(Y/N) POV:

The rest of the holidays pass in a sort of blur, and moments when I'm alone with my thoughts- the hurtful words Jimin had said come slithering back into my mind and ensnare me into a spiral where nothing makes sense, where everything keep overlapping and entangling into a jumbled mess.

Gyeomie had taken one look at me and just held me that day when I'd come back- no questions asked just the comfort of his touch and presence, pushing away the hurt and flooding me with the soft soothing aura he emitted through our bond.

But oddly enough it didn't placate me as much as it usually could, the reminder of our bond bringing to mind the thought of my soulmates, whoever they may be and a different type of bond I had wanted but now was left at a standstill. Most part of me wanted to meet the male again, to have the possibility of us restarting afresh- wiping the slate clean but a small part of me was still hurt by the words. And that part was urging me to hold back from reaching out and trying to find them, to try and talk to them.

I knew all I had to do was ask any one of the Ims and they'd tell me- no questions asked, no voices urging me to reconsider, to talk me out of it. They had always respected my decision and I knew they'd support me whatever I decided to do.

The last few of the holidays have been dedicated to Gyeomie's mating ceremony and it's on the last Friday of the holidays that I find myself dressing up for the ceremony held for other vampires to attend to, a public declaration that Yugyeomie is a taken vampire. A public show of possessiveness and claiming him as part of their coven- it screamed out to them that Yugyeomie was now a bondmate, a nestmate and that they'd do anything and everything for him. it was a tradition that I had only heard of, read about- it was going to be my first time witnessing it and it sent a thrill through me, an eagerness to see and experience it for myself.

Outfit:

Yugyeomie was a mess today. He'd spent the better half of breakfast staring at his food but unable to swallow it down, a nervous jitteriness to his knees- legs shaking erratically as he sat and colliding with the table several times. He'd paced around so much I had worried if he was going to wear out the carpet.

And when he'd fed off me today- it had been a different sort of feeling flooding the bond. He clutched my wrist between his hands desperately, almost frantically- as it was the only thing keeping him afloat, his mouth had latched on immediately, fangs piercing the puncture marks with ease but he'd sucked in a way that was both gentle and afraid- I could feel the waves of worry rolling off him. He feeds almost as if it's his first time- a hesitance and wariness, but this time it stems from his tension regarding the mating ceremony.

I rub the tension out of his shoulders, murmuring comforting words to him- it'll be fine, I know it so deeply that every inch of me radiates with that belief. Yugyeomie has found his true loves, the ones whose blood sings for each other, whose souls thrum just by being near each other. He's going to get his happily ever after and I can't wait for it.

I've seen the way the coven's eyes linger on him when he's not looking, the fondness in their stares and the way their bodies curve naturally, instinctively towards him. The way their expressions light up, small gestures as they flutter about him- eager to please and pamper their final and not-yet-official bondmate. It's endearing.

For the past few years they have been courting him- traditional vampire courtship rituals such as when they'd first arrived to give him gifts, handwritten letters, plying him with food - they didn't leave any stone unturned. And we're finally here- to the day where he'll be one of theirs.

It's a bittersweet moment seeing him being surrounded by them and knowing that our bond will shift slightly- adjust so it he can become accustomed to the others. It's seeing the end of a journey with Gyeomie and marking the beginning of something new. And I can't wait for him to start his life as a bonded mate.

He deserves it. Truly.

But what I don't expect is that when we are at an exclusive large venue, crowds and crowds of vampires mingling is that for someone to clear their throat gently behind me. And when I turn, the last person I expected to see was him...the male who'd called me his mate. The man with the broad shoulders and lips curved in a small hopeful smile.

"We got off to a really bad start- which was my fault. Hi, I'm Kim Seokjin- your eldest soulmate." He introduces gently, voice incredibly soft and warm- such a stark contrast to the harsh pain that had once filled it.

"Can we talk?" he asks, hope and desperation in his tone.

And his eyes are inviting and hopeful, and I can see the regret in them.

And just like that...because his voice is sincere and pleading. I nod. And follow him to a side-room.

Not knowing how many pairs of eyes follow me as I go.

JIN POV:

When we all head out to the Ims celebration for their bondmate; Yugyeom, I can't help fervently wishing that she's there. Our youngest mate.

It's a wish that begins as a small seed- rooted in by the few weeks since I've seen her, the way her face constantly flashes into my mind and lingers there, the whispers of the dreams I've had coming back to haunt me- to make me realise my actions weren't fair or justified. And it grows, watered by the desperation to fill the ache that has begun in my soul, the glimpse of someone I could have but someone I pushed away.

Because despite the pain I inflicted on her, despite the obvious blatant push I gave her to make her want to stay away, I want to make amends- I want to try. I don't our chance at happiness to rest on the upbringing I've been given, I don't want our chance at something more to be shot down by the ideologies imposed onto me from a young age. It's most definitely not fair on her- she's blameless, but it's not fair on me either- I can't let the fact we're born into different races be the thing that divides us.

I just hope she's willing to listen. Willing to give me a chance. Us a chance.

Because my other mates don't deserve that either. They don't deserve to never know who their mate was, the maknaes being in the dark about it all, they should be able to make their own decisions and we should respect their judgement. That's what a coven is about- what it means, to support each other and be there for one another- even if we don't agree at times.

And that's why my heart does a painful lurch- part joy, part agony when I spot her face in the sea of many others. Where she stands out like a beacon, the sole human in a gathering of vampires. The sole mortal standing straight, tall, and proud- a firm strength in her slight frame, a natural confidence emanating from her- looking like she's at home, completely unfazed by the whispers, by the eyes that double-take, the ears that prick up and hear the thudding constant beat of her heart. Alive.

