(Y/N) POV:

There's something wrong. I know it. I can feel it in the bond- Yugyeom is worrying, and quite intensely if the gnawing feeling at the pit of my stomach is anything to go by.

I slip out of bed, awake earlier than expected because of the slightly nauseating feeling that I'm experiencing, padding over to Gyeomie's room. It's more common for the two of us to find our way into the other's bed at some point during the night- sometimes even forgoing that as we head to sleep together, but since the dinner ended, Gyeomie grew silent on the way home, slightly withdrawn and lost in thought.

Hopefully, he's ready to share, open up about what it is that's bothering him.

I open the door, heart wrenching painfully at the sight of him curled up on himself, eyes wide open and unstaring, arms protectively wrapped around himself. I slide into his bed, our knees touching as I turn to face him.

I reach out to touch his face, silently startled at the colder than usual skin that greets me, his eyes slowly come to meet mine and I open my arms for him- a silent invitation. And that's all he needs before he gratefully burrows himself into me, wrapping himself around me. His body shudders as his cold skin meets my own heated and then he's melting into my hold, clutching me with a frantic desperation.

"What's wrong Gyeomie?" I say to his bent head.

I'm startled to feel wetness against my shirt, soaking through quickly and when he raises his eyes, they are drowning with tears that he struggles to hold at bay, watch as they spill over and his lip wobbles. My fingers come to wipe the tears away, he leans into the touch as though he is starved for affection.

It takes several long minutes for him to settle himself, to bring his tears under control and he is able to meet my eyes with such a raw, vulnerable expression that it sends jolts of mirroring sorrow down the bond.

"I'm scared things will change." He whispers brokenly.

"What will change?" I ask gently.

And the barriers struggling to hold his emotions at bay come bursting open.

"I thought I couldn't be happier when I found my soulmates, that everything was going to be complete, but I can't just leave you...I can't let our bond go." He says, clutching desperately at me in attempt to ground himself.

My heart aches for him. When understanding fully dawns about why he's been so hurt, why it's bothered him to see his new nestmates because it makes him yearn for them whilst being afraid for me.

He look at me with an open look, waiting for me to provide him with something that'll help ease the conflict inside of him.

"Who said that becoming fully bonded with your soulmates means I won't want you anymore? What we have is a different bond- it won't be replaced; they hold two different places in your heart. One if for those born and fated to be yours and ours is one that we made together, because of the trust we have and the love we have." I say softly in the gap between us, feeling nothing but warmth for the boy I see, for the boy who I'd met years ago.

I watch as my words help ease some of the stiffness in his body, causes his shoulders to droop now that the burden has been lifted from them.

"We're not bound in the same way you are to your coven but I will always be the same person you met. I'll always be your marshmallow even though you always hold that against me." I huff but smile when I hear the watery chuckle it rouses.

And with our hearts settled and bond now at rest, we easily slip off to sleep- comforted by each other.

----

But when we wake Yugyeomie is clingy, clingier than usual and makes sure to place himself near me, hovering protectively over my shoulder as I cook breakfast, eyes sharp to ensure I don't manage to injure myself on anything.

Even though it had been one time he'd seen me accidentally burn my hand- one time. And now his hands gently pushed me away from the stove and moved sharp things out of my reach.

I huff but let him continue on doing it- knowing that it's settling his frazzled instincts at ease.

After we've eaten, my eyes once again catch onto his unusually colder state, noting his pallor and I realise that he must not have fed recently.

I stop him before he can leave the kitchen, tugging him back to sink into the chair.

Without speaking, I push up my sleeve bringing the inside of my wrist upto his mouth.

He shoots me a guilty look. So my suspicion had been correct.

He's hungry. And he hadn't fed.

"Gyeomie, you know it'll make you sick if you don't feed. And right now, I'm the only source you have." I say, gently nudging his lips against the sensitive skin. Allowing him to breath in the scent of blood, allow him to hear the blood that runs through my veins.

