through the air and stopped directly in front of him, suspended in Yoongi's shadows.
Yoongi folded his arms.
“Would you like to return this to the bastard personally?” he drawled.
A beat of silence passed.
Then, slowly, Jungkook smiled. It was small. Sharp. Dangerous in a way none of them had expected from him this far.
“Gladly.”
He grabbed the head by the hair without hesitation and swung it lightly beside him as he continued toward the door.
Hobi stared at him with unmistakable affection. Jimin looked delighted. Joon looked like he was actively reevaluating every life choice that had somehow led him here.
“He’s going to fit in just fine,” Jin muttered.
Beside him, Yoongi hummed in deeply amused agreement.