Her eyes drink in her surroundings curiously, roving over with a slow languid pace as she takes in the circles of vampires chatting, some of them aged, some of them young- but that's no true way of telling their age after all, that's the age they had been turned at.

I notice the Ims fussing over their youngest, eyes glittering with excitement as they unabashedly pull him into kisses, hands possessively roving over him- and it's a clear sign to anyone watching that he's theirs, he's taken.

It reminds me of our own ceremony for Kookie, the way that our own protectiveness had surged as we'd surrounded our baby, fluttering around him, orbiting around him- unable to move away and when we had seen the lingering eyes, the stares that were too blatant and hungry- we had pulled him into our laps, fed him and showered him with our affection. And the memory sends a surge of love for him and I turn to see the others surrounding him, fluttering about him in the same way they had all those years ago. The protectiveness never abates, it continues to flow easily and in the same force as it had when we'd first met- if anything it only rises.

My own eyes snag onto her again, the way her hair cascades down her back- waves natural and enticing, the slender column of her throat as she tips the glass to allow the bubbling gold liquid to fill her mouth, throat bobbing with the act.

And I see the way that people stare at her, eyes curious and sparkling with challenge. And my blood chills when I spot a hungry gaze in some eyes, eyes that trail down her body with a hunger deeper than a taste for blood. My feet carry me forward, others parting to let me through, and with each step that intoxicating scent increases, and when I'm behind her- the scent has overwhelmed my senses and it's dizzying- threatens to send my senses and instincts haywire with how tempting it is.

I clear my throat- the sound almost weak, as if making that sound had been difficult.

She turns, face relaxed and at ease, until she catches sight of me. Recognition lighting up those wide expressive orbs. She doesn't say anything. She's waiting.

I shoot her a small smile, a smile that carries all my hope in it, but inside my heart clenches painfully- as if already anticipating the rejection.

"We got off to a really bad start- which was my fault. Hi, I'm Kim Seokjin- your eldest soulmate." I say, the word soulmate having a beautiful ring to it- the label I so wish to associate with her, that'll finally complete our nest, even if my brain screams at me- human, human. Danger.

But she doesn't move away- that's a good sign right?

"Can we talk?" I ask desperately, pleading every divine force that she says yes, that she doesn't turn away.

And there it is. A nod. A small gesture. But it means everything.

And when I walk towards a side-room, she follows, the slight clacking of her heels against the marble floor. And I know just how many pairs of eyes follow us. Six of them belong to my mates.

TAE POV:

Between Jiminie and I, Kookie is securely sandwiched- protesting loudly that he should be allowed to explore by himself. But I can't forget the lingering eyes filled with want from his own ceremony- eyes that had trawled over his body like he was theirs. It makes my brain hiss with fury remembering it, and I know my eyes are red.

And on the other side of Kookie, Jiminie firmly protests, snaking an arm around his waist to tug him protectively against his side, pressing a kiss to the side of his throat, nosing it gently.

"You're ours Kookie. Hyungs wanna keep you swaddled up all the time." he says, murmuring against his skin, the slight vibration making Kookie shudder. And it brings a smile to my lips, he fits so well with us all- he slotted so easily into our souls and that's where we want to keep him, as close as possible.

And so we allow him to tug us over to the food, smiling at the way his cheeks puff up with the food as he chews, the way he hums happily as we feed him, opening his mouth, and allowing us to coddle him. He's immersed in only us- his focus is solely on the two of us and I bask in the warmth of how perfect the moment is.

Feeding is such an important aspect of vampire tradition- to allow feeding; whether or not it is blood, is intimate, it's soft- it's a show of trust in the other. And that's what I'm seeing, the trust that flows easily between us, as natural as breathing would be to humans.

But what I don't expect is for Jin hyung to approach a very familiar figure. It sends surprise shooting through my body- sears it through the bond, and Jiminie and Kookie who have been the closest to me sit upright, eyes following my line of vision until they too startle.

Across the hall, I know that my surprise has probably jolted the hyungs to detect whatever the source of it is, and that they too have caught sight of our eldest mate leading the lone human away.

And worst of all...I don't know what for.

But I catch sight of the thunder in Jimin's face and wince. Things might not work out at all.

And I just hope (Y/N) doesn't get caught in the crossfire that seems inevitable.

For when our nest will be caught in a confrontational scene- a very clear question already hanging over our heads.

Just how does hyung know (Y/N)?

And why does the bond suddenly become an emotional shipwreck?

(WE ARE BUILDING TO THAT MOMENT OF CONFRONTATION- HOW DO YOU THINK JIN'S CONVERSATION WILL GO? WHAT WILL THE OLDER MEMEBERS HAVE SEEN? FELT? CAN THE IMS NOTICE IT TOO? AHH! THE BUILDUP IS KILLING ME- SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM THE TEARS I'M DROWNING IN! SOS! SOS! AND I WAS ALREADY MELTING BEFORE I WROTE IT! AHH! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHERE THIS TAKES US NEXT- MAYBE RIGHT INTO THEIR NEST?? AND THANK YOU! WE'RE STILL AT NUMBER ONE AND 18K READS- AND A MILESTONE OF HAVING CROSSED 600 FOLLOWERS! IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING JOURNEY YOU GUYS ARE TAKING ME ON! LOVE YOU LOTS! STAY SAFE!)

Sometimes we follow an already made path, but someone once had to tread on foreign ground and carve that path for themselves and for wanderers to come. Sometimes it's okay to stray from the path and carve our own- that way we decide where it leads us.

Borahae! 💜💜💜

PurpleQueenie <3