His fangs slide out, poking his bottom lip as the lure of blood becomes strong. His eyes are gentle and trusting as he lowers his mouth, teeth graze against my skin before sinking in, two brief pinpricks that sting before the bond floods with warmth and love, he feeds slowly, hands cradling my wrist to his mouth as he takes gulps of the blood that fills his mouth.

When he raises his mouth, his lips are glistening with the dark redness of blood, he gently laves over the two spots where his fangs have pierced with his tongue- healing them over.

There's a flush in his cheeks as the blood satiates his hunger, bringing back his normal healthy glow.

When he feeds, I can feel the bond become stronger, it's a tether that bounds us together and holds us close- there's something intimate and close about feeding because both are vulnerable, vampires choose to feed from others in their coven because it's a treasured moment. And for Gyeomie to share it with me, becomes an unspoken confirmation that he considers me as family.

But it also leads to a greater need to be close to the one they've fed from, but a cuddly satiated Gyeomie is one I'll take any day.

JB POV:

When we meet for lunch, I am giddy to see    (Y/N) and Yugyeom-ah already sitting in one of our favourite nooks, but what makes me melt is seeing the way Yugyeom is plastering himself along (Y/N)'s side, content to bask in her natural warmth as she talks to him, head resting against his neck and his head on hers.

When we approach the others swarm them with greetings, hugs and are about to attempt to give (Y/N) a friendly kiss when Yugyeom shields her slightly, eyes flashing red for a second before fading into the usual warm chocolate eyes. His protective instincts are flaring up and I immediately come to the conclusion that he must've recently fed- hence his extremely cuddly nature at the moment.

The others naturally ease back a bit, content to just tease him instead with a fondness and ease that makes me feel like we've always been around him, always been waiting for our last soulmate to come and complete us.

He fits into our normal like it had never been anything else, so easily enters our heart with his cute and endearing quirks and behaviour, that I can't help but be thankful for my existence. For having found the ones who completed me.

After lunch we're all walking out of the cafeteria, our group of eight comfortably chatting, laughing, and lost in our own world when suddenly there's a sudden shift of atmosphere in the hallway. The other students fall silent, before the whispers break out, bodies shifting as everyone turns to see who it is that has caught their attention.

I look up to see Bangtan's coven- all seven of them as they stride forward, power and authority radiating from them, they demand attention without even having to ask for it. They're a coven that gets along really well with my own, just another group of boys, friends even.

A smile curves my lips up automatically before I suddenly feel the bond shift, nervousness settling into place- even though our bond with Yugyeom is new, I can feel the panic rising in him. I spin to turn to him, seeing the others already shift closer, already attuned to his feelings and ready to soothe in any way they can. His arms desperately snag (Y/N) from the side where she had been walking, giggling with Youngjae, and draws her into his arms, folding her against him.

And it hits me that with each step closer, Bangtan become increasingly near to my coven, where my new nestling is on-edge and with his human bondmate. Someone he'll protect with his life and so will we.

But Bangtan is known and recognised as a famous coven for being reclusive, for only choosing to interact willingly with vampires- with people of our own kind. They hate humans. Barely tolerate their presence when they scuttle past, instead shooting disgruntled and disgusted looks.

And I have a sinking feeling about the hurt that could arise if they should choose to stop and interact, even though they mean well, I can't predict how the next moments could change everything.

NAMJOON POV:

We enter the building, eager to drop the maknaes off before heading to our own lessons, but with the way Jimin had looked at me, flashing his angelic eyes, lips curved into a hopeful smile- did it truly even matter if it meant that we would have to take a longer way to get to ours? No. It didn't.

"Hyung, what are you going to be doing today?" Kookie chirps from next to me, eyes crinkled and mouth flashing me a soft smile.

I smile back, reaching to intertwine our hands.

"Maybe work with Yoongi hyung for a bit- I need his help for a track." I say.

"Ooh hyung can I visit?" he asks, doe-eyes hopefully scanning my face, making my nod more eager and a giggle to burst out of his throat. But even so it fades out quicker than normal.

Because from the moment we enter, I notice the others' postures shift and become slightly guarded, see the way that everyone has gravitated closer- silently seeking comfort from each other because of the lingering blatant stares and hushed whispers as though our sharp hearing can't pick up on them regardless. I see Jin hyung smile reassuringly at Tae and Jiminie who have gone to hold his hand on either side- our empath soulmate's eyes concerned but loving as he gazes at us.

Hobi refuses to allow them to deter his boisterous nature, he continues chatting to Yoongi hyung in an attempt to distract hyung- it's endearing. I see the way Yoongi hyung leans towards Hobi, almost as if the words become the anchor grounding him.

When we turn the corner, my eyes catch onto a familiar sight. The Im coven. One of the few that we trust, of who we allow to see our true unguarded selves. The guys behind the masks we use in public.

I feel the bond shift as they too recognise the sight- see the light airiness that comes with meeting a friendly familiar face.

As we approach though, I notice there's something off. Something that doesn't sit right at all. The Im coven has grown extremely close to each other, become a close-knit circle, bodies screaming their protective instincts with the way they become tightly coiled. They've shifted into a mode where they are ready to defend and attack, but I don't know what it is that's set them off like that.

"Jaebum-ah!" Jin hyung says warmly as he steps forward to my side, flashing a warm beatific smile. But it's responded with a tightly pressed set of lips that attempt to smile and end up looking like a grimace instead.

As if try as he might, his lips aren't complying and he cannot get the smile out.

"Everything okay?" Tae asks, head poking out from over Kookie's shoulder, hand settling on our maknae.

We get a stiff nod in return. My eyes catch on Jackson.

"How've you been Jackson-ah? It's been some time since we caught up, come over some time." I say but gone is the exuberant bubbly personality. In place is someone who looks like he's been caught in a tough place.

"Uhh...sure." He says breaking eye-contact with me. It makes me frown a bit; something is wrong. There's now no doubt about it. They've formed a protective circle around a young male, though he stands taller than some of them.

His eyes flash red, but they don't fade back to their usual colour. Instead he seems even more worried and highly-strung when our eyes meet.

But I don't recall seeing him usually with them.

"Ahh...you'll have to excuse us. We've got newly fledged bonds still settling. We're all a bit...on-edge." Jinyoung says apologetically, shooting a small tight smile.

Then their behaviour makes sense.

The need to protect, defend, to shield their own from anyone else. Very normal behaviour for a coven who is going through a bonding process.

Automatically, we all shift back apologetically- giving them enough distance so that their instincts aren't perceiving us as a threat.

And see how they become relaxed slightly. But the red hue doesn't fade from their eyes, it lingers.

Jaebum bows his head in apology before ushering his coven forward, Mark coming to the side to shepherd them along with gentle fluttering hands.

When they pass my eyes are drawn again to Yugyeom- curious to see what their new nestling looks like, but I spot another body held within his arms, a smaller frame.

They don't have one but two new nestlings.

And all their worry and behaviour becomes starkly clear. They're having to adjust to a bigger shift, of course they'll be defensive.

But the niggling feeling never leaves. Stays on and lingers- long after they disappear from view.

(THERE WE HAVE IT! BTS FINALLY MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE! HOW WAS IT? LET ME KNOW AS ALWAYS LOVELIES... JUST TO MAKE CLEAR- AS IT SHOULD'VE BEEN IN THE CHAPTER BUT JUST IN CASE... (Y/N) ISN'T YUGYEOM'S SOULMATE, SHE HAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BOND WITH HIM, ONE THAT'S MORE PLATONIC, NOT ROMANTIC AT ALL! I HOPE IT READ WELL AND CAME ACROSS AS SOMETHING THAT HOPEFULLY CAPTURED THE MUTUAL DEPENDENCY YUGYEOM AND (Y/N) HAVE ON EACH OTHER! STAY SAFE!)

Wake each day with new hopes, dreams, and ambitions, wake up with a new passion, new desire, and new determination. Each day is different from the last, so don't let any regrets of yesterday affect your today.